Career: 1937-1992
You can tell from the earliest recordings on this remarkable set, which covers five-and-a-half decades of music,Dizzy Gillespiealready had personality and vitality pouring forth from his performances. The stunning length of his career is testament to the solid grounding he received as a young professional learning from masters and colleagues. A two year stint with Cab Calloway when he was just 21 allowed him to see a skillful band leader up close. Drawing from this experience, Dizzy applied these learned skills when he formed his own outfit in the mid-forties. One of bebop's strongest proponents, Dizzy also had an appetite for incorporating various styles music, particularly the dynamic rhythms of Cuba. A veritable ambassador of goodwill known around the world, Gillespie lived for music, working into the last year of his life.--David Greenberger