Shadowing Dizzy Gillespie

by David G. Brown

[B&W edition. 37 photographs.] In celebration of Dizzy Gillespie's 100th birthday, author David G. Brown (Deacon's Crossbow) shares his intimate experiences and memoirs of this humanitarian, innovator, and magical musician. After a chance meeting in Georgetown, 1985, Brown had the opportunity to spend countless hours with Dizzy at performances, testimonials, all-night card-playing sessions, hotels, restaurants, and street corners.Mr. Brown said, "Without question, the most remarkable man I have ever met. We shared tears and gut-busting laughs that are etched in my mind forever. God bless John Birks 'Dizzy' Gillespie, who, by the way, wasn't dizzy at all."

Along with a book-load of anecdotes, there are select and unique photos spread throughout.

172 pages, Paperback

Published October 17, 2017

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an awesome read! The author is a jazz aficionado which in the era he has lived is understandable although most rock & rollers. I relate. I was the same way but I was a musician (sax. clarinet, flute) whereas this author was not! He is 14 years older than me and graduated high school in the fifties whereas I did not graduate unti 1972. I am jealous of the relationship he was able to establish with one of the great jazz musicians of all time. He tells of meeting the great Dizzy Gillespie in the rest room of the Blue Note. It reminds me of the time I met the great pianist and leader of the Modern Jazz Quartet John Lewis, in the restroom of the Village Vanguard in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, NYC in 1972. I was taking a whizz next to him during a break and told him I was a student of Manhattan School of Music (which he attended) and asked him about his experience playing with Charlie Parker. I was pretty young and dumb then at 18 years old so it did not progress into the relationship that David B Brown expresses in the book. One of the author's best friends was a person who grew up in the same town as I did (Burrillville, RI) and who was part of a family Men's Clothing Business on the Main St of a village in the town named Pascoag, RI. He was a few years older than I and today I am on Facebook with him which is how I heard about this book. The stories are extraordianary the author mentions in it many people and musicians I knew, Know of, and in some cases and even performed with years ago. His own autobiographical sections sound like my own introduction to the great American Jazz Form and my love of the Jazz Genre. The only negative is the introduction of some recent current politics that was a bit of a takeaway for me. Overall a 5 star rating! Loved every minute of it and very jealous of a "layman's" experience with a jazz legend!!!