Good Time Blues: The Ultimate Tenor Sax Collection is a 16-track compilation of songs taken from the vaults of the Savoy label. Most of this material was originally released on 78 or 45-rpm singles, spanning the mid- to late '40s into the early '50s. The majority of cuts rely mainly on standards interpreted by
Coleman Hawkins ("On the Sunny Side of the Street"),
Don Byas ("September in the Rain"),
Ben Webster ("Blue Skies"), and
Illinois Jacquet ("Don't Blame Me"). The closing five tracks on the disc represent Savoy's contribution to the modern jazz idiom with hard bop tracks by
Hank Mobley,
John Coltrane,
Yusef Lateef,
Booker Ervin, and
Benny Golson. The combination of 24-bit digital remastering and mid-line pricing makes this an attractive compilation for both the novice and collector. ~ Al Campbell