Crucial late 40s material – recorded with the group of Teddy Wilson, and also with her own combo – with either Hot Lips Page or Charlie Shavers on trumpet! CD
A velvet mood, but one with a bit of an edge – as you might expect from Billie Holiday in the 50s, hardly the stuff of a too-soft vocal date! The album's got Holiday working in wonderful small combo mode – getting some key Verve backup from players who include Sweets Edison on trumept, ... read moreCD
Sublime girl group sounds from the great Lee Hazlewood – the complete recordings of Honey Ltd – an obscure Hazlewood project from the end of the 60s! The style here combines all the depths of Lee's own music with some of the sweeter Sunshine Pop sounds you'd expect from the cover ... (Rock, Vocalists)read moreCD
With special guest Gary Bartz on alto sax! Titles include "Just A Little Lovin", "Drown In My Own Tears", "The Sun Died", "Bye Bye Love", "Green", "I Got A Man", and "Light Out Of Darkness". CD
Shirley Horn's definitely swinging here – in a set of tracks that features groovy numbers from two different points in her career! Some of the work on the set is from her early 60s years on Mercury and ABC Records – and the other half's from that great stretch in the 90s when her ... read moreCD
An instant classic from Ronald Isley – soulful readings of tunes by Burt Bacharach, arranged, conducted, and produced by Burt himself! The album has a surprisingly gentle feel – lots of room and space for Ronald to open up vocally, in a mode that's clearly got respect for the classic ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreCD
Sweet vocals in a spare setting – sung in English by Japanese vocalist Kimiko Itoh, and recorded in New York with arrangements by Richard Tee and Steve Gadd! Given their presence, there's a distinctly 70s feel to the album, despite the date of the session – and most numbers move gently ... read moreCD
A later set by Jackie & Roy, but still plenty darn great – and not nearly as hokey as you might expect from the title! All tracks are sea-themed – but the range of work is surprisingly sophisticated, and perfectly illustrates the ever-deep quality of the Jackie & Roy sound, ... read moreCD
Wonderfully groovy work from the team of Jackie Cain & Roy Kral – a set that has the pair moving into much hipper modes for the 60s, and really taking off from the greatness of earlier records! Backing is still by Roy's core trio, with acoustic piano at the lead – but the addition ... read moreCD
It's hard to go wrong with Jackie & Roy at this early point in their career – and the sound here is completely sublime – unlike anything else we can think of! The album has the pair coming off their seminal early work with Charlie Ventura – working in a mode that's deeply ... read moreCD
(Out of print and sealed with a hole through the shrinkwrap, includes obi.)
An excellent 70s set by Jackie & Roy – very different than their work of the 50s and 60s, with an approach that's much more far-reaching and complicated – a style that opens up their vocal talents majestically! Gone are the simpler ditties of earlier years, and in their place are ... read moreCD
An excellent 70s set by Jackie & Roy – very different than their work of the 50s and 60s, with an approach that's much more far-reaching and complicated – a style that opens up their vocal talents majestically! Gone are the simpler ditties of earlier years, and in their place are ... read moreCD
(Late 80s pressing with a peeled spot from a removed sticker on the booklet cover.)
Jackie & Roy are definitely getting bit wilder here – hitting an electric early 70s CTI mode, and really growing a lot in the process! The session has the vocal pair working with CD players who include Hubert Laws on flute, Joe Farrell on saxes, Roy Pennington on vibes, and Steve Gadd on ... read moreCD
(Out of print 2016 Blu-spec CD pressing, includes obi.)
Seminal work from one of the hippest jazz singers ever – a session that showed the world that Eddie Jefferson was firmly back in business during the 60s! The set's got a really rollicking feel, and a bit more influence from soul than the bop of Eddie's roots – with elements of gospel ... read moreCD
One of the weirdest, wildest albums ever from Eddie Jefferson – a real standout classic that shows him retooling his sound for the 70s! After years of writing lyrics to James Moody and Charlie Parker tunes, Eddie lays out some crazy lyrics for modern jazz standards like "Freedom Jazz ... read moreCD
Could anyone ever utter a sexier line than "Don't go to strangers, come to me?" We think not, and it's material like that that makes the album a real killer from Etta Jones – one of her best from the 60s, cut when she was really developing her skills as a vocalist, but still had ... read moreCD
Hard to imagine Etta Jones being lonely and blue – especially when she sounds as great as this! The album's one of Jones' early classics from Prestige – a date that really has her classing things up a lot, and drawing on bits of Billie Holiday and Dinah Washington's styles, to mix in ... read moreCD
A nice back to basics session from jazz singer Etta Jones – recorded with backing by a small combo that includes Houston Person on tenor – and done in the laidback style that always seems to bring out the best in her singing. Other players include Idris Muhammad, Jimmy Ponder, and ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Etta Jones —
So Warm ... CD Prestige/OJC, 1961. Used ...
$1.99
Etta Jones is definitely nice and warm here – working with some great backings from Oliver Nelson, who mixes in a bit of strings with the usual jazzy punch he was delivering at the time! Jones' vocals are at the height of her early powers here – working with poise, class, and a heck of ... read moreCD
A rare Japanese-only session – one that has vocalist Salena Jones joining the fusion supergroup Stuff – in a set that's easily one of the most soulful outings from both artists involved! Although Jones mostly worked overseas, she's got a slinky style here that really fits the groove of ... read moreCD
(2003 XRCD24 pressing – in great shape with obi! Disc has a sample stamp and barcode has a small Japanese promo sticker.)
A great little album from this overlooked singer – an east coast vocalist from the 50s, working here on one of the few sessions she ever recorded! Teal's got an exotic look on the cover, but the presentation of the music is right up there in the best mainstream jazz modes of the time – ... read moreCD
(2013 Japanese pressing – still sealed with obi!)
Kane Kalas —
High Hopes ... CD Centerpoint, 2023. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
... CD
Greetje Kauffeld —
Heaven's Open ... CD Sonorama (Germany), 1969/1973/1975/1986. Used ...
$9.99
Beautiful ballads from Dutch singer Greetje Kauffeld – a host of rare recordings from the 60s, 70s, and 80s – all pulled together in one nicely unified set! Kauffeld sings in English throughout, with a lush style that's very much on par with the most mature American vocalists of the ... read moreCD
We're always big fans of Bev Kelly's work, but this album is way hipper than the usual vocal album of its type from the time – thanks to a sweet little lineup that features Pony Poindexter on alto sax and Flip Nunez on piano! The presence of Poindexter's horn is always a treat, on the ... read moreCD
One of the best-remembered jazz albums from singer Bev Kelly – partly for the record's great use of guitar by Johnny Smith, but also for the great vocals from Bev herself! The album's one of a few that really set a new standard for small combo jazz in the 50s – different than the ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Beverly Kenney —
Like Yesterday ... CD Decca/Universal (Japan), 1959. Used ...
$6.999.99
Very jazzy work from vocalist Beverly Kenny – sung with small combo backings throughout, and a style that's always fresh and lean! Some of the titles here are from earlier years, as implied by the title – but the sound of the record is in the best late 50s vocal jazz mode, thanks ... read moreCD
A real musical discovery from vocalist Beverly Kenney – rare session material from 1954, recorded even before her first few albums on the Roost label! The sound here is very spare – with Bev on vocals and Tony Tamburello on piano – in a style that might be called "demo" ... read moreCD
A beautifully understated album from Morgana King – one that has her working with familiar arranger Torrie Zito, but in a style that's a bit more laidback than before! There's a bit of strings on the album, but they really just shade in the sound from the back – leaving plenty of space ... read moreCD
Morgana King —
Wild Is Love ... CD Reprise/Collectors Choice, 1966. Used ...
$11.9914.99
A playfully swinging little set from Morgana King – given the groovy, latenight lounge Reprise sound by producer Jimmy Bowen! This second album for Reprise is a much more extroverted than the quite strong It's A Quiet Thing LP from a year before – with arranger Torrie Zito grooving out ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Teddi King —
Now In Vogue ... CD Storyville/Muzak (Japan), 1955. Used ...
$6.99
One of a number of great small group sessions done by singer Teddi King for the Storyville label – nicely relaxed, with backing from a septet that features Billy Taylor on piano, Bob Brookmeyer on trombone, Nick Travis on trumpet, and Gene Quill on alto! The Storyville approach really brings ... read moreCD
The rarest of three albums that King Pleasure ever recorded – and pretty darn hard to find, too. The set was recorded after King's earlier sides for the Prestige and HiFi jazz labels, but it's in a very similar style, with some wonderful vocalese-ing done in Pleasure's landmark style. He's ... read moreCD
Not much here in the way of notes, but a great little session – one of those mature, intimate sessions that Irene Kral recorded so beautifully in the later years of her life! The track selection is quite strong – lesser-known numbers that offer a sophisticated look at love and live, ... read moreCD
A beautiful return to form for singer Karin Krog – one of our favorite jazz vocalists ever! The album's got Karin singing to arrangements and backing from pianist Steve Kuhn, a wonderful talent for a set like this, and a songwriter who's contributed some really wonderful tunes to the ... read moreCD
How can we even begin to describe the genius of Lambert Hendricks and Ross? The group was a jazz vocal supergroup that merged three talents that had already made a big name in the bebop vocalese field – Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks, and the lovely Annie Ross – and the project was an ... read moreCD
One of the first albums ever by this legendary jazz vocal group! LHR do the incredible – and create a set of vocal renditions of standards by the Basie band, putting jazzy lyrics in to replace the instrumental solos, but keeping the same vibe as the original tracks. The sound and approach ... read moreCD
Two albums from Peggy Lee on one CD. First up is I Like Men! – an obscure album of "guy" songs from the end of the 50s! There's a playful feel to the music that fits Lee's vocals very well – as do the bouncy arrangements from Jack Marshall, who turns out to be one of the ... read moreCD
Very groovy work from Peggy – a set of tunes tone with a nice little Latin flair! The tunes themselves are all Broadway hits of the late 50s and early 60s, but they're redone wonderfully here – so that they often bear little resemblance to the originals. Jack Marshall handled the ... read moreCD
As smooth as mink – and as sexy too! The album's one of Peggy's jazziest from the Capitol years – and has her working with some really great arrangements by Max Bennett or Benny Carter – both of whom come up with a lean groove that swings tremendously, but without some of the ... read moreCD
(1998 pressing. Tray card has a small cutout notch.)
Peggy's sweet as sugar, but working here with a heck of a lot of spice – thanks to arranger Benny Carter, who brings in a wonderfully jazzy feel to the set! The album's one of Peggy's best from her comeback years at Capitol – and a prime example of the syncopated, slinking mode of ... read moreCD
Carolyn Leonhart on vocals – accompanied by Wayne Escoffery on saxophone, Toru Dodo on piano, Hans Glawischnig on bass, and Jason Brown and Carl Allen on drums. CD
The cover of this one might make the album one of the campiest records on Verve – but the session's a surprisingly great one, with a straighter vocal approach than you'd guess! Monica's got a really sweet vocal style – a bit sexy, and certainly adult – arranged here with some ... read moreCD
One of the strangest things about Abbey Lincoln's career is the fact that, despite her hip affiliations with the left end of the jazz spectrum, she's actually been slotted into a fair number of straighter projects, not only in music, but in film as well. This album's a perfect example of that ... read moreCD
A fantastic pairing of the vocals of Abbey Lincoln and the tenor sax of Stan Getz – one that's captured here for the very first time on record, at a point that's just a few months shy of Stan's too-early death! Both players had really grown a lot during the 80s – and the match here is ... read moreCD
Mature, mellow, and totally wonderful – clear proof that Julie London was still making great music well into the 60s! The album's got a simple, unassuming charm – very much in the late nite mode you'd guess from the title, with spare backings from Don Bagley that often have a key ... read moreCD
Julie London's shortened her trademark tresses for the cover of this album – but as the title will tell, she's very much in the best sultry territory of her earlier years! This time around, Don Bagley's turned in some near-perfect arrangements that really bring back the London sound of the ... read moreCD
Robin McKelle on vocals – accompanied by Kenny Barron on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums – plus special guest Kurt Elling on "I Won't Dance". CD
Cecile McLorin Salvant —
Window ... CD Mack Avenue, 2018. Used ...
$9.99
Beautifully intimate sounds from the great Cecile McLorin Salvant – a set that has the singer working with only piano or organ for accompaniment, but at a level that has her voice still flowing with marvelous ease! We've loved Cecile right from the start – but here, she maybe blows us ... read moreCD
Carmen McRae —
Alive ... CD Columbia, 1965. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
A warm later set from Carmen McRae – recorded with great small combo jazz backing that features tenor sax work from Clifford Jordan! The album's a real back-to-basics one for McRae – and gets away from crossover modes used in the 60s and 70s, taking Carmen back to the more jazz-based ... read moreCD
Two great lost albums from Carmen – very different than her earlier work, kind of a mixture of jazz, soul, and pop, in territory that's a bit like work by Nancy Wilson or Marlena Shaw. Sound of Silence has Carmen working with arrangments by Shorty Rogers and Jimmy Jones – nicely jazzy, ... read moreCD
The start of a legend – and the very first album by Sergio Mendes' Brasil 66 group, proudly brought to the world through the godlike talents of a young Herb Alpert! Sergio was no stranger to the recording studio by the time of this set, but the record marked a real shift in his music – ... (Brazil, Vocalists)read moreCD
(Out of print and sealed, includes obi.)
Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 —
Look Around ... CD A&M, 1967. Used ...
$6.99
Dreamy bossa pop from the A&M studios of the 60s – the Brasil 66 sound at its best! The style here is a perfect blend of real Brazilian influences and some of the hipper styles bubbling in the LA studio scene of the time – all locked together perfectly by Sergio Mendes, in the twin- ... (Brazil, Vocalists)read moreCD
Helen Merrill —
Dream Of You ... CD EmArcy/Universal (Korea), 1956. Used ...
$8.99
Dream Of You is one of Helen's best from the 50s, thanks to some great arrangements from Gil Evans! Evans' young and modern talents are a perfect fit for Helen's sadly icy vocals on the set – taking her to new places never reached on some other sessions that were trying for a warmer, sweeter ... read moreCD
A rare Japanese session from vocalist Helen Merrill – one of a few key 60s recordings she cut on the Tokyo scene, after initial fame in the US! The album features a great small group arranged by drummer Takeshi Inomata, played by a combo that includes alto, baritone, and trumpet – all ... read moreCD
One of the most obscure sessions in the long career of jazz singer Helen Merrill – a vocalist who's got a reputation for cutting plenty of obscure sessions around the globe! This date features a mature Merrill sounding wonderful – recording in a nicely understated setting for a ... read moreCD
(1983 Japanese pressing.)
Helen Merrill & Stan Getz —
Just Friends ... CD EmArcy/Universal (Japan), 1989. Used ...
$24.99
A really great later effort from Helen Merrill – one recorded in Paris at the end of the 80s with some excellent tenor sax work from Stan Getz! The mode of the record is similar to other Merrill records from the time – spare, gentle, and moody – sometimes threatening to lapse ... read moreCD
Fantastic work from one of the grooviest singers of the 60s – the amazing Mina, a vocalist who hardly made waves on this side of the Atlantic, but who served up a wealth of wonderful material from the Italian scene at the time! You might know Mina from a few key soundtrack contributions she ... read moreCD