When you get up in the morning, you must have a song - Ray Charles

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Dizzy Gillespie - Have Trumpet.../ The Ebulliant...

Tonight, a pair of overlooked Dizzy lps on the Verve label.
The first one is covers, mostly standards, with the exception of his own Woody'n You which has found its way into the bop standards in it's own right. Full of grace and lyricism and no less tha a dash of humor and you'll find this recording can hold its own against any middle period Gillespie lp. Upon archiving these, the one thing that took me by surprise was Les Spann's flute and guitar work. I have long considered those to be some of my least favorite instruments in the jazz idiom. The guitar I had come to accept as a necessary evil but the flute I still avoided like the plague. Turns out the flute is like cold beets. I don't mind at all, and even enjoy them in medium doses. Surely wouldn't want a steady diet of beets (or flute, for that matter) but damn if I didn't find myself digging it way beyond what I had ever thought I would. I guess growing older does open the possibilities for new things. Who knew?

The second lp, finds Dizzy sporting the same band but with the inclusion of Chino Pozo on congas, it takes a decidedly more percussive flair. While nothing will top the Cole Porter cover on the last record, over all I find this lp more interesting.
Since he takes great liberties with Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac; Always, and Willow Weep For Me are the only straight forward standards on this lp.

As Dizzy had been working this combo in the clubs for awhile, I'm assuming these songs were comfortable for all, and so the recording sessions were very relaxed and highly entertaining.

For the record, Chino Pozo was said to be the nephew of the more famous Chano Pozo.

I have not been able to listen to one of these records without pulling out the other immediately for many years now. I hope you enjoy this pair together as I have.

Dizzy Gillespie
Have Trumpet, Will Excite

1. My Heart Belongs To Daddy
2. My Man
3. Moonglow
4. St. Louis Blues
5. Woody'n You
6. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams
7. There Is No Greater Love
8. I Found A Million Dollar Baby In The Five And Ten Cent Store

Dizzy Gillespie
The Ebullient Mr. Gillespie

1. Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac
2. Always
3. Willow Weep For Me
4. Ungawa
5. Lorraine
6. Girl Of My Dreams
7. Constantinople
8. The Umbrella Man


Dizzy Gillespie - trumpet. vocals
Junior Mance - piano
Les Spann - flute, guitar
Sam Jones - bass
Lex Humphries - drums
Francisco "Chino" Pozo - conga drums


MG V-8313

MG V-8328

Once again - my apologies as these were taken from my less than perfect vinyl copies.

8 comments:

AAUndercover said...

Who can hear the surface noise over all that great playing.

I'll take Dizzy any time, any condition.

MODERN COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY said...

trillion thanks and heartiest gratitude ..for letting us hear master albums in original sound since remastered CDs sound like dead frogs..if it is not for guys like you the true feel of jazz would not have been felt..

all the best to you and your family

Tanmoy

MODERN COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY said...

after downloading i saw that your rips are 192 kbps...
Its my earnest request that please upload at 320 kbps..your blog will become famous since its a rarity regarding the quality of music you are giving..i know of no other blogs that give this quality gems ripped from VINYL..

PLEASE UPLOAD AT 320 KBPS...
that will make the quality much better otherwise i am sure your blog will not get followers like MY JAZZ WORLD OR ORGY IN RHYTHM OR OTHERS...

thanks and i hope you will re upload the albums at 320 ..it will take time but in the end you will be a winner ..


thanks and all my love
thanks

MODERN COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY said...

please re upload these wonderful music as @320 kbps..
only then the blog will be famous as one of the best in jazz and improvised music...
please.. its an request..we don't want anything new ..just let us hear what you already uploaded in better bit rate @320 ...

lot of music is missing in 192 or 256 kbps

I know you will take the time and reupload and I will make your blog amongst the top blog on par with the best...

Please consider and reupload otherwise the fate of this blog hangs in obscurity since all other great blogs are giving music at @320..

Love and peace
Tanmoy

Winneba said...

Have had these records for ages and am so happy that you posted them- as mine are so scratched that I just couldn't listen to them anymore. Great job!

Hookfinger said...

Thanks for the kind words, guys. To address Tamnoy's request, well it ain't gonna happen. Not for awhile. These rips are made straight from the turntable hooked up in my front room. They are not filtered through the computer or anything, just rips as I hear them. Changing that is not an option now and probably not soon at my age. I only want to share what I have the best I can.
I burn a disc, I carry it into the next room and I upload, just so you understand.
Please enjoy these as best you can.

vilstef said...

Hey Hook! Two jazz artists whose flute playing I've liked are Frank Wess and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. A couple of Dorothy Ashby's early albums have some very fine flute playing by Wess. Kirk is a continuing astonishment on all he played.

Baron said...

Thanks HGs ... Have Trumpet (now) ... back later for Ebullient ... Baron