City Newspaper Archives - 9/2007
Jazz Icons: Wes Montgomery, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane
Published by Ron Netsky on Sep 19, 2007
It's almost too good to be true. The new series of Jazz Icons DVDs showcases John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, and Wes Montgomery in their prime years in superb films with excellent sound. Recorded for European television, the DVDs also include invaluable rehearsal footage. The Coltrane video is astounding, tracing his evolution from melodic cascades of notes in 1960 to his ferocious excursions in1965. Along the way are performances with Eric Dolphy, Stan Getz and Oscar Peterson, not to mention his own quartet's McCoy Tyner and Elvin Jones. Mingus' all-star band - Dolphy, Jackie Byard, Johnny Coles, Clifford Jordan, and Dannie Richmond - is perched on the edge of the avant-garde. And Montgomery, who was rarely caught on film, is absolutely riveting on every innovative solo. Camera angles and close-ups allow viewers insight into his incredible thumb/octave technique. If you want to make any jazz fan deliriously happy, these DVDs can't be beat.
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