Ramsey Lewis and Nancy Wilson – two key soulful talents from the 60s, working together beautifully here in a mid 80s set! The album's almost more Randy's than it is Nancy's given that Lewis takes a few tunes instrumentally, working in a blend of acoustic and electric instrumentation that's very much in his best early 80s Columbia Records mode. But things really come together when Nancy joins in – bringing her mature, soulful approach to the tunes – and really tying them together wonderfully with her vocals! Stanley Clarke produced, and there's definitely some echoes here of his own music of the time – and titles include "Ram", "Quiet Storm", "Never Wanna Say Goodnight", "Closer Than Close", and "Breaker Beat". (Jazz, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

An easy going set of tunes from Ramsey – still going quite strong after all these years, and getting some vocal help from Nancy Wilson on a number of tunes! The format is surprisingly lean, clean, and simple – with most tracks played by a small combo that features Ramsey on acoustic piano, plus supporting keyboards, guitar, and a bit of horns. There's a great cover of "Slippin Into Darkness" that takes the tune to places that Ramsey didn't reach in the 70s, and Nancy joins in on the titles "All This Love", "Give Me Something Real", "In The Name Of Love", and "Lost Up In Loving You". Other titles include "Ooh Child", "In My Life", and "One True Thing". (Jazz, Vocalists) CD

Two albums by one of the greatest jazz vocalists of all time! Early In The Morning is a very hip affair – recorded with the Ramsey Lewis Trio backing her up on one side, and a group led by Frank Foster on another – both playing in a tight soul jazz mode that works perfectly for Lorez's great voice, and which takes her way past the straighter style of the King recordings. Includes a version of Louis Jordan's "Early In The Morning", plus "So Long", "Don't Explain", "Baby Don't You Cry", and "Rocks In My Bed". Deep Roots is like hearing Lorez in a smoky club on the south side of Chicago – a perfect summation of her rich talents as a singer! Backing is by a small Chicago trio that includes John Young on piano, Vernel Fournier on drums, and George Eskridge on bass – but the arrangements of the tracks, and Lorez's unique interpretations drive the tunes into territory that's surprisingly advanced for the 1962 date of the session. You'll recognize most of the tunes – but as the old adage goes, it's not the song, but the singer – and you'll hear Lorez crafting a rich tapestry of sound and emotion from titles like "No Moon At All", "I Was A Fool", "Detour Ahead", "Travlin Light", and "I Want To Talk About You". CD

The blueprint for a great set of future jazz – 14 original tunes that all got redone in the Verve Remixed 2 set! Verve has done a great job with the set – pulling together some excellent grooves from the 50s and 60s, served up at a price that's almost as cheap as a fancy cup of coffee! The set's stuffed with groovy vocal, Latin, and soul jazz numbers – with titles that include "Mama" by Hugh Masekela, "Manteca" by Dizzy Gillespie, "Sinnerman" by Nina Simone, "Do What You Wanna" by Ramsey Lewis, "Brother Where Are You" by Oscar Brown Jr, "Here's That Rainy Day" by Astrud Gilberto, "Naima's Love Song" by Betty Carter, "Fried Neck Bones & Some Home Fries" by Willie Bobo, "Blues For Brother George Jackson" by Archie Shepp, "Soul Sauce" by Cal Tjader, and "Slap That Bass" by Ella Fitzgerald. (Funky Compilations, Vocalists) CD

Includes the albums The Band Swings – Lorez Sings, Singing Songs Everyone Knows, Lorez Alexandria & The Ramsey Lewis Trio – Early In The Morning, and Sing No Sad Songs For Me. CD