Robert Curry

The great musical border crosser of the twentieth century, George Gershwin excelled in the fields of concert music and popular song alike. The son of Jewish immigrants from Russia, he was born Jacob Gershvin in Brooklyn on September 26, 1898. His father ran a great variety of small businesses, and George, in the words of the New Grove Dictionary of Music, "excelled at street sports." He also studied the piano and was introduced to the European classics by his teacher, Charles Hambitzer. Gershwin immersed himself in popular music after dropping out of school in 1914 and getting a job as a salesman for the music publisher Remick. He was influenced by ragtime and stride piano music, and as a songwriter enjoyed his first hit in 1920 with "Swanee," recorded by the leading vocalist of the time, Al Jolson.

It's a wonder that the title "Modernists" hasn't already been used for a collection of mod-related music, but Ace's 2015 set, Modernists: A Decade of Rhythm & Soul Dedication, lives up to this worthy name. The compilers, who are the team behind Mod Jazz, favor high-energy, snazzy soul and R&B that Mods would've favored back in the mid-'60s. In essence, this means the 24 tracks are often not that dissimilar to Northern Soul – much of it echoes Motown and Chicago soul, all stylish and upbeat – but there's a distinct emphasis on hard-charging rhythms and a bit of grit. That doesn't mean there isn't space for John Fred & His Playboy Band riding a Big Easy shuffle on "Shirley," or a dose of tight Memphis groove (Oliver Morgan's "Hold Your Dog," which makes its debt to Rufus Thomas quite plain), but this is generally high-energy good-time music, a party record crafted out of rare elements that never feel obscure.~Modernists: A Decade of Rhythm and Soul Dedication Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Amazon Review by Stuart Jefferson
If you're a blues fan chances are you're already familiar with (if you don't already own) some/many/all of these albums. But if you don't own these sets (or have only a few) this is a good way to own all 20 albums in one nice, neat box. The sound is the same as the individual albums which is very good for the various periods when these tracks were originally recorded. The jackets are fairly thick cardboard and are reproductions of the original covers. The outer box is also of good quality. There's a 34 page booklet that has a few paragraphs on each disc, and track lists, but no detailed liner notes to really put this music into some kind of perspective, but information on these artists and styles is available in various blues books/encyclopedias and on the internet.

Taj Mahal, a repository of the musical traditions of the West African Diaspora in the New World, teams with Hindustani wizard of the mohan vina, V.M. Bhatt and Karnatak virtuoso of the chitra vina, N. Ravikiran. Their interpretation of popular Afro-American songs drawn from various genres is a unique musical synthesis.