Jazz DVDs

[jbb]

I'm sure this topic has been covered before, but I've never seen it--any recommendations among those jazz DVDs that are readily available?

In particular I'm looking for recommendations regarding DVDs featuring the classic performers (I'll leave that to the reader's interpretation rather than starting a debate over who falls into that category!) in performances that are both audibly and visually worth seeing more than once.

Any suggestions? Thanks.

[brownie]

My first choice would be

Great Performances

It never got better than the films gathered on that DVD!

[robviti]

by the looks of it, the dvd you mention is the first disc of this 2dvd set:

Here are the specifics:

GREATEST JAZZ FILMS EVER

Disc 1:

Jammin' the Blues (Hollywood, CA, August-September, 1944):

Harry Edison (tp); Lester Young (ts); Illinois Jacquet (ts); Marlowe Morris (p); Barney Kessel (g); Red Callender (b) or John Simmons (b); Sid Catlett (d) or Jo Jones (d); Marie Bryant (vocals); Archie Savage (dance)

1. The Midnight Symphony (ad lib)

2. On the Sunny Side of the Street

3. Jammin' the Blues (ad lib)

Charlie Parker: TV Stage Entrance Show (New York, February 24, 1952):

Charlie Parker (as); Dizzy Gillespie (tp); Dick Hyman (p); Sandy Block (b); Charlie Smith (d)

1. Hot House

Jazz at the Philharmonic (Early September, 1950):

Harry Sweets Edison (tp); Bill Harris (tbn); Charlie Parker (as); Coleman Hawkins (ts); Lester Young (ts); Flip Phillips (ts); Hank Jones (p); Ray Brown (b); Buddy Rich (d); Ella Fitzgerald (vocals)

1. Ballade

2. Celebrity

3. Ad Lib

4. Pennie from Heaven

5. Blues for Greasy

The Sound of Miles Davis (New York, April 2, 1959):

Miles Davis (tp); John Coltrane (ts); Wynton Kelly (p); Paul Chambers (b); Jimmy Cobb (d); Ernie Royal (tp); Clyde Reasinger (tp); Louis Mucci (tp); Johnny Coles (tp); Emmett Berry (tp); Frank Rehak (tbn); Jimmy Cleveland (tbn); Bill Elton (tbn); Rod Levitt (tbn); Julius Watkins (french horn); Bob Northern (french horn); Bill Barber (tuba); Danny Bank (bass clarinet); Romeo Penque (woodwinds); Eddie Caine (woodwinds).

1. So What

2. The Duke

3. Blues for Pablo

4. New Rhumba

Jammin' the Blues (Bonus performances not used in original movie - see above for personnel):

1. Sweet Georgia Brown

2. If I Could Be with You One Hour Tonight

3. Blues for Marvin (ad lib)

4. Jammin' the Blues (ad lib - alternate take)

Disc 2:

THE SOUND OF JAZZ:

Count Basie All-Star Orchestra:

Roy Eldridge, Joe Newman, Joe Wilder, Doc Cheatham, Emmett Berry (trumpets); Vic Dickenson, Dickie Wells, Benny Morton (tombones); Earle Warren, Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Gerry Mulligan (saxophones); Count Basie (piano); Freddie Green (guitar); Eddie Jones (bass); Jo Jones (drums).

1. Open All Night (a/k/a 'Fast and Happy Blues' - Composed and Arranged by Nat Pierce) Order of Solos: Coleman Hawkins, Dickie Wells, Gerry Mulligan, Joe Newman, Count Basie.

Red Allen All-Stars:

Henry 'Red' Allen (trumpet and vocal); Rex Stewart (cornet); Vic Dickenson (trombone); Pee Wee Russell (clarinet); Coleman Hawkins (tenor saxophone); Nat Pierce (piano); Danny Barker (guitar); Milt Hinton (bass); Jo Jones (drums)

1. Wild Man Blues (Louis Armstrong/Jelly Roll Morton) Rosetta (Earl Hines/Henri Woode) vocal by Henry 'Red' Allen

2. Rosetta

Count Basie All-Star Orchestra:

Roy Eldridge, Joe Newman, Joe Wilder, Doc Cheatham, Emmett Berry (trumpets); Vic Dickenson, Dickie Wells, Benny Morton (tombones); Earle Warren, Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Gerry Mulligan (saxophones); Count Basie (piano); Freddie Green (guitar); Eddie Jones (bass); Jo Jones (drums).

1. Dickie's Dream (Composed by Lester Young and Count Basie; Arranged by Nat Pierce) Order of Solos: Count Basie, Ben Webster, Benny Morton, Joe Wilder, Gerry Mulligan, Vic Dickenson, Roy Eldridge, Emmett Berry, Coleman Hawkins, Dickie Wells, Joe Newman, Count Basie.

Thelonious Monk Trio:

Thelonious Monk (piano); Ahmed Abdul Malik (bass); Osie Johnson (drums).

1. Blue Monk (Thelonious Monk)

Count Basie All-Star Orchestra with Jimmy Rushing

Same personnel as above with Jimmy Rushing (vocal)

1. I Left My Baby (Composed by Andy Gibson; Arranged by Nat Pierce) Order of Solos: Jimmy Rushing with Ben Webster, Count Basie, Dickie Wells, Roy Eldridge (flugelhorn); Coleman Hawkins, Jimmy Rushing with Vic Dickenson.

Billie Holiday with Mal Waldron and the Count Basie All-Star Orchestra:

Billie Holiday (vocal); Roy Eldridge, Doc Cheatham (trumpets); Vic Dickenson, (tombones); Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Gerry Mulligan, Lester Young (saxophones); Mal Waldron (piano); Danny Barker (guitar); Milt Hinton (bass); Osie Johnson (drums).

1. Fine and Mellow (Billie Holiday) Order of Solos: Billie Holiday, Ben Webster, Lester Young, Billie Holiday, Vic Dickenson, Gerry Mulligan, Billie Holiday with Doc Cheatham, Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge, Billie Holiday.

Jimmy Giuffre Three:

Jimmy Giuffre (clarinet); Jim Hall (guitar); Jim Atlas (bass)

1. The Train and the River (Jimmy Giuffre)

Pee Wee Russell/Jimmy Giuffre Quintet:

Pee Wee Russell and Jimmy Giuffre (clarinets); Danny Barker (guitar); Milt Hinton (bass); Jo Jones (drums).

1. Blues My Naughty Baby Gives to Me

Ahmad Jamal Trio (1959):

Ahmad Jamal (piano); Israel Crosby (bass); Vernell Fournier (drums).

1. Darn That Dream

2. Ahmad's Blues

Ben Webster Sextet (1959):

Ben Webster (tenor saxophone); Buck Clayton (trumpet); Vic Dickenson (trombone); Hank Jones (piano); George Duvivier (bass); Jo Jones (drums).

1. Chelsea Bridge

2. Duke's Place

btw, this same set is currently available from the bastards courtesy of the dubious folks at disconforme:

Edited December 4, 2005 by jazzshrink

[felser]

I really like Chick Corea "A Very Special Concert" with Joe Henderson, Stanley Clarke, and Lenny White.

[tatifan]

Well, I'm not sure what less culpability "the dubious folks at disconforme" have regarding the FIRST set you show. I have it too, with the label "Idem" in larger print, and then in very small print: "distributed by Disconforme"!!

I'd still say it's worth picking up, but someday we need a legit, quality release of "The Sound of Jazz". This is ok, but it's not it. Granted, it's WAY better than the awful MVD version of the show, which is missing Monk's contribution, and looks and sounds like crap.

However, "Jammin' the Blues" is not even close to the quality of the version Turner Classic Movies shows sometimes.

I'd recommend the various "Jazz Scene USA" dvds and the "Jazz Casual" series, but I wish they would issue more! Can anyone chime in on the "Jazz Casual" dvds sold by True Blue? They have a number of titles not available through normal channels. Amazon z shops seems to have a few also, and they seem to be PAL one side, NTSC other side. Are these legit??

[Free For All]

I love the Jazz Casual and Jazz Scene USA DVDs. The JS*USA* Rosolino segment is outstanding. Also love the JC Woody segments (3 of them) and the Thad/Mel segment. And the Cannonball. And the JOS. And the Sonny/Jim Hall. Etc.,etc.,etc.

A few other favorites:

Mingus Live At Montreaux 1975

Jazz On A Summer's Day

Monk Straight No Chaser

Calle 54

Diana Krall Live In Paris (even if you're not a big Krall fan it's hard to resist the great production of this video. Hamilton's drums and Clayton's bass are recorded beautifully)

[MartyJazz]

All of these recommendations have been great. However if you're looking for wonderful jazz combined with excellent color and audio fidelity, I would highly recommend two I picked up this past year put out by Geneon Entertainment.

"Stan Getz: Last Concert" with great piano support from Kenny Barron:

"Chick Corea & Gary Burton: Interaction", tremendous empathy and superb musicianship

Both DVDs are available for less than $15 apiece at videouniverse.com. Well worth it.

[robviti]

here's one i enjoy:

Tracklist:

Disc 1:

1. Over The Edge

2. From The Heart

3. Answer Without Question

4. Sippin' At Bells

5. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most

6. Tempus Fugit

Disc 2:

7. Lush Life

8. Desafinado

9. Girl From Ipanema

10. Alone Together

11. It's You Or No One

12. In Your Own Sweet Way

13. Blood Count

14. Medley: Desafinado/Girl From Ipanema

Stan Getz - Tenor Saxophone

Jim McNeely - Piano

Marc Johnson - Bass

Victor Lewis - Drums

Recorded 1983 at Robert Mondavi Winery, Napa Valley, California.

[SEK]

Randy Weston "Live in St Lucia" 2002

Randy Weston - piano

Alex Blake - bass

Neil Clarke - percussion

Talib Kibwe - flute, alto saxophone

Benny Powell - trombone

[l p]

these are in print

Duke Ellington dvd's:

Copenhagen: Parts 1 and 2 (1965). paul gonsalves takes a nap for most of the show.

'Intimate D.E.' (copenhagen 1967)

'on the road' (1967 u.s.)

Memories of Duke (mexico 1968)

Live at Tivoli Gardens: Parts 1 and 2, (1971). copenhagen

and i'm looking forward to seeing these-

Love You Madly / A Concert of Sacred Music at Grace Cathedral, 1965

Tivoli '69 (copenhagen 1969). coming out at the end of the month.

copenhagen 65, 69, 71, and(?) 67 are listed as being released by 'Image Entertainment', but the label on the discs is Storyville.

[Claude]

I second the recommendations for the jazz classics collection. The Miles/Trane/Gil TV appearance is a must.

The recent DVD release that impressed me most was Miles Electric - A Different Kind of Blue, which is part a docementary, part the Isle of Wight 1970 concert. Great music (with Gary Bartz, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette) and superb picture and sound quality.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00069FKN...&v=glance&n=130

Edited December 12, 2005 by Claude

[Robert J]

Horace Parlan By Horace Parlan

[king ubu]

I second the recommendations for the jazz classics collection. The Miles/Trane/Gil TV appearance is a must.

The recent DVD release that impressed me most was Miles Electric - A Different Kind of Blue, which is part a docementary, part the Isle of Wight 1970 concert. Great music (with Gary Bartz, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette) and superb picture and sound quality.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00069FKN...&v=glance&n=130

That Isle of Wight set is totally absolutely *freakin* mesmerizing!!!

Edit: no matter what couw says...

Edited December 12, 2005 by king ubu

[couw]

Edit: no matter what couw says...

huh what? sorry, I was sleeping...

[makpjazz57]

and i'm looking forward to seeing these-

Love You Madly / A Concert of Sacred Music at Grace Cathedral, 1965

Tivoli '69 (copenhagen 1969). coming out at the end of the month.

I have a copy of Love You Madly/A Concert of Sacred Music at Grace Cathedral and it is wonderful. Some nice backstage time with Duke at Basin Street West. A Concert of Sacred Music features Esther Marrow (looking very nervous) and Jon Hendricks on vocals. Always great hearing Louis Bellson with Duke, too!

Marla

[king ubu]

Edit: no matter what couw says...

huh what? sorry, I was sleeping...

you, ahem... peed on Slime, but I can't seem to find that thread right now