The last Capitol album from vocalist Sue Raney – and easily the most compelling of the bunch! Sue's in really great form here – shaking off some of the cooler west coast modes of earlier records, and going for a more lively, more fluid style that's sometimes touched with the R&B ... read moreCD
(2012 pressing – includes obi!)
Rare Silk —
New Weave ... CD Polydor, 1983. Used ...
$19.9924.99
A way hipper record than you'd guess from a group with a name like "Rare Silk" – and some of the best group jazz vocalese recorded in the 80s! The group is a quartet of voices – 3 female, 1 male – and they come together in a style that's far less hokey than most of the ... read moreCD
2 early Capitol classics by Lou Rawls – back to back on one CD, and perfectly paired throughout! Black and Blues is quite possibly the first truly great Lou Rawls album for Capitol – an all-out swinging jazz session done with arrangements by Onzy Matthews, in a mode that firmly helped ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreCD
(2006 CD pressing. Spine has a thin cutout notch.)
One of Lou's most jazz-oriented albums – featuring backing by Les McCann's famous trio with Leroy Vinnegar and Ron Jefferson, perfectly suited to Lou's soulful renditions of the tunes on the album. Most of the numbers are bluesy ones, but as usual, Lou manages to give them his own hip twist ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreCD
Striking modern work from jazz singer Lucy Reed – no surprise, though, given that arrangements here are by the likes of Gil Evans, George Russell, and Eddie Higgins! Reed's got a beautiful sense of tone – a clarity that comes through right away, but which is never miscast in these ... read moreCD
An amazing moment for singer Dianne Reeves – the first in a long line of excellent records for the Blue Note label – and a wonderfully tight blend of jazz and soul, put together at a level that instantly pushed Reeves into the territory of previous giants like Phyllis Hyman and Marlena ... read moreCD
An excellent live set from Dutch vocalist Rita Reys – one of the coolest voices on the continent during the postwar years, and equally well-skilled at singing in English as her American contemporaries! The backing on the set is by the Pim Jacobs trio, with a guest appearance by Kenny Clarke ... read moreCD
Rita Reys meets Oliver Nelson – and a host of other great jazz talents, including Lee Konitz, Benny Bailey, Sahib Shihab, and Klaus Doldinger! The tracks on the set are all standards, but they're done in the tightly swinging style of Nelson's best backing work for vocalists at the time ... read moreCD
Excellent cool jazz vocals from The Netherlands! In the immediate post-war years, the Dutch jazz scene was one of the first to emerge with a sophisticated understanding of the American jazz form. Rita Reys was one of the country's leading talents in this respect, and she had a wonderfully cool ... read moreCD
All girl singers should be this lucky! Gale Robbins is a pretty nice vocalist, although nothing fancy – but on this set, she's lucky enough to have some great backings from Eddie Cano – whose orchestra picks up the pace with plenty of musical flourishes, and the occasional light Latin ... read moreCD
The important first album by singer Judy Roberts – an excellent jazz talent with a sound that's up there with the best jazz fusion vocalists of the 70s! Judy comes at the end of a decade that scored big recordings for singers like Flora Purim and Urzula Dudziak – and she's easily as ... read moreCD
A sweet set of vocal tracks from Judy Roberts – a mix of original tunes and a few covers, all done with a warm fusiony style, and plenty of Brazilian touches! Judy's at the height of her powers here – partly jazzy, partly in a songstress mode that's inspired by the advances that female ... read moreCD
Very unusual work from trumpeter Shorty Rogers – recorded in 1962 for the Navy Swings radio show, and done in a way that captures a different side than usual of Rogers' playing! As the title implies, a number of tunes feature vocalist Jeri Southern joining in the group – singing in a ... (Jazz, Vocalists)read moreCD
Annie Ross —
Gasser ... CD Pacific Jazz, 1959. Used ...
$5.99
Great stuff – one of Annie Ross' rare albums as a solo act away from her trio with Jon Hendricks and Dave Lambert – and a great little session cut with small combo jazz backing, which gives the song a nice swinging edge! Zoot Sims is the main soloist on the tunes, Russ Freeman lays ... read moreCD
(1988 pressing.)
Vanessa Rubin —
Pastiche ... CD RCA/Novus, 1993. Used ...
$2.99
With Houston Person, Cecil Bridgewater, and Steve Turre. CD
Vocalist Jimmy Rushing first came to fame working with Count Basie in the 30s, but it wasn't until the 50s that he really got the chance to step out on his own and cut a number of great sessions in the studio! This set features one of Jimmy's finest moments of the 50s – material recorded for ... read moreCD
One of Jimmy Rushing's last truly great albums – a jazz-tinged session of bluesy material, one that gets at his best work of the 50s! The arrangements are by Al Cohn, and have a fluid swing that pushes Jimmy past cliche – working with players that include Zoot Sims, Budd Johnson, ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Jimmy Rushing & Friends —
Every Day ... CD Vanguard, 1956/1958. Used ...
$3.99
Notable sidemen include Pete Johnson, Freddie Green, and Buddy Tate. CD
Perhaps the rarest of all Jimmy Scott albums – and perhaps the best, too! Jimmy cut this one for Ray Charles' Tangerine label (it was the label's first) – a fact that's driven home on the front cover, where a lounging sexy couple is reclining in front of a fire with a bottle of wine ... read moreCD
Some of the best material ever recorded by singer Jimmy Scott – presented as a lovely 3 disc package with copious notes, and a lot of bonus material too! The bulk of the sides were cut during the earliest years of Jimmy's career – from 1952 to 1960, all with great small group, jazz-base ... read moreCD
(Outer box has a smushed corner and a few creases.)
A fantastic early album by the amazing Jimmy Scott – billed here as "Little Jimmy Scott" – because of his youth, height, and his style of singing! Jimmy's fragile voice is in perfect form here – a really unique blend between torch jazz modes and some of the bluesier ... read moreCD
Great later work from Jimmy Scott – sides recorded for Milestone Records near the end of his life – at a time when Jimmy's music was finally getting its due, and reaching wide exposure to a whole new audience! The sound is pretty laidback and mellow on most numbers – and Scott ... read moreCD
Features George Mraz, David Fathead Newman, Joe Beck, Larry Willis, and others. CD
(Sealed copy. Barcode has a cutout hole.)
Lizabeth Scott —
Lizabeth ... CD Vik/BMG (Japan), 1958. Used ...
$24.99
Pretty darn amazing – and one of the campier vocal jazz albums on RCA from the late 50s! Lizabeth sings in a "guy crazy" mode that these days would really only be the province of drag acts – and it's compelling to hear a record like this, in which songs like "Men", ... read moreCD
A really tremendous album from the legendary Gil Scott-Heron – and a set that stands as one of his greatest statements from the 70s! The record is a wonderful example of Gil's work in two different styles – sweet mellow jazzy soul, and harder heavier protest poetry – the latter ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreCD
(Out of print First Editions pressing, digipak has some wear and a hype sticker inside.)
Our favorite-ever album from Gil Scott-Heron – and a set that we'd easily rank as one of our favorite soul records of the 70s! The mix of modes is mindblowing right from the start – as Gil's poetry comes into play with his growing talents as a singer, and his warm sensibility for jazz ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreCD
An amazing batch of sophisticated soul tracks – and a favorite with the righteous groove scene! On the surface, the record's a combination of jazz and soul tracks in the same mode that you'd find on some of Nancy Wilson's albums for Capitol during the same time – but digging deeper, ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreCD
A great record from the mid 70s – one that has Marlena Shaw further developing her style as a sophisticated soul diva with a sharp modern edge! Although already great in the 60s, Shaw emerges here as an all-adult, all-woman singer – dealing with issues that never would have gotten ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreCD
(Out of print, first 1993 US CD pressing.)
George Shearing Quintet/Dakota Staton —
In The Night ... CD Capitol, 1957. Used ...
$9.99
Wonderful late 50s jazz from the LA scene – not just because singer Dakota Staton is at the best of her youthful prime, but also because the Shearing group on the set is great too! George is working here with one of his best lineups – a group that includes Latin-inflected Al McKibbon ... (Jazz, Vocalists)read moreCD
(2003 pressing.)
Bobby Short —
Bobby Short ... CD Atlantic/Collectors Choice, 1956. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
23 classic tracks from Nina's prime early years – laid out on one studio LP, and one great live set, recorded at Town Hall in New York! Titles include classics like "Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair", "Fine & Mellow", and "I Don't Want Him" – ... read moreCD
An album recorded relatively early in the career of singer Nina Simone – but a set that already shows the very unique approach that would make her a legend by the time the 60s moved on! Even the very first tune is a stunner – a haunting reworking of the favorite "Just In Time" ... read moreCD
Righteous and soulful! The work that Nina Simone did at Philips is among some of her best work ever – and this set features 12 great cuts that aren't always that easy to find on wax. Includes the anthemic feminist classic "Four Women", the slightly-funky "Mississippi ... read moreCD
A classic set of early jazz recordings by Nina Simone – one of her first albums ever, but already with an approach that's quite different from other singers of the time! Nina's singing a fair bit of standards here, but she brings a deeply personal approach to the material – inflecting ... read moreCD
(Out of print early CD pressing with a crease through traycard artwork.)
A key early moment for Nina Simone – recorded live at Newport in 1960, at a time when the festival was one of the most important showcases for groundbreaking jazz – and a perfect setting for Nina to really let loose in that righteous style that would fuel her career during the 60s! ... read moreCD
Nina sings Ellington – but as always, she makes whatever she sings all her own! The album's a bit straighter than later efforts – with large backings by Stu Phillips that also feature vocals by the Malcolm Dodds Singers – but Nina also conceived the whole thing herself, as an ... read moreCD
Wonderful material from Nina Simone – working here still with one foot in the jazzier style of early days, but with haunting elements of the later progressive style to come! The "pastel" in the title shouldn't imply any sort of softness on Nina's part, because if anything, she's ... read moreCD
A great later set from Nina Simone – quite sensitive at times, and with a different feel than some of her 70s work – but one that's still pure Simone all the way through! There's a return-to-classic feel going here – the sort of album that Jimmy Scott and others were making in ... read moreCD
A vital box set of both classic and rare Nina Simone! This is much more than just another Nina Simone hits package – and instead, a massive collection of work – one that not only features 8 previously unissued tracks, but also a full bonus DVD, which contains a never-reissued ... read moreCD
A landmark album from Nina Simone – a set that really pushes her far past just the standard realm of jazz vocals, and which also helped really establish her role as one of the most righteous singers of the 60s! The set's maybe extremely noteworthy for Nina's original tune "Four ... read moreCD
An overlooked gem from the early Reprise recordings of Frank Sinatra – done with full arrangements by Gordon Jenkins, in the moody late nite vibe of some of his late 50s work for Capitol! Titles include "All Alone", "What'll I Do", "When I Lost You", "Oh ... read moreCD
Maybe the most essential of all the Frank Sinatra box sets – as there's an insane amount of stuff on here that never came out on other CDs – a wealth of material from the 78rpm generation of early Sinatra! CD
(Out of print. Wooden box has some marks but the set is still in great overall condition.)
One of Frank Sinatra's last great ballad albums for Capitol – a sad and dreamy batch of tunes that kicks off with the incredible "Only The Lonely" – one of those Sinatra torch songs that's so great, so sad, nobody else has ever been able to record a better version, nor have ... read moreCD
Frank's first album for his own label – Reprise catalog number 1001 (originally), a number that must have made Sinatra proud! The album's got a really swinging feel that befits the title, and which follows in the best Capitol work by Nelson Riddle. Things are very jazzy and upbeat, thanks ... read moreCD
A Swingin Session indeed – as Frank steps out with Nelson Riddle on one of his last great albums for Capitol! The record's got the bounce and lilt of Frank's earlier gems with Riddle – a sly mix of jazz and strings that's every bit the best fit for Blue Eyes' vocals at the end of the ... read moreCD
A Swingin Session indeed – as Frank steps out with Nelson Riddle on one of his last great albums for Capitol! The record's got the bounce and lilt of Frank's earlier gems with Riddle – a sly mix of jazz and strings that's every bit the best fit for Blue Eyes' vocals at the end of the ... read moreCD
A near-perfect session of 50s Sinatra – upbeat, lively, and with an undeniable punch that completely transforms every tune! The great Nelson Riddle is backing Frank up on the set – and the album's one of their liveliest from the time, filled with familiar tunes that Frank slips into ... read moreCD
A Swingin Affair indeed – as the album's one of our favorite ever from Frank's Capitol years! Nelson Riddle shows here that he can be just as great on the uptempo numbers as he is on the ballads – and casts Sinatra's full rich vocals into a great set of older swinging tunes. Frank ... read moreCD
A sad little album that has Frank still in the throes of the emotional loss expressed on The Wee Small Hours album – working here with Gordon Jenkins arrangements that use a fair bit of strings to well up the darkness that lurks in the songs on the set. The album kicks off with the sublime ... read moreCD
Frank Sinatra & Tommy Dorsey —
Love Songs ... CD RCA, 1940/1941. Used ...
$1.99
The gentler side of Keely Smith – recorded here away from Louis Prima in a warmly sweet style that reminds us that she's a heck of a great singer on her own! The album features some top-shelf backings by Nelson Riddle, who gives Keely the kind of sensitive interpretations that he brought to ... read moreCD
A great little record that's way more jazz than some of Joanie Sommers' other albums – thanks to arrangements from Marty Paich and Tommy Oliver – both of whom help things stay lively, even when sweet – and almost give the album a similar feel to some of the best Bethlehem or Mode ... read moreCD
A timeless mix of heart tuggingly intimate strings and beautiful vocals by Esperanza Spalding – a set that feels deep down close to the heart, and in turns, quite soaring – all the while wonderful! The aspects we loved so dearly on Esperanza's previous albums are also done here – ... (Neo Soul, Vocalists)read moreCD
Esperanza Spalding —
Esperanza ... CD Heads Up, 2008. Used ...
$4.99
Sublime work from a truly amazing artist – one who both sings and plays acoustic bass – all in a captivating blend of jazz, soul, and Brazilian styles! Esperanza Spalding has a fresh, unique feel that's all her own – the warmth of a jazz singer like Carmen Lundy, the sharper ... (Neo Soul, Vocalists)read moreCD
Maybe the greatest record so far from the lovely Esperanza Spalding – a set that has her moving farther from jazz, into a wonderfully warm style of soul music overall! The mix of modes is exquisite – a blend of Spalding's jazz-trained vocals with some beautiful arrangements that ... (Neo Soul, Vocalists)read moreCD
Maybe the greatest record so far from the lovely Esperanza Spalding – a set that has her moving farther from jazz, into a wonderfully warm style of soul music overall! The mix of modes is exquisite – a blend of Spalding's jazz-trained vocals with some beautiful arrangements that ... (Neo Soul, Vocalists)read moreCD
(Deluxe Edition – cover image has a dark background.)
One of the hippest records we've ever heard from Esperanza Spalding – a set that almost feels as if she's stepping back into some of the more experimental, individual qualities that made her so different at the start! There's definitely some appealing, catchy songs here – but the ... (Neo Soul, Vocalists)read moreCD
Jo Stafford —
Jo + Jazz ... CD Columbia (Japan), 1960. Used ...
$6.999.99
They certainly got the title right on this one – as Jo's singing a great batch of jazz-based tracks – and getting help from an array of small group players that include Ben Webster, Johnny Hodges, Conte Candoli, and Ray Nance! Arrangements are by Johnny Mandel, in a warmly chromatic ... read moreCD
With Monty Alexander on piano, Ben Wolfe on bass, and Clyde Lucas on drums – plus special guests Hendrik Meurkens on harmonica and vibes, and Dick Oatts on flute and soprano sax. CD
The title certainly gets it right – as Dakota Staton is definitely dynamic on this one, but not in a way that's hokey or forced at all! Instead, the record nicely lifts Staton from some of the more laidback and bluesy modes of her other 50s records – into a fuller range of styles that ... read moreCD
It's time to swing, but with a classy sound throughout – very much the best mix of modes Dakota Staton brought to her key early years at Capitol Records! Backings are by Sid Feller, and are pretty darn jazzy throughout – more so than some of Sid's other work of the time – a ... read moreCD
Curtis Stigers on tenor sax and vocals, Larry Goldings on piano and organ, David Tronzo on guitar, Ben Allison on bass, and Matt Wilson on drums. (Jazz, Vocalists)CD
A real standout in the classic catalog of ECM – not only because the record's got a slightly different inspiration than most, but also because it seems to unlock some especially beautiful moments from players who could sound different in other settings on the label! As the title indicates, ... (Jazz, Vocalists)read moreCD
New vocal work from Grady Tate – very much in the spirit of his classic albums for the Skye label! The record has grady singing with a small jazz combo – Kenny Barron on acoustic piano, John Di Martino on Fender Rhodes, Frank Wess on flute and sax, and Jimmy Cobb on drums. The set's ... read moreCD
A full length Riverside album that brings together two different sessions from the 78rpm years! Side one features trombonist Jack Teagarden working with an octet that also includes Rex Stewart on cornet, Ben Webster on tenor, and Barney Bigard on clarinet – and side two features clarinet ... (Jazz, Vocalists)read moreCD
Very hip gospel work by Sister Rosetta Tharp – singing here with her own guitar accompaniment, plus backing by small combos that include players like Ernie Hayes, Panama Francis, Ernest Richardson, and Harry Doc Bagby, who plays organ on about half the record. The sound is a folksy mix of ... (Gospel, Vocalists)read moreCD