Dizzy Gillespie featuring Lalo Schifrin – Live in Paris 1960-1961

Dizzy Gillespie, one of the founders of bebop, often used elements of Cuban music under the influence of his seatmate in Cab Calloway’s band, trumpeter Mario Bauzá.

Bauzá, who was Machito’s son-in-law, introduced him to the great conguero Chano Pozo, whom Dizzy hired in his big band. The two men composed Manteca (1947), which is considered a landmark of Afro-Cuban jazz.

Then in 1956, the trumpet player met during a tour in Latin America organized by the State Department the Argentinean pianist-composer Lalo Schifrin whose qualities as an arranger he appreciated.

Reunited in New York four years later, the two men recorded the Gillespiana suite in mid-November 1960, which the Parisian public discovered in its entirety on the 25th of the same month, during a concert produced at the Salle Pleyel by Daniel Philipacchi and Frank Ténot for their program “Pour Ceux Qui Aiment le Jazz” (For Those Who Love Jazz), which aired every day on Europe 1.

Gillespiana, presented here in its entirety, will be a great artistic and commercial success that will mark an important step in Dizzy’s career.

On November 18, 1961, Dizzy Gillespie, always passionate about Latin music, broadened his repertoire to include Brazilian music by interpreting, this time on the stage of the Olympia theater, Pau De Arara, a composition by Guio de Morais and Luiz Gonzaga, and Desafinado, the standard by Antonio Carlos Jobim that Stan Getz made a worldwide success.

Placed in the heart of the action, the French audience had the chance to attend two historic concerts, restored here in the best conditions from the archives of the time.

Novembre 25 1960, Salle Pleyel, Paris (France).

Line Up:

Dizzy Gillespie: trumpet

Lalo Shifrin: piano

Leo Wright: alto saxophone, flute

Art Davis: doublebass

Chuck Lampkin: drums

Guest:

Candido Camero: congas

Novembre 18, 1961, Théâtre de l’Olympia, Paris (France).

Line Up:

Dizzy Gillespie: trumpet