The Montreux Jazz Festival continues to play host to A-list, world-class musicians who covet the chance to jam at the celebrated Swiss event. Many of these artists have performed at the festival repeatedly over the span of years, if not decades. As a result, several of the Montreux CDs and DVDs recently released feature performances from multiple appearances. Such is the case with Van Morrison, who personally selected two shows for inclusion on Live At Montreux 1980/1974, an exceptional double DVD set. When Van Morrison, the supreme stylist, plays your party, you know you’re onto something special.
At Montreux, the moody maestro lets loose with some wildly upbeat performances. Looking at the set chronologically, Morrison’s 1974 concert is unique on a variety of fronts. The singer was in a transitional state, his music becoming more refined with fewer rough edges. The one-time backing band was brought together by the magnetic attraction of the festival. When you watch this show, you’d never know that keyboardist Pete Wingfield, bassist Jerome Rimson, and drummer Dallas Taylor were not regular members of Morrison’s band, if such a band even exists. Together, the players meld into a tight and swift permutation.
Somehow, Morrison’s arbitrary selection of songs provide a proper representation of his career. “Twilight Zone,” “Foggy Mountain Top,” and “Naked In The Jungle” settle in like longtime favorites, despite the fact they would remain unreleased until the double odd-ball compilation The Philosopher’s Stone came out in 1998 . Taking this idea further, “I Like It Like That,” “Swiss Cheese,” and “Harmonica Shuffle” might never have seen the light of day if it wasn’t for this DVD. It just goes to show how discriminate Morrison is over his music.
Anyone looking a more accessible Morrison will prefer the 1980 disc. By this time, the Irishman was held in high esteem due to his prolific output of the 1970s. Hence, the music assumes a more sophisticated allure with a larger ensemble in Montreux. The lineup includes a full horn section, two drummers, two keyboards players, guitarist John Platania, bassist David Hayes, and Morrison on guitar and vocals. Many of these same musicians had appeared on Common One, Morrison’s latest album released six months before the Montreux show. Accordingly — and in contrast to the 74 show — four new tunes made the grade. Hearing “Ballerina” from Astral Weeks is a sweet surprise, but what will most likely excite Morrison fans are the hits — a reggae-driven “And It Stoned Me,” “Moondance,” “Wild Night,” and the blissful “Tupelo Honey.” This DVD provides as near complete a picture of Van Morrison as possible .
Live At Montreux 1980/1974 is more than just a candid glimpse of one of rock’s most enigmatic and distinguished figures. With little else available to go on, seeing Van the Man touch on his R&B, jazz, blues, country and Celtic folk roots — even as he evolves and flourishes as an artist — is a truly rewarding experience. If footage from the late 60s/early 70s ever finds its way to DVD, the pieces of the mysterious Morrison puzzle may finally fall into place. But that’s a big maybe.
~ Shawn Perry
