Customer Reviews

John Coltrane - The Coltrane Legacy

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"The Coltrane Legacy" is a 1985 video of some early 60's TV performances (apparently including his ralph gleason appearance, because you can see gleason grinning like a fool and leaning on tyner's piano at one point). the whole thing is quite remarkable. i don't know whether it's because the quartet was confined to a TV show format, but the performances were all more controlled, less meandering than 'normal'. more concentrated.

there are two tunes from "My Favorite Things" - the title song and "everytime we say goodbye" (his one cole porter cover) and amazing versions of "alabama" and "afro-blue", as well as a couple of honking versions of "impressions" and parts of an interview with elvin jones.

my only criticism is that, besides jones (who's funny in a "he was an angel" kinda way), the only other interviews are with two guys who played a total of two years with his early quartets - jimmy cobb and reggie workman. why no mccoy tyner, or at least miles davis? reminds me of "Straight no chaser", where most of the talking is done by monk's son.

anyway, a minor criticism. the music tells the story, and it's a great one.

It is very disappointing that there are very few filmed performances of the great jazz master, John Coltrane. I gave it 4 stars just for the fact that it offers more material on Coltrane than any other DVD. This DVD runs a short 61 minutes which includes grainy quality b/w television show performances which are cut with interviews of Coltrane's former band members between the songs. Elvin Jones' comments were the most informative and entertaining. Coltrane's legacy certainly deserves more respect and attention!

"This is a must see for all Cotrane fans"...
From Miles in the late 50's to becoming one of the jazz elite, John William Coltrane's music will always be on the fore front of any generation. This video leaves you wanting to see more of Trane at his very best. "So What", with Miles starts the ball to rolling, Trane is in his zone taking the tune to the outer limits. "Impressions", with Eric Dolphy is eye candy for the viewer, Trane and Dolphy trade licks that make the tune jump and dance all over the place. With some candid interviews for Reggie Workman, Jimmy Cobb, and Roy Haynes tug at your heart strings and make you feel that Trane was your best friend. All words were spoken with the highest respect to John, I only wish Miles would have been interviewd too. There is a voice over from Trane, telling how he had a dream that he would one day have his on band, and to hear the humility in his voice again makes you know that this man was more than just a sax player. The last three tunes Afro Blue, Alabama and Impressions are from the Jazz Casuals, and this segment gives you a more personal look at Trane as a true leader. McCoy Tyner Jimmy Garrison and Roy Haynes give all they have to Trane to make the music come full circle. I was blown away the first time I saw the video, I had heard of how Trane would play as if he was going to have a heart attack, I got a chance to see what other fans were talking about. Again this is a must see, I would give the video a million stars if I could.

Pretty cool pretty neat. Whether you like Coltrane or not you must see this video. It is a look at the music and musician that has influenced almost every jazz musician.

With the exception of the full version of "So What" on a Miles Davis TV show in the '50s and a rare Newport performance, this video contains nearly all of the videos of John Coltrane that are available in their entirity. The accompanying documentary is fascinating. It includes all of the living members of his quartet and their stories are compelling. I have had this documentary on a rare laser disc for sometime now. I must admit that the DVD is of inferior quality to my laser disc but who has a laser disc player today or can find that disc? Seeing Coltrane play visually made me see just how many notes he could cram into a phrase and still sound like he was only playing the right notes. In addition, he almost looks as if he is yodeling when he plays. He was one of a kind and his like will not be seen again soon. Buy and cherish this video -- you will watch it frequently and fall in love with this timeless music. As a bonus, enjoy the alto sax of Eric Dolphy in a rare video.

I have had this video on Laser Disc for some time and have watched it many times. It includes some very thoughtful interviews with Reggie Workman, Elvin Jones and others and has most of the available footage of John Coltrane. It includes all of the Jazz Casual footage and includes in its entirity the amazing German TV show with Eric Dolphy on flute, bass clarinet and, I think, alto. THAT you cannot get anywhere else. Frankly, although I am a big fan of Toby Byron's documentaries (Satchmo, Bluesland, The Story of Jazz, etc.) I think it is better than The World According to John Coltrane and uses much more live footage. The only missing footage here is the Miles Davis TV show and some obscure footage from Newport.
That said, the production quality of THIS version is inferior to the Laser Disc version. The sound is not as clear nor are the images which look like a bootleg version. If you can get a VHS copy or Laser Disc copy do it. If not, this is still the best John Coltrane video you will ever see. Don't miss it, there is no substitute for John Coltrane in his prime and there is so little footage of both John and Eric Dolphy, especially together that you must take what you can get.
Let's hope there is a better version released soon.

This DVD is an embarrassment. The video quality is poor; I have watched re-broadcasts of Coltrane's Baden-Baden TV-show from 1961 on German television in far better quality. Also, the tunes are not complete; beginnings and/or ending are cut, and there is voice-over on several tracks. This is not an appropriate way to deal with this truly historical material, as Coltrane's playing is great.

BACK A NUMBER OF YEARS WHEN I GOT MY FIRST VCR AND CABLE WAS RELATIVLY NEW(IF THE WIND BLEW TO HARD YOUR RECEPTION WOULD GO OUT)I SAW THIS ON PBS ONE NIGHT.ICOULD NOT BELIEVE MY EYES THAT IT WAS REALLY JOHN COLTRANE PLAYING.UP TO THAT TIME I HAD NEVER SEEN ANY FILM OF HIM AND IT JUST BLEW ME AWAY!BEING THAT THERE IS SO PRECIOUS FEW VIDEOS OF HIM THIS IS CERTAINLY A MUST HAVE.TO SEE THE MASTER PLAY IS AN AWESOME EXPERIENCE.

"This is a must see for all Cotrane fans"...
From Miles in the late 50's to becoming one of the jazz elite, John William Coltrane's music will always be on the fore front of any generation. This video leaves you wanting to see more of Trane at his very best. "So What", with Miles starts the ball to rolling, Trane is in his zone taking the tune to the outer limits. "Impressions", with Eric Dolphy is eye candy for the viewer, Trane and Dolphy trade licks that make the tune jump and dance all over the place. With some candid interviews for Reggie Workman, Jimmy Cobb, and Roy Haynes tug at your heart strings and make you feel that Trane was your best friend. All words were spoken with the highest respect to John, I only wish Miles would have been interviewd too. There is a voice over from Trane, telling how he had a dream that he would one day have his on band, and to hear the humility in his voice again makes you know that this man was more than just a sax player. The last three tunes Afro Blue, Alabama and Impressions are from the Jazz Casuals, and this segment gives you a more personal look at Trane as a true leader. McCoy Tyner Jimmy Garrison and Roy Haynes give all they have to Trane to make the music come full circle. I was blown away the first time I saw the video, I had heard of how Trane would play as if he was going to have a heart attack, I got a chance to see what other fans were talking about. Again this is a must see, I would give the video a million stars if I could.

Video Arts International released this video in the mid-80's. VAI was a pioneer in the home video industry, and at the vanguard of this adventure was entrepreneur and arts enthusiast, Ernie Gilbert, who allowed one of his young employees to pursue the signing of the rights to the TV documentary entitled THE COLTRANE LEGACY. Previously, VAI had only ventured into the licensing of Operatic and Ballet performances, generally from vintage TV footage, for release to the home video, and the institutional video market.

Mr. Gilbert gave the ok to his 'employee' (an independent marketing consultant and musician, Marc Jacoby) to pursue a line of releases in the genre of jazz and world music. Jacoby subsequently got in contact with the Chertok family. David Chertok was a well known jazz enthusiast and held the rights to the documentary he created about John Coltrane. The interviews and material were already edited by Chertok, and the completed package was the only thing available. VAI had no control over edits, missing portions, or those who were interviewed. VAI was certainly fortunate to have the Elvin Jones commentary, which is perhaps the most revealing and poignant insight into the essence of Coltrane.

Chertok also licensed the home video rights to VAI for the release of Trumpet Kings, and Piano Greats, both of which featured vintage footage of amazing talent, most culled from TV appearances. The final release by VAI in the genre was OLATUNJI: DRUMS OF PASSION, a performance by the famed West African percussion master, when his ensemble worked in the mid-80's opening up for the Grateful Dead in Oakland. The performance was broadcast live on TV, and the rights were controlled by Grateful Dead drummer, Mickey Hart, who negotiated the licensing of the home video rights with Jacoby and VAI on behalf and in conjunction with Olatunji. Deadheads would be interested to know that Hart only discussed business backstage, in between sets, at his own performances! The videocassette was then 'target marketed' to the great Grateful Dead community at live performance settings, through GD merchandising.

This history is presented simply to quell the criticism of those who speak negatively of the Coltrane release. This is all VAI had to work with, and we are all lucky to have every last second of this master saxophonist providential abilities. We should all be particularly appreciative of the life long work of David Chertok and his son for keeping these visual and audio images alive, and the courage of home video pioneer, Ernie Gilbert, for extending the freedom to his employee to pursue these releases.