Billie (Greenwich Entertainment)
There is an abiding paradox to the life of Billie Holiday, which is the core tenet of her art: In theory you should feel bad … Read More “Billie (Greenwich Entertainment)”
Videos
Jazz is not only heard but also seen—read our critics’ takes on live videos and documentaries.
Herb Alpert Is… (Abramorama)
Starting with a zig-zagging trumpet’s blare to match the onscreen action of a canvas stroked repeatedly with colorful acrylics, John Scheinfeld’s documentary Herb Alpert Is… immediately … Read More “Herb Alpert Is… (Abramorama)”
Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things (Eagle Rock)
Watching Ella Fitzgerald insist upon making her way from the streets of Harlem—and insist she does—to an outcome that anyone else would have thought beyond … Read More “Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things (Eagle Rock)”
Open Land: Meeting John Abercrombie (ECM)
Given guitarist John Abercrombie’s recent passing, you may be inclined to view Open Land, a film by directors Arno Oehri and Oliver Primus, as something it was never intended to be: an elegiac postscript. Instead, the film comes across as a lyrical portrait, quiet, spacious, reflective, and funny. From the outset, Oehri and Primus distill … Read More “Open Land: Meeting John Abercrombie (ECM)”
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Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes (Eagle Rock)
Is it possible to be a fan of jazz and not be a fan of Blue Note Records? At once a kind of steward station, hooking listeners up with recordings that change their lives, and a beacon pointing out where to locate sounds that recalibrate jazz’s possibilities, the label has always been a conductor of … Read More “Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes (Eagle Rock) “
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Bill Evans: Portrait in Jazz
In the opening moments of Bill Evans, Time Remembered, a new documentary by Bruce Spiegel, bassist Chuck Israels admits that, despite his long tenure in the pianist’s trio, even he has trouble answering questions about the man behind the artist. “People are interested in who he was, what was he like? Damned if I know, … Read More “Bill Evans: Portrait in Jazz”
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Frankie & Johnny, Helen & Morgan
Viewed in retrospect, historic events tend to take on an air of inevitability: What we know happened becomes what had to happen. Lee Morgan’s tragic death at the rough Manhattan club Slugs’ Saloon, where the trumpet great was shot and killed by his common-law wife, Helen More, has assumed that quality over the last 45 … Read More “Frankie & Johnny, Helen & Morgan”
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John Coltrane: Love & Heart & Spirit
Early in the new documentary Chasing Trane, Benny Golson recalls his friendship with John Coltrane, complaining that the iconic saxophonist made him do all the talking. “He was quiet,” Golson says. “He never talked—until he put that saxophone in his mouth.” Director John Scheinfeld, never a diehard jazz fan before making Chasing Trane, discovered Coltrane’s … Read More “John Coltrane: Love & Heart & Spirit”
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Eberhard Weber: The Jubilee Concert
German bassist Eberhard Weber, closely identified with the ECM sound, has long been appreciated for his unique voice as an instrumentalist, playing a custom-designed five-string electric-acoustic upright, and as a composer, employing various strains of chamber jazz, new music, contemporary classical and avant-minded material. Weber’s legacy, including a measurable impact on European jazz, was celebrated … Read More “Eberhard Weber: The Jubilee Concert”
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Blu-ray Review: Miles Ahead
Extras include insight-filled featurettes
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