The Big Goodbye

Classic Hits 1938-52 is a five-disc, 123-track collection of Big Joe Turner's earliest recording sessions before finding stardom with his mid-'50s R&B sides. While this JSP set isn't extravagant, it's a luxury to have Turner's sides for National, Aladdin, Freedom, MGM, and Imperial remastered and together in one collection. The final disc also includes the Boss of the Blues' first recordings for Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegun of Atlantic Records: "Chains of Love," "Sweet Sixteen," "Poor Lover's Blues," and "Still in Love (With You)." Turner tackles blues, swing, and fiery up-tempo jump blues, assisted by Pete Johnson, Wynonie Harris, Pee Wee Crayton, Budd Johnson, Dave Bartholomew, Fats Domino, Joe Houstin, Albert Ammons, Don Byas, Art Tatum, and Hot Lips Page. While this is a collector's dream, the casual listener would do better with Big, Bad & Blue: The Big Joe Turner Anthology on Rhino.

Sarah Vaughan - The Complete Roulette Sarah Vaughan Studio Sessions (2002) [8CD BoxSet] {Mosaic 24-bit Remaster}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 3.29 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 1.35 Gb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 36 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2002 Mosaic Records / EMI-Capitol | MD8-214 | 24-bit remaster
Jazz / Vocal Jazz

Sarah Vaughan recorded frequently during her three years with Roulette, and all 16 albums she completed for them plus five previously unissued tracks are included in this comprehensive eight-CD boxed set from Mosaic. The gifted singer is heard in a variety of settings, from superb small-group sessions to big-band settings and various dates bordering on easy listening; the sessions omitting the often syrupy string sections are the cream of this bumper crop.

Carla Bley - Big Band Theory (1993) {Watt–ECM 519 966-2}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 308 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 118 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 11 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1993 Watt Works / ECM Records | WATT/25 / 519 966-2
Jazz / Post Bop / Modern Jazz / Experimental Big Band

In the footsteps of her last (very) big band effort—which, despite its competence isn’t my favorite—Carla Bley returns with a masterstroke of the genre. It’s all here: catchy titles, musicians who share a profound cohesion, and tunes to unpack with joy. “On the Stage in Cages” sets the tone by jumping into the woodwork and rearranging every whorl with confidence. Bley’s band, holding firm at 18 members, swings with renewed purpose, as if waking up from the slumber of hiatus in a sublime return to form.

The Authorized Bang Collection is a triple-disc compilation album by Van Morrison containing every track that Morrison recorded for Bang Records with producer Bert Berns with the full blessing and participation of Morrison. It was released on April 28, 2017 by Legacy Recordings on the Bang label. The first disc, subtitled The Original Masters, contains 17 tracks including every track from Morrison's debut album Blowin' Your Mind!. The second disc, subtitled Bang Sessions & Rarities, contains alternate takes from the Bang sessions. The third disc contains tracks officially issued for the first time, subtitled Contractual Obligation Session. These short songs were recorded by Morrison to fulfill his contractual obligations to Bang. Because Bert's widow Ilene Berns called those tracks 'nonsense,' they remained in the vaults, bootlegs notwithstanding, until this collection was compiled.