This budget-priced double-disc set by Rex Recordings out of the U.K. contains 50 tracks that reflect the wealth of talent on the Harlem jazz scene of the 1930s. Notable tunes by the well-known orchestras of Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, Louis Armstrong, Jimmie Lunceford, Don Redman, Joe Venuti, Tommy Dorsey, and Wayne King -- to mention a few -- are included. So are numerous cuts that aren t usually seen on compilations, such as numbers by Adelaide Hall, the Harlem Footwarmers, Nan Blackstone, the Casa Loma Orchestra, Frankie Trumbauer, and the Yacht Club Boys, making for over two hours of listening. This compilation does feature better-than-acceptable sound, especially for the period. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi