Died On This Date (January 6, 1993) Dizzy Gillespie / Jazz Great
themusicsover John “Dizzy” Gillespie
October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993
Dizzy Gillespie was one of the biggest names in jazz, period. Over a career that spanned nearly 60 years, Gillespie drew the blueprint for future jazz trumpeters to follow. A gifted improviser, composer, and bandleader, Gillespie directly influenced the likes of such greats as Miles Davis, Arturo Sandoval and Fats Navarro. When be-bop first began to rear its head, it was Gillespie that embraced it and brought it to the masses. Songs like “A Night in Tunisia” and “Groovin'” were considered outlandish at the time but have since come to represent the greatness of jazz’s first modern style. Over the course of his storied career, Gillespie collaborated with nearly every giant in jazz. That list includes John Coltrane, Cab Calloway, Billy Eckstine, Charlie Parker, and Ella Fitzgerald. Gillespie stayed very active right up to his final years. In 1989, he performed an astonishing 300 shows all around the world. On January 6, 1993, Dizzy Gillespie, age 75, died of pancreatic cancer.
What You Should Own
Kenny Kirkland was one of the most influential jazz pianist of recent years. Kirkland was just six years old when he began learning to play the piano. and by the time he reached his early 20s, Kirkland was touring Europe professionally. Although Kirkland’s career was cut short after just 25 years, he performed or recorded with many of the top names of contemporary jazz. That list includes Tom Scott, Ernie Watts, Stanley Jordan, Arturo Sandoval, Kevin Eubanks, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, and Stanley Clarke. He even spent a short period playing piano in the Tonight Show band. Kenny Kirkland died of congestive heart failure at the age of 43.