Category Archives: Music

Concert, Events, Music

Electric Hot Tuna- Live at the Filmore

Electric Hot Tuna- Live at the Filmore
Executive Producers: Hot Tuna, Guitar Workshops/ Vestapol
Produced & Directed by Jesse Block
Production period: 1994-1995

Hot Tuna- Fillmore DVD
Following up on the previous Sweetwater production with Hot Tuna, the Octalouie team decided to create another production with their friends Hot Tuna as they returned for a special homecoming at the Filmore Auditorium in San Francisco. Just as Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley. Little Richard, and countless others put the spin on blues music to create rock and roll, Hot Tuna returned the favor, going electric for this very special show. Like the Sweetwater program, this program is also available on DVD.

Concert, Events, Music

Monterey Jazz Festival

Monterey Jazz Festival
Executive Producer: Monterey Jazz Festival, McCune Audio Video
Director: Jesse Block & Eric Predoehl
Production period: 2002- current

If you’ve attended any of the Monterey Jazz Festivals in the past few years, you’ve probably seen some of Jesse’s work, as he’s been directing television for the big screen there since 2002, which included some unforgetable performances by Sonny Rollins, David Brubeck, Diana Krall, Herbie Hancock and Ornette Coleman, to name but a few.

Here’s a little web-advertisement Jesse produced for the Monterey Jazz Festival to promote a special performance…

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Concert, Documentaries, Events, Music

Dark Star Orchestra – Live in San Francisco

The Dark Star Orchestra- Live in San Franciso
Concert Vault LLC, executive producer Craig Larson
Produced & Directed by Jesse Block
Audio engineering by Betty Cantor-Jackson
2007

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Concert, Documentaries, Events, Music

The John Handy project

John Handy

In 1965, John Handy recorded an album that inspired an ocean of adjectives by jazz writers all over the world. “Live at Monterey” was the album that drew overwhelming praise for alto saxophonist John Handy and a quintet that included violinist Michael White, guitarist Jerry Hahn, bassist Don Thompson, and drummer Terry Clarke. Some 30 years later, the band reunited at a special performance at the Storyville nightclub in San Francisco, and Octalouie producer Jesse Block decided to use this moment as a focal point for a new music documentary. As a superb musical performance captured with multiple camera angles, digital multi-track audio, and insightful interviews with the band members, this program promises to be yet another amazing addition to the archives of recorded music.

http://www.johnhandy.com

Concert, Documentaries, DVD, Music

John Cipollina Recoil 3-DVD Box Set

John Cipollina Recoil 3-DVD Box Set
Cippoina Family Trust
Produced by Jesse Block
2010

The long-out-of-print documentary on ‘John Cipollina- Electric Guitarslinger‘ directed by Jesse Block and Jim Draper shall soon be released for the first time on DVD. ‘Recoil,” a 3-DVD set box will include this documentary, and a lot of previously unavailable music and interviews.

This 3 DVD box set provides an almost six hour journey through the Rock ‘n Roll life and music of John Cipollina. Along with the one-hour re-mastered “Electric Guitarslinger” documentary, this captivating documentary features interviews with Jerry Garcia, Bill Graham, Barry Melton, David Freiberg, Nick Gravenites, Gary Duncan, Nicky Hopkins, Greg Douglass, Merl Saunders, Dan Healy, Terry Dolan, Martin Fierro, Rocky Sullivan, Joel Selvin, Charlie Deal, Michael and Mario Cipollina and more. Also included are interviews with John Cipollina from 1984 and 1989.

The Concert DVD includes 19 previously unreleased songs performed by Quicksilver Messenger Service, Copperhead, Link Wray, Thunder & Lightning, Terry & The Pirates and Dinosaurs.

John Cipollina: Recoil is a limited edition release, with a one-time only 2000 unit printing.

It can be purchased directly from the JohnCipollina.com website.

http://www.johncipollina.com/guitarslinger.html

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Concert, Events, Music

Chet Fest – A Tribute to the Life of Chet Helms at Great American Music Hall

Chet Fest – A Tribute to the Life of Chet Helms at Great American Music Hall
Great American Music Hall  / Concert Vault LLC, executive producer Craig Larson
Produced & Directed by Jesse Block
2005

When rock promoter Chet Helms passed away in 2005, it was a very sad day in San Francisco. Considered by many as the father of the Summer of Love festivals of 1967, Chet oversaw Family Dog Productions, and was directly responsible for bringing Janis Joplin from Texas to California, where she became famous as the lead singer of Big Brother & the Holding Company. To celebrate his passing, a big tribute concert was assembled at the Great American Music Hall on July 29, 2005, featuring a lot of musicians that credited Chet for much of their success, including members of the Grateful Dead, the Jefferson Airplane, and Big Brother & the Holding Company. With a keen pulse for the good stuff, the Octalouie team was solicited to document this event for posterity, producing some excellent video programming that will eventually be distributed to celebrate the legacy of this great human being.

Concert, Events, Music, Non-Profit, Web Video

Groove Is In the Heart!- the benefit concert video

Groove Is In the Heart!- the benefit concert video
Concert Vault LLC, executive producer Craig Larson
Produced & Directed by Jesse Block
2007


On January 18th, 2007, a group of world class artists performed to support the over 40 year-old Saints and Sinners Foundation, which provides grants to non-profit agencies focused on children. Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell & all-star band, The Werewolves, howled to the occasion with a band that featured such luminaries as Norton Buffalo, Narada Michael Walden, and Jimmy Dillon. The Octalouie team was there to document the event as a showcase for Quicktime.com. With a webcast produced by Craig Larson of Concert Vault LLC, directed and edited by Jesse Block, this event was captured for posterity in 16:9 HDTV.

Concert, Events, Music

Bill Haley’s Original Comets Rock Around the Clock- Live!

Bill Haley’s Original Comets Rock Around the Clock- Live!
BMP Productions in conjunction with Octalouie, executive producers Brian Martin and Alan Parowski
Produced & Directed by Eric Predoehl
2004-2007

It’s not often that one gets a chance to work with bona fide music legends, so the Octalouie team jumped at a chance to work with the band that backed Bill Haley over 50 years ago. “Rock Around the Clock” was the first rock and roll record ever purchased by millions of people, including John Lennon, who was inspired by this music to form the Beatles. The Octalouie team was honored to work with these energetic grandfathers of rock, who demonstrated that age is no detriment to those that love this music. Eric Predoehl directed and edited this program with Octalouie partner Jesse Block. Aron Ranen was brought as a third camera operator, and Marcus Buick oversaw audio production. Working closely with executive producers Brian Martin and Alan Parowski, the Octalouie team is proud to present a powerful document of the Original Comets that we hope will be released soon for the DVD market.

Marshall Lytle’s Page / The Original Comets

Broadcast, Concert, Events, Music, Web Video

The Smithereens – Live at Red Devil Lounge

THE SMITHEREENS – LIVE AT THE RED DEVIL LOUNGE
Concert Vault LLC, executive producer Craig Larson
Produced & Directed by Jesse Block
2007
Reuniting with the City by the Bay after too many years away, The Smithereens marked their return appearance with two sold-out shows at the Red Devil Lounge. Working in conjunction with Concert Vault LLC, the Octalouie team was recruited to produce a concert video of this very special event. Promoting their new release, a Beatles-inspired CD entitled “Meet the Smithereens,” this concert was a lively mix of their hit recordings, under-rated album tracks, and covers of songs known and loved by millions. With barely any room to move, Octalouie principals Block and Predoehl overcame sardine-like conditions to shoot some spectacular footage with four HDTV cameras.

This production was shown on CONCERT.TV, an on-demand television network that specializes in live performances, documentaries and unique originals for subscribers of Comcast, Cox, Insight, Charter and many other digital cable services.

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Events, Music

Larry Coryell & Bombay Jazz – Live at Yoshi’s, San Francisco

Larry Coryell & Bombay Jazz – Live at Yoshi’s, San Francisco
Produced & Directed by Jesse Block (self-financed)
March 2010

Larry Coryell has been called a lot of things in his illustrious career, including the phrase “Guitar God” by more than a few people. Dan Ouellette of Down Beat Magazine once called him “the Godfather of Fusion.” With over 75 albums to his credit and 40 years as a bandleader, Larry took on another musical direction recently when he embarked on his Bombay Jazz ensemble, combining traditional Indian musical instrumentation to compliment his guitar fusion playing. Recognizing that this particular ensemble needed to be captured for posterity, Octalouie principal Jesse Block decided to take upon himself to produce a multi-cam production of this special group, so he did. Fellow Octalouie principal Eric Predoehl joined along on the project, providing camera work and some assistance with the interview, including some special questions about a certain Northwest musical phenomenon during the early 1960s, which Larry participated in.