Band leader and lounge kingpin Louis Prima will be best be known for the classic, "Just a Gigolo", immortalised by David Lee Roth for a whole new generation of swingers. But Prima's output went much further: in his day he recorded for Capitol, acted in a film or two, even owned a golf course. Prima's genius is infectious: lounge, swing, and Dixieland all fuse together into medleys that are fun, dance-worthy, and upbeat. Prima's duets with Keely Smith are the obvious highlights here: "That Ol' Black Magic", "Hey Boy! Hey Girl!", and "I've Got You Under My Skin" are essential Prima tracks. Sure, the cheese factor occasionally runs high, but it is a fun trip. --Jason Verlinde

Fantastic - Louis Prima, 08 Jan 2002
So many great songs on one CD. I'm sure everyone must know at least one Louis Prima song (even if they don't know it!) Just A Gigolo, Buona Sera, Jump, Jive, an' Wail, Whistle Stop, The Music Goes Round and Round!! Don't expect to sit down and listen to this one, you can't help but want to dance. Brilliant!

Eat, drink, dance, and listen to Louis Prima, 04 Dec 2000
no CD i own captures the feeling of being at home with my 50 crazy hilarious italian relatives more perfectly than this one. louis' ragged voice and keely smith's satin-smooth sound are 2 great tastes that taste great together. "banana split for my baby" is definitely a highlight

Fantastic - Louis Prima, 08 Jan 2002
So many great songs on one CD. I'm sure everyone must know at least one Louis Prima song (even if they don't know it!) Just A Gigolo, Buona Sera, Jump, Jive, an' Wail, Whistle Stop, The Music Goes Round and Round!! Don't expect to sit down and listen to this one, you can't help but want to dance. Brilliant!

Eat, drink, dance, and listen to Louis Prima, 04 Dec 2000
no CD i own captures the feeling of being at home with my 50 crazy hilarious italian relatives more perfectly than this one. louis' ragged voice and keely smith's satin-smooth sound are 2 great tastes that taste great together. "banana split for my baby" is definitely a highlight

fantastic blues/gospel/rock&roll shes fab!!, 04 Oct 2008
this is a fantastic cd i love her love gospel/blues shes upthere with mahalia jackson/aretha franklin/doris duke/minnie riperton/roberta flack/marlena shaw/lorraine ellison etc love soul/gospel/rhythm&blues/rock&roll just love black music in general combineing soul/jazz rythm&blues with rock&roll just love it did anyone see jools holland last night he had boy george doing down by the riverside it showed an old clip with sister rosetta tharpe doing the guitar rythm it was cool!! jools holland is a top bloke he knows his soul blues jazz etc he had seasick steve on too he is cool too!! anyway im going on now lol buy this fantastic cd love it!!

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, 13 Mar 2008
What I wonder is the "Devil's Music" supposed to be? I mean really-the music of Sister Rosetta Tharpe-who was not a nun-is nothing more than rock'n'roll anyway.But than we know about the connection between RnR and the blues to say nothing of the beginnings of Jazz itself when New Orleans musicians would form Brass Bands after finding instruments in the pawn shops left there after the Civil War-and played hymns on their parades.When the Saints go marching in was one of the first.
So the Devil's Music is not really an accurate description when so many of these singers kept in the Gospel turf with Mahalia Jackson being the most obvious example-the first of her kind to get a Gold Disc!
Maybe the Man in the Sky is the biggest ever influence on RnR and R & B
Many of the Tharpe songs were covered by white singers like Johnny Ray and Pat Boone and the lady herself recorded stuff with the Chris Barber Band in the U K.
This CD in the Snapper Music BLUES seies is the most recent compilation

Commemorating the 40th anniversary of Nat King Cole's death in 1965, this compilation is the CD companion of an excellent DVD/documentary. Produced with the blessing of his estate, this disc is a thorough survey of his timeless genius--all recorded on the Capitol label. It captures his sumptuous and soothing tenor voice crooning on the pop tunes he made famous, like the ethereal "Nature Boy," the melancholy "Mona Lisa," and the bouncy "Straighten Up and Fly Right," and "Route 66." It also features Cole's often-overlooked skills as an Earl Hines-style pianist. "Quizas, Quizas, Quizas (Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps)," and "Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup," attest to his international appeal, and see if you can keep a dry eye when you listen to Natalie Cole's posthumous, digitally-enhanced duet with her father on "Unforgettable." From strings to big bands, Nat King Cole is never out of style. --Eugene Holley, Jr.

Fantastic - Louis Prima, 08 Jan 2002
So many great songs on one CD. I'm sure everyone must know at least one Louis Prima song (even if they don't know it!) Just A Gigolo, Buona Sera, Jump, Jive, an' Wail, Whistle Stop, The Music Goes Round and Round!! Don't expect to sit down and listen to this one, you can't help but want to dance. Brilliant!

Eat, drink, dance, and listen to Louis Prima, 04 Dec 2000
no CD i own captures the feeling of being at home with my 50 crazy hilarious italian relatives more perfectly than this one. louis' ragged voice and keely smith's satin-smooth sound are 2 great tastes that taste great together. "banana split for my baby" is definitely a highlight

fantastic blues/gospel/rock&roll shes fab!!, 04 Oct 2008
this is a fantastic cd i love her love gospel/blues shes upthere with mahalia jackson/aretha franklin/doris duke/minnie riperton/roberta flack/marlena shaw/lorraine ellison etc love soul/gospel/rhythm&blues/rock&roll just love black music in general combineing soul/jazz rythm&blues with rock&roll just love it did anyone see jools holland last night he had boy george doing down by the riverside it showed an old clip with sister rosetta tharpe doing the guitar rythm it was cool!! jools holland is a top bloke he knows his soul blues jazz etc he had seasick steve on too he is cool too!! anyway im going on now lol buy this fantastic cd love it!!

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, 13 Mar 2008
What I wonder is the "Devil's Music" supposed to be? I mean really-the music of Sister Rosetta Tharpe-who was not a nun-is nothing more than rock'n'roll anyway.But than we know about the connection between RnR and the blues to say nothing of the beginnings of Jazz itself when New Orleans musicians would form Brass Bands after finding instruments in the pawn shops left there after the Civil War-and played hymns on their parades.When the Saints go marching in was one of the first.
So the Devil's Music is not really an accurate description when so many of these singers kept in the Gospel turf with Mahalia Jackson being the most obvious example-the first of her kind to get a Gold Disc!
Maybe the Man in the Sky is the biggest ever influence on RnR and R & B
Many of the Tharpe songs were covered by white singers like Johnny Ray and Pat Boone and the lady herself recorded stuff with the Chris Barber Band in the U K.
This CD in the Snapper Music BLUES seies is the most recent compilation

nat king cole the legend what a collection!!, 19 Aug 2008
this is a an amazeing collection by nat king cole this is the best best of collection but he has a few essential albums too like after midnight sessions and love is the thing there fab and of course his christmas album buy them all there fab!!

nat is the king, 13 Sep 2007
This is an excellent collectin of Nat King Coles work including the Nat King Cole Trio. Great versions of "It's All In The Game" and "Love Letters". Obviously there are the classics which include "When I Fall In Love", "Smile" (1961 version) and both versions of "Unforgettable". A must for anyone who wants to discover the unforgettable Nat King Cole

Not the same album universally ., 05 Jan 2006
This is an excellent compilation covering recordings over a number of years , most of his well-known tracks , and with the re-mastered Unforgettable with the addition of Natalie Cole . However it does seem strange that this album is released also in the USA with different tracks , two of which should have been on this album . Record ( sorry , CD ) producers are strange animals in this respect .

Peerless, 07 Mar 2005
Nat King Cole's singing, his range, tone, diction and phrasing, not to mention the quality of the arrangements and backing, be they the Nat King Cole Trio or Nelson Riddle's full orchestra, are all of what today's young pretenders strive to achieve. And good as some of them are, you only have to play this album, or any of the many others of his that are available, to realise that they have a long way to go to come anywhere near.

Released to mark the 40th anniversary of his death, and in tandem with a DVD and television documentary, the packaging of this collection inevitably has the marketing department's mark, as opposed to the enthusiast's, on it. The accompanying booklet contains an article by daughter Natalie that is nearly all waffle and precious little detail about the music, and the tracklisting neglects to give any recording dates, which would have been helpful because they are not in chronological order - but it does show which tracks are mono and which stereo, in case our ears couldn't work that out.

The album starts off with a bang, Billy May's vibrant big band arrangement and backing for "Let's Face The Music And Dance" making sure that everyone is awake, before settling down into the ballads that most people know and love. It's not all balladry, though, and later on there is a taste of more upbeat material, and it's nice to see the inclusion of some neglected classics like "Send For Me" and "Orange Coloured Sky" before things are wound up with his full and unsurpassed reading of Hoagy Carmichael's "Stardust".

A couple of the tracks are alternative recordings to those normally heard - "Love Letters" and "Smile" - though to be fair, if you're not intimately familiar with them you won't notice. All of them, bar the engineered duet of "Unforgettable" with Natalie, have been digitally remastered; I remain unconvinced that this actually improves sound quality, but it does brighten up the backing instrumentation, and evens out the sound-level variations between tracks.

Whatever little quibbles I have about the packaging of the product, the man's singing and music are what matters, and they are five-star without question. It goes without saying that there is plenty more where this came from, as a browse of the listings will reveal. This does nicely though, especially as a present - I bought it for Mother's Day, and it was very well received.

Not definitive but a great collection, 02 Mar 2005
You'd need a boxed set of several CD's to contain all of Nat's great songs, but this collection is packed full of great music at a reasonable price.

In Britain, Nat is best known for When I fall in love, and it is inevitably included here. Beyond that's it's hard to single out tracks are they are all excellent. Ramblig rose, A blossom fell, Smile, Pretend and Somewhere along the way (all included here) were among Nat's other UK top ten hits, but he had others, not included here. Let there be love, which is here, just missed the UK top ten.

Apart from those UK hits, this compilation includes Nat's versions of classic songs such as Let's face the music and dance, Mona Lisa, Unforgettable (here twice, once solo and once with his daughter), It's all in the game, Straighten up and fly right. On the street where you live, I love you for sentimental reasons, Autumn leaves, Love letters and Stardust.

As an introduction to Nat's music, this is ideal. You're likely to end up buying more than one collection of Nat's music so don't worry about what's missing. Just enjoy what's here.

Fantastic - Louis Prima, 08 Jan 2002
So many great songs on one CD. I'm sure everyone must know at least one Louis Prima song (even if they don't know it!) Just A Gigolo, Buona Sera, Jump, Jive, an' Wail, Whistle Stop, The Music Goes Round and Round!! Don't expect to sit down and listen to this one, you can't help but want to dance. Brilliant!

Eat, drink, dance, and listen to Louis Prima, 04 Dec 2000
no CD i own captures the feeling of being at home with my 50 crazy hilarious italian relatives more perfectly than this one. louis' ragged voice and keely smith's satin-smooth sound are 2 great tastes that taste great together. "banana split for my baby" is definitely a highlight

fantastic blues/gospel/rock&roll shes fab!!, 04 Oct 2008
this is a fantastic cd i love her love gospel/blues shes upthere with mahalia jackson/aretha franklin/doris duke/minnie riperton/roberta flack/marlena shaw/lorraine ellison etc love soul/gospel/rhythm&blues/rock&roll just love black music in general combineing soul/jazz rythm&blues with rock&roll just love it did anyone see jools holland last night he had boy george doing down by the riverside it showed an old clip with sister rosetta tharpe doing the guitar rythm it was cool!! jools holland is a top bloke he knows his soul blues jazz etc he had seasick steve on too he is cool too!! anyway im going on now lol buy this fantastic cd love it!!

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, 13 Mar 2008
What I wonder is the "Devil's Music" supposed to be? I mean really-the music of Sister Rosetta Tharpe-who was not a nun-is nothing more than rock'n'roll anyway.But than we know about the connection between RnR and the blues to say nothing of the beginnings of Jazz itself when New Orleans musicians would form Brass Bands after finding instruments in the pawn shops left there after the Civil War-and played hymns on their parades.When the Saints go marching in was one of the first.
So the Devil's Music is not really an accurate description when so many of these singers kept in the Gospel turf with Mahalia Jackson being the most obvious example-the first of her kind to get a Gold Disc!
Maybe the Man in the Sky is the biggest ever influence on RnR and R & B
Many of the Tharpe songs were covered by white singers like Johnny Ray and Pat Boone and the lady herself recorded stuff with the Chris Barber Band in the U K.
This CD in the Snapper Music BLUES seies is the most recent compilation

nat king cole the legend what a collection!!, 19 Aug 2008
this is a an amazeing collection by nat king cole this is the best best of collection but he has a few essential albums too like after midnight sessions and love is the thing there fab and of course his christmas album buy them all there fab!!

nat is the king, 13 Sep 2007
This is an excellent collectin of Nat King Coles work including the Nat King Cole Trio. Great versions of "It's All In The Game" and "Love Letters". Obviously there are the classics which include "When I Fall In Love", "Smile" (1961 version) and both versions of "Unforgettable". A must for anyone who wants to discover the unforgettable Nat King Cole

Not the same album universally ., 05 Jan 2006
This is an excellent compilation covering recordings over a number of years , most of his well-known tracks , and with the re-mastered Unforgettable with the addition of Natalie Cole . However it does seem strange that this album is released also in the USA with different tracks , two of which should have been on this album . Record ( sorry , CD ) producers are strange animals in this respect .

Peerless, 07 Mar 2005
Nat King Cole's singing, his range, tone, diction and phrasing, not to mention the quality of the arrangements and backing, be they the Nat King Cole Trio or Nelson Riddle's full orchestra, are all of what today's young pretenders strive to achieve. And good as some of them are, you only have to play this album, or any of the many others of his that are available, to realise that they have a long way to go to come anywhere near.

Released to mark the 40th anniversary of his death, and in tandem with a DVD and television documentary, the packaging of this collection inevitably has the marketing department's mark, as opposed to the enthusiast's, on it. The accompanying booklet contains an article by daughter Natalie that is nearly all waffle and precious little detail about the music, and the tracklisting neglects to give any recording dates, which would have been helpful because they are not in chronological order - but it does show which tracks are mono and which stereo, in case our ears couldn't work that out.

The album starts off with a bang, Billy May's vibrant big band arrangement and backing for "Let's Face The Music And Dance" making sure that everyone is awake, before settling down into the ballads that most people know and love. It's not all balladry, though, and later on there is a taste of more upbeat material, and it's nice to see the inclusion of some neglected classics like "Send For Me" and "Orange Coloured Sky" before things are wound up with his full and unsurpassed reading of Hoagy Carmichael's "Stardust".

A couple of the tracks are alternative recordings to those normally heard - "Love Letters" and "Smile" - though to be fair, if you're not intimately familiar with them you won't notice. All of them, bar the engineered duet of "Unforgettable" with Natalie, have been digitally remastered; I remain unconvinced that this actually improves sound quality, but it does brighten up the backing instrumentation, and evens out the sound-level variations between tracks.

Whatever little quibbles I have about the packaging of the product, the man's singing and music are what matters, and they are five-star without question. It goes without saying that there is plenty more where this came from, as a browse of the listings will reveal. This does nicely though, especially as a present - I bought it for Mother's Day, and it was very well received.

Not definitive but a great collection, 02 Mar 2005
You'd need a boxed set of several CD's to contain all of Nat's great songs, but this collection is packed full of great music at a reasonable price.

In Britain, Nat is best known for When I fall in love, and it is inevitably included here. Beyond that's it's hard to single out tracks are they are all excellent. Ramblig rose, A blossom fell, Smile, Pretend and Somewhere along the way (all included here) were among Nat's other UK top ten hits, but he had others, not included here. Let there be love, which is here, just missed the UK top ten.

Apart from those UK hits, this compilation includes Nat's versions of classic songs such as Let's face the music and dance, Mona Lisa, Unforgettable (here twice, once solo and once with his daughter), It's all in the game, Straighten up and fly right. On the street where you live, I love you for sentimental reasons, Autumn leaves, Love letters and Stardust.

As an introduction to Nat's music, this is ideal. You're likely to end up buying more than one collection of Nat's music so don't worry about what's missing. Just enjoy what's here.

Dinah at her finest !, 31 Jul 2001
This is one of the best hit compilations from Dinah Washington I've heard, the CD covers many different styles all sung in Dinah's individual style, there are many all time classics on this CD all done in her impecable style. A great easy listening CD, with Jazz style undertones - a good listen all round !

Fantastic - Louis Prima, 08 Jan 2002
So many great songs on one CD. I'm sure everyone must know at least one Louis Prima song (even if they don't know it!) Just A Gigolo, Buona Sera, Jump, Jive, an' Wail, Whistle Stop, The Music Goes Round and Round!! Don't expect to sit down and listen to this one, you can't help but want to dance. Brilliant!

Eat, drink, dance, and listen to Louis Prima, 04 Dec 2000
no CD i own captures the feeling of being at home with my 50 crazy hilarious italian relatives more perfectly than this one. louis' ragged voice and keely smith's satin-smooth sound are 2 great tastes that taste great together. "banana split for my baby" is definitely a highlight

fantastic blues/gospel/rock&roll shes fab!!, 04 Oct 2008
this is a fantastic cd i love her love gospel/blues shes upthere with mahalia jackson/aretha franklin/doris duke/minnie riperton/roberta flack/marlena shaw/lorraine ellison etc love soul/gospel/rhythm&blues/rock&roll just love black music in general combineing soul/jazz rythm&blues with rock&roll just love it did anyone see jools holland last night he had boy george doing down by the riverside it showed an old clip with sister rosetta tharpe doing the guitar rythm it was cool!! jools holland is a top bloke he knows his soul blues jazz etc he had seasick steve on too he is cool too!! anyway im going on now lol buy this fantastic cd love it!!

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, 13 Mar 2008
What I wonder is the "Devil's Music" supposed to be? I mean really-the music of Sister Rosetta Tharpe-who was not a nun-is nothing more than rock'n'roll anyway.But than we know about the connection between RnR and the blues to say nothing of the beginnings of Jazz itself when New Orleans musicians would form Brass Bands after finding instruments in the pawn shops left there after the Civil War-and played hymns on their parades.When the Saints go marching in was one of the first.
So the Devil's Music is not really an accurate description when so many of these singers kept in the Gospel turf with Mahalia Jackson being the most obvious example-the first of her kind to get a Gold Disc!
Maybe the Man in the Sky is the biggest ever influence on RnR and R & B
Many of the Tharpe songs were covered by white singers like Johnny Ray and Pat Boone and the lady herself recorded stuff with the Chris Barber Band in the U K.
This CD in the Snapper Music BLUES seies is the most recent compilation

nat king cole the legend what a collection!!, 19 Aug 2008
this is a an amazeing collection by nat king cole this is the best best of collection but he has a few essential albums too like after midnight sessions and love is the thing there fab and of course his christmas album buy them all there fab!!

nat is the king, 13 Sep 2007
This is an excellent collectin of Nat King Coles work including the Nat King Cole Trio. Great versions of "It's All In The Game" and "Love Letters". Obviously there are the classics which include "When I Fall In Love", "Smile" (1961 version) and both versions of "Unforgettable". A must for anyone who wants to discover the unforgettable Nat King Cole

Not the same album universally ., 05 Jan 2006
This is an excellent compilation covering recordings over a number of years , most of his well-known tracks , and with the re-mastered Unforgettable with the addition of Natalie Cole . However it does seem strange that this album is released also in the USA with different tracks , two of which should have been on this album . Record ( sorry , CD ) producers are strange animals in this respect .

Peerless, 07 Mar 2005
Nat King Cole's singing, his range, tone, diction and phrasing, not to mention the quality of the arrangements and backing, be they the Nat King Cole Trio or Nelson Riddle's full orchestra, are all of what today's young pretenders strive to achieve. And good as some of them are, you only have to play this album, or any of the many others of his that are available, to realise that they have a long way to go to come anywhere near.

Released to mark the 40th anniversary of his death, and in tandem with a DVD and television documentary, the packaging of this collection inevitably has the marketing department's mark, as opposed to the enthusiast's, on it. The accompanying booklet contains an article by daughter Natalie that is nearly all waffle and precious little detail about the music, and the tracklisting neglects to give any recording dates, which would have been helpful because they are not in chronological order - but it does show which tracks are mono and which stereo, in case our ears couldn't work that out.

The album starts off with a bang, Billy May's vibrant big band arrangement and backing for "Let's Face The Music And Dance" making sure that everyone is awake, before settling down into the ballads that most people know and love. It's not all balladry, though, and later on there is a taste of more upbeat material, and it's nice to see the inclusion of some neglected classics like "Send For Me" and "Orange Coloured Sky" before things are wound up with his full and unsurpassed reading of Hoagy Carmichael's "Stardust".

A couple of the tracks are alternative recordings to those normally heard - "Love Letters" and "Smile" - though to be fair, if you're not intimately familiar with them you won't notice. All of them, bar the engineered duet of "Unforgettable" with Natalie, have been digitally remastered; I remain unconvinced that this actually improves sound quality, but it does brighten up the backing instrumentation, and evens out the sound-level variations between tracks.

Whatever little quibbles I have about the packaging of the product, the man's singing and music are what matters, and they are five-star without question. It goes without saying that there is plenty more where this came from, as a browse of the listings will reveal. This does nicely though, especially as a present - I bought it for Mother's Day, and it was very well received.

Not definitive but a great collection, 02 Mar 2005
You'd need a boxed set of several CD's to contain all of Nat's great songs, but this collection is packed full of great music at a reasonable price.

In Britain, Nat is best known for When I fall in love, and it is inevitably included here. Beyond that's it's hard to single out tracks are they are all excellent. Ramblig rose, A blossom fell, Smile, Pretend and Somewhere along the way (all included here) were among Nat's other UK top ten hits, but he had others, not included here. Let there be love, which is here, just missed the UK top ten.

Apart from those UK hits, this compilation includes Nat's versions of classic songs such as Let's face the music and dance, Mona Lisa, Unforgettable (here twice, once solo and once with his daughter), It's all in the game, Straighten up and fly right. On the street where you live, I love you for sentimental reasons, Autumn leaves, Love letters and Stardust.

As an introduction to Nat's music, this is ideal. You're likely to end up buying more than one collection of Nat's music so don't worry about what's missing. Just enjoy what's here.

Dinah at her finest !, 31 Jul 2001
This is one of the best hit compilations from Dinah Washington I've heard, the CD covers many different styles all sung in Dinah's individual style, there are many all time classics on this CD all done in her impecable style. A great easy listening CD, with Jazz style undertones - a good listen all round !

sound quality could be better, 29 Dec 2006
Be warned that the modern recordings are fine but the period recordings have been processed to a deathly dullness. Why are so few companies able to understand that you cannot eliminate all the hiss and crackle without affecting the ambience of the recording? I don't have a specific alternative to suggest as a boogie woogie primer but have a look at JSP's inexpensive box sets.

Take a chance!, 21 Sep 2006
I took a chance on this one and it is a great buy! Think where Jools Holland gets the roots of his style from! Blues, Rock, jazz, all combined with a fast piano pace that gets the foot tapping and you wanting to get up and dnace! Wildly! This album is a barrel load of fun! Dare to be different and enjoy to the max!

Solid foot-tapping stuff all the way through!, 23 Feb 2002
Wow - what a stunner! THIS IS WHAT BOOGIE-WOOGIE PIANO IS ALL ABOUT! The first track (by British boogie-woogie pianist; Chas.(Mr. Boogie Woogie)Hall, just makes you want to get up and dance - or whatever. I just couldn't keep still to this kind of beat. The second and third tracks have Albert Ammons at his best. It's great to hear of Billy Penrose again after so many years. Each time you think you've heard the best up comes another great boogie-woogie beat. Forest Sykes dishes out the fastest Honky Tonk Train on record. Apart from Chas's,recent recordings of 'Boogie Woogie Jive' and 'Foot-Tapper',it's hard to believe that the rest were recorded so many years ago - the quality is absolutly superb, well done Jasmine Records: Let's have some more - please!

Red hot left hand stuff from first track till last., 10 Feb 2002
This must be one of the finest boogie-woogie CD's on offer. It's a 'MUST HAVE'. From the very first number, 'Boogie Woogie Jive' (AND WHAT A BELTER), the infectuous left hand rhythms just do not let up. Try keeping your feet still - I found it impossible! Excellent for jiving too.
Collectors will discover many tracks that have never been re-issued since their original release.As for value, it's a steal at this price. Go for it - go on buy it.

Fantastic - Louis Prima, 08 Jan 2002
So many great songs on one CD. I'm sure everyone must know at least one Louis Prima song (even if they don't know it!) Just A Gigolo, Buona Sera, Jump, Jive, an' Wail, Whistle Stop, The Music Goes Round and Round!! Don't expect to sit down and listen to this one, you can't help but want to dance. Brilliant!

Eat, drink, dance, and listen to Louis Prima, 04 Dec 2000
no CD i own captures the feeling of being at home with my 50 crazy hilarious italian relatives more perfectly than this one. louis' ragged voice and keely smith's satin-smooth sound are 2 great tastes that taste great together. "banana split for my baby" is definitely a highlight

fantastic blues/gospel/rock&roll shes fab!!, 04 Oct 2008
this is a fantastic cd i love her love gospel/blues shes upthere with mahalia jackson/aretha franklin/doris duke/minnie riperton/roberta flack/marlena shaw/lorraine ellison etc love soul/gospel/rhythm&blues/rock&roll just love black music in general combineing soul/jazz rythm&blues with rock&roll just love it did anyone see jools holland last night he had boy george doing down by the riverside it showed an old clip with sister rosetta tharpe doing the guitar rythm it was cool!! jools holland is a top bloke he knows his soul blues jazz etc he had seasick steve on too he is cool too!! anyway im going on now lol buy this fantastic cd love it!!

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, 13 Mar 2008
What I wonder is the "Devil's Music" supposed to be? I mean really-the music of Sister Rosetta Tharpe-who was not a nun-is nothing more than rock'n'roll anyway.But than we know about the connection between RnR and the blues to say nothing of the beginnings of Jazz itself when New Orleans musicians would form Brass Bands after finding instruments in the pawn shops left there after the Civil War-and played hymns on their parades.When the Saints go marching in was one of the first.
So the Devil's Music is not really an accurate description when so many of these singers kept in the Gospel turf with Mahalia Jackson being the most obvious example-the first of her kind to get a Gold Disc!
Maybe the Man in the Sky is the biggest ever influence on RnR and R & B
Many of the Tharpe songs were covered by white singers like Johnny Ray and Pat Boone and the lady herself recorded stuff with the Chris Barber Band in the U K.
This CD in the Snapper Music BLUES seies is the most recent compilation

nat king cole the legend what a collection!!, 19 Aug 2008
this is a an amazeing collection by nat king cole this is the best best of collection but he has a few essential albums too like after midnight sessions and love is the thing there fab and of course his christmas album buy them all there fab!!

nat is the king, 13 Sep 2007
This is an excellent collectin of Nat King Coles work including the Nat King Cole Trio. Great versions of "It's All In The Game" and "Love Letters". Obviously there are the classics which include "When I Fall In Love", "Smile" (1961 version) and both versions of "Unforgettable". A must for anyone who wants to discover the unforgettable Nat King Cole

Not the same album universally ., 05 Jan 2006
This is an excellent compilation covering recordings over a number of years , most of his well-known tracks , and with the re-mastered Unforgettable with the addition of Natalie Cole . However it does seem strange that this album is released also in the USA with different tracks , two of which should have been on this album . Record ( sorry , CD ) producers are strange animals in this respect .

Peerless, 07 Mar 2005
Nat King Cole's singing, his range, tone, diction and phrasing, not to mention the quality of the arrangements and backing, be they the Nat King Cole Trio or Nelson Riddle's full orchestra, are all of what today's young pretenders strive to achieve. And good as some of them are, you only have to play this album, or any of the many others of his that are available, to realise that they have a long way to go to come anywhere near.

Released to mark the 40th anniversary of his death, and in tandem with a DVD and television documentary, the packaging of this collection inevitably has the marketing department's mark, as opposed to the enthusiast's, on it. The accompanying booklet contains an article by daughter Natalie that is nearly all waffle and precious little detail about the music, and the tracklisting neglects to give any recording dates, which would have been helpful because they are not in chronological order - but it does show which tracks are mono and which stereo, in case our ears couldn't work that out.

The album starts off with a bang, Billy May's vibrant big band arrangement and backing for "Let's Face The Music And Dance" making sure that everyone is awake, before settling down into the ballads that most people know and love. It's not all balladry, though, and later on there is a taste of more upbeat material, and it's nice to see the inclusion of some neglected classics like "Send For Me" and "Orange Coloured Sky" before things are wound up with his full and unsurpassed reading of Hoagy Carmichael's "Stardust".

A couple of the tracks are alternative recordings to those normally heard - "Love Letters" and "Smile" - though to be fair, if you're not intimately familiar with them you won't notice. All of them, bar the engineered duet of "Unforgettable" with Natalie, have been digitally remastered; I remain unconvinced that this actually improves sound quality, but it does brighten up the backing instrumentation, and evens out the sound-level variations between tracks.

Whatever little quibbles I have about the packaging of the product, the man's singing and music are what matters, and they are five-star without question. It goes without saying that there is plenty more where this came from, as a browse of the listings will reveal. This does nicely though, especially as a present - I bought it for Mother's Day, and it was very well received.

Not definitive but a great collection, 02 Mar 2005
You'd need a boxed set of several CD's to contain all of Nat's great songs, but this collection is packed full of great music at a reasonable price.

In Britain, Nat is best known for When I fall in love, and it is inevitably included here. Beyond that's it's hard to single out tracks are they are all excellent. Ramblig rose, A blossom fell, Smile, Pretend and Somewhere along the way (all included here) were among Nat's other UK top ten hits, but he had others, not included here. Let there be love, which is here, just missed the UK top ten.

Apart from those UK hits, this compilation includes Nat's versions of classic songs such as Let's face the music and dance, Mona Lisa, Unforgettable (here twice, once solo and once with his daughter), It's all in the game, Straighten up and fly right. On the street where you live, I love you for sentimental reasons, Autumn leaves, Love letters and Stardust.

As an introduction to Nat's music, this is ideal. You're likely to end up buying more than one collection of Nat's music so don't worry about what's missing. Just enjoy what's here.

Dinah at her finest !, 31 Jul 2001
This is one of the best hit compilations from Dinah Washington I've heard, the CD covers many different styles all sung in Dinah's individual style, there are many all time classics on this CD all done in her impecable style. A great easy listening CD, with Jazz style undertones - a good listen all round !

sound quality could be better, 29 Dec 2006
Be warned that the modern recordings are fine but the period recordings have been processed to a deathly dullness. Why are so few companies able to understand that you cannot eliminate all the hiss and crackle without affecting the ambience of the recording? I don't have a specific alternative to suggest as a boogie woogie primer but have a look at JSP's inexpensive box sets.

Take a chance!, 21 Sep 2006
I took a chance on this one and it is a great buy! Think where Jools Holland gets the roots of his style from! Blues, Rock, jazz, all combined with a fast piano pace that gets the foot tapping and you wanting to get up and dnace! Wildly! This album is a barrel load of fun! Dare to be different and enjoy to the max!

Solid foot-tapping stuff all the way through!, 23 Feb 2002
Wow - what a stunner! THIS IS WHAT BOOGIE-WOOGIE PIANO IS ALL ABOUT! The first track (by British boogie-woogie pianist; Chas.(Mr. Boogie Woogie)Hall, just makes you want to get up and dance - or whatever. I just couldn't keep still to this kind of beat. The second and third tracks have Albert Ammons at his best. It's great to hear of Billy Penrose again after so many years. Each time you think you've heard the best up comes another great boogie-woogie beat. Forest Sykes dishes out the fastest Honky Tonk Train on record. Apart from Chas's,recent recordings of 'Boogie Woogie Jive' and 'Foot-Tapper',it's hard to believe that the rest were recorded so many years ago - the quality is absolutly superb, well done Jasmine Records: Let's have some more - please!

Red hot left hand stuff from first track till last., 10 Feb 2002
This must be one of the finest boogie-woogie CD's on offer. It's a 'MUST HAVE'. From the very first number, 'Boogie Woogie Jive' (AND WHAT A BELTER), the infectuous left hand rhythms just do not let up. Try keeping your feet still - I found it impossible! Excellent for jiving too.
Collectors will discover many tracks that have never been re-issued since their original release.As for value, it's a steal at this price. Go for it - go on buy it.

Essential collection, beautifull package, 21 Sep 2007
This 2cd release has essential Louis material in superb sound and contains nice booklet and even some rarities and is probably 'best buy' for his 'Capitol' days. All his famous songs are here, except 'I wanna be like you' from MGM 'Jungle Book'.

Highly recommended for begginer or casual fan!

Excellent fun music which will get the toes tapping, 24 May 2002
I bought this CD after looking closely at the credits following the film The Talented Mr Ripley with Matt Damon. I thought the music in the film was so good I wanted to know who it was by, and so I discovered Louis Prima!

I love the way the music is not taken too seriously but at the same time it is delivered professionally to delight the listener. If the artist is having fun you can bet the listener will enjoy and there is no doubt Louis and his friends must have had fun on all these tracks.

Fantastic set to complete or start a Louis Prima collection, 18 Nov 1999
I was looking for a good CD collection of Louis Prima and Keely Smith to replace all the gorgeous old vinyl albums I had - this is it! Part of Capitol's "Wild, Cool & Swingin'" CD series, it features 2 CDs packed with all of Prima's best - from the better-known hits like "Jump, Jive & Wail" "Just A Gigolo" "Oh Marie" and "That Old Black Magic" to glorious gems like "Three-Handed Woman" and "John Ping-Pong." The smooth-as-satin Keely Smith is ably represented as well, on sultry swingers like "Autumn Leaves" "The Lip" and "Embraceable You." And the inclusion of many of Louis's Italian novelty songs is worth the price of the CD alone!

Most of these tracks are live, recorded during Prima and Smith's "Wildest Show in Vegas" days during the early '50s at the Sahara Hotel's Casbar Louge. Which is perfect, because Louis and Keely are at their best as they scat and clown their way through the tunes, with ample energy and feedbck from the audience.

Not to be missed is Sam Butera's wild sax, punctuating the songs like another set of vocals. Butera himself sings a few tracks, most notably on "Greenback Dollar Bill," with the Witnesses happily hooting in the background.

The sound quality on this CD is fabulous, and the excellent liner notes by R.J. Smith really set the context of the CD as it relates to Louis and his passionate, unique approach to jazz.

But most of all, this CD swings, rocks and rolls. I first heard Louis and Keely as a child, my Italian-American father a huge fan who saw them many times during their Vegas and Tahoe years. Their records were on constant play around our house, punctuating everything from Sunday morning breakfast to Friday evening summer barbecues. If you haven't already checked out the catalogue of Prima's work, this CD is a great place to start. If you're completely in love with this Neapolitan-by-way-of-New-Orleans swinger, this CD will only add more cheese to your ravioli!

Fantastic - Louis Prima, 08 Jan 2002
So many great songs on one CD. I'm sure everyone must know at least one Louis Prima song (even if they don't know it!) Just A Gigolo, Buona Sera, Jump, Jive, an' Wail, Whistle Stop, The Music Goes Round and Round!! Don't expect to sit down and listen to this one, you can't help but want to dance. Brilliant!

Eat, drink, dance, and listen to Louis Prima, 04 Dec 2000
no CD i own captures the feeling of being at home with my 50 crazy hilarious italian relatives more perfectly than this one. louis' ragged voice and keely smith's satin-smooth sound are 2 great tastes that taste great together. "banana split for my baby" is definitely a highlight

fantastic blues/gospel/rock&roll shes fab!!, 04 Oct 2008
this is a fantastic cd i love her love gospel/blues shes upthere with mahalia jackson/aretha franklin/doris duke/minnie riperton/roberta flack/marlena shaw/lorraine ellison etc love soul/gospel/rhythm&blues/rock&roll just love black music in general combineing soul/jazz rythm&blues with rock&roll just love it did anyone see jools holland last night he had boy george doing down by the riverside it showed an old clip with sister rosetta tharpe doing the guitar rythm it was cool!! jools holland is a top bloke he knows his soul blues jazz etc he had seasick steve on too he is cool too!! anyway im going on now lol buy this fantastic cd love it!!

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, 13 Mar 2008
What I wonder is the "Devil's Music" supposed to be? I mean really-the music of Sister Rosetta Tharpe-who was not a nun-is nothing more than rock'n'roll anyway.But than we know about the connection between RnR and the blues to say nothing of the beginnings of Jazz itself when New Orleans musicians would form Brass Bands after finding instruments in the pawn shops left there after the Civil War-and played hymns on their parades.When the Saints go marching in was one of the first.
So the Devil's Music is not really an accurate description when so many of these singers kept in the Gospel turf with Mahalia Jackson being the most obvious example-the first of her kind to get a Gold Disc!
Maybe the Man in the Sky is the biggest ever influence on RnR and R & B
Many of the Tharpe songs were covered by white singers like Johnny Ray and Pat Boone and the lady herself recorded stuff with the Chris Barber Band in the U K.
This CD in the Snapper Music BLUES seies is the most recent compilation

nat king cole the legend what a collection!!, 19 Aug 2008
this is a an amazeing collection by nat king cole this is the best best of collection but he has a few essential albums too like after midnight sessions and love is the thing there fab and of course his christmas album buy them all there fab!!

nat is the king, 13 Sep 2007
This is an excellent collectin of Nat King Coles work including the Nat King Cole Trio. Great versions of "It's All In The Game" and "Love Letters". Obviously there are the classics which include "When I Fall In Love", "Smile" (1961 version) and both versions of "Unforgettable". A must for anyone who wants to discover the unforgettable Nat King Cole

Not the same album universally ., 05 Jan 2006
This is an excellent compilation covering recordings over a number of years , most of his well-known tracks , and with the re-mastered Unforgettable with the addition of Natalie Cole . However it does seem strange that this album is released also in the USA with different tracks , two of which should have been on this album . Record ( sorry , CD ) producers are strange animals in this respect .

Peerless, 07 Mar 2005
Nat King Cole's singing, his range, tone, diction and phrasing, not to mention the quality of the arrangements and backing, be they the Nat King Cole Trio or Nelson Riddle's full orchestra, are all of what today's young pretenders strive to achieve. And good as some of them are, you only have to play this album, or any of the many others of his that are available, to realise that they have a long way to go to come anywhere near.

Released to mark the 40th anniversary of his death, and in tandem with a DVD and television documentary, the packaging of this collection inevitably has the marketing department's mark, as opposed to the enthusiast's, on it. The accompanying booklet contains an article by daughter Natalie that is nearly all waffle and precious little detail about the music, and the tracklisting neglects to give any recording dates, which would have been helpful because they are not in chronological order - but it does show which tracks are mono and which stereo, in case our ears couldn't work that out.

The album starts off with a bang, Billy May's vibrant big band arrangement and backing for "Let's Face The Music And Dance" making sure that everyone is awake, before settling down into the ballads that most people know and love. It's not all balladry, though, and later on there is a taste of more upbeat material, and it's nice to see the inclusion of some neglected classics like "Send For Me" and "Orange Coloured Sky" before things are wound up with his full and unsurpassed reading of Hoagy Carmichael's "Stardust".

A couple of the tracks are alternative recordings to those normally heard - "Love Letters" and "Smile" - though to be fair, if you're not intimately familiar with them you won't notice. All of them, bar the engineered duet of "Unforgettable" with Natalie, have been digitally remastered; I remain unconvinced that this actually improves sound quality, but it does brighten up the backing instrumentation, and evens out the sound-level variations between tracks.

Whatever little quibbles I have about the packaging of the product, the man's singing and music are what matters, and they are five-star without question. It goes without saying that there is plenty more where this came from, as a browse of the listings will reveal. This does nicely though, especially as a present - I bought it for Mother's Day, and it was very well received.

Not definitive but a great collection, 02 Mar 2005
You'd need a boxed set of several CD's to contain all of Nat's great songs, but this collection is packed full of great music at a reasonable price.

In Britain, Nat is best known for When I fall in love, and it is inevitably included here. Beyond that's it's hard to single out tracks are they are all excellent. Ramblig rose, A blossom fell, Smile, Pretend and Somewhere along the way (all included here) were among Nat's other UK top ten hits, but he had others, not included here. Let there be love, which is here, just missed the UK top ten.

Apart from those UK hits, this compilation includes Nat's versions of classic songs such as Let's face the music and dance, Mona Lisa, Unforgettable (here twice, once solo and once with his daughter), It's all in the game, Straighten up and fly right. On the street where you live, I love you for sentimental reasons, Autumn leaves, Love letters and Stardust.

As an introduction to Nat's music, this is ideal. You're likely to end up buying more than one collection of Nat's music so don't worry about what's missing. Just enjoy what's here.

Dinah at her finest !, 31 Jul 2001
This is one of the best hit compilations from Dinah Washington I've heard, the CD covers many different styles all sung in Dinah's individual style, there are many all time classics on this CD all done in her impecable style. A great easy listening CD, with Jazz style undertones - a good listen all round !

sound quality could be better, 29 Dec 2006
Be warned that the modern recordings are fine but the period recordings have been processed to a deathly dullness. Why are so few companies able to understand that you cannot eliminate all the hiss and crackle without affecting the ambience of the recording? I don't have a specific alternative to suggest as a boogie woogie primer but have a look at JSP's inexpensive box sets.

Take a chance!, 21 Sep 2006
I took a chance on this one and it is a great buy! Think where Jools Holland gets the roots of his style from! Blues, Rock, jazz, all combined with a fast piano pace that gets the foot tapping and you wanting to get up and dnace! Wildly! This album is a barrel load of fun! Dare to be different and enjoy to the max!

Solid foot-tapping stuff all the way through!, 23 Feb 2002
Wow - what a stunner! THIS IS WHAT BOOGIE-WOOGIE PIANO IS ALL ABOUT! The first track (by British boogie-woogie pianist; Chas.(Mr. Boogie Woogie)Hall, just makes you want to get up and dance - or whatever. I just couldn't keep still to this kind of beat. The second and third tracks have Albert Ammons at his best. It's great to hear of Billy Penrose again after so many years. Each time you think you've heard the best up comes another great boogie-woogie beat. Forest Sykes dishes out the fastest Honky Tonk Train on record. Apart from Chas's,recent recordings of 'Boogie Woogie Jive' and 'Foot-Tapper',it's hard to believe that the rest were recorded so many years ago - the quality is absolutly superb, well done Jasmine Records: Let's have some more - please!

Red hot left hand stuff from first track till last., 10 Feb 2002
This must be one of the finest boogie-woogie CD's on offer. It's a 'MUST HAVE'. From the very first number, 'Boogie Woogie Jive' (AND WHAT A BELTER), the infectuous left hand rhythms just do not let up. Try keeping your feet still - I found it impossible! Excellent for jiving too.
Collectors will discover many tracks that have never been re-issued since their original release.As for value, it's a steal at this price. Go for it - go on buy it.

Essential collection, beautifull package, 21 Sep 2007
This 2cd release has essential Louis material in superb sound and contains nice booklet and even some rarities and is probably 'best buy' for his 'Capitol' days. All his famous songs are here, except 'I wanna be like you' from MGM 'Jungle Book'.

Highly recommended for begginer or casual fan!

Excellent fun music which will get the toes tapping, 24 May 2002
I bought this CD after looking closely at the credits following the film The Talented Mr Ripley with Matt Damon. I thought the music in the film was so good I wanted to know who it was by, and so I discovered Louis Prima!

I love the way the music is not taken too seriously but at the same time it is delivered professionally to delight the listener. If the artist is having fun you can bet the listener will enjoy and there is no doubt Louis and his friends must have had fun on all these tracks.

Fantastic set to complete or start a Louis Prima collection, 18 Nov 1999
I was looking for a good CD collection of Louis Prima and Keely Smith to replace all the gorgeous old vinyl albums I had - this is it! Part of Capitol's "Wild, Cool & Swingin'" CD series, it features 2 CDs packed with all of Prima's best - from the better-known hits like "Jump, Jive & Wail" "Just A Gigolo" "Oh Marie" and "That Old Black Magic" to glorious gems like "Three-Handed Woman" and "John Ping-Pong." The smooth-as-satin Keely Smith is ably represented as well, on sultry swingers like "Autumn Leaves" "The Lip" and "Embraceable You." And the inclusion of many of Louis's Italian novelty songs is worth the price of the CD alone!

Most of these tracks are live, recorded during Prima and Smith's "Wildest Show in Vegas" days during the early '50s at the Sahara Hotel's Casbar Louge. Which is perfect, because Louis and Keely are at their best as they scat and clown their way through the tunes, with ample energy and feedbck from the audience.

Not to be missed is Sam Butera's wild sax, punctuating the songs like another set of vocals. Butera himself sings a few tracks, most notably on "Greenback Dollar Bill," with the Witnesses happily hooting in the background.

The sound quality on this CD is fabulous, and the excellent liner notes by R.J. Smith really set the context of the CD as it relates to Louis and his passionate, unique approach to jazz.

But most of all, this CD swings, rocks and rolls. I first heard Louis and Keely as a child, my Italian-American father a huge fan who saw them many times during their Vegas and Tahoe years. Their records were on constant play around our house, punctuating everything from Sunday morning breakfast to Friday evening summer barbecues. If you haven't already checked out the catalogue of Prima's work, this CD is a great place to start. If you're completely in love with this Neapolitan-by-way-of-New-Orleans swinger, this CD will only add more cheese to your ravioli!

The Masters., 30 Sep 2008
Drum battles between Krupa and Rich were always exciting,but this has something more.It is not a battle,more a collaboration. Although both swing-based their styles are very different.Rich was an unleashed monster whose subtler touches were often overlooked,whilst Krupa was the most musical of drummers who also had a magic that made the simplest beat something special.The two drummers loved each other,and it shows on this album.Their individual tracks are great but Bernie's Tune is the killer.Free-flowing,inventive and exciting drumming leading in to great solos from the guys in the ensemble. When the other musicians kick in Krupa remains to back them and then Rich takes over for the final choruses.This section shows most markedly their two styles....Krupa driving along with bass drum accents that are a joy,and then Buddy taking over and using more "top". And listen to how the ensemle reacts.Great solos from swingers like Roy Eldridge,modernists like Oscar Peterson,and be-boppers like Dizzy Gillespie showing that good jazz is good jazz regardless of style. These are masters at work.

Beat generation....., 18 Jul 2006
This is a great jazz album, full stop.

What would have been a good drums orientated record, has been made into a fantastic CD of a couple of swinging sessions with the addition of the two extra trax (Sunday and Monster). These balance out the album beautifully, making it a fine listen for fans of trumpet, sax, piano and drums.

I read Jack Kerouac's "On The Road" to this set, playing it again and again, and it was the perfect musical partner.

Krupa and Rich: driving and exuberant. As relentless as Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty's American road-trips. The band blowing exhilarating, breathless improvisational jazz that was every way the musical equivalent of Kerouac's stream of consciousness......

Think the five discs and 131 songs of Louis Jordan & His Tympany 5 is too much Louis Jordan? Not a chance. Not for a man who so consistently and so definitively achieved the elusive and delicate combination of musicianship and accessibility. Not for a man who paved new and vital musical roads without ever losing his sense of style or his appetite for fun. Covering Jordan's historic (not to mention commercially successful) Decca tenure from 1938 to 1950, this amazing collection finds the alto-sax player, songwriter, and singer building blues and swing into a hot mix that came to be known as R&B, producing hit after hit with top-notch bands behind him, streamlining the big-band concept without diminishing the music's force. Much has been made of his role in the development of R&B--and as a result, rock & roll--and his importance as a musical pioneer can't be under estimated. But all ideas about "historical importance" fade away as these vibrant, insistent, irresistible tracks roll by. --Marc Greilsamer

Fantastic - Louis Prima, 08 Jan 2002
So many great songs on one CD. I'm sure everyone must know at least one Louis Prima song (even if they don't know it!) Just A Gigolo, Buona Sera, Jump, Jive, an' Wail, Whistle Stop, The Music Goes Round and Round!! Don't expect to sit down and listen to this one, you can't help but want to dance. Brilliant!

Eat, drink, dance, and listen to Louis Prima, 04 Dec 2000
no CD i own captures the feeling of being at home with my 50 crazy hilarious italian relatives more perfectly than this one. louis' ragged voice and keely smith's satin-smooth sound are 2 great tastes that taste great together. "banana split for my baby" is definitely a highlight

fantastic blues/gospel/rock&roll shes fab!!, 04 Oct 2008
this is a fantastic cd i love her love gospel/blues shes upthere with mahalia jackson/aretha franklin/doris duke/minnie riperton/roberta flack/marlena shaw/lorraine ellison etc love soul/gospel/rhythm&blues/rock&roll just love black music in general combineing soul/jazz rythm&blues with rock&roll just love it did anyone see jools holland last night he had boy george doing down by the riverside it showed an old clip with sister rosetta tharpe doing the guitar rythm it was cool!! jools holland is a top bloke he knows his soul blues jazz etc he had seasick steve on too he is cool too!! anyway im going on now lol buy this fantastic cd love it!!

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, 13 Mar 2008
What I wonder is the "Devil's Music" supposed to be? I mean really-the music of Sister Rosetta Tharpe-who was not a nun-is nothing more than rock'n'roll anyway.But than we know about the connection between RnR and the blues to say nothing of the beginnings of Jazz itself when New Orleans musicians would form Brass Bands after finding instruments in the pawn shops left there after the Civil War-and played hymns on their parades.When the Saints go marching in was one of the first.
So the Devil's Music is not really an accurate description when so many of these singers kept in the Gospel turf with Mahalia Jackson being the most obvious example-the first of her kind to get a Gold Disc!
Maybe the Man in the Sky is the biggest ever influence on RnR and R & B
Many of the Tharpe songs were covered by white singers like Johnny Ray and Pat Boone and the lady herself recorded stuff with the Chris Barber Band in the U K.
This CD in the Snapper Music BLUES seies is the most recent compilation

nat king cole the legend what a collection!!, 19 Aug 2008
this is a an amazeing collection by nat king cole this is the best best of collection but he has a few essential albums too like after midnight sessions and love is the thing there fab and of course his christmas album buy them all there fab!!

nat is the king, 13 Sep 2007
This is an excellent collectin of Nat King Coles work including the Nat King Cole Trio. Great versions of "It's All In The Game" and "Love Letters". Obviously there are the classics which include "When I Fall In Love", "Smile" (1961 version) and both versions of "Unforgettable". A must for anyone who wants to discover the unforgettable Nat King Cole

Not the same album universally ., 05 Jan 2006
This is an excellent compilation covering recordings over a number of years , most of his well-known tracks , and with the re-mastered Unforgettable with the addition of Natalie Cole . However it does seem strange that this album is released also in the USA with different tracks , two of which should have been on this album . Record ( sorry , CD ) producers are strange animals in this respect .

Peerless, 07 Mar 2005
Nat King Cole's singing, his range, tone, diction and phrasing, not to mention the quality of the arrangements and backing, be they the Nat King Cole Trio or Nelson Riddle's full orchestra, are all of what today's young pretenders strive to achieve. And good as some of them are, you only have to play this album, or any of the many others of his that are available, to realise that they have a long way to go to come anywhere near.

Released to mark the 40th anniversary of his death, and in tandem with a DVD and television documentary, the packaging of this collection inevitably has the marketing department's mark, as opposed to the enthusiast's, on it. The accompanying booklet contains an article by daughter Natalie that is nearly all waffle and precious little detail about the music, and the tracklisting neglects to give any recording dates, which would have been helpful because they are not in chronological order - but it does show which tracks are mono and which stereo, in case our ears couldn't work that out.

The album starts off with a bang, Billy May's vibrant big band arrangement and backing for "Let's Face The Music And Dance" making sure that everyone is awake, before settling down into the ballads that most people know and love. It's not all balladry, though, and later on there is a taste of more upbeat material, and it's nice to see the inclusion of some neglected classics like "Send For Me" and "Orange Coloured Sky" before things are wound up with his full and unsurpassed reading of Hoagy Carmichael's "Stardust".

A couple of the tracks are alternative recordings to those normally heard - "Love Letters" and "Smile" - though to be fair, if you're not intimately familiar with them you won't notice. All of them, bar the engineered duet of "Unforgettable" with Natalie, have been digitally remastered; I remain unconvinced that this actually improves sound quality, but it does brighten up the backing instrumentation, and evens out the sound-level variations between tracks.

Whatever little quibbles I have about the packaging of the product, the man's singing and music are what matters, and they are five-star without question. It goes without saying that there is plenty more where this came from, as a browse of the listings will reveal. This does nicely though, especially as a present - I bought it for Mother's Day, and it was very well received.

Not definitive but a great collection, 02 Mar 2005
You'd need a boxed set of several CD's to contain all of Nat's great songs, but this collection is packed full of great music at a reasonable price.

In Britain, Nat is best known for When I fall in love, and it is inevitably included here. Beyond that's it's hard to single out tracks are they are all excellent. Ramblig rose, A blossom fell, Smile, Pretend and Somewhere along the way (all included here) were among Nat's other UK top ten hits, but he had others, not included here. Let there be love, which is here, just missed the UK top ten.

Apart from those UK hits, this compilation includes Nat's versions of classic songs such as Let's face the music and dance, Mona Lisa, Unforgettable (here twice, once solo and once with his daughter), It's all in the game, Straighten up and fly right. On the street where you live, I love you for sentimental reasons, Autumn leaves, Love letters and Stardust.

As an introduction to Nat's music, this is ideal. You're likely to end up buying more than one collection of Nat's music so don't worry about what's missing. Just enjoy what's here.

Dinah at her finest !, 31 Jul 2001
This is one of the best hit compilations from Dinah Washington I've heard, the CD covers many different styles all sung in Dinah's individual style, there are many all time classics on this CD all done in her impecable style. A great easy listening CD, with Jazz style undertones - a good listen all round !

sound quality could be better, 29 Dec 2006
Be warned that the modern recordings are fine but the period recordings have been processed to a deathly dullness. Why are so few companies able to understand that you cannot eliminate all the hiss and crackle without affecting the ambience of the recording? I don't have a specific alternative to suggest as a boogie woogie primer but have a look at JSP's inexpensive box sets.

Take a chance!, 21 Sep 2006
I took a chance on this one and it is a great buy! Think where Jools Holland gets the roots of his style from! Blues, Rock, jazz, all combined with a fast piano pace that gets the foot tapping and you wanting to get up and dnace! Wildly! This album is a barrel load of fun! Dare to be different and enjoy to the max!

Solid foot-tapping stuff all the way through!, 23 Feb 2002
Wow - what a stunner! THIS IS WHAT BOOGIE-WOOGIE PIANO IS ALL ABOUT! The first track (by British boogie-woogie pianist; Chas.(Mr. Boogie Woogie)Hall, just makes you want to get up and dance - or whatever. I just couldn't keep still to this kind of beat. The second and third tracks have Albert Ammons at his best. It's great to hear of Billy Penrose again after so many years. Each time you think you've heard the best up comes another great boogie-woogie beat. Forest Sykes dishes out the fastest Honky Tonk Train on record. Apart from Chas's,recent recordings of 'Boogie Woogie Jive' and 'Foot-Tapper',it's hard to believe that the rest were recorded so many years ago - the quality is absolutly superb, well done Jasmine Records: Let's have some more - please!

Red hot left hand stuff from first track till last., 10 Feb 2002
This must be one of the finest boogie-woogie CD's on offer. It's a 'MUST HAVE'. From the very first number, 'Boogie Woogie Jive' (AND WHAT A BELTER), the infectuous left hand rhythms just do not let up. Try keeping your feet still - I found it impossible! Excellent for jiving too.
Collectors will discover many tracks that have never been re-issued since their original release.As for value, it's a steal at this price. Go for it - go on buy it.

Essential collection, beautifull package, 21 Sep 2007
This 2cd release has essential Louis material in superb sound and contains nice booklet and even some rarities and is probably 'best buy' for his 'Capitol' days. All his famous songs are here, except 'I wanna be like you' from MGM 'Jungle Book'.

Highly recommended for begginer or casual fan!

Excellent fun music which will get the toes tapping, 24 May 2002
I bought this CD after looking closely at the credits following the film The Talented Mr Ripley with Matt Damon. I thought the music in the film was so good I wanted to know who it was by, and so I discovered Louis Prima!

I love the way the music is not taken too seriously but at the same time it is delivered professionally to delight the listener. If the artist is having fun you can bet the listener will enjoy and there is no doubt Louis and his friends must have had fun on all these tracks.

Fantastic set to complete or start a Louis Prima collection, 18 Nov 1999
I was looking for a good CD collection of Louis Prima and Keely Smith to replace all the gorgeous old vinyl albums I had - this is it! Part of Capitol's "Wild, Cool & Swingin'" CD series, it features 2 CDs packed with all of Prima's best - from the better-known hits like "Jump, Jive & Wail" "Just A Gigolo" "Oh Marie" and "That Old Black Magic" to glorious gems like "Three-Handed Woman" and "John Ping-Pong." The smooth-as-satin Keely Smith is ably represented as well, on sultry swingers like "Autumn Leaves" "The Lip" and "Embraceable You." And the inclusion of many of Louis's Italian novelty songs is worth the price of the CD alone!

Most of these tracks are live, recorded during Prima and Smith's "Wildest Show in Vegas" days during the early '50s at the Sahara Hotel's Casbar Louge. Which is perfect, because Louis and Keely are at their best as they scat and clown their way through the tunes, with ample energy and feedbck from the audience.

Not to be missed is Sam Butera's wild sax, punctuating the songs like another set of vocals. Butera himself sings a few tracks, most notably on "Greenback Dollar Bill," with the Witnesses happily hooting in the background.

The sound quality on this CD is fabulous, and the excellent liner notes by R.J. Smith really set the context of the CD as it relates to Louis and his passionate, unique approach to jazz.

But most of all, this CD swings, rocks and rolls. I first heard Louis and Keely as a child, my Italian-American father a huge fan who saw them many times during their Vegas and Tahoe years. Their records were on constant play around our house, punctuating everything from Sunday morning breakfast to Friday evening summer barbecues. If you haven't already checked out the catalogue of Prima's work, this CD is a great place to start. If you're completely in love with this Neapolitan-by-way-of-New-Orleans swinger, this CD will only add more cheese to your ravioli!

The Masters., 30 Sep 2008
Drum battles between Krupa and Rich were always exciting,but this has something more.It is not a battle,more a collaboration. Although both swing-based their styles are very different.Rich was an unleashed monster whose subtler touches were often overlooked,whilst Krupa was the most musical of drummers who also had a magic that made the simplest beat something special.The two drummers loved each other,and it shows on this album.Their individual tracks are great but Bernie's Tune is the killer.Free-flowing,inventive and exciting drumming leading in to great solos from the guys in the ensemble. When the other musicians kick in Krupa remains to back them and then Rich takes over for the final choruses.This section shows most markedly their two styles....Krupa driving along with bass drum accents that are a joy,and then Buddy taking over and using more "top". And listen to how the ensemle reacts.Great solos from swingers like Roy Eldridge,modernists like Oscar Peterson,and be-boppers like Dizzy Gillespie showing that good jazz is good jazz regardless of style. These are masters at work.

Beat generation....., 18 Jul 2006
This is a great jazz album, full stop.

What would have been a good drums orientated record, has been made into a fantastic CD of a couple of swinging sessions with the addition of the two extra trax (Sunday and Monster). These balance out the album beautifully, making it a fine listen for fans of trumpet, sax, piano and drums.

I read Jack Kerouac's "On The Road" to this set, playing it again and again, and it was the perfect musical partner.

Krupa and Rich: driving and exuberant. As relentless as Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty's American road-trips. The band blowing exhilarating, breathless improvisational jazz that was every way the musical equivalent of Kerouac's stream of consciousness......

Almost everything you wanted to hear, 27 Mar 2003
I was first intoduced to Louis Jordan by the excellent musical Five Guys Named Moe and have been a huge fan ever since. He is the godfather of R&B, artists such as Clanrence Gate Mouth Brown and B.B King have made tribute albums, while Little Richard and Chuck Berry name him as a major influence. You have probably heard his songs in tv ads (Knock Me A Kiss and Beans and Cornbread spring to mind) and Elwood Blues plays "Saturday Night Fishfry" in Blues Brothers and names him as an impoart influence in Blues Brothers 2000 (what more recomendation do you need)There are a lot of good albums of his out there, but this clearly the biggest and a pleasure it is to. There are many tracks I had never heard before, but it is missing "Hurry Home" a track that seemed almost impossible to hunt down. But this collection is fab, you get hear Louis sing with Louis Armstrong in a couple of numbers and Ella Fitzgerald in a couple others. All the track sound good, i have had a couple of CDs that sound like records, so this was a treat. At this price you can't go wrong. If you like what you hear you can seek out Louis exploits with Big Bands and how he later updated his songs pumping in more energy.
This is a good start but there is much more to discover

Wonderful music played with joy, absolutely brilliant., 14 May 2002
After watching the TV series Walk on By I was intrigued by the short clip of Louis Jordan and found this magnificent 5 CD set. Have a listen to the music and songs and if you don't want to Jive, Jitterbug etc just sit back and enjoy the Band, especially that Saxaphone. JSP Records must be congratulated on this fabulous CD set and it is worth its weight in gold. Also, thanks Amazon UK for such prompt and efficient service, ordered and received in just over week here in Melbourne.

Excellent, 16 Nov 2001
I was looking for an introduction to the music of Louis Jordon and when I saw this boxed set... I went for this instead. It's an excellent collection - with all the well known songs plus some not so well known - if you're looking for a Louis Jordon CD buy this one - at this price you can't go wrong - excellent value and the sound quality and re-mastering is superb. Recommended

Fantastic - Louis Prima, 08 Jan 2002
So many great songs on one CD. I'm sure everyone must know at least one Louis Prima song (even if they don't know it!) Just A Gigolo, Buona Sera, Jump, Jive, an' Wail, Whistle Stop, The Music Goes Round and Round!! Don't expect to sit down and listen to this one, you can't help but want to dance. Brilliant!

Eat, drink, dance, and listen to Louis Prima, 04 Dec 2000
no CD i own captures the feeling of being at home with my 50 crazy hilarious italian relatives more perfectly than this one. louis' ragged voice and keely smith's satin-smooth sound are 2 great tastes that taste great together. "banana split for my baby" is definitely a highlight

fantastic blues/gospel/rock&roll shes fab!!, 04 Oct 2008
this is a fantastic cd i love her love gospel/blues shes upthere with mahalia jackson/aretha franklin/doris duke/minnie riperton/roberta flack/marlena shaw/lorraine ellison etc love soul/gospel/rhythm&blues/rock&roll just love black music in general combineing soul/jazz rythm&blues with rock&roll just love it did anyone see jools holland last night he had boy george doing down by the riverside it showed an old clip with sister rosetta tharpe doing the guitar rythm it was cool!! jools holland is a top bloke he knows his soul blues jazz etc he had seasick steve on too he is cool too!! anyway im going on now lol buy this fantastic cd love it!!

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, 13 Mar 2008
What I wonder is the "Devil's Music" supposed to be? I mean reall