Jazz (2007)

"One of the many compilations issued in the wake of James Brown's passing in 2007 is this rather strange and necessary one. There's no irony in the title, and it's only a little misleading. Brown loved all kinds of music throughout his lifetime and made no secret of it. This set compiles Brown-produced cuts that accent the jazzier -- and sometimes near all-out jazz (though everything on this baby has more than a little soul grit mixed in) -- side of the Godfather. The coolest thing about this set is that it contains numerous unreleased alternate mixes, extended versions, single edits, and literally unreleased versions and tunes that span from standards and soul-jazz cuts to '70s-era pop tunes. Ranging from 1964's reading of the Adderley Brothers' "Tengo Tango" (never before issued in any form) to a 1970s alternate mix of "For Once in My Life," this is perhaps among the most ambitious of Brown recordings to be released in quite some time. Recommended." (Thom Jurek, Allmusic)