Jordan The Jordan Workout [dvd] [2005]

Arthaus presents the Vienna State Opera’s outstandingly cast new production of Werther on DVD. The production was the Vienna State Opera debut for the young Swiss conductor Philippe Jordan – the Argentinian tenor Marcelo Álvarez, took the title role. Although he had already secured an international reputation through his performances in leading opera houses all over the world, this was his first appearance in the premiere of a production in Vienna. His Charlotte, on this occasion the young Latvian mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča, joined the Vienna State Opera in 2003.

Whether at the helm of a record date or as a sideman, Clifford Jordan was known for giving his all. These studio recordings were originally made for Strata East, a label known for its adventurous spirit. The tenor saxophonist leads two separate groups. The sextet selections include trombonist Julian Priester, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassists Wilbur Ware and Richard Davis, drummer Albert Heath, and trumpeter Don Cherry. Jordan's pensive "Vienna" is given an extended workout, with Cherry's somewhat abstract playing fitting in rather well. The second piece, Jordan's "Doug's Prelude," is also a bit brooding, showcasing the leader, Priester, and Kelly.

Recorded during the Hotel tour in 2005, the DVD features classic Moby tracks such as Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?, We Are All Made of Stars, Natural Blues, Go, Porcelain and Lift Me Up as well as a cover of Lou Reed's Walk on the Wild Side. Included on the DVD are the videos for Lift Me Up, Beautiful, Raining Again, Spiders and Dream About Me plus TWO bonus films, unavailable elsewhere. Little Movie #1 is a jaunt around the world, filmed by Moby with 'Dream About Me' as the soundtrack, and shows a glimpse of life on the road while Mr Fish is a humorous puppet film starring Mr. Fish. The DVD comes backed with an exclusive remix CD featuring tracks from the latest album Hotel remixed by, amongst others, Mylo, Tiga, Steve Angello, Booka Shade and Axwell…

Since his self-titled 1990 smash debut, Dave Koz has been one of smooth jazz's greatest musicians. The saxman scored big on the radio and in retail even when he turned away from his established R&B/pop sound on 1996's Off the Beaten Path, which was done with more acoustic instruments. The Dance brings him back to the hard-hitting R&B funk sounds of that first album and its follow-up, 1993's Lucky Man…

A year after the 2004 live DVD You Gotta Move, Aerosmith unleashes another live release with Rockin' the Joint. This 11-track album was recorded live on January 11, 2002 at the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel & Casino as the quintet was pushing their 2001 album Just Push Play…

The album comes with a DVD that features five songs drawn from a concert in Ferrara, including such old favorites as Last of the Rock Stars. There are also two music videos, a discography, and a brief biography.

California Dreamin' reminds us that '60s pop paragons The Mamas & The Papas had an appealing new sound, made some terrific records, and left behind a legacy that lives on more than 35 years after they called it quits. This hour-long documentary, originally aired on PBS, has all the standard elements of the genre: interviews (including some from 2004 and '05 with surviving members Michelle Phillips and Denny Doherty, as well as 1986 recollections by John Phillips, who died in '01, and a few brief words from Cass Elliot, who passed away in '74), photos, home movies, and a generous helping of music clips…