Dizzy's Business
The Dizzy GillespieÂ™ All-Star Big Band was formed in 1998 to  perform GillespieÂ’s classic big band repertoire and continue the legacy  left by the late master. Over the past eight years, The Dizzy GillespieÂ™  All-Star Big Band has been invited to perform at festivals and concert  halls all around the world, including the Blue Note in New York City and  Tokyo, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, Disney  Hall in Los Angeles, CA, the Baalbeck Festival in Lebanon and the North Sea  Jazz Festival in Rotterdam. In 2004, the band released its first album,  Things To Come (MCGJ 1009), on the MCG Jazz label.The bandÂ’s second album builds on the groundwork that Dizzy laid with his  notions of what the big band sound should be. The combination of sounds  from jazz masters such as Hampton, Moody, Heath, Wess and Lee Â– and  featured artists Hargrove and Gambarini Â– are unique enough to keep alive  the spirit of Dizzy himself.Master trombonist, composer, arranger and educator Slide Hampton worked on  and off with Gillespie from the 1960s on. His mission to bring jazz to  audiences around the world has placed him as the international ambassador  of jazz.James Moody, another Gillespie follower since the early 1960s, has a  healthy respect for tradition, but takes great delight in discovering new  musical paths, which makes him one of the most consistently expressive and  enduring figures in modern jazz today.Jimmy Heath has long been recognized as a brilliant instrumentalist and a  magnificent composer and arranger. This was also the outlook of Gillespie,  who performed many of HeathÂ’s original compositions throughout his  career.With over 60 years on the bandstand, Frank Wess is a legend of sax and  flute. Though perhaps best known for his years with Count Basie, bookending  those years are decades of vigorous development and art.Bassist, producer, and Dizzy GillespieÂ™ All-Star Big Band Executive  Director John Lee worked with Gillespie beginning in the 1980s, up until  Gillespie fell ill in 1992. LeeÂ’s commitment to DizzyÂ’s legacy is what  drove him to form and manage The Dizzy GillespieÂ™ All-Star Big Band.As a special guest for the band, trumpeter Roy Hargrove lends his trademark  sound and riveting solos. At 36, Hargrove has firmly established himself  among the premier players in jazz and beyond.  Ever stretching into more  challenging and colorful ways to flex his musical muscle, Hargrove has  already left indelible imprints in a vast array of musical settings.  Another new addition to the big band is Italian vocalist Roberta Gambarini.  An accomplished musician in her own right, Gambarini takes an instrumental  approach and possesses a warm timbre, impeccable timing, incredible  technique and improvisational skills. Both artists make a stunning addition  to the already prestigious big band.