Artist: Louis Prima

Band leader and lounge kingpin Louis Prima will be best be known for the classic, "Just a Gigolo", immortalised by David Lee Roth for a whole new generation of swingers. But Prima's output went much further: in his day he recorded for Capitol, acted in a film or two, even owned a golf course. Prima's genius is infectious: lounge, swing, and Dixieland all fuse together into medleys that are fun, dance-worthy, and upbeat. Prima's duets with Keely Smith are the obvious highlights here: "That Ol' Black Magic", "Hey Boy! Hey Girl!", and "I've Got You Under My Skin" are essential Prima tracks. Sure, the cheese factor occasionally runs high, but it is a fun trip. --Jason Verlinde
CD review, 2010-07-19
This album is a lot of fun and has great dance/party music. Keep em rocking.

Artist: Nat 'King' Cole

It would be difficult to think of a more perfectly matched pair than this. Shearing and Cole had so much in common--both were brilliant pianists, both had combined good jazz with popular success. They were even born in the same year. Nat Cole's velvet voice sounds even better with the rhythmic spice of Shearing's quintet, plus strings and percussion. The numbers on this 1961 album are all superb examples of classic American song, by such composers as Ellington, Kern and Matt Dennis, and each one is given a fresh and original treatment by arranger Ralph Carmichael. One of the tracks, "Let There Be Love", went on to become a hit single. The overall impression is of emotional warmth beneath a cool and elegant surface. Not surprisingly, Shearing still cherishes this album as one of his favourites in a long career. All that plus three bonus tracks. Unmissable. --Dave Gelly
Nat and George perfect!, 2010-01-04
Wonderful relaxing combination of both artists at their best, I cant stop playing it in the evenings, real unwinding music! Highly recommend!

Artist: Duke Ellington

magnificent masterpieces, 2009-08-05
For many years I have been searching for early and mid-period Ellington recordings that are not distorted by surface noise. These masterpieces from 1926-49 are magnificently clear,with only a little surface noise on the earliest recordings. Almost all of the tunes are masterpieces and I particularly like the orchestration of "Daybreak Express" and the swing of "Cottontail" to name but two. Every jazz fan should have these recordings.

Artist: Count Basie Orchestra

Bristling with excitement and electricity, The Complete Atomic Basie represents the finest accomplishment of Count Basie's "New Testament" big band. His "Old Testament" band of the late 1930s, featuring stars Lester Young, Herschel Evans, Dickie Wells and Buck Clayton, perfected the blues-drenched, straight 4/4 rhythm of Kansas City swing. Building on the blues foundation; this 1950s band features more ambitious compositions and a more dynamic sound and incorporates more modern developments. One constant, however, is the anchoring rhythm guitar of Freddie Green. As always, Basie can dig deeply into robust stride statements or choose each note as if he had to pay for them separately. Neal Hefti, the primary composer and arranger here, marvellously captures the strengths of each individual musician. His arrangements sparkle exuberantly on the up tunes and create vivid and exotic moods on the slower ones; clever and innovative without ever being overblown. Beefy tenor Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, who was only in the band for a relatively short period, offers the most valuable and vital solo contributions, recalling Ben Webster's tenderness at times, squeaking and honking like an R&B ...
A masterclass in Jazz., 2010-02-12
I had this on vinyl and had played it until it was grey despite the fact that it was not my"sort"of jazz.I was more interested in the New Orleans revival stuff.Be that as it may,this CD demonstrates just about everything that is good about Jazz.here you have perfect arrangements that do not impair the inspirational improvisation of the soloists and the whole is driven along by,what must be,the finest rhythm section of any style of jazz anywhere in the world.A sweeping statement?Perhaps, but just listen and you will have to admit that I might be justified in making it.Payne,Jones and Green just POWER along without being noisy or brash whilst the Count ripples on top like the bubbles in a glass of champagne. I will not attempt to "review" the soloists;they are the aces in the pack,each and every one of them. This disc makes me glad that I am old enough to have heard this band live on more than one occaision.If you didn't(or if you did)and don't yet have this CD then buy it,buy it,BUY IT!! and you will have the nearest thing to a live performance. It is a must for anyone's record collection.

Artist: Duke Ellington

Such Sweet Thunder was, like Black, Brown and Beige and the later Far East Suite and other works of the late-1950s and on, a long-form study broken into identifiable miniatures that could stand alone as tunes. But this one was far more unlikely than Ellington and co-composer Billy Strayhorn's other suites, with its focus on characters developed by William Shakespeare. Pieces were scripted for both centuries-old characters and Ellington band members; for example, Paul Gonsalves's tenor sax and Johnny Hodges's alto parry as a musical Romeo and Juliet on "Star-Crossed Lovers". Surely this description of the CD makes it sound stiff, even pretentious, but the music gives the lie to such an assumption. Ellington was a master of sectional polyphony, making sure his band's sections swung individually and then in tandem with the other sections, creating a powerful, sometimes swirling swing. But he had Strayhorn, who was also a master of creating moods and ambient textures. And that's where this session becomes fascinating, in the moments when the group creates something other than rhythmic propulsion, standard harmony or even focused melody. Rounding out t...
Duke does Shakespeare, 2009-11-17
No, if it weren't for the liner notes I would NEVER have guessed that Shakespeare is the inspiration for Ellington's (and Strayhorn's) work here. But, it of small consequence to my listening enjoyment. Mature composer/arranger, Ellington reaches yet another of his peaks ("Blues in Orbit", "Black Brown&Beige", "Uptown", "Jazz Party"...) one can never get tired of.

Aided by the usual pack of great players - Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney, Paul Gonsalves... - the big band gives a richness of emotion, wide array of tones and musical innuendo;
something for every Ellington fan, recommendable to fans of swing and modern jazz alike.
The bonus tracks give additional pleasure.

Artist: Nat 'King' Cole

Nat "King" Cole endured more than his share of scorn and rebuke from all manner of fans and critics. He wasn't jazzy enough to satisfy many, not white enough to please the pop cultural obsession with Anglo- and Euro-American stardom. In answer to all of this, Cole simply proceeded, crooning beautifully even after he'd walked away from the piano and become primarily a vocal sensation. This 1956 collection is famous as Cole's riposte to the critique that he wasn't jazzy. The session brings several Swing Era stars on board: violinist Stuff Smith, trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison, trombonist Juan Tizol, and alto saxophonist Willie Smith. The horns and violin fronted a semistandard jazz setup of guitar, drums, and percussion, along with Cole's own considerable chops on piano. As an improviser, Cole heavily influenced a generation of ivory ticklers, including Oscar Peterson and others, and here he shows himself a stellar pianist. His runs bespeak Cole's utter perfection on the keyboard. This is a crucial document. --Andrew Bartlett
Sheer magic, 2010-09-01
The perfect CD, showcasing the various talents of one of the greats of Show Business. The arrangements and treatments are stunning. This is a great experience; sheer magic.

Artist: The Buddy Rich Big Band

Yet another awesome Buddy Rich album!, 2008-12-24
My first Buddy Rich album was "Mercy, Mercy" and it got me hooked on the fabulous sound of the band. When I brough this album I was just shocked by just how good the band is! I never realised a band could be this good. There is times when the band is blowing your brains out across the back wall then seconds later it's down to nothing more than a whisper. This album has one of the best examples of that in the tune "Willowcrest". It builds up after another fabulous solo section into the biggest swing you've ever heard. It's swingin' like a dolce of salts on speed, then it just drops. Fabulous arranging! Half the style comes from the band itself but the rest comes from the arrangements it picks and Rich has nack of picking the best arrangers! The album starts out with a very powerful arrangement of the Beatle's tune "Norwegian Wood" which is one hell of a concert opener!

To show the versatility of the Rich family, he has his daughter Cathy sing "The Beat Goes On" which is bang on in the groove and makes Cathy sound awesome! It is a very long album (18 tracks - 70 mins) which will keep you entertained. The problem of this is it might get a bit samey for some (not for me mind). With this in mind the best tracks are definitely the first 18! My favourite on this one is "Big Swing Face". It promotes everything I love about the band, smooth but very powerful jazz!

Artist: Nat 'King' Cole

Nat King Cole 20 Golden Greats, 2010-07-19
I have been searching for a Nat King Cole CD, which contained the song "Dance Ballerina Dance", on this CD I found it along with a further excellent Nat King Cole songs, a must for any Nat King Cole fan.

Artist: Nat 'King' Cole

One of the finest singers of his--or any--age, Nat "King" Cole performed the definitive versions of many vocal standards. This collection gathers 22 of the velvety-voiced crooner's most popular favourites: "Let There Be Love", "Mona Lisa", "Unforgettable", "Let's Face The Music And Dance", to name a few. The choice of songs, as well as the superb quality of these recordings, both make The Ultimate Collection one of the better Nat "King" Cole compilations available. --Ted Kord
One of the best ever!!, 2009-05-30
Perfect for an evening in. Light the candles, open the wine and enjoy one of the best performances ever.

Artist: Louis Jordan

fun music, 2010-06-30
what can i say about this guy, his music is fun with a capitol F and makes you want to dance, a legend, if you want to cure depresion dig this cat!!