Happy Holidays USED BOX SET LIST December of 2017 (Updated 12/23/17)
Since Hanukah ended a few days ago and Christmas is almost here, we have decided to do a large Box Set Sale, mostly CD’s but a few LP’s boxes as well. Some of these boxes have arrived here recently and some have been collecting some dust but all are available as this list goes out. We have mainly 1 copy of each so it is first come, first served.
Buy 3 or more of these box sets and take 10% off of each:
ALBERT AMMONS and MEADE LUX LEWIS - The Complete Blue Note Recordings of Albert Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis (Mosaic MD2-103; USA)
2 CD Set Booklet = $25
LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND THE ALL STARS - The Complete Decca Studio Recordings [6 CD set] ALL SEALED DISCS, NO BOOK (Mosaic; USA)
6 CD Set $60 USED
GEORGE BENSON - Anthology: 1964-1998 [2 CD book box set] (Warner Bros/Rhino; USA)
2 CD book box set = $30
ANTHONY BRAXTON With HERB ROBERTSON/MICHAEL ATTIAS/CHRIS SPEED/STEVE SWELL/TOM VARNER/PERRY ROBINSON/NED ROTHENBERG/MARK WHITECAGE/BRANDON EVANS/TED REICHMAN/JOE FONDA et al - Trillium R: Shala Fears For The Poor - Composition No 162 (Opera in Four Acts) [4 CD set & Libretto] (Braxton House 008; USA)
4 CD set & Libretto = $40  (half dozen sealed copies left)
BENNY CARTER BIG BAND With RUTGERS UNIVERSITY ORCHESTRA - Harlem Renaissance: New Classics For Big Band And Orchestra - Live In Concert, 85th Birthday Celebration 1992 [2 CD set] (MusicMasters ,USA)
2 CD Set $25  USED
THOMAS CHAPIN TRIO With MARIO PAVONE/MICHAEL SARIN or STEVE JOHNS JOHN ZORN / MARK FELDMAN / FRANK LONDON / CURTIS FOWLKES / et al - Alive: Third Force/Anima/Insomnia/Menagerie Dreams/Haywire/Sky Piece/Night Bird Song/Live! On Tour: UC Davis 1992 (KnitWorks 248; USA) Contains all 7 out-of-print CDs from the Knit Works label plus an unreleased live CD. Essential!
8 CD Box Set = $75
NAT KING COLE TRIO - The Best Of: The Instrumental Classics/The Vocal Classics 1942-46/The Vocal Classics 1947-50 (Capitol Jazz; USA) - two of three CDs in the slipcase are sealed copies
3 CD Box set = $50
MILES DAVIS & JOHN COLTRANE - Vol 1: Miles Davis & John Coltrane - The Complete Columbia Recordings: Round About Midnite/Milestones/At Newport 1958/Jazz At The Plaza/Kind Of Blue/..Plus (Columbia Legacy 6583) The Complete Columbia Recordings of Miles Davis with John Coltrane is a box set featuring jazz musicians Miles Davis and John Coltrane. It is the first box set in a series of eight from Columbia/Legacy compiling Davis's work for Columbia Records, and includes never-before-released alternate takes, omissions of other musicians, musician comments, false starts and a first version of compositions, some of which have made it to the 50th Anniversary 2-disc CD version of Kind of Blue. Originally issued on October 26, 1999 in a limited-edition metal slipcase, it was reissued in 2004 in an oversized book format. - [1st edition with CD sized box and metal spine; original sealed copy with all of the stickers included.
6 CD Box Set - $75  USED
MILES DAVIS & GIL EVANS ORCHESTRA - Vol 2: Miles Davis & Gil Evans - The Complete Sessions: Miles Ahead/Porgy And Bess/Sketches Of Spain/Quiet Nights/plus.. [6 CD Box Set] (Columbia Legacy 67397 ,USA) [1st edition with CD sized box and metal spine]; ORIGINAL SEALED COPY WITH ALL STICKERS
6 CD Set Box = $110ÂÂ
BENNIE GREEN With IKE QUEBEC/CHARLIE ROUSE/GENE AMMONS/EDDY WILLIAMS /SONNY CLARK/MILT HINTON/PAUL CHAMBERS/ELVIN JONES/LOUIS HAYES/ART BLAKEY et al - Back On The Scene/Soul Stirrin'/Walkin' & Talkin'/Congo Lament…PLUS! (Mosaic Select 003; USA)As Mosaic’s ingenious new series of reissues continues, we come to an artist where the approach seems certainly tailor made. Trombone man Bennie Green bridged the gap between swing era stylists and bop practitioners, making him somewhat of an enigma in the eyes and ears of the casual jazz follower. As such, he has not received recognition commensurate with his undeniable talents.ÂÂ
  It’s even curious that Blue Note front man Alfred Lion stuck with Green for as many albums as he did, considering his penchant for documenting the latest developments in jazz and Green being a throwback to earlier styles. More akin to the voices of Vic Dickenson and Jack Teagarden than bop leaders such as J.J. Johnson and Curtis Fuller, Green’s creative muse focused on a sound influenced by the trombone’s tailgate tradition and a sense of melody that the boppers often gave up in search of speed.†- C. Andrew Hoyan, AAJ
Ltd #'d 3 CD set = $60  USED
LIONEL HAMPTON / OSCAR PETERSON - The Complete Lionel Hampton Quartets and Quintets with Oscar Peterson (Verve 314-550-787; USA) “Lionel Hampton did a series of quartet and quintet sessions for Verve Records in 1953 and 1954, the group featuring Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, and Buddy Rich, with either Buddy DeFranco or Herb Ellis joining in for the quintet recordings. Verve released the sessions on a batch of LPs in 1957 (King of the Vibes, Air Mail Special, Flying Home, Swingin' with Hamp) and 1958 (Lionel Hampton '58, Hallelujah Hamp, The High and the Mighty), but they are gathered together here on a five-CD set that includes a couple of previously unreleased alternate takes and includes shorter and longer versions of some songs done for single and album release. Typically of sessions produced by Verve head Norman Granz, the song list is full of classic pop standards, along with remakes of some of Hampton's better-known songs. The lineup is, of course, stellar, and Hampton and Peterson in particular spark each other on vibes and piano, interacting with seemingly endless creativity. (They even take one tune, "The High and the Mighty," by themselves.) The normally showy Rich mostly restricts himself to accompaniment (he can't help taking off during the totally improvised "Blues for Norman," but even then doesn't play all that long), while Brown provides his usual solid support. At a time when Hampton was traveling the world leading an orchestra, these recordings were a reminder that he could be at his best (as in the Benny Goodman Quartet) with a small group.†- William Ruhlmann, AMG
5 CD Box Set Booklet = $60
COLEMAN HAWKINS - Portrait [10 CD set Book] (TIM 205424; USA)
10 CD Set Book $50  USED
ALBERT HUNTER With FLETCHER HENDERSON/EUBIE BLAKE/FATS WALLER/LOUIS ARMSTRONG/ et al - The Collection- 1921-1940 (Acrobat 7112; UK)
4 CD Set $20
QUINCY JONES - The Quincy Jones ABC/Mercury Big Band Jazz Sessions [5 CD set with Book box set] (Mosaic Records B0010280-02; USA) Review here: jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/quincy-jones-the-quincy-jones-abcmercury-big-band-jazz-sessions
5 CD Set with BOOK = $95 USED
[THE] KEYNOTE JAZZ COLLECTION - 1941-1947 (Fresh Sound Records 815; EEC) With Lester Young, Roy Eldridge, Coleman Hawkins, Barney Bigard, Red Rodney, Chubby Jackson, Benny Carter, Bud Freeman, Emmett Berry, Teddy Wilson,.. near mint shape!
10 CD Set 125 BOOKLET = $100
KING CRIMSON [With ROBERT FRIPP / JAKKO JAKSZYK / MEL COLLINS / TONY LEVIN / PAT MASTELOTTO / GAVIN HARRISON / BILL RIEFLIN - The Elements Of King Crimson - 2017 Tour Box (DGM KCTB 17; UK) A companion to the successful 2014, 2015 and 2016 Tour Boxes, the 2017 Elements Tour Box was previously only available at venues on King Crimson's sold-out 2017 US/Canada/Mexico tour. As with previous releases in the series, the full variety of King Crimson’s music is presented over 2 CDs with extracts from rehearsals, new live recordings, elements from studio recordings, full tracks, alternate takes and finished recordings from 1969-2016, many of which make their first appearance on CD. Every line-up is featured across the double CD set. Of particular interest on the new set is the inclusion on disc 2 of every part of Larks’ Tongues in Aspic (some studio, some live) from Part I to Level 5 – interspersed with elements taken from the original studio sessions and rehearsals. Packaged in a DVD-sized fold out digipak style book case with a 24 page booklet including sleeve notes by co-compiler Sid Smith, photos of memorabilia, full info about the 2017 tour and a number of band and individual photos of the current band line-up. ÂÂ
2 CD Set in DVD-sized double digipak booklet = $24
KING CRIMSON [ROBERT FRIPP/JOHN WETTON/BILL BRUFORD/DAVID CROSS] - Starless (DGM 671974; UK)  Ask any dyed-in-the-wool Crimso fan what are the favorite boots from the F/W/B/C era, and tough call though it is, most of the list will be shows from this European fall '73 tour. The spooky stuff they were doing here is perhaps the ONLY music you will hear from the 70s - off a 'rock stage' - that would presage the outsider experimentation of the 'Downtown' music Eighties. Have I convinced you that you need this, KC fan or not?" WATCHA WAITIN' FO'?" - MannyLunch
Limited Edition 27 CD/DVD/BluRay Box Set = $224
KING CRIMSON [ROBERT FRIPP/JOHN WETTON/BILL BRUFORD/DAVID CROSS] IAN McDONALD/MEL COLLINS/EDDIE JOBSON - The Road To Red: Live April to July 1974 2013 Fripp Stereo Mix of Red (DGM /Inner Knot KCCBox 7; UK) Between April and July 1974 King Crimson embarked on a tour of Canada and America which has come to be recognized as one of the most powerful series of concerts performed not just by Fripp, Cross, Wetton and Bruford but by any band of the era. The band, who had been rarely off the road - except to record studio albums - chose to perform a selection of recent material from the then newly released Starless And Bible Black, older fan favourites, newly written/then unrecorded material & nightly improvisations at a level described by many eye-witnesses and observers as 'the most intense' gigs they'd ever attended. A single live LP 'USA' was issued in 1975 (comprised of material taken from the Asbury Park, NJ show (with the exception of "...Schizoid Man" which was from the Providence, RI show that same week), a year after the band split but failed to convey the full extent of how ferocious a beast King Crimson was in full-flight. No other band blended powerful rock with an ability to turn in epic improvisations of immense subtlety or strength. Many of the shows on this final tour had been recorded, either professionally to multi-track tape, or on the band's stereo cassette feed from the mixing desk. These remained unheard until 1992 when selected highlights were released in 1992 on the 4 CD boxed set, The Great Deceiver. Now The Road To Red offers a comprehensive overview of this final tour and at last does justice to a group who were operating at the very height of their powers. Every soundboard quality recording known to exist is presented with audio fully restored, all released on CD for the first time. There are also five complete concerts, drawn from multi-track recordings, alongside the restored audio bootleg of the band's final show (New York's Central Park on July 1st of which Robert Fripp notes this was the first gig gig "since the 1969 Crimson where the bottom of my spine registered 'out of this world' to the same degree"), and a new stereo mix of 'Red' by Robert Fripp and Steven Wilson undertaken in 2012. A total of 16 concerts are featured across 20 discs, with the studio Red as the 21st CD. The set also features: A DVD containing a high resolution stereo presentation of USA (in all mixes) and the new stereo mix of Red 2 Blu-Ray discs containing the five full length multi-track concert recordings (newly transferred at the highest resolution available from the original analogue Dolby SR source mix-down tapes & presented in 24/192 DTS-HD master sound), new & original stereo versions of Red and the existing 5.1 multi-channel mixes of the album presented in 24/96 DTS-HD also feature on Blu-Ray. With a fully illustrated album sized booklet featuring previously unseen photos & a wealth of newly written material postcards, replicas of hand-written set lists, album prints of the USA & Red covers & other memorabilia, this is an essential release for King Crimson fansÂÂ
21 CD DVD 2 BLU-RAY DISC BOOK Boxed Set = $250
JERRY LEE LEWIS - Sun Essentials (Charly Snap 737; UK) 4 CD's 36 page booklet
4 CD Set $25
CHARLES MINGUS With SHAFI HADI / CLARENCE SHAW / BOOKER ERVIN / JOHN HANDY / ERIC DOLPHY / TEDDY CHARLES / DANNIE RICHMOND - The Complete Columbia & RCA Collection [10 CD set] (Sony/Legacy 886979795921 ,USA) Includes: 1.Tiajuana Moods [2 CD Set] 2.Mingus Ah UM 3.Mingus Dynasty 4.Alternate Takes 5.Let My Children Hear Music 6.Charles Mingus & Friends in Concert [2 CD Set] 7.Epitaph [2 CD Set]
10 CD Set $50 (Unplayed but not sealed)
CHARLES MINGUS - The Complete Debut Recordings - Volume 3 - Discs 9-12 (Debut/Fantasy 4402 ,USA) This handsomely packaged and thoroughly annotated set represents the most significant early work of Charles Mingus: his complete recorded output as leader and sideman for the Debut label.
4 CD Box Set - CD $25.00 USED
MUSIC FOR MERCE CUNNINGHAM [V.C. With CHRISTIAN WOLFF/JOHN CAGE/EARLE BROWN/MORTON FELDMAN/GORDON MUMMA/PAULINE OLIVEROS et al] - Dance Music For Merce (1952-2009)  (New World 80712; USA)
10 CD Book box set = $100 USED
CHARLIE PARKER QUINTET With BUD POWELL/FATS NAVARRO/CURLEY RUSSELL/ART BLAKEY - One Night At Birdland: June 30 1950 [2 CD set] (Sony 7111-2; Japan) The recording date may be suspect (trumpeter Fats Navarro died of tuberculosis only a week later) and the recording quality is not state of the art but the music on this two-LP set is often quite brilliant. Charlie Parker is teamed with Navarro, pianist Bud Powell, bassist Curley Russell and drummer Art Blakey for extended (usually six- to ten-minute) versions of 13 songs including "'Round Midnight" (the only time that Bird ever recorded a Thelonious Monk tune), "Move," "Out of Nowhere" and "Ornithology." The all-star lineup clearly inspired each other, making this two-fer well worth searching for.
2 CD Set $60
ART PEPPER - The Complete Galaxy Recordings (Galaxy GDC-1016; USA) Featuring: Art Pepper on alto sax & clarinet, Howard Roberts on guitar, George Cables, Hank Jones, Stanley Cowell & Tommy Flanagan on piano, Cecil McBee, Charlie Haden, Red Mitchell & Ron Carter on bass and Al Foster, Billy Higgins, Roy Haynes and carl Burnett on drums.
16 CD Box Set = $100 (a few of the discs are mildly scuffed)
OSCAR PETERSON - The Complete Clef/Mercury Studio Recordings Of The Oscar Peterson Trio (1951-1953) (Mosaic Records MD7-241) â€ÂOscar Peterson appeared on hundreds of recordings produced by Norman Granz, though most of his early trio dates for Mercury and Clef were overlooked for CD reissue until the release of this thorough seven-disc compilation by Mosaic in 2008. It still represents only a portion of the pianist's considerable output for the two labels between 1951 and 1953. This collection was put together as a result of laborious detective work, assembling nine different sessions from tape masters and second generation reels, 78s, EPs and LPs, some of which came from collectors and libraries, while also including eight previously unissued performances. In spite of the variation in source material, the audio is consistently high, thanks to Malcolm Addey's skillful sound restoration and mastering. The biggest news is that the guitarist on most of these dates is Barney Kessel, who spent just over a year in Peterson's trio, with Irving Ashby taking his place on one session. The pianist had already built a relationship with bassist Ray Brown, but the addition of Kessel added some spark to the mix. The chemistry becomes apparent in the extended jam of Peterson's "Astaire Blues" (which isn't a blues at all), with rapid-fire exchanges between the players. The performances have held up very well, due to the abilities of the musicians and the choice of material, as most of the 126 songs are either well known standards or originals by prominent jazz composers. Peterson penned several originals (none of which became a lasting part of his vast repertoire) and sings on several numbers, beginning with "Until the Real Thing Comes Along," but the similarity of his vocal style to Nat King Cole's kept it from being a major component of his career, even though he made a few vocal albums and still occasionally sang into at least the early '80s. John McDonough's extensive liner notes are excellent, though it is odd that the misspelling of several musician's names (Major Holley, Chico O'Farrill and Tadd Dameron) and composer Ann Ronnell escaped the proofreader. The package also includes a number of rarely seen vintage photographs from the period. This essential Oscar Peterson boxed set, a limited edition of 10,000 copies, is destined to become a collector's item.†- Ken Dryden, AMG
7 CD with Book Box Set, Ltd. Ed. = $100 USED
ELVIS PRESLEY - From Nashville to Memphis (RCA 07863; USA) 5 CD Box Set = 130 tracks; 94 page booklet with rare photos and many bonus tracks!
5 CD Box Set $25  (still sealed)
IKE QUEBEC and JOHN HARDEE - The Complete Blue Note Forties Recordings of Ike Quebec and John Hardee (Mosaic MR4-107; USA)
4 LP Set = $45ÂÂ
FREDDIE REDD - The Complete Blue Note Records of Freddie Redd (Mosaic MD2-124; USA) With Jackie McLean, Tina Brooks, Benny Bailey, Paul Chambers, Louis Hayes… “Available in a box set as either three LPs or two CDs, this limited-edition release has all of the music recorded at pianist Freddie Redd's three Blue Note sessions. In addition to the selections originally included on the LPs Music From the Connection and Shades of Redd, there is a completely unissued date that adds to the fairly slim Freddie Redd discography. Altoist Jackie McLean (who is on all three sets) and tenor saxophonist Tina Brooks (a key soloist on two) co-star with the pianist; trumpeter Benny Bailey is also heard from the later date. The music is comprised mostly of Redd's originals (including seven songs written for the stage play The Connection) and fits into the style of the mainstream hard bop of the day, although with a few personal touches. Straight-ahead fans and Blue Note collectors can consider this set to be essential.†- Scott Yanow, AMG
2 CD Set with booklet in box = $65  (cover slightly aged, CD’s near mint)
WOODY SHAW With JOE HENDERSON/CARTER JEFFERSON/GARY BARTZ/STEVE TURRE/CURTIS FULLER/JAMES SPAULDING/ONAJE ALLAN GUMBS/GEORGE CABLES/MULGREW MILLER/STAFFORD JAMES/VICTOR LEWIS et al - The Complete CBS Studio (Columbia) Recordings of Woody Shaw: Rosewood/Woody Three/For Sure/United [3 CD BOOK Box Set] (Mosaic LTD ED 142 ,USA) This copy is # 4758/5000; everything virtually MINT condition, slight scuff bottom edge right corner of out box, now Out-Of-Print!
3 CD Set Booklet = $55
HARRY SMITH'S ANTHOLOGY OF AMERICAN FOLK MUSIC [V.A.] - Volume Four [2 CD Book set] (Revenant 211; USA)
2 CD Book set = 50.00 USED
VLADIMIR TARASOV - Complete Set Of Solo Works [11 CD 1 DVD Box Set] (Long Arms 817-828; Russia) Vladimir Tarasov was the drummer for the legendary Russian free/music ensemble the Ganelin Trio. Mr. Tarasov has also worked with Anthony Braxton, Andrew Cyrille, Larry Ochs, Mark Dresser and Kenny Millions. Mr. Tarasov is a master drummer and very few could pull off 11 CDs worth of solo drums. Essential for drum enthusiasts! - BLGÂÂ
11 CD 1 DVD Box Set = $150 [last copy / unplayed]
CECIL TAYLOR and BUELL NEIDLINGER - The Complete Candid Recordings of Cecil Taylor and Buell Neidlinger (Mosaic MR6-127; USA) “The sessions that comprise the four discs on this first-rate Mosaic boxed set were done in 1960 and 1961 for the short-lived Candid label. Taylor's concept had not yet evolved into a finished package; he wasn't always sure where he was going. There are solos that begin in one direction, break in the middle, and conclude in another. Tenor saxophonist Archie Shepp often sounds unsure about what to play and whether to try and interact or establish his own direction. At the same time, there is plenty of exceptional playing from Taylor, Shepp, and the drum/bass combination of Buell Neidlinger and Dennis Charles. You cannot honestly say everything works on these four discs, but there is never a dull moment. It won't please everyone, but listeners ready for a challenge should step right up.†- Ron Wynn, AMG
4 CD Set = $125  / CD 1 very slight scuffs
JACK TEAGARDEN - The Complete Roulette Jack Teagarden Sessions [4 CD Book Set, Ltd. Ed.] (Mosaic Records MD4-218)  Both media and sleeve are an excellent condition. Discs 1 and 4 have very minor scratches. The box cover has a scratch on the bottom right corner and the left edge.
4 CD Book Set = CD $85 USED
THIS IS JAZZ [WILD BILL DAVISON/ALBERT NICHOLAS/JIMMY ARCHEY/RALPH SUTTON/DANNY BARKER/POPS FOSTER/BABY DODDS et al] - The Historic Broadcasts Vol 6: 6/28/47, 7/5/47, 7/12/47, 7/19/47 (Jazzology 1035/36 ,USA)
2 CD set = $20  USED
THIS IS JAZZ [WILD BILL DAVISON/EDMOND HALLJIMMY ARCHEY/RALPH SUTTON/DANNY BARKER/POPS FOSTER/BABY DODDS et al] - The Historic Broadcasts Vol 9: 9/20/47, 9/27/47, 10/4/47 American Music Festival 2/17/48 [2 CD set] (Jazzology 1041/42 ,USA)
2 CD set = $20  USED
RICHARD THOMPSON - Walking on a Wire (Shout Factory 026663-11087; USA) “Richard Thompson has never had a for-real hit record (at least not in America) over the course of a career that's spanned five decades, but there are few musicians who are better respected by their peers or have a more devoted fan base, and not without reason -- he's a fine singer, a superb, inventive guitarist, and a truly masterful songwriter. This may explain why Thompson, a man who could best be described as a "cult figure," is being honored with his third multi-disc box set. The 1993 set Watching the Dark was a brilliant overview of Thompson's body of work that included classic songs from all phases of his career along with rare live material, unreleased studio sessions, and even a few new songs. Released in 2006, RT: The Life and Music of Richard Thompson took a very different approach, instead collecting five discs' worth of unreleased material drawn from Thompson's own tape archives, which seemed designed to please obsessive fans at the expense of those who wanted a reasonably clear picture of the arc of his career. And now, Walking on a Wire: 1968-2009 takes the opposite extreme -- it's a four-disc set that offers a carefully edited and intelligently compiled chronological summary of Thompson's recorded repertoire, from his early recordings with Fairport Convention to his 2007 solo album, Sweet Warrior. However, it doesn't feature a single recording that hasn't been released before, and the few tracks that could pass as rarities come from "authorized bootlegs" Thompson has released through his fan club and website.†- Mark Deming, AMG
4 CD Box Set With 60 page Book = $50  [promo copy, still sealed]
PHIL WOODS QUARTET/QUINTET - The Phil Woods Quartet/Quintet 20 Anniversary Set (Mosaic MD5-159’ USA) Featuring: Phil Woods - alto & soprano sax & clarinet, Harry Leahy - guitar, Hal Galper, Jim McNeely or Mike Melillio - piano, Steve Gilmore - bass and Bill Goodwin - drums Hal Crook - trombone, Brian Lynch or Tom Harrell on trumpets.
5 CD Set LTD Edition/Numbered = $120
LESTER YOUNG with COUNT BASIE / BENNY GOODMAN / BILLIE HOLIDAY / BUDDY RICH - The Lester Young Story (Proper Box 8; UK)
4 CD Set $25 USED
LESTER YOUNG - The Complete Lester Young Studio Sessions on Verve (Verve 314-547-087; USA) â€ÂAll too often, jazz critics have promoted the myth that Lester Young's playing went way downhill after World War II -- that the seminal tenor man was so emotionally wounded by the racism he suffered in the military in 1944-1945 that he could no longer play as well as he had in the '30s and early '40s. To be sure, Young went through hell in the military, and his painful experiences took their toll in the form of alcohol abuse, severe depression, and various health problems. But despite Young's mental decline, he was still a fantastic soloist. This eight-CD set, which gathers most of the studio recordings that he made for Norman Granz's Clef, Norgran, and Verve labels from 1946-1959, underscores the fact that much of his postwar output was superb. At its worst, this collection is at least decent, but the Pres truly excels on sessions with Nat "King" Cole and Buddy Rich in 1946, Oscar Peterson and Barney Kessel in 1952, Roy Eldridge and Teddy Wilson in 1956, and Harry "Sweets" Edison in 1957. Disc 8 contains two recorded interviews with the saxman -- one conducted by Chris Albertson in 1958 for WCAU radio in Philadelphia, the other by French jazz enthusiast Francois Postif in Paris on February 6, 1959 (only five or six weeks before Young's death on March 15 of that year). The contrast between the fascinating interviews is striking; in Philly, Young is polite and soft-spoken, whereas in Paris, the effects of the alcohol are hard to miss. Sounding intoxicated and using profanity liberally, Young candidly tells Postif about everything from his experiences with racism to his associations with Billie Holiday and Count Basie. But as much as the set has going for it, The Complete Lester Young Studio Sessions on Verve isn't for novices, casual listeners, or those who are budget-minded (Verve's suggested retail price in the U.S. was $144). Collectors are the ones who will find this CD to be a musical feast.†- Alex Henderson, AMGÂÂ
8 CD Box Set 100 Page BOOKLET = $125  [Near mint]