DVD details

Actor: John Coltrane
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Best of, Black & White, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 61 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2002-10-29
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Video Artists Int'l

DVD Reviews of John Coltrane - The Coltrane Legacy

DVD Review: A Good Documentary- with Great Music!
Summary: 4 Stars

For a documentary made in 1987, this is good!
It has interviews with Drummer Elvin Jones,
Piano player McCoy Tyner- and even
some old sound clips of Coltrane talking!

The live footage is taken from several old
TV broadcasts, and while we don't get any
full-length numbers, the music is still
very enjoyable and satisfying!

Today they could make a much better documentary
on Coltrane, with maybe some full performances
included on the DVD as a bonus,

But for now, go with this DVD!

DVD Review: A must see and have for all Coltrane fans
Summary: 5 Stars

I first checked this out on VHS at a public library in Atlanta but ready to get it out on DVD in the near future.
This is definitely one of my favorites I grew up watching. 'cause it'll help me the face behind the musical genius himself Mr. John Coltrane. I learned so much about him since I became an instant fan to his music the first time I checked out this documentary. This is something you can't live without. This is something you collect aside your music library and others.

DVD Review: This is THE Coltrane Video To Se But ...
Summary: 3 Stars

I have had this video on Laser Disc for some time and have watched it many times. It includes some very thoughtful interviews with Reggie Workman, Elvin Jones and others and has most of the available footage of John Coltrane. It includes all of the Jazz Casual footage and includes in its entirity the amazing German TV show with Eric Dolphy on flute, bass clarinet and, I think, alto. THAT you cannot get anywhere else. Frankly, although I am a big fan of Toby Byron's documentaries (Satchmo, Bluesland, The Story of Jazz, etc.) I think it is better than The World According to John Coltrane and uses much more live footage. The only missing footage here is the Miles Davis TV show and some obscure footage from Newport.
That said, the production quality of THIS version is inferior to the Laser Disc version. The sound is not as clear nor are the images which look like a bootleg version. If you can get a VHS copy or Laser Disc copy do it. If not, this is still the best John Coltrane video you will ever see. Don't miss it, there is no substitute for John Coltrane in his prime and there is so little footage of both John and Eric Dolphy, especially together that you must take what you can get.
Let's hope there is a better version released soon.

DVD Review: a failed opportunity
Summary: 1 Stars

This DVD is an embarrassment. The video quality is poor; I have watched re-broadcasts of Coltrane's Baden-Baden TV-show from 1961 on German television in far better quality. Also, the tunes are not complete; beginnings and/or ending are cut, and there is voice-over on several tracks. This is not an appropriate way to deal with this truly historical material, as Coltrane's playing is great.

DVD Review: What a treasure.
Summary: 5 Stars

I actually risked federal prosecution to get my first copy of this tape, sneaking through the A/V section of a local public library with a VHS recorder/duplicator in a backpack. Whether they would have really called the feds if they'd caught me, I have no idea. Let me tell you that whatever risk I was taking, it was worth it. This is the only footage I have seen of the "classic" John Coltrane quartet, and it is every bit as heady, emotional, and powerful as you would expect. The performances are spectacular, and the inclusion of Eric Dolphy and Reggie Workman's early appearance with the group is an added bonus for those who want to see the complete picture. For those of you who might be interested in Coltrane's "latter" period-- specifically the group with Pharoah Sanders, Rashied Ali, Alice Coltrane et al.-- this is not it. That said, this is an amazing document. The quartet's playing is a little more conservative on these TV appearances-- the solos are all fairly short, the atonal experimentation is kept to a minimum-- but the structures of the songs are much more apparent in this light, and the group sounds more focused than on many of their audio recordings. At times the audio mix leaves a little to be desired, as Jimmy Garrison's contributions are inaudible much of the time and Elvin Jones' sound has certainly been better captured on the Van Gelder recordings... However, I love the "Legacy" and it has a permanent place on my shelf. Just getting to see this ensemble in action is worth the price of admission. Five stars.

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