JSP's
Breaking Out of New Orleans compiles four CDs with 101 tracks containing a mixture of both rare and classic jazz from the '20s, including the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band, Piron's New Orleans Orchestra, Red Onion Jazz Babies, Cookie's Generals, New Orleans Wanderers, and
Chicago Footwarmers. While this set excludes solo recordings by
Louis Armstrong, he is featured as an ensemble player along with other superlative musicians of the genre like
Kid Ory,
Sidney Bechet,
Lil Armstrong,
Freddie Keppard, and
Johnny Dodds. These historic prewar recordings have been remastered, and the majority of this material sounds decent as most JSP sets do. The liner notes are informative, listing personnel, dates, and concise history without going on ad nauseam. Since this is a budget-priced set, it is highly recommended for both the jazz novice and collector. [JSP reissued the collection as four separate, single-disc editions in 2006.] ~ Al Campbell