Stars: Rick Braun, Boney James, Kirk Whalum, George Duke

Summary: Live concert filmed at the 1999 Montreux Jazz Festival. The tracklist includes: Mark Turner - 'Old Folks', Boney James - 'All Night Long', Rick Bruan - 'Notorious' and George Duke - 'Brazilian Love Affair'.

The legendary Montreux Jazz Festival showcases the best talents of Smooth and Contemporary Jazz, as well as NAC. CASINO LIGHTS '99 features some of the best of these performances at the 1999 Festival. Artists including Smooth Jazz pianist Rick Braun, Contemporary Jazz saxophonist Kirk Whalum, renowned guitarist Larry Carlton, chart-topping trumpet player Rick Braun, and fusion singer Gabriel Anders show off their considerable music skills on this best of the best concert video.

WIN DVDs by rating this DVD

Average User Rating:

WIN DVDS by being amongst the first to review this DVD. Reviewing DVDs earns you bonus entries and lets you WIN DVDs!Please login before reviewing this DVD. If you're a new user, register for free and enter to WIN FREE DVDs!

Contemporary jazz, smooth jazz, jazz lite: call it what you will, Casino Lights 99will fulfil any taste you may have for that kind of funky, groove-oriented instrumental music (with a couple of vocals thrown in for good measure). Filmed at Switzerland's Montreux Jazz Festival in 1999, the concert (also available on CD) features some of the genre's best players, like pianist Bob James and guitarist Larry Carlton, both of whom appear with their own bands, backing other musicians, and with their group Fourplay. Also on hand are keyboardist George Duke, saxophonists Kenny Garrett, Boney James, Kirk Whalum, and Mark Turner, and trumpeter Rick Braun. The performances are all good; these fellows can play, and singers Kevin Mahogany and Gabriela Anders are no slouches either.

The problem lies in the material. Aside from Miles Davis's "Four" (played by Fourplay), the standard "Old Folks" (Turner), and a couple of others, most of what passes for tunes is little more than riff-heavy, melody-free jamming--and that includes two hoary classics, Eddie Harris's "Cold Duck Time" (played here by Carlton) and Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man" (the closing number, played by just about everybody). The simple truth is that listening to (and watching) some guy get down with his funky horn again and again gets old over the course of two hours. But then, perhaps you had to be there. --Sam Graham, Amazon.com

Aspect Ratio:	4:3
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Year:	1999
Release Date:	July 9, 2001
Runtime:	124 minutes
Certification:	Exempt.
Catalogue Number:	7599 38528 2
Keywords:	Music, Jazz, Lights, Casino, Various, Artists, Performing, Arts, Popular
Genre:	Music/Performing Arts