A remarkable overview of jazz
Almost 20 years after its release, I finally made the time to sit down and watch Ken Burns' excellent 10-part PBS documentary on the history of jazz and before I had finished it, I had ordered this five-disc soundtrack collection. To attempt to define a musical genre in 98 tracks on five discs is a herculean task but this anthology does it as well as any I have seen. The tracks are roughly in chronological order and thus present the evolution of jazz from its ragtime and dixieland roots to the music of its contemporary practitioners. What is truly amazing about this collection is the extent to which the earliest recordings, which were around 80 years old at the time this compilation would have been mastered, have been cleaned up. Music preserved for decades on scratchy 78s sounds crystal clear.
Whether you're an ardent jazz fan or just immersing yourself in the music for the first time, this is a must-have collection and at the prices for which it is selling on eBay, there's really no reason not to get it. In addition to this five-disc compilation, there is a one-disc 'best of' sampler and numerous discs highlighting the work of individual jazz artists profiled in the mini series.
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