Dizzy Gillespie was not only a great trumpet soloist -- he was also a skillful bandleader/arranger, and his bands (which ranged from small groups to larger ensembles) were an excellent training ground for a long list of musicians. One of them was pianist Mike Longo, who was in Gillespie's employ from 1966-1973 and went on to become a skillful bandleader himself. All of Longo's talents -- bandleader, arranger, pianist, composer -- are very much in evidence on Oasis, which reunites him with the New York State of the Art Jazz Ensemble. This big-band date, which was recorded in 2004, often recalls Gillespie's work with larger ensembles. Gillespie, of course, was a major proponent of bop-oriented big bands -- he realized that even though bebop and hard bop were dominated by small groups, there was also a place for big bands in a bop setting. And that Gillespie influence asserts itself on Longo's own material as well as his arrangements of several well-known standards, including Alone Together, Lazy Afternoon, and Antonio Carlos Jobim's Chega de Saudade (No More Blues). Gillespie isn't Longo's only influence as a bandleader/arranger -- he's also well aware of Oliver Nelson and Thad Jones -- but Gillespie is certainly a prominent influence. Most of the tracks on this CD are instrumental, although Hilary Gardner (a pleasant, if derivative, vocalist) is featured on three tracks: Matt Dennis' The Night We Called It a Day, George Gershwin's Love Walked In, and Longo's thoughtful, Duke Ellington-inspired Song of My Dream (For Duke). Oasis never pretends to be groundbreaking -- certainly not by 2004 standards -- but it's an enjoyable, noteworthy effort that die-hard bop enthusiasts will appreciate. ~ Alex Henderson, Rovi

1		Bag of Bones
2		Chanson
3		Mike's Lament
4		Love Walked In
5		Alone Together
6		Infusion
7		The Godfather
8		Its a Lazy Afternoon
9		Covenant City
10		Nocturnal Sea Voyage
11		The Night We Called It a Day
12		No More Blues
13		Song of My Dream

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