Jumpin' and Jivin', Vol. 1

Great stuff! A look back, when music was not only classy, but the dress styles were awesome as well!

If you're interested in seeing some music legends from a bygone era, buy this. Cab Calloway, Gene Krupa, Lena Horne, Duke Ellington, Louis Jordan and Fats Waller are great as always. But the young Dizzy Gillespie. smiling and leading a band with an un-bent horn (in "Oo Bop Sh Bam") is a discovery.Also, my goodness, The Treniers! Some have called them the first rock n' roll band. They inspired Bill Haley when he was still doing country. They're one of the most dynamic acts I've ever seen, at times slipping briefly into a joyful weirdness I didn't expect. I've been hunting for more clips ever since.Yes, the quality is iffy, but that's life. Yes, a couple of the acts are pretty stiff. It's still very worthwhile, especially for $9.95.

Wonderful

This is a selection of performances by various groups from the 40s and 50s. Despite the fact that the films do not appear to have been retouched the quality of both image and sound is very good. Fats Waller, Louis Jordan, Gene Kruppa and many others are all there. This is a great DVD if you like the music from that era.

There are a lot of great artists,on this dvd beside CAB,if you like blues,jazz,and the big band sounds,this baby is for you.The video's are from machines like jute boxes,that played shorts for 10 cents to a quarter back in the 30,s and 40,s,NO VISA OR MASTER CARDS, like the current jute boxes require,plus you get a video of the whole set.

I'm very pleased with this DVD. I found it quite informative since it provides a visual of the music during that era. I've heard about some of the performers. This was an opportunity to see them in action!

Wonderful music and great history. I'm sure that I will want Vol. 2

This DVD contains rare performances by the legends of jazz. This DVD has a lot of hits from the 1940s and 50s. This DVD has saved me countless hours of searching for individual DVD's and not to mention how money I've saved as well on such a rare find.

If you are at all interested in the musical era depicted in this outstanding collection of short films, I highly recommend this DVD. My own interest is based on a love of good music, regardless of genre. I was born a few decades too late to have seen these wonderful musicians and so this video is a revelation of sorts and a joy to watch. The usual, often compiled clips are here, such as Cab Calloway's "Blues in the Night", Fats Waller"s "Ain't Misbehavin", and Will Bradley's "Basin Street Boogie". But there are some delightful surprises as well. The 1952 version of Duke Ellington's "Sophisticated Lady" features Willie Smith on alto, instead of the fabulous Johnny Hodges who was out with his own group at this time. Willie Smith was with the Jimmie Lunceford band for many years and is one of the major altoists of the era but I don't think he was often on film. And then there are the Treniers. I would have bought the DVD just to see their witty and highly entertaining version of "Rag Mop". The great blues singer Jimmy Rushing is featured in a 1941 soundie with Count Basie's Orchestra. Music videos were not "invented" in the 1980's, and this swinging and understated story-performance is a good demonstration of this fact. This is a well-balanced presentation of an era when it was a given that popular music was played with tremendous skill and harmony. This particular genre comprises subtle swing to outright jumping jive that makes you glad to be alive. Hope you like it. Hope there's a Vol.2.