Vocalists — LPs  

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 recordings – because they feature him ripping through a bunch of material, doing lots of great impressions and medleys, and really swinging with a tight little combo led by Michael Silva, the drummer. The groove is really jazzy – way jazzier than on some of Sammy's studio LPs from the time – and he runs through a range of material from pop tunes to standards, done in a style that's far different than you'd expect for the titles. The vocals are tight, heartfelt, but also given a professional little finesse that really makes them sparkle. Titles include "Ain't I", "Another Spring", "On A Clear Day", "As Long As She Needs Me", "Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home", "The Lady Is A Tramp", and 2 fantastic medleys with lots of jazzy songs. Heck, Dean Martin never got a chance to cut a double live album – and Frank really ever did one – so given that Sammy got a chance to do two of them, you've gotta figure the format really worked for him! This is the real Mr. Entertainment, and you owe it to yourself to hear him as he really was.

A sweet and slightly Latinized album from Peggy – one that features backings based around a variety of acoustic and electric guitars, with arrangements by Dave Grusin, Dick Hazard, Bob Bain, and Billy May. The album's got more varied moods than you'd expect for such a project – and overall, there's some really wonderful songs that show Peggy at her maturing best! Titles include "Goodbye My Love", "Think Beautiful", "An Empty Glass", "Good Times", "Touch The Earth", and "Beautiful Beautiful World".

Hard to imagine that Julie London would ever have to ask anyone to make love to her – at least not when she looks as sexy as this on the cover! The album's a key early classic for Liberty – still very fragile, personal, and up-close enough to make you think you might just be able to jump inside the cover and spend the night with Julie! Russ Garcia handles the backings with great care – a bit of gentle strings here, some light jazz there – but always letting London's breathy vocals come up very high in the mix. Titles include "Go Slow", "Lover Man", "Body & Soul", "Snuggled On Your Shoulder", and "Make Love To Me".

Why the heck don't they make records like this anymore? The whole thing's incredibly groovy – a blend of Sunshine Pop and vocal harmonies – put together with a high-art theory, but grooving with some really cool late 60s backings! There's a great drummer in the group who really makes the tunes kick – taking the mixed male and female vocals of the group and working them into tunes that sound way better than the Paul Klee inspiration might make you think. Things actually get a bit funky at times, and even when they don't, the whole album sparkles with the best Sunshine work from the time! Music is by Chuck Mangione and Roger Karshner – who also brings in some sweet electronic touches too! Titles include "Barbaric Classical Solemn", "Fear Of Becoming Double", "Self Portrait", "Long Hair Soulful", and "Pond With Swans". CD features 2 bonus tracks too – "Long Hair Soulful", in both vocal and instrumental versions!

Not a live album – as you might think from the title – but a tight batch of tunes that shows the full funk and soul talents of the legendary Esther Phillips! The album's got a nicely dark undercurrent at times – a sound that's not as smooth as some of Esther's other Kudu albums from the 70s, with bits of R&B bubbling underneath the more contemporary arrangements. Backings are penned by Pee Wee Ellis and Gary King – and players include Bob James and Richard Tee on keyboards, Hubert Laws on flute, and Bernard Purdie and Steve Gadd on drums – the latter of whom provides a sublime beat on the album's standout funky number "Disposable Society" – one of those great little groovers that never did anything for Esther at the time of its release, but which has really gotten rediscovered in recent years! Other tracks include "Doing Our Thing", "Living Alone", "Can't Trust Your Neighbor With Your Baby", and "I Feel The Same".

Think what you want about Dinah Shore, she could serve up some pretty great vocals at her best moments – and this album is definitely one of those moments! The style here is laidback and late nite – with Dinah singing alongside backing from the trio of Andre Previn on piano, Red Mitchell on bass, and Frank Capp on drums – all working in an easygoing mode that comes across with a great small club feel. Previn's piano is especially nice – filled with light flourishes that illuminate the tunes nicely, but in a subtle way that's never too over the top – and usually touched with just a hint of sadness to fit the mood of the songs. Titles include "April In Paris", "Then I'll Be Tired Of You", "The Man I Love", "That Old Feeling", "It Had To Be You", "I'll Be Seeing You", and "If I Had You".

Recorded in the 70s, but a key document of the songwriting talents of George & Ira Gershwin – thanks to some timeless interpretations by the legendary Bobby Short! The style here is a bit less staid than you might think, and Bobby digs deep into the raspier side of his vocal range for some numbers – putting them forth with less of the polish than you usually get in this sort of "songbook" album – and almost recreating the intimacy of his famous live performances. Double-length album features a whopping 30 titles in all, some of which are oddly not by the Gershwins! Titles include "Love Walked In", "S Wonderful", "Feeling I'm Falling", "Drifting Along With The Tide", "A Foggy Day", "Feeling Sentimental", "Shall We Dance", "High Hat", and "Beginners Luck".

A mad bit of funk and jazz from Ben Sidran – much more tripped-out than his later work! Ben's got a great bunch of musicians on the album – with either Tony Williams or "funky drummer" Clyde Stubblefield on drums, and Phil Upchurch on bass, laying down a nice dark groove on the best cuts – often with an offbeat funky sound that's made the record a favorite for crate-diggers for years. Ben's on piano, grooving in a number of different hipster modes – from LA sleezy to New Orleans soulful – and his vocals, as always, are compelling and catchy. The set includes the nice long groover "Now I Live (And Now My Life Is Done)", a monster track with a great slow groove that's been sampled a number of times over the years – and other cuts include "Full Compass", "Play The Piano", and "Think Twice".

Killer rootsy blues from Jimmy Rushing – cut in a manner that's almost better than his original recordings! The session was done for Vanguard with a very trad sound, and with backing by great swing-era players like Buddy Tate, Clarence Johnson, Emmett Berry, and Vick Dickenson. Jimmy's voice is as great as ever – and tracks include "My Friend Mr. Blues", "Dinah", "Oh Love", "Sometimes I Think I Do", and "Take Me With You Baby". Great cover, too – with an image of Jimmy sitting outside of some old deli!

Mellow, magical, and moody – a sublime set from the great Jack Sheldon – working both as a vocalist and jazz trumpeter! Sheldon first cut his teeth as part of the west coast scene of the 50s – but by the time of this sweet little record, he'd elevated himself into a unique space that made him a regular fixture on TV during the 60s and 70s – always entertaining, and with a vocal style that was as raspy and rough as his trumpet solos were cool! This set for Dot is Jack's second for the label – and it's a great mix of styles all handled by Don Sebesky. Sebesky scores some tunes that focus on Jack's trumpet – with breathy solos that drift across some sweet 60s easy arrangements – offset by others that feature Sheldon's growling vocals, rumbling along in a jagged, jaunty sort of mode. The whole thing's filled with lots of groovy 60s touches – of the sort you'd expect much more from a record on A&M than on Dot. Titles include "The Boy's Got Soul", "Happy Together/Honey Pie", "Afterthoughts", "Meet A Cheetah", "I Think He's Hiding", and "Shangri-La".