Dizzy Gillespie

[montg]

I've noticed that Universal in Europe has issued something called the 'Dizzy Gillespie Blue Star Sessions'. I've looked around a little and I'm having a hard time finding out exactly when these were recorded and who was on them. Any info. would be appreciated. Thanks

[brownie]

Montg,

this 2CD release includes all the tracks that Dizzy Gillespie recorded in 1952 and 1953 in Paris for the French label Blue Star.

Most of the tracks were made with the following musicians: Don Byas on tenor, Art Simmons or Arnold Ross on piano, Joe Benjamin on bass, Bill Clark on drums and two percussionists.

The disc 1 also has all the tracks that Dizzy recorded with strings for the Blue Star album Dizzy Gillespie and his Operatic Strings. The rhythm section on that one is Ross, Benjamin, Clark plus French guitarist Jeaqn-Jacques Tilche.

The track list is here:

http://www.amazon.fr/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000...7571918-0091455

[Clunky]

is this the same material as on the single CD JiP "Cognac Blues", this is a decent if pretty low-fi disc, the alternates are in much better sound

[couw]

is this the same material as on the single CD JiP "Cognac Blues", this is a decent if pretty low-fi disc, the alternates are in much better sound

yes, it's the Cognac Blues disk together with the Operatic Strings Disk from the JiParis series. Disk one has something like the first 3rd of the tracks on Cognac, then throws in 10 tracks from the Operatic Strings disk (inlc alternates), followed by alternates from Cognac Blues. Disk two does something similar: first half is tracks from Cognac Blues, second half is from Operatic Strings.

[montg]

Thanks Brownie and Couw.

[JohnS]

I've had this a while and I like it. Imo the tracks with strings are excellent, among the best jazz 'n strings albums. Recommended.