Dizzy Gillespie's Diverse Moods

Bands that appeal to both straight-ahead and fusion jazz audiences are all too rare these days, but the quintet Dizzy Gillespie is leading at Blues Alley this week fills the bill nicely.

Opening with "Gillespiana" last night, the legendary trumpeter wasted no time in giving his sidemen a chance to shine. He joined tenor saxophonist Ron Holloway (a hometown favorite) in outlining the theme and then watched, smiling broadly, as guitarist Ed Cherry and bassist John Lee added slippery chords and funk accents to the mix. Finally, drummer Ignacio Berroa turned the tune into a fiercely syncopated Afro-Cuban jam. A similar exuberance prevailed at various points during the show, especially when Gillespie sang (and chanted) and expanded an uninhibited version of "Swing Low Sweet Cadillac," complete with fireworks from both Holloway and Berroa.

For all its surging rhythms, the opening set also featured a particularly soulful rendition of " 'Round Midnight." Holloway kicked it off with a big, sometimes bellowing tone, Cherry embellished the theme with a blues of his own design, and Gillespie added appropriately dark muted colors.

Copyright 1989 The Washington Post