The sensation of the 1980 Montreux Jazz Festival was an ad hoc trio led by Dizzy Gillespie. The irrepressible founding father of bebop played a set in which he explored the limits of the trumpet, the blues, his sense of drama, and his sense of humor. His co-conspirators constituted an unlikely pairing. Bernard "Pretty" Purdie has never in his career, for even a second, left any doubt about where the beat is. Toots Thielemans is an elegant virtuoso of the jazz harmonica, but here he plays only his other instrument, the guitar. Thielemans discloses a funky side that even he may not have known he had. The material is basic, the performance intense, the excitement palpable. In addition to the magic of his trumpet playing, Dizzy favors us with his singing and a workout on the Jew's harp.

with Toots Thielemans, Bernard Purdie