Subtitled “A Dance Jam with McCoy Tyner, Eddie Palmieri, Roy Haynes & Jack DeJohnette Live at the Blue Note” this dvd in one sense captures the earliest essence of jazz, that of a tap dancer accompanying a musician and becoming an actual part of the band like back in the old days of New Orleans and Chicago. There are four separate “jam” sessions, each one having Glover give a brief spoken intro in a studio before we go into a performance with a mix and match working band of Patience Higgins-Marcus Strickland/s, Kurt Faussette/p, Andy McCloud/b and Brian Grice/dr. The four jazz stars taking turns in the ring with the toe tapper, with Glover and his metalled shoes sliding, gliding, hammering, tapping and clicking out rhythms, counter-rhythms, timed melodies, accents and special affects, creating the very essence of improvisational jazz. DeJohnnette seems to be having the best time of them all, as he relishes the challenge given to him, while Glover focuses in like a laser beam to his guests in order to keep up to the music. The audience at the club seem to enjoy the free form footwork as well. Street music taken off the street!
Half Note DVD