One Week Quarantine Windfall: Live Jazz Concerts from France

Quincy Jones’ Qwest TV Opens Up Its Vault (until Friday)

During much of the 1960s, France’s Audiovisual Institute documented an impressive number of live music performances at theaters and festivals around the country. Featuring titans like Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis and Nina Simone, these lovingly shot performances sometimes pop up on French TV, but have not been available on the Internet in any kind of consistent way – until now.

Quincy Jones’ Qwest TV initiative – a subscription service devoted to documentaries and live concerts from all corners of the music world – is this week opening its doors to the public to share a trove of IGA concerts free of charge. (There’s a signup process, which means you’ll get some “reminders” and such.)

Among the gems: A crisp 1963 Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers show featuring Cedar Walton, Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, Curtis Fuller and Reggie Workman; a searching performance from Miles Davis’ “third” quintet (with Shorter, drummer Jack DeJohnette, bassist Dave Holland, keyboardist Chick Corea) at Antibes in 1969; Duke Ellington and his Orchestra going full-steam in 1958, with Ellington (whose piano is, happily, audible and distinct) leading his crew through hits like “Caravan.” Ellington is sometimes celebrated as a gifted entertainer, but this set presents him as a more of a rowdy enthusiast – check his exuberant shouting during trumpeter Clark Terry’s intricate “Caravan” solo.

Here’s the link….it’s active until Friday January 15.