Giacomo Gates affectionately and effectively steers the work of the toughest and most sharply unique songwriters of our time and into straight-forward jazz vocal territory – and it's works really well! The backing is done by a stripped down combo who lay down guitar, bass, drums and piano – with sax and flute on a couple. Gates' husky baritone is well suited to the material and the it's well chosen set list, which includes "Show Bizness", "Lady Day And John Coletrane", "Winter In America", "Is That Jazz", "New York City", "It's Your World", "Madison Avenue" and "Legend In His Own Mind". 10 tracks in all. CD

A slightly unusual set by legendary jazz vocalist Johnny Hartman from the mid 70s. These sessions have him singing with smooth larger arrangements by Fred Norman – in a style that's verging on adult vocals, but has enough of a jazz swing to still please our ears – and some interesting titles that include "Suzanne", "When", "Starting Now", "That's What Makes A House A Home", "Ornery Little Critter", "I've Only Myself To Blame", "If I Could Only See You Again" and "Hello Mrs Jones". LP, Vinyl record album

Four early 80s classics from Johnny Mathis – presented here in a single 2CD package! Different Kinda Different is a tremendous start to the 80s for Johnny Mathis – and a set that really continues that strong shift into soul-based territory he begun in the 70s! Gene Page handles a lot of the arrangements here, and gives the whole thing that strong blend of strings and soul that he worked on other 70s classics for different artists – a perfect approach for that magnificent Mathis voice, especially when the tunes have a bit of a groove! Two of the best numbers here – "Different Kind Of Different" and "I'll Do It All For You" – are duets with Paulette McWilliams, who'd recorded on her own, but who really seems to hit her stride with Johnny, and in a way that's different than any of his other soul partners in duets. Other titles include "Never Givin Up On You", "With You I'm Born Again", "I Will Survive", "The Lights Of Rio", and "Love Without Words". Friends In Love is mature 80s work from Johnny Mathis – a set that features two duets with Dionne Warwick, plus some other nice material that shows that Johnny wasn't going to be left behind in the shadows of his older work! At some level, the approach of the 80s, and the rise of a new sort of adult contemporary scene, really helped Mathis find a new audience – especially when teaming with Dionne, who was also having a rebirth at the time! Titles include the classic duet title cut "Friends In Love", and another duet on "Got You Where I Want You" – plus other titles that include "What Do You Do With The Love", "When The Lovin Goes Out Of The Lovin", "I Remember You & Me", and "Somethin's Goin On". Special Part Of Me is a sweet 80s set from Johnny Mathis – one of those great later albums when he brought a good deal of soul into the mix! The feel here is almost more modern R&B than the vocal jazz mode that first brought Johnny fame – and it turns out that the Mathis mode is wonderful for such a setting – rich and full of feeling, and arguably better than some of his younger contemporaries on the charts! The ballads are beautiful, but there's also a few surprising midtempo numbers – and titles include a sublime remake of "Love Won't Let Me Wait", done with Deniece Williams – plus "Love Never Felt So Good", "Simple", "Priceless", "One Love", "Right Here & Now", and "Lead Me To Your Love" – plus "You're A Special Part Of Me", a duet with Angie Bofill. Live is a later live album from Johnny Mathis, and one that brings together classics, newer cuts, and a few titles he'd never sang before – all served up with a sound that shows the continuing strengths of the legendary singer! There's a variety of arrangers used on the set – including Gene Page and Michel Colombier – and titles include "Orange Colored Sky", "When A Child Is Born", "Begin The Beguine", "I Believe In Love", "Fly Away", "99 Miles From LA", and "A Certain Smile". CD

Another soulful set of jazz standards that pairs the great Lorez with a group led by Gildo Mahones. Gildo's always been one of the best piano players we've heard accompaning a vocalist, and his work with Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross is the stuff of legends. This group has the added benefit of good tenor work by Herman Riley, and the band swings well with Lorez as she soulfully makes her way through tracks like "Mandy Is Two", "Skylark", "Harlem Butterfly", and "P.S. I Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from the early years from Billy Eckstine – including one track with Billy on trumpet! Band members include Fats Navarro on trumpet, Gene Ammons and Budd Johnson on tenors, Leo Parker on baritone, and Art Blakey on drums! The set also features some vocals from Lena Horne and Sarah Vaughan too! CD

Great work from the early years from Billy Eckstine – including one track with Billy on trumpet! Band members include Fats Navarro on trumpet, Gene Ammons and Budd Johnson on tenors, Leo Parker on baritone, and Art Blakey on drums! The set also features some vocals from Lena Horne and Sarah Vaughan too! LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful work from the legendary Hoagy Carmichael – and one of the few albums to feature him singing his own work! Hoagy's name is one that you're more likely to see in the songwriting credits than in the artist slot for a record – but he's actually got a wonderful voice, one that's filled with honest, personal charms – and which has a sometimes broken-down quality that's perfect for the gentle words of his tunes. This wonderful set features Carmichael working with sublime small combo backing – players who include Harry Edison, Jimmy Rowles, and Art Pepper – working with arrangements penned by Johnny Mandel. Titles include "Rocking Chair", "Georgia On My Mind", "Skylark", "Two Sleepy People", and "Baltimore Oriole". LP, Vinyl record album

The first album in a legendary run of vocal jazz classics on Atlantic Records – and a set that really helped Chris Connor move to a new level of expression in her music! The sound here is much richer than Connor's previous recordings for Bethlehem – and the small combo jazz backings have been replaced by fuller orchestrations by Ralph Burns – done in a cool, edgey sort of way that really pushes Chris into newly sophisticated territory! The sound's on a par with the best June Christy/Pete Rugolo collaborations on Capitol – and the group's filled with some great jazz players, including Zoot Sims, John Lewis, Milt Hinton, and Oscar Pettiford. Titles include "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "My April Heart", "He Was Good to Me", "Where Are You", and "Get Out Of Town". CD

The first album in a legendary run of vocal jazz classics on Atlantic Records – and a set that really helped Chris Connor move to a new level of expression in her music! The sound here is much richer than Connor's previous recordings for Bethlehem – and the small combo jazz backings have been replaced by fuller orchestrations by Ralph Burns – done in a cool, edgey sort of way that really pushes Chris into newly sophisticated territory! The sound's on a par with the best June Christy/Pete Rugolo collaborations on Capitol – and the group's filled with some great jazz players, including Zoot Sims, John Lewis, Milt Hinton, and Oscar Pettiford. Titles include "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "My April Heart", "He Was Good to Me", "Where Are You", and "Get Out Of Town". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary bit of jazzy soul – recorded by an obscure female singer from Milwaukee! Penny's got a warm style that's pretty darn nice on its own – but it's made even better by the great arranger Richard Evans, who helped out a lot on the session. The feel is very much in the Chicago sophisti-soul mode – and at times, the record sounds a lot like Marlena Shaw's best work in the 70s, particularly her sides for Blue Note in the early part of the decade. Includes the great original "Too Soon You're Old" – a jazz dance classic for many years – plus a stellar cover of Gil Scott Heron's "Lady Day & John Coltrane", and the tracks "What's Goin On", "Slow Hot Wind", "He's Come Back", and "Rain Sometimes". (Soul, Vocalists) CD

Great 40s work from this Kansas City legend – recorded in New York, Chicago, and LA – with work from players who include Don Byas and Wild Bill Moore on tenor, Camille Howard and Pete Johnson on piano, Red Saunders on drums, and Riley Hampton on alto sax. 26 tracks total!! (Blues, Vocalists) CD

Great 40s work from this Kansas City legend – recorded in New York, Chicago, and LA – with work from players who include Don Byas and Wild Bill Moore on tenor, Camille Howard and Pete Johnson on piano, Red Saunders on drums, and Riley Hampton on alto sax! (Blues, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing is right – as Timi Yuro's one of the most soulful voices of the 60s, but a singer who's often overlooked because her work fell into a unique space between jazz and soul! The CD offers a much-needed look at Timi's mid-60s years on the Mercury label – a key point of maturity, and work done after Timi's initial and better-known sides for Liberty. The style here takes the depth of Dinah Washington on Mercury and infuses it with styles that are a bit lusher, and more in the increasingly sophisticated mode of other 60s vocalists – supported by Quincy Jones production and some great backings from the legendary Bobby Scott. 24 tracks in all are featured – including the full Amazing Timi Yuro album, plus rare singles, and even a few Italian numbers! Tracks include "I Love My Man", "Johnny", "If", "All I Need Is You", "I'm Still Around", "There Must Be A Way", "Why Not Now", "Can't Stop Running Away", "Get Out Of My Life", "Could This Be Magic", "My Foolish Heart", "Cuttin In", "Ti Credo", and "E Poi Verra L'Autunno". (Soul, Vocalists) CD

Beautiful work from the legendary Hoagy Carmichael – and one of the few albums to feature him singing his own work! Hoagy's name is one that you're more likely to see in the songwriting credits than in the artist slot for a record – but he's actually got a wonderful voice, one that's filled with honest, personal charms – and which has a sometimes broken-down quality that's perfect for the gentle words of his tunes. This wonderful set features Carmichael working with sublime small combo backing – players who include Harry Edison, Jimmy Rowles, and Art Pepper – working with arrangements penned by Johnny Mandel. Titles include "Rocking Chair", "Georgia On My Mind", "Skylark", "Two Sleepy People", and "Baltimore Oriole". CD

Rare unrelased recordings by the legendary Nat King Cole Trio! Forget all the soppy pop stuff you've heard a million times – this is the real deal, the kind of stuff that got Nat noticed in the first place, and the type of material that he was playing for LA audiences in the immediate postwar years. The trio features the great Oscar Moore on guitar, plus Johnny Miller on bass and Nat on piano and vocals. Tracks include "Everyone Is Saying Hello Again", "I Found A New Baby", "My Sugar Is So Refined", "I'm Through With Love", "Oh, But I Do", and "I You Can't Smile & Say Yes". CD

A real treasure from Ella Fitzgerald – a huge batch of previously unreleased live recordings from the 50s, all done at the legendary Chicago nightclub Mister Kelly's! However, the set's noteworthy not just because it's rare, but also because it offers Ella up in a relaxed, unfettered setting – a nice contrast to the smoother sound of the Verve studio albums of the time – or some of the more hyped-up festival appearances too – and instead, there's a personal, intimate sound here that's quite wonderful throughout, and which has really re-ignited our love of Ella's music! The sound quality is great – no dodgy crowd recording here – and the backing is by a trio that includes Lou Levy on piano, Max Bennett on bass, and Gus Johnson on drums. 2CD set is divided up into a "main show" and a "late show" – and titles include "Perdido", "Your Red Wagon", "I'm Glad There Is You", "Bewitched", "The Lady Is A Tramp", "Joe Williams Blues", "Witchcraft", "In The Wee Small Hours", "Exactly Like You", "S'Wonderful", and "My Funny Valentine". CD

A fantastic tribute to the legendary Karin Krog – one of our favorite jazz singers of all time – and maybe one of the most creative talents to emerge from the European jazz scene in the past 50 years! Karin's not just a regular singer – she's a hell of a collaborator, and a great experimentalist who's always willing to try out new sounds and styles – modes she's explored since her initial recordings of the 60s, and the wonderful legacy of music she's given us on record from that time onwards – which still results in fantastic new music in recent years too! This package goes way beyond any other Krog collection we've ever seen – not just because it offers up differing discs that look at her many musical "faces" – but also because it brings together recordings for a number of different labels across a great span of time – all to really show the full range of her music! Even if you've got as many of Karin's records as we do, there's plenty that's new here too – and the well-done package divides each disc up into a special theme – with standard material, key collaborations, vocal experiments, and more. The set includes work with John Surman, Steve Kuhn, Marty Paich, Georgie Fame, Don Ellis, Slide Hampton, Red Mitchell, Dexter Gordon, Kenny Drew, Bengt Hallberg, Archie Shepp, and others – and one CD features just spare duets with musicians, and another features some great bigger band material. 59 tracks in all – with loads of surprises! CD

Essential set of Gil's early work – all of it great, and all of it completely unlike the work of any other artist on this planet! Gil was always a genius, but these early recordings are filled with a fragile soul and a raw anger that didn't always show up in his later albums. This set brings together 21 tracks from Gil's legendary Flying Dutchman sessions – and titles include "Sex Education: Ghetto Style", "Billy Green Is Dead", "Pieces Of A Man", "The Get Out Of The Ghetto Blues", "Lady Day & John Coltrane", "No Knock", "Free Will", "Home Is Where The Hatred Is", "Did You Hear What They Said", "The Needle's Eye", and 2 versions of "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised". (Soul, Vocalists) CD