Episode 69:: Various Artists

The conversion from CD to digital music seems to be shifting, for the first time in 50+ years, the marketing maneuver of the Compilation release. While the idea of a one-artist album has been the norm in the music industry since the 10" LP emerged, the earliest recordings were done as single sides, and only later combined - sometimes with recordings by the same artist, and sometimes not - into "albums" of 78 rpm discs.

Over this half-century, the Compilation was a device specifically designed to broaden the audience. They assume a consumer who likes one or two artists on the album may end up liking more artists if exposed to them, and so the Compilation introduces them to "like" artists. Because the point is to sell records, Compilations often present the cream-of-the-crop from each band, and preserve in cheap, mass-produced format some of the exceedingly fine recordings which might otherwise be available only on more rare, more valuable, discs.

So this week we'll listen to a selection of songs from Various Artists as preserved on 6 different vinyl Compilation albums, most of which is not accessible in a digital format.

Audio

Playlist

1. Art Tatum - Plaid - Masterpieces
2. Cannonball Adderley - Soon - Songs of George Gershwin
3. Junior Mance - Summertime - Songs of George Gershwin
4. Don Byas/ Slam Stewart - Indiana - Town Hall 1945
5. Stuff Smith - Perdido - Town Hall 1945
6. Al Grey - Rompin' - Best of Argo
7. Roland Kirk - The Call - Best of Argo
8. Sonny Rollins - Lust for Life - Bop Lives
9. Eric Dolphy - Jitterbug Waltz - Bop Lives
10. Billie Holliday - Strange Fruit - Verve Essential Vocalists
11. Anita O'Day - Sweet Georgia Brown - Verve Essential Vocalists
12. Billy Eckstein - Caravan - Verve Essential Vocalists

::WSRP:: Put this on your Mix Tape and Smoke it. If successful, call a doctor in the morning.