Dizzy Gillespie

Portrait of Dizzy Gillespie, New York, N.Y., ca. May 1947 (cropped)

Dizzy Gillespie 1955 Press Photo

D. Gillespie, J. Lewis, C. Payne, M. Davis, R. Brown

Dizzy Gillespie playing horn 1955

Dizzy Gillespie holding memoir "To Be or Not to Bop"

Dizzy Gillespie (October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, and singer. He was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz. Gillespie was known for his virtuosic trumpet playing, characterized by its high notes, complexity, and speed, as well as a unique, puffed-cheek embouchure. He was also a pioneering innovator of Afro-Cuban jazz.

Early Life

John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was born in Cheraw, South Carolina, to a family of nine children. His father was a local bandleader, which gave Gillespie exposure to instruments and music from an early age. By the age of twelve, Gillespie had taught himself to play the trumpet and trombone. His early influences included Roy Eldridge, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington.

Career

Gillespie's professional career began after he moved to Philadelphia in 1935, where he joined the Frankie Fairfax band. In 1937, he moved to New York City and joined Teddy Hill's band, making his first recording, "King Porter Stomp." Gillespie's career took a significant turn when he joined Cab Calloway's orchestra in 1939, but his tenure with Calloway was cut short due to a notorious altercation between the two.

In the early 1940s, Gillespie started to experiment with new musical ideas, along with other musicians like Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, and Max Roach. This experimentation led to the development of bebop, a new style of jazz characterized by fast tempos, complex chord progressions, and virtuosic technique. Gillespie's compositions like "A Night in Tunisia" and "Groovin' High" became bebop anthems.

Gillespie was also instrumental in the introduction and popularization of Afro-Cuban jazz. His collaboration with Cuban percussionist Chano Pozo in the late 1940s produced classics like "Manteca" and "Tin Tin Deo," blending bebop with Cuban rhythms.

Personal Life and Legacy

Gillespie was known for his sense of humor, his bent trumpet (resulting from an accident in 1953), and his contributions to the civil rights movement. He was a Bahá'í Faith convert, which influenced his philosophy and music.

Dizzy Gillespie passed away from pancreatic cancer on January 6, 1993. His legacy includes numerous awards and honors, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, induction into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame, and the Kennedy Center Honors. Gillespie's influence on jazz is immeasurable, and he is remembered as one of the greatest jazz trumpeters of all time.

Discography

• Groovin' High (1945)
• A Night in Tunisia (1946)
• Birks' Works (1957)
• Afro (1954)
• The Giant (1973)
• To Diz with Love (1992)

See Also

• Bebop
• Afro-Cuban jazz
• Charlie Parker
• Thelonious Monk
• Max Roach