The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

For Musicians Only is an album by Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz and Sonny Stitt incorporating bebop influences. Produced by Norman Granz, it was recorded on October 16, 1956 at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California. It wasn’t released until 1958 on the Verve label. It has been described as the real thing, no pretense.

The story behind this session from Stan Levy’s point of view is that everything was done in one take, no 2nd takes, no overdubbing. It was virtually a live, real bebop session, nothing worked out, just play by the seat of your pants or get off the bandstand. Like it or not, that was the way it was with Bird and those cats, the real thing, no pretense.

The album is known for the front line’s winding, intricate solos. This has led to praise for the back line, particularly bassist Ray Brown, for keeping some semblance of the original tune going behind the solos.

1. Bebop (Gillespie) ~ 12:48
2. Dark Eyes (Traditional) ~ 12:10
3. Wee (Allen’s Alley) (Denzil Best, Gillespie) – 8:28
4. Lover Come Back to Me (Sigmund Romberg, Oscar Hammerstein II) ~ 9:33

• Dizzy Gillespie ~ trumpet
• Sonny Stitt ~ alto saxophone
• Stan Getz ~ tenor saxophone
• John Lewis ~ piano
• Herb Ellis ~ guitar
• Ray Brown ~ bass
• Stan Levey ~ drums

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