Dizzy Gillespie Big Band (1968), unissued?

[John Delaney]

I've recently come across a CD originally distributed with an Italian jazz part-work which seems to have been published in late 1994. The CD has no catalogue number.

Called "Dizzy Gillespie In Milan 1968"; it seems to be previously unissued as it isn't in the Koster / Sellers discography. No recording date given.

Tracks are:

Things To Come (6:15),

Ray's Idea (4:36),

One Bass Hit (5:07),

Milan Is Love (6:30),

Something In Your Smile (Diz vocal) (4:55),

Nbani (10:55),

Old Folks (Moody flute feature) (9:47),

Frisco (8:46).

The recording quality suggests a concert performance (crowd noise but not obtrusively so) and the sound balance is not good enough for a radio broadcast.

The personnel is as for the well known MPS issue.

Any comments?

(Now you're going to tell me it was issued on an Albanian LP some years ago!)

JD

[Michael Fitzgerald]

There are 3 issues by this band (MPS, Beppo, LRC, then 1 track on I Giganti - possibly a duplicate from the 3), plus some unissued broadcasts. As the repertoire was nearly identical (I don't have timings in front of me), it's hard to tell for sure if this is something totally new, but the presence of Old Folks - not on any of the 3 issues - would suggest it's worth investigating.

Mike

[Eloe Omoe]

The complete concert (as far as I know) is on Blu Jazz BJ011CD. It adds a version of Manteca (7:15), and it was recorded in Milan, Teatro Lirico, on November 3, 1968.

The Gillespie big band was featured in the second half of a concert which had first a Red Norvo trio (w/Jerry Hahn, guitar, and Steve Swallow, electric bass), and the Gary Burton quartet (w/Hahn, Swallow and Roy Haynes).

Diz' big band played four dates in Italy: Prato (November 1). Milan (November 3), Reggio Emilia (4) and Rome (5).

Diz, Jimmy Owens, Victor Paz, Dizzy Reece, Stu Hamer (tp); Curtis Fuller, Tom McIntosh, Ted Kelly (tb); Chris Woods, James Moody, Paul Jeffrey, Sahib Shihab, Cecil Payne (saxes, fl); Mike Longo (p); Paul West (b); Otis Candy Finch (dr).

Luca

[Michael Weiss]

The complete concert (as far as I know) is on Blu Jazz BJ011CD. It adds a version of Manteca (7:15), and it was recorded in Milan, Teatro Lirico, on November 3, 1968.

Diz' big band played four dates in Italy: Prato (November 1). Milan (November 3), Reggio Emilia (4) and Rome (5).

Diz, Jimmy Owens, Victor Paz, Dizzy Reece, Stu Hamer (tp); Curtis Fuller, Tom McIntosh, Ted Kelly (tb); Chris Woods, James Moody, Paul Jeffrey, Sahib Shihab, Cecil Payne (saxes, fl); Mike Longo (p); Paul West (b); Otis Candy Finch (dr).

youtube

[sidewinder]

Wow - incredible ! Thanks for posting.