Larry Kart Posted December 6, 2009 Report Share Posted December 6, 2009 Sorry if this duplicates an existing thread (I couldn't find one), but how about these? The Jimmy Smith, Art Farmer, Garner, and Coleman Hawkins seemed quite good or better from samples, and I ordered them. The Blakey is highly touted, but somehow I'm not in the mood for Freddie Hubbard at his most virtuosic on a 20-minute version of "Crisis" right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted December 6, 2009 Report Share Posted December 6, 2009 Can't really afford to buy dvds. I hope they are wonderful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medjuck Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 I got them. So far watched Hawkins, Smith, the bonus DVD and Herman. All very good (I admit I'm not a big Jimmy Smith fan and this didn't turn me into one). The biggest surprise to me was the Woody Herman. I saw this band around the time the DVD was made and I liked it but it didn't impress me as much 4o years ago as it does now. (It's also a bit weird to see a big band from 1965 with no black faces.) The Hawkins has a good concert that I think has never been seen on tv. It's not well photographed but the 2nd concert which has some great Sweets Edison is very well shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michel devos Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 I only bought the Jimmy Smith one :it was recorded in Paris in 1969, where Smith and his trio gave 2 concerts the same day in the salle Pleyel. I must admit I am rather disappointed by the performance in general, but also by the sound quality, which is not very good to say the least. Eddie McFadden plays some laborious solos, difficult to say whether his comping is better, since it is most of the time overloaded by the organ. Charles Cosby is adequate, Jimmy plays is usual virtuosic parts, rather uninspiringly in my opinion, but he's still great. The positive part here is the programm : well established tunes which are part of the standard trio repertoire of Jimmy (Sonnymoon, Sermon,Satin doll...) and some fresh air with Alfie, Days of wine and roses. The camera shooting angles are quite good, showing generous amounts of the keyboard and the guitar playing. So, altogether a good DVD, but I expected MUCH more from this...why the hell didn't we get the 1965 concert in Paris, instead?...THAT was quite a one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzjet Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 (medjuck @ Dec 7 2009, 01:10 AM) I got them. So far watched Hawkins, Smith, the bonus DVD and Herman. All very good (I admit I'm not a big Jimmy Smith fan and this didn't turn me into one). The biggest surprise to me was the Woody Herman. I saw this band around the time the DVD was made and I liked it but it didn't impress me as much 4o years ago as it does now. (It's also a bit weird to see a big band from 1965 with no black faces.) The Hawkins has a good concert that I think has never been seen on tv. It's not well photographed but the 2nd concert which has some great Sweets Edison is very well shot. At least some of the London Hawkins concert comes from - I believe - the BBC's Jazz 625 programme. Originally broadcast in 1964 and reshown in 1990 with an introduction by Courtney Pine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trumpet Guy Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 (edited) (Larry Kart @ Dec 6 2009, 06:50 PM) Sorry if this duplicates an existing thread (I couldn't find one), but how about these? The Jimmy Smith, Art Farmer, Garner, and Coleman Hawkins seemed quite good or better from samples, and I ordered them. The Blakey is highly touted, but somehow I'm not in the mood for Freddie Hubbard at his most virtuosic on a 20-minute version of "Crisis" right now. I bought the Art Farmer and Blakey ones--The Farmer is fantastic with Jim Hall, Steve Swallow and Pete LaRoca! Really great set full of variety--and LaRoca/ Swallow are tippin! The Blakey is cool, but did not blow me away like I'd expect from 65' Freddie...but still very cool to see/hear Jaki Byard with these guys! Edited December 15, 2009 by Jim Alfredson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medjuck Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 (Trumpet Guy @ Dec 7 2009, 12:19 PM) (Larry Kart @ Dec 6 2009, 06:50 PM) Sorry if this duplicates an existing thread (I couldn't find one), but how about these? The Jimmy Smith, Art Farmer, Garner, and Coleman Hawkins seemed quite good or better from samples, and I ordered them. The Blakey is highly touted, but somehow I'm not in the mood for Freddie Hubbard at his most virtuosic on a 20-minute version of "Crisis" right now. I bought the Art Farmer and Blakey ones--The Farmer is fantastic with Jim Hall, Steve Swallow and Pete LaRoca! Really great set full of variety--and LaRoca/ Swallow are tippin! The Blakey is cool, but did not blow me away like I'd expect from 65' Freddie...but still very cool to see/hear Jaki Byard with these guys! I agree about the Farmer-- it's great. Always liked that group. Sound and image are both terrific. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Kart Posted December 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 I caught Farmer's successor group at the Plugged Nickel way back when -- with Steve Kuhn in for Hall. That was memorable, as was the album the group made, "Sing To Me Softly of the Blues." I also caught the first Coltrane Quartet at the Sutherland Lounge, with Kuhn, Steve Davis, and LaRoca. Probably Feb. 1961. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Kart Posted December 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2009 Moving on through these. The Hawkins is, as they say, swings and roundabouts. Hawkins himself is in fine form on the 1962 material from Belgium, but the video production is static, sound is only OK, pianist George Arvanitas is energetic but banal, and drummer Kansas Fields can be rather bombastic. The 1964 material from Great Britain has alert video production, better sound, and a better band (Harry Edison, Sir Charles Thompson, Jimmy Woode [also on the 1962 material], and Jo Jones), but it takes three numbers (of that concert's seven) for Hawkins to get warmed up; the change is quite startling, though what comes before has interest -- he just seems rather short-breathed and not full in tone by his standards. Edison is in fine form technically and not as given to his favorite phrases as usual; his "Girl from Ipanema" (on the first of the two ballad medleys) is a gem, as is Hawkins' intense "September Song" (from the second medley). I'm not the world's Number One Art Farmer fan, but the Farmer is pretty much solid gold -- good sound, good video production, and perhaps the best recorded work period of the two versions of this quartet with Jim Hall, Steve Swallow, and either Walter Perkins or (here) Pete LaRoca. All parties are inspired (though Swallow's solo work tends to swoon at times, he's otherwise right in there rhythmically), and Farmer, on flugelhorn throughout, still had much of the rhythmic definition of his trumpet playing (for my taste, eventually he could get little "cloudy" on flugelhorn). LaRoca is a particular source of fascination -- a terrific drummer just playing his ass off, and, as it happens, a terrific drummer to watch as well. I've only sampled the Smith and the Garner. Smith seems to be in top form, and the fluidity with which he apportions his hands and feet to the task is pretty mind-boggling; I'm not delighted with the sound quality though, which overloads at times (capturing Smith's sound in full flight on a concert stage in 1969 must have been no picnic). Also, based on what I've heard so far, guitarist Eddie McFadden sounds like a more interesting player than I recall him being. Garner too seems to be in great form and also is treat to watch; sound is quite good. I'll add more when I've finished listening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete C Posted August 17, 2011 Report Share Posted August 17, 2011 Series 5 finally announced. Most artists are repeats, but who's complaining? July 26, 2011- Series 5 Coming Soon! Hello friends, Reelin' In The Years Productions and Mosaic Records are pleased to announce the release of the 5th installment of the celebrated Jazz Icons® series. Details will be announced in the coming weeks but here are the six titles: John Coltrane- Live In France 1965 Thelonious Monk- Live In France 1969 Freddie Hubbard- Live In France 1973 Johnny Griffin- Live In France 1971 Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers- Live In France 1959 Rahsaan Roland Kirk- Live In France 1972 They're all from France, so it looks like they're getting the whole bunch from ORTF this time. I'm looking forward to the Coltrane Antibes performance in hopefully better quality--He did two shows there, and AFAIK only the show without A Love Supreme has been available among collectors. It would be great if there's also film of the Love Supreme concert. It looks like Mosaic has replaced Naxos as their new partner. I'm guessing the Kirk is from the same tour as The One Man Twins at Montreux. This will be their third Blakey, I'm guessing it's the one that was released as a boot by Impro-Jazz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejp626 Posted August 17, 2011 Report Share Posted August 17, 2011 Series 5 finally announced. Most artists are repeats, but who's complaining? July 26, 2011- Series 5 Coming Soon! Hello friends, Reelin' In The Years Productions and Mosaic Records are pleased to announce the release of the 5th installment of the celebrated Jazz Icons® series. Details will be announced in the coming weeks but here are the six titles: John Coltrane- Live In France 1965 Thelonious Monk- Live In France 1969 Freddie Hubbard- Live In France 1973 Johnny Griffin- Live In France 1971 Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers- Live In France 1959 Rahsaan Roland Kirk- Live In France 1972 They're all from France, so it looks like they're getting the whole bunch from ORTF this time. I'm looking forward to the Coltrane Antibes performance in hopefully better quality--He did two shows there, and AFAIK only the show without A Love Supreme has been available among collectors. It would be great if there's also film of the Love Supreme concert. It looks like Mosaic has replaced Naxos as their new partner. I'm guessing the Kirk is from the same tour as The One Man Twins at Montreux. This will be their third Blakey, I'm guessing it's the one that was released as a boot by Impro-Jazz. I've actually had a standing order for Jazz Icons IV for what seems like forever. I think I will cancel and just get the Hawkins and the Art Farmer. As for series V, I'm very interested in the Griffin and the Monk but would probably pass on the others, unless the video quality of the Blakey is much better than I expect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete C Posted August 17, 2011 Report Share Posted August 17, 2011 The Anita O'Day in series 4 is fabulous, and the Blakey/Hubbard is a bit uneven but generally good. I agree with Larry on the Farmer--a surprise highlight for me--while I do like Farmer, he has never been prominent in my listening or collection, but this DVD is really great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fer Urbina Posted March 26, 2021 Report Share Posted March 26, 2021 I was looking for a decent-looking version of "Caravan" from the 1964 Coleman Hawkins gig included in the Jazz Icons DVD (for the Jo Jones solo, obviously), I found a rip from said DVD, and I noticed that it's missing a bit from Jimmy Woode's solo right before Jones's, This is probably taken from the old Pearson VHS from the 1990s. Check out Woode at 0:58-1:12 Try to find it in the DVD, or this YouTube rip. It's not there. Given the high standards of the Jazz Icons series, which make it a benchmark for this material, I can't see how this happened. Did they edit it out for some reason? Was it already edited in the source they used? Minor staff in the big scheme of things, I know, but still. F Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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