Newspaper Article

The 'Jazz' Boxed Set: Not Half Bad

Ashley Kahn. Ashley Kahn is a freelance writer and author of "Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece" (Da Capo).

2001

Overview

Given [Ken Burns]' role as producer for all formats, it's no surprise that the boxed set proves only as comprehensive -or lacking-as the series itself. Like the documentary, the boxed set focuses primarily on the \"classic\" jazz timeline, offering a bounteous survey from the teens through the '40s. The collection kicks off with Louis Armstrong's \"Star Dust\" and follows the obligatory chain of tradition: Sidney Bechet, Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Billie Holiday. Despite a few questionable oversights-no stride piano masters or Fats Waller-the song list is enjoyable and irreproachable, all acknowledged milestones: Coleman Hawkins' ground-breaking \"Body and Soul\" leads to Charlie Parker's \"Ko Ko,\" which yields to Miles Davis' \"Moon Dreams.\" As jazz splinters stylistically through the '50s, the boxed set loses focus, much like episodes nine and 10 of the TV series. Post-bop genres, from cool to hard bop, third stream to modal, are thinly represented, as are Ornette Coleman's free, Davis' fusion and Herbie Hancock's funk. On disc five, the chance to embrace the scattered but rich diversity of today's jazz scene is ignored; the music simply falls into a neo-conservative lockstep marching straight uptown. Wynton Marsalis, Cassandra Wilson and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra are the all-too- narrow bookend to the collection's historical sweep.

• Publisher: Newsday LLC
• Subject: Burns, Ken