Search - Dizzy Gillespie :: & The Double Six of Pairs

Very Hip!

Eric | 11/26/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Groovy, chic, cool! The Double Six Of Paris are amazing! Of course, Dizzy's not bad either. This unusual recording is a must for vocal jazz fans!"

Stellar vocalese

Eric | Canada | 10/06/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am a big vocalese fan and if you like Lambert Hendricks and Ross, or Double Six of Paris or Real Group or other jazz-vocal-a capella approaches, this is an absolute must have. Bud Powell on piano! Dizzy on the trumpet! Amazing!!! I've worn out my version since a friend of mine tuned me onto the Double Six in 1988. (And since then I've collected all their work.)NB: this is a studio album not a live album.The CD doesnt present the tunes as on the original LP; indeed the LP opens up with Ow! and its dynamics never fail to blow my wig off. (So I always start the CD at Ow! followed by The Champ.)Double Six have captured the essence of Dizzy's big band sound. Get a hold of the original Dizzy recordings from the forties (Ow!, The Champ, Emanon, etc) to really appreciate what is going on here. Dizzy is in fine shape and his solos are blazing. Bud is not given the spotlight but he still shines through. Nice bass work by Pierre Michelot.To be fair, the album is pretty short (under 40 mins if I am not mistaken). I am really picky, there are a couple of fillers: blue and boogie is okay, and oo-shoobee-doo-bee is rather fluffy. But the rest of the tunes are absolutely delightful. If you know french, listen closely to the sci-fi lyrics by Mimi Perrin who, IMHO, stands head-to-head with Jon Hendricks in the pantheon of the vocalese gods. Apparently Mimi and Dizzy found common ground in jazz as well as sci-fi.Five stars, no less, as one of the greatest vocalese albums ever. (The other one is probably Sing a Song of Basie by LHR but then again Dizzy in not on that one.)"