Stunning Presentation of the Jazz Evolution
A Review of Herbie Hancock presents Living Jazz
by Susan Davis
Music has been around since the beginning of civilization, but
Americans can claim very little musical heritage as their own. Jazz,
however, is the ultimate American creation. As innovative and
free-form as its citizenry, Jazz has undergone a tremendous evolution
since the early 1800's.
Now, Herbie Hancock, an Academy Award winner
and four-time Grammy Award winner, hosts an incredible CD-ROM
exploring the evolution of jazz that, for the first time in a very
long time, truly taps the potential of CD-ROM entertainment.
Herbie's "living jazz" CD-ROM offers a lively and entertaining mix of history, music, video clips, pictures, and sound to help you explore the evolution of America's own jazz tradition.
The CD uses its
Panoramic Navigator technology, which combines very well done 3D
rendering with an easy-to-use interface design that will remind you
somewhat of a web browser. However, the comparison ends there. No web
browser can compare with the graphics and presentation available in
the title.
Living Jazz begins in Storyville, the legendary New Orleans district
where jazz has its ultimate home. The CD also offers exploration of
many other historical jazz homes, including Chicago's South Side in
the 1920's, New York's 52nd Street and Harlem. You can explore rhythms
from the big bands to the bebop, and artists from Billie Holiday,
Glenn Miller, Louis Armstrong, or John Coltrane, all the way to Dizzie
Gillespie, Miles Davis, or Charlie Parker.
The Navigator gives you a 3D world to enjoy, with beautifully
recreated areas of Storyville to begin your exploration. From there,
you can explore to your heart's content, with videos, narrative, sound
clips, interview clips, or just plain listening to some songs. Or, you
can move outward, in both time and space, to learn about and
experience the history and evolution of different aspects of jazz. You
can explore the links between the types of jazz, and see how American
history has influenced the jazz musical traditions. You even have a
few jazz music videos to check out.
The interface is magnificently easy to use, but if you have trouble,
Herbie Hancock offers a guided tour to get you started. He provides
you with a combination of video clips and interactive movement through
the interface to get you started. You also get documentation with your
CD-ROM that presents you with some of Herbie's favorite places to get
you started in your wanderings.
One thing I found particularly amazing is the quality of graphics available. Most CD's that offer musical information are terribly lacking in both the graphics and the interface. This CD, on the contrary, is one of the most fascinating, and visually entertaining multimedia CD-ROM's that I've ever seen. And, if the information on the CD-ROM isn't enough to keep you fascinated for a very long time, Graphix Zone has a web site where you can download additional information, interviews, and clips, or interact with music newsgroups. If you are interested in jazz at all, even casually, this CD-ROM is a MUST-HAVE addition to your collection. Between the music clips, the history, the interviews, and the explorations and links available with the interface, you can't go wrong with Herbie Hancock Presents Living Jazz.
Multimedia Cafe Scorecard
| Product: |
Herbie Hancock presents Living Jazz |
| Company: |
Graphix Zone
|
| Cost: |
n/a |
System Requirements:
486-66, 8MB RAM (Windows 95 requires 5MB free
RAM), 10MB of free hard disk space, 64K colors (but will run at 256
colors), 640x480 resolution, 2x CD-ROM drive or faster, Windows
compatible sound card and mouse, modem (optional).
Breakdown:
Entertainment Value 5
Educational Value 5
Concept 5
Depth 5
Interface 5
Overall Score:
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