| "From the opening tracking shot, which takes the viewer past some conversing patrons through the club's front door, the footage exhibits verité viscerality. Several handheld and mounted cameras provide a multiplicity of angles on the stage and audience. The camera operators are also fairly adept at staying out of each other's line of sight, a feat that lends even more credence to the overall "being there" feel. Adroit editing joins the footage and soundtrack almost seamlessly. The cameras zoom regularly within inches of each player, revealing the beads of sweat on Drake's brow and Fred's furrowed features as he leans into a particularly prolix stream of whorled cerulean phrases.
Close-ups of Bankhead's fingers during his solo on "Ode to Tip" give reams of visual insight into his talents at constructing rhythm-laced, melody-rich runs. With the degree of alacrity and dexterity on display, it's almost as if he's playing a bass guitar, expanding a grooving ostinato into an extended spontaneous composition that could easily stand on its own. Even the amplification that sheathes his strings can't detract from the incisiveness the improvisations sculpted by tautly tugging digits.
The music itself receives a boost through remastered sound, the instruments cleanly separated in a manner that was probably not as pristinely parceled in-person. [...] Suffice it to say that Fred is in fine form, as are his friends. [...] And as substantial added value, the program also includes an interview with Fred recorded at the club."-Derek Taylor, Bagattelan.
4:3 NTSC Region Free, DTS and Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound, PCM 24 bit/48kHz Stereo. Chicago tenor sax legend Fred Anderson has been getting a lot of press recently because of the forthcoming closing of the current location of the internationally renowned Velvet Lounge. This third live Anderson recording follows the very successful On The Run (Delmark 534) and Back At The Velvet Lounge (Delmark 549). This time however the event was videotaped
and so we have this excellent album that is also available on DVD
in high resolution stereo, DTS and Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound. |