Customer Reviews

Best of Ken Burns Jazz

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In one CD with 20 tracks you'll take the musical jazz journey from 1926 to 1959. From the early New Orleans sound of Jelly Roll Morton to the swing of Louis and Duke and Count Basie, vocals of Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan, and the evolution of jazz with Thelonious, Coltrane and Miles. Hard to ask for much more in an overview of American Jazz than you'll get here. If Jazz is new to you this is an excellent introduction, or if you're a fan like me you'll appreciate this "best of" collection.

My first venture into jazz was the Smithsonian's History of Jazz 5 volume LP edition. 25 years and some 1,000 CDs later, I am still collecting and still enjoying. This CD brought to me as musch joy and as much understanding of Jazz as my first purchase. I felt as a beginner again. If you love Jazz or if you want to understand Jazz, get this one.

If you can't afford the price tag on the 5 CD set then this is for you ! Although any serious jazz collector would have most of these songs it is still a great collection that takes the listener through time and a trip to W52nd Street in New York City. The sound quality is excellent, especially on the older songs. If anything this CD will make you hungry for more Coltrane, Sachmo, Dizzy and the Count ! Purchase it and you WON'T be dissappointed !

This is really good!

Like another reviewer, I was quite overwhelmed by Ken Burn's original "Jazz" series and didn't really want to spend the $$. But this 20 song collection taken from the 5 CD box set is easy to listen to and frankly, it's GOOD! These are some of the best jazz pieces/songs by the greatest Jazz players/singers in the US history- hand picked by Ken Burns! "Star Dust" by Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra caught my attention immediately and held my ear all the way through the CD until "Take the 'A' Train" by The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. (Although the CD leaflet said this song was a recorded in 1992.) This is definitely Jazz Hall of Fame in one place- you'll be happy to hear the best of Ellington, Davis, Holiday, Vaughn and more. I'm just happy I don't have to flip through different CDs to listen to the songs I like. In my opinion, this "Best Of" sampler doesn't do the history of jazz justice. But then, it would be impossible to capture the spirit of American jazz in one single CD. Still, "Best Of Ken Burns Jazz" is a great short version of the 19 hour "Jazz" documentary, covering the uniquely American jazz music from early to mid 20th century. And the CD did it's job- it just made me want more Jazz!

First of all, if you are a die-hard jazz fan, then the 5 disc box set of Ken Burn's Jazz is probably more for you...

I love jazz, but not enough to blow $... for the 5 disc set.... This is a good introduction to the world of jazz. (Note: there is, THANK GOD, no Kenny G. on this cd or the 5 disc set. Kenny G. is NOT jazz, just a note for all the knuckleheads out there that continue to buy Kenny's ...) Back to this cd... On here you will find most of the all-time greats, such as Miles, Coltrane, Dave Brubeck, Dizzy, Armstrong, & other great artists. I was a little disappointed that Sonny Rollins was not included on here, whereas Ken found room for 2 tracks by Duke Ellington. However, the inclusion of Dave Brubeck's "Take Five" makes up for that oversight on Ken's part. "Take Five" by Brubeck & "So What" by Miles Davis are, in my opinion, the 2 best tracks on here! Other notable tracks, well- they're all exceptional tracks, are "Solitude" by Billie Holiday and "King Porter Stomp" by Benny Goodman.

In short, buy this cd, it's well worth the money, it's a cd you'll never grow tired of. Ken Burns did jazz proud, contrary to what his jealous critics may tell you...

This is one of the best jazz compilation cds that I own or have ever heard. 20 songs that cover an enormous spectrum of artists, styles and years. From Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers "Dead Man Blues" from 1926, to "Take the "A" Train" by The Lincoln Center Jazz orchestra in 1992. The 24 page booklet is very informative, with a 13 page essay written by Ken Burns and loads of photos. This is an album that every jazz fan should own....highly recommended.

All the music here is of course timeless and splendid, and it is a noble effort to accomplish the impossible, namely to put onto one CD the best numbers in all of jazz. However, with the price of the 5 CD sampler set from the same series being so reasonable, I think one who wants just an introduction to jazz is much better off investing in that set than going with the one CD.

Don't feel like buying every single artist in the 'Ken Burns JAZZ' series? Well, now there's a solution. 'The Best of Ken Burns JAZZ' offers all of the highlights from the discs you can buy in the series on one CD!

All of the jazz giants are here. Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday and Dizzy Gillespie are all on this disc. These artists all had discs in Burns' series.

Another pleasant treat? The inclusion of artists that were not in the series! Jelly Roll Morton, The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and several others that did not get the Ken Burns "royal treatment" are getting it now on this specially priced compilation.

Overall, if you want a quick look at Ken Burns' series at a great price, than do buy 'The Best of Ken Burns JAZZ.' You won't be disappointed. You'll get a lot of bang for your buck.

Highly recommended for any jazz or 'Ken Burns JAZZ' series collector. You won't regret this purchase. ENJOY!!!

Everyone we've played this for has LOVED every song! Baby Boomers of age 55 and younger people 24 years old all ask who is that and where we got it. I don't care if you're a jazz fan or not, you will enjoy this entire CD!

I saw a preview to this CD on t.v. and I just had to have it. I had been listening to jazz on the radio for quite sometime, it sounds great all the time, before you go to bed or while you're cleaning your room... Anyways, this CD has the best of all the jazz out there, and it can introduce you to individual jazz artists, and from there your jazz collection can grow!