Based on Len Lyons,
The 101 Best Jazz Albums (William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1980, ISBN 0-688-08720-5), and Jim Determan's subsequent updates.
| 7. King Oliver: King Oliver's Jazz Band, 1923 (Smithsonian Collection R-001, 2 LPs) |
| Amazon.com — Vinyl | | |
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The LP has not been reissued on CD. Determan recommends the Retrieval CD below as "the definitive reissue." He also lists the Milestone CD below, although he adds that the "only reason to pick up this set is for the seven interesting tracks by The Red Onion Jazz Babies, featuring Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, and Alberta Hunter; or if you can't find the Retrieval set." |
| 7-Alternative. King Oliver: King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band: The Complete Set (Retrieval) |
| Amazon.com — CD | Amazon.com — MP3 |
| 7-Alternative. King Oliver: Louis Armstrong with King Oliver (Milestone) |
| Amazon.com — CD | Amazon.com — MP3 |
| 8. Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines: The Genius of Louis Armstrong, Vol. 1 1923-1933 (Columbia CG 30416, 2 LPs) |
| Amazon.com — Vinyl | | |
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As Determan points out, "The newly remastered Columbia "Complete" and JSP "Hot Fives and Sevens" sets are a huge improvement over the old Columbia Jazz Masterpieces volumes." |
| 8-Alternative. Louis Armstrong: The Complete Hot Fives and Hot Sevens (Columbia) |
| Amazon.com — CD | |
| 8-Alternative. Louis Armstrong: Hot Fives and Sevens (JSP) |
| Amazon.com — CD | Amazon.com — MP3 |
| 8-Alternative. Louis Armstrong: The Big Band Recordings 1930-1932 (JSP) |
| Amazon.com — CD | |
| 8-Alternative. Louis Armstrong: The Hot Fives, Volume I (Columbia) |
| Amazon.com — CD | Amazon.com — MP3 |
| 8-Alternative. Louis Armstrong: The Hot Fives & Hot Sevens, Volume II (Columbia) |
| Amazon.com — CD | Amazon.com — MP3 |
| 8-Alternative. Louis Armstrong: The Hot Fives & Hot Sevens, Volume III (Sony) |
| Amazon.com — CD | Amazon.com — MP3 |
| 8-Alternative. Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines: Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines, Volume IV (Columbia) |
| Amazon.com — CD | Amazon.com — MP3 |
| 8-Alternative. Louis Armstrong: Louis in New York, Volume V (Sony) |
| Amazon.com — CD | Amazon.com — MP3 |
| 8-Alternative. Louis Armstrong: St. Louis Blues, Volume VI (Sony) |
| Amazon.com — CD | Amazon.com — MP3 |
| 8-Alternative. Louis Armstrong: You're Drivin' Me Crazy, Volume VII (Columbia) |
| Amazon.com — CD | Amazon.com — MP3 |
| 8-Alternative. Louis Armstrong: Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, 1923-1934 (Sony) |
| Amazon.com — CD | Amazon.com — MP3 |
| 9. Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines: Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines, 1928 (Smithsonian Collection R-002, 2 LPs) |
| Amazon.com — Vinyl | | |
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See the note and alternatives listed at #8 above. As Determan notes, The material with Earl Hines is primarily on volumes III and IV of "The Hot Fives & Hot Sevens." |
| 11. Jelly Roll Morton: Jelly Roll Morton and His Red Hot Peppers, 1926-1927, Volume 3 (RCA France 731 059) |
| Amazon.com — Vinyl | | |
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This album is only available in vinyl. Determan makes three recommendations for alternatives, listed below. "The 5 CD set reissues all the Hot Peppers recordings, including alternate takes, for the first time in a long time in the U.S., but its probably overkill for non-die-hards. 'Birth of the Hot' is an excellent single CD overview which includes one take of every one of the early Hot Peppers tracks." The second of the alternatives, according to Determan, features superior remastering. |
| 11-Alternative. Jelly Roll Morton: The Jelly Roll Morton Centennial (Bluebird) |
| Amazon.com — CD | |
| 11-Alternative. Jelly Roll Morton: 1926-1930 (JSP) |
| Amazon.com — CD | |
| 11-Alternative. Jelly Roll Morton: Birth of the Hot (RCA Bluebird) |
| Amazon.com — CD | Amazon.com — MP3 |
| 12. Jelly Roll Morton: Jelly Roll Morton, 1923-1924 (Milestone M-47018, 2 LPs) |
| Amazon.com — CD | Amazon.com — MP3 |
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The vinyl LP is not currently available from Amazon.com, and the CD and MP3 versions appear to omit the cuts from side 4 of the Milestone vinyl LP. Determan recommends an alternative that "is the best reissue of this material, with the superior remastering by John R. T. Davies." |
| 12-Alternative. Jelly Roll Morton: Rare Recordings of Piano Solos, 1923-1926 (Challenge) |
| Amazon.com — CD | Amazon.com — MP3 |
| 13. Bix Beiderbecke: The Bix Beiderbecke Story: Bix and Tram, Vol. 2 (Columbia CL 845) |
| Amazon.com — Vinyl | | |
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The album is not available in CD or MP3 format. According to Determan, the first alternative listed below "is a better collection than the aforementioned LP, since it includes the best tracks from the LP, has more cuts, and includes Bix's unique piano solo, 'In a Mist.'" The second alternative "has superior remastering by John R. T. Davies on most tracks, and makes an excellent choice, especially for those who want more than one Beiderbecke disc." |
| 13-Alternative. Bix Beiderbecke: Singin' the Blues, Volume 1 (Sony) |
| Amazon.com — CD | Amazon.com — MP3 |
| 13-Alternative. Bix Beiderbecke: Bix & Tram (JSP) |
| Amazon.com — CD | Amazon.com — MP3 |
