Album CD published in 1990 remastering the original recording on vinyl from live performance at the festival in Montreux (Switzerland), 1975. The sextet composed of the great trumpeters Roy Eldridge (Pennsylvania, 1911-1989), Dizzy Gillespie (South Carolina, 1917-1993) and Clark Terry (Missouri, 1920), supporting the album title, with the great pianist Oscar Peterson (Canada, 1925-2007), the bass Niels Pedersen (Denmark, 1946-2005) and Louis Bellson (Illinois, 1924-2009) with drums, was the summit of the proceedings of that year in Montreux, produced by Norman Granz, which achieved a historical record very suitable for the live show. The CD provides as 'bonus' track 'Lullaby of the leaves', which was not included on the original vinyl.
This CD is a straight reissue of a Pablo LP. Norman Granz teamed together the very distinctive trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard and Clark Terry with pianist Oscar Peterson, guitarist Joe Pass, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Bobby Durham for a "Trumpet Summit." This particular release features (with one exception) unissued material from the session. There are four versions of a slow blues (only the fourth was released before), all of which have very different solos from the three trumpeters. In addition they interact on "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams" and share the spotlight on a three-song ballad medley; Hubbard's "Here's That Rainy Day" is hard to beat.
As a rule, record companies don't give artists the chance to pick the songs when a boxed set is assembled. They might ask the person who writes the liner notes to interview the artist, or they might even have the artist write the liner notes. But the label, not the artist, usually chooses the material. Self Portrait is an exception; when this five-CD, 95-track boxed set was assembled in 2001, a 91-year-old Artie Shaw was given a rare chance to make the selections himself and comment on them. And for those who are seriously into the clarinetist, it is fascinating to see what he chooses. Self Portrait, which spans 1936-1954, contains most of his essential swing, era hits, including "Stardust," "Begin the Beguine," "Frenesi," and his ominous signature tune, "Nightmare."
The 1960 version of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers (which consisted of the drummer/leader, trumpeter Lee Morgan, tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianist Bobby Timmons, and bassist Jymie Meritt) was very well documented. One can argue that these performances of "It's Only a Paper Moon," "'Round Midnight," Wayne Shorter's "The Summit," "A Night in Tunisia" and Timmons' "This Here" do not add that much to the Messengers' vast legacy, but the music is really too good for hard bop fans to pass up.
The career of blues guitar legend B.B. King has spanned some six decades, and he has earned a reputation of one of the best of the blues through constant touring and dynamic live performances. One of the frequent stops along King's seemingly never-ending tour is the annual jazz festival in Montreux, Switzerland, where the guitarist has made better than 20 appearances through the years.