Various Artists: Verve Records The Sound of America CD
As an independent record producer going back to the early 1940s, Norman Granz started building a personal network of record companies, disc by disc, artist by artist, innovation by innovation that grew into a tsunami by the time he sold Verve Records at the end of 1960. It remains a feat unmatched to this day.
This set celebrates the fascinating spectrum of recordings made during the Norman Granz era of Verve Records. It includes vocal tracks by Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday; Charlie Parker with strings; a raucous live jam session; Beatnik poetry by Jack Kerouac and stand-up comedy.
Tracklist:
CD 1
1. Jazz at the Philharmonic — Blues 10:34
2. Coleman Hawkins — Picasso 3:17
3. Oscar Peterson — Tenderly 3:46
4. Bud Powell — Like Someone in Love 1:54
5. Count Basie and His Orchestra — New Basie Blues 3:26
6. Johnny Hodges — Castle Rock 2:49
7. Andre’s All Stars — Con Poco Coco 6:51
8. Lionel Hampton and Stan Getz — Louise 6:47
9. Lester Young and Teddy Wilson — Taking a Chance on Love 5:10
10. The JATP Quintet — Easy Living 5:31
11. Benny Carter — Flamingo 2:53
12. Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong — You Won’t Be Satisfied (Until You Break My Heart) 3:40
13. Art Tatum — I’ll Never Be the Same 2:48
14. Roy Eldridge — Dale’s Wail 3:37
15. Lionel Hampton — That Old Black Magic, Part 1 6:34
CD2
1. Charlie Parker — Laura 3:00
2. Jam Session #1 — Ballad Medley: All the Things You Are/Dearly Beloved/The Nearness of You/I’ll Get By/Everything Happens to Me/The Man I Love/What’s New?/Someone to Watch Over Me/Isn’t It Romantic 17:22
3. Jack Kerouac — The Subterraneans 3:11
4. Mort Sahl — The Future Lies Ahead — excerpt 6:00
5. Jonathan Winters — Football Game 3:25
6. Shelley Berman — Department Store 6:06
7. Count Basie and Joe Williams — Thou Swell 2:22
8. Spike Jones and His City Slickers — Cocktails for Two 3:35
9. Margaret Whiting — Why Was I Born? 3:18
10. Mel Tormé — On the Street Where You Live 2:55
11. Anita O’Day — Lullaby of the Leaves 3:08
12. Bing Crosby and Buddy Bregman — Blue Room 2:21
13. Billie Holiday — I Thought About You 2:46
14. Ella Fitzgerald — Chelsea Bridge — rehearsal 7:00
15. Fred Astaire — No Strings (I'm Fancy Free) 2:57