Dizzy Gillespie: Don't Throw Your Back Outa Whack/N.A.T.R.A (Limelight L-3079)

Now, where did this come from? I mean, we all know that Dizzy Gillespie was one of the greatest jazz trumpeters of all time, do we not? Well, here he is, doing a novelty record. You heard right: a novelty record.

On "Don't Throw Your Back Outa Whack," Gillespie doesn't play his trumpet. Instead, he sings...rather well, too, in a Louis Armstrong kind of way...about the dangers of doing all those 60s dances, like the Monkey, the Swim, the Boogaloo and the rest. Actually, he thinks they're all swingin' dances to do and he sings this over a band track that includes piano, bass, drums and a little guitar. But he warns you not to forget a natural fact. "FREEZE!" The band pauses for a second. Then, he sings "Don't throw your back outa whack" as the band resumes to kickin' it out. He also offers little pearls of wisdom such as the foregoing:

When you do the Freddie,
just make sure your body's ready.

When you do the Swim,
Keep your head above water.
And when you do the Mouse,
Keep your mouth shut like you oughta.

We flip the record over for "N.A.T.R.A." (don't ask me what that stands for) and we find piano, drums and bass in full swingin' mode once again. And this time, we get Dizzy blowing out some righteous trumpet action which is what he was known for anyway, right? And there's some sax that makes itself known, too. Now, for you jazz fans, this may be more like it. For people like me, though, the little diversions are interesting, too, so my vote goes for keeping your back in check.