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Verve Presents: The Very Best of Christmas Jazz

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Mainstream
by: Various Artists

November 05, 2001
This is my favourite Christmas CD, it has something for everyone! It's the perfect antidote for the tired old tunes that everyone plays at Christmas (if I hear "I wish it could be Christmas every day" one more time I won't be responsible for my actions), the highlights being "Zat you Santa Claus?" by Louis Armstrong and "Silent Night" by Dinah Washington.
Give it a go and you won't be disappointed, especially at this price!!

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Christmas Songs

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Mainstream
by: Diana Krall The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra

November 14, 2005
Diana Krall offers you an incredible revamp of some of the most famous Christmas classics with her lovingly young voice and the nice band that accompanies her will give you everything you need to spend a great Christmas :)

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Night Train

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Mainstream
by: Oscar Peterson Trio

April 07, 2008
Having grown up with the popular music of the 60s, 70s, 80s etc and loved music from Classical to Heavy Metal but not Jazz. In the past two years I have been introduced to Oscar Peterson and I could almost throw all other genres away after living with this album for the last six months. This is absolute total musical perfection and an awesome early 60s recording.

Looking forward to getting to know other albums.

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Getz/Gilberto Vol.1: Remastered

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Mainstream
by: Stan Getz, Joao Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim

May 25, 1999
Antonio Carlos Jobim goes down with Lennon/McCartney, Gershwin, Amstrong as one of the most influential songwriter/stylists of the 20th century.

To judge the album on its own merits is one thing. Getz turns in small but perfectly formed solos. Astrid Gilberto's voice is ravishing, complementing husband Joao's voice with that incredibly restrained vulnerability that is the essence of Bossa. It is an album of incredible tenderness and instrospection. The studio atmosphere is very intimate with an almost homespun quality. For me its a five star album in its own right.

However, this album has a far larger significance, in the way that Sargeant Pepper did. It changed everything and set off ripples that are still reverberating ... Read More:

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Two Men With The Blues

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Mainstream
by: Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis

July 07, 2008
I bet this was a fantastic live show - shame it sounds so flat on the CD!

Unlike the other reviewer I came to this recording as a fan of Willie Nelson. I think Willie sounds pretty good on the whole - I just wish there was a bit more of him! His regular harmonica buddy, Mickey Raphael, is the real star of the show for me - his soloes shine above everyone else!

The first two tracks, "Bright Lights, Big City", and Willie's own "Night Life", are the highlights for me. The lowest points being the two tracks associated with Hank Williams ("My Bucket's Got a Hole in It" and "Nobody's Business"), which, for me, don't seem to work in this jazz setting.

All in all, it's not a terrible album but certainly not one that will ... Read More:

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The Black Box Of Jazz

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Mainstream
by: Various Artists

March 18, 2008
This very moderately priced box of extremely interesting and diverse jazz performances doesn't get 5 stars from me only because it is not sufficiently equipped with the recording information...

Otherwise, it's a good buy indeed, with music mixing swing, cool, be-bop, hard-bop and other styles very freely, to suite the tastes of the more liberal jazz fans who love challenges.

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Bossa Nova - Jazz Masters 53

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Mainstream
by: Stan Getz

April 08, 1996
This music album was made in 1963 and it's totally timeless and as fresh in 2008 as when it was first made. I'm 43 and my dad is 70. My 8 year old son and all of us can't get enough of this. Getz's Chega De Saudade (One note samba) is totally the best jazz funk ever and all the other melodies are totally gold as well. You can buy this for yourslef or as a gift for a friend and it's totally priceless - worth a 100 times it's weight in gold. Enjoy!!!!

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Concert By the Sea

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Mainstream
by: Erroll Garner

March 12, 2001
Distinctive to the point of being instantly recognisable, that's Errol Garner, and here he is, caught in full flight at the very peak of his powers, and 'live' too. There have been many concert recordings succesfully transferred to disc, making one realise that it would have been a memorable treat to have been in the audience, and what we have here is no exception. Erroll was a natural, and supposedly couldn't read a note of music. When you can play like this, you dont need to. Anyone who wants just one of Erroll's recordings wont do better than this. Anyone alive out there, who was in the audience the night this was reccorded??

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In Europe: Live at the Antibes Jazz Festival

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Mainstream
by: Miles Davis

April 04, 2005
This album recorded at the 1963 Antibes Jazz Festival with a band who'd been together for just a few weeks is a neglected classic. There is electrifying playing from the whole quintet which includes the vastly underrated tenorist George Coleman and the brilliant 17 year-old drummer Tony Williams who "lit a big fire under everyone in the group" according to Miles in his autobiography. Ralph J.Gleason has written that Miles was so delighted when he first heard this recording that he almost wore out the test pressings!
This marvellous CD which includes a bonus track and has a remarkable playing time of over 80 minutes is an essential part of any Miles Davis collection.

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Best Of Manhattan Transfer

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Mainstream
by: Manhattan Transfer

November 06, 1995
This album recorded at the 1963 Antibes Jazz Festival with a band who'd been together for just a few weeks is a neglected classic. There is electrifying playing from the whole quintet which includes the vastly underrated tenorist George Coleman and the brilliant 17 year-old drummer Tony Williams who "lit a big fire under everyone in the group" according to Miles in his autobiography. Ralph J.Gleason has written that Miles was so delighted when he first heard this recording that he almost wore out the test pressings!
This marvellous CD which includes a bonus track and has a remarkable playing time of over 80 minutes is an essential part of any Miles Davis collection.