Roy Eldridge

Roy Eldridge always played as if a live gig was his last performance, and this 1977 set at the Montreux Jazz Festival represents one of his final recordings as a leader before a heart attack forced him to quit playing trumpet. Though his sound is not quite as potent as earlier in his life, he still is a dominant force, driven by the outstanding rhythm section consisting of Oscar Peterson, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, and Bobby Durham. Eldridge is especially on fire in his blues "Gofor," in which he hits the high notes over Peterson's explosive piano playing. The camera work and editing are excellent, while the audio and video are very well preserved in this DVD, which was finally issued in 2004, over a quarter century after being issued as a Pablo LP. This release is the crowning achievement to Roy Eldridge's long career in jazz. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide