Jazz 625 - Dizzy Gillespie Quintet

Dizzy Gillespie (tpt), James Moody (alt/ten/flute), Kenny Barron (pno), Chris White (bs), Rudy Collins (dms).

A BBC broadcast from over 40 years ago this was a worthy reminder of why Dizzy was known as 'The Greatest Trumpet of Them All". He played with a technique that many saxophone players would die for!

Not so James Moody. Dizzy's long-time associate flew alongside on alto, tenor and flute - his solo on the latter instrument truly remarkable. Kenny Barron on piano, barely out of his teens was another who kicked. With White and Collins they made a formidable rhythm section.

And of course, Dizzy, apart from his horn-playing never forgot that music is also entertainment.

Great stuff.

By contrast, The Brubeck Quartet came across as dated and, dare I say it? Boring. If you don't believe me just look at the shots of the audience!

Possibly this was because, apart from "Take Five" which we've all heard once too often, Paul Desmond received little exposure and for me, Desmond was the jewel in that particular crown.

In between these two programmes we looked at four albums recorded in 1959 that "Changed the Course of Jazz History".

The albums were - Miles' "Kind Of Blue", Brubeck's "Time Out", "Mingus' "Mingus Ah Hum" and Ornette's "The Shape of Jazz To Come."

Interesting, but too much talk and not enough music. Still I have the discs so I can catch up.

Next weeks it's Oscar Peterson and MJQ.

Lance.