Celebrating the Legacy of Dizzy Gillespie

Dizzy Gillespie in action--especially in his later years--was a sight to behold.

Cheeks puffed out to bullfrog dimensions, holding his golden brass trumpet, its bell pointed to the sky, he was a true jazz original. And not just because of his visual image, unique as it was, but because he was one of the true creators of bebop, the music that continues, into the ‘90s, to have a subtle but powerful impact upon both jazz and popular music.

Gillespie, who died in 1993 of pancreatic cancer, would have celebrated his 80th birthday this coming Tuesday. Despite various humorous “Dizzy for President” boomlets and his universal regard as an international ambassador for American culture, there will be no national celebration next week. And that’s a shame, because Dizzy--like Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane, to name only a few--merits consideration as a national icon.

In the meantime, Cal State L.A.’s Luckman Theatre is filling in the gap with a Gillespie celebration Saturday night. The program features trumpeter Clark Terry, saxophonist James Moody, bassist John Lee and drummer Ignacio Berroa, all former Gillespie associates, with pianist Gerald Wiggins in an evening of Gillespie and Gillespie-associated compositions.

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* “Dizzy: The Man and the Music” at the Luckman Fine Arts Complex, 5151 State University Drive, Saturday, 8 p.m. $40 and $35 general admission. $20 for seniors over 65 and students. (213) 343-6600.