Product Details

• Actors: Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, John Lewis, Milt Jackson
• Format: Black & White, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Fox Lorber
• DVD Release Date: October 26, 1999
• Run Time: 89 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00000JS6Q
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #121,118 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This film, recorded in 1982 at Lincoln Center, captures legendary jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie performing with his Dream Band, consisting of a wide array of jazz music's finest musicians, many of whom worked with Gillespie during the evolutionary era of the early-'40s bebop period. It includes an all-star cast highlighted by pyrotechnic drum wizard Max Roach, Gillespie's protégé trumpeter Jon Faddis, and Modern Jazz Quartet cofounders John Lewis (piano) and Milt Jackson (vibraphone). The leader's crowd-pleasing persona, trademark puffy cheeks, and no-nonsense trumpet solos steal the show. Selections range from Gillespie's Afro-Cubop favorites "Manteca," "Tin Tin Deo," and "A Night in Tunisia" with master percussionist Candido Camero, to the timeless bebop compositions "Groovin' High" (with baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan) and "Salt Peanuts (Vote Dizzy)." Along with rare archival footage of Gillespie and his greatest musical companion, alto saxophonist Charlie Parker, this collection accurately captures the artistry that made Dizzy Gillespie great. --Eugene Holley Jr.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Diz the wiz, November 16, 2003

By 

Walter Goldstein (S.I ,NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dizzy's Dream Band (DVD)

I attended this concert in 1982 and it was both electrifying and memorable. No superlatives are really necessary when describing these masters and sadly most are now gone. My only problems with this DVD release are that all of the music performed on that great evening is not presented here and that the tape pitch wavers a great deal. Most noticeably on Bags feature of Lover Man. It also saps the power and impact of John Lewis beautiful touch on the piano. In addition the audio and video are out of sync in several spots. I very much recommend this DVD due to the fact that you have Diz, Max, Bags and John Lewis on the same stage. Hopefully some day soon this will re-released with the care and content which it deserves. All in all there is much great music and humor here which simply exuded from the great John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Performance from a Great Man and Performer, January 21, 2001

By 

Robert Swofford (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dizzy's Dream Band (DVD)

I never had the pleasure to personally meet pioneer trumpeter, writer, arranger John Birch "Dizzy" Gillespie but I did see him perform in a small group setting on three occasions in the mid 1980s. I saw him perform twice at Eastfield Community College (Garland, Texas) and once at Caravan of Dreams in Ft. Worth Texas. Not only was he was a master and architect of Be-Bop, he was a man of great warmth, humor, honor, respect and dignity.

Dizzy states in an interview regarding his playing on this DVD: "If I play something and make people want to dance, that's an emotion, you're reachin' way inside of them, (laughter) your not up here in the front you know like the intellect, you're reaching inside... When you hear somebody say Yeah! When somebody say that to you on the stage, it's a compliment. Yeah."

Dizzy played music that way it was meant to be heard, by dancing or tapping your toes to it. He infuses the soul with the best humanity has to offer and kind of makes you feel good to be alive. I can't say enough about this DVD, good performance, all-star cast. If you love Jazz as I do, you'll love this DVD.

If there is one thing missing on this DVD, it would have been nice to hear some interviews with audience members, some of whom probably had some good anecdotes and observations about this cultural hero.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Diz..., November 5, 2001

By 

"nevolo" (San Francisco, California United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dizzy's Dream Band (DVD)

Dizzy's dream band boasted some of the most prolific musicians in the industry at that time. Milt Jackson, John Faddis and Max Roach are smoking... The sound quality and image are fair compared to some of the newer DVD jazz releases, however not bad at all for the era it was originally recorded. Dizzy's vibe shines through with unique interviews and mini-jam sessions offering insight to the rhythm behind jazz and his Afro-Caribbean feel.
The next best thing to this album is his soon to be released "United Nations Orchestra" which hosts such Latin/Brazilian musicians as: Giovanni Hidalgo, Flora Purim, Airto, Paquito DiRiviera, and the incredible Arturo Sandoval.