Dizzy Gillespie was loopy, unpredictable, brash, extrovert, fashionable – and he was additionally a trumpet virtuoso, a jazz icon, and an inspiration to many youthful trumpeters. When Dizzy’s bop first got here alongside, somebody coined the phrase, “Be hip, be sharp, be bop!” It says lots in regards to the heights to which he aspired and, extra importantly, attained. He could have been the “Clown Prince of Jazz,” however with out him, jazz would have been approach much less attention-grabbing.
“His playing showcases the importance of intelligence. His rhythmic sophistication was unequaled. He was a master of harmony – and fascinated with studying it. He took in all the music of his youth and developed a unique style.” – Wynton Marsalis
Dizzy Gillespie’s early years
Born in Cheraw, South Carolina on October 21, 1917, because the youngest of 9 youngsters, Dizzy Gillespie’s father was a bricklayer who struggled financially, like many poor black households within the South. His father’s harsh therapy stayed with Dizzy for the remainder of his life, however so did the truth that he was a eager musician who performed in a band and saved a lot of their devices at his house. When he was ten years outdated his father died, by which period younger Dizzy had tried enjoying all of the devices; a trainer at college inspired his curiosity and John took up the cornet.
At 15, Gillespie went to Laurinburg Institute in North Carolina as a result of they wanted a trumpet participant for his or her band, and whereas he was on the faculty he discovered the piano and bought to grips with concord and the construction of music. In 1935 the Gillespie household moved to Philadelphia curbing his formal schooling, however quickly sufficient he was enjoying with bands within the metropolis’s Southside golf equipment.
Gillespie joined Frankie Fairfax, the chief of Philly’s best band that included pianist Invoice Doggett and trumpeter Charlie Shavers. Doggett helped John to grasp arranging, whereas Shavers taught him lots of the solos made well-known by Roy Eldridge, the latest exponent of sizzling trumpet enjoying. Already eager on enjoying the idiot and having a great time, whereas he was with the Fairfax band that he acquired the nickname Dizzy.
New York Metropolis
In 1937 he left Philadelphia to move east to New York, the jazz capital of America, to hitch Fortunate Millender’s band — however on the eleventh hour, it fell by. Dizzy Gillespie as a substitute joined Teddy Hill’s band, and in Could he was within the studio recording half a dozen sides.
Quickly after recording, they crossed the Atlantic to tour England and France for a number of months. For Dizzy, the journey was an eye-opener and a deal with for followers of sizzling music to see an actual American band. Again house, Dizzy labored with a number of bands (together with Al Cooper’s Savoy Sultans) earlier than one other spell with Hill’s band, after which he landed a job with Cab Calloway’s band in August 1939. The next month Dizzy did a session with Lionel Hampton that additionally included Benny Carter, Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, and the sensible guitarist Charlie Christian in addition to Calloway’s bassist Milt Hinton. “Hot Mallets” from this session is the primary time Dizzy will be heard prominently on a report. Callaway, like each bandleader, stored his boys on the street, and it was whereas they have been in Kansas Metropolis in 1940 that Gillespie met and jammed with Charlie Parker for the primary time.
Again in New York in 1941, Dizzy spent a lot of his free time jamming with Thelonious Monk, Kenny Clarke, and Charlie Parker. Dizzy would repeatedly play Minton’s Playhouse in Harlem, creating his fashion and honing his craft. Dizzy was additionally on the improper aspect of Callaway, who didn’t take kindly to his trumpeter’s antics. The bandleader employed Jonah Jones after which gave him many of the featured solos.
Within the autumn of 1941, Jones flicked a paper “spitball” throughout the bandstand and hit Cab Calloway. With out a thought, Calloway turned on the standard suspect. Dizzy, for as soon as harmless, drew a knife on his boss and lower him. Gillespie was fired, and from that time he grew to become a musical mercenary working for artists that included Ella Fitzgerald, Coleman Hawkins, Benny Carter, Charlie Barnet, Earl Hines, Woody Herman, and Duke Ellington to call just some.
Dizzy lastly performed with Fortunate Millinder’s outfit, and it was with them in July 1942 that he recorded “Little John Special,” his first actual bop solo — though this was throughout the context of an enormous band in full swing. Gillespie additionally labored along with his personal group, however after assembly Billy Eckstine and whereas working with Earl Hines, Dizzy joined the singer’s new band as musical director. His first session along with his new boss was in December 1944 together with tenor saxophonists, Gene Ammons and Dexter Gordon, drummer Artwork Blakey, with Tadd Dameron as their arranger, however Dizzy and lots of others quickly left.
In 1945 Dizzy labored along with his personal group, in addition to some periods with Sarah Vaughan together with an impressive model of “Lover Man” that includes Charlie Parker. In November, he recorded for the primary time with Miles Davis in Charlie Parker’s ReBoppers at a studio on New York’s Broadway. In January 1946 Dizzy labored with Norman Granz for the primary time when he appeared at Jazz on the Philharmonic.
Having tried unsuccessfully in 1945 to get an enormous band off the bottom, Dizzy succeeded the next yr and took it on the street to venues that included Washington’s Highlight Lounge. It featured Sonny Stitt on alto sax, Thelonious Monk on piano, and Kenny Clarke on drums, as Dizzy himself dealt with the vocals. By 1947, Gillespie was dabbling with Afro-Cuban jazz and launched conga participant Chano Pozo and bongo participant Lorenzo Salan into the orchestra. Throughout 1947, the band additionally included Ray Brown on bass, Milt Jackson on vibes and John Lewis on piano, and Kenny Clarke (who went on to type the Trendy Jazz Quartet).
The Fifties
By 1950, the difficulties of preserving an enormous band collectively started to take its toll, and Dizzy Gillespie gave up his personal orchestra. He joined Stan Kenton for a short time as featured soloist and recorded in small group settings that included the Charlie Parker Quintet, which additionally featured Thelonious Monk and Buddy Wealthy. This was Dizzy’s first studio recording for Verve that grew to become the album, Chicken & Diz.
For probably the most half, throughout the early Fifties, the small group setting was Dizzy’s recording platform. The musicians he labored with throughout this time reads just like the who’s who of jazz. Moreover Parker, Miles Davis, and Monk there was John Coltrane, Artwork Blakey, J.J. Jackson, Kenny Burrell, Bud Powell, Don Byas, Charles Mingus, Oscar Peterson, Illinois Jacquet, and Stan Getz. Dizzy additionally visited France throughout the early Fifties on a lot of events the place he was extremely popular. Whereas in Paris he recorded the album Jazz From Paris with Django Reinhardt.
In 1954 he briefly resurrected his orchestra, and among the many trumpet gamers was a 21-year-old Quincy Jones; it was this band that recorded the album Afro. By this time Dizzy was enjoying his now-famous bent trumpet. The yr earlier than, somebody had unintentionally fallen on his trumpet whereas it was sitting on a stand. It bent the bell so it was pointing upwards in a 45-degree angle. Gillespie preferred the sound, in order that’s the way in which his trumpets remained. No less than, that’s the official story; it’s been stated that Dizzy could have seen an English trumpeter with a bent horn in 1937 when he toured with Hill.
After a hiatus, Dizzy put the orchestra again collectively in 1956, with Quincy Jones as its musical arranger. They toured within the Center East, Japanese Europe, and South America whereas sponsored by the US State Division. In autumn of that yr, he recorded along with his outdated trumpet hero Roy Eldridge for the Verve-released album Roy & Diz. The massive band stayed collectively for 2 years, however after authorities funding ran out he closed it all the way down to return to the small group format.
The Sixties and past
From the Sixties onwards, Dizzy continued to carry out along with his Sextet and Quintet, in addition to guesting on many different initiatives. In 1961, a sextet that included Lalo Schifrin recorded the fabulous An Electrifying Night With The Dizzy Gillespie Quintet at New York’s Museum of Trendy Artwork. In 1971-72, he appeared with the Giants of Jazz, that includes Kai Winding, the trombonist Sonny Stitt, Thelonious Monk, and Artwork Blakey. He additionally appeared with Charles Mingus’ Orchestra, Billy Eckstine, Oscar Peterson, Benny Carter, and quite a few others. Nevertheless, his days as a cutting-edge participant had handed, and he had settled right into a mellower position, though he nonetheless liked to joke and play pranks. He even featured on the cruise ships, the place his humor went over nicely, and his place as an elder statesman of jazz was safe.
Dizzy Gillespie handed away on January 6, 1993, from most cancers, having helped to vary the face of each trumpet enjoying and jazz.
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