Customer Reviews

Groovin' High: The Life of Dizzy Gillespie

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
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2 star:		(1)
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I am a voracious reader of jazz biographies. The fact that the name of this book includes the phrase "The Life of Dizzy Gillespie" is a shame, or sham. There is so little of his life in this book and so much discecting of every note of every solo that he ever played. It's maddening! If you're looking for a great jazz biography that is full of color, try the Louis Armstrong "An Extravagent Life" book. I read this approx. 600 page book twice just because it is such a colorful story about a jazz musicians LIFE. I will finish off by saying that this book is only the second one in my life that I had to stop reading because it was so BAD. That was after 250 pages.

Shipton's biography of Gillespie is the first to reveal that the famously married Dizzy had a child out of wedlock. Rather than make this titillating tidbit the focus of his book, Shipton chose to keep the focus on the man and his music, where it belongs. A fine book about a wonderful man.

Shipton's book is the first to reveal the relationship with Connie Bryson and the existence of their daughter, singer Jeanie Bryson. He handles this bombshell with delicacy and restraint. If the Kirkus reviewer felt that this wonderful biography "disappoints", we loved it!

It was quite interesting to read about the life Gillespie had outside of what most people knew about, i.e. his daughter Jeanie Bryson. I commend Shipton for having the courage to discuss such a touchy subject. He attempts to strike a balance between Dizzy's private and professional life. Two thumbs up!!