I would have included the Paul Gonsalves solo in Diminuendo in Blue with Duke Ellington at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival. While others may be better musically, technically, or in other ways, I will argue that none had a bigger impact on a group of musicians. At that time there had been a significant decrease in the demand for Duke and his music to the point that they weren't getting enough gigs to cover their costs. Then, Paul Gonsalves starts to play, and 27 choruses later when all was said and done the crowd was going wild, and the Ellington band was in demand again.
Duke Ellington - Diminuendo in Blue:
Moffa Mithra
Today, 08:31 AM in For Sale