After
Dizzy Gillespie's death in 1991, his colorful
Afro-Cuban United Nation Orchestra (which was formed in 1988) was headed by altoist-clarinetist
Paquito D'Rivera. With the better-known sidemen on this 1993 CD including first trumpeter
Byron Stripling, trombonist
Conrad Herwig and tenor saxophonist
Mario Rivera, additional solo space was allocated to some of the other talented players as were guest spots for trumpeter
Claudio Roditi, trombonist
Slide Hampton and vibraphonist
Dave Samuels.
A Night in Englewood is an easily recommended set. The music is very Latin-oriented and shows that the orchestra had moved away from
Gillespie's usual repertoire to exclusively feature originals by bandmembers (including
D'Rivera's "I Remember Diz"). Definitely worth investigating. ~ Scott Yanow