I bought this DVD not knowing anything about it, but it turned out to be a treat. Benny Goodman had reached a time in his life where he was known to coast, but in the company of Don Haas pno, Harry Pepl gtr, Peter Witte bass, and Charley Antolini drums, he rises to the occasion with aplomb, and gets splendid support from his fellow musicians into the bargain. There are two guest appearances by Jimmy Maxwell tpt, and Svend Asmussen violin. Recorded at a small club adjacent to the main concert hall in the 'Tivoli Gardens' in Copenhagen, the whole thing has a good feel to it, which radiates back from an attentative audience. The sleeve of the DVD could have been more informative. The personnel involved are not listed, tracks 8 and 12 are labelled 'improvisation', when they should read 'After You've Gone' and 'Goodbye' respectively, and it claims to be 'the last performance of Benny Goodman'. This is questionable since Benny died in 1986, and this date was recorded on September 4th 1981, according to a Benny Goodman discography.
One word of warning, this DVD has appeared in various guises on other labels, so shop with care. This version here, will probably be the cheapest option, and I'm told that copies were to be found in 'pound' shops. Any criticisms about the presentation pall into insignificance, becuase it's the music that counts, and any Benny Goodman fan wont want to be without this. A sometimes sullen man is seen here in good humour, clearly enjoying himself and sounding good. A must have DVD.
