Pure Nostalgia...and All That Jazz (25 Original Mono Recordings 1928-1949) - Various Artists

Advantages: Great jazz tunes from the Golden Age
Disadvantages: None

...-performed and fluid love song. Sadly the female singer with the honey-dripping tones is not credited on this CD. There's Harry James and his Orchestra with a waltz time piece called Carnival of Vencie, with some trumpet playing that is straight out of the trumpet section of a classical orchestra. There's Moonlight in Vermont sung by Ella Fitzgerald. If you haven't heard her sing, hear this song and you'll know why Ella Fitzgerald is so well-loved to this day by people from all over the year. Prisoner of Love by Teddy Wilson is good, solid jazz fare. A simple rhythm, slightly muted trumpet and lilting piano. Eventually, the music is joined by a female singer with a voice that is slightly reminiscent of Mae West. Closing Hour Blues by Meade Lux Lewis is a blues jazz cross-over. Somehow the crackles from the original master recording just add a little... Read review

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Advantages: A rich tapestry of eccentricity and good, but obscure music
Disadvantages: A couple of weak tracks

...with a track from the "Kes" soundtrack. Early 60's jazz from Michael Garrick, more chunks from various soundtracks (eg "Blood On Satan's Claw"). I don't think there is a music track on here that is duff. The overall mood seems to be a combination of pastoral jazz and folk and experimental boundary pushing. And considering that some of this is basically just library music, that says a lot for the good quality of those old music libraries. It genuinely is rather good. Best track for me? "Negatives" by Basil Kirchin. Nostalgia: we've got excerpts from The Clangers soundtrack and also Bod. Yes, Bod. I can hear the brain cells firing up already in anticipation of that famous piccolo(?) sound we heard way back then. The Mike Sammes Singers also do their bit in this area, by giving us the Timex ad from the 60's (see my review of "Music For Biscuits... Read review

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Advantages: Rustic, Powerful, Emotive
Disadvantages: None, unless you have a problem with late 70's sound quality

...A Flamenco tour de force. To Flamenco-lovers, Carlos Montoya is a legend. He educated the rest of the world about various Flamenco styles, leaving his native Spain in the 1930's. Settling in the U.S.A, he would then shape a very specific style with the influence of Jazz. I think that most of the Jazz influence can be distinguished through Carlos Montoya's playfulness. He enjoys discharging lightning-fast tempo in various parts of his pieces and has the ability to then pick up where he left off with ecstatic simplicity. This album was released in 2004 under Pazzazz Records. Originally, the tracks were recorded in 1979 (all of them). 13 of the 15 tracks are by Carlos himself. The remaining 2 are both traditional; or at least traditional-based. Another great factor is that these tracks maintain the slightly coarse recording sound... Read review

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