Cherokee - A Jazz Standard

Original sheet front illustration (1938)

Cherokee (1938) is a jazz standard - also known as Cherokee (Indian Love Song) - written by Ray Noble and originally intended as the first of five movements for an Indian Suite (Cherokee, Comanche War Dance, Iroquois, Seminole, and Sioux Sue).

Ray Noble (1903-1978)

Cherokee has been recorded over the years by many jazz musicians and singers, including Charlie Parker, Charlie Barnet and His Orchestra, the Count Basie Orchestra, Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan, Art Tatum a.o.

Charlie Parker

Charlie Parker used Cherokee for the basis of his 1945 composition Ko-Ko. The song has also been covered as an instrumental by Bud Powell, Clifford Brown, Don Byas, Stan Getz, Lionel Hampton, Harry James, Johnny Smith a.o.

Below is inserted some examples of different versions of Cherokee. The original version by Ray Noble and his Orchestra was recorded in October 1938 for Brunswick

Charlie Barnet (ts) and his orchestra

Billy May arranged Noble's Cherokee for Charlie Barnet and his Orchestra, which had a hit in 1939 with the probably best known version of the tune. Here's Charlie Barnet and his Orchestra in a filmed presentation of Cherokee 

Charlie Parker

Charlie Parker recorded his first version of Cherokee in September 1942 featuring Efferge Ware (g) and Little Phil Phillips (d)

In 1946 Charlie Parker took part in a live recording session in Los Angeles featuring Nat King Cole Trio extended with Benny Carter and Willie Smith (as) besides Parker; one of the recorded tunes was Cherokee 

As mentioned above, Charlie Parker used Cherokee as the basis for his own composition Ko-Ko, first recorded by Parker's Reboppers featuring Dizzy Gillespie (tp,p), Curley Russel (b) and Max Roach (d) in November 1945

Another version of Cherokee explored by be bop giant of the piano Bud Powell was recorded in 1950

Harry James (tp) and Buddy Rich (dm) together in a TV presentation of Harry James and his Orchestra from 1964 end this small review of a famous jazz standard used as a vehichle for improvisation by both swing and be bop musicians

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Jo

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When Lights Are Low - Lionel Hampton All-Star Session, September 1939

Lionel Hampton

Lionel Hampton signed a favorable contract with RCA Victor in 1937 that allowed him to invite musicians from other popular jazz orchestras of the time to record a series of sessions that otherwise would have been difficult if not impossible to organize. From 1937 to 1941 Hampton recorded 107 sides featuring musicians from the orchestras of Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Luis Russell, Fletcher Henderson, Fats Waller and Earl Hines, giving him the cream of the period’s soloists and rhythm players. These recordings rank among some of the best small band swing jazz of the late 1930s and they have since been reissued both on vinil and CD, i.e.. at the 5 CDs box-set from Mosaic some years ago, shown below (- unfortunately out of print).

Mosaic #238, The Complete Lionel Hampton Victor Sessions 1937-41

Here I like to put focus on a famous session from September 11, 1939 that unites Benny Carter, Coleman Hawkins, Chu Berry and Ben Webster as the dream sax section with a young Dizzy Gillespie (trumpet), Clyde Hart (piano), Charlie Christian (guitar), Milt Hinton (double bass) and Cozy Cole (drums); Hampton leads the session and contributes both on vibes and as vocalist.

Exerpt of discograpical info, Mosaic #238 (click to enlarge)

Benny Carter's arrangement of When Lights Are Low was the first tune and recorded in two takes, the second take probably is the best known featuring solo spots by Carter, Hampton, Hart and Hawkins

Coleman Hawkins

The first take of When Lights Are Low has a different solo by Hampton

One Sweet Letter From You has vocal by Hampton and the guitar playing obligato is by Charlie Christian (- here on acoustic strings)

Charlie Christian

The tenor solo is by Hawkins or Webster (- unfortunately I'm not the expert to differentiate the two in this session, sorry) 

Hot Mallets has a nice muted trompet solo by a young Dizzy Gillespie exchanging riffs with Carter's alto followed by a short tenor contribution by Chu Berry and a lengthy Hampton solo

Dizzy Gillespie

The last tune in this session was Early Session Hop that has fine examples of the sax section playing in unison followed by solos by Hawkins, Hampton and Carter

l-r: Webster, Carter, Berry, Hawkins (sax), Hart (piano)

What makes these recordings magnificent examples of small band swing of the late 1930s is not only the solo contributions by the reed players and the leader. The rhythm is execellently supported by great playing of both Milt Hinton's double bass, Christian's guitar comping and Cozy Cole's drums.

Cozy Cole

The rather short playing time of each of the recorded tunes leaves a wish for more, however, you could also say that the session is a fine example of the artistic formula expressing the experience that - sometimes - less is more ...!

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Jo

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Dizzy Gillespie + Hans Koller New Jazz Stars: 1953

NDR recollects its historical jazz radio archives
1953 Dizzy Gillespie Quintet - Hans Koller New Jazz Stars double concert
Hans Koert

Let’s not beat about the bush – let’s call a spade a spade ……. The sales figures for cd’s have decreased dramatically, like the proportional rise in the ageing population of jazz fans …..  Jazz music is no longer part of the daily shot of music, offered by commercial radio stations, we hear unintentionally …..   Most lp’s, recorded during the 1950s, have been re-issued and record companies and radio station are searching for new, obscure recordings more then 50 years old. In Holland the Dutch Jazz Archive releases its Jazz at the Concertgebouw, a series of historical concerts; the popular Dutch Sesjun Radio Shows, released during the 1970s and 1980s are available again in the Out of the Blue Twofers and North Sea Jazz recently started its series of Legendary concerts ….. In
Germany the NDR started a promising series of radio programs in its series NDR 60 Years Jazz Editon.   

Moosicus Records N-1301 (photo courtesy: Moosicus Records)

I was so lucky to hear its first three albums, that were released: nr. 01: Dizzy Gillespie Quintet / Hans Koller New Jazz Stars ( 1953) – nr. 02: Dave Brubeck Quartet (1958) and  nr. 03: Stéphane Grappelli Ensemble (1957). Later this year releases of radio programs by the Modern Jazz Quartet and the Oscar Peterson have been scheduled.

(photo courtesy: Hans Koert)

Its first album, Dizzy Gillespie Quintet / Hans Koller New Jazz Stars marks the start of the legendary jazz NDR programs - Although it wasn’t in fact its very first broadcast, it is the first program which has survived on tape …  a double concert, which started with the US trumpet player Dizzy Gillespie. In the  spring of 1953 Dizzy set off to Europe once more, Alyn Shipton tells in Groovin’ High – The Life of Dizzy Gillespie,  …. hoping to build on his success the previous year …  In the spring 1952 he had successfully visited Europe and performed in Italy (Teatro Nuovo (Milan) - Holland ( at the Kurhaus (Scheveningen) and Concertgebouw (Amsterdam) and in Paris ( at the Theatre de Champs-
Elysée and the Scola Cantorum.  



photo courtesy
Hans Koert

In February 1953 Dizzy performed at the Salle Pleyel, a historical concert which was recorded for Vogue. The audience liked it, but …. few jazz writers found much good to say about the concert (Alyn Shipton). And Max Harrison even stated …..  and I realized how undistinguished the sidemen were …. It is
incontrovertible evidence of just how bad this band actually was. Most crititcs had problems with, what was labeled as, the crowd-pleasing – Dizzy, like
Satchmo, loved to play with the audience – joked and made the audience laugh and crazy …..  European critics didn’t understood that …. In Hamburg, where Dizzy performed in Studio 10, was no audience at all and, although he wear a silly decorative Tyrolean hat  … like the popular singing comedian and ex-GI Billy Mo ( liner notes by Michael Laages), the audience at the radio speaker didn't know …..

 (photo courtesy Hans Koert)

More interesting was the second part of the concert, featuring the Hans Koller New Jazz Stars. This group was … probably the most important modern quintet in the German-speaking world … Hans Koller, an Austrian tenor saxophone player, debuted on record in 1947 with Peter Kreuder Und Sein Wiener Filmorchester. Hans Koller real debut was on an early 1942 acetate with the Jeff Palme Group) and had moved to Germany in 1950, where he founded his
New Jazz Stars wich included a young Albert Mangelsdorff at trombone and the great Jutta Hipp, the legendary piano player, who regarded as the greatest piano talent of her time.


photo courtesy:
Hans Koert

She hasn’t  been recorded very frequently between her debut at the 1952 Hans Koller Quartet recording session and her final 1956 Blue Note Jutta Hipp with Zoot Sims album, so it is great to have this unique March 1953 recording session available …. After she moved to the US and recorded three albums for Blue Note, she lost her businesss advisor (Leonard Feather) and that was, in a combination of stage fright and alcohol abuse, the end of her career.  She would never play the piano in public after 1958. (source: Bob Blumenthal)

A great start of a promising series of albums, released by the NDR-archives in its series NDR 60 Years Jazz Edition.

MY WEBLINKS: NDR 60 Years Jazz Edition

Hans Koert
keepswinging@live.nl
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Recently the first albums in the NDR 60 Years Jazz Edition have been released by Moosicus. The NDR started its live radio jazz programs in 1952, edited by Hans Gertberg and its first surviving tape featured a double concert by the US bebop icon at the trumpet Dizzy Gillespie and the German New Jazz Stars, directed by Hans Koller, featuring Albert Mangelsdorff and Jutta Hipp.  A great series of albums to watch out for ......

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Dizzy Gillespie meets Phil Woods Quintet

Timeless re-issues historical recordings.
World class! 
Hans Koert

In its series Timeless Jazz Legacy Remastered Timeless re-issued several interesting  lp releases from the past on cd.  In a previous blog I wrote about the  Nat Adderley disc in its series – today I have the Dizzy Gillespie meets Phil Woods Quintet cd ( TJL 74513) in my hands.

Dizzy Gillespie Meets Phil Woods Quintet ( Timeless Jazz Legacy TJL 74513)

The album contains six tracks all recorded at a recording session at Studio 44 in Monster ( The Netherlands) by the well known Dutch recording engineer Max Bolleman. 

Timeless SJP 250 (orig. cover in color)

A series of concerts by Dizzy Gillespie and the Phil Woods Quintet  had been crowned by this recording session. Wim Wigt, producer and owner of Timeless Records says on the original lp-cover ….. This record is a result of one week performing and rehearsing together.  The album shows exactly the atmosphere in which the concerts were done, an intense meeting of the real giant in jazz.  It’s unknown to me, I haven’t found ads to proof it, if this band also performed in Holland, but the French Jazz Magazine  published a raving review of this bands concert during the previous week in Toulouse (France).During these series of concerts, Dizzy Gillespie was the special guest in Phil Woods Quintet, featuring  Phil Woods on alto saxophone, trumpet player Tom Harrell and in the rhythm section Nat Galper at the piano, Steve Gilmore on bass and Bill Goodwin on drums.

Phil Woods (1978) ( source: Wikepedia.org)

During this period Dizzy was a  celebrated icon in modern jazz ……….. He performed and recorded extensively  in various small groups and all-star bands and travelled all around the world ……  He has often performed with Phil Woods, who nicknamed Dizzy as The Sky King, because he spent so much of his times in air planes. 
 
 Phil first met Dizzy in 1956 when he joined his band for a Mid-East tour to Syria (Aleppo and Damascus) and Bayreuth, organized by the US State Departement, who saw, Dizzy as a kind of diplomat … Phil suggests in an article by Gene Lees “Waiting for Dizzy (1991): All the trouble spots, al the places that are now on fire, the State Department sent Dizzy. I think if they’d sent him one more time, he could have cooled it all out. (Quote Phil Woods: Gene Lees “Waiting for Dizzy) (1991). Phil remembers Dizzy during this first trip with him: When we were in the Mideast, he was out there playing with snake charmers.  .. he has an uncanny ability to memorize it or feel exactly what they’re doing, and then fitting it into the jazz mode, without prostituting either one of them.  He’s a rhythmic genius ( Gene Lees “Waiting for Dizzy") (1991)

Phil Woods "at the Porgy en Bess jazz café concert" (bron: PZC mei 1986)

Phil Woods, born in  Springfield (MA) November 1931, founded his Pals late 1940s which was recorded in 1947 and released on a Phililogy cd Bird’s Eyes – Last Unissued volume 7.  He was part of Dizzy’s Big Band and was a founder member of the Quincy Jones Big Band. He moved to Europe where he founded his European Rhythm Machine and returned to the States in the 1970s. 

He was a sought after instrumentalist and could be heard at numerous (European) festivals, like, in 1986, the Heineken Jazzfestival (Rotterdam)( September ) ….. and, of all places, the Scheldejazz Festival in Terneuzen (south western part of The Netherlands), May 1986. Although due to the US bombs on military-targets like the tents of Khadafy (his home) and the city of Tripoli (15th of April 1986) and the major accident occurred at a nuclear generating plant at Chernobyl (Ukraine) US citizens cancelled their trips to Europe, Phil Woods and his Quintet, the same line-up as on the Timeless ablum, joined the festival and its concert was reviewed in a local newspaper as a Concert van wereldklasse (= a world class concert)
 

Tom Harrell (photo copurtesy: Arnold Parre) (source: PZC 1984 )

De altsax- en klarinetsolo’s van Woods en het opzwepende trompetspel van trompettist Tom Harrell zorgden daarbij keer op keer voor een climax ( = The alto and clarinet solos by Woods and the great trumpet of Tom Harrell came time and again to a climax). The local news paper praised the audience of Porgy en Bess and the concentration of the musicians. Bassist Steven Gilmore stond af en toe zo in trance aan zijn bas te plukken, dat het leek of hij erbij in slaap viel en dat zijn instrument vanzelf gewoon verder speelde.(= Bassplayer Steven Gilmore fell into a tranch with his eyes closed ….. which almost suggested that his instrument continued, while Steven had a little nap). En ook het gedrag van trompettist Harrel was opmerkelijk. Het ene moment speelde hij met een ongelooflijke dynamiek de sterren van de hemel en het andere moment stond hij verlegen met gesloten ogen achteraan op het podium (= And Tom Harrell attracted the attention, being active and lively when he played his trumpet and the other moment shy and introverted, inward-looking at the back of the stage.). It is clear that the journalist of the PZC, the local news paper was  ignorant of Harrel’s mental problems ….

Tom Harrell in Porgy en Bess ( April 2011) (photo courtesy: Hans Koert)

For me, when I listen to this great album, I remember Phil Woods, as I heard him playing in concert as a guest at Bud Shank's Quartet at the 2004 North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague and I try to imagine how the 1986 Porgy en Bess concert must have sounded – What’s the reason I missed it?
Mind that this Dizzy Gillespie meets Phil Woods Quintet ( TJL-74513) is a re-issue of a previous lp-album with the same name released in 1987 by Timeless (SJP 250)

This album can be ordered at the Timeless or Challenge wensites.  

MY JAZZ LINKS: Dizzy Gillespie - Phil Woods - Tom Harrell

Hans Koert
keepswinging@live.nl
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Last year Timeless reissued the classical Dizzy Gillespie meets Phil Woods Quintet recordings on its Timeless Jazz Legacy series  Dizzy Gillespie was, December 1986, the crowd puller for the Phil Woods Quintet concerts, fauturing Dizzy as special guest ... a group with skilled jazz musicians like trumpetist Tom Harrell, pianist Hal Galper, bass player Steve Gilmore and drummer Bill Goodwin. With the same line-up Phil Woods performed at the 1986 Heinekens festival and Scheldejazz in Porgy en Bess Jazz club(Terneuzen)(The Netherlands), a concert which was labeled as "Wereldklasse".

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Dizzy Gillespie ontmoet het Phil Woods Quintet (1986)

Timeless brengt historische opnamen opnieuw uit.
Wereldklasse! 
Hans Koert

Challenge records bracht vorig jaar voor Timeless in haar serie Timeless Jazz Legacy heruitgaven uit van interessante lp’s, die eerder op het Timeless label verschenen.  In een eerdere blog besteedde ik aandacht aan een heruigave van een Nat Adderley schijf – vandaag aandacht voor de cd Dizzy Gillespie meets Phil Woods Quintet ( TJL 74513).

Dizzy Gillespie meets Phil Woods Quintet ( Timeless Jazz Legacy TJL 74513)

Het album bevat een zestal nummers, waarvan de helft door Dizzy werd geschreven, één van Tom Harrell en twee standards: Round Midnight en Love For Sale. De opname vonden plaats in Studio 44 in Monster door de bekende geluidstechnicus Max Bolleman.  

Timeless SJP 250 (oorspr. hoes in kleur)

De opnamen werden in 1987 uitgebracht op een gelijknamige lp (weliswaar zonder het nummer Terrestris van Tom Harrell). Deze opnamen vormden het sluitstuk van een intensieve week vol optredens, schrijft Wim Wigt, producer en eigenaar van Timeless Records op de hoes van de oorspronkelijke lp. Het is me niet bekend of het Phil Woods Quintet met als gast Dizzy Gillespie ook nog in de week voorafgaand aan de opnamen in Nederland speelde – wel publiceerde het Franse Jazz Magazine een jubelende recensie over een concert in Toulouse.
Dizzy Gillespie was tijdens de week te gast bij het Phil Woods Quintet, waarin behalve leider en altsaxofonist Phil Woods, ook trompettist Tom Harrell te horen is met in de ritmesectie Nat Galper op piano, Steve Gilmore bas en Bill Goodwin slagwerk.

Phil Woods (1978) ( bron: Wikepedia.org)

Dizzy Gillespie was door zijn trompetspel, maar vooral ook door zijn humor, een gevierd artiest ………. Hij speelde in de jaren tachtig mee op talloze opnamen met kleine groepen en all-star bands en reisde de hele wereld af.  Hij speelde regelmatig met Phil Woods, die hem gekscherend wel de bijnaam  The Sky King gaf, vanwege de vele uren dat hij doorbracht in vliegtuigen. 
 
 Hij ontmoete Dizzy voor het eerst in 1956 toen hij uitgenodigd werd om met Dizzy naar het Midden-Oosten te gaan voor optredens Syrië (Aleppo en Damascus) en Beiroet, op uitnodiging van het US State Departement, die in Dizzy een soort Goodwill Ambassador zag, suggereert Phil in een artikel van  Gene Lees “Waiting for Dizzy" (1991): All the trouble spots, all the places that are now on fire, the State Department sent Dizzy. I think if they’d sent him one more time, he could have cooled it all out. (Uitspraak Phil Woods: Gene Lees “Waiting for Dizzy) (1991). Phil herinnerde tijdens die eerste trips vooral de muzikale creativiteit van Birks, zoals zijn bijnaam luidde: When we were in the Mid East, he was out there playing with snake charmers.  ..   He has an uncanny ability to memorize it or feel exactly what they’re doing, and then fitting it into the jazz mode, without prostituting either one of them.  He’s a rhythmic genius. ( Gene Lees “Waiting for Dizzy") (1991)

Phil Woods  (bron: PZC mei 1986)

Phil Woods, geboren in Springfield (MA) in november 1931, richtte eind jaren veertig zijn Pals op, waarvan opnamen uit 1947 later op een cd uitgebracht zijn ( Bird’s Eyes – Last Unissued volume 7.) Hij speelde in Dizzy’s Big Band en was één van de oprichters van de Quincy Jones Big Band. Hij verhuisde naar Europa en richtte hier zijn European Rhythm Machine op en in de jaren zeventig verhuisde hij weer naar de VS. 

Hij was een veel gevraagd artiest en speelde vaak in Europa op festivals en concerten, steeds met zijn onafscheidelijke pet. In 1986. bijvoorbeeld, was hij in ons land o.a. te horen op het Heineken Jazzfestival van Rotterdam ( september 1986) ….. en, of all places, het Scheldejazzfestival in Terneuzen (mei 1986). Hoewel door de bombardementen op Tripoli (15 april 1986) en de ramp met de kerncentrale van Chernobyl (Oekraine) veel Amerikanen niet meer naar Europa durfden te reizen, meldde Phil Woods and his Quintet, met dezelfde bezetting als op de heruitgebrachte cd, keurig bij Porgy en Bess, waar hij het Scheldejazzfestival opende met een optreden dat in de kritieken als een Concert van Wereldklasse bestempeld werd. 

Tom Harrell (foto: Arnold Parre) (bron: PZC 1984 )

De altsax- en klarinetsolo’s van Woods en het opzwepende trompetspel van trompettist Tom Harrell zorgden daarbij keer op keer voor een climax, schrijft de PZC, die vooral ook het Porgy en Bess publiek roemt.  Over de andere spelers schrijft de krant: Bassist Steven Gilmore stond af en toe zo in trance aan zijn bas te plukken, dat het leek of hij erbij in slaap viel en dat zijn instrument vanzelf gewoon verder speelde. Uit de opmerking, die de krant bij Tom Harrell plaatste, begrijp ik dat de journalist onwetend was over de psychische problemen van Tom Harrell. Hij schrijft: En ook het gedrag van trompettist Harrell was opmerkelijk. Het ene moment speelde hij met een ongelooflijke dynamiek de sterren van de hemel en het andere moment stond hij verlegen met gesloten ogen achteraan op het podium. 

Tom Harrell in Porgy en Bess ( april 2011) (foto: Hans Koert)

Voor mij is dit een belangrijk album, omdat het me inzicht geeft hoe Phil Woods in Porgy en Bess geklonken moet hebben. Helaas was ik er in Terneuzen niet bij en moest ik tot 2004 wachten voordat ik hem op het  Northsea Jazzfestival in Den Haag hoorde als gast bij het Bud Shank Quartet
Wie al de Timeless lp’s in zijn verzameling heeft ( TJL-74513) uitgebracht in 1987 zal ontdekken dat de cd één nummer meer heeft, namelijk de Tom Harrell’ compositie Terrestris.

De cd is te koop bij de betere platenzaken en via de website van Timeless of Challenge  

MY JAZZ LINKS: Dizzy Gillespie - Phil Woods - Tom Harrell

Hans Koert
keepswinging@live.nl
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Opnamen Dizzy Gillespie meets Phil Woods Quintet heruitgebracht in de Timeless Jazz Legacy serie.  Uiteraard was Dizzy Gillespie in december 1986 de publiekstrekker tijdens de concerten van het Phil Woods Quintet met Dizzy als gast, maar de man met de pet, altsaxofonist Phil Woods leidde een voortreffelijke band met musici als trompettist Tom Harrell, pianist Hal Galper, bassist Steve Gilmore en slagwerker Bill Goodwin. Met dit kwintet was hij in 1986 o.a. te horen in Rotterdam en in Porgy en Bess (Terneuzen) tijdens het Scheldejazzfestival, waar het concert werd samengevat als "Wereldklasse".

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Dizzy Gillespie - The Sesjun Radio Shows

A selection of tunes played by Birks at four Dutch Sesjun Radio Shows (1978-1988)
Y’ all feel like sardines?
Hans Koert

 The Sesjun Radio Shows by the public Dutch Tros-radio station seem to be world’s long-standing live radio shows ever, scheduled weekly between 1973 and 2004 on Dutch public radio. Thanks to my Akai GX-215D reel-to-reel recorder, I still have several programs in my archive.

Dizzy Gillespie en de Sesjun Radioprogramma's  Dizzy Gillespie - The Sesjun Radio Shows (English)

When I first listened to the new 2cd set with Dizzy Gillespie - The Sesjun Radio Shows I was surprised to hear that well known sound, especially the funky groove by guitarist Rodney Jones and Benjamin Brown – a déjà vu as it called, because it was one of the shows I recorded - an airshot from a Sesjun Show scheduled at De Speeldoos in Vught, a small city in the southern part of The Netherlands, March 1978.

At the Dizzy Gillespie - The Sesjun Radio Shows 2cd-set you will find a selection of four shows, all with Birks, (= Dizzy Gillespie) as the main artist: De Speeldoos in Vught ( 16th of March, 1978) – De Flint Theatre in Amersfoort ( 8th of February, 1979) -  Nick Vollebregt’s Jazz Café ( 22nd of October 1981) and, last but not least, the concert in De Tor (Enschede) ( 7th of January 1988)

Dizzy Gillespie – the man with that special trumpet with the bell pointing upwards and his remarkable frog-like cheeks, which both became his trademark, loved clowing: Please don’t clown out there, George Wein asked him once before a concert …..  knowing about his reputation …..  So Dizzy tried to hold back, Jeroen De Valk writes in the liner notes: Every time he was about to do something funny, he wiped the smile off his face because Wein was standing in the wings …….  Can you imagine what happened ……?

• In The Dizzy Gillespie Story, part of the liner notes, Dutch jazz journalist and critic, Jeroen De Valk, introduces us to Dizzy Gillespie’s music, but also to his personality, his habits ( he liked Dutch snacks, like bitterballen and Dutch cheese ) and practical jokes ………….

The most remarkable concert selected on the 2cd album, must have been the final one at De Tor in Enschede, a city near the Dutch – German border.

Peter Huijts, producer of this small jazz club, was also Dizzy’s tour-manager while on tour for Dutch producers Wim en Ria Wigt.  Dizzy loved to play in Peter Huijts club De Tor, a concert broadcasted and recorded for Sesjun.  …. We are happy to be here for the first time – especially because the boss is Peter, Dizzy said in his opening words.  De Tor was jammed packed  and, as Coen De Jonge suggested in a recent article in the Dutch jazz magazine Jazzism, entitled Dizzy Gillespie in De Tol – Hompen kaas en bitterballen,  …. De aanwezigen haast bij toerbeurt moeten ademhalen.(= The audience had to breath by turns.)  Y’ all feel like sardines? Dizzy asked the packed audience in front of him  ….

The 2cd Dizzy Gillespie – The Sesjun Radio Shows is the fourth one in a series of  Sesjun Radio shows released by the Dutch Sound and Light archive ( Beeld en Geluid) and producer  - host of the program in those days - Cees Schrama.  Other albums in this series contain selections of shows by Chet Baker, Art Blakey and Bill Evans and more to follow ……..

 Hans Koert

keepswinging@live.nl
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Except a great trumpet player and scat singer, Dizzy Gillespie, nicknamed Birks, was a great entertainer, who could twist any audience around his little finger. His frog-like cheeks, his humor and his custom-made "bent" trumpet became his trademarks. He was one of the best known icons of post-war jazz. He played a dozen tiomes in The Netherlands and between 1978 and 1988 he joined four times the Tros Sesjun Radio shows. Fragments of these shows have now been released at a 2cd, entitled Dizzy Gillespie The Sesjun Radio Shows.

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