Even though the late, great Gillespie himself is no longer around to wow us, there were plenty of greats on the stage to make up for it.

The aptly named 17-piece jazz collective was full of stars, who took turns to stand at the front of the stage for solos which fluctuated from sultry to playful and then jaw-droppingly dextrous.

Songs ranged from classic big-band swing to bebop, groove and even a bit of Queen's Another One Bites The Dust and each player had a moment when you thought they were the best in the room.

But while singer Roberta Gambarini's voice was amazing, the younger, up-and-coming trumpeters hit notes higher than you thought possible and sax players weaved melodies as sensual as a summer breeze, it was the old-time greats who had actually played with Dizzy who shone brightest.

Like a jazz version of Buena Vista Social Club, they oozed charisma, not just in the way they played their instruments but also the ease and charm with which they ruled the stage.

Master trombonist and composer Slide Hampton was frontman through the show and linked it all together with a cheeky cackle, crackling storytelling voice and classic charm. The 75-year-old worked with Gillespie on and off since the Sixties and was musical director for Dizzy's Diamond Jubilee - a year-long celebration in honour of the big band maestro's 75th birthday year.

Bassist and composer John Lee seemed to take a back seat with his bass guitar but it was his hynotic tones which held the medley of brass instruments together. He joined the Dizzy Gillespie Group in 1984, played with him until he became ill in 1992 and is the programme director for official tribute show Dizzy: The Man And The Music.

But most charming of all was James Moody, who on his 80th birthday showed us what bebop really was. With a magical smile stretched permanently across his face, Gillespie's bandmate through most of the Sixties took a break from his tenor sax to duet with Roberta.

Singing so fast he made me pause for breath, Moody took us back to another time and gave us a glimpse of what Dizzy himself may have been like.