AMG Review of High Society [Tradition]

Scott Yanow
All Music Guide

The 11 vintage selections reissued on this 1997 CD (less than 33 minutes of music) are taken straight from a budget LP of two decades earlier. The music (seven numbers by King Oliver from 1923 and 1926, three of Louis Armstrong's Hot Fives and Bessie Smith's rendition of "Mean Old Bed Bug Blues") is often classic, but the somewhat random programming of the selections (which are readily available elsewhere) lessens the impact of the historic and timeless music. If it can be found at a cheap price, this CD might be of interest to beginners, but other collectors should definitely look elsewhere.