Kush – 1971

The co-founder of both bebop and Afro-Cuban jazz, Dizzy Gillespie also explored other areas of music during his long career.

On this performance of his original “Kush” from 1971, Gillespie is joined by a French rhythm section comprised of pianist Martial Solal, bassist Jenn-Francois Jenny-Clarke and drummer Jean-Louis Viale.

Dizzy is unaccompanied at first then, when he is joined by his sidemen, he creates an explosive introduction.

Jenny-Clarke plays a repetitive and hypnotic bass pattern throughout much of the piece while Gillespie takes creative muted and open trumpet solos (Solal is also impressive in his spot) before the performance ends in a surprisingly bluesy fashion.

Throughout the atmospheric “Kush,” one can easily conjure up an African safari.

-Scott Yanow