JAM: August/September 2005 Issue: Feature Story

Gillespie Biographer Maggin Visits Kansas City

Donald L. Maggin, the author of Dizzy: The Life and Times of John Birks Gillespie, stopped in Kansas City to visit his good friend Charlton Price and to promote his book in early July. Between radio station interviews and a discussion on Gillespie at the Blue Room, he found time to interview with JAM.

Maggin, who also wrote Stan Getz: A Life in Jazz, has had a long career as a fan and concert promoter, in addition to fascinating work in support of the Democratic Party that culminated with a position in the Carter White House.

He was fortunate to come of age during the 1940s in New York. “My friend Al Avakian—his brother George was a record producer for Columbia—was very well connected; he knew where all the great music was going to be. I loved Don Byas and Coleman Hawkins. We'd spend a lot of time at the Commodore Record Shop, where Billy Crystal's dad worked.”

Maggin's publisher wanted him to do another jazz book, and he decided that he should do one of the “biggies.” Since his paths had crossed several times with Gillespie through concert promotions and interviews conducted for magazine writings, he decided that Gillespie would be the right subject. “There was no figure that I was closer to,” Maggin related. It was clear that through the times that he met Gillespie, and from the research for the book, that he has developed a sense of the man beyond his music.

“Dizzy was a natural comedian. It was his was of relaxing the audience. George Wein tried to reign him in, but Dizzy would never change. Even John Lewis tried to convince him while they were on a concert tour in France in 1948, but Dizzy told him to give up.”

“Dizzy was always very gracious. And he was just interested in people, he genuinely wanted to get to know people. He was especially good with kids. For example, if he met a kid who played trumpet, he would ask what he liked to do, what his parents did, how old his sister was. He would talk to people on the street. Walking down the street with him was sort of an adventure. Like, I have a friend who was waiting to get into Birdland, and Dizzy was coming out and somehow started a conversation that lasted fifteen minutes or so. He had that kind of extroverted personality.”

“But he was dead serious when he put the metal to his lips.”

There are stories in the book about Kansas City natives Mary Lou Williams and Melba Liston that showed Gillespie's generosity. “In the 1950s, Mary Lou was in a very deep depression. She wasn't playing anymore, and her home had become a haven for junkies and derelicts. Lorraine Gillespie would go to the grocery store and take food to her. They picked her up musically, too. They got her a gig in Atlantic City, and had Melba Liston score Williams' ‘The Zodiac Suite' for Dizzy's big band for the Newport Jazz Festival. They also helped her spiritually; Lorraine and Mary Lou took catechism classes together, and they were baptized the same day.

“After Melba Liston had her stroke, Dizzy arranged through the union to get her a computer so she could continue to arrange and compose. She continued to be an outstanding writer until the end of her life. “He would do anything to spread his music. He was perpetually teaching.”






	Search our site:		Gillespie Biographer Maggin Visits Kansas City Donald L. Maggin, the author of Dizzy: The Life and Times of John Birks Gillespie, stopped in Kansas City to visit his good friend Charlton Price and to promote his book in early July. Between radio station interviews and a discussion on Gillespie at the Blue Room, he found time to interview with JAM. Maggin, who also wrote Stan Getz: A Life in Jazz, has had a long career as a fan and concert promoter, in addition to fascinating work in support of the Democratic Party that culminated with a position in the Carter White House. He was fortunate to come of age during the 1940s in New York. “My friend Al Avakian—his brother George was a record producer for Columbia—was very well connected; he knew where all the great music was going to be. I loved Don Byas and Coleman Hawkins. We'd spend a lot of time at the Commodore Record Shop, where Billy Crystal's dad worked.” Maggin's publisher wanted him to do another jazz book, and he decided that he should do one of the “biggies.” Since his paths had crossed several times with Gillespie through concert promotions and interviews conducted for magazine writings, he decided that Gillespie would be the right subject. “There was no figure that I was closer to,” Maggin related. It was clear that through the times that he met Gillespie, and from the research for the book, that he has developed a sense of the man beyond his music. “Dizzy was a natural comedian. It was his was of relaxing the audience. George Wein tried to reign him in, but Dizzy would never change. Even John Lewis tried to convince him while they were on a concert tour in France in 1948, but Dizzy told him to give up.” “Dizzy was always very gracious. And he was just interested in people, he genuinely wanted to get to know people. He was especially good with kids. For example, if he met a kid who played trumpet, he would ask what he liked to do, what his parents did, how old his sister was. He would talk to people on the street. Walking down the street with him was sort of an adventure. Like, I have a friend who was waiting to get into Birdland, and Dizzy was coming out and somehow started a conversation that lasted fifteen minutes or so. He had that kind of extroverted personality.” “But he was dead serious when he put the metal to his lips.” There are stories in the book about Kansas City natives Mary Lou Williams and Melba Liston that showed Gillespie's generosity. “In the 1950s, Mary Lou was in a very deep depression. She wasn't playing anymore, and her home had become a haven for junkies and derelicts. Lorraine Gillespie would go to the grocery store and take food to her. They picked her up musically, too. They got her a gig in Atlantic City, and had Melba Liston score Williams' ‘The Zodiac Suite' for Dizzy's big band for the Newport Jazz Festival. They also helped her spiritually; Lorraine and Mary Lou took catechism classes together, and they were baptized the same day. “After Melba Liston had her stroke, Dizzy arranged through the union to get her a computer so she could continue to arrange and compose. She continued to be an outstanding writer until the end of her life. “He would do anything to spread his music. He was perpetually teaching.” RETURN TO AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2005 MAIN INDEX © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2005. All rights reserved.