Dizzy Gillespie: Dizzy For President

The Civil Rights movement was at the forefront of many folks’ minds in 63’ and references to the issues of racial equality understandably crop up in the music. During these moments Dizzy’s mirthful colloquies both with his band and the audience are often as entertaining as the music while still remaining respectful to the cause. Such is the case on the preface to “Morning of the Carnival” taken from Jobim’s “Black Orpheus.” Moody emphatically insists on emphasis of the word “Black” telling Dizzy that Malcom X gave them the green light to use it. Dizzy counters with “Everything must be cool if Malcom say so baby!”

As Dizzy himself intones to the enraptured crowd, every presidential campaign needs an anthem. The closer is a loose, boisterous jam based on the Gillespie classic ‘Salt Peanuts” with the persuasive slogan ‘Vote Dizzy’ inserted in place of the usual chorus phrase. Jon Hendricks, on loan from the eccentric vocal trio Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, guests on the tune turning it into a free-for-all, tongue-in-cheek scat fest. Moody blows a blustery solo atop the galloping rhythm section, before Dizzy blazes through one of his own, sprightly skating across Collins’ crashing traps.

When compared musically to the numerous milestones of Gillespie’s extraordinary career this disc rates a minor footnote. Overall the performance is more fascinating as a capsule of the time in which it was recorded than as an unforgettable musical document. Even so, it’s a rollicking good time from start to finish and is well worth checking out.