"In this documentary tracing the origins of bebop from its birth on 52nd Street in New York City to the "West coast, cool school" era, pioneer Philadelphia drummer Stan Levey walks music fans through a guided tour of the jazz scene from his early days with Dizzy Gillespie to his later success as a member of the legendary Charlie Parker/Gillespie group that forever changed the face of modern jazz. As Levey tells his remarkable tale, vintage film footage, photographs, and special appearances by Quincy Jones, Lalo Schifrin, Miles Davis, and the "Bird" himself, Charlie Parker, combine to paint a definitive portrait of one of the most powerful music revolutions in modern history."
- Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
"Levey is a rare and valuable channel to a time and place kept alive, nowadays, mostly in books. The lasting message of 'Stan Levey The Original Original' is one of appreciation, for the music, its pioneers and Stan. Thank you."
"Rhythmweb has had a Stan Levey fan page up almost since we started in 1996. Stan has always been one of our heros, a pioneer in the American jazz drumming tradition of which we are proud to be part. He had a musical career most of us can only dream of. This DVD is a rare treat for musicians who are fascinated with the history of jazz and bebop, the history of drumming, of NYC and LA in the forties, fifties, and sixties..it is full of anecdotes and stories about those days, footage of and comments by guys like Quincy, Miles, Charlie Parker, Hank Jones, Lalo Schifrin, etc. What a great time it was to be a jazz musician, what a great time to be alive. Highly recommended."
"I have just seen "Stan Levey: The Original Original." This is a one hour & fifty-three minute documentary masterpiece....a true documentary....the makers of the music reflect upon Stan Levey's career, and the music in which Stan played a great part...I have never seen such an exposition and discussion of the music, and the place a great player like Stan Levey played within it! The times, the music, the personal recollections -- they are all there! I was captured, mesmerized, and swept into the music and lives that I grew up with -- personally and musically.....Stan Levey himself plays a central role in telling about his careers -- jazz with the be-boppers, with Kenton, with various others for whom he played, his photography, his work on films, and his stint with pro boxing....you'll love it, as I did."
- Anthony J. (Tony) Agostinelli, Kentonia; Jazz-Westcoast
"I bought the Stan Levey DVD. It is great, probably the best be-bop documentary I have ever seen. It features some new interviews (Terry Gibbs, Nino Tempo, Jim Keltner, John Guerin, and Hank Jones among others) and some archival interviews (including Dizzy, Charlie Parker, Miles, and Lee Konitz). There is some Benny Goodman footage featuring Stan which I had never seen before (Stan tells how Benny fired him). It even includes some stories about Stan's boxing career. For you Rolling Stones guys, Charlie Watts offers some insightful commentary. I highly recommend this DVD!"
- Michael Adams, google.com
"The inside stories, especially those related by Levey, are consistently fascinating. He had a very close friendship with Charlie Parker, at one point sharing a room with him in Harlem. Levey's tales of that period are the kind of first person revelations that jazz history lovers like this writer could listen to for hours upon hours. His extensive comments about personalities as varied as Benny Goodman and Stan Kenton are revealing and entertaining. The commentary of the other participants is mostly enlightening, with the eloquent contributions of Bill Holman and Hank Jones being particularly noteworthy. There is certainly plenty to enjoy during the almost two hours running time of the DVD, and it should be on the required watching list for jazz lovers, especially those with a keen interest in bebop, the West Coast sound and big bands."
- Joseph Lang, Jersey Jazz
"Let me start by saying that every drum historian and enthusiast should own this DVD! The fact that many may not know who Stan Levey is gives all the more reason to pickup a copy of this documentary video. For some reason Stan has been an unknown to many of us in the drumming community. Perhaps this is because he's not the flashy player that Gene Krupa or Buddy Rich was, who knows. But one thing is certain, Stan Levey is a musician's musician ... the choice drummer for many legendary Bebop musicians including Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie ... just to name a few. There was a lot of time and hard work that went into this documentary DVD; I've personally seen it evolve. I'm excited to see that The Original Original is finally finished and available to the general public. I've got my own personal copy, and highly recommend that you pickup a copy of this fantastic piece of drumming history for your own drumming library."
"As a historical documentary, for the priceless stories that it saves and for putting Stan Levey in his rightful place in jazz history, The Original Original (a phrase the Dizzy Gillespie used to describe him) is quite valuable and generally entertaining."
- Scott Yanow, L.A. Jazz Scene
"The Bottom Line is that I feel this documentary DVD should be on every drummer's list, regardless of drumming style. To know where you're heading, you must first research where you came from! I recommend it. "
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