Cannonball Adderley
Live In '63
Jazz Icons DVD

Bill Evans
Live '64-75
Jazz Icons DVD

Lionel Hampton
Live In '58
Jazz Icons DVD

Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Live in '63 & '67
Jazz Icons DVD

Oscar Peterson
Live In '63, '64 & 65
Jazz Icons DVD

Sonny Rollins
Live In "64 & '68
Jazz Icons DVD

Nina Simone
Live In '65 & '68
Jazz Icons DVD
By George W. Harris

There is a good reason that each Jazz Icon DVD begins with a choral
"Hallelujah." Every fan should praise God for His gift, since every
good thing comes from above. This music includes stuff that is a hint
of heaven, and will be a pleasure for jazz fans everywhere, both
musically and visually.

Cannonball Adderley is caught in two 63 gigs in Switzerland and
Germany, respectively, with what was arguably his best band, including
brother Nat (cornet), Yusef Lateef (reeds), a cephalically hirsuit
Joe Zawinul (piano), Sam Jones (bass) and Louis Hayes (drums). The band
cooks like Wolfgang Puck on burners like "Jive Samba" and "Unit 7".
Adderley nonchalantly sprays out a myriad of licks, while a very cool
and dapper Lateef switches between full bodied tenor, exotic oboe and
ethereal flute on "Jessica's Day," "Trouble In Mind", and "Angel Eyes"
respectively. The rhythm section snaps like a campfire, with deep
incessantly stronger grooves on each chorus of tunes like "Bohemia
After Dark." Absolutely joyous music.

While Adderley is captured during one peak year, pianist Bill Evans is
represented over a period of just under a decade, in various
configurations. 1964 finds him with one of his best trios, featuring
Chuck Israels/b and Larry Bunker/d for a pair of intimate readings, of
which "My Foolish Heart" is jarring in beauty. 1965 has Evans with
Alan Dawson/d, Niels Henning Orsted-Pederson/b and Lee Konitz guesting
on alto for a fittingly dry "Melancholy Baby." By 1970, Evans is
starting to show a bit of wear and tear during his Denmark and Swedish
gigs with Eddie Gomez/b and Marty Morrell/d. The music, as Evans slowly
started his downhill slide, got more and more emotive, with tunes like
"Emily" and "Re: A Person I Knew" filled with glorious moments. The
closing 1975 gig in Denmark is right about the same time as Evans'
classic meeting with Tony Bennett, with the infamous cover photo. On
this evening, Evans while he appears highly mortal, he and his band of Gomez
and Eliot Zigmund/dr, still give emotive treatments of "But Beautiful" and
and energetic ""Up With The Lark." This is music at it's most
vulnerable, and fascinating to observe.

On the completely opposite side of the temperament spectrum, Lionel
Hampton leads a swinging and loose 1958 band during a fun concert in
Belgium. In fact, they're SO loose, you've got to wonder why bassist
Julius Browne is wearing sunglasses during the gig. Some scuffle
between sets with someone? No big named sidemen, but the guys do their
job, with tenorist Andy McGee sounding very hip during his solo on "Hot
Club Blues." Hampton and company go through a clever "history of jazz"
by featuring music from each evolving style, with "Hamps Piano Blues" a
boogie woogie delight. The sprinting "The Chase" shows how the band
could deliver the goods, with a no holds barred two trumpet battle
between Eddie Williams and Art Hoyle. Lots of good vibes all around.

Rahsaan Roland Kirk benefits most from having his music presented on
DVD. Playing two or three instruments at a time, or altering between
self-created horns in the middle of a solo demands seeing to be
believed. It's just amazing how he could master so many instruments,
and at the same time, without it appearing gimmicky. The two 63
concerts (from Belgium and Holland) find a very cool looking Kirk and
band (George Gruntz/p, Guy Pedersen/b and Daniel Humair/d) crackling
through bop tunes like "Milestones" adn "Bags' Groove". With right hand
on manzello, and left on tenor, Kirk veers through "Lover" like there's
no tomorrow. The stop-start timing on "Three For The Festival",
featuring Kirk on three horns simultaneously, must be seen over and
over to be believed. The 67 show in Norway includes Ron Burton/p,
NHOP/b and Alex Riel/d digging deep grooves over tunes like "The
Shadow Of Your Smile." His tenor work during "Blue Rol" shows that he
was highly underrated at playing one instrument at a time. You'll check
this one out many times over.

The Oscar Peterson Trio was the toast of the world when these gigs were
performed in Sweden, Denmark, and Finland, respectively. Ray Brown/b
and Ed Thigpen/p tear through ebullient versions of "Reunion Blues",
"On Green Dolphin Street" and "Chicago" with Peterson as they set the
standard for the piano trio. Trumpeter Roy Eldridge joins the trio in
Sweden for a tightly muted "But Not For Me" that builds in intensity
for four fierce choruses. Clark Terry brings a whole different mood to
Finland, as he waxes elegance on "Misty" before bringing the house down
with a hilariously classic "Mumbles" that deserves it's status as one
of the high points of vocal jazz. Why do these guys make it seem so
easy?

Caught in Denmark/65 and 68 when Sonny Rollins was, well, SONNY
ROLLINS, the tenorist looks, sounds and plays like a guy who is the
Saxophone Colossus. With his head shaved and a sporting a groovy beard,
Rollins does the trio format with NHOP/b and Alan Dawson/d in 65 for
some room filling playing on "There Will Never Be Another You" and
"Darn That Dream". The band glides like Katerina Witt on
"Oleo/Sonnymoon for Two" as Rollins, with ever cool demeanor, tears of
the layers of the piece like pealing an onion. The 68 quartet includes
pianist Kenny Drew and drummer Tootie Heath along with NHOP and a
bereted Rollins for a thunderous "Green Dolphin Street". Rollins' a
capella intro, and 90 second closing cadenza, are simply heart
stopping. Heath is having a good time during this set, humming along
"St. Thomas" as he snaps, crackles and pops through the tune. Classic
period of a classic tenor.

Pianist/singer/activist Nina Simone visibly demonstrates the a-changes
that occurred during the tumultuous 60s. Her 65 Holland set has Ms.
Simone in elegant European-style attire as she delivers chilling
versions of songs like "Four Women" and "Brown Baby". By 1968, she had
become a symbol of the Black Power movement, and is dressed in more
African attire during her harrowing treatments of "I Put A Spell On
You" and the forewarning "Go To Hell." The only problem with watching
this lady during the two shows is that she has a perpetual sour puss on
her face. Does music always have to exhibit anger?