Panoramica esaustiva di Gillespie impegnato sia nelle incisioni orchestrali che in quelle meravigliose con i piccoli gruppi ed infine quelle con le Afro-Cuban band dove sperimentava felicemente la fusione con la musica calypso e la bossanova (uno degli alfieri del cosiddetto afro-cuban bop, uno stile che fonde ritmi antillesi e armonie jazzistich). In questi tre cd troviamo tutte le caratteristiche della sua arte : tecnica perfetta, meravigliosa voce strumental, intrigante istrionismo e quei inimitabili assolo in cui la carica vitale è così impetuosa da portarlo a moltiplicare le note, tormentare le linee melodiche con scarti inattesi fino ad allontanarsi con naturalezza dal dato tematico di base.

Mauro Ronconi

Manteca

Personnel: Dizzy Gillespie (vocals, trumpet); Leo Wright (vocals, flute, alto saxophone); Eddy Louiss, Ella Fitzgerald, Mimi Perrin, Christiane Legrand, Jose Paula, Claudine Bargs, Bob Smart, Jean-Claude Briodin, Kati Bell Nubin, Joe Carroll, Ward Swingle, Carmen Costa (vocals); Herb Ellis, Al Hendrickson, Les Spann (guitar); Stuff Smith (violin); James Moody (flute, tenor saxophone); Gilbert Valdez (flute); Jimmy Hamilton (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Ernie Henry, Gigi Gryce, Hilton Jefferson, Jimmy Powell , Johnny Hodges, Phil Woods, Russell Procope, Benny Carter , Charlie Kennedy, Charlie Parker (alto saxophone); Coleman Hawkins, Ernie Wilkins, Frank Foster, Paul Gonsalves, Sonny Rollins, Sonny Stitt, Stan Getz , Benny Golson, Bill Perkins, Billy Mitchell , Budd Johnson (tenor saxophone); Billy Root, Marty Flax, Numa Moore, Harry Carney, Sahib Shihab, Bill Hood, Pee Wee Moore (baritone saxophone); Clark Terry, Conte Candoli, Talib Dawud, Ernie Royal, Ermet Perry, Harold Baker, Joe Gordon, Joe Wilder, Al Porcino, Lee Morgan , Quincy Jones, Ray Nance, Ray Triscari, Roy Eldridge, Stu Williamson , Taft Jordan, Willie Cook, Nick Travis, John Frosk, Carl Warwick, Cat Anderson (trumpet); Richard Berg, Al Richman, Gunther Schuller, Luis Kant, Stewart Rensey, Julius Watkins, Lucky Thompson, John Barrows, James Buffington, Albert Richmond (French horn); Frank Rehak, Frank Rosolino, Arnett Sparrow, Jimmy Wilkins, Rod Levitt, Henry Coker, J.J. Johnson , Mike Barone, Jimmy Cleveland, Al Grey, Matthew Gee, Melba Liston, Quentin Jackson, Urbie Green, George Matthews , Bill Harris , Kenny Shroyer, Bob Edmondson, John Sanders, Britt Woodman (trombone); Paul Faulise (bass trombone); Red Callender, Don Butterfield (tuba); Victor Feldman, Duke Ellington, Junior Mance, Kenny Barron, Lalo Schifrin, Oscar Peterson, Ray Bryant, René Hernández, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Thelonious Monk, Wade Legge, Walter Davis, Jr., Wynton Kelly, Bud Powell (piano); Chuck Lampkin, J.C. Heard, Kenny Clarke, Lex Humphries, Louie Bellson, Louis Hayes, Mel Lewis, Rudy Collins, Sam Woodyard, Buddy Rich, Charlie Persip (drums); Candido Camero (congas); Jack Del Rio (bongos); Willie Rodriguez (timpani); Francisco Aguabella, Ralph Miranda, Julio Collazo, Kansas Fields, Larry Bunker, Ray Barretto, Emil Richards, Jose Mangual, Ubaldo Nieto, Carlos "Patato" Valdes (percussion).

Dizzy's Diamonds 1 (Big Band)

01 Prelude

02 'Bout to Wail

03 Umbrella Man

04 The Chains

05 Birks' Works

06 Stella by Starlight

07 Dizzy's Business

08 Autumn Leaves

09 Dizzy's Blues

10 Flamingo

11 Jordu

12 Evening Sound

13 Take the A Train

Dizzy's Diamonds 2 (Small Groups & Guests)

01 Blue 'n' Boogie

02 Bonnie's Blues

03 Ool-Ya-Koo

04 Blues After Dark

05 The Heat's On

06 Leap Frog

07 Where's Adam_

08 There is No Greater Love

09 Just One of Those things

10 I Know that You Know

11 Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac

12 Dizzy Atmosphere

Dizzy's Diamonds 3 (In an Afro Cuban Groove)

01 Manteca

02 Fiesta Mojo

03 A Night in Tunisia

04 And Then She Stopped

05 Tin Tin Deo

06 Desafinado

07 Africana

08 Pergunte Ao Joao (Ask John)

09 Caravan

10 This Lovely Feeling

11 Ungawa

12 Begin the Beguine

13 Con Alma

14 Rio Pakistan

15 Jambo