Listen through the dim and distant acoustic sound – the first great series of jazz recordings – and you will encounter the intricate and joyous sound of New Orleans at its absolute peak.
2 Bessie Smith: Complete Recordings (Frog Vols 1-8 1923-33), deleted
Bessie Smith’s recording of the Twenties – accompanied by such musicians as Louis Armstrong, James P Johnson and the sweet-toned trumpeter Joe Smith – have a matchless stateliness of delivery and monumental vocal strength.
3 Bix Beiderbecke: Bix & Tram (JSP 1926-29) £16.62, RRP £17.99
Beiderbecke was the doomed Scott Fitzgerald of music. But before the whisky killed him, he introduced a new mood into jazz – romantic, wistful – on these performances with the saxophonist Frankie Trumbauer.
4 Jelly Roll Morton: Volumes 1-5 (JSP 1926-1930) deleted
Jelly Roll was a pool-shark, hustler and pimp, but also the finest pianist to come out of New Orleans and the first great composer/arranger in jazz, above all in these recordings.

See the full article from “Telegraph.co.uk”

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