Celebrating A Legend

From the greased hair to the upward pointing trumpet; nothing captures this legends legacy quite like his puffy cheeks and genre inspiring contributions to the world of Jazz, Afro-Cuban and Caribbean music, just to name a few.  John Birks Gillespie was born October 21, 1917 in Cheraw, South Carolina.  An American Jazz musician, singer, composer and band leader, John Birks Gillespie, better known to the world as Dizzy for his on-stage antics, has built the platform for Jazz music and many other genre's as we know them today. 

Playing the piano at the age of 4 and teaching himself how to play the trombone and trumpet by the age of 12, it was no secret that this little boy from South Carolina would grow up to be the world reknown Dizzy Gillespie.  Having played for acts such as Charlie Parker, Cab Calloway and Bud Powell, Dizzy was instrumental in the birthing of Bebop in the early to mid 1940's.  With the growing popularity of Swing music, Bepop was thought to be an outgrowth of Swing rather than a revolution.  Gillespie compositions like "Groovin' High", "Woody n' You" and "Salt Peanuts" sounded radically different, harmonically and rhythmically, from the Swing music popular at the time.  However, Dizzy found a way into the hearts of America with his crazy cheeks, amazing sound and genius composition.  It is said that the vocal Jazz inflection known as Scatting was also due to Mr. Gillespie.  Recording a song for his album, Dizzy accidentially dropped his sheet music and simply began creating sounds with his mouth to imitate instruments and thus birthed the first scat. 

Going on to conduct and play in a plethora of small bands and headlining his own big band, Gillespie toured the world performing for audiences everywhere and becoming the icon for the Bop era of the time.  Having past away on January 6, 1993 from pancreatic cancer, Dizzy had been known around the world as the "Ambassador of Jazz", the "Sound of Surpise" and most importanty a Jazz Legend.  Having been a part of a movement that included greats such as Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Mary Lou Williams and having inspired artists such as Miles Davis and Max Roach, Dizzy has definitely stamped his prints in the cement of music forever.

In honor of his legacy and amazing artistry Google celebrates a legend by creating a "doddle" of Dizzy doing what he loves to do best....playing that horn!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Dizzy Gillespie!!!!  You are truly missed and will remain alive in our hearts for generations to come.

~Till next blog I'm Danyol Jaye with The Jaye Spot~