Product Details

• Actors: Jimmy Smith, Coleman Hawkins, Art Farmer, Erroll Garner, Woody Herman
• Directors: Various
• Format: Box set, Black & White, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: Italian
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 8
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: NAXOS OF AMERICA DVD
• DVD Release Date: October 27, 2009
• Run Time: 590 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B002N5KDZC
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #125,605 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

JAZZ ICONS:JAZZ ICONS SERIES 4 - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Live Jazz Nirvana, October 28, 2009

By 

Dean R. Brierly (Studio City, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jazz Icons: Series Four (Eight-Disc Box Edition) (DVD)

The latest box set in Naxos' amazing video jazz series maintains the superlative standard of the first three sets. Variety is once again the keynote, with many different eras, styles, moods and instrumentalists represented. Here's a brief rundown of the individual discs: JIMMY SMITH LIVE IN '69: The man who reinvented the Hammond organ as a jazz instrument is captured at the peak of his powers in this 90-minute concert filmed in Paris. If anything, his playing was even deeper and more expressive than ever as he, guitarist Eddie McFadden and drummer Charlie Crosby burn through their set list with soulful abandon. The highlights are too numerous to mention. Just sit back and enjoy. ART BLAKEY LIVE IN '65: This one-hour concert depicts the iconic drummer (and leader of the Jazz Messengers) with a temporary band put together for a short European tour. But what a band: Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Nathan Davis on tenor, Jaki Byard on piano and Reggie Workman on bass. Although they existed as a unit only for the dozen or so concerts on this tour, they sound as tight as if they'd been together for years. The band stretches out on three numbers, two of them written by Hubbard, who demonstrates his amazing fluency and lyricism, while Davis tears through chorus after chorus with inspired intensity. This is a rare and historic look at an overlooked edition of the Messengers. ANITA O'DAY LIVE IN '63 & '70: O'Day was one of the four or five greatest female jazz singers of all time, and her live performances were, if anything, even more electrifying than her recordings, as these incredible concerts ably document. O'Day's unique sense of time and her ability to tell a story through song is matched by her ability to swing with the facility of a horn player. I literally got goose bumps watching this. For my money, this is the best disc in the set. WOODY HERMAN LIVE IN '64: The virtuoso clarinetist (and saxophonist, singer and band leader) steers a large ensemble through some volcanic versions of traditional and contemporary tunes, including Horace Silver's soul-jazz classic "Sister Sadie." Herman gives an appreciative audience the full measure of his improvisational genius, while graciously sharing the spotlight with such stellar soloists as saxophonist Sal Nistico, trumpeter Bill Chase and the amazing trombonist Phil Wilson. Great arrangements and performances, and the energy level is off the charts. ERROLL GARNER LIVE IN '63 & '64: Two great shows spotlight this underappreciated pianist, who never fit into a particular classification yet channeled the entire history of jazz in his playing. As a soloist, Garner possessed a masterful sense of dynamics, playing soft and delicate one moment, and with percussive intensity the next. Particularly interesting is the unspoken yet palpable connection Garner established with a live audience, effortlessly communicating his infectious joy in performance. ART FARMER LIVE IN '64: In contrast to the sound and fury of the other performances, Farmer is pretty laid back in this concert for BBC television. Keeping company with guitarist Jim Hall, bassist Steve Swallow and drummer Pete La Roca, Farmer applies his burnished, buttery tone to a set of ballads and mid-tempo numbers, achieving an almost chamber music-like intimacy. Simply beautiful. COLEMAN HAWKINS LIVE IN '62 & '64: The father of the tenor saxophone, and one of the seminal influences on bebop, proved he still had plenty to say on his horn in these late-era concerts. Ably supported by like-minded musicians, Hawkins exhibits his trademark harmonic complexity in his solos, especially in his magisterial interpretations of familiar ballads. BONUS DISC: And as if all that weren't enough, there's an extra DVD with more performances by Smith, Garner and Hawkins. This is essential stuff for anyone who's even remotely interested in America's greatest indigenous art form. Go git you some!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jazz Treasure Box Lays Out How It's Done!, December 17, 2009

By 

Tym S. (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jazz Icons: Series Four (Eight-Disc Box Edition) (DVD)

Naxos is making amazing strides in its DVD program of rare Jazz concerts. This fourth box set is a treasure trove of peak performances.

Pianist ERROL GARNER can't keep his good humor inside, beaming as he casually rattles off stunningly complex jelly rolls, swing boogies, and baroque cascades. Listen close and you can hear his percussive growls as he conjures the keyboard into amazing sounds.

Vocalist ANITA O'DAY is virtually a one-woman band with her precision timing, saxophonic phrasing, crowd charming, and fiesty asides. We're lucky to see two shows of her bookending the 60's with a master class in first class vocalese.

Drummer ART BLAKEY is a congenial host, almost in stand-up mode, as he lays down the groove behind stellar players; Freddie Hubbard gets center stage for stunning workouts like their abstract take on "Blue Moon".

Clarinetist WOODY HERMAN comes out like a dervish with zeal to spare, rallying his 12-man horn army (!) into a breakneck frenzy. His crack team perfectly melds Swing and Bebop, with generous spotlights given to each player, while Herman remains the soulful fun at the hurricane's heart.

The father of Jazz saxophone, COLEMAN HAWKINS, gets deluxe due with a whopping 2 hours 20 minutes of bop chops. His drummer on the first concert, Kansas Fields, puts sway into martial precision while Coleman puts the mellow in melodic.

Organist JIMMY SMITH brings the funky grooves, showing why he's become an icon for acidjazz, breakbeat, and neo-funk artists of today. Side-by-side his trio makes the stone cool heat up, especially with guitarist Eddie McFadden.

Flugelhornist ART FARMER is zenly intent in his inner groove, examining notes like diamond facets under a spotlight. His uncommon telepathy with his guitarist Jim Hall creates a harmony and handoff that is a wonder to listen to.

This box set includes an exclusive bonus disc of other unreleased gems. Drummer Louis Bellson lays down how it's done behind Coleman Hawkins. And Jimmy Smith makes revelations out of pop hits of the 60's. Amazing.

Each concert had the benefit of sharp camera work, always tasteful and with a strong instinct for details, at times like noir Blue Note covers come to life. The mastering in image and sound is first-rate. This set is a surefire winner all the way around!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jazz History at Its Best, November 7, 2009

By 

Stephen Jablonsky "Renaissance Man" (Stamford CT) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Jazz Icons: Series Four (Eight-Disc Box Edition) (DVD)

This is the fourth in a series of must-have Jazz Icon collections focusing on the stars of the jazz world from the 1950s and 1960s. The music is wonderful and the video quality is high and so it is well worth the expense for the whole box. We offer many levels of jazz history courses at CCNY and this series has been well utilized in all those courses. They feature complete performances of important pieces in the jazz canon.