QUINCY JONES AND HIS ORCHESTRA — Big Band Bossa Nova (1962-2007) RM | SHM-CD | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

A byproduct of the bossa nova fad that followed the success of "Desafinado" (and preceded the famous recording Getz/Gilberto), this set finds Quincy Jones utilizing and exploiting bossa nova rhythms in his arrangements for a big band. The personnel includes flügelhornist Clark Terry, altoist Phil Woods, pianist Lalo Schifrin, guitarist Jim Hall, and (on "Soul Bossa Nova") the remarkable Rahsaan Roland Kirk. However, since the selections are all quite brief, and some of the charts are a bit cheesy and inappropriate for the gentle rhythms, this disc (although pleasant enough) is of lesser interest. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1. Soul Bossa Nova (2:48)
 Quincy Jones
2. Boogie Bossa Nova (2:45)
 Charles Mingus
3. Desafinado (2:57)
 Antônio Carlos Jobim / Newton Mendonça
4. Black Orpheus (Manha De Carnaval) (2:58)
 Luiz Bonfá / Antônio Maria
5. Se E Tarde Me Pardoa (Forgive Me If I'm Late) (4:25)
 Ronaldo Bôscoli / Carlos Lyra
6. On The Street Where You Live (2:36)
 Alan Jay Lerner / Frederick Loewe
7. Samba De Uma Nota So (One Note Samba) (2:05)
 Jon Hendricks / Antônio Carlos Jobim / Newton Mendonça
8. Lalo Bossa Nova (3:13)
 Lalo Schifrin
9. Serenata (3:22)
 Leroy Anderson
10. Chega De Saudade (No More Blues) (5:39)
 Antônio Carlos Jobim
Credits :
Bass – Chris White
Drums – Rudy Collins
Flugelhorn – Clark Terry
Flute – Jerome Richardson, Rahsaan Roland Kirk (tracks: 1)
Flute [Alto] – Jerome Richardson
Guitar – Jim Hall (tracks: 3, 8-10)
Percussion – Carlos Gomez, Jack Del Rio, José Paula
Piano – Lalo Schifrin
Producer – Quincy Jones
Saxophone [Alto] – Phil Woods (tracks: 6-9)
Saxophone [Tenor] – Paul Gonsalves (tracks: 2, 4 & 7)
Trumpet – Clark Terry (tracks: 2 & 10)
Woodwind – Jerome Richardson

DIZZY GILLESPIE — The Verve/Philips Dizzy Gillespie Small Group Sessions (2006) RM | 7CD | APE (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Dizzy Gillespie's career soared with the surge of interest in bop, but after the failure of his independent Dee Gee label, his career was in the doldrums. In 1953, Norman Granz added the trumpeter to his successful Jazz at the Philharmonic all-star roster for tours and also signed him to a non-exclusive recording contract, where the producer was very open to most anything Gillespie wished to record. This seven-CD boxed set, a limited edition of 10,000 compiled by Mosaic, draws material from selected studio and live sessions made for Granz between 1954 and 1961, in addition to a number of studio dates made for Philips, all of which featured his working bands of the time.

The Verve tracks are a treasure trove, as a good deal of these performances were not reissued on CD until this compilation, with six selections appearing for the first time in this collection. Aside from some of the early novelty songs like "Hey Pete! Let's Eat More Meat," the calypso-flavored "Money Honey," and the perennial jive number "Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac," which wear out their welcome quickly, the remaining material is very strong. Up and coming musicians in his bands include saxophonists Hank Mobley, Gigi Gryce, and Benny Golson, along with pianists Ray Bryant and Junior Mance. One of the obvious highlights is alto sax great Johnny Hodges' guest appearance on "Squatty Roo," which bolsters Gillespie's playing to its highest level. The addition of the relatively unheralded Leo Wright (who doubles on flute and alto sax) and young pianist Lalo Schifrin for a brief concert at the Museum of Modern Art marks the end of his association with Verve, which was sold by Granz that very same year.

Several of the earliest Philips sessions find Gillespie incorporating Brazilian influences and exploring the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim, Luiz Bonfá, and even one extended work by Schifrin, "Mount Olive." Dizzy Gillespie & the Double Six of Paris features collaborations with a group of French vocalists arranged by Lalo Schifrin, with most of the songs utilizing Bud Powell, Pierre Michelot, and Kenny Clarke, with the trumpeter's regular group of the time on two selections. The Double Six of Paris' leader Michel Perin's vocalese interpretations of Charlie Parker's instrumental solos from Gillespie's well-known records of "Hot House" and "Groovin' High" are outstanding, as are the big-band arrangements recast for small group and voices. The final sessions feature James Moody and Kenny Barron, with Chris White and Rudy Collins. The tracks from Dizzy Goes Hollywood are enjoyable but far too brief, as most of them hover around the three-minute mark. Better are the songs from Original Score from the Cool World, an updated look at music Dizzy composed for the film, with fine arrangements by Tom McIntosh. This collection should be considered essential for any Dizzy Gillespie fan. Ken Dryden
Tracklist + Credits :

DIZZY GILLESPIE — New Wave! (1963) Vinyl | FLAC (tracks), lossless

It is such a pity that Dizzy Gillespie Philips' LPs have yet to be reissued on CD, for the trumpeter (45 at the time of this recording) was at the peak of his powers in the early '60s. On such songs as "In a Shanty in Old Shanty Town," "Careless Love," "One Note Samba" and the "Theme from Black Orpheus," Gillespie and his expanded quintet (with guests Bola Sete or Elec Bacsik on guitar and Charlie Ventura taking a memorable bass sax solo on "No More Blues-Part II") show a great deal of spirit and creativity. Leo Wright (on alto and flute) and pianist Lalo Schifrin are also in fine form throughout this gem.  Scott Yanow   Tracklist + Credits :

DIZZY GILLESPIE — Dizzy on the French Riviera (1962-2009) RM | Serie Verve Originals | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Some of Dizzy Gillespie's best and most well-known material from the '60s with a truly talented band is included on this set of recordings done in France. A group of American expatriates and Europeans -- really musicians from all over the world -- accompany the trumpeter for music that spans bop, Brazilian sounds, and originals. Argentine pianist Lalo Schifrin plays piano and contributes the arrangements, and Leo Wright is Gillespie's main foil on flute and alto sax, while Hungarian Elek Bacsik plays guitar in subtle ways that reflect the overall style of the sounds inspired by the French Riviera. A classic, stretched-out take of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "No More Blues" kicks off the set, with the sound of kids on an ocean beach leading to Gillespie and Wright trading halves of the melody line as playful as the children in a perfectly played bossa. Another Jobim standard, "Desafinado," has Wright's bright flute and the muted trumpet of Diz in a more pensive but still hopeful romantic mood. "I Waited for You" is the ultimate languid, laying-in-wait ballad, with Schifrin's refrains cuing the trumpeter's procrastinations, while "Long, Long Summer" is the pianist's ode to a sullen affair with ultraviolet light -- cool shades included -- in a swinging and modal approach. "For the Gypsies," penned by the leader, has Bacsik more up-front rhythmically, as Wright's mysterious flute contrasts with Gillespie's sharply precise notes in a sneaky quick bossa rhythm. Also written by Dizzy, "Here It Is" is as memorable a tune as he ever did, a signature strutting shuffle jazz/blues that exemplifies the joy in life always present in his music. That all of the participants are extremely talented and can mix and match with Gillespie beautifully makes this an album that should appeal universally to all jazz lovers, and especially his biggest fans. Michael G. Nastos    Tracklist + Credits :

DIZZY GILLESPIE & THE DOUBLE SIX — Dizzy Gillespie & The Double Six of Paris (1963-1986) APE (image+.cue), lossless

This odd but successful pairing finds the Double Six of Paris singing vocalese in French to a dozen bebop classics associated with Dizzy Gillespie. Gillespie, with pianist Bud Powell and a rhythm section, take solos that uplift this date; two songs feature his quintet (with James Moody on alto). Not for all tastes, but this is a unique and colorful addition to Gillespie's discography. Scott Yanow
Tracklist + Credits :

DIZZY GILLESPIE — The Cool World (Original Score) (1964-2008) RM | Serie Verve Originals | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Finally available again after a 30-plus year absence from American shelves is the soundtrack to Shirley Clarke's gritty but brilliant 1964 film, Cool World, about young people growing up in Harlem. The score was written and arranged by pianist Mal Waldron but was performed and recorded by Dizzy Gillespie's quintet of the time. This set is one of Diz's best records of the 1960s (which is saying something), and one of the best jazz film scores period. Diz's band at the time included James Moody on tenor and flute, a young Kenny Barron on piano, bassist Chris White, and Rudy Collins on drums. The 11 cues that range between two and five minutes are deeply rooted in the language of hard bop and blues with some excellent, if brief, modal touches by Waldron. The opening theme, the set's longest cut, sets out all the tropes the quintet will visit over and again; lean, tough, expressive blues. Barron's piano sets out a fast, hard swinging groove that sets a pace for the cut time, skittering snare, and frenetic bassline; they urge the two horn players to wail the head and they do. The three solos are as intense and popping as anything on Blue Note at the time, and offer a portal into the rest of the set. The blues articulation of every cue here is on purpose because, if anything, Cool World is a film drenched in them. Waldron's sense of economy in picking both impressionistic and expressionist avenues for blues to speak through jazz in an inspired quintet like this is remarkable -- the temptation would be to excess at every turn, especially given Waldron's gift for sophisticated harmonies and spacy lyrical concerns. There is little that is subtle about this music, but there is nothing overblown about it either. Check the happy-go-lucky flow of "Enter Priest," which signals the arrival onscreen of Duke's (main character) mentor: though he is an underworld figure and a gang leader, his outward appearance to Duke, and his first impression of him, is one of freedom and admiration. The free-flowing cut-time rim shot from Collins and the breezy, open horn section underscores this; Duke's eyes are wide and happy because he thinks he's found a way out of his predicament. On "Duke's Awakening," Waldron deviates -- momentarily -- from the blues/hard bop lexicon. He uses a minor-key modal theme in the intro before unfolding a slow blues. Waldron follows this with a stunning hard bebop cue called "Duke on the Run," that echoes back to the '40s in its unrelenting action and pace -- though Moody's solo is a deeply soulful one. There is also the wonderfully lilting "Coney Island," (where the main character escorts his Bonnie, his love interest, to the seashore, it's her first time seeing the ocean despite having grown up in Harlem). The open octave spill between saxophone and muted trumpeter are the character's voice, and the drums and bassline become the sea and sand -- the only place the pair is free is on the shore. Moody solos on flute to outline just how different this moment is than either character has known before. Ultimately, the soundtrack to Cool World is an enormous success artistically, standing head and shoulders over virtually every other such effort of the period, and a welcome addition to the Gillespie catalog, offering a very keen and muscular view of his 1964 band. Previously available only as a very expensive import, this disc is a must for anyone interested in '60s Gillespie and in hard bop jazz in general.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa'<-
Tracklist + Credits :

DIZZY GILLESPIE – Something Old, Something New (1963) lp | 24bits-96Hz | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Reissued on CD in 1998, this was one of Dizzy Gillespie's finest sessions of the 1960s. His quintet (which includes James Moody on tenor, flute and alto, pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Chris White and drummer Rudy Collins) sounds quite inspired. The "Something Old" portion of the set is the main reason to acquire it, since it consists of rapid versions of "Bebop" and "Dizzy Atmosphere," a memorable rendition of "Good Bait" and a definitive medley of "I Can't Get Started" and "'Round Midnight." The "New" part of the release consists of four then-recent pieces (three by Tom McIntosh), best known of which is "Cup Bearers." The CD reissue adds a brief "Early Mornin' Blues" to the program. Highly recommended. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
 1 Bebop 6:17
Dizzy Gillespie
2 Good Bait 3:03
Count Basie / Tadd Dameron
 3 Medley: I Can't Get Started/Round Midnight 6:23
Vernon Duke / Ira Gershwin / Thelonious Monk / Cootie Williams
 4 Dizzy Atmosphere 6:12
Dizzy Gillespie
 5 November Afternoon 4:19
Tom McIntosh
 6 This Lovely Feeling  4:19
Margo Guryan / Arif Mardin
 7 The Day After 4:33
Tom McIntosh
 8 Cup Bearers 6:11  
Tom McIntosh
 9 Early Mornin' Blues 2:55
Dizzy Gillespie
Credits :
Bass – Chris White 
Drums – Rudy Collins
Flute, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – James Moody
Piano – Kenny Barron
Trumpet – Dizzy Gillespie

DIZZY GILLESPIE – Jambo Caribe (1964-1998) RM | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The populist Dizzy Gillespie gets full rein in this lively, happy collection of tunes exploring rhythms and idioms from the Caribbean. Gillespie is in an ebullient mood, even offering some sly lead calypso vocals on three numbers (perhaps his lighthearted presidential "campaign" of 1964 contributed to the high spirits; the sessions began a day after Election Day). Much of the material comes from Dizzy's band on the session -- which includes the formidable James Moody on tenor and flute, Kenny Barron on piano, and percussionist Kansas Fields -- and there are some genuine calypsos by Joe Willoughby to round out the package. The cut with the biggest quota of fun is "Barbados Carnival," with guitarist Chris White doubling as a calypso singer, and the lengthy "Trinidad, Goodbye" offers the largest amount of straight-ahead playing. This slice of enjoyable minor Gillespie, originally on Limelight, was reissued on Verve with the original cover on its By Request series in 1998. Richard S. Ginell
Tracklist  :
1 Fiesta Mo-Jo 3:50
Written-By – Dizzy Gillespie
2 Barbados Carnival 3:15
Written-By – Chris White
3 Jambo 5:00
Written-By – Dizzy Gillespie
4 Trinidad, Hello 4:20
Composed By – Kenny Barron
5 Poor Joe 2:39
Composed By – Joe Willoughby
6 And Then She Stopped 3:17
Written-By – Dizzy Gillespie
7 Don't Try To Keep Up With The Joneses 2:35
Composed By – Joe Willoughby
8 Trinidad, Goodbye 8:27
Written-By – Kenny Barron
Credits
Bass, Guitar, Vocals – Chris White
Bass, Piano – Kenny Barron
Drums – Rudy Collins
Percussion – Kansas Fields
Tenor Saxophone, Flute – James Moody
Trumpet, Vocals – Dizzy Gillespie