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Big Band Ambassador

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During the Cold War, the U.S. government sent artists--stars of all stripes--around the world to promote a positive image of the United States. This included jazz musicians. And while Louis Armstrong had a justified image as the “real ambassador," Dizzy Gillespie was the big band ambassador in 1956 on tours of the Middle East and South America, at a time when the big band was no longer economically viable. Dizzy had gone the big band route in the 1940s as well, and lost money on it. As he said, “I'm tired of going down in history. I want to eat." This band eventually broke up two years later, ironically just before their first release, “Over the Rainbow," became a hit. But they left behind a recorded history that is available on a 2-CD set from Verve Records called Birks Works. Dizzy's State Department band had some all-star talent, including Phil Woods on alto saxophone, Benny Golson and Ernie Wilkins on tenor sax, Lee Morgan and Quincy Jones on trumpet, Al Grey on trombone, and Wynton Kelly on piano. The music they play is a muscular and dynamic big band sound, similar to the groups of Charles Mingus around this same time. Dizzy's solos on trumpet soar above all and there's also some terrific tenor sax work. Highlights include Dizzy's own “Birks' Works," a playful “Doodlin'" (a Horace Silver tune), “Jordu," Benny Golson's “Whisper Not" and “I Remember Clifford," and “Joogie Boogie." I personally don't care for the vocal numbers, which tend toward the Johnny Hartman crooning style. But for big band jazz on some challenging arrangements and with great soloing, check out Birks Works.

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