Gillespie All Stars shine bright

September 3, 2006 performance review by Ronald K. Baker

See a gallery of photos from Sat. afternoon around Ozawa Hall, please see this page.

Hurricane Ernesto refused to exit the Berkshires without one last irreligious act. That was to dump a bucket of rain on those assembled on the hill outside Ozawa Hall Sunday. Then the Dizzy Gillespie All Star Big Band, led by elder jazz statesman Slide Hampton, took to the stage. The sudden cloudburst sent a number of outdoor patrons in sandals slap squishing across the lawn for cover. But Ernesto proved no match for the awesome 18-piece aggregate whose opening volley both literally and figuratively blew the clouds away. The sun appeared, as if magically, during the band's opening number. And there was no looking back.

The tight-knit rhythm section was comprised of Cyrus Chestnut on piano, John Lee on bass, Dennis Mackrell on drums, and Duke Lee on congas. The nucleus carried through even the most blistering tempos as in the piece titled "Things To Come."

Hampton wasted no time in featuring Roy Hargrove on lead trumpet. He played hard and well and clearly had the respect of the band. He was well-received by the Tanglewood crowd whose numbers included the legendary jazz pianist George Shearing (without his sunglasses) who waved to fans and well-wishers from his box seat to the left of the stage.

Fans seemed also particularly delighted with another Gillespie veteran, Jimmy Heath, whose well-worn Selmer tenor sax appeared to have early '50s written all over it. Watching the diminutive Heath make his way to the microphone was like a trip back in time. Hearing him was even better. He smiled broadly at the crowd's response. Later in the program he introduced a song he wrote for Dizzy, "Without You, No Me", and quipped that he never got paid for it.

A special treat was the appearance of Roberta Gambarini on vocals. In her strapless gown, svelte body and fiery eyes, she at once evoked both Brazil and the Mediterranean. It all came together during the second set as she sang the "Carnival" theme "Black Orpheus" in Portuguese. With sultry moves, she tossed her shoulder length hair around like a temptress. She was captivating. She also doubled the trumpet parts on several occasions. It was an impressive show of range, power, and knowledge of the material.

Mr. Chestnut betrayed his affinity for Thelonius Monk on a tune written by the latter called "I Mean You." He stretched out, echoing some of the trumpet leads and Gamberini vocal licks. As the tune drew near to a close lead trumpeter Hargrove let it all hang out. But not his dreadlocks, he reportedly cut those off last year. He was superb. Later in the second set he played an evocative fluglehorn on the piece "I Remember Clifford."

John Lee's silky, fretless, electric bass could have swayed even the most stalwart old-school upright fans. His musicianship was off the scale. He did a masterful solo on "A Night In Tunisia," which goes back and forth from Latin to swing. He never glanced at the sheet music. He's clearly one of the group's veterans of which there seemed to be many. But there are also a pack of young lions in tutelage including one who was playing his first gig with the ensemble. Hampton made sure each had a whack at soloing before all was said and done. He flashed them two fingers indicating that they should solo for two verses as each section made its way up to the front microphones.

Slide Hampton led all the proceedings with grace and understated elegance from his position to the band's left. Now and again he would take his trombone off the music stand and delight the fans with a chorus of his own improvisations.

This concert will doubtless be counted as one of the top moments in the ever-increasing legend that is the Tanglewood Jazz Festival, one that appeared to be enjoyed equally by players and audience alike.