John Coltrane: The Coltrane Legacy

Rating:
Summary: This is THE Coltrane Video To Se But ...
Review: I have had this video on Laser Disc for some time and have watched it many times. It includes some very thoughtful interviews with Reggie Workman, Elvin Jones and others and has most of the available footage of John Coltrane. It includes all of the Jazz Casual footage and includes in its entirity the amazing German TV show with Eric Dolphy on flute, bass clarinet and, I think, alto. THAT you cannot get anywhere else. Frankly, although I am a big fan of Toby Byron's documentaries (Satchmo, Bluesland, The Story of Jazz, etc.) I think it is better than The World According to John Coltrane and uses much more live footage. The only missing footage here is the Miles Davis TV show and some obscure footage from Newport.
That said, the production quality of THIS version is inferior to the Laser Disc version. The sound is not as clear nor are the images which look like a bootleg version. If you can get a VHS copy or Laser Disc copy do it. If not, this is still the best John Coltrane video you will ever see. Don't miss it, there is no substitute for John Coltrane in his prime and there is so little footage of both John and Eric Dolphy, especially together that you must take what you can get.
Let's hope there is a better version released soon.