Gillespie,Dizzy - Groovin High (CD)

All Music Guide

Sorting through the dozen or so Dizzy Gillespie comps called Groovin' High can be a daunting exercise. This one, form Living Era/ASV is significantly different from all the rest. It begins with the title track by Dizzy Gillespie's classic sextet with Charlie Parker (the same cut appears first on Parker's compilation on this label). And it does contain most of the tracks that the other ones do. The significant difference here is the sequencing and the sound. These recordings have been cleaned up significantly form their original masters. The other attractive thing about this set is the price super budget. It serves as a fine introduction to one of jazz's great innovators. The range of music runs from 1945 to 1951 the truly great bebop years. Some of the players who appear here include Don Byas, Cozy Cole, Curly Russell, Milt Jackson, Al Haig, Ray Brown, Kenny Clarke, and dozens of others.

- Thom Jurek, All Music Guide