Dizzy Gillespie Big Band
Showtime At The Spotlight; 52nd St. NYC, June 1946
Uptown Records 27.53& 27.54
www.uptownrecords.net
By George W. Harris

There’s no denying that Dizzy Gillespie is one of the most important
trumpeters, let alone artists, in jazz history. The problem with his
recorded legacy is that there has never really been a “definitive”
record of his. Most of his most important sessions were 78s that have
been put on various reissues. Same with his live recordings; a 49 gig
in Pasadena is one of his best, but everyone agrees that the sound
quality makes for a rough ride.

All of that is going to change once you hear the music on this 2 disc
set. Captured in concert when he was on the cutting edge of music,
Dizzy leads a big band with the likes of legendary pioneers James
Moody/ts, Kenny Clarke/dr, Milt Jackson/v, Ray Brown/b, and an
extremely rare sighting of Thelonious Monk in a big band setting. I
told you that you’d like this!

First, the sound quality is EXCELLENT, so don’t let that even worry
you. You can hear Monk comping along tunes like “One Bass Hit’ and “The
Man I Love” while he sounds completely matured on a fantastically
desultory “’Round Midnight.” Meanwhile, Diz and the band play with joy
and wild abandon on definitive renditions of “Our Delight” and
“Groovin’ High.” Diz is magisterial here, and Moody’s tenor never
sounded better. The whole band sounds like it’s creating a whole new
world of music, which is exactly what they did. Absolutely no
reservations about this wondrous work. Double your money back
guaranteed!