Jazz & Blues > H Jazz & Blues > Classic Jazz Vocals

Advantages: The price of the Album was good and within my budget
Disadvantages: The music store had to order the Album in, did not have it in stock

This was an excellent Album, made easy listening. I have long been a Billy Holiday fan but to those people who have not heard her soulfull voice, I would recommend this album as an intro into the ninteen thirties blues scene. Backed by the Ken Burns Jazz Band, Billy's voice is so sypathetically handled and allowed to blend with each mellow note. Its a rare combination of orchestra and voice, that is simply so in harmony with each other that the ...
...Club ethos. On listening to tracks three and four, " Me Myself and I " and "Without Your Love" with thier slight swing rhythm, you almost feel you are part of the audience, sitting at one of the tables. A drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other, smoke filling the sultry air of the room, disturbed only by the background murmer of waiters as they ply the customers with cocktails. A small group of dancing couples shuffle round the floor in time ... Read review

Advantages: Near perfect saxophony.
Disadvantages: Too smooth.

...Very Best of Stan Getz. Sax Moods. The cost of this double CD varies, I actually got mine from a boot sale for £3, it can be bought on Amazon for less than a fiver. Stan Getz, to me, on tenor sax is like Kenny G is to soprano, Mr smooth. There is no doubt that this has been both his accolade and his downfall. Traditional jazz fans may well find him too smooth, yet his pedigree and grounding was in some of the more bebop style bands. His 'tone' ...
...pretty near perfect, now personally I like something a little more 'off' perfect. This double CD is broadly (though not completely) split into two genres. The first CD is more traditional jazz tunes and ballads whilst the 2nd CD is dominated by Latin, Bossa Nova type tunes, not my favourite genre (CD 2). The thing I do like about this double CD is that there is a whole bunch of other incredibly talented musicians her such as: Astrud Gilberto (vocals), ... Read review

Advantages: Charlie Parker of course.
Disadvantages: None.

Crazeology - Charlie Parker Jazz time again folks, well bebop to be precise (mostly). I make no secret of being a huge Charlie Parker fan. Not just because he was arguably the greatest alto saxophone player ever, but because he was a pioneer. At a time when black music was seen as something that was somehow less accomplished, and the musicians somewhat less worthy than their white counterparts (in fact it was thought that hardly any black musicians ...
...He wrote, he practically invented a new genre (be bop), well maybe I exaggerate, he was certainly one of the leading lights. He also played with chord structure and melodies and harmonies, tearing up the rule book and inventing his own style. His sound is incredibly distinctive, despite the fact that he played on numerous saxophones as he is known to have pawned and sold many, mainly to feed his heroin and alcohol addictions. I bought this CD mainly ... Read review

Advantages: A compact CD with excellent repertoire
Disadvantages: May not be know to the younger generation

...Classic old time favourite by Ella Fitzgerald with excellent vocals and the timbre unique to Ella herself; optimum recording exceeds some modern Jazz in tonality and expression. Ella Fitzgerald provides good enjoyable listening and a splendid addition to previous volumes - a veritable Jazz experience, well recommended. As an old classic released in 2005 this Ella Fitzgerald Vol. 4 is not new on the market but still provides enjoyable background music ...
...some super wedding anniversary? Ella Fitzgerald generates loving memories and moving old-time novelties for the younger generation. As for the collectionists or jazz music afficionados I would say this CD of Classic Jazz Vocals would be a special addition ensuring some long moments of listening to good music with a good touch of nostalgia. ... Read review

Advantages: Some of the all time best jazz saxophone ever.
Disadvantages: Some ommissions.

The Very Best of John Coltrane Some folks in commenting on a previous review wanted me to review some 'hard jazz'; well here goes. This was just one of the 'best of' or 'greatest hits' type albums, of several that have been issues since the great mans death at the tender age of 41. It seems that the saxophone 'greats' die young and tragically; Charlie Parker, Albert Ayler. Although primarily a tenor player, he also played an awful lot of soprano ...
...garde, for whilst he was very clear about the melody, often starting with it and coming back to it, he strayed, often a very long way from the melody and did things that jazz had not seen before. I am not proficient or understanding enough to explain this fully, and do not want to 'copy' what someone else has written, so I will just say this. If you read what he played (in music) or heard the notes in isolation, slowly, it does not make sense, yet ... Read review