Dizzy Gillespie

DIZZY GILLESPIE d1993. American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer and singer, widely regarded by critic & fans alike as one of the greatest trumpeteers of all time. His contribution to jazz music was immense and influenced many players that followed including Miles Davis and Fats Navarro. A trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuoso style of Roy Eldridge but adding layers of harmonic complexity previously unheard in jazz. His beret and horn-rimmed spectacles, his scat singing, his bent horn, pouched cheeks and his light-hearted personality were essential in popularizing bebop. He died of pancreatic cancer on January 6th 1993 aged 75 in New Jersey.