For an ensemble with a sole album under their collective belt, COLOSSEUM’s 1969 line-up seemed intrepid, especially on-stage – not only performing material from their debut “Those Who Are About To Die Salute You” which was released in March of that year but also delivering blistering renditions of pieces, including the titular epic, from “Valentyne Suite” which wouldn’t see the light of day until November. No wonder the British band were a massive attraction at the Montreux Jazz Festival, yet the quintet’s June set at this prestigious event, captured on tape, could hardly be possible if not for their April concert at the Rose d’Or TV Festival in the same Swiss town.
Preserved for posterity in both aural and visual form and scheduled for March 10th issue, the “Live At Montreux 1969” CD/DVD package is, of course, very unfortunately titled and is easy to confuse with the aforementioned “Live At The Montreux International Jazz Festival 1969” audio disc, although this fact will hardly prevent fans from relishing the remastered sound and footage of what had previously been available in inferior quality on bootleg and on YouTube, and see the great Jon Hiseman, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Tony Reeves, Dave Greenslade and James Litherland in all their youthful vigorous glory.
Rose D’Or, Auditorium Stravinski – April 25th, 1969:
1. Mandarin
2. Butty’s Blues
3. The Time Machine
4. The Valentyne Suite
Reflets Du Festival 1969 – June 22nd, 1969:
5. Mandarin