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. Milt Meets Sid (M. Jackson) Milt Jackson Quartet 3'06
2. D And E (J. Lewis) Milt Jackson Quartet 2'55
3. Yesterdays (Kern - Harbach) Milt Jackson Quartet 2'32
4. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea (Arlen - Koehler) Milt Jackson Quartet 2'36
5. Bluesology (M. Jackson) Milt Jackson Quartet 2'47
6. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise (Romberg - Hammerstein) Milt Jackson Quartet 3'28
7. Love Me Pretty Baby (Gillespie) Milt Jackson Quartet 3'38
8. True Blues (M. Jackson) Milt Jackson Quartet 3'02
9. All The Things You Are (Kern - Hammerstein) Modern Jazz Quartet 3'14
10. Vendome (J. Lewis) Modern Jazz Quartet 3'12
11. Rose Of The Rio Grande (Warren-Gorman-Leslie) Modern Jazz Quartet 2'14
12. Delaunay's Dilemna (J. Lewis) Modern Jazz Quartet 3'57
13. No Moe (S. Rollins) Sonny Rollins With The Modern Jazz Quartet 3'29
14. Django (J. Lewis) Modern Jazz Quartet 7'02
15. Milano (J. Lewis) Modern Jazz Quartet 4'21
16. La Ronde Suite (J. Lewis) Modern Jazz Quartet 9'33
17. Ralph's New Blues (M. Jackson) Modern Jazz Quartet 7'07
18. I'll Remember April (Raye - DePaul) Modern Jazz Quartet 5'05
19. Concorde (J. Lewis) Modern Jazz Quartet 3'38

Disc 2:

1. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise (Romberg-Hammerstein) Modern Jazz Quartet 7'53
2. Versailles (J. Lewis) Modern Jazz Quartet 3'22
3. Angel Eyes (Dennis - Brent) Modern Jazz Quartet 3'49
4. Woody'n You (D. Gillespie) Modern Jazz Quartet 4'25
5. A Fugue For Music Inn (J. Lewis) The Modern Jazz Quartet With Jimmy Giuffre 4'43
6. A Morning In Paris (J. Lewis) Modern Jazz Quartet 2'52
7. Two Degrees East Three Degrees West (J. Lewis) Modern Jazz Quartet 4'47
8. The Golden Striker (J. Lewis) Modern Jazz Quartet 3'37
9. Cortege (J. Lewis) Modern Jazz Quartet 7'25
10. Venice (J. Lewis) Modern Jazz Quartet 4'24
11. The Rose Truc 1 re version (J. Lewis) Modern Jazz Quartet 5'44
12. Bag's Groove (M. Jackson) Modern Jazz Quartet 5'40
13. Baden-Baden (M. Jackson - R. Brown) Modern Jazz Quartet 4'02
14. J.B. Blues (J. Lewis) Modern Jazz Quartet 5'10
15. Festival Sketch (J. Lewis) Modern Jazz Quartet 3'41
16. Animal Dance (J. Lewis) Modern Jazz Quartet 4'37