Dizzy Gillespie – Dizzy Gillespie Plays In Paris

An absolutely beautiful little gem. Less than 25 minutes of music spread over two sides, granted, but sometimes that's just about enough. Given the recording dates (late March and early April 1952), we know that springtime in Paris was near ("April in Paris" jumps to mind) and one can only imagine how it would have been to listen to this superb material in the early afternoon sun while having lunch somewhere in the Latin Quarter with the one you love. The tracks all sound very relaxed and it's my guess that the sessions were laid back and enjoyable for everyone, 'cause I honestly think that you can hear it in the tracks. At the same time you can't ignore the pleasantly melancholic atmosphere that breathes through, especially in the standards. World War II had ended only 7 years earlier, Europe was rebuilding rapidly, life had changed for the better, my grandparents were in their mid-30s and at times you'd wish you had a time machine, just to experience those days yourself. All those images run through my mind when I listen to this lovely 10". It's Jazz with a capital J and a great time capsule.