Cool Jazz Sound

Rating:
Summary: Classic Miles T.V. performance.Near-complete presentation.
Review: Having owned this film on 1980's Japanese Laserdisc,I was eager to see how it would fare on DVD.The program is a 1959 kinescope(video to film transfer,the typical way that T.V. programs were archived back then,since videotape had only been invented one year before,in 1958).The condition of the film print used here is generally freer from scratches than the one seen on the Japanese Laserdisc,though in some scenes,there is a very mild horizontal distortion;nothing objectionable.Despite the concern of another reviewer,Miles' performance is indeed presented in its' entirety here.However,for unknown reasons,host Robert Herridge's spoken introduction to the program's second half is edited out of this print.However,interestingly,there are occasional video drop-out streaks visible in all film prints of the program,indicating that this video to film transfer wasn't made during the live telecast,but rather from a videotape;that the program DID exist on the(then new) videotape format at one time.I wonder,if somewhere in CBS television archives,if that videotape still exists,and,if so,if it is still in playable condition.But CBS may not care to look,since they no longer own the program.The new DVD is licensed from a sub-licensee,but the Japanese Laserdisc stated that it was copyrighted by The Estate of(program host) Robert Herridge.

Rating:
Summary: The Good Old Miles
Review: If you are enamoured by the first fifteen years of Miles Davis' career as band leader, about 1950-1965, and have many of his recordings from that period you've probably yearned for a full video from that period. Well finally they've managed to give us something. Cool Jazz Sound presents the first Miles Davis quintet plus the Gill Evans orchestra. Given that the source of this release is dated I am more than pleased by the quality of the black and white video and also of the sound. What is somewhat disappointing is that it is only 23 minutes long. I am almost certain that enough material exists to issue a DVD twice as long instead of one with only four songs. Still, Blues for Pablo is as beautiful as ever, and I take back one star only for the brevity.