DIZZY GILLESPIE QUARTET - At Onkel Po’s, Carnegie Hall
NDRinfo N 77037 (Two CD Set)
Dizzy Gillespie ( tpt / vocal ) Rodney Jones ( gtr ) Benjiman Brown ( bass ) Mickey Roker ( drs )
Special Guest: Leo Wright ( alto ) added on CD Two
Recorded Hamburg 1978
From the mid Forties well into Sixties D0zzy Gillespie was a force to be reckoned with along with people like Charlie Parker he was one of the founders of the Bop Movement. He went on to organise a big band which was a little rough at the edges but was one of the most exciting big bands ever to grace the jazz world.
In later years although he continued to play some fine trumpet and recorded many albums he never seemed to regain that initial fire. He did have a quintet which had some fine musicians such as pianist Kenny Barron, Leo Wright the alto and flute player, and Pianist Lalo Schifrin and also recorded with giant s of the calibre of Sonny Rollins and Stan Getz his playing never regained that forward momentum.
On this album he is joined by a young guitarist who would be more at home in a rock group which makes the whole sound of the group more in that style. Dizzy Gillespie himself, plays technically excellent trumpet and is a cut above the others but it does not come over as outstanding jazz.
There may be listeners who are into this type of album and it may well take their fancy but again there may be others that shy away from this form of music, each to his own.
Reviewed by Roy Booth
NDRinfo N 77037 (Two CD Set)
Dizzy Gillespie ( tpt / vocal ) Rodney Jones ( gtr ) Benjiman Brown ( bass ) Mickey Roker ( drs )
Special Guest: Leo Wright ( alto ) added on CD Two
Recorded Hamburg 1978
From the mid Forties well into Sixties D0zzy Gillespie was a force to be reckoned with along with people like Charlie Parker he was one of the founders of the Bop Movement. He went on to organise a big band which was a little rough at the edges but was one of the most exciting big bands ever to grace the jazz world.
In later years although he continued to play some fine trumpet and recorded many albums he never seemed to regain that initial fire. He did have a quintet which had some fine musicians such as pianist Kenny Barron, Leo Wright the alto and flute player, and Pianist Lalo Schifrin and also recorded with giant s of the calibre of Sonny Rollins and Stan Getz his playing never regained that forward momentum.
On this album he is joined by a young guitarist who would be more at home in a rock group which makes the whole sound of the group more in that style. Dizzy Gillespie himself, plays technically excellent trumpet and is a cut above the others but it does not come over as outstanding jazz.
There may be listeners who are into this type of album and it may well take their fancy but again there may be others that shy away from this form of music, each to his own.
Reviewed by Roy Booth
