The classical label Delos ventured into jazz for a few years in the late '80s and early '90s, putting out this compilation to give listeners a wide-ranging sampling of what it had to offer. Joe Williams' delightful blues "Who She Do" features alto saxophonist
Cleanhead Vinson, guitarist
Phil Upchurch, and the leader's swinging, humorous vocal. Trumpet great
Clark Terry offers cooking bop in "The Snapper" and doubles on trumpet and flügelhorn while he trades licks with alto saxophonist
Bunky Green and tenor saxophonist
Red Holloway in a brilliant take of the ballad "Don't Blame Me." The always powerful hard bop of
Art Blakey is represented by young alto saxophonist
Kenny Garrett's "Feeling Good." Also not to be missed is the father-daughter team of
Jimmy & Stacy Rowles for a Latin-flavored take of "You Don't Know What Love Is." Sadly, Delos unwisely chose to discontinue its line of jazz CDs not long after this collection was released in 1991, though the individual releases from which it was put together are all worth picking up, as is this now hard-to-find sampler. ~ Ken Dryden