The Bobby Shew Story (Skyhigh Films). The great trumpeter talks about his career — stumbling into a jam session at age fifteen and discovering that he had the gift of improvisation -
- deciding to give up studio work: “I realized I was on a chain like a pet monkey” — the joy of losing his fear of playing incorrectly: “I’m not afraid of sticking my neck out any more.” Interspersed with the interview segments are sequences of Shew performing at the Jazz Bakery with the Chris Walden big band. They include his scintillating exchanges with fellow trumpeter Kye Palmer on Clifford Brown’s “Joy Spring.” The DVD production is rudimentary, but the video quality and sound are excellent, and Shew’s insights are often profound.
DVD: Bobby Shew
December 12, 2008 by
The nonagenarian pianist presented de Barros with every biographer’s hope, unrestricted access to his subject’s personal papers and nearly unrestricted access to her private thoughts. He made the most of it, turning exhaustive research and hundreds of hours of interviews into a true story with the sweep of a novel. From the early discovery of McPartland’s musical gift through her wartime service, her ecstatic and stormy marriage to Jimmy McPartland, her growth as a pianist, her deep affair with Joe Morello, and the radio show that made her a national figure, she has had a fascinating life. It makes a splendid read.
Mulligan’s Concert Jazz Band had three fewer musicians than most big jazz outfits. Its size permitted precision, flexibility and subtlety, yet the band had the power of sprung steel. In this concert from a half century ago, the CJB is as fresh as yesterday. Arrangements by Mulligan, Bob Brookmeyer, Al Cohn and Johnny Mandel set standards to which big band writers still aspire. Bassist Buddy Clark and drummer Mel Lewis inspired Mulligan, Brookmeyer, Conte Candoli, Gene Quill and Zoot Sims to some of the best soloing of their careers. This beautifully produced issue of the complete concert is a basic repertoire item.
Very interested in this DVD but at http://www.trumpetworld.net/products.htm , they say to email for international orders but NO EMAIL ADDRESS. Please could you provide a contact email?
(At this url, http://www.trumpetworld.net/products.htm , Trumpet World gives an e-mail address for Scott Weiss: scott@weissguy.biz
Weiss is the owner of Skyhigh Films, which produced the Shew DVD. You should be able to order directly from him. Good luck. — DR)