Customer Reviews

At Newport

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A year after Duke Ellington brought the house down at the Newport Jazz Festival, Dizzy came back and did it, too. The big band captured on this disc, the one Dizzy traveled around the world with for the State Department, may arguably have been his best, featuring Al Grey, Ernie Henry, Benny Golson, Pee Wee Moore, Wynton Kelly, and a young Lee Morgan on trumpet. The energy and volume of the orchestra on tunes such as Dizzy's Blues, Manteca, and Cool Breeze is truly incredible. Benny Golson's recently composed 'I Remember Clifford' is given an appropriately somber and moving arrangement. Mary Lou Williams comes out of semi-retirement to play piano on 'Carioca' and three selections from her own 'Zodiac Suite'. The biggest treat on this album, though, is a funky, often hilarious run-through of Horace Silver's 'Doodlin', where baritone legend Pee Wee Moore shows everybody the true meaning of minimalism. And the playing of John Birks himself has never been better, roaring above the rest of the band at will with machine-gun speed and harmonic precision. Trumpeter Lee Morgan has a breakthrough performance when Dizzy gives him the solo for Night in Tunisia, and Morgan responds admirably. This CD reissue is always exciting, often funny, and absolutely essential.

Why I waited so long to purchase this classic is as much of a mystery to me as Verve's slowness to publish and promote a newly remastered edition. Rate this one along with Ellington at Newport '56 and Basie at Newport '57 as one of the truly memorable recorded occasions of that 50-year-old festival. It also may be the most satisfying, representative album by the ebullient, many-faceted Mr. Gillespie.

There are numerous listeners who didn't come to Dizzy until the late 1960's and later when, like Louis, he was depending increasingly on showmanship and humor (often admittedly less hip than sappy) along with congas, vocals, and shortened, underpowered (but never uninventive) trumpet solos. To those Gillespie-ites who insist Diz was more virtuosic, daring and even musical than Bird, let this Newport set provide further evidence for their case; to those Diz devotees who feel that Miles may have gotten unwarranted marquee treatment at the expense of the greater star, I'm afraid the comparative neglect of this album can only sharpen their point.

Sure, the band is a trifle ragged in spots, but the fast tempos, erratic programming, improbable mix of the personal, the historical, the exotic, the eccentric, the dramatic, and the sheer excitement of pyrotechnics used not for display but to create aesthetic tension all make for one of the most engaging big band performances on record. And through it all Diz does what he does best--"play" with the music. Music even as supercharged as this should be fun, and Diz like Mozart the master player, is the genius who never allows his art to be anything more nor less than a captivating game.

His trumpet work on "Dizzy's Blues" and "Cool Breeze" is spectacular yet effortless at the same time. "School Days" and "Doodlin'" are colorful party balloons for his audience. His performance of "I Remember Clifford" as well as his thoughtful presentation of Mary Lou Williams betray the man's respect for tradition and his compulsion to balance the manic with the mannered. And his generous solo space to protege Lee Morgan on "Night in Tunisia" speaks volumes about his bigness as a human being as well as a musician.

Last but not least, Al Grey leaves not a shred of doubt about who was the most spirited big band trombone soloist in the history of jazz.

One of the top 10 jazz CDs, in my opinion, this catches Dizzy's "State Dept." big band of the mid 50s LIVE, with arrangements by Benny Golson and with Al Grey, Wynton Kelly, a young Lee Morgan, and - as Dizzy tells you at length...the star of the band...PEE WEE MOORE. OK, well, the set opens up smokin' with "Dizzy's Blues", and if Diz ever played better I have yet to hear it. The band then launches into "School Days", which serves as a double 'take-off'. First, Diz shows the Newport audience that he, as well as the Duke, can whip an audience into a frenzy; and secondarily spoofing the 'one note ride' that had become prevalent in jazz as well as R&B to the point of absurdity. However; as absurd as Diz tries to make it, it still works wonders with a great band blowing changes behind it. "Doodles" is the Pee Wee Moore send-up...Golson's "I Remember Clifford" is truly memorable and "Cool Breeze" catches the band roaring again. Mary Lou Williams comes out and is featured, as mentioned by the previous reviewer. The highlight of the set, for me, is the live, wide-open version of "Manteca" - the best version on record even without congas. Diz sort of ends with "A Night In Tunisia", then clowns the REAL end of the show. This set is memorable for all the things that jazz should be - great playing, great showmanship, and tremendous fun. It is a must have CD.

Redbook CD/Dizzy Gillespie at Newport 50th Anniversary edition remaster/Verve.

I agree with positive reviews about the music performances on this offering, but be aware there is obvious siblance and digital glare on this CD offering - once you get beyond the first track things settle down considerably. I own an old vinyl version of this recording and it sounds much more relaxed and natural than this remastered CD. Original recording date alone does not determine audio quality on subsequent remasterings. I have listened to many excellent recordings from the early 1950's forward. I'm not one of those audiophiles who listens more to gear than music, or goes around saying "digital sucks, analog rules!" I have excellent sounding Redbook CD's, SACD's, LP's (45's and 33 1/3), as well as so-so sounding Redbook CD's, SACD's, LP's (45's and 33 1/3). Other than internet/peer reviews, it is difficult to know how good any LP/CD/SACD will be until we play it back ourselves. The sound clips on internet sites will never give you an accurate barometer of the audio quality you will hear at home, and so I've no doubt most of us have more than a few clunkers (sound wise) in our music collections. I'm a big believer that each recording should be judged on its own merits sonically and content-wise regardless of which medium the recording resides on. I own the Rega P-5 with Dynavector 17d3 cartridge and my disc player is the better than decent Esoteric X-03. A music lover (different than an equipment lover) certainly does not require an expensive audio system or golden ears to hear the difference between a mediocre and well mastered recording. This CD: Content **** audio quality ***

While the Newport Jazz Festival recordings of the big bands of Duke Ellington and Count Basie from 1956 and 1957 are justifiably famous, Dizzy Gillespie also lead an exciting concert at Newport in 1957. (In fact, he and his band performed the day before Basie.) His band at this time included many excellent musicians such as the young trumpeter Lee Morgan, trombonist Al Grey, alto saxophonist Benny Golson, pianist Wynton Kelly, and drummer Charlie Persip. The band was also joined by jazz pianist/composer/arranger Mary Lou Williams for two numbers. They all swung with style and verve on this date, and Diz adds humor to the affair with his amusing introductions.

The selection of songs is outstanding with several tunes ("Manteca", "Cool Breeze", and the famous "A Night in Tunisia") co-written by Gillespie, a Horace Silver tune, "Doodlin'", a tribute to recently deceased trumpeter Clifford Brown by Benny Golson, and excerpts from Mary Lou Williams' "Zodiac Suite".

Of course, Dizzy was one of the inventors of bebop, so his big band has a very different style from the Ellington and Basie bands. I also have good albums featuring Gillespie's big bands in concert at Carnegie Hall in 1947 and 1961, but this is the most enjoyable of these three live albums by Diz.

This album is a great example of Dizzy's showmanship and humor. You can tell everyone is having fun. Because of this it is accesible to anyone, jazz enthusiast or not. An essential in a record collection.

this is a must have disc.all of the genius elements that made dizzy the genius that he is can be found on this disc.his style his humor are all on display in ther fullest zenith.

I don't have much to say except that my favorite tune was "Manteca" because it almost sounded cuban. I also liked "Night in Tunsia" because of the odd contrasts.