Vocalists — All Formats  

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 really dig the side that's exposed on this album – the shorter, livelier, more uptempo jazz numbers, done with a swing that you don't normally get with Johnny, and proof that he really was a tremendously versatile singer! Arrangements are by Gerald Wilson, and titles include "Fools Rush In", "Down In The Depths", "Bidin' My Time", "The More I See You", "Once In A While", and "Almost Like Being In Love".

One of the greatest vocal albums of all time! Sinatra's never sounded better than on this album – one of the first truly cohesive albums of torch and ballad songs ever recorded – done by Frank at a time when his heart was really breaking, and sung with a depth you'd hardly ever find in his other work. The whole thing's sublime – one of the darkest, moodiest selections of material we've ever heard – and the record never fails to send chills down our spine, no matter how many times we hear it! Tracks include "Mood Indigo", "I See Your Face Before Me", "Deep In A Dream", "Ill Wind", "I'll Be Around", "This Love Of Mine", "Dancing On The Ceiling", "Glad To Be Unhappy", and "I Get Along Without You Very Well".

The final Warner Brothers album from Dionne Warwick – and a smooth, sophisticated affair done with full arrangements from Michael Omartian! The sound's still not as pop disco as you might expect from the time, and Dionne's gentle vocals are often cast in backings that step along nicely with a mellow, midtempo groove – one that's a bit like some of the best Philly soul of the period, yet still with a bit more California polish overall. The album works surprisingly well as a soul record – and really puts Warwick in the company of a whole generation of younger singers who'd risen above her by this point in the 70s. Titles include "One Thing On My Mind", "Don't Ever Take Your Love Away", "Livin It Up Is Startin To Get Me Down", "Since You Stayed Here", "A Long Way To Go", and "Keepin My Head Above Water".

Incredible work by one of our favorite singers ever – the great Matt Dennis, an artist who's better known for his famous compositions of the postwar years, but who's also one heck of a great vocalist too! Matt's got a friendly, personable style of singing – one that reminds us a lot of Bobby Troup or Roy Kral, but which comes across with an even more relaxed and down to earth feel. The set features material from 2 of Matt's few albums under his own name – the Trend session Matt Dennis Plays & Sings, and the RCA set Dennis Anyone – both recorded live in the mid 50s, in a really unique style that has Dennis accompanying himself on piano, and delivering a bit of patter between the tunes as well. And while you might fear some schmaltzy, loungey sort of style to these sets, don't – because Dennis was cool and comfortable with himself, and there's an amazing sense of casual understatement to both sets. We love both records to death, and it's great to see them presented here like this – accompanied with some great notes that also include lyrics to some of Dennis' best numbers! 24 tracks in all – with titles that include "The Land Of Danger", "Where Do We Go From Here", "Will You Still Be Mine", "Junior & Julie", "It Wasn't The Stars That Thrilled Me", "Let's Get Away From It All", "Show Me The Way To Get Out Of This World", and "Too Late For Love".

Quite possibly the greatest moment ever for Burt Bacharach – and that's saying a heck of a lot, considering the greatness of all of his work! The record's a slightly-overlooked gem from Burt's 70s years – a record that steps off the compressed sophistication of his best 60s work for A&M, but pushes things slightly into even more adult territory – a space that's beyond simple instrumental pop, and which features complicated rhythms, amazing songwriting, and a batch of tunes so great, you'll be coming back to this one for years to come! The record leads off with the sublime "Something Big", a building vocal number that always sends chills down our spine – then follows with the skittish rhythm of "Monterey Peninsula", almost drum and bass at times! Even the mellower tracks are great – somewhat soulful, and always touched with unusual phrasings, timings, or jazzy changes that are simply mindblowing. Other tracks include "The Balance of Nature", "Lost Horizon", "Walk The Way You Talk", "Reflections", "Long Ago Tomorrow", and "I Might Frighten Her Away".

Trad swinging from Connee Boswell – working here outside of her famous group with her sisters, and getting some pretty nice small combo backing from the Original Memphis Five! The overall style hearkens back to a jazz mode a few decades before the late 50s date of the set – and the group recreates the mood nicely with clarinet from leader James Lytell, plus trumpet from Billy Butterfield, trombone from Miff Mole, and piano from Frank Signorelli. Titles include "All Of Me", "Singin The Blues", "Pagan Love Song", "When My Sugar Walks Down The Street", "Make Love To Me", and "My Honey's Loving Arms".

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 a trio – and Randy stepping out in some old school jazz vocals – of the sort she didn't even record in her earlier days! The approach is wonderful – a great reminder that both artists have some mighty deep, soulful roots – and the track list is a good mix of older standards and cool soulful numbers, really recast nicely in this mode. Titles include "Street Life", "Last Night At Danceland", "Every Day I Have The Blues", "Feeling Good", "Tell Me More & Then Some", "Me Myself & I", and "One Day I'll Fly Away".

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 magic feel – the kind of album in which all elements gel together perfectly – almost to Al's career what Two Steps From The Blues was to Bobby Bland. And like that other classic, there's a mix here of jazz and blues that's really unique – instantly timeless, and still quite powerful today. Titles include "Tell Me", "Travelin Light", "Dedicated To You", "You Will Be Mine", "Song Of The Wanderer", "If I Knew You Were There", and "The Blues Came Falling Down".

Dreamy vocals, catchy tunes, bossa rhythms – it's gotta be Claudine Longet! During the late 60s, Claudine first warmed ears in America with a lovely take on the gentle sounds of the Astrud Gilberto era – a French-accented approach to mellow vocal pop, often touched with a bit of jazz or Brazilian rhythms in the arrangements, and often delivered on a pillow of sensuous sound by master arranger Nick DeCaro! Claudine got her fair share of bad press in later years, but on this set she's at the height of her early brilliance – working with a lighter-than-air approach to vocals, and a simple, almost naive style that makes even the lyrics of familiar tunes resonate with youthful freshness. CD features 25 tracks from Claudine's years at A&M Records, including some great non-LP tracks – titles that include "Hurry On Down", "Hello Hello", "White Horses", "The Look Of Love", "Small Talk", "Snow", "I Don't Intend To Spend Christmas Without You", "Creators Of Rain", "A Man & A Woman", "Meditation", "Both Sides Now", and "Walk In The Park".

A stunner from the Scott Walker – and possibly the most archly-dramatic, unique and alluring work he'd done up to this point! Since Scott Walker albums have become once per decade events, a lot more is at stake with each one, and it's nothing short of amazing that he manages to get more and more exciting with each effort. The Drift finds Scott tackling obscure historical drama, his pop-operatic vibrato as chilling as ever – backed up by his long-relied upon backdrop of string arrangements, guitars, drums and keys – along with (way) off-kilter percussion. But the sounds made with those tried-and-true materials are often unprecedented, either from Scott or anyone else on the planet. The voice wails with authority, the backing is often quiet and subtle until the ever-approaching gail swoops in and carries you away. We could probably write a book about this album (and someone undoubtably will) – so we'll leave you to pick it up and experience it for yourself! Tracks include "Cossacks Are", "Clara", "Jesse", "Jolson And Jones", "Cue","Buzzers", "Psoriatic", "The Escape" and "A Lover Loves".

A sweet set of sophisticated soul from the always-great Marlena Shaw! After cutting some jazzier sides at Cadet in the late 60s, and some super mellow fusion ones at Blue Note in the early 70s, Marlena moved to big fame at Columbia during the mid 70s – working in a righteous smooth soul approach that skated the line between warm romantic ballads and righteous statements of female pride and power. The ultimate example of this is her fantastic remake of "Go Away Little Boy", merged here with the tune "Yu Ma", into a 7 minute track that has a sublime monologue in the middle – one in which Marlena accuses her man of hiding behind his heritage to not get down to business at a day to day level! Other tracks show Marlena as one of the most expressive, most together women in soul during the 70s – and this 14 track package is a perfect introduction to her work at Columbia! Titles include "Sweet Beginnings", "Walk Softly", "No One Yet", "Love Dancin", "Pictures & Memories", "Touch Me In The Morning", "I Wonder", "Moonrise", "I Think I'll Tell Him", and "Rhythm Of Love".

This one's got a stupid-sounding title and cover, but it's one of Kim's hippest albums – with a sophisticated mix of soul and jazz-styled vocals that reminds us a fair bit of Marlena Shaw. The arrangements are by a hip batch of chart-writers – including Melba Liston, Marty Paich, and Gene Page – and although a few tracks get a bit schmaltzy, there's more than a few cool numbers here. Titles include "What's Gonna Happen To Me", "Big Brass Four Poster", "Something I Can Feel", "Love Don't Let Me Down", "My Man", and "Sound Of Silence".