Customer Reviews

Jazz Icons: Art Blakey Live in '65

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

 

 

-video is black and white and moderately grainey
-audio is good quality, not excellent
-personnel: art blakey (d), freddie hubbard (t), nathan davis (ts), jaki byard (p), reggie workman (b)
-this video is most remarkable for revealing trumpeter freddie hubbard (27 yo) showing his amazing technique, improvisational skills and writing;
freddie's performance on blue moon recalls clifford brown who also played with art
-the only thing better than this video would to have heard it in person and this music will never be heard again other than video

As usual, Jazz Icons comes through. One reviewer said this DVD was worth it, just for the Blue Moon Solo that Freddie Hubbard did, they were correct, it was. Art Blakey is always a delight, this one shows his great taste in selecting musicians for his groups. This edition is more recent, by 7 years from the other Art Blakey with Lee Morgan at the trumpet, so is of better visual quality. This one really will make you appreciate the great works of these masters.

This DVD has four songs, and a crash course in true jazz mastery.

Drummer ART BLAKEY is a congenial host, almost in stand-up mode during the band intros, as he lays down the groove behind stellar players. Once again, Blakey's unerring sense for picking the best serves him well here. Freddie Hubbard gets center stage for stunning workouts like their abstract take on "Blue Moon". He's so formidable on that one it will make even the most seasoned player rethink their game. But Nathan Davis is no slouch; his tenor sax is there move for move with plenty of dance of his own. Having the compressed history of jazz piano in Jaki Byard doesn't hurt either, though Blakey was reportedly thrown a bit by his mercurial tempos. Strangely, this was an ad hoc conglomeration to fulfill a tour, but the unexpected rewards are ours to savor.

This is great DVD. Art Blakey ranks right up there with other great drummers like Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, Max Roach & Louie Bellson.