5 comments about Billie Holiday: The Complete Decca Recordings.

1. I'll state the obsevation, and then give my solution. What I observed with this collection (as with many other complete sets) is that they include the unreleased alternate takes with the released takes. 9 times out of 10, there's a reason why it was never released in the first place.
   However, there are those that like that about the album, thus it is not to shoot them down.
   
   Also, I really question whether this was her "peak" period. People that say this have not heard her Commodore releases, or her Verve releases.
   
   Here's a good solution for those that don't want more than the original release of the songs. Pick up "The Lady Sings" boxed set from Proper recordings (it's a boxed set, and dirt cheap, with primo sound quality). This collection has almost all of her songs from Brunswick to Decca (not everything, but certainly her best, and about 5 hours long). For the Verve releases, there are three sets to choose from. Complete (including alternates), premium (complete minus alternates), and a best of. The best prices are (of course) from Amazon. Happy Hunting.



2. This is Lady Day at her peak and is probably the definitive collection showcasing how phenomenal a talent she was as a vocalist. As the title implies these are pretty much all her surviving tracks cut for the Decca label from 1944 to 1950 when she was in her peak vocal form and the songs here are a white-knuckle rollercoaster ride of emotions. There weren't many other vocalists anywhere near Billie's prowess at this time and her delivery runs the gamut of emotions from wistful sadness, to savage beauty, to a warm embrace. Many of her signature songs are here: "Lover Man," "Don't Explain," "'Taint Nobody's Business If I Do," "God Bless The Child," and "Good Morning Heartache." Some have complained that it is not a truly "complete" recordings package, but many of the original recordings were lost or destroyed years ago. If I had to chose a starting point for Billie Holiday you'd be hard pressed to pick a better choice than this set.



3. Billie Holiday's great talent and music has been adequately reviewed elsewhere. My comments are directed at the packaging of the songs. First, I give the music and performances 5 stars. The sound quality is excellent considering the vintage, especially on the originally released tracks. However, I have a suggestion for track sequencing and disc packagaging, thus the 4 star rating. My preference is that this set be repackaged as a 3 disc set, but remain priced as a 2 disc set with the 3rd disc listed as a bonus disc. I'd rather have a 3rd disc that comprises the early and unreleased versions of the songs.
   
   I followed my own suggestion and re-sequenced the 2 discs into a 3 disc set by burning new copies on my computer. I am much happier with the outcome, and love listening to the original released versions of songs without experiencing a duplication of titles. This presents the music in a way I think the artist would have preferred and greatly enhances the experience for me. When I'm in the mood for the additional material, the 3rd disc I created includes the early versions and previously unreleased tracks to give me the illusion of being present at the recording sessions. I find this a much more satisfying way to experience this great music.



4. What more can be said about this box-set that other reviewers haven't said yet? Lady Day at her best, with an absolute control of her voice; marvelous performances; unsurpassable sound quality; a booklet with all the information that you'll ever need... If any release deserves six stars, is this one. Don't doubt it, buy it and prepare to enjoy Billie Holiday at her most brilliant moment!!



5. The most essential cd set on the planet, I couldn't go a single week without pulling this beautiful set out and listening to her pure no-hold back from the heart singing. Beuatifulk string arrangements and a hautning voice. Simple beautiful jazz vocals.

5 comments about Live Trane: The European Tours.

1. I can't believe someone purchased this and then gave it three stars. Obviously this individual does not realize what they have in their collection. I had some of this stuff (Afro Blue Impressions) on vinyl from Pablo records and another Trane/Dolphy in Europe that I picked up on vinyl while living in England many years ago. I purchased this set in mp3 format (couldn't afford the actual box but it's the music that matters, right?)This is Trane and the peak of his "accessible" powers. The Quartet smokes, it rages, it's tender, it's violent, it's awe-inspiring. Incredible! Three stars? Thou art very naive whoever you are. Even four stars is questionable. This music is worth of 10,000 stars!



2. I don't know of anywhere else to hear "my favorite things" and "blue train" with dolphy. The first two discs are practically worth the price of the set, and I deliberated buying it for a bit. Plus, there are three versions of MFT with dolphy (six total). I agree totally with another reviewer who says that this set is the next logical place to go after the complete village vanguard, which people will buy first simply because it's more known.
   Do not just buy Afro blue impressions and consider it a condensed version of this set. You won't get the dolphy. And the twenty five mintute version of MFT is simply amazing. Time will get warped should you listen to this when really relaxed. I'd write more but I'm going to listen to the set right now.



3. The "Classic" John Coltrane Quartet, 1961 thru '63, live in Paris, Stockholm and West Berlin (in transfers vastly improved from previous issues) and in a more sympathetic setting than their "home base."
   
   Now, it's true that there has been some "flap" between various Coltraneologists and Pablo, over apparently incorrect dates for some of the earlier tracks in this box..."Is it Paris or is it Stockholm?" Three selections, allegedly air-checks from Birdland in NYC (not the European tours) have sound quality that is distinctly inferior to all the other tracks; whatever their origin, they were probably NOT recorded with equipment belonging to Norman Granz (who produced these European tours).
   
   Still, Pablo is to be applauded for 1) negotiating royalties with the Coltrane Estate and the surviving musicians, so that much of this material is legitimately released for the first time, and "de-bootlegged." 2) The SOUND, people, the SOUND of these tracks (at least the ones which have been heard previously) is better than it's ever been...For example, the former "drop-outs" in the Berlin "Favorite Things" are gone- and even those "Birdland" tracks are truly LISTENABLE for the first time.
   
   Dive into this box, and when you come out of it you'll realize what's been lost since 1963: a fresh sense of adventure, somehow married to lucidity...a "phase" which cannot always be sustained in either a society as a whole, or even within the work of any one artist (not even Trane ! ). Certainly, the November 2, 1963 "Favorite Things" is the greatest of all surviving versions, for its poise on the razor's edge of supreme spiritual risk-taking and sweet, almost Greek-classical lucidity...And all this before a series of audiences for whom this combination was as natural as the air they breathed...Such an atmosphere does not and cannot exist, today.
   
   And, of course, you could hardly "do it again" within this idiom. It wasn't just record-company greed and commercial pressure that led Carlos Santana and his generation to funk, fusion, and paths other than acoustic post-bop...Because Trane had very nearly exhausted this idiom, the next generation HAD to explore elsewhere...Nevertheless, Santana and others were emboldened by Trane's risk-taking and "purity of intention" (to borrow a phrase from Thomas Merton, who also loved Coltrane).
   
   By immersing yourself in this 7-CD box, you'll very nearly get it all "back," then forward...I remember when I first took this set home- tired and mentally worn down after a day-from-hell-at-the-office, intending just to sample a few tracks...Within ten minutes, something more than just adrenaline began to kick in..."Holes" were "punched" in my fatigue, the mind began feeling "toned up," and a sense of possibilities began to surface...In about two hours, the wild stream of life was flowing again, and I forgot all about being "worn down"... What (in LETTERS TO OLGA) Vaclav Havel calls Being, turned toward me and I toward Being...Whether or not it sounds "strange," I'll sign off with this : It's in this music, I'm telling you it's HERE.



4. Here is a real treasure.And it's mostly made of unissued tracks!!! Recorded between November 18,1961 and November 2,1963,these outstanding concerts (in Paris,Stockholm,Berlin and Hamburg) are among Coltrane's finest works,even if the quality of sound isn't as good as the Impulse studio sessions ones.But Trane is free to blow on "Mr P.C." for eighteen minutes,or on "my favorite things" for 23 minutes;in fact,John Coltrane's music is by far more ferocious and adventurous here than in the studio sessions recorded at the same time.Not so far from the "live in Seattle",or the "live in japan" Impulse recordings.
   Backed by McCoy Tyner,piano,Eric Dolphy,alto sax,flute,bass clarinet,Reggie Workman or Jimmy Garrison,bass,and the prodigious Elvin Jones on drums,Trane plays incendiary choruses on his actual repertoire: "my favorite things","Mr P.C.","impressions","Naima","chasin' the Trane","the promise"...
   The intensity of this music is such than it's very difficult to find words to describe it.Of course,you'll listen to five versions of "my favorite things",or "impressions",or "Mr P.C.",four of "Naima",but you won't be bored;each version is so different from the other ones that you'll find treasures in each one.There is also the most magnificent version of "Spiritual" Coltrane ever recorded;a somptuous version of "Afro blue";the haunting "Lonnie's lament",one of Trane's most beautiful tunes;and hours and hours of some of the most joyful,sensual,essential music of the past century.This 7 CD set is one of the most important issues of the past decade,and an essential milestone in JOohn Coltrane's recorded works.Beeing a Coltrane addict,it seems impossible to miss it.Here are hours of treasures,hours of one of the most fascinating music of all times.



5. The music on this cd is just an incredible representation of the intensity that Coltrane brought to the bandstand. When my roomate brought this box set back from the library, I was in a state of complete shock. The sound quality is great, the playing is phenomenal as should be expected, and the set really offers a window into what it would be like to see Coltrane on the road. On every single disc, Coltrane brings the same level of intensity that you would expect from him if it was the last concert of his life. Go get this, and enjoy.

4 comments about Laughing in Rhythm.

1. I'll confess to an ongoing amour with the proper box set. I can't believe something this cheap (let's face it...the price is incredible!) is consistently of such high quality. They look great, feel nice, are beautifully packaged, and include booklets (yes! tiny books) with great info on and pics of their subjects.
   
   So what about Slim? Well this cat is jumpin'. He is high class and hilarious...what a great combination. And there's suprising variety through this invariably rhythmic set. Most tracks are upbeat and you could fill up the CD shuffler and dance to this all night. I just can't believe his name isn't as familiar to us as the likes of Louis Jordan.
   
   I was a bit worried about all this vouting...this guy sounded like he could get really annoying...and he wouldn't be around so you could slap him in the face and tell him to snap out of it. But he only indulges in sporadic vouting binges and they are only occasionally obtrusive.
   
   When I bought this I thought I'd probably select songs and boil it down in to one excellent CD I could love unconditionally. But this cat doesn't let you down...which has made for a least one very happy kitten.



2. When you're young, it's quite fashionable to bemoan the lack of authentic individuals. When you grow older, you learn that you were correct. My Cherokee ancestors believe that adulthood begins at 51, and as I get closer to that age, I realize how right they are. Well, here's an individual for you. Slim Gaillard.
   
   I have a four-CD set called LAUGHING IN RHYTHM. 1937 through 1952 from one of the great innovators in jazz. Musically creative, technically skillful, always soulful, lyrically hilarious, and perhaps an example of somebody under age 51 achieving adulthood. I can't stop listening to it. At home, in my MP3 player on the buses of China... Lemme get nuts here. If you ignore every other review I've ever written, note these three words. "Buy this one." It's like that, folks. Slim is da bomb.



3. It is incredible how much of his material would even for today be considered original and ahead of its time .
   But yet at the same time having this childish and simple humor such as de-ranging known phrases and basically creating his own language out of it.
   Slim is a one of a kind and should be remembered amongs the greats of jazz and witty music.



4. Slim Gaillard is what you get when you combine slapstick humor with bebop jazz. Even Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie couldn't resist playing on his records-they appear on a few tracks on this great 4 CD box set.
   Did I mention you get 30 tracks per disc making this the deal of the century? Such a deal! For the low price listed above you get at least 120 tracks of pure Slim brilliance. I have to warn you, though, his sense of humor is very non-PC but also not mean spirited, either. He lampoons every ethnic group under the sun including his own (in "African Jive" he runs down a soul food menu to a tribal African beat).
   I also liked his enthusiasm for ethnic food, particularly Jewish delicacies:
   Matzo Balls (sung Jimmy Durante style), Dunkin' Bagels ("splash! in the coffee"), and the classic Potato Chips ("crunch crunch I don't want no lunch").
   Recommended tracks: Popity Pop, Atomic Cocktail, Dopey Joe, B-19, Palm Springs Jump, Little Red Riding Woods, Tee Say Malee, etc. I could go and on. Dunk some bagels and enjoy!

2 comments about The Gene Krupa Story.

1. ...is presented by this splendid four-disc set. Disc One heralds the formation of Krupa's own band and the early numbers are hot and jazzy, up-tempo, pure instrumental, soloists strutting thier stuff and Krupa letting folks know this is not going to be a "one man band." Nothing revolutionary about the jazz but the tunes are great.
   
   Next, he experiments with singers, at first just for a few refrains--until he connects with Anita O'Day. Then things absolutely sizzle and skyrocket!
   
   O'Day appears throughout most of Discs Two and Three and in my opinion these numbers mark the high-water point for Krupa's band. O'Day seemingly never met a song she couldn't wrap into her own distinctive style. She's no vibrato, but her terrific inflection may have been exceeded only by Billie Holiday. Here's O'Day with Eldredge on "Drop Me Off Uptown"; O'Day with "Stop! The Red Light's on"; a softer "And Her tears Flowed Like Wine," almost ominously foreshadowing her future.
   
   She leaves and the band is rudderless. They've moved into swing and beyond just having any old "girl singer" but no one, not even a good vibrato, can meld with the band as one unit like O'Day could.
   
   The latter part of Disc Three reveals a bit of a struggle post-O'Day. Disc Four is all live recordings, which to me couldn't compare to all of the studio numbers on Discs One-Three. From what I've read, half of the thrill with Krupa was seeing him sweat, sweat, sweat and kick it up live, live--so I wasn't surprised that the recorded live numbers seemed just OK
   
   So this to me is an exciting microcosm of a lot of what happened to the music in general during these years--from beginning the then-"hot thing" of jazz, through youthful enthusiasm, to swing and mature experimentation (blending O'Day with exuberant instruments), settling into the comfortable but struggling final chapters.
   
   Which is not to say it's not worth getting--it most definitely is. With a few exceptions (e.g., "Massachusetts") the sound is great. As with other four-disc sets in this fabulous collection (e.g., Roy Eldredge, Lester Young Stories), the extensive liner commentaries and personnel notes are extremely revealing and informative.
   
   But most important, I'll wager you'll find yourself playing Discs Two and Three over and over, closing your eyes and easily imagining what it must have been like to see and dance live to the Krupa/O'Day band. At this price, that thrill can't be beat!



2. Though there are many Krupa albums, after his big band days, this four CD set, concentrates on his big band days. Tremendous performances and vocals by Anita O'Day!!

   Though true fans of Gene Krupa have to purchase all the Benny Goodman recordings he did, and especially his '38 immortal Carnegie Hall concert, which contains Krupa's immortal 14 minute "Sing, Sing, Sing." That song is the only one that is not contained on this release, but every other one is!! Just take a quick look at other big band era releases of Krupa and you will find many have very few songs, or even those which have full CDs, none can compare to this set. "Stop! The Green Light's On", with its Roy and Anita contributions is on very few compilations, yet it's here!! The fourth CD, contains live and radio transcriptions which sound tremendous and are perhaps, the most energetic of all the CDs. Also these radio recordings are in incredible fidelity, and I do not see the titles elsewhere. His version of "Rhumboogie" is the best, as his tremendous cover of "Begin the Beguine", which uses Ray's trumpet as the melody, instead of the clarinet......inspired, and original, but what else from Mr. Krupa??

   There are a few sound problems, as some tracks sound much better than others, and even a few tracks start out great, but the sound deteriorates within the selection itself. But, since there is NO other comprehensive Big Band Krupa set on the market, you cannot go wrong with this one. While Gene may not have had those titles that you automatically identify with other top bandleaders of the day, after just one listening to this fantastic set, you WILL wonder why!!

   Tremendous packaging, beautiful, and the cost is so low. This is one set you cannot pass up. Of course Gene Krupa went on to many other great recordings, past his Big Band Days, they were on different labels, and I would rather this FOUR CD set, just concentrating on his '39-'46 recordings. For his Verve albums, they are in print in their entirety. This is the BEST release of one of the truly great Big Band leaders..............and the BEST drummer in history...........Mr. Gene Krupa!!!

5 comments about Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Gershwin Songbook.

1. AS USUAL, ELLA IS SUPERLATIVE, NEVER, EVER HITTING A BAD NOTE WHEN SHE SINGS, THE FLAWLESS ARRANGEMENTS AND BACKING OF NELSON RIDDLE AND HIS ORCHESTRA AT THE HEIGHT OF HIS CREATIVE GENIUS, AND THE REPERTOIRE OF SONGS FROM GERSHWIN MAKE THIS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF ANY MUSIC APPRECIATOR'S COLLECTION. RECORDED IN 1959, AND RE-MASTERED, THE SOUND IS GREAT AND JUST WONDERFUL: IF YOU LIKE ELLA AND HER WAY OF INTERPRETATING MUSIC, YOU WILL LOVE THIS CD SET.



2. It's too bad that about 12 of the songs were on this set. Ella & Nelson can't make those 12 listenable. I feel that this is far too costly for its mediocrity. It does have great stuff on it but not enough! Her Oh Lady Be Good is well worth it because of containing only great Gershwin. I do love My Cousin In Milwaukee which describes Ella's singing style. OK, MILWAUKEE IS MY HOME TOWN. Rather, than this, Ella's Rodgers & Hart Songbook deserves to have been a massive box set: 51 songs plus the instrumental Slaughter on 10th Ave.



3. After all the fun, humour, sex and emotion of the Rodgers and Hart, Cole Porter and Duke Ellington songbooks I couldn't wait to hear this. I'm disappointed. I love Ella above all other performers, but in this set she seems very subdued and so little of her sense of fun or mischief is in evidence that I find it hard to believe that she enjoyed making these recordings. The heavy reverb with which her voice is recorded also increases the sense of remoteness.
   The reponsibility lies with Nelson Riddle who plays just about everything too darned slow! A song that epitomises this is "They Can't Take That Away From Me", which is a fun swing, romantic song that could have been written for Ella, but here performed at flat-lining pace in the search for a heart rending ballad perhaps?
   All you who love this album, please forgive me, but I'd love to know what you make of the other songbooks, do you find them wild and unrestrained?
   I nevertheless give it 3 stars, because some of the songs are really worth remembering and it is still Ella after all.



4. I'm going to make this short. If I was stranded on an island for the rest of my days and could only have one album to listen to,this would be it. This record will make you laugh and cry. It is sheer poetry and a testament to not only the greatness of Ella, but the wonderful genius of George Gershwin. Nelson Riddle's arrangements are perfect. Okay...that's it, now buy this record!



5. I rarely write reviews of products (they speak for themselves) but after readings "Brian"'s review of this recording, I felt compelled. (Brian must be among the group of people who like to criticize just to make themselves feel better... they feel themselves authorities in some manner). Ella Fitzgerald singing the Gershwin Songbook has to be in the top two recorded piceces of popular music of all time ("Judy at Carnegie" is the only other contender for number one). There is no other artist who captures the essence of the Gershwins as Ella in this set. The orchestration is full and rich ,but does not distract from Ella's voice. The scores are kept authentic... Ella does not try to "sell" or "personalize" the songs like Sinatra did with Cole Porter's music. Yes, there are some Gershwin tunes here that the masses may not have heard, but that doesn't make them less valuable than the "Lady Be Good"'s and the "They Can't Take that Away from Me"'s. The art of music is in interpretation and Ella interprets Gershwin like no other. Where else have you heard Gershwin so completely and purely interpreted? I challenge anyone to find a similar recording, period. ***** is not high enough.

5 comments about Paris and London: 1937-1948, Vol. 2.

1. Django is my man, and I've always found these to be some of his most fetching recordings. The sound is a bit bland for my tastes, though. JSP puts out an inconsistent product at times.



2. In my opinion, "Paris & London 1937-48" is slightly better than "Classic Early Recordings in Chronogical Order". Considering the source material, JSP did an excellent job remastering this collection.



3. For someone like me who loves every note Django Reinhardt ever played this 4-CD collection and another 5-CD set also available on Amazon, "Django Reinhardt: The Classic Early Recordings in Chronological Order," are the Holy Grail. Between the two sets I can load up the CD player with 9 discs and listen to this most unbelievable of all guitar players show off for hours at a time.

   There is more swing, more fun, and more incredible guitar playing on these discs than you'll ever hear anywhere else.

   Even though they contain no lengthy linear notes, 'free booklets,' posters, etc., these are, without a doubt, the greatest multi-disc box sets I have ever heard.




4. I got "Paris and London" and JSP's other great box set, "The Classic Early Recordings in Chronological Order," at roughly the same time, and for a while I listened constantly to the "Early Recordings" and pretty much neglected this set. One reason is that the "Early Recordings" are so great that I couldn't tear myself away, but another reason is that the "Paris and London" set includes more large-ensemble recordings that have taken me a little longer to appreciate. By my taste, at least, Django is at his best in small acoustic settings (e.g., in the famous Quintet of the Hot Club of France, or even soloing or just accompanied by piano). "Paris and London" does contain a number of songs by the original Hot Club (including Stephane Grappelli), and most of those rank with the very best on the "Early Recordings" set --- but there are also a number of wartime recordings (made while Grappelli was stranded in London) that have a more standard jazz ensemble sound (featuring Hubert Rostaing on clarinet in place of Grappelli's violin), as well as a few performed with large orchestras, and at first I found those a little less appealing. My view changed a little, though, when I read in Django's biography (by his contemporary, the French music critic Charles Delaunay) that by this stage of his career Django was becoming more interested in composing and arranging than in simply playing guitar, and that he felt there were more musical possibilities in larger groups than within the limitations of the string quintet (three guitars, bass and violin). So I've been going back and listening to these large-ensemble recordings with a new ear, and I guess I can say that it's expanded my musical horizons a little. As a guitarist myself, I'm naturally partial to Django's remarkable lead guitar playing, but with the larger groups his role is more like Duke Ellington's on the piano (that is, using his guitar more as the cohesion behind the arrangements than as a lead instrument). So on these recordings you get a fuller sense of Django's overall musical vision, beyond just his virtuoso guitar playing. In any case, even if you're mainly just interested in hearing Django's guitar, you won't be disappointed, because these recordings include some of his best. Also, I see that one reviewer criticized the sound quality of this set as compared to the "Early Recordings," but I'm not sure I'd agree. That reviewer may have better equipment and a more highly-trained ear than I do, but on my equipment these recordings sound just fine --- and in some cases even more sharp and clear than the "Early Recordings." In any case, don't let that consideration deter you from purchasing this great 4-CD set. If you don't already own the "Classic Early Recordings in Chronological Order," then by all means start with that. Then, if you like that set (and who wouldn't?), don't hesitate to get this one too. They both show Django at his best, and this one in particular shows his versatility and broad musical vision.



5. I certainly agree with the other reviewers about the music here being terrific. I also favor the small ensemble work rather than the larger aggregations. After all, there's more Django in the small arrangements.

   But I do have to comment on the sound quality. One of the remarkable things about the first installment of this set (the 5 CD box) is its sound. Engineer Ted Kendall did a sterling job of collecting the best quality sources and then cutting as little as possible from the output to give us the music. By contrast, this set is far less impressive. There is much less depth to the bass and the high end has been truncated a bit too in the interest of getting rid of surface noise.

   It is because of the sound that I give this set three stars (and really would give it three and one-half if there was that option).

5 comments about The Secret Sessions.

1. The sound quality is not the best that the commercial recording companies would normally produce, but it is head and shoulders above the quality of many "bootlegs." The music quality rearely gets in the way. Rather than be put off by so many of the reviews here that express concern as to the sound quality, just give it a listen on the Amazon web-site. This should convince you that the sound quality should not put you off of these records.
   
   I really love these performances. Evans consistently played wonderfully. Buy them before they are gone.



2. I find this box set an extremely difficult listen do to the unacceptable sound quality. Bill Evans always played with brillance (although the Lafaro/Motian and Johnson LaBarbera trios are my absolute favorites). There are some amazing musical moments to be found in this box set, but I would recommend it only for those that don't care about clarity of sound or have everything else by Evans already. Much better choices for the money: "Complete Riverside Recordings" "Turn Out The Stars" box set, "The Last Waltz" box set, "Consecration" box set, pluse countless other gems on individual CDs.



3. Bill Evans was often pigeonholed as a neo-romantic pianist who favored ballads. He was criticized for sounding like a "cocktail pianist" and generally not thought of as a high energy player. These live recordings show another side to this master of harmony and time displacement. There is a rhythmic drive not present in much of his studio work. It is improvised music of the highest caliber, displaying the usual Evans discipline, yet at the same time wildly visceral and spontaneous, filled with the joyful abandon of a master artist at the full peak of his powers.

   The recordings being bootlegs, the quality is lacking. The piano is too far back and has a certain brittleness that sometimes detracts from the Evans tone, usually so gorgeous and bell-like. The drums are up front which can be overpowering at times, but we're not talking about an audiophile recording here. It's what's being played that's so amazing. Forget the imperfections: this is essential listening for anyone with a passion for Evans' singular musical vision.




4. Don't let the comments on the sound quality put you off. Is it rough? Yes. It IS after all a bootleg. But to miss these performances for the sake of less than perfect sound would be criminal. This is without a doubt the best Bill Evans playing I've heard committed to disc.

   As another reviewer here commented, these performances are totally lacking in the self-consciousness so present when he knew he was being recorded. These are a great document of Mr. Evans, and are indeed a testimony to his enormous skill as a musician.




5. Some of the performances in this box are brilliant, but many are not prime Bill Evans. As mentioned in other reviews, the sound quality is poor and greatly detracts from one's enjoyment of the music. Unless you are interested in having every available performance by Bill Evans, you are much better off with the "Last Waltz" or "Turn Out The Stars" box sets.

2 comments about The Complete Helen Forrest with Benny Goodman.

1. Helen Forrest was one of the primer vocalists during the Golden Age of the Big Bands: first with Artie Shaw and then with Benny Goodman after Shaw folded his band in 1939. This collection shows Goodman's band at its best and Helen at her prime. Included are songs that even I, an avid fan of both Goodman and Forrest, don't remember from those days. These songs are some of the best from that era, and Helen sings them as they should be sung. I heartily recommend it.



2. I'm amazed that this set, which was issued in 2001, hasn't attracted any earlier reviews, because in my opinion this should be indispensable for any devotee of the Swing Era. It spans barely eighteen months, from the very end of 1939 until mid-1941, and during that period Helen Forrest sang on the vast majority of the orchestral recordings.
   
   There is a total of 55 tracks here, and my only minor criticism is that a self-proclaimed complete set should include both issued takes of Lazy River. Against that, a previously rejected take of I Can't Love You Any More is included, as is a late January 1941 recording of Jenny, from Lady In The Dark, on which Benny duets with Helen (which is perhaps the reason why it was not released!). That date raises another question mark though, because it included a Columbia test of an obscure number titled Afraid To Say Hello, which is not included.
   
   Having said which, this is as close to the full works as you're likely to get, and the contrast between Benny's brilliant-toned clarinet and Helen's warm vibrato and laid-back style makes this a set to treasure.

5 comments about Four Women: Nina Simone Philips Recordings.

1. My wife loves this. The original came with a problem, and the return and reshipment process was lightning fast and hassle free.



2. Like many of Nina's Fans, I already own just about every CD /LP issued on Nina, including her work for the Philips label. At first I thought plunking down $35 on this 4-CD box set was redundant, especially when I have the songs. Then I heard about the extensive project and digital sound remastering Verve/Universal was undergoing for this collection, and it seemed worth the price. By the way, some have accused Verve/Universal of "Cashing In" on Nina's sudden passing in 2003 with this collection since it was released only weeks after her death in April 2003. Actually this project was commissioned by Universal in October 2002. The box set was a work in progress six months BEFORE Nina died.
   
   The beautiful leather-bound box set houses each of the four CD's in a separate sleeve. What sets this Nina Simone Anthology apart from all others is the extensive 56-page book --- full of rare, never-before-seen photographs of "The High Priestess of Soul". There are detailed liner notes about the songs, their historical context and some behind-the-scenes "dishy dirt" about Nina's tempermental clashes with producers, songwriters, musicians, and other artists. No one can ever accuse Nina Simone of being BORING ! Upon playing the CD's, the first thing you notice is how gorgeous it sounds with every nuance and detail of Nina's voice and music captured. If you already own the Verve CD's, believe me, listening to this box set is like hearing them for the FIRST time. It's THAT good !
   
   If you are a die-hard Nina Simone Fan, I advise you to get this box set while you can. Universal/Verve is no longer producing these since they are costly to make. There are still plenty in music stores like Tower, Virgin, or even here on Amazon. If you see this marked down to a good price (anything within $30) -- GET IT !! Many of Nina's Fans will argue whether the Philips Years were her BEST. I do feel the music she recorded up until 1968 are absolutely ESSENTIAL, so this Philips Collection is part of that era.
   
   After 1968, I feel her music started to veer in a new direction. She was taking on too many cover songs sung by other artists (Bee Gees, Dylan, Byrds, Sinatra). She was also taking a long, hard look at the socio-political situation of the Sixties. Not that these issues don't matter, but the music sounded different. They often come off as hard-toned and militant. At Philips, even though she did songs like "Four Women" and "Mississippi Goddam", there was none of the bitter tone or militancy associated with her RCA recordings. With the exception of her first release for RCA "Nina Simone Sings the Blues" (which is another essential MUST HAVE), the RCA years found Nina singing less and less songs about matters of the heart and more about the tumultuous socio-political climate around her. She was also ill-advised to record TOO MANY cover songs by other artists after she left the Philips label. It seems her own uniqueness and originality had deserted her. Sometimes these songs sound ill fitting. If you listen to her cover of the Byrds' "Turn, Turn, Turn", you get the sense she sounded BORED with the material. One does not get this impression with the Philips recordings at all. Even when she covers an important politically-charged theme like lynching in "Strange Fruit" (originally sung by the one and only Billie Holiday), Nina's version was fresh, electric, and shocking in her own unique way. That is one good example of doing a protest song and still sounding musical and political at the same time.
   
   The Philips Years - Four Women Box Set captures a unique, maturing woman and artist at the absolute peak of her artistry and musicality. Get it while you can !



3. One cannot think of jazz in the 1960's without thinking of Nina Simone; a dignified and talented singer, pianist and songwriter. This box set includes all 7 albums recorded with the Philips label. From "Don't Smoke In Bed", "Mood Indigo", "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" to "I Loves You, Porgy" you will enjoy taking a stroll down memory lane with all of your favorites by Nina Simone. This is a definate 'must have' for all Nina fans.



4. This is Nina Simone at her consistent best.There are other definitive tunes,ones that she made her own, here and there on other anthologies but no other collection really represents her as well as this.Her piano playing and vocals and the material covered reveal the artist at her most adventurous and at the peak of her powers.This collection shows her probing the boundaries and succeeding more often than not.A great collection.



5. Of course,the most essential works by Miss Nina Simone,born Eunice Kathleen Waymon (1933-2003) are included in her Colpix recordings: Nina at Town Hall,Nina at Newport,at the Village Gate,Nina sings Duke Ellington,Nina with strings,Nina at Carnegia Hall,Forbidden Fruit,the amazing Nina Simone:here are the most necessary records by this immense pianist and singer,and simply,here are some of the most essential music of all times.An incredible amount of masterpieces figure in these records.

   Following the Colpix years, here are the Philips years,covering years 1964 to 1966.The material is much more unequal than during the Colpix years.Some tunes are rather boring.It seems like Nina could record every tune she loved during the Colpix years,and should record the tunes she was ordered to play during the Philips years.Just like Billie,or Fats Waller,25 or 35 years before.
   So,here is an unequal set of four CDs;it shouldn't deserve five stars.But here are such terrific masterpieces than,even if a half of the tunes were great ones,the set would deserve this rating.
   It is very difficult to review a four CD set,made of 74 tunes,without beeing boring;so,I won't tell you about all these tunes.
   I'll just tell you that Nina Simone was ,first,one of the most fascinating and beautiful human beings of the last century,then one of the four most marvelous voices of jazz (with Billie,Dinah,and Lil Green),and one of the most fantastic piano player and musician of all times.When you listen to her,you're listening to a giant in the history of music.A Master.
   I'll just tell you that Nina's life was a life of despair and sadness.She was used by men like few female jazz artists were,except Billie.The two greatest jazz singers had the saddest lives you can imagine.I have the greatest respect for these two magnificent women,who were so intelligent,so emotional and so beautiful,and who lived such dark years.They were two of the greatest treasures the world ever had.
   Unequal,so why should you buy this set?
   Maybe simply, for "the last rose of summer",the last track of CD n°1.An incredibly beautiful southern ballad,in which Nina sings in an outstanding way.For "Mississippi Goddam";and Gershwin's "I love you Porgy",and Duke's "Mood indigo" and "the gals from Joe's",for "work song","four women","if I should lose you","love me or leave me","don't explain","this year's kisses","chauffeur"....
   Don't think I'm foolish giving this set five stars,even it's not at the same level as the Colpix records;here are some absolute masterpieces;here are some of the very best of an immense musician (yes,singers are musicians too,and surely some of the best ones);here are some of the highest moments of Miss Nina Simone,who gave us such incredible treasures;the 70 years old woman who died three month ago was one of the major musician in the history of the 20th century's music.
   Rest in peace,dear Eunice;and thanks a million for the amazing moments of beauty you gave to the world.

   So long, Nina.

5 comments about Bebop Spoken Here.

1. The reviews above just about sum it up: great collection, nice selection of songs, and I hear the booklet is great. I bought my box set from another seller and it came without the book. Anyone wishing to sell one or know of a place to get it, please contact me!



2. Se você está interessado em conhecer o bebop, esta é uma boa oportunidade. A coleção traz um apanhado geral do estilo e no mínimo vale como curiosidade para quem quer se iniciar no tema.



3. Like eating really good filet mignon for the first time, and feeling slightly sorry that you deprived yourself up that point. But otherwise, just smiling, swaying to the beat and scatting along.
   
   A good friend of mine who is a semi-professional musician attempted to teach me about modes, how jazz is often constructed. I'm just an appreciative music fan, but clearly the artists on this collection were high adepts, skillful in weaving together some of the most complex yet unpretentious music ever heard. Too many fabulous artists to single out; they're all good. I hope jazz fans back in the day enjoyed this music as much as I do.
   
   BUY THIS COLLECTION AT ONCE!!!



4. As a long time jazz fan, you'd expect that I would have most of the material on a box like this. And I do. But there are quite a few gems I've found nowhere else and, in any case, it's wonderful having all of this amazing music in one place. "Bebop Spoken Here" is indeed a perfect introduction to this challenging subgenre of jazz, but it is also a wonderful set for the connoisseur of jazz. All the greats are here, both the famous and the obscure. If you haven't picked this up yet, do so!



5. This huge compilation casts a wide net, capturing the classic recordings of the giants of bebop: Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and Bud Powell, the early recordings of future stars like Dexter Gordon and Stan Getz, the popularizers who made it accessible to a larger audience: Woody Herman, Benny Goodman, Charlie Barnet and Charlie Ventura and the rarities by now-obscure musicians: Freddie Webster, Sonny Berman, Tom Archia, Tony Fruscella and many others.
   
   Why buy this set? You won't hear this music anywhere else as radio these days won't play anything made before the LP era.
   You will discover that although this music was far-out, Dizzy Gillespie was popular enough to have his own big band and a
   major-label record contract. Charlie Parker could play any style,
   his first record with Tiny Grimes is pure swing and Parker plays superbly. You'll hear Trummy Young, Louis Armstrong's trombone player, play superbly on "Good Bait" with Dizzy Gillespie and Dexter Gordon. You will hear so much rare and excellent music, otherwise completely unobtainable, by musicians, like Tadd Dameron, so influential and yet now forgotten. You will hear the
   greatness of those who died far too soon like Wardell Gray and Fats Navarro.
   
   If you want to experience and understand this music, this is essential listening. Reasonably priced, excellently documented too!