ALL THAT JAZZ

Clint Eastwood is putting away his Magnum for the moment (though rumors persist that there’s a new Dirty Harry in his future) and playing a very different tune for his next Warner Bros. film: Pending final music clearances, he’ll direct a bio of legendary K City jazz saxophonist Charlie (Yardbird) Parker, who died in 1955 of complications arising from drug and alcohol addiction.

Eastwood already has scouted European locations and is searching for a title star for a late October start. Eastwood is a longtime jazz devotee and the rumored behind-the-scenes angel for Warners’ involvement in Bertrand Tavernier’s “ ‘Round Midnight” (loosely based upon the life of jazz pianist Bud Powell).

But, whoa, hasn’t Richard Pryor also been developing a Bird project? Pryor’s assistant, Jennie Johnson, told us: “We’re aware of the Warners project, but it has no relationship to what we’re doing.”

We hadn’t heard back directly from Pryor at press time on whether he’s been approached about the Eastwood version.