To Be or Not to Bop became a great trumpeter and even the origin of his signature bent trumpet. Various compositions and albums have been named after Gillespie's book title. To Be or Not to Bop To Be or Not to Bop: Memoirs of Dizzy Gillespie is a 1979 book written by jazz musician, composer and band leader Dizzy Gillespie. The book was released in July 1979 by Doubleday. The University of Minnesota Press re-released the book in 2009. He is known for being the father of bebop. This book tells about his life, and what he went through to make this music flourish. The book
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