SPECIAL DVD SECTION FOR THE WEEK:

Jazz Icons Series 5:
John Coltrane
Live In France 1965

Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers
Live In France 1959

Thelonious Monk
Live In France 1969

Johnny Griffin
Live In France 1971

Freddie Hubbard
Live In France 1973

Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Live In France 1972
Mosaic Records
www.mosaicrecords.com
By George W. Harris

If you haven’t purchased any of these dvds by Jazz Icons, you’re
missing some of the best visual display of jazz, period. In the past,
they’ve released material by Bill Evans, Buddy Rich, Count Basie and
other giants. This collection, their fifth is chock full of surprises
and unique experiences that make it a must-have. All were filmed in
France; see, there ARE things we can thank the French for besides
automobiles and crescents! Except for Monk and Kirk, the films are in
black and white. Don’t worry about that. Pray that these sessions may
be able to be put onto cd!
John Coltrane’s classic quartet of Elvin Jones/dr, McCoy Tyner/p and
Jimmy Garrison is filmed at the Antibes Jazz festival from July of 65,
and having recently recorded A Love Supreme, they seem to have taken
their music (as the song from Oklahoma goes) “just about as fer as it
can go.” A gorgeous “Naima” is followed by a robust and intense
“Ascension,” displaying some riveting and muscular work from Jones.
Most important historically here is the first and only public
performance of their magnum opus “A Love Supreme” with Coltrane
delivering a passionate take of “Acknowledgement.” Trane fans will NOT
want to miss a nanosecond of this

Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers are caught at the nascence of what is
arguably their best band, with Wayne Shorter/ts, Lee Morgan/tp, Jymie
Merrit/b and Walter Davis/p dressed like a quintet of secret agents as
they swing through classics like “Are You Real” and strut through the
hip minor “Goldie.” Most enjoyable is watching Shorter as he is in a
rare boppish form on Bud Powell’s “Bouncing With Bud.” Didn’t know he
had it in him! Morgan is hipper than can be described, as he saunters
through “Along Came Betty “ and “Blues March.” The bonus interview at
the end has a French journalist asking intellectual questions like
“What is your style” to a bemused Blakey who answers with down to earth
replies such as “It’s just me!” Classic!

The Thelonious Monk dvd is a real keeper. It finds the gentle giant all
by himself in a TV studio in Paris, and for 65 minutes he simply lets
himself go at the piano, delivering intimate and relaxed solo readings
of material as they come into his head. It’s like being invited to his
home, as he sounds comfy producing a reflective reading of “Monk’s
Mood,” a playful stride on “Epistrophy,” or an extrapolating “’Round
Midnight.” He seems bouyant and pleased with his handling of “Coming On
The Hudson,” showing a side of himself that most fans have never even
considered. Some raw footage from a TV documentary also has a French
journalist quizzing Monk with sophisticated questions, the highlight of
which is Monk pronouncing “Crepuscule With Nellie” with a French
accent. Improvisation at its best on many levels!

Once dubbed The Fastest Tenor Player, Johnny Griffin pretty much lives
up to that rep as he leads a cooking and assertive band of Art
Taylor/dr, Vince Benedetti/p, and Alby Culliaz/b through a concert and
studio recording. Of the former, he boils on “Blues For Harvey” while
showing his more delicate side on the sublime “When We Were Young.”
Dizzy Gillespie strolls on stage for a blistering “A Night In Tunisia”
and swaggering “Hot House.” The studio material is filled with bebop
heaven, with “Now’s The Time” sounding timeless. A real toe tapper.

Before he blew out his lip, Freddie Hubbard was, how do you say in
English…IT. He wrote incredible material, had hit records, chops like
Bruce Lee, and an attitude that made Sinatra seem humble. This gig
finds him and his team of Junior Cook/ts-fl, George Cables/p-key, Kent
Brinkley/g and Michael Carvin/dr, playing only 3 songs for their 50
minute set, but, hey, this is the 70s! They stretch out tunes like
“Straight Life” and “First Light” like salt water taffy; Hubbard and
the rhythm section are as loose as a goose on the former, and the
leader hits notes that people only dream of on the latter. “Intrepid
Fox” has Carvin hitting the ride cymbal like a hummingbird, and Cables’
electric piano is as slick as Afro Sheen. These guys look like they
could be in Sly and The Family Stone, but play like they came from
another planet. Whew!!

Rahsaan Roland Kirk transcends styles and eras on this wonderful
concert from 1972 with an acrobatic team of Ron Burton/p, Henry
Pearson/b, Joe Texidor/perc and Richie Goldberg/dr. He was capable of
being a one man reed section, playing multiple horns on songs like
“Satin Doll” where he goes from Ellington to Dvorak to Coltrane without
missing a beat. He had a Texas tenor sound that could go inside or
outside on “Blue Train” and “Lester Leaps In” while his New Orleans
sounding clarinet calls you to Bourbon Street on “For Bechet and
Ellington…” He gives nod to Motown on a wild take of Stevie Wonder’s
“My Cherie Amor” and does some amazing circular breathing on a boppish
“Groovin’ High.” This guy captures the dna of jazz like few other
artists. Memorable sounds and sights.