Ken Burns' "Jazz"

[Christiern]

It's embarrassing enough when he talks.

[Chuck Nessa]

So in all honesty, what best serves the jazz community? That the documentary was done or that it had never been done?

In my father's final years this documentary (I suggested he watch it) turned my father against me because it proved the music I was interested in was produced by "dope fiends". I take that to my grave.

So, hows that for "in all honesty"?

[mellowT]

I'm glad the insensitive comment was removed.

[Christiern]

Did you make an insensitive comment?

[Chuck Nessa]

No, not him.

I'm sorry the post and my response are gone.

[danasgoodstuff]

Whose? (I had to check it wasn't mine.)

[mikelz777]

It was mine. I revisited this thread to find that my post and what I'm guessing was a colorful and barbed response were deleted. Mr. Nessa opened a door and I merely pointed out a hard truth. I'm sorry if I offended the sensitivities of those who might have read it but I thought it was a fair observation though apparently not well received.

Edited September 25, 2010 by mikelz777

[Chuck Nessa]

I simply thanked you for pointing out this was my father's fault and for your insightful response.

Not edited by me at any time.

[mjzee]

This is a great price for the DVD box: $39.99

Amazon

[Christiern]

$39.99 is really not such a great price when one considers how much work is involved in extracting the great vintage clips and removing the audio from them.

[Rabshakeh]

Did the additional interviews and footage ever get released?

Also, is that Joe Goldberg crit still available? I've tried google but can't find it.

edit: Typos amended

Edited September 22, 2023 by Rabshakeh

[felser]

36 minutes ago, Rabshakeh said:

Did the additional interviews and footage ever get released?

Not that I'm aware of.  Amazon doesn't show any releases of this since 2005.

[Teasing the Korean]

59 minutes ago, Rabshakeh said:

Did the additional interviews and footage ever get released?

Also, is that Joe Gordon crit still available? I've tried going but can't find it.

I'm waiting for the version without the interviews. 😹

[Rabshakeh]

6 hours ago, Teasing the Korean said:

I'm waiting for the version without the interviews. 😹

The idea that there is another 400 unreleased hours of Wynton Marsalis making trumpet sounds then saying “that’s America” makes me salivate.

[gmonahan]

On 9/21/2023 at 11:08 PM, Rabshakeh said:

The idea that there is another 400 unreleased hours of Wynton Marsalis making trumpet sounds then saying “that’s America” makes me salivate.

🤣

[Andrea]

I'm not completely finished (I'm on Episode #9), but it's full of platitudes. And a ton of clichés, truisms, or empty aphorisms, mostly by Wynt Marsalis, who takes up the most time in this documentary. 

I do like some of the interviews, and the narration covers some good stuff, and I like the chronological approach. I think some might overrated this because I think any documentary on jazz would be cool.

I'd like to hear more about music. But I'm not "digging" Ken Burns. He seems guilty of something by his approach. I'd guess there's many black and white audiences who would complete this and think less of the other. Music is for everyone. 

 

Edited 2 hours ago by Andrea

[Stompin at the Savoy]

Just read this old thread after it came up.   I agree wholeheartedly with Christiern - Burns is a big fraud.  I've often wondered at the way people gush over his stuff, which is mostly panning still photos and repetitious music.  Slick tv with very poor interviews and scripts.  I watched some or most of the jazz series and found it frustrating because there was talking over the music and they never played a tune complete,  not to mention the dumb narrative he carves out of the interviews.

[jlhoots]

Some of Burns is pretty good -BUT not the jazz series which I didn't like.