Carmen McRae

Lady Day - The Many Faces of Billie Holiday

Average customer rating:

Lady Day...a must for Billie lovers
Best of the Available Video Biographies of Billie
Kultur, this time you missed it!
SO INFLUENTIAL!!!!
If Your A Fan......

Lady Day - The Many Faces of Billie Holiday
Starring: Billie Holiday , and Carmen McRae
Manufacturer: White Star
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Classic Female Vocal Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

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DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Billie Holiday - Ultimate Collection
The Ladies Sing the Blues
Billie Holiday - The Life and Artistry of Lady Day
Ella Fitzgerald - Something to Live For
Sarah Vaughan - The Divine One (Masters of American Music)

ASIN: B000056B03
Release Date: 2000-11-28

Amazon.com

Given the often inextricable relationship between art and suffering, it's no coincidence that Billie Holiday, popularly acclaimed as jazz's greatest (if not technically best) female singer, was also one of its most tragic figures. While both triumph and tragedy are covered in this hourlong documentary, we are mercifully spared excessive details about the more sordid aspects of Holiday's life (her drug and alcohol addictions, her disastrous relationships with abusive men) in favor of careful consideration of her music. Testimonials are offered by those who played with her (pianist Mal Waldron and trumpeters Buck Clayton and Harry "Sweets" Edison), were influenced or inspired by her (singers Carmen McRae and Annie Ross), or worked with her (producer Milt Gabler). Together, they paint a portrait of a woman who was both tough and vulnerable, sad and defiant, an unschooled musician who became a supreme innovator.

Fairly or not, documentaries like this one will inevitably be compared to Ken Burns's Jazz, especially when they contain some of the same material, as is the case here. But while Lady Day doesn't always benefit from the comparison (actress Ruby Dee, reading from Holiday's autobiography, and narrator David Smyrl race through their lines as if they've got a train to catch), it surpasses Jazz in one vital respect: instead of constantly interrupting the music with voiceovers, Lady Day offers some of Holiday's few performances on film or TV in their entirety, including "Strange Fruit," her graphic and disturbing song about Southern lynchings, and "Fine and Mellow," in which a visibly and audibly deteriorating Holiday is backed by Lester Young, Ben Webster, and other jazz immortals. --Sam Graham

Customer Reviews:

Lady Day...a must for Billie lovers.......2007-01-04

It is great to have a digital standard bio of such a great Lady...

Best of the Available Video Biographies of Billie.......2006-12-03

This documentary, released concurrently with a hard-cover book of the same name in 1991, is a brief but highly accurate overview of the life and art of Billie Holiday. The book, with text by Robert O'Meally, contains literally hundreds of rare photographs, and a good deal of these are liberally sprinkled throughout the film. But ultimately, it is the sparsely produced but flawlessly executed narrative of her life and craft that make this DVD stand out among the few biographical pieces that have been released about the great Lady Day.

The film contains interviews with several of Billie's closest friends and the musicians who worked with her. The insight provided by fellow jazz-singers and friends Carmen McRae and Annie Ross is indeed enlightening, but it is the observances of her fellow musicians, Mal Waldron, Buck Clayton and Harry "Sweets" Edison, as well as particularly eloquent comments by writer and jazz historian Albert Murray, that make this documentary particularly illuminating. There are snatches of Billie's greatest recordings, which consist of excerpts that illustrate exactly what was so unique about Lady's genius, often accompanied by explanations of what made her music so important, or perfectly timed clips of jazz audiences and dancers of the day, reveling in the music. At one point, trumpet player Harry Edison remarks that Billie was a jazz musician, in the way that she used her voice and, "attacked the words and could swing just like a trumpet player". His comment is immediately followed by a brief clip of her 1936 recording of "I Can't Give you Anything But Love" (with Teddy Wilson and his band) in which she exactly emulates the sound of that instrument with her voice. Albert Murray and Sweets Edison carefully explain, once and for all, that Billie was not a blues singer, but a jazz singer - the very best jazz singer, while Buck Clayton, Carmen McRae and Mal Waldron clarify that Billie was the first vocalist to use her voice dramatically, change the melody and phrasing of songs to fit her mood, and improvise on written music to create a form of art that was as original as it was unique. They make you understand that Billie Holiday literally influenced every singer that came after her; this film makes it possible for someone with little prior knowledge of her, or her craft, to understand exactly why she was such an important and influential figure in both popular music and jazz singing. Simply put, Billie Holiday changed the way singers sang songs, and this film articulates this fact with vivid clarity.

The film goes out of its way (as does the book) to correct some of the more glaring inaccuracies in her biography, and does not flinch from the somewhat sordid and sensational details of her tragically short and pain-filled life. At the same time, the portrait is one of someone who certainly did enjoy their life to the fullest despite tragedy, and Billie is revealed as the basically happy and cheerful (if often abused) person that she really was. Throughout we hear actress Ruby Dee read some of the more accurate portions of Billie's "autobiography" - Lady Sings the Blues, a book she didn't write, and probably never even read.

Also worthy of note are the contributions of producer Milt Gabler, who relates the story behind Billie's biggest hit, "Lover Man", which he produced for Decca Records in 1944. There is also a well-orchestrated and effective buildup to the song "Strange Fruit", the social and political aspects of which are carefully explained by Milt Gabler (who labels it, "the first important protest song"). He relates that Columbia Records refused to record it, for fear of "bad press and boycotts" by their Southern dealers. Annie Ross says, "I knew it was banned, and I knew WHY it was banned", while Carmen McRae simply states, "that was just straight up facts, you know, the way it was in those days" while they all express their admiration for Billie and her brave stance as an African American, who dared to sing a song about lynching in the pre-civil rights era of 1939. The discussion is followed by a late clip of Billie, looking absolutely radiant, singing the song before a television audience, while accompanied by Mal Waldron on piano. The expressions and drama etched on her face while she runs through the powerful lyrics, ("Southern trees bear a strange fruit, blood on the leaves, and blood at the root; black bodies swinging in the southern breeze, strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees") right through the dramatic climax, ("...for the sun to rot, for the tree to drop, here is a strange and bitter crop") make this video a potent testament to her amazing valor and artistic perfection.

There are other rare and wonderful (if much too brief) video clips of Billie Holiday at her best, and sometimes, at the stark and shocking end of her life. One clip begins with a particularly sickly, ghostly looking Billie, her appearance nothing less than alarming, but as the clip progresses we realize that poor video quality, combined with an unflattering camera angle and bad lighting, make her look far worse than she really did. A moment later the camera switches angles, and with relief we see that she is far more elegant and healthy-looking than she appears at the onset of the clip.

We also get brief scenes of her only film, New Orleans, with Louis Armstrong, made in 1947. While Billie sings the song "The Blues Are Brewin'", the close-ups give us a rare glimpse into what it must have been like to experience the real Billie Holiday; she sings the words, "...suppose you want somebody, but you ain't got nobody, you only got a gleam in your eye...", and her expressions are absolutely brilliant. There is not only a gleam in her eye, there is a wrinkle in her brow, a lilt in her gestures and contractions in her facial muscles that, all combined, communicate a range of feeling and a show of expression that lesser singers could never hope to convey. Priceless.

The climax of the film is the celebrated clip of her singing her composition, "Fine and Mellow" from the famous 1956 television special, The Voice of Jazz. Accompanied by several of her peers in the jazz world, including Ben Webster, Lester Young, Roy Eldridge and Gerry Mulligan, the cameraman wisely chose to concentrate on Billie's face, even as the soloists took their individual turns, and we get a delightful look of Billie playfully nodding her head in time with the beat, appreciation for the talents of her fellow musicians clearly showing in her eyes and motions.

Some viewers have expressed disappointment by the fact that more video clips of Billie are not presented here, forgetting that (unfortunately) there are very few video records remaining of her performances. I believe I have now seen, through this and the other available videos, most of her surviving video performances, and this film does contain some of the very best of them. But the inclusion of those few precious video clips notwithstanding, it is the explanation of Billie's art and the clear articulation of her genius that make this documentary so gratifying.

As the film closes on the story of her life, Albert Murray comments that, in the end, it is, "the eloquence, the universality of her statement that matters" most, while Carmen McRae reflects that, although much of Billie's voice was gone by the time she recorded "Lady in Satin", there was something about her voice, even then, that could evoke intense feeling, and Miss McRae says she still plays that album, and cries. Over the credits, we hear a few bars of "I'm A Fool To Want You" from Lady in Satin, and we instantly know exactly why Carmen McRae found it so moving.

Highly recommended.

Kultur, this time you missed it!.......2003-09-13

If you are interested in the (ever fashionable) approach to Jazz, via the contemporary interpretation of the social environment in which the Jazz artists created, then there is a good chance you may like this DVD.

However, if real footage is what you are after, this DVD may well disappoint you too. In this latter case I strongly suggest you spend your money on "The Ladies Sing the Blues" DVD.

Being interested in a combination of real footage and adept commentary I got disappointed on both ends. In the whole DVD, there are at most three incomplete songs where Lady Day actually sings, yet there are a few too many (poor taste) instances when her voiced dubs some disconnected Jazz players/dancers. As well, in addition to some general socio-historical vignettes, I found the commentary to be just a suite of encomiums with no critical side to it.

SO INFLUENTIAL!!!!.......2003-04-24

This Billie Holiday album was like a ray of light to me when I first listened to it! It's so inspiring! You can see why so many artists of today are influenced by it! The music really took me to the borderline. I thank my lucky star that this album came along.

If Your A Fan.............2001-12-29

Billie Holiday is a figure of her time and this movie just about justifies that statment. Although the footage isent anything out of the ordinary...including 'Strange Fruit', the infamous 'Fine annd Mellow' and a personal favorite 'Please Don't Talk About me When I'm gone'. She shows no real emotion during these short performances, but you can tell what she is thinking and feeling, during them.

Customer Reviews:

A GOOD EXPERIENCE.......2006-02-18

ITS RICHARD PRYOR THERES NO MORE TO SAY IT DIDNT HAVE TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE FILM BUT THE SKITS SHOWED A SIDE OF PRYOR THAT WAS REAL A PART OF HIS LIFE THAT HE REGRETS BUT KNOWS THAT IT MADE HIM SMARTER

The Life and Times of Richard Pryor.......2005-12-14

Basically, my title sums it up. Richard Pryor plays pretty much himself here (why he chose the non de plume "Jo Jo Dancer" was probably to change the names of all characters in the film to protect the innocent). Aside from his army days and getting kicked out of school, as much of the major stuff that could be compressed in 2 hrs is here-growing up in the house of prostitution, the effect this had on his psyche, his troubled relationship with his father (it's really sad and embarrassing to watch a grown Pryor get cursed and slapped around by his Dad in front of his young wife), his early struggles in showbiz, drking and dope problems, etc. etc.

But Pryor's sermon near the end is a relavation and would have been a perfect coda to end his comedy career in films (this film was made at the time he began to get the symptoms of MS). Sadly, later abominations such as "Another You," "Moving," "Critical Condition," and "Harlem Nights" (REALLY tragic considering the talent involved) did not do well for his legacy. But if you stop here, this is a great way to remember the genius that was Richard Pryor (RIP).

Richard Pryor, up close and personal.......2005-12-13

Watching "Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling" is a bit like being in a bar, sitting next to a total stranger who begins to tell you his life story. It's an uncomfortable situation and you find yourself alternately embarrased and appalled, but totally engrossed and ultimately sympathic to this man's plight. You begin to wonder how a man who has suffered so much can produce so many laughs.
The movie is autobiographical, with artistic license taken from time to time, but it really gets at the soul of the man who was Richard Pryor. Many Pryor fans may be shocked -- not at the language, but with the emotional frankness with which Richard reveals himself. And he admits that he has brought much sorrow on himself and the ones who have loved him.
Casual fans will probably be put off by the lack of laughs, but those willing to dig a little deeper will come away with an understanding of Pryor and the pain that he was able to forge into incredible comedy -- comedy that exposed more truth about society than many artists, philosophers, writers, or social reformers of the 20th century.

TWO THUMBS UP!!!.......2004-09-12

This move is absolutely horrible...I don't know why he even took tha time out his life to make this piece of junk...

WHAT!

I'm playing with yall...I really, really, REALLY enjoyed this movie. I love movies that go beyond tha stars...telling what happens when tha cameras are not rolling in a star's life...

I like tha other beyond tha stars movies like, The Temptations, The Ernest Green Story....but this one is my favorite cuz Richard is my favorite comedian...actually, he's tha GREATEST OF ALL TIME!

If you haven't seen it...watch it...if you have seen it...watch it again...cuz it's that good...and I give it TWO THUMBS WAY UP!

RICHARD'S STORY.......2004-09-07

I LOVE THIS MAN HE IS FAVORITE COMEDIAN OF ALL-TIME. I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED AND ENJOYED RICHARD. THIS IS HIS BIOGRAPHICAL STORY. IT IS WARM, AND TOUCHING. THIS MOVIE SHOWS HOW HE GOT HIS START I LOVE RICHARD PRYOR AND I ALWAYS WILL HE IS MY FAVORITE COMEDIAN OF ALL-TIME NO ONE CAN DO IT BETTER THAN RICHARD IN MY EYES.

Carmen McRae/Manhattan Transfer - Double Time Jazz Collection, Vol. 1

Average customer rating:

The superb Manhattan Transfer...and Carmen McRae's right up there, too
I quite agree with "Shuman Ralph" below, except
Good value for money

Carmen McRae/Manhattan Transfer - Double Time Jazz Collection, Vol. 1
Starring: Carmen McRae , and The Manhattan Transfer
Manufacturer: Eagle Records
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

The Manhattan Transfer Christmas
Kenny Drew Trio / Diane Schuur - Double Time Jazz Collection, Vol. 2
Sarah Vaughan & Other Jazz Divas
Live in Montreal
Lee Ritenour & Dave Grusin / GRP All-Stars - Double Time Jazz Collection Vol. 4

ASIN: B0006A9IW0
Release Date: 2004-11-16

Customer Reviews:

The superb Manhattan Transfer...and Carmen McRae's right up there, too.......2006-12-09

Their coolness is timeless...and so is their expertise and style as a vocal jazz group. The Manhattan Transfer. meaning Tim Hauser (bass), Janis Siegal (alto), Alan Paul (tenor) and Cheryl Bentyne (soprano), has been knocking out audiences for close to 30 years. Hauser started a group called The Manhattan Transfer in 1969, but it didn't jell and the members went their own ways after a couple of years. In 1972 Hauser tried again with Siegal, Paul and Laurel Masse. When Masse left to try a solo career in 1979, the remaining three recruited Bentyne. The four of them have been singing together ever since. They are great jazz stylists who consider themselves just as much entertainers as singers. They seemingly can handle anything, from jazz to swing, from pop to doo wop. This DVD album is a record of a Tokyo concert they made in 1986 as they were promoting their album Vocalese. The album is one of their greatest. They took jazz instrumentals, asked Jon Hendricks to write words that echoed the style, beat and the instruments, then matched their voices, using Hendricks words, to the place of the instruments. The result is a stunning, intricate achievement.

The first half of the concert, recorded live before a packed Tokyo audience, is songs from the Vocalese album. The second half comes from TMT's repertoire. The songs are: Four Brothers, Rambo, Meet Benny Bailey, Airegin, To You, Sing Joy Spring, Move, That's Killer Joe, The Duke of Dubuque, Gloria, Heart's Desire, Birdland, On the Boulevard, Shaker Song, Java Jive, Blue Champagne, How High the Moon, Boy from New York City and Ray's Rockhouse.

The DVD is a gem. I can't think of a jazz group...or any other type of singing group, for that matter...as swinging as they are with Birdland, Four Brothers or How High the Moon, as sweet and poignant as Blue Champagne, as smooth and clever as Java Jive, or as hip as Rambo, Boy from New York City or Ray's Rockhouse. They are a rare combination of vocal dexterity, wide artistic taste, stage presence and style. Try to picture them with this brief excerpt from Four Brothers (music by Jimmy Giuffre, lyrics by Hendricks). Their coolness really is timeless.

Take a seat and cool it 'cause unless you overrule it
We are ready to show you some blowin'
A rompin' and a stompin' is a lot of fun
Four brothers who are blowin' our horns

So settle down an' listen 'cause you don't know what you're missin'
And we're ready to give you a showin'
A movin' it 'n groovin' it has just begun
Four brothers who are blowin' our horns

We got a little message that you're gonna enjoy
Ain't no sense in dodgin' the facts
So settle in your easy chair an' if you ever had a care - forget it,
It's time to relax

We might as well admit it, we're the best that ever did it
But in case you ain't too sure a knowin'
We're gonna let you listen to us one by one
Four brothers who are blowin' our horns...

The DVD transfer isn't pristine, but it certainly is watchable. Also on the DVD disc is Carmen McRae: Live in Tokyo recorded in 1986. McRae was a fine jazz stylist who invariably chose first-class songs. She had her own style as a singer and piano player, but she never let personal style get in the way of the lyrics. Hers is a great album for those who like outstanding songs and an impeccable jazz style. As with The Manhattan Transfer, the DVD picture isn't perfect but it's enjoyable to watch. Manhattan Transfer runs 81 minutes; McRae runs 80 minutes. They're on a disc issued by Double Time Jazz Collection. There are no extras.

I quite agree with "Shuman Ralph" below, except.......2006-11-16

that this collection deserves all FIVE stars, in my opinion (rather than only three). Two concerts, both in Japan, both from 1986 are on this disk; I happened to like both McRae and MT and, although there's little in common between the two, enjoyed this DVD immensely. Matter of fact, it's good that they're so different, 'cause the two parts complement each other -- you don't get overwhelmed (there's a lot of material here). I won't get into particulars: if you know the artists, you don't need them; if you don't, then like someone said, if I have to explain then I can't: but irrespectively, if you do NOT know who these are but like jazz, get this thing, chances are high you'll like it.

Recommended.

Good value for money.......2004-11-25

The performance of both artists is superb. The picture quality and sound, excellent. If you like this kind of music buy it and you will not be disappointed.

Average customer rating:

Manhunt: Search for the Night Stalker
Starring: Gerry Bamman , Julie Carmen , James J. Casino , Eddie Castrodad , and Ed Corbett
Director: Bruce Seth Green
Manufacturer: Direct Source Label
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Crime | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Perfect People
Race Against Time - The Search For Sarah (True Stories Collection TV Movie)
Unabomber: The True Story
No One Could Protect Her
Dead Before Dawn

ASIN: B000KQF71G
Release Date: 2006-12-26

Average customer rating:

Hotel - Where women are "ladies" and men are "gentlemen"
Hotel...Two Hours of Distilled Style
Hotel - A reminder of movies made in more genteel times.
Check-in at this "Hotel"
The Almost-Grand Hotel

Hotel
Starring: Rod Taylor , Catherine Spaak , Karl Malden , Melvyn Douglas , and Merle Oberon
Director: Richard Quine
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Conte, Richard | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Douglas, Melvyn | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Lynch, Ken | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Oberon, Merle | ( O ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Rennie, Michael | ( R ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Roberts, Roy | ( R ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Spaak, Catherine | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Taylor, Rod | ( T ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Quine, Richard | ( Q ) | Directors | VHS | Video

General | Drama | Genres | VHS | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | VHS | Video

Cash McCall
Airport (Full Screen Edition)
The V.I.P.s
Sex & The Single Girl (1964)
A Summer Place

ASIN: 6300270904
Release Date: 1996-03-26

Description

Screen adaptation of Arthur Hailey's dramatic novel involving multiple characters and storylines simultaneously unfolding and intertwining inside a luxury hotel.

Customer Reviews:

Hotel - Where women are "ladies" and men are "gentlemen".......2003-09-13

I love this movie! It's a wonderful escape back to an era when hospitality was in and everyone not only knew how, but were expected to "dress" (it makes me want to buy white gloves and hats just to do lunch).

Catherine Spaak and Merle Oberon are luminous in Edith Head gowns, although Catherine's posture is noticably askew (her mother should've reminded her to sit up straight). Rod Taylor's performance is marvelous, but somewhat restrained for his typical style. However, no one does a love scene with more tenderness than Rod, so it's small wonder Spaak would dump McCarthy's character for Taylor's regardless of money!

Melvyn Douglas is at his best as the curmudgeon hotelier (stroke and all), Kevin McCarthy is the takeover louse you love to hate and Karl Malden almost steals the entire movie as the hotel thief who just can't make a killing. There are also delightful performances by bit players throughout the movie; McCarthy's "oily" sychophantic male secretary and the hotel staff, especially the errant bell captain who's on the take.

The background music is sometimes annoyingly loud (the editors should have caught that!), but Carmen MacRae's all too brief appearances as the hotel saloon singer make up for any soundtrack problems. Carmen could "turn a lyric" as well as Ella!

With all of the sub-plots, you just can't wait to see what happens next and of course, what's not to love about a mostly happy ending.

My only complaint is the common mistake of mispronouncing New Orleans. If you've spent any time there, you already know it's pronounced New "Or-luhnz" not New "Or-leeeens". LOL

Hotel...Two Hours of Distilled Style.......2000-03-28

I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw the score to this movie described as "dreadful"! I turned on this movie shortly after it started, and probably would have turned it off if the wonderful score hadn't grabbed my attention. The music and the Technicolor beauty drew me in, and the complexly woven plot kept me watching intently, rather than just listening to the music! And the end was great; I thought it was triumphant; very uplifting! If you want to watch two hours of distilled style, a portrait of a bygone era when men still wore suits and hats, when style and luxury hadn't lost out to cheap plastic imitations, get this movie!

Hotel - A reminder of movies made in more genteel times........2000-03-28

I seen this movie at least two times and found it very entertaining. Great subplots and characters. I felt the movie had a major undertone to it regarding personal service and hospitality versus non personal, efficiency,corporate driven profits which defines the hospitality business as it today.

The opening sequence was a very original one, and the character of the Duchess Of Lanbourne, may have been a thinly veiled characterization based in part on the Duchess Of Windsor (Wallis Simpson). The costumes worn by Merle Oberon in this film appear similar to the fashions worn by the Duchess Of Windsor herself during the late 1960's.

Check-in at this "Hotel".......1999-08-31

"Hotel", with its lavish sets, believable characters, and well-constructed plot, is one of the better movies I've seen this year. Always busy, always hosting important people, this hotel reminds me of the Waldorf-Astoria in New York for its grandness and the Peabody in Memphis for its homeliness. Karl's performance stole the show, while Rod's role and character were the most believable. To add a cherry on top (no pun intended), one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen stars as a used and abused French woman. Her performance was exquisite as well. And the sad ending makes you dread the real-estate business. SEE THIS MOVIE! (By the way, the score really wasn't that bad at all.)

The Almost-Grand Hotel.......1999-03-06

"Hotel" is one of those maddening near-miss films that seem to define the film career of its star, Rod Taylor. Certainly, it seemed to have a great deal going for it - based on the bestseller by Alex Haley, with a strong supporting cast including Melvyn Douglas, Merle Oberon, Kevin McCarthy, Karl Malden, and Michael Rennie - but proved to be the blockbuster that wasn't.

Hampered by a dreadful score, choppy editing, and awkward plotting relative to its racial subtext, the film feels ponderous and uneven. Performances are uniformly fine, the production handsome, but all ultimately wasted in a lost cause. Even its brave departure from the book's sappy happy ending in favor of a more realistic, bittersweet finale fails to satisfy.

Customer Reviews:

If you don't need convincing of Carmen McRae's Art..........2006-10-05

If is sounds like I have reservations, that's true. But if you know the art of Carmen McRae and don't really need convincing of same, you will enjoy this because all the things that make her one of the top 4 or 5, male or females who practiced the art of jazz song are in full effect here for your listening pleasure.

The quartet includes the elegant and artful support of Eric Gunnison on piano and the underrated Clifford Jordan on Tenor Sax. The program is a mix of songs from her then recently released "Carmen sings Monk" and beauties from the Great American Song Book.

There are a few flubbs and false starts. It can happen to anybody, but when its right, its right! The Montreal audience is with her all the way. Some of the numbers that really go to a magical place are: Round Midnight, Ruby My Dear, For All We Know, If the Moon Turn Green,and Inside a Silent Tear.

Another note:

*The Carmen on the cover is about 10 years younger than the Carmen on the DVD. You can tell she is not in the best of health (emphesyma?) though she sings well.

*The start is a litte "edgy" as she cuts the Trio off as soon as she steps out with a cutting gesture to make an annoucement about the evenings guest, Cliffor Jordan. It's awkward though she makes a self depreciating joke about herself.

I would have this DVD despite its cost for those songs alone, but there is much more here to enjoy over and over again. Ms. McRae is one of my patron Saints. My saints aint perfect, just titans of soul-force.

Average customer rating:

I didn't know Carmen was blue
Carmen McRae Live
A Tour on Master Command in Voice Performance

Live
Starring: Carmen McRae
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: 6305669252
Release Date: 1999-12-21

Amazon.com

Vocalist Carmen McRae was almost 64 when she performed this August 1986 concert in Japan. And while 64 may be past the prime of, say, a baseball player or an astronaut (John Glenn might beg to differ), the 80-minute concert offers effortless evidence that McRae was at the absolute top of her game. The setting isn't what you'd call intimate; most jazz musicians would prefer a smoky nightclub to the relatively antiseptic and formal atmosphere of Tokyo's Kan-I Hoken Hall. No problem for McRae, who leads her trio (Pat Coil, piano; Bob Bowman, bass; Mark Pulice, drums) through a selection of some 19 tunes, mostly standards like "That Old Black Magic," "What a Little Moonlight Can Do," and Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Dindi"; she also accompanies herself on piano on "That Old Devil Called Love" and "As Long as I Live." All of it is classic Carmen. She uses her voice like a horn, improvising almost all the way, hinting at and toying with the melody, growling and soaring, totally at ease with not knowing exactly what's coming next. No pyrotechnics here--just a mature jazz artist who could swing like crazy on the uptempo material, caress every nuance from the ballads ("My Old Flame" is especially lovely), and bring both complete respect and a sense of humor to every note she sang. Composer credits would be nice, as would some more bonus DVD features (which include only a selectable song menu and a partial discography), but it's the music that matters, and Carmen McRae doesn't come any better than this. --Sam Graham

Description

The unique jazz vocalist Carmen McRae is joined by Pat Coil on piano, Bob Bowman on bass and Mark Pulice on drums in this concert recorded at Kan-I Hoken Hall in Tokyo. 81 minutes.

Customer Reviews:

I didn't know Carmen was blue.......2003-08-26

I don't mean "blue" as in sad. I mean that, if this video is to be believed, she has blue skin. Well, sometimes blue, sometimes other weird colors, some never found in nature. That is to say, the fidelity of this video leaves much to be desired. Very, very bad.

Similarly, the sound quality of the recording itself. This is simple stereo--no remastering for Dolby--and nothing especially great as stereo recording goes.

So far as the performance goes, that she flubs the first line of the first song--a song she's surely sung a thousand times--speaks of things to come. This is not an inspired, or even highly engaged, performance. She is in good voice, but she seems distant a fair amount of the time, and often rather wooden. At times, she seems to be phoning it in. Rarely does her true charisma show through.

I found this DVD a great disappointment. I dearly love Carmen McRae--I have more than a dozen of her albums, and one of the most memorable nights of my life included seeing her live at the Blue Note nearly twenty years ago. But this DVD portrays her badly.

I wish I hadn't wasted my money on this. I can't imagine bothering to watch it again.

Carmen McRae Live.......2002-08-05

Truly the finest performance of a legendary stupendous Jazz singer.If you like Jazz this is a must have.

A Tour on Master Command in Voice Performance.......2000-07-10

This is a nearly 2-hour show in Japan. Carmen McRae is backed by a young and highly professional trio and she sings a great sequence of GAS and Bossa Nova. It's a post-graduation class in singing. High emotion for hearing and for watching a great singer in live action. Recommended to all those who love master singers.

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A GOOD EXPERIENCE
The Life and Times of Richard Pryor
Richard Pryor, up close and personal
TWO THUMBS UP!!!
RICHARD'S STORY

Jo Jo Dancer Your Life Is Calling
Starring: Diahnne Abbott , Debbie Allen , J.J. Barry , Tanya Boyd , and Virginia Capers
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Allen, Debbie | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Evans, Art | ( E ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Farina, Dennis | ( F ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Hauser, Fay | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Hauser, Wings | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Ironside, Michael | ( I ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Kelly, Paula | ( K ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Warfield, Marlene | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Williams, Barbara | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

General | Comedy | Genres | VHS | Video

Deals Under $8 | Today's Deals in Video | Features | VHS | Video

Richard Pryor - Live & Smokin'
The Richard Pryor Collection (Which Way is Up?/ Brewster`s Millions/ Car Wash/ Bustin` Loose)
Live on the Sunset Strip
Richard Pryor - I Ain't Dead Yet, #*%$#@!! (Uncensored)
Richard Pryor: Stand-Up Comedy Double Feature [Region 99]

ASIN: 6303686869
Release Date: 1996-08-06

Customer Reviews:

A GOOD EXPERIENCE.......2006-02-18

The Life and Times of Richard Pryor.......2005-12-14

Richard Pryor, up close and personal.......2005-12-13

TWO THUMBS UP!!!.......2004-09-12

RICHARD'S STORY.......2004-09-07

Jazz Casual DVD - Vocals Vol. 1 (Carmen McRae, Mel Torme, Jimmy Rushing)

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Jazz Casual DVD - Vocals Vol. 1 (Carmen McRae, Mel Torme, Jimmy Rushing)
Starring: Carmen McRae , Mel Torme , and Jimmy Rushing
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

Documentary | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

( J ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Mel Torme - Standing Room Only
Ella Fitzgerald - Live at Montreux 1969
Ella Fitzgerald - Something to Live For
Thelonious Monk - Straight No Chaser

ASIN: B000056C0W
Release Date: 2001-01-16

Amazon.com

Carmen McRae
Billie Holiday was more dramatic, Sarah Vaughan had more chops, and Ella Fitzgerald could swing harder. But while she might not always be mentioned in the same breath as those jazz vocal legends, Carmen McRae, who died in 1994, had her own distinctive attributes: tougher than Billie, hipper than Sarah, gutsier than Ella. Those qualities are all on display in this Jazz Casual program, which originally aired in 1962. The circumstances couldn't have been the most comfortable for the singer and her trio. They were performing on an empty soundstage with only host Ralph J. Gleason and his production crew as an audience. It shows, too. The voluble McRae banters nervously between songs with pianist Norman Simmons and doesn't even seem to know what number comes next. (She also notes that a couple of the tunes, "Trouble Is a Man" and "If You Never Fall in Love with Me," were particularly relevant for her at that particular moment, although no additional details are provided.) But no matter. Alternating between standards ("'Round Midnight" and a Latin-tinged "Love for Sale") and less familiar fare (the thoroughly swinging opener "I'm Gonna Lock My Heart"), she's still in fine form, using the melodies as mere reference points before transforming each tune into something uniquely her own. Carmen McRae is something of an acquired taste--her style is somewhat mannered, and her sound isn't the warmest--but for the very definition of a jazz singer, one need look no further. In short, another Jazz Casual winner. --Sam Graham

Mel Tormé
They called him "the Velvet Fog," a moniker he never much liked, so here's another name for Mel Tormé: musician nonpareil. It was as vocalist, of course, that the multitalented Tormé really shone, and this 1964 Jazz Casual performance features all of his trademarks: the flawless intonation, the superb scatting, the relentless swing. Accompanied here by a trio featuring pianist Gary Lang, he offers a dazzling, six-song set, including numbers both familiar ("Comin' Home Baby," "Route 66") and rare (the haunting "Sidney's Soliloquy"). Those familiar with the Bobby Timmons tune "Dat Dere," popularized in its instrumental form by Art Blakey, will delight in Tormé's vocal version. Perhaps only Mel could sing a line like "Daddy, can I have that big elephant over there" and get away with it. That's the thing about Mel Tormé: his glib showmanship and Vegas proclivities made him almost a lounge singer caricature, but his technique and sheer musicality put him on another level entirely. --Sam Graham

Jimmy Rushing
Jimmy Rushing (often called "Mr. Five by Five," a reference to his rather rotund dimensions) was a Kansas City blues shouter best known for his 15-year stint with Count Basie's big band. Thus his solo appearance on Ralph J. Gleason's Jazz Casual TV program is a genuine rarity. And the accent is certainly on the "casual." Rushing is obviously delighted to be here; an affable, garrulous raconteur, he so enjoys reminiscing about his childhood in Oklahoma City, his days in Kansas City, and with Basie, and so on, that were it not for some gentle, respectful prodding by Gleason, he might not actually do much singing at all. As it is, he relaxes his way through a half-dozen blues numbers, accompanied by his own stride- and boogie-flavored piano. Rushing saves the best for last, talking his way through the prostitute's lament "Trix Ain't Walkin' No More" and finishing up with the hoary "How Long Blues." And then there are his parting words: "The blues will never die." Amen, brother. --Sam Graham

Description

This DVD release contains three of jazz's most outstanding vocalists: Carmen McRae, Mel Tormé, and Jimmy Rushing. All three episodes present rare television appearances of each singer, and are collected here on DVD for the first time ever. As a special feature, the DVD can be viewed in its original mono mix or in newly remastered 5.1 surround audio. Created by world-renowned jazz aficionado Ralph J. Gleason, the Jazz Casual programs were originally broadcast on the National Education Television Network from 1960-1968 to showcase the wild sounds of jazz. Presenting jazz music to American audiences in an intimate and informal setting, the series was unique in that the musical director of each episode was, essentially, the featured artist, an approach that generated the cooperation of the scene's most revered musicians.

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Mcrae:Carmen Mcrae Live
Starring: Carmen McRae
Manufacturer: Home Vision
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | VHS | Video

Actress:

Actress

Actress