Monterey Jazz Festival - Place Miles first on the bill. He wants those "fresh ears." And how about the time Jon Hendricks stepped on stage still jotting down the composition he was to perform? "Aren't you ready" musical di... more »rector John Lewis asked. "Never" Hendricks laughed. Yet the result was perfection in progress: the legendary debut of Evolution of the Blues. And what about Ella, Louis, Dizzy, Sarah, Dave, Monk, Clark Terry, even Lady Day? They're also part of the lore that one weekend every year makes Monterey synonymous with jazz. Hosted by contemporary favorites Joshua Redman and Patrice Rushen and featuring archival performance footage plus on-camera commentary from notables (including lifetime jazz buff Clint Eastwood), this compendium of the Monterey Jazz Festival sings, swings and syncopates with joy. Like eggs and bacon and romance and roses, some things just go together. Things like Monterey and jazz, going together now for 40 magical, musical years. Year: 1998 Director: William Harper - Starring: Joshua Redman, Patrice RushenDVD Features:
B. D. Horton | Eatonville, Washington | 09/02/1999
(1 out of 5 stars)
"If you are expecting some wonderful vintage performances from this disc, you are wasting your time. There are no musical performances on this disc. Just a bunch of people talking about the history of the festival. Instead of getting to watch Mile Davis or Lady Day, we are treated to a discussion with the lady who put the rolls of toilet paper in the johns!!DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY! This was a true disappointment."
DOCUMENTARY WITHOUT JAZZ MUSIC
da@bridge.com.br | Brazil | 10/01/1999
(1 out of 5 stars)
"Seeing this documentary was a complete disapoitment.I was expecting to see live performances of the jazz artists that are shown in the dvd cover, but felt like a complete idiot when I didn't hear a single note of music. I think that they should mention that there's no music in the disc.It was a complete waste of money."
A Total Waste Of Money
Le Kang | Le Monde | 04/20/2001
(1 out of 5 stars)
"This disc was a monumental disappointment. I was expecting not only great live clips, but also some good structured commentary. Instead, this disc is packed with short, unrevealing clips and weak, poorly scripted commentary. This is one DVD I really regret buying--and that says a lot for me. Seeing Jon Hendricks as a guest lecturer in a jazz history class at my University was more interesting than the footage they provided of him on this disc. What a TOTAL waste of money and time. Stay away from this DVD if you can help it. For a much better example of what a jazz performance/documentary should be like, check out Monk's "Straight No Chaser", available on both VHS and DVD. Cheaper and a much better way to spend your money."
Please let me rate this ZERO!
Michael Rose | East Barnet, Herts United Kingdom | 02/12/2002
(1 out of 5 stars)
"Just want to add my two bits as a warning to anyone who may not have got the point from the other reviewers (unlikely). Thia can only have been some kind of ego trip for Clint - it doesn't score as either a jazz performance compilation or as a documentary of the festival. What hurts - heartbreakingly, gutbustingly hurts - is that there ARE hours of performance footage extant from Monterey (and, no, I don't mean 2 minutes of Cannonball in "Play Misty For Me"). Surely someone could buy the rights to this stuff and make a REAL Monterey DVD?"
Run - don't walk - away from this DVD!
chigliak | Norton Shores, MI USA | 12/20/2000
(1 out of 5 stars)
"Shame, shame, Clint Eastwood. This DVD isn't worthy of ANY stars. Of the names and performances promised on the packaging of this DVD, you're lucky if one of them is actually "shown" playing or singing for more than a minute and a half. It isn't advertised as a documentary, but a performance compilation. You might catch this on public television someday, but you would only catch this at my house when I "frisbeed" it out my back door. Treat this DVD like musical kryptonite! You've been forewarned!"