One day in 1957 Dizzy, Benny & Gigi walk into a studio in NYC...

jazz riches!

I am fortunate enough to be the proud owner of the Mosaic Records boxset "Verve/Philips Dizzy Gillespie Small Group Sessions." I have been listening to it a great deal lately (as you would too!) and one session (of the 15 included in this set!!) that has recently captured me was recorded in 1957 and released as "The Greatest Trumpet of Them All" (and the case that he is the greatest could certainly be made: listen to this or this and the list could go on!).

Like many of the greatest recordings in jazz, it's the band that makes all the difference. Dizzy was always a fine player and one of those players who rarely put out a weak record. For this one, he not only pulled in two of the finest young sax players of the era, but also got them to arrange the eight tracks. Benny Golson on tenor and Gigi Gryce on alto. These men not only play amazing horns, but have that octet playing masterfully.  The arrangements are stellar and show the talents that these two men would continue to display.

an underrated album

Even if you don't want to shell out the $119 for the complete set (or download it from iTunes for $70) , I encourage you to track down this album and enjoy!

The Mysterious Gigi

that must be a hilarious arrangement

I have been thinking a lot about Gigi Gryce lately. One the finest writers, saxophonists and arrangers of the 1950s and '60s, he walked away from jazz to teach public school for reasons that remain mysterious. I love Gigi and could listen to him all day long. There is something extremely intriguing about his playing and I could listen for a week straight (why stop at a single day?) and I'm not sure I'd be any closer to explaining just what it is about his music that pulls me in.

His recordings with Donald Byrd are essential (you can get a good set from iTunes for next to nothing!), but then again, Gigi recorded so little that anything he was involved with is a worthwhile purchase. He also recorded with some of the other finest trumpet players of the era, Art Farmer (another one of my favourites), Lee Morgan (how can you not love Lee?) and Clifford Brown (who died to young, (25), as did Lee Morgan (33) for that matter, but we don't dwell on the negative here, do we? No, let's focus on the music instead of car accidents and murder.)

Not only did he prove that glasses and sweater-vests are extremely cool, (thanks for paving the way, Gigi!) but he left behind a scattering of wonderful music that is just screaming out for someone like Mosaic Records to pull together in some multi-disc retrospective that will help ensure Gigi's lasting legacy.

sweater vests are cool

As a songwriter he wrote a few songs that have become standards including 'Minority' that has been recorded by just about everybody.

Enjoy the music my friends and perhaps you too will become enthralled by Gigi who may or may not have had his house firebombed by gangsters, would have a public school named after him and would change his name to Basheer Qusim. Intrigued? I thought so. Since I miss you so much, I will offer another musical present: Gigi and Monk playing another of his standards, 'Nica's Dream'. I look forward to hearing how much you love it.