Celebrating Dizzy Gillespie

Overview

Dizzy Gillespie was a visionary architect of bebop, a peerless trumpet virtuoso, and a gifted educator, dancer, and raconteur. Celebrate his legacy as the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, percussionist Roman Diaz, and vocalist Brandie Sutton dig deep into the musical world of Dizzy. As much a revolution as it was a movement, bebop ushered in the modern era of jazz and marked a decisive line between old and new. The high-speed acrobatics, harmonic sophistication, and technical authority of bebop have permeated all of jazz and continue to inform and challenge musicians of all levels.

Vincent Gardner – JLCO trombonist, composer, arranger, and the night’s music director – will lead the Orchestra in new and classic arrangements of Dizzy's music, showcasing the thrilling melodies, hard swing, and kinetic solos that define these works. Gardner also makes his highly anticipated return as a JLCO composer, introducing a new work that highlights the essential components of bebop and keeps true to its spirit by offering something fresh, distinct, and technically ambitious. On the occasion of Dizzy Gillespie's centennial, audiences will experience the depth, energy, and creativity that this unparalleled genius and beloved figure continues to inspire.