Bring on the Night

This is a terrific documentary about the organization and workings of a band being formed from very talented players. And yes Miles Copeland might seem arrogant but in reality he's just being real. The other members of the band wouldn't get paid as much or draw the same audience without Sting headlining. That's one of the primary points of the film. But despite that, you appreciate that the amazing performances are solely due to the COMBINED talent of the players - not just Sting. I just wish I could find a place to buy a copy.

The ending is also very touching. This is a great movie to watch if you are a fan of Sting, Branford Marsalis, Kenny Kirkland or any of the other musicians.

Good documentary featuring Sting and his new band doing a lot of rehearsing in a grand old domicile. We are treated not only to the final touches of putting together a new set of songs, but a peek into the more relaxed moments together and a rousing concert finale. An eye opening look into the inner workings of a jazz band and the mind of a talented entertainer.

The version of "I Burn for You" is outstanding - Omar Hakim is incredible on drums in this version. I much prefer the video version of the song to the one on the "Bring on the Night" CD. Also, the scenes showing the component parts of "Children's Crusade" and how they fit together provide a whole new appreciation for the song. I also enjoy the lighter moments in the movie - for example, showing the entire band eating meals and joking around with each other is refreshing. With all of the garbage being released on DVD these days (see the bargain bin at any large volume discount store) - I cannot believe Bring on the Night has not been released on DVD yet! Please do so soon!

When this first came out 20 years ago I wasn't convinced Sting was as good as some (and he) would have us believe. After watching it, however, I had no doubts that this guy was a musical genius. Arrogant at times, but more often confident, he gambled his future on going solo, departing from perhaps the best rock group of its or any other time, the Police, and then rolled the dice again by allowing a film crew to capture the evolution of his new band from its inception. Shot on location primarily in and around Paris, the documentary-music-concert is full of revealing footage, showing the master at work as he directs his accomplished charges down a new path. The video is also filled, thanks to the wonderfully adroit editing of director Michael Apted, with light and spontaneous moments, banter and jockeying, as the musicians get to know themselves both as professionals and as people. In addition, candid and sometimes unpredictable interviews with Sting, the players, the band's manager, photographer, and others are strategically spliced into the body of the work. Fortunately free of the tantrums or heated exchanges so common in today's reality TV, this is nonetheless as authentic a portrait of music life behind the scenes as exists anywhere. The triumphant culmination is the concert where Sting unveils the band as well as his new material to an enthusiastic French audience. There are some surprises along the way, a questionable shot or two, but overall this is a real treat and one of its kind.

They don't get much better than this. This is one of those films that after viewing, you want to thank the producers for capturing and preserving the events for all of us to repeatedly enjoy.

I came to this project knowing little of Sting and his music and being more familiar with the work of the Saxophonist, Brandford Marsalis, of the renown New Orleans Marsalis music family. I later learned that Sting was receiving much of the same criticisms Mr. Marsalis and his fellow musicians were receiving for joining in on this project of merged rock/jazz/blues/funk idioms. However, as we all know, the critics travel at a slower speed than the artists and often require time to catch up. One need only reflect on Gershwin's 'Porgy and Bess,' 'Charlie Parker with Strings,' or any other project that breaks from traditional established patterns.

Twenty years later, this is still some of the best music made. It rocks in the full sense of the word. This group of personnel were only together for a relatively short period of time, but fortunately, we have this event and period captured on video. When the pianist in this film, Kenny Kirkland, past away at such a young age in 1998, I was reminded of the great work of all the musicians in this film.