Coltrane's A Love Supreme

Starring:Branford Marsalis Quartet
Studio: Marsalis Music
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Superb and extremely intense!
Great DVD - but...
5 Stars are not enough!!!
Supreme
A Love Supreme or a Disappointment Supreme

Coltrane's A Love Supreme
Starring: Branford Marsalis Quartet
Manufacturer: Marsalis Music
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Miles Electric - A Different Kind of Blue
Miles Davis - Cool Jazz Sound
Dejohnette, Hancock, Holland and Metheny - Live in Concert
John Coltrane - The World According to John Coltrane
Charles Mingus - Live at Montreux, 1975

ASIN: B00065GHQ0
Release Date: 2004-11-09

Customer Reviews:

Superb and extremely intense!.......2006-06-26

Wow, buying this DVD I really had no idea what was in store. I actually bought it after the fact I saw Branford and his quartet perform in Ithaca, at the State Theatre. In the performance they played a lot of newer tunes, more avant-gardish. (More reminiscent of Archie Shepp & Pharoah Sanders than Trane.) I digress.

Anyways, this DVD is totally worth it. As some might argue that the pianist, Joey Calderazzo, mighty emulate McCoy too much, they're really missing the big picture. Of course he does, Tyner is perhaps his biggest influence. What Calderazzo does is take McCoy's playing to a whole new personal level. He makes everything his own. As his solo on "Resolution" is nice, his solo on "Pursuance" blew my mind on first listen. His technique, ideas, and sense of rhythm is unbelievable. One might buy this just for Calderazzo's performance. As Eric Revis is somewhat new to the group, I find his playing very good. A very tight player, he does a nice job of communicating well with Tain Watts, since he is one to suprise others on the bandstand! Tain Watts is equally impressive here, showing a deep appreciation for Elvin Jones' playing. His solos are filled with pure intensity, and never seems to play top-heavy, despite what some Branford fans might say. Lastly, Branford puts on a great performance, easily showing his Coltrane influence, but putting his own spin on groove and improvisation. His tone seems to be a combination of Trane and Sonny Rollins?? Tough to decide sometimes. In addition, the sound quality on the DVD is remarkable. Put it on a surround sound system. Trust me. There's also some bonus features which include Branford in chill mode: going to the gym, rehearsing, playing soprano, etc. Exciting stuff.....

Great DVD - but..........2006-05-01

I bought this DVD after seeing Branford and the quartet playing it live. The sound was dreadful - the drums drowned out everything, so I bought this DVD hoping to actually hear what was going on. Well, the sound is fine, great, in fact; the camera angles don't interfere with the music, the extras, particularly the interview with Alice Coltrane, are excellent, but the reason that I am only giving it three stars is simple - the music just isn't that good.
I decided to write this after seeing that the only negative reviews were written by people who didn't seem to 'get' the music, not those that did, but didn't like it. I am of the latter type. I know Coltrane's music very well, and the band here seem to have missed the point completely. They are not trying to emulate the classic quartet, and all respect to Branford for bringing his own playing into it, it's just that his own playing isn't that good (in this style). Many times in the concert it seems like it's about to take off, but it never does. I have seen Jeff 'Tain' Watts many times, and every time I've seen him he has really lifted the intensity of the music (and the volume). In this performance I can constantly hear him waiting for Branford to throw something his way, but it just doesn't happen. Joey Calderazzo sounds great, maybe too near McCoy for many people's tastes, driving the music, and Eric Revis is rock solid in accompaniment.
At no point in the DVD does Branford go 'out'. This was one of the most important aspects of the original - 'Trane would play something, move it up a fourth, invert it, etc. Dig out the original, 'Trane plays a glorious few bars in 'Resolution', just before he comes in with the melody for the second time. He does a wonderful sort of chromatic ascending thing which works beautifully. There is a section in the original, in the middle of 'Acknowledgement', where 'Trane plays the motif again and again, moving it around the cycle of fourths (sorry about the technical language). Branford also plays this, but where in the original it had been a sort of resting point after the driving intensity of the previous section, in this version it just falls completely flat.
I think that it is admirable that Branford embarked on such an enormous project, and to his credit that it came out sounding like him, but it just doesn't work for me, and it's all his fault. He is a great player, and I have really enjoyed some of his work, he just needs to decide whether he is going to go out there and start taking chances with his music, or whether he is going to continue playing in his own lyrical, almost European-sounding style. It just seems like the wrong thing for him to be playing; better to leave this sort of thing for the true masters of the genre - Liebman, Brecker, and Garrett.

5 Stars are not enough!!!.......2005-12-15

This is my favorite of any jazz DVD I have in my possession. Branford and gang set off some artistic dynamite in this show!!!

As a saxophonist whose day(and night) job is video production, this DVD has me completely hooked!

Music: 10
Audio/Video Production: 10
Extras: 10

... so on a scale from 1 to 5, it deserves a 30.

---

My one complaint: The BGM had me wishing the DVD set had a second disc with tunes other than the "A Love Supreme" portion. This magic leaves you yearning for an encore! More! More! More!

Supreme.......2005-10-29

"Trane" is unique. We all agrree in that point. To me, John Coltrane is one of my favorite jazz musicians. His music is full of energy, full of creation, full of magic. "A love supreme" is a masterpiece in his discography.

Love supreme Live DVD is a great performance of Brandford Marsalis. ut there's a difference between playing the album and interpretate the songs. In this case he intepretate Coltrane's playing, including some of his own phrases here and there. I think is a good attitude, he doesn't try to compare to Coltrane, he and the band is doing a tribute. I was stunned when I heard Marsalis playing Coltrane's trademark "sheets of sounds" in his saxo.

So, sticking to the DVD, the video quality is amazing. The camera moves along the musicians, shot details of the instruments, stopping when the solo starts, helping to keep you interested in the concert. I use a Sony Home theater and I can say the audio quiality rocks. I can hear every subtle note of the instruments. Extra interview with Alice Coltrane is great too.

The bonus CD is a perfect way to hear the concert in you car or in a discman. You won't miss anything, the music is exactly the same as in the live footage.

In conclusion, "Love supreme Live" is a perfect way to appreciate Brandford Marsalis ans his band playing Trane's masterpiece with intensity, soul and heart.

A Love Supreme or a Disappointment Supreme.......2005-08-21

I love Branford Marsalis' music. I've been following his stuff for 20 years. When I saw this new DVD a couple months ago, I thought 'what a find'! Unfortunately, it's a bust. It sounds like four guys playing, but none is really listening to any of the others. I'd save my money and pass on this one if I had it to do over.

DVD:

DVD

Dr. Wai in the Scriptures With No Words [Director's Cut] (RE

DVD: Bob the Builder - Muck's Favorite Adventure

Incognito - Live In Concert