Chordettes —
Close Harmony ... CD
Cadence/El (UK),
Early 50s. New Copy ....
$6.99
An assortment of early 50s recordings by The Chordettes – easily one of the most heavenly groups ever to record in pop music! The quartet first had their roots in barbershop harmony, but soon stepped into much more sophisticated territory with these recordings for Cadence Records –... read more
From its booze-soaked title cut, to its haunting selection of lonely ballads like "Midnight Sun" and "Stranger Called The Blues", this is one of the most fantastic vocal jazz albums of all time – and a record that we'd recommend instantly to anyone! June Christy has an... read more
A great one from June – on a par with the Something Cool album, and featuring arrangements by the great Pete Rugolo! Like that one, this one's a pretty dark effort – filled with some great boozed-up late night vocals. Titles include "Saturday's Children", "I Wished On... read more
Petula Clark —
My Love ... LP
Warner,
Mid 60s. Very Good+ ....
$5.99
A quartet of lovely ladies, serving up their renditions of classics from the swing era – all done in sweetly scatted versions! Most numbers begin with these great wordless vocal passages that establish the tunes before the main lyrics come in – setting the scene like the horns in a... read more
A wonderful idea for a record – very unique, and with a style that makes for one of the freshest jazz vocal sets we've heard in years! The tunes here are all numbers penned by saxophonist Pepper Adams – a great change from overdone standards – and they've got some inventive... read more
Two rare European records from Freddy Cole – best known to most of us in the US as a jazz singer! One More Love Song is surprisingly soulful set from Freddy – quite different than some of the straighter jazz vocals he's cut over the years! This rare gem was recorded in The Netherlands... read more
Arranged by Richard Wess – and Ike sings "For Love Of Ivy", "I Will Wait For You", "Windmills Of Your Mind", "My Personal Property", "That Night", and "The Way That I Live".... read more
Arranged by Leroy Holmes and Arnold Goland – and titles include "Two Strangers In The City", "The Same Old You", "Strangers In The Night", "The More I See You", and "The Wishing Doll".... read more
Nat King Cole —
Cole Espanol ... LP
Capitol,
Early 60s. Near Mint- ....
$4.99
A great set from Chicago's Joan Collaso – one of the hippest vocalists working today in the Windy City! There's a soulful swing to the record that grabs us right from the get-go – thanks to a killer take on "My Favorite Things" – done in an open-ended spirit that owes... read more
A landmark album of vocal jazz – and one of the few sessions that John Coltrane ever cut with a singer! In a way, the album's more Hartman's than it is Coltrane's – given that Johnny's warm, mellow style of singing isn't as free and open as Trane at his most adventurous – but at... read more
One of the most haunting albums we've ever heard from Perry Como – a session recorded in Italy during the mid 60s – featuring arrangements by Nick Perito, and backing vocals by the Alessandro Alessandroni Singers! The tunes include a fair bit of older Italian numbers – some sung... read more
Harry Connick Jr —
20 ... LP
Columbia,
1988. Near Mint- ....
$6.99
A great set of tracks that represents some of Chris Connor's first recordings as a solo act – a classic album originally issued as a 10" LP by the Bethlehem label – but expanded here with lots of extra tracks to make a full length record! Backing is by the trio of Ellis Larkins... read more
Chris Connor —
Chris Craft ... CD
Atlantic (Japan),
1958. New Copy ....
$15.99
Chris' Craft is a great one here – beautifully simple and straightforward jazz vocals, served up at a level that few other singers can match! The album's one of our favorites from Connor's classic years with Atlantic – as it's got a mellow, moody approach that's filled with the darker... read more
Amazing stuff – and one of Chris Connor's greatest records for Atlantic! There's a depth to this set that passes some of her others from the time – partially because the album features a very hip set of tunes, written by Ornette Coleman, Norman Mapp, John Lewis, Peggy Lee, and others... read more
Rare radio work from vocalist Chris Connor – a number of performances recorded for the US military, and done as nicely as any of her classic studio albums from the 50s! Most of the tracks here are from 1959, and capture Connor at her best icy modern mode – singing with depth, but great... read more
Chris Connor —
This Is Chris ... CD
Bethlehem/Solid (Japan),
1955. New Copy ....
$15.99
Beautifully icy vocals from the amazing Chris Connor – the kind of record that set a new standard for vocal jazz back in the 50s! The session's a small group one – with Chris singing intimately alongside backing from Herbie Mann on flute and tenor, Kai Winding and JJ Johnson on... read more
Chris Connor & Maynard Ferguson —
Double Exposure ... CD
Atlantic,
1960/1961. Used ....
$6.99Just Sold Out!
One of Chris Connor's standout albums for Atlantic Records – and a session that actually makes us really appreciate the presence of Maynard Ferguson! The album's got a bit more punch than some of Chris' other records for the label, and is a nice shift in mood after a series of sad, dreamy,... read more
Great work from Johnny Coppola – a member of America's famous first family of film, and a hell of a crooner in his own right! Johnny lives in a world where the Rat Pack never ended – and he sings here with a style we haven't heard this well since the days of Frank Sinatra at Reprise... read more
A great 2-fer – featuring both of Noel Coward's Columbia albums in one 70s set. First up is Noel Coward In New York – a very cool album from Coward – a talent you're probably more familiar with as a playwright, but who also happens to be quite the entertainer! This album is one... read more
Randy Crawford and Joe Sample – a mighty wonderful combination who've made some great studio sessions together – working here in an even more organic live concert setting! The album's got a stripped-down, back-to-basics approach – Joe just playing acoustic piano and working with... read more
With a photo like that on the cover, we've gotta say that we did Pat Dahl too! The set's a relatively obscure little vocal album, cut by a singer we've never heard of otherwise – with a sexy 60s image that either meant that she had a successful live career in small clubs, or was somebody's... read more
Pure genius – Bobby D's first LP – and nicely balanced between rockers and straight vocal numbers! Includes "Splish Splash", "Action Speaks Louder Than Words", "Don't Call My Name", "So Mean", and "Wear My Ring".... read more
Wonderful Sammy from his years at Reprise – and a beautiful album cut in collaboration with arranger Marty Paich! Marty had a swinging, jazzy style that always brought out the best in Sam – even on an album of fuller, mellower tracks such as these. The title hit is done by Sammy in a... read more
Sammy Davis Jr —
Dr Dolittle ... LP
Reprise,
Early 60s. Very Good- ....
$1.99
A great one from Sammy Davis Jr – one of his most upbeat, bouncy albums for Reprise – and definitely done with the sort of energy that earns the set the "show" in the title! The album was released in conjunction with Sammy's TV show on NBC in the mid 60s – and it's... read more
One of the harder to find Sammy records, and one of the best! Sammy takes Mel Torme's drippy "California Suite", an extended work about how great California is – and he turns it into an extended chat between Sammy and a friend in a bar in New York City, with twists and turns that... read more
Sammy Davis Jr & Joya Sherrill —
Jumps With Joya ... LP
Design,
Late 50s. Very Good ....
$2.99
Sammy Davis, Jr. —
That's All! ... LP
Reprise,
1966. Very Good 2LP Gatefold ....
$1.99
The greatest entertainer ever? We think so – and this 2LP set offers Sammy D in the best possible way to get him: live, and in the very familiar turf of the Sands Hotel. This live album, and it's counterpart (At The Cocoanut Grove, also on Reprise) are, in our opinion, Sammy's best... read more
Jackie DeShannon serves up some wonderful renditions of popular tunes from the 50s and 60s – stepping aside from her usual role as songwriter, and singing sweetly to some great arrangements from George Tipton! The style is somewhere between 60s pop and more sophisticated vocals – often... read more
2 lesser-known sides of Blossom Dearie – both recorded in Paris in the 50s! The first 8 tracks on the set are from a rare 10" session recorded in 1955 – one that features Blossom only at the piano, not singing, but swinging in a solid trio format. Tracks on that session include... read more
Ann Dee —
Free Again ... LP
Capitol,
Late 60s. Very Good+ ....
$2.99
One of the more obscure chapters in David Axelrod's years at Capitol – a record featuring comeback vocals from singer Ann Dee – a talent from earlier years, getting a bit of an update here from Ernie Freeman on arrangements and Axelrod on production. There's no standout funky numbers,... read more
The Voice is certainly the most beautiful sound in the world here – thanks to the vocals of the amazing Edda Dell'Orso! Edda's was THE voice heard in virtually all the best Italian soundtracks of the late 60s/early 70s era – that floating, dreamy singer who graced countless Morricone... read more
The final third of Jackie DeShannon's legendary run for Imperial Records in the 60s – a smashing batch of singles that really represent some great musical growth at the time! On these sides, Jackie's even more soulful than before – definitely taking inspiration from the generation of... read more
Denise Donatelli with Geoff Keezer —
Soul Shadows ... CD
Savant,
2012. New Copy ....
$14.9916.99
Denise Donatelli gets some great backings here from Geoff Keezer – mostly in a straight jazz mode, but sometimes in a fuller style that really opens her up! Donatelli's got a sound that's rooted in jazz, but more expressive than most – and Keezer really sets her up nicely for the... read more
Sure, it was silly stuff when we were kids – but once De La Soul sampled "Three Is The Magic Number", this record became one of the most prized in our possession! And thanks to that hip hop reintroduction, we've really fallen in love with the music again over the years –... read more
Rare US issue of this amazing album by the legendary French vocal group Les Double Six. The group included a core of the early Swingle Singers, and featured members Ward Swingle and Christine Legrand, two of France's best jazz vocalists at the time. On this LP, the group runs through a tightly... read more
A range of rare recordings from singer Doris Drew – a vocalist we only know from one full album, but who also made some of these appearances as a guest on other instrumental dates! Doris has a great approach – one that's slightly warmer than the ice blondes of the west coast scene of... read more
Urszula Dudziak —
Future Talk ... CD
Inner City,
1979. New Copy ....
$10.9916.95
A wonderful album of hip jazzy vocals from Urszula Dudziak – an amazing singer who was sort of Poland's version of Flora Purim! Like Flora, Urszula had a fierce scatting and riffing style that broke way past the work of earlier female jazz singers – and she always applied this style to... read more
Amazing work from the early, legendary years of Billy Eckstine – that time when he was fronting one of the hippest backing groups a vocalist could hope to have! Eckstine's voice was already becoming the stuff of legend by the time of these recordings – but thanks to contributions from... read more
2 early 70s sessions from Billy Eckstine – both recorded for Stax Records! First up is Senior Soul – a well-titled set not only given Billy's age, but also because of the surprisingly soulful undercurrent to the record – an extension into the genre even greater than Eckstine's... read more
Eliane Elias —
Fantasia ... CD
Blue Note,
1992. Used ....
$6.99
One of the more unusual albums we've ever heard from Japanese vocalist Chiemi Eri – a set done in collaboration with the famous Delta Rhythm Boys quintet from the US – pictured here on the cover in unusual Japanese outfits! Backings are by the large group of Nobuo Hara, who really... read more
Chiemi Eri & Carl Jones —
Crazy Rhythm ... CD
King (Japan),
1962. New Copy ....
$25.99
Plenty of crazy rhythms here – as singers Chiemi Eri and Carl Jones are joined by Japanese jazzmen who include Nobuo Hara & His Sharps & Flats, saxophonists Sadao Watanabe and Sleepy Matsumoto, guitarist Shungo Sawada, and the Hideo Shiraki Quintet! The backings on all tracks are... read more
A real lost chapter in the career of singer Georgie Fame – mid 70s material recorded for Island Records! The sound of Fame during these years is a bit of an extension of his previous work at Columbia – not really the jazz or R&B of his roots, and more a complicated blend of hip pop... read more
A beautiful early record from singer Bill Fay – recorded in a baroque brilliance that rivals the late 60s work of Scott Walker! Like Walker, Fay's as much a poet as he is a singer – and he's also got the great fortune here to be working with some excellent arrangements – handled... read more
Nice backing on most tracks by a small combo that features Oscar Peterson on piano and Herb Ellis on guitar – and a larger group on a few more, with Stan Getz, Coleman Hawkins, and Lester Young on tenors! Titles include "Stompin At The Savoy", "Goody Goody", "Ill... read more
A classic vocal set from Ella – filled with standards from the Rodgers & Hart songbook – including "Isn't It Romantic", "My Romance", "Spring Is Here", "Thou Swell", "Bewitched", "Blue Moon", "A Ship Without A... read more
A classic vocal set from Ella – filled with standards from the Rodgers & Hart songbook – including "My Romance", "Spring Is Here", "Thou Swell", "A Ship Without A Sail", and "Have You Met Miss Jones".... read more