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Title: Swinging at the Vanguard
Review: This is a splendid look into the world of first-rate jazz in 1981. The two sets, one with the Johnny Griffin quartet and the other with Rickie Coles' quintet, were filmed at the Village Vanguard in New York. Cole is an enormous talent on alto sax, and his group contains the incredible pianist Bobby Enriquez and the excellent guitarist Bruce Forman. Griffin is a monster tenor player and check out his bassist, Ray Drummond. In a better world, these musicians would be playing in Carnegie Hall rather than Max Gordon's tiny indoor toilet.The film is slightly flawed in two ways. The sound and film are slightly out of sync. And there is too much Cole and not enough Griffin. Cole's piece "Punishment Blues" is another of his comic efforts. Like his former employer Buddy Rich, Cole thinks he is funny...and isn't.All jazz fans will want this DVD as both performances are bebop on the highest level.
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