Jazz DVDs

[mahayana]

I wondered how many of you have DVDs that are jazz-related? I bought a DVD player for about $30 at Walmart a few weeks ago, bought a copy of "Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil" out of the bargain bin (plus a few others) and I'm still learning how to use the remote.

So, any recommendations?

I bought the soundtrack of GOGAE back when the movie was new, as Clint Eastwood scored the movie with Johnny Mercer songs. I believe he also made a movie about Charlie Parker "Bird" that is good. I really like to watch jazz guys playing, do you know if there's much of this kind of media available?

[slowpoke]

My brother just got a couple norman granz produced dvds. One of Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and another of Basie. There's about 15 that show up in amazon if you search the dvd section for Norman Granz. They're all from the 70s and filmed in Montreux.

I've also downloaded a few videos that would be great to own, The Genius of Joe Pass and Legends of Jazz Guitar (feat. Wes Montgomery, Herb Ellis, Kenny Burrell, Barney Kessel, Joe Pass).

I'm sure you can find even more through amazon but there's some starting points.

[mahayana]

Thanks, SP.

I own a lot of music videos on VCR tapes. They tend to annoy me because of poor sound quality, also because the camera people are more like fans than musicians. You know, they focus on the faces of players rather than the fretboards!

Anyway, DVDs should solve the sound quality thing, maybe it'll come around to showing more about how the music is actually being made. Note to producers: a segment showing all the instruments and equipment a group uses would be nice.

[slowpoke]

Yeah, the DVDs I mentioned are well done. DVDs have options that should be taken into consideration especially in the music world. They allow multiple angles so if a concert was filmed with three or four cameras they could make it so you can select which camera you want to watch. Same with audio tracks, they could make it so you could isolate an instrument. I doubt a commercial video would be made like this but maybe Jamey Aebersold or some other educational operation might make this as the technology allows more freedom.

[mahayana]

One of the DVDs I got was "U2 The Joshua Tree", which turned out to be about how the album was made. My wife didn't like it, there were no compete songs at all. But they did show some Edge guitarwork, and the parts with Brian Eno pushing up alternate tracks was pretty interesting. This was a studio album, about the opposite of jazz as all the improvising was separately recorded then mixed. "With or Without You" is one of the songs I do, so I liked the stuff about that, too.

I'll check out Norman Granz.

[slowpoke]

This might not be your cup of tea, and it's not jazz but one of my favorite music DVDs is 311 Day. 311 is a band that changes with every album but trys to keep things diverse, they play hybrid music so there's a bit of rock, funk, dancehall, rap in their songs. The DVD is from their 311 day (March 11th) concert in New Orleans where they play a 5+ hour set. It's a two disc dvd and has excellent camera work and amazing sound (I think the sound quality on it might surpass any of their studio albums). See if you can find any sound clips of them but I think it's a great thing. I bought it for 14.95 and it's certainly worth it. Who knows? You just might like it. Don't blame me if you don't though

[morjaz]

I've just joined an online dvd rental outfit......should have done so earlier as it is so cheap.....anyway,looking at the jazz section I see Pat Methaney,Keith Jarrett,Etta James.Ron Ayers,George Benson,Diane Schuur with Count Basie,Art Pepper....and maybe 30 other titles
and in the blues.....Peter Green,BB King,Albert King,Ella Fitzgerald,John Mayall,Johnny Winter,Eric Bibb,Muddy Waters,Lady Day,Willie Dixon..and many others..
....only 1 or 2 dollars per rent and keep them out for as long as you want......
I live in New Zealand, but I imagine that it's the same in the US,Canada,Europe....