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Category:    Home > Reviews > Concert > Jazz > Jazz Fusion > Bob James - Live At Montreux (1985)

Bob James – Live At Montreux (1985/DVD-Video)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: B-     Extras: C-     Concert: B-

 

 

Bob James is one of the great names in modern Jazz and Jazz Fusion, but is still known best for Angela, the theme from the hit TV comedy Taxi (reviewed elsewhere on this site).  He has many albums, including a series of well-respected releases from the CTI and Tappan Zee labels in the 1970s.  A few years before he joined the band Foreplay in 1991, he was still on his solo roll and this new DVD-Video of his July 17, 1985 concert Live In Montreux is one of his favorites.

 

We can see why.  Though he has appeared on other DVDs (including the DVD-Audio of Fourplay’s self-titled debut album), this is the first DVD disc to bare his name alone.  The camera angles are nothing extraordinary, but they do get in there and show all the musicians in extended jams of the following:

 

 

1)     Touchdown

2)     Ruby, Ruby, Ruby

3)     Night Crawler

4)     Unicorn

5)     Westchester Lady/Lucille

6)     Zebra Man

7)     Angela (The Theme From Taxi)

8)     Winding River

9)     Spunky/Westchester Lady (Reprise)

 

 

If you like extended Jazz jams, including the leisurely pace of the best of them, this is a very nice set.  Except for some of the video shooting showing its age, this is a really entertaining concert disc.  The great thing here is once they start to play, you do not want them to stop and they seem to feel the same way.  Keyboardist James is joined by guitarist Dean Brown, Saxophonist Kirk Whalum, the late bassist Gary King, drummer Harvey Mason and percussionist Dennis Henderson, melding together in a noticeable way.  This runs about 95 minutes, longer than a CD or LP would hold and if this is your genre of music, you will not be disappointed.

 

As noted, the 1.33 X 1 video image is dated, but the analog NTSC master is in good shape.  Color is consistent and the magnetic media has held up well for its age.  The sound is here in Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo with Pro Logic surrounds and a 5.1 mix that is nicer, though one wishes for DTS.  There are no extras on the disc, but the case comes with a nicely illustrated foldout that includes an April 2004 interview with James.  If you are not familiar with James work outside of an old Checker Cab that cannot seem to leave a particular New York bridge, than this is one of the ideal places to start.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo


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