Deluxe 71 disc box set that contains 52 single CD and double CD albums (which includes the previously unreleased full-length audio version of his 1970 Isle Of Wight performance). The essay is complemented by brief annotations written by Franck Bergerot, covering every single one of the 52 albums. The cornerstones of the box set are the studio and live albums that were released during his tenure at the label, more than 40 titles that he recorded in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s.
This two-CD set contains all of the music that Sarah Vaughan recorded during her Tokyo concert for Mainstream. The 49-year-old singer is heard at the height of her powers, really digging into the standards and making magic out of such numbers as "Poor," "'Round Midnight," "Willow Weep," "My Funny Valentine," "Summertime," and "Bye Bye Blackbird." This two-fer (which finds Sassy accompanied by pianist Carl Schroeder, bassist John Gianelli, and drummer Jimmy Cobb) gives one a definitive look at the brilliant (and sometimes miraculous) singer.
Sarah Vaughan was one of the illustrious coterie of female vocalists who spanned the genres of jazz, big band music and sophisticated pop during the post-war era to provide some of the finest music of their times, not only interpreting the Great American Songbook and putting their own individual stamp on it, but continuing to perform top class new material through the musical upheavals of subsequent decades.
Only six months after the third volume of Verve Remixed was released, Verve issued this, a box combining the three volumes of the series with an additional disc of extra remixes. Though variously rooted in hip-hop, rave and dance clubs sensibilities, the art of mixology has evolved into a potent staple of contemporary pop music. That mainstreaming reached a new zenith with the release of the first installment of Verve Remixed in 2002 and continued to expand via two subsequent collections of eclectic Jazz/R&B-rooted remixes that found a growing, enthusiasitc audience at public radio and other adult-oriented radio outlets. This set compiles those three savory, largely Downtempo anthologies of Jazz-DJ Fusion, from the reworked takes on classic vocalists like Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn and Billie Holiday that dominated the first set to the follow-up editions' more expansive palette…
The magnificent series of recordings Dinu Lipatti made for Columbia in 1947-8 needs no introduction. They contain some of the most highly regarded performances ever committed to album and have remained in the catalogue almost continuously since their first issue on 78s. What makes the current set unique is the inclusion of five test albums made with the cellist Antonio Janigro, only two of which have appeared previously, and new masterings which reveal more of the original recordings than before. For the 1947 London recordings (originally released in 1999) APR had access to vinyl pressings from the original 78rpm masters and these have been further enhanced. For the newly transferred 1948 sessions, the original 78s were used rather that the subsequent LP issue (itself derived from the 78rpm masters) which appears to have been used in all other transfers. These turned out to have a much brighter sound and more ambience than the rather dull and filtered LP. We strongly believe the Schumann Concerto has never sounded so good!
This production has a smooth, polished, and relaxed feeling. The arrangements are heavy with vocal choruses, electric guitar and languid Latin rhythms. Sarah Vaughn's crooning glows and smolders, creating a magnificent dynamic contrast. Vaughn completely possesses the ballad "Tete," captivating the listener in much the same way she did with her hit "Misty," 20 years previously. Like all her greatest work, it's multi-textured; prolonged whispers, powerful hollering, low moaning, staccato bopping, and a myriad of other techniques she employs with facility and finesse. "Gentle Rain" finds Vaughn alone with a guitar. The spare orchestration has the profound simplicity of a haiku. Her voice is like a saxophone on this number, holding notes for lush intervals in her lower registers…
WOODY HERMAN The Complete Columbia Recordings Of Woody Herman And His Orchestra & Woodchoppers (Extremely rare & limited 2004 US 141-track Mosaic audiophile 7-CD box set, including many alternate and unissued takes, entirely comprehensive of Woody's fabulous output for Columbia. Housed in a beautifully presented textured outer black box with front pasted picture cover, complete with four credit/tracklisting picture booklets plus an informative 32-page LP sized booklet, featuring stunning black & white session photographs and extensive liner notes. Woody Herman’s bands had it all in the years documented here: hit vocal tunes, top-rated national radio show, star instrumental soloists, new instrumental sounds hailed by jazz critics and fans alike, adventurous arrangements, female singers with sex appeal and a level of musicianship marking them as among the best large ensembles in jazz history.