The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz

Praised from the time of its release as "by far the best anthology of jazz recordings ever issued," it "became part of the jazz curriculum at colleges throughout the country." and over time it was a best-selling, double platinum record.[2][3]

This collection has been criticized for a number of shortcomings and idiosyncrasies; e.g., Paul de Barros, jazz critic for the Seattle Times, wrote, "Williams also favored black musicians over white (common to his critical generation), overlooked Latin, female and most hard-bop instrumentalists and, as most male jazz critics still do, disdained vocals."[4] However, the collection has also long been widely and highly praised in terms similar to those of Dan Morganstern of The New York Times, who in 1987 referred to it as "by far the best available survey of the recorded history of jazz on concise form."[5]

Critic Gary Giddins posited in 1998 that these traits, its idiosyncratic nature and its esteemed stature, were two sides of a coin: "One key reason Martin Williams's epochal 1973 Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz had the impact it did (and went double platinum, not bad for mail order) is that he trusted his own eccentricity, though he would have used a, ahem, different term, like maybe critical judgment."[6]

In 1987 the Smithsonian issued a revised, seven-LP, five-CD, or five-cassette edition of the collection, accompanied by a paperback book by Williams under the same title, with the revised collection including some different tracks, ending with "Steppin'" by the World Saxophone Quartet. The collection was reissued as a five-CD boxed set in 1997 by Sony Music Special Projects, digitally remastered and with some tracks restored to full-length.[7][8]

In 2011, with this collection out of print, the Smithsonian issued a new 6-CD set Intended to take its place, called Jazz: The Smithsonian Anthology, about which Ben Ratliff of The New York Times wrote, "what the new anthology might make you miss the most is the object it has been designed to replace: The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz, compiled in 1973 and revised in 1987 by the critic Martin Williams."[9] One critic opined that the 2011 anthology's selection by committee, rather than by a single person, "while admirable in principle, guarantees that The Smithsonian Anthology has no point of view."[4] Other critics had similar reactions.[7][9]

Side one

1. Scott Joplin – "Maple Leaf Rag" (Joplin) – 3:16
2. Jelly Roll Morton – "Maple Leaf Rag" (Joplin) – 2:37
3. Robert Johnson – "Hellhound on My Trail" (Johnson) – 2:39
4. Bessie Smith – "St. Louis Blues" (W. C. Handy) – 3:12
5. Bessie Smith – "Lost Your Head Blues" (Bessie Smith) – 2:57
6. King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band – "Dippermouth Blues" (Joe "King" Oliver) – 2:22
7. Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers – "Grandpa's Spells" (F. J. Morton) – 2:55
8. Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers – "Dead Man Blues" (Morton) – 3:00

Side two

9. Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers – "Black Bottom Stomp" (Morton) – 3:14
10. The Red Onion Jazz Babies– "Cake Walking Babies (From Home)" (B. Smith, A. Troy, and C. Williams) – 3:28
11. Sidney Bechet and His Blue Note Jazzmen – "Blue Horizon" (Bechet) – 4:26
12. James P. Johnson – "Carolina Shout" (Johnson) – 2:47
13. Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five – "Struttin' with Some Barbeque" (Lil Hardin Armstrong, Don Raye) – 3:04
14. Louis Armstrong and His Hot Seven – "S.O.L. Blues" (Excerpt) (Louis Armstrong) – 1:05
15. Louis Armstrong and His Hot Seven – "Potato Head Blues" (Excerpt) (Louis Armstrong) – 1:14
16. Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five – "Hotter Than That" (Lil Hardin Armstrong) – 3:02
17. Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five – "West End Blues" (Joe "King" Oliver) – 3:17

Side three

18. Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines – "Weather Bird" (Louis Armstrong) – 2:46
19. Louis Armstrong and His Sebastian New Cotton Club Orchestra – "Sweethearts on Parade" (C. Lombardo and C. Newman) – 3:15
20. Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra – "I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues" (Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler) – 2:59
21. Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra – "Riverboat Shuffle" (Hoagy Carmichael, Irving Mills, and Mitchell Parish) – 3:15
22. Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra – "Singin' the Blues" (Dorothy Fields and Jimmy McHugh) – 3:02
23. Fletcher Henderson and His Orchestra – "The Stampede" (Henderson) – 3:18
24. Fletcher Henderson and His Orchestra – "Wrappin' It Up" (Henderson) – 2:48
25. Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra – "Moten Swing" (Bennie Moten and Buster Moten) – 3:26

Side four

26. Fats Waller – "I Ain't Got Nobody" (Roger A. Graham and Spencer Williams) – 3:09
27. Meade Lux Lewis – "Honky Tonk Train" (Lewis) – 3:01
28. Benny Goodman Trio – "Body and Soul" (Frank Eyton, Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, and Robert Sour) – 3:30
29. Coleman Hawkins and His Orchestra – "Body and Soul" (Eyton, Green, Heyman, and Sour) – 3:02
30. Coleman Hawkins Quartet – "The Man I Love" (George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin) – 5:10
31. Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra – "He's Funny That Way" (Neil Morret and Richard A. Whiting) – 2:41
32. Billie Holiday and Eddie Heywood and His Orchestra – "All of Me" (Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons) – 2:59
33. Ella Fitzgerald – "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" (Cole Porter) – 2:56

Side five

34. Art Tatum – "Willow Weep for Me" (Ann Ronnell) – 2:58
35. Art Tatum – "Too Marvelous for Words" (Johnny Mercer and Richard A. Whiting) – 2:25
36. Jimmie Lunceford and His Orchestra – "Lunceford Special" (Eddie Durham) – 2:51
37. Gene Krupa and His Orchestra – "Rockin' Chair" (Carmichael) – 3:02
38. Roy Eldridge and Benny Carter – "I Can't Believe That You're in Love with Me" (Excerpt) (Clarence Gaskill and McHugh) – 3:02
39. Lionel Hampton – "When Lights Are Low" (Benny Carter) – 2:15
40. Count Basie and His Orchestra – "Doggin' Around" (Edgar Battle and Herschel Evans) – 2:57
41. Count Basie – "Taxi War Dance" (Basie and Lester Young) – 2:55

Side six

42. Count Basie's Kansas City Seven – "Lester Leaps In" (Young) – 3:14
43. Benny Goodman Sextet – "I Found a New Baby" (Jack Palmer and Spencer Williams) – 2:57
44. Benny Goodman Sextet and Charlie Christian – "Blues Sequence" (From Breakfast Feud) (Goodman) – 2:24
45. Duke Ellington and His Orchestra – "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo" (Ellington and Bubber Miley) – 3:38
46. Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra – "New East St. Louis Toodle-Oo" (Ellington and Miley) – 3:04
47. Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra – "Creole Rhapsody" (Ellington) – 6:00
48. Duke Ellington and His Orchestra – "Harlem Air Shaft" (Ellington) – 3:00
49. Duke Ellington and His Orchestra – "Concerto for Cootie" (Ellington) – 3:22

Side seven

50. Duke Ellington and His Orchestra – "In a Mellotone" (Ellington) – 3:19
51. Duke Ellington and His Orchestra – "Ko-Ko" (Ellington) – 2:42
52. Duke Ellington and His Orchestra – "Blue Serge" (Mercer Ellington) – 3:22
53. Don Byas – "I Got Rhythm" (George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin) – 5:07
54. Dizzy Gillespie Sextet – "I Can't Get Started" (Vernon Duke and Ira Gershwin) – 3:08
55. Dizzy Gillespie's All Star Quintet – "Shaw 'Nuff" (Gillespie and Parker) – 2:57
56. Charlie Parker's Re-Boppers – "KoKo" (Parker) – 2:57
57. Charlie Parker – "Embraceable You" (Excerpt) (George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin) – 2:14
58. Charlie Parker – "Embraceable You" (Alternate Version) (Excerpt) (George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin) – 2:01

Side eight

59. Charlie Parker Quintet – "Klacktoveedsedsteen" (Parker) – 3:02
60. Charlie Parker Sextet – "Little Benny" (Benny Harris) – 3:30
61. Charlie Parker's All Stars – "Parker's Mood" (Parker) – 3:01
62. Erroll Garner – "Fantasy On 'Frankie and Johnny" (Garner) – 2:55
63. Bud Powell Trio – "Somebody Loves Me" (Buddy DeSylva, George Gershwin, and Ballard MacDonald) – 2:48
64. Sarah Vaughan – "Dancing in the Dark" (Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz) – 2:37
65. Sarah Vaughan – "Ain't No Use" (Leroy Kirkland and Sidney J. Wyche) – 3:55
66. Lennie Tristano – "Crosscurrent" (Lennie Tristano) – 2:52

Side nine

67. Miles Davis and His Orchestra – "Boplicity" (Gil Evans and Cleo Henry) – 3:02
68. Tadd Dameron's Sextet – "Lady Bird" (Tadd Dameron) – 2:54
69. Dexter Gordon Quartet – "Bikini" (Gordon) – 3:32
70. Thelonious Monk Quartet – "Misterioso" (Monk) – 3:22
71. Thelonious Monk Quintet – "Criss-Cross" (Monk) – 3:00
72. Thelonious Monk – "Evidence" (Monk) – 2:35
73. Thelonious Monk Quintet – "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" (Otto Harbach and Jerome Kern) – 4:32
74. Thelonious Monk – "I Should Care" (Sammy Cahn, Axel Stordahl, and Paul Weston) – 3:16

Side ten

75. Thelonious Monk – "Blues Improvisation" (Excerpt from "Bags' Groove") (Milt Jackson) – 2:54
76. Miles Davis with Gil Evans' Orchestra – "Summertime" (George Gershwin) – 3:22
77. Sonny Rollins Quartet – "Blue 7" (Rollins) – 11:22
78. Modern Jazz Quartet – "Django" (John Lewis) – 5:34
79. Charles Mingus and His Orchestra – "Hora Decubitus" (Mingus) – 4:44

Side eleven

80. Sonny Rollins Plus 4 – "Pent-Up House" (Excerpt) (Rollins) – 7:32
81. Cecil Taylor – "Enter Evening" (Taylor) – 11:05
82. Miles Davis Sextet – "So What" (Davis) – 9:11

Side twelve

83. Ornette Coleman – "Lonely Woman" (Coleman) – 5:02
84. Ornette Coleman – "Congeniality" (Coleman) – 6:45
85. Ornette Coleman – "Free Jazz" (Excerpt) (Coleman) – 10:14
86. John Coltrane – "Alabama" (Coltrane) – 5:07

• Martin Williams – compilation and liner notes
• Sidney Dillon Ripley – foreword

"Maple Leaf Rag" (Joplin recording)

• Scott Joplin – piano

Recorded in New York City, New York in April 1916 and released on Biograph Records as BLP 1006Q

"Maple Leaf Rag (Morton recording)

• Jelly Roll Morton – piano

Recorded in Washington, D.C. in May 1938 for the Library of Congress and released on Riverside Records as Riverside 9003 and 140

"Hellhound on My Trail"

• Robert Johnson – vocals, guitar

Recorded in Dallas, Texas on June 20, 1937, for American Record Co. and released on CBS Columbia Records as Columbia CL 1654

"St. Louis Blues"

• Louis Armstrong – cornet
• Fred Longshaw – reed organ
• Bessie Smith – vocals

Recorded in New York City, New York on January 14, 1925, for Columbia Records and released on Columbia CBS Records as Columbia G 30818

"Lost Your Head Blues"

• Fletcher Henderson – piano
• Bessie Smith – vocals
• Joe Smith – cornet

Recorded in New York City, New York on March 18, 1926, for Columbia Records and released as Columbia G 31093

"Dippermouth Blues"

• Lil Hardin Armstrong – piano
• Louis Armstrong – cornet
• Baby Dodds – drums
• Johnny Dodds – clarinet
• Honoré Dutrey – trombone
• Joe "King" Oliver – cornet
• Bud Scott – banjo, vocals

Recorded in Chicago, Illinois on June 23, 1923, for Okeh Records and released as Epic LN 16003 and Swaggie ST1257

"Grandpa's Spells"

• Andrew Hilaire – drums
• John Lindsay – double bass
• George Mitchell – trumpet
• Jelly Roll Morton – piano
• Kid Ory – trombone
• Johnny St. Cyr – guitar, banjo
• Omer Simeon – clarinet

Recorded in Chicago, Illinois on December 16, 1926, for RCA Victor Records and released as RCA Victor LPM 1649

"Dead Man Blues"

• Barney Bigard – clarinet
• Andrew Hilaire – drums
• Darnell Howard – clarinet
• John Lindsay – double bass
• George Mitchell – trumpet
• Jelly Roll Morton – piano
• Kid Ory – trombone
• Johnny St. Cyr – banjo
• Omer Simeon – clarinet solo

Recorded in Chicago, Illinois on September 21, 1926, for RC Victor Records and released as RCA Victor LPM 1649

"Black Bottom Stomp"

• Andrew Hillaire – drums
• John Lindsay – double bass
• George Mitchell – trumpet
• Jelly Roll Morton – piano
• Kid Ory – trombone
• Johnny St. Cyr – banjo
• Omer Simeon – clarinet

Recorded in Chicago, Illinois on September 15, 1926, for RCA Victor Records and released as RCA Victor LPM 1649

"Cake Walking Babies (From Home)"

• Louis Armstrong – cornet
• Sidney Bechet – soprano saxophone
• Buddy Christian – banjo
• Alberta Hunter – vocals
• Charlie Irvis – trombone
• Clarence Todd – vocals
• Clarence Williams – piano

Recorded in New York City, New York on December 22, 1924, for Gennett Records and released on Milestone Records as Milestone 47017

"Blue Horizon"

• Sidney Bechet – clarinet
• Vic Dickenson – trombone
• Pops Foster – double bass
• Art Hodes – piano
• Manzie Johnson – drums
• Sidney De Paris – trumpet

Recorded in New York City, New York on December 20, 1944, for Blue Note Records and released as Blue Note BSP 81201

"Carolina Shout"

• James P. Johnson – piano

Recorded in New York City, New York on October 18, 1921, for Okeh Records and released on Columbia Records as CL 1780

"Struttin' with Some Barbeque"

• Lil Armstrong – piano
• Louis Armstrong – cornet
• Johnny Dodds – clarinet
• Kid Ory – trombone
• Johnny St. Cyr – banjo

Recorded in Chicago, Illinois on December 9, 1927, for Okeh Records and released on Columbia Records as Columbia CL 852

"S.O.L. Blues"

• Lil Armstrong – piano
• Louis Armstrong – cornet, vocals
• Pete Briggs – bass brass
• Baby Dodds – drums
• Johnny Dodds – clarinet
• Johnny St. Cyr – banjo
• John Thomas – trombone

Recorded in Chicago, Illinois on May 14, 1927, for Okeh Records and released on Columbia Records as Columbia CL 852

"Potato Head Blues"

• Lil Armstrong – piano
• Louis Armstrong – cornet, vocals
• Pete Briggs – bass brass
• Baby Dodds – drums
• Johnny Dodds – clarinet
• Johnny St. Cyr – banjo
• John Thomas – trombone

Recorded in Chicago, Illinois on May 13, 1927, for Okeh Records and released on Columbia Records as Columbia G 30416

"Hotter Than That"

• Lil Armstrong – piano
• Louis Armstrong – cornet, vocals
• Johnny Dodds – clarinet
• Lonnie Johnson – guitar
• Kid Ory – trombone
• Johnny St. Cyr – banjo

Recorded in Chicago, Illinois on December 13, 1927, for Okeh Records and released on Columbia Records as Columbia CL 851

"West End Blues"

• Louis Armstrong – trumpet, vocals
• Mancy Carr – banjo, vocals
• Earl Hines – piano, vocals
• Fred Robinson – trombone
• Zutty Singleton – drums
• Jimmy Strong – clarinet

Recorded in Chicago, Illinois on June 28, 1928, for Okeh Records and released on Columbia Records as Columbia G 30416

"Weather Bird"

• Louis Armstrong – trumpet
• Earl Hines – piano

Recorded in Chicago, Illinois on December 5, 1928, for Okeh Records and released on Columbia Records as Columbia CL 853

"Sweethearts on Parade"

• Louis Armstrong – trumpet, vocals
• Harvey Brooks – piano
• Lawrence Brown – trombone
• Ceele Burke – banjo, steel guitar
• L. Z. Cooper – piano
• Leon Elkins – trumpet
• William Franz – tenor saxophone
• Lionel Hampton – drums
• Leon Herriford – alto saxophone
• Reggie Jones – tuba
• Willie Stark – alto saxophone

Recorded in Los Angeles, California on December 23, 1930, for Okeh Records and released on Parlophone as PMC 7098 and Biograph Records as BLPC-5

"I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues"

• Louis Armstrong – trumpet, vocals
• Scoville Brown – alto saxophone, clarinet
• Budd Johnson – tenor saxophone, clarinet
• Keg Johnson – trombone
• Mike McKendrick – banjo, guitar
• Bill Oldham – double bass
• George Oldham – alto saxophone, clarinet
• Yank Porter – drums
• Zilner Randolph – trumpet
• Elmer Whitlock – trumpet
• Teddy Wilson – piano

Recorded in Chicago, Illinois on January 26, 1933, for RCA Victor Records and released as RCA Victor LPM 2322

"Riverboat Shuffle"

• Bix Beiderbecke – cornet
• Red Ingle – alto saxophone
• Eddie Lang – banjo, guitar
• Chaunsey Morehouse – drums
• Don Murray – clarinet, baritone saxophone
• Bill Rank – trombone
• Itzy Riskin – pirano
• Frankie Trumbauer – C-melody saxophone

Recorded in New York City, New York on May 9, 1927, for Okeh Records and released on CBS Columbia Records as Columbia CL 845

"Singin' the Blues"

• Bix Beiderbecke – cornet
• Jimmy Dorsey – alto saxophone, clarinet
• Eddie Lang – guitar
• Chaunsey Morehouse – drums
• Bill Rank – trombone
• Itzy Riskin – piano
• Frankie Trumbauer – C-melody saxophone

Recorded in New York City, New York on February 4, 1927, for Okeh Records and released on CBS Columbia Records as Columbia CL 845

"The Stampede"

• Buster Bailey – alto saxophone, clarinet
• Ralph Escudiro – tuba
• Coleman Hawkins – clarinet, tenor saxophone
• Kaiser Marshall – drums
• Don Redman – alto saxophone, arrangement, clarinet
• Joe Smith – cornet
• Russell Smith – trumpet
• Rex Stewart – cornet
• [Unknown] – banjo
• [Unknown] – trombeone

Recorded in New York City, New York on May 14, 1926, for Columbia Records and released on CBS Columbia Records as Columbia C4L 19

"Wrappin' It Up"

• Red Allen – trumpet
• Buster Bailey – alto saxophone, clarinet
• Fletcher Henderson – arrangement
• Horace Henderson – piano
• Elmer James – string bass
• Hilton Jefferson – alto saxophone, clarinet
• Keg Johnson – trombone
• Walter Johnson – drums
• Claude Jones – trombone
• Lawrence Lucie – guitar
• Russell Procope – double bass
• Irving Randolph – trumpet
• Russell Smith – trumpet
• Ben Webster – tenor saxophone

Recorded in New York City, New York on September 12, 1934, for Brunswick Records and released on Decca Records as Decca DL 79228

"Moten Swing"

• Eddie Barefield – alto saxophone, clarinet
• Count Basie – piano
• Leroy Berry – guitar
• Eddie Durham – alto saxophone, guitar, and trombone
• Joe Keys – trumpet
• Willie McWashington – drum
• Dan Minor – trombone
• Hot Lips Page – trumpet
• Walter Page – double bass
• Dee Stewart – trumpet
• Jack Washington – alto and baritone saxophone
• Ben Webster – tenor saxophone

Recorded in Camden, New Jersey on December 13, 1932, for RCA Victor Records and released as RCA Victor Vintage LPV-514

"I Ain't Got Nobody"

• Fats Waller – piano

Recorded in New York City, New York on June 11, 1937, for RCA Victor Records and released as RCA 730.570 in France

"Honky Tonk Train"

• Meade Lewis – piano

Recorded in Chicago, Illinois on March 7, 1937, for RCA Victor Records and released on RCA Victor Records as LPM 2321 and RCA Camden as Camden CA L 328

"Body and Soul" (Goodman recording)

• Benny Goodman – clarinet
• Gene Krupa – drums
• Teddy Wilson – piano

Recorded in New York City, New York on July 13, 1935, for RCA Victor Records and released as RCA Victor LPM 226

"Body and Soul" (Hawkins recording)

• Jackie Fields – alto saxophone
• Joe Guy – trumpet
• Earl Hardy – trombone
• Coleman Hawkins – tenor saxophone
• Arthur Herbert – drums
• Tommy Lindsay – trumpet
• Eustis Moore – alto saxophone
• Gene Rodgers – piano
• William Oscar Smith – double bass

Recorded in New York City, New York on October 11, 1939, for RCA Victor Records and released as RCA Victor LPV 501

"The Man I Love"

• Coleman Hawkins – tenor saxophone
• Eddie Heywood – piano
• Shelly Manne – drums
• Oscar Pettiford – double bass

Recorded in New York City, New York on December 23, 1943, for Flying Dutchman Records and released as Flying Dutchman FD-10146

"He's Funny That Way"

• Buster Bailey – clarinet
• Buck Clayton – trumpet
• Freddy Greene – guitar
• Billie Holiday – vocals
• Jo Jones – drums
• Walter Page – double bass
• Claude Thornhill – piano
• Lester Young – tenor saxophone

Recorded in New York City, New York on September 13, 1937, for Okeh Records and released on CBS Columbia Records as Columbia K9 32127

"All of Me"

• Eddie Barefield – alto saxophone
• Kenny Clarke – drums
• John Collins – guitar
• Shad Collins – trumpet
• Eddie Heywood – piano
• Billie Holiday – vocals
• Leslie Johnakins – alto saxophone
• Ted Sturgis – double bass
• Lester Young – tenor saxophone

Recorded in New York City, New York on March 21, 1941, for Okeh Records and released on CBS Columbia Records as Columbia K9 32124 and Columbia 32060

"You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To"

• Roy Eldridge – trumpet
• Ella Fitzgerald – vocals
• Tommy Flanagan – piano
• Gus Johnson – drums
• Bill Yancey – double bass

Recorded in Antibe, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France in July 1964 for Verve Records and released as Verve V/V6-4065

"Willow Weep for Me"

• Art Tatum – piano

Recorded in New York City, New York on July 13, 1949, for Capitol Records and released as Capitol M-11028

"Too Marvelous for Words"

• Art Tatum – piano

Recorded in Hollywood, California in late 1956 for 20th Century Fox Records and released as 20th Century-Fox TCF 102-2 and Movietone 72021