Immediately inside the first 5 minutes of this DVD you will realize that Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard is here to serve notice that he's the baddest trumpet mutha on the planet circa 1985.
Freddie's solo on Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloup Island" is brash, in your face, pure Freddie! The Price is well worth it just for this performance. Oh yeah, Joe Henderson and Herbie are are pretty darn good too.
If that isn't enough, you also get a killer Jackie Mclean solo on "Appointment in Ghana," These dudes rose to the occasion and possibly considered it a last hurrah of sorts. The underrated trumpeter Woody Shaw also offers support to McLean.
Many of the greats show up, drummer Art Blakey, Saxophonists Joe Henderson, Jackie McLean, Lou Donaldson, and Stanley Turrentine, vibist Bobby Hutcherson, Freddie Hubbard, and even a very lengthy solo performance of pianist Cecil Taylor on "Pontos Contados".
Another highlight is Charles Lloyd going above and beyond with the island themed "Tone Poem". Lloyd delivers a stellar Coltrane styled solo over top the nice groove of pianist Michael Petrucciani.
There has been some talk about the original VHS cassette and or Laserdisc are the ways to obtain this timeless classic, as some footage has been cut from the DVD, McCoy Tyner's performance of "Passion Dance" is not on this DVD. I don't know about you, but I don't have a VHS or Laserdisc player?
I am thankful to have this DVD, I do return to it quite often. It has a feature that can omit the narrator, who does a good job by the way, Some have commented they prefer the music without the narrator led ins, but I don't mind it at all.
In closing Freddie Hubbard, Charles Lloyd, and Cecil Taylor stand out the most, but all who perform do so in stellar fashion.
In case you didn't know, producer Michael Cuscuna along with Capitol Records head Bruce Lundvall were responsible for this show and the resurrection of the reissue program. I know I am for one thankful that Cuscuna has done so much to keep jazz music alive.
