Jazz Icons: Dave Brubeck Live in '64 & '66

The Brubeck quartet of the 1950s through the mid-1960s is possibly the most popular jazz quartet of all time, and this DVD is a wonderful representation of the group at its best. Five songs were recorded in a Belgian TV studio in 1964 and five were performed for a packed auditorium in Berlin in 1966 and recorded for TV. Judging from this and the other offerings in the Jazz Icons series, Europeans in the 1960s were seeing far more American jazz on TV than Americans were.Watching jazz artists perform conveys subtleties that are lost in audio-only presentations. In this collection, we witness four gentlemen who clearly enjoy what they're doing together. Brubeck can be seen looking attentively, even admiringly, at the other members of the quartet (especially Paul Desmond) as they solo. Desmond, who was not the flashiest but may have been the smoothest saxophonist in the annals of jazz, plays with his eyes closed most of the time, and upon finishing his solos he compulsively tightens the ligature on his mouthpiece and then folds his hands over his instrument to await his next playing opportunity. Joe Morello is fun to watch too, as drum solos are always more interesting when the visual component is present.Two tunes, "Take Five" and "Koto Song," are repeated in these performances, but that's not a problem because it demonstrates how different two renditions of the same material can be. This is jazz, after all.The 24-page booklet is a good read, a little bit of jazz history covering the players, the tunes, and life on the road. Most of it is written by Brubeck's son Darius, with a couple of pages by Desmond biographer Doug Ramsey. Good assortment of pictures too.Thanks again to the people who produce the Jazz Icons series. They've given us a musical time machine, and in this particular case, it even includes 3/4 and 5/4 time.

As other reviewers have pointed out, the audio and video are both surprisingly clean and crisp. The camaraderie, improvisations, and connections are beautiful to behold, especially in the '64 show. And the music... be warned - it just might spoil all other Brubeck Quartet recordings for you. For me, not even the remastered Carnegie Hall double CD or anything in the Columbia Studio Albums box set comes close. Audiophiles will be pleased to learn that the DVD's audio track is PCM, and for the '64 show especially, clear as a bell.In 2007, Brubeck himself said that this was "the best footage of the Classic Quartet that I've ever seen." [1][1] jazzicons.com/ji2_brubeck.html

“Live in ‘64 and ‘66” is an excellent DVD. Yes, it's black-and-white 1960s film, but it is very clear, and the performances were outstanding. Belgium concert in 1964 had no audience reaction after songs, which was strange; German concert in 1966 had audience reaction but some weird camera angles in the first few songs. It did improve in the last two songs, but there were still some dumb mistakes (such as the shadow of a camera person in some shots). All in all, I'm glad I purchased this DVD.

Though not a jazz musician and not a professional musician, I have played drums and been in bands for many years. Listening to and viewing this stunning DVD has me salivating. Every single member of Brubeck's quartet is a great musician - and they perform together with an incredible "tightness"-- exemplifying that the whole can be more than the sum of its parts. The changes in rhythm, speed and their interaction is breathtaking even 40 years after. The video and audio are great quality.Rarely have a heard a band playing so relaxed, yet tight and to the point and playful and sensuous at the same time. A must have for anyone who has an ear for music.

I've been a fan of the Brubeck Quartet -- and particularly Paul Desmond -- for fifty years; I saw this same quartet (with I think Joe Benjamin on bass instead of Eugene Wright) when I was 16 years old. This video has a beautifully photographed studio performance along with concert recordings, and to see the interactions of the group and hear the beautiful and creative playing of Desmond made the purchase of this video worth every penny. Morello's drumming remains spectacular from both a musical and visual perspective. I was delighted with my purchase of this video.

In good condition and a nice DVD - Recommended.

Product arrived ahead of schedule. My son's music teacher loves this dvd.

I saw the Brubeck Quartet twice in 1967 and this disc is from that time period when the band was on top of its craft. I have admired Joe Morello for over fifty years and now I have him to watch. He died March 12th, 2011..... An iconic drummer if there ever was one.The DVD is real good both visually and sound-wise. Classic Brubeck, Wright, Desmond and Morello. Terrific!

Chose this dvd following the purchase of 2 CDs from AmazonI am a great fan of this artist (Musical Genius) and wanted to watch the Quartet playing live as well as just listening to them.

Really takes me back to some classic jazz.Pity the dvd is not longer.

excellent d.v.d and service

Despite the video being in black & white (not colour) due to age of recording, the sound is superb when played over the right Hi-Fi system.

This is Brubeck at his best with the most famous members of his Quartet. This is a must for Brubeck fans. Excellent.