POP MUSIC - The Early Years 1890-1950 (2-CD) (Import CD) [New]

Pop Music: The Early Years 1890-1950 is impressive. Columbia was one of the biggest labels in the early days of the record industry, which is clear from the featured artists on this set. Many of the biggest names in pop and jazz recorded for Columbia at some point -- Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor, Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, Kate Smith, Jack Teagarden, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, the Mills Brothers, Louis Prima, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Teddy Wilson, Harry James, Ray Noble, Dinah Shore, Gene Autry, Frank Sinatra -- and they're all here, usually represented by their best-known songs. It's more than an effective collection -- it's educational, entertaining, and astounding, as it traces vaudeville through big band, jazz, and swing. Few other sets capture this period quite so well -- and it's all the more amazing when you realize that it all comes from the same label.