JELLY-ROLL MORTON – 1926-1928 | The Chronogical Classics – 612 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

While Louis Armstrong was cutting some of jazz's bedrock material, fellow New Orleans native and pianist Jelly Roll Morton was making equally fine, yet long overshadowed, recordings with his Red Hot Peppers combo. And it's his 1926-1927 sides for Victor, cut during a handful of sessions in New York, that form the pinnacle of his '20s heyday. This Classics disc, one of several of the label's chronological Morton titles, includes a good share of those standout tracks, but unfortunately excludes several essential numbers like "Sidewalk Blues," "Black Bottom Stomp," and "Grandpa's Spells" (Classics' earlier 1924-1926 release picks up the slack). While completist Morton fans will no doubt be drawn to this series, curious listeners in search of a well-balanced introduction should check out JSP's superior-sounding Vol. 1 collection. Stephen Cook
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