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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Newly Discovered Live Stuff!, July 23, 2008
What a great surprise, to find out that jazz/funk super group STUFF has finally seen the light of day on an official DVD release. During the seventies and eighties, this group of super session artists, were the most in demand studio musicians on the planet. Everyone from Aretha Franklin, Paul Simon, Ray Charles, Art Garfunkel, George Harrison, Grover Washington JR, Dianne Schurr, and Joe Cocker to name a few, used these guys in some shape or form on their records. When not recording for others, Stuff made their own brand of high octane Jazz/rock fusion, releasing several successful albums along the way. This DVD captures STUFF in 1976, live at the Montreaux Jazz Festival. They gained world-wide popularity, especially in Japan and of course New York, where they not only lived, but played all the big jazz clubs on a weekly basis. Big Gordan Edwards-Bass guitar, Steve Gadd-Drums, Cornell Dupree-guitar, and the late Richard Tee and Eric Gale on keyboards and guitar, made some of the finest funkified jazz/fusion ever waxed. This concert features some of their most intense instrumentals ever. Their sound is like no other, as we get to hear and see the late Eric Gale trade guitar licks with the great Cornell Dupree. As I have said before, they are the equivalent of Clapton and Allman, only in the Jazz/funk mode. Richard Tee's driving piano along with Steve Gadd on Drums provide the viewer with performance they will soon not forget. And anchoring that great rhythm section, was Big Gordon Edwards, who comes across like a captain running a flawless voyage. Such tunes as "Foots", "Signed Sealed Delivered, "How Long Will It Last", "Stuff's Stuff", and "Boogie On Reggae Woman", will put the listener into overdrive, like a well tuned sports car. During this time period, they were touring with Joe Cocker as well, so they serve up a funky version of "Feelin alright", and a great version of "You Are So Beautiful". There are 13 tracks in all, with a respectable picture and sound, considering this was taped 32 years ago. Gordon Edwards, and Chris Rea offer some very informative liner notes, and most notably, is that this is the only known STUFF perfomance in existance. To the surviving members of Stuff, Gordon Edwards, Steve Gadd, Cornell Dupree,and Chris Parker, and to the late Richard Tee and Eric Gale, I say thank-you for all those wonderful evenings at Mikell's at 97th and Columbus Ave, in New York City. This DVD and the companion CD comes with my highest recommendation, for all those who were there at the beginning like myself, and remained lifelong Stuff fans.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
At last ! The Holy Grail for Stuff fans !, August 15, 2008
Theres not much I can add to Anthony Accordino's ( " my learned colleague" ) excellent review / overview of group "Stuff " above but I will try to add a few personal comments in order to perhaps capture the curiosity of any passing music fans who may not be familiar with their unique approach to music.
For a point of reference I would say , what Booker T and the MGs were to the 60's ( that is backing the star vocalists of the time Otis Redding / Wilson Picket / Aretha Franklin as well as making instrumental albums under their own name ) Stuff were to the 70s and early 80s.The similarity between the two groups doesn't end there.
At the time of their release , for want of a category of their own, Stuff records were usually filed under "Jazz " or "Jazz Fusion" in stores partly because they were such proficient players when actually their music is the opposite of what was known as "Fusion. " Instead of that genre's blinding ,frantic displays of high speed soloing dexterity the members of Stuff ( though perfectly capable of such pyrotechnics if they chose -eg Steve Gadd's drumming on records by Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke ) had a mutual philosophy of sublimating their individual virtuosity in the creation of "the groove. " Like Booker T & the MGs they said " why play 100s of notes just because you can ? When 7 of the RIGHT notes at the right time will make an even greater emotional effect. " They chanelled their energies into a collective appearance of simplicity which is deceptive in its layers revealed only on repeated listenings. Each time it reveals more and more. They are indeed the " masters of the understatement" and in music , as in other arts, in fact most things in life , the perfectly pitched understatement is almost invariably more effective than the greatest bombast.
For me, it is the ultimate " desert island " music. That is , the often asked question " what is the one piece of music you would choose to have with you if you were stranded on a desert island ? " I would choose anything by Stuff as their music contains so many subtle surprises I am still discovering them after 30 years of listening.
Yet in the live situation Stuff reveal the power contained within their seemingly laid- back appearance. Which is why approximately half their recorded output were albums recorded live in NYC , Japan and now, Montreux . Now you can see the paradoxes that made Stuff unique. Slick yet loose , at once laid back AND fiery , disciplined yet lots of room for improvisation , down home countrified blues -gospel and NYC sophistication in the same tune-( within the same BARS of music yet ! )
So it is with great excitement we discover the the Montreux people have decided to release this document of these players at their prime.
The picture quality is very , very good allowing for the fact that the original source is video. A great job in that the co.'s budget included an excellent post-production digital tidy-up / enhancement which belies that medium's ( video ) visual limitations.
Especially in respect to the sound quality ( perhaps because original analogue sound lends itself better than pure digital to reproduction down the years ) the sound quality is stunning . Particularly in the interplay between the two guitars .
Any musician or anyone who has ears to appreciate perhaps the finest ensemble playing ever committed to tape , be grateful this artifact exists and at such a ridiculously cheap price. Do as I did and order the CD (for playing in the car ) and DVD for home . The best $25 investment you could possibly make.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
As good as it got, January 28, 2009
I always thought I was the biggest Stuff fan ever but reading these other reviews, I guess I do have some equals. I have been waiting for this DVD since they stopped playing as a band about 25 years ago. The great thing is that they were as amazing as I remember. I saw dozens of shows at Mikell's and although they were all wonderful - some were better than others and this show at Montreux was one of the great ones. Stuff was it's own kind of music. In the mid 70's when most musicians were fusion crazy, these guys were just getting deeper into groove, melody, and bluesy lyricism. The only thing I miss here is that Stuff actually had two drummers, the other being Chris Parker who was the original drummer in the band. Check out SNL season 2 box set and you'll see the whole band backing up Joe Cocker and playing "Foots".....nonetheless this Montreux show is as good as music gets. The famous quote around town back then was "Stuff ruined music for me - I knew it would never be this good again" so here it is - BUY THIS DVD!!!
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