Jazz Crusaders – The Paris Concert/New Morning (DTS)
Picture: C+
Sound: B Extras: D Concert: B-
The Soul/Funk combo known as The Jazz Crusaders are
in their fifth decade of playing music in long form their way and this new
installment of the Paris Concert/New Morning DVD-Video series from
Inakustik and Music Video Distributors is a decent concert running nearly two
hours. Taped on November 2002 and
joined at points by the formidable vocalist Jean Carne, they play well through the
following songs:
1) Stomp
& Buck Dance
2) Eleanor
Rigby
3) Keep
That Same Old Feeling
4) What You
Won’t Do For Love/Way Back Home outro
5) Always
There
6) Street
Life
7) Don’t
Let It Go to Your Head
8) Closer
Than Close
9) Way Back
Home finale
The results are more on than off, but there are times when
the band and Miss Carne seem to be out of their element when coming
together. Also, in What You Won’t Do
For Love, the band actually does not get the most out of it. The result of moments like that made me come
away with a mixed feeling about this particular taping. I’m sure it was not the taping, but just the
choices made that made this a bit awkward, but the musicianship and some
showmanship made up for that.
The letterboxed 1.78 X 1 image is nicely shot, which is
why it is such a tragedy this was not an anamorphically enhanced DVD. Color range is good and detail is not bad,
but would have been better the other way.
As for the sound, it is here in PCM 2.0 16bit/48kHz Stereo, Dolby
Digital 5.1 and a DTS 5.1 mix that is the best option, with a warm, rich
presentation that best brings the music home.
There are no extras.
- Nicholas Sheffo
