Customer Reviews

RON CARTER & ART FARMER: Live at Sweet Basil (with Billy Higgins and Cedar Walton)

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

 

 

Recorded in 1990 at New York's Sweet Basil, four Jazz masters come together for a set of great jazz, performing originals written for the occasion and standards like "My Funny Valentine." Also included: rehearsal footage and illuminating interviews. Carter's bass, Farmer's trumpet and flugelhorn, Walton's piano and Higgins' drums have never sounded better!

#1330 (60 min, Hi-Fi Stereo)

Art Farmer is one of my personal gods, and when he's joined by the dream rhythm section of cedar walton, ron carter and billy higgins all on top form, the music doesn't disappoint. However my DVD skips all over the place, and has awful cuts. I wrote to the manufacturer, but no reply - so I guess they don't really care. A tragedy to treat timeless classic music in this manner.
Having said this, the music is essential so has to be heard (get the video perhaps?)

The company that made this DVD decided to get creative with its format and ruined the show. First of all, instead of having each tune on a different track they put each head and solo on their own track. Different... but pointless. Especially because on my disc, track 17 (which is Billy Higgins solo on the third tune) does skip to track 18, but track 18 is actually a repeat of track 5 (which is the head out of the first tune). So the head out of the third tune is replaced with the head from the first tune. I sent it back and got another with the same glitch. There are seven tunes and 42 tracks. This makes your thumb do some hard work if you want to skip to another tune without going back to the main menu and choosing 'selection'. But the most annoying thing about this DVD is that throughout the performance yellow letters pop up in front of the musicians distracting us from the great solos. The yellow letters tell us facts about the musician who is soloing. For example, "Cedar Walton has played with numerous musicians and appeared on a recording with Kenny Dorham." Many of them are actually interesting but it's very distracting because when they pop up you automatically begin reading instead of listening. I won't say that this DVD will not be enjoyable to you but I know I was a lot more excited to get it than I am watching it now. Too many distractions. The camera shots are nice and tasteful with a good balance of close-ups and far shots. But those damn yellow words...

These are the Masters of improvisation and swinging songcraft. Ron Carter's solos bring you on trips through inner and outer space while touching ground with musical quotes recollecting the vast library of jazz. Watching the late Billy Higgins smiling will brighten your day. The visuals and the audio are excellent - very professionally done.

This DVD showcases some top notch performers working
together on some great tunes. They demonstrate that
great warmth and harmony among musicians that is such
an important facet of jazz. There is, only one flaw,
in my opinion, and that is, in the transfer process.
There are freezes, in spots on the show. I bought mine
locally, and the store exchanged it, still, same exact
freezes, in the same exact places. Rather unprofessional
for a modern production. But that said, I overlooked
these flaws, as the event itself, overshadowed this.