History

The Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band (also called the Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Star Big Band) continues the legacy of the many big band recordings Dizzy Gillespie made throughout his career. The band plays many of the arrangements and songs that made Dizzy famous, including Things to Come, A Night in Tunisia, Manteca, and Tin Tin Deo. Trombonist Slide Hampton conducts the group, while John Lee, who played bass for Gillespie, serves as musical director. Other notable members include Roy Hargrove, Jimmy Heath, Roberta Gambarini, Steve Davis, Justin Robinson, Cyrus Chestnut, Greg Gisbert, and Mulgrew Miller. The band has toured internationally, and garnered critical acclaim for records like Dizzy’s Business (2006), and I’m Beboppin’ Too (2009).