Dizzy Gillespie was the youngest of nine children. He performed with a number of groups throughout his career, briefly owned a record company, and made numerous recordings. In 1940 he met Charlie Parker while on tour with Cab Calloway in Kansas City. This was the beginning of a pivotal musical collaboration.
In 1947, Dizzy established his Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra and hired Cuban percussionist Chano Pozo (1915-1948), who infused a Latin element into the ensemble's sound.