4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Good Mix of Jazz at a Reasonable Price, May 15, 2003
This review is from: From Swing to Bebop (Audio CD)
The History label has put out several box sets of 40 jazz CDs. I have three and plan to buy more.
Compared to the other two History label box sets I have, The Cradle of Jazz and The Big Band Box, the recordings in From Swing to Bebop are more recent than the other two, and so the sound quality is also markedly improved, although by no means flawless by today's standards.
As in the other two, this box set gives a good overview of the leading musicians of the time with two CDs by each of Charlie Parker, Django Reinhardt, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Ben Webster, and three CDs of music by Fats Navarro. Notably absent is bebop legend Dizzy Gillespie, although Gillespie can be heard on a few of the tracks featuring other musicians.
This collection is heavier on swing than it is with bebop, and purists would probably find fault with some of the selections and ommissions. However, given the price, I think any jazz fan can easily supplement gaps left behind in From Swing to Bebop and still save a bundle of cash as compared to trying to buy the music by all of these artists individually.
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