The Ultimate Jazz Archive - A Jazz Lunch for Your Ears

Description

52 CDs boasting a wide selection of recordings from the end ofthe 19th century to the mid-1950s - The Ultimate Jazz Archive isthe essential story of this music's development during the first half of the 20th century. Perfectly researched, this impressive box set features literally hundreds and hundreds of timeless jazz, blues and swing recordings from the exciting decades of jazz. All the greats are in there - from Scott Joplin and Louis Armstrong to B. B. King and Ray Charles, from Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman to Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra - but dozens ofthe formative artists, whose talent and creativity contributed tothe jazz revolution, are also included. There are also 2 bonus CD's of contemporary jazz from the labels Motema and Zoho. Review: Value for money intro to jazz - I'm not a jazz fan but I wanted to explore some new music so a 52 CD set at less than £1 a disc seemed like a cost effective way to start, and I wasn't disappointed. There is a broad spectrum of more traditional jazz's greats here - Fitzgerald, Ellington, Peterson, Fats Waller and many more, along with some (to me) lesser known exponents such as Teddy Wilson, Lester Young and Charlie Christian. A few discs run to less than 40 minutes but most have over an hour so you get an awful lot of music for your money. Some of the recordings are less than crystal clear but generally the quality is at least acceptable and often good, to my ear. In short, for anyone wanting a broad introduction to the world of jazz this is a good place to dip your toes in. Review: The ultimate Jazz Archive - This is great. Very old fashioned jazz, just the way I like it! I recommend this for anyone who likes the jazz from the first hald of the 20th century.