Alberta Hunter was one of the most prominent jazz and blues singers of the early inter-war years, working with many of the major names of the period, as well as being a noted song writer. This great-value 94-track 4-CD set covers the two decades which comprised the greater part of her core recording career she recorded only a couple of times after 1940 while she was travelling to entertain troops, and retired from the business to take up nursing when her mother died in 1957, returning to singing in her 70s after she was obliged to retire from nursing. Her style spanned the blues and jazz genres, in that while her accompaniment was often jazz-flavoured, the songs were very much in the blues idiom.

She worked with solo or small band accompaniment, collaborating with many luminaries of early jazz, such as Eubie Blake, Fletcher Henderson, Clarence Williams, Fats Waller, Lovie Austin, Tommy Ladnier and Perry Bradford, with the likes of Louis Armstrong Lil Armstrong, Sidney Bechet and Buster Bailey featuring in the groups she worked with. Also included are recordings she made in London in 1934 with the Jack Jackson Orchestra. This anthology comprises a very high proportion of the recordings she made during the period, and is a thorough overview of her work, so provides a comprehensive showcase for her unique talent.

Nobody need look any further than this for definitive Hunter. - Peter Gamble (Jazz Journal)

94 carefully selectred tracks, some sizzly , provides a comprehensive view of her extensive range from classics blues, to vaudville and cabaret. - Peter Bevan (Northern Echo)

This is a really valuable, comprehensive set of one of the great singers to straddle the line between blues & the Jazz. -  (Jazzwise)

A thorough overview of her work, providing a comprehensive showcase of her unique talent.  - Pete Lay (Just Jazz)

These recordings cover her early career when she is working big bands, small groups and duos, including many well known musicians like Sidney Berchet and Louis Armstrong. - Roy Booth (Jazz Views)