The 1990 Dizzy Gillespie documentary, To Bop or Not to Be: A Jazz Life, by Norwegian director Jan Horne, left out something that makes it spectacular: narration. Instead, of talking heads providing analysis and biographical information about Gillespie, it simply lets musicians, concert performances and archival footage tell the story. The result is a surprisingly coherent film that showcased the exceptionalism of the trumpeter—both as a musician and a humorous humanist. [Photo above of Dizzy Gillespie by William P. Gottlieb]
Here's the documentary...
