100 Greatest Jazz Albums: The Very Best Of Prestige Records

Prestige

Recorded 1949 - 1969

Release date: March 24th 2009

Availability: CD, MP3 Download

When Bob Weinstock launched the indy jazz label New Jazz in 1948 from his 48th Street New York store "The Record Corner" few would have guessed that this was the first step in the creation of what was to become Prestige Records. In the next thirty years (the last Prestige album appeared in 1978) the label would record nearly all of the jazz greats and take its place alongside Blue Note as a major player in the popularization of the best of the music that had grown out of the experiments of the boppers at Minton's Playhouse and become a world phenomenon.

This 2-CD album, released to mark sixty years of Presitge records, presents a very well chosen selection of from the label's vaults. Nick Philips has made a good job of selecting just 25 tracks from a vast catalogue.

From the opening track, taken from that very first Bob Weinstock release (Lee Konitz "Subconscious-Lee"), to the final 1969 offering from Charles Earland ("More Today Than Yesterday") this is the perfect introduction to the music.

The high points are many: Miles Davis playing "My Funny Valentine" and "If I Were A Bell"; Sonny Rollins duetting with John Coltrane on "Tenor Madness" and playing his inspiring calypso based blues "St Thomas"; John Coltrane playing "I Love You" and duetting with Kenny Burrell on "Why Was I Born?"; Eric Dolphy performing "Les" with Freddie Hubbard and joining Oliver Nelson on "March On, March On"; Yusef Lateef performing "The Plum Blossom".

A celebration of the great jazz recorded by Prestige in its thirty year heyday.

You can preview full versions of the following tracks:

Sonny Rollins - Tenor Madness
Eric Dolphy - Les
Red Garland - Hey Now
Pat Martino - Waltz For Geri
Wes Montgomery - D-Natural Blues