Description:

The University of Dizzy Gillespie 

Derrick Gardner, conductor 

John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie began his career performing in swing bands, which acted as the training ground or “university” for young musicians to master the complexities of jazz. During these early years, he swiftly became a key figure in the development of bebop, and his collaborations with Charlie Parker produced groundbreaking and iconic recordings establishing the style as a modern and innovative method of composition and improvisation within the jazz genre. In 1946, Gillespie founded his own big band with the goal of encapsulating the energy and innovation of bebop in a larger ensemble format. This band included arrangements by Gillespie himself, along with contributions from Gil Fuller, Tadd Dameron, Benny Golson, Slide Hampton, Quincy Jones, Ernie Wilkins, and many others. Prominent soloists featured in this ensemble included John Lewis, Milt Jackson, Kenny Clarke, and Ray Brown, who later formed the Modern Jazz Quartet. This concert showcases music from the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band as well as compositions from the “alumni” of the “University of Dizzy Gillespie.” 

Tadd Dameron, John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie, and Billy Eckstine (arr. Tadd Dameron), Cool Breeze 
Dizzy Gillespie and Milton Shaw (arr. John Lewis), Emanon 
Dizzy Gillespie (arr. Mark Taylor), Groovin’ High 
Dizzy Gillespie, Luciano “Chano” Pozo Gonzales, and Walter “Gil” Fuller (arr. John Berry), Manteca 
Dizzy Gillespie and Gil Fuller (arr. Gil Fuller), Things to Come 
Dizzy Gillespie (arr. Mark Taylor), Birks’ Works 
Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker (arr. Mark Taylor), Anthropology 
Dizzy Gillespie (arr. Michael Philip Mossman), Con Alma 
Dizzy Gilespie and John Lewis (arr. “Gil” Fuller), Two Bass Hit 
Dizzy Gillespie and Chico O’Farrill (arr. Chico O’Farrill), Rhumba Finale