Don Alias

The reputation of the late Jaco Pastorius is legendary, based as much on his mercurial personality as his groundbreaking bass playing and small but significant repertoire of original music. His declining mental health became increasingly evident following his departure from fusion super group Weather Report, ultimately leading to his tragic demise in 1987. Still, while the bassist was already beginning to show some signs of decline when Jaco Pastorius: Live and Outrageous was filmed at the Montreal Jazz Festival in 1982, he was still capable of putting on an exciting show.

Night Magic, a musical fantasy, is set on earth but it is also about the heavens. At the centre of it all is Michael, a music hall artist, who finds Judy, an angel that epitomizes the woman of his dreams at the System Theatre where he is about to open his new show. For Michael it is just another show along the road but once inside something happens. The night is full of possibilities- full of love and romance, jealousy and infidelity, music and dance, even good and evil. Most of all it is full of magic.

Joni Mitchell's 1970s and '80s forays into jazzier territory may have distressed her folkie faithful, but they also resulted in some uncompromising, challenging, and, yes, entertaining music. Witness this 73-minute document from her '79 tour, which finds her backed by her greatest band ever. Mitchell's The Hissing of Summer Lawns-Hejira-Mingus period is heavily favored; there are two tunes from Court and Spark, but nothing earlier. It's not perfect--the film clips edited into the live tracks (at Mitchell's direction) are an annoying distraction (Rebel Without a Cause? Huh?). But by the time Mitchell, Mays, and vocal group the Persuasions finish a spine-tingling version of the title song, you'll have witnessed something special--and historic, as this was the only time this stellar crew toured together. --Sam Graham