Legendary jazz wrapped up in classy collections

Compact discs

"Fearless Leader," John Coltrane (Prestige, $47.97, six-CD set). Though Coltrane's breakthrough work for Atlantic and Impulse! is more famous, his two-year stint as a leader at Prestige (1957-58) produced gems such as "Soultrane," "Lush Life" and "Bahia" — 11 albums in all.

In some ways, these gorgeous ballads and straight-ahead blues are more approachable than his more well-known work.

All the cuts are in print on the 16-disc complete Prestige, but this first of three sets promises, ultimately, to be a better package.

It features all of his albums as a session leader (except with Miles Davis — see below — and the next two sets offer his all-star groups and sideman work).

The booklet has color reproductions of the original album jackets and liner notes but presents the material in the order it was recorded — not released — with no outtakes. Notes, photographs, discography and sessionography are all first-rate.

"The Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions," Miles Davis (Prestige, $53.99, four-CD set). "Steamin'," "Cookin'," "Relaxin' " and "Workin' " — all four classic albums are here, with Coltrane, Red Garland, Philly Joe Jones and Paul Chambers.

Yes, this material is on the complete Miles Prestige. What isn't, however, is the novelty bonus disc, a previously unreleased transcription of Miles and Trane on "The Tonight Show," with Steve Allen briefly interviewing Miles in 1955; plus two radio broadcasts, the latter with remarkably clear sound, from Café Bohemia in New York, 1958, with Bill Evans replacing Garland. Notes by the always dependable Bob Blumenthal. You can't go wrong here.

"If You Got to Ask, You Ain't Got It!" Fats Waller (Bluebird/Legacy, $25.97, three CDs). Some of the best historic jazz recordings are habitually out of print, and the Fats Waller catalog is a frequent casualty. So this anthology is especially welcome, the more so because the Sony/BMG merger allows the Columbia and Bluebird recordings to share one box. The three discs are thematically divided: 1) Fats plays Fats; 2) instrumentals; and 3) Fats plays others.

Though I'm shocked by the omission of such an obvious classic as "Handful of Keys," there are some delightful choices, too, such as "African Ripples," "Our Love is Meant to Be" and the early organ recordings. Naturally, "Honeysuckle Rose," "Ain't Misbehavin'," "Numb Fumblin" "Jitterbug Waltz" and "Your Feet's Too Big" are here. What better holiday cheer than tipping a glass with Fats?

DVDs

"Forecast: Tomorrow," Weather Report (Columbia/Legacy, $39.99, three CDs and one DVD). The buzz is about the sizzling, two-hour DVD of a 1978 concert — with long-haired, head-banded Jaco Pastorius (bass) and shirtless, bashing Peter Erskine (drums) — but the musically intelligent selection on the three audio CDs is a standout, too. Way more than a "greatest hits" collection, this is an historical argument for how this ground-breaking supergroup led by Wayner Shorter (saxophone) and Joe Zawinul (keyboards) grew and developed into one of the most popular and influential bands in jazz history. Extraordinary.

"Jazz Icons," Quincy Jones, Ella Fitzgerald, Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, Chet Baker, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie and Buddy Rich (Reelin' in the Years, $187.18 for the box set, $17.99 individual discs). The surfacing of this incredible set of videos from European concert and TV appearances is almost as exciting as last year's discovery of the lost Monk/Coltrane tapes. Back in the day, when American jazz musicians toured Europe, they were often invited to appear on TV or filmed in concert. Producers David Peck (no relation to the Seattle pianist), Phillip Galloway and series inspiration Mika Peck have packaged up nine discs of these archival films, most featuring two concerts each.

The DVDs are available as a set (oddly, with no price break) or on individual discs. Every Seattle jazz fan needs to own "Quincy Jones Live in '60," not just because it features one of the swingingest big bands that ever breathed, but because it features Jones conducting in his stylish-for-the-day V-neck sweater, plus Emerald City compadres Patti Bown (piano), Buddy Catlett (bass) and Floyd Standifer (trumpet).

On the second show of "Ella Fitzgerald Live in '57 & '63," the singer appears absolutely ready to jump out of her socks.

On the first, the rhythm section of Ray Brown (bass), Herb Ellis (guitar), Jo Jones (drums) and Don Abney (piano) — with great close-ups of a grinning-with-admiration Jones and sneering-with-concentration Brown — is peerless. Oscar Peterson even makes an appearance.

Other excellent choices include "Live in '58," by Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, "Thelonious Monk Live in '66" and "Chet Baker Live in '64 & '79."

Paul de Barros: 206-464-3247 or pdebarros@seattletimes.com