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Jazzspot Top 50 CDs > If You Could Only Take 50, Consider These CDs |
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When you look at these, you'll probably not see your favorite. Remember, this is a top 50, not a top 500! I have some special CDs not on this
list either.
The goal is to be representative of styles, influences, groups and players that everyone should know. For example, trumpet players are
my weakness, and yet I left Roy Eldridge, Red Allen, Charlie Shavers, Cootie Williams and Bill Coleman off the list, because they are included in other
recordings herein OR they just wouldn't make anyone's top 500 - only mine.
While we're at it, I'm apologizing right now for leaving off individual recordings by Jack Teagarden, Warne Marsh, Sonny Stitt, James Moody, Lucky Thompson,
Benny Carter, Johnny Hodges and Lester Young. You will find each of them on one of the CDs included in at least one place, and that's the best I can do, although,
as Duke Ellington would say "I Love Them Madly."
The Jazzspot Top 50 List:
THE FIRST ELEVEN
- The Louis Armstrong Collection, Vol. 4: Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines
- Legendary Sidney Bechet (with Hines, Jelly Roll Morton, Willie "The Lion Smith", Tommy Ladnier)
- Bessie Smith: The Collection (with Louis Armstrong)
- The Very Best of Fats Waller, with his Rhythm (RCA)
- Bix Beiderbecke: At the Jazz Band Ball (ASV)
- Art Tatum, The Complete Capitol Recordings
- Billie Holiday: Lady Day's 25 Greatest: 1933-1944 (ASV)
- Benny Goodman: Sing, Sing, Sing (Bluebird)
- Swing from Paris - Django Reinhardt/Stephane Grappelli [ASV/Living Era]
- The Best Of The Duke Ellington Centennial Edition - RCA
** While just a snapshot, includes the great soloists and his best vocalist, Ivie Anderson **
- The Best of Early Basie - Decca (We really wanted to list the 3-CD set, because
it's ALL good, but must keep Basie and Ellington to one each)
**Note: A good number of these are imports, yet they are easily available. The Europeans do a fine job of remastering older recordings and
usually put together representative recordings from across labels (which is harder for certain labels to do, I guess). The ASV label happens
to be a favorite because their releases are always listenable, and the selection is usually close to what I'd want to hear from artists in their
prime. The covers are not the greatest, but you can buy a book for great pictures.
©1999 Dave Leonnig
View other Leaning House Record Playlists
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