Episode Details

Most jazz fans know Dizzy Gillespie's crucial role in the creation of bebop and every good collection should have at least a few tracks from his glory days of the forties.  The man wrote "Night in Tunisia" for heaven's sake!  But what happened later on, after his partner Bird was gone and the listening public had moved on from ooh-bop-sh-bam madness?  In this episode we look at five recordings from the following decade and ponder why a genius-level player like Dizzy struggled after the bebop revolution.  Dizzy Gillespie: SONNY SIDE UP;  HAVE TRUMPET WILL EXCITE; AFRO;  DIZZY GILLESPIE WITH STUFF SMITH;  A PORTRAIT OF DUKE ELLINGTON.