Two early 70s albums from Shirley Bassey – back to back in a single set! Never Never Never is a warmly-crafted 70s album from the great Shirley Bassey – a set that continues that great move she was making at the end of the 60s – shaking off some of the bolder, brassier styles that famously got her going at the start, but which were maybe sounding a bit dated after the James Bond soundtracks got too much play! Instead, Bassey's opening up in a nicely mature mode – maybe making the same sort of shift between soul and adult modes that Johnny Mathis was hitting during the same period – and working with great UK maestros Johnny Harris and Arthur Greenslade, both able to balance strings and soul on titles that include "Never Never Never", "Make The World A Little Younger", "No Regrets", "Going Going Gone", "Somehow", "I Won't Last A Day Without You", "The Old Fashioned Way", and "Someone Who Cares". On Good Bad But Beautiful, Shirley Bassey is at her mellow best – sounding very different than the brassy vocalist who first rose to international fame with "Goldfinger" – yet still able to work through all the rich aspects of her great vocal range! Arthur Greenslade handles the backings, and the style is mature, and updated in maybe the way that Frank Sinatra was hitting at the time – both in the choice of songs, and in the way that Greenslade sets Shirley up for the best reading of the lyric. Titles include "I'll Be Your Audience", "Emotion", "Good Bad But Beautiful", "Jesse", "Run On & On & On", "Feel Like Makin Love", and "I'll Be Your Audience". CD

The rarest of three albums that King Pleasure ever recorded – and pretty darn hard to find, too. The set was recorded after King's earlier sides for the Prestige and HiFi jazz labels, but it's in a very similar style, with some wonderful vocalese-ing done in Pleasure's landmark style. He's really one of the greatest jazz singers of the 20th century, and it's unfortunate that apart from the big hit fame of "Moody's Mood For Love" (recorded here once again), King never got strong recognition as a richly talented singer. A number of cuts on here are re-recordings of earlier work – like "Don't Get Scared" and "Sometimes I'm Happy" – and other tracks include "It Might As Well Be Spring" and "Old Black Magic". Plus, this CD reissue also expands the original album with a lot of bonus cuts, including some great unreleased numbers – a total of 18 tracks in all, and a treasure trove of work by King Pleasure! CD

One of the best records ever cut by jazz vocalist Betty Carter! Why? Well, because the session's got a tight stripped-down feel – but not as stripped down as some of Carter's mellower records – and it's also one of the first to show her in the straight jazz setting that would become her dominant format in the 70's and 80's. Unfettered by larger studio arrangements, Carter's at her jazzy best, and brings a rich amount of emotion and imagination to her interpretations of tracks like "This Is Always", "Some Other Time", "Something Big", and "There Is No Greater Love". The set also includes a phenomenal original composition – the captivating "Open The Door", which is one of Carter's best songs – and it's also got 7 tracks that weren't on the original album! CD

Sparkling work from singer Irene Kral – and possibly the best album she ever cut! The backings here are by the Herb Pomeroy group – a slightly modern ensemble that still knows how to swing with a good dose of Boston soul – and the overall feel of the album's a lot more forceful than some of Irene's other albums, packing a punch we didn't know she had, and which we're happy to hear! There's a few cooler overtones here – somewhat in the June Christie mode – but overall the sound is upbeat, full, and swinging – served up with in arrangements by Ernie Wilkins and Al Cohn. Titles include "This Little Love", "What's Right For You", "Comes Love", "Lazy Afternoon", "I'd Know You Anywhere", and "It Isn't So Good". CD

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