A great music selection by Woody
587993
Woody's music selection always makes his movies better, and this collection is great. Sound and the era mix are super. Thanks woody.

R.P. Simeone
3478310
Great arrangements of an eclectic assortment of B'way music. Not sure how he arrived at this particular set of songs, but they're done exceedingly well. Particularly love the doo-wop version of "On the street where you live," particularly since doo-wop was popular when My Fair Lady was on B'way. If you like Dennis DeYoung and have an appreciation for show tunes, this is a good addition to your collection.
4071200
THIS WAS WHAT I WANTED , THE MUSIC AND SELECTION IS GREAT.
  DAVE
3220510
Having been exposed to Woody's music while .growing up I loved this album.  Pure Woody
844886
This album has a great selection of easy to listen to music. Sometimes I download a free album and really only like about half the songs, but that is not the case here.  Well done.  I will be watching for more from Will Hoge, Sam and Ruby and Leslie Mendelson in particular.
508378
Joel Rafael captures not only the words and melodies of Woody Guthrie in this collection, he brings a sense of Woody Guthrie and his indomitable spirit into the renditions. Joel's authenticy  permeates this welcome addition to my listening library.
474236
As a historical document, indispensable.  Woody's  first recordings!  As a listening experience, sometimes a little tough going, sometimes even frustrating.  Poor micorphone placement compromises clarity of Woody's voice, both speech and singing. Sometimes a bad room echo obscures it even more, Woody doesn't always seem to be next to the microphone. Sound levels not adjusted when he's speaking as opposed to blowing harp and stumming away. Etc.

 These also are much looser performances than "Dust Bowl Ballads" (his seminal album, recorded a month after this Library Of Congress recording) or the amazing 1944-49 recordings for Mose Asch (the Asch Recordings box set)-Woody is mellow and laid back, frequently blows guitar chord changes to some of his best songs....no big deal! We still love him!  But the versions of most songs are better on "Dust Bowl Ballads" (exception: Talkin' Dust Bowl)  and especially the Moe Asch recordings (which is what I recommend starting out with).  It's great-fascinating-hearing long extended conversations with Woody Guthrie and Alan Lomax (even though it's not exactly loose conversation....it was intended to be broadcast as a radio series) It's conversational.....long and drawling.  It's beautiful. Woody  suddenly and unexpectedly describing his childhood tragedies is riveting.

Three discs of loose version of song, followed by 5 minutes of conversation-sometimes it requires concentrated attention to really get the most out of.  Sometimes Alan himself joins in and sings with Woody.....it's that loose.

If you've never gotten the Asch Recordings four disc set, that's the one I'd start with,  unbelievable.  All 4 discs are indispensable.  Woody with Cisco Houston is one of  musics great rewards, and he's on a lot of that set.  Add to that the equally indispensable Dust Bowl Ballads and you have the absolute essential Woody Guthrie.  After you've got those two under your belt, then I would pick up these Library of Congress recordings, I place it as number 3.

A side note, Woody's harp playing is beautiful, I never see anyone mention that.

Also, you can't program out the interviews So each track starts with a song and has up to 6 minutes of conversation.

PS-I hope this doesn't sound like a bad review, because it's not!  It's an amazing documentary.
2905916
My father loved Woody back in the early days and turned me on to him so I knew a lot of the songs. Great to have such a large collection at my fingertips.
A great deal for so much Woody.

And then one day my father came home with this newly released bright yellow album with a skinny kid with a bare chest and a strange hat on....
He almost had to force me to give it a listen. Thanks Dad!

What a talented family!!!!!!!!
2271120
I'm a little late jumping on the Jose Gonzales boat, but just wanted to express how much I enjoyed "In Our Nature." Beautiful lyrics, hypnotic guitar -- the perfect soundtrack for a winter day. The Massive Attack cover was a pleasant surprise. "Teardrop" has always been one of my favorite songs, and his translation was lovely. Not too over the top, just simple and clean.

If I had one gripe, it would be that the songs sound a little repetitive after awhile. I enjoyed the variety offered by "Down the line," and found myself craving a little more of that beat after a few of the slower melodies.

Overall, an excellent addition to my music collection. Gonzales is ridiculously talented, and I can't wait to see what he creates next.
3231103
Lee Dorsey's music has something that immediately attracts and appeals. It may be his smooth delivery, the groove, the bluesy New Orleans R&B melodies, the great piano and horn section, the human feeling... Whatever it is - I loved Lee Dorsey when I first heard him on LP 12 years ago, and I love it now, listening and dancing to his songs with my little daughter.
This is a great compilation, great song selection and remastering. The tunes that catch on quickly are "Ya-ya", "Do-Re Mi", "Ride Your Pony", "work", and "Working in the Coal mine". After a few more times, the rest of the songs catch up with these.
This is fun music, groovy and happy. For some reason I wanr my daughter to grow up listening to this stuff rather than what she might hear on MTV.
1159863
Another fine selection of music that Mr. Terfel interprets for us.  This disc is a real pleasure to listen to, both attentively, or as a lovely background to your favorite armchair activity.
1654055
Nobody did original folk music as well as Woody Guthrie. That's why he was an inspiration for so many including Bob Dylan and his son Arlo. The songs,most notably "This land is your land" have a touch of pleasure,while some share pain. All of them have words that are true to the heart and brilliant. Woody was an original organizer of labor unions,and his courage and honesty are reflected in every one of his songs.
4479178
A tremendous offering by the gifted Woody Shaw. While I'm a big fan of United, Rosewood and Woody 3, this is the disk I reach for the most often. Worthy of many repeated listenings.
4164604
This is great music for the road. The songs are upbeat and the variety of artists makes it very enjoyable. These older favorites bring back great memories. It's easy to skip to the next song if you don't care for a particular song or artist. I've given this CD as gifts to family and friends.
2093354
A nice compilation of great music from lots of Woody Allen films.  Woody has such a knack for selecting the best vintage 30s & 40s tunes & ballads & orchestral pieces to accentuate his movie scenes.  This recording will bring them all back for you!  A worthwhile investment!
1582846
This is the only Woody Shaw CD I've purchased to date, so I cannot comment on its relative value compared to his other work as a leader.  However, I have no real qualms about giving it a 5-star rating.  It's a strong, enjoyable set, and the recording (made in Rudy Van Gelder's studio in 1986) nicely captures Woody's splendid trumpet sound.  Woody was great!  I agree with the previous reviewer that the ballad "It Might As Well Be Spring" is the high point, but it's all very good.  I really enjoy young Kenny Garrett (alto sax) on this recording--his playful, jaunty lines and round-ish tone almost steal the show on three of the tracks.  Kenny Barron (piano) has some nice solo space and his style contributes to an overall modern sound.  The drumming is interesting and a strong asset (but never dominating), while the bass is heard fairly prominently in the mix.  While not earth-shattering, this is great-sounding, accessible, modern jazz played at a very high level.

Update:  I've recently acquired Shaw's STEPPING STONES: LIVE AT VILLAGE VANGUARD, recorded a few years before SOLID. These are very different albums, but both, I think, are deserving of 5 star ratings. STEPPING STONES is much more cutting-edge (check out some of the rave Amazon reviews), while SOLID is more mainstream.  All depends on your taste, but if you're like me, you'll dig `em both.
1130869
A very good selection of songs.  We both enjoyed the album quite a bit.  The quality was good as well.