Dorothy Donegan: Pandemonium

 

This DVD, Dorothy Donegan: Pandemonium from the Ad Lib Series, features Jazz pianist Dorothy Donegan, who is primarily recognized for playing the boogie-woogie style of Jazz, as well as being the protégé of, and successor to, Art Tatum. Known as a Jazz pianist, her classical background and eclectic musical taste helped create an impressive and flamboyant live act that had the ability to engross any audience. Honed in Chicago’s vibrant music scene, her act consisted of her splendid blend of Jazz styles infused with Pop, Classical, Ragtime, Gospel, and Vaudeville, among numerous other genres. Her irresistible charm, vicious sense of humor, spunky attitude, and daring musical prowess all played a role in her individual persona and career.

 

"… the lustiest, most exciting, hard-swinging and virtuosic jazz

pianist in the world...one of the most brilliant pianists, male or

female, that jazz has ever known."     - John Wilson, New York Times

 

The Ad Lib Series, now available on DVD for the first time, is a collection of 46 concert TV programs presenting the best Jazz, Pop and Blues artists showcasing their skills in the Jazz & Blues arena.  Seen on TV internationally, Ad Lib (filmed in 1980) was the first musical television series recorded in Stereo. Each DVD features 2 episodes of the acclaimed Ad Lib Series.

 

 

"If Dorothy Donegan is not the greatest shown on earth,

she is very, very close!"                                      - New York Newsday

 

Jazz pianist Dorothy Donegan has played and recorded alongside a Who’s Who of Jazz greats such as Cab Calloway, Lionel Hampton, and Dizzy Gillespie. Donegan was also an inductee into the American Jazz Masters Hall of Fame, a distinction bestowed by the National Endowment for the Arts. Since Donegan’s death in 1988, when knowledgeable critics look back at  her storied career in music, they are left in awe of both her charming personality and her musical virtuosity. Also featuring Jazz vocalist Spank Wilson and trombonist Buster Cooper, Dorothy Donegan: Pandemonium, is a wonderful showcase of the beautiful sounds that emanated from one of the world’s truly original Jazz piano maestros.

 

"showed a technical virtuosity that could be compared only to

that of Art Tatum and a swinging drive that might be equaled

by Mary Lou Williams… She is potentially the greatest jazz

pianist playing today."                      - John Wilson, New York Times

 

2 PROGRAMS OF THE ACCLAIMED AL LIB SERIES ON 1 DVD

Song Selection:

Show # 23:

Dorothy Donegan : Pandemonium 

Dorothy Donegan : Mixed Memories

Spanky Wilson : Summertime

Spanky Wilson : The Last Days of Summer

Spanky Wilson: Everybody Gets To Go To The Moon

Dorothy Donegan & Spanky Wilson: Pennies From Heaven

 

Show # 24:

Dorothy Donegan: The Lady is A Tramp

Dorothy Donegan: What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life

Buster Cooper : Sometimes I’m Happy

Buster Cooper : Nearness of You

Dorothy Donegan & Buster Cooper: Take The “A” Train

 

DVD Bonus Features:

● Dorothy Donegan Biography

● Ad Lib Highlights Reel (16 min.)

● Digitally Mastered Audio & Video

● Dolby Stereo Audio

● Instant Access Songs

● DVD Recommendations
  (1 Hour Plus Bonus Features)