BENNY CARTER: SYMPHONY IN RIFFS - review translation
By Harrison Engle
Reissue and “remastering” on DVD of the film, which came out on VHS in 1989. This documentary received the prize as the best musical film of that year. I sincerely believe that it will remain one of the finest. Filmed with tact and taste, this DVD allows us to be with “The King” at every moment. It follows him on tour, in a New York club with pianist James Williams, in Japan, in the studio with some of his colleagues; it takes us back to relive his story, which begins in the Bronx in 1907! It moves on to the Harlem of the 1920s, to his sojourn to Europe, his return to the USA, his arrival in Hollywood, his bands, his philosophy of life and society, etc. In short, in one hour, you learn practically everything about this fabulous musician. To repeat, this film is made with love and respect, never betraying the artist or his musical oeuvre, or the other musicians included. Emotions run high when he revisits the Apollo Theater, nearly sixty years after his debut on that same stage, and rediscovers one of the old-timers responsible for that mythical hall to be still active. They tell us about how things used to be, the infamous schedule changes, programming, etc. An equally powerful moment takes place on the Norway where, around a table, a most passionate discussion occurs between Benny and Dizzy Gillespie, who speak of the 1930s and that incredible era. Fantastic! We also hear [Benny] playing and singing in a duet with Clark Terry; and catch him in the process of composing at home in Beverly Hills, etc.
What seduced me most is this film’s pace. In effect its creator, Harrison Engle, has joyfully succeeded in giving the film the same bustling momentum present in all of the music of our jazz legend. This is extremely rare and deserves to be underlined - in bold . To conclude this journey of over nine decades, Carter’s producer and friend Ed Berger had the idea to survey the life of the musician through striking photos, many of which appear here for the first time. Ten minutes of joy. And a superb icingon the cake: the soundtrack of the last few minutes is no less than the Master himself recorded on his piano at home in 2001. These documents are entirely new and very moving. The usual problem: no translation - entirely in English but easy to understand. A MUST-SEE!What seduced me most is this film’s pace. In effect its creator, Harrison Engle, has joyfully succeeded in giving the film the same bustling momentum present in all of the music of our jazz legend. This is extremely rare and deserves to be underlined - in bold . To conclude this journey of over nine decades, Carter’s producer and friend Ed Berger had the idea to survey the life of the musician through striking photos, many of which appear here for the first time. Ten minutes of joy. And a superb icingon the cake: the soundtrack of the last few minutes is no less than the Master himself recorded on his piano at home in 2001. These documents are entirely new and very moving. The usual problem: no translation - entirely in English but easy to understand. A MUST-SEE!
By Harrison Engle
Reissue and “remastering” on DVD of the film, which came out on VHS in 1989. This documentary received the prize as the best musical film of that year. I sincerely believe that it will remain one of the finest. Filmed with tact and taste, this DVD allows us to be with “The King” at every moment. It follows him on tour, in a New York club with pianist James Williams, in Japan, in the studio with some of his colleagues; it takes us back to relive his story, which begins in the Bronx in 1907! It moves on to the Harlem of the 1920s, to his sojourn to Europe, his return to the USA, his arrival in Hollywood, his bands, his philosophy of life and society, etc. In short, in one hour, you learn practically everything about this fabulous musician. To repeat, this film is made with love and respect, never betraying the artist or his musical oeuvre, or the other musicians included. Emotions run high when he revisits the Apollo Theater, nearly sixty years after his debut on that same stage, and rediscovers one of the old-timers responsible for that mythical hall to be still active. They tell us about how things used to be, the infamous schedule changes, programming, etc. An equally powerful moment takes place on the Norway where, around a table, a most passionate discussion occurs between Benny and Dizzy Gillespie, who speak of the 1930s and that incredible era. Fantastic! We also hear [Benny] playing and singing in a duet with Clark Terry; and catch him in the process of composing at home in Beverly Hills, etc.
What seduced me most is this film’s pace. In effect its creator, Harrison Engle, has joyfully succeeded in giving the film the same bustling momentum present in all of the music of our jazz legend. This is extremely rare and deserves to be underlined - in bold . To conclude this journey of over nine decades, Carter’s producer and friend Ed Berger had the idea to survey the life of the musician through striking photos, many of which appear here for the first time. Ten minutes of joy. And a superb icingon the cake: the soundtrack of the last few minutes is no less than the Master himself recorded on his piano at home in 2001. These documents are entirely new and very moving. The usual problem: no translation - entirely in English but easy to understand. A MUST-SEE!What seduced me most is this film’s pace. In effect its creator, Harrison Engle, has joyfully succeeded in giving the film the same bustling momentum present in all of the music of our jazz legend. This is extremely rare and deserves to be underlined - in bold . To conclude this journey of over nine decades, Carter’s producer and friend Ed Berger had the idea to survey the life of the musician through striking photos, many of which appear here for the first time. Ten minutes of joy. And a superb icingon the cake: the soundtrack of the last few minutes is no less than the Master himself recorded on his piano at home in 2001. These documents are entirely new and very moving. The usual problem: no translation - entirely in English but easy to understand. A MUST-SEE!