Additional information
Personnel: Dizzy Gillespie (trumpet); Sonny Stitt (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Al Gafa (guitar); Mickey Roker (drums). Liner Note Author: Matías Rinar. Recording information: Belgrade, Yugoslavia (10/28/1974-11/19/1974); Copenhagen, Denmark (10/28/1974-11/19/1974); Paris, France (10/28/1974-11/19/1974). Author: Sonny Stitt. This European bootleg (c'mon, the label name is Rare Live Records) features trumpet boss and bop pioneer Dizzy Gillespie in the company of some killer sidemen including saxophonist Sonny Stitt, drummer Mickey Roker, drummer Earl May, and guitarist Al Gaffa, ripping through ten bop-era nuggets in Copenhagen in October and November of 1974, with another couple of tracks added on from a third performance in Belgrade in between those two dates. The sound quality varies from gig to gig, from fair to very good. The readings of "Groovin' High," (there are two), "'Round Midnight," and "All the Things You Are" are the best things here, but there isn't a weak cut on the disc. That said, this is strictly for collectors. Novices should be steered to some of the classic compilations on Verve. ~ Thom Jurek
