This ten-song label sampler has highlights from some of the newly rejuvenated Bluebird's releases. The label is now the reissuer of records that came out on RCA Victor, Novus, and Bluebird; this means records by the biggest names in jazz. This sampler contains tracks by
Duke Ellington ("One Note Samba" from Live and Rare),
Dizzy Gillespie ("A Night in Tunisia" from
Bebop Professor),
Louis Armstrong ("Mahogany Hall Stomp" from
Sings and Swings), and
Benny Goodman ("Wrappin' It Up" from
King of Swing). There are vocal tracks by
Lena Horne,
Eartha Kitt, and the marvelous
Hoagy Carmichael, as well as appearances by
Artie Shaw,
Django Reinhardt, and the underappreciated
Paul Desmond. The low price and wealth of talent, not to mention the wonderful music, make this a fine introduction to the Bluebird label. ~ Tim Sendra