Don Ellis: Sights & Sounds

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Description

This DVD set was put together by John Vizzusi, Tran Ellis and their respective companies, CSPS (Clear State Productions) and EME (Ellis Music Enterprises). It was released as a promotional screener, the intent being that people recieve it and send funds to help support Vizzusi's project "Electric Heart: the Don Ellis Story".

The material on this DVD set is right out of the UCLA Don Ellis Collection. It's really quite impressive material. The first DVD has clips from two different shows. The first is a performance of "New Horizons" at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1968 (with the Electric Bath band) which is quite good, even a little bit amusing watching five flautists crowd around a single microphone. The second show is taken from the Concord Jazz Festival in the early 70's, perhaps even 1969 (although the show is listed as taking place on March 18th, 1975, this is clearly an inaccurate date). The band performs spirited versions of "Ferris Wheel" and "Bulgarian Bulge" before bringing up vocalist Patti Allen (which throws my theory that she was only brought into the studio by Columbia to turn the DEO into a Chicago rip-off). Patti is in great shape; she sings a wonderful version of "Send My Baby Back" and "Black Baby" before a digital edit takes us to later in the show where she sings "Higher". Somehow, the video is sped up during this section, detracting from my enjoyment of it, but the music is good.

The second DVD contains a true oddity. It's called "Don Ellis: Music, Art" and consists of the Don Ellis Orchestra performing "Electric Bath"-era tunes in a large San Francisco art museum. Interspersed with great shots of the band playing are extended clips of Don meditating on modern paintings and sculptures. The music is fabulous but the overall point of the music conjoined with Ellis viewing the art pieces is unclear.

Overall, this is a great thing to pick up. Please do yourself a favor and check it out, and please do Vizzusi and the whole Ellis community a favor and donate to his project! Here is the press release regarding it:

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Tran Ellis and myself are putting together a DVD set (2) that features DE in Concert at Monterey / Concord and a PBS Special in San Francisco. The footage was found, archived and transfered from the DE Library at UCLA Ethnomusicology Department, exported to DVD and I'm in the process of publishing a DVD Set with the footage restored and audio digitally re-mastered. -Ellis, The Sights & Sounds- Produced by Kay Ellis will be available January 2005.

Tran and myself will accept donations (to cover DVD Transfers and Postage and Funding for the Documentary Film) of any amount to address below and I'll send out the DVD set after January 1st [2005].

People can also send myself a written request for the DVD's.

These rare Concerts are not to be missed, 1965 Monterey 'New Horizons' that brought the house down and The Concord Jazz Festival in 75' with special guest singer Patty Allen! The solo Trumpet and Patty's lyrical piece "Black Babies" is truely fantastic. The second DVD featues an hour of Don Ellis and Orchestra in a PBS (KQED) Special taped in San Francisco. This is your chance to see Don Ellis in these Filmed Shows that have been digitally restored and audio re-mastered.

Please pass the word to anyone that would have an interest.

Thank You

REQUESTS FOR DVD'S (2) -The Sights & Sounds of Don Ellis- to:

(Checks made payable to:)

John Vizzusi, Producer-Director
Errol Estates
1409 Oak Place #K
Apopka, FL 32712-2084
407-889-8998
407-252-4135 Mobile
Web: www.DVFilm.org
E-Mail: CentralStateProductions@earthlink.net