Search - Ahmad Jamal: Live in Baalbeck on DVD

Jazz History In The Making!!!

Terry | Silver Spring, Md. | 11/27/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the best jazz DVD that I have ever seen in my life. I must admit that I am biased. I have loved Ahmad Jamals' music for most of my life. This DVD is recorded evidence of the greatness that I have witnessed for so many years. Jamal uses a trio that I have seen him with for about the past 8 years. Idris Muhamed and James Commack round out the musicians and their performance is excellent though Jamal is clearly the featured performer.The repertoire is a good balance between his very contemporary sounding originals and his lush playing of standards and traditional jazz. The sound is as good as any I have seen and the camera work is very professional and interesting. I think that the years will show that Ahmad Jamal is one of the most important pianist of his time. He is as listenable as any other great jazz pianist, but as adventurous as any also. The CD also has interesting interviews of Jamal and Commack and some other interesting features. Many of the low budget jazz DVDs that are on the market don't have the extra features and it is a pleasure to see them in this case. If you have seen his performance over the years and heard his CDs you will love this DVD."

Simply Amazing

Kevin Dunlap | Baltimore, MD | 02/27/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When one thinks of great Jazz performances, Live in Baalbeck should rank right at the top. It's not everyday that a performance such as this is caught on video andwe are lucky it was! The way that Ahmad leads this incredible trio is nothing short of spectacular. From the moment the first song kicks in until the last note is played, this incredible trio of Ahmad Jamal, Idris Muhammad and James Cammack will leave you spell bound and wanting more.

Ahmad's abilities on the piano are legendary and his incredibly humble style and his obvious love of the music shows through. A couple songs that really pop out to me are, the first track Young and Foolish, The Devil Is In My Den, Topsy Turvy, Acorn and In Search Of. These songs really show Ahmad's absolute command of the music. Having one of the finest jazz drummers of the modern era in Idris Muhammad is one of the reasons that the music flows so well. The friendship and love between Ahmad and Idris is obvious throughout the video. This is one of the few videos that you can get a healthy dose of Idris up close and personal. His incredible time keeping ability and intense feel for the music will have you shaking your head thinking, how in the world does he do that? His power is evident throughout the video. Island Fever, The Devil Is In My Den, The Aftermath, Poinciana, Acorn and In Search Of show his groove which is a mile wide! This leads us to the plucker of the strings, James Cammack. In a word, WOW! His ability to drive the groove with two monsters such as Ahmad and Idris is awesome. In the dictionary under the word feel, there is a picture of James Cammack. For those that wonder what a jazz bass player should sound like you need only watch this video. His drive on Acorn gave me goose bumps. He also really drives the message home on Topsy Turvy and The Aftermath. These songs show his awesome ability to deliver a diverse message. His talent rivals that of Charlie Biddle and Abe Laboriel.

I guess the best way to sum this video up is, I think it is a must own, the musicianship is second-to-none and the songs fit together like a beautiful puzzle. Well worth the money and will have you tapping your feet for the full hour and fifty-one minutes.
"

Super Duper!

Rajendra Kumar | Bangalore, South India | 09/25/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am not one to mince words, if you like the music of Ahmad Jamal, Idris Mohammed or James Cammak, just buy this DVD and enjoy every minute of it. Great Video & audio."