Died On This Date (January 6, 1993) Dizzy Gillespie / Jazz Great

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.

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At Newport (Verve Live) - Dizzy Gillespie



Died On This Date (June 22, 1982) Sonny Stitt / Jazz Great

Edward “Sonny” Stitt
February 2, 1924 – June 22, 1982

Sonny Stitt was an influential jazz saxophonist who amassed an incredible catalog of over 100 albums over his career.  He is considered one of the greatest musicians of the bebop and hard bop sub genres, often compared to Lester Young and Charlie Parker.    He began his career during the early ’40s, soon working with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, and later, Billy Eckstine, Dexter Gordon, Bud Powell, and Miles Davis. His first album came out in 1950, and he continued recording right up until he died of a heart attack on June 22, 1982.

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Sonny Stitt