This 4CD set is one of the most comprehensive surveys of the evolution of jazz music in the UK, as played by visiting luminaries from the USA as well as those who were inspired by the Americans but born and bred on home turf. Tracing the story from 1919 and the first visits to London by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, this set takes in visits to the UK by the likes of Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman during the Swing era and then illustrates the influence these musicians had on the likes of homegrown talent such as Harry Parry, George Shearing and Nat Gonella. As the waves from the bebop revolution reached the UK in the '40s, musicians such as Ronnie Scott and John Dankworth took up the baton with their early performances included here. This set was compiled by Jim Godbolt, one of the UK's leading authorities on jazz as it has been performed in the UK, who has also written a companion book on the subject as well as the liners to this set. It includes many rare recordings that have never been issued on CD, or indeed LP, having only surfaced previously on 78s.
 

Disc 1

1. At The Jazz Band Ball 2:55 - Original Dixieland Jazz Band, The
2. Way Down Yonder in New Orleans 2:41 - Whiteman, Paul & His Orchestra
3. Snake's Hips 3:02 - Georgians, The
4. Tiger Rag 2:28 - Original Capital Orchestra, The
5. Eccentric 3:08 - Savoy Orpheans, The
6. Morning After Blues 2:50 - Mound City Blue Blowers
7. Riverboat Shuffle 3:23 - Hylton, Jack & His Kit-Kat Band
8. Arabella's Wedding Day 2:32 - Plantation Orchestra
9. Sugar Foot Stomp 2:45 - Devonshire Dance Band
10. Stomp Your Feet 2:45 - Elizalde, Fred And His Cambridge Undergraduates
11. You Don't Like It, Not Much 2:55 - Firman, Bert's Rhythmic Eight
12. Miss Annabelle Lee 3:06 - Firman, Bert's Rhythmic Eight
13. Grieving For You 3:08 - Hylton, Jack/Rhythmagicians
14. Dixie 3:13 - Elizalde, Fred/Savoy Hotel Band
15. A Dicky Bird Told Me So 3:06 - Whidden, Jay And His New Midnight Follies Orchestra
16. Two Guitars 2:51 - South, Eddie And His Alabamians
17. Nobody's Sweetheart 2:56 - Elizalde, Fred And His Music
18. Miranda 3:06 - Sissle, Noble And His Orchestra
19. Love Me or Leave Me 2:49 - Selby, Allan And His Band
20. That's a Plenty 2:58 - Lewis, Philip And His Orchestra
21. Song Of The Dawn 2:51 - Hart, Jack And His Band
22. Sobbin' Blues 3:04 - Lewis, Ted And His Band
23. St Louis Blues 3:07 - Dorsey, Jimmy With Spike Hughes And His Three Blind Mice
24. Funny, Dear, What Love Can Do 3:26 - Hughes, Spike And His Orchestra
25. Allah's Holidays 3:10 - Night Club Kings
26. Bessie Couldn't Help It 3:01 - Cotton, Billy & His Band

Disc 2

1. Buddy's Wednesday Outing 2:39 - Hughes, Spike And His Orchestra
2. Sunny Side of the Street Part 2 3:03 - Armstrong, Louis And His Orchestra
3. Ain't Misbehavin 2:44 - Ellington, Duke And His Famous Orchestra
4. Ellington, Duke 2:25 - Ellington, Duke
5. Hyde Park 2:54 - Ellington, Duke And His Famous Orchestra
6. Jazz Cocktail 2:34 - Madame Tussaud's Dance Orchestra
7. Japanese Sandman 3:12 - Noble, Ray And His Orchestra
8. Ellingtonia (Medley) 2:53 - Hylton, Jack & His Kit-Kat Band
9. Jitter Bug 3:09 - Calloway, Cab And His Orchestra
10. Romantic Joe 2:39 - Venuti, Joe/Blue Four
11. I Ain't Got Nobody 3:08 - Stone, Lew And His Band
12. I Wish I Were Twins 2:36 - Snow, Valaida
13. Fascinating Rhythm 2:51 - Gonella,Nat/Georgians
14. Stars Fell on Alabama 3:13 - Moore, Gerry
15. Sheik of Araby 2:26 - Washboard Serenaders
16. Some of These Days 3:03 - Lorenzi, Mario 'Harp' And His Rhythmics
17. Hummin' To Myself 3:08 - Whyte, Duncan
18. Singin' the Blues 3:13 - Gonella,Nat/Georgians
19. Nightfall 3:09 - Carter, Benny And His Orchestra
20. Is It True What They Say About Dixie 2:42 - Swing Rhythm Boys, The
21. Just A Mood 3:06 - Wilson, Garland
22. Lady Be Good 2:56 - Buck And Bubbles
23. Gin and Jive 2:55 - Carter, Benny And His Orchestra
24. King Porter Stomp 3:01 - Hill, Teddy And His Orchestra
25. Cotton Pickers Congregation 3:05 - Ambrose And His Orchestra
26. Amoresque 2:59 - Phillips, Sid And His Orchestra
27. Blue Murder 2:53 - Polo, Danny And His Swing Stars

Disc 3

1. Sheik of Araby 2:43 - Tatum, Art
2. If You Were the Only Girl in the World 2:30 - Polo, Danny And His Swing Stars
3. Have You Got Any Castles, Baby? 2:39 - Gardner, Freddy And His Swing Orchestra
4. I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby 2:39 - Carlise, Una Mae And Her Jam Band
5. Ain't Misbehavin' 2:56 - Fats Waller
6. Lambeth Walk 2:44 - Quintette Of The Hot Club Of France
7. Snakehips Swing 2:48 - Johnson, Ken 'Snakehips' & His West Indian Dance Band
8. 10 a.m. Blues 2:43 - Gardner, Freddy And His Swing Orchestra
9. My Melancholy Baby 2:47 - Hylton, Jack/Band With Coleman Hawkins
10. Darktown Strutters Ball 2:20 - Roy, Harry And His Orchestra
11. Stardust 3:19 - Blue Mariners With Guest Jack Llewellyn
12. I Heard 3:04 - Claes, Johnny And His Clay Pigeons
13. The Java Joint 5:40 - Parry, Harry And His Radio Rhythm Club Sextet
14. Tea For Two 3:10 - HMV Public Jam Session
15. Blue Skies 3:07 - Blake, Cyril And His Jig's Club Band
16. Red Duster Rag 2:34 - Melody Maker Competition Band
17. Bugle Call Rag 3:17 - Green, Phil And His Basin Street Band
18. Buddy's Blues 2:53 - Featherstonhaugh, Buddy/RAF HQ Bomber Commmand Sextet
19. Rockin' the Blues 2:43 - Bradley, Josephine And Her Jive Rhythm Orchestra
20. I'm Comin' Virginia 2:42 - Lewis, Vic/Jack Parnell Jazzmen
21. Five Flat Flurry 2:52 - Shearing, George/Sextet
22. Swing Low Sweet Chariot 2:50 - Hutchinson, Leslie 'Jiver' And His Coloured Orchestra
23. Dick's Boogie 2:40 - Lewis, Vic/Jack Parnell Jazzmen
24. In a Little Spanish Town 2:57 - Ferrie, Miff And His Ferrymen
25. 165 Blues 2:40 - Short, Tony/Trio With Wally Fawkes
26. Bakerloo Non-Stop 2:07 - Heath, Ted And His Orchestra
27. Hey Ba-Ba-Rebop 2:07 - Squadronaires, The

Disc 4

1. Blue Charm 3:09 - Hayes, Harry And His Band
2. Rockin' in Rhythm 3:08 - Hayes, Harry And His Band
3. When The Saints Go Marching In 3:58 - Webb, George/Dixielanders
4. Blue Moon 5:42 - Melody Maker Columbia Jazz Rally
5. Thriving on a Riff 1:08 - Melody Maker Columbia Jazz Rally
6. Five Guys Named Moe 2:48 - Ellington, Ray/Quartet
7. Mop Mop 3:02 - Feldman, Victor/Quartet
8. I Can't Get Started 3:30 - All Star Sextet
9. Shim-Me-Sha-Wabble 3:10 - Beirne, Martin & His Irish BlackbirdsBell, Graeme And His Australian Jazz Band
10. Wolverine Blues 2:57 - Randall, Freddy And His Band
11. Jazz Club Stomp 2:43 - White, Mark Presents 'Jazz Club'
12. Wee Dot 2:41 - Ronnie Scott's Club 11 Boptet
13. Lover Man 3:39 - Dankworth, Johnny/Quartet
14. Gone with the Windmill 2:51 - Dean, Alan & His Beboppers
15. Blues in Thirds 4:01 - Krahmer's, Carlo/Chicagoans
16. BBC Broadcast from - Goodman, Benny
17. Lyonia 2:54 - Heath, Ted And His Orchestra
18. Alexander's Ragtime Band 3:21 - Yorkshire Jazz Band
19. Some of These Days 2:42 - Bechet, Sidney With Humphrey Lyttelton And His Band
20. It's Only A Paper Moon 3:02 - Hawkins, Coleman And His Orchestra
21. Maple Leaf Rag 3:07 - Lyttelton, Humphrey And His Band