The Band - Live at the New Orleans Jazz Festival

Rating:
Summary: Exciting live footage of the The Band.
Review: An excellently produced film featuring original Band members Levon Helm, Garth Hudson and Rick Danko joined by additional members Jim Weider (guitar),Randy Ciarlanti (drums),and Richard Bell (piano) in concert at the New Orleans Jazz Festival shortly after the release of "Jericho" their first official release in newly re-configured form. As a result, five of the songs in the set list come from that album,including complex jazz and bluegrass influenced arrangements of originally spare acoustic tone poems by Bob Dylan (Blind Willie McTell) and Bruce Springsteen (Atlantic City),an almost new-swing vamp on Muddy Water's bluesy warning to naive menfolk (The Stuff You Gotta Watch), an inspired New Orleans take on a new tune "Remedy" and a soulfully laid-back workout thru the standard "Blues Stay Away From Me".

Garth Hudson, in particular, shines as he moves enigmatically between whirlwind organ and synthesizer,late forties Louis Jordan baritone sax,threadlike accordian runs ,amazing barrel-house piano,and tenor and soprano sax solos like a modern-day Charles Ives. Old road-houser Levon Helm directs the Band from his fabled drum-stool and doubles credibly on mandolin, mouth-harp and bass. Rick Danko continues to inject a pure joy of performance with deeply personal readings of "It Makes No Difference" and the late Richard Manuel's former in-concert staple and devastatingly self-predictive "The Shape I"m In".

For both old friends of the Band's contemplative and magical blend of musical styles and for those newly mesmerized adherents this is a wonderful selection is worth "The Weight".

Rating:
Summary: THE BAND IS THE ULTIMATE BAND!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: THIS DVD RECORDED IN 1998 AT THE NEW ORLEANS JAZZ FESTIVAL IS SURE TO PLEASE ANY FANS OF THE BAND. THIS PERFORMANCE INCLUDES THREE OF THE ORIGINAL FIVE BAND MEMBERS. JOINED BY THREE NEW MEMBERS, THIS PERFORMANCE IS STILL VERY GOOD!!
IT'S A SHAME THAT THE ENTIRE GROUP ISN'T A PART OF THIS, BUT DON'T LET THAT CHANGE YOUR MIND ABOUT IT.
THIS IS VERY GOOD MUSIC PERFORMED BY A TALENTED GROUP OF PEOPLE.
I REALLY ENJOYED IT. IT INCLUDES SOME OF THE HITS AND A FEW SONGS THAT WEREN'T HITS FOR THE BAND.
ALL IN ALL, THIS IS A GREAT DVD WITH VERY GOOD AUDIO SOUND AND IF YOU LIKE THE BAND, THEN I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU SEE IT!!!
IF THIS DVD WOULD HAVE BEEN CAPTIONED, THEN THAT WOULD BE AN IMPROVEMENT, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
THIS ONLY GOES TO SHOW THAT "THE BAND" IS THE ULTIMATE BAND!!!