Benny
Goodman/Adventures In The Kingdom Of Swing Benny
Goodman: Adventures in the Kingdom of Swing is the
definitive Benny Goodman story as premiered on over
100 public television stations nationwide. This incredible
video is a comprehensive documentary covering Goodman's
career. Produced by WNET's Emmy Award-winning American
Masters series, this is a story of a man who, with
clarinet in hand, rose to become one of our country's
cultural icons. This biography includes rare, never-before-seen
performance footage from the '20s and '30s, studio
rehearsal footage from the '50s, home movies, rare
audio tracks, and video footage of Goodman recounting
his own life.
Herbie
Hancock/The Jazz Channel Presents Herbie Hancock
Legendary jazz pianist, composer and
innovator Herbie Hancock performs live on "Jazz
Central." This concert was recorded live at Black
Entertainment Television's Studio II in Washington,
D.C. It features Hancock playing his Grammy Award-winning
style of jazz with his complex and earthy rhythmic signature.
Tracks: Fascinating Rhythm, St. Louis Blues, Cotton
Tail, Blueberry Rhyme, The Man I Love, Here Come De
Honey Man, Cantaloupe Island, One Finger Snap, Maiden
Voyage.
Keith
Jarrett/Solo Tribute: The 100th Performance In Japan
(1987) Captured live at Tokyo's Suntory
Hall, renowned piano virtuoso Keith Jarrett performs
some of his most memorable and haunting standards before
an enthusiastic crowd. Performed entirely solo, these
numbers clearly reveal the breadth and power of his
immense musical skills. Tracks: The Night We Called
It a Day, I Love You, Things Ain't What They Used to
Be, Sound, I Loves You Porgy, There Is No Greater Love,
Round About Midnight, Solar, Then I'll Be Tired of You,
Sweet and Lovely, The Wind, Do Nothing Till You Hear
from Me, I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good, Summertime.
Keith
Jarrett Trio/Live At Open Theatre East (1993) An
original and influential stylist, pianist Keith Jarrett
and his trio, Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette, bring
fresh, innovative interpretations to several "standards"
in this breathtaking live performance recorded in 1993.
Tracks: In Your Own Sweet Way, Butch and Butch, Basin
Street Blues, Solar-Extension, If I Were a Bell, I Fall
in Love Too Easily, Oleo, Bye Bye Blackbird, The Cure,
I Thought About You. 130 minutes.
Nat
King Cole/An Evening With Nat King ColeAn
Evening with Nat King Cole is one of the few Nat
"King" Cole concerts ever recorded and arguably
the best. All but forgotten in a vault for more than
thirty years since its original broadcast in 1961 by
the British Broadcasting Company, this captivating show
is now available on video for the first time, and in
color. With its honest simplicity, "An Evening
with Nat King Cole" showcases Nat's ability to
touch an audience with his smooth style and gentle grace.
Miles
Davis/Live In Munich (1988) For
more than 50 years, trumpeter/bandleader Miles Davis
was a major innovator of cool, modal, avant-garde,
and fusion jazz styles. This program captures Davis's
band: alto saxophonist/flutist Kenny Garrett, Keyboardists
Robert Irving III and Adam Holzmann, lead bassist
Joseph "Foley" McCreary, and bassist Benjamin
Rietveld, percussionist Marilyn Mazur, and drummer
Ricky Wellman, live in Munich, Germany on July 10th,
1988.
Thelonious
Monk/Straight, No Chaser This exemplary
documentary about seminal jazz pianist and composer
Thelonious Monk reaps the benefits of multiple blessings,
including the skilled editorial hand of director Charlotte
Zwerin and the patronage of executive producer (and
erstwhile jazz pianist) Clint Eastwood. Most vital is
the use of extensive 1968 footage, shot by Michael and
Christian Blackwood, documenting the sometimes moody,
sometimes puckish Monk in the studio, on tour, and off
stage, which on its own would make this essential jazz
viewing.
Louis
Armstrong/Satchmo This DVD traces
Armstrong's life from his upbringing in New Orleans
through his travels on the road as a singer, songwriter,
and actor, as well as discussing his impact on the civil
rights movement. The documentary very capably shows
the breadth of Armstrong's talents with footage of Armstrong's
appearances in both early and later movies, footage
of concert performances spanning 4 decades.
Various
Artists/Jazz On A Summer's Day Stern's
circular approach and wonderful eye achieve a breezy
languor at the expense of more comprehensive coverage
of the festival's bumper crop of strong jazz, blues,
and gospel musicians. Perhaps inevitably, the camera
lingers on Louis Armstrong, Anita O'Day, Mahalia Jackson,
Dinah Washington, Thelonious Monk, Gerry Mulligan, and
George Shearing
