Playboy Jazz After Dark

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 8, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Playboy Jazz
• ASIN: B00008J2JF
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,372 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #96 in Music > Jazz > Cool Jazz
  • #99 in Music > Jazz > Swing Jazz > Contemporary Big Band

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. In The Wee Small Hours Of the Morning - Gene Harris

2. Prelude To A Kiss - Duke Ellington

3. Everything Happens To Me - Gene Harris

4. My Funny Valentine - Miles Davis

5. Why Was I Born - Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane

6. The Peacocks - Howard Alden

7. Spring Is Here - Stan Getz

8. Blue In Green - Bill Evan

9. Angel Eyes - Scott Hamilton

10. Corcovado (Quiet Nights) - Charlie Byrd & Ken Peplowski

See all 11 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. How Long Has This Been Going On? - Karrin Allyson

2. Our Love Is Here To Stay - Patti Austin

3. You Are Too Beautiful - Curtis Stigers

4. At Last - Ella Fitzgerald with Joe Pass

5. You Go To My Head - Mary Stallings

6. Don't Misunderstand - Dennis Rowland

7. Body and Soul - Diana Krall

8. For All We Know - Susannah McCorkle

9. You Must Believe In Spring - Tony Bennett with Bill Evan

10. Sweet and Slow - Carol Sloane

See all 14 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

The ultimate 2-CD collection of late-nite, mood-setting jazz, featuring classic performances by Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Diana Krall, Tony Bennett, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday! Playboy Jazz label. 2003.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smoooooooth Jazz, with extra oooooo., February 12, 2004

By 

klingsithvamp (Windsor, Colorado United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Playboy Jazz After Dark (Audio CD)

This set deserves 7 out of 5 stars. I really couldn't praise this two disk collection enough. It has been described as a sampler, and that's accurate enough. If you like (lounge) jazz enough to start a collection, but don't know WHO you like, this is an excellent place to start. As a musical genre, jazz is as diverse, if not more, than any other type. It contains Blues, Swing, Dixieland, Lounge, Ragtime, and a throng of others. These disks are primarily what I would call Lounge Jazz - the type you'd hear played on an ebony baby grand piano, from across a dark room, sewn with swirls of grey-blue smoke and perfume, as the redhead in the sparkling rhinestone gown, sitting next to you at the bar, orders a dry martini, and winks at you playfully. Got the picture? The first CD is all instrumental. Deep base, sultry horns / reeds, and a tickling of the ivories. I was almost afraid to put the second CD in, for fear that I'd be disappointed. Number two blew me away. I couldn't believe I liked it better than the first. My favorite track was 13. Solitude - Billie Holiday. I would recommend this set to anyone who wants to start a jazz collection, but doesn't know where to begin.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "creating an after hours mood ~ Jazz After Dark", June 6, 2003

By 

J. Lovins "Mr. Jim" (Missouri-USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Playboy Jazz After Dark (Audio CD)

There is something about compilations, especially the ones that grab you from the very beginning. Playboy/Concord Jazz has just done the impossible ~ put every classic track on a 2-CD-Set that is sure to please every "Jazz Junkie" out there.

Some of the best in the business today and yesterday covering all bases. The result is a smooth operation on the table of Jazz, serving each selection in a blue-ribbon fashion. Musicians and soloist play out this smoky after dark reunion of what they love doing ~ we the listeners reap the winnings every time.

Favorites come to mind ~ "EVERYTHING HAPPENS TO ME", featuring Gene Harris with his funky blues style that is delightfully unmistakable ~ "YOU MUST BELIEVE IN SPRING", sung beautifully by Mr. Tony Bennett and accompanied by the legendary Bill Evans, what a great combination ~ "MORE THAN YOU KNOW", can't recall this being performed any better than this, Mel Torme singing the verse which isn't always included and Pete Jolly on piano with a great arrangement by conductor Marty Paich.

Entire album is a five or more star performance sharing the legacy of America's original music called "Jazz" ~ each track is stunning with head turning solos as sidemen take up the slack. Concord has outdone themselves sharing these little gems with old and new fans alike.

Total: 2-CD-Set ~ Playboy/Concord 2-7507-2 ~ (4/08/2003)

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is an exellent jazz sampler... for late night romance, November 27, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Playboy Jazz After Dark (Audio CD)

Weather you want to relax after a long day at work, and get into your cumfy chair and read, or you want to romance that special someone with great jazz and a roaring fire, and a bottle of pink champaigne, this is the 2 cd set to do it with(sure there are cd's like "John Coltrane+Johnny Hartman" and "Charlie Parker With Strings", but this gives you a variety). This cd is not like msot hophodged cd jazz compilations(which I normally despise), this is not a sampler for your average bozo who doesn't know the difference between Kenny G & Eric Dolphy, this cd gives a difinitive overview of good jazz singers and solosits, and the songs flow and create a beautiful and at times exotic mood. Such great yet obscure singer like Ernestine Anderson and Miss Mary Stallings are featured here as well as great intrumentalists like Joe Pass and Gene Harris, and the newer but great Ken Keplowski. This 2 cd set will introduce you to not only yhe popular singers and soloitst but the greater obscure ones too. A great set of jazz, for any occasion waether in be a sophistocated cocktail party or a romantic date for two, or just you, a great cd, buy one for yourself and get one for a friend... A truly wonderful buy.