5/5 Jazz History at Its Best
  by Stephen Jablonsky (Stamford CT)
This is the fourth in a series of must-have Jazz Icon collections focusing on the stars of the jazz world from the 1950s and 1960s. The music is wonderful and the video quality is high and so it is well worth the expense for the whole box. We offer many levels of jazz history courses at CCNY and this series has been well utilized in all those courses. They feature complete performances of important pieces in the jazz canon.

5/5 Live Jazz Nirvana
  by Dean R. Brierly (Studio City, CA)
The latest box set in Naxos' amazing video jazz series maintains the superlative standard of the first three sets. Variety is once again the keynote, with many different eras, styles, moods and instrumentalists represented. Here's a brief rundown of the individual discs: JIMMY SMITH LIVE IN '69: The man who reinvented the Hammond organ as a jazz instrument is captured at the peak of his powers in this 90-minute concert filmed in Paris. If anything, his playing was even deeper and more expressive than ever as he, guitarist Eddie McFadden and drummer Charlie Crosby burn through their set list with soulful abandon. The highlights are too numerous to mention. Just sit back and enjoy. ART BLAKEY LIVE IN '65: This one-hour concert depicts the iconic drummer (and leader of the Jazz Messengers) with a temporary band put together for a short European tour. But what a band: Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Nathan Davis on tenor, Jaki Byard on piano and Reggie Workman on bass. Although they existed as a unit only for the dozen or so concerts on this tour, they sound as tight as if they'd been together for years. The band stretches out on three numbers, two of them written by Hubbard, who demonstrates his amazing fluency and lyricism, while Davis tears through chorus after chorus with inspired intensity. This is a rare and historic look at an overlooked edition of the Messengers. ANITA O'DAY LIVE IN '63 & '70: O'Day was one of the four or five greatest female jazz singers of all time, and her live performances were, if anything, even more electrifying than her recordings, as these incredible concerts ably document. O'Day's unique sense of time and her ability to tell a story through song is matched by her ability to swing with the facility of a horn player. I literally got goose bumps watching this. For my money, this is the best disc in the set. WOODY HERMAN LIVE IN '64: The virtuoso clarinetist (and saxophonist, singer and band leader) steers a large ensemble through some volcanic versions of traditional and contemporary tunes, including Horace Silver's soul-jazz classic "Sister Sadie." Herman gives an appreciative audience the full measure of his improvisational genius, while graciously sharing the spotlight with such stellar soloists as saxophonist Sal Nistico, trumpeter Bill Chase and the amazing trombonist Phil Wilson. Great arrangements and performances, and the energy level is off the charts. ERROLL GARNER LIVE IN '63 & '64: Two great shows spotlight this underappreciated pianist, who never fit into a particular classification yet channeled the entire history of jazz in his playing. As a soloist, Garner possessed a masterful sense of dynamics, playing soft and delicate one moment, and with percussive intensity the next. Particularly interesting is the unspoken yet palpable connection Garner established with a live audience, effortlessly communicating his infectious joy in performance. ART FARMER LIVE IN '64: In contrast to the sound and fury of the other performances, Farmer is pretty laid back in this concert for BBC television. Keeping company with guitarist Jim Hall, bassist Steve Swallow and drummer Pete La Roca, Farmer applies his burnished, buttery tone to a set of ballads and mid-tempo numbers, achieving an almost chamber music-like intimacy. Simply beautiful. COLEMAN HAWKINS LIVE IN '62 & '64: The father of the tenor saxophone, and one of the seminal influences on bebop, proved he still had plenty to say on his horn in these late-era concerts. Ably supported by like-minded musicians, Hawkins exhibits his trademark harmonic complexity in his solos, especially in his magisterial interpretations of familiar ballads. BONUS DISC: And as if all that weren't enough, there's an extra DVD with more performances by Smith, Garner and Hawkins. This is essential stuff for anyone who's even remotely interested in America's greatest indigenous art form. Go git you some!