This jazz compilation packs a valuable lesson

JAZZ MOODS -- A SIX-DISC SERIES
Various Artists
Concord Records ****

Today, class, I would like to talk about value. Genuine value is, well, a valuable commodity. Why? Because it is found so infrequently. Though the term has become a staple prefix for advertisers (value meal, value pack, etc.) and greets our eyes and ears every time we open a magazine or turn on the TV, our chances of nailing The Real McCoy are about as good as finding an anti-tobacco lobbyist in a pachinko parlor.

Our woes are only compounded when we seek an entertainment value. The ooze of formulaic pabulum gurgling out of film studios today boggles the mind, and finding value to go with your bucket of popcorn isn�t easy. And when we�re talking basically Y2,000 just to enter the theater, you�re almost better off entertaining yourself by playing Spot The Lobbyist (if not Spot The Looney).

Enter recorded music, the compact disc in particular. Value can be found on the shelves of HMV, Tower, Virgin and your favorite mom �n� pop music shop, but you really have to beat the bushes to ferret it out. Sure, if you like a band, you�re going to part with your money regardless. Hey, you might even splurge and get the Japanese release, which could very well include a bonus track, special inserts or promotional items. That�s not a bad value.

But when you�re flying blind -- going into the store with only your wallet and the resolution that you�re going to buy some new tunes -- nabbing a true value gets tough. It�s all about getting more yikes for your yen, more mondo for your mon, and that�s getting harder and harder to do.

With all this talk of value and quality, you�d think I�ve been reading my Cliff�s Notes to �Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.� Not so, though the basic concept applies. This month�s selections stopped me dead in my tracks because they combine these two elusive characteristics.

I�ve written in these hallowed pages that compilations are as common as mud, and that finding good ones can be a chore. Everything from the sound quality to the packaging is suspect, not to mention the track selection. The big labels usually shy away from them, a glaring excepting being the �Now� series, leaving the work to dubious outfits that more often than not come out with low-value offerings.

However, the new six-disc �Jazz Moods� series by Concord Records, revered for an enviable stable of jazz recordings and its annual jazz festivals, including one in Japan, delivers value on a scale that inspired me to rethink my philippics against the compilation racket. For about Y1,500 per, �Jazz at Night�s End,� �Dinner by Candlelight,� �Jazz & the Sunday Times,� �Jazz at Week�s End� (and �Brazilian Romance� and �Tranquility,� not reviewed here) redefine the standard for jazz compilations.

Let�s take things one step at a time, hmmm?.

Packaging: Each disc comes in a spiffy �digi pak� made of thick, glossy paper and sturdy black plastic. When stacked together, the CDs create a nice, clean line with easy-to-read titles along the spines. Nice also is the fact that the boxes are standard size, meaning they�ll fit in commercially produced storage units and won�t look unsightly or awkward when placed in your collection. The front flap opens to reveal track listings and production credits; each CD is colored to match the cover art. Sexy models vaguely reminiscent of better, hipper times don�t hurt, either.

Track selection: Hats off to Roy Harper. I mean Phil Edwards, the man Concord tapped to assemble the tunes. I road tested �Jazz & the Sunday Times,� which subsequently became my favorite disc in the series, while sipping coffee and doing a crossword in my yukata (not as scary a sight as you might imagine), and must say that I was quite pacified.

Stan Getz�s �Blue Skies� got things going with its flowing passages, while �Come Sunday,� �Softly As In A Morning Sunrise� and �In A Mellow Tone� lulled me into a matinal mood that was, for lack of a better word, enjoyable. Edwards has achieved the same effect on each disc, culling atmospheric gems from the likes of Mel Torme, Rosemary Clooney and Monty Alexander.

Recording: George Horn�s mastering, complemented by the work of various producers, achieved the same end, namely wonderful sound. Some of the titles were laid down in the 1960s, when even the big names recorded songs in studios that were little more than carpeted bomb shelters. I played each CD on a component system and a middle-of-the-road portable, and had no complaints. Full, rich sound as a result of excellent work by Concord�s pros.

Price: More than an hour of enjoyable, nicely produced music in a sharp-looking package for less than Y1,600? What more could you want?

It�s not often that I feel comfortable offering a wholehearted recommendation for a CD, let alone six. However, if you�re looking for an instant jazz collection at a great price -- a set of discs that offers real value -- then consider your quest at an end. �Jazz Moods� is all you really need.

Concord�s Website (www.aent.com/concord) can tell you more about these and the rest of the company�s catalog. More mood releases are planned (�Jazz For A Bad Hair Day� and �Jazz For Gaijin�?), so keep your eyes and ears peeled.