Rating: 
Summary: wonderful stuff
Review: "The Coltrane Legacy" is a 1985 video of some early 60's TV performances (apparently including his ralph gleason appearance, because you can see gleason grinning like a fool and leaning on tyner's piano at one point). the whole thing is quite remarkable. i don't know whether it's because the quartet was confined to a TV show format, but the performances were all more controlled, less meandering than 'normal'. more concentrated. there are two tunes from "My Favorite Things" - the title song and "everytime we say goodbye" (his one cole porter cover) and amazing versions of "alabama" and "afro-blue", as well as a couple of honking versions of "impressions" and parts of an interview with elvin jones. my only criticism is that, besides jones (who's funny in a "he was an angel" kinda way), the only other interviews are with two guys who played a total of two years with his early quartets - jimmy cobb and reggie workman. why no mccoy tyner, or at least miles davis? reminds me of "Straight no chaser", where most of the talking is done by monk's son. anyway, a minor criticism. the music tells the story, and it's a great one.
Rating:
Summary: A brief hint from the master himself...
Review: "This is a must see for all Cotrane fans"...
From Miles in the late 50's to becoming one of the jazz elite, John William Coltrane's music will always be on the fore front of any generation. This video leaves you wanting to see more of Trane at his very best. "So What", with Miles starts the ball to rolling, Trane is in his zone taking the tune to the outer limits. "Impressions", with Eric Dolphy is eye candy for the viewer, Trane and Dolphy trade licks that make the tune jump and dance all over the place. With some candid interviews for Reggie Workman, Jimmy Cobb, and Roy Haynes tug at your heart strings and make you feel that Trane was your best friend. All words were spoken with the highest respect to John, I only wish Miles would have been interviewd too. There is a voice over from Trane, telling how he had a dream that he would one day have his on band, and to hear the humility in his voice again makes you know that this man was more than just a sax player. The last three tunes Afro Blue, Alabama and Impressions are from the Jazz Casuals, and this segment gives you a more personal look at Trane as a true leader. McCoy Tyner Jimmy Garrison and Roy Haynes give all they have to Trane to make the music come full circle. I was blown away the first time I saw the video, I had heard of how Trane would play as if he was going to have a heart attack, I got a chance to see what other fans were talking about. Again this is a must see, I would give the video a million stars if I could.
Rating:
Summary: wonderful stuff
Review: "The Coltrane Legacy" is a 1985 video of some early 60's TV performances (apparently including his ralph gleason appearance, because you can see gleason grinning like a fool and leaning on tyner's piano at one point). the whole thing is quite remarkable. i don't know whether it's because the quartet was confined to a TV show format, but the performances were all more controlled, less meandering than 'normal'. more concentrated. there are two tunes from "My Favorite Things" - the title song and "everytime we say goodbye" (his one cole porter cover) and amazing versions of "alabama" and "afro-blue", as well as a couple of honking versions of "impressions" and parts of an interview with elvin jones. my only criticism is that, besides jones (who's funny in a "he was an angel" kinda way), the only other interviews are with two guys who played a total of two years with his early quartets - jimmy cobb and reggie workman. why no mccoy tyner, or at least miles davis? reminds me of "Straight no chaser", where most of the talking is done by monk's son. anyway, a minor criticism. the music tells the story, and it's a great one.
Rating:
Summary: A brief hint from the master himself...
Review: "This is a must see for all Cotrane fans"...
From Miles in the late 50's to becoming one of the jazz elite, John William Coltrane's music will always be on the fore front of any generation. This video leaves you wanting to see more of Trane at his very best. "So What", with Miles starts the ball to rolling, Trane is in his zone taking the tune to the outer limits. "Impressions", with Eric Dolphy is eye candy for the viewer, Trane and Dolphy trade licks that make the tune jump and dance all over the place. With some candid interviews for Reggie Workman, Jimmy Cobb, and Roy Haynes tug at your heart strings and make you feel that Trane was your best friend. All words were spoken with the highest respect to John, I only wish Miles would have been interviewd too. There is a voice over from Trane, telling how he had a dream that he would one day have his on band, and to hear the humility in his voice again makes you know that this man was more than just a sax player. The last three tunes Afro Blue, Alabama and Impressions are from the Jazz Casuals, and this segment gives you a more personal look at Trane as a true leader. McCoy Tyner Jimmy Garrison and Roy Haynes give all they have to Trane to make the music come full circle. I was blown away the first time I saw the video, I had heard of how Trane would play as if he was going to have a heart attack, I got a chance to see what other fans were talking about. Again this is a must see, I would give the video a million stars if I could.
Rating:
Summary: OH BOY!
Review: BACK A NUMBER OF YEARS WHEN I GOT MY FIRST VCR AND CABLE WAS RELATIVLY NEW(IF THE WIND BLEW TO HARD YOUR RECEPTION WOULD GO OUT)I SAW THIS ON PBS ONE NIGHT.ICOULD NOT BELIEVE MY EYES THAT IT WAS REALLY JOHN COLTRANE PLAYING.UP TO THAT TIME I HAD NEVER SEEN ANY FILM OF HIM AND IT JUST BLEW ME AWAY!BEING THAT THERE IS SO PRECIOUS FEW VIDEOS OF HIM THIS IS CERTAINLY A MUST HAVE.TO SEE THE MASTER PLAY IS AN AWESOME EXPERIENCE.
Rating:
Summary: What a treasure.
Review: I actually risked federal prosecution to get my first copy of this tape, sneaking through the A/V section of a local public library with a VHS recorder/duplicator in a backpack. Whether they would have really called the feds if they'd caught me, I have no idea. Let me tell you that whatever risk I was taking, it was worth it. This is the only footage I have seen of the "classic" John Coltrane quartet, and it is every bit as heady, emotional, and powerful as you would expect. The performances are spectacular, and the inclusion of Eric Dolphy and Reggie Workman's early appearance with the group is an added bonus for those who want to see the complete picture. For those of you who might be interested in Coltrane's "latter" period-- specifically the group with Pharoah Sanders, Rashied Ali, Alice Coltrane et al.-- this is not it. That said, this is an amazing document. The quartet's playing is a little more conservative on these TV appearances-- the solos are all fairly short, the atonal experimentation is kept to a minimum-- but the structures of the songs are much more apparent in this light, and the group sounds more focused than on many of their audio recordings. At times the audio mix leaves a little to be desired, as Jimmy Garrison's contributions are inaudible much of the time and Elvin Jones' sound has certainly been better captured on the Van Gelder recordings... However, I love the "Legacy" and it has a permanent place on my shelf. Just getting to see this ensemble in action is worth the price of admission. Five stars.
Rating:
Summary: A must see and have for all Coltrane fans
Review: I first checked this out on VHS at a public library in Atlanta but ready to get it out on DVD in the near future.
This is definitely one of my favorites I grew up watching. 'cause it'll help me the face behind the musical genius himself Mr. John Coltrane. I learned so much about him since I became an instant fan to his music the first time I checked out this documentary. This is something you can't live without. This is something you collect aside your music library and others.
Rating: 
Summary: It's a shame that there's nothing better!!!
Review: It is very disappointing that there are very few filmed performances of the great jazz master, John Coltrane. I gave it 4 stars just for the fact that it offers more material on Coltrane than any other DVD. This DVD runs a short 61 minutes which includes grainy quality b/w television show performances which are cut with interviews of Coltrane's former band members between the songs. Elvin Jones' comments were the most informative and entertaining. Coltrane's legacy certainly deserves more respect and attention!
Rating:
Summary: A MUST SEE&HAVE
Review: John Coltrane is One OF The Greatest&Baddest Artists ever.His Musical Legacy is Mind-Blowing.It's a Must Have.I Have So Many of His Recordings&Videos Such as these.You Can Never Say Enough of His Genius&Impact.
Rating:
Summary: On "Coltrane Legacy"
Review: Lots of uninterupted music. Many useful interviews with Jimmy Cobb, Elvin Jones, and Reggie Workman.
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