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DVD : Jazz Icons: Count Basie Live in '62 |
- Reeling in the Years Does it Again'Reeling in the Year' productions has done it again. They've scoured the world for high quality footage that many of us didn't dream existed. The entire Jazz Icons series, booklets and all is well worth it.
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- I can sum this DVD up in two words...... and those two words are SONNY PAYNE. To see the man in action is to experience a whole 'nuther level in drumming. From dropping atomic bombs to whisper quiet swingin' ride cymbal in the blink of an eye, Sonny Payne was the bedrock of this incredible group of musicians.
Look out for great solos from Thad Jones (how much talent did that family have?!), a three-trombone front line, and more.
As someone too young to have ever had the chance to see the Basie band with the man himself at the helm, this DVD is a treat. Must-have. Buy it now!
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- Like Basie? Get it.The picture and sound are excellent and the playing superb. Don't hesitate to snap it up if you like Basie, and especially the "atomic" band. This is my favorite Basie era, so it I find it terrific.
The accompanying booklet is welcome; but I wish there was a personnel listing.
People rarely seem to give gifts anymore with the idea "improving" the recipient's taste, but if you consider doing so, this would do the trick. The world was made better by Basie and his gang.
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- The Swing MachineThis is the Basie band at its best, missing only Eddie Lockjaw Davis. It swings and it roars. What a glorious memory. The film quality of this DVD is excellent, as is the sound. The performance is marred, however, by a dreadful vocalist, Irene Reid, and by an overly long Sonny Payne drum solo, complete with stick juggling and fumbling. Basie came from an era when people expected to be entertained.
Don't miss this one, jazz fans. The swing machine will help you remember better days.
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- Great snapshot of the Kennedy-era Basie bandCount Basie was one of the few big-band leaders who survived the shift in popular tastes from swing to pop vocals (and later, to rock'n'roll...) His organization chugged along over the decades, always maintaining a high level of professionalism and class. This film shows the Basie band in fine form, performing live in Sweden on April 24, 1962, and it is a study in economy, precision and swank, swinging ooompf. The Basie band didn't produce star players the same way Ellington or Art Blakey did, but there was certainly no shortage of talent in his lineup, and it's fascinating to see the ensemble alternate between controlled, tightly arranged ensemble playing and explosive bursts of bluesy power. Basie is a beaming, beatific presence throughout -- he obviously loved his work, and even if you've found his repertoire to be a little bit staid, the difference between *hearing* Basie's music and *seeing* it is immense. Here is a fine opportunity to see latter-day big band music at its finest... fun stuff!
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