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John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (1917 -1993), the American trumpeter,
bandleader and composer, was the most visible and durable leader of
the generation of musical iconoclasts who revolutionized jazz in
the years following World War II. Along with now-legendary figures
such as his friend and frequent collaborator Charlie Parker,
Gillespie was a principal creator of the "Be-Bop" style. Breaking
from the precise arrangements and massed section voicing of the Big
Band Era, Gillespie's Be-Bop emphasized exotic harmonies informed
by modern classical music, a breakneck tempo that leaped ahead of
the predictable rhythms of the dance floor, and breathtaking
double-timed solos that placed an unprecedented demand on the
musician's technical prowess and powers of invention. Apart from
his incendiary virtuosity on the trumpet, Gillespie made music
history with his innovative compositions such as Night in Tunisia
and Manteca. At the same time, he pioneered the fusion of jazz with
Afro-Cuban rhythms and the music of Africa. The sophisticated sound
of Be-Bop embodied the rising aspirations of African Americans in
the 1940s and '50s, while Gillespie's fashions -- his beret,
sunglasses and goatee -- made him an icon of cool to the
avant-garde youth of the era. His showmanship, exuberant
personality and impish sense of humor won an audience for
intellectually challenging music that had met resistance when
played by less extroverted artists. Although Be-Bop originally
emphasized improvisation in small-group settings, Gillespie also
enjoyed success leading large ensembles in his own complex
compositions. In the 1950s and '60s, he became a musical ambassador
for the United States, taking his band to Africa, Asia and the
Middle East. The infectious appeal of Gillespie's music, and his
deep curiosity about the music of other lands won friends for the
United States around the world. To the end of his life he remained
a champion of younger artists and new sounds. His influence on the
development of music around the world has been profound and
inescapable. This podcast was recorded during Dizzy Gillespie's
appearance before the Academy of Achievement in New York City in
1991.
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