Improvisation: Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald and More
by Gjon Mili
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: George 'Red' Callender, Harry Edison, Lester Young, Marlowe Morris, Sidney CatlettDirector: Gjon Mili
Brand: RED DISTRIBUTION
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 183 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-09-04
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Eagle Rock Ent
Movie Reviews of Improvisation: Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald and More
Movie Review: MAGNIFICENT and HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT
Summary: 5 Stars
This essential double dvd is a must have for all serious jazz fans...
"Improvisation", the famous unfinished 1950 sequel to 1944 "Jammin' the Blues" is shown here in all its glory... It is quite obvious that the film isn't finished, but it's priceless to see Hawkins and Parker enjoying each other's company, Lester Young joining Buddy Rich, Hank Jones, Bill Harris, Ella Fitzgerald...
On few occasions you even have alternate camera angles to compare with the "A" version of the film.
And on disk 2 you have great photos, the silent footage of Ella, Bird, Rich, Jones, Young and other 1950 stars, the 1944 great film "Jammin' the blues" (The Pres playing with Illinois Jacquet, Sweets Edison,Jo Jones...), a film that is finished both musically and cinematically... Great stuff!
However, musically speaking, my favorites are actually "Jammin' the blues" (particularly some Lester's licks, Edison's open horn and Jo Jones drumming) as well as some actual improvisation, recorded a bit later... First of all, there is a Duke Ellington's trio performance ("Blues for Joan Miro"; John Lamb-b,Sam Woodyard-dm), Count Basie's magnificent and hillariously funny "Nob's Blues", where he musically chats with Ray Brown's bass and with the history of jazz piano and, last but not least, Oscar Peterson-lead stellar group performing a sort of cutting contest between Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry and Eddie Lackjaw Davis (with the great Dane Niels Pedersen on bass...)
After the concert, the Peterson-Terry-Gillespie-Davis performance was named "Ali and Frazier", after a famous boxing match, and the godfather of the song was Count Basie.
And, although most of the short aditional interviews (and Nat Hentoff's portrait of Norman Granz) are recorded with something that must have been and inexpensive video camera, it is beautiful to see Roy Haynes explaining the history of (modern) jazz from the drummer's perspective, or to see 82 years young Harry Sweets Edison smoking his cigarette, discussing his glorious past and musing about all the great ones who had passed away, listen to Jimmy Heath's view of Parker and the birth of modern jazz...
And Phil Woods intelligently reminiscing of his first encounters Charlie Parker (and Dizzy)?
Really touching... I have no words to desribe it.
And Norman Granz organized all the great performances on this DVD (I failed to mention Al Grey, Vic Dickenson, Roy Eldridge, Joe Pass...).
Thank You mr. Granz!
Summary of Improvisation: Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald and More
In 1944 Norman Granz and Gjon Mili collaborated on a film about jazz music called Jammin' the Blues. In 1950 they collaborated again on a film about jazz improvisation that was never completed. This footage has now been combined with other film of jazz improvisation shop by Granz at different times and locations to create this new film. Included is material by Mili in 1950 Duke Ellington at the Cote D'Azur Count Basie at Montreux Jazz Festival in 1977 Joe Pass in 1979 Ella Fitzgerald in 1979 and Oscar Peterson at Montreux in 1977. Extras of Granz narrated by Nat Hentoff portraits by David Stone Martin extra rushes interviews photo gallery and original 1944 Jammin' theSong Titles:Opening Title Ballade Celebrity Ad Lib Pennies From Heaven Blues For Greasy (Mili) Blues for Joan Miro (Ellington) Nob's Blues Kidney Stew These Foolish Things (Basie) Ain't Misbehavin' Prelude To a Kiss (Pass) Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good (Fitzgerald) Ali & Frazier (Peterson).System Requirements:Running Time: 280 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre:?MUSIC DVD/CONCERTS Rating:?NR UPC:?801213906093 Manufacturer No:?EE39060-9Music Video & Concerts DVD Video
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