Dizzy Reece - Mosaic Select 11 [2004] (3 x CDs)

SUNDAY JAZZ

DIZZY REECE

Dizzy Reece - Mosaic Select 11 [2004] (3 x CDs)

Mosaic’s eleventh Select set restores the essential mid‑century recordings of Jamaican‑born trumpeter Dizzy Reece, gathering his complete Blue Note output from 1958 to 1960. These sessions, long admired by collectors but scattered across LPs and later reissues, reveal a musician whose voice stood apart from the prevailing currents of hard bop. Reece brought a distinctive blend of Caribbean phrasing, European experience and New York intensity, shaping a sound that was lyrical, forceful and unmistakably his own.

The earliest session, recorded in May 1958, features Reece with Hank Mobley, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers and Art Taylor. The writing is confident, the horn lines are clear, and the rhythm section moves with the relaxed authority of Blue Note’s finest groups. Reece’s tone, bright yet rounded, carries through the ensemble with a sense of direction that marks him as a composer as much as a soloist. The follow‑up date later that year, with Donald Byrd, Jackie McLean and Pepper Adams, expands the palette. The arrangements are tighter, the ensemble passages more intricate, and the contrast between Reece’s trumpet and the baritone saxophone gives the music a distinctive weight.

he 1959 and 1960 sessions show Reece refining his approach. The writing becomes more spacious, the harmonies more deliberate, and the solos more sculpted. Musicians such as Stanley Turrentine, Duke Jordan and Philly Joe Jones contribute to a sound that balances drive with reflection. Reece’s ballad playing, often overlooked, emerges as one of the set’s quiet strengths, revealing a player capable of deep warmth without sentimentality.

Mosaic Select 11 presents these recordings with clarity and respect, restoring the full arc of Reece’s Blue Note years. The set stands as a portrait of a trumpeter whose individuality shaped every ensemble he joined, leaving a body of work that remains vital, focused and richly expressive. (B)

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Track lists

CD1

01 Dizzy Reece - Blues in Trinity 6:47

02 Dizzy Reece - I Had the Craziest Dream 3:04

03 Dizzy Reece - Close-up 10:39

04 Dizzy Reece - Shepherd's Serenade 6:37

05 Dizzy Reece - Color Blind 6:02

06 Dizzy Reece - 'Round About Midnight 4:46

07 Dizzy Reece - Eboo 4:03

08 Dizzy Reece - Just a Penny 5:31

09 Dizzy Reece - The Rake 6:04

10 Dizzy Reece - I'll Close My Eyes 5:57

11 Dizzy Reece - Groovesville 8:06

CD2

01 Dizzy Reece - The Rebound 6:48

02 Dizzy Reece - I Wished on the Moon 6:50

03 Dizzy Reece - A Variation on Monk 5:41

04 Dizzy Reece - (I Don't Stand a) Ghost of a Chance 5:05

05 Dizzy Reece - Once in a While 7:57

06 Dizzy Reece - Eb Pob 7:30

07 Dizzy Reece - Yesterdays 7:46

08 Dizzy Reece - Our Love is Here to Stay 7:10

09 Dizzy Reece - Blue Streak 6:22

CD3

01 Dizzy Reece - Ye Olde Blues 6:42

02 Dizzy Reece - The Case of the Frightened Lover 5:44

03 Dizzy Reece - Tenderly 9:04

04 Dizzy Reece - Achmet 8:31

05 Dizzy Reece - The Story of Love 10:11

06 Dizzy Reece - Sands 6:43

07 Dizzy Reece - Comin' On 6:47

08 Dizzy Reece - Goose Dance 6:48

09 Dizzy Reece - The Things We Did Last Summer 6:19

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Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.

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