The resulting 2 box set, unlike any other available today, groups together the main vocalists in the story of jazz from the first half of the 20th century. Each of these 20 CDs offers in more or less the same proportion, the purest of African-American song with gospel and blues singers, from truculent Ma Rainey to majestic Bessie Smith, sophisticated Sarah Vaughan to popular Louis Prima, the folk-related tones of Charlie Patton to the honeyed voice of Frank Sinatra.
A chronological history of jazz vocal presented by André Francis and Jean Schwarz. 10 CDs with more than 12 hours of music.
The resulting 2 boxed sets of 10 CDs in each, unlike any other available today, groups together the main vocalists in the story of jazz from the first half of the 20th century. Each of these 20 CDs offers in more or less the same proportion, the purest of African-American song with gospel and blues singers, from truculent Ma Rainey to majestic Bessie Smith, sophisticated Sarah Vaughan to popular Louis Prima, the folk-related tones of Charlie Patton to the honeyed voice of Frank Sinatra.
Each box contains 25 slipcase CDs, a booklet (up to 186 pages) and an index. The booklets contain extensive notes (Eng/Fr) with recording dates and line-ups. 31 hours of music in each box, totalling 1677 tracks Each track has been restored and mastered from original sources. The only reason I can think of for there not yet being a review of these four boxed sets, is that those who own them are just too busy having one hell of a blast listening to them. Some people moan about the 50 year copyright law for audio recordings in Europe, but without it this highly entertaining, eye-opening and educational undertaking could never have taken place. These 100 discs (spread over four boxed sets of 25 discs) tell the story of jazz from 1898 to 1959.
Five CD sets containing 100 classic tracks by legendary artists, one of the biggest selling and best remembered musical icons of all time.
Chest of 10 CDs, an essential guide to delve into 'pre-bebop jazz': there are all of them: from the first 'dixieland' bands, including Bessie Smith, Fats Waller, Fletcher Henderson, Louis Armstrong, King Oliver , Jelly Roll Morton, Bix Beiderbecke, Duke Ellington, Earl Hines, Sidney Bechet, Art Tatum, Louis Prima, Benny Goodman, Django Reinhardt, Lionel Hampton, Coleman Hawkins, Count Basie, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Glenn Miller Charlie Christian…
Gigantic eight record box, this comes the closest to documenting the wide breadth of blues recordings done by Sam Phillips at the Sun studios in Memphis during the early 50s. A landmark achievement.
This multi-disc set has most of the major blues classics of the late 1940's and 1950's that went on to spawn the rock era; from Ike Turner and Rocket 88 to Howlin' Wolf's best sides. Sam Phillips and Sun Records got every major player south of Chicago to record there sooner or later–and even some who had done work in Chicago came back to do work in the landmark Memphis studio (which is a GREAT tourist destination!).
Whether called Dixieland, traditional jazz or New Orleans jazz, it is the happiest music in the world, a music that exudes joy and found its perfect symbol and world ambassador in Louis Armstrong. Originating out of the south (particularly New Orleans), the style in its various forms was a major force in the 1920s. While overshadowed by swing in the 1930s, Dixieland made a comeback in the early 1940s with Lu Watters Yerba Buena Jazz Band being one of the first revival bands. Whether played by veterans such as Bunk Johnson and Kid Ory or newcomers of the time such as Pete Fountain and the Dukes of Dixieland, the music has been a permanent part of the jazz landscape ever since.