Dejohnette, Hancock, Holland and Metheny: Live in Concert
1990 Mellon Jazz Festival
June 23, 1990, Academy of Music, Philadelphia, PA
Personnel:
Jack DeJohnette - Drums
Herbie Hancock - Keyboards
Dave Holland - Bass
Pat Metheney - Guitars

Tracks:
1. Shadow Dance
2. Indigo Dreamscapes
3. 9 Over Reggae
4. Solar
5. Silver Hollow
6. The Good Life
7. Blue
8. Hurricane
9. The Bat
10. Cantaloupe Island

DeJohnette, Hancock, Holland, Metheny in Concert is a feature-length (98 minutes) release edited from two concerts given by the jazz superstar lineup of Jack DeJohnette, Herbie Hancock, Dave Holland, and Pat Metheny at the Mellon Jazz Festival held in the Academy of Music in Philadelphia on June 23, 1990. This was part of an outstanding world tour following drummer DeJohnette's Parallel Realities album, though this program and the original album have only two cuts in common, "Indigo Dreamscapes" and "Nine over Reggae." Hancock (piano and keyboards) and Metheny (guitar) were both on Parallel Realities, but here they contribute material from their own back catalog: Hancock a barnstorming 15-minute "Hurricane" and the closing "Cantaloupe Island," Metheny the appropriately nocturnal and reflective "The Bat." Bassist Dave Holland, who was the guest on the tour, wrote the longest cut, "Shadow Dance." Here are four of the world's finest modern jazz artists at the top of their game; virtuoso playing certainly, but also impeccable taste and artistry, seamless interaction, and inspired music-making. When combined with a transparent, gimmick-free visual style, which simply shows the musicians playing (concentrated on whoever is soloing), the result is an uplifting, exhilarating example of how well jazz can be presented on DVD.

For the first time, these four masterful musicians come together to form a jazz group most people would never expect to see happen. Taking their collaborations around the world, they toured Canada, Europe, Japan, and the United States, performing concerts and festivals to sold out audiences and rave reviews. On June 23, 1990, this extraordinary group performed two concerts at the Mellon Jazz Festival at the Philadelphia Academy of music. Both shows were filmed and have been carefully edited to create a technically flawless video of a truly "once in a lifetime" event. All of the songs were selected with great care, as might be expected from a band of this caliber. Including "Shadow Dance", a Dave Holland original; "Solar", a popular Miles Davis original; "Blue" is an original piece by Jack DeJohnette, and "Cantaloupe Island", the closing number of the program, is a Herbie Hancock original from the 60's.