Backgrounder - Dizzy Gillespie - Gillespiana

In 1956, a year after Juan Perón's regime was overthrown, Lalo Schifrin returned to Buenos Aires, Argentina, from Paris a professional jazz musician—much to his parents' dismay. “They feared I wouldn't be able to earn a living," Lalo told me in 2012 at his home in Beverly Hills. When Dizzy Gillespie performed in Buenos Aires later that year, Mr. Schifrin attended his concerts and played for him at a reception.

“Dizzy asked me to come to the U.S., but I didn't receive my green card until 1958," Lalo said. Once in New York, Lalo had to wait another year for a work permit from the musicians' union. “During this time, Dizzy asked me to write a piece for him. So over a weekend I composed a draft of Gillespiana, an orchestral jazz suite."

Dizzy Gillespie and his big band recorded and released Gillespiana in 1960. Overnight, Lalo became a sensation among jazz musicians and he joined Gillespie's quintet touring Europe. Next came the movies in the U.S.

Produced by Norman Granz for Verve, Gillespiana by Dizzy Gillespie and his orchestra was comprised of five parts—Prelude, Blues, Panamericana, Africana and Toccata. It is Lalo's masterpiece.

Dizzy Gillespie's orchestra featured Gillespie, Clark Terry, Ernie Royal, Joe Wilder and John Frosk (tp); Urbie Green, Frank Rehak and Britt Woodman (tb); Paul Faulise (b-tb); Julius Watkins, Gunther Schuller, Jimmy Buffington and Al Richman (fhr); Don Butterfield (tu); Leo Wright (as,fl); Lalo Schifrin (p); Art Davis (b); Chuck Lampkin (d); Candido Camero (cga); Jack Del Rio (bgo) and Willie Rodriguez (timb).

The music is spectacular, so crank it up.

Here's Dizzy Gillespie and His Orchestra performing Gillespiana without ad interruptions...

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