Ray McKenzie And His Orchestra: Count Basie’s And Duke Ellington’s Greatest Hits (1974) This is an lp to cd transfer of a double lp by this orchestra. In jazz this is a big band with several saxes, horns, piano etc & is not to be consumed with a symphony orchestra. These are decent interpretations of the hits. Nothing radical 🙂
On a genre hopping mp3 cd that runs too nearly 8 hours of music I have Gary McFarland (vibraphonist) Essential Jazz Moods 50 tracks some with Anita O’Day, Gabor Szabo, Steve Kuhn. This is a massive compilation of McFarland’s recordings in the late 50’s to Mid 60’s. His work with Gabor Szabo is amazing, as is Szabo anyway. I think I paid $5.99 for this via iTunes & was not disappointed – a fine purchase for anyone who wants an instant good jazz collection.
I watched a documentary about the Birth of Disco – Manu Dibango’s Soul Makossa was one of the first major hits of the genre. Disco was diverse before diversity became a must. I have The Very Best Of (1997): which includes Soul Makossa & Manu Safari (1998). He is an excellent sax player & if you want powerful African jazz this is for you.
Here too is Franz Waxman’s Peyton Place (soundtrack 1957). Waxman was the John Williams of his day, responsible for dozens of fine film soundtracks. The title song was impressed on my brain by the TV series. I’m a Peyton Place fan & once had a pirated copy off the entire series (picture quality got worse & worse). The 1957 movie is sordid fun & the music is sublime.
Finally to round out the mp3 cd is some Billy Preston – Wildest Organ in Town/Club Meeting (1966/67). When I discovered that Preston was gay I added these jazz lps (his pop is fine too). This is funky stuff in the Jimmy Smith mode & love it when it comes up in my play rotation. The story of his life is heartbreaking – internalized homophobia has killed too many.
TOpoet 