Chet Baker
Candy
Gazell Films
www.gazell.net

Zoot Sims
In A Sentimental Mood
Gazell Films
www.gazell.net

Emerson, Lake and Palmer
Welcome Back My Friends: 40th Anniversary Reunion Concert
MDV Visual
www.emersonlakeandpalmer.com
By George W. Harris

Here are a handful of dvds that are the yin and yang of music; intimate small group swing and stadium filling progressive rock, with all of the stops pulled.

1) One of the biggest mistakes of my musical life was not seeing Chet Baker in the 80s, when he made a rare trip to LA. I saw a picture of him in the newspaper (remember those?) and figured that anyone who looked like Pruneface has got to be way past his prime. As this dvd from an intimate session from Sweden in 1985 shows, I was terribly wrong. He’s here with Michel Graillier/p and Jean Louis Rassinfosse/g for 7 charming and melodious tunes like “Love For Sale” and a subtly swinging “Tempus Fugue-it.” His vocals on the title track still have that boyish charm. An extra bonus is the closing tune, “My Romance” has Baker dueting with bassist/interviewer Red Mitchell in a very cozy atmosphere. Is there any chance of this on a cd format?!?
2) Ditto question for the ultra casual 1984 session with Zoot Sims and Red Mitchell/b and Rune Gustafsson sounding as comfy as an old catcher’s mitt in Sweden, just 4 months before Sims left for his Final Judgment. In between interview questions and answers, Sims and company swing with a gentility that is the envy of every artist that ever played the tenor. His tone on “Sweet Lorraine” and “Gone With The Wind” is as soft as the combination swirl at the Dairy Queen, and his sense of time is like the changing of the seasons. 5 1 minutes of wonderful sounds are caught on dvd here. I know it’s a sin to envy, but….
3) For better or worse, back in the 70s, Emerson, Lake and Palmer were THE progressive rock group that exemplified the technical wizardry and glorious self indulgence. This two hour dvd includes a concert that has the middle aged ELP performing in front of an enthusiastic, if not deaf by the end of the show, crowd of Baby Boomers through some electrifying material like “Knife-Edge” and the classical piece “Pictures At An Exhibition.” Lake’s voice is a bit long in the tooth, but everything else holds up pretty well. An interview with the band gives extra insight to these wonderful “dinosaurs.”