Dizzy's Dream Band
This film, recorded in 1982 at Lincoln Center, captures legendary jazz  trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie performing with his Dream Band, consisting of a wide  array of jazz music's finest musicians, many of whom worked with Gillespie  during the evolutionary era of the early-'40s bebop period. It includes an all-star cast highlighted by pyrotechnic drum wizard Max Roach, Gillespie's protégé trumpeter Jon Faddis, and Modern Jazz Quartet cofounders John Lewis (piano)  and Milt Jackson (vibraphone). The leader's crowd-pleasing persona,  trademark puffy cheeks, and no-nonsense trumpet solos steal the show. Selections  range from Gillespie's Afro-Cubop favorites "Manteca," "Tin Tin Deo," and "A  Night in Tunisia" with master percussionist Candido Camero, to the timeless  bebop compositions "Groovin' High" (with baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan)  and "Salt Peanuts (Vote Dizzy)." Along with rare archival footage of Gillespie  and his greatest musical companion, alto saxophonist Charlie Parker, this  collection accurately captures the artistry that made Dizzy Gillespie great.--Eugene Holley Jr.