John Lewis - Very Best of John Lewis (CD)

All Music Guide

In yet another instance of lax compiling, the oldies label Collectables recycled five of their John Lewis two-fers from 1999-2000 to produce a gargantuan box set with the bizarre title The Very Best of John Lewis. Since most of Lewis' creative energies were applied to the Modern Jazz Quartet, his solo albums -- most recorded for Atlantic during the early '60s -- tended toward the abstract or experimental. In fact, there's little to tie these recordings together other than Lewis' name. And since the packaging adds nothing except a bulky case, listeners are advised to seek out the original two-fers instead of this mis-titled collection.

- John Bush, All Music Guide