Arrangements by Buddy Bregman – on titles that include "Give It Back To The Indians", "Ten Cents A Dance", "There's A Small Hotel", "I Could Write A Book", "Bewitched", "My Romance", "Blue Moon", and "Lover".... read more
Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong —
Compact Jazz ... CD
Verve,
Late 50s. Used ....
$4.99
A nice one from Ella – and a good move past the Songbooks mode that sometimes dogged her years on Verve a bit too much! This set has Ella singing to light arrangements by Frank DeVol – nothing fancy, but a good set of tunes that are perfect for the lovely style that Ella was hitting... read more
Great work by the team of Brigitte Fontaine and Areski Belcam – two of the most enigmatic talents you'll ever hear on record! The album's the only one they ever recorded that wasn't issued by the Saravah label – and it's a fantastic blend of otherworldly vocals with spare... read more
Quite an unusual little album from Connie Francis – her attempt to join in on the Bonnie & Clyde album craze of the late 60s – but a set that's got a different feel than most! While others were steeped in country and bluegrass sounds, the approach here is mostly in a 30s pop vocal... read more
Incredible work from Michael Franks – his first five albums for Warner Brothers, all packaged together in one sweet little set! At this point in his career, Franks is almost a whole genre unto itself, one that sets a whole new tone for the male voice in American music! The style here is... read more
Titles include "Rainy Night In Tokyo", "When Sly Calls", "How The Garden Grows", "Sunday Morning Here With You", "Amazon", and "Never Satisfied".... read more
Franz K Trio —
Terre De Blues ... CD
Blue Marge (France),
2011. New Copy ....
$8.9916.99
Great work from the trio of singer Francoise-Franca Cuomo – a singer with a great blend of experimental modes and European inflections – easily one of the freshest jazz vocalists we've heard in years! The instrumentation here is very spare – just bass and piano – both... read more
Sunny wonderfulness from one of the grooviest vocal groups of all time! This is Free Design's legendary album for children – referred to in the title as "very important people" – and it's a strangely hip set of tracks designed to get the kids to open up in a groovy late 60s... read more
The groovy groovy music of Free Design – taken to places we never would have expected! Like the first volume in this series, this one features older sunshine pop tunes by the group, remixed in styles that really expand past the originals – often at a level that completely abstracts the... read more
Great work from this cool European sextet – a vocal group that features three gals and three guys – or pals, as their name might indicate! Their style's a bit like the Double Six, in that it's rooted in harmony jazz – but given the choice of material here, and the overall... read more
Vocalist Giacamo Gates takes on the music of Miles Davis – offering up some wonderful lyrical takes on a host of jazz classics – all with backing from a hip small combo! Lyrics for the tunes are almost as old as the instrumental compositions – created back in the day by Jon... read more
Killer work by Astrud Gilberto – very different than her Verve sides of the 60s! The album was produced by Astrud, arranged by Deodato – and has that wonderful warm full jazz feel of her classic album on CTI, but also a bit more like some of the funky work of Jorge Ben at the time... read more
An expanded version of this classic – with 5 more bonus tracks, 4 of which were arranged by Ennio Morricone! The core album is incredible 70s work from the lovely Astrud Gilberto – a rare effort for the CTI label that has her teaming up with arranger Eumir Deodato and saxophonist... read more
A very groovy record with a very fitting title – especially once you hear the lyrics of the tunes! The Girls From Bahia are actually the Quarteto Em Cy – one of the best harmony groups of the bossa era, and famous for classic recordings on the Elenco label – but working here in a... read more
A very groovy vocal set – produced by Teo Macero with a nicely modern edge!... read more
Golddiggers —
Golddiggers ... LP
Metromedia,
Late 60s. Very Good- Gatefold ....
$5.99
Fab vocal work from the Golddiggers – the female backing singers who would sing in variety numbers with Dean Martin on his weekly TV show! Although the girls were usually in the background on Dean's show, they take center stage here – swinging their way through a mix of 60s mod tracks... read more
A great double-header – especially since both albums are top-shelf! Don't Go To Strangers is a 60s classic from Eydie Gorme – and a set that showed the world that she had a lot more to offer than just some peppy duets with Steve Lawrence! Sure, Eydie had sung on her own before –... read more
A long-overdue album from UK soul singer Jaki Graham – a vocalist who seems to have gotten better and better over the years! As you might guess from the title, a fair bit of tracks on the set are older standards – sung by Jaki in a jazzified approach to soul, with elements that are... read more
Gogi Grant —
Gogi Grant ... LP
Pete,
Late 60s. Very Good+ ....
$0.49
A charming batch of mid 60s popular tunes done in loungey, sort of boozy arrangements in some places and uptempo mod in others from Noel Harrison – who went on to have a few hits as well as a successful acting career – tackling Dylan, Lennon/McCartney, and more with a really swinging... read more
Johnny Hartman —
Unforgettable ... LP
ABC/Paramount,
Mid 60s. Very Good+ ....
$12.99
An excellent batch of rare material by vocalist Johnny Hartman, and a very strong set of tracks that shows a side of his work that's often ignored! Usually, Hartman gets cited for his slow, moody, syrupy sound – such as that which he used in his classic recordings with Coltrane. However, we... read more
A treasure trove of rare work by Lee Hazelwood – tracks recorded in the last 25 years of the 20th Century, but unissued until this beautiful compilation! Much of the material has the feel of Hazelwood's albums from the late 60s and early 70s – a sublime mix of country, folk, and Lee's... read more
The soundtrack to A House Safe For Tigers – which is one of the movies Lee made with director Torbjörn Axelman for Swedish television in the 70s – and it's a great one, right up there with Cowboy In Sweden! Honestly, this might even top the better-known Cowboy In Sweden –... read more
The soundtrack to A House Safe For Tigers – which is one of the movies Lee made with director Torbjörn Axelman for Swedish television in the 70s – and it's a great one, right up there with Cowboy In Sweden! Honestly, this might even top the better-known Cowboy In Sweden –... read more
Amazing sounds from Lee Hazlewood – some of his most offbeat, unbridled recordings ever – and that's saying a lot if you've already heard his classics for Mercury, MGM, and Reprise! The package here brings together rare work from Lee's own LHI label – packaged beautifully with a... read more
Amazing sounds from Lee Hazlewood – some of his most offbeat, unbridled recordings ever – and that's saying a lot if you've already heard his classics for Mercury, MGM, and Reprise! The package here brings together rare work from Lee's own LHI label – packaged beautifully with a... read more
Lee Hazlewood —
Movin' On ... CD
Polydor/Ace (UK),
1977. New Copy ....
$12.99
One of the rarest Lee Hazlewood albums ever – a mid 70s set recorded for Polydor in Sweden, and one that represents a really unique chapter in Lee's career overseas! At times, the album's got a very strong country feel – more so than even other Hazlewood records, which always had a bit... read more
Genius, pure genius! (Have we said that about Lee too many times before?) The work of Lee Hazlewood is beyond description – a bit of vocals, a bit of country, a bit of lounge, and a bit of rock – all wrapped up with a sinister edge that has you believing that this was the man who used... read more
An amazing record from the young Lee Hazlewood – recorded in the years before working with Nancy Sinatra, and done with a very hip edge that stretches way past its date of origin – to a time ten years later, when the LA scene would be in the midst of a fascination with country and roots... read more
An amazing record from the young Lee Hazlewood – recorded in the years before working with Nancy Sinatra, and done with a very hip edge that stretches way past its date of origin – to a time ten years later, when the LA scene would be in the midst of a fascination with country and roots... read more
Really lovely sounds from Jana Herzen – a set that features her own vocals and guitar, with just the bass of Charnett Moffett for accompaniment! The spare setting is beautiful – and Jana sparkles here in ways that few other singers could hope to match – bringing out a key... read more
A groovy late 70s outing from the Hi Los – done at the same time that group member Gene Puerling was having a great run for MPS with his group The Singers Unlimited! The style here's a bit like the Hi Los of old, but it's also got some of the smoother, sweeter tones that Puerling developed... read more
One of the greatest albums ever from the mighty Al Hibbler – a record that's filled with subtle power and deeper soul – and which really has Al working at the height of his vocal talents! Although Hibbler recorded often before this in the 50s, this session seems to have a specially... read more
Real gems from Al Hibbler – key recordings with Duke Ellington! Titles include "You Of All People", "Good Woman Blues", "It's Monday Every Day", "Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me", and "The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise".... read more
An excellent collection of Billie's 30s work for Columbia Records – featuring 3LPs worth of material, represented with much better sound than the original 78 rpm release of the songs. Billie's in the company of a host of great jazzmen – including Count Basie, Lester Young, Teddy Wilson... read more
A well-done collection of Billie's early work – featuring sides from the late 30s recorded for Brunswick, Vocalion, and Columbia – all laid out in Chronological order, with full details on the sessions! Titles include "Without Your Love", "This Year's Kisses", "... read more
Amazing stuff – a really incredible dip into the life, mind, and music of Billie Holiday – with some rare studio banter that's almost as compelling as her famous recordings for Verve! Amazing package, too – a real standard-setter for CDs when it came out!... read more
A pretty cool relic of Billie's private life – rehearsal material that has her sounding a bit less in control than usual – even somewhat tipsy at times! Jimmy Rowles is on piano and Artie Shapiro is on bass.... read more
A very unusual concert from Billie Holiday – one that features narration by Gilbert Millstein, telling the story of Billie's life! The format is quite unusual – almost a live documentary, with the subject of the documentary there in person herself! Millstein narrates from the start,... read more
Billie Holiday —
Lady Day ... LP
Columbia,
1930s/Early 40s. Very Good+ ....
$4.99
Titles include "Miss Brown To You", "If You Were Mine", "What A Little Moonlight Can Do", "Billie's Blues", "I Cried For You", "I Must Have That Man", and "Easy Living".... read more
About as classic as you can get for Billie Holiday on Verve – a wonderfully intimate small group session, recorded with top-shelf players and a smokey torchy mood! Billie's in her later years by the time of the set, but somehow singing with even more emotion and life – working with a... read more
Billie Holiday —
Stay With Me ... LP
Verve,
Early 50s. Very Good ....
$28.99
Classic Verve material. Billie sings in a warm relaxed setting, with great small combo backing, and piano by Mal Waldron. The record is one of the best we could recommend on the label – and it includes lots of nice tracks like "Everything Happens To Me", "I Wished On The... read more
Billie Holiday —
Stormy Blues ... LP
Verve,
1954/1955. Very Good 2LP Gatefold ....
$5.99
Seminal 50s recordings from Billie Holiday!... read more
Two excellent early albums from Shirley Horn – back to back on a single CD! Travelin Light is one of the greatest jazz vocal albums of the 60s, and probably the greatest album ever by Shirley Horn! The session's got a beautiful lively sound, with extremely interesting arrangements by Johnny... read more