Seminal work from the lovely Basia – and an album that's a wonderful hybrid of jazz, soul, and pop – all put together at a level that really goes beyond most of her contemporaries! There's a vibe here that's almost like Swing Out Sister at their best – catchy, but never cloying – and done in an 80s style that refers strongly back to 60s and 70s styles, yet still keeps things quite contemporary overall. And although most of the tunes are pretty poppy, they're also pretty great, and really hold up over the years – thanks to slight undercurrents of jazzy instrumentation, of the sort you'd get from Brit artists like Working Week or Sade. Titles include "Promises", "From Now On", "Freeze Thaw", "How Dare You", "Astrud", and "Miles Away". 2CD version is amazing – and features 5 bonus instrumental tracks, plus 8 more remix tracks, and 5 more single versions, and the non-album track "Give Me That". 30 titles in all! (Soul, Vocalists) CD

The first-ever massive look at the female pop legacy of UK genius producer Joe Meek – a studio talent maybe best known for his work with instrumental groups, but one who also created some real magic with girl singers too! Joe's ear for twangy guitars, offbeat sounds, and otherworldly echo really works wonders here – as he takes more familiar styles of tunes and really gives them a great spin – bringing out some of the best quality in the female singers, many of whom never really cracked the charts that strongly in the 60s – and certainly never sounded as great as in the hands of Joe Meek! The package offers up very detailed notes on the singers, the songs, and Mee's special approach to the music – and the 3CD set features 88 tracks in all, with work from Valerie Masters, Lea & Chess, The Halos, Gunilla Thorn, Eve Boswell, Yolanda, Carol Jones, Pat Reader, Flip & The Dateliners, Diane & The Javelins, Glenda Collins, and others – including some unknown singers, and a number of unissued tracks too! (Rock, Vocalists) CD

Tracks include "April In Paris", "Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White", "Some Other Spring", "You Must Believe In Spring", "I'll Remember April", and "April Showers". CD

Titles include "Billie's Bounce", "Love Is Here To Stay", "Shirley's Blues", and "Cherry". CD

A fantastic and ambitious project that's in the best tradition of the Jazz Composers Orchestra – a set that features music by Carla Bley and words by Paul Haines – in an extended set that mixes avant jazz instrumentation with spoken passages by a surprising lineup of voices – including Bley, Jack Bruce, Don Cherry, Jeanne Lee, and even Linda Ronstadt! Musicians are the cream of the crop of the international avant scene at the time – and include Roswell Rudd on trombone, Gato Barbieri on tenor, Perry Robinson on clarinet, Carla Bley on organ, Don Preston on moog, Michael Mantler on ring modulated piano, Paul Motian on drums, Charlie Haden on bass, John McLaughlin on guitar, and many others – too numerous to mention here! (Jazz, Vocalists) CD

One of the deepest soul sets from Esther Phillips' 70s years on Kudu Records – a set with some nicely gritty grooves and a surprisingly earthy feel at times – especially when compared to some of her other albums of the time! Backings are by James Brown's old reedman, Pee Wee Ellis – and although there's some of the usual Kudu electric funk in the mix, there's also some deeper soul elements too – a vibe that's often a bit laidback and open, almost more Atlantic Records at points – which is a mighty good fit for Esther's wonderful voice! As usual for Kudu, the players are an all-star lineup – one that includes Richard Tee on keyboards, George Benson on guitar, Maceo Parker on tenor, and Bernard Purdie and Billy Cobham on drums – and Don Sebesky's also on deck a bit, to sweeten a few tracks up with light strings. The album's got a great version of Bill Withers' "Use Me" that features a tasty break in the intro – and other titles include a great version of "Alone Again (Naturally)", plus the cuts "Let's Move & Groove", "Cherry Red", "Let Me In Your Life", and "You & Me Together". (Soul, Vocalists) CD

A fantastic and ambitious project that's in the best tradition of the Jazz Composers Orchestra – a set that features music by Carla Bley and words by Paul Haines – in an extended set that mixes avant jazz instrumentation with spoken passages by a surprising lineup of voices – including Bley, Jack Bruce, Don Cherry, Jeanne Lee, and even Linda Ronstadt! Musicians are the cream of the crop of the international avant scene at the time – and include Roswell Rudd on trombone, Gato Barbieri on tenor, Perry Robinson on clarinet, Carla Bley on organ, Don Preston on moog, Michael Mantler on ring modulated piano, Paul Motian on drums, Charlie Haden on bass, John McLaughlin on guitar, and many others – too numerous to mention here! (Jazz, Vocalists) CD