Jazz

Live In Las Vegas- A New Day..

No Description Available.
Genre: Music Video - Pop/Rock
Rating: NR
Release Date: 11-DEC-2007
Media Type: DVD

If you were one of the handful of folks who missed Céline Dion's mega-run in Las Vegas, fear not: Céline Dion: A New Day is a riveting, sumptuous front-row seat to the whole extravagant experience. As concert DVDs go, this is a show of a lifetime, nearly six hours featuring not only no-expenses-spared production values and every song from Dion's famed show, but priceless extras as well. Dion's substantial voice is in fine form, and sparkles on signature tunes like "A New Day Has Come," "The Power of Love," and of course the theme from Titanic, "My Heart Will Go On" (and Dion-watchers will note that she's thankfully dialed back the breast-beating that used to accompany this song).

But as impressive as the performances are--and they include the talented gymnasts, dancers, and backup singers who work as a Cirque du Soleil-style ensemble--the set's most memorable moments are found in the personal footage and extras. Dion comes across as truly humble and approachable, with a wicked sense of humor and real compassion for her hard-working staff and her fans. There are sweet, intimate moments of Dion with her husband and son, as well as telling scenes that show her true resourcefulness (girlfriend does her own makeup!). The many docs include one on the building of her special theater and the building of the show from the ground up. "If you're going to gamble," says Dion's manager and husband, René Angélil, "Vegas is the place to do it." Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner. --A.T. Hurley

Legends of Jazz: Showcase [Blu-ray]

The critically-acclaimed Legends of Jazz with Ramsey Lewis - the first weekly television series devoted to jazz in more than 40 years - debuted nationally on PBS stations in April 2006. Now presented on the superior new Blu-ray Disc format Legends of Jazz with Ramsey Lewis "Showcase" is an all-star collection of 13 riveting live performances from the series by some of the biggest stars in jazz.Format: BLU-RAY DISC Genre: MUSIC DVD/CONCERTS UPC: 878509000520 Manufacturer No: 090005

Chris Botti: Live (With Orchestra and Special Guests) [Blu-ray]

Jazz trumpeter Chris Botti is mostly exquisite on this concert DVD, which gives old fans and new arrivals a chance to hear him apply his rich, expressive playing to a number of old standards, as well as one or two of his own compositions. Botti, along with a remarkable band including Billy Childs on piano and Billy Kilson on drums, plays six numbers as instrumentals but is joined on eight other performances by a few guests. Sans vocals, Botti warms up a delighted audience with a nice, if slightly exercised, take on "Someone to Watch Over Me," but proves magnificent on "When I Fall In Love" and especially Leonard Cohen's "A Thousand Kisses Deep." Then out glides old pal Sting (who invited Botti to join his own touring band some years ago), who has a nice go at "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?", followed by jazz-blues belter Jill Scott's terrific "Good Morning Heartache." Less effective are two appearances by Paula Cole, of which the second, "The Look of Love," doesn't work particularly well for anyone, including Botti and composer-pianist Burt Bacharach (also onstage). Renee Olstead sizzles up the joint with her kittenish "Pennies from Heaven," and Sting returns for a comic if touching "My Funny Valentine." --Tom Keogh

December 2005. Los Angeles, California. Trumpeter Chris Botti, on the heels of his break-through gold certified album "When I Fall In Love", and the record-breaking follow up "To Love Again", plays two triumphant shows at the Wilshire Theatre backed by a full orchestra and his virtuosic band. Playing repertoire mostly culled from these two hit albums, Chris is joined onstage by some of the world's most accomplished singers and musicians (in order of appearance) Sting, Jill Scott, Paula Cole, Burt Bacharach, Renee Olstead, Paul Buchanan and Gladys Knight. Filmed for the PBS Special "Chris Botti Live With Orchestra and Special Guests"....and now available on Blu-ray Disc. Presented in full 1080 High Definition and stunning high-fidelity uncompressed surround sound.

Crossroads Guitar Festival

Although it could have been twice as long, this double-DVD set effectively captures over three hours of highlights from one of the most comprehensive and diverse collection of guitarists ever assembled for a single event. Recorded over three days in June of 2004 to benefit Eric Clapton's Crossroads Center in Antigua (as do the sales of this set), the show is not surprisingly heavy on the rootsy blues and country that comprise Clapton's primary inspirations. But it also includes folk (James Taylor), gospel (Robert Randolph & the Family Band), fret-shredding rockers (Steve Vai who delivers a dazzling performance), jazz (John McLaughlin), and, most interestingly, Indian classical music (a stunning piece from Vishwa Mohan Bhatt).

Most compelling are the rare and sometimes unusual collaborations. Joe Walsh and Taylor clown around on "Steamroller Blues," and Booker T. & the M.G.'s back both Joe Walsh on a rollicking "Rocky Mountain Way" and Los Lobos' David Hidalgo tearing into a sizzling "The Neighborhood." Clapton and J.J. Cale share the stage as do Clapton and Carlos Santana, and a show-stopping blues summit with Robert Cray, Jimmie Vaughan, Hubert Sumlin, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, and Clapton is a treat for all involved.

There are some shortcomings. The event isn't presented in chronological order--different stages, days, and backing bands are shuffled with Clapton's own set scattered throughout--ZZ Top's closing is a bit anticlimactic, and there are many omissions due to time constraints. But every act rises to the occasion, and this expertly recorded and shot DVD gives the viewer a front-row seat to a once-in-a-lifetime experience. --Hal Horowitz

A guitar concert featuring Eric Clapton.
Genre: Music Video: Concerts
Rating: NR
Release Date: 9-NOV-2004
Media Type: DVD

Buena Vista Social Club

In 1996, composer, producer, and guitar legend Ry Cooder entered Egrem Studios in Havana with the forgotten greats of Cuban music, many of them in their 60s and 70s, some of them long since retired. The resulting album, Buena Vista Social Club, became a Grammy-winning international bestseller. When Cooder returned to Havana in 1998 to record a solo album by 72-year-old vocalist Ibrahim Ferrer, filmmaker Wim Wenders was on hand to document the occasion. Wenders splits the film between portraits of the performers, who tell their stories directly to the camera as they wander the streets and neighborhoods of Havana, and a celebration of the music heard in performance scenes in the studio, in their first concert in Amsterdam, and in their second and final concert at Carnegie Hall. The songs are too often cut short in this fashion, but Buena Vista Social Club is not a concert film. Wenders weaves the artist biographies with a glimpse of modern Cuba remembering its past, capturing a lost culture in music that is suddenly, unexpectedly revived for audiences in Havana and around the world. Wenders makes his presence practically invisible, as if his directorial flourishes or off-screen narration might deflect attention from the artists, who do a fine job of telling their own stories through interviews and music. It's a loving portrait of a master class in Cuban music, with a vital cast of aging performers whose energy and passion belie their years. --Sean Axmaker

"The Buena Vista Social Club" guitarist Ry Cooder s celebrated album featuring the recently re-discovered talents of Cuba s foremost folk musicians sold millions of copies and earned a Grammy Award. Now Cooder teams up with acclaimed director Wim Wenders (Paris Texas) to reveal the astonishing life stories vibrant personalities and unforgettable music of the brilliantly talented but long-overlooked performers who collaborated on this now-legendary recording. Form the crumbling barrios of their native Havana to their triumphant sold-out concerts in Amsterdam and New York s Carnegie Hall it s an unforgettable deeply emotional journey into the passion pride and humanity of the artists whose music sparked a worldwide musical phenomenon!System Requirements:Starring: Ry Cooder Ibrahim Ferrer Rueben Gonzalez Eliades Ochoa Omara Portuondo and Compay Segundo. Directed By: Wim Wenders. Running Time: 105 mins color. This film is presented in "Standard" format. Copyright: 1999 Artisan Live Entertainment.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating:  UPC: 012236101765 Manufacturer No: 10176

The Alice Faye Collection, Vol. 2 (Rose of Washington Square / Hollywood Cavalcade / The Great American Broadcast / Hello, Frisco, Hello / Four Jills in a Jeep)

Disc 1:The Great American BroadcastDisc 2:Four Jills in a JeepDisc 3:Rose of Washington SquareDisc 4:Hollywood CavalcadeDisc 5:Hello Frisco HelloFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY/COMEDY OF MANNERS Rating: NR UPC: 024543525974 Manufacturer No: 2252597

Diana Krall - Live in Paris

Does it get any better than this? Canadian torch singer and pianist Diana Krall is in perfect form in this two-hour Paris concert, recorded in December 2001 shortly after the release of her CD The Look of Love. In her band, guitarist Anthony Wilson and bassist John Clayton get the lion's share of attention, but the entire ensemble (including lush strings from the Paris Symphony Orchestra) provides flawless support for Krall, whose skill on a Steinway is as impressive as her smoky interpretations of vintage standards and ballads. Inspired by guest conductor-arranger Claus Ogerman, Krall can surprise with subtleties (like a delicious hint of the Beatles' "Day Tripper" in her closing of "All or Nothing"), or glide into solos with a master's flair. Matching the music beat for beat, the camera coverage and editing are intimate without being obtrusive, making this a bit of jazz heaven here on earth. --Jeff Shannon

Recorded live at the Paris Olympia on December 1, 2001, Krall's classic style blends equal parts artistic vision, hard work and determination. The British Columbia native began playing piano at the age of four and now has five stunning albums behind her. She made her debut with the critically acclaimed Only Trust Your Heart and the album topped the Billboard jazz charts for the most of 1998, earning Krall a Grammy nomination. She went on to win a Best Jazz Vocal Performance Grammy for 1999's platinum-selling When I Look in Your Eyes and became the first jazz artist in 25 years to be nominated in the Album of the Year category.

Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 1976

The chance to witness world class musicians and a great band at a vital point in its evolution is the appeal of Weather Report: Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 1976. Joe Zawinul (keyboards) and Wayne Shorter (saxophones), co-founders of the enterprise that many would call the greatest jazz-fusion group ever, had recently been joined by a player of almost equal stature: Jaco Pastorius, who at age 24 was busy re-defining the fretless electric bass for generations to come. Pastorius had played on some of Black Market, the most recent Weather Report recording, but he'd only been touring with them for three months when they appeared at the Montreux event; though not yet fully integrated, his playing here frequently backs up his self-description as "the greatest bass player in the world," not only on Black Market material like Shorter's "Elegant People" and Zawinul's "Cannon Ball" and title song (two of his most melodic and enduring tunes) but on earlier items like "Badia" and "Scarlet Woman" as well. With Manolo Badrena on percussion and the explosive Alex Acuna on drums, this was the quintet that would go on to release the landmark Heavy Weather album a year later (you can hear Zawinul noodling on the melody that would become "Birdland," their breakout hit, during "Dr. Honoris Causa"). This gig, which clocks in at slightly under 90 minutes, is smoking from start to finish. The band expands on (and, in the case of "Black Market," slightly speeds up) the recorded versions; as always, the balance of composition and improvisation is brilliant, underlining Zawinul's description of Weather Report as a band that "never solos, but always solos." Although one might wish for a better audio mix (the drums and percussion are too loud, and the overall sound is on the shrill side), this is a welcome addition to the catalogue of a wonderful and important band that's woefully underrepresented on DVD. (Note: Fans will also want to check out the DVD of a '78 performance that's included in Forecast: Tomorrow, Weather Report's 2006 boxed CD set.) --Sam Graham

Weather Report was founded in 1970 by musicians who had met while playing with Miles Davis. This Montreux Festival show from 1976 follows on from the release of their album "Black Market" but features the line-up that would release their most famous and successful album "Heavy Weather" in 1977. This line-up features Joe Zawinul (keyboards) Wayne Shorter (saxophones) Jaco Pastorius (bass) Alex Acuna (drums) and Manolo Badrena (percussion). Previously only available as a bootleg of a TV broadcast this new DVD release is fully authorized and has been restored to its full length.Tracklisting1) Elegant people2) Scarlet Woman3) Barbary Coast4) Portrait of Tracy(bassolo)5) Cannonball6) Black market7) Drum & Percussion Duet8) Piano & Saxophone Duet9) Dr Honoris Causa/Directions10) Badia/GibraltarSystem Requirements:Running Time: 80 Mins.Format: DVD AUDIO Genre: MUSIC DVD/CONCERTS Rating: UNRATED UPC: 801213914692 Manufacturer No: 39146-9

Chris Botti - Live - With Orchestra & Special Guests

Jazz trumpeter Chris Botti is mostly exquisite on this concert DVD, which gives old fans and new arrivals a chance to hear him apply his rich, expressive playing to a number of old standards, as well as one or two of his own compositions. Botti, along with a remarkable band including Billy Childs on piano and Billy Kilson on drums, plays six numbers as instrumentals but is joined on eight other performances by a few guests. Sans vocals, Botti warms up a delighted audience with a nice, if slightly exercised, take on "Someone to Watch Over Me," but proves magnificent on "When I Fall In Love" and especially Leonard Cohen's "A Thousand Kisses Deep." Then out glides old pal Sting (who invited Botti to join his own touring band some years ago), who has a nice go at "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?", followed by jazz-blues belter Jill Scott's terrific "Good Morning Heartache." Less effective are two appearances by Paula Cole, of which the second, "The Look of Love," doesn't work particularly well for anyone, including Botti and composer-pianist Burt Bacharach (also onstage). Renee Olstead sizzles up the joint with her kittenish "Pennies from Heaven," and Sting returns for a comic if touching "My Funny Valentine." --Tom Keogh

"A passionate evening of instrumental storytelling…it was apparent from the first notes Chris Botti played at the Wilshire Theatre on Friday, that the sold-out house was in for a special evening." -Don Heckman, Los Angeles Times

December 2005. Los Angeles, California. Trumpeter Chris Botti, on the heels of his break-through gold certified album"When I Fall In Love," and the record-breaking follow-up, "To Love Again," plays two triumphant shows at the Wilshire Theatre backed by a full orchestra and his virtuosic band. Playing repertoire mostly culled from these two hit albums, Chris is joined onstage by some of the world's most accomplished singers and musicians (in order of appearance): Sting, Jill Scott, Paula Cole, Burt Bacharach, Renee Olstead, Paul Buchanan, and Gladys Knight. The show is filmed for the PBS special, "Chris Botti Live with orchestra & special guests…and this DVD.

DVD PROGRAM
1) Someone To Watch Over Me
2) When I Fall In Love
3) A Thousand Kisses Deep
4) What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?- featuring Sting
5) Good Morning Heartache- featuring Jill Scott
6) My One and Only Love- featuring Paula Cole
7) The Look Of Love- featuring Paula Cole and Burt Bacharach
8) Cinema Paradiso
9) Pennies From Heaven- featuring Renee Olstead
10) Are You Lonesome Tonight?- featuring Paul Buchanan
11) Lover Man- featuring Gladys Knight
12) My Funny Valentine- featuring Sting
13) Why Not
14) One For My Baby— BONUS not on original PBS broadcast

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.

In post-World War II America, few cultural upheavals matched bebop for sheer exhilaration. Spawned by jazz musicians whose paydays typically came with larger swing ensembles, bop was as much bastard as stepchild, refining the technical ambitions of its parent while breaking free of swing's formalism to play fast and loose with harmony, melody, and tempo. That mercurial spirit made heroes of high-flying, technically flamboyant players like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Bud Powell. Monk, by contrast, was as distinctive for his silences, crafting often skeletal melodies distinguished by unexpected, skewed harmonies. At one point dubbed the "high priest of bebop," he was more Zen archer, threading notes, warping chord structure, or stabbing "wrong" keys with a seeming looseness that in hindsight sounds as precise as haiku.

Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser provides an intelligent portrait of this often reclusive, sometimes difficult artist, including telling glimpses of his volatility. A stormy studio session with Teo Macero, then Columbia Records' preeminent jazz producer, speaks volumes about Monk's very private approach to his muse. Perceptive interviews and glimpses of Monk's sunnier moments provide added depth, yet the real triumph is the generous catalog of classic Monk songs captured on camera. --Sam Sutherland

Thelonious Monk: Straight No Chaser. Filmmaker Bruce Ricker couldn't believe his luck. Michael and Christian Blackwood's extensive 1968 footage of the groundbreaking modern jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk including the only footage of the very private Monk off stage was in excellent condition. The reels were in Ricker's words "just sitting there like the Dead Sea Scrolls of jazz." Ricker as co-producer joins director and fellow producer Charlotte Zwerin (Gimme Shelter) executive producer Clint Eastwood and others to bring these scrolls to astonishing life. Their Thelonious Monk: Straight No Chaser combines the Blackwood's rare footage of Monk in studio on tour and behind the scenes with new interviews archival photos and more to create a landmark aural and visual treat.Tunes in order of appearance: Evidence; Rhythm-a-ning; On the Bean; Round Midnight; Well You Needn't; Bright Mississippi; Blue Monk; Trinkle Tinkle; Rhythm-a-ning; Ugly Beauty; Ask Me Now; Just a Gigolo; Crepuscule with Nellie; I Should Care; We See; Osaka T.; Evidence; Epistrophy Don't Blame Me; Ruby My Dear; I Mean You; Lulu's Back in Town; Off Minor; Pannonica; Boo Boo's Birthday; Misterioso; Monk's Mood; Sweetheart of All My Dreams; Round Midnight. Year: 1988 Director: Charlotte ZwerinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. UPC: 085391189626