Baby Breeze [Import] [Limited Edition]

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
24 bit remastered Japanese limited edition reissue of 1965 album, packaged in a miniature LP sleeve. Includes 5 bonus tracks 'Sweet Sue, Just You', 'A Taste Of Honey', 'Think Beautiful', 'I Wish You Love' (alternate take) & 'Think Beautiful' (alternate take).

Tracks:

Please Say You Will - Richard Zimmerman
A Picture Of Her Face - Richard Zimmerman
The Great Crush Collision March - Richard Zimmerman
Harmony Club Waltz - Richard Zimmerman
Combination March - Richard Zimmerman
Original Rags - Richard Zimmerman
Maple Leaf Rag - Richard Zimmerman
Swipesy - Cake Walk - Richard Zimmerman
Sunflower Slow Drag - Richard Zimmerman
Peacherine Rag - Richard Zimmerman
Augustan Club Waltz - Richard Zimmerman
The Easy Winners - Richard Zimmerman
Cleopha - Richard Zimmerman
The Strenuous Life - Richard Zimmerman
I Am Thinking Of My Pickanniny Days - Richard Zimmerman
The Ragtime Dance - Richard Zimmerman
A Breeze From Alabama - Richard Zimmerman
Elite Syncopations - Richard Zimmerman

Tracks:

March Majestic - S. Joplin
The Entertainer - S. Joplin
Something Doing - S. Joplin
Weeping Willow - S. Joplin
Little Black Baby - S. Joplin
Palm Leaf Rag - S. Joplin
The Favorite - S. Joplin
The Sycamore - S. Joplin
The Cascades - S. Joplin
The Chrysanthemum - S. Joplin
Rosebud March - S. Joplin
Bethena - S. Joplin
Leola - S. Joplin
Sarah Dear - S. Joplin
Binks Waltz - S. Joplin
Eugenia - S. Joplin
Antoinette - S. Joplin
Snoring Sampson - S. Joplin

Tracks:

Gladiolus Rag - S. Joplin
Searchlight Rag - S. Joplin
The Nonpareil (None to Equal) - S. Joplin
When Your Hair Is Like The Snow - S. Joplin
Rose Leaf Rag - S. Joplin
Heliotrope Bouquet - S. Joplin
School Of Ragtime - S. Joplin
Fig Leaf Rag - S. Joplin
Sugar Cane - S. Joplin
Pine Apple Rag - S. Joplin
Wall Street Rag - S. Joplin
Solace - S. Joplin
Pleasant Moments - S. Joplin
Country Club - S. Joplin
Paragon Rag - S. Joplin
Euphonic Sounds - S. Joplin
Stoptime Rag - S. Joplin
Felicity Rag - S. Joplin

Tracks:

Highlights From Treemonisha - Richard Zimmerman
A Real Slow Drag - Richard Zimmerman
Prelude To Act 3 - Richard Zimmerman
Frolic Of The Bears - Richard Zimmerman
Lovin' Babe - Richard Zimmerman
Scott Joplin's New Rag - Richard Zimmerman
Kismet Rag - Richard Zimmerman
Magnetic Rag - Richard Zimmerman
Reflection Rag - Richard Zimmerman
Silver Swan Rag - Richard Zimmerman
Lily Queen - Richard Zimmerman
Sensation - Richard Zimmerman

Customer Reviews:

Available at retailers for about $18.......2006-12-21

Excellent collection - but there are re-sellers listed here that are selling this for as much $50 or $60. Yikes, most major retailers are selling this complete set for $18 - so beware.

A classic compilation.......2006-10-07

This collection is one of my most treasured possessions. (My father gave me the original 5-album set in the 70's when it was originally released on vinyl.)

This is the definitive collection of Scott Joplin's work. Richard Zimmerman provides wonderful performances that accurately reflect Joplin's intentions. (As evidence beyond my personal opinion, I submit the recent releases of digital recordings made from Joplin's piano rolls.)

A few points to consider regarding negative comments you may encounter in other reviews:
* This is a digital recording from an analog master. Lack of quality in the recording does not imply a lackluster performance.
* This is a complete collection. Some similarity is due to Joplin re-exploring melodic themes. But some is due to the fact that these are "rags". One might as well complain that all 50's doo-wop (or all 70's disco) sounds the same.
* Many pieces of the period exhibit formal musical structures, such as the marches of John Phillips Sousa. (Both Sousa and Joplin performed at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis.) Actually, Joplin is responsible for extending the formal boundaries of ragtime to concert waltzes (Bethena) and opera (A Guest of Honor, Treemonisha)
* This is probably one of the few collections which will include selections from "Treemonisha". It is my understanding that after the initial release, one of Joplin's descendants made a copyright claim that was upheld in court. (I presume the issue was that Joplin had to finance "Treemonisha" himself, and therefore the customary performance clearances did not cover those selections.)

For ragtime students and enthusiasts, this is a "must-have" collection at a very affordable price.

A dis-service to Joplin.......2006-02-01

Sadly, the only virtue this set possesses is completeness.

The pianist does not play Joplin's pieces "as written", the piano is of poor quality, and not properly in tune.

This is emphatically NOT the set to buy. A far better set, beautifully annotated and well played on a good concert grand piano, is the complete works played by Guido Nielsen on the Basta Label.

This set is a dis-service to Joplin and his music. He deserves better, and gets it elsewhere.

Unique .......2004-10-19

I have several cd sets of Joplin's music: Rifkin, Arpo, Nielsen, and Zimmerman. All have their excellent qualities. What sets Zimmerman's set apart is the inclusion of excerpts from Joplin's opera, Treemonisha---especially "A Real Slow Drag." Why the other sets do not include excerpts from Treemonisha, I don't know---because they are some of his most beautiful and joyful pieces of music. Of course, you can hear the orchestrated version of Treemonisha in the Houston Grand Opera recording, and it is spectacular. But Zimmerman's piano version, especially of "A Real Slow Drag," is not to be missed.

Great set.......2001-10-16

I guess this will be a rather one sided review. I have been a fan of Scott Joplin since I first learned to play a piano.

I was shocked to see that one reviewer thought it all sounded the same. How silly. All of Frank Sinatra's music sounds like Frank Sinatra. All of Led Zeppelin sounds like Led Zeppelin. So, if the songs were drastically different, I would question if the same author composed them. As it is, though, each song on this set is fantastic!!

I don't know that I have heard of Richard Zimmerman, and I was a little leary as to what I would be getting, I certainly was impressed. Without a doubt the best renditions of "Weeping Willow" and "Bethena" I have heard, and at least a dozen songs I didn't know Joplin wrote.

Without a doubt, this album is fantastic. A very good price, as well.

Average customer rating:

A tougher Cet Baker

Poignancy and Intimacy

Baby Breeze, one of Chet's personal favourites

Chet Baker's sweet return to the States . . .

This is my favorite of Chet's recordings

Baby Breeze
Chet Baker
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Chet

She Was Too Good to Me

Chet Baker Quartet Featuring Russ Freeman

The Last Great Concert: My Favorite Songs, Vol. 1 & 2

ASIN: B00000HXFL
Release Date: 1999-01-26

Tracks:

Baby Breeze
Born To Be Blue
This Is The Thing
I Wish You Love
Everything Depends On You
One With One
Pamela's Passion
The Touch Of Your Lips
Comin' Down
You're Mine, You
Sweet Sue, Just You
A Taste Of Honey
Think Beautiful
I Wish You Love (Alternate Take)
Think Beautiful (Alternate Take)

Customer Reviews:

A tougher Cet Baker.......2006-10-18

This was the first studio album Chet Baker cut after a lengthy stay in Italy (5 years), made in January 1965. He returned to the States with a new style (and a new axe - flugelhorn), playing "harsher" (his words) than ever before. He was also tackling new material, very advanced and creative. This is evident throughout this CD as he works his way (effortlessly, by the way) through a couple of Hal Galper compositions that are pretty complicated and sophisticated. BABY BREEZE has a blues march feel to it, and Chet's solo is melodic and strong. THIS IS THE THING is taken up and it's HOT, especially Frank Strozier's alto solo. Another Galper tune is PAMELA'S PASSION, also taken up, which goes out of tempo on occasion and thus produces excellent tension. Richard Carpenter contributed two tunes, the best being COMIN' DOWN, which sounds very much like Coltrane's GIANT STEPS. Baker sings on a few tunes, which is okay but no great shakes; on one of them (BORN TO BE BLUE) the focus for the listener is definitely on Bobby Scott's incredibly bluesy piano accompaniment. This is a solid album for Baker, offering up an exciting change and a deeper involvement. Nice!

Poignancy and Intimacy.......2004-08-04

Of the dozen Chet Baker CDs that I own, "Baby Breeze" stands out as the most poignant, intimate and resonant--deeply romantic but never cocktail lounge saccharine. Overall, it has the depth of feeling and richness of melody lacking in some of Chet's earlier, breezier albums. It is definitely a reflection of a more mature singer, musician and human being. His renditions of "A Taste of Honey" and "The Touch of Your Lips" are particularly haunting. I could listen to these two tracks for hours--in my solitude.

Baby Breeze, one of Chet's personal favourites.......2000-12-04

In interviews as late as 1987 Chet listed this album as one of his favourites, and who would doubt his judgment? I think it's his best album from the sixties, a perfect showcase for Chet's varied talents. Whether you like the fleet player of fast bop (or post-bop, as is the case here), the lyrical trumpeter or the sensitive balladeer, it's all here. The uptempo tunes sound very "sixties" and modern and Chet's lines are firm, hard-driven and edgy, but he never loses his human touch. As a vocalist Chet has never sounded better. He sings with fire, conviction and at times almost unbearable tenderness - "You're mine, you" and "The touch of your lips" send chills up your spine - and his rendition of Mel Tormé's "Born to be blue" is impressive and, indeed, bluesy. Anyone who claims that Chet isn't a singer should listen to these cuts. This American comeback album has long unduly been overlooked, but it is a very strong statement from this poignant trumpeter and singer. If you love Chet you should buy this one; you can't go wrong with it.

Chet Baker's sweet return to the States . . ........2000-09-04

After years in Europe, Baker returned to the West Coast to record "Baby Breeze". His trumpet was stolen just before sessions began, so he played a fugelhorn, which served to make his already langorous and lush leads warmer and smoother. After a few years of drug addiction and the resulting obscurity, Baker came back strong with this collection, which encapsulates all three of his major personas: The sweetest trumpet blower around, a singer whose voice was high and lonesome and muscular all at once, and the harder bop-oriented musician that many people don't remember. A great album from a great jazzman.

This is my favorite of Chet's recordings.......1999-08-29

This album is SO perfect because it's NOT perfect. There is a little emotional weariness in Chet's voice, and there are times when you can hear a bit of a struggle with his flugelhorn (his trumpet was stolen before he recorded this album.) But that is what gives this album such a human quality, you can truly hear the sadness in Chet's voice when he sings "Born to Be Blue" - as though the song is about him. His playing is usually phenomenal, but you can hear a bit of a struggle on his usually so perfectly executed ballad solos, and there is such beauty to it. I love this album because it has such a wonderful human quality - there is so much emotion in Chet's voice and playing, that you can almost feel with him. Definitely buy this CD if you like Chet, or even if you just want a great jazz CD to add to your collection.

The Complete Works of Scott Joplin, Vol. 1-5

Average customer rating:

Wilmot
Delightful colletion of Scott Joplin's music
Avoid
One Star for Pity
The Complete Works?? I think not

The Complete Works of Scott Joplin, Vol. 1-5

Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Complete Piano Music of Scott Joplin
Scott Joplin: The Complete Rags, Marches, Waltzes & Songs
James Scott: The Complete Works 1903-1922

ASIN: B000001VWW
Release Date: 1993-11-30

Tracks:

Please Say You Will
A Picture Of Her Face
The Great Crush Collision March
Harmony Club Waltz
Combination March
Original Rags
Maple Leaf Rag
Swipesy-Cake Walk
Sunflower Slow Drag
Peachtree Rag
Augustan Club Waltz
The Easy Winners
Cleopha
The Strenuous Life

Tracks:

I Am Thinking Of My Pickanniny Days
The Ragtime Dance
A Breeze From Alabama
Elite Syncopations
March Majestic
The Entertainer
Something Doing
Weeping Willow
Little Black Baby
Palm Leaf Rag
The Favorite
The Sycamore
The Cascades
The Chrysanthemum

Tracks:

Rosebud March
Bethena
Leola
Sarah Dear
Binks Waltz
Eugenia
Antoinette
Snoring Sampson
Gladiolus Rag
Searchlight Rag
The Nonpareil (Equal To None)
When Your Hair Is Like The Snow
Lose Leaf Rag
Heliotrope Bouquet

Tracks:

School Of Ragtime
Fig Leaf Rag
Sugar Cane
Pine Apple Rag
Wall Street Rag
Solace
Pleasant Moments
Country Club
Paragon Rag
Euphonic Sounds
Stoptime Rag
Felicity Rag
Lovin' Babe
Scot Joplin's New Rag

Tracks:

Highlights From Treemonisha
A Real Slow Drag
Prelude to Act 3
Frolic Of The Bears
Kismet Rag
Magnetic Rag
Reflection Rag
Silver Swan Rag
Lily Queen
Sensation

Customer Reviews:

Wilmot.......2007-01-10

Well done, with the only drawback that Joshua Rifkind is not at the piano. Sometimes the pace is too frenetic.

Delightful colletion of Scott Joplin's music.......2006-08-17

This is a wonderful collection of Scott Joplin's music. Delightful to own, to play over and over and over.

Avoid.......2004-10-30

I have to agree with "A music fan" is his review of March 2003.

The piano used is poor, and not even all that well in tune. The recorded sound quality is muffled and 'processed'-sounding.

And the playing, I am afraid, is an insult to Joplin. What a pity to produce so full a set, and to do it so badly. A travesty.

If you want a superb Joplin set, played "as wrote", on a good concert grand and played with verve and style, and well-recorded, it's got to be the new Guido Nielsen 4 CD set on the Basta label (Basta 30-91262).

For a really fine single CD recorded on a top-notch piano and with playing that brings out all the elegance in Joplin's music (which it isn't wrong to do - Joplin put it in there), try the new Naxos CD played by Alexander Peskanov (Naxos 8.559114).

The Zimmerman set, I am afraid, must be consigned to the dustbin. A pity.

One Star for Pity.......2003-05-05

My review in two statements: DON'T BUY IT. EVER.

One star for pity - and for the effort of going to the trouble of learning Scott Joplin's complete works. I know it must have been quite a task getting the sheet music for these works and it must have been quite a task learning them, but I cannot honestly say that this is a good recording. Richard Zimmerman plays these works on a piano with bad quality sound, and he plays these works with his own embellishments and in his own style. If you're going to take liberties with a written score, you'd might as well not even try to play it at all. Either play it as written, or don't play it. Why can't people understand that?

The Complete Works?? I think not.......2002-08-06

I bought the CD entitled the Complete Works of Scott Joplin but upon receiving it I found that it only contained 14 tracks from the Complete Works book. The CD at the price is certainly a good buy even with the 14 tracks but it should be more correctly labled as the "Almost" complete works - "Sort - Of" Complete works or maybe A Partial Compilation of the Complete Works but a Complete Works it is not. It appears that a more Complete Works also has the same label.. Or maybe I am missing something..