00:00
Rhoda Scott & La Velle: Hammond, Soul and Blues
American soul and jazz organist Rhoda Scott spent most of her career in France, where she earned recognition far greater than that accorded to her in the United States. There was never any doubt about what instrument she would play as a child. "It's really the most beautiful instrument in the world,” she once stated in an interview. “The first thing I did was take my shoes off and work the pedals.” This performance at the French Festival Jazz à Vienne is extra special. Not only because of the beautiful location, but also because she shares the stage with American gospel and blues singer La Velle. Together they give an intimate and beautiful show in the antique theatre of Vienne.
00:58
George Shearing: The South Bank Show
George Shearing, blind since birth, is one of the world's greatest jazz pianists. Filmed on both sides of the Atlantic, this tribute to Shearing showcases the music which took the jazz world by storm. Specially-shot performances and archive clips feature music spanning the six decades of his remarkable career and classics such as ‘September in the Rain’, ‘Lullaby of Birdland’, ‘Greensleeves’, ‘Donna Lee’ and ‘Freedom Jazz Dance’ are included, as well as many other recent compositions.
01:48
Count Basie and his Orchestra live in Charleroi
Count Basie is one of the most important bandleaders of the swing era. With the exception of a brief period in the early '50s, he led a big band from 1935 until his death almost 50 years later. Basie's orchestra was characterized by a light, swinging rhythm section that he led from the piano, lively ensemble work, and generous soloing. Basie was not a composer like Duke Ellington or an important soloist like Benny Goodman. His instrument was his band, which was considered the epitome of swing and deeply influenced jazz. In this 1961 concert recording, Count Basie takes the stage in Charleroi.
02:40
Kurhaus Scheveningen: Beets & Rosenwinkel
The Dutch world-class jazz pianist Peter Beets has shared the stage with jazz greats like Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis, “Toots” Thielemans, Elvin Jones, George Coleman, Johnny Griffin, Benny Golson and John Clayton. From birth, Beets was surrounded by music: he heard classical music from his mother, who is a music pedagogue, and he heard jazz from his father, who was a great fan of Oscar Peterson and Art Blakey. Although Beets’ parents originally did not associate the word “musician” with the word “career”, music is definitely in the family’s blood. At this concert at the Kurhaus in Scheveningen, the Netherlands, Peter Beets teams up with the world-famous guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel. With a career spanning almost twenty-five years and including collaborating with dynamic peers like Brad Mehldau, Brian Blade, Mark Turner, Joshua Redman, Chris Potter, as well as esteemed jazz legends like Joe Henderson, Paul Motian and Gary Burton, Rosenwinkel’s indelible mark in music is the consummation of being steeped in the rich and deep traditions of jazz, springing off of the shoulders of such vital underpinnings to elevate his own art to new heights, evolving the language in a way no other guitarist has since his arrival. This collaboration between Beets and Rosenwinkel guarantees brilliant music.