Naxos Jazz
July 2001
Spreadin' Joy
Djangology
Stephane's Tune
Body and Soul
Band that Plays the Blues
I Want To Be Happy
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Naxos Jazz Expands into the Historical Arena
By C. Michael Bailey
Shadowing their classical counterpart, Naxos Jazz has started a historical series. Like Naxos Historical, which has released such notable classical performances as Pablo Casals 1930s Bach and Fritz Kreisler's Mozart and historic broadcasts of Toscanini's Beethoven, Naxos Jazz Legends endeavors to release music from the early days of jazz, much that has never before available on compact disc. Currently, there are 18 releases (not all of these are available in the United States for licensing reasons):
Available in the United States
- BECHET, SIDNEY : Spreadin' Joy 1940-50 (8.120531)
- GRAPPELLI, STEPHANE: Stephane's Tune 1938-42 (8.120570)
- HAWKINS, COLEMAN: Body and Soul 1933-49 (8.120532)
- HERMAN, WOODY: Band that Plays the Blues 1937-41 (8.120527)
- REINHARDT, DJANGO: Djangology Volume 1 (8.120515)
- WILSON, TEDDY : I Want To Be Happy 1944-47 (8.120538)
Unavailable in the United States
- ARMSTRONG, LOUIS: Heebie Jeebies 1925-30 (8.120541)
- KING COLE TRIO: Transcriptions Volume 1: 1938 (8.120512)
- KING COLE TRIO: Transcriptions Volume 2 (8.120521)
- DUKE ELLINGTON: It Don't Mean a Thing (8.120526)
- DUKE ELLINGTON: Cotton Club Stomp: 1927-31 (8.120509)
- FITZGERALD, ELLA: A Tisket, A Tasket 1936-41 (8.1205400)
- GARNER, ERROLL: Yesterdays 1944-49 (8.120528)
- GOODMAN/HERMAN/H. GAMES & Others: Let's Dance! 1934-47 (8.120536)
- GOODMAN, BENNY: Sing Me A Swing Song 1935-36 (8.120548)
- HOLIDAY, BILLIE: Vol.1 Easy Living (8.120545)
- STAN KENTON: Balboa Bash (8.120517)
- PARKER, CHARLIE: Ornithology 1945-47 (8.120571)
Of the six releases available in the United States, I have received three: Django Reinhardt, Sidney Bechet, and Teddy Wilson. From listening to these three releases, I can draw some quick generalizations. One, the transfers to digital were very successful. David Lennick produced all of these discs and using the CEDAR Noise Reduction technology of engineer Graham Newton, produced perhaps the best sound to be heard from recordings of the '30s and '40s. All of the music has previously been released, though much of it is reputed to appear here on compact disc. Naxos with this new label offers the novice listener a historic product inexpensively. Whether these releases add a more complete understanding of the artist featured remains to be seen. It may be that these releases are not intended as such. Whatever the motivation for these releases, they are welcome. The can serve as a catalyst for interest in younger listeners and older listeners wishing to expand their repertoire.
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