Customer Reviews

The Intimate Duke Ellington

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

 

 

From the first note, you know you are in the hands of a master musician. What a treat to watch Ellington's ever-changing facial expressions as he plays some of the greatest jazz compositions ever written and leads a small version of his orchestra through a mix of rare gems and popular favorites! Though this remarkable 1967 performance on Danish television is more than 30 years old, Duke's music comes across as fresh, hip, inspired and thoroughly modern. There are plenty of moments of deep emotion and exultation that make the Intimate Ellington a joy to watch; just catch Ellington's huge, infectious grin after performing Take the A Train. You can see him pushing the boundaries of these songs, searching for new interpretations, and his restless imagination is in full effect throughout both performances. I found myself laughing out loud one moment and nearly reduced to tears the next. This DVD is a major thrill for jazz fans and an important historical record of the great Ellington during the late 60s, an era that is acknowledged as one of his most creative and risk-taking periods. I cannot overstate the musical and historical value of this dvd. To paraphrase Duke, I loved it madly.

This DVD is an amazing display of what Duke and a few of his best known sidemen can do. Absolutely fabulous video that features the specialties of some of the best jazz musicians in history! Buy it now, and be happy later!

Speaking from the perspective of a musician, this might be the best jazz DVD I've ever seen. The camera work is certainly more than satisfactory, and Duke's performances (especially in the solo/duo/trio session) are outstanding. I would go so far as to say that these performances deserve to be better known.

Duke was probably my first influence as a jazz pianist, and I still learn a lot of lessons whenever I hear or see him play. The music on this DVD is entertaining to watch, but it also bears repeated careful listening.

If you prefer seeing Duke with his band, then this is for you. I purchased the DVD with the expectations he would be intimate as the title says. What I mean by intimate is having a trio for the entire DVD. 1/2 of the DVD had a trio, but the songs were extremely slow and lacked variety. THe only song that I really enjoyed with the trio was "Take The A-Train." The other 1/2 of the DVD included parts of his band, 1 trombone, 1 coronet, 1 alto sax, 1 tenor sax, and etc. I did not expect this format, because I was looking for more soling opportunities from the Duke. Still, if you want to see him with less of his orchestra then it would be a good buy for you. And if you are a fan of his slower paced songs then consider buying it. It just was not my taste, but I still have utmost respect for Duke Ellington.

I WAS EXPECTING MORE OF THE BIG BAND. WHAT I SAW WAS GOOD, JUST WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SEEN MORE OF THE BIG BAND.

Okay, simply the fact that it is Duke Ellington gets three stars. That having been said, nothing else about this video merits any kudos. The lighting was bad (even for the day), the transitions between the tunes were boring, and it was an overall lackluster production.