Dizzy : The Life and Times of John Birks Gillespie

[EKE BBB]

Dizzy : The Life and Times of John Birks Gillespie

by Donald L. Maggin

Hardcover: 432 pages

Publisher: HarperEntertainment

Due out on March 1, 2005

[Michael Fitzgerald]

I have reservations about this. I thought Maggin's Stan Getz bio, while presenting some very worthwhile new information, glossed over huge patches of Getz's career. There was also nothing of significance in terms of musical commentary. In the case of Gillespie, is Maggin going to have anything that hasn't been printed in the autobiography or in Alyn Shipton's book (which I similarly found to gloss over much of Gillespie's career)? In the case of Getz, there wasn't another book out there so it was a welcome addition. But with Dizzy, there are already two.

Sigh - yes, I'll probably buy it anyway.

Mike

[MartyJazz]

I have reservations about this. I thought Maggin's Stan Getz bio, while presenting some very worthwhile new information, glossed over huge patches of Getz's career. There was also nothing of significance in terms of musical commentary. In the case of Gillespie, is Maggin going to have anything that hasn't been printed in the autobiography or in Alyn Shipton's book (which I similarly found to gloss over much of Gillespie's career)? In the case of Getz, there wasn't another book out there so it was a welcome addition. But with Dizzy, there are already two.

Sigh - yes, I'll probably buy it anyway.

Mike

Your point is well taken about Maggin's glossing over Getz's musical contributions, stylistic evolution, etc. But in terms of giving the reader some knowledge about and possibly insight into an enigmatic, addictive personality who happened to produce a significant body of work, I found his biography a very good read.

[Christiern]

It is difficult, perhaps impossible, to write an honest biography when aspects of the subject's life are held back. It is for this reason that I turned down Alberta Hunter's wish to have me write her biography. I simply knew too much, and, I suspect, the same stands in a Gillespie biographer's way.

[sheldonm]

It is difficult, perhaps impossible, to write an honest biography when aspects of the subject's life are held back. It is for this reason that I turned down Alberta Hunter's wish to have me write her biography. I simply knew too much, and, I suspect, the same stands in a Gillespie biographer's way.

Chris,

Are you saying you knew things about Alberta that she wouldn't want published? I suspect this is the case in many autobiographies, in that the author wants their story out there, but maybe not the entire story!

Mark

[Brad]

I was thinking about buying Shipton's bio of Dizzy. Is it worth picking up?

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Marty - I agree. My point about the Getz book stands - since it is the ONLY book, it's worth having, despite its shortcomings. I wouldn't mind having another book on Getz if it were written by a musician.

Re: the Shipton - yes, worth getting, but in my opinion one should get and read the autobiography first.

Mike

[Harmon]

Mike,

I disagree with you that there exists only One book about Getz worth having.

How about:

Hans-Jürgen Schaal: Stan Getz

Sein Leben -Seine Music- Seine Schallplatten, Oreos (1994)

(His Life- His Music- His Records).

I strongly recommend this (although it is in German).

Jürgen

[Christiern]

It is difficult, perhaps impossible, to write an honest biography when aspects of the subject's life are held back. It is for this reason that I turned down Alberta Hunter's wish to have me write her biography. I simply knew too much, and, I suspect, the same stands in a Gillespie biographer's way.

Chris,

Are you saying you knew things about Alberta that she wouldn't want published? I suspect this is the case in many autobiographies, in that the author wants their story out there, but maybe not the entire story!

Mark

Mark,

I understand that most of us have aspects of our life, or events, that we would not wish made public. The fact that Alberta was gay is no longer a secret, but it was a well-kept one at the time when she wanted me to write the book. Since it played a part in Alberta's career, I did not think I could simply leave that part of her life out of the story, the way it was done with Langston Hughes and Carl Van Vechten.

It's truly a shame that people are so small-minded, but even today, when the closet has opened wider, being gay is unacceptable to many people--the Bush degradation of reasoned thought has not helped, either.

[sheldonm]

Since it played a part in Alberta's career, I did not think I could simply leave that part of her life out of the story, the way it was done with Langston Hughes and Carl Van Vechten.

That's what I thought you meant; thanks!

Mark

[JSngry]

I was thinking about buying Shipton's bio of Dizzy. Is it worth picking up?

Finished reading this a few weeks ago, and I basically agree with Mike. Shipton's "historical" research seems to be impeccable, and clears up a lot of myths and such in terms of chronology, as well as providing more personal detail than has heretofore been generally available. But the the autobiography still gives a better portrait of the "flavor" of the man.

I'd say the two books compliment each other.

[Brad]

Those will be on my reading list next year. Perhaps it was the enormity of his personality and his contribution that makes it hard to get an all encompassing biography.

[JSngry]

Well, yeah, that and the apparent fact that the persona and the person were quite often at odds. Both seemed to have been genuine, but in different ways.

[Christiern]

I haven't yet read the Shipton book, Does he mention the backstage fist fight between Dizzy and Valerie Wilmer?

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Mea culpa - I do only consider what is published in the English language.

Mike

[JSngry]

I haven't yet read the Shipton book, Does he mention the backstage fist fight between Dizzy and Valerie Wilmer?

No!

So if you want to do so, please go on ahead!

[ghost of miles]

Haven't yet read either the Shipton or the autobiography, but there's a story about Dizzy & southern Indiana that I hope to one day verify (or not). In the 1950s French Lick, IN (yes, birthplace of Larry Bird) hosted a pretty happening jazz festival, about as hip as this particular neck of Hoosierville ever got. The French Lick Hotel had a swimming pool that was, uh, shall we say, not open to many members of the jazz-playing persuasion. Gillespie allegedly came down from his room in royal regalia, posing as an African monarch, and singlehandedly "integrated" the pool by leaping into it fully-clothed. A great story, but one that certainly bears some form of validation.

[ghost of miles]

Here's a picture of Miles & Dizzy at the 1959 French Lick festival, taken by Duncan Schiedt (JAZZ STATE OF INDIANA):

[Harmon]

Mike,

I cannot really understand your working attitude. Up til now my impression was that you belong to the very few people working on discographies etc. in a kind of

scientific approach. I have learned by working in a complete different field scientificly that language does NOT matter, ie. if a paper exists in ANY language

on your field you HAVE to consider it seriously. I know also in my field many Americans read papers only in English. That is the reason that I have published in the last 40 years papers and a book mainly in English so that many of my collegues (and friends) can read it without to many difficulties. But in a certain sense I feel embarressed. I t seems to be the same idea that you can read

on new CD's of your country that it is the first editon on CD although I have it since 15 years as a Japaese CD.

Jürgen

[sidewinder]

Marty - I agree. My point about the Getz book stands - since it is the ONLY book, it's worth having, despite its shortcomings. I wouldn't mind having another book on Getz if it were written by a musician.

Re: the Shipton - yes, worth getting, but in my opinion one should get and read the autobiography first.

Mike

Mike - UK jazz critic and author Dave Gelly has written a pretty nice bio of Getz's life and music. Details can be found here:

Getz Book

PS - I don't know whether or not Gelly still plays tenor but he played some pretty nice stuff on Neil Ardley/New Jazz Orchestra's 'Dejeuner Sur L'Herbe' LP

Edited December 14, 2004 by sidewinder

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Discography is quite a different world than biography. I do have and use discographical materials in German, French, Italian, etc. etc. Even some things from Japan.

My apologies, but I can't read German. (I can do reasonably well with French.) For my research, I HAVE and DO read articles in numerous other languages through translations by colleagues (Swedish, German, Italian, French - I recall all these for the Gryce book). But for just having on the shelf reading, no, I do not have a library of books in any other language than English and therefore don't keep up with what is published in those other languages. I've already said "mea culpa." - that's Latin, btw.

Mike

[ghost of miles]

Regarding the Gillespie-at-French-Lick story, George Wein (who ran the 1959 festival) gives it at least partial validation in his recent book--he says Gillespie and Jimmy McPartland leaped into the pool arm-in-arm.

[AllenLowe]

I am currently translating my own works into pig-latin and Esperanto -

[Chuck Nessa]

I am currently translating my own works into pig-latin and Esperanto -

GREAT! Now I'll understand them.

[AllenLowe]

wait'll you see the index -