MUSIC DVDs

Latest CD releases reviewed

JIMMY SCOTT
Jimmy Scott: If You Only Knew Warner Music Video ****

Mathew Buzzell's acclaimed, award-winning documentary charts enigmatic jazz legend Jimmy Scott's lifelong struggle towards personal and artistic redemption. Famous for his unnaturally high singing voice (due to a hormonal deficiency called Kallmann's syndrome), Scott defied gender, race and age to become one of the most unique and influential jazz vocalists (both Nancy Wilson and Marvin Gaye emulated his sensual and languorous phrasing). His life has been scarred by exploitation and loss, and his 60-year career marked by extraordinary success and devastating disappointment - his first two albums, Falling in Love Is Wonderful and The Source, were withdrawn because of contractual disputes. In Buzzell's intimate and affecting celebration, the 80-year-old Scott emerges as both a man of remarkable courage and an artist of astonishing integrity. With concert footage, archival photographs and extensive interviews. www.wea.com  Jocelyn Clarke

Berlin Digital Liebingslied ****

For electronic music-makers, the German capital has always exerted a certain magnetism. At present, the combination of cheap rents and the presence of many other activists accounts for the prolific state of the city's labels and studios. By focusing on the stories behind the music, Berlin Digital's 21 short films provide an exhilarating snapshot of the city's plugged-in movers and shakers. Shot over 10 days last year, Holger Wick and Maren Sextro's intention was to join the dots between elements of the city's musical subculture which didn't appear to have anything in common. Their films highlight both well-known players (the likes of !K7, Jazzanova, Tresor, Shitkatapult and Monolake) and such rising underground collectives as Hard:Edged and Marke B to form a fascinating narrative about just how different scenes have combined and colluded. There's also a guide to the city's record shops, something to save shoe-leather on your next trip. www.berlin-digital.com  Jim Carroll