February 1999
Golden Age
Archive
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Dizzy: King of "The Street"
By Bill Gottlieb
John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie, King of the Street was known for his wild
antics onstage. When he was hired by Teddy Hill early in his career he
played every rehearsal dressed in hat, gloves and overcoat. Teddy gave
him the name "Dizzy" but was quick to add that with all his eccentricities
and practical jokes, he was the most stable of us all...Diz crazy? Diz
was crazy like a fox." Dizzy later went on to become the colorful yet
dependable leader of the bop movement in the late 40s.
Dizzy was a joy to photograph. Normally, when taking a picture, I
dont move my subjects but show them "as they really are." However, in
1947, when Dizzy was working on 52nd Street in New York City and "The
Street" was the center of the jazz world, I asked him to stand in front
of an appropriate street sign. Without any further direction from me,
he struck just the right pose. Perfect!
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