Back in the days of LPs, if you wanted a comprehensive history of the ‘Old Testament’ Basie band on record, you had to have the Deccas, the CBS set, and the RCA Victor sides. Serious collectors also sought out the Lang-Worth Transcriptions and the AFRS recordings, made during the 1940s union recording ban. To some extent reissues have followed suit, apart from more recent anthologies, like the 4CD Proper Box, that jump across all the labels to give a chronological picture of the band's progress, or the Naxos series that focused on the radio and armed forces material. But now Dreyfus have compiled a single CD (updating an original 2000 issue) that has what might be argued is the best of the first era of the Basie band. With the possible exception of a rather turgid ‘Katy’ (by Gerald Wilson, who was briefly in the band as both trumpeter and arranger) these are all the tracks one might expect, ranging from sparkling early versions of ‘Jumpin' At The Woodside’ and ‘One O'Clock Jump’ to the latterday ‘Rambo’ by J. J. Johnson. It's a shame to miss some of the passing visitors, such as the fine sessions Kenny Clarke played with them, but Coleman Hawkins is represented along with other short-stay members of the band such as Illinois Jacquet, Paul Gonsalves and Lucky Thompson. But central to the album and on magnificent display are the long-term stars, Lester Young, Herschel Evans, Sweets Edison and Buck Clayton, plus, of course the marvellous Basie-led rhythm section. A fine single album snapshot of one of the greatest big bands.