America's #1 Band: The Columbia Years – Classic Hits for Road Trips, Parties & Relaxation

This is the best these sides have sounded ever, period. It is really a treat to hear the early Basie band with Lester Young in all its glory. The sound restoration on some of these tracks is just unbelievable, I had to check the linear notes to make sure these were the 1940 recordigs, because they sounded so different to the muddy/scratchy sound I grew used to. The linear notes alone are worth the price of this box set. And one full disc of most unreleased live tracks, many with Lester Young and Billie Holiday? You do the math. Many people, i am not included, are waiting for the full Columbia sessions remastered, but for me, this is what I have been waiting many years. The track secuence is annoying, I still cant understand why not doing it chronological, but its just a minor flaw.