|
|
|
The great trumpeter, band leader, and composer tells his story in his own words, interspersed with numerous and well-placed short interviews with friends, family, teachers, musicians and others with whom Gillespie has worked. This format allows other musicians to talk about Gillespie’s monumental contributions to the style of music which came to be known as bebop.
For jazz standards readers and researchers, this is the definitive Gillespie biography. It is a fascinating portrait of the jazz great who composed or co-composed “Woody ‘N’ You,” “Groovin’ High,” “Con Alma,” “Be-Bop,” “Birk’s Works,” “Dizzy Atmosphere,” “Salt Peanuts,” “I Waited for You,” “Blue ‘N’ Boogie,” “Anthropology,” “Shaw Nuff,” “Manteca,” “Night in Tunisia,” and “Ow!” The origins of many of these jazz standards are included in the text. The book also offers an intimate history of the development of bebop and insight into the life of a working musician. The index includes song titles, and there is a chronology of Dizzy’s life, a flimography, a discography, and a list of honors and awards.
Al Fraser (Wilmot Alfred Fraser) is Associate Professor of African-American Studies at Cheyney State College, Pennsylvania. He is co-author of Rhythm and Reading and, under the pseudonym B. Poyas, of Les Noirs aux Etats-Unis Pour Lecteurs Africains. He has also published his poetry as well as many articles and feature stories.
|
