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This Jazz Icons DVD set is a treasure trove of jazz music history. It is also more eclectic than it might at first appear. Sure, these are all primarily straight ahead jazz players – there's not a controversial Miles Davis fusion effort in the bunch, for instance. Nevertheless, Duke Ellington's orchestrations exist a great sonic distance from Wes Montgomery's electric guitar, while Dave Brubeck's overt cool contrasts markedly from Dexter Gordon's hot sax work. So if you spring for this whole package, you'll certainly find something you like.
Sarah Vaughan's powerful performances represent the only jazz singing in the set. But then again, you can't do much better than Sarah. Although she admits to having a cold, and can even be spotted wiping her nose now and again, this slight illness does not have an adverse affect on her singing. Divided between 1958 performances in Sweden and Holland, and one later 1964 set from Sweden, this disc finds Vaughan primarily sticking to the standards. She truly made "Misty" her own, which is evidenced on this DVD, and her take on "Over The Rainbow" might just make you forget Judy Garland's version – at least for a minute.
Wes Montgomery's '65 set gives plenty of insight into this unique man's working style. His work ethic even impresses contemporary guitarist Pat Metheny, who provides extensive liner notes. Metheny points out, for instance, how Montgomery is captured teaching accompaniment arrangements to his backing musicians. He does so by explaining these tunes using keys and notes. So while some have suggested Montgomery couldn't read music, Metheny uses these scenes to specifically debunk that theory.
Watching Dave Brubeck's understated beauty is a true joy. His selections include two different takes on the big hit, "Take Five", as well as a version of "Take the 'A' Train". The way alto saxophonist Paul Desmond plays off of Dave Brubeck's piano never gets old, so you may find yourself – like me – watching this DVD again and again.
Books could be written about Duke Ellington -- and already have been -- so it's hard to know where to start in describing his contribution to this package. The combination of "Kinda Dukish/Rockin' in Rhythm" shows off how this sophisticated man could let loose and swing with the best of 'em. "Sophisticated Lady" reveals a more contemplative side, however. There is also a 10-song Ellington medley near the end of the disc. A medley is necessary because it would be impossible to fit all of Duke's great songs in just one concert.
Much like Ellington, John Coltrane's impact cannot be summarized in a mere paragraph. Nevertheless, it's worth noting that he's backed by one of the best sideman groupings of all time. McCoy Tyner throws together bold piano chords, Jimmy Garrison holds down the bass groove, while Elvin Jones shows what a machine he is on drums.
Bassist Charles Mingus is sampled from three shows, in three different countries – Belgium, Norway, and Sweden. His playing is consistently strong, although he's nearly overshadowed by Eric Dolphy, who switches from alto sax, to flute, to bass clarinet. Is there anything Dolphy couldn't play?
Dexter Gordon applies his perfected tenor sax tone to extended song versions, which include "A Night in Tunisia" and "You've Changed". These particular performances coincided with a time when Gordon also lived in Europe. He has influenced both John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins, and it's easy to see why he had such a special impact after viewing his playing here.
As good as these DVDs are there are even more in the Jazz Icon series. These others include such folks as Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie. But watching all 16 might amount to an overdose of a good thing – if that's even possible. Jazz music never received the sort of MTV visual exposure given rock, so there isn't a whole lot of it available to watch. Thus, these DVDs offer a great way to see what these great pioneers looked like in action.
8 DVD Box Set featuring: Duke Ellington Live In '58 Dave Brubeck Live in '64 & '66 Charles Mingus Live in '64 Dexter Gordon Live in '63 & '64 Wes Montgomery Live in '65 Sarah Vaughan Live in '58 & '64 John Coltrane Live in '60 & '61 & '65
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