🎷 AotW: CTI Don Sebesky: Giant Box (CTI Records CTX 6031/32)

Don Sebesky: Giant Box

CTI Records CTX 6031/32
Released 1973

A1: Firebird / Birds Of Fire [13:55]​

B1: Song To A Seagull [5:45]​

B2: Free As A Bird [8:10]​

C1: Psalm 150 [8:08]​

C2: Vocalise [5:35]​

D1: Fly / Circles [9:38]​

D2: Semi-Tough [7:45]​

Accordion – Don Sebesky (tracks: B2, D1)
Alto Saxophone – Grover Washington, Jr. (tracks: D2), Paul Desmond (tracks: B1, C2)
Backing Vocals – Carl Carldwell*, Lani Groves, Tasha Thomas
Bass Trombone, Euphonium [Baritone Horn] – Alan Raph, Paul Faulise
Bass, Electric Bass, Bass [Piccolo] – Ron Carter
Cello – Alan Shulman, Charles McCracken, George Ricci, Seymour Barab
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Walt Levinsky
Clavinet – Don Sebesky (tracks: D2)
Conductor, Arranged By – Don Sebesky
Congas – Rubens Bassini (tracks: D1)
Design [Album] – Bob Ciano
Double Bass [Concert String Bass] – Homer Mensch
Drums – Billy Cobham (tracks: A, C1, D2), Jack DeJohnette (tracks: B1, B2, C2, D1)
Electric Piano – Don Sebesky (tracks: A to B2)
Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder
Flugelhorn – Freddie Hubbard (tracks: B2)
Flute, Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Oboe, English Horn – George Marge
Flute, Piccolo Flute, Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone – Jerry Dodgion
Flute, Piccolo Flute, Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Oboe, English Horn – Phil Bodner
Flute, Piccolo Flute, Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone, Oboe, English Horn – Romeo Penque
Flute, Soprano Saxophone – Hubert Laws (tracks: A, D1)
French Horn – Earl Chapin, Jim Buffington
Guitar – George Benson (tracks: D2), Harry Leahey (tracks: A)
Harp – Margaret Ross
Interviewer [Written] – Didier C. Deutsch
Organ – Don Sebesky (tracks: D2)
Organ, Soloist – Bob James (tracks: C1, D2)
Percussion – Airto* (tracks: A, D1, D2), Dave Friedman, Phil Kraus, Ralph MacDonald (tracks: C1)
Photography By – Pete Turner (4)
Photography By [Booklet] – Steve Salmieri
Piano – Bob James (tracks: B2, C2), Don Sebesky (tracks: D2)
Producer – Creed Taylor
Soprano Saxophone – Grover Washington, Jr. (tracks: B2), Joe Farrell (tracks: D1)
Trombone – Garnett Brown
Trombone, Euphonium [Baritone Horn] – Warren Covington, Wayne Andre
Trumpet – Freddie Hubbard (tracks: A, C1)
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Alan Rubin, Joe Shepley, Randy Brecker
Tuba – Tony Price (2)
Vibraphone – Milt Jackson (tracks: C2)
Violin – Al Brown*, Charles Libove, David Nadien, Elliot Rosoff, Emanuel Green, Gene Orloff, Harold Kohon, Harry Cykman, Harry Glickman, Harry Lookofsky, Irving Spice, Joe Malin, Max Ellen, Paul Gershman
Vocals – Don Sebesky (tracks: C1, D1), Jackie Cain (tracks: C1), Roy Kral (tracks: C1)

Recorded at Van Gelder Studios April & May 1973.


Amazon product ASIN B00FASBAO2

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[Rudy]

This double album is perhaps Don Sebesky's finest hour at CTI, a lavish all-star session which includes many of the familiar names we've come to associate with CTI Records. Three of the tracks are Sebesky's compositions, while there are also some pop cover songs, and a couple of classical adaptations. The side-long opening track "Firebird/Birds of Fire" combines a theme from Stravinsky's Firebird with the title track of a Mahavishnu Orchestra album (penned by John McLaughlin). The album was nominated for two Grammy awards--Best Jazz Performance by a Big Band, and Best Instrumental Arrangement (for "Firebird/Birds of Fire").

Naturally, this big budget all-star undertaking was another result of the success of Deodato's hit record.

 

[Rudy]

Even many non-classical listeners probably recognize the Firebird Suite. Here's a spicy version I like by the Minnesota Orchestra, conducted by Eiji Oue:




Now, take that work and apply "Birds of Fire," the title track of the album by the jazz/rock group Mahavishnu Orchestra, led by John McLaughlin. You can appreciate how Sebesky wove the two songs together. In fact, at the beginning of Sebesky's arrangement, when a gong sounds alongside the traditional version of the Firebird, that echoes the beginning of McLaughlin's composition.




For context, Birds of Fire was the second album by the first incarnation of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. The first was The Inner Mounting Flame. A third album was recorded at Trident studios, but was not released until 1999 as The Lost Trident Sessions, but these tracks appeared on a live album prior to the second incarnation of Mahavishnu Orchestra. The second version of the band was signaled by the excellent Apocalypse album featuring Michael Tilson Thomas conducting the London Symphony Orchestra, and violinist Jean-Luc Ponty briefly joined the band before beginning his recorded output for Atlantic Records shortly thereafter. George Martin produced the album.