Customer Reviews

Jazz Casual DVD (Count Basie, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I happened upon this DVD and was very pleasantly surprised. I don't remember the original show but I thought that this was a rare opportunity to see and hear three past masters of jazz. Count Basie was engaging and interesting to listen to. His band was so tight they even grooved when he was just playing around. Dizzy performed the tunes that made him famous in his own unique style. Lots of African related rhythms proved interesting to watch and listen to. Coltrane refused to be interviewed so Ralph Gleason said that he would let the music do the talking for him. I thought that might put some people off but the music definitely spoke for everyone. This is an incredible performance. John Coltrane displays his genius but the special treat for me was hearing and seeing Elvin. Great Stuff and very educational. I bought a copy to show to my jazz students.

It seems as though this disc polarizes the reviewers; either they love it or hate it. Though it has its flaws, I'd have to say it's very worthwhile. I agree with the ones who didn't like Ralph J. Gleason's style. Yes, he's irritating, but he takes up very little time on the Gillespie and Coltrane segments. See the "Jazz Scene USA" series with Oscar Brown, Jr. for a late 50s/early 60s era jazz program with a first rate host and better production values. At first viewing I thought the Basie segment was disappointing, but it's grown on me. Diz was the main reason I bought this disc, and he didn't disappoint. He was even a good sport for the interview. His segment cooks at a consistent simmer. Very nice, but Coltrane cuts Diz for the highlight of the program. He's at one of his peaks, with a killer band, and they just keep ratcheting the intensity up higher and higher until the end. I'm not sure about the guy who gave this one star... he talks as if the picture and sound are worse than they actually are (reasonable but not stellar for their era) and like Gleason was on between every song (he was for Basie's and The Count seemed annoyed). I'd like to see more of these 3-on-1 Jazz Casual compilations. A single disc of 30 minutes with no bonus material is a waste.

I agree with much of what the other reviewers had to say, but give Gleason a break- if Trane didn't want to speak, he didn't want to speak (I'm sure Miles wouldn't have agreed to be interviewed if he had been on the show, either). But because of Gleason's show, we get to see the Coltrane quartet at one of its peaks-particularly the mezmorizing "Afro Blues".

I really love the way Count Basie played piano and one didn't get to hear much of it in the big band setting. This VCR/DVD gives one a chance to let the Count stretch out and also gives the viewer an opportunity to watch him and his group play and listen to the Count talk. Recommended for the jazz fan and any piano student. I play it often and learn something every time. It features the Count, Sonny Payne, Freddie Greene and Norman Keenan on bass.
I was, however, disappointed with the sound quality. One can hear some of Freddie Green but the bass is lost.
Finally, I was amazed at the naivete and incompetence of the host, Ralph J. Gleason. The VCR opens with Basie and the boys playing a simple generic 32 bar AABA tune, probably derived as so many are, from the basic "I Got Rythmn" structure. As the Basie finishes, Ralph slides in on the piano bench beside Basie and says, first, "Well, Count what do you call that?". Clearly it has no name and Basie mumbles something to that effect and then Raph says, "Is that the way you used to play the blues in Kansas City?". I nearly fell of my chair the first time I saw this (for the non fan, the blues has a 12 bar structure) and even Basie is nonplused for a few moments but he recovers nicely without telling Ralph what a fool he is. I guess the musicians tolerated Ralph because he does come across as a nice guy.
Finally, for the listener interested in hearing Basie stretch out more, see the "Basie and Zoot" cd.

I'm a working jazz pianist in the Seattle area and always looking to get closer to Basie's perspective. If you've got ears and want to see these guys in action, get this disk. Granted, there are some short interviews, but it's a small price to pay to see a slice of the minimal good footage available from these long gone times in jazz history. A player's textbook in black and white!

I found this worth the cost to me but mostly for the historical view. The music can be heard on a CD much better and quite honestly I didn't hear a lot being said by Basie or Gillespie (Coltrane declined to be interviewed).
But what a treat to see the footage of a Public TV Broadcast of the 60's. Gleason's questions and attempt at dialog sounds very dated. Of course it was not atypical of the era but by today's standards he sounds amaturish and unprepared. But thankfully he did do these shows and we now get to see things in the exact setting of the era when they were done. I probably won't watch this all that often but I will pull it out now and again.

Afro Blue: It may be one of my favourite tunes of Coltrane, but here Coltrane seems just a little uninspired. A couple of times his soprano rises above the low-set mike and the sound drops out. McCoy Tyner is more worthy of attention, with a fine piano solo. Oh yes, and why is Coltrane holding a cigarette at the beginning of the performance?? He pauses, takes a puff, and grinds it out with his shoe - all in mid-performance! I think this may be Coltrane's sense of humour - he knew the cameras would be on him and wanted to do something weird. I couldn't imagine even trying to play an instrument with a cigarette in one hand.
Also, watch out for Ralph Gleason's condescending attitude - his peering down at Tyner's piano with smug curiosity when he does a fantastic solo, and actually laughing when Coltrane's solo reaches its peak. And don't even mention the insipid speech (jazz musicians like poets in a supermarket???)


Alabama: Get the disc if only for this. This is the only recorded performance of Alabama that is complete. The version on disc was sadly incomplete thanks to a screw-up in the recording studio! The style is sombre and quiet, a good contrast to the screeching of Afro Blue. I like Elvin Jones' drumming here. Look out for Alice Coltrane sitting in the background here.


Impressions: The other two numbers are pretty short, seemingly to make room for a truly inspired performance of Impressions that lasts fourteen minutes and is the meat of the program. Coltrane states the theme, then leaves the stage for McCoy Tyner's amanzing solo, which is truly one of his best. Then Tyner himself drops out, and Jimmy Garrison takes over. To me, the Garrison solo is the highlight here. As amazing as the Coltrane and Tyner solos are, Garrison's strumming is truly unbelieveable. I usually don't like Garrison's solos on disc, but this one is great. Seeing Garrison's intense concentration may help, of course. You can see why people say puddles of sweat were left on the stage when the Classic Quartet had been on. Also, you can finally see why there's usually an annoying buzzing during Garrison's solos - it's his humming!
Then Coltrane comes back on with a screeching, energetic solo that is another highlight. But just as he approaches the end - a dull sounding announcer gives us the name of the TV channel - and the performance is CUT OFF!!! ARRRGH! I hate that - if only the programmers had the decency to keep the end of the performance in...

As it is, this Coltrane disc is truly worth getting - I'd be interested in the Sonny Rollins one too.

What a tease! This is a limited performance disc so don't expect much music. Here are three of the premier Jazz musicians of our day (or anyone else's) and their already limited playing time is constantly chopped short and interrupted by the irritating host, Ralph Gleason, who interviews poorly and should have stuck to writing liner notes. Even the musicians were, obviously, put off by him...with Basie never looking directly at him and 'Trane refusing to even have dialog! Diz proved to be the most patient of the three. What music is permitted has marginal sound quality at best and just when you begin to groove a little, up pops Gleason, again!

Hey guys...let's try it "one more once". A MUST NOT for any collection!

...The music is really great. Coltrane is so awesome that his music magnetizes, you can't even put it at the background: it takes all your attention.
Now the problem is that the interview is very poor... I think that even with talented interviewer the musical DVD should have the option to skip the dialogs and to choose to play the music only. It is also strange that the sound recording not as good as it supposed to be and the video picture is sometimes very dirty. Don't buy this DVD.
Somebody needs to remake this DVD and make some cleaning of it.