Rating : 10/10

22 October 2005

What a night! Why did it take so long to release this concert? I am a fan of each musician on that stage and couldn't wait to get home and watch them play.
I agree with Ulf, they played a perfect set and it's a pity the guitar sound is poor on one track but it's ok.
The most exciting thing for me was to see Clapton play with a jazz group , he is my favorite musician and I knew he would deliver something extraordinary.
I hope they will find the time to do it again, it would be great to watch them live.

Rating : 8/10

25 September 2005

An exciting mixture of skilled musicians

As I attended one the few concerts in July 1997 by "Legends", in Copenhagen, and liked it, I have now and then looked for a CD issue. Now, after 8 years, it is here as a DVD! It is an exciting mixture of skilled musicians from different fields of music, all of them seem inspired. They give each other space, essential in improvisational jazz music, which this to a certain extent is. Joe Sample and David Sanborn really show their skill as jazz musicians, and so of course Steve Gadd. When I had watched this DVD, I took out some old Crusaders stuff and realised, of course, that Joe was a real first class player even back then, even if I didn't realise that at that time. Marcus Miller plays vividly in a funky style, he is no simple copy of Jaco Pastorius, he is a brilliant musician. His bass clarinet on "In a sentimental mood/Layla" brings a fresh touch. Eric Clapton, not being a jazz musician, is here a musical deviant, a very skilled such. First I thought, it's a pity that Clapton uses Stratocaster only (except some acoustic) and not bringing his Gibson "Jazz Box", L5 I think. Then I realised that it is physically impossible to play as Clapton does here on Stratocaster, on a "Jazz Box". That would force Clapton to a playing which would limit his extraordinary skills as an improvisational guitarist, a skill he has in rock and blues, and not in jazz. If he tries to be at he same improvisational jazz level as his colleagues, using a Jazz Box, he would fail. (For those who don't know, I can tell that the set of chords and chord progression used in jazz differs from those used in rock and blues music.) I felt that stronger a couple of years later, when I read a Clapton interview for Guitar Player magazine. An extract of that interview is found in the DVD-sleeve:

"All the time that I knew I could play blues, I was still very insecure about my standing as a legitimate musician. I didn't feel I could sit and have a conversation with a jazz player about music because they were on a higher level than me. Yet I've found over the last few years that I can approach any kind of music and bring a unique point of view to it. For example, when I toured with the Legends band, I thought I wasn't worthy to play with them. But even though I felt I wasn't in their league, when we talked about music, I realised, "Hey, I do know enough to stand alongside these guys and play" ".

I understand Clapton's respectful attitude, although being, as stated in the DVD-sleeve, "the world's most famous living guitarist". I really agree to his statement above, "I can approach any kind of music and bring a unique point of view to it". If you e.g. listen to "Concert for George", especially when he plays the special Ravi Shankar composition for George, you'll see what I mean.

However, I still think it is pity that he used the same tone from his Stratocaster as he too often uses, I would have preferred a more mellow tone.

Unfortunately one tune is badly mixed, Clapton's acoustic guitar is hardly audible, I guess the electric connection to the guitar was out of order. Funnily enough the sleeve text says "Here, Clapton's signature Martin acoustic underpins lead lines from Marcus Miller's just-donned six-string bass." The tune is "In case you hadn't noticed". However, when I watched an excerpt from the some of the concerts on TV many years ago, which I have on a video, the mixing is fine. By the way, the tune was called "Suggestions" on TV.

I really like the mix of tunes, from a soft "In sentimental mood" to a vivid "Full House". As I consider the live concert in 1997 as some of my most memorable concert ever, I may overrate it somewhat.

So finally, after eight years delay, I really enjoy this DVD!