1 comments about Complete 1951-1956 Trio Recordings.

1. Barbara Carroll spent years performing at an upper East side club called The Embers for people like the ones you see now on MAD MEN. You know, white people in suits who had their hair done properly, wore nice clean clothes and drank like fish. This in contrast to the dope smoking bebop/beatnik crowd from the village. Don't think for a minute that that means these recordings don't swing because they sure do. 77 songs. Only 6 have vocals. One is recorded at a wonky speed but other than that, this is a flawless set of wonderful versions of the American songbook, played easy by one of the great mistresses of JAZZ. You won't regret purchasing this. It is simply the best of it's class and it has a LOT of Class. And at this price it's about 35 cents per song for a big box of priceless music.

5 comments about The V-Discs: Columbia Years: 1943-45.

1. Frank Sinatra - The V-Discs - Years: 1943-1947 is a wonderful two CD set of songs recorded by Frank Sinatra to be shipped overseas to the fighting men and the women primarily during the Second World War and a couple of years thereafter. The quality of the sound is rather good but there is some degree of surface noise on these older recordings; but I say they're still very much "worth it." The artwork is also very nicely done.
   
   The first CD starts with Frank singing "I Only Have Eyes For You." I'm sure this brought many a happy memory of the men overseas as they heard this tune and thought of their sweethearts back home in the states! Frank aces this easily and it's even a major highlight of this two CD set. "(There'll Be A) Hot Time In The Town Of Berlin" held out hopes for the soldiers that they were going to win the war--it was only a mater of time. The big band arrangement works wonders for this ballad. Listen also for "You've Got A Hold On Me;" Frank massages the lyrics to this song and it sounds fresh and new even today! Great! In addition, Frank Sinatra does an excellent job on "Long Ago And Far Away;" the surface noise doesn't bother me because this number is so beautiful and it probably doesn't have many alternate takes for us to choose from because this was recorded so many years ago.
   
   "All Of Me" gets the royal treatment from Frank; he swings brightly to make this number shine like silver and gold combined! The horns work well in the big band arrangement and Frank never sounded better! "Falling In Love With Love" also gets a fine interpretation from The Chairman Of The Board; and if you haven't heard this early rendition of this song by Frank I think you're going to like it!
   
   "If You Are But A Dream" on the second CD starts with a wonderful musical flourish; and when Frank comes in this number takes off like a jet! "Ol' Man River" also impresses me as Frank sings this to perfection--and beyond! "I'll Never Smile Again" is a tune that Frank sings with panache and the backup vocalists enhance the natural beauty of this fine ballad. Similarly, "Was The Last Time I Saw You" charms me with its beauty and Frank makes this into a masterpiece that only he could sing this well. Frank also sings Judy Garland's signature song, "Over The Rainbow;" Frank delivers this with ease and he handles the complicated tempo and key changes like the pro he always was and still remains! "My Romance" features Frank front and center--and that's OK by me! There's also Frank doing a fine interpretation of "They Say It's Wonderful;" "They Say It's Wonderful" is another stunningly beautiful ballad that I'm sure the soldiers loved to hear. "Come Rain Or Come Shine" gets a somewhat slower tempo than I'm used to but it all works very well; and the second CD ends well with Frank Sinatra singing "Stormy Weather." "Stormy Weather" was a famous song when Lena Horne sang it; and Frank's version would have made Lena very proud!
   
   Overall, this two CD set is an excellent one for Sinatra fans and people who enjoy music from the era of World War Two will love this two CD set as well.



2. What should have been a momentous occasion, that of Frank Sinatra's signing to Columbia and striking out on a solo career after fronting for Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, was nearly silent due to a commercial recording ban enforced by the Musicians Union from mid-1942 to 1944. Because the ban affected instrumental musicians, vocal-only recordings were allowed, meaning that Sinatra and Axel Stordahl had to come up with alternate vocal-backed arrangements that may not have ordinarily been chosen. The second loophole was that instrumentals were allowed on V-Discs, free recordings for the sole use of GIs overseas that were supposed to be destroyed when the war ended (the Library of Congress was allowed to keep one of each disc for posterity).
   
   Sinatra's V-Disc material encompasses 53 songs on two CDs, including material from airchecks as well as studio performances. There are many well-known Sinatra Columbia tunes such as All of Me, Nancy with the Laughing Face, Close to You, Ol' Man River, All the Things You Are, and She's Funny That Way, but many of the brightest gems are songs that Sinatra never got around to recording commercially for Columbia, such as Long Ago and Far Away, You've Got a Hold On Me, Hot Time in the Town of Berlin, Just Close Your Eyes, Come Rain or Come Shine and Noel Coward's I'll Follow My Secret Heart.
   
   Guests include Dinah Shore, The Pied Pipers and Tommy Dorsey. The remastering and clean-up of these decades-old songs is flawless, and Sinatra's charm is as fresh as ever. His transition from boy singer to teen idol shows him singing with remarkable poise and confidence, and Axel Stordahl's touch is unmistakable. The liner notes are courtesy of George Simon, Roy Hemming, and Will Friedwald. Amazingly, none of these 53 recordings are represented on Columbia's massive (and out-of-print) 12-CD Sinatra box set. This is absolutely essential listening for fans of Sinatra and 1940s popular music.



3. The 1994 edition of FRANK SINATRA * THE V-DISCS is the original long box format that would get an inferior redesign four years later. If you're interested at all in early Sinatra, the one that has a cover close-up of Frank with an NBC mike is the keeper. The reason: that long box album accomodates a gorgeous thirty page book, while the scaled back 1998 reissue sacrifices much of what was in that booklet.
   
   Sound quality of these rare early '40s V-Discs is darn good, and young Frank really turned out some fine sides for our fighting men overseas. Guest stars include Dinah Shore, Tommy Dorsey and the Pied Pipers. Contains six previously unreleased tracks-- this is the complete V-Discs sessions! If you love Frank, THE V-DISCS is essential to your collection. Highest recommendation.
   
   TOTAL RUNNING TIMES --
   DISC ONE --
   DISC TWO -- 74:26



4. Sinatra still has detractors who, whatever their actual reasons, choose to impugn his vocal quality. But more disturbing are the Sinatra defenders who casually accept and dismiss criticisms of the voice, insisting that phrasing and emotion are what count. In a way, they're right, but the sum effect is regrettable if Old Blue's singing comes to be seen as all about "attitude" rather than vocal production.

   If any one has doubts about the quality of his instrument, listen to "If You Are But a Dream"--or better yet, "Where Is My Bess." Both are all-out, impassioned performances in which nothing can be held back or covered up. The musical weight is entirely on the quality of that "bel canto" voice and the forcefulness of its underlying breath stream. Even Caruso and Pavarotti would have to stand back.




5. I am one of a very few who do not particularly care for Sinatra's work with Columbia, Reprise and such. My favorite Sinatra is the music he made with The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra from 1940 - 1942 (See "The Song is You" boxed set). I also love the first recordings that Frank made in 1939 with The Harry James Orchestra (also available on disc). However, the material on this cd is beautiful. It is a wonderful bridge between Frank with Tommy Dorsey and the Frank Sinatra that is mostly played on radio. This collection is obviously historic for it features songs that Frank would never record again (with the exception of one or two). It is also historic in the fact that these recordings were not meant for the public. They were part of special albums that were shipped to our service men and women overseas, so, for the first time in over 50 years these recordings are for public consumption. I would advise any Sinatra fan -- casual or serious -- or any collector of war era music to get this collection.

5 comments about The Complete Blue Note Sixties Sessions.

1. awesome,is all i can say about this box set.dexter gorden,is one of the true ledgends of jazz,and has one of the best tones i ever heard.this is a magnificent collection,of his body of work.so do yourself a favor,and go out and buy this box set.



2. mr. gordon's career spanned five decades, but this period with blue note stands out as one of best. these six discs track one of those most creative periods in the tenor giant's work. sometimes overlooked sharing the spotlight with sonny rollins and john coltrane, mr. gordon carved his own niche developing a sound somewhere between bop and swing. mr. gordon loved a melody, and this collection will leave you humming along well after you've finished listening. the set benefits tremendously from the legendary blue note production giving first rate sound and ensuring top sidemen. highlights are disc 6 with bobby hutcherson revealing a swing side, disc 4 with bud powell, and my own personal favorite, disc 3, originally released as the album "Go!" with sonny clark on piano. the bonus tracks simply enrich the collection, rather than distract with material better left out. a great introduction to one of jazz's tenor giants.



3. Dexter Gordon always had the quality of seeming to be speaking with you through the horn. In many ways, his sound and style are more the epitome of jazz than any one other musician. In and out of the scene because of an intermittent problem with heroin, the sixties were his most exciting period.

   If you've heard Dexter before, than you know what this is like and can't do better than this set, which includes the great records "Go," "Dexter Calling" and "Our Man In Paris," the session with Bud Powell referred to, which may be his greatest record. For those not familiar and curious, Dexter is a straight-ahead hard-bop player in a lot of ways, the first tenor saxophonist to really adapt Charlie Parker's innovations. He was a contemporary of Trane and Rollins, a bit older, and his beautiful, full, wide-open sound was a definite influence on Trane, as well as Dexter's rich harmonic style of playing. The Sonny Rollins comparison doesn't work, different sounds and styles. The one place where they fit is in ballad playing, but no one, no one, not even Miles Davis, not Ben Webster, could play a ballad like Dexter Gordon.




4. this Box set fully represents the Importance of Dexter GOrdon's music.the Musicianship is solid all the way through.get this with Round Midnight the film.both are Essential.



5. This is a beautifully packaged and comprehensive 6 CD set of Dexter Gordon's 60's sessions at Blue Note. The supporting musicians are strong and include the great Sonny Clark and Philly Joe Jones. A session with Bud Powell is smokin'. Gordon's style is similar to that of Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane and a few tracks include interviews where he discusses influences and the like. Great stuff and highly recommended.

1 comments about Swinging on a Star: His Fifty Greatest Hits of the 30s & 40s.

1. This is a perfect compilation of Bing Crosby songs. The two CDs showcase 50 of Bing's most popular hits, including Out of Nowhere, Just One More Chance, Dinah, Love In Bloom, I'll Be Seeing You and White Christmas. The sound quality also is superb with ASV Living Era once again capturing the warmth and richness of Bing's exquisite voice while also rendering it crystal clear. As a child, Bing first developed a love for Irish music, then later became a drummer and singer in college and soon after joined the famous Whiteman orchestra. He crooned his way through over 150 popular songs in the 1930s, with 22 of them becoming #1 hits. I don't recall any other singer who could so equally master a romantic love song, a jazz creation or an Irish ballad with such passion, style and ease. I highly recommend this album as an absolute must for everyone of any age!

4 comments about Complete Bud Powell on Verve.

1. Everybody knows how good the early Verve stuff is ... which makes up about 30% of this set. Everybody has heard that the later Verve stuff is junk. So, having owned the early stuff on individual CDs, I was a little reluctant to pick this up.

   Big mistake.

   The later years, ranging from 1954 to 1956 include a wealth of very, very good material. Yes, there is some junk, but it can be passed over easily enough. Using the track by track analysis by Barry Harris (in the booklet) and Carl Smith's book on Bud, I was able to cull out a couple hours worth of wonderful material and burn it onto my own CDs.

   My take-away is this. The early Verve is some of the best jazz piano on record. Maybe the best of the post-war era. But ... when you listen to stronger "later Verve" stuff, it stands up with the best of anything from say Horace Silver, Sonny Clark or Wynton Kelly. Frankly it is often better, because the genius never left Bud. The level of invention is still way high.

   Highly recommended.




2. I want to dispel an illusions here. This set does NOT reflect Bud's decline, but Bud's GROWTH as an artist. Too many people have bought sheepishly into the common criticisms and have closed their ears. This box set is far superior to the Blue Note set, not a "supplement" (see above review). The first disc has all the dazzlingy brillaint early technique of his early carrear (though quite the bold experimentation of the first blue note disc). But in the 3rd 4rth discs, his technique, still in prime, is used les towards dazzling speed and more towards variety and expression. he is clearly listening to and influenced by Errol Garner and G. Shearing and Monk in a fascinating way here that one doesn't get at all in the blue note set. He is searching and experimental but always expressive and exciting. Listen to the abstract alt takes of i get a kick out of you or the lyricism of tenderly. He doesn;t reach these hights on ANY of the mid 50s Blue Note stuff. And yet people say he is stumbling!! listen again. ONly the very last set has him poorly articulating ("slurring") his phrases. BUt even here, with ray brown backing him, he has flashes of brilliance. This, along with O COleman's Beauty is a Rare thing, may be the best musical buy i ever made. I can only say: listen openly and judge for your self



3. Bud Powell was magnificent. A giant whose contribution to music matched and in many ways exceeded that of Charlie Parker. Yet, he is underappreciated to this day. This is a collection to savor, and essential for anyone wishing to understand not only the music but the man. Lovingly packaged with interviews with people who knew and played with Powell, and track by track analysis by Barry Harris and Michael Weiss, this set has all of the classic early Verves, and later recordings that chronicle Powell's decline. Even there, you will find beautiful work, such as his unique and haunting treatment of "It Never Entered My Mind".



4. The five stars are for the whole package, not necessarily a reflection of the music. This is a fitting testament to one of jazz's greatest musicians, truly a man worthy of sharing a stage with Charlie Parker (even if, as happened on one famous occasion, they started swearing at each other.) Besides the five discs - which represent everything Powell recorded for either Verve, Mercury or Norgran Records - there's a hundred page booklet with many photos, testimonials, and an analysis of the tracks by two jazz pianists. The music itself is often dazzling, as in the furious version of "Tea for Two"; surely humans can't think that fast. On some of the later discs, Powell has lost control completely and the result is painful listening. The bulk of the material is pretty good; the other extremes are also represented, Powell at his incandescent best and his stumbling, chaotic worst. But that's what you get when you want the Complete Bud Powell. If you're a Powell fanatic, this is an essential complement to Blue Note's box set of Bud's earlier work. If you're not, you're better off getting a slimmer compilation.

3 comments about The Original Jazz Masters Series, Vol. 2.

1. I bought all five of these at once so I could get "jazz literate" without spending a lot of money. They are a very cost effective introduction to jazz, and you get a lot of classics so eventually you can impress people by telling them about your favorite jazz tunes and artists. Just make sure to change the subject before you have to go into any detail.
   
   Great recording quality considering the source material (old hissy tapes sometimes) and an almost-free price make this an unbeatable bargain with a jazzy beat!



2. This set was bought for me. I used to eat lunch at small sub shop on Belmont Ave. in Chicago. It was named the Jazzy Cafe. You went not just to eat and listen to whatever Jazz the owner was playing that day but to listen to whatever the owner wanted to tell you. He knew enough about Jazz to be dangerous. His subs would have a different taste depending on the music he was playing that day. He recommended this set to me one day and I never got around to getting it, so he bought for me.

   To this day I am very greatful for this set and for the many subs I ate there.'

   Put this set in and hit random and you'll get a real taste of the Jazzy Cafe as I remember it.




3. Say you're trying to be kool. Your perhaps thinking of inviting some people over to your house. You maybe have designs about impressing them with your worldly tastes. You may even know a lady you want to slice, but you're unsure as to how to get her off her guard. Get this set and all your dreams will come true. The song selection is A+, but some of the old tapes have some hiss that carried over onto the digital format. It is noticable, but primo if you have a mono state on your amp- you do have an amp...WHAT! You ain't got an amp and you wanna impress somebody with your stereo? Nevermind your in the wrong genre`- you must've got to this by mistake. Over the Rainbow, written by H.Carmichael and performed here by "Fatha" Hines on the ivory and Stephen Grapelli on the violin is worth the price of this set. Not to mention Theopolis Monk. Peace

2 comments about Collection, Vol. 1.

1. As a music fan I am grateful for labels like Collectables, Wounded Bird and Collectors' Choice; if not for them, we would be missing much of the best from pop music's last 50 years.
   
   After a successful catalog reissue campaign for Dionne Warwick, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Dean Martin, Collectors' Choice is now doing the same for one of the greatest talents in American music: Nat King Cole.
   
   Prior to their Collectors' Choice reissue, some of the albums included in this box set were available only as expensive and hard to find imports, the others not being available on CD at all.
   
   The NAT KING COLE: COLLECTION BOX SET VOLUME 1 spans the Capitol Records years, from 1952-1965. Each of the 9 CDs consists of two albums with original liner notes and artwork. Although the box set is being sold as a "limited edition," the individual CDs are now separately available as well.
   
   The CDs include the following:
   
   
   Disc 1: COLE ESPANOL (1958) / MORE COLE ESPANOL (1962)
   
   The 1958 album was partially recorded in Havana with Cuban musicians, the other in Mexico City. Neither have ever been on CD.
   
   
   Disc 2: JUST ONE Of THOSE THINGS (1957) / LET'S FACE The MUSIC! (1964)
   
   Big swing arrangements from Billy Mays. LET'S FACE The MUSIC! features the rarity of Nat playing organ.
   
   
   Disc 3: LOVE IS The THING (1957) / WHERE DID EVERYONE GO? (1963)
   
   A concept album about the beginnings of romance, LOVE IS The THING was Nat King Cole's first collaboration with Gordon Jenkins and his first stereo album, which went on to stay at #1 on the charts for eight weeks! WHERE DID EVERYONE GO? was another concept album, this time dealing with love gone wrong and disillusionment with romance. It is a more downbeat affair with Jenkins' string arrangements serving as the backdrop to Nat's moody vocalizations.
   
   
   Disc 4: SINGS FOR TWO IN LOVE (1953) / SINGS BALLADS Of The DAY (1956)
   
   Originally released in 1953, SINGS FOR TWO IN LOVE featured arrangements by Nelson Riddle and was Nat's first vocal album for Capitol Records. The album here is from the 1955 reissue for the (then) new 12-inch LP format and includes additional material that Cole and Riddle put together for the extra space.
   SINGS BALLADS Of The DAY was a sort of greatest hits collection compiling 12 of the man's singles that were recorded between 1954 and 1955.
   
   
   Disc 5: RAMBLIN' ROSE (1962) / DEAR LONELY HEARTS (1962)
   
   Both from the same year, these two Country-themed titles were big successes, displaying the versatility of the man as a singer and a band leader.
   
   
   Disc 6: PENTHOUSE SERENADE (1952) / THE PIANO STYLINGS Of NAT KING COLE (1956)
   
   The two albums were all-instrumental recordings. People often forget what a great piano player Nat was; if he never sang a note, he would still be ranked as one of the great jazz pianists of all time.
   Originally a 10", PENTHOUSE... was his first record for Capitol; this version is from the 1955 12" LP reissue.
   PIANO STYLINGS... was another Nelson Riddle collaboration. Personally chosen by Cole himself, the 16 selections are half accompanied by strings and the other half by orchestra.
   
   
   Disc 7: SINGS ST. LOUIS BLUES (1958) / LOOKING BACK (1965)
   
   In 1958 Nat portrayed composer W.C. Handy in the film, ST. LOUIS BLUES. The album here is not the soundtrack to that movie; rather it is what we nowadays call "songs inspired by the film." The recording combines Handy's blues stylings with the big band sound of the 50s.
   LOOKING BACK was a posthumously-released collection of singles and rarities. This reissue strips away the rhythm tracks that were added by Capitol, who thought such things would give these songs a more "up-to-date" sound.
   
   
   Disc 8: THE TOUCH Of YOUR LIPS (1961 / I DON'T WANT To BE HURT ANYMORE (1964)
   
   These recordings feature Nat King Cole's work with arranger Ralph Carmichael.
   I DON'T WANT To BE HURT ANYMORE was Nat's third and final country-tinged release, fronting a band that consisted of James Burton, Glen Campbell and Don Robertson.
   
   
   Disc 9: WELCOME To The CLUB (1959) / TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF (1960)
   
   These two releases were Nat's way of reaching back to his jazz roots.
   Also known as BIG BAND COLE, WELCOME To The CLUB has Nat teaming up with the Count Basie Big Band and includes a bonus track, "Madrid," a title that was originally intended for but dropped from the album.



2. The Nat King Cole Collection is WONDERFUL. For the segment of humanity that loves real singers, real orchestra's, creative arrangers and painstaking digital restoration we are so grateful. I love the collection and the effort that went into this excellent package. Nat Cole was a one of a kind communicator, with a voice that respoinded so well to the great Neuman microphones, with real MIXERS who actually MIXED the album as it was being performed. These tracks stand up so well today and thank God that stereo came into existance in 1957 & 1958, opening up the reality of actual performance audio for the listener. For all of the singers reading this review, listen to Nat, over and over and you will become a better singer and communicator. I especially love the orchestrations done for Nat Cole by Ralph Carmichael on "The Touch of Your Lips" CD. Just those cuts make this collection VALUABLE. Steve Boalt, Ventura, CA

2 comments about Retrospective.

1. I was reading this month's Down Beat and Jimmy Smith has (finally) made it to the Hall Of Fame. This Retrospective is an excellent place to start for new listeners or for Jimmy Smith fanatics alike. Every cut on the 4 CDs are worthy of inclusion and there are some great ones included for Jazz or Blues fans. I'm listening to my copy right now. I just got finished listening to the "Duel" between Jimmy and Art Blakey, a 10 minute duet between B3 and drums that is alone worth the price of admission. This boxed set includes a nice booklet with a bio of Smith's career and the dates of recording of the songs, etc.
   
   This boxed set would make an excellent gift idea or just a great way to add some seminal organ Jazz/Blues to your collection. The people who this would probably appeal to are keyboard afficionados, Jazz history buffs, any Hammond B3 organ fans, and even anyone who enjoys the awesome sound of that classic B3 organ/Leslie speaker combination. After all, you might as well get some inspiration from the source, because Jimmy Smith is the first and most important B3 Organ player from the 50s to the 80s. He is a "god" of the B3 in Jazz.



2. 4 CD's remastered by Ron McMaster, with the best of Jimmy Smith at Blue Note records, from his first session up to his very last session in the 80's. Specially worthy are the first 2 CD's including a bunch of material that is out of print, including Jimmy's first albums. I am really happy overall with the track selection, I'd probably change one or two: 'Flamingo' is really a Lee Morgan feature, and the albums 'Cool Blues' and 'Six views of the blues' are not represented here'; but this still is the definitive Jimmy Smith compilation. Booklet includes session details and essay on the tracks that are included here. Pricey, but it is worth your money.

4 comments about From Spirituals To Swing.

1. To me all the gold is in the prewar Count Basie Orchestra and this is the glue that holds together these recordings. Purely from the standpoint of Basieism, this is a crucial and important record.
   
   
   The way that the sound has been remastered and recorded in this edition of the recordings, gives us the best real view of the Basie Orchestra on any live album I have ever heard that was cut before WWII, and better sound than some postwar live shots. Part of this is because of the superb natural acoustics of Carneige Hall. Part of this is that these concerts were recorded with actual recording equipment, while all the other live prewar Basie I know of are home wire recorder recordings of radio broadcasts.
   
   
   We get to hear the full extent of Joe Jones' hard drumming with the band, something that doesn't come through even on studio recorded Decca and Columbia sides during the 1930s and 1940s. Joe's reputation as little more than a time keeper playing in unison with the rhythm section will die after you here the full Basie band selections on this CD. He is constantly dropping bombs and beating the heck out of the bass drum, without spoiling the perfect swinging time, he is famous for.
   
   I really love the great solos by Lester Young on the big band pieces and am glad that we have a full version of One O'clock Jump, as most live versions of the tune are short sections of the tune that Basie used as an introduction or a sign off.
   
   A lot of the richness here is in the mixtures of Baseities and the other musicians. We hear Helen Humes singing with James P. Johnson, whom she had recorded with in the 1920s, accompanied by Basieites. Likewise, veterans of the band filling out a band for the great Sydney Bechet.
   
   The treat here is the selection of small group Basie tunes both from the Spiritual to Swing concerts and from recordings John Hammond Sr. falsely put on the previous two-lp version of Spirituals to Swing that Vanguard issued in the 1950s. The actual concerts included the Kansas City Six, a small band of Basieites and electric guitar wizard Charlie Christian. Christian, from Tulsa, had broken into Jazz in Kansas City and in his native home of Tulsa Oklahoma. He'd known the Kansas City rhythmns and some of these musicians for years. He picked up electric guitar from Eddie Durham, who played standard guitar, National steel guitar, and trombone for the Bennie Moten Orchestra, Jimmy Lunceford, and for Basie.
   
   In fact during this period, Bennie Goodman tried to discourage Christian's jamming with the guys from Basie's band, because he was afraid he would leave Goodman's band and join his old compatriots. Goodman used Christian, and other black musicians such as Lionel Hampton and Fletcher Henderson recorded in his small jazz combo which you hear on these recordings. Goodman kept his big band all white to make segregated movie and hotel engagements that would not have permitted a mixed band at the time.
   
   A less glorious legacy here are the Kansas City Five recordings. These are three studio recordings John Hammond made of members of the Basie Band led by Lester Young, probably in early 1938 when the Baseites were still under contract to Decca and not Columbia where Hammond was an A & R man. In an LP version of these concerts in the 1960s, Hammond added some of these KC 5 recordings as being part of the concerts complete with a faked introduction with his voice electronically alterted to sound young and fake applause. They are really nice smooth swinging music well recorded.
   
   Someone should have the brains to select both sets of small group Baseite recordings on these CDs, the small group Basie recordings made for Decca and Columbia, and the 1930s small group Kansas City recordings made for Commodore and put out one CD. Hmm, can't may computer make that mix?
   
   Just one note here on a completely different subject. We see the kind of paternalistic stereotyping of Black musicians, especially bluesmen, as primitives, in the introduction of Big Bill Broonzy at these concerts. Broonzy is introduced as an Arkansas farmer who had to buy his first pair of shoes to make it to Carneige Hall. Of course, Broonzy had been making blues recordings in Chicago for about 10 years before the Spirituals to Swing concerts. All the sides he cut for Bluebird's Chicago Blues straw boss Ezra Melrose, all the bar, theater, and house party gigs Broonzy had cut in Chicago must have bought a lot of shoes.



2. Wonderful performances by an all star line up. I agree with the previous reviewers, but would just point out one thing. Stride piano great James P. Johnson gets a lot of exposure here, playing in the Bechet / Ladnier group, guesting with Count Basie, and playing three solos. The performances of "Carolina Shout" and "Mule Walk" are well known and much re-issued, but the performance of "Blueberry Rhyme" has never appeared before on LP or CD. It is one of Johnson's most beautiful pieces, a gentle melodic delight which is given a wonderful reading here, on a par with the 1939 studio performance and better than the 1943 version.

   Recommended to all jazz lovers, and to Johnson fanatics in particular!




3. This 3 CD set includes the two "from spirituals to swing" concerts of Dec.23,1938 and Dec.24,1939 in Carnegie Hall, produced by JOhn Hammond.Just a glance at the artists : Count Basie's orchestra,with Hershell Evans,Lester Young,Buck Clayton,Shad Collins,Harry Edison,Jo Jones,Walter Page,and Hot Lips Page;Helen Humes with the Kansas City Five (Basie,Lester,Jones,Clayton,Page);Albert Ammons,Pete Johnson and Meade Lux Lewis;Big Joe Turner;Sister Rosetta Tharpe;the New Orleans Feetwarmers (Sidney Bechet,Tommy Ladnier,James P.Johnson,Jo Jones,Walter Page);Big Bill Broonzy;Sonny Terry;James P.Johnson;Jimmy Rushing;the Golden Gate Quartet;the Benny Goodman Sextet,with Charlie Christian,Lionel Hampton,Nick Fatool,and Fletcher Henderson !!! Buddy Tate,Ida Cox,and Mitchell's Christian Singers.Even Robert Johnson should have been there,but he died unfortunately shortly before the first concert.There are definitive masterpieces by Basie and his men,by Lester's Kansas City Five,by James P.,Big Bill and Benny Goodman in this set.It includes also a three tracks studio session from June 3,1938 by the Kansas City Five ("mortgage stomp","allez-oop" and "lady be good").2 hours and 51 minutes of very great music,with 23 previously unreleased tracks.Plus and interesting 45 pages booklet, and a fac simile of the Dec.23,1938 program.Let's remember that this 1938 concert was the first one presenting on the prestigious New York scene some of the greatest black musicians of the century.A great date in the history of jazz,and a great moment of music.



4. I owned this in record form in the late 50's when it first appeared, and have been waiting for its CD version for a long time....especially since my vinyls have long since given up the ghost. What a range: from a capella gospel to Basie to Hot Lips Page, this is one tremendous and historic set of music played right before the war: hot, jumpin' jive with some of the biggest names (and some long forgotten, for shame!). It is, as I have proven, MEMORABLE music. If you like the sound of American jazz, from New York to Kansas to New Orleans, get this set! It includes many more cuts than were on the original 2-record LPs. Can't wait to put it on and feel happier each morning!

5 comments about Best of Broadside 1962-1988.

1. on my website a page referring to the Broadside Ballads is one of the oldest pages archived. at last i got this interesting volume of American Folk Ballads as a songbook with comments and more examples to listen to and learn from to inspire ones own musical road.
   
   JohPWilbrand



2. I am very pleased with this anthology of folk songs from the 60's to the 80's. There are artists I haven't heard in years; there are songs I haven't heard before. The collection covers nearly 30 years of thought-provoking folk music by well-known and little-known singers. I thoroughly enjoy these CDs.



3. This collection of music is incredible - I have enjoyed every song...from hearing Phil Ochs to Peter La Farge and then some!!!!I thank these folks for compiling this collection - I used to read Broadside in Cambridge Massachusetts which was a similar publication and am thankful that no one has forgotten the spirit of the times!!! The music is very beautiful and topical....Thanks again Sis and Gordon!!!!



4. I am sure I would have loved The Best of Broadside even if had been less innovatively packaged, but the scrap-book format is an excellent idea, and the essays, notes, lyrics and discographies leave nothing to be desired. (I have to confess, though, that I'm a wee bit concerned about the way the CDs are housed - I'm not too hot on the idea of jewel boxes, so their absence doesn't bother me, but some sort of protective sleeves for the discs would probably have been useful.) The real treasure, of course, is contained in the five discs, with their broad range of topical songs from Broadside recordings supplemented by a handful of appropriate tracks from other sources as well as a sprinkling of previously unreleased numbers. The likes of Pete Seeger and Phil Ochs are well represented and there are a number of fascinating contributions from the young Bob Dylan - but even more valuable are the songs by artists whose works would be hard to come by elsewhere, such as Sammy Walker, Len Chandler, the Rev Kirkpatrick, Thom Parrott and even Sis Cunningham herself. This box set is a worthy, loving and superbly produced tribute to Broadside magazine. And as a slice of American social history that captures the spirit of the times, it is absolutely indispensable - both on its own, and as a companion volume to the exhaustive (but less affordable) Songs For Political Action. Don't think twice - just get a-hold of it!



5. This is one of the classic box sets of all times and is most definitely a "celebration of songwriters and their songs." It is thoroughly researched, contains a stellar collection of the classic songs that defined the times, and is presented in a wonderfully creative format that captures the spirit of the Broadside magazine. The 89 cuts on the 5 CD's are a treasure trove of songs by all the well-known and lesser known folk heroes of this very special time. Be prepared to spend many enjoyable hours listening to some of the finest early recordings from Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Tom Paxton, Pete Seeger, and many others.

   I ordered this set sight unseen, and I was not really expecting to be blown away by it. I currently own a number of Bear Family box sets and other Smithsonian sets. If I arranged all these sets by quality, this set would not only be at the top, but would be a good distance beyond that. The couple of friends I have shown it to have echoed my feelings. In fact, I am seriously considering ordering two more sets before they go out of print in order to stash them away for my future grandchildren.

   Even if this set were selling in the $100+ range, this set would still be a phenomenal bargain!