Diggin' Diz, recorded on February 7, 1946, is a brisk swing performance credited to the Dizzy Gillespie Jazzmen, featuring an unusual 16-bar form in C based on the chord changes of Lover, composed by George Handy. Taken at approximately 200-210 BPM, the track features an expansive roster of soloists: George Handy opens on piano, followed by Charlie Parker on alto saxophone, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Lucky Thompson on tenor saxophone, and Arv Garrison on electric guitar, with Handy returning for a second piano solo. The presence of both Parker and Gillespie, the two architects of bebop, makes this a notable document, though the session is credited to Gillespie's leadership. The 16-bar form gives each soloist a concise but complete statement, creating a parade of contrasting voices. This recording captures the brief period when Parker and Gillespie were regularly working together, and their interplay, even in a session with multiple horn soloists, underscores the symbiotic creative relationship that launched the bebop revolution.
