Roy & Diz

Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Eldridge | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 19, 1994)
• Original Release Date: 1954
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Polygram Records
• ASIN: B0000046T3
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #193,628 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Digitally remastered two-fer containing Dizzy Gillespie and Roy Eldridge's complete original LP Roy & Diz as well as its second volume, Roy & Diz Vol. 2. Both albums were recorded during a single date that pairs the two stars with Oscar Peterson on piano, Ray Brown on bass, Herb Ellis on guitar and Louis Bellson on drums. This was the first session ever to feature Dizzy Gillespie and Roy Eldridge together in the studio as the sole horns. Poll Winners. 2011. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful Date By Two Trumpet Greats, October 26, 2000

By 

Michael B. Richman (Portland, Maine USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Roy & Diz (Audio CD)

While I agree with the two reviews below that "Roy And Diz" is a five-star effort, I hope you'll agree that those same two reviews aren't very helpful as to the specifics of this fine recording. This classic Verve CD was originally issued as two Clef LPs ("Roy And Diz," Volumes 1 & 2). Recorded on October 29, 1954 during a marathon session at Radio Recorders Studio in Los Angeles, this stellar set features both Roy Eldridge and Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Oscar Peterson on piano, Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass and Louie Bellson on drums (whoa, what a lineup!). They say Roy and Diz were great friends, and it shows in the music. The material is mostly standards with two originals -- Dizzy's "Algo Bueno" and the Roy and Diz collaboration "Trumpet Blues" -- but the tunes are played in a relaxed, easygoing fashion that never smacks of competitive one-upsmanship. While this may not be an absolute classic, it is a delightfully fun and enjoyable session, and since it is great value to boot -- this two-fer logs in at almost 75 minutes -- you should have no doubts about "Roy And Diz."

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars MP3 Amputee, January 2, 2009

By 

Carmen Scriptor - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Roy And Diz (MP3 Download)

Beware! Four minutes are missing from the Ballad Medley. It should be 11 minutes long, not 7. This is one of the best songs on the album, which is why you can't buy it by itself. So, I bought the whole album only to discover that it's an MP3 Amputee. I hope Amazon will refund my money.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The son trying to cut down the father, October 19, 2003

By 

Daniel Fineberg (Northridge, California USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Roy & Diz (Audio CD)

The heated cutting contest is one of the trademarks of jazz lore, where best friends can get up on a stage together and instantly become the fiercest rivals. This particular album transplants that dynamic into the studio, but also adds a unique dimension: Eldridge was the father of Gillespie, musically speaking, and by the time this album was recorded Dizzy had already surpassed his mentor as the greatest trumpet player. If Harold Bloom's "anxiety of influence" of literature could be adapted to music, I think "Roy and Diz" would be a nice illustration of it. One of the defining characteristics of the Eldridge style was taking great, big chances...pushing himself and the instrument as far as they'll go and then going even higher. He has been likened to a tightrope walker working without a net who is not afraid of falling. Dizzy took it to the next level simply by walking faster, and falling less often. The two of them together on this record create pure sustained musical swashbuckling, each man pushing the other to his limits and beyond. "Pretty-Eyed Baby" has them singing a duet, then going into a scat-singing cutting session. If these two aren't enough to hold your interest, the Oscar Peterson trio provides rhythm support. Highly recommended.