The rhythm section on this new CD by organist Larry Goldings was given a major role. It consists of Peter Bernstein / Kurt Rosenwinkle (guitar), Bill Stewart / Idris Muhammed (drums) and Bashiri Johnson / Guilherme Franco (percussion). Tenor saxophonist John McKenna can be heard on two songs, "Ida Lupino" (Carla Bley) and "Purple gazelle" (Duke Ellington). The title track was written by Leonard
… Bernstein for the ballet "Fancy free" and in 1946 it was performed by Billie Holiday. Variation is the hallmark of "Big stuff", on which Goldings sometimes plays funky, sometimes with swing, then full of feeling. Goldings wrote six of the nine compositions himself, including the opening track "The grinning song", "Jim jam" and "Where we've been". Goldings proves with this CD that he is one of the leading organists in jazz today. _more