Reply #5: I met Diz, alright. [View All]

[Blue-Jay]

He was playing at the (get this) North High Auditorium when I was a junior music major in college. I went to the show, and as I was leaving, my old mentor Johnny Lytle (godresthissoul) grabbed me and asked if I wanted to go backstage to say hi to the great one.

So we go backstage, and Johnny introduces me to Diz. He was the warmest, kindest "famous" person that you could ever imagine. He spent close to a half-hour just asking me about what I was studying, who I liked to listen to, etc... and actually listening to my stupid prattling answers.

He also answered my dumb questions. It turns out that the story of his signature bent trumpet is apocryphal: He didn't drop it or fall on it. He just had an idea that the sound would carry better if the bell was angled, due to his habit of slouching and looking at the ground. Who knew?

Here's a pic, for those who aren't familiar with his trumpet:


Anyhow, he was cooler than Mongo.