Some say it is a collection of the best jazz songs ever, while others say it is better than that. Ken Burns’ compilation of jazz songs, entitled The Best of Ken Burns’ Jazz, is more than a history lesson in contemporary jazz. This album is a milestone in American culture. It chronicles the development of jazz as seen by such jazz greats as Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane.
This album takes you back, way back, to a time when jazz music ruled the nightclubs of America’s biggest cities. If you put this CD in and close your eyes, you will be transported to a land where you can picture the band on the stage at the head of the dance floor. The band has a trumpeter, bassist, pianist, trombone player, drummer, and the occasional singer. The music fills the club and the crowd starts to feel its vibe. They begin to shake and sway to the beat in the music.
Ken Burns originally did a PBS documentary called Jazz, and it aired late in November of 2000. Then Columbia Records made this movie into a series of CDs that shows how jazz grew and matured throughout the 1950s and 1960s.
These songs aren’t just a collection of the tracks owned by the Columbia Recording Company either, like some other "best of jazz" albums. These songs are truly the best of the best.
Take for instance the song, "The Mooch," by Duke Ellington. This song brings the sounds of the saxophone and the trumpet together like no other song ever created. The vocals created for this song are almost eerily brassy—like the instruments that back it up.
Another great song on this CD is "Straight, No Chaser," which, looking at the title, sounds like a hardcore drinking-type song. In reality it is a strong jazz set with riveting trumpet and drum solos. It truly captures the essence of the jazz era.
This CD is an incredible piece of historical music. If you like jazz—or even if you have never even thought about wheth-er or not you might or might not like jazz music—I highly recommend that you get this CD. It should not only be looked at as being good jazz, but should just be considered good music.
There are 20 tracks on this CD and all of them are outstanding. I feel the best one on the entire album is done by The Dave Brubeck Quartet. The song is the 45-RPM version of "Take Five." In this song, Brubeck plays his saxophone like he is crying out to the crowd. The tunes carried out by this brass masterpiece convey a message of relaxation and provide a very chill atmosphere.
I only have one more thing to say about The Best of Ken Burns Jazz, and that is that you must listen to this CD. It does not matter whether you get it off of Napster or you buy it at the local Tower Records—everyone must listen to this CD.
