Gianni Basso

The Gianni Basso Big Band: Featuring Slide Hampton

by Jack Bowers
April 1, 2001

This concert date from August ’99 by tenor saxophonist Gianni Basso’s spit–shined 20–something Italian big band does feature the marvelous trombonist / arranger Slide Hampton, but there’s much more to the album than that. First, this is a well–rehearsed ensemble that can hold its head high in any company; second, it is reading superlative charts not only by Hampton (three) but also by Dusko Goykovich (five); and third, there are resourceful soloists aplenty to keep Hampton on his toes (he ...