Gillespie << guh LEHS pee >>, Dizzy (1917-1993), was an American trumpet player, composer, and bandleader. With Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk, he cofounded the bebop or bop jazz movement. This movement revitalized the harmonic, melodic, and rhythmic character of jazz. Gillespie pioneered in the development of Afro-Cuban jazz, which combines bop improvisations with Latin rhythms. Many of his compositions are jazz standards, including “A Night in Tunisia,” “Groovin’ High,” “Con Alma,” “Salt Peanuts,” “Blue ‘n Boogie,” “Woody ‘n You,” and “Birks Works.”
Gillespie was born in Cheraw, South Carolina, on Oct. 21, 1917. His full name was John Birks Gillespie. From 1937 to 1944, he played in the big bands of Cab Calloway, Earl Hines, Billy Eckstine, and others. Gillespie was a leading figure in the small groups that helped develop bop in the early 1940’s. In 1946, Gillespie formed a big band. His original style and brilliant technique established him as a vital new force in music. In 1956, his band was the first to be sponsored on an international tour by the United States Department of State. Gillespie died on Jan. 6, 1993.
