Lalo Schifrin:the Legendary Paris Concert

New Morning: The Paris Concert is a new DVD that takes you up close and personal with the Yellowjackets - keyboardist Russell Ferrante, saxophonist Bob Mintzer, bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Marcus Baylor - on stage at the New Morning, one of the most celebrated clubs in Paris. The DVD captures 90 minutes of live music at the New Morning. The disc also features "Soundcheck Sketches," a brief but insightful segment narrated by Haslip, who introduces each band member and provides an overview of the Yellowjackets philosophy as a whole.

This set came about, in part, as a result of Ellington's signing to Frank Sinatra's Reprise label in November 1962, with the ending of his exclusive contract to Columbia. Six numbers from the three Paris dates were initially edited and released by Reprise as part of the ten-song Duke Ellington's Greatest Hits, but the bulk of the performances from those shows didn't surface until many years later as The Great Paris Concert on two LPs. ~ AllMusic

The names Larry Coryell and John Abercrombie are synonymous with Jazz fusion guitar for the past thirty odd years. With those two names on the masthead it is fair to assume that you're in store for phenomenal guitar playing. But the inclusion of Badi Assad, an unknown quantity for me, resulted in a performance of the likes I could not have anticipated. The guitar playing was superlative, with all three proving their virtuosity on many an occasion, but Assad was unlike any performer I have ever seen before. While her guitar playing is significant, her vocal gymnastics and percussion proficiency stole the spotlight from her more famous band mates.

Wayne Henderson was one of the founders of the Jazz Crusaders - with pianist Joe Sample - back in the 1960s in California. The group has had its ups and downs over the years, but keeps bouncing back to the delight of its many fans digging their sophisticated Soul and Funk-laced jazz. The current band is led by Wayne Henderson and this live concert was taped during a tour of Europe, when they performed at the popular Paris jazz venue New Morning in November of 2002.