Five Fats for the price of One, 21 Nov 2004
I took a bit of a risk when I bought this. I heard Fats perform Ain't Misbehavin' on the radio and knew that I had to have it. Familiar with his name but not with his music, I came with an open mind. Boy, was my mind blown wide open. Twenty tracks and nineteen of them bewitching.

There are basically five Fats Wallers. There is the distinguished composer; the brilliant pianist; the great bandleader; the endearing singer, and the incomparable interpreter of the popular song. In each of these five categories, he excels. Just listen to his solo version of Tea for Two, or his own composition, Viper's Drag, and you realise that he ranks alongside jazz music's greatest piano players, from Eubie Blake to Thelonious Monk. I hung on to every note. The man had magic in his fingers.

The songs are divided between his solo work and his own band, Fats Waller & his Rhythm, a two-horn sextet. The sextet is excellent. They could swing with the best of them and the solos are lovely. Check out Herman Autrey's lengthy trumpet solo (beautifully underpinned by Fats' own tinkling of the ivories) that introduces the old standard, Two Sleepy People. Like all great band leaders, - Morton, Ellington, Mingus - he had a keen ear for talented musicians and by creating the right musical setting, brought out their full potential. What's the betting musicians that played with Fats never again achieved the heights that they achieved with him?

His writing was excellent, too, and he excelled both in the field of popular song, such as I'm Crazy About My Baby, and in jazz composition, such as Handful of Keys.

His voice and phrasing was attractive and perfectly suited to humorous songs, and Fats was a great humorist, the Ian Dury of his day. He could also add real poignancy to bitter sweet love songs. I doubt if Hoagy Carmichael's Two Sleepy People has ever been sung with quite such easy-going sincerity.

So there you have it: five good reasons for purchasing this CD and at such a bargain price, as well. The one tack I didn't like? - The Jitterbug Waltz. Fats' Hammond organ playing failed to float my boat, I'm afraid.

A word on the packaging. Excellent. The sleeve notes by Scott Yanow are concise but informative. [The curse of jazz fans is windy sleeve notes that say nothing in particular.] The informative listing and track information is neatly laid out and easy on the eye. Also, the font is large enough so you don't need binoculars to read the words. Even the cover is tastefully done. Naxos deserve full credit for this CD.

This Joint is Jumpin'!, 15 Jun 2004
The Naxos label seems to be in the process of reissuing lots, perhaps all, of Fats Waller's commercial recordings. This one is a collection of favorites recorded between 1929 ('A Handful of Keys') and 1942 ('The Jitterbug Waltz') which are presented more or less in the order in which they were recorded. Included are such favorites as 'Ain't Misbehavin',' 'Honeysuckle Rose,' 'Your Feet's Too Big,' and 'Georgia on My Mind.' There is a version of 'Tea for Two' that I'd never heard before and which contains some of the most inventive harmonies and an infectiously unpredictable variation of tempi that I kept playing again and again in order to get a grasp on. Wonderful! 'This Joint is Jumpin',' recorded in 1937, is interrupted by a 'raid' by the police blowing their whistles and people 'cutting a rug' to get out of the place. Hilariously enacted by Waller and his band. If ever there was a performer who conveyed high good spirits any better than Waller, I don't know who it was. It was a huge loss when he died if pneumonia in the train station in Kansas City in late 1943.

This collection, in wonderful sound for the period, will assuredly make you tap your feet and perhaps even get up and dance a few steps. It will definitely put you in a good mood.

Scott Morrison

Morton, born in 1890, was the first true jazz composer. His great talent lay in creating small-band music which sounded so natural that you could almost believe it had been improvised on the spot. But when you listen more closely, you realise that no band could ever improvise music as perfectly proportioned and well balanced as that. He created his music with the musicians around him, not like an architect planning a building, but like a gardener trimming and training naturally growing plants. This five-CD box contains everything Morton recorded at the peak of his career, between 1926 and 1930. The bulk of it is band music by his Red Hot Peppers, with a scattering of piano solos, trios, quartets and some larger ensembles. It took years for the producers to collect the best possible original copies, which were then remastered by John R. T. Davies, a world expert on the restoration of classic jazz. The result is almost certainly the best Morton edition ever produced--or likely to be. --Dave Gelly

Five Fats for the price of One, 21 Nov 2004
I took a bit of a risk when I bought this. I heard Fats perform Ain't Misbehavin' on the radio and knew that I had to have it. Familiar with his name but not with his music, I came with an open mind. Boy, was my mind blown wide open. Twenty tracks and nineteen of them bewitching.

There are basically five Fats Wallers. There is the distinguished composer; the brilliant pianist; the great bandleader; the endearing singer, and the incomparable interpreter of the popular song. In each of these five categories, he excels. Just listen to his solo version of Tea for Two, or his own composition, Viper's Drag, and you realise that he ranks alongside jazz music's greatest piano players, from Eubie Blake to Thelonious Monk. I hung on to every note. The man had magic in his fingers.

The songs are divided between his solo work and his own band, Fats Waller & his Rhythm, a two-horn sextet. The sextet is excellent. They could swing with the best of them and the solos are lovely. Check out Herman Autrey's lengthy trumpet solo (beautifully underpinned by Fats' own tinkling of the ivories) that introduces the old standard, Two Sleepy People. Like all great band leaders, - Morton, Ellington, Mingus - he had a keen ear for talented musicians and by creating the right musical setting, brought out their full potential. What's the betting musicians that played with Fats never again achieved the heights that they achieved with him?

His writing was excellent, too, and he excelled both in the field of popular song, such as I'm Crazy About My Baby, and in jazz composition, such as Handful of Keys.

His voice and phrasing was attractive and perfectly suited to humorous songs, and Fats was a great humorist, the Ian Dury of his day. He could also add real poignancy to bitter sweet love songs. I doubt if Hoagy Carmichael's Two Sleepy People has ever been sung with quite such easy-going sincerity.

So there you have it: five good reasons for purchasing this CD and at such a bargain price, as well. The one tack I didn't like? - The Jitterbug Waltz. Fats' Hammond organ playing failed to float my boat, I'm afraid.

A word on the packaging. Excellent. The sleeve notes by Scott Yanow are concise but informative. [The curse of jazz fans is windy sleeve notes that say nothing in particular.] The informative listing and track information is neatly laid out and easy on the eye. Also, the font is large enough so you don't need binoculars to read the words. Even the cover is tastefully done. Naxos deserve full credit for this CD.

This Joint is Jumpin'!, 15 Jun 2004
The Naxos label seems to be in the process of reissuing lots, perhaps all, of Fats Waller's commercial recordings. This one is a collection of favorites recorded between 1929 ('A Handful of Keys') and 1942 ('The Jitterbug Waltz') which are presented more or less in the order in which they were recorded. Included are such favorites as 'Ain't Misbehavin',' 'Honeysuckle Rose,' 'Your Feet's Too Big,' and 'Georgia on My Mind.' There is a version of 'Tea for Two' that I'd never heard before and which contains some of the most inventive harmonies and an infectiously unpredictable variation of tempi that I kept playing again and again in order to get a grasp on. Wonderful! 'This Joint is Jumpin',' recorded in 1937, is interrupted by a 'raid' by the police blowing their whistles and people 'cutting a rug' to get out of the place. Hilariously enacted by Waller and his band. If ever there was a performer who conveyed high good spirits any better than Waller, I don't know who it was. It was a huge loss when he died if pneumonia in the train station in Kansas City in late 1943.

This collection, in wonderful sound for the period, will assuredly make you tap your feet and perhaps even get up and dance a few steps. It will definitely put you in a good mood.

Scott Morrison

Astonishing!!, 04 Oct 2008
Complete Recorded Works 1926-1930
Although praise is (rightly) heaped on Louis, his near contemporary Jelly Roll Morton is often mentioned in a slightly apologetic tone as if he is somehow in a different league to Armstrong. This is undoubtedly true when comparing performing talents (although Morton was a very fine pianist indeed). Jelly's true greatness lies in his band leading and arranging skills.

These discs contain a variety of styles of music, such as the sheer exuberance of the opening number (Black Bottom Stomp), the inanities of Billy Goat Stomp and little tone poems like "Mournful Serenade". Incidentally this last number is a pirated version of King Oliver's "Chimes Blues" but Morton's account is completely his own.

But above all I should mention "Deep Creek Blues". This is a profound, heartfelt blues drenched in sadness. I have never heard this number played by anyone else: indeed it seems impossible that anyone else could play it.

The remastering was done by the late John R T Davies. Need I say more on this score?

This box set thoroughly deserves five stars for everything: choice of material, performance and remastering.


Collecting Jelly Roll, 28 Dec 2005
I have collected Jelly Roll Morton for many years and in several formats, from vinyl to cassette to CD, and this is the best album and the most comprehensive I have found to date.Many of the tracks in the album are already in my collection, but some of them were recorded at different sessions, or are different takes, and give a fresh perspective on a familiar theme.
Wild Man Blues in particular is a very clear recording, and has obviously been cleaned up and digitally enhanced to a sparkling quality, as have most of the tracks.
There are also a few tracks featuring a trio comprising J.R. Morton, Johnny Dodds and Baby Dodds that are surprisingly fresh and crisp.
The unusual sound of a violin in a jazz band,(played by Darnell Howard?) and the cornet of George Mitchell also make this a very collectable set of CDs.

great jazz collection, 05 Oct 2005
i recently bought the the 5 cd set of jelly roll morton and enjoyed them.Have always been keen on morton's great jazz recordings.

A collection from the triumphal days of traditional jazz, 19 Feb 2001
This boxed set of 5 CDs has to be "5-star" value. To collect all the numbers individually would, even if possible, be ridiculously expensive as the CDs include every surviving recording made by Jelly Roll Morton over the years 1926-1930. The CDs embrace alternate takes for many of the numbers and so allow listeners to compare different versions and to trace their development.

Jelly Roll Morton proclaimed himself to be the "inventor" of jazz and these CDs provide insight to his disciplined approach to recording sessions. Others have claimed to originate jazz, but the qualities demonstrated on these CDs suggest Jelly Roll Morton's self-representation may be correct. He was a great composer and the vast majority of the numbers on the CDs are his own - he was an inventive arranger as indicated by both ensemble playing and solo interjections, and different treatments with alternates on the CDs - and above all, he was clearly an inspirational bandleader as he surrounded himself with many of the best musicians of the day as described in the discographies.

The CD insert notes have a reasonable amount of background material, but about the various recordings there are detailed and informative comments. It is fascinating to listen to the numbers and read up the explanatory notes - though there is at least one error (Original Jelly Roll Blues), and some remarks are flagrantly subjective - but relevant.

If there is a problem it is that there is just too much, and many collectors and jazz lovers are likely to already have tracks on "compilation" recordings or "best of" selections. Some of the recordings appear elsewhere with other names (example : Johnny Dodds) though most are Jelly Roll Morton with his Red Hot Peppers, or his Orchestra, or various Trios and other offshoots of his main groups. The real value of jazz is not in documentation but in personal experience - just as well as there are 99 tracks to comment on - but too much is hardly a criticism. As well as a "5-star" value this boxed set is a "5-star" collectors item from Jelly Roll Morton's triumphal days of traditional jazz.

Five Fats for the price of One, 21 Nov 2004
I took a bit of a risk when I bought this. I heard Fats perform Ain't Misbehavin' on the radio and knew that I had to have it. Familiar with his name but not with his music, I came with an open mind. Boy, was my mind blown wide open. Twenty tracks and nineteen of them bewitching.

There are basically five Fats Wallers. There is the distinguished composer; the brilliant pianist; the great bandleader; the endearing singer, and the incomparable interpreter of the popular song. In each of these five categories, he excels. Just listen to his solo version of Tea for Two, or his own composition, Viper's Drag, and you realise that he ranks alongside jazz music's greatest piano players, from Eubie Blake to Thelonious Monk. I hung on to every note. The man had magic in his fingers.

The songs are divided between his solo work and his own band, Fats Waller & his Rhythm, a two-horn sextet. The sextet is excellent. They could swing with the best of them and the solos are lovely. Check out Herman Autrey's lengthy trumpet solo (beautifully underpinned by Fats' own tinkling of the ivories) that introduces the old standard, Two Sleepy People. Like all great band leaders, - Morton, Ellington, Mingus - he had a keen ear for talented musicians and by creating the right musical setting, brought out their full potential. What's the betting musicians that played with Fats never again achieved the heights that they achieved with him?

His writing was excellent, too, and he excelled both in the field of popular song, such as I'm Crazy About My Baby, and in jazz composition, such as Handful of Keys.

His voice and phrasing was attractive and perfectly suited to humorous songs, and Fats was a great humorist, the Ian Dury of his day. He could also add real poignancy to bitter sweet love songs. I doubt if Hoagy Carmichael's Two Sleepy People has ever been sung with quite such easy-going sincerity.

So there you have it: five good reasons for purchasing this CD and at such a bargain price, as well. The one tack I didn't like? - The Jitterbug Waltz. Fats' Hammond organ playing failed to float my boat, I'm afraid.

A word on the packaging. Excellent. The sleeve notes by Scott Yanow are concise but informative. [The curse of jazz fans is windy sleeve notes that say nothing in particular.] The informative listing and track information is neatly laid out and easy on the eye. Also, the font is large enough so you don't need binoculars to read the words. Even the cover is tastefully done. Naxos deserve full credit for this CD.

This Joint is Jumpin'!, 15 Jun 2004
The Naxos label seems to be in the process of reissuing lots, perhaps all, of Fats Waller's commercial recordings. This one is a collection of favorites recorded between 1929 ('A Handful of Keys') and 1942 ('The Jitterbug Waltz') which are presented more or less in the order in which they were recorded. Included are such favorites as 'Ain't Misbehavin',' 'Honeysuckle Rose,' 'Your Feet's Too Big,' and 'Georgia on My Mind.' There is a version of 'Tea for Two' that I'd never heard before and which contains some of the most inventive harmonies and an infectiously unpredictable variation of tempi that I kept playing again and again in order to get a grasp on. Wonderful! 'This Joint is Jumpin',' recorded in 1937, is interrupted by a 'raid' by the police blowing their whistles and people 'cutting a rug' to get out of the place. Hilariously enacted by Waller and his band. If ever there was a performer who conveyed high good spirits any better than Waller, I don't know who it was. It was a huge loss when he died if pneumonia in the train station in Kansas City in late 1943.

This collection, in wonderful sound for the period, will assuredly make you tap your feet and perhaps even get up and dance a few steps. It will definitely put you in a good mood.

Scott Morrison

Astonishing!!, 04 Oct 2008
Complete Recorded Works 1926-1930
Although praise is (rightly) heaped on Louis, his near contemporary Jelly Roll Morton is often mentioned in a slightly apologetic tone as if he is somehow in a different league to Armstrong. This is undoubtedly true when comparing performing talents (although Morton was a very fine pianist indeed). Jelly's true greatness lies in his band leading and arranging skills.

These discs contain a variety of styles of music, such as the sheer exuberance of the opening number (Black Bottom Stomp), the inanities of Billy Goat Stomp and little tone poems like "Mournful Serenade". Incidentally this last number is a pirated version of King Oliver's "Chimes Blues" but Morton's account is completely his own.

But above all I should mention "Deep Creek Blues". This is a profound, heartfelt blues drenched in sadness. I have never heard this number played by anyone else: indeed it seems impossible that anyone else could play it.

The remastering was done by the late John R T Davies. Need I say more on this score?

This box set thoroughly deserves five stars for everything: choice of material, performance and remastering.


Collecting Jelly Roll, 28 Dec 2005
I have collected Jelly Roll Morton for many years and in several formats, from vinyl to cassette to CD, and this is the best album and the most comprehensive I have found to date.Many of the tracks in the album are already in my collection, but some of them were recorded at different sessions, or are different takes, and give a fresh perspective on a familiar theme.
Wild Man Blues in particular is a very clear recording, and has obviously been cleaned up and digitally enhanced to a sparkling quality, as have most of the tracks.
There are also a few tracks featuring a trio comprising J.R. Morton, Johnny Dodds and Baby Dodds that are surprisingly fresh and crisp.
The unusual sound of a violin in a jazz band,(played by Darnell Howard?) and the cornet of George Mitchell also make this a very collectable set of CDs.

great jazz collection, 05 Oct 2005
i recently bought the the 5 cd set of jelly roll morton and enjoyed them.Have always been keen on morton's great jazz recordings.

A collection from the triumphal days of traditional jazz, 19 Feb 2001
This boxed set of 5 CDs has to be "5-star" value. To collect all the numbers individually would, even if possible, be ridiculously expensive as the CDs include every surviving recording made by Jelly Roll Morton over the years 1926-1930. The CDs embrace alternate takes for many of the numbers and so allow listeners to compare different versions and to trace their development.

Jelly Roll Morton proclaimed himself to be the "inventor" of jazz and these CDs provide insight to his disciplined approach to recording sessions. Others have claimed to originate jazz, but the qualities demonstrated on these CDs suggest Jelly Roll Morton's self-representation may be correct. He was a great composer and the vast majority of the numbers on the CDs are his own - he was an inventive arranger as indicated by both ensemble playing and solo interjections, and different treatments with alternates on the CDs - and above all, he was clearly an inspirational bandleader as he surrounded himself with many of the best musicians of the day as described in the discographies.

The CD insert notes have a reasonable amount of background material, but about the various recordings there are detailed and informative comments. It is fascinating to listen to the numbers and read up the explanatory notes - though there is at least one error (Original Jelly Roll Blues), and some remarks are flagrantly subjective - but relevant.

If there is a problem it is that there is just too much, and many collectors and jazz lovers are likely to already have tracks on "compilation" recordings or "best of" selections. Some of the recordings appear elsewhere with other names (example : Johnny Dodds) though most are Jelly Roll Morton with his Red Hot Peppers, or his Orchestra, or various Trios and other offshoots of his main groups. The real value of jazz is not in documentation but in personal experience - just as well as there are 99 tracks to comment on - but too much is hardly a criticism. As well as a "5-star" value this boxed set is a "5-star" collectors item from Jelly Roll Morton's triumphal days of traditional jazz.

Red Hot like Chillie Peppers, 30 Dec 2004
Here you have a record of the Chicago Red Hot Peppers Sessions. Strait New Orleans, fast, not compromised, furiose red hot dixeland\jazz. Chear fun, great musicians, this is a magical album to me. Live music played in studio setting. Yeah, good place to go after dinner at Cotton Club! Buy it, you will NOT regreat it!

Five Fats for the price of One, 21 Nov 2004
I took a bit of a risk when I bought this. I heard Fats perform Ain't Misbehavin' on the radio and knew that I had to have it. Familiar with his name but not with his music, I came with an open mind. Boy, was my mind blown wide open. Twenty tracks and nineteen of them bewitching.

There are basically five Fats Wallers. There is the distinguished composer; the brilliant pianist; the great bandleader; the endearing singer, and the incomparable interpreter of the popular song. In each of these five categories, he excels. Just listen to his solo version of Tea for Two, or his own composition, Viper's Drag, and you realise that he ranks alongside jazz music's greatest piano players, from Eubie Blake to Thelonious Monk. I hung on to every note. The man had magic in his fingers.

The songs are divided between his solo work and his own band, Fats Waller & his Rhythm, a two-horn sextet. The sextet is excellent. They could swing with the best of them and the solos are lovely. Check out Herman Autrey's lengthy trumpet solo (beautifully underpinned by Fats' own tinkling of the ivories) that introduces the old standard, Two Sleepy People. Like all great band leaders, - Morton, Ellington, Mingus - he had a keen ear for talented musicians and by creating the right musical setting, brought out their full potential. What's the betting musicians that played with Fats never again achieved the heights that they achieved with him?

His writing was excellent, too, and he excelled both in the field of popular song, such as I'm Crazy About My Baby, and in jazz composition, such as Handful of Keys.

His voice and phrasing was attractive and perfectly suited to humorous songs, and Fats was a great humorist, the Ian Dury of his day. He could also add real poignancy to bitter sweet love songs. I doubt if Hoagy Carmichael's Two Sleepy People has ever been sung with quite such easy-going sincerity.

So there you have it: five good reasons for purchasing this CD and at such a bargain price, as well. The one tack I didn't like? - The Jitterbug Waltz. Fats' Hammond organ playing failed to float my boat, I'm afraid.

A word on the packaging. Excellent. The sleeve notes by Scott Yanow are concise but informative. [The curse of jazz fans is windy sleeve notes that say nothing in particular.] The informative listing and track information is neatly laid out and easy on the eye. Also, the font is large enough so you don't need binoculars to read the words. Even the cover is tastefully done. Naxos deserve full credit for this CD.

This Joint is Jumpin'!, 15 Jun 2004
The Naxos label seems to be in the process of reissuing lots, perhaps all, of Fats Waller's commercial recordings. This one is a collection of favorites recorded between 1929 ('A Handful of Keys') and 1942 ('The Jitterbug Waltz') which are presented more or less in the order in which they were recorded. Included are such favorites as 'Ain't Misbehavin',' 'Honeysuckle Rose,' 'Your Feet's Too Big,' and 'Georgia on My Mind.' There is a version of 'Tea for Two' that I'd never heard before and which contains some of the most inventive harmonies and an infectiously unpredictable variation of tempi that I kept playing again and again in order to get a grasp on. Wonderful! 'This Joint is Jumpin',' recorded in 1937, is interrupted by a 'raid' by the police blowing their whistles and people 'cutting a rug' to get out of the place. Hilariously enacted by Waller and his band. If ever there was a performer who conveyed high good spirits any better than Waller, I don't know who it was. It was a huge loss when he died if pneumonia in the train station in Kansas City in late 1943.

This collection, in wonderful sound for the period, will assuredly make you tap your feet and perhaps even get up and dance a few steps. It will definitely put you in a good mood.

Scott Morrison

Astonishing!!, 04 Oct 2008
Complete Recorded Works 1926-1930
Although praise is (rightly) heaped on Louis, his near contemporary Jelly Roll Morton is often mentioned in a slightly apologetic tone as if he is somehow in a different league to Armstrong. This is undoubtedly true when comparing performing talents (although Morton was a very fine pianist indeed). Jelly's true greatness lies in his band leading and arranging skills.

These discs contain a variety of styles of music, such as the sheer exuberance of the opening number (Black Bottom Stomp), the inanities of Billy Goat Stomp and little tone poems like "Mournful Serenade". Incidentally this last number is a pirated version of King Oliver's "Chimes Blues" but Morton's account is completely his own.

But above all I should mention "Deep Creek Blues". This is a profound, heartfelt blues drenched in sadness. I have never heard this number played by anyone else: indeed it seems impossible that anyone else could play it.

The remastering was done by the late John R T Davies. Need I say more on this score?

This box set thoroughly deserves five stars for everything: choice of material, performance and remastering.


Collecting Jelly Roll, 28 Dec 2005
I have collected Jelly Roll Morton for many years and in several formats, from vinyl to cassette to CD, and this is the best album and the most comprehensive I have found to date.Many of the tracks in the album are already in my collection, but some of them were recorded at different sessions, or are different takes, and give a fresh perspective on a familiar theme.
Wild Man Blues in particular is a very clear recording, and has obviously been cleaned up and digitally enhanced to a sparkling quality, as have most of the tracks.
There are also a few tracks featuring a trio comprising J.R. Morton, Johnny Dodds and Baby Dodds that are surprisingly fresh and crisp.
The unusual sound of a violin in a jazz band,(played by Darnell Howard?) and the cornet of George Mitchell also make this a very collectable set of CDs.

great jazz collection, 05 Oct 2005
i recently bought the the 5 cd set of jelly roll morton and enjoyed them.Have always been keen on morton's great jazz recordings.

A collection from the triumphal days of traditional jazz, 19 Feb 2001
This boxed set of 5 CDs has to be "5-star" value. To collect all the numbers individually would, even if possible, be ridiculously expensive as the CDs include every surviving recording made by Jelly Roll Morton over the years 1926-1930. The CDs embrace alternate takes for many of the numbers and so allow listeners to compare different versions and to trace their development.

Jelly Roll Morton proclaimed himself to be the "inventor" of jazz and these CDs provide insight to his disciplined approach to recording sessions. Others have claimed to originate jazz, but the qualities demonstrated on these CDs suggest Jelly Roll Morton's self-representation may be correct. He was a great composer and the vast majority of the numbers on the CDs are his own - he was an inventive arranger as indicated by both ensemble playing and solo interjections, and different treatments with alternates on the CDs - and above all, he was clearly an inspirational bandleader as he surrounded himself with many of the best musicians of the day as described in the discographies.

The CD insert notes have a reasonable amount of background material, but about the various recordings there are detailed and informative comments. It is fascinating to listen to the numbers and read up the explanatory notes - though there is at least one error (Original Jelly Roll Blues), and some remarks are flagrantly subjective - but relevant.

If there is a problem it is that there is just too much, and many collectors and jazz lovers are likely to already have tracks on "compilation" recordings or "best of" selections. Some of the recordings appear elsewhere with other names (example : Johnny Dodds) though most are Jelly Roll Morton with his Red Hot Peppers, or his Orchestra, or various Trios and other offshoots of his main groups. The real value of jazz is not in documentation but in personal experience - just as well as there are 99 tracks to comment on - but too much is hardly a criticism. As well as a "5-star" value this boxed set is a "5-star" collectors item from Jelly Roll Morton's triumphal days of traditional jazz.

Red Hot like Chillie Peppers, 30 Dec 2004
Here you have a record of the Chicago Red Hot Peppers Sessions. Strait New Orleans, fast, not compromised, furiose red hot dixeland\jazz. Chear fun, great musicians, this is a magical album to me. Live music played in studio setting. Yeah, good place to go after dinner at Cotton Club! Buy it, you will NOT regreat it!

Perfect clarity, 10 Mar 2007
I'm not a great fan of New Orleans-type jazz, but this CD is highly enjoyable. The sound quality is extraordinarily clear, each instrument coming across with clarity. CD1 has the classic Red Hot Chilli Pepper sessions between 1926-27 which are simply superb music brilliantly performed. Omar Simeon on clarinet is particularly memorable. But of course, Jelly Roll himself is the presiding genius. CD2 shows Jelly Roll in New York in the late 20s with a bigger ensemble on the verge of the swing era. "Deep Creek" from 1928 is an incredibly swinging track rivalling any of the big bands yet to come in its orchestration and sense of atmosphere. But there is a big gap between 1930 and 1939 which may reveal something of Jelly Roll's fortunes as his sound and style go out of fashion. The last couple of tracks are from a session in 1940.

Five Fats for the price of One, 21 Nov 2004
I took a bit of a risk when I bought this. I heard Fats perform Ain't Misbehavin' on the radio and knew that I had to have it. Familiar with his name but not with his music, I came with an open mind. Boy, was my mind blown wide open. Twenty tracks and nineteen of them bewitching.

There are basically five Fats Wallers. There is the distinguished composer; the brilliant pianist; the great bandleader; the endearing singer, and the incomparable interpreter of the popular song. In each of these five categories, he excels. Just listen to his solo version of Tea for Two, or his own composition, Viper's Drag, and you realise that he ranks alongside jazz music's greatest piano players, from Eubie Blake to Thelonious Monk. I hung on to every note. The man had magic in his fingers.

The songs are divided between his solo work and his own band, Fats Waller & his Rhythm, a two-horn sextet. The sextet is excellent. They could swing with the best of them and the solos are lovely. Check out Herman Autrey's lengthy trumpet solo (beautifully underpinned by Fats' own tinkling of the ivories) that introduces the old standard, Two Sleepy People. Like all great band leaders, - Morton, Ellington, Mingus - he had a keen ear for talented musicians and by creating the right musical setting, brought out their full potential. What's the betting musicians that played with Fats never again achieved the heights that they achieved with him?

His writing was excellent, too, and he excelled both in the field of popular song, such as I'm Crazy About My Baby, and in jazz composition, such as Handful of Keys.

His voice and phrasing was attractive and perfectly suited to humorous songs, and Fats was a great humorist, the Ian Dury of his day. He could also add real poignancy to bitter sweet love songs. I doubt if Hoagy Carmichael's Two Sleepy People has ever been sung with quite such easy-going sincerity.

So there you have it: five good reasons for purchasing this CD and at such a bargain price, as well. The one tack I didn't like? - The Jitterbug Waltz. Fats' Hammond organ playing failed to float my boat, I'm afraid.

A word on the packaging. Excellent. The sleeve notes by Scott Yanow are concise but informative. [The curse of jazz fans is windy sleeve notes that say nothing in particular.] The informative listing and track information is neatly laid out and easy on the eye. Also, the font is large enough so you don't need binoculars to read the words. Even the cover is tastefully done. Naxos deserve full credit for this CD.

This Joint is Jumpin'!, 15 Jun 2004
The Naxos label seems to be in the process of reissuing lots, perhaps all, of Fats Waller's commercial recordings. This one is a collection of favorites recorded between 1929 ('A Handful of Keys') and 1942 ('The Jitterbug Waltz') which are presented more or less in the order in which they were recorded. Included are such favorites as 'Ain't Misbehavin',' 'Honeysuckle Rose,' 'Your Feet's Too Big,' and 'Georgia on My Mind.' There is a version of 'Tea for Two' that I'd never heard before and which contains some of the most inventive harmonies and an infectiously unpredictable variation of tempi that I kept playing again and again in order to get a grasp on. Wonderful! 'This Joint is Jumpin',' recorded in 1937, is interrupted by a 'raid' by the police blowing their whistles and people 'cutting a rug' to get out of the place. Hilariously enacted by Waller and his band. If ever there was a performer who conveyed high good spirits any better than Waller, I don't know who it was. It was a huge loss when he died if pneumonia in the train station in Kansas City in late 1943.

This collection, in wonderful sound for the period, will assuredly make you tap your feet and perhaps even get up and dance a few steps. It will definitely put you in a good mood.

Scott Morrison

Astonishing!!, 04 Oct 2008
Complete Recorded Works 1926-1930
Although praise is (rightly) heaped on Louis, his near contemporary Jelly Roll Morton is often mentioned in a slightly apologetic tone as if he is somehow in a different league to Armstrong. This is undoubtedly true when comparing performing talents (although Morton was a very fine pianist indeed). Jelly's true greatness lies in his band leading and arranging skills.

These discs contain a variety of styles of music, such as the sheer exuberance of the opening number (Black Bottom Stomp), the inanities of Billy Goat Stomp and little tone poems like "Mournful Serenade". Incidentally this last number is a pirated version of King Oliver's "Chimes Blues" but Morton's account is completely his own.

But above all I should mention "Deep Creek Blues". This is a profound, heartfelt blues drenched in sadness. I have never heard this number played by anyone else: indeed it seems impossible that anyone else could play it.

The remastering was done by the late John R T Davies. Need I say more on this score?

This box set thoroughly deserves five stars for everything: choice of material, performance and remastering.


Collecting Jelly Roll, 28 Dec 2005
I have collected Jelly Roll Morton for many years and in several formats, from vinyl to cassette to CD, and this is the best album and the most comprehensive I have found to date.Many of the tracks in the album are already in my collection, but some of them were recorded at different sessions, or are different takes, and give a fresh perspective on a familiar theme.
Wild Man Blues in particular is a very clear recording, and has obviously been cleaned up and digitally enhanced to a sparkling quality, as have most of the tracks.
There are also a few tracks featuring a trio comprising J.R. Morton, Johnny Dodds and Baby Dodds that are surprisingly fresh and crisp.
The unusual sound of a violin in a jazz band,(played by Darnell Howard?) and the cornet of George Mitchell also make this a very collectable set of CDs.

great jazz collection, 05 Oct 2005
i recently bought the the 5 cd set of jelly roll morton and enjoyed them.Have always been keen on morton's great jazz recordings.

A collection from the triumphal days of traditional jazz, 19 Feb 2001
This boxed set of 5 CDs has to be "5-star" value. To collect all the numbers individually would, even if possible, be ridiculously expensive as the CDs include every surviving recording made by Jelly Roll Morton over the years 1926-1930. The CDs embrace alternate takes for many of the numbers and so allow listeners to compare different versions and to trace their development.

Jelly Roll Morton proclaimed himself to be the "inventor" of jazz and these CDs provide insight to his disciplined approach to recording sessions. Others have claimed to originate jazz, but the qualities demonstrated on these CDs suggest Jelly Roll Morton's self-representation may be correct. He was a great composer and the vast majority of the numbers on the CDs are his own - he was an inventive arranger as indicated by both ensemble playing and solo interjections, and different treatments with alternates on the CDs - and above all, he was clearly an inspirational bandleader as he surrounded himself with many of the best musicians of the day as described in the discographies.

The CD insert notes have a reasonable amount of background material, but about the various recordings there are detailed and informative comments. It is fascinating to listen to the numbers and read up the explanatory notes - though there is at least one error (Original Jelly Roll Blues), and some remarks are flagrantly subjective - but relevant.

If there is a problem it is that there is just too much, and many collectors and jazz lovers are likely to already have tracks on "compilation" recordings or "best of" selections. Some of the recordings appear elsewhere with other names (example : Johnny Dodds) though most are Jelly Roll Morton with his Red Hot Peppers, or his Orchestra, or various Trios and other offshoots of his main groups. The real value of jazz is not in documentation but in personal experience - just as well as there are 99 tracks to comment on - but too much is hardly a criticism. As well as a "5-star" value this boxed set is a "5-star" collectors item from Jelly Roll Morton's triumphal days of traditional jazz.

Red Hot like Chillie Peppers, 30 Dec 2004
Here you have a record of the Chicago Red Hot Peppers Sessions. Strait New Orleans, fast, not compromised, furiose red hot dixeland\jazz. Chear fun, great musicians, this is a magical album to me. Live music played in studio setting. Yeah, good place to go after dinner at Cotton Club! Buy it, you will NOT regreat it!

Perfect clarity, 10 Mar 2007
I'm not a great fan of New Orleans-type jazz, but this CD is highly enjoyable. The sound quality is extraordinarily clear, each instrument coming across with clarity. CD1 has the classic Red Hot Chilli Pepper sessions between 1926-27 which are simply superb music brilliantly performed. Omar Simeon on clarinet is particularly memorable. But of course, Jelly Roll himself is the presiding genius. CD2 shows Jelly Roll in New York in the late 20s with a bigger ensemble on the verge of the swing era. "Deep Creek" from 1928 is an incredibly swinging track rivalling any of the big bands yet to come in its orchestration and sense of atmosphere. But there is a big gap between 1930 and 1939 which may reveal something of Jelly Roll's fortunes as his sound and style go out of fashion. The last couple of tracks are from a session in 1940.

Jimmy Yancey, 05 Jan 2004
Yancey is one of the great originals, one of the fathers of the whole boogie-woogie movement. But he makes his point by playing FEWER rather then more notes.
This is one volume of the completre set of his recordings - buy them all! They are wonderfully relaxing, melancholy blues.