Saturday, August 13, 2005

Too hip for Bolton

I think the Paquito D'Rivera-led United Nations Jazz Orchestra must have been inspired when it recorded "A Night in Englewood" in 1993 as a tribute to the orchestra's cofounder Dizzy Gillespie, who had died that January. Everybody in what is unabashedly a Latin big band for this set plays extremely well, alto saxophonist D'Rivera not the least. You get sambas, bossas, a tango blues and lots of good jazz driven by Afro-Cuban rhythms. Somewhere, Dizzy was smiling.

I've wanted this CD for awhile and even had a copy of it in my hand once but, alas, put it back. I hadn't been able to find it since and then was surprised when it popped up at our Borders last week. Thanks to the Miami-based Pimienta Records label for reissuing it.

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