VA - Classic Jazz at The Philharmonic Jam Sessions 1950-1957 [2023] (10 x CDs)

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VA - Classic Jazz at The Philharmonic Jam Sessions 1950-1957 [2023] (10 x CDs)

This Mosaic Records release is a limited edition set with only 5,000 copies issued. Classic Jazz at the Philharmonic Jam Sessions 1950-1957 is a monumental archival release, ten CDs capturing the raw electricity, virtuosity, and spontaneity of Norman Granz’s legendary concert series during its most explosive decade. These weren’t polite recitals; they were volcanic jam sessions where the greatest soloists of the era squared off in front of roaring crowds, trading choruses, pushing boundaries, and redefining the language of jazz in real time.

Drawn from nine concerts held at venues like Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl, the set features over 90 tracks, including five previously unreleased performances. The lineup is staggering: Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt, Illinois Jacquet, Flip Phillips, Stan Getz, J.J. Johnson, Oscar Peterson, Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, and many more. These weren’t just stars, they were gladiators, and Granz gave them the arena.

The box opens with ““Norgran Blues” wich isn’t just a title, it’s a nod to Granz’s Norgran label, one of the key imprints he used to release these sessions before Verve. It’s a fitting opener, blues-based, ensemble-driven, and steeped in the spirit of spontaneous collaboration.This track sets the tone for the entire box set, raw, swinging, and full of improvisational fire. It features a powerhouse lineup including Lester Young, Flip Phillips, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Bill Harris, Hank Jones, and Buddy Rich, all trading solos with the kind of relaxed authority and rhythmic drive that defined Granz’s JATP ethos. Drum battles between Krupa and Rich, trumpet duels between Eldridge and Gillespie, and reed medleys that drift from “Summertime” to “Sweet Lorraine” all unfold with cinematic intensity. Ballad medleys offer moments of breathtaking beauty, while blues workouts like “Air Mail Special” and “Flying Home” bring the house down.

What makes this set essential isn’t just the performances, it’s the atmosphere. Granz’s introductions, on-stage banter, and audible crowd reactions are all preserved, giving listeners a front-row seat to jazz history in motion. The remastering is pristine, balancing fidelity with warmth, and the liner notes by John McDonough provide deep context for each session.

For archivists, collectors, and fans of improvisational fire, Classic Jazz at the Philharmonic Jam Sessions 1950-1957 is more than a box set, it’s a time capsule of swing, bop, and bravado. It captures jazz not as museum piece, but as living, breathing spectacle, where risk met reward, and genius was measured in choruses. (B)

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Track lists

CD01

01 Norman Granz - Intro by Norman Granz 1:32

02 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - Norgran Blues 8:12

03 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - Lady Be Good 10:32

04 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance 9:05

05 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - Indiana 9:00

06 Coleman Hawkins - Yesterdays 3:54

07 Coleman Hawkins - Hawk's Tune (Disorder at the Border) 4:49

08 Coleman Hawkins - Stuffy 6:16

09 Buddy Rich - Carnegie Blues (Air Mail Special) 7:13

10 Norman Granz - Intro by Norman Granz 1:27

11 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - Jam Session Blues 16:33

CD02

01 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - The Trumpet Battle 7:03

02 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - The Ballad Medley: I Can't Get Started / Summertime / Sweet Lorraine / It's The Talk of The Town / Cocktails for Two 11:08

03 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - Cotton Tail 5:39

04 Norman Granz - Intro by Norman Granz 0:23

05 Gene Krupa - Idaho 6:46

06 Gene Krupa - Sophisticated Lady 4:35

07 Gene Krupa - Flying Home 5:58

08 Gene Krupa - Drum Boogie 8:47

09 Gene Krupa - The Drum Battle 3:23

10 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - Perdido 4:42

11 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - On-Stage Conversations, Warm-Ups, Concert Instructions From Norman Granz and The National Anthem 5:45

CD03

01 Norman Granz - Intro by Norman Granz 1:42

02 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - Concert Blues (Pts 1 & 2) 22:03

03 Norman Granz - Intro by Norman Granz 1:34

04 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - Cool Blues 23:37

06 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - The Challenges (Cotton Tail) 13:16

CD04

01 J.C. Heard - The Drum Solo 4:12

02 Norman Granz - Intro by Norman Granz 0:28

03 Lester Young - Lester's Blues (Up N' Adam) 4:19

04 Lester Young - I Cover the Waterfront 2:51

05 Lester Young - Lester Gambols (Lester Leaps In) 4:36

06 The Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - One o'Clock Jump 14:31

07 Norman Granz - Intro by Norman Granz 0:31

08 Gene Krupa - Indiana 3:33

09 Gene Krupa - Somebody Loves Me 4:46

10 Gene Krupa - Laura 4:00

11 Gene Krupa - Stompin' at The Savoy 3:56

12 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - Flying Home 6:15

13 Norman Granz - Intro by Norman Granz 1:31

14 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - Jazz Concert Blues 15:06

CD05

01 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - The Challenges 13:36

02 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - Ballad Medley: The Man I Love / Tenderly / Imagination / I'll Never Be the Same / Star Dust 12:56

03 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - Drum Solo 6:49

04 Norman Granz - Intro by Norman Granz 0:24

05 Jazz at The Philharmonic [Quintet] - Its Only a Paper Moon 3:58

06 Jazz at The Philharmonic [Quintet] - Easy Living 5:55

07 Jazz at The Philharmonic [Quintet] - I'll Remember April 4:00

08 Jazz at The Philharmonic [Quintet] - Autumn Leaves 5:00

09 Jazz at The Philharmonic [Quintet] - Now's the Time 2:59

10 Jazz at The Philharmonic [Quintet] - Air Mail Special 7:22

11 Jazz at The Philharmonic [Quintet] - How High the Moon 2:50

12 Jazz at The Philharmonic [Quintet] - Body and Soul 7:26

CD06

01 Jazz at The Philharmonic [Sextet] - Flying Home 10:14

02 Norman Granz - Intro by Norman Granz 1:16

03 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - The Blues 19:07

04 Norman Granz - Intro by Norman Granz 0:25

05 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - The Modern Set 7:04

06 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - The Swing Set 5:51

07 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - Ballad Medley: I Didn't Know What Time it Was / All of Me / Tenderly / I Can't Get Started / My Old Flame 13:27

08 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - Buddy Rich's Explosion 8:59

CD07

01 Norman Granz - Intro by Norman Granz 1:40

02 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - Honeysuckle Rose 12:11

03 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - The Ballad Medley: I Can't Get Started / If I Had You / I've Got The World on A String 8:10

04 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - Jumpin' at the Woodside 8:40

05 Buddy Rich - Drum Solo 5:27

06 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - The Slow Blues 11:23

07 Norman Granz - Intro by Norman Granz 1:02

08 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - Merry-Go-Round 11:44

CD08

01 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - Ballad Medley: Robbin's Nest / Polka Dots and Moonbeams / Can't We Be Friends 6:12

02 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - Drum Solo 5:45

03 Coleman Hawkins - Bean Stalkin' 7:49

04 Coleman Hawkins and Roy Eldridge - The Nearness of You 2:49

05 Coleman Hawkins and Roy Eldridge - Time on My Hands 2:25

06 Coleman Hawkins and Roy Eldridge - The Walker 7:14

07 Coleman Hawkins and Roy Eldridge - Tea for Two 5:58

08 Coleman Hawkins and Roy Eldridge - Blue Moon 2:21

09 Coleman Hawkins and Roy Eldridge - Cocktails for Two 2:19

10 Coleman Hawkins and Roy Eldridge - Kerry 7:48

11 Stan Getz & J.J. Johnson - Billie's Bounce 9:42

12 Stan Getz & J.J. Johnson - My Funny Valentine 8:04

13 Stan Getz & J.J. Johnson - Crazy Rhythm 7:53

CD09

01 Stan Getz & J.J. Johnson - It Never Entered My Mind 3:30

02 Stan Getz & J.J. Johnson - Blues in the Closet 9:02

03 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - Stuffy 10:30

04 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - Stompin' at The Savoy 5:11

05 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - The Slow Blues 10:49

06 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - Intro by Norman Granz 1:25

07 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - Merry-Go-Round 11:07

08 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - The Ballad Medley: This is Always / Robbin's Nest / Polka Dots and Moonbeams / Can't We Be Friends 7:51

09 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - Drum Solo 6:27

10 Coleman Hawkins - Bean Stalkin' 7:21

11 Coleman Hawkins & Roy Eldridge - I Can't Get Started 2:37

CD10

01 Coleman Hawkins - Time on My Hands 2:17

02 Coleman Hawkins & Roy Eldridge - The Walker 7:22

03 Stan Getz & J.J. Johnson - Billie's Bounce 7:52

04 Stan Getz & J.J. Johnson - My Funny Valentine 8:26

05 Stan Getz & J.J. Johnson - Crazy Rhythm 7:38

06 Stan Getz & J.J. Johnson - Yesterdays 3:41

07 Stan Getz & J.J. Johnson - It Never Entered My Mind 3:50

08 Stan Getz & J.J. Johnson - Blues in the Closet 6:15

09 Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - Stuffy 15:01

10 Ella Fitzgerald & The Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - Stompin' at The Savoy 7:28

11 Ella Fitzgerald & The Jazz at The Philharmonic All-Stars - Lady Be Good 3:57

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