Groovin' High: The Ultimate Trumpet Collection is a 14-track compilation of songs taken from the vaults of the Savoy label. Most of this material was originally released on 78 or 45-rpm singles, spanning the mid- to late '40s into the early '50s. A number of these early cuts have become jazz standards, including
Dizzy Gillespie's "Birk's Works,"
Fats Navarro's "Nostalgia,"
Miles Davis' "Milestones," and
Kenny Dorham's "Groovin' High." The program takes a slight dip as three cuts jump ahead to material recorded in the '80s by
Art Farmer,
Freddie Hubbard, and
Randy Brecker; as good as they are, these tracks don't really fit with the historic tone of the set. Still, the combination of 24-bit digital remastering and mid-line pricing makes this an attractive compilation for both the novice and collector. ~ Al Campbell