S.p. Fletcher

The story of jazz for the general reader as it has never been told before, from the inside out: a comprehensive, eloquent, scrupulously researched page-turner. In this vivid history of jazz, a respected critic and a leading scholar capture the excitement of America’s unique music with intellectual bite, unprecedented insight, and the passion of unabashed fans. They explain what jazz is, where it came from, and who created it and why, all within the broader context of American life and culture. Emphasizing its African American roots, Jazz traces the history of the music over the last hundred years. From ragtime and blues to the international craze for swing, from the heated protests of the avant-garde to the radical diversity of today’s artists, Jazz describes the travails and triumphs of musical innovators struggling for work, respect, and cultural acceptance set against the backdrop of American history, commerce, and politics. With vibrant photographs by legendary jazz chronicler Herman Leonard, Jazz is also an arresting visual history of a century of music.

This lavish 111-track, six-CD box set attempts the impossible – to tell the whole story of jazz. Essentially an updated version of 1987’s out of print The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz, this expanded anthology is wonderfully diverse in the story it tells, with tracks from jazz artists across the stylistic board, from Stan Kenton to Sun Ra, Bill Evans to Chick Corea, Louis Armstrong to Cecil Taylor, with stops everywhere in between, and any conceivable branch of the genre is represented by at least one selection. That’s the good news. The bad news is that whole phases of jazz’s complicated history are treated like three-minute whistle stops so that the train can stay on schedule and on track. That said, it’s an impressive survey, and wonderfully assembled and annotated.

Get ready to CELEBRATE! NOW Music is proud to offer the ultimate selection of 84 fabulous tracks across 4 CDs… NOW That’s What I Call Pride.

This 2 CD Legacy Edition of "Elvis: That's The Way It Is" features an expanded version of the original RCA album. Added is four single sides from the period and a selection of "fly-on-the-wall" outtakes from the June Nashville sessions that produced the majority of tracks for the LP. Disc 2 features a previously unreleased concert from Elvis' 1970 "Summer Season" recorded on August 12. The 24-page booklet features an insightful essay, photos and memorabilia. This new 2-CD Legacy Edition of the album Elvis: That's The Way It Is that accompanied the film directed by Denis Sanders celebrates this memorable era in the career of Elvis Presley with an expanded version of the original Gold-certified RCA release.