Dizzy Gillespie - Soul & Salvation (2024)

'Soul & Salvation' captures Dizzy in a choppy, slammin' funky soulful groove with Grammy-winning saxman James Moody

Out of print for over 15 years in any format, and unavailable on vinyl domestically for nearly half a century, 'Soul & Salvation' captures Dizzy in a choppy, slammin' funky soulful groove with Grammy-winning saxman James Moody digging in very deep right alongside the trumpet legend. It features charts and compositions from the noted musician and filmmaker Ed Bland who produced the set back in 1969. The 10-track set is sure to please crate digging jazz, soul and funk fans alike. The new pressing will be available on 180-gram vinyl. Dizzy Gillespie was one jazz giant who loved to explore new areas of self-expression. He was not only an exciting performer, his melodic and harmonic inventions are legendary. He had a remarkable insight into the rhythmic aspects of jazz. He swung in a highly personal way. One of his most famous compositions is called "Con Alma," and whether he played with or without a latin accent his music was always played with soul. It was Dizzy who spearheaded the use of afro-cuban rhythms in the jazz of the 40's and 50's, and added another dimension to the rhythm of jazz in the 60's. As a sensitive jazz artist, he explored much of the contemporary scene and his interest and enthusiasm pointed the direction that many other musicians followed in their use of Brazilian rhythms. His use of the samba rhythm came years before Bosa Nova was popular in this country. In his permanent group he featured the electric bass, and utilizes many contemporary rhythms that are easy to dance to. In pursuing this direction of music further, Dizzy decided in these recordings to incorporate vocal and instrumental sounds which are usually associated with pop and soul music. I think that the solos of both Dizzy Gillespie and his long-time associate, James Moody in this context will stimulate enthusiastic reactions from an ever-widening young audience. At any rate, the artistry of Dizzy Gillespie defied category.