Customer Reviews

Little Jazz: Best of Verve Years

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

 

 

Hard to believe that I am the first reviewer of this now 11-year-old CD, but with 81 other discs featuring Roy, I suppose this compilation got lost in the shuffle. It is available used on this site for only a few bucks, so anyone who likes Roy, or big band horns from that era, ought to consider buying this. Here you get an hour's worth of entertainment, with varied tempos but mostly cheerful offerings. My first exposure to Mr. Eldridge came on the "Let Me Off Uptown" CD, which highlights some of Anita O'Day's singing with the Gene Krupa Orchestra of the early '40's. Roy was a featured player/soloist in that group. That CD is superb, but this one is also quite good.

If you've read my other reviews, you know I'm a big fan of Roy Eldridge. Add to that the fact that these are among Roy's best from his period with Norman Granz's Verve and Clef labels, and it gets a 5 star rating from me.

With artists like Oscar Peterson and Johnny Hodges and Coleman Hawkins in attendance, each track has its virtues, from the intense (Dale's Wail) to the intimate and relaxed (Roy's tune, I Remember Harlem).

Add notes by the knowledgeable Dan Morgenstern, and you have an excellent package. Too bad it's out of print. But there are a number of good condition used versions (some actually new), and you should snap one up. You can't go wrong!