Dizzy Gillespie in an amazing performance circa 1980

Dizzy Gillespie performing two great pieces one of which is a hell of a version of his classic composition "Night In Tunisia".

[@williammcghee863]

I'm grateful this moment has been saved for history, for us, for me.

[@vaughnnark1733]

Wonderful and historic performance 👏 by Diz and the great Tonight Show band most respectfully..Vaughn 🎺

[@jamesbomar3903]

Love this great performance! One for the ages!

[@billlaarz9202]

Wow! Dizzy could play trumpet in any style and make it sing! He could play bebop licks in any style and make them sound appropriate.

[@Deckerd724]

Yeah, in the back, Eugene "Snooky" Young. He actually talked to Johnny a couple times on the show. He told him that he had first played with Jimmy Lunceford. Then Johnny joked that Lunceford was the first musician on Earth. I'm impressed that anyone (Iolta) picked up on that. Lowando, thanks loads for sharing this with us!

[@paulkossak7761]

Bird took that famous break, and changed jazz for ever.

[@hisongpark]

He always tried to give his very best. Such a sweet and honest man. I love you Dizzy!

[@jeffmcmillin1530]

Dizzy is one of a kind

[@rickdavenport9538]

This was fantastic!!!!

[@jeffmandell1376]

That beautiful bass sound somehow came through on my 14" mono TV in the 70's and 80's!

[@billbryant1288]

Joel DiBartolo!

[@lowando]

Thanks, you guys. I am glad you liked it.

[@brucescott4261]

I still miss Birks, terribly!!!

[@lucasarias8294]

can you imagine being an alien in a far distant galaxy, get this video tuned somehow and watch dizzy frog cheeks getting huge while letting creation out , dude must be thinking mmm, " humans must be cool" hahaha

[@87vwscir]

Great! Can anyone ID the alto player?

[@willy1986tralara]

thats music! thank you for posting this!!

[@christopherbuilder5354]

Yeah!!

[@ajn465]

The original Night in Tunisia big band chart.. played by guys who knew what it was all about.

[@assignmentearth2899]

I guess Doc was out this night. Snooky was ready to bring them in back in back there. Not enough is ever made about Snooky. Sideman, soloist, could play lead. Do it all. Great performance.

[@jimbrown1559]

Diz led some of the greatest of the big bands in the history of jazz. He was a great leader and conductor. Snookie played a sizzling lead at the ending of this tune, leading into Diz's cadenza.

[@marcellomentasimonsennico5670]

Night in Tunisia arranged for a James Bond movie!

[@danyelnicholas]

Yeah, Diz, but Snooky actually plays the stratospheric end of the coda for him on Night!

[@CheapChampagne1]

You should see when he does the hand dance with Jon Hendricks (amazing)

[@mhenrikse]

Tonight Show Band was so cool then. About the time Branford Marsalis took over, it crashed. Dizzy!!!

[@BrotherofSki]

Where did you find this please, I want to know

[@BarkacsMester]

I love this!! Who is the bassmann?

[@mikeromano2219]

better late than never. joel dibartolo.

[@dmreeoogdaq]

So, "A Night In Tunisia" ends, and I'm thinking, "That is a great performance! I guess the clip will end now." BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE! UH!

[@Vanguardsman]

3:17 Trademark run

[@billbryant1288]

Joel DiBartolo!

[@MartiniMan]

Snooky!

[@IOLTA]

Snooky.

[@keithsy75]

Notice; Ed Shaugnessy uses no score.

[@jimbrown1559]

These are musicians who know the literature of the music intimately. On another Diz appearance on the Carson show, Bobby Resengarten wasn't reading either, and playing his ass off!