Catalogue Categories You may have noticed that the on-line catalogues, especially the L.P.s, are split into categories: Early Jazz, Swing Era, Bebop from 78s, Modern Jazz, Modern Traditional, Modern Big Band, Vocals, Blues, Latin Jazz, Brasil.

Early Jazz: Examples of early-recorded jazz: 1916-1934 (or so). This includes even the more written and arranged stuff of Henderson and Ellington from the period. (Also includes ragtime.)

Swing Era: More or less, a musical calendar. The spreading influence of the likes of Henderson, Hines, Ellington, and Moten into the mid-to-late 30s and beyond.

The Bebop on 78s listings is really as much of a technological comment as a historical marker.

The Modern Jazz category is simply most of the jazz music recorded for L.P.s, tape and compact discs since circa. 1953-54. I've made a couple of exceptions:

• Modern Traditional is jazz that carried on from the roots and spirit of New Orleans and Chicago styles.
  
  
• Modern Big Band is somewhat similar. I'm really dealing with "tradition-oriented" big bands. Gerald Wilson & Oliver Nelson are included. Hieroglyphics Ensemble & Clara Bley are not included.

Vocals are perhaps the least fair and the most understood as a category. Often it's as much about the song as it is about the singer. The words, the voice, the style…it's just separate.

Latin Jazz is in reference to the jazz music steeped in mainly Cuban and Puerto Rican rhythms.

Blues includes acoustic & electric, modern & traditional.

• As time proceeds, and the collection continues to grow, more shifts will have to be made. Watch for them.
  
• If you wish to read an expanded explanation of the above: click here!