Tribute to John Coltrane

Rating:
Summary: A Grand Tribute
Review: First off let me say that John Coltrane is not on this DVD. What you will find, however, is a group of wonderful musicians playing well known (and not so well known) works of Mr. Coltrane's to a very appreciative audience in Japan. When you have the caliber of Wayne Shorter and Dave Liebman on saxaphones fronting this group, you know that you are in for something special. Rounding out the group is Richie Beirach on piano, Eddie Gomez on bass, and the man who sounds like he must have four arms, Jack De Johnette on drums. Technically, the recording is excellent. The camera work also bears note here. We are not made to sift thru "special" video effects which seem to be part and parcel of so many live concert recordings these days. Instead we are treated to nice camera work which gives the viewer a good sence of what was happening without distracting anyone from the main emphasis; the music. All in all, this is a wonderful DVD, which holds up under repeated listening AND viewing. A rare find these days.

Rating:
Summary: Great Jazz performed by world-class performers...
Review: The info on Amazon didn't indicate who was playing on this DVD. First of all, John Coltrane himself is not on this DVD. But five (5) great world-class musicians are: Wayne Shorter (soprano sax), Dave Liebman (soprano sax), Richie Beirach (piano), Eddie Gomez (bass) and Jack DeJohnette (drums). Only soprano sax in heard on the DVD, no tenor sax. But that doesn't matter because Wayne & Dave are some of the best soprano sax players around. Dave of course has his own style, but at times you can definately hear the influence John Coltrane has had on his playing. Lots of good up-close shots of the players hands & faces while they're playing. Dave's playing on Mr. P.C is incredible (IMHO). The show comes from the "Select Live Under The Sky '87 10th Special", recorded in Japan. The audio quality is uncompressed PCM (48khz) and is great. The video quality is also great. If you like these artists but have been unable to see them in person, this is the next best thing to being there.

Rating:
Summary: Great Jazz performed by world-class performers...
Review: The info on Amazon didn't indicate who was playing on this DVD. First of all, John Coltrane himself is not on this DVD. But five (5) great world-class musicians are: Wayne Shorter (soprano sax), Dave Liebman (soprano sax), Richie Beirach (piano), Eddie Gomez (bass) and Jack DeJohnette (drums). Only soprano sax in heard on the DVD, no tenor sax. But that doesn't matter because Wayne & Dave are some of the best soprano sax players around. Dave of course has his own style, but at times you can definately hear the influence John Coltrane has had on his playing. Lots of good up-close shots of the players hands & faces while they're playing. Dave's playing on Mr. P.C is incredible (IMHO). The show comes from the "Select Live Under The Sky '87 10th Special", recorded in Japan. The audio quality is uncompressed PCM (48khz) and is great. The video quality is also great. If you like these artists but have been unable to see them in person, this is the next best thing to being there.

Rating:
Summary: A DVD any jazz fan can appreciate
Review: This DVD is great. Right from the start there is an interesting spoken intro by Wayne Shorter and then the music explodes in front of a responsive Japanese audience starting with Mr. PC. I was a little skeptical at first at the usage of two soprano saxes by David Liebman and Wayne Shorter but as I listened it proved to create a unique sound. There are many close, mobile camera angles used that make the performance all the more interesting. This DVD features a duo of "Naima" and "After the Rain" by Liebman and Richie Beirach which works very well. I was particularly impressed by Beirach's soloing, whom I had never payed much attention to. Jack Dejohnette and Eddie Gomez have their share of soloing also. The second half of the DVD features multiple long drum breaks that are stunning to watch and awesome to listen to. This DVD costs just a bit more than a CD costs and it is so much more for the money. No jazz fans will be left dissapointed.