No comments about Blues Suite.

1 comments about The Frank Sinatra Story.

1. I really liked this set. First saw it on here and after listening to the samples bought it. It's great. First 2 discs are spoken word about Frank Sinatra's life. It's well-told, and you learn a thing or two. Second 2 discs have a wide range of Sinatra stuff - from his performing BEFORE the Hoboken Four to Bono's speech at an awards ceremony. It's great! An absolute MUST for a big fan of Frank (which I is!).

2 comments about The Great.

1. I HAVE MOST OF THESE SELECTIONS IN VARIOUS FORMS..LP..CASSETTE..CD..BUT ONE SONG ESCAPED ME..'ONE STEP AHEAD'. THE SONG IS SAMPLED BY MOS DEF ON HIS CUT 'MS FAT BOOTY'AND THE SAMPLE BOTHERED ME FOR YEARS BECAUSE IT WAS SO FAMILIAR..LO AND BEHOLD ALONG COMES THE POPULARITY OF YOUTUBE..AND THE QUEEN HERSELF IS ON VIDEO PERFORMING 'ONE STEP AHEAD' IN 1964...TRULY PRICELESS.



2. Most of the songs on this three disc set have been addressed on the 2-CD set Jazz To Soul and more recently, The Queen In Waiting. Those familiar with Aretha's Columbia recordings from the early 60's will attest that her top 40 smash from 1961, "Rock-A-Bye Your Baby" has been avoided like the plague. On this import set, that omission is finally set right. But don't be so quick to completely replace Jazz To Soul with this set because it doesn't have "I'm Losing You", her R&B hit from 1965. Aside from "Rock-A-Bye Your Baby", most of the material will be unfamiliar to those who only remember the Atlantic hits, which were undenialby her best recordings. Yet, these sessions should not go entirely overlooked, as there are some gems here as well, including her hit from 1964, "Running Out Of Fools". (This was covered by Elvis Costello on Kojac Variety a few years ago.) She was a regualar on Jim O'Neil's Shindig show during this time and performed the song and it is shocking she didn't find mass popularity then. A commanding performer, she went on to record more covers for the next two years. After joining Atlantic in 1967, Jerry Wexler put her in Muscle Shoals Studios and the rest you know. The material on "The Great Aretha Franklin" ranges from standards and blues to pop and pure soul. It showcases her ability to sing anything and do it so well that she was concidered by many to be the Dinah Washington of the mid-sixties. Most of the essentials are repeated here, such as Mockingbird, Every Little Bit Hurts, Blue Holiday and Unforgettable, but at last a major single release is finally available.

2 comments about Forever and Ever.

1. This is a nice collection for Demis Roussos if you didn't listen to the original recording before and don't have memories with each song and how it exactly sounded with his dreamy voice over 30 years ago. His voice in this mostly re-recorded collection is a bit rusty and the music is poorly conducted compared to the original recording. I gave it two stars as it contains also some of his newer (80s) nice songs in it's original format such as "Summer Wine".



2. By the time this came out, Demis Roussos' immense posture and charisma had gained him somewhat of a guru status, and this album was a millionseller in Europe. It's still one of his most defining and solid solo efforts, alternating between hyper melodic Greek themes, driving funk and also a bit of his over-the-top psychedelic charisma from the Aphrodite's Child days. 'Forever and Ever' stands as a delicious listen. Worth getting for the background vocals alone.

1 comments about From Swing to Bebop.

1. The History label has put out several box sets of 40 jazz CDs. I have three and plan to buy more.

   Compared to the other two History label box sets I have, The Cradle of Jazz and The Big Band Box, the recordings in From Swing to Bebop are more recent than the other two, and so the sound quality is also markedly improved, although by no means flawless by today's standards.

   As in the other two, this box set gives a good overview of the leading musicians of the time with two CDs by each of Charlie Parker, Django Reinhardt, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Ben Webster, and three CDs of music by Fats Navarro. Notably absent is bebop legend Dizzy Gillespie, although Gillespie can be heard on a few of the tracks featuring other musicians.

   This collection is heavier on swing than it is with bebop, and purists would probably find fault with some of the selections and ommissions. However, given the price, I think any jazz fan can easily supplement gaps left behind in From Swing to Bebop and still save a bundle of cash as compared to trying to buy the music by all of these artists individually.

No comments about Topaz Jazz: The Box.

No comments about France En Chansons.

No comments about Broadway: America's Music Composers on Broadway.

No comments about As Time Goes By, Vol. 3.

No comments about Collectables Classics (4-CD Box Set).