Search - Secret Chiefs: Live at the Great American Music Hall on DVD

A great live recording.

I Spent My Stimulus Check On Stimul | New York | 03/04/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The live music performed and recorded here is amazing- 5 stars, easy. There's a great selection of songs: classic material, variations and extensions of previous recordings, along with some of the best mixed rare and unreleased music available. The audio alone would have made for a very strong CD release. However, I don't believe the stage performance is an essential component. Trey Spruance's SC3 always put on a great live show- I'm just not sure if it translates well to DVD. That said, at times, it is amazing to watch these musicians execute this beautifully idiosyncratic music. I suppose if fans are yearning to catch a glimpse of what a SC3 performance is, they will enjoy watching this. This is not to say that fan-made videos aren't abundantly accessible. What separates this DVD from fan-based content is its production. Furthermore, I have to insert a small criticism about one of the performers, Timb Harris. No doubt he is a talented multi-instrumentalist, even capable of playing Eyvind Kang's brilliant leads. However, there seems to be a great amount of camera time dedicated to him. His stage presence comes off as a bit egotistical and self-absorbed. Sort of like trying to watch Jeff Buckley perform. Smirking, smiling, and swaying in delight to your own playing is awkward to watch- let the fans take care of that. Jerry Lee Lewis transformed the perception of a piano and its player. I don't think Timb Harris is the person to do that for violin. Anyway, that's all nitpicking. Again, I don't believe the visual footage is what matters. The music here is phenomenal; Spruance composes fantastic music and surrounds himself with incredible musicians. I just wish they included some Masada songs.
I'm not going to get into the stop-motion animation film by Tawd Dornfeld. Hopefully someone else can do a good job of critiquing it.
The DVD layout and artwork are beautiful. Altogether, this WOM release is a must own for fans.
A great live recording.
"