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Time Life Classic Jazz

This morning while reading the newspaper and listening to ESPN, the commercial for this collection came on again. I flipped over to the Time Life web site and took a look at it. It is one of their typical buy the first two discs, then get another disc every month. The total set consists of 10 discs for a total of about $110 currently "on sale" for about $94.

Has anyone listened to any of these discs? If not has anyone listened to any of the other Time Life discs? What is the quality of these recordings? Thanks :-) Doug
doug28450

Showing 3 responses by clueless

clueless
763 posts
 
It is only my opinion but Time-Life is so so. It depends a lot on what yours tastes are and how serious you are. Look at a couple of the recent posts by Sdcampbell "best recording I heard in 2001" and "Downbeat Best Recordings of 2001". E-mail him and ask, he is a nice guy. Time life willl find a way to homoginize anything and is... well... one step below Ken Burns.
clueless
763 posts
 
Sorry .. didn't mean to take any cheap shots.
clueless
763 posts
 
A last offer on compilations which I usually am not a great fan of but are one way to find what you like. Try "The Best Blue Note Album in the World Ever!" It is really close to that. 2cd set and cd1 is an outstanding selection of classic jazz. Nothing inaccessable and great for someone new. CD1 includes tunes by Horace Silver, John Coltrne, Art Blakey, Lou Donaldson, Cannonball Adderly (with Miles Davis), Kenny Burrell, Lee Morgan, Herbie Hancock, Donald Byrd and Grant Green .. and all well produced. Try to beat that cast on one cd! I have never put this on without someone (usually a non jazz friend)asking "WHAT IS THAT?". (cd2 is ok too but can't compare with 1)

Thought on getting into Jazz ( or classical or whatever) as Chelillingworth noted, it takes some time and effort and it is easy to waste a lot of $$$$ on stuff you just don't like (even if the critics rave about it). Best long term solutions I have found:

1) Find the best Jazz programs on local Radio and listen up. Best free sampler around. Beats the snot out of Time-Life. If your computer is up to it there are great national and international stations available on line too.
2) You may not know it but odds are that you know or are acquainted with someone who has a great jazz collection. Make it a project to find em and shamelessly brownnose. There is nothing like borrowing from a great collection and believe me the collections are out there. I have found that the general rule is that jazz listeners love to share and talk about their music. You're doing them a favor borrowing their tunes! Good jazz deserves a few good listens before pronouncing judgment (it ain't am radio) and this is the best way to do it.

Ain't life Great!
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