Jazz Casual: DVD, Volume 1 Basie / Gillespie / Coltrane

by Count Basie / John Coltrane

3 separate performances on the program "Jazz Casual" by three legends of the genre. Count Basie performs here in a quartet context. The casually attired, chain smoking legend improvises on the spot and reminisces with producer/host Ralph Gleason. He shows you a side of himself that completes the picture of one of the godfathers of jazz. The usually ebullient Mr. Gillespie is rather reserved here, but as always his playing is stunning. He would continue to play well into the '90s, but his middle-period work, as captured in this "Jazz Casual" episode, is remembered fondly by many as some of his most important and enjoyable. It was his comfort with, and trust in, Ralph Gleason that got John Coltrane to perform on this show. For those of us who saw him live in his prime, this is a pleasant reminder of just how magnificent and singular an American artist John Coltrane was. For many, the "golden age" of jazz came to an end when Trane died at so young an age.

Hosted by Rolling Stone critic Ralph J. Gleason and not seen in over twenty-five years, this release features rare performances by three jazz legends. In three different episodes, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, and John Coltrane give magnificent performances that attest to their enduring legacies.