University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

THE MUSICAL LANGUAGE OF JOHN BIRKS “DIZZY” GILLESPIE: A SURVEY OF HIS SIGNATURE IMPROVISATIONAL VOCABULARY

Schroeder, Nicholas Walter

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Description

Title
THE MUSICAL LANGUAGE OF JOHN BIRKS “DIZZY” GILLESPIE: A SURVEY OF HIS SIGNATURE IMPROVISATIONAL VOCABULARY
Author(s)
Schroeder, Nicholas Walter
Issue Date
2016
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Associate Professor Teofilo Carrillo
Committee Member(s)
  • Professor Erik Lund
  • Assistant Professor Bridget Sweet
  • Professor John “Chip” Stephens
Department of Study
School of Music
Discipline
Music
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
A.Mus.D. (doctoral)
Keyword(s)
  • music
  • dizzy
  • gillespie
  • improvisation
  • jazz
Language
en
Abstract
John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie has been acknowledged for his profound impact on the development of the jazz styles of bebop and Afro/Cuban jazz, however previous assessments of his improvisational style with respect to his vocabulary fall short of accurately addressing the technical nature of his mysterious trumpet playing. Published transcriptions shed light on the complexity of his rhythmic approach but also reinforce the difficulty in accurately interpreting his improvisation through music notation. This study presents a compilation of his improvisatory approaches through solo transcription. The selected solos, taken from 1956-1959, document his solo style and the subsequent analysis sheds light on Gillespie’s frequently used approaches and devices. This sampling of transcriptions serves as a jumping off point to espouse a greater understanding of Gillespie’s technical approach to trumpet performance that has rarely been assessed in the academic sphere—revealed through the imbalance of dissertations relating to other less influential jazz trumpet players. There are several topics related to Dizzy Gillespie’s artistic approach that have yet to be examined and the transcriptions and analysis within this study contributes to a better understanding of a significant actor in the development of jazz music.
Type of Resource
text
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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/90991

Owning Collections

Doctoral Project Theses [Option 2] - Music PRIMARY