Dizzy Gillespie - Afro. I knew of Dizzy Gillespie, I've heard and loved a number of his compositions, but I hadn't until yesterday listened to a Gillespie record. I hesitated, because I have an ambiguous relationship to Afro-Cuban jazz which I all too often find too tame. No such thing in Afro. The music is vibrant, full of pent-up energy. The percussions drive the whole thing to a fever, the harmony is sparse, often only implied by the bass, and Gillespie's trumpet is then free to soar above that boiling lava. The first three tunes form a suite. They're quite sophisticated with a fuller band and more harmonic texture. The last three are sparse as hell and get my vote for sure. Astounding. #music#jazz#trumpet#afrocuban