Gettin’ Dizzy

by | Jun 30, 2024 | Big Band, Quartet/Quintet

John Birks Gillespie got the name “Dizzy” because of his offhand manner and outlandish antics. He got the unusual-looking bent-bell trumpet in 1953, when someone accidentally fell on his trumpet stand backstage. Gillespie liked the sound of the altered instrument so much that his trumpets were specially made in that configuration from then on. More than a jazz trumpet virtuoso, bandleader, composer, educator and singer, he was a civil rights advocate who participated in marches and protests … and even ran for president as a write-in candidate in 1964!

No More Blues (top) was taken from a 1966 BBC television show, and features Dizzy on trumpet, James Moody on alto, Kenny Barron at the piano, Chris White on bass, and Rudy Collins playing drums. In the (middle) we have Dizzy with the United Nations Orchestra playing Tin Tin Deo in 1989 at the Royal Festival Hall in London. Also included in the mix are such notables as trombonist Slide Hampton, saxophonists James Moody & Paquito D’Rivera, trumpet player Arturo Sandoval, and guitarist Ed Cherry. Finally (bottom) is a tune called Brother K. It was named by Gillespie in1968 as a response to the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy that year.

Newport ’71 – Thelonious Monk Et Al

by | Mar 18, 2023 | Sextet

Thelonious Monk is the first stellar name we know … el al is the rest of the who’s who of Bop live on stage. It was Newport ’71 in De Doelen Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and Monk was joined by the likes of Art Blakey, Kai Winding, Dizzy Gillespie, and Sonny Stitt, with Al McKibbon bringing up the bass. As you would expect, the solos are out of sight, as the Monk standard, Straight No Chaser takes on a larger-than-life richness that can only be described as very delicious jazz!

Hot House – Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie

by | Nov 12, 2021 | Quartet/Quintet

This performance of Hot House is from a February 24, 1952 broadcast on the pioneering DuMont Television Network.  Broadcasting on the Earl Wilson Show ‘Stage Entrance’, Charlie Parker plays with Dizzy Gillespie in the only footage capturing “Bird” in a true live performance … a historic TV broadcast of the founding fathers of bebop playing together.  It is one of only two known sound films of Parker playing and the only one of him playing live, rather than synching to a prerecorded track.

The quintet playing on this rare video includes Parker on alto saxophone, Gillespie on trumpet, Sandy Block playing bass, Charlie Smith on drums and Dick Hyman at the piano.

Bird’s Centennial: Celebration Pt. 2

by | Sep 5, 2020 | Orchestral, Quartet/Quintet

The first video is one of only two existing pieces of footage of Charlie Parker in performance. This session was recorded in October 1950 in an effort to add video to some previously recorded audio tracks. Bird was smiling because Hawkins, Rich and company were trying to mime their own improvised solos and it wasn’t working out so well. Bird had a good time with it until he got into “trouble” with the producer for laughing at Hawkins. I believe the tune they are attempting to re-dress is called Celebrity.

The second video is the other piece of performance footage and is entitled Hot House.  It was recorded in 1951 and ‘co-features’ Dizzy Gillespie in the days before his trumpet developed its trade mark distinctive ‘curve’.  The two audio selections, Lover Man and They Can’t Take That Away From Me are simply more ‘Bird’ at his best, including a cut from his album with strings.

In this session Bird was, of course, on alto, Coleman Hawkins on tenor, Hank Jones played piano, the great Ray Brown played bass, and you’re sure to recognize Buddy Rich on drums.

When Parker got together with Dizzy Gillespie to jam, you knew the music had to be hot, so the tune was bound to be a few degrees above normal, too!  If you look closely toward the end, you’ll spot Dick Hyman at the piano.

Lover Man

by Charlie Parker | Original Recordings of Charlie Parker

They Can't Take That Away From Me

by Charlie Parker | Charlie Parker With Strings

Gettin’ Dizzy With Sonny Stitt

by | Mar 15, 2019 | Quartet/Quintet

Sunny Side of the Street is an easy, swinging piece recorded in Belgium in 1958, as were all three selections.  After solos by Sonny Stitt and Dizzy Gillespie, they cap it with a rare vocal duet … in fact, this may be a first!

Lover Man [Oh Where Can You Be] has become a standard.  Laid back and mellow, Sonny’s solo on this one shows why his playing has frequently been compared with Charlie Parker.

Blues Walk is an uptempo tune that seems to completely absorb Stitt.  Everyone is clearly having fun here … watch, particularly, the drummer’s face as Sonny soars and Dizzy patiently waits his turn!

Carmen McRae, Count Basie & Dizzy Gillespie – Rare Birds

by | Mar 30, 2018 | Vocal

This performance of Bye Bye Blackbird is a rare appearance of Carmen McRae with the Count Basie Orchestra.  It’s from a Japanese broadcast in 1974 and Carmen was in her prime.  Well, if you care to figure out which prime that was!

It’s Carmen McRae and Dizzy Gillespie live in concert … two jazz legends performing one classic standard. Dizzy’s gentle backing is second only to Carmen’s incredible phrasing of The End Of A Beautiful Friendship!  Like fine wine, she just got better with age as her voice mellowed.

Tour De Force – Dizzy Gillespie, Et Al

by | Aug 4, 2017 | Quartet/Quintet, Video

Recorded 1971 in Tivoli by The Jazz Giants:  Dizzy Gillespie, trumpet; Thelonius Monk, piano; Kai Winding, trombone; Sonny Stitt, alto and tenor saxes; Al McKibbon, bass and Art Blakey, drums.  It just doesn’t get better than that!