Description

“Sophisticated Giant”, originally released in 1977, was the second album made for Columbia by the dashing tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon (1923-1990), following his triumphal return to America in late -1976. This project was a studio date with an expanded ensemble arranged by Slide Hampton, an idea conceived by Dexter and Michael Cuscuna and a dream project for Dexter. Indeed, “Sophisticated Giant” was to become a jazz classic and arguably the highlight of Dexter‘s recorded output on Columbia. Slide Hampton‘s innovative charts and participation of such fellow giants as Woody Shaw, Bobby Hutcherson, Benny Bailey, Frank Wess and others contributed to an absolute jazz masterpiece. This recording is an event, as Dexter said to Slide after they had listened to it: “This is a classic. It should be in everyone’s library”.