Search - Dizzy Gillespie, James Moody, Arturo Sandoval :: Live at the Royal Festival Hall, London

The United Nations Orchestra was created by jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie to "showcase the varied influences that he considers valuable to the development of jazz." The 15-member ensemble, comprised of famous Latin and black American musicians, is a true all-star orchestra, 10 of its members being bandleaders in their own right. On this 1990 recording, the orchestra was on its last date of a European tour, and it pulls out all the stops on this fiery big-band blowout. All the soloists--saxophonists Paquito D'Rivera and James Moody, trumpeters Arturo Sandoval and Claudio Rodit, trombonists Slide Hampton and Steve Turre-- attempt to keep up with Gillespie and the turbulent percussive undercurrent. This leads to a lot of passionate soloing, along with some requisite grandstanding, but even that seems to fit into the all-star concept of the band. This is extroverted, aggressively confident big-band music meant to dazzle and delight. The driving rhythm section is given center stage on Gillespie's "Tanga," whereby a lengthy section of solos by drummer Ignacio Berroa, master percussionist Airto Moreira, and ace conga man Giovanni Hidalgo brings the house down once again. --Wally Shoup