Collector's Corner

John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was one of the greatest jazz trumpeters of all time and one of the founders of two different styles of jazz. Born in 1917, Dizzy originally sounded a lot like his idol trumpeter Roy Eldridge, particularly during his recording debut with Teddy Hill's big band in 1937. Over the next seven years, Gillespie developed his own radical style while being a sideman in a long series of big bands, most notably that of Cab Calloway (1939-41). While Calloway and others thought that Dizzy was hitting wrong notes, he was actually playing solos that were so modern that he sounded a decade ahead of the rhythm section.

By 1944, Dizzy Gillespie's style was together and he began to become a major force, along with Charlie Parker, in bebop. His classic recordings with Parker in 1945 and with his big band during 1946-49 solidified his place in jazz history. In addition, his work with blending jazz with Latin music, inspired by the conga playing of Chano Pozo, resulted in Afro-Cuban jazz. Gillespie's eagerness to teach the younger generation of jazz musicians how to play bop was a major factor in bebop becoming the modern mainstream and foundation of jazz.

The ten-CD imported set Salt Peanuts mostly dates from 1939-53. The 134 performances, which are not in chronological order, have many of the highlights of Dizzy Gillespie's recordings of both the Swing and Bebop Eras including both influential gems and obscurities with Calloway. Throughout, Dizzy always sounds original and looking ahead as he changes the future of jazz.

—Scott Yanow