DON SEBESKY

Don Sebesky 

"Firebird, Bird of Fire" 

I was totally knocked out with the Firebird. As a huge Stravinsky fan I was prepared to be disappointed. I was so wrong. And don’t miss the berceuse and finale.

This may have been Creed Taylor's most ambitious single project. As the cash was flowing in the wake of Deodato's massive "2001" hit, Taylor rounded up almost every headliner on CTI's roster, had house-arranger Don Sebesky write big-thinking charts for them, and gave Sebesky top billing and two LPs of space. Two decades later, the lineup reads almost like a gathering of the gods -- Freddie Hubbard, Randy Brecker, Hubert Laws, Paul Desmond, Joe Farrell, Grover Washington, Jr., Milt Jackson, George Benson, Bob James, Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette, Billy Cobham, Airto Moreira, Jackie Cain and Roy Kral, all on one album. Thankfully the musicmaking lives up to the billing. Everything that gave CTI its distinctive sound and identity is here -- the classical adaptations (Stravinsky's Firebird is merged shotgun-style with John McLaughlin's "Birds of Fire"), elaborate orchestrations and structuring, pop-tune covers, plenty of room for the star soloists to stretch out in a combo format. The stars all come out to shine; Desmond sounds especially inspired in a shimmering "Song to a Seagull" and Hubbard and Washington burn furiously on the appropriately-titled "Free as a Bird." And Sebesky was given a flyer to experiment; hence the wild extended swarms of freeform strings on "Firebird" and Laws' fancy Echoplexed winds on "Fly." The two original LPs were gathered in a classical-style box, complete with a booklet of photos and an interview with Sebesky, but the austere CBS CD reissue condenses everything onto a generic single disc. However less ostentatious, Giant Box still ranks as a sensational coup and a reminder of how potent CTI was at its peak.
(AllMusic Review by Richard S. Ginell )

Don Sebesky - Accordion, Arranger, Clavinet, Composer, Conductor, Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Piano (Electric), Primary Artist, Soloist, Vocals
Ron Carter - Bass, Bass (Electric), Piccolo Bass
Seymour Barab Cello
Charles McCracken - Cello
George Ricci - Cello
Alan Shulman - Cello
Phil Bodner - Clarinet, Flute, Horn (English), Oboe, Piccolo, Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor)
Romeo Penque - Clarinet, Flute, Horn (English), Oboe, Piccolo, Sax (Soprano)
George Marge - Clarinet, Flute, Horn (English), Oboe, Sax (Baritone), Sax (Soprano)
Jerry Dodgion - Clarinet, Flute, Piccolo, Sax (Soprano)
Walt Levinsky - Clarinet, Sax (Tenor)
Rubens Bassini - Congas
Billy Cobham - Drums
Jack DeJohnette - Drums
Freddie Hubbard - Flugelhorn, Guest Artist, Soloist, Trumpet
Randy Brecker - Flugelhorn, Trumpet
Alan Rubin - Flugelhorn, Trumpet
Joe Shepley - Flugelhorn, Trumpet
Hubert Laws - Flute, Guest Artist, Soloist
Jim Buffington - French Horn
Earl Chapin - French Horn
George Benson - Guest Artist, Guitar, Soloist
Bob James
Guest Artist, Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Soloist - Grover Washington, Jr.
Guest Artist, Sax (Alto), Sax (Soprano), Soloist
Paul Desmond - Guest Artist, Sax (Alto), Soloist
Milt Jackson - Guest Artist, Soloist
Harry Leahey - Guitar
Margaret Row - Harp
Paul Paulise
Horn (Baritone), Trombone (Bass)
Alan Raph - Horn (Baritone), Trombone (Bass)
Wayne Andre - Horn (Baritone), Trombone
Warren Covington - Horn (Baritone), Trombone
Airto - Percussion
Dave Friedman - Percussion
Phil Kraus - Percussion
Ralph MacDonald - Percussion
Garnett Brown - Trombone
Tony Price - Tuba
Al Brown - Violin
Harry Cykman - Violin
Max Ellen - Violin
Paul Gershman - Violin
Harry Glickman -
Violin - Emanuel Green
Violin - Harold Kohon
Violin
Charles Livobe - Violin
Harry Lookofsky - Violin
Joe Malin - Violin
David Nadien - Violin
Gene Orloff - Violin
Elliot Rosoff - Violin
Carl Caldwell
Vocals (Background) - Lani Groves
Vocals (Background) - Tasha Thomas
Vocals (Background) - Jackie Cain
Vocals - Jackie & Roy
Vocals Roy Kral