AMG Review of Dizzy's Diamonds: The Best of Verve Years

Scott Yanow
All Music Guide

Many of trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie's recordings for the Verve label in the '50s and early '60s show him at the peak of his powers. This three-CD set is a sampler of his legacy, with the discs subtitled "Big Band," "Small Groups & Guests" and "In an Afro Cuban, Bossa Nova, Calypso Groove." The programming jumps all over the place and makes little sense but this set serves as a good excuse to acquire 40 performances by the great Gillespie and the many all-stars who recorded with him. Few but the most fanatical veteran Gillespie fans will have all of these selections. This collection filled a void until Verve got around to doing a much more comprehensive Dizzy Gillespie reissue program.