Lawrence B. Johnson
Posted by Lawrence B. Johnson on Mon, Sep 1, 2008 at 10:40 PM
Dizzy, and dazzled
The Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band capped off the festival's Carhartt lineup with a late Monday night show that had listeners overflowing from the concert bowl and onto Hart Plaza. No problem hearing the band out there. It rocks.
Led by Slide Hampton, one of Dizzy's old band partners, this polished troupe perpetuates the music and style of the great bebop trumpeter and flugelhorn player, who died in 1993. Among the highlights was a Dizzy original, and one of his biggest hits, "Con Alma," which generously showcased the breadth and depth of talent in a very appealing band.
