Savoy Jazz
1951
School Days
About This Album
An old recording from 1951, this album has been re-released on Columbia from the old Savoy/Regent recordings. The blowing is insane in spots -- in "Pop's Confessin," Dizzy tries to hit the loudest, highest, longest note possible (à la Roy Eldridge). Joe Carroll provides some humor in his vocal work (often performing in duet with Dizzy). Milt Jackson actually goes without his vibes here, singing and playing piano. According to the original liner notes, other performers on the album are "probably" Bill Graham on baritone sax, Wynton Kelly on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Al Jones, Kansas Fields, or Joe Hanes on drums. The interplay among trumpet, piano, and Joe Carroll's vocals is some of the best you'll hear from this time period (it gets even better in a couple years, but this is still outstanding). "Lady Be Good" is a tour de force for Carroll, and "School Days" starts to sound a lot like the blues-shouting R&B of the day. For any fan of Dizzy, and the bop of the day, this is a worthwhile investment in listening pleasure. The trumpet is good, the vocals are good, the humor is good. You can barely miss with this one. [The 2003 reissue on Savoy Jazz adds four bonus tracks: an alternate version of "Caravan" recorded at the same session as "No One Knows" and three live tracks taken from a 1947 performance at Carnegie Hall that teamed Diz with Charlie Parker. The sound is good, the performances solid and even though the tracks have absolutely nothing to do with the original album, they are a worthwhile addition for the Gillespie collector.] ~ Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 and 10)

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