Carlos Santana Presents Blues at Montreux Blu-ray

Carlos Santana Presents Blues at Montreux

 (2004)

Music



The Montreux Jazz Festival goes back to its roots with this very special blues concert. Filmed in 2004, the show features some of the finest blues guitar playing around from three of the genre's greatest luminaries: Bobby Parker, Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown, and Buddy Guy. Guitar legend Carlos Santana provides the musical direction, bringing a touch of America's Deep South to the shores of Lake Geneva.

For more details about Carlos Santana Presents Blues at Montreux on Blu-ray, see the Carlos Santana Presents Blues at Montreux Blu-ray Review

Carlos Santana Presents Blues at Montreux Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080i "live" transfer, Carlos Santana Presents Blues at Montreux arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eagle Rock Entertainment.

This is simply a wonderful high-definition transfer. In the three sets included on this Blu-ray disc, clarity and detail are terrific. Contrast levels are also very good, and even though the stage lighting changes quite often, there are absolutely no shadow issues to report in this review whatsoever. "Motion-judder" is not an issue of concern; the only time I noticed its presence was during Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown's set. Furthermore, severe macroblocking and digital noise do not plague the transfer. On the contrary, the image is remarkably crisp and clean. All in all, Carlos Santana Presents Blues at Montreux certainly ranks amongst the every best releases in Eagle Rock Entertainment's impressive catalog. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

Carlos Santana Presents Blues at Montreux Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 


There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and LPCM 2.0. I opted for the Music DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the other two tracks for the purpose of this review.

Out of the three sets included on this Blu-ray disc, Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown's set is the most impressive one. His raw guitar sound is so rich, I literally felt as if I was right next to the legendary bluesman. During Buddy Guy's set there are some balance fluctuations, but the overall quality of the sound is still exceptionally high. Bobby Parker's set is just as good, with some truly impressive improvisations that will surely delight aspiring guitarists and casual blues aficionados. Finally, the crowd noise is well contained on all three sets.

The LPCM 2.0 track is quite strong. Dynamically, it does not impress as much as the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track does - particularly during the group sessions - but it is nevertheless of very high quality. For the record, I did not detect any annoying pops or cracks to report in this review.

Carlos Santana Presents Blues at Montreux Blu-ray, News and Updates

• Concert Blu-ray Wave from Eagle Rock - August 31, 2009

Carlos Santana Presents Blues at Montreux Blu-ray, Forum Discussions

Topic

Replies

Last post