We've already outlined a general history of jazz by strolling down the many highways and byways of its different styles during the first fifty years of its life; now we're going to propose another approach to this music, the most popular and creative of the 20th century, and incidentally, one that's still continuing to develop, though in a different manner. We'll be offering a chronological approach to the life and music of some great jazzmen. There are already several anthologies and compilations in this world to do with jazz and those who are part of it, but we wanted to take a different approach and go one step further if possible. We'll be following our selected artists into every corner of their life, their critical and popular successes, anything unusual or innovatory they introduced, all in their order of composition; another "extra" with us will be the sound which will be cleaned and restored. So here goes. Jazz to listen to, accept, listen to again, appreciate, think about. For these are the high points of a musical story belonging to the 20th century that's still relevant fifty years later. Andre Francis (Jazz Characters creator)

Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Wild Cat Blues Blues (T.Waller-C.Williams) Clarence Williams' Blue Five
2. Kansas City Man Blues (C.Williams-C.Johnson) Clarence Williams' Blue Five
3. Mandy, Make Up Your Mind (Clarke-Turk-Meyer-Johnston) Clarence Williams' Blue Five 17 d cembre1924 3'07
4. Cake Walking Babies From Home (C.Williams-C.Smith-H.Troy) The Red Onions Jazz Babies 22 d cembre1924 3'15
5. Sweetie Dear (J.Jordan-W.M.Cook) New Orleans Feetfarmers 15 septembre 1932 2'48
6. Maple Leaf Rag (S.Joplin) New Orleans Feetfarmers 15 septembre 1932 2'53
7. Shag (S.Bechet) New Orleans Feetfarmers 15 septembre 1932 3'05
8. Dear Old Southland (T.Layton-H.Creamer) Noble Sissle And His Orchestra
9. Characteristic Blues (S.Bechet-N.Sissle) Noble Sissle's Swingsters 16 avril 1937 2'52
10. Blackstick (S.Bechet) Noble Sissle's Swingsters 10 f vrier 1938 2'43
11. Viper Mad (S.Bechet-C.Williams) Noble Sissle's Swingsters 10 f vrier 1938 2'59
12. Jungle Drums (S.Bechet-Z.Singleton) Sidney Bechet And His Orchestra 16 nov. 1938
13. Chant In The Night (S.Bechet) Sidney Bechet And His Orchestra 16 nov. 1938 2'23
14. Jada (B.Carleton) Tommy Ladnier And His Orchestra 8 novembre 1938 2'51
15. Really The Blues (M.Mezzrow) Tommy Ladnier And His Orchestra 28 novembre 1938
16. Blues For Tommy (S.Bechet) Port Of Harlem Seven 8 juin 1939 4'23
17. Summertime (G.-I.Gershwin) The Sidney Bechet Quintet 8 juin 1939 4'09
18. Ti Ralph (trad) The Haitian Orchestra 22 novembre 1939 2'17
19. Pop It (S.Bechet) Sidney Bechet 25 novembre 1939 2'52
20. Indian Summer (Dubin-Herbert) Sidney Bechet And His New Orleans Feetwarmers
21. Lonesome Blues (L.Hardin) Sidney Bechet's Blue Note Quartet 27 mars 1940 4'01
22. That's A-Plenty (L.Pollack) The Bechet - Spanier Big Four 6 avril 1940 4'04
23. Down In Honky Tonk Town (C.Smith-C.McCarron) Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra 27 mai 1940 2'59
24. Shake It And Break It (Friscoe-Clarke) Sidney Bechet And His New Orleans Feetwarmers 4 juin 1940

Disc 2:

1. Blues In Thirds (E.Hines) Sidney Bechet And His Trio 6 septembre 1940 2'55
2. Muskrat Ramble (E.Ory) 11 novembre 1940 2'45
3. Blues Of Bechet (S.Bechet) Sidney Bechet's One Man Band 19 avril 1941 1'51
4. Swing Parade (S.Bechet) Sidney Bechet And His New Orleans Feetwarmers
5. Georgia Cabin (Bechet-Karoley) Sidney Bechet And His New Orleans Feetwarmers
6. Strange Fruit (L.Allen) Sidney Bechet Trio 13 septembre 1941 2'30
7. The Mooche (Ellington-Mills) Sidney Bechet And His New Orleans Feetwarmers
8. 12th Street Rag (E.L.Bowman) Sidney Bechet And His New Orleans Feetwarmers
9. Bugle Call Rag / Ole Miss Blues (Pettits-Meyers-Schoebel/W.C.Handy)
10. After You've Gone (Creamer) Sidney Bechet And His New Orleans Feetwarmers
11. Blue Horizon (S.Bechet) Sidney Bechet And His Blue Note Jazzmen 20 d cembre 1944
12. Gone Away Blues (M.Mezzrow) Mezzrow-Bechet Quintet 30 ao t 1945 2'42
13. Old Stack O'Lee Blues (S.Bechet) Bechet-Nicholas Blue Five 12 f vrier 1946 4'10
14. Dardanella (Fisher-Bernard-Black) The All Star Stompers 2 ao t 1947 2'40
15. Bechet's Creole Blues (S.Bechet) Sidney Bechet Avec Claude Luter Et Son Orchestre
16. Les Oignons (S.Bechet) Sidney Bechet Avec Claude Luter Et Son Orchestre
17. Mon Homme (A.Villemetz-J.Charles-M.Yvain) Sidney Bechet Et Son All Star Band
18. Margie (B.Davis-C.Conrad-J.Russell Robinson) Sidney Bechet And His Feetwarmers
19. Apex Blues (J.Noone) Sidney Bechet & Claude Luter Acc By Andr Reweliotty's Mimosa Jazzband 7 septembre 1951 3'04
20. Dans Les Rues D'Antibes (S.Bechet) Sidney Bechet Avec Claude Luter Et Son Orchestre 18 janvier 1952 3'24
21. Petite Fleur (S.Bechet) Sidney Bechet All Stars 21 janvier 1952 3'10
22. When You Wore A Tulip (Wenrich-Mahoney) Sidney Bechet And His Vogue Jazzmen