An excellent four-CD compilation of top-flight performances by members of the upper tier of the jazz world. This collection is a mixture of studio and live performances focusing on musicians from bop and post-bop era, although there's a healthy presentation of swing and pre-bop musicians. Moreover, many of these tracks had not been released when this set was issued in 1995. In addition, a lot of the performances from the late '80s and early '90s. But there are some cuts from the 1950s as well, most notably "Off Minor" from a 1957 set with Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, and Coleman Hawkins. With 50 tracks covering more than five hours of different styles of jazz music, this box set is a veritable jazz smorgasbord. Woody Herman typically limited his solo opportunities, passing them onto the preeminent jazz musicians who worked in his various aggregations, Herds, and otherwise. But this compilation includes a version of "Mood Indigo" with Herman's clarinet working with Lionel Hampton's vibes and Roland Hanna's piano that can be best described as breathtaking. Playing mostly in the middle and lower registers, his clarinet captures the sense of "blueness" which is conveyed with this Duke Ellington classic masterpiece. Hampton, in fact, appears several times throughout this set in a variety of scenarios as leader and sideman and with players representing a variety of styles from Gerry Mulligan to Charles Mingus. Hard bop master Art Blakey shows up with a 1980 version of "Moanin" with a Jazz Messengers iteration that includes Wynton Marsalis and Billy Pierce. It are Marsalis' trumpet and Peirce's tenor that are highlighted on this track. Another treat is Louis Bellson's dazzling drumming on "Caravan," on a 1987 Phil Woods track. There's a fine Freddie Hubbard Quintet track, "Bolivia," from a live 1991 performance at a jazz festival in Warsaw, Poland.
1-1 Lionel Hampton– Take The 'A' Train 6:14
1-2 Dexter Gordon– Lullaby Of Birdland 4:19
1-3 Stephane Grappelli– How High The Moon 3:50
1-4 Teddy Wilson– The Man I Love 7:45
1-5 Stan Getz– Autumn Leaves 7:14
1-6 Wynton Marsalis– My Funny Valentine 8:10
1-7 Dave Brubeck– Blue Rondo A La Turk 7:14
1-8 Earl Hines– If I Had You 4:10
1-9 Gerry Mulligan– Apple Core 6:19
1-10 Woody Herman– Mood Indigo 6:13
1-11 Sonny Stitt– Sonny's Blues 4:52
1-12 Kai Winding– Morning Of The Carnival 3:57
1-13 Johnny Griffin– All Through The Night 6:28
2-1 Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers– Moanin' 5:44
2-2 Dave Brubeck– Lover Man 7:00
2-3 Gerry Mulligan– Walking Shoes 9:40
2-4 Johnny Griffin– Hush A Bye 7:40
2-5 Wynton Marsalis– One By One 5:28
2-6 Stan Getz– Billie's Bounce 11:30
2-7 Groove Holmes– Groove's Groove 4:30
2-8 Michal Urbaniak– Softly As The Morning Sunrise 7:27
2-9 Dizzy Gillespie– Slew Foot 4:51
2-10 Ahmed Jamal– It's The Good Life 4:00
2-11 Wynton Marsalis– Jodi 6:21
3-1 Paul Horn– Work Song 6:07
3-2 Stan Getz / Paul Horn– Nature Boy 4:05
3-3 Phil Woods– Caravan 7:15
3-4 Gerry Mulligan– Limelight 5:22
3-5 Lionel Hampton– Jeepers Creepers 3:27
3-6 Teddy Wilson– One O'Clock Jump 3:05
3-7 Charlie Mingus– Slop 5:00
3-8 Jimmy Hamilton– Satin Doll 4:50
3-9 Kai Winding– Yardbird Suite 4:10
3-10 Stephane Grappelli– Have You Met Miss Jones 4:01
3-11 Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis– Lester Leaps In 9:00
3-12 Buddy Rich– I'll Never Be The Same 3:32
3-13 Mulligan / Hampton– Gerry Meets Hamp 7:31
3-14 Dave Brubeck– Old Bill Basie 6:40
4-1 Dave Brubeck– Take Five 6:07
4-2 Wynton Marsalis– A Wheel Within A Wheel 4:05
4-3 Dexter Gordon– Seven Come Eleven 7:15
4-4 Dizzy Gillespie– Dirty Dude 5:22
4-5 Woody Herman– Rose Room 3:27
4-6 Sonny Stitt– Old Folks 3:05
4-7 Freddie Hubbard– Bolivia 5:00
4-8 Charlie Mingus– Fables Of Faubus 7:15
4-9 Thelonius Monk– Off Minor 3:55
4-10 Chick Corea– Moments Notice 4:01
4-11 Gary Burton– African Flower 9:00
4-12 Pat Metheny– Move To The Groove 3:32
