VA - The Best of Blue Note: A Selection From 25 Best Albums (1994)

This collection from 1994 serves up one of the first CD compilations of the very best tracks that Blue Note issued during their classic run in the '50s and ‘60s, all of them by legendary artists in their own right. From Thelonious Monk’s “Criss Cross,” and Sonny Rollins’ “Tune Up,” to Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers’ definitive version of Bobby Timmons’ “Moanin’,” John Coltrane’s “Blue Train,” and Horace Silver’s original trio version of “Que Pasa,” there isn’t a weak cut in the bunch. Some tunes included here, such as Chet Baker’s “Let’s Get Lost,” for instance, were originally recorded for labels Blue Note -- through their parent company EM I-- later acquired such as Pacific Jazz and World Pacific. But it hardy matters, as this is one absolutely killer vintage jazz mixtape on compact disc. -- Thom Jurek