Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie, “Hot House“ at DuMont Television, February 24, 1952 (in color)

Broadcasted on the Earl Wilson Show ’Stage Entrance’ on February 24 (or 25?), 1952. Charlie Parker Plays with Dizzy Gillespie in the Only Footage Capturing the “Bird” in True Live Performance (Article by Mike Springer) Here’s a historic TV broadcast of the founding fathers of bebop, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, playing together in 1952. It’s one of only two known sound films of Parker playing–and the only one of him playing live, rather than synching to a prerecorded track. The performance is from a February 24, 1952 broadcast on the pioneering DuMont Television Network. The segment begins with a brief ceremony in which Parker and Gillespie receive awards from Down Beat magazine (Earl Wilson and Leonard feather). Follows a performance of the bebop standard “Hot House,” composed by Tad Dameron around the harmonic structure of Cole Porter’s “What Is This Thing Called Love?.” The quintet includes Parker on alto saxophone, Gillespie on trumpet, Sandy Block on bass, Charlie Smith on drums and Dick Hyman on piano. It was Hyman, who had played with Parker and had his own nightly show on the DuMont network, who helped organize the appearance. In a 2010 interview with JazzWax, Hyman talked about what it was like playing on the show with Parker and Gillespie. “It was together,” he said. “Those guys played with such a good time and feel. It’s a terrific performance considering it was a pop show with just two cameras.” Source Colorized with AI software.