Dave Brubeck
Live in 64 & 66

John Coltrane
Live in 60 & 61 & 65

Duke Ellington
Live in 58

Dexter Gordon
Live in 63 & 64

Charles Mingus
Live in 64

Wes Montgomery
Live in 65

Sarah Vaughan
Live in 58 & 64
Jazz Icons DVD
By George W. Harris

It is not too early to make your wish list for Christmas, and these discs should be on the very tip top. Sold individually, or together with a bonus DVD, this collection of music from modern jazz’s golden era is a true revelation. All of the discs run from 60-120 minutes and each contains a very informative booklet. Very little of this stuff has seen the light of day before, and all of it is absolutely essential, both musically and visually.

Captured with his “classic” quartet with altoist Paul Desmond, bassist Eugene Wright, and drummer Joe Morello, pianist Dave Brubeck is captured on film in Belgium (64) and Germany (66) performing some of his best known pieces. The 64 Belgium version of “Take Five” is in many ways superior to the original, as the band seems completely relaxed with the adventurous rhythms. Visually, the band is a treat; almost all bespeckled and dressed in shark-skin suits, the band looks more like a reunion from “Revenge Of the Nerds” than trend setting artists. The visual rapport between all 4 musicians is palpable; these gents truly enjoyed playing with each other, and dug the music that they were performing. The reserved Belgium audience, while being filmed seems to be experiencing a group bad hair day listening to this fresh and vibrant music.

John Coltrane is captured here on three extremely important stages of his all too short career. On the 60 recording, he is caught in a rare performance with the classic rhythm section from his Miles Davis band, (Cobb, Chambers and Kelly). His treatments of “Walkin’” and “Green Dolphin Street” would be worth the price of the disc alone if it weren’t for the guest appearance of Stan Getz joining in on an astonishing version of “Moonlight In Vermont.” Further upping the ante, Oscar Peterson sits in and leads Getz and Trane through a romping version of “Hackensack”. Hearing these two giants together is one of the musical highlights of the last 10 years. The 61 German studio gig features Coltrane fronting his classic quartet with Eric Dolphy guesting on alto and flute. This music captures the band with the same intensity as the classic 61 Vanguard recordings. Dolphy’s flute on “My Favorite Things” is a work of art. The 65 Belgium recording features the band post “Love Supreme”, just before breaking up. The fire and intensity of the band, as on “Vigil” and “Naima” are visually unforgettable. This is 95 minutes of non stop perfection.

Duke Ellingtons 1958 Holland concert is, amazingly, the earliest known footage of a complete Ellington concert. Capturing the band at it’s last peak, the band still featured it’s all star reed section of Hodges, Carney, Hamilton, Procope and Gonsalves. The clarinet trio during “Creole Love Call” is rich and absorbing. Clark Terry gives a stunning treatment of “Harlem Air Shaft’ on his golden trumpet. Hodges’ alto work on “All Of Me” is as silky and smooth as anything you could wish for. The band is raucous and rocking, and Ellington keeps them together with his traffic cop directions. This is as close as you’ll ever get to seeing this band live if you are from the boomer or later generation.

By 1963, tenorist Dexter Gordon was riding the wave of popularity due to his classic Blue Note recordings like “Doin’ Allright” and “Go”. He was at his artistic peak as an expatriot living in Denmark. His attitude about living in Europe is perfectly captured in the opening sequence of this delightful disc, which shows Gordon sauntering through the Dutch streets, up into the jazz club, onto the stage, and sophisticatedly introducing “A Night in Tunisia” to the rapt audience. His voluminuous tone is perfectly captured during performances like “You’ve Changed” and “Lady Bird”. One of the advantages of a visual recording is being able to closely observe little things, like how well manicured and tapered Gordon’s fingers are while he graces the keys. Fascinating both audibly and optically.

Recorded just one month after the recently released compact disc “Cornell 64”, this disc of Charles Mingus in Europe is a perfect companion. First of all, Mingus as leader is a fascinating study. Healthy, firm and in shape, he performs at bass with incredible dexterity, yet all the while is intently focused on the dynamics of the band. The concentration is palpable. Fascinating to watch as well is how he gives signals to each musician, particularly to drummer Danny Richmond, almost like a third base coach, as to tempo changes, or duration of solos. Eric Dolphy, who was to soon leave the band, is a case study in himself. Intent and ferocious while performing on flute, bass clarinet or alto, he is completely and passively impervious to the music the rest of the time. While the musicians are rocking in approval to pianist Jackie Byards romping piano work on the delirious “Meditations on Integration”, Dolphy sits stone facedly oblivious to everything, as if lost in a concentration on something else. While the songs from the 3 gigs repeat themselves, the music never does, and that in itself is worth the ticket.

Guitarist Wes Montgomery was just on the cusp of mass popularity when these 65 sessions were filmed. The studio rehearsal from Holland has a fresh and candid vibe to it. The camera work on this session is startling. Due to the angles of the camera, you can actually see the callous on Montgomery’s hands, and actually have a guitarist’s viewpoint of the both hands delivering some of the most beautiful music to have ever been emitted. The versions of “Impressions” and “Four On Six”capture Wes at his best. Make sure you have your remote ready to learn a tone of fascinating fingerings. Are they going to make compact discs of these as well?

Sarah Vaughan is presented here on three TV programs, and is educational in the progress of The Divine One’s presentation. On the two 1958 recordings, she is attired in lovely and stately white as she give improvisational delight to songs like “Tenderly” and “Cherokee”. By 1964, she was freed to dress as she desired, and is sartorially more comfortable as she swoons through “Misty” and “Honeysuckle Rose.” Her voice is stunningly impeccable, and the backup trios, with the likes of Richard Davis or Buster Williams on bass, is sensitive and adroit. Here is Sarah Vaughan when she had no peers, only admirers.