Search - Dizzy Gillespie, James Moody, Gil Fuller :: Monterey Jazz Festival Orchestra

Gil Fuller's Tour de Force

Tad Ulrich | Los Angeles, CA United States | 06/16/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's great that Blue Note has re-released Gil Fuller and the Monterey Jazz Festival Orchestra Featuring Dizzy Gillespie after having been out of print for too many years. But what's even better with this new release is the inclusion of Night Flight with James Moody. They shoulda done this the first time around!



These are two first rate albums which highlight Gil Fuller's tremendous arranging and conducting abilities. Gillespie, of course, is a household name among jazz fans but Fuller and Moody are probably more obscure, and undeservedly so.



For those (like me), a Johnny Richards fan, who love driving big bands with lots of nice brass, French horns and biting trumpet sections, these albums deliver in spades.



The personnel, for the most part, are different for both sessions but the musicianship is nonetheless uniformly excellent and the results reflect that.



Gillespie is fine on his session but, for me, it is ex-Kenton-ite, Gabe Baltazar's searing alto solos on several selections that steal the show. Fuller's arrangements are outstanding throughout with up tempo "Man From Monterey" setting the tone for the album. "Love Theme From:The Sandpiper" is gorgeous and a highpoint for Gillespie. I also love Fuller's intro to "Things Are Here" before the tempo picks up.



Night Flight is also a swinging affair but emphasizes Latin rhythms more than the first album. Moody is excellent throughout and I love his flute work on "Tin Tin Deo." My favorites on this album are "17 Mile Drive", a swinger which builds to an exciting climax, and "A Patch of Blue" featuring a nice Moody Alto and beautiful Fuller arrangement which starts out with a nod to "My Foolish Heart."



It's hard to choose one album over another here because both are very well done. My choice is the one with Diz because of overall consistency but this is a nonetheless a tremendous reissue and a bargain at the current prices.



The sound quality is excellent and in Stereo for both issues. My only gripe is that engineers have ever so slightly cut short some of those tunes which fade out at the end. I've seen that happen all too often in other releases as well. Ok, I'm a nit picker, but there's no excuse for that.



Great big band jazz, so pick this one up before it, too, goes out of print...again!



"

Two complementary albums on one cd

Nikica Gilic | Zagreb, Croatia | 06/18/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Putting together two LPs that Gil Fuller-led Monterey jazz festival orchestra recorded with two distinctive and highly compatible old friends seems like a good idea. The first album features Dizzy Gillespie as a star, the second ("Night Flight") stars James Moody with his flute and sax virtuosity...



And, yes, Gil Fuller is the arranger famous for his work with the great Dizzy Gillespie's big band and he also hired James Moody who became one of Dizzy's favorite associates.



So far so good. However, the performances of Gillespie and Moody, when compared with the hights of their carreer simply do not measure, whereas the orchestra is surprisingly bland considering not too frequent individual shining moments from the memebers (for instance, good old Harry "Sweets" Edison steps out of the background only on one song to trade-off with Dizzy...).



Now, if the Monterey jazz festival orchestra managed to bring Dizzy and Moody in the same studio (in either of two orchestra line-ups), that might produce the music worthy of everyone involved...

This is really good modern jazz, but hardly essential, although Dizzy or Moody collectors and fans will definitivelly want it. But putting both albums together just reminds me how much better it might have been with both giants together with a Fuller led outfit.



BTW



It's not live as some claim."

TWICE THE MUSIC

MR. JAZZ | VIRGINIA | 11/06/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this release as an LP when it first came out. Lost it over the years, and am glad that Blue Note reissues it with a double amount of music. The great drummer, Earl Palmer(from New Orleans) is a driver on the first nine tracks. Gil, Dizzy & Moody in their heyday. Tremendous!



Mr. Jazz WRIR-FM Richmond, VA"