Vocalists — All Formats  

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".

One of the grooviest albums of the late 60s – a lost vocal treasure from the team of Dave MacKay & Vicky Hamilton! The pair were sort of like a hip version of Jackie & Roy – usually singing together on their tracks, with a mixed male/female vocal approach that sounds totally great – and which really fits the breezy mood of the tunes on the set! Dave himself plays Fender Rhodes and piano on the album – along with an odd little combo that includes flute and tenor played by Ira Schulman, percussion by Francisco Aguabella, and guest sitar by Bill Plummer. The whole thing's got an amazing feel that's equal parts groovy jazz and sunshine pop – and tunes include a great reading of Tom Scott's "Blues For Hari", Flip Nunez's classic "See You Later", and the original tracks "Jacques The Junkman", "Samba For Vicky", "Now", and "Moon Rider".

An oft-overlooked gem from 70s Blue Note – and 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 artists here – and in Hutcherson's case, this creates the same sort of soulful, sophisticated feel as his excellent Conception The Gift Of Love album – vibes mixed with strings, underscored by hip rhythms, and coming off as a wonderful extension of Bobby's earlier 70s work. His group features Manny Boyd on tenor and soprano, and George Cables on piano – and arrangements are by Dale Oehler, on tracks that include "Now", "Slow Change", and "Hello To The Wind" – all numbers co-penned with Eugene McDaniels, but done here as instrumentals. Carmen McRae sounds great in the setting too – similar to her other excellent Blue Note sides of the mid 70s – with Bill Holman arrangements on tunes that include "With One More Look At You", "Star Eyes", "The Man I Love", and "Sunday". Earl Klugh rounds things out with his own sweet guitar, plus keyboards from Onaje Allen Gumbs – set to Dick Hazard arrangements of "Angelina", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", and "Cabo Frio".

Overlooked genius from Nancy Wilson – a pair of gems, back to back on a single CD! Can't Take My Eyes Off You is a really great album from Nancy Wilson – a set that still has her working with the jazzy undercurrents of her best 60s work for Capitol Records – yet also moving into some hipper, more sophisticated soul styles too! There's a really strong adult vibe to the record – not that Nancy didn't have one before, but this time around there's even more sense of personality and experiential depth that really comes through in the choice of songs – and in Wilson's wonderful treatment of them. Tunes that might be stiff in the hands of someone else are really transformed here – with added thanks to Phil Wright for great arrangements on the record. Titles include a version of Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne", Burt Bacharach's obscure "Waitin For Charlie To Come Home", and the tracks "Trip With Me", "This Girl Is A Woman Now", "Mixed Up Girl", and "Words & Music". Now I'm A Woman is a really unique moment for Nancy – one in which she leaves the LA sound behind, and gets some special treatment from the young Philly crew of the Gamble & Huff studios! Arrangements on the set are by Thom Bell, Lenny Pakula, and Bobby Martin – and the style's an interesting mix of Nancy's pop jazz vocals with some of the lighter, sweeter sounds of the Philly scene at the start of the 70s. The result is a surprisingly wonderful album – quite different for Nancy, and with the kind of backings that really break her out of the sound of the 60s – and pave the way for the sophisticated style of the 70s. Titles include "Now I'm A Woman", "Let's Fall In Love All Over", "Lonely Lonely", "Joe", "How Many Broken Wings", and "The Real Me". CD features three bonus tracks – "Go Away & Find Yourself", "When You're Alone", and "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me".

Surprisingly great later work from Salome Bey – a singer you might know as one third of the sublime Andy & The Bey Sisters from the 60s – stepping out here on a solo set of her own! Salome's voice hasn't changed a bit – and it's got all those soulfully expressive tones that made her so great back in the day – a mode of singing that really transforms the older standards on the set, and which sounds especially nice on the album's few original numbers too! Instrumentation is often quite spare – which gives us even more chance to focus on the vocals – and titles include "Untitled Love Song", "Don't Explain", "Washed Away", "I Like Your Company", "Do Nothing Til You Hear From Me", and "As Time Goes By".

Birds, brass, and plenty of grooves – two sublime UK sound library sets, back to back on a single CD! "Birds" here is used in the UK slang for women – and the combo sports wordless female vocals sliding along with the grooves – sneaking in and out of the brassier bits on the top with a "yeh yeh" sort of chorus approach, but one that's pretty musical overall! The best part of the music, though, is below the birds and the brass – the bottom, which is often quite funky, and has a soundtrack-styled sort of groove – rolling bass, snapping drums, bits of keyboards – all used in the best gently funky ways of the glory days of the Brit Easy scene. Most of the work here is the brainchild of arranger Keith Roberts – a lesser-known UK sound library figure, one who did a bit of work on Scott Walker's fourth album, but who really shines brightly here on his own. Titles include "Sort Of Soul", "Return To Montana", "Sunspot", "All Souled Out", "Time Key", "Pop Off The Tops", "New Dawn", "Melanie", "Sugar Sugar", "Funky Splanky", "The Kung Fu Kid", "Mexico Fiesta", "Fritzy Baby", and "Swamp Water".

Experimental vocals and offbeat reed sounds – a really great pairing of singer Uschi Bruning and reedman Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky! We know Ernst-Ludwig and Uschi from a range of other projects, but they really sound different here together – especially because Petrowsky's reeds are often trying to emulate the modes and timing of Bruning's vocals – which themselves are very free and horn-like in their expression – quite far from any sort of usual jazz vocals! The whole record's given us a great deal more respect for Uschi, and opens our ears even further to the genius of Ernst-Ludwig – thanks to tracks that include "Lonely Woman", "Sax Shop", "Kontraste", "Bandblatt", "Das Ding", "Skizzen", and "Duellarando".

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 – which is all the more stunning, given that this one's been nearly impossible to find since 1975. We're Lee devotees, to say the least, and we wouldn't say that if we didn't mean it! The sounds range from laidback, hipster cowboy funk – of the kind that Lee himself pioneered and personified – to some fairly sweeping orchestrations and more specifically soundtrack-y bits, with narration and a choir. Best of all, Lee is singing as well as he ever did during this decade. An obscure masterpiece from one of our favorite figures! Titles include "Soul's Island", "A House Safe For Tigers", "Our Little Boy Blue", "Sand Hill Anna And The Russian", The Nights" and more. This great Light In The Attic version is remastered from the original tapes, has new liner notes and previously unseen photos.

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 – which is all the more stunning, given that this one's been nearly impossible to find since 1975. We're Lee devotees, to say the least, and we wouldn't say that if we didn't mean it! The sounds range from laidback, hipster cowboy funk – of the kind that Lee himself pioneered and personified – to some fairly sweeping orchestrations and more specifically soundtrack-y bits, with narration and a choir. Best of all, Lee is singing as well as he ever did during this decade. An obscure masterpiece from one of our favorite figures! Titles include "Soul's Island", "A House Safe For Tigers", "Our Little Boy Blue", "Sand Hill Anna And The Russian", The Nights" and more. This great Light In The Attic version is remastered from the original tapes, new liner notes and previously unseen photos.

The most righteous album ever from Kellee Patterson – her first record, and a set that's way different from her more soul-based sides of later years! The album's got Patterson working in a wonderfully soulful approach to jazz – a style that's not unlike the earliest work by Dee Dee Bridgewater, especially her seminal Afro Blue album – and which mixes Kellee's unique vocals with some very hip backings that are right in the best Black Jazz mode! Instrumentation is from a loose jazz combo, and the tunes are a mix of jazzy numbers and a few tighter tracks – a really rich array of sounds that comes together beautifully in the hands of producer Gene Russell. Titles include a stellar version of Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage", a great take on the Flip Nunez number "See You Later", and the tracks "Soul Daddy", "Be All Your Own", "Magic Wand Of Love", "You", and "Look At The Child".

One of the few small group sessions from vocalist Betty Roche – a singer who was known for her work with Duke Ellington, but who sounds even better in this setting! Betty's got a style that's warmly raspy – a bit more edge than some of the cooler vocalists on the Bethlehem label at the time, but still backed with a group that's slightly modern – in keeping with other dates on the label. The combo features Eddie Costa on vibes, Donn Trenner on piano, Conte Candoli on trumpet, Whitey Mitchell on bass, and Davey Williams on drums – all grooving gently with Betty on a set of tracks that includes "Take The A Train", "Something To Live For", "All My Life", "All Too Soon", "You Don't Love Me Any More", "Go Away Blues", and "September In The Rain". Japanese CD features 3 bonus alternate takes.

A real gem from Paul Williams – the kind of well-penned, subtly-arranged record that marked his best work for A&M! Williams is getting a bit more confidence in his songwriting, yet also knows that he sounds best as a singer when he's got a slightly fragile feel – often recorded here with a nice bit of echo on the vocals, which makes his lyrics stretch out widely amidst the backings of the set! Piano is mostly the lead instrument, and tunes often build slowly, then hit a sort of proud moment in the middle – that kind of confidence even in times of trouble mode that we live in Paul's music. Titles include "Lifeboat", "Time & Tide", "Flash", "Even Better Than I Know Myself", "Don't Call It Love", "Old Souls", and "Ordinary Fool".

A rare vocal session from Jane Powell – a singer better known for her film performances, but who sounds pretty darn great here on an obscure 50s studio session for Verve! Jane's got a higher-voiced style than most of the other singers on Verve, but she's brought down to earth nicely by arranger Buddy Bregman – who manages to keep things jazzy and swinging, but also creates some of the loftier modes from her film work – some lush moments that really come through on the mellower tracks. Titles include "My Baby Just Cares For Me", "Comes Love", "In Love In Vain", "Can't We Be Friends", "Imagination", and "Ev'ry Time".

A modern jazz combo, with an equally modern vocalist too – a rare four track EP that has the Danish Radio Jazz Group fronted by singer Lise Ringheim! Given the offbeat tones that the group's known for, you can bet that the record's way more than just a torch singer running through familiar numbers – and Ringheim's unusual phrasing and Danish lyrics are a perfect blend for the sharp sounds coming from the lineup that includes Bent Jaedig on tenor, Palle Mikkelborg on trumpet, Bent Axen on piano, and Louis Hjulmand on vibes! The record's got a feel that's like some of the best early work from Monica Zetterlund – and titles include "Maske", "Pokerfjaes", "Det Danske Grin", and "Regnvejr Og Blaest".

A mid 60s set from Birgit Lystager – the Danish beauty and groovy sunshine pop singer – on a set of tunes here that are nearly as alluring as the album cover! There's a touch of the grand, yet artfully sweeping arrangements of here later work, but there's something of a more intimate approach on some numbers. Beautiful stuff, and 60s sounds that should have been better known around the world! Titles include "I'm Waiting For A Bus", "Fingertips", "You Call This A Merry-Go-Round", "Ready To Meet You", "Choosing Words", "I'm Nothing But A Girl" and more.

Very groovy work from Jennie Smith – a singer known for her work on the Tonight Show, but who sounds even hipper here! Mort Garson handled the backings, and they've got lots of the playful touches that you'd hear on his groovier 60s instrumental work – mixed with some of the watery strings used on mellower dates – both a perfect match for Smith's vocals, in ways that help take her out of the straighter style she was using in the late 50s. There's kind of a hip 60s "adult" feel to the record – quite different than the more sentimental modes of RCA a few years before – and Smith turns out to be a wonderful singer in such a setting. Titles include "Gravy Waltz", "Fly Me To The Moon", "This Could Be The Start Of Something", "Let's Face The Music & Dance", "My Man", and "Nice & Easy". CD features the bonus track "As I Love You".

A surprisingly great tribute to the vocal sounds of Chet Baker – served up by the lovely Luciana Souza, an artist we usually know from more Brazilian-styled sessions! Luciana's really got an ear for Chet's phrasing – that very blue, melancholy way of turning over a tune – often suffused with Baker's own hardship at the time of recording – somehow magically evoked here by Souza, but with phrasing that's all her own! At times, she almost even seems to echo the later broken-mouth years of Chet's singing – yet with slightly clearer interpretation – and the set features some wonderfully warm instrumentation from Larry Koonse on guitar, David Pitch on bass, and Jay Bellerose on drums and percussion. Titles include "Forgetful", "The Thrill Is Gone", "The Touch Of Your Lips", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", and "I Get Along Without You Very Well".

Pretty obscure stuff from Don Nelson – a hip swinging jazz vocalist who we only know from this one album on Mode! Like some of the best obscure titles on Mode, this one takes a under-documented player from the LA scene of the 50s pairs him with a nice backing combo, and cuts a few respectable sides that will stand as the artist's only real legacy. Nelson mostly sings – in kind of a Bobby Troup-ish way – but he also plays a bit of recorder, which sounds nice and spooky! He's backed by a trio that includes Jimmy Rowles on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Stan Levey on drums – and titles include "The Wind", "Taking A Chance On Love", "It Happened Once Before", "Nobody's Heart", and "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most".