- Format: PAL
- Language English
- Subtitles: German, English, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese
- Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3 - 1.33:1
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: Exempt
- Studio: Eagle Rock
- DVD Release Date: 1 Dec 2008
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B0002W187A
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 74,548 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
This essential double dvd is a must have for all serious jazz fans...
"Improvisation", the famous unfinished 1950 "sequel" to 1944 "Jammin' the Blues" is shown here in all its glory... It is quite obvious that the film isn't finished, but it's priceless to see Hawkins and Parker enjoying each other's company, Lester Young joining Buddy Rich, Hank Jones, Bill Harris, Ella Fitzgerald...
On few occasions you even have alternate camera angles to compare with the "A" version of the film.
And on disk 2 you have great photos, the silent footage of Ella, Bird, Rich, Young, Jones and other 1950 stars, the 1944 great film "Jammin' the blues" (The Pres playing with Illinois Jacquet, Sweets Edison,Jo Jones...), a film that is finished both musically and cinematically... Great stuff!
However, musically speaking, my favorites are actually "Jammin' the blues" (particularly some Lester's licks, Edison's open horn and Jo Jones drumming) as well as some actual improvisation, recorded a bit later...First of all, there is a Duke Ellington's trio performance ("Blues for Joan Miro"; John Lamb-b,Sam Woodyard-dm), Count Basie's magnificent and hillariously funny "Nob's Blues", where he musically chats with Ray Brown's bass and with the history of jazz piano and, last but not least, Oscar Peterson-lead stellar group performing a sort of cutting contest between Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry and Eddie Lackjaw Davis (with the great Dane Niels Pedersen on bass...)
After the concert, the Peterson-Terry-Gillespie-Davis performance was named "Ali and Frazier", after a famous boxing match, and the godfather of the song was Count Basie.
And, although most of the short aditional interviews (and Nat Hentoff's portrait of Norman Granz) are recorded with something that must have been and inexpensive video camera, it is beautiful to see Roy Haynes explaining the history of (modern) jazz from the drummer's perspective, or to see 82 years young Harry Sweets Edison smoking his cigarette, discussing his glorious past and musing about all the great ones who had passed away, listen to Jimmy Heath's view of Parker and the birth of modern jazz...
And Phil Woods intelligently reminiscing of his first encounters Charlie Parker (and Dizzy)?
Really touching... I have no words to desribe it.
And Norman Granz organized all the great performances on this DVD (I failed to mention Al Grey, Vic Dickenson, Roy Eldridge, Joe Pass...)?
Thank You mr. Granz!
"Improvisation", the famous unfinished 1950 "sequel" to 1944 "Jammin' the Blues" is shown here in all its glory... It is quite obvious that the film isn't finished, but it's priceless to see Hawkins and Parker enjoying each other's company, Lester Young joining Buddy Rich, Hank Jones, Bill Harris, Ella Fitzgerald...
On few occasions you even have alternate camera angles to compare with the "A" version of the film.
And on disk 2 you have great photos, the silent footage of Ella, Bird, Rich, Young, Jones and other 1950 stars, the 1944 great film "Jammin' the blues" (The Pres playing with Illinois Jacquet, Sweets Edison,Jo Jones...), a film that is finished both musically and cinematically... Great stuff!
However, musically speaking, my favorites are actually "Jammin' the blues" (particularly some Lester's licks, Edison's open horn and Jo Jones drumming) as well as some actual improvisation, recorded a bit later...First of all, there is a Duke Ellington's trio performance ("Blues for Joan Miro"; John Lamb-b,Sam Woodyard-dm), Count Basie's magnificent and hillariously funny "Nob's Blues", where he musically chats with Ray Brown's bass and with the history of jazz piano and, last but not least, Oscar Peterson-lead stellar group performing a sort of cutting contest between Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry and Eddie Lackjaw Davis (with the great Dane Niels Pedersen on bass...)
After the concert, the Peterson-Terry-Gillespie-Davis performance was named "Ali and Frazier", after a famous boxing match, and the godfather of the song was Count Basie.
And, although most of the short aditional interviews (and Nat Hentoff's portrait of Norman Granz) are recorded with something that must have been and inexpensive video camera, it is beautiful to see Roy Haynes explaining the history of (modern) jazz from the drummer's perspective, or to see 82 years young Harry Sweets Edison smoking his cigarette, discussing his glorious past and musing about all the great ones who had passed away, listen to Jimmy Heath's view of Parker and the birth of modern jazz...
And Phil Woods intelligently reminiscing of his first encounters Charlie Parker (and Dizzy)?
Really touching... I have no words to desribe it.
And Norman Granz organized all the great performances on this DVD (I failed to mention Al Grey, Vic Dickenson, Roy Eldridge, Joe Pass...)?
Thank You mr. Granz!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
This may well be it. The other Norman Granz Jazz in Montreux DVD's are very good, but tend to feature one musician. This 2 disc set features a multitude of Jazz greats:
Coleman Hawkins
Charlie Parker
Count Basie
Oscar Peterson
Hank Jones
Ray Brown
Duke Ellington
Roy Eldridge
Buddy Rich
Dizzy Gillespie
Lester Young
Ella Fitzgerald
I shall not attempt to write a detailed review as the only previous reviewer, Nikica Gilic, has already done so and probably better than I could do anyway.
But I can vouch for everything Nikica says, truly this is a brilliant 2 DVD set with highlights galore.
The Ellington trio recording from 1966 "Blues for Jean Miro" is perhaps my favourite track. Filmed in black and white with the said Mr Miro standing in the background watching. He was a Spanish sculptor and artist and his own artworks are there next to the Ellington trio.
Just to see some film of Charlie Parker makes the disc worth having.
So for any Jazz fans out there who want to see some of the greatest (mainly) American musicians who ever lived get this, and thank Norman Granz for getting it on film. Its magnificent!
Coleman Hawkins
Charlie Parker
Count Basie
Oscar Peterson
Hank Jones
Ray Brown
Duke Ellington
Roy Eldridge
Buddy Rich
Dizzy Gillespie
Lester Young
Ella Fitzgerald
I shall not attempt to write a detailed review as the only previous reviewer, Nikica Gilic, has already done so and probably better than I could do anyway.
But I can vouch for everything Nikica says, truly this is a brilliant 2 DVD set with highlights galore.
The Ellington trio recording from 1966 "Blues for Jean Miro" is perhaps my favourite track. Filmed in black and white with the said Mr Miro standing in the background watching. He was a Spanish sculptor and artist and his own artworks are there next to the Ellington trio.
Just to see some film of Charlie Parker makes the disc worth having.
So for any Jazz fans out there who want to see some of the greatest (mainly) American musicians who ever lived get this, and thank Norman Granz for getting it on film. Its magnificent!
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