CD-Charts Position 1

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The Best Of Ella Fitzgerald And Louis Armstrong On Verve

CD-Charts > Music > Early Jazz
by: Ella Fitzgerald Louis Armstrong

Release Date February 08, 1999

CD-Charts Position 2
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Porgy And Bess

CD-Charts > Music > Early Jazz
by: Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong

Release Date July 07, 1993
The music of the Porgy and Bess soundtrack virtually transports you back to the deep south. With "modern day lullabies" such as summertime this is a perfect album to sit back and relax to. Allowing the classic and original vocal tones of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong to lull you away to a warm and romantic place.

CD-Charts Position 3
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Muggsy Special 1924 to 1954

CD-Charts > Music > Early Jazz
by: Muggsy Spanier

Release Date June 19, 2000
The music of the Porgy and Bess soundtrack virtually transports you back to the deep south. With "modern day lullabies" such as summertime this is a perfect album to sit back and relax to. Allowing the classic and original vocal tones of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong to lull you away to a warm and romantic place.

CD-Charts Position 4
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The Best of the Black and White Minstrels

CD-Charts > Music > Early Jazz
by: George Mitchell Minstrels

Release Date March 31, 2003
The music of the Porgy and Bess soundtrack virtually transports you back to the deep south. With "modern day lullabies" such as summertime this is a perfect album to sit back and relax to. Allowing the classic and original vocal tones of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong to lull you away to a warm and romantic place.

CD-Charts Position 5
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Complete Recorded Works 1926-1930

CD-Charts > Music > Early Jazz
by: Jelly Roll Morton

Release Date June 18, 2001
I have collected Jelly Roll Morton for many years and in several formats, from vinyl to cassette to CD, and this is the best album and the most comprehensive I have found to date.Many of the tracks in the album are already in my collection, but some of them were recorded at different sessions, or are different takes, and give a fresh perspective on a familiar theme.
Wild Man Blues in particular is a very clear recording, and has obviously been cleaned up and digitally enhanced to a sparkling quality, as have most of the tracks.
There are also a few tracks featuring a trio comprising J.R. Morton, Johnny Dodds and Baby Dodds that are surprisingly fresh and crisp.
The unusual sound of a violin in a jazz band,(played by Darnell Howard?) ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 6
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Gentle Hawk

CD-Charts > Music > Early Jazz
by: Coleman Hawkins

Release Date October 26, 1996
This is a wonderful album of jazz by one of the great tenor saxophonists, Coleman Hawkins. Every note is played with feeling, tenderness and great skill. There's not a weak track on this album; each one is a carefully crafted piece of musicianship. At full price this would be highly recommended - at bargain price it more or less becomes an automatic choice. Coleman Hawkins should definitely be better known, and this album is a marvellous place to become acquainted with him and his music.

CD-Charts Position 7
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The Five Pennies [Us Import]

CD-Charts > Music > Early Jazz
by: Original Soundtrack

Release Date February 24, 2004
I originally had this recording on Brunswick (Stereo!) vinyl from 1959, but it has long gone.

After seeing it available on CD I had no hesitation in buying it again. Everyone on the recording seems to be having a good time, and the music ranges from pure jazz to a couple of more "ballad" type songs.

The US import I received is in Mono (which is probably better as some early stereo records seem too "separated"). Excellent quality and fine performances. 18 tracks, but it all fitted on one LP as some of the tunes are only between one and two minutes long.

I recall the film was partly fun, part "lump in throat" with a mushy ending, but well worth a viewing.

Not one of the best known soundtrack albums, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 8
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King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band 1923-1924

CD-Charts > Music > Early Jazz
by: Joe 'King' Oliver

Release Date June 01, 2006
Having lived with these tracks for about 50 years, repeated listening has confirmed that these are the finest recordings of a 'classic' New Orleans ensemble ever made. The front line are completely integrated with no one (not even Louis Armstrong!) trying to hog the limelight. There are no 'star' soloists and the cornets, clarinet, and trombone, although distinctive voices, blend together to create a polyphony so perfect as to almost defy belief.

Sadly, this perfection could not last. The era of the great soloists was about to dawn and, although - for example - Armstrong, Hawkins, Bechet, etc created magnificent music, the very fact of their individual creativity meant the end of the truly integrated ensemble until the early 1940's. ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 9
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The Bix Beiderbecke Story: 4cd Set

CD-Charts > Music > Early Jazz
by: Bix Beiderbecke

Release Date October 20, 2003
...but only 3 for this boxed set, an average grade between -
Minus: muddy sound on the remastering. Plus: wide selection of tracks.

CD-Charts Position 10
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Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy

CD-Charts > Music > Early Jazz
by: Louis Armstrong

Release Date April 07, 1997
What a magnificent CD!

I heard this album in the LP form at the beginnings of my explorations into jazz but, as the CD era started, I was warned that the 80's CD of "Armstrong plays W. C. Handy" contains inferior alternate versions.
The producer George Avakian explains in this 1997 CD what happened and how painstaking and meticolous research and restoration resulted in this issue, basically equall to the original album, although the recording company had lost not only masters but the back-up copies as well. So, all the compliments go to Mr. Avakian, the producer and the restorer of this music.

This is one of my favorite jazz albums and I feel it proves that Louis in the 50's could very well reach his Hot fives and Hot seven hights. ... Read More: