Various Artists - Legendary New Orleans Musicians (2004)

A colorful mix of music, parades, and everyday New Orleans life…Veteran bassis Milt Hinton gives a mini-lecture and a breath-taking performance. Jazz Master Danny Barker sings, plays guitar and banjo, and leads us through the program with his wit and highly-amusing ancedotes. Very rarely are we fortunate enough to get an inside view into the earliest days of the great jazz tradition. This outstanding 1989 documentary by Preston Mc Clanahan focuses on the life of bassist Chester Zardi - the "last of the first" great African-American jazz pioneers, a master of the bass, and an important African-American jazz innovator. At the time when most legendary bebop figures had already passed away, Zardis was still performing the same New Orleans Dixieland music that he had been playing throughout his unparallled 70-year career!
Filmed during the last year of his life - Zardis died shortly after the making of this documentary at 90-years old - the bassist is captured performing in various settings, ranging from solo bass to duets with multi-instrumentalist Danny Barker to performances with trumpeters Kid Sheik Colar and Wendell Brunious, trombonist Louis Nelson, and clarinetist Michael White, to name a few. This film also boasts insightful commentary and a dazzling performances by Milt Hinton, who gives us a special glimpse into the evolution of the bass in jazz.

Artists:
- Danny Barker: Banjo, Guitar, Vocals
- Milt Hinton: Acoustic Bass
- Chester Zardis: Bass


Tracklist:
01. Scenes From New Orleans: Chester Zardis
02. The Good Time City: Milt Hinton, Danny Barker
03. Mardi Gras: Milt Hinton, Danny Barker
04. 70 Years In Jazz: Milt Hinton, Danny Barker
05. Shrimp Etoufee: Milt Hinton, Danny Barker
06. A Better Way: Milt Hinton, Danny Barker
07. The Early Days: Milt Hinton, Danny Barker
08. Giving Back To The Community: Milt Hinton, Danny Barker
09. Church: Milt Hinton, Danny Barker
10. Parades: Milt Hinton, Danny Barker
11. Playing the Festival: Milt Hinton, Danny Barker
12. The Bass: Milt Hinton, Danny Barker
13. The Lawn Party: Chester Zardis, Danny Barker


Features:
- Direct Scene Access
- Interactive Menu