Best of Complete RCA Victor

PartNumber: 090266345922

Details: Amazon.ca The Best of the Centennial Edition can only offer morsels of the musical feast that is the 24-disc Complete RCA Victor Recordings, but it's nevertheless a fine single-CD snapshot. Spanning 50 years of jazz genius, the 18-song collection begins with Cotton Club-era favourites featuring the growling horns of Bubber Miley and "Tricky Sam" Nanton, moves through the Duke's artistic peak of the early 1940s (featuring tenor Ben Webster and bassist Jimmy Blanton), samples the extended Black, Brown and Beige suite and Sacred Concerts, and culminates with several late-1960s gems from successes such as The Far East Suite and the tribute to departed Billy Strayhorn. In addition, this set features a number of oddities from the Ellington oeuvre--an almost-eight-minute medley from 1932 that was one of the earliest long players as well as an early attempt at stereo (thanks to a double-mic setup), a 1945 date with Tommy Dorsey's orchestra and a 1946 Esquire all-star summit with Louis Armstrong. As a useful and musically superb overview of the master's career, this record stands on its own; however, don't be surprised if it simply whets your appetite for more Ellingtonia. --Marc Greilsamer

UPC: 090266345922

EAN: 0090266345922

Model: 090266345922

Binding: audioCD

Item Condition: UsedVeryGood