One of the greatest albums ever from Lorez Alexandria – an ultra-hip singer who recorded for Impulse and King, but who sounds especially wonderful on this rare date for Chess Records! The album's got a groove that definitely lives up to its title – a jazzy, bouncy sort of rhythm that's ... read moreCD
A classic album from one of our favorite jazz singers ever – a set that really set a whole new standard for a generation! Even at this early stage, Lorez Alexandria was an amazingly accomplished vocalist – as you'll hear on this excellent selection of tunes from the Lester Young ... read moreCD
Always-great work from singer Lorez Alexandria – still sounding wonderful, even at this late date! Her presentation's a bit earthier than before, but no less poised than on earlier sessions – with the same sense of space and timing that's always made her one of our favorite jazz ... read moreCD
Incredible early work from Lorez Alexandria – the kind of albums that instantly set her apart from other singers of the 50s, reissued here properly for the first time in years! On This Is Lorez, the singer is working with sublime small combo backings from the group of pianist King Fleming ... read moreCD
The second album by this excellent all-female San Francisco jazz combo – a live date that's even more cooking than their debut! As before, there's a sweetly breezy style to the record – that hip SF sound of the 70s – with echoes of Braziliana and soul amidst the group's jazzier ... read moreCD
A gem of a record from the mid 70s west coast scene – a really overlooked set from vocalist Laura Allen, recorded with a wonderfully breezy, soulful sound! Laura's got a voice that's perfect if you dig singers like Linda Lewis or Maria Muldaur, particularly the former – a bit jazzy at ... read moreCD
Ernestine Allen —
Let It Roll ... CD Tru Sound, Early 60s. Used ...
$3.99
Tasty R&B material, recorded on Prestige's short-lived Tru-Sound subsidiary. Ernestine had some earlier fame under the name Anisteen Allen, and this record's got a similar sound to her late 40s work – with lots of smoky vocals, touched by a warm jazz sensibility that gives the material a ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreCD
An intimate trio date from the late, great Mose Allison – recorded in 2006 but not released until 2015. Tracks include "City Home", "Lucky So & So", "Numbers On Paper", "My Backyard", "One Of These Days", and "You Can Count On ... read moreCD
Like many other 70s reissues in the Prestige/Milestone/fantasy family, this set compiles 2 early albums by Mose. Unlike a lot of his later material, this set's mostly instrumental, though he does get in some vocals on about a third of the tracks. The album features some great work by Allison's ... read moreCD
Mose Allison is one of the coolest, grooviest singers ever to grace the face of jazz – a voice you'll recognize instantly, even if you don't know his name – and an artist who had a huge influence on the sound of the London scene in the 60s! Mose was mod before mod was a thing – ... read moreCD
A great cooker from the glory days of Ernestine Anderson on Concord Records – a time when the singer was rediscovered, and revamped in a bit of a bluesy mode – reaching a wide new audience at the time! Her vocals really shine at this point in her career, as she lets loose with a bit ... read moreCD
Maxi Anderson —
Maxi ... CD Blue Note (Japan), 1977. New Copy ...
Just Sold Out!
One of the only albums ever cut by Maxi Anderson – a hell of a soul singer who's lent her talents to a number of sessions over the years, but who sounds especially great here in the lead! Anderson's got a vibe that's almost like Minnie Riperton at the time – a warmly glowing approach ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreCD
With Trummy Young on trombone, Dave McRae on clarinet, Billy Kyle on piano, George Barnes on guitar, Mort Herbert on bass, Barrett Deems on drums, and Nickie Tagg on organ; with choir directed by Sy Oliver. (Jazz, Vocalists)CD
Gordon Jenkins did the arrangements, and the record features Louis' version of "Blueberry Hill" – plus the tracks "Chlo-e", "Jeannine", "Spooks!", "Trees", and "It's All In The Game". Includes four bonus tracks. (Jazz, Vocalists)CD
Gentle-going genius from the later years of Satchmo's career – a session that has Louis on trumpet and vocals, backed by the Oscar Peterson Trio! Peterson's usual group with Herb Ellis and Ray Brown is expanded slightly for this outing – bringing in Louis Bellson on drums to syncopate ... (Jazz, Vocalists)read moreCD
(Out of print Verve Masters Edition, in the tri-fold digipack.)
A really amazing set of recordings – vocal sessions done by Fred Astaire in the later season of his career – recorded in the studio with intimate backing by a Verve group that includes Oscar Peterson, Barney Kessel, Charlie Shavers, and Flip Phillips! The material features lovely new ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Fred Astaire —
Jazz Time ... CD Proper (UK), Early 1950s. Used 2 CDs ...
$6.99
Rare Bacharach galore – an assortment of under-reissued tracks all penned by the mighty Burt – most of which are from the heyday of 60s uptown soul! Despite the 1952 in the date range on the title, almost all the tunes here are from the mid 60s – that time when Bacharach was ... read moreCD
Chet Baker —
Chet On Poetry ... CD Novus/Mono Jazz (Italy), 1988. New Copy ...
$16.9919.99
Completely evocative late life work from Chet Baker – one of the last albums he ever recorded, and a set that shows just how much Baker kept evolving in the later years of his career! Given some of the personal troubles that plagued Chet over the decades, there's sometimes a thought out ... (Jazz, Vocalists)read moreCD
One of Chet Baker's most classic albums of the 50s – a record that features both vocals and strong trumpet solos – all from a time when Baker was one of the hottest things going in jazz! The album's different from records from previous years, in that it moves Baker from LA to New York ... (Jazz, Vocalists)read moreCD
Tracks include "The Thrill Is Gone", "Time After Time", "Look For The Silver Lining", "Daybreak", "Just Friends", and "My Ideal" – 20 cuts total. (Jazz, Vocalists)CD
Patricia Barber —
Cafe Blue ... CD Premonition, 1994. Used ...
$4.99
Patricia Barber on piano and vocals, John McLean on guitars, Michael Arnopol on bass, and Mark Walker on drums and percussion. Titles include "What A Shame", "Mourning Grace", "Ode To Billie Joe", "Mahna De Carnaval", "Inch Worm", "The Thrill ... read moreCD
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 ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreCD
Count Basie plays the piano and Joe Williams sings in his bluesy way and they are backed by a slew of musicians who include Thad Jones on trumpet, Ben Powell on trombone, Frank Foster on tenor saxophone, Sonny Payne on drums and many, many others. Frank Foster did all of the arrangements and the ... (Jazz, Vocalists)read moreCD
Sarah Vaughan gets some backing from Count Basie – making for a record that's one of her jazziest and swinging of the time! As with other Basie-related vocal sessions from the early 60s, this one has a soulful edge and a nice little bounce – one that makes for a more solid approach ... (Jazz, Vocalists)read moreCD
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 ... read moreCD
Three full albums from this tremendous singer – all in a single set! Morning In Paris is very early work from South African singer Sathima Bea Benjamin – recorded in Paris in 1963, with backing by longtime partner Abdullah Ibrahim, plus additional piano and production by Duke Ellington! ... read moreCD
Sathima Bea Benjamin with Duke Ellington —
Morning In Paris ... CD Enja (Germany), 1963. Used ...
$9.99
Very early work from South African singer Sathima Bea Benjamin – recorded in Paris in 1963, with backing by longtime partner Abdullah Ibrahim, plus additional piano and production by Duke Ellington! The album was cut around the same time as Ibrahim (Dollar Brand) did his famous Reprise album ... read moreCD
An obscure vocal jazz gem from the LA scene of the 50s – recorded for Atlantic, but done in a style that's a fair bit like the best work for Bethlehem or Mode at the time! Betty Bennett sings here with backings from Shorty Rogers on one side, and Andre Previn on the other – often in a ... read moreCD
(2007 Japanese pressing in a nice glossy LP style cover – in great shape with obi!)
Tony Bennett —
Cloud 7 ... CD Columbia, 1955. Used ...
$4.99
One of Tony Bennett's greatest jazz sessions – a sublime mid 50s outing that features small combo backing from guitarist Chuck Wayne! The setting is extremely spare for the time – a real contrast from the higher drama of some of Tony's 50s chart hits, and the kind of a record that ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Elsie Bianchi Trio —
Atlantis Blues ... CD Sonorama (Germany), 1962. New Copy ...
$8.9919.99
A rare early session from the lovely Elsie Bianchi – best known for her classic 60s sides on Saba/MPS, heard here in a very similar format! The set features Elsie working with her combo from the Swiss Atlantis nightclub in the early 60s – and was originally issued as a limited-number ... read moreCD
A pair of later jazzy vocal LP gems by Teresa Brewer, both backed by jazz greats – Songs Of Bessie Smith with Count Basie and Thad Jones, and It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing with Duke Ellington – both released by Flying Dutchman in 1973! Teresa's popularity peaked a ... read moreCD
Dee Dee Bridgewater —
Afro Blue ... CD Trio/AMJ (Japan), 1974. Used ...
$19.99
One of the greatest jazz vocal albums of all time – and one of the first true moments of genius from a young Dee Dee Bridgewater! The album's a Japanese only release (proof that they're always hipper to our jazz artists than we are!) – and it features Dee Dee singing material that's ... read moreCD
Dee Dee Bridgewater —
Dear Ella ... CD EmArcy/Decca, 1997. Used ...
$0.99
A surprising sort of set, one in which Dee Dee Bridgewater pays tribute to Ella Fitzgerald – a link we might never have expected in her style! Dee Dee's not totally copping Ella here, though – although she does sing a good number of tunes from the Fitzgerald songbook – and as ... read moreCD
A beautiful love letter from Dee Dee Bridgewater to her adopted home of Paris – sung in French, and with a feel that's quite different than much of her recent work! The style here wonderfully mixes together bits of jazz and more traditional chanson – in a style that recalls some of the ... read moreCD
One of Dee Dee Bridgewater's greatest jazz albums, and a very important record in her career – as it marked a shift back to straight jazz vocals, after years of working in a more R&B inflected mode. The album's recorded in Paris, where Dee Dee's spent an awful lot of time over the years, ... read moreCD
A modern classic from Dee Dee Bridgewater – one of her hippest albums of the later years, thanks to a great choice of material, and some really wonderful execution! The album's a beautiful set of straight jazz vocal readings of some of Horace Silver's best compositions, and it also features ... read moreCD
A different James Brown album – but a nice one! James doesn't sing soul, so much as jazz – in front of large backings by Louis Bellson, with arrangements by Oliver Nelson that are in his best 60s soul mode – and which give the album a very very groovy feel overall! The record's ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreCD
One of Oscar Brown's great ones, recorded live at the Cellar Door in Washington before an enthusiastic crowd of hipsters! The record's a beautiful mix of soul, jazz, and folk – in the same Chicago tradition that spawned Terry Callier (although Brown's style has a bit more of a "show" ... read moreCD
A hip little set from Ruth Brown – miles away from her earlier R&B for Atlantic, and much more in the adult, righteous, and contemporary mode you'd expect from the title! The session's one of the key sides from the late 60s Skye Records catalog – and like others on the label, it ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreCD
One of the coolest collaborations of Dave Brubeck's years at Columbia Records – and one of the greatest jazz sessions from vocalist Jimmy Rushing too! On paper, the modernist Brubeck and Kansas City roots singer Rushing would seem to be a very unlikely pair – but by this time in his ... (Jazz, Vocalists)read moreCD
Mighty nice work from singer Ann Burton – one of those jazz vocalists who was almost a secret star in the 70s – continuing a legacy of earlier fame, but through a series of overseas recordings and small label dates that really let her grow creatively and open up fresh territory as an ... read moreCD
Laverne Butler fronts a piano trio led by Bruce Barth! Tracks include "This Bitter Earth", "Hit The Road Jack", "Late Sunday Afternoon", "I'm A Fool To Want You" and "Willow Weep For Me". CD
(Digipak has some edge wear.)
Ann Hampton Callaway —
Slow ... CD Shanachie, 2004. Used ...
$2.99
A label-spanning look at the music of Terry Callier – one that starts with his folksy roots, runs through his sublime soul at Chess, and ends with some of his overlooked modern soul numbers from the early 80s! There's been a few other Callier collections on the market, but this one's got the ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreCD
A label-spanning look at the music of Terry Callier – one that starts with his folksy roots, runs through his sublime soul at Chess, and ends with some of his overlooked modern soul numbers from the early 80s! There's been a few other Callier collections on the market, but this one's got the ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreCD
Possibly the greatest album ever by the legendary Chicago soul singer Terry Callier! Terry's rich mellow voice is mixed with superb arrangements from the Cadet studio team, with Charles Stepney at the head, and the result is completely sublime. The songs are longer than on earlier albums – ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreCD
(Verve Originals digipack pressing.)
Alyson Cambridge —
Until Now ... CD Suite 28, 2015. Used ...
$2.99
Titles include "Fever", "Black Coffee", "The Man I Love", "Too Darn Hot", "It Ain't Necessarily So", and "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend". CD
A brilliant live set by Betty Carter – originally issued on her own Bet-Car label in 1980, and a perfect summation of the underground soul that was bubbling through her work in the 70s! The Betty you hear here is way different than the Betty of earlier years – freer, more soulful, ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Betty Carter —
Bebop Girl ... CD Columbia/Official, Late 40s/Early 50s. Used ...
$4.99
A landmark album from vocalist Betty Carter – not her first time in the recording studio, but maybe one of the first full length sets to really communicate all the genius she was bringing to the field of jazz vocals in the postwar years! The record is one of Carter's more sophisticated ... read moreCD
(Out of print. Sleeve has some wear including some on the spine and is priced accordingly.)
A really rare slice of work from legendary UK singer Petula Clark – an artist you'll know best for her swinging pop records of the 60s, but who also cut a fair bit of music in other European languages too! Petula was huge on our shores with her "Downtown" hit in the mid 60s – ... read moreCD
Fantastic stuff, and proof that Rosemary Clooney was always one heck of a great singer – with strengths in jazz that you didn't always hear in her pop work! As you'd guess from the cover, Duke Ellington's leading the group on the album – and most of the tracks here are older Ellington ... read moreCD
Bobby Cole —
Point Of View ... CD P-Vine (Japan), 1964/1990s. New Copy ...
$18.9924.99
An incredible treasure from a lost vocal jazz genius – the little-known Bobby Cole, every bit as great a singer as he was a songwriter, very unusual for the time! Bobby was probably best remembered as the house pianist at Jillys, but at the time of this 1964 recording, he was poised to ... read moreCD
Freddy Cole on vocals and piano, Eddie Edwards on bass, and Ed Zad on drums – performing titles that include "Where Did Everyone Go?", "The Best Man", "Funny (Not Much)", "Home Fried Potatoes", and "Nat Cole Medley" – a 10 minute tribute ... read moreCD
Two rare European records from Freddy Cole – best known to most of us in the US as a jazz singer! One More Love Song is surprisingly soulful set from Freddy – quite different than some of the straighter jazz vocals he's cut over the years! This rare gem was recorded in The Netherlands ... read moreCD
18 great tracks that show Nat's strong ability to handle material as a romantic and ballad singer – not in kind of a weepy mode, but in a sophisticated strong-willed style that was a perfect blend of measured emotion and simmering intensity. Titles include "Love Is The Thing", ... read moreCD
CD includes 28 tracks, with music by the early King Cole Trio, plus some nice solo material too! Titles that include "Nature Boy", "Too Young", "Send For Me", "Mona Lisa", "On The Street Where You Live", "Almost Like Being In Love", "S ... read moreCD
Beautiful work from Adegoke Steve Colson – a warmly grooving set cut with vocalist Iqua Colson – possibly one of Steve's straightest records ever, but one of his most soulful, too! Iqua's got a fluid vocal approach that's mighty nice – and the Colson combo swings in a mix of ... (Jazz, Vocalists)read moreCD
(Out of print original Silver Sphinx pressing. Booklet has a bit of marker.)
Four late 60s gems from Perry Como – all records that really have him pushing beyond his pop style of the 50s! First up is Lightly Latin – one of the most sublime albums we've ever heard from Perry Como – a set that definitely takes its Latin lightly, and instead really goes for ... read moreCD
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 ... read moreCD
A real standout in Chris Connor's legendary run for Atlantic Records – and a unique double-length set that was almost her answer to some of the 2LP Verve songbook sessions from Ella Fitzgerald! Like those, this album's based upon the work of a single composer – and features key ... read moreCD
Although most of Chris Connor's best recordings for Atlantic have always been darn tough to find, and rarely reissued, this excellent 2-fer makes these classic albums of icy vocals available once again! Chris sings in her best cool voice, with backing by a number of different groups made up of ... read moreCD
(1999 Collectables pressing, barcode has a cutout hole.)
Beautiful stuff – and a great CD that brings together 2 of Chris Connor's best jazz albums for Atlantic! Just about all of Chris' records are great, but on both of these she really hits her stride – working in the small combo setting that she first recorded with, singing to sensitive ... read moreCD
A lovely side by Chris Connor for Atlantic, recorded not too long after her stint at Bethlehem – where she'd perfected an icy cool style of singing that's still to be matched to this day! The album features larger arrangements by Richard Wess – but still has a light jazzy feel, ... read moreCD
A very cool album from Noel Coward – a talent you're probably more familiar with as a playwright, but who also happens to be quite the entertainer! This album is one of two great sets that Coward recorded live in the US in the mid 50s, and they really show him opening up a lot from earlier ... read moreCD
(Sealed copy.)
Meredith D'Ambrosio —
Cove ... CD Sunnyside, 1988. Used ...
$6.99
Features Lee Konitz on alto and Fred Hersch on piano! CD
Really fantastic later work from Bobby Darin – material that's quite different than the simple pop of his early Atco years, and even the jazzier style he used earlier on in the 60s! The set is one of two issued by the Direction label – and features Bobby taking off from some of the Tim ... read moreCD