Search - Tom Principato and Danny Gatton: Blazing Telecasters on DVD

Cheap production, but great fun!!

Jazzcat | Genoa, Italy Italy | 07/12/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"My dvd works perfectly. I'm writing from Europe (Italy), I don't know if the malfunctioning the other guy complains has something to do with the american version. My dvd works. It is a cheap production anyway that's for sure. The dvd does not even have a menu, you can't skip tracks, it is almost amatorial!! Titles are simple yellow writings. So this is the reason why I gave this dvd "only" four stars. These stars are only for the music, the performance and for the pleasure of seeing Danny in action again! The camera job ain't bad in the end. Sometimes you wish the cameraman has been more focused on Danny's hands but he didn't a bad job at all. The camera work is not histeric, it flows correctly. The music is a sort of american full extravaganza. The first is a blues, not a delta blues, a fast blues based on bebop progression. Danny plays a solo partly with the Heineken beer bottle ...great great slide solo, fantastic intonation and control, interesting blues melodies! Nice solos from all the guys. The second tune is a sort of fast bossa nova from Principato's pen with a nice melody. Then you have an anatoll, Seven comes Eleven from Benny Goodman. Again great solos. Luckly Previti the bass player plays the double bass here, very nice db sound. In the other tracks he played a Steinberger bass with a bad sound, obtrusive, too loud and vulgar. Talking about the sounds department Mike Sucher Keys sounds are dated of course, but they're not bad. Guitar sounds are great, courtesy of Danny's 53 Tele and Fender Twin reverb of course, but Principato with his Frankensteinezed tele has nice sounds too. He plays well, he's not at Danny's heights but he delivers. The track list continues with a couple of melodic tracks then you have a couple of alternate takes of the first two tunes, the blues and the bossa. In the end I can say it is really entertaining. I have seen it a lot of times and it is always fresh thanks to the fact that tunes are familiar (blues, anatoll) or really melodic and well played. Be aware that this is a television show recorded entirely inside a recording studio. You don't have an audience listening, you don't have nice scenaries, or the atmosphere of a live concert. This dvd it's only about music. You don't even have a menu!!! But the music is great. Great fun!! I love it!"

Rare treat.

P.J. Le Faucheur | Canada (ex- U.K. resident) | 04/26/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"According to the book "Unfinished Business" Danny Gatton joined Tom Principato on stage directly just hours after attending his fathers funeral. He stunned everyone by making an appearance but i suppose just decided the best way to honour his dad would be to play his best. In order to get the full background to this film here look for the book "Unfinished Business-The Life & Times of Danny Gatton". ( well worth the money)
It's so rare to see someone like Gatton in action that even if the film lasted 10 mins i would still give it 5 stars.
"Talking Woman Blues" is a brilliantly performed song on here done in Albert Collins fashion. The slow BB King blues tribute tune called "Blue Mood" is a delight. I do hope someone will release the second part of this concert.
Such a tragic loss regarding Danny's demise."

Deathless talent...

S. Patt | Santa Monica, California United States | 08/13/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Danny Gatton lives on in our minds and sometimes on record--here he is, not out of his element, but maybe just visiting Tom's, and it's a rousing get-together of these masters--the fretwork is, of course, amazing, and the fun between the players communicates well. Sound quality is quite good, and, what can I say--there's nobody around, save perhaps Jerry Donahue, who can touch Danny (sorry Tom, but you know how I feel) for inventiveness and flawless execution....just a great piece of music, hate it when it ends!"