Off The Record: The Complete 1923 Jazz Band Recordings

King Oliver (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 1, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Off The Record (distributed by Archeophone Records)
• ASIN: B000K2VK8Y
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,615 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #58 in Music > Jazz > New Orleans Jazz

Track Listings

1. Just Gone

2. Canal Street Blues

3. Mandy Lee Blues

4. I'm Going Away to Wear You Off My Mind

5. Chimes Blues

6. Weather Bird Rag

7. Dipper Mouth Blues

8. Froggie Moore

9. Snake Rag

10. Snake Rag

11. Sweet Lovin' Man

12. High Society Rag

13. Sobbin' Blues

14. Where Did You Stay Last Night

15. Dipper Mouth Blues

16. Jazzin' Babies Blues

17. Alligator Hop

18. Zulu's Ball

19. Workingman Blues

20. Krooked Blues

See all 37 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE set to get, January 18, 2007

By 

"Gimpy" Peach Johnson - See all my reviews

This review is from: Off The Record: The Complete 1923 Jazz Band Recordings (Audio CD)

As anyone with more than a passing interest in jazz knows, these are among the most important records in the history of the genre. King Oliver was one of the legendary New Orleans jazz trumpeters of the 1910s who made the move to Chicago with his protégé, Louis Armstrong, in the early '20s. The recordings on this disc indicate clearly why Joe Oliver was "King." His band has an irresistible ensemble sound and a certain indescribable "drive" that no band since has captured in quite the same way. I've yet to hear any of the so-called trad jazz revival bands play with collective improvisation this tight. Just listen to "Froggie Moore" on this CD and you'll hear what I mean! This was exciting stuff when it was recorded in 1923, and it's still plenty exciting now! Undoubtedly, many people will be turned off by the relatively thin sound of these 85-year-old acoustic recordings, and that's a shame. These recordings are classics that every true jazz fan should own. The music here has been reissued many times in the past several decades, but *this* is the set to get. While the audio is a far cry from CD-quality, this 2-CD set presents the best-sounding transfers I have ever heard! I already had these tracks on releases from Olympic, Milestone, Joker, and Classics, and the hype is true: the sound on this new Archeophone/Off The Record set simply blows all previous reissues away. There's just a freshness and crispness on these transfers that has never been there before. These records have *presence* now. Listening to these on a decent set of headphones or on quality loudspeakers, the piano finally sounds like a piano again--not just some muddy percussive tinkling. Oliver's and Armstrong's cornets come shining through with full force. Even thought these are all acoustic recordings, there's a certain electricity in the air when listening to them. I had never fully appreciated King Oliver's band before, but now that I can better hear what's going on, I finally "get it." All of my collector friends who have purchased this set and compared it with previous reissues (those I mentioned plus the famous Retrieval set) agree--the sound on this issue is far superior. The beautifully-illustrated booklet (with scans of *all* the included records) contains lengthy detailed notes and discographical information and is worth the price alone. I simply can't say enough good things about this set. Get it!

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Transfer: Best So Far!, December 23, 2006

By 

Ernest Jagger (Culver City, California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Off The Record: The Complete 1923 Jazz Band Recordings (Audio CD)

I have several of King Oliver's jazz recordings, both LP, and CD, and this one is by far the best to date. I agree with the previous viewer: as far as the sound is concerned, our technology is limited, and this may be about as far as they can go with these recordings. But, hey, they still sound terrific. I have never listened to the original recordings [an original album] of King Oliver, however, this recording is outstanding and it sure puts the other recordings I have of King Oliver to shame. With the technology going about as far as it is going to go [at least for now] a remarkable job has been done in at least restoring the sound to some degree on this particular CD.

Irregardless, I like hearing King Oliver's sound. It's just great to listen to. I would also highly recommend this particular King Oliver CD, to other reviewers who are not sure just which copy to purchase. I remember hearing a lot of great talk about the Milestone issue [which I have] and this one definetly puts it to shame. I really did not realize how different the sound quality was on the Milestone issue, but after listening to this CD, WOW, what a difference! This is the one to purchase [for now anyway].

Some of the sounds on this particular recording are to name just a few: JUST GONE, CANAL STREET BLUES, MANDY LEE BLUES, CHIMES BLUES, WEATHER BIRD RAG, DIPPER MOUTH BLUES, FROGGIE MOORE, SNAKE RAG [a great one] SWEET LOVIN' MAN, HIGH SOCIETY RAG, SOBBIN' BLUES, WHERE DID YOU STAY LAST NIGHT, DIPPER MOUTH BLUES, JAZZIN' BABIES BLUES, ALLIGATOR HOP, and a lot of other great, great sounds. There are 37 tracks in all, and once again, I believe that these are the BEST King Oliver sounds that I have ever heard on CD. I highly recommend this particular CD to those who like the jazz sounds of the 1920s. My favorite era of jazz runs from about 1923, to the early 1930s. Not that the later periods are not good, I just like the sound of jazz during this particular era.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning!, November 20, 2006

By 

Ted Ison (East Coast USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Off The Record: The Complete 1923 Jazz Band Recordings (Audio CD)

I've waited a long time for this to happen... at last I can hear what's going on! These are acoustic recordings (made without electricity), and for decades I have had to settle for the reissues that were either filtered until all the presence was gone, or EQ-twiddled into funky-sounding embalmed recordings. I've been a previous fan of Archeophone products, so I sprung for this one with cautious anticipation.

My heavens! I was absoutely floored the first time I heard these transfers. The CJB finally sounds like a BAND instead of a SHOE BOX. I'm hearing a lot of Armstrong's parts for the first time, and the banjo is finally in the rhythm section where it belongs, instead of out front where it doesn't. The stunning new (quiet!) transfer of Zulu's Ball is worth the whole price of the CD all by itself.

I could go on and on about the sound, but I don't want to ignore the excellent booklet -- a nice thick one with lots of pictures I've never seen before, and tons of interesting information to read. The set is endorsed by some of the most respected names in Jazz-- particularly Avakian and Morgenstern. I will probably be carrying this one on my person for a long time!

A masterpiece.