Jazz Icons Series 4 Box Set (Ntsc)

$119.99
$89.99 (DVD VIDEO)

Link to this DVD VIDEO

Anita O'Day: Live in '63 and '70 (more info)
Composed by: Anita O'Day na Not Applicable
Goran Engdahl, piano
John Poole, drums
George Arvanitas, piano
Jacky Samson, double bass
Charles Saudrais, drums
Roman Dylag,


1. Anita O'Day: Live in '63 and '70 (NTSC) - 01:00:00

Woody Herman: Live in '64 (more info)
Composed by: na Not Applicable
Woody Herman, soprano saxophone


1. Woody Herman: Live in '64 (NTSC) - 01:00:00

Art Blakey: Live in '65 (more info)
Composed by: Art Blakey na Not Applicable
Reggie Workman, double bass
Jaki Byard, piano
Freddie Hubbard, trumpet
Nathan Davis, saxophone


1. Art Blakey: Live in '65 (NTSC) - 01:00:00

Jimmy Smith: Live in '69 (more info)
Composed by: na Not Applicable
Eddie McFadden, guitar
Charlie Crosby, drums
Jimmy Smith, vocals


1. Jimmy Smith: Live in '69 (NTSC) - 01:30:00

Art Farmer: Live in '64 (more info)
Composed by: Steve Swallow na Not Applicable
Pete La Roca, drums
Jim Hall, guitar
Art Farmer, trumpet


1. Art Farmer: Live in '64 (NTSC) - 01:00:00

Coleman Hawkins: Live in '62 and '64 (more info)
Composed by: na Not Applicable
George Arvanitas, piano
Kansas Fields, drums
Coleman Hawkins, tenor saxophone
Jo Jones, drumset
Charles Thompson, piano
Harry Sweets Edison, trumpet
Jimmy Woode, double bass


1. Coleman Hawkins: Live in '62 and '64 (NTSC) - 02:20:00

Erroll Garner: Live in '63 and '64 (more info)
Composed by: na Not Applicable
Erroll Garner, piano
Eddie Calhoun, double bass
Kelly Martin, drums


1. Erroll Garner: Live in '63 and '64 (NTSC) - 01:00:00

Reviews

Jazz Treasure Box Lays Out How It's Done! (Dec 17, 2009)
Reviewer:Tym
Naxos is making amazing strides in its DVD program of rare Jazz concerts. This fourth box set is a treasure trove of peak performances.

Pianist ERROL GARNER can't keep his good humor inside, beaming as he casually rattles off stunningly complex jelly rolls, swing boogies, and baroque cascades. Listen close and you can hear his percussive growls as he conjures the keyboard into... Naxos is making amazing strides in its DVD program of rare Jazz concerts. This fourth box set is a treasure trove of peak performances.

Pianist ERROL GARNER can't keep his good humor inside, beaming as he casually rattles off stunningly complex jelly rolls, swing boogies, and baroque cascades. Listen close and you can hear his percussive growls as he conjures the keyboard into amazing sounds.

Vocalist ANITA O'DAY is virtually a one-woman band with her precision timing, saxophonic phrasing, crowd charming, and fiesty asides. We're lucky to see two shows of her bookending the 60's with a master class in first class vocalese.

Drummer ART BLAKEY is a congenial host, almost in stand-up mode, as he lays down the groove behind stellar players; Freddie Hubbard gets center stage for stunning workouts like their abstract take on "Blue Moon".

Clarinetist WOODY HERMAN comes out like a dervish with zeal to spare, rallying his 12-man horn army (!) into a breakneck frenzy. His crack team perfectly melds Swing and Bebop, with generous spotlights given to each, while Herman remains the soulful fun at the hurricane's heart.

The father of Jazz saxophone, COLEMAN HAWKINS, gets deluxe due with a whopping 2 hours 20 minutes of bop chops. His drummer on the first concert, Kansas Fields, puts sway into martial precision while Coleman puts the mellow in melodic.

Organist JIMMY SMITH brings the funky grooves, showing why he's become an icon for acidjazz, breakbeat, and neo-funk artists of today. Side-by-side his trio makes the stone cool heat up, especially with guitarist Eddie McFadden.

Flugelhornist ART FARMER is zenly intent in his inner groove, examining notes like diamond facets under a spotlight. His uncommon telepathy with his guitarist Jim Hall creates a harmony and handoff that is a wonder to listen to.

This box set includes an exclusive bonus disc of other unreleased gems. Drummer Louis Bellson lays down how it's done behind Coleman Hawkins. And Jimmy Smith makes revelations out of pop hits of the 60's. Amazing.

Each concert had the benefit of sharp camera work, always tasteful and with a strong instinct for details, at times like noir Blue Note covers come to life. The mastering in image and sound is first-rate. This set is a surefire winner all the way around!
(read more)

Live Jazz Nirvana (Oct 28, 2009)
Reviewer:Dean Brierly
The latest box set in Naxos’ amazing video jazz series maintains the superlative standard of the first three sets. Variety is once again the keynote, with many different eras, styles, moods and instrumentalists represented. Here’s a brief rundown of the individual discs: JIMMY SMITH LIVE IN ’69: The man who reinvented the Hammond organ as a jazz instrument is captured at the peak of his powers... The latest box set in Naxos’ amazing video jazz series maintains the superlative standard of the first three sets. Variety is once again the keynote, with many different eras, styles, moods and instrumentalists represented. Here’s a brief rundown of the individual discs: JIMMY SMITH LIVE IN ’69: The man who reinvented the Hammond organ as a jazz instrument is captured at the peak of his powers in this 90-minute concert filmed in Paris. If anything, his playing was even deeper and more expressive than ever as he, guitarist Eddie McFadden and drummer Charlie Crosby burn through their set list with soulful abandon. The highlights are too numerous to mention. Just sit back and enjoy. ART BLAKEY LIVE IN ’65: This one-hour concert depicts the iconic drummer (and leader of the Jazz Messengers) with a temporary band put together for a short European tour. But what a band: Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Nathan Davis on tenor, Jaki Byard on piano and Reggie Workman on bass. Although they existed as a unit only for the dozen or so concerts on this tour, they sound as tight as if they’d been together for years. The band stretches out on three numbers, two of them written by Hubbard, who demonstrates his amazing fluency and lyricism, while Davis tears through chorus after chorus with inspired intensity. This is a rare and historic look at an overlooked edition of the Messengers. ANITA O’DAY LIVE IN ’63 & ’70: O’Day was one of the four or five greatest female jazz singers of all time, and her live performances were, if anything, even more electrifying than her recordings, as these incredible concerts ably document. O’Day’s unique sense of time and her ability to tell a story through song is matched by her ability to swing with the facility of a horn player. I literally got goose bumps watching this. For my money, this is the best disc in the set. WOODY HERMAN LIVE IN ’64: The virtuoso clarinetist (and saxophonist, singer and band leader) steers a large ensemble through some volcanic versions of traditional and contemporary tunes, including Horace Silver’s soul-jazz classic “Sister Sadie.” Herman gives an appreciative audience the full measure of his improvisational genius, while graciously sharing the spotlight with such stellar soloists as saxophonist Sal Nistico, trumpeter Bill Chase and the amazing trombonist Phil Wilson. Great arrangements and performances, and the energy level is off the charts. ERROLL GARNER LIVE IN ’63 & ’64: Two great shows spotlight this underappreciated pianist, who never fit into a particular classification yet channeled the entire history of jazz in his playing. As a soloist, Garner possessed a masterful sense of dynamics, playing soft and delicate one moment, and with percussive intensity the next. Particularly interesting is the unspoken yet palpable connection Garner established with a live audience, effortlessly communicating his infectious joy in performance. ART FARMER LIVE IN ’64: In contrast to the sound and fury of the other performances, Farmer is pretty laid back in this concert for BBC television. Keeping company with guitarist Jim Hall, bassist Steve Swallow and drummer Pete La Roca, Farmer applies his burnished, buttery tone to a set of ballads and mid-tempo numbers, achieving an almost chamber music-like intimacy. Simply beautiful. COLEMAN HAWKINS LIVE IN ’62 & ’64: The father of the tenor saxophone, and one of the seminal influences on bebop, proved he still had plenty to say on his horn in these late-era concerts. Ably supported by like-minded musicians, Hawkins exhibits his trademark harmonic complexity in his solos, especially in his magisterial interpretations of timeworn ballads. BONUS DISC: And as if all that weren’t enough, there’s an extra DVD with more performances by Smith, Garner and Hawkins. This is essential stuff for anyone who’s even remotely interested in America’s greatest indigenous art form. Go git you some! (read more)