New Jazz DVD: Norman Granz Presents Improvisation
Norman Granz was perhaps best known for the "
Jazz at the Philharmonic" or JATP concert series, but in recent years we've been flooded with numerous DVDs of his many productions. Now, a number of his classic video productions have been collected into this two DVD set,
Norman Granz Presents Improvisation. The collection includes a variety of settings and groups, including Coleman Hawkins and
Charlie Parker from 1950, various performances from the 1977
Montreux Jazz Festival, Duke Ellington at the Cote D'Azur, and as a bonus, the 1944 film titled
Jammin' the Blues, featuring such luminaries as Jo Jones, Harry 'Sweets' Edison,
Lester Young, and many more in an open jam-session setting. As a fan of jazz history, this is a must-own collection of videos, if only for the Bird and Hawk, but the package as a whole covers a wide range of the jazz history spectrum. You could do a lot worse than starting your jazz DVD collection with this one. Enjoy!