Songs from 1942 to 1945
Dizzy Gillespie
Dizzy Gillespie's name is on all four tunes here, written between 1942 and 1945: A Night in Tunisia with Frank Paparelli, Woody'n You for Woody Herman's band, and Groovin' High. Anthropology carries the names of Charlie Parker and Gillespie, though Parker said in 1949 that Gillespie played no part in writing it. The page follows the tunes from the 1940s records, some with Parker himself, to Arturo Sandoval's tribute album in 2011.
Through the years
- 1940s
Coleman Hawkins's orchestra, with Gillespie in the trumpet section, makes the first record of Woody'n You in February 1944. Gillespie and Charlie Parker record Groovin' High in February 1945, and Parker's group records Anthropology that November. In 1946 Gillespie's orchestra records A Night in Tunisia and Anthropology, and Parker records Tunisia for Dial with Miles Davis on trumpet.
Coleman Hawkins Woody'n You · 1944Charlie Parker's Reboppers Anthropology · 1945Dizzy Gillespie Sextet Groovin' High · 1945Dizzy Gillespie A Night in Tunisia · 1946Charlie Parker Septet A Night in Tunisia · 1946Dizzy Gillespie Anthropology · 1946Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker Groovin' High · 1947Dizzy Gillespie Woody'n You · 1947 - 1950s
Gillespie and Parker play Anthropology at Birdland in 1951 and A Night in Tunisia at Massey Hall in 1953, both times with Bud Powell. Powell, Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins keep returning: Powell and Davis record Woody'n You, and Rollins plays Tunisia and Woody'n You live at the Village Vanguard in 1957. Groovin' High goes to Gillespie's big band, Lou Donaldson, Cannonball Adderley with Milt Jackson and Art Pepper's eleven players.
Bud Powell Trio A Night in Tunisia · 1951Dizzy Gillespie - Charlie Parker Quintet Anthropology · 1951Miles Davis Woody'n You · 1952The Quintet A Night in Tunisia · 1953The Bud Powell Trio Woody'n You · 1956The Miles Davis Quintet Woody'n You · 1956Lee Morgan A Night in Tunisia · 1957Sonny Rollins Trio A Night in Tunisia · 19576 more
Dizzy Gillespie Big Band Groovin' High · 1957Lou Donaldson Sextet Groovin' High · 1957Sonny Rollins Trio Woody'n You · 1957The Red Garland Quintet featuring John Coltrane and Donald Byrd Woody'n You · 1957Cannonball Adderley with Milt Jackson Groovin' High · 1958Art Pepper + Eleven Groovin' High · 1959 - 1960s
Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, with Lee Morgan and Wayne Shorter, record A Night in Tunisia in 1960, and Ella Fitzgerald sings it with Jon Hendricks's words in 1961. Barry Harris leads a quintet on Anthropology that year, and Eric Dolphy plays Woody'n You live in Copenhagen. In July 1963 Gillespie records Anthropology and Groovin' High in Paris with the vocal group Les Double Six and Bud Powell on piano.
- 1970s
Tommy Flanagan's trio plays Woody'n You live at the Montreux Jazz Festival in July 1977 and Groovin' High in Berkeley in January 1978, the month Hank Jones leads a quintet on Anthropology. Art Pepper plays clarinet on Anthropology in a trio with Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins in May 1979.
- 1980s
Archie Shepp's quartet, with Horace Parlan on piano, records Groovin' High in Monster, Holland, on 4 May 1987.
- 1990s
Phil Woods takes Anthropology to a festival in Italy in July 1991, and Lee Konitz plays it live at Birdland that September with Barry Harris on piano. Scott Hamilton records Woody'n You in New York in December 1996 with Tommy Flanagan, Bob Cranshaw and Lewis Nash. Keith Jarrett's trio plays Groovin' High live in Paris in July 1999 with Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette.
- 2000s
Phil Woods plays Anthropology live in May 2004 with the Los Angeles Jazz Orchestra, using Marty Paich's arrangements, the charts Art Pepper first recorded in 1959. Al Jarreau sings words he wrote himself for Groovin' High on his 2004 Verve album Accentuate the Positive.
- 2010s
Arturo Sandoval plays A Night in Tunisia on Dear Diz, his 2011 tribute to Gillespie. The album wins the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album.