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A great set of tracks that represents some of Chris Connor's first recordings as a solo act – a classic album originally issued as a 10" LP by the Bethlehem label – but expanded here with lots of extra tracks to make a full length record! Backing is by the trio of Ellis Larkins – a great pianist with a really moody style that perfectly fits Connor's vocals – and Chris is in fine fine form, singing with that icy tone we love so much – a bit sad, and a bit mellow, but always heartfelt, without the forced emotion of other singers of her generation. Titles include "I Hear Music", "What Is There To Say", "Why Shouldn't I", "All About Ronnie", and "Spring Is Here". CD features two bonus tracks – alternate takes on "Stella By Starlight" and "Why Shouldn't I".

Chris' Craft is a great one here – beautifully simple and straightforward jazz vocals, served up at a level that few other singers can match! The album's one of our favorites from Connor's classic years with Atlantic – as it's got a mellow, moody approach that's filled with the darker tones that first caught our ears on Chris' earliest recordings for Bethlehem. Instrumentation here is mostly small combo – arranged by Stan Free, and featuring Free on piano, Bobby Jaspar on flute, Mundell Lowe on guitar, George Duvivier on bass, and Ed Shaughnessy on drums. Titles include "Be A Clown", "Be My All", "Good For Nothin", "Moonlight In Vermont", "The Night We Called It A Day", "Lover Man", and "On The First Warm Day".

Amazing stuff – and one of Chris Connor's greatest records for Atlantic! There's a depth to this set that passes some of her others from the time – partially because the album features a very hip set of tunes, written by Ornette Coleman, Norman Mapp, John Lewis, Peggy Lee, and others – and partially because the album has some sublime arrangements by Al Cohn that easily shift between darkness and swinging brilliance – all with that perfect sense of balance that Connor brought to her best sessions. Titles include "I'm Gonna Go Fishin", "Jump For Joy", "Night Bird", "Opportunity Please Knock", "Milano", "Day Dream", "Free Spirits", and a great version of "Lonely Woman"!

Rare radio work from vocalist Chris Connor – a number of performances recorded for the US military, and done as nicely as any of her classic studio albums from the 50s! Most of the tracks here are from 1959, and capture Connor at her best icy modern mode – singing with depth, but great control too – that special balance that made Chris and some of her generation really stand out from the previous era. Some tunes swing strongly, and others are more laidback and intimate – and on most numbers, the piano of Ronnie Ball leads the small combo instrumentation. Titles include "Misty", "Blow Gabriel Blow", "Senor Blues", "The Lonesome Road", "I Hear The Music Now", "Baltimore Oriole", and "Manha De Carnaval".

Beautifully icy vocals from the amazing Chris Connor – the kind of record that set a new standard for vocal jazz back in the 50s! The session's a small group one – with Chris singing intimately alongside backing from Herbie Mann on flute and tenor, Kai Winding and JJ Johnson on trombones, Joe Puma on guitar, and Ralph Sharon on piano – all lightly arranged to allow Connor's vocals prime placement in the record, while shading in the spaces with some nicely modern colors. Titles are mostly familiar, but wonderfully transformed into Connor's own personal statements – and tracks include "Ridin High", "It's All Right With Me", "Someone To Watch Over Me", "All Dressed Up With A Broken Heart", "All This & Heaven Too", "Trouble Is a Man", "Blame It On My Youth", and "The Thrill Is Gone".

A beautiful batch of dreamy sad songs from Chris Connor – the kind of a set that she's best at more than anything, handled here in a way that really lives up to the title! Ralph Sharon handled the arrangements, and as he does in his work with Tony Bennett, he really sets things up right – in a way that never gets in the way of the singer, and which brings out all the emotion and meaning of the songs. Titles include "One for My Baby", "These Foolish Things", "Bargain Day", "Glad To Be Unhappy", "The End Of A Love Affair", and "Ballad of The Sad Cafe".

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 create an additional sense of edge next to Connor's vocals, but never overwhelm them too much. There's a new sense of expression going on here – one that perfectly illustrates why Chris' approach was so different than some of the more emotive singers from years before. Tracks include "Why Can't I", "About The Blues", "Thursday's Child", "High On A Windy Hill", and "Round About".

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 features 2 bonus tracks – "Circus" and "Flying Home".

A very groovy mid 60s set from Chris Connor – quite different than her famous 50s sides for Bethlehem, thanks to some hip arrangements by Don Costa! Don never goes to over the top here, but he does add in some nice groovy touches – things like bossa rhythms and electric harpsichord, used sparingly, but to very nice effect – and all in ways that help Connor hit some new ground for the times! Vocals are still totally top-shelf – as you'd expect from Chris – and tracks include "Love Life", "You're Gonna Hear From Me", "Who's Afraid", "Nowhere Man", and "Goin Out Of My Head".

A really great album from Chris Connor – and very different than most of her other work of the 60s! The album's got a light bossa feel, as you'd guess from the title – an approach that works wonderfully with Connor's vocals, and helps push her into territory that's plenty fresh, and pretty darn groovy too! The great Pat Williams handled the arrangements – in that lightly dancing mode that he used for his work on Verve, and select soundtracks too – a blend of jazz and larger orchestrations that's mighty nice, and every bit as captivating as the vocals from Chris. Titles include the great Steve & Eydie cut "Can't Get Over the Bossa Nova" – plus "A Quiet Thing", "Taste Of Honey", "Feeling Good", "Baby The Rain Must Fall", and "Stranger On The Shore". Great cover, too – with Chris looking all boozy!

One of Chris Connor's standout albums for Atlantic Records – and a session that actually makes us really appreciate the presence of Maynard Ferguson! The album's got a bit more punch than some of Chris' other records for the label, and is a nice shift in mood after a series of sad, dreamy, sometimes sleepy albums of ballads and sadder songs. Chris still manages to get in some rich emotion on the set, but the overall sound is a bit more swinging and upbeat – with a good set of tunes that includes "Summertime", "I Only Have Eyes For You", "That's How It Went All Right", "It Never Entered My Mind", and "Black Coffee".

Despite any prejudice you might have against Maynard Ferguson, he actually does a damn good job backing up Chris Connor's lovely voice on this record – probably because his band is super-hip, and includes players like Jaki Byard, Joe Farrell, and Rufus Jones. Connor is in fine icy form, as usual – and it's nice to hear her get a bit more jazzy backing than some of the more somber arrangements you'll hear on her Atlantic sessions. Titles include "The Wind", "Send For Me", "Where Do You Go?", and "Deep Song".

Probably the best-ever album by this obscure bluesy singer from Chicago! Jimmy Giuffre handled the arrangements, and the record has a bit more polish than some of her other albums. The tracks feature some very nice jazzy arrangements – with Jim Hall on guitar, Jimmy Jones on piano, and Harry Edison on trumpet. Lurlean's voice is deep and rich, with a sound that's a mix of Ella Fitzgerald and some of the icier singers, like Chris Connor or June Christy. Tracks include "Blue Turning Grey Over You", "Just Imagine", "My Kinda Love", "As Long As I Live", and "The Song Is You".

An under-discovered vocalist from the 50s – the great Nancy Malcomb, a singer we'd rank right up there with Chris Connor's best at the time! Nancy's got a very jazzy approach to her work – no surprise, as she plays piano as well as she sings – with support here from a great small combo that includes Al Viola on guitar, Jim Anton on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums! The style is nicely laidback – considerably more so than other vocal albums on RCA for the time – with a relaxed, intimate approach that recalls some of the advances that Connor made for female singers in jazz right around the same time, delivered by Nancy with similarly great inflections on the vocals. Titles include "Make The Man Love Me", "Old Devil Moon", "Nobody's Heart", "Can't We Be Friends", "You Took Advantage Of Me", "Anything Goes", and "Mountain Greenery".

What a singer! Anne Phillips is someone that we know nothing about – we'll admit – but this gem of an album is one we'd gladly stack next to our favorite 50s vocal sides, including work by June Christy and Chris Connor! The arrangements are superb – a blend of jazz and lusher styles, handled by Kermit Leslie in a subtly sweet style that never gets to cloying – and Anne's vocals are moody and dusky, but never self pitying. Wonderful stuff all around – and with tracks that include "For Heaven's Sake", "Lonelyville", "I've Got To Pass Your House To Get To Mine", "When Sunny Gets Blue", and "A Stranger In Town".

A fantastic album by this obscure vocalist – one of the first in a great run of work recorded by Sue Raney on the west coast scene! This session has Sue sounding a fair bit like Chris Connor or June Christy – often a bit icy, and sometimes sweet – but without some of the fuller modes on her later records. The album's got surprisingly understated arrangements by Billy May that have a nice jazzy edge – and Raney's vocals have all the wistful qualities you might guess from the title and cover! Titles include "A Blossom Fell", "Impossible", "I Get The Blues When It Rains", "My Prayer", "Wanna Laugh?", "Rain On The Roof", and "Blue Tears".

One of the darkest vocal jazz albums of the 50s – packaged with a great title and cover image that features a lone lit window in a New York skyscraper! Helen's got some incredible backing on the record – a small combo that includes Charlie Mariano on alto sax, Don Fagerquist on trumpet, and Donn Trenner on piano – all gently sliding in behind Carr's blue vocals in a way that's similar to some of the Chris Connor work on Bethlehem from the same time. Titles include a near-perfect reading of "Down In The Depths On The 90th Floor", plus "Not Mine", "Tulip Or Turnip", "Moments Like This", "I'm Glad There Is You", and "Memory Of The Rain".

Although the Bethlehem label had some great success with some of its vocal stars – like Chris Connor or Mel Torme – they also had a strong commitment to jazz vocals that stretched way past the big names, to include many excellent under-recognized singers, like Helen Carr. This rare album from the mid 50s is a perfect example of the label's commitment at work – as it features Carr in a beautifully no-nonsense setting, with spare instrumental backing provided by Red Mitchell, Howard Roberts, and Cappy Lewis. The tracks are very well-selected – and move past the usual nuggets found on lackluster vocal jazz sessions, to include nice little tunes like "Symphony", "Lonely Street", "My Kind Of Trouble Is You", "Do I Worry", and "Then You've Never Been Blue". A nice lost vocal jazz treasure!

One of the few albums ever cut by 50s singer Paula Castle – a really great vocalist with a sound that matches the best Bethlehem records work of her labelmate, Chris Connor! Castle's got a nicely-composed approach to singing – never too flowery or overdone, yet also never too cool, either – a perfect balance that comes through beautifully with the set's stripped-down backings – just a quartet with Ronnie Selbey on piano, and flute by Sam Most. Most's flute really shades in the tunes nicely – underscoring things with some subtle blue tones that are really great – and titles include "I'm Shooting High", "Yesterday's Gardenias", "Here I Am In Love Again", and "Lost Love".

A really moody session of vocal jazz from the 50s – a near-lost date from singer Terry Morel, who we only know from this one album on Bethlehem! The album's got a feel that's a bit like some of Chris Connor's work for the label at the time – backing by a trio led by pianist Ralph Sharon, augmented by flute from Herbie Mann, who shades in the tones with some darker hues that really give the record a unique feel. And Terry herself has a slightly different voice too – one that's a bit dusky and breathy, without the sweetness of other female 50s singers – almost bedroom-like in its sensuality. Titles include "How About You", "You're Not The Kind", "Too Late Now", "More Than You Know", "Who Cares", "A Hundred Years From Today", and "The Night We Called It A Day".

Ruth's a great little singer with a voice we really love – kind of in the range of late 50s Chris Connor or June Christy, with a sad and boozy tone – quite different than what you'd expect from the somewhat cherry look of the cover! This album's one of the few she ever recorded – a solid and intimate jazz-based effort, with backings arranged by Lou Stein and players that include Joe Newman on trumpet and Frank Wess on tenor – both of whom give things a wonderfully soulful feel! A great one from the years when girl singers really got their due in the recording industry – and titles include "Who Am I", "Gentleman Friend", "My Shining Hour", "Calypso Blues", and "Sleighride In July".

Great work by a great singer – the far under-recorded Irene Kral, a lovely lady who really bridges a number of different camps in the vocal jazz world! At one level, Irene's got the coolness of a Christy or Connor, but at another, she's got a more open, swinging, and soulful style – one that comes off with none of the hoke of Anita O'Day, and which is a perfect balance between class, cool, and easy going honesty. The trio of Junior Mance provides the backings, and titles include "Better Than Anything", "The Meaning Of The Blues", "Passing By", "No More", "Nobody Else But Me", "This Is Always", and "It's A Wonderful World".