It's rare. Diz and Bird, two of the worlds greatest jazz musicians, performing live on film.
It's the prestigious DownBeat Magazine Awards.
February 24, 1952. The Dumont TV Studios, NYC.
Parker and Gillespie collect their plaques from gossip columnist Earl Wilson of It Happened Last Night fame and the legendary Leonard Feather - jazz writer, pianist & producer.
The song they elect to perform, like so many great bop tunes is a contrafact.
Hot House, originally written by Tadd Dameron.
definition: contrafact - a composition built on an already existing song using the original as the basis for the new one.
You boys got anything else to say?, asks Wilson. Parker and Gillespie are yet to say anything other than Hello and Thank you.
Well, Earl they say music speaks louder than words, so we’d rather voice our opinion that way, if you don't mind, Parker says before they head to the bandstand.
What is that opinion? & why, of all tunes, do they pick Hot House?
definition: hothouse - historically a place within a plantation where slaves would be taken when ill. in the hothouse; the experience of being made sick.
Turns out, Earl, these boys had a lot more to say after all.
