The Giants of Jazz was a traveling group made up of Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Stitt, Al McKibbon and Kai Winding. The group toured all over the world in 1970 and 1971, before Gillespie left to honor previous obligations. He was replaced by two trumpeters: Roy Eldridge and Clark Terry. That incarnation of this famous group is heard here performing live at The Monterey Jazz Festival in 1972. The music is spirited and mixes bop classics and standards, moving perfectly back and forth from swinging numbers to perfectly paced ballads. This is part of a series of albums that were put out by Monterey Jazz Festival Records in 2008 highlighting great performances, a few more of which I hope to preview here soon.
Released 2008 : Monterey Jazz Fest Records : Catalog # 30882
Players:
Sonny Stitt – Tenor and Alto Sax
Roy Eldridge – Trumpet
Clark Terry – Trumpet
Thelonious Monk – Piano
Al McKibbon – Bass
Art Blakey – Drums
Blue ‘n’ Boogie from “Live at the 1972 Monterey Jazz Fest”
A Night In Tunisia from “Live at the 1972 Monterey Jazz Fest”