In addition to featuring in these epochal moments in jazz, he was instrumental in founding Afro-Cuban jazz, the modern jazz version of the "Spanish Tinge". Gillespie was a trumpet virtuoso and gifted improviser, building on the virtuoso style of Roy Eldridge but adding layers of harmonic complexity previously unknown in jazz. In addition to his instrumental skills, Dizzy's beret and horn-rimmed spectacles, his scat singing, his bent horn, pouched cheeks and his light-hearted personality were essential in popularizing bebop, which was originally regarded as threatening and frightening music by many listeners raised on older styles of jazz. He had an enormous impact on virtually every subsequent trumpeter, both by the example of his playing and as a mentor to younger musicians.
He also used a trumpet whose bell was bent at a 45 degree angle rather than a traditional straight trumpet. This was originally the result of accidental damage caused during a job on January 6, 1953, but the constriction caused by the bending altered the tone of the instrument, and Gillespie liked the effect. - Wikipedia
Dizzy Gillespie - "Salt Peanuts" - 1947 - Dizzy played for Lucky Millinder's band in the early '40s. It was a riff this band played, after a Dizzy solo in the tune "Little John Special", that Dizzy developed into his tune "Salt Peanuts".
Dizzy Gillespie And The United Nation Orchestra [Part 1/10] (Most of the segments are linked to on the page. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Diz was known as a comedian, sometimes throwing spitwads at other players on the stage. I remember seeing a concert once with Ella Fitzgerald, Diz, and a few other Jazz greats. At the finale, Diz walked up behind Ella, grabbed her, and started dancing. He wanted to jitterbug with her. The look she gave him was priceless. It was a "You don't know me well enough to touch me like that!" look. Foe once, Diz was the guy with egg on his face.
Posts: 16956 | Location: Lincoln Place, Granite City, IL, USA | Registered: 06-03-02
I find it hard to get into jazz trumpet-playing, personally. I'm more piano and sax myself, though others will disagree wholehearedly and their view is clearly as good as mine. Those rubber cheeks though! Thanks for the links.
Posts: 761 | Location: Paris | Registered: 04-28-03
"I remember seeing a concert once with Ella Fitzgerald"
I saw Ella a few months before she died. Yes, the voice was not quite the perfect instrument it once was, but true heroes can do no wrong. She was accompanied by a man who played guitar. One of the greats. His name was Joe Pass.
Posts: 761 | Location: Paris | Registered: 04-28-03
I saw Pass in a small venue in St. Louis, a community college theater. There were just a few hundred in the audience. You are right that he was one of the great ones.
I never saw Dizzy in person, but he was a constant fixture on tv from the 60s on. His cheeks just kept getting bigger and bigger. His early be-bop recordings with Charlie 'Bird' Parker are absolute classics.
As a beginning student jazz player we had a transcription of "A Night in Tunisia" that I thought was impossibly difficult to play, yet it's one of those melodies that just sticks in my head.
I always wondered about the upturned bell -- DG, thanks for the Wiki info.
Now I have to go watch Dizzy on the Ken Burns' Jazz series.
Posts: 1950 | Location: U.S. | Registered: 06-03-02
His early be-bop recordings with Charlie 'Bird' Parker are absolute classics. 
