Dizzy Gillespie
The Gillespie Band in the Dominican Republic
The idea for using jazz ambassadors originated with Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., a member of the House of Representatives and prominent civil-rights activist. In years prior to the State Department sponsored tours, jazz musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Dizzy Gillespie had already been touring in Europe, “often finding the tours more lucrative and the audiences more appreciative than those in the States.” [1] Based on the popularity of the music, Powell outlined a plan that would spread jazz music into areas where the United States did not already have a strong foothold. While playing in Washington D.C., Gillespie received a phone call from Powell asking Gillespie to come meet him in the House Office Building. In the words of Gillespie, “I arrived there and all these reporters were standing around, and then Adam made a statement: ‘I’m going to propose to President Eisenhower that he send this man, whose a great contributor to our music, on a State Department sponsored cultural mission to Africa, the Near East, Middle East, and Asia.’”[2] As described in his autobiography, Gillespie was “highly honored” and “liked the idea of representing America.”[3] As Gillespie’s bands had been suffering financially, he also “liked the idea of a big band that wouldn’t cost me any money” and that he “didn’t have to worry about jobs because all the jobs were preset.”[4]
Dizzy Gillespie playing to snakes in Pakistan
Prior to his mission start date, Gillespie was asked to return to Washington D.C. for briefing. When relayed the message by his wife, he asked her to tell them she couldn’t find him. Gillespie responded with “I’ve got three hundred years of briefing. I know what they’ve done to us, and I’m not going to make any excuses." If they ask me questions, I’m gonna answer them as honestly as I can.”[5] In spite of this early obstacle, Gillespie lead and assembled an interracial big band that was met with much success overseas. Of this experience, Gillespie wrote:
“People asked us a lot of questions about racism in the United States. But they could see it wasn't as intense because we had white boys and I was the leader of the band. That was strange to them because they'd heard about blacks being lynched and burned, and here I come with half whites and blacks and a girl playing in the band. And everybody seemed to be getting along fine. So I didn't try to hide anything I said, ‘Yeah, there it is. We have our problems but we're still working on it. I'm the leader of this band, and those white guys are working for me. That's a helluva thing. A hundred years ago, our ancestors were slaves, and today we're scuffling with this problem, but I'm sure it's gonna be straightened out some day. I probably won't see it, completely, the eradication of racial prejudice in the United States, but it will be eliminated.’”[6]
From Gillespie’s writing, one can sense the optimism and potential of the program in helping to forge a new identity for African Americans in the United States. In countless ways, the program was successful in this sense, yet continually overshadowed by the contradictory nature with which Gillespie himself grappled.
[1] Penny Von Eschen, Satchmo Blows Up the World: Jazz Ambassadors Play the Cold War (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2004), 8.
[2] Gillespie and Fraser, To Be, or Not ... to Bop, 413.
[3] Gillespie and Fraser, To Be, or Not ... to Bop, 414.
[4] Carlatta, “Those White Guys Are Working For Me.”
[5] Gillespie and Fraser, To Be, or Not ... to Bop, 414, as quoted in Carlatta, “Those White Guys Are Working For Me.”
[6] Carlatta, “Those White Guys Are Working For Me.”
Photos from:http://www.meridian.org/jazzambassadors
“People asked us a lot of questions about racism in the United States. But they could see it wasn't as intense because we had white boys and I was the leader of the band. That was strange to them because they'd heard about blacks being lynched and burned, and here I come with half whites and blacks and a girl playing in the band. And everybody seemed to be getting along fine. So I didn't try to hide anything I said, ‘Yeah, there it is. We have our problems but we're still working on it. I'm the leader of this band, and those white guys are working for me. That's a helluva thing. A hundred years ago, our ancestors were slaves, and today we're scuffling with this problem, but I'm sure it's gonna be straightened out some day. I probably won't see it, completely, the eradication of racial prejudice in the United States, but it will be eliminated.’”[6]
From Gillespie’s writing, one can sense the optimism and potential of the program in helping to forge a new identity for African Americans in the United States. In countless ways, the program was successful in this sense, yet continually overshadowed by the contradictory nature with which Gillespie himself grappled.
[1] Penny Von Eschen, Satchmo Blows Up the World: Jazz Ambassadors Play the Cold War (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2004), 8.
[2] Gillespie and Fraser, To Be, or Not ... to Bop, 413.
[3] Gillespie and Fraser, To Be, or Not ... to Bop, 414.
[4] Carlatta, “Those White Guys Are Working For Me.”
[5] Gillespie and Fraser, To Be, or Not ... to Bop, 414, as quoted in Carlatta, “Those White Guys Are Working For Me.”
[6] Carlatta, “Those White Guys Are Working For Me.”
Photos from:http://www.meridian.org/jazzambassadors