Jazz - A Film by Ken Burns dvd movie.|
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List Price: $199.98 Features • Box set • Black & White • Closed-captioned • Color • DVD-Video • NTSC In Theaters : 08 January, 2001 DVD Release : 02 January, 2001 |
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Jazz - A Film by Ken Burns description Accompanied by a menagerie of products, Ken Burns's expansive 10-episode paean, Jazz, completes his trilogy on American culture, following The Civil War and Baseball. Spanning more than 19 hours, Jazz is, of course, about a lot more than what many have called America's classical music--especially in episodes 1 through 7. It's here that Burns unearths precious visual images of jazz musicians and hangs historical narratives around the music with convincing authority. Time can stand still as images float past to the sound of grainy vintage jazz, and the drama of a phonograph needle being placed on Louis Armstrong's celestial "West End Blues" is nearly sublime. The film is also potent in arguing that the history of race in the 20th-century U.S. is at jazz's heart. But a few problems arise. First is Burns's reliance on Wynton Marsalis as his chief musical commentator. Marsalis might be charming and musically expert, but he's no historian. For the film to devote three of its episodes to the 1930s, one expects a bit more historical substance. Also, Jazz condenses the period of 1961 to the present into one episode, glossing over some of the music's giant steps. Burns has said repeatedly that he didn't know much about jazz when he began this project. So perhaps Jazz, for all its glory, would better be called Jazz: What I've Learned Since I Started Listening (And I Haven't Gotten Much Past 1961). For those who are already passionate about jazz, the film will stoke debate (and some derision, together with some reluctant praise). But for everyone else, it will amaze and entertain and kindle a flame for some of the greatest music ever dreamed. --Andrew Bartlett |
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| ♥♥♥♥♥ | Don't Expect a Jazz Encyclopedia |
| Like other Ken Burns documentaries, this is a high-quality, entertaining, and educational film, well-worth viewing. However, if you expect adequate coverage of ALL the great jazz artists of the past 100 years, you'll surely be disappointed. Nonetheless, several dozen of the greatest and most influential artists do receive at least some--often very good--coverage. Perhaps not surprisingly--given their influence, popularity, and longevity--Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington receive the most coverage. The evolution of jazz as an American art form, and its context in American history (especially Black American history), is very well-presented. To a great extent, Burns focuses on jazz as a part of POPULAR American culture; as a result, the documentary is weighted towards the 1920s through 1940s, when jazz was THE most popular form of music in America. Coverage of the 1950's and 1960s--arguably the most EXCITING time for jazz, at least musically--is actually quite good, but could have been more comprehensive. After the 1960s, Burns' focus unfortunately seems to have been the decline of jazz (in popularity, record sales), although the series does conclude on a more positive note about the present and future of the music, with a bit of attention to several contemporary artists. Throughout the film, many different musicians, jazz critics, promoters, and fans present a variety of perspectives (some more worthwhile than others). Wynton Marsalis has the most "air-time"-- and kudos to him for a very fine job. Despite some obvious shortcomings, this series is well-worth watching--and there's lots of good music, too! I've been a jazz fan for over 30 years, and have watched it in its entirety 3 times; some episodes 4 or 5 times. It's hardly the definitive word on jazz--but who really would expect that?? I contend that some Amazon reviewers are much too harsh (and sometimes irrational) in their criticism of a very good film.
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