DIZZY GILLESPIE: BIOGRAPHY AND DISCOGRAPHY - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

Dizzy Gillespie, whose birth name was John Birks Gillespie, is considered one of the greatest jazz trumpeters of all time. He was a virtuous, talented and creative trumpeter, coming to be regarded as a trumpet statesman on the international stage.

For more than 40 years he marked a unique musical style, and until today no one has been able to overcome it. He is listed as a pioneer of bebop music, considered the jazz revolution. Dizzy introduced modern and Afro-Cuban styles during the year 1949.

His musical status has never been in doubt, his virtuous bebop performances place him as one of the pioneers of new music. As a trumpeter he became one of the most prominent, and was also a singer, arranger and conga drummer.

He had a lot of musical influence from Lester Young, Ben Webster and Charlie Christian, but especially from the pianist and trumpeter Roy Eddrige. The type of music he played - like bebop - clashed a lot with the sociable music of the time because of its weird rhythms and high-energy phrases.

Biography

Jhon Birks Gillespie was born on October 21, 1917 in Cheraw, South Carolina, United States of America, and died on January 6, 1993 in Englewood, New Jersey, due to pancreatic cancer; he was 75 years old. He was buried in the Flushing Cemetery, Queens, New York.

Johon Birks was the son of James Penfield Gillespie, who was a bricklayer and occasional musician; his mother was Lottie Gillespie. John was the youngest of nine siblings.

In a self-taught way, John Birks studied both trombone and trumpet. In both cases, it was his father who helped him. Later, John learned to play the piano.

Despite the teachings he had from his father, his childhood was marked by the abuse he constantly received from him, since it was common for him to beat all his children, claiming that they were misbehaving.

In 1935 his family decided to move to Philadelphia. There, at the age of 12, John began to play the trombone. Later, he stopped playing this instrument to start playing the trumpet.

Marriage and political life

He married former dancer Lorraine Willis, to whom he remained married for more than fifty years. No children were known to him within his marriage; however, it was learned of a daughter he had from an extramarital affair.

The girl's name is Jeanie Bryson and the mother was songwriter Connie Bryson. In public he never wanted to talk about her existence, either because he never recognized her as his daughter or because he wanted to protect her by avoiding exposing her to the world around him with fame and gossip.

In 1964, being already an outstanding and recognized musician, Dizzy Gillispie launched his candidacy for the presidential elections in the United States. He did it as an independent candidate.

He failed to win the presidency, and in 1971 he launched his candidacy again; However, on that occasion he did not go to the end, but withdrew for religious reasons.

Starting in the Teddy Hill Orchestra

During his adolescence, John played in places as an amateur, but shortly after he obtained his first contract with the Frank Fairfax Orchestra. He then became part of the Teddy Hill Orchestra.

From the moment Hill heard him, he started calling him by the nickname Dizzy, which means crazy and unbridled. This nickname was due to his fun way of playing the instrument and his enthusiasm in doing it.

Dizzy's trumpet attracted a lot of attention since it pointed to the sky with an approximate inclination of 45º, compared to the conventional model. It was called the crooked trumpet, due to damage caused by some dancers who fell on the instrument.

This accident caused the instrument's tone to change, but Dizzy liked this, so he had a trumpet made with the bell up.

Discography

Gillespie's recording career goes from 1937 to 1995, with different companies and different accompanying artists. Part of it is listed below:

In 1947 he recorded an album called Dizzy Gillespie live in Newport. In 1948 he released his album Dizzy Gillespie & His All Star Quintet. In 1950 he made the album Bird and Diz, together with saxophonist Charlie Parker.

In 1953 he recorded the album Jazz at Massey Hall, and that same year he recorded the album Diz & Getz, together with the artists Ray Brown and Herb Ellis.

In 1954 the Afro album came out, and two years later he published the book entitled Modern Jazz Sextet.

In 1957, three albums were released, called Sittin´In, with the star Stan Getz; Dizzy Gillespie at Newport; and Sonny Side Up, with Sonny Stitt.

The following year he produced the album under the name Have Trumpet, Will Excite!, which translates "having a trumpet is exciting." He also created the album The Ebullient Mr. Gillespie.

In the 1960s he released practically one album per year, among which are: A portrait of Duke Ellington, An electrifying evening with the Dizzy, Gillespie Quintet, New Wave with Bola Sete and Reunion Big Band in Berlin with Babs Gonzalez.

Decades of the 70s, 80s and 90s

In the 70s he produced more than seven albums with international figures, among them: Dizzy Gillespie and the Mitchell Ruff Duo in Concert, Oscar Peterson and Dizzy Gillespie and Afro-Cuban Jazz Moods, with the artists Machito, Chico O'Farrill and Mario Bauza.

During the decade of the 80s his record production dropped, which at no time implies that his musical quality has lowered.

Some productions were: Digital at Montreux, with Bernard Purdie; New Faces, with Robert Ameen, Kenny Kirkland, Charlie Christian and Lonnnie Plaxico; and an album recorded live at the London Festival.

The 90's was his last decade of life and he was very productive in the recording field. Some recordings were live, like the one in 1990 with Ron Holloway, Ignacio Berroa, Ed Cherry and Jhon Lee. Other records from that decade were To bird with love, To diz with love and Rhythmstick.

References

1. S / D. Dizzy Gillespie (2012) His Life and Times, Publisher Omnibus Press
2. Universal Guide of Modern Jazz (2006). Editorial Robinbook.
3. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. Dizzy Gillespie, American musician. Recovered from: britannica.com
4. De la Oliva, Cristian. Dizzy Gillespie. Recovered in: Buscabiografias.com
5. Watrous, Peter (1993). Dizzy Gillespie, who sounded some of modern jazz's dies at 75. Recovered at: nytimes.com