The Modern Jazz Sextet


The Modern Jazz Sextet is a jazz album featuring the combined talents of Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt, John [Lewis (pianist)|John Lewis], Percy Heath, Skeeter Best and Charlie Persip. The album was conceived by producer Norman Granz for his own label, Norgran Records. Although no single album artist is credited as a bandleader for this album, Verve Records - which owns the Norgran catalogue - files it as a Dizzy Gillespie album.
Two of the album's rhythm section, Lewis and Heath, also feature in the 1952-founded Modern [Jazz Quartet].

Reception

gives the album four stars, stating that "it did not take too much insight to realize that putting trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and altoist Sonny Stitt together with a strong rhythm section would result in some explosive music....Bebop at its best."

Track listing

  1. "Tour De Force" - 11:39
  2. "Dizzy Meets Sonny" - 7:59
  3. "Ballad Medley: Old Folks/What's New?/How Deep is the Ocean?" - 7:10
  4. "Mean to Me" - 6:30
  5. "Blues for Bird" - 9:08

Credits