Quincy Jones: 75th Birthday Celebration Live at Montreux 2008 Blu-ray

Quincy Jones: 75th Birthday Celebration Live at Montreux 2008

 (2009)

Music



When an artist of the stature of Quincy Jones celebrates his 75th birthday you can be sure it’s going to be quite a party. The show took place on July 14th 2008 at the legendary Montreux Jazz Festival, an event with which Quincy Jones has a long and rich history, and the cream of musical talent turned up to serenade “Q” on this very special occasion. The main concert lasted over two and a half hours and the musicians then spilled out into the bars and cafes of Montreux with the music still going strong as the sun was coming up the next morning!

For more details about Quincy Jones: 75th Birthday Celebration Live at Montreux 2008 on Blu-ray, see the Quincy Jones: 75th Birthday Celebration Live at Montreux 2008 Blu-ray Review

Quincy Jones: 75th Birthday Celebration Live at Montreux 2008 Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080i “live” transfer, Quincy Jones: The 75th Birthday Celebration arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eagle Rock Entertainment.

Recorded Live on July 14th, 2008 at the Stravinsky Auditorium, Montreux Music & Convention Centre, in Switzerland, Quincy Jones: The 75th Birthday Celebration looks solid. Contrast is very good, clarity consistently pleasing and detail excellent. The actual show has been recorded with multiple, strategically positioned, cameras allowing the viewer not only to follow the musicians and singers on the stage, but also to follow the reactions of the audience and Mr. Jones himself. This being said, motion-judder is not a serious issue of concern with this transfer. On the contrary, Quincy Jones: The 75th Birthday Celebration looks smooth and stable. Digital noise is not an issue of concern either. Additionally, there are no disturbing shadow effects that I detected. Also, there are no image deteriorations to report in this review. To sum it all up, this is a very strong presentation that will undoubtedly impress even the most demanding amongst you. (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).

Quincy Jones: 75th Birthday Celebration Live at Montreux 2008 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.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track does not disappoint. All of its basics are solid – the bass is potent, the rear channels intelligently utilized and the high frequencies not overdone. The brass, piano, guitars and singers are well defined – there is no sound overlapping where one group dramatically overpowers another. The dynamic levels are also pleasing. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track conveys plenty of depth, which neither the Dolby Digital 5.1 nor the LPCM 2.0 tracks could match. For the record, I did not detect any pops, cracks, or hissing to report in this review.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 track lacks the dynamic fluidity of the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Especially when the brass section is prominent, it is very easy to hear that the Dolby Digital 5.1 track is notably inferior. Generally speaking, the bass is comparable on both tracks. I also find the piano/pianissimos on the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track to be far more effective (listen to the harmonica solos).

The LPCM 2.0 track is solid. I did not detect any sizeable improvements in terms of balance. Dynamically, as expected, the LPCM 2.0 track is not a match for the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. This is not to say, however, that the LPCM 2.0 is in any way disappointing. On the contrary, I found it to be surprisingly strong. Optional subtitles have not been provided for the main feature.

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