This may have been Creed Taylor's most ambitious single project. As the cash was flowing in the wake of Deodato's massive hit version of "Also Sprach Zarathustra (Theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey)," 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 music-making 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 license to experiment -- hence the wild extended swarms of free-form 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. [The album was also issued in Japan.] ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide
Max Ellen (Violin), Phil Kraus (Marimba), Roy Kral (Vocals), Grover Washington, Jr. (Sax (Soprano)), Arnaldo DeSouteiro (Reissue Coordinator), Paul Faulise (Horn (Baritone)), Don Sebesky (Piano), Walter Levinsky (Sax (Tenor)), David Friedman (Vibraphone), Pete Turner (Cover Photo), Rubens Bassini (Conga), Ron Carter (Bass (Electric)), Joe Shepley (Trumpet), Don Sebesky (Clavinet), Don Sebesky (Organ), Alfred Brown (Violin), Freddie Hubbard (Flugelhorn), George Marge (Sax (Baritone)), Airto Moreira (Percussion), Phil Kraus (Gong), Tony Price (Tuba), Wayne Andre (Trombone), Rudy Van Gelder (Engineer), Phil Bodner (Clarinet), Phil Bodner (Flute), Ralph MacDonald (Conga), Joe Shepley (Flugelhorn), Harry Glickman (Violin), Hubert Laws (Flute (Bass)), George Marge (Flute), Don Sebesky (Piano (Electric)), Jack DeJohnette (Drums), George Marge (Clarinet), Warren Covington (Trombone (Bass)), Romeo Penque (Flute), George Marge (Sax (Soprano)), Walter Levinsky (Clarinet), Garnett Brown (Trombone), David Nadien (Concert Master), Don Sebesky (Vocals), Alan Rubin (Flugelhorn), Joseph Malin (Violin), Harry Lookofsky (Concert Master), Arnaldo DeSouteiro (Digital Remastering), Bob James (Piano), Tasha Thomas (Vocals (Background)), Charles McCracken (Cello), Grover Washington, Jr. (Sax (Alto)), Romeo Penque (Sax (Soprano)), Phil Bodner (Piccolo), Alan Shulman (Cello), Randy Brecker (Trumpet), Romeo Penque (Horn (English)), Don Sebesky (Accordion), Jim Buffington (French Horn), Billy Cobham (Drums), George Marge (Horn (English)), Don Sebesky (Arranger), Hubert Laws (Electric Flute), Elliot Rosoff (Violin), Charles Libove (Violin), Ron Carter (Piccolo Bass), Phil Bodner (Sax (Soprano)), Alan Rubin (Trumpet), Carl Carldwell (Vocals (Background)), Seymour Barab (Cello), Alan Raph (Trombone), Milt Jackson (Vibraphone), Harry Cykman (Violin), Don Sebesky (Conductor), Lani Groves (Vocals (Background)), Jackie & Roy (Performer), Gene Orloff (Violin), Harry Leahey (Guitar), Jackie Cain (Vocals), Harry Lookofsky (Violin), Paul Gershman (Violin), Warren Covington (Horn (Baritone)), Homer Mensch (Bass), Harold Kohon (Violin), Romeo Penque (Oboe), Creed Taylor (Producer), Joe Farrell (Sax (Soprano)), Phil Kraus (Xylophone), Irving Spice (Violin), George Marge (Oboe), Paul Faulise (Trombone), Margaret Ross (Harp), George Benson (Guitar (Electric)), Alan Raph (Horn (Baritone)), Hubert Laws (Flute), Earl Chapin (French Horn), Emanuel Green (Violin), Romeo Penque (Clarinet), George Ricci (Cello), Bob Ciano (Design), Ralph MacDonald (Percussion), David Nadien (Violin), Bob James (Organ), Freddie Hubbard (Trumpet), Paul Desmond (Sax (Alto)), Ron Carter (Bass (Acoustic))
![Giant Box [Japan]](http://content.answers.com/main/content/img/amg/pop_albums/cov200/drg400/g417/g41743lyrte.jpg)
