So when I received this DVD to review, my connection to Bernie Williams came full circle, as this disc presents that same show from The House of Blues that first introduced me to Williams as a musician. Unfortunately, it didn't even come close to the CD's level of quality (nor quantity.)

Bernie Williams: The Journey Within presents five tracks from his album, along with two non-album tracks. The concert, shot during baseball's All-Star break in 2003, is blended with interviews with Williams, behind-the-scenes footage of the making of the album and a question-and-answer session with Williams and the concert's host, former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani. Williams isn't the most dynamic stage presence in music's history, but his music, and the talented band that backs him up, featuring stars like David Benoit and Reuben Blades, more than makes up for it.

But this isn't a CD. There's a visual aspect to DVDs, and that's where this one falls short. The editing could have been much better, as the behind-the-scenes portions and the Q & As crash into the songs, making for awkward transitions. Also, with just seven songs, would it have been so hard to present them in their entirety? Halfway through, the fourth song, "Enter the Bond," is interrupted by several voiceover interviews, and the final track has the credits laid over it. In the end, you get just five complete songs, which isn't nearly enough. Thankfully, Williams' two best songs, "Para Don Berna" and "La Salsa En Mi" are intact.

This is a good introduction for someone who's never heard Williams' music, but in comparison to the CD, it definitely comes up short, in terms of the content, despite some good interviews and interesting "making of" footage.

The Quality
The video quality fluctuates, depending on the source material. There is plenty of archival footage used, and it shows, with the CBS tape looking grainier than the concert and interview footage shot for the show. The concert itself, and the interviews with Williams look great, with clear, crisp video; vivid color and solid blacks.

Aurally, the 5.1 has it all over the stero mix, with a deeper, fuller sound and decent bass. There's no distortion here, as the songs sound just as good as they did onthe CD. As far as the interviews go, the quality is just as high, with good clarity in the audio, though the behind-the-scenes tape is hit or miss.

The Extras
There are none, really. The package makes it seem like there are several bonus features, but they are actually included inside the main feature.

The Bottom Line
As I finished up this review, I realized, that this disc was the opposite of "Show", one of Matchbox Twenty's DVD, which separated the concert from the behind-the-scenes footage. Neither left me happy, as I thought this disc needed more, when, if it would have followed the "Show" example, it would have become what I thought was wrong with "Show." Perhaps I'm just greedy, but I would have liked more than five full songs. The misleading menu and packaging didn't help either. For most, this is a rental, but it's a good pick-up for any jazz or Yankees fan. The CD though is lightyears ahead, and definitely worth checking out.

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*The Reviewer's Bias section is an attempt to help readers use the review to its best effect. By knowing where the reviewer's biases lie on the film's subject matter, one can read the review with the right mindset.