CD1
1. Original Rags - Scott Joplin
2. St. Louis Rag - Tomes Turpin
3. The Cascades - Scott Joplin
4. Frog Legs Rag - James Scott
5. A Real Slow Drag - Scott Joplin
6. American Beauty Rag - Joseph Lamb
7. Desecration Rag - Felix Arndt
8. Magnetic Rag - Scott Joplin
9. Maple Leaf Rag - Scott Joplin
10. Charleston Rag - Eubie Blake
11. Bloie Bloie - Edythe Baker
12. Cryin’ Blues - Mandy Randolph
13. Home Again Blues - Eubie Blake
14. Arkansas Blues - Eubie Blake
15. Sound of Africa - Eubie Blake
16. Harlem Strut - James P. Johnson
17. Arkansas Blues - James P. Johnson
18. Carolina Shout - James P. Johnson
19. Kitten On The Keys - Frank Banta - Jack Austin
20. Muscle Shoals Blues - Fats Waller
21. Hard Luck Blues - Everett Robbins
22. Chime Blues - Fletcher Henderson
23. Sugar Blues - Clarence Williams
24. Snake Hips - Fats Waller
25. Jazzin’ Babies Blues - Richard M. Jones
26. New Orleans Joys - Jelly Roll Morton
CD2
1. The Pearls - Jelly Roll Morton
2. Gulf Coast Blues - Clarence Johnson
3. Mama’s Got The Blues - Fats Waller
4. Todlin’ - James P. Johnson
5. The Fives - Hersal Thomas
6. Chicago Stomp - Jimmy Blythe
7. Perfect Rag - Jelly Roll Morton
8. My Own Blues - Clarence Williams
9. I Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight - Frank Banta
10. Fifth Street Blues - Cow Cow Davenport .
11. Squeeze Me - Fats Waller
12. Bo Weavil Blues - Eubie Blake
13. Hock Shop Blues - Cliff Jackson
14. Dead Man Blues - Jelly Roll Morton
15. Changes - Vee Lawnhurst
16. All That I Had Is Gone - James P. Johnson
17. Snowy Morning Blues - James P. Johnson
18. Cow Cow Blues - Cow Cow Davenport
19. Mr. Jelly Lord - Jelly Roll Morton
20. Davis Street Blues - Sugar Underwood
21. Dew-Drop Alley - Sugar Underwood
22. In A Mist - Bix Beiderbecke
23. Down Out Blues - Lemuel Fowler
24. Gin Mill Blues - Lemuel Fowler
CD3
1. Black Beauty - Duke Ellington
2. Swampy River - Duke Ellington
3. Weather Bird - Earl Hines - Louis Armstrong
4. Blues In Thirds (Caution Blues) - Earl Hines
5. Chimes In Blues - Earl Hines
6. A Monday Date - Earl Hines
7. Pinetop’s Boogie Woogie - Pinetop Smith
8. Riffs - James P. Johnson
9. Too Low - Clarence Williams
10. Glad Rag Doll - Earl Hines
11. Handful of Keys - Fats Waller
12. Numb Fumblin’ - Fats Waller
13. Lover Come Back To Me - Arthur Schutt
14. Chime Blues - Cow Cow Davenport
15. Detroit Rocks - Arthur Montana Taylor
16. Barrel House Woman - Will Ezell
17. Freakish - Jelly Roll Morton
18. Beau Koo Jack - Earl Hines
19. Smashing Thirds - Fats Waller
20. Dearborn Street Breakdown - Charles Avery
21. Thirty-One Blues - Bob Call
22. You’ve Got To Be Modernistic - James P. Johnson
23. I’ve Found A New Baby - James P. Johnson - Clarence Williams
24. Number 29 - Wesley Wallace
25. Night Life - Mary Lou Williams
CD4
1. Memories of You - Garland Wilson
2. Lots O’ Fingers - Duke Ellington
3. Pratt City Blues - Jabo Williams
4. Tiger Rag - Art Tatum
5. Gin Mill Blues - Joe Sullivan
6. Little Rock Getaway - Joe Sullivan
7. Rosetta - Teddy Wilson
8. Somebody Loves Me - Teddy Wilson
9. St. Louis Blues - Herman Chittison
10. Moonglow - Art Tatum
11. Alligator Crawl - Fats Waller
12. Viper’s Drag - Fats Waller
13. Clothesline Ballet - Fats Waller
14. Texas Stomp - Dorothy Rice
15. Liza - Teddy Wilson
16. Barrelhouse - Jess Stacy
17. In The Dark / Flashes - Jess Stacy
18. Cheek To Cheek - Joe Turner
19. Mr. Freddie Blues - Meade Lux Lewis
20. Over Hand - Mary Lou Williams
21. Farish Street Jive - Little Brother Montgomery
22. Honky Tonk Train Blues - Meade Lux Lewis
23. Chinatown - Lionel Hampton
24. Swing Session - Duke Ellington
25. Stardust - Fats Waller
26. Keepin’ Out of Mischief Now - Fats Waller
CD5
1. Ain’t Misbehavin’ - Teddy Weatherford
2. Piano Stomp (Shine) - Lionel Hampton
3. Where or When - Teddy Wilson
4. Don’t Blame Me - Teddy Wilson
5. Gone With the Wind - Art Tatum
6. Morning Air - Willie “The Lion” Smith
7. Ramblin’ - Jess Stacy
8. My Own Blues - Herman Chittison
9. Don’t Blame Me - Nat King Cole
10. With Plenty of Money and You - Nat King Cole
11. Boogie Woogie - Count Basie
12. The Dirty Dozens - Count Basie
13. The Lion and the Lamb - Willie “The Lion” Smith - Joe Bushkin
14. St. Louis Stomp - Rufus “Speckled Red” Perryman
15. Boogie Woogie Prayer - Meade Lux Lewis - Albert Ammons - Pete
Johnson
16. Roll ‘Em Pete - Pete Johnson
17. I Ain’t Got Nobody - Count Basie
18. Blue Boogie - Cripple Clarence Lton
19. Boogie Woogie Stomp - Albert Ammons
20. Suitcase Blues - Albert Ammons
21. Passionette - Willie “The Lion” Smith
22. Echoes of Spring - Willie “The Lion” Smith
23. Candlelights - Jess Stacy
24. Dupree Blues - Count Basie
25. Oh! Red - Count Basie
CD6
1. Red Wagon - Count Basie
2. Blue Lou - Nat King Cole
3. Far Ago Blues - Mead Lux Lewis
4. Informal Blues - Duke Ellington
5. Two Against One - Nat King Cole
6. Wizzin’ The Wizz - Lionel Hampton
7. Tea For Two - Art Tatum
8. Lone Star Blues - Pete Johnson
9. The Fives - Jimmy Yancey
10. Between Sets - Billy Kyle
11.. Rib Town Shuffle - Nat King Cole
12. Blueberry Rhyme - James P. Johnson
13. Over the Rainbow - Art Tatum
14. South Side Shuffle - Art Hodes
15. Margie - Mary Lou Williams
16. Rosetta - Earl Hines
17. State Street Special - Jimmy Yancey
18. The Crave - Jelly Roll Morton
19. Organ Grinder Blues - Art Hodes
20. Humoresque - Art Tatum
21. Child of a Disordered Brain - Earl Hines
22. Central Avenue Breakdown - Lionel Hampton – Nat King Cole
23. I Can’t Get Started With You - Joe Bushkin
24. Blue Because of You - Nat King Cole
25. Begin the Beguine - Art Tatum
26. St. Louis Blues - Art Tatum
CD7
1. Rosetta - Art Tatum
2. Yancey’s Bugle Call - Jimmy Yancey
3. Times Square Blues - Clarence Profit
4. Rocco’s Boogie Woogie - Maurice Rocco
5. Mr. JB Blues - Duke Ellington
6. Pitter Panther Patter - Duke Ellington
7. This Side Up - Nat King Cole
8. Anitra’s Dance - Donald Lambert
9. Fudge Wudge - Nat King Cole
10. Windy City Boogie - Nat King Cole
11. Early Morning Blues - Nat King Cole
12. Andy’s Blues - Joe Sullivan
13. My Melancholy Baby - Earl Hines
14. On the Sunny Side of the Street - Earl Hines
15. Rosetta - Teddy Wilson
16. Body and Soul - Earl Hines
17. China Boy - Teddy Wilson
18. Hold ‘Em Hootie - Jay McShann
19. Vine Street Boogie - Jay McShann
20. Basement Boogie - Pete Johnson
21. Death Ray Boogie - Pete Johnson
22. Georgia on my Mind - Fats Waller
23. Honeysuckle Rose - Fats Waller
24. Solitude - Duke Ellington
25. Sixth Avenue Express - Pete Johnson - Albert Ammons
26. Foot Pedal Boogie - Pete Johnson - Albert Ammons
CD8
1. The Man I Love - Herman Chittison
2. Way Back Blues - Count Basie
3. When a Woman Loves a Man - Mel Powell
4. I Got Rhythm - Art Tatum
5. Prelude in C Sharp Minor - Nat King Cole
6. The Man I Love - Nat King Cole
7. Zonky - Nat Jaffe
8. Dark Eyes - Art Tatum
9. Lulu’s Mood - Freddie Washington
10. Cecil Boogie - Cecil Gant
11. Carolina Shout - James P. Johnson
12. Gliss Me Again - Johnny Guarnieri
13. Erroll’s Bounce - Erroll Garner
14. Boogie Woogie Boogie - Erroll Garner
15. Mad Monk - Billy Taylor
16. Lover - Art Tatum
17. For “Miss Black” - Mel Powell
18. Hommage à Fats Waller - Mel Powell
19. Frankie and Johnny - Duke Ellington
20. Dancers in Love - Duke Ellington
21. Boogin’ with Big Sid - Sammy Price
22. This Way Out - Nat King Cole
23. I Found My Baby - Lennie Tristano
24. Buddy Bolden’s Blues - Don Ewell
25. Drawing Room Blues - Duke Ellington - Billy Strayhorn
26. Tonk - Duke Ellington - Billy Strayhorn
CD9
1. Mellow Mood - Dodo Marmarosa
2. Cheek To Cheek - Teddy Wilson
3. All of Me - Teddy Wilson
4. Railroad Blues - Luckey Roberts
5. What Is This Thing Called Love? - Lennie Tristano
6. Memories of You - Erroll Garner
7. Sweet Lorraine - Kenny Kersey
8. Parlor Social - Don Ewell
9. All God’s Chillun’ Got Rhythm - Mary Lou Williams
10. Hesitation Boogie - Mary Lou Williams
11. A Night In Tunisia - Lennie Tristano
12. Out On A Limb - Lennie Tristano
13. Untitled Blues - Lennie Tristano
14. There Was Nobody Looking - Duke Ellington
15. Exactly Like You - Johnny Guarnieri
16. I Should Care - Bud Powell
17. Off Minor - Bud Powell
18. Out of Nowhere - Art Tatum
19. Have You Met Miss Jones? - George Shearing
20. Trio - Erroll Garner
21. Crazy Rhythm - Nat King Cole
22. Erroll’s Bounce - Erroll Garner
23. Shine On, Harvest Moon - Count Basie
24. Blue Boy - Lennie Tristano
25. Coolin’ With Ulanov - Lennie Tristano
26. Loose Nut - Erroll Garner
27. Play Piano Play - Erroll Garner
CD10
1. Blues in my Shower - Nat King Cole
2. Rhythm Itch - Sir Charles Thompson
3. April In Paris - Thelonious Monk
4. Off Minor - Thelonious Monk
5. Ruby My Dear - Thelonious Monk
6. Well You Needn’t - Thelonious Monk
7. Mood Indigo - Duke Ellington
8. Bopmatism - Dodo Marmarosa
9. Cosmo Street - Dodo Marmarosa
10. Oscar’s Boogie - Oscar Peterson
11. Bop’s Your Uncle - George Shearing
12. Over the Rainbow - Art Tatum
13. Cherchez La Femme - Erroll Garner
14. Bopelbaby - Al Haig
15. Haig’n Haig - Al Haig
16. Judy - Lennie Tristano
17. Celia - Bud Powell
18. Cherokee - Bud Powell
19. All God’s Chillun’ Got Rhythm - Bud Powell
20. Strictly Confidential - Bud Powell
21. Bop Look And Listen - George Shearing
22. September In The Rain - George Shearing
23. Sweet Georgia Brown - Oscar Peterson
24. Fairyland - George Wallington
25. Moonglow - Erroll Garner
26. Aunt Hagar’s Blues - Art Tatum
CD11
1. Dardanella - Art Tatum
2. Somebody Loves Me - Art Tatum
3. Sweet Lorraine - Art Tatum
4. Conception - George Shearing
5. Ornithology - Bud Powell
6. You Go To My Head - Bud Powell
7. Indiana - Dave Brubeck
8. I Let A Song Go Out of My Heart - Erroll Garner
9. Blue Skies - Art Tatum
10. Dancing In The Dark - Art Tatum
11. Relaxin’ - Willie “The Lion” Smith
12. April In Paris - Bud Powell
13. Opus Caprice - Al Haig
14. Stars Fell On Alabama - Al Haig
15. Oscar’s Blues - Oscar Peterson
16. Candlelights - Ralph Sutton
17. Sweet Lorraine - Ralph Sutton
18. Robbin’s Nest - Oscar Peterson
19. Tea For Two - Bud Powell
20. Diane - Earl Hines
21. Rosetta - Earl Hines
22. Carnegie Blues - Oscar Peterson
23. Cotton Tail - Billy Strayhorn - Duke Ellington
CD12
1. C Jam Blues - Billy Strayhorn - Duke Ellington
2. Penthouse Serenade - Erroll Garner
3. Dusk In Sandi - Bud Powell
4. Oblivion - Bud Powell
5. Just One of Those Things - Bud Powell
6. Body and Soul - Spaulding Givens
7. Blue Moon - Henri Renaud
8. A Night In Tunisia - Bud Powell
9. It Could Happen To You - Bud Powell
10. Un Poco Loco - Bud Powell
11. Ask Me Now - Thelonious Monk
12. There Will Never Be Another You - Wynton Kelly
13. D and E - John Lewis
14. Bluesology - John Lewis
15. Another Hair-Do - Hampton Hawes
16. The Surrey with the Fringe on Top - Ahmad Jamal
17. At A Perfume Counter - Dave Brubeck
18. I Didn’t Know What Time It Was - George Wallington
19. You Go to my Head - Oscar Peterson
20. Tea For Two - Oscar Peterson
21. Dancing In The Dark - Erroll Garner
CD13
1. Nichols And Dimes - Herbie Nichols
2. ‘Swonderful - Herbie Nichols
3. Who’s Blues - Herbie Nichols
4. Caravan - Bernard Peiffer
5. Jalousie - Bernard Peiffer
6. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise - John Lewis
7. Don’t Blame Me - Bernard Peiffer
8. Ahmad’s Blues - Ahmad Jamal
9. Aki And Ukthay - Ahmad Jamal
10. Bees Knees - Ralph Sutton
11. Lullaby of Birdland - George Shearing
12. Somebody Loves Me - Nat King Cole
13. Taking A Chance On Love - Al Haig
14. Jumpin’ Jacque - Hampton Hawes
15. Tenderly - Oscar Peterson
16. Horace-Scope - Horace Silver
17. Safari - Horace Silver
18. Little Rootie Tootie - Thelonious Monk
19. Monk’s Dream - Thelonious Monk
20. Sweet And Lovely - Thelonious Monk
21. Ecaroh - Horace Silver
22. Prelude To A Kiss - Horace Silver
23. Quicksilver - Horace Silver
24. It Ain’t Necessarily So - Oscar Peterson
CD14
1. Bemsha Swing - Thelonious Monk
2. These Foolish Things - Thelonious Monk
3. Trinkle Tinkle - Thelonious Monk
4. Would You Like To Take A Walk - Art Tatum
5. Just One of Those Things - Art Tatum
6. All The Things You Are - John Lewis
7. Rose of The Rio Grande - John Lewis
8. Bluebird - Hampton Hawes
9. Jazz et Jazz - Bernard Peiffer
10. Avalon - Erroll Garner
11. Caravan - Erroll Garner
12. Stardust - Dave Brubeck
13. Liza - Bernard Peiffer
14. Tiny's Blues - Bud Powell
15. Janet - Duke Ellington
16. All Too Soon - Duke Ellington
17. Day Dream - Spaulding Givens
18. The Man I Love - Oscar Peterson
19. Seven Come Eleven - Oscar Peterson
20. Nice Work If You Can Get It - André Previn
CD15
1. You Go To My Head - Raymond Fol
2. Delaunay’s Dilemna - John Lewis
3. Jeepers Creepers - Dave Brubeck
4. Burt Covers Bud - Bud Powell
5. You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To - Bud Powell
6. The Nearness of You - Oscar Peterson
7. Odd Number - Hank Jones
8. Love For Sale - Oscar Peterson
9. Minority - Hank Jones
10. Alone Together - Oscar Peterson
11. The Pink Elephant - Reinhold Svensson
12. How About You - Horace Silver
13. I Remember You - Horace Silver
14. Opus De Funk - Horace Silver
15. Opus One - Paul Bley
16. Kinda Dukish - Duke Ellington
17. The Eye Opener - Russ Freeman
18. Night Time - Duke Ellington
19. Too Marvellous For Words - Art Tatum
CD16
1. Tea For Two - Art Tatum
2. East Ontario - Junior Mance
3. Hot Springs - Junior Mance
4. Autumn In New York - Al Haig
5. Mighty Lak A Rose - Al Haig
6. Just One of Those Things - Walter Bishop Jr.
7. Crazy Rhythm - Art Tatum
8. Angel Eyes - Oscar Peterson
9. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - Thelonious Monk
10. Buttercup - Bud Powell
11. Evidence - Thelonious Monk
12. We See - Thelonious Monk
13. It Never Entered My Mind - Bud Powell
14. A Foggy Day - Bud Powell
15. Without Reservation - George Wallington
16. Blues In C - Art Tatum
17. 7-11 Jump - Erroll
18. Misty - Erroll Garner
19. Makin’ Whoopee - Mel Powell
20. Quin And Sonic - Mel Powell
CD17
1. Blue Monk - Thelonious Monk
2. When I’m Without You - Lou Levy
3. Lullaby of Birdland - Barbara Carroll
4. Albuquerque Social Swim - Dick Twardzik
5. Easy To Love - Jimmy Jones
6. Midi 1/4 - Martial Solal
7. Love For Sale - Walter Bishop Jr.
8. All The Things You Are - Jimmy Rowles
9. Cheek To Cheek - Bernard Peiffer
10. Just You Just Me - Bernard Peiffer
11. Deep Night - Bud Powell
12. Round About Midnight - Bud Powell
13. Groovin’ Doctor- Nisse Engström
14. Django - John Lewis
15. Shadrack - Toshiko Akiyoshi
16. East Thirty-Second - Lennie Tristano
17. Line Up - Lennie Tristano
18. Requiem - Lennie Tristano
CD18
1. Turkish Mambo - Lennie Tristano
2. La Ronde (extract) - John Lewis
3. Tenderly - Bud Powell
4. All The Things You Are - Bud Powell
5. Epistrophy - Bud Powell
6. It’s You Or No One - Claude Williamson
7. Lament - Hazel Scott
8. Bouncing With Bud - René Urtreger
9. A La Bud - René Urtreger
10. I’ve Got You Under My Skin - Pete Jolly
11. Sleep - Erroll Garner
12. Don’t Be That Way - Ray Bryant
13. Radioactivity - Billy Taylor
14. Cherokee - Lorraine Geller
15. A Bit of Soul - Ray Charles
16. Willow Weep For Me - Bud Powell
17. Willow Groove - Bud Powell
18. Stairway To The Stars - Bud Powell
19. Ridikool - René Urtreger
20. I Hear Music - Hampton Hawes
21. Dance Line - Herbie Nichols
CD19
1. The Third World - Herbie Nichols
2. It Didn’t Happen - Herbie Nichols
3. Wonder Why - Horace Silver
4. Barbara’s Carol - Barbara Carroll
5. All The Things You Are - Hampton Hawes
6. Hamp’s Blues - Hampton Hawes
7. So In Love - Hampton Hawes
8. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise - John Lewis
9. Caravan - Thelonious Monk
10. I Got It Bad And That Ain’t Good - Thelonious Monk
11. It Don’t Mean A Thing - Thelonious Monk
12. Hallelujah - Art Tatum
13. Lady Sings The Blues - Herbie Nichols
14. Red Top - Erroll Garner
15. Baby, Baby All The Time - Oscar Peterson
CD20
1. A Night In Tunisia - Duke Jordan
2. That Old Devil Moon - Ahmad Jamal
3. The Darktown Strutter’s Ball - Earl Hines
4. Section Blues - Hampton Hawes
5. Stella By Starlight - Hampton Hawes
6. Coolin’ The Blues - Hampton Hawes
7. Just One of Those Things - Art Tatum
8. Way Cross Town - Carl Perkins
9. Collard Greens And Black-Eyed Peas - André Previn
10. Cheek To Cheek - Lou Levy
11. Art’s Blues - Art Simmons
12. Just You, Just Me - Thelonious Monk
13. The Spinning Song - Herbie Nichols
14. Celia - Phineas Newborn Jr.
15. Ahmad’s Blues - Red Garland
16. But Not For Me - Martial Solal
CD21
1. Chuckles - Eddie Costa
2. Love Me Or Leave Me - Martial Solal
3. The Man I Love - Erroll Garner
4. Warmeland - John Lewis
5. Pilgrim’s Progress - Dave Brubeck
6. How High The Moon - Oscar Peterson
7. How About You - Oscar Peterson
8. Humoresque - Art Tatum
9. A Morning In Paris - John Lewis
10. I Should Care - Bud Powell
11. Azure - Cecil Taylor
12. Conception - Bill Evans
13. No Cover, No Minimum - Bill Evans
14. My Romance - Bill Evans
CD22
1. Easy Living - Bill Evans
2. I Love You - Bill Evans
3. Get Happy - Eddie Costa
4. Blues For Bessie - Bud Powell
5. Coscrane - Bud Powell
6. Serenade In Blue - Gerald Wiggins
7. Overtime - Phineas Newborn Jr.
8. For Heaven’s Sake - Horace Silver
9. Blues No. 4 - Hampton Hawes
10. I Surrender Dear - Thelonious Monk
11. Out of Nowhere - Eddie Costa
12. Yesterdays - Eddie Costa
13. Saucer Eye - Randy Weston
CD23
1. Things Ain’t What They Used To Be - Carl Perkins
2. You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To - Erroll Garner
3. Two Sleepy People - Dave Brubeck
4. Like Someone In Love - Bud Powell
5. Shawnuff - Bud Powell
6. Little Girl Blue - John Lewis
7. Cubano Chant - Ray Bryant
8. Round About Midnight - Thelonious Monk
9. I Should Care - Thelonious Monk
10. Functional - Thelonious Monk
11. Chicago Breakdown - Don Ewell
12. Bud On Bach - Bud Powell
13. Relaxin’ At Camarillo - Tommy Flanagan
14. Eclypso - Tommy Flanagan
15. Colombine - John Lewis
16. Harlequin - John Lewis
CD24
1. Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered - Kenny Drew
2. The Golden Striker - Oscar Peterson
3. Four Bars With Tag - Ellis Larkins
4. Melancholy Mood - Horace Silver
5. You Can’t Get Away - Wynton Kelly
6. Guys And Dolls - Bill Evans
7. Yardbird Suite - Hampton Hawes
8. Up Blues - Hampton Hawes
9. Whisper Not - Wynton Kelly
10. Autumn Leaves - Hank Jones
11. Nothin’ - Luckey Roberts
12. Back Home - Phineas Newborn Jr.
13. The Minstrels - Mose Allison
CD25
1. John’s Abbey - Bud Powell
2. Sail ‘Em - Ronnell Bright
3. A-Tisket A-Tasket - Red Garland
4. Unidentified Piano Solo - Thelonious Monk
5. Splendid Splinter - Dave McKenna
6. Light Blue - Thelonious Monk
7. This Can’t Be Love - Ahmad Jamal
8. Minority - Bill Evans
9. Tenderly - Bill Evans
10. Peace Piece - Bill Evans
11. Night And Day - Bill Evans
12. Moanin’ With Hazel - Bobby Timmons
13. Cleopatra’s Dream - Bud Powell
14. Crossin’ The Channel - Bud Powell
Once in a while, an album comes along to take your breath away. That
is certainly the case with this boxed set, which contains no fewer
than 25 CDs tracing the history of jazz piano from early 1899 to the
end of 1958. Several years ago, the same record company issued a set
ten CDs covering some of the same ground, but this expanded version
is even more amazing. Mind you, Le Chant du Monde has a habit of releasing
huge sets of CDs, for example covering the jazz of a whole year using
several albums. But this one beats all.
It starts naturally enough with ragtime which, of course, means Scott
Joplin - playing his Original Rags on a piano roll from 1899.
Ragtime introduced an important element of jazz: syncopation. Previous
composers had occasionally displaced beats but Joplin was probably
one of the first people to realise the value of accenting rhythm by
upsetting our expectations of it. Inevitably it sounds unexceptional
to us nowadays because we have become accustomed to it. However, since
the advent of ragtime., rhythm has become a vital ingredient jazz,
so that the "rhythm section" (piano, bass, drums, and sometimes
guitar or banjo) is an integral part of many jazz performances.
Scott Joplin may have been an obvious person to start with but this
compilation also includes many unfamiliar names. The second track
is from a piano roll by Tomes Turpin, an African-American pianist
who owned a saloon in St Louis. Scott Joplin's The Cascades
is a virtuoso performance and Felix Arndt's Desecration Rag
is an early example of "jazzing the classics". Arndt's most
famous composition was Nola. The sound quality of these piano
rolls is surprisingly good.
The predominance of ragtime is evident from the presence of the word
"rag" in the titles of nine out of the first ten items on
this first CD. Yet soon we move into the world of the blues which,
in the hands of Eubie Blake, still contains many elements from ragtime.
But in seemingly no time we are in the world of James P. Johnson and
his famous disciple, Fats Waller, who both emphasised ragtime's use
of the "stride piano" style. And Clarence Williams gives
us a more leisurely style: more legato.
Jelly Roll Morton ends the first disc and begins the second, introducing
an "orchestral" element which was later noticeable in Earl
Hines. Boogie-woogie also makes a sly appearance on this CD, entering
fully-formed in Jimmy Blythe's Chicago Stomp. Frank Banta's
I Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight introduces the popular Charleston
rhythm, while Jelly Roll Morton's Dead Man Blues hints at his
"Latin tinge". Vee Lawnhurst's Changes from 1927
brings in the feeling of popular song that was also present in George
Gershwin's piano rolls and recordings (which are regrettably not included
here). A leap forward is made by Bix Beiderbecke's In a Mist,
a piece which emulated the spirit of such impressionist composers
as Debussy, and looked to the future by dispensing with the rigid
rhythms of ragtime and stride. Lemuel Fowler's Down Out Blues
also looks forward by foreshadowing rhythm and blues - and even rock
'n' roll.
The third CD, spanning between 1928 and 1930, heralds the arrival
of two important jazz voices: Duke Ellington and Earl Hines. Although
the two Ellington tracks - both piano solos - include elements of
ragtime and stride, you can hear jazz coming through. The same is
true of Earl Hines's Blues in Thirds, and his duet with Louis
Armstrong on Weather Bird (titled Wheather Bird in the
sleeve-note) is a masterpiece, showing to perfection how two jazz
instrumentalists can play off one another and interweave almost telepathically.
Hines uses various methods of accompanying Armstrong and his solos
have the freedom of a horn player. Jazz has definitely arrived.
Other tracks on this CD illustrate how stride survived (especially
in solo piano performances) as a way of asserting the rhythm, just
as boogie-woogie continued to hold its spell. Pinetop's Boogie
Woogie is a classic of this genre. Arthur Schutt's version of
Lover Come Back to Me exemplifies the newish tendency to explore
tunes with florid lyricism.
We are still only on the third of 25 discs but there have already
been enough riches to keep any listener absorbed for hours. This review
threatens to stretch out to the crack of doom if I continue to deal
with the compilation in such detail, threatening to bore the reader
(oh, have I done so already?). At any rate, I may try to pick out
the highlights rather than investigate too deeply, although there
is a great temptation to talk about every track, as the generally
well-chosen selections show how piano jazz - and jazz in general -
has evolved slowly but surely as it tries going down various paths.
This is, indeed, one of the fascinations of jazz, as it develops continually
and keeps trying out new ideas to avoid staleness.
Fats Waller appears on the front cover of the fourth disc, which
includes five tracks by him, including Viper's Drag with single-note
lines furnishing the strong bass, the fickle Clothesline Ballet
and the irresistible Keepin' Out of Mischief Now. This disc
introduces two important new pianists: Art Tatum and Teddy Wilson.
Tatum's Tiger Rag is a typical showpiece which may leave the
listener open-mouthed in wonderment. Teddy Wilson, on the other hand,
did good by stealth: using taste and discretion to impress us. Other
notable tracks include Duke Ellington's Lots o' Fingers, which
displays the Duke's pianistic dexterity, which he rarely showed off
so flamboyantly. Just as dextrous in a more limited way was Lionel
Hampton, whose two-finger piano playing was only one of his distinctive
talents.
CD5 introduces two very different pianists: Nat "King"
Cole and Willie "The Lion" Smith. Cole was a brilliant player
who sadly became snared by concentrating on vocals but he influenced
such people as Oscar Peterson, and his trio of piano, guitar and bass
was also influential. Willie "The Lion" Smith's style combined
the drive of older styles with the decorative lyricism mentioned under
Arthur Schutt above. Benny Goodman and Gene Krupa join Teddy Wilson
for Where or When. As on most of the CDs in this collection,
the familiar names are interspersed with lesser-known artists, like
Herman Chittison and Rufus Perryman (also known as Speckled Red),
a two-fisted blues and boogie specialist. The mixture of artists and
styles may seem strange but it results from the strict chronological
order in which the tracks are included in this collection, which itself
helps both to clarify the history of jazz piano and also to throw
up some unexpected bedfellows.
On the sixth disc, Count Basie's Red Wagon sounds remarkably
like rock 'n' roll even though it was recorded in 1939. Billy Kyle
and Joe Bushkin get their only solos in the set (Bushkin is omitted
from the index at the back of the voluminous accompanying booklet).
I would have welcomed some of Billy Kyle's work with the John Kirby
Sextet. The next few discs mainly mark a period of consolidation,
when no great advances were made but pianists tried out new methods
of rhythm. Donald Lambert - a neglected but brilliant pianist - is
only heard on the seventh CD, swinging Grieg like crazy and showing
why he deserved more generous coverage than a single track. This disc
also includes two of Duke Ellington's duets with wunderkind bassist
Jimmy Blanton.
The eighth CD introduces several new notables: Mel Powell, Erroll
Garner and Lennie Tristano. Garner was unique, although frequently
imitated, and Tristano certainly explored new sounds and methods.
Tristano's innovations are best experienced in his recordings with
larger groups but this selection concentrates on his piano solo and
trio sessions, including only one with Lee Konitz on CD10 - and none
with Warne Marsh. The tenth CD also contains the only example of Sir
Charles Thompson's work. However, it also introduces us to Oscar Peterson
and Thelonious Monk, who are both well represented at various stages
in their early careers. Peterson's 1952 Carnegie Hall recording of
Tenderly is especially welcome, as it was one of Oscar's finest
performances.
The ninth disc, covering 1946 and the first half of 1947, starts
an avalanche of Bud Powell. Bud was indubitably influential, but did
he really merit nearly 40 examples of his playing? George Shearing
also makes his first appearance on this CD but he gets a mere six
tracks in this compilation. Still, I suppose one benefit of a collection
like this is that it incites you to consider the relative merits of
different players. And the comparisons may make you realise that most
great pianists establish their own distinctive style.
The whirligig of time brings in Dave Brubeck and Ralph Sutton on
CD11, proving how various musicians could produce entirely different
sounds from the piano. We have now reached the end of the 1940s, but
- apart from Bud Powell and Al Haig - bebop tends to take a back seat.
Art Tatum's Dardanella is a bad choice, as he apparently doesn't
know the tune! However, Sweet Lorraine makes up for it, with
a track where you keep smiling at Tatum's audacity. The item by Erroll
Garner labelled as I Let a Song Go Out Of My Heart is actually
What Is This Thing Called Love? - an error not corrected from
the previous ten-CD set.
The twelfth disc includes a track by Spaulding Givens, who is not
exactly a household name, although he played for Charlie Mingus. One
wonders why this track was included, since it is primarily a bass
solo by Mingus. New names on this CD are John Lewis (who is mainly
heard with the Modern Jazz Quartet) and Ahmad Jamal - although regrettably
there's only one Jamal track (This Can't Be Love on CD25) where
you can hear him with his great trio which included Israel Crosby
and Vernel Fournier.
Moving on swiftly to March 1952, we are introduced to more modernists,
with Herbie Nichols and Horace Silver on CD13. The above-mentioned
Spaulding Givens gets his own feature on CD14, with a pleasingly liquid
tone. André Previn makes the first of only two appearances. By this
point, one begins to suffer from déjà vu, as there are few
new pianists and lots of tracks by musicians we have already heard
several times. Raymond Fol, Paul Bley and Russ Freeman make their
only appearances on CD15. Junior Mance gets a couple of tracks on
CD16.
One's mood is lifted by sparkling performances on CD17 from Bernard
Peiffer in Cheek to Cheek and Nisse Engstrom in Groovin'
Doctor, alongside such classics as John Lewis's Django
with the MJQ.
The eighteenth disc has no fewer than six tracks by Bud Powell, in
the midst of which there is a welcome change of mood supplied by Ray
Bryant in Don't Be That Way (with Toots Thielemans' harmonica)
and Ray Charles in A Bit of Soul. CD19 opens with Herbie Nichols
establishing his individual style in 1955, and the disc also includes
Art Tatum with Lionel Hampton and Buddy Rich swinging Hallelujah,
plus Red Top from Erroll Garner's superb Concert by the
Sea, crammed with invention and cheeky quotations.
The twentieth disc has André Previn playing Oscar Pettiford's Collard
Greens and Black-Eyed Peas with Leroy Vinnegar and Shelly Manne
in 1956 but nothing at all from this trio's famous My Fair Lady,
recorded in the same year. Martal Solal's solo version of But Not
For Me is characteristically adventurous.
CD21 presents two more significant pianists: Cecil Taylor and Bill
Evans. Taylor contributes a comparatively straightforward reading
of Duke Ellington's Azure but he later became a figurehead
of the avant-garde. And Bill Evans's influence was enormous, particularly
in his exploration of chords. His first track here is George Shearing's
Conception, which George himself can be heard playing on CD11.
Two Evans tracks open CD22, which includes three tracks by Eddie
Costa, a vibraphonist as well as pianist who seems to have fallen
out of many jazz fans' attention, perhaps because of his early death
in 1962 aged 32. He had an interesting personal style, making good
use of the lower end of the piano.
On CD23, Ray Bryant plays his own composition Cubano Chant,
which has been taken up by many other players. Don Ewell's Chicago
Breakdown reverts to the old stride manner. A new name here is
Tommy Flanagan, who is probably best-known as accompanist for Ella
Fitzgerald but here displays his versatility in the beboppish Relaxin'
at Camarillo and his own Latin-flavoured composition Eclypso.
Kenny Drew and Ellis Larkins make their only appearances on CD24,
the latter using his specially gentle stride style in his own Four
Bars with Tag. The disc ends with Mose Allison sounding very different
from his later self - without those drawled humorous vocals and country-style
piano.
And so we arrive breathlessly at the final disc, which contains three
more Bud Powell tracks, balanced by four from Bill Evans. But some
of the most interesting music is supplied in the first manifestation
of Ronnell Bright with Sail 'Em and Red Garland's unblemished
take on Ella Fitzgerald's hit A-Tisket A-Tasket. Dave McKenna's
dexterity impresses, and Bill Evans's Peace Piece is an undoubted
masterpiece.
The final disc takes us up to the end of 1958, after which the chance
to use copyright-free material runs out. This means that we hear nothing
from many important modern pianists, such as Herbie Hancock, Keith
Jarrett, Joe Zawinul, McCoy Tyner et al. So the "History of Piano
Jazz" is incomplete.
Of course, one can pick holes in the choices and omissions, although
25 discs should provide plenty of room for every notable pianist.
Sadly, there is no Roy Bargy (with Bix Beiderbecke) or Bob Zurke or
Tadd Dameron. There is only one track each by Arthur Schutt and Jimmy
Rowles, who deserve more. Julia Lee and Mal Waldron are pictured in
the accompanying booklet but there are no examples of their work.
Room might have been found for all these if less space had been devoted
to the likes of Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk, who are certainly
important but hardly deserve such excessively generous treatment as
they receive here.
Although it is packed with information, the large booklet is not
without faults. For instance, the index can't decide whether to give
pianists' surnames before their first names or vice versa.
Thus the index lists "Jaffe Nat, Ahmad Jamal, Johnson Clarence".
Despite its flaws, this set is a magnificent educational package
- particularly in its coverage of the early days of jazz piano. With
each CD working out at less than £2, it is a bargain which will be
coveted by anyone interested in the history of jazz piano.
Tony Augarde
CD Reviews
Le Chant du Monde 5741801.25
