Dizzy Gillespie

Featuring: Dizzy Gillespie (tp), Sonny Rollins (ts), Sonny Stitt (ts & as), Stan Getz (ts), Ray Bryant, John Lewis (p), Herb Ellis (g), Tommy Bryant, Ray Brown (b), Charlie Persip, Stan Levey (d)

Tracklisting:

CD 1
01. Wheatleigh Hall
02. Sumphin’
03. Con Alma
04. Haute Mon’
05. Anythin’
06. After Hours
07. The Eternal Triangle

CD 2
01. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
02. I Know That You Know
03. Bebop
04. Dark Eyes
05. Wee (Allen’s Alley)
06. Lover Come Back To Me
07. Con Alma [Alternate take from “Duets”]
08. Dark Eyes [Alternate take from “For Musicians Only”]

CD 1, tracks #1-5 from "Duets" (Verve MGV-8260).
CD 1, tracks #6-7 and CD 2, tracks #1-2 from "Sonny Side Up" (Verve MGV 8262).
CD 2, tracks #3-6 from "For Musicians Only" (Verve MGV 8198).

Personnel on CD 1:
Dizzy Gillespie (tp,) Sonny Rollins (ts #1-2 & 6-7), Sonny Stitt
(ts #3-7 & as #5), Ray Bryant (p), Tommy Bryant (b) and Charlie Persip (d). Recorded at Nola Recording Studios, New York City on December 11 [tracks 1-2], 12 [tracks 3-5], and 19 [tracks 6-7], 1957.

Personnel on CD 2:
Dizzy Gillespie (tp, vocal #1,; Sonny Stitt (ts #1-2 & 7 & as #3-6 & 8), Sonny Rollins #1-2, Stan Getz #3-6 & 8 (ts), Herb Ellis (g), Ray Bryant #1-2 & 7, John Lewis #3-6 & 8 (p), Tommy Bryant #1-2 & 7, Ray Brown #3-6 & 8 (b), Charlie Persip #1-2 & 7, Stan Levey #3-6 & 8 (d). Recorded at Nola Recording Studios, New York City, on December 19 [tracks #1-2], 1957 and Radio Recorders, Los Angeles, on October 18 [tracks #3-6 & 8], 1956.


Notes:

-Duets

"The product of a day's worth of recording at Nola Studios in 1957, this album is essentially the same as a much older release of the same on Verve, but the master tapes had been found and remastered into stereo along with the addition of a couple of tracks previously left off the album. Presumably, these are the same sessions that spawned the Sonny Side Up album. Here, Dizzy works separately with each of the Sonnys for a couple of tracks. "Wheatleigh Hall" is something of a tour de force for both Rollins and Gillespie, and the "Con Alma" tracks are certainly worthwhile listens for a glimpse of Stitt's prowess. Finally, the album ends with "Haute Mon'," a themeless blues in G minor. Before that, however, is the addition of a newly discovered yet unlabeled track from the same sessions, which was belatedly titled "Anythin', Ha Ha" by Gillespie prior to the release of this album. Overall, the highlights are many, and one would probably be better off with this album than the original release (in mono, no less). On a related note, however, one would probably be better off with the Sonny Side Up album instead of this one (given only one choice), due to the simultaneous collaboration with both sax players (and for no other reason than the sheer beauty of "Eternal Triangle")."

Adam Greenberg -All Music Guide

-Sonny Side Up

"Dizzy Gillespie brings together tenor saxophonists Sonny Stitt and Sonny Rollins for four extended cuts, and in the process comes up with one of the most exciting "jam session" records in the jazz catalog. While the rhythm section of pianist Ray Bryant, bassist Tommy Bryant, and drummer Charlie Persip provides solid rhythmic support, Stitt and Rollins get down to business trading fours and reeling off solo fireworks. Apparently, Gillespie had stoked the competitive fires before the session with phone calls and some gossip, the fallout of which becomes palpable as the album progresses. On "The Eternal Triangle," in particular, Stitt and Rollins impress in their roles as tenor titans, with Stitt going in for sheer muscle as that most stout of bebop cutters and Rollins opting for some pacing as a more thematic player. In the midst of the rivalry (certainly some torch was being passed, since Rollins was soon to become the top tenor saxophonist in jazz), an embarrassment of solo riches comes tumbling out of both these men's horns. Gillespie adds his own split commentary on the proceedings with a casual solo on "After Hours" and a competitively blistering statement on "I Know That You Know." With an at ease rendition of "On the Sunny Side of the Street" rounding things out, Sonny Side Up comes off as both a highly enjoyable jazz set and something of an approximation of the music's once-revered live cutting session."

Stephen Cook -All Music Guide


-For Musicians Only

"This has plenty of great players and lots of amazing music. Getz, Dizzy Gillespie (tpt), and Sonny Stitt (as) are great, as are John Lewis (p) and Herb Ellis (g)."

Ron Wynn -All Music Guide