Birks' Works

This article is about the 1957 album. For the 1951 title track, see Birks' Works (composition).

Birks' Works is an album by trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie recorded in 1957 and released on the Verve label.^[1] The original album featured 10 tracks and was reissued as Birks Works: The Verve Big Band Sessions, a 2 CD compilation featuring unreleased tracks, alternate takes and tracks from Gillespie's previous 1956 albums Dizzy in Greece and World Statesman.

Birks' Works
Studio album by Dizzy Gillespie
Released	1957
Recorded	April 7 & 8, 1957 plus May 18 & 19, June 6, 1956, and July 8, 1957 (Reissue Compilation) New York City
Genre	Jazz
Length	39:37
Label	Verve MGV 8222 314 527 900-2 (Reissue Compilation)
Producer	Norman Granz
Dizzy Gillespie chronology
For Musicians Only (1956) Birks' Works (1957) Dizzy Gillespie and Stuff Smith (1957)
CD Compilation Reissue Cover

Reception

The Penguin Guide to Jazz selected the reissue compilation as part of its suggested Core Collection.^[2] The AllMusic review awarded the album 5 stars calling it "Essential music".^[3]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[3]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz	^[2]

Track listing

All compositions by Dizzy Gillespie except as indicated

Original LP Release

Side One:

1. "Jordu" (Duke Jordan) – 4:13
2. "Birks' Works" – 4:56
3. "Umbrella Man" (Vincent Rose, Larry Stock, James Cavanaugh) – 3:02
4. "Autumn Leaves" (Joseph Kosma, Jacques Prévert, Johnny Mercer) – 3:11
5. "Tangerine" (Victor Schertzinger, Mercer) – 3:43

Side Two:

1. "Over the Rainbow" (Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg) – 4:37
2. "Yo No Quiero Bailar" (Joe Willoughby) – 4:42
3. "If You Could See Me Now" (Tadd Dameron, Carl Sigman) – 3:30
4. "Left Hand Corner" (Ernie Wilkins) – 2:26
5. "Whisper Not" (Benny Golson, Leonard Feather) – 5:17

CD Compilation Reissue

Disc One:

1. "Dizzy's Business" (Wilkins) – 3:37 Originally released on World Statesman
2. "Hey Pete! Let's Eat More Meat" (Gillespie, Buster Harding, Lester Peterson) – 5:39 Originally released on Dizzy in Greece
3. "Jessica's Day" (Quincy Jones) – 4:50 Originally released on World Statesman
4. "Tour de Force" – 5:04 Originally released on World Statesman
5. "I Can't Get Started" (Vernon Duke, Ira Gershwin) – 2:55 Originally released on World Statesman
6. "Stella by Starlight" (Ned Washington, Victor Young) – 4:07 Originally released on World Statesman
7. "Doodlin'" (Horace Silver) – 3:56 Originally released on World Statesman
8. "A Night in Tunisia" – 5:34 Originally released on World Statesman
9. "The Champ" – 4:42 Originally released on World Statesman
10. "Yesterdays" (Otto Harbach, Jerome Kern) – 3:46 Originally released on Dizzy in Greece
11. "Tin Tin Deo" (Gil Fuller, Gillespie, Chano Pozo) – 4:17 Originally released on Dizzy in Greece
12. "Groovin' for Nat" (Wilkins) – 3:21 Originally released on Dizzy in Greece
13. "My Reverie" (Larry Clinton, Claude Debussy) – 2:52 Originally released on World Statesman
14. "Dizzy's Blues" (Ahmad Khatab Salim) – 2:32 Originally released on World Statesman
15. "Annie's Dance" (Melba Liston) – 4:05 Originally released on Dizzy in Greece
16. "Cool Breeze" (Dameron, Billy Eckstine, Gillespie) – 4:55 Originally released on Dizzy in Greece
17. "School Days" (Will D. Cobb, Gus Edwards) – 4:23 Originally released on Dizzy in Greece
18. "Jordu" (Jordan) – 4:13
19. "Yo No Quiero Bailar" (Willoughby) – 4:42

Disc Two:

1. "Birks' Works" – 4:56
2. "Autumn Leaves" (Kosma, Mercer, Prevert) – 3:11
3. "Tangerine" (Mercer, Schertzinger) – 3:43
4. "Over the Rainbow" (Arlen, Harburg) – 4:37
5. "Umbrella Man" (Cavanaugh, Rose, Stock) – 3:02
6. "If You Could See Me Now" (Dameron, Sigman) – 3:30
7. "Left Hand Corner" [alternate take] (Wilkins) – 0:13 Previously unreleased
8. "Left Hand Corner" [alternate take] (Wilkins) – 2:26 Previously unreleased
9. "Left Hand Corner" [alternate take] (Wilkins) – 2:16 Previously unreleased
10. "Left Hand Corner" [alternate take] (Wilkins) – 0:10 Previously unreleased
11. "Left Hand Corner" [master take] (Wilkins) – 2:22
12. "Whisper Not" [alternate take] (Golson, Feather) – 5:52 Previously unreleased
13. "Whisper Not [alternate take] (Golson, Feather) – 5:08 Previously unreleased
14. "Whisper Not [master take] (Golson, Feather) – 5:17
15. "Stablemates" (Golson) – 4:12 Originally released on Dizzy in Greece
16. "That's All" (Alan Brandt, Bob Haymes) – 3:13 Originally released on Dizzy in Greece
17. "Groovin' High" [master take] – 3:53 Originally released on Dizzy in Greece
18. "Mayflower Rock" [alternate take] (Lee Brown) – 3:17 Previously unreleased
19. "Mayflower Rock" [master take] (Brown) – 3:14 Originally released as 45rpm single B-side
20. "Joogie Boogie" – 4:14 Originally released as 45rpm single
21. "I Remember Clifford" (Golson) – 4:15
22. "You'll Be Sorry" – 2:17 Previously unreleased
23. "Wonder Why" (Nicholas Brodszky, Sammy Cahn) – 3:51 Previously unreleased

Personnel

On original LP and CD Compilation Reissue Disc One, tracks 18 and 19 and Disc Two, tracks 1–21

• Dizzy Gillespie – trumpet, arranger
• Talib Daawud, Lee Morgan, Ermit V. Perry, Carl Warwick – trumpet
• Melba Liston – trombone, arranger
• Al Grey, Rod Levitt – trombone
• Ernie Henry, Jimmy Powell – alto saxophone
• Benny Golson – tenor saxophone, arranger
• Billy Mitchell – tenor saxophone
• Billy Root – baritone saxophone
• Wynton Kelly – piano
• Paul West – bass
• Charlie Persip – drums
• Austin Cromer – vocals (on "Over the Rainbow", "You No Quiero Bailer", "If You Could See Me Now" and "Mayflower Rock")
• Ernie Wilkins – arranger
• Recorded in New York City on April 7 & 8, 1957

On CD Compilation Reissue Disc One, tracks 1–17

• Dizzy Gillespie – trumpet, vocals
• Joe Gordon, Quincy Jones, Ermit V. Perry, Carl Warwick – trumpet
• Rod Levitt, Melba Liston, Frank Rehak – trombone
• Jimmy Powell, Phil Woods – alto saxophone
• Billy Mitchell, Ernie Wilkins – tenor saxophone
• Marty Flax – baritone saxophone
• Walter Davis Jr. – piano
• Nelson Boyd – bass
• Charlie Persip – drums
• Recorded in New York City on May 18 & 19 and June 6, 1956

On CD Compilation Reissue Disc Two, tracks 22 and 23

• Dizzy Gillespie, Talib Daawud, Lee Morgan, Ermit V. Perry, Carl Warwick – trumpet
• Al Grey, Melba Liston – trombone
• Ernie Henry, Jimmy Powell – alto saxophone
• Billy Mitchell, Benny Golson – tenor saxophone
• Pee Wee Moore – baritone saxophone
• Wynton Kelly – piano
• Paul West – bass
• Charlie Persip – drums
• Recorded in New York City on July 8, 1957

References

1. Dizzy Gillespie discography accessed March 26, 2012
2. Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2008) [1992]. "Dizzy Gillespie". The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. The Penguin Guide to Jazz (9th ed.). New York: Penguin. p. 554. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
3. Yanow, S. AllMusic Review accessed March 26, 2012