VA - Talkin' Verve (1992) LP

Kicking off Verve's series of soul jazz-focused compilations and single-artist collections, Talkin' Verve: Roots of Acid Jazz offers up a hefty sampling of some of the best groove-friendly tracks from the years 1954-1972. The first of the two discs here features combo and big-band cookers by the likes of Wes Montgomery, Jimmy Smith, Willie Bobo, Donald Byrd, and Cal Tjader. Latin-boogaloo rhythms and Smith's organ-soul innovations inform a lot of the material, with the pop and blues elements in jazz getting a good dose of the spotlight. Other's contributing to the first disc's considerable store of quality material include Sonny Stitt, Oliver Nelson, Roland Kirk, and Milt Jackson. On disc two, the emphasis is on the fertile range of styles from the Latin side of ‘60s jazz (with a ‘50s and ‘70s track included as well). Highlights come courtesy of Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Tjader, and Grant Green. One of the best and most original modern jazz compilations available.