Blue Note

Compiled from both Warner and Universal Music’s extensive catalogues this 3CD collection of Classic Blue Note repertoire features the most iconic performances from the biggest names in the genre. Including the likes of musical legends Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Sidney Bechet, Thelonious Monk and many more…

One of the great jazz trumpeters of all time, Freddie Hubbard formed his sound out of the Clifford Brown/Lee Morgan tradition, and by the early '70s was immediately distinctive and the pacesetter in jazz.

Granted, a single-disc overview of Blue Note's finest recordings can't help but offer listeners more than a myopic view of the label's true scope, but for jazz neophytes, this nine-track collection will undoubtedly serve as a tantalizing taste of the company's riches. The song selection, though lacking few surprises, is consistently wonderful – how could a disc featuring John Coltrane's "Blue Train," Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage," Horace Silver's "Song for My Father" and Lee Morgan's "The Sidewinder" be anything but? – and purists' complaints aside, for new fans it's a solid introduction to the Blue Note magic.

Blue Note Plays Rodgers & Hart is a solid single-disc collection of standards by Rodgers & Hart culled from various Blue Note jazz albums. Included are such cuts as pianist Sonny Clark's version of "Lover" off his eponymous 1957 date as well as trumpeter Thad Jones' duet with guitarist Kenny Burrell on "Little Girl Blue" from the 1956 release Detroit-New York Junction.

Blue Note Plays Billie Holiday is a solid single-disc collection of standards associated with legendary vocalist Billie Holiday that were culled from various Blue Note releases. Included are such cuts as trumpeter Clifford Brown's 1953 version of "Easy Living" off New Star on the Horizon and tenor saxophonist Ike Quebec's take on "Lover Man" from his 1961 album It Might as Well Be Spring.