Product Description

A behind the scenes glimpse into the lives of Grammy Award winner Tito Puente and some of the greatest Latin musicians of our times! Experience the passion of Latin Jazz. It is a musical journey that captures the heart and soul of an entire culture. It is an innovative tapestry of sound and imagery, styles and rhythms-from samba to pambiche to flamenco.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14205 in DVD
• Brand: Buena Vista Home Video
• Released on: 2001-11-13
• Rating: G (General Audience)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: French, Spanish
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds
• Running time: 105 minutes

Amazon.com
In Calle 54, Madrid-based filmmaker Fernando Trueba explores the wide and wonderful world of Latin jazz: a hybrid genre that fuses the clave, samba, flamenco, merengue, and other rhythms from Africa, the Iberian peninsula, and the Americas. The film's Spanish title takes its name from Sony Music Studios located on 54th Street in Manhattan, where a who's who of musicians were filmed and recorded. They range from Brazilian bombshell keyboardist Eliane Elias and enigmatic Argentine tenor saxophonist Gato Barbieri, to the fiery rumba group Puntilla y Nueva Generacion. The music and musicians of Cuba and Puerto Rico dominate this documentary, and the most touching scene is the emotional father-and-son reunion of Cuban pianists Bebo and Chucho Valdés, who were separated by Fidel Castro's revolution. Sadly, the film features the last onscreen appearances by the late composer-arranger Chico O'Farrill and the legendary timbales master Tito Puente. Simply put, Calle 54 is a documentary that dances. --Eugene Holley Jr.

Additional features
The DVD features audio commentary from the film's associate producer and Latin jazz expert Nat Chediak. There's also an hourlong documentary on the history of Latin jazz, featuring in-depth interviews as well as discographies and biographies of the featured artists and a photo gallery. --Eugene Holley Jr.

Customer Reviews

Not just a Latin jazz film, but an awesome jazz movie!
If you are a fan of Latin jazz, or jazz music in general, you're going to have to make this a mandatory DVD to add to your collection. It is not so much a documentary as it is a showcase for the talent and creativity among Latin jazz musicians. The "documentary" portions are limited to quick glimpses of various musicians talking about their music, what it means to them, or why certain places offer so much inspiration.

But then we get to see the music, full-length performances that are beautifully shot and edited. If you enjoy the overall look of the performances on the "Sessions At West 54th" show, you will enjoy this as each of the liver performances were done in the same NYC studio.

There is so much great music to absorb, from Gato Barbieri's big band, to the late Tito Puente showing us why he was always a showmen right up until the end. Chucho Valdes goes to Cuba and talks about his father raising him with the music as a child. Later on, we see his father Bebo perform with a longtime friend. We then see a meeting between Bebo and Chucho, who haven't seen each other in years. When the perform together, you can see a father who loves his son so much, and a son who is very thankful for what his father has given to him. Eliane Elias is here with her trio, but sadly we don't get to hear her sing (or speak for that matter).

The best section of this DVD is where legendary Cuban conga player Patato plays with a group of musicians in front of two dancers, who proceed to tease each other with the music and their interpretive dance. You can sense the tension in the air through the dance, but in time they eventually get what they both want from each other, and everyone is happy.

"Calle 54" is reminiscent of older music films from the 60's, when artists were presented in this manner years before there was ever such a thing as a music video or pay-per-view concerts. The performances are top notch, and it's impossible not to tap your fingers or dance in your seat. This is the side of jazz Ken Burns' sadly overlooked, but one that is very important in jazz's rich history.

Absolutely wonderful...Awsome production values!
What a great disc! The visual quality is as good as any DVD out there, the sound seems even better than the sound track CD, and behind it all is the music. What wonderful music it is, full of artists that are legendary and a few I had not heard of. There are such gems to discover in this film, from the stunning flute solos of Dave Valentin to the beautifully understated piano of Elaine Elias to the poetic and magical scenes featuring Bebo Valdes. The last scene with both Chuchu and Bebo Valdes rises to such a poetic level that it brought tears to my eyes as I watched it. This is must-see viewing (ans listening), not only for lovers of Latin Jazz, but for anyone who loves Jazz in any way!

The Best Music You'll Ever See
At the insistence of a friend, I began watching this movie, thinking I'd sample a little bit here and there (Afro-Cuban music, Salsa, etc. can be loud and repetitious). Forget it. The film is absolutely addictive and intoxicating, building to the kind of musical climax normally associated with a Bach B Minor Mass or a Verdi Requiem or a Strauss Domestic Symphony.

Indeed, the film has a "script" along with cinematic-editing virtuosity, but the testimony to the power of both is that from the viewer's perspective the music itself soon becomes the only narrative. I've seen all of the great "jazz" films--Jazz on a Summer's Day, Bird, Round Midnight--and none comes close to offering the rich experience of this film. But this is far more than a unique film about jazz, or Latin jazz, or Latin music. I can't imagine even the most devoted follower of the classical music scene not being captivated by its sounds and images. In fact, if the film has a "star," it's the Steinway piano, which has never been more beautifully filmed and recorded (be sure to view the DVD with a good audio system, minus a sub-woofer). The instrument becomes an Excalibur whose power comes alive only in the most privileged hands (in this case, about 6 different pairs).

Sadly, a film like this would not be made by an American, an irony it shares with Bernard Tavernier's poignant "Round Midnight." No matter. It's an event to be cherished.