Dizzy Gillespie's Legacy Lives On
June 21, 2010 at 5:25 AM ✺Good morning✺
The Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band finished a 6-night engagement last evening (I'm sure with a packed house at every show) at New York City's legendary Blue Note!
During the summer of 1998, the band was formed to perform Gillespie's classic big band repertoire and continue the legacy left by the late Jazz master.
The current band members were many of his closest associates and collaborators:
- James Moody (saxophone and flute)
- Jimmy Heath (tenor saxophone)
- Paquito D'Rivera (alto & soprano saxophone, clarinet)
- Clark Terry (trumpet and flugelhorn)
- Roy Hargrove (trumpet)
- John Faddis (trumpet)
- Randy Brecker (trumpet and flugelhorn)
- Claudio Roditi (trumpet)
- Bobby Watson (alto saxophone)
- Benny Green (piano)
- Renee Rosnes (piano)
- Cyrus Chestnut (piano)
- Kenny Barron (piano)
- John Lee (bassist)
- Ignacio Berroa (drums)
- Dennis Mackrel (drums)
- Roberta Gambarini (vocalist)
DG All-Star Big Band Leader Roy HargroveThe above list is the core group of musicians in the DG All-Star Big Band. There's an even longer list of other artists that perform with the band as time and schedules permit.
My Twitter friend, Rachel, is an aspiring Jazz pianist and writer.
She shares her learning experiences, frustrations and triumphs on her blog "The Jazz Post".
While on a college tour of the NYC area last week, she had the opportunity to see a few live shows - Fred Hersch Trio, Vijay Iyer Trio and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band.
Read Rachel's great review and see photos from the show here.
Below is a video of the DG All-Star Big Band with Roberta Gambarini trading scats with Roy Hargrove:
Near the end of 2009, the Blue Note Bloggers asked band members this question - "Was there a single moment when you knew you wanted to be a jazz musician?"
James Moody, Jimmy Heath, Gary Smulyan, Greg Gisbert, Roberta Gambarini, Claudio Roditi, Willie Jones III, Mike Dease, and bassist/executive director John Lee answered with such thoughtfulness and humor that I wanted to share the videoclip of the answers with you.
Have a fantastic week!
