orig.
John Birks Gillespie
Dizzy Gillespie, 1955.
(born Oct. 21, 1917, Cheraw, S.C., U.S.—died Jan. 6, 1993, Englewood, N.J.) U.S. jazz trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader, one of the primary innovators of
bebop. Gillespie was influenced by
Roy Eldridge and played with the big bands of
Cab Calloway,
Earl Hines, and
Billy Eckstine before leading small groups in the mid-1940s. He pioneered bebop with saxophonist
Charlie Parker and pianist
Thelonious Monk. Bringing this approach to his big band in the late 1940s, Gillespie popularized the use of Afro-Cuban rhythms in jazz. He alternated between large and small ensembles for the rest of his career. His virtuosity and comic wit (in addition to his puffed cheeks and trademark 45° upturned trumpet bell) made him one of the most charismatic and influential musicians in jazz.
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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
