John Lee and Paquito D’Rivera On Dizzy Gillespie 

WBGO presents the Dizzy Gillespie All Stars with John Lee and special guest Paquito D’Rivera as part of the All That Jazz concert series at UCPAC’s Hamilton Stage in New Jersey on Saturday, June 6, with performances at 5 PM and 8 PM. Guests can also enjoy cocktails and live piano by Leonieke Scheuble in the WBGO Piano Lounge before each show, with the lobby opening at 4 PM and 7 PM respectively. The concert celebrates the music and legacy of Dizzy Gillespie through performances of classics including “A Night in Tunisia,” “Salt Peanuts,” “Con Alma,” “Groovin’ High,” and “Blue ‘N’ Boogie.”

Bassist and producer John Lee performed with Gillespie from 1984 through 1993 in the Dizzy Gillespie Quintet, Big Band, and the GRAMMY-winning United Nation Orchestra. Following Gillespie’s passing, Lee was asked by the Gillespie family to continue presenting the trumpeter’s music through the Dizzy Gillespie All Stars. Beyond his work with Gillespie, Lee has collaborated with major artists including Sonny Rollins, McCoy Tyner, Roy Hargrove, and Aretha Franklin while also producing more than 100 recordings as co-founder of Jazz Legacy Productions.

Special guest Paquito D’Rivera is internationally recognized as one of the most important figures in Latin jazz and contemporary classical music. Born in Havana, Cuba, D’Rivera has earned 16 GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY Awards while building a career that seamlessly blends jazz, Afro-Cuban music, Brazilian traditions, tango, and classical composition. A recipient of both the NEA Jazz Masters Award and the National Medal of the Arts, he has become known for his virtuosic clarinet and saxophone work as well as his role as a global ambassador for Latin jazz. His appearance with the Gillespie All Stars connects directly to Gillespie’s own pioneering fusion of bebop and Afro-Cuban music traditions.

https://ucpac.org/event/dizzy-gillespie-all-stars/