Jazz Album 2003, The - Various Artists

The Jazz Album - 2003

I don't think it will come as a major surprise to anyone that reads my reviews that I am a bit of a Jazz fan so when I saw this double CD for 50p at Barnsley Sunday Market (like a boot sale only with stalls under cover), saw the discs were in good condition, I could not resist.

Now it is true to say that I have many of the 36 tracks already, but even if there was one that I did not have, it is worth ...
...already in front! To the jazz fan it would be good value at full price, but I suggest shopping around, not so cheap on Amazon new, but is okay 2nd hand.

I am not going to review every one of the 36 tracks, which would bore the reader. I will give you a song list at the end for your perusal, and will now give you a flavour of what is good and not so good.

~~~The Tracks~~~
With the first three tracks by Nat King ... more

The Jazz Album - 2003

I don't think it will come as a major surprise to anyone that reads my reviews that I am a bit of a Jazz fan so when I saw this double CD for 50p at Barnsley Sunday Market (like a boot sale only with stalls under cover), saw the discs were in good condition, I could not resist.

Now it is true to say that I have many of the 36 tracks already, but even if there was one that I did not have, it is worth 50p, for goodness sake, at 79p a track from iTunes, I am already in front! To the jazz fan it would be good value at full price, but I suggest shopping around, not so cheap on Amazon new, but is okay 2nd hand.

I am not going to review every one of the 36 tracks, which would bore the reader. I will give you a song list at the end for your perusal, and will now give you a flavour of what is good and not so good.

~~~The Tracks~~~
With the first three tracks by Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong you just know it is going to be good. Then we have Diana Kraal, quite the modern day jazz queen.

Then, bizzarely on CD one we see Moondance by Van Morrison, which to me does not sit right on this album at all, let alone sandwiched between Nina Simone and Etta James! I'm also not sure that Georgie Fame (yeh, yeh) should sit in this company.

The first CD has a few nice surprises however and Shirley Horn singing 'Hit the Road Jack' and playing piano with some class is a bit of a new one to me, it has an almost 'Fever' beat to it, love it. Not to mention a piece of Alto sax playing that is quite astounding.

Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins and Sonny Stitt team up for 'On the Sunny Side of the Street', I never new that, wow, and it is good, I mean, really good.

CD two has a more 'bluesy feel' about it though is not restricted to this as we get some crooning and swinging too.

Misty is a revelation as Sarah Vaughan's voice is just velvety.

Love and Affection is not Jazz, even if Courtney Pine plays sax, it is good, of that there is no doubt, but it aint jazz.

I had never heard George Benson's 'Giblet Gravy' before and it is a fun track, a cross somewhere between Green Onions and Watermelon man, nice one. I had also not heard Charlie Parker play 'Just Friends' before, and I thought I knew most of his stuff, just goes to show, I learn summat every day and it is a fab' track.

~~~Overall thoughts~~~
This is a classy album, with some great tracks, by some great artistes; I would have gladly paid £10, so to get it for 50p was just brilliant.

The song list below shows the range of music and some pretty famous names, great stuff.

~~~Song List~~~
Disc: 1
1. Unforgettable - Nat King Cole
2. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye - Ella Fitzgerald
3. We Have All the Time in the World - Louis Armstrong
4. The Look of Love - Diana Krall
5. My Baby Just Cares for Me - Nina Simone
6. Moondance - Van Morrison
7. I Just Want to Make Love to You - Etta James
8. Soul Bossa Nova - Quincy Jones
9. Organ Grinder's Swing - Jimmy Smith
10. Tequila - Wes Montgomery
11. Mas Que Nada - Sergio Mendes
12. Hit the Road Jack - Shirley Horn
13. Yeh Yeh - Georgie Fame & the Blue Flames
14. Cheek to Cheek - Stephane Grapelli
15. Night Train - Oscar Peterson
16. On the Sunny Side of the Street - Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins & Sonny Stitt
17. Stranger on the Shore - Acker Bilk
18. Acknowledgement (A Love Supreme) - John Coltrane

Disc: 2
1. Mad About the Boy - Dinah Washington
2. Good Life - Tony Bennett
3. Someone to Watch Over Me - Frank Sinatra
4. Misty - Sarah Vaughan (with Quincy Jones Orchestra)
5. Lady Sings the Blues - Billie Holiday
6. Summertime - Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald
7. Tell Me All About It - Natalie Cole
8. The Girl From Ipanema - Astrud Gilberto
9. Love and Affection - Courtney Pine (feat Kele Le Roc)
10. In the Mood - Glenn Miller
11. 'Round Midnight - Miles Davis
12. Just the Way You Are - Cleo Laine
13. Giblet Gravy - George Benson
14. Take the "A" Train - Duke Ellington and his Orchestra
15. April in Paris - Count Basie & his Orchestra
16. Desafinado - Stan Getz
17. Just Friends - Charlie Parker
18. Everything Happens to Me - Chet Baker

Also posted on Dooyoo by me; same meber name. 

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