Capital Gold Legends Vol.1 - Various Artists > Reviews > All Jazzed Up!

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Average
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	Mixed
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Not applicable
Value for Money

Advantages:	Great for jazz buffs or know nothings !
Disadvantages:	Bit of a jazz overload if you listen to it all at once .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Although not a massive jazz fan - or expert - myself, I have found this compilation a fantastic way to 'dip in' to the genre whenever I feel in the mood.
I honestly think that to some degree, everyone likes a bit of jazz - whether it's their favourite type of music, or they just listen to it once in a blue moon while they're chilling out at home.
I think the reason why everyone has at least one jazz tune they like is because jazz comes in so many shapes and forms - and this is something which is shown brilliantly on Capital Gold Jazz Legends.
There are three CDs and each is distinctly different from each other in mood and sound. I'd have to say that disc one is my personal favourite - mainly because they're the golden oldies that remind me of so many happy memories of my grandparents - who loved this sort of music. It's full of songs that can genuinely claim to be timeless classics - a phrase that is sometimes bandied about too readily these days. I'm talking about the likes of Glenn Miller’s In The Mood, Billie Holiday’s That Ole Devil Called Love, Julie London’s Cry Me A River, or Ella Fitzgerald with I’ve Got You Under My Skin. And, listening to Louis Armstrong’s What A Wonderful World, I’m reminded what a fantastic tune that is.
Disc two brings in some more modern artists and tracks. There’s Nina Simone’s Feeling Good, Norah Jones’ Sunrise, Jamie Cullum with a cover of What A Difference A Day Makes, and Jimmy Smith’s Walk On The Wild Side.
Disc three is more pure jazz, with Miles Davis’ Concierto De Aranjuez, Herbie Hancock’s Watermelon Man and Lee Morgan’s The Sidewinder.
I'd guess that if you're a massive jazz fan and an expert on the genre, the chances are you'll have all these tunes somewhere or other. Which is why, if, like me, you're a amateur jazz appreciater, it's an excellent way to start a collection. It could even be the sole extent of your collection if you like - because to me it's got enough on there to keep me jazzed up until I'm all jazzed out.
In fact, three CDs is probably a bit much - I couldn't cope with all three in one go. But as I say - they're timeless classics, so this is an album you can return to over and over again over the years.