Product Description

From the Ralph J. Gleason archives come two significant Duke Ellington programs available on DVD for the first time ever, "Love You Madly" and "A Concert of Sacred Music At Grace Cathedral". Both Emmy-nominated programs represent a significant piece of Ellington history, and this DVD celebrates the 40th anniversary of this premier performance of his Concert of Sacred Music.

"Love You Madly" is an Emmy-nominated behind-the-scenes profile of Ellington including performances and interviews with the legendary bandleader. The performance footage was recorded in a number of places, from The Basin St.West Jazz Club, the 1965 Monterey Jazz Festival, and his first Concert of Sacred Music at Grace Cathedral. This program was described by Ellington in his autobiography as "…the best film about Duke Ellington ever made…"

"A Concert of Sacred Music At Grace Cathedral" (also an Emmy-nominated program) is a rare piece of history. Filmed on location at the premier performance on September 16, 1965, it is the first of what would be 3 Concerts of Sacred Music composed by Ellington between 1965 & 1973. These pieces combined classical, jazz, spirituals, gospel, blues music and dance and were performed in churches and cathedrals around the world. This Concert of Sacred Music was commissioned by the Dean of Grace Cathedral as part of a yearlong celebration for the completion and consecration of the Cathedral.

Liner notes have been contributed by noted journalist and author Ashley Kahn.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #39866 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-11-15
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Black & White, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 116 minutes

Customer Reviews

slightly hollow, yet haunting
Duke was 66 when this film was shot. And we're all creeping there, and we all hope we can wear it as well as he did. But still, so much of the time is given up to rehashes and "In The Beginning God" which is a piece that, while not without interest, is not as strong as its surface would lead you to believe. I'm glad Carney and Procope get screen time and are heard speaking. I could of course wish for more of that, given the importance of the band to Ellington's creations. But it's great that there is some. San Francisco looks great, and I really like the grainy Black and White photography. Louis Bellson's playing is odd - he sometimes sounds like he's on a particularly inspired club date. Magic moments, there are few...Ad Lib On Nippon is heard pretty often in the background, but for my ears it would have galvanized the film to have eventually arrived at a full performance of this, one of Ellington's greatest later works. If you're an Ellington person, this is an essential purchase, but the whole thing left me feeling vaguely sad.