PBS television has long been a sanctuary on the US airwaves for the finer arts, be they music, drama, dance or journalism. Unfortunately, though the Public Broadcasting System has been a bastion of Classical music in all its forms, it has not been so kind to Jazz. In April of 2006, the series Legends of Jazz began airing on PBS stations across the nation and garnered the ignominious distinction of being the first Jazz series to air on PBS in forty years.
Fortunately for all Jazz lovers, the series offered an abundance of performances from Jazz greats, both young and old. Boasting a variety of styles ranging from Traditional to Fusion to Latin, all performers seemed to be up to the task. They were ready to show their worth, and prove that Jazz was worthy of prominence on the airwaves.
The Legends of Jazz Showcase Blu-ray Disc release, as its name implies, is a highlight of the series and brings together thirteen performances in a compilation, rather than presenting the entire run. What is also missing are the brief interview segments with the performers and Ramsey Lewis before each performance that were present when the series originally aired. This is a disappointment to me as the interviews did offer some unique insight into the performers' histories, their relationships with each other (there are many duets between the "greats") and why they had chosen to perform specific pieces.
The quality of the performances that the producers have chosen to include on this disc, however, cannot be denied. From Benny Golson's slick walking blues-style performance of "Killer Joe" -- which serves as the series' theme -- to Jane Monheit's sultry vocal interpretation of "They Can't Take That Away from Me" in her duet with Jazz-guitarist John Pizzarelli, all thirteen performances offer superb takes on quality Jazz from this glorious series. Other highlights include Chris Botti's "My Funny Valentine", Latin Jazz flutist's Dave Valentin's rollicking "Obsession", and host/pianist's Ramsey Lewis' quietly pleading, solo piano performance of "Dear Lord".
The Picture
Originally recorded in high definition and presented on this Blu-ray Disc in 1080i/60 high definition in an MPEG-2 transfer and a 1.78:1 aspect ratio, the picture is the best I have ever seen this series. I had the pleasure of watching this series in high definition over-the-air on the local PBS station and it was laden with compression artifacts, which are nowhere to be seen in on this Blu-ray Disc. The set is small, darkly lit and there is some video noise that can be seen in the shadows and darker colors, but it is very minute and never distracts from the performances and overall enjoyment watching the disc.
The Sound
The audio options available for this release are Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless, Dolby Digital 5.1, and PCM 2.0. The mix is in a traditional concert audience perspective style. Like the small, Jazz club-esque set, the overall sound of the mix reflects the same sort of intimate Jazz club atmosphere. Though there is much ambience in the surround channels, it is tastefully done and helps to put you in the performance space, really giving the soundstage a live feel. The mastering is excellent, with perfect highs -- the sizzle of the high-hats is crisp and easy -- a masterful mid-range where every attack of the snare drum has the perfect snap, and just the right balance of low frequencies so that basses "walk" with ease and are never lost in the mix, but also never thump too much, just as Jazz should sound.
The Extras
There are only two extras provided on this disc and only one is of any value. There is a still gallery and Artist Biographies, which the user can scroll through to bring up and read short biographies for each artist featured on the disc.
Final Thoughts
It's about time Jazz started getting more attention on PBS, and elsewhere on the airwaves for that matter. It is a valuable art form and one, if not the only, high musical form to be completely created in the United States. The Legends of Jazz with Ramsey Lewis Showcase Blu-ray Disc will be a wonderful disc to own for any Jazz lover. Now, if we can only convince someone to release Ken Burns' Jazz on Blu-ray, we'll really be on a roll.
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