Alexander Posted October 21, 2009 Report Posted October 21, 2009 A very happy 92nd to the spirit of John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie! I'm digging the 1945-46 volume of the Chronological Classics disc as I write this. An amazing musician and a great ambassador for jazz. His was one of the first names I learned as a kid (thanks to his appearance on the Muppet Show, among other things). Like Pops, he was one of those people who was so ubiquitous that you were almost surprised to learn how important he was... I was amazed to learn that if he were still with us, he'd only be a year older than my grandmother (an amazing woman who is still with us). Yay for Diz! Check out Diz on the Muppet Show! Quote
Alexander Posted October 21, 2009 Author Report Posted October 21, 2009 More Diz with the Muppets... Quote
Free For All Posted October 21, 2009 Report Posted October 21, 2009 Don Byas has a birthday today too! Quote
AndrewHill Posted October 22, 2009 Report Posted October 22, 2009 Just listening to the Dizzy Gillespie-Charlie Parker Town Hall cd tonight and it reminded how brilliant a player Dizzy was. Thanks for all the great music. Quote
Alexander Posted October 22, 2009 Author Report Posted October 22, 2009 Don Byas has a birthday today too! Happy Birthday, Don! Quote
Larry Kart Posted October 22, 2009 Report Posted October 22, 2009 Some pretty serious Gillespie here from Nice 1979, with Stan Getz, Arnie Lawrence, John Lewis, George Duvivier, and Shelly Manne: Quote
Hot Ptah Posted October 22, 2009 Report Posted October 22, 2009 I saw Dizzy at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago in 1977, on his 60th birthday. He had Jon Faddis, Rodney Jones, Ben Brown and Mickey Roker with him. Unfortunately we went to the first of three sets, and he was saving his lips for the other two sets. He didn't play much, but Faddis, Jones and Brown soloed at length. After 45 minutes, the group left the stage, to vocal disgruntlement from the audience. So Dizzy came back to the stage and said, "we'll play one more." So the entire group stood there, poised with their instruments for several seconds, the audience spellbound with anticipation. Then they played one short, loud note together, and left for good I guess that is an example of Dizzy's zany sense of humor. I went back to the Jazz Showcase the next April and saw Dizzy again, and this time he was fantastic. He played the best trumpet I have ever heard, by anyone, and played for a good, long time, too. Quote
Larry Kart Posted October 22, 2009 Report Posted October 22, 2009 Some vintage Byas: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUJGO4MC5Go...feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1CxHZQ3xFQ Was at the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers early this month and saw Byas' latter-day "sexophone," with the spit key in the form of a snake. Quote
BillF Posted October 22, 2009 Report Posted October 22, 2009 I saw Dizzy three times. First, at the St George's Hall, Bradford in 1959 with the quintet that recorded Have Trumpet, Will Excite!, i.e. Junior Mance, Les Spann, Sam Jones and Lex Humphries. Second, with the Giants of Jazz (Sonny Stitt, Kai Winding, Monk, Al McKibbon and Art Blakey) at the Dominion Theatre, Tottenham Court Road, London in 1971. Finally, with his United Nations Orchestra featuring Arturo Sandoval, Claudio Roditi and Steve Turre in Manchester in (I think) 1991. Quote
Gheorghe Posted October 22, 2009 Report Posted October 22, 2009 time flies.....remember when I saw Diz and he was about 60, still in his prime and with good chops and all. And now he would be 92. anyway, I often think with love about him, such a genius musician..... Quote
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