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CD reviews

Town Hall, New York City, June 22, 1945

Dizzy Gillespie - Town Hall, New York City, June 22, 1945 Audio CD

A fair review of the Dizzy Gillespie "Town Hall, New York City, June 22, 1945" 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.

Band: Dizzy Gillespie
Title: Town Hall, New York City, June 22, 1945
Rating:

Release Date: 2005-06-21
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Intro 2: Bebop 3: A Night In Tunisia 4: Groovin' High 5: Salt Peanuts 6: Hot House 7: Fifty Second Street Theme

Outstanding
In addition to Dizzy and Bird, the musicians include Al Haig, Curly Russell, Max Roach, Big Sid Catlett (on two tracks), and Don Byas (on one track). This CD provides both great music and a look into bebop as it was beginning to make its mark on the American musical scene. The sound has been very nicely cleaned up with digital technology, the tunes (four written or co-written by Dizzy) are excellent, and the playing is superb. The photographs, most taken very close in time to the performance, are a nice bonus.

Highly recommended for both its historical importance and the quality of the music.

STILL AVAILABLE on BRITISH AMAZON
While others have spoken eloquently about this gem; I'd like to add that, although sold only by used-cd sellers on US amazon, it can be found on its British counterpart. . .

AMAZING discovery of this concert, with Bird and Gillespie at the peak of their powers, showcased in a strong group with Max Roach on drumms, Al Haig on piano and Curley Russell on bass. . . A must have for all classical and early modern jazz fans. . . No wonder Ira Gitler's liner notes are at a loss for words (or overly verbose at times) describing the musical miracle of this CD.

After a tentatively recording start, the album very quickly takes shape as one of the most remarkable be-bop recordings I've ever heard. . . True, the addition of Sid Catlett instead of Roach on last two numbers (Dameron's "Hot House" and Monk's "52nd Street Theme") doesn't really uplifts the proceedings (Big Sid is a great drummer, but in this setting Max Roach is far more suitable), but the loss is insignificant; even at these two tracks the band shines brightly. . . "Salt Peanuts" is given a magnificent treatment and on "Night in Tunisia" Diz plays with more subtlety than in many of the future recordings. . .

I won't try to expand on the previous reviewers' explanation, I'd just like to add that the atmosphere of the era is very well recorded, not just the music! For, in the beginning, Bird is late for the gig and Don Byas on tenor sax starts Bebop, but Parker appears in the middle of the song and takes charge. . . Don, a great player himself, wisely fades from the stage, for in the company of these two trumpet and alto-sax dragons he could hardly give enough fire. . .

The booklet is very charming and informative, with all sorts of texts, including the reprinted comments of the contemporary critics who complained about the organization of the concerts, where the star attractions don't show up, or they show up visibly "high". . . The CD is published within a "Flashback series" of Uptown company; boy if there were only more flashbacks like this one!

P. s. - the back of the CD states that Catlett replaces Roach on tracks 5 and 6; the right numbers are 6 and 7.
There are also interesting technical and historical notes about the Town Hall concerts and the discovery of this recording included in the beautifully designed and well illustrated booklet.

Ahhh the music's so good I could just lie down and kill myself!
ahh the music is so good i could just lie down and kill myself!!!!! lol.

You'll like it trust me.
It could've been another 25 to 50 years or more before this was found but now it's right here in my hands! I just want to listen to these Town Hall recordings over and over! I hear something different every time. As a collector I feel lucky and grateful that these recordings are being made available. The sound quality is better than a lot of the the recordings that Bird and Dizzy did in the studio. It's amazing to hear these
compositions being played live during the time that the music was still new.
I'm sure a lot of Japanese jazz fans were happy!(I'm one of them!) .

Where have you been??
Before then, there was a recording ban that prevented the innovations of the Bebop musicians from being heard.

According to jazz gospel, jazz's Anno Domini is November 1945, when Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie cut several sides including the incredible "Ko Ko". (True, there were some Dizzy Gillespie-led sessions including Salt Peanuts, but they sold so badly that they don't count).

In this version of events, jazz music was totally turned on its head, and the New Testament era of jazz began. When Ko Ko came out in November of 1945, the technical brilliance of the new form of jazz blew everyone away, and the music was changed forever.

But in 2005, this version of events was slightly altered. Finding a complete, live performance of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespi, a full five months before the Ko Ko session, is an astonishing coup. The source of the recording is still rather hazy, with some indications that the anonymous person hoarding them may yet have more to release in years to come. At any rate, this is an astonishing discovery, perhaps even slightly more astonishing than the Monk-Coltrane discovery in the same year.

Dont forget, this is BEFORE the widespread use of tape to record sound (tape was invented in Nazi Germany, and is largely a postwar thing). Also, discs only lasted three minutes a side back in 1945. So you have to imagine some engineers lurking in the Town Hall, with a battery of recording lathes and a pile of fragile lacquer discs, furiously changing discs every three minutes. And yes, they got every note of the concert. Incredibly, the discs were not separated from each other, nor did any of them break over the years! There must have been about twelve or thirteen sides altogether.

Now at last we can hear bebop from before November 1945. The concert is astonishing. I still can't get over Parker's solo on Salt Peanuts, which is really filled with the fresh energy of a newly discovered art form. Another highlight is Night in Tunisia. Both Parker and Gillespie are in terrific form. The crowd seems very appreciative; although the liner notes include a contemporary review which says of Dizzy's music, in effect, "too many notes"! Also, Parker arrives late for the first tune, Bebop; I wonder exactly what he was doing out back?

The sound quality is fantastic. It was far better than I expected. The first few bars of "Bebop" are a bit muddy; but aside from that the sound is the equal of the Royal Roosts, perhaps even slightly better.

So I would heartily encourage anyone to get this disc; whether you are totally new to jazz, or a crusty veteran. The music is very accessible. Music this good, and a discovery that is this historically important, should be heard by everyone!!!.

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.