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Dizzy Gillespie - Birk's Works: Verve Big Band Sessions Audio CD

A fair review of the Dizzy Gillespie "Birk's Works: Verve Big Band Sessions" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Dizzy Gillespie reviews here, or go back to the Dizzy Gillespie tabs.

Dizzy Gillespie Band: Dizzy Gillespie
Title: Birk's Works: Verve Big Band Sessions
Rating:
Release Date: 1995-08-22
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Dizzy's Business 2: Hey Pete! Let's Eat More Meat 3: Jessica's Day 4: Tour de Force 5: I Can't Get Started 6: Stella by Starlight 7: Doodlin' 8: Night in Tunisia 9: Champ 10: Yesterdays 11: Tin Tin Deo 12: Groovin' for Nat 13: My Reverie 14: Dizzy's Blues 15: Annie's Dance 16: Cool Breeze 17: School Days 18: Jordu 19: Yo No Quiero Bailar 20: Birk's Works 21: Autumn Leaves 22: Tangerine 23: Over the Rainbow 24: Umbrella Man 25: If You Could See Me Now 26: Left Hand Corner 27: Left Hand Corner [#] 28: Left Hand Corner [#] 29: Left Hand Corner [#] 30: Left Hand Corner [Master Take] 31: Whisper Not [#] 32: Whisper Not [#] 33: Whisper Not [Master Take] 34: Stablemates 35: That's All 36: Groovin' High 37: Mayflower Rock [#] 38: Mayflower Rock [Master Take] 39: Joogie Boogie 40: I Remember Clifford 41: You'll Be Sorry 42: Wonder Why

Birks Works works for me
And while I have not sampled all that much else by Gillespie, I think I probably found the most appealing bit of his work right here. Dizzy Gillespie is one of the big, legendary names in jazz, but since he made so many recordings with so many record companies and artists, both in starring and supporting roles, it is really hard to pin down a "definitive" work that is not only entertaining and has mass appeal but that shows Dizzy at his musical peak. The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings: Eighth Edition recommends this as a core collection selection, and it's easy to see why. Dizzy and his big band play a wide selection of his original songs and jazz standards, even including some wonderful vocal numbers sung by male soloist Austin Cromer, female soloist (plucked out of the trombone section) Melba Liston, and even a couple with the whole band singing (which is very cool). This 2-CD set has 42 tracks on it, about two hours and forty minutes of swinging, hot, big band jazz music. The liner notes are thick and cover everything from the original album liner notes and covers, to detailed musician and soloists lists, to interviews and back stories. It's almost like a jazz history lesson. The music is really "up" and of course, it swings like you know a Dizzy Gillespie band would swing. The sound and production are great and they even covered the CD's with facsimiles of the original vinyl labels ("long playing microgroove"). Really, there is nothing to dislike about this set. It's some of the best jazz music around in one of the most user friendly, informative packages ever. Buy it with confidence.
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Big Band Dizzy
Excellent big band jazz that swings to the last drop. This Gillespie CD is the real deal. Too bad this group broke up. The Wilkins, Jones, Liston arrangements are right up there with the best arrangements offered by Ellington, Basie, Herman, Kenton, et al. There are some audio-tech glitches but so what. Dizzy in the mid-'50s had total command of his horn and of course this is highlighted to the max. This CD is a must for serious jazz collectors, Gillespie fans and big band nut-cases. . . .


Be-bop big band magic
Constantly exciting, with just a few commercial tracks, this collection is essential to any fan of modern jazz. First class be-bop!
Fabulous music from 3 Gillespie's LP's (plus some alternate takes and previously not published oddities) gives a great insight in the methods of adjusting the big-band format to modern jazz.
Feel free to ignore the comments about less-than-perfect audio engineering. .


A Real Legend

It includes all the material they recorded on three albums released back then. This is probably the best and only real documentation of Dizzy's big band of the late 1950's available on CD today. Along with live at Newport, grab this while you can.

I'm not real big on the vocal numbers, but that's just Dizzy and the band having fun - once the band kicks in, it makes up for it all. Why shouldn't it? with a lineup of Wynton Kelly, Lee Morgan, Benny Golson, Quincy Jones - and the list goes on and on of great musicians on this CD, it will dazzle you.

Dizzy is in top form - his playing will bring a smile to your face on every tune!.


Magnificent

The big band sound, is slightly reminiscent
of Duke Ellington's Newport, or Thelonious
Monk's Big Band CD (orchestrated by Oliver
Nelson, I believe, called Plays the Blues),
for example. One word: MAGNIFICENT !!!

This 2CD represents enormous value in terms
of music (minutes played), and also, in terms
of quality of sound, clarity in the various
instruments, etc.

There's several numbers with vocals accompanying
the music, and they are well thought out and
interesting in their own right, both male
and female voices.

As I said in the title. . . magnificent.


You can see a complete list of all Dizzy Gillespie discography, or go back to the Dizzy Gillespie tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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