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The Jazz Channel Presents Herbie Hancock (BET on Jazz)

The Jazz Channel Presents Herbie Hancock (BET on Jazz)

List Price: $9.99
Your Price: $9.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Herbie at his best!
Review: Although I enjoy Herbie's electronic stuff, I think he's at his best playing acoustic. This DVD is an excellent example of his acoustic side. The percussionist adds alot of color and depth to the more traditional jazz quintet format. The surround mix is natural, not gimmickey as some other surround products are.

Overall a very dynamic performance, well captured. It's good to know that acoustic jazz is being presented in good form. The only thing that could surpass this DVD would be going to see this ensemble live. I hope I get the chance.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: WOW!!
Review: Being a long time HH fan, I was nonetheless not sure about picking this one up since other jazz concert DVD's (straight ahead AND fusion) that I've bought sound nice but can get monotonous after a few plays.

Now I can say it's the best concert DVD in my collection. Herbie's never sounded better, the recording is absolutely stunning sonically, and the material is so good with so much constant variety and awesome musicianship all around that there's never a dull moment.

When people come over, this is the music DVD I put on. They're always floored by the sound. One guy actually paid over $20K to buy all the components in my stereo setup for himself after seeing and hearing this DVD. He had to have it all. Lucky I didn't play any other DVD's while he was there..

After owning many LPs and CD's of Herbie over the years, I can tell you this is the one I always knew he had in him. I can't imagine anyone with any sense of musicality being disappointed.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: BET JAZZ CHANNEL - HERBIE HANCOCK
Review: Credits should be as follows:

Herbie Hancock - Piano
Cyro Baptista - Percussion
Terri Lynne Carrington - Drums
Ira Coleman - Double Bass
Eli Degibri - Sax
Eddie Henderson - Trumpet

I think that's right :) A great DVD with a few mixing problems with the bass and drums at times. But otherwise a no nonsense straight forward concert.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: a must!
Review: got to see this Concert when it aired&also wanted to have it again.Herbie Hancock just brings so much to the way you hear&feel the richness of a Piano.Herbie Hancock truly has done some incredible things in His Long vast career.this set showcases His Genius&vibe.enjoy.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Herbie is Da Man!
Review: I can't wait to receive my copy of this one. This acoustic show is the perfect accompaniment to Herbie's electronic side. I just saw Herbie "electric" in Tucson on his US opener in state of the art "Surround Sound", and let me tell you it was awesome! Although not for the jazz "purist", his electronic and fusion based stuff is good and funky. This on the other hand displays Herbie's acoustic side, while remaining fresh & funky as well. With a few new cuts and a revisting of a few older cuts, this DVD is a must have!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Who's in the band?
Review: I really do enjoy this DVD but when comparing to Herbie's other releases certain faults become glaring. First of all the overall sound and video production is no where near as good as Herbie's Future 2 Future Live DVD, then again that is probably the best overall production I have ever seen and heard. In this Jazz Channel DVD the drums are a little muffled and the acoustic bass is almost completely missing from the mix. The band on the whole also seems a little "loose" on the form of a couple of tunes and one gets the impression they haven't been playing as a unit for very long. My last gripe about the DVD is that no where on the back cover or anywhere in the "credits" is there a list of the amazing musicians playing with Herbie. Of course you can find out who the executive producer is but who's playing bass? Who's on the trumpet? The sax? To me that is a list of people who should be at the top of the credits... the people playing the music!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: HANCOCK TAKES ULTRA-HIP TO A NEW LEVEL!
Review: Man... I had to pause the show from excitement to rush in an write a review!
Just got the DVD in today, watched & listened to the first three performances (cause these are much more than just "songs") and I am completely blown away!

The level of musical geniousness onstage is mind boggling! From the woman on drums to the wild show-stopping percussionist Herbie Hancock went above and beyond the normal realms of listening to jazz.

You can tell there is some improv throughout the show but it's so tight it might as well have been written and rehearsed a thousand times...these musicians ARE what they play!

Don't pass this one up, jazz lovers and musicians of all instruments need to see and hear what Hancock has cooked up this time around.

Baby, it's gonna be "Your New Cool Thing". Guaranteed.

Now I gotta get back to the show!


Rating: 2 stars
Summary: great musicians; boring music - 1.5 stars - do not buy
Review: This DVD may be good to listen to as a movie soundtrack or to go to sleep by, but watching it is kind of boring. The musicians are great - the music gets a little boring. You can tell the people are trying to get off - nursing their glasses of water - and trying to act enthusiastic. The camera keeps trying to catch some audience interplay and enthusiasm but there is almost none. Music like this is sophisticated and beautiful - but let's be honest - it does not get people off. The most enthusiastic applause came when the set was over.

That is the problem with jazz these days - people are told to hush and contemplate the musical genius of the performers - and then they have to sit silently and watch carefully. This is not conducive to excitement. If we keep presenting jazz in this Smithsonian artifact environment we will keep it way down on the list of preferred music. You may as well be giving a speech on stem cell research. Interesting but boring.

I love jazz but I do not think I will put this beautifully produced and recorded DVD on again. It is too boring. Herbie Hancock, Carter, and Cobham in Switzerland is almost as boring. You can tell the emperor has no clothes - pretend if you want - but you can not fool all the people.


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