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Title: Failed Fusion Attempt
Review: I'm sad to report that this is the only Dizzy Gillespie album I've heard that let me down. Way down. Diz takes a stab at early 70's jazz-rock fusion...an admirable and promising venture. And while most of what Gillespie has touched in his career has turned to gold, this stuff has no shimmer. Repetetive riffs, simplistic chord progressions, square rhythms, and studio fade-outs predominate. "The Real Thing" even dabbles with "flower-power" sounds and lyrics that will make you cringe. The "Portrait of Jenny" album is somewhat better, with a smaller group stretching out on some mellow jams... but while it isn't unpleasant, it's often very dull. The live "Giants" session returns to a more traditional acoustic combo playing mostly standard tunes, but the performance is poorly recorded and uninspiring overall. Beware: For Gillespie completists only!
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