Customer Reviews

RCA Victor 80th Anniversary, Vol. 1 (1917-1929)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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My kids and I have listened to this CD countless times and never get tired of the high level of artistry and seemingly boundless energy of the early jazz stars like Fletcher Henderson(St. Louis Shuffle), McKinney's Cotton Picker's (Four or Five Times: what a hilarious song!) and the early Duke Ellingtion band (Black and Tan Fantasy).

If you like your jazz sweet, hot and early, this CD has the best of the best compiled on it. Since it has no more than 2 or 3 cuts per artist, you can then look for other collections which have more of the artist you enjoy, so this compilation becomes a springboard for enjoying other recordings.

Don't miss the hidden gems like "The Boy in the Boat" by Charlie Johnson and His Paradise Band and "San" by the highly under-rated Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra.

I bought this used CD and it was delivered as promised. The disk was flawless and the case and album notes were in very good condition. It took awhile to arrive (two weeks), but it came from England and came within the promised time. I was very satisfied.

To celebrate the first 80 years of jazz recording, RCA Victor released a series of CDs in 1997, of which this covered the period 1917-1929. That is, from what was arguably the first jazz recording by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band to the onset of the Great Depression. It would be impossible to do justice to that period with just one CD, but given the restriction of 25 numbers, and RCA's ease of access to its own masters, I'd like to have seen the net cast wider to include some more obscure outfits, including the so-called territory bands. As it is, none of the recordings presented here is obscure, and most have been the subject of multiple reissues on both LP and CD. That said, presentation is excellent, with the CD contained in a faux brown paper wrapper, a facsimile of the label for Livery Stable Blues, and a very detailed tracklist and liner note.

A wonderfull CD to get a good sampling of very early jazz.