Jaki Byard: Giant Steps

Track

Giant Steps

Artist

Jaki Byard (piano)

CD

Here's Jaki (Prestige OJCCD 1874-2)

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Musicians:

Jaki Byard (piano), Ron Carter (bass), Roy Haynes (drums).

Composed by John Coltrane

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Recorded: Englewood Cliffs, NJ, March 14, 1961

Byard

Rating: 100/100 (learn more)

I love this arrangement of “Giant Steps.” The pace is nice and easy. The thing to listen to is how Jaki animates his phrases with very quick crescendos and decrescendos. Also his ease with jumping into some very big block chords. Then in the last 30 seconds of the performance, he goes into double time, and his fingers are just flying through the melody. It's ridiculous. He taught me an arrangement of “Giant Steps” that is in 3/4, and extremely difficult, equivalent to a Brahms piano exercise.

Reviewer: Jason Moran

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