Customer Reviews

Dizzy Gillespie and the Birth of Bebop

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My only criticism of this appealing book is that it skirts the issue of Gillespie's having fathered and supported an out-of-wedlock child; singer Jeanie Bryson. Ms.Gourse fudges, "Dizzy and (his wife) Lorraine had no children." Quite right, but even in a book for young readers, there is room for a little candor. Diz was a great musician, not a saint. Those who insist on portraying him as one have their work cut out for them. I hope to find this and other books about our heroes in the section marked "biography", not filed under "mythology". Oh, and as for drug use, Dizzy did his share, but his shrewd instincts for self-preservation kept him from the self-destructive excesses of, say, a Charlie Parker. His spectacular story needs to be told, with all its complexity and contradictions.

My only criticism of this appealing book is that it skirts the issue of Gillespie's having fathered and supported an out -of-wedlock child;singer Jeanie Bryson. Ms. Gourse fudges,"Dizzy and (his wife) Lorraine had no children." Quite right, but even in a book for young readers, there is room for a little candor.Diz was a great musician, not a saint. Those who insist on portraying him as one have their work cut out for them. I hope to find this and other books about our heroes in the ection marked "biography", not "mythology". Oh, and as for drug use, Dizzy did his share , but his shrewd instincts for self-preservation kept him from the self-destructive excesses of, say, a Charlie Parker.His spectacular story needs to be told, with all its complexity and contradictions.

Thoroughly enjoyed reading "Dizzy Gillespie and the Birth of Bebop" - learned so much that I actually structured an internet streamed radio show around the information in the book. Anyone who knows anything about jazz knows that Dizzy was perhaps the most colorful character in jazz history and this book, while written at the junior high/high school reader level is worth the read at any age. The title suggests that Dizzy invented Bebop but the "tour de force" of Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie was a key element, not to mention all the band leaders that recognized the Gillespie talent for composing and arranging and gave his material a chance even before Dizzy emerged as the king of bop. Dizzy certainly experimented and encouraged bop more than any other jazz player of his time. The book is well worth the read. Highly recommended.