Dizzy Made Me Dizzy with Delight

29February2024

When I first read about Dizzy Gillespie, it moved me to want to know more about him. He was more than just big jaws and big sound. He was a pioneer in fusing together Cuban and bebop music. Dizzy Gillespie showcased his new orchestra when he played in Carnegie Hall on September 29, 1947. His lead soloist was Ella Fitzgerald singing popular hits like "How High the Moon". He even opened with his bebop style music and played several bebop hits, including some that he and Charlie Parker wrote together. However the highlight of the evening was after the intermission when the orchestra played the "Afro Cuban Drum Suite", "Cubano-Be", and "Cubano-Bop". These songs showcased the marriage of Cuban-American  dance music and African-American jazz. In Cuban music, drums dominate the musical sound, but in Gillespie's combination music, there was more of a balance like in jazz where each instrument had its place in the score. Drums were still heavily involved but they played a background to the singing and the horns. Also during this performance, one of the greatest percussionists to ever play was on that stage. He was Cuban and his name was Luciano "Chano" Pozo. Pozo provided the hands on training to Gillespie's band that turned them from playing Cuban inspired music to actually creating a genre called Afro-Cuban jazz style. 

I had heard of Dizzy Gillespie, of course, but I was not aware that he was so influential in mixing the Cuban style of music in with jazz to create a new Afro-Cuban jazz style. The "Cubano-Be" and "Cubano-Bop" are the biggest examples of the Afro-Cuban experimental jazz style. However Gillespie's song titled "Manteca" was his most popular within this style of music. This song became so popular that it reached a wider audience and helped to spread the experimental Afro-Cuban jazz genre. Chano and Gillespie composed this song so it has a very strong Cuban opening with the drums playing, but a bridge that makes the song have a North American flavor. Also in the song, the singer still stays out front while the percussionist is in the background. In more purely forms of Cuban music, the drums are so prominent that the soloist has to compete to be heard. 

Gates quest to learn more about Cuba and its African roots led him to look into Cuban music and dance. Cuban musicians helped to integrate the African music culture into what is now our North American jazz music through greats like Dizzy Gillespie. 

Of course as I read this, I had to go out and listen to this song to understand the concept. It was truly interesting to here the African influence in these songs. From the drums, to the rhythm itself, it reminded me of Africa. The beat inside the rhythms, makes you want to move your feet and sway your body like I have seen in some of the tribal dances of Africa. Below is a snippet of Manteca by Dizzy Gillespie. I found this on YouTube. Notice how the drums are prominent but in the background unlike purely Cuban jazz. Also notice the strange belting sounds from Gillespie's voice and the horns playing crazy melodies. I enjoyed this song. The video below showcases one of his most popular songs where he blends Afro-Cuban beats with the sound of African American jazz.

Dizzy, whose real name was John Birks Gillespie, was nicknamed “Dizzy” because of his playful and unpredictable personality. He was born in Cheraw, South Carolina in 1917. He started playing trumpet at age 12. His career spanned over six decades, and was not only a remarkable musician but also a tireless advocate for civil rights, using his platform to raise awareness and promote equality. He was recognized as a pioneer of bebop, a genre that revolutionized jazz in the 1940s. He died of cancer at the age of 75 in 1993.