Uncompromising Expression - The Singles Collection

Great music. What more is there to say? I bought this CD set as companion to the book of the same title. I didn't have Blue Note records before. For me, the set of CDs is just perfect. I love the choice of songs, the variety, the sound quality. I have some other jazz collections but I could listen to these CDs for hours. I can't comment on the Blue Note records that were left out compared to those that made it into the set of CDs. I can just say that I love the music that was chosen. The CDs came in a beautifully packaged set. A must-have companion to the book by Richard Havers.

BN1 ??? Are you kidding? The depth of this collection is far more than I expected. It doesn't have every hit you would expect from the catalogue, but you already own those, don't you?

great collection and quick shipping

a wonderful collection of music. I would recommend it.

This review is aimed primarily at newcomers to Blue Note Records and their many great albums. I rated this set as a four "star" collection because the music is very good as far as an overview of the different periods of Blue Note Records from a singles point of view. But most fans (including myself) are already familiar with the artists included. But these are singles which are a bit of a different animal than what fans know from the albums. Some tracks will be very familiar and others perhaps not. But if you're new to the "Blue Note sound", this is a good starting point--especially if you have the great book (with the same title as this CD set) by Richard Havers (who was responsible for the equally beautiful book on Verve Records a while back) that was released along with this set of music.The music is broken into different periods which helps as an overview of how the label's music changed over the years. Beginning with the label's earliest recordings by Meade Lux Lewis' boogie style piano, and then through Monk, Davis, Dolphy, Blakey, Smith, etc. and ending with Nora Jones, Robert Glasper, and Derrick Hodges, this is a concise look at the label's beginning, it's greatest period, it's eventual decline, and then it's gaining new life with Jones, Glasper and others in the present. But many of the best Blue Note artists are missing--the list of names is too long to list here--but there's some good examples of the "Blue Note sound" from the label's greatest years and players (especially for newcomers), and newer artists too.The sound is very clean and relatively crisp for tunes recorded over such a long span of time--thanks in large part to the great Rudy Van Gelder--who originally recorded the many Blue Note artists over the decades. Because of his original stupendous work in the studio, very little had to be done to the master tapes s far as sound quality. The thick booklet has an essay on the label and the music along with some great period photos and a discography. The outer slip-top box is a thick cardboard stock, and the discs slip into cardboard jackets.While the music included here is great as far as what's included as singles instead of full album tracks, Haver's book will be a great accompaniment to the music--especially if you're new to this music and to the Blue Note label. In some respects I envy anyone coming to the "Blue Note sound" through artists like Hank Mobley, Art Balkey, Jimmy Smith, Grachan Moncur, Kenny Burrell, Donald Byrd, Lou Donaldson, and many others from (especially) the 1950's-1960's. Yes, it's even more coins out of your jeans, but every new, serious jazz/Blue Note fan will want both. And if you want more of a biography of the label, look for "Blue Note Records The Biography", by Richard Cook. For fans of jazz and/or the Blue Note label this too is well worth owning.

As a collector of Blue Note Records for over 60 years I have always admired the recording quality and artwork. What Blue Note has done for Jazz will go down in History. A Great Boxed set that links to the celebratory book of the same name. Of course there are overlaps from the original records but it is important to have collections like these to add to ones own historical collection. I would love to know what is still hidden the vaults of many record companies.I must add it is nice to see a quality presentation of a boxed set, compared with many of the current re-issue set that are flooding the market with little editorial. You don't buy a Rolls Royce and fit Ford Hub Caps. That's what is nice about record companies such as Blue Note and Impulse !

Fantástico,es una pena que no editen una caja más amplia y concreta como la lanzada en el 50 aniversario.me encantó,su fondo es inmenso y deberían ampliar la discografía clásica ,pues tienen lo indecible.Blue Note es uno de los pricipales que crearon el mejor jazz y sería una pena no aprovecharlo mucho mas.

Excellent - and prompt delivery

A musical eclectic of the Blue Note years.

This 5-CD set with helpful booklet is a nice accompaniment to the superb new book 'Uncompromising Expression', a history of Blue Note Records from its creation in 1939 in New York, up to the present day. These CDs reflect that journey, through the various singles released by foremost Blue Note artists over the years. Superb recording quality and great jazz music - that's what Blue Note has always been about and that's what you get here. Recommended.