Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers – 1958

Fantastic footage of the 1958 version of the Jazz Messengers performing “I Remember Clifford”.  Players are Lee Morgan (tp), Benny Golson (sax), Bobby Timmons (p), Jymie Merritt (b) and Art Blakey (d).  This might be the most well known version of the group as it is the lineup that appeared on the classic “Moanin’” released this same year.

“Zaire’s Moment of the Soul”

Not jazz, but still of interest to most jazz fans, this looks to be an amazing documentary. – J.S.

NY TIMES
By JON PARELES
Published: July 5th, 2009

LEFTOVERS can be tasty.

Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, the director of the new documentary “Soul Power,” was a film editor in 1995 for “When We Were Kings,” the Oscar-winning documentary directed by Leon Gast about the Rumble in the Jungle, the 1974 heavyweight world championship bout between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Kinshasa, the capital of Zaire (now Congo).

That fight had a huge sideshow: Zaire ’74, a three-day music festival of American soul alongside African music, headlined by James Brown and filmed by the same crew that was in Zaire for the fight. “Soul Power” presents that festival from its precarious beginnings to the finale of a shirtless, sweating James Brown singing to an African audience, “Say It Loud — I’m Black and I’m Proud.”

The festival was a striking sociocultural moment. African-American and Latin musicians were being introduced to Africa and African musicians amid Mr. Ali’s black-power politics and a hodgepodge of visiting music, sports and literary figures. “There was a lot of deeper meaning about why people went there and what it evoked for them,” Mr. Levy-Hinte said.

Brown and other headliners, including B. B. King, Celia Cruz and the Fania All-Stars, the Spinners and Bill Withers, performed at their peak, flaunting bright-colored, sharp-collared, bell-bottomed 1970s outfits that are a fashion show themselves. Americans shared the lineup with African musicians, like the South African singer Miriam Makeba and the top Zairean groups T.P.O.K. Jazz (featuring the guitarist Franco) and Tabu Ley Rochereau.  Full Article…

“Cantaloupe Island – 1985″

This is a performance of “Cantaloupe Island” from the “One Night with Blue Note” film celebrating the historic concert in 1985 that brought together Blue Note Records legends to celebrate the revival of the label by Bruce Lundvall and Michael Cuscuna.  This performance certainly features legendary players:  Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Ron Carter and Tony Williams!