Reviews (4)

A Swinging Holiday Classic
This set contains perhaps Billie's best performance in the entire Quintessential series. The songs are by now all classics in the American jazz and pop catalog. How could you go wrong with Gershwin titles such as "They Can't Take That Away From Me" or "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off"? Billie puts her own individual stamp on these songs by the way she swings to the beat, a rare quality not seen in jazz circles when she recorded these sides. While Billie may go on to have bigger hits in the future, her performance here can rarely be topped. Her timing, sense of swing and delivery are simply remarkable, always in proportion with and against the beat of the band, and yet sounding like one of the band at the same time. And what a band it was with the likes of Lester Young, Teddy Wilson, Buck Clayton and Ben Webster, all icons in jazz history. Listening to this CD and you may be shocked by its spontaneous and jam-session feel. Billie and the band simply fit like a hand in glove. You'll be amazed by the incredible artistry Billie shows at this young stage of her career (only 22), what instinct and feel she had for the words and melody. You will be washed over with pure joy listening to this CD because this is just inspired music making. My only wish to Sony (Columbia) is to start remastering these Quintessential CD's because the time has come for a new generation of jazz lovers to enjoy these performances with better sound quality, which is the only distraction left in the way of these classic tracks. Belissima!!

Harlem Heyday 1937
To say Billie was in her prime in 1937 is putting it mildly. (If you fail to believe listen to Billies "Sugar" and then listen to Ethel Water's protege Lee Wiley. Billie's "Sugar" is ever so sweeter!Even though she had just returned from a diastrous road tour. Billie was happy to be in the only city that counted, New York and it shows in these tracks. Her voice is fresh and has that imitable style that has garnered countless imitators. The road obviosly hadn't hurt holiday either because she is singing some great tunes on this album that would be obscure today had it not been for these cheap "E" juke box ARC dates.( "Underneath a blue jungle moon?" A standard gin mill song of the period you can almost see Billie going from table to table singing.) This is an album for those who have come to know Billie as only "Lady In Satin" put down your vodka buy this album and pitch a ball! This is the music that made west 133rd Street The real Swing Street!

That lazy growl...
I am hooked on this "Columbia" collections of complete works of young Billie Holiday.It seems I am listening this CD's every other day and always find new favourites - as years progressed her voice was better and better,always that same lazy growl that matched perfectly her brilliant musicians (Teddy Wilson,Johny Hodges,Lester young and Buck Clayton to name just a few).On this CD are some beautiful examples of immortal Billie Holiday in her prime,when she was a young woman who enjoyed life:"They Cant Take That Away From Me" is simply one of the best versions ever.The only thing I dont understand is why Michael Brooks in his liner notes writtes that 1937.was her best and happiest year,when she just returned from disastrous tour in the South with Count Basie Band,promising to herself never to sing with big band again and not having enough money for a subway.In my opinion that doesnt sound like the happiest moment of one's life.

Billie at her best
The inspirational performances which appear on the quintessential series of Billie Holiday entered her to the history of jazz singing and jazz. The pre-war recordings are probably the freshest and best of her whole career. Although there are other CDs in this series which contain more songs with her greatest collaborator lester young, you will not find in the other best volumes (probably 3 and 5) better music. This can be a very good place to start if you are not encountered yet with these recordings. If you know these recordings you probably don't need this recommendation. ... Read more

Album Details

The Proper / Retro Label Issued this Fine Retrospective Look at Billie Holiday's Career in 1997. The Two-Disc Release features Many Classics, 40 Tracks in All, Including: 'Georgia on My Mind', 'These N' that N' Those', 'Hello My Darling', 'Lover Man' & Many More. ... Read more

Album Description

Import exclusive compilation featuring Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Anita O'Day, Peggy Lee, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Nina Simone, & other 'Ladies of Jazz'. 35 tracks. Three standard jewel cases housed together in a slipcase. Goldies. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A voice that is aging, but still so warm and comfortable
This is for Etta James' real fans, the ones who have listened to her through her career and still want to hear more from her, even realizing that she is past her prime. Her voice still has that warm quality and she still has the style that gives one the feeling that she is singing particularly for the individual listener.

Of course, this is of the jazz genre. But Etta is so respectful of both the secular and the serious Christmas music. Her opening number, "Christmas Wonderland", is very inviting, and features great work from bass, piano, guitar, and trumpet. This is one of Etta's charms, the way she gives plenty of space to the jazz musicians working with her.

"Merry Christmas, Baby" is given a properly bluesy interpretation and besides her wonderful interpretation of the song, features solos from Red Halloway on Tenor Saxophone and Cedar Walton on piano.

She gives lots of spirit to "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", helped again by Cedar Walton's piano and also George Bohanon's trombone. This is followed with a transition...possibly the two greatest sentimental secular Christmas songs, before she goes into the more serious "The Little Drummer Boy", and then the traditional carols.

Her "Silent Night" is indeed very moving and while there's a little improvisation in her performance and performances by Sametto James on Electric Bass and Red Halloway on Tenor Saxophone, there is respectful reverence here.

The greatest surprise to me, and the song that I needed to listen to several times in order to appreciate the unusual presentation, was her slow paced rendition of "Joy To The World". I like to think that she was expressing an idea to us, that the type of joy experienced during these holidays need not be the wild, loud, hilarious kind, but rather a very deep inner joy which expresses itself in a soulful way. Again, great accompaniment maintaining the quiet yet joyful mood from Cedar Walton's Piano and Red Holloway's tenor sax.

And then the effective closing cut is "O Holy Night". If you have any appreciation for jazz, I believe you will experience , while listening to this CD, how jazz can be used when in the hands of sincere artists to create a loving Christmas atmosphere.

Tradition with a tough and sassy edge.
Most of the songs on this album are the same old Christmas carols youÕve heard a million times, but I promise you have never heard them sound quite like this. Etta James has always been a tough, earthy belter with as much soul as Aretha Franklin or Otis Redding. And a brave singer too, willing to let her voice range off into all kinds of moans and groans and astonishing scatting. But as sheÕs gotten older (sheÕs in her sixties now Ñ although youÕd never guess it from the strength of her voice), sheÕs developed a depth and subtlety, a jazz singerÕs phrasing, that makes her unbeatable. Cross Billie Holiday with Janis Joplin and you end up somewhere in the neighborhood of the mature Etta James.

She brings all those gifts to this Christmas album. She sings every song as if it is coming from the depths of her soul. Her Silent Night brings tears to my eyes. Jingle Bells is one of the happiest and most playful versions IÕve ever heard. And she sings Santa Claus Is Coming To Town in such a sly, sexy way, youÕll never be able to hear the song the same way again ( What DID Santa Claus bring you, girl?).

And as if Etta James at her best were not enough, she brings along a perfect band, including Cedar Walton, who also accompanied her on Mystery Lady, her Billie Holiday tribute album. Christmas music doesnÕt get much better than this

Something Different for Christmas
This album is wonderful for those of you who are sick of Mannheim Steamroller, Bing Crosby, and the like. Etta James' unique voice makes this a CD for those who want something different to listen to during the holidays. This album is great to listen to because it has some wonderful, tight, playing by some seasoned jazz musicians, along with fresh arrangements of Christmas standards. The CD has been done quite tastefully, yet still has a nice edge to it.

A Christmas Treat
Etta James has taken 12 Christmas standards and performed them with a comfortable blend of jazz and soul. Unlike some other Christmas cd's that sound like the performer is just going through the motions, Etta genuinely sounds like she is enjoying herself while she sings these songs.

The arrangements range from small jazz trios to full horn sections. Each is appropriate, and well done.

Disappointing
I had read decent reviews of Etta James' new Christmas cd, 12 Songs Of Christmas and figured I'd buy it. My mistake was not hearing any of it beforehand, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered. Unlike in her 60's heyday, Ms. James can't hit the notes anymore; she sounds like she is really struggling along while her excellent backup musicians play beautifully. Sorry, I realize Etta James is one of the queens of jazz/r&b(I do have several of her records)but this album is a waste of your money. Get her recordings of when she was in her prime,though, and you are in for a treat. ... Read more

Album Description

Subtitled - The Ultimate Rude Blues Collection. 49 original blues classics of a risque nature, this double CDcollection isn't so much X-rated as exhilarating, offeringrib tickling rump shakers - each with their ownnudge-nudge, wink-wink meaning. Featured artists includeCharlie Pickett, Bull Moose Jackson, The Honeydripper,Mississippi Sheiks, Big Bill Broozy, Lonnie Johnson, DirtyRed, Bo Carter and many, many more. Great Voices Of TheCentury. 2003. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Timeless and priceless
"Columbia" collected works of Billie Holiday is something Im the most proud of in my CD collection - in fact,everything else could go as far as Im concerned,but this is timeless and priceless music that Im always returning to.This first 3 volumes follows Bille's growth into unique jazz artist and althought there is lot of poor quality of songs thrown upon her by the music publishers at the time of her beginning,mostly the result were faboulous.This CD's also shows that it was collaboration between her and the best musicians of the day (Benny Goodman,Teddy Wilson,Buck Clayton,Gene Krupa and others) that made this songs work: the collective spirit turns some of silly songs into gold ("What A Little Moonlight Can Do").Its not only Billie,but the whole art of collaboration between singer and musicians that its brilliant here! Joy and spontaneity in these first,early work of a woman remebered for her later sad work is - for me - the most beautiful music I've ever heard. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

i loooove billie holiday!
i had a three cd set of billie, and i lost the first disc, which included some of my favorite songs by her. so, i went looking for one with the songs i was missing (mostly All of Me, and What a Little Moonlight Can Do),and this is the one i found. It was definitely a good choice! I know there a few versions of her doing All of Me (which is my absolute favorite song by her), and this has the best one. Also, her redition of They Can't Take That Away From Me is great, but then so are all of the rest of the songs. This is one of the cheaper cd's of hers, but I believe it is one of the best, without getting more than one disc. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Another Excellent Sony Retrospective
I heartily recommend this two disk set to enthusiasts and neophytes, alike. For some reason, the Amzn. site is showing only a partial list of the tracks. That's a shame, as it leaves out many of the real gems on the collection. Peruse the entire list below and you'll see what I mean:

CD1
1. Ezekiel Saw De Wheel - Fisk Jubilee Singers
2. Crazy Blues - Mamie Smith & Her Jazz Hounds
3. Careless Love Blues - Bessie Smith
4. Frankie - Mississippi John Hurt
5. Lord I Can't Just Keep From Crying - Blind
Willie Johnson
6. What Are They Doing In Heaven Today -
Washington Phillips
7. Sitting On Top Of The World - The Missi-
ssippi Sheiks
8. Blues Before Sunrise - Leroy Carr & Scrap-
per Blackwell
9. If You See My Saviour - Thomas A. Dorsey
10. Broke Down Engine - Blind Willie McTell
11. Mister Tom Hughe's Town - Leadbelly
12. Cross Road Blues - Robert Johnson
13. Key To The Highway - Big Bill Broonzy
14. Nine Foot Shovel - Joshua White
15. Cowboy's Lament - Burl Ives
16. Me And My Chauffeur Blues - Memphis Minnie
17. Swing Down Chariot - The Golden Gate
Quartet
18. Dere's A Man Goin' Round / I Know De Lord -
Paul Robeson
19. Baby Please Don't Go - Big Joe Williams
20. Hard Day Blues - Muddy Waters
21. I'll Never Forget - Ira Tucker & The Dixie
Hummingbirds
22. I'll Fly Away - The Trumpeteers
23. I Will Move On Up A Little Higher - Mahalia
Jackson
24. Greenfields - The Brotehrs Four

CD2
1. Blowin' In The Wind - Bob Dylan
2. The Patriot Game - The Clancy Brothers &
Tommy Makem
3. Green, Green - The New Christy Minstrels
feat. Barry McGuire
4. We Shall Overcome - Pete Seeger
5. The Sound Of Silence - Simon & Garfunkel
6. Death Letter - Son House
7. Little Boxes - Malvina Reynolds
8. Will The Circle Be Unbroken - The Staple
Singers
9. Suzanne - Leonard Cohen
10. Going Up To The Country, Paint My Mailbox
Blue - Taj Mahal
11. These Days - Tom Rush
12. Mean Mistreater - Johnny Winter
13. I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man - Willie Dixon
14. Blue River - Eric Andersen
15. Longer - Dan Fogelberg
16. Romeo's Tune - Steve Forget
17. Pride And Joy - Stevie Ray Vaughan And
Double Trouble
18. Steady On - Shawn Colvin
19. Galileo - Indigo Girls
20. Stand Still - Shirley Ceasar feat. John P.
Kee
21. Every Morning - Keb'Mo'

BEK

An absolute must for any true fan of American Blues and Folk
This album is so good it's unbelievable; It's such a great listening experience. I especially love the rendition of
"Will The Circle Be Unbroken" by The Staple Singers it carries so well and the emotions come through.

There are so many great songs on this album for true fans of classic blues and folk that I would almost venture
that it has no equal. The 60-page booklet is a nice added bonus, plenty of insight into the artists and songs.

If you have never really listened to bluesy folk music, give this disc a try. I definitely recommend adding this album
to any collection of American folk and blues recordings.

Another great entry in the series!
The entire series put out by Sony, "Soundtrack for a Century" is a wonderful enterprise, especially if you love historical curiosities as well as great hits. From the rare to the very popular, each volume brings a wealth of great music.

This particular volume is a curious mix from turn of the century gospel and blues to the folk music of The Clancy Brothers and the New Christy Minstrels. If you are a fan of the Clancy Brothers, nopte that there is an error in the liner notes. The notes say it is Tommy Makem singin "The Patriot Game" while in fact it is Liam Clancy.

While it is hardly a "soundtrack for the century" since it only contains artists who recorded for labels in the Columbia family, this volume and all volumes is a very valuable addition to a complete music library. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Smokin' Starr!
This is the only live recording of late-era Kay Starr, and though she seems to be singing on one, worn-out vocal chord, this girl still could sing her behind off. There's a sublime, torchy medley of "For The Good Times" and "Help Me Make It Through The Night", that is so emotion-drenched that if your spine doesn't tingle, you'd better get to the doctor, 'cause you must be dead. When she hollers out "...make believe you love me ... ONE MORE TIME! ", she doesn't have to ask, because there is no way you can't love this woman! And she even rocks out with a swinging "Big Bad Leroy Brown" that no other singer would dare to pull off. Kay deserves her place right next to Dinah Washington AND Edith Piaf, and this recording proves it in spades!

Just Like being in the Audience,With a Very Alive Starr!
I have listened to the CD,literally dozens of times.Having seen kay in person,it brought back all the magic that I remember. Though past her heyday in pop music.Kay's talents with lyrics and emotion are just fabulous.This CD shows her prowess at performing and keeping an audience in the palm of her hand.This 1986 recording is full of jazzy,pop,and bluesy ballads that an older raspier yet richer voiced Kay Starr belts out! The samples dont do justice to whats on the full album! Thanks kay ! ... Read more

Amazon.com

In 1961 jazz-backed blues seemed slack, almost nonexistent. Bebop, hard bop, tenor sax & organ combos, and the avant-garde were more relevant in the jazz world. And blues was veering toward an electrified, altogether different realm. So when Chris Albertson brought Alberta Hunter, Victoria Spivey, and Lucille Hegamin to the acclaimed Rudy Van Gelder's studio to capture songs from the era when jazz and blues melded together, the result could've easily sounded thinly nostalgic. But with a backing band that included pianist Willie "the Lion" Smith (on Hegamin's four tunes) and trombonist J.C. Higginbotham and clarinetist Buster Bailey (on the four tracks from both Hunter and Spivey), this session came out topnotch. It's redolent of an earlier era (specifically the early 1920s, when the three singers got their starts), but each of the tracks is potent with a deep, slow swing accentuating the peerless vocals. Spivey's grainy voice is impassioned and powerful, in the same way that Hunter's is unmistakable in its slight waver, carrying her sometimes near-spoken lines to the stars (especially as she delivers jewels like this: "I don't like those hepster lovers / They've got larceny in their eyes / They got a handful of gimme / And a mouthful of much obliged"). The acoustics are as sharp as any of Van Gelder's sessions, and the music is majestic. --Andrew Bartlett ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Wonderful
Every time I listen this album,I feel like a proud father who have to choose which one is his favourite daughter.As the big fan of 1920's classic female blues,I find this album simply irressistible.Since the biggest and the most talented names (Ma Rainey,Bessie Smith)were dead until 1940's,Chris Albertson (author of Bessie Smith biography) saved music of survived contemporaries Victoria Spivey,Alberta Hunter and Lucille Hegamin for new generations of music lovers.All three of them,in my opinion,sound better and more enthusiastic then in their younger days,althought true to be told,only Spivey would fitt in the blues category,while Hegamin and Albert represent old-time vaudeville tradition.Wonder why Sippie Wallace and Ida Cox (still recording at the time of this album) were not invited... While Spivey and specially Hunter recorded long afterwards,this was the last time we heard from wonderful,clear-voiced Hegamin who was obviously enjoying herself on these recordings.She sounded like enthusiastic school girl trapped in a body of older woman!My only regret is that,althought this album was recorded in one day,the chance to hear these three voices singing together was missed,we only hear each of them separatedly.

On my top ten list...
Alberta Hunter, Victoria Spiver, and Lucille Hegiman all blues veterens from the 20's sound wondeful, torchy and playful accomanied by top jazz players. Excellent LP. Recommended especailly to jazz vocal fans.

authentic AH
Liked it better on vinyl, but I'll buy it on CD to play in my car ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Giant Of A Woman In A Man's World
Lizzie Douglas was born in Algiers, Louisiana on June 3, 1897 and at the age of 7 moved from a rural farm to Walls in the northern portion of Mississippi. On her 8th birthday she was given her first guitar by her father and took to the instrument almost immediately, soon playing at local functions as "Kid" Douglas.

At a very young age she ran away from home, playing for change at what is now W.C. Handy Park on Beale Street in Memphis [then Church's Park], and sometime in the late 1910's or early 1920s she latched onto the stage name Memphis Minnie while playing tent shows with the Ringling Brothers Circus.

Late in the 1920s jug bands began springing up all over Memphis, and it was with various such groups that she began expanding on her guitar style. At this time she also entered a common-law, as well as a musical, relationship with a musician named Kansas Joe McCoy, and together they recorded Bumble Bee. Unfortunately not included in this set, the hit would later be covered by Muddy Waters as Honey Bee.

What stands out immediately in this 1997 compilation from Columbia Legacy's Mojo Workin' Series, is the raw, growling power of her voice along with her intense guitar picking which put her in the same class as any of her male contemporaries.

The volume contains virtually no liner notes, but on the reverse is this paragraph which is worth repeating: "Beauty and badness ... one of the greatest of all blues guitarists [man, woman or child], Memphis Minnie also sang the blues with a style all her own. In addition to her vast talent, Minnie was strikingly good looking, flamboyant and determined to succeed in a time when women were expected to accept a secondary roll in society. In the face of unthinkable odds, Minnie earned the recognition of her mostly-male peers and became a bona-fide star in her day. Her original version of When The Levee Breaks [with Kansas Joe] would become standard of the rock vernacular when covered by Led Zeppelin at the apex of that supergroup's career."

Unfortunately, the sound quality of the tracks vary greatly, with some sounding like thay were transferred direct from 78rpm to CD with no attempt to reduce the hiss and pop, while others offer a progressively cleaner sound [the best of which are the previously unreleased tracks 7, 17, and 18]. Two tracks [3 and 4] honour the Brown Bomber himself, Joe Louis.

Minnie, as with her idol Ma Rainey, liked to demonstrate he new-found wealth by traveling from show to show in expensive automobiles and by wearing flashy, heavy bracelets made from silver dollars.

Operating out of Chicago in the Dirty Thirties, Minnie added a bass and drums to her sound, and it was in this period that she left McCoy to marry another musician named Ernest Lawlars, known more familiarly as Little Son Joe.

They continued to cut records right into the 1950s before increasingly poor health forced her to return to Memphis in 1958 and give up the music business. Almost completely infirm from that point on, she died on August 6, 1973, in Memphis at age 76.

Hopefully, more and more of her material will be properly cleaned up and made available on CD in the not-too-distant future. She was a real gem and well worth a listen, even in these crackling tracks.

Memphis Minnie Rocks!
"Queen of the blues?," you may ask. After you check out this CD, you'll understand why. There were many outstanding female blues vocalists of the first half of the 20th Century, but Minnie not only sang, she was also an accomplished guitarist and wrote many of her songs.

This is evidenced by "When the Levee Breaks," which starts off this eighteen track set. Minnie co-wrote and plays guitar on the song, but the lead vocals are by her husband, co-writer "Kansas" Joe McCoy. It's the same song that was later recorded by Led Zeppelin on their fourth album (the same one that included "Stairway to Heaven"). It also seems to be Kansas Joe singing on "Joliet Bound," which immediately follows the first track.

Vocally, it's pretty much Minnie throughout the rest of the CD, although sometimes it's hard to tell because of her husky singing voice. This is an area where the liner notes could really have been helpful, but this is mere nit-picking.

In addition to those songs mentioned, other stand out cuts are "New Orleans Stop Time," "Call the Fire Wagon," and the unabashedly sexual, "I'd Rather See Him Dead." Also of note are "He's in the Ring" and "Joe Louis Strut," which are both tributes to the former heavyweight champion.

Memphis Minnie is the real thing. She's raw, bold and can play some mean guitar. Her playing ranges from "gut bucket" (a la Robert Johnson) to a more "rocking" style, later popularized by the likes of Chuck Berry (who is rumored to have recorded a jam session with her). Simply put, this CD should be a part of any comphrensive blues collection. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Blues Classic!
I first heard this album 25 years ago, thanks to some very good friends. It was a favorite back then, one of those albums you played constantly, always finding something time and again that made it special. It's one of those rare CD's that simply does not have a bad cut on it. You'll find that you not only want a hot dog for your roll, but you'll also want this CD for your Blues/Swing/Jazz collection! ... Read more