VIDEO - QL0617 Cool Summer Jazz: McCoy Tyner VHS EUR 18.95  28.min., color, hi-fi mono. Tyner (p), Joe Ford (sax), John Blake (vln), Avery Sharp

According to some critics, jazz today is in a renaissance. Yet others take the view that jazz is dead, that today's young players are trapped in the past. These two books are on opposite sides of this raging debate. Relating the history of jazz to social forces, Nisenson (Ascension: Coltrane and His Quest, LJ 12/93) concludes that jazz is no longer created in its own time but is instead a dead art form. As a result, he attacks those he refers to as the "neo-classicists": Stanley Crouch, Albert Murray, Wynton Marsalis, and Piazza himself. In his collection of previously published pieces, Piazza (The Guide to Classic Recorded Jazz, LJ 3/1/95) takes the opposite tack, arguing that the concept of "jazz as emotion" is a fallacy and that jazz has regained what it had been missing in the years of jazz-rock fusion: technique, a feeling of swing, and knowledge of and respect for the tradition. (Sadly, another issue raised in both books is racism; there have been accusations that the Jazz at Lincoln Center program, under the auspices of Marsalis, has excluded white musicians.) The truth likely lies somewhere between the two poles presented here, and these two books are recommended jointly for effectively providing both sides of the argument

"Calle 54", named after New York's 54th street where most of the studio filming was done, is a gift from director Fernando Trueba ("Belle Epoque") to lovers of Latin Jazz everywhere. The film features 90 minutes of music by some of the idiom's finest artists with bonus material including a director's voice over offering brief commentary and bio's on the featured artists and interviews which trace the origins of Latin jazz in general and Afro-Cuban jazz specifically. Artistry includes la musica picante of Tito Puente in his final weeks to the haunting sax of Gato Barbieri. However, such notables a Arturo Sandoval, Poncho Sanchez, etc. more were not included leaving plenty of room and yearning for another installment. A must see/hear for Latin jazz lovers.

This movie is about how life used to be in Mexico. It is a love story between Pedro and Tita, and why they coudn't get married because Tita's mother wanted her oldest daughter to get married first, and have Tita to stay and take care of her. It shows how marriage was imposed on those times, and how a love between two people can change everything. This picture set a new epoch in Mexican movies all over the world.

In an attempt to secure a sponsor, an unlikely group of Cuban refugees become a "family" as the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service gives families priority over others. In the process, a political prisoner who hasn't seen his wife for twenty years and a disaffected sugarcane cutter fall in love. An excitable brother and a lovestruck cop contribute to the general confusion. The inevitable humorous romantic entaglements ensue as a final confrontation is set up.

Angela deMarco is unhappily married to high Mafia member Frank deMarco. When Frank is killed, Angela takes the opportunity to break free of the Mafia world entirely and start a new life. But Frank's boss, Tony Russo, begins to court the unresponsive Angela. The FBI begins surveillance on her, thinking her to be his new mistress. FBI agent Mike Downey goes undercover as Angela's neighbor, but soon finds himself attracted to Angela himself.

Eddie Torres and 'J.C.' Williams are two detectives of the 4th precinct of New York City. In their job they fight against the worst of the society infiltrated like the bandits who try to stop. Helped by his superior, Lt. Cooper, and by their buddies Tommy McNamara and Nina Moreno, all together try to clean the streets of the criminal plague what invade the city.