Topic: Pre-War Jazz Reissue Labels

[SpikeDriver]

I'm wondering what records labels Weenies would recommend for reissues of pre-war jazz.
I'm more interested in the Yazoo/County records approach - valuing best sound and highlight selections, rather than complete 'all sides' type releases.

Thanks

[Kokomo O]

Try here: http://www.TrueBlueMusic.com/products1.asp?dept=22&deptname=Early+Jazz. I don't have any of their stuff, but I've got quite a few sets from the sister label Mosaic, and they're unbelievably good.

[Rivers]

I don't believe you can rely on the label alone, there are highlights (and duds) across all labels. You need to cherrypick.

Can't go wrong with the first four Billie Holiday 'Quintessential...' discs on Columbia IMO. Pick 'em up for a song in 2nd hand bins, ho hum  , bargain of the century. "Quintessential" is the right title for this set, some incredible performances from a star-studded array of musicians and the goddess Billie herself.

Likewise Louis Armstrong's Hot Fives and Sevens on JSP. Sorry they're all 'complete...' sets I know but you can't go wrong with young Louis.

The Bix Beiderbecke 'Riverboat Shuffle' Naxos release I reckon is a very strong selection but once you get the Bix bug you want everything, how could you not?

JSPs Jelly Roll Morton complete is superb of course but if you don't want to wade through all that there's a single disc out there called "The Pearls" (BMG/Bluebird/RCA) which has a really great program, I'm no JRM expert but I always think they couldn't have picked a better selection for putting on a single CD

[unezrider]

hey spike driver,
i too, subscribe to the yazoo/county approach myself. but you should add old hat records to that list as well.
i don't really know of any labels that would meet those standards - but i haven't a large sampling of jazz from that era, either. i do have the louis armstrong hot 5/7 stuff on jsp, & within the last 6 months or so i gave the 2003 (individually sold) 3 volume set from columbia a go - & i haven't cared to pull the jsp's out ever since. the columbia's are more open sounding. they seem more real, if that makes any sense? you can get them very reasonably on amazon in their 'new & used' section. i think i paid $4something plus shipping for each. columbia also put out a 4 or 5 volume set on billie holiday around the same time. (might be what rivers was talking about?) i haven't heard these, but i'd imagine they were very good. i have her complete 10 disc (should only be 7) columbia set, & the sound is pretty good on those. i found columbia's remastering of the old stuff got much better in the late 90's early 2000's. stuff before '98, or so, i think they just tried to clean up too much, & ruined some of the integrity of the recordings.
i also have a jelly roll disc on bluebird/rca/bmg 'birth of the hot' - & it's sounds terrific. given what rivers said about his jelly roll on that label, maybe they would be worth checking out too? let us know if you find any winners. (i'm still meaning to get some king oliver & sidney b.)
chris

[Richard]

Do you know what you like at all.... artist, era , style - or are you trying to get into it?

Those '23 Oliver records however historical import are a very early recording and all that goes with it quality wise....... you might be better trying the later 27-28 Dixe Syncapators which he recorded.

Tell us more and we will point you in the right direction

[dj]

A lot of that stuff has been put out by Timeless Records:  http://www.timeless-records.com/ .  Click on "Timeless Historical" in the catalog list at the upper left.  I have no idea of the sound quality, production quality, notes, etc. of this series.  Does anyone own any of their titles?

Those '23 Oliver records however historical import are a very early recording and all that goes with it quality wise

Richard, did you listen to any of the sound samples of the King Oliver tracks on the Archeophone website?  I was very impressed at the sound they managed to get out of those old acoustic recordings.   

[Richard]

SD

I think I see where you are headed musically, to what us drummers affectionally call the George Lewis "roll and thump" purist style I'm not getting at it as when I started playing jazz my apprenticship was two years in such a band playing nothing but snare drum! I then moved to a King Oliver type band and discovered cymbals, which of course was the start of my downfall into mainstream   

I'm wandering! Just listen to all you can and something will grab you to make you want to listen to more. Take Oliver for instance, listen to the early stuff and follow him through musically, see how his style and that of the changed\developed  over a few short years. Morton and Bix are obviously great choices, but also try some Clarence Williams or say the red hot Missourians - it could be a long list!

I can't really suggest specific CDs as most of my early jazz is on LP or dare I say it 78!! And, Buddy Bolden, yes very rare recordings indeed... I believe he did a version of "Madhouse" long before the Benny Goodman band recorded it 

dj - yes I did listen and they are indeed a step up from what I brought up on, but in the context of my earlier post I was unsure what SD had or had not listened to or was even expecting as an awful lot of the early jazz is of pretty dubious arual quality and can be more off-putting.