Dizzy Gillespie Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, and singer. Gillespie was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuoso style of Roy Eldridge but adding layers of harmonic and rhythmic complexity previously unheard in jazz. His combination of musicianship, showmanship, and wit made him a leading popularizer of the new music called bebop. His beret and horn-rimmed spectacles, his scat singing, his bent horn, pouched cheeks, and his light-hearted personality provided some of bebop's most prominent symbols. In the 1940s Gillespie, with Charlie Parker, became
Live at the Royal Festival Hall (Dizzy Gillespie album) tumbling down". All compositions by Dizzy Gillespie except where noted. Live at the Royal Festival Hall (Dizzy Gillespie album) Live at the Royal Festival Hall is an album by Dizzy Gillespie and the United Nation Orchestra that won the Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album in 1992. The concert was also released on DVD. The AllMusic review stated "every selection on this excellent CD works" and awarded the album four stars. The "JazzTimes" review stated "Though Dizzy's tone and technique had slipped a bit in his 72nd year, he could always summon the magic when he needed to...