In October 1957, Nat King Cole turned his Nat King Cole Show over to Norman Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic. It was the first time that the touring JATP showcase and jam session format was seen live on TV in living rooms around the country. [Photo above of Nat King Cole]
Last week, Mark Rabin noticed that a new, clear print of the full NBC episode was available at YouTube. In its entirety, you'll see the full half hour with Flip Phillips, Jo Jones, Roy Eldridge, Coleman Hawkins, Oscar Peterson, Illinois Jacquet, Ray Brown, Stan Getz, Herb Ellis and others.
Music from back in the day, when jazz was considered remarkable and you didn't get to be on television unless you were exceptional. Even more important, in the year of the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the Little Rock Nine and increasing racial tensions, the nation through the show was exposed to highly skilled black and white artists collaborating on an equal level to bring joy into viewers' homes.
Viewers also were given a more complete picture of how special these musicians were, regardless of race. The interracial nature of the show and the fact that it was being broadcast in segregated cities are most likely the reasons why there wasn't a major consumer-goods sponsor advertising.
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