Dizzy Gillespie omits a piano on these 1974 sessions, but it is never missed due to the potent rhythm section supplied by guitarist Joe Pass, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Mickey Roker.
Starting with the inspired, occasionally funky Latin-flavored "Frelimo" (which features the leader on both muted and open trumpet), Gillespie is in top form.
His deliberate treatment of the forgotten chestnut "Hurry Home" is a lyrical gem, while the breezy setting of the standard "Russian Lullaby" bubbles with excitement.
But the fireworks take place in the rapid-fire performance of Gillespie's "Be Bop (Dizzy's Fingers)," in which Pass seems to play at an impossible tempo.
Just as much fun is the sassy, intricate interpretation of the trumpeter's blues "Birk's Works," powered by Brown's potent bass, along with the hip updated treatment of Fats Waller's "Jitterbug Waltz." This is easily one of Dizzy Gillespie's best small-group recordings from the latter portion of his career.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FrelimoDizzy Gillespie | Dizzy Gillespie's Big 4, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Brown, Joe Pass, Mickey Roker | Play | 08:15 | 18 MB | 45 MB |
| 2 | Hurry HomeBuddy Bernier, Bob Emmerich, Joseph Meyer | Dizzy Gillespie's Big 4, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Brown, Joe Pass, Mickey Roker | Play | 06:27 | 14 MB | 28 MB |
| 3 | Russian LullabyIrving Berlin | Dizzy Gillespie's Big 4, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Brown, Joe Pass, Mickey Roker | Play | 06:55 | 15 MB | 40 MB |
| 4 | Be Bop (Dizzy's Fingers)Dizzy Gillespie | Dizzy Gillespie's Big 4, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Brown, Joe Pass, Mickey Roker | Play | 04:31 | 10 MB | 29 MB |
| 5 | Birk's WorksDizzy Gillespie | Dizzy Gillespie's Big 4, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Brown, Joe Pass, Mickey Roker | Play | 08:57 | 20 MB | 50 MB |
| 6 | September SongMaxwell Anderson, Kurt Weill | Dizzy Gillespie's Big 4, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Brown, Joe Pass, Mickey Roker | Play | 02:54 | 6 MB | 12 MB |
| 7 | Jitterbug WaltzRichard Maltby, Jr., Fats Waller | Dizzy Gillespie's Big 4, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Brown, Joe Pass, Mickey Roker | Play | 06:54 | 15 MB | 40 MB |
| 44 mins | 102 MB | |||||
| 44 mins | 247 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maxwell Anderson | Composer |
| 2 | Angel Balestier | Engineer |
| 3 | Irving Berlin | Composer |
| 4 | Buddy Bernier | Composer |
| 5 | Ray Brown | Bass, Guest Artist, Performer, Primary Artist |
| 6 | Phil DeLancie | Mastering |
| 7 | Dizzy Gillespie's Big 4 | Primary Artist |
| 8 | Bob Emmerich | Composer |
| 9 | Dizzy Gillespie | Composer, Performer, Primary Artist, Trumpet |
| 10 | Norman Granz | Producer |
| 11 | Benny Green | Liner Notes |
| 12 | Ron Lewter | Mastering |
| 13 | David Luke | Remixing |
| 14 | Gavin Lurssen | Mastering |
| 15 | Richard Maltby, Jr. | Composer |
| 16 | Joseph Meyer | Composer |
| 17 | Eric Miller | Engineer, Remixing |
| 18 | Joe Pass | Guest Artist, Guitar, Performer, Primary Artist |
| 19 | Mickey Roker | Drums, Performer, Primary Artist |
| 20 | Doug Sax | Mastering |
| 21 | Phil Stern | Cover Photo, Photography |
| 22 | Fats Waller | Composer |
| 23 | Kurt Weill | Composer |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |