Vocalists -- Recently Added  

A beautiful later set from Lorez Alexandria -- produced by Houston Person, and put together with a sensitivity that really stands out! Although Lorez always sparkles on tunes that swing, she really rises to the occasion even more here on the ballads -- really gentle tunes that are taken in a... read more

Always-great work from singer Lorez Alexandria -- still sounding wonderful, even at this late date! Her presentation's a bit earthier than before, but no less poised than on earlier sessions -- with the same sense of space and timing that's always made her one of our favorite jazz singers! And as... 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

Wow, we never thought we'd see this one reissued! But then again, Bey's had a nice comeback these days, and his work from the past more than deserves another look. Andy Bey was originally a member of the jazz group Andy & The Bey Sisters -- but by this time, he'd gone solo, and had done... read more

A double-length live set from Mario Biondi -- a hip Italian jazz singer we first discovered through his work on Schema Records, and one who sounds equally great here in a live big band setting! Biondi's got a really raspy style on his vocals -- one that's instantly captivating, and which sounds... 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

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 for Cadet -- and the kickoff of one of the greatest three album runs that any soul artist ever recorded! This one's got a different feel than the later two, as it takes songs by Terry, and structures them with these little musical "seque" tracks in between... read more

The best work we've heard in years from Terry Callier -- the legendary soul singer from Chicago who's finally getting his due! This album avoids many of the mistakes of Terry's recent comeback efforts -- and has him working with the best of the London scene -- extremely fitting, as London's always... 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

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

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

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

A late treasure from June's years at Capitol -- an album that easily earns its "intimate" tag, by featuring June with almost no musical backings at all! Instrumentation on the set is provided only by Don Bagley on bass, Al Viola on guitar, and some occasional flute work by Bud Legge --... read more

A pretty sweet little collection of Christmas tunes from Petula Clark -- numbers from the 60s, 70s and 90s she had record -- plus a few brand new originals! Despite having recorded some wonderful seasonal material over the years, there has never been a full Petula Clark holiday release before this... 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

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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 fantastic cover, and some great music to match -- a key early classic in Chris Connor's late 50s run for Atlantic Records! As on her debut for the label, Ralph Burns handles the arrangements here -- in a mode that's somewhat modern, but never too academically so -- with just the right pitch to... read more

A beautiful title for a beautiful record -- one that sums up the subtle sense of sadness that makes the work of Chris Connor so great! There's a sense of longing here that steps out from the very first tune -- one that's beautifully moody, without being overindulgent or too emotive. Backings are... read more

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A very different album than Ella's more jazz-based Holiday set for Verve -- recorded in a mode that's much more focused on the serious side of the season! The format here has Ella singing with larger backings in a style that has some slight gospel overtones, and which focuses on the broadest range... 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

Massive music from Ella Fitzgerald -- 4CDs worth of sublime small group recordings -- all of them live, and all of them previously unissued! The set follows the same format of the Verve Ella In Hollywood album -- recorded in a small club setting, with combo backing that really lets Fitzgerald open... 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

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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

An even deeper jazz set than Nicole Henry's first album -- recorded with the Eddie Higgins Trio, and done in a style that's traditional, yet extremely soulful! There's a sound here that reminds us a lot of Carmen Lundy -- as Nicole's singing jazz, but doing so in a mode that's never draped with... read more

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An amazing little set -- and the first to really do such a bang-up job on the Billie Holiday sides recorded for the Decca and Commodore labels in the 1940s! The 3CD set is beautifully put together -- with one disc of Commodore material, and two more of Decca sides -- and unlike some other... read more

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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

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 cool jazzy Christmas album from Etta Jones -- one that features laidback soul jazz backings, and a sound that's quite different than the usual Holiday set! Etta's vocals have all the blue tones you'd expect, and the backings are kind of an update of 60s soul jazz styles -- played by two... read more

Warm wonderful whitebread work from the King Family -- two 1966 albums, back to back on a single CD! First up is The King Family Live In The Round -- another great example of the way the large King ensemble really shone in the space of a concert performance -- filling up the space well with all... 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

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

A pivotal album in the career of Peggy Lee, and one that marked her turning from a singer of pop and swing material, to a sensitive interpreter of jazz material. The album's one of the best-ever by Peggy, and features the kind of material that's not easy to find amidst the bulk of her pop-oriented... read more

A recent set from vocalist Jon Lucien -- but easily some of the greatest work he's ever recorded! The session's done with a freeness that goes beyond even Jon's classic RCA and Columbia albums -- an acoustic setting that allows for more spontaneous expression and warmly flowing energy than we've... read more

Jon Lucien returns to his Caribbean roots for this one -- merging together some sunnier shadings with jazzier keyboards -- all done in a self-produced mode that echoes with more modern touches than Jon's classic work. The sound's still pretty great, though, and there's a warmly gentle quality to... 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

A warmly crafted set that Jon Lucien recorded on his own after bigger fame at Columbia and RCA -- and a nice little record that shows that the Lucien magic was still very much in place! The set's got a gentler groove than some of his earlier records -- less ambitiously jazzy, and almost more of a... read more

Jon Lucien revisits a host of American standards from the 20th century -- but does so in a warmly flowing mode that's even better than some of his own original work of recent years! The album features Jon working with the same sort of jazz combo backing he received on his Live In NYC album -- a... read more

The last album ever from Jon Lucien -- a spiritual recording, but one done with the same warm charms as his secular music! The album's hardly the standard gospel you might expect from the title -- and instead, it's done with the light blend of jazz, soul, and Caribbean influences that have always... read more

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Groovy Italian pop from 1968! The lovely voice of Mina has probably graced a few of your favorite soundtracks -- including the sublime Tenth Victim -- but this is the kind of album that really shows her at her best, singing to arrangements by Augusto Martelli and Bruno Canfora, in a mode that's... read more

Pure pop magic from the lovely Mina -- a very weird little record in which she takes on a host of mid-period tracks by The Beatles! The sound is as offbeat as the cover's take on Revolver -- kind of a cross between late 60s Beatles, and early 70s Italian -- trippy at points, but kind of sweetly... read more

Breezy Brazilian tunes -- sung by Italian singer Mina, in a way that recalls some of the best of Elis Regina's work from the late 60s! The track selection is great -- and the album features many popular groovers like "Canto De Osshana", "Upa Neguinho", "Que Maravilha"... read more

A wonderful set from Zoot Money -- a solo project, away from his big band -- recorded with a soulful groove that's right up there with the best 60s work by Georgie Fame! That's no surprise, though, given that Money and Fame were both key parts of the Brit scene of the time -- absorbing the best... read more

One of our favorite-ever albums from Esther Phillips -- an album that really helped her transform her sound for the 70s! The approach here is a lot more jazzy than before -- served up with a good dose of funk, thanks to arrangements from Pee Wee Ellis -- fresh from his work with James Brown, but... read more

Pure vocal magic -- featuring the lovely Flora Purim at the height of her California powers -- working in a sublime mix of jazz, fusion, and Brazilian rhythms -- a sound that she virtually invented! The group on the set is one of her greatest of the time -- with players that include Joe Henderson,... read more

Chico's our kinda singer -- a small combo jazz pianist who also vocalizes while playing -- in a style that reminds us a bit of Matt Dennis at the time! Chico's got a warm, honest voice -- no Sinatra on the pipes, but an easygoing style that we really love -- especially as it comes across so nicely... read more

A 21st Century date from Jimmy Scott -- recorded live in Tokyo with small combo backing that almost gives him more of a groove than in some of his other late-life sessions! The band's billed as The Jazz Expressions -- and features TK Blue on alto and flute, Jon Regen on piano, Hillard Greene on... read more

A fantastic early LP by the amazing Jimmy Scott -- billed here as "Little Jimmy Scott"! Jimmy's fragile voice is in perfect form as he runs through a set that includes tracks like "Someone to Watch Over Me", "When Did You Leave Heaven", and "Why Don't You Open Up... read more

A key crossover set from Gil Scott-Heron -- still every bit as political as his earlier work, but with a stronger sense of soul as well! The great Brian Jackson is firmly in tow here -- bringing warm keyboards and a nice little groove to most of the tracks -- and the previous acoustic moments are... read more

Although she's always known for her 60s soul classics like "Woman of the Ghetto", we think Marlena Shaw's 70's work is unjustly overlooked. This album's a smooth batch of soul tracks that has her moving pass the jazz-base styles of earlier Blue Note albums, into a tight modern soul... read more

An amazing batch of sophisticated soul tracks -- and a favorite with the righteous groove scene! On the surface, the record's a combination of jazz and soul tracks in the same mode that you'd find on some of Nancy Wilson's albums for Capitol during the same time -- but digging deeper, you'll find... read more

One of the greatest Christmas albums of the 20th century -- a rich tapestry of sadness and longing from Ol' Blue Eyes himself! Sure, most folks think that Christmas albums are supposed to be cheery and celebratory -- but Frank, coming off of his best Wee Small Hours years at Capitol, rightly chose... read more

A very sweet and well chosen compilation of Christmas gems from Frank Sinatra & friends put together by Sinatra's peeps and Concord Records -- featuring some of our personal favorite cheerful swingers by Frank, and more from Tony Bennett & Bill Evans, Ray Charles & Betty Carter,... read more

An incredible relic of the righteous underground of the late 60s from the Spirit House Movers -- and one of the few classic albums on the Jihad label! The group was a vocal group of sorts -- sometimes singing, sometimes rapping in a Last Poets-styled way -- often doing both at the same time, in a... read more

Dakota Staton's looking a bit fuzzy in the photo on the cover, but her sound on the set is as sharp as ever -- that soulful approach to jazz vocals she first crafted so well back in the 50s and 60s! The album's a surprisingly nice later date from Dakota -- one done with a really classic feel,... read more

It's time to swing, but with a classy sound throughout -- very much the best mix of modes Dakota Staton brought to her key early years at Capitol Records! Backings are by Sid Feller, and are pretty darn jazzy throughout -- more so than some of Sid's other work of the time -- a perfectly soulful... read more

Wonderful work from Leon Thomas -- easily one of his greatest albums! The record was recorded in 1969, right at the time Leon was working with Pharoah Sanders -- and his days with the spiritual jazz giant shine through brightly on the session. The players include James Spaulding, Lonnie Liston... read more

A relatively dynamic set of vocal tracks by actress Leslie Uggams -- one of two albums she made for Atlantic during a bid as a singer during the 60s. The arrangements are by Peter Matz, and they've definitely got a bit of Copa in them -- not too showy, but flashier than you might expect for... read more

It's plenty easy to make way for Dionne Warwick with an album as great as this -- the kind of set that spawned countless imitators in later years, but which still sounds better than most of the rest! Hearing the record is almost like going back to the headwaters of 60s pop -- especially the more... read more

A great set of torchy ballads from Lee Wiley -- a singer who virtually helped invent the genre on record with her classic sets for Columbia Records! This album's done a few years after those -- and features backings by Ralph Burns, who brings a fair bit more sentimental moments to his work here... read more

A pivotal set from Cassanda Wilson -- and a record that firmly established her as one of the freshest new singers in jazz at the time! The album's awash in rootsy, dusky tones -- and has an earthiness that's clearly inspired by older blues, but expressed by Cassandra in voicings that are more... read more

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