Vocalists -- In Stock -- LPs  

One of the greatest albums ever from Lorez Alexandria -- an ultra-hip singer who recorded for Impulse and King, but who sounds especially wonderful on this rare date for Chess Records! The album's got a groove that definitely lives up to its title -- a jazzy, bouncy sort of rhythm that's... read more

The second album by this excellent all-female San Francisco jazz combo -- a live date that's even more cooking than their debut! As before, there's a sweetly breezy style to the record -- that hip SF sound of the 70s -- with echoes of Braziliana and soul amidst the group's jazzier leanings -- all... read more

One of Mose's best early albums -- even though he hardly gets a chance to sing on it! The album features some great work by Allison's trio of the time -- Addison Farmer on bass and Ronnie Free on drums -- simple piano-driven groovers, performed with a slight gutbuckety approach, and lots of sweet... read more

Early work by Amanda Ambrose -- Chicago-based singer who sang in a variety of styles that approached work by folk/soul/jazz singers like Oscar Brown Jr. and Nina Simone. This rare Dunwich album was recorded live at Chicago's Mother Blues nightclub, and it features Ambrose running through material... read more

Ok, we'll admit that most of this album is kind of weak -- and Amanda's a sort of Nina Simone wanna-be -- but there are a few nice songs on here with a pretty good groove! Both "Sad Songs" and "That's It" have some great arrangements that mix complicated guitar/bass/drum parts... read more

Easily the greatest album ever by the Ames Brothers -- from the fantastic space age cover, right down to the excellent arrangements from Sid Ramin! The whole thing's done in a swinging hi fi sort of mode -- one that really pulls a heck of a lot of range out of the vocals! Tunes dip and turn and... read more

One of the few rare recordings by west coast vocalist Ernie Andrews -- a great little singer with an extremely soulful sound! Ernie's got a feel here that's quite a bit like that of his contemporary Lou Rawls during his Capitol years -- a mix of jazz and soul with traces of earlier R&B -- all... read more

A sweet blend of jazz and soul from Patti Austin -- recorded at Muscle Shoals studios, with a sound that's surprisingly rootsy on a few numbers! Patti's still got all the polish she picked up from her years with Quincy Jones, but she's also stepping out a bit more as an artist with a stronger... read more

Funky Shirley Bassey! This is a great set tof Shirley's groove-happy work cut in the late 60s -- hip tunes arranged by UK easy maestro Johnny Harris, best known for his fantastic work on the Stepping Stones record under his own name, forever a beathead classic! Features the great, funky big band... read more

Routines include "Toga Saga (A Greek Fantasy)", "Sahara", "Carmen", and "Orchids To Alice".... read more

On earlier recordings, Clea was much more of a bluesy singer with a strong R&B sound. On this one, arranger Jim Tyler nicely uncovers a sweeter, more sophisticated side to her singing -- and sets her voice in some larger arrangements with a very mellow sound. In a way, the overall approach is... read more

One of the greatest jazz vocal albums of all time -- and one of the first true moments of genius from a young Dee Dee Bridgewater! The album's a Japanese only release (proof that they're always hipper to our jazz artists than we are!) -- and it features Dee Dee singing material that's quite... read more

This one's a real shift from her earlier jazz-based work, or her recent recordings for Verve -- and a sweet funky fusion album that Dee Dee recorded for Elektra in the late 70s. The set was produced by Stanley Clarke, and has a soul/fusion sound that's not that different than his own work of the... read more

A great collaboration between Oscar Brown Jr. and the breezy Brazilian singer Luiz Henrique! Henrique was one of Brown's "discoveries", as was Sivuca, who also plays and arranges on the LP -- gracing it with his classic bossa/jazzy kind of groove. The whole thing's an excellent mix of... read more

One of Oscar Brown's 70's efforts for Atlantic, when he was stretching his groove a bit, and trying to give it more of an soulful feel, and less of a theatrical one. Oscar's longtime accompanist Floyd Morris is on piano, and other musicians include Seldon Powell, David Spinozza, Chuck Rainey, and... read more

Oscar Brown moves into a funky 70s mode -- working here with some great soul-based arrangements by Chicago soul legend Richard Evans! There's lots of funky clavinet grooving on the record by Tennyson Stephens and Marvin Yancy -- and other players include Chess/Cadet session groovers, like Henry... read more

Like Esther Phillips, during the early 70s, Ruth Brown moved away from the hard R&B vein, and cut a few nice albums in a more stripped-down jazzy style. This session features Ruth with Richard Tee on organ, David Spinoza on guitar, and Bernard Purdie on drums -- and it includes a number of... read more

Reissue of this rare album featuring Kenny Burrell on vocals, as well as guitar! Believe it or not, he's actually got a nice easy vocal style, and it fits right in with the tight group on this LP. Tommy Flanagan plays piano, and he's sort of at the prime of his playing at this point, and Bobby... read more

One of the best albums that Terry Callier ever recorded -- and a masterpiece of the baroque soul crossover style that was going down at the Chess/Cadet label at the time! Terry's own folksy singing and playing would be more than enough to make this record great -- but it's given an amazing edge by... read more

Terry Callier's first album -- recorded in 1964 when he was a wee teen hanging around Chicago's folk scene! As the title indicates, the album's definitely got a folk-styled sound -- but also as the "new" implies, it's got a sound all it's own, fresh and free -- and that sound is the... read more

Possibly the greatest album ever by the legendary Chicago soul singer Terry Callier! Terry's rich mellow voice is mixed with superb arrangements from the Cadet studio team, with Charles Stepney at the head, and the result is completely sublime. The songs are longer than on earlier albums -- and... read more

Later work by Cab -- but proof that he was always one heck of a singer, even at this later date. Arrangements are by Dick Jacobs, and the orchestra is directed by Henry Jerome -- and the tone of the tracks is more sombre and straight ahead than some of Cab's earlier, madder work. Tracks are all... read more

One of the best records ever cut by jazz vocalist Betty Carter! Why? Well, because the session's got a tight stripped-down feel -- but not as stripped down as some of Carter's mellower records -- and it's also one of the first to show her in the straight jazz setting that would become her... read more

A great album, released in the 80s, that brings together some of Betty Carter's rare vocal recordings for the Epic label from decades earlier. There's a total of 11 tracks in the set -- with 6 from the Meet Betty Carter and Ray Bryant album, which features piano by Bryant, arrangements by Quincy... read more

We might argue with the mathematics in the title -- or at least joke that Ray was using equations as titles years before Anthony Braxton -- but you can't contest the fact that this one's a classic treat, and a legendary attempt to class up Ray's bluesy style for the masses. Quincy Jones and Ralph... read more

A very hip little local set from Chicago -- breezy jazz tracks with some hip soulful vocals from Elaine Hamilton -- all recorded in a way that sounds like some lost west coast set from the 70s! The group features piano, guitar, bass, and drums -- but Elaine's vocals are the star attraction here --... 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

An unusual session for singer June Christy -- and a set done in tight collaboration with husband Bob Cooper! Bob and June work together here to interpret work from the musical Do Re Mi -- with June singing about half the tunes, and Bob playing the other half instrumentally -- on tenor, and working... read more

Fantastic stuff, and proof that Rosemary Clooney was always one heck of a great singer -- with strengths in jazz that you didn't always hear in her pop work! As you'd guess from the cover, Duke Ellington's leading the group on the album -- and most of the tracks here are older Ellington standards,... read more

A great example of the Muse Records charm of altoist Richie Cole -- bop-fired creativity at its peak, mixed with some added contemporary elements to keep things fresh! In this case, Richie's horn takes on some key bop classics, but also opens up a bit with vocalsits too -- Eddie Jefferson on... read more

A cool kind of set -- of the sort that you'd probably only find on the Roulette label! Rocky Cole's both a singer and a pianist -- surprisingly soulful and fluid as the latter, and nicely raspy and personal as the former -- a nice change from the usual, and a perfect example of the kind of talent... read more

A very cool little album from the Chicago scene of the 80s -- one that features the lovely Colette on both piano and vocals, working here in a nicely stripped down trio! The album's an unusual 2LP set -- quite odd for a small label pressing like this -- and the added space really lets Colette... read more

A taster of tracks from this cool Estonian jazz collective -- a very unique group whose sound reminds us of work we've heard from hip French soundtracks, and from some of the cooler reaches of the European jazz scene in the 60s! Most tracks here have vocals -- kind of scatted, with a breezy feel... read more

A very groovy mid 60s set from Chris -- recorded with arrangements by Don Costa, and a sound that's quite different than her earlier albums! Don never goes to over the top here, but he does add in some nice groovy touches -- things like bossa rhythms and electric harpsichord, used sparingly, but... read more

A lovely side by Chris Connor for Atlantic, recorded not too long after her stint at Bethlehem -- where she'd perfected an icy cool style of singing that's still to be matched to this day! The album features larger arrangements by Richard Wess -- but still has a light jazzy feel, intimate in... read more

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The Shadow Of Your Smile has Bobby working partially in that more adult 60s mode that was influenced strongly by changes in soundtrack styles -- especially that 60s trend towards letting some serious younger songwriters pen important tunes for the titles. There's also a few older tracks as well,... read more

A bit of a lost one for Sammy -- more traditional vocal material, but recorded at a time when he was more in a 70s kitsch mode, which is probably why this one got kind of passed over. The tunes are mostly tracks from older films -- including many classic MGM musicals -- and Nelson Riddle's... read more

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A 70s repackaging of an earlier album that Sammy and the Count cut for Verve -- one that features Sammy vocalizing very strongly in front of a large brassy ensemble. Sammy didn't always get backing this strongly -- and the album's got Quincy Jones handling the arrangements for Basie in the same... read more

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, but Axe's... read more

One of the sexiest sets of vocal jazz to ever come from the British scene -- a classic 1960 album by the lovely Diana Dors -- easily one of England's best answers to American cheesecake singers of the 50s! As you'll notice by the cover, Diana's got a look that's right up there with Marilyn Monroe... read more

Fantastic -- and a record that will send chills down your spine! The recording quality of this one is superb -- and Billy's rich voice has a bottomless quality that echoes out over the depths of moody arrangements by Billy Byers and Torrie Zito that are some of the best we've ever heard on an... read more

A lost bit of work from Billy, and a suprisingly nice album that sets the stage for a host of more sophisticated male singers to come! The record features Billy with lush arrangements by Melba Liston, Gil Askey, and Bobby Tucker -- singing in a deep and sensuous style that's similar to that used... read more

A sweet Russ Garcia-led session with some extremly fluid work from a four trombone section that features Frank Rosolino, Maynard Ferguson, Herbie Harper, and Pullman Pederson -- all gliding nicely alongside the deeper range of Frances' vocals. Other players include Gerald Wiggins, Red Mitchell,... read more

No Reservations is quite an unusual little set for the time -- as it's a bit looser and less structured than most other vocal dates -- very much in the spirit of Faye's famous performances in clubs, with a gritty, personal approach to the music that's really great. The orchestrations are... read more

A nice little Verve session that breaks from the usual format -- especially the "Songbooks" one -- and features Ella in LA with small group backing by Jim Hall, Lou Levy, Wilfred Middlebrooks, and Gus Johnson. The set was recorded live at the Crescendo -- in a jazzily swinging mode that's... read more

Ella sings favorites by Rodgers & Hammerstein, Lerner & Lowe, Adler & Ross, and Frank Loesser, from a bevy of popular Broadway musicals! 12 tracks in all, including "Hernando's Hideaway", "I Could Have Danced All Night", "Whatever Lola Wants", "Guys... read more

A wonderful Holiday album that's stayed fresh for years! Ella's got a perfect style to interpret these numbers -- working with Frank DeVol and Russ Garcia in a set of lightly jazzy versions of Christmas favorites like "Sleigh Ride", "Jingle Bells", "Winter Wonderland"... read more

Ella swings it nicely with the orchestra of Frank DeVol on this set of standards and classics -- an overlooked treat from her late 50s years -- and a set that's overflowing with great little numbers! The album's got a sound that's lush at times, but never overly emotive -- thanks to Ella's keen... read more

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The Four Freshman and Pete Rugolo team up again to bring us a follow up to their hugely successful 4 Freshman & 5 Trombones from 1956. It's not as great as the first record but it still offers some sweet moments and that great Four Freshman sound. Features such songs as "A Taste of Honey... read more

One of the best Four Lads albums of the 50s -- a record that really shows them growing up a bit, and working with some sophisticated jazzy arrangements by the great Claude Thornhill! Thornhill's style gives them a fuller, richer sound -- not as modern as that of the Four Freshmen, but certainly a... read more

Warm vocals, jazzy keyboards, and a wonderfully laidback set from Michael Franks -- a perfect illustration of the kind of music he could make better than anyone else! Although recorded at the end of the 70s, the set's got a simplicity that few other records of the time could match -- a stripped-dow... read more

An incredible record from The Free Design -- the group's third album, and a real departure from the first two! The group are almost (if possible) hipper, with a more sophisticated approach to their material -- gentler grooving, in a way that's really wonderful. The album's filled with some great... read more

Kind of a dream combination in one little album -- especially if you dig breezy bossa from the 60s! Back in 1966, Verve Records got the great idea of teaming up its (then) biggest Brazilian imports -- vocalist Astrud Gilberto and organist Walter Wanderley -- both of whom were selling plenty at the... read more

A mad mad afternoon with the great Babs Gonzales -- one of the hippest jazz singers ever! The set is one of Babs' best on records, and it features a mix of jazz vocals and hipster monologues that shows perfectly the mixture of talent and hustling that Babs used to make a name for himself in the... read more

Pretty stunning work from the team of Richard Harris & Jimmy Webb -- a shining point in both of their careers! Harris wasn't much of a singer, and was mostly known as an actor before these two albums. He teamed up with Jimmy Webb as the perfect foil for some of Webb's late sixties song-stories... read more

Although the world always remembers Johnny Hartman best for his Impulse recordings with Coltrane, we've always dug some of his earlier stuff -- like this album -- because the sound's a bit rawer, and the style's got more of a kick! The magical Hartman voice is presented in two great settings --... read more

One of the swinginest albums by the Hi Lo's, thanks to some great backing from Marty Paich and his Dek-Tette -- the same group used to back Mel Torme and other west coast singers on other great vocal sessions of the time! Marty brings a bit more groove to the set than usual -- pushing past the... read more

Excellent vocal group material from The Hi-Los -- one of the best male vocal quartets ever! The foursome have an amazing talent with a jazz riff -- and their style of handling a tune was only ever matched by the Four Freshmen for sheer inventiveness and vocal imagination. The album's one of the... read more

Dreamy harmony jazz from the great Hi-Los -- one of the hippest groups of the 50s, with a sweet quartet approach similar to The Four Freshmen, and which had a huge effect on pop in the 60s! The tunes on the set feature the group working with Frank Comstock -- in an amazing style that turns just... read more

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Nice album recorded during a time when Shirley Horn's talents were lesser-known to the world than in her current revival. The set's got Shirley playing piano and singing in a very sweet trio with Buster Williams and Billy Hart. The material's mostly standards, but as usual, Shirley manages to get... read more

A sparkling 60s Holiday album from Lena Horn -- one that has her singing over some nicely jazzy arrangements from Jack Parnell, in a mode that brings out the most delightful qualities in both her vocals and the tunes! The set's quite groovy -- much more so than you might expect -- and it's a great... read more

An oft-overlooked gem from 70s Blue Note -- possibly because it's a mixed-leader album, or because it features an unusual setting -- but a great little record that's especially nice for the Bobby Hutcherson material! As you'd guess from the title, there's a larger orchestra working with the... read more

An overlooked harmony gem from the end of the 50s -- one of a few albums recorded for Liberty by The Invitations -- a Hawaiian group, but one who sings with a style that's somewhere between The Four Freshmen and The Ames Brothers! Backings here are by Billy May -- ensuring the swinging, jazzy... read more

Jackie & Roy at the height of their ABC powers -- really stepping out strongly here with a bold jazz vocal approach that nobody else can touch! Both Roy Kral and Jackie Cain get a few moments of their own in the spotlight, especially Jackie, who steps out on a number of the tracks -- but as... read more

This was Jackie & Roy's first album for Columbia and it mainly consists of some familiar tunes by the likes of Ira & George Gershwin, Rodgers & Hart and Cole Porter with a Roy Kral original thrown in. The tracks include "Chicago", "Fun Life", "Mountain... read more

One of our favorite albums ever from Eddie Jefferson -- one of the last sessions he ever recorded as a leader, and a stone cooker through and through! The arrangements here are by Slide Hampton, who hits a really soulful groove for the set -- one that moves away from some of the more experimental... read more

A really great overview of the career of Eddie Jefferson -- one that begins with his first few vocal singles of the 50s, and follows him through album work for Riverside and Prestige in the 60s! Jefferson's contribution to jazz is tremendous -- as he was one of the first to set lyrics to solos by... read more

A rare swinger from vocalist Fran Jeffries -- set to some great backings by Ralph Burns, who keeps things sophisticated, yet also manages plenty of swing too! Fran's got a nice sort of punch in her vocals on the upbeat cuts -- classy phrasing, but a bit of soul as well -- and the mellower cuts... read more

Nothing fancy, but a nice back to basics session from Etta -- recorded with backing by a small combo that includes husband Houston Person, 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 Sonny Phillips --... read more

Jack's first album for RCA, with arrangements by Marty Paich. Includes "Without Her", "Isn't It Romantic?", "For All We Know", "Homeward Bound", "I Can't Get Started", and "The Look Of Love".... read more

Rough and raw classics from Louis Jordan -- served up with a bit more of an R&B tinge than some of his work from the late 40s! There's a searing quality here that really hits hard on the instrumentation -- guitar parts and saxophone riffs that clearly mark the space that Jordan helped allow in... read more

A sweet bit of jazziness from the Netherlands -- an obscure mid 70s set by singer Greetje Kauffeld, with some very hip arrangements by Rob Pronk and Jerry Van Rooyen! The album's got some great jazzy backing from players that include MPS-ish musicians like Herb Geller, Ferdinand Povel, Wilton... read more

Great 70s work from Dutch jazz singer Greetje Kauffeld -- material pulled from three separate sessions, each of them slightly different, and each of them great! Greetje's got a warmly crafted vocal approach throughout -- one that's almost slightly soulful at points, as heard more famously on her... read more

A rich effort from Morgana King -- the first of her rare Reprise LPs -- and a record that shows incredible range and an ability to bring a heavy, textural mood to just about any kind of tune! Torrie Zito's arrangements on It's A Quiet Thing are lush, but, well, quietly so -- and Morgana's vocals... read more

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 not only... read more

Damn soulful work from Marta Kubisova -- a late 60s singer from Czechoslovakia who was so groovy, she was banned by the Communist Party! This excellent set brings together rare tracks by Marta from the prime early years of her career -- all numbers that feature very Western soul-styled backings,... read more

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 attempt to... read more

An 80s repackaging of the excellent Flying High album -- easily the group's best album by far, and unfortunately, too often the toughest one to find! The arrangements here are fantastic, and the material is waaaaaay more hip than the Ellington and Basie stuff that they wasted too much time working... read more

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 is... read more

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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 overly-cliched... read more

Key early work by Abbey -- not so much the "blue" album you'd guess from the title, but a session that's filled with the kind of anger and emotion that makes us love her so much when she's this good! The group here is very hip -- an ensemble brought to the date by her then-partner Max... read more

One of the rare post-A&M recordings by the lovely Claudine Longet -- best known to the rest of the world as the groovy Frenchy in the film The Party, or as the woman who shot Olympic skier Spider Savage in a love quarrel in Aspen Colorado! This one's got got Claudine singing a strange batch of... read more

A New Look At Latin indeed -- as Los Escudos are a British vocal group, working here with some sprightly arrangements by the great Mike Leander -- all in a 60s pop remake of older Mexican harmony styles! The approach has all the right elements of cheeseball to make things work -- including lots of... read more

Music beyond description or definition -- one of Jon Lucien's legendary albums for RCA -- a true pinnacle in the generation of sophisticated 70s soul! The sound here is a unique blend that's never been heard before -- and hardly ever since, even though many have tried -- a complicated tapestry of... read more

Amazing work from the great Jon Lucien -- and probably his best-ever record! The album has Jon hitting a totally unified vision of spacey soul -- bringing in elements of Brazilian music and touches of his Carribean roots, fusing them together with a sweet jazzy style and one of the most compelling... read more

Amazing work from the great Jon Lucien -- and probably his best-ever record! The album has Jon hitting a totally unified vision of spacey soul -- bringing in elements of Brazilian music and touches of his Carribean roots, fusing them together with a sweet jazzy style and one of the most compelling... read more

One of Gloria Lynne's classic sides for Everest -- a mix of soul jazz and R&B balladeering, in a style that was quite popular at the time, and which laid the groundwork for so many other sophisticated soul singers in years to come. Players on the set include Harry Edison, Wild Bill Davis, and... read more

An 80s collection that features older Holiday recordings by Johnny Mathis -- mostly music cut during his early famous run on Columbia Records -- when Johnny's heavenly vocals made things pretty darn spiritual sounding all year long! The arrangements are relatively full -- a fair bit of strings on... read more

Way past the hits, and into some really great territory -- a move that makes the record one of our favorite Sergio Mendes sets for A&M! The sweeter bossa pop style here is undercut with a bit more influence from late 60s Brazilian grooves -- some of the more baroque turns that Sergio's... read more

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An odd title, but a really wonderful album from Mark Murphy -- an 80s session for Muse that easily matches some of his most creative moments for the label in the 70s! There's some wonderful versions of soulful jazz tracks here -- takes on "Effendi" by McCoy Tyner, "Beauty & The... read more

A really great later album from Anita -- one recorded live in Berlin, with some backing by the George Arvanitas trio -- at the time when they had the kick-ass rhythm section of Jacky Samson on bass and Charles Saudrais on drums. Anita's in a much more swinging groove than usual -- opening up in an... read more