Rating: 
Summary: Conyo;-} Gong -Ging, Ging ,Gong-pak! ( repeat)
Review: I just wish my Dad could have checked this bad... DVD on 5.1 surround sound . God bless him , he passed back in September . He's was a old Mambo,Salsa and Jazzer . Tears of Joy .
SHAVE HAIR CUT 10 CENT ect.
Rating: 
Summary: This is for Latin JAZZ Lovers. Not for LATIN MUSIC FANS
Review: I liked the DVD but I can't say I'll watch it again, ever!
It's too slow paced, too much narration. (Bein from the Caribean I didn't care for the spaniard's accent). It just lacked Heat! I honestly fell asleep watching it. Some parts I just pressed fastforward because it was just toooooo boooring!!!! Does not come close to Buena Vista's excitement. But if you like Latin JAZZ, then this is for you. The best part was seing the places where the performers grew up, going from streets in NY to Havana.
Maybe I'll watch it again when I'm 50 and suffering from a bad case of insomnia.
Rating:
Summary: This is for Latin JAZZ Lovers. Not for LATIN MUSIC FANS
Review: I liked the DVD but I can't say I'll watch it again, ever!
It's too slow paced, too much narration. (Bein from the Caribean I didn't care for the spaniard's accent). It just lacked Heat! I honestly fell asleep watching it. Some parts I just pressed fastforward because it was just toooooo boooring!!!! Does not come close to Buena Vista's excitement. But if you like Latin JAZZ, then this is for you. The best part was seing the places where the performers grew up, going from streets in NY to Havana.
Maybe I'll watch it again when I'm 50 and suffering from a bad case of insomnia.
Rating:
Summary: the best movie in 5 years
Review: i love this movie. it is so warm. so hot.
so full of life and passion. it makes you
feel great. if you like latin jazz you
will love this film !!
Rating:
Summary: MUSICALLY BRILLIANT!
Review: I SAW CALLE 54 THIS PAST SUNDAY. IT WAS BY FAR THE BEST JAZZ FILM I HAVE EVER SEEN...SPECIFICALLY (LATIN JAZZ). FROM BEGINNING TO END, I COULDN'T TAKE MY EYES AWAY FROM THE SCREEN...THE MUSIC WAS WONDERFUL, THE DIRECTION SUPERB. I'VE NEVER SEEN SUCH DETAIL GIVEN TO EACH AND EVERY MUSICIAN. EVEN THE CLOSING CREDITS WERE DONE TASTEFULLY...EVERY JAZZ FAN SHOULD SEE THIS FILM....EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT PARTICULARLY A LATIN JAZZ FAN..IT DOESN'T MATTER..YOU WILL BE! -- GUARANTEED!ENJOY!
Rating:
Summary: Amazing music, good fun
Review: I saw this with no expectations. I had a free pass to see it in theaters and went on a rainy Tuesday night when I had nothing else to do. I walked out with a smile on my face and a dance in my feet.
What can I say? The performances were amazing and the narration brief but giving sufficient background on the artists. In the theater, we found ourselves clapping after the performances, forgetting it wasn't live. At one point, I looked behind me and a middle-aged couple was dancing in the back of the theater! You can't get a better recommendation than that.
Get this DVD and cherish it. Play the soundtrack in your car or in your office. Let it liven up your life.
Rating:
Summary: Not just a Latin jazz film, but an awesome jazz movie!
Review: If you are a fan of Latin jazz, or jazz music in general, you're going to have to make this a mandatory DVD to add to your collection. It is not so much a documentary as it is a showcase for the talent and creativity among Latin jazz musicians. The "documentary" portions are limited to quick glimpses of various musicians talking about their music, what it means to them, or why certain places offer so much inspiration. But then we get to see the music, full-length performances that are beautifully shot and edited. If you enjoy the overall look of the performances on the "Sessions At West 54th" show, you will enjoy this as each of the liver performances were done in the same NYC studio. There is so much great music to absorb, from Gato Barbieri's big band, to the late Tito Puente showing us why he was always a showmen right up until the end. Chucho Valdes goes to Cuba and talks about his father raising him with the music as a child. Later on, we see his father Bebo perform with a longtime friend. We then see a meeting between Bebo and Chucho, who haven't seen each other in years. When the perform together, you can see a father who loves his son so much, and a son who is very thankful for what his father has given to him. Eliane Elias is here with her trio, but sadly we don't get to hear her sing (or speak for that matter). The best section of this DVD is where legendary Cuban conga player Patato plays with a group of musicians in front of two dancers, who proceed to tease each other with the music and their interpretive dance. You can sense the tension in the air through the dance, but in time they eventually get what they both want from each other, and everyone is happy. "Calle 54" is reminiscent of older music films from the 60's, when artists were presented in this manner years before there was ever such a thing as a music video or pay-per-view concerts. The performances are top notch, and it's impossible not to tap your fingers or dance in your seat. This is the side of jazz Ken Burns' sadly overlooked, but one that is very important in jazz's rich history.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Music, Fantastic Movie
Review: If you like Latin Jazz you will love this movie. If you like movies and Latin Jazz (like me) you will be in heaven. The movie gives wonderful portraits of musicians I have long admired without getting too bogged down in biography. They all chose terrific music to play and put their best efforts into it. The camera work on the musicians as they play brings the performers and the music alive in a more exciting way than I've ever experienced before. Eliani Elias' expression as she played brings so much to the music. If the film had done nothing beyond introducing me to the music of Chano Dominguez it would have been worthwhile. "Calle 54" leaves "Buena Vista Social Club" in the dust.
Rating:
Summary: Video is Christal Clear. Music's unbelievable. BUY THIS.
Review: My title says it all. ANYONE that loves latin jazz MUST have this DVD. That's it.
Rating: 
Summary: 10 times better than Buena Vista film
Review: OK, let's pretend for a second that you had never heard Latin Jazz before. Perhaps you're from Mars, or you were born in the late 80's, or you live in the rural U.S. and don't have a satellite hook-up.
Well, get ready, because this is going to blow you away!
This is the good stuff-the best of the very best of Latin Jazz, from the roots. Although it skips around radically between very different styles, all the music is outstanding. The narration is very understated (at times I wish there was more of a historical perspective, or interviews with some of the artists to explain more of their backgrounds). But the subtlety of this film makes you hold your breath at times.
My only complaint (and why I can't make it a perfect score) is the director's decisions on cuts--a musician just wants more of the music. You just want to the camera to linger one more moment on Elaine Elias' hands, not her face. You want to see Cachao do that run in close-up. You want to see Puntilla's group perform a few more numbers--and this time don't cut away during the solos.
All in all, this video is superb, and all I can say is there is nothing like it. This is what Buena Vista Social Club SHOULD have been, times 10.
Get it--you'll love it, and like me, watch it over and over.
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