Dizzy Gillespie remembered, by both critics and fans alike, as one of the greatest jazz trumpeters of all time". The youngest of nine children of James and Lottie Gillespie, Dizzy Gillespie was born in Cheraw, South Carolina. His father was a local bandleader, so instruments were made available to the children. Gillespie started to play the piano at the age of four. Gillespie's father died when he was only ten years old. He taught himself how to play the trombone as well as the trumpet by the age of twelve. From the night he heard his idol, Roy Eldridge, on the radio,
Mark Levine (musician) Mark Levine (musician) Mark Levine (born 1938) is an American jazz pianist, trombonist, composer, author and educator. He has played with Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Shaw, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaría, Cal Tjader, Willie Bobo, Bobby Hutcherson, and many others. He has written three popular books: "The Jazz Piano Book", "The Jazz Theory Book", and "The Drop 2 Book". He was nominated for a Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Recording in 2003 for his CD "Isla", with his band Mark Levine & The Latin Tinge. He was nominated for a Latin Grammy award in 2010 for his CD