Tension & Release: Springing the Blues 2003

Shot at the 2003 Springing the Blues Festival in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, Tension & Release is a sometimes frustrating hybrid of intelligent discussion about the blues and truncated examples of great artistry. Excerpts from interviews with such legends as Otis Taylor, John Hammond, and Michael Burks are precious for their insights into the essence of the blues form, but while their music--and that of Deborah Coleman, Anthony Gomes, and Albert Castiglia--is the main event, all too often these great performances are broken up by the chatter. With that caveat, the brilliance of some of these players shouldn't be missed, including Burks' solemn, stately sound on "Don't Let This Be a Dream," Coleman's trance-inducing "The Dream," Castiglia's close-to-derailment rush on "Hoodoo Man Blues," and Hammond's dazzling take on "Buzz Fledder John." Presented in 5.1 surround sound, DVD extras include a few bonus (and uninterrupted) performances. Recommended. Aud: P. (T. Keogh)