Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz
 
See larger image
 

Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz [Box set]

Various Artists , Louis Armstrong , Duke Ellington , Thelonious Monk , Miles Davis , Sarah Vaughan , Charlie Parker , Ella Fitzgerald , Dizzy Gillespie , John Coltrane Audio CD
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)


Available from these sellers.



Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought


Product Details

  • Audio CD
  • Original Release Date: 1987
  • Number of Discs: 5
  • Format: Box set
  • Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
  • Label: CBS Special Products / Smithsonian
  • ASIN: B000CS7UAI
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #249,935 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Excellent and historic 5 CD box set celebrating the history of jazz. Includes lengthy booklet with many photos. DISC ONE: Maple Leaf Rag, Maple Leaf Rag, St Louis Blues, Lost Your Head Blues, Dippermouth Blues, Black Bottom Stomp, Dead Man Blues, Grandpa's Spells, King Porter Stomp, Cake Walking Babies From Home, Blue Horizon, Carolina Shout, Big Butter & Egg Man From the West, Potato Head Blues, Struttin' With Some Barbecue, Hotter Than That, West End Blues, Weather Bird, Sweethearts on Parade, I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues, Singin' the Blues, Riverboat Shuffle, Four or Five Times. DISC TWO: Stampede, Wrappin' It Up, Dinah, Moten Swing, I Ain't Got Nobody, Honky Tonk Train Blues, Body & Soul, Body & Soul, The Man I Love, He's Funny That Way, These Foolish Things, You'd Be So Nice to Come Home to, Willow Weep for Me, Too Marvelous for Words, Organ Grinder's Swing, Rockin' Chair, I Can't Believe That You're in Love With Me, When Lights Are Low, Dinah, Doggin' Around, Taxi War Dance, Lester Leaps In, I Found a New Baby, Breakfast Feud. DISC THREE: East St Louis Toodle-oo, New East St Louis Toodle-oo, Diminuendo in Blue/Crescendo in Blue, Ko-Ko, Concerto for Cootie, Cotton Tail, In a Mellotone, Blue Serge, I Got Rhythm, I Can't Get Started, Shaw Nuff, Koko, Lady Be Good, Embraceable You - two excerpts, Klactoveedsedstene, Crazeology - two takes, Parker's Mood, Fantasy on Frankie & Johnny, Night in Tunisia, Bikini, Lady Bird. DISC FOUR: Boplicity, Subconscious Lee, Body & Soul, All Alone, My Funny Valentine, Misterioso, Evidence, Criss-Cross, Bag's Groove, I Should Care, Moon Rays, Summertime, Haitian Fight Song, Django, Pent-Up House. DISC FIVE: Blue 7, West Coast Blues, So What, Blue in Green, Enter Evening, Alabama, Lonely Woman, Congeniality, Free Jazz, Steppin'.

 

Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Classic 5 Volume Survey, April 24, 2007
By 
Fly By Light (Atlanta, Georgia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   
This review is from: Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz (Audio CD)
Comparisons between this 5 volume collection and Ken Burns are inevitable. They cover a lot of similar ground, so I'll highlight where they diverge. This collection is intended to be a real survey, as opposed to a soundtrack for a documentary, so I expect a little better representation. The biggest surprise was the crystal clear Scott Joplin recording, who lived before sound was recorded. This was accomplished courtesy of a well-preserved piano roll. Jelly Roll Morton and Louis Armstrong are well-represented. Thelonius Monk and Charlie Parker both get good exposure. Two of my piano heroes, Bill Evans and Errol Garner, make appearances, but Oscar Peterson is conspicuously absent. Strangely, the Coletrane song in this collection is Alabama, rather than Giant Steps, a song that gave birth to "Coletrane Changes" in contemporary jazz. Finally, Ornette Coleman, arguably the most revolutionary figure in jazz, is generously represented with three cuts, including an excerpt from Free Jazz. At that point, where jazz achieved maximum creativity without losing its identify as jazz, the collection stopped, as I think it should. This is a great collection, but it was mastered before digital mastering and a lot of the earlier material is hard to listen to for any length of time. Hence the four stars.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Definitive, February 28, 2009
This review is from: Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz (Audio CD)
Definitive.

No one learning about the history of jazz should be without this collection from Martin Williams. Even serious fans will find these recordings illuminating.

I have not been able to determine whether Martin Williams' complete 120 pp book is included with the 1995 reissue, but it is included with the 1987 pressings.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


5.0 out of 5 stars Found 'em at a thrift store, December 22, 2011
By 
This review is from: Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz (Audio CD)
Picked these CD's up for one dollar each and the book for a dollar as well at out local Goodwill Outlet that sells items by the pound. Media like VHS and CD's are a dollar a piece. I found all five CD's in mint condition w/ insert and case and found the Smithsonian Jazz book as well. I thought it would be a good place to start. The CD's play very well for being 24/25 years old at the time of buying. Looking forward to investigating this genre more and this seemed like a logical place to start. For six dollars it was a very good deal. Sound is great, very full and clear.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews


Only search this product's reviews



Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(2)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums




SoundUnwound - the personal music encyclopedia

Passionate about music?
Learn more at SoundUnwound, the personal music encyclopedia, or challenge your friends with our music quizzes.

SoundUnwound Logo

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?



Look for Similar Items by Category