John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie: A Man, a Trumpet, and a Journey to Bebop

"John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was a jazz musician who pioneered the style of bebop in the 1940s. This book chronicles Dizzy's life, starting with his childhood in Cheraw, South Carolina and the racial prejudice he faced during this time. The book then recounts how one of Dizzy's teachers saw his talent and encouraged him to play trumpet and how this playing provided an escape from the constant racial prejudice surrounding him and his family. The reader then learns how Dizzy got his start as a musician in the Teddy Hill Band, the impact he made on jazz and bebop, and the many travels around the world Dizzy made before his passing on January 6, 1993. After finishing this book, the reader will gain an appreciation of the legacy of Dizzy Gillespie and the impact he made on jazz, bebop, and music as a whole"--