The Sound of Jazz: Complete Edition | 
| Artist: Various Artists
Label: Jazz Masters
Category: DVD
List Price: $21.98
Buy New: $9.59
as of 3/21/2010 11:48 CDT details
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New (7) from $9.59
Seller: -importcds
Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 49899
Format: Compilation, DVD, Import, NTSC
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 0
Discs: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 70 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
EAN: 8436017760583
ASIN: B00011FY1S
Theatrical Release Date: February 22, 2005
Release Date: February 22, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Album Description
The most famous Jazz television program released for the first time in its entirety on DVD (2 sided Pal & NTSC format, Region 0). Featuring Billie Holiday, Thelonious Monk, Red Allen, Lester Young, Jim Hall and others. Approx. 70 mins. Idem. 2003.
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| Customer Reviews:
A rare glimpse of jazz royalty July 23, 2009
Matthew Watters (Vietnam)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
The other reviewer clearly knows whereof he speaks, so I'll only add a few comments about the programme. It's heavily slanted towards classic swing of the 1930s, with the likes of Rex Stewart, Pee Wee Russell and Red Allen appearing alongside Count Basie with almost a reunion of his 'Old Testament' band, including Lester Young. Despite the year in which it was filmed, the only "hard bop" or mainstream contemporary jazz of the day is a single, spiky performance by Monk (and Monk is really a genre unto himself, hardly representative of anyone else's movement). Jimmy Giuffre's chamber jazz is almost wildly out-of-place in this programme, as is the effort to somehow anoint him as the young prince to all this old jazz royalty. (Gerry Mulligan is prominent in the programme as well, but his presence is largely uncommented upon, and he fits in well with the old guys.) All this aside, what is left is a rare chance to see some of the then-living legends of 1930s jazz, reunited and doing what they do best. Red Allen's two numbers, particularly that rousing old Earl Hines chestnut "Rosetta", are a joy, with ample solo space for Coleman Hawkins and a truly astonishing Rex Stewart. But the highlight of the show are the two vocal features, by Jimmy Rushing, who is such an impressive gentleman that I wish I could just reach out and hug him, and Billie Holiday, who does an extended blues that is relaxed, pure and heartfelt. A swansong to her career that gives me tingles just thinking about it. This DVD belongs in the collection of all jazz fans.
The Finest Jazz Film of All Time! September 4, 2008
Blue Coronet (east coast)
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
In late 1957, producer Robert Herridge hired jazz writers Whitney Balliet and Nat Hentoff to assemble a group of musicians for an hour long jazz program (this was the era of live television, before there was videotape and the only way to preserve a program was to make a kinescope by using a 16mm camera filming the image off a monitor). Never before, or again, was an hour of jazz presented so well and so true. Herridge had the fine sense to go for the true essence of jazz, without any "dressing it up" in floor-shows or other silliness. The result, a live broadcast on CBS, featured six groupings of musicians and was relaxed, joyful and pure. The Sound of Jazz has been issued in various forms over the years including some poor vhs tranfers and incomplete dvd issues. At one point I bought a Japanese Laserdisc of this just to get a decent copy. This dvd is the complete program and all spoken introductions. It lacks visual contrasts (too light) in some sections, but it is the best copy out there on dvd. Fine copies exist in some of the better stock footage film firms, but no one has gone this route. Robert Herridge produced a few other fine jazz programs: the story of Frankie & Johnnie performed as a ballet with live music by Charles Mingus; a half hour featuring Ahmad Jamal's trio and Ben Webster's group; The Sound of Miles Davis (available on dvd as Miles Davis - Cool Jazz Sound); and an hour long piece for Metromedia, now lost, called Duke Ellington: A Portrait in Music. The Sound of Jazz is one program I never tire of watching, and whenever I have seen it shown in public -- the audience can't help but applaud afterwards.
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