Anita O'Day pays tribute to Downbeat poll winners by singing vocal versions of their big hits in this lively set of jazz tracks from the 50s! Arrangements are by Marty Paich and Russ Garcia, both swinging as nicely as they ever did – and the setting of the album keeps Anita nicely in line, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Early 80s Japanese Polydor pressing – UMV 2536. Includes insert.)
Anita sings it swinging and simple – working with a smallish combo to back her up, and vocalizing in a relatively uncluttered style that's in keeping with her best mode at Verve! The tunes are mostly standards, sung in a way that bridges swing and later styles of jazz vocalization – no ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Verve Inc pressing with a trumpeter logo and deep groove. Cover has small splits on spine & bottom seam, light surface wear. The back cover has tape remnant on the sides.)
Anita O'Day —
Big Band Sessions ... LP Verve, Late 50s/Early 60s. Near Mint- 2LP Gatefold ...
$9.99
With arrangements and accompaniment by the bands of Gary McFarland, Jimmy Guiffre, Johnny Mandel, and Billy May. LP, Vinyl record album
(Late 70s issue. Cover has light ringwear and some smudges on front and back.)
Very cool work from Anita O'Day – a session cut with Jimmy Giuffre arrangements, in a style that's a bit different than some of her other 50s work for Verve! Jimmy brings a nice touch of modernism to the record – casting the horns in ways that show his own love of creative colors and ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Early 80s Japanese stereo pressing – MV 2679 – with insert.)
Debut recordings by Anita O'Day! LP, Vinyl record album
(Mid 70s issue. Cover has light wear.)
Anita O'Day & Cal Tjader —
Time For Two ... LP Verve, 1962. Very Good+ ...
$11.9914.99
A great little meeting of two of the better talents on Verve Records in the early 60s – one that pairs the warm vocals of Anita O'Day with the cool vibes of Cal Tjader – in a sweet little session that's actually one of O'Day's best from the time! The feel here is lively, and slightly ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Mono MGM pressing with deep groove. Cover has light stain streaks, spot of sticker remnant, aging, ghost sticker spot.)
Yukio Ohta & His Hummingbirds —
Sound Villa 88 ... CD Columbia/Think (Japan), 1968. Used ...
$24.99
Groovy groovy work from the Japanese scene of the late 60s – performed by a cool quartet who harmonize vocally along with their instruments! The group's got a jazzy style – using piano, guitar, bass, and drums to lay down a groove – but their real charm comes from their harmonies ... read moreCD
Heavenly grooves from Hiroshi Okazaki & His Star Gazers – a group who harmonize wonderfully on this set! Despite their Japanese origin, the Star Gazers sing in English – clearly drawing from a legacy that includes The Four Freshmen and Hi-Los – but they also scat wordlessly ... (Jazz, Vocalists)read moreCD
Swingin' loungey group from the early 70's, with organ and electric piano in the lead, and vocals and horns by the group. (Rock, Vocalists)LP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has light wear, a name tag, and a small trace of a sticker.)
One of a few great vocal jazz records cut by singer Kim Parker in the early 80s – a spare set that features backing by Mal Waldron on piano, Isla Eckinger on bass, and Ed Thigpen on drums. The tunes are all pretty hip – well chosen, with some good obscure numbers – and Kim's tone ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
An early gem from singer Freda Payne – recorded back in the days when she was a jazz vocalist, years before her famous hits as a soul artist in the early 70s! The album's a darkly-tinged session with arrangements by Manny Albam – done in the late nite mode that you'd expect from the ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Orange and black label stereo pressing, with RVG etch. Cover has a drip stain on the bottom, but is nice otherwise.)
Annette Peacock —
X-Dreams ... LP Tomato, 1979. Very Good ...
$11.99
Pretty wild stuff from Annette Peacock – almost a "no wave" record at times, with lots of quirky art rock overtones next to the jazz vocal stylings that are more of her typical bag. The album's got lots of heavy guitars from rockers that include Mick Ronson, Chris Spedding, Bill ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Original pressing. Cover has a cutout notch, light ring impressions, heavy edge wear, and a small mark from price sticker removal.)
(Still sealed, with a cutout hole and a large hole at the top right.)
Oscar Peterson with Singers Unlimited —
In Tune ... LP MPS, 1971. Near Mint- ...
$6.9911.99
One of the first albums cut by the fab Singers Unlimited – and the set that has them backed by the Oscar Peterson Trio! The Singers always mixed well with guest jazz talents – and the style of this albums gives their sweet harmonies a nice jazz-based groove and not too much cheese on ... (Jazz, Vocalists)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Japanese pressing, including obi and insert – NCP7006. Cover has light aging, obi has light wear with clear tape.)
(Original stereo pressing, still sealed, with a small cutout hole and a large tear half way across the bottom. Cover is lightly bent at the bottom edge.)
One of the deepest soul sets from Esther Phillips' 70s years on Kudu Records – a set with some nicely gritty grooves and a surprisingly earthy feel at times – especially when compared to some of her other albums of the time! Backings are by James Brown's old reedman, Pee Wee Ellis ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Original pressing with Van Gelder stamp. Cover has a touch of edge wear.)
One of Esther's strong winners for Kudu – a record that takes her soulful style of earlier years, and wraps it around some sly 70s funky arrangements! Ex-James Brown hornman Pee Wee Ellis arranged the album, and gave Esther a nice little dose of funk that really helped her groove – ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A 70s album, issued at a time when Esther Phillips was really riding high with her records on the Kudo label – but a set that brings together unissued sides recorded for Atlantic in the 60s! The style is a great mix of rootsy soul and hipper jazz – arranged by Onzy Matthews on side one ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has a cutout notch and a scrape across the front.)
One of Esther Phillips' biggest comeback albums from the 70s – a classic set that takes her deeply soulful vocal approach, and sets it to some sweet jazz funk backings – served up by guitarist Joe Beck, who almost gets equal credit on the album cover! The rest of the lineup is equally ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Original pressing with Van Gelder stamp. Includes Kudu inner sleeve. Cover has a cutout notch.)
Smooth and sophisticated grooving from Esther Phillips – a record that really has her shaking off the rag-tag and rootsy modes of earlier years, and gliding sweetly into the mainstream! Phillips' vocals are still as soulful and compelling as ever, but the backings are quite full – ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Not a live album – as you might think from the title – but a tight batch of tunes that shows the full funk and soul talents of the legendary Esther Phillips! The album's got a nicely dark undercurrent at times – a sound that's not as smooth as some of Esther's other Kudu albums ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The cover might be a bit "on the nose" – but the album itself has some really nice tracks, thanks in part to production and arrangements by Pee Wee Ellis, who always managed to get the best out of Esther during the 70s! The groove's got a lot top shelf clubby soul and easygoing ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Includes the insert and Mercury inner sleeve. Cover has a cut corner and is bent a bit at the edges and bottom left corner.)
Edith Piaf —
Edith Piaf ... CD Laser Light, Late 40s/1950s. Used ...
$1.99
Faith Pillow —
Faith Pillow ... LP Uncle Tunes, 1981. Very Good+ ...
Just Sold Out!
A lost soul gem! Faith Pillow has a style that's a bit Roberta Flack, a bit Donny Hathaway – mixing up soul and jazz in a mode that's pretty complicated, quite sophisticated, yet unarguably soulful! This rare 1981 set is a live recording that features Faith in an intimate setting – ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Includes the printed inner sleeve. Cover has light wear.)
Gregory Porter arrives on Blue Note Records – and the result is Porter's most fully-formed set so far – just the kind of album that will push him firmly into the limelight – a place that we've felt he's deserved for quite a few years! Porter's a hell of a singer, and a hell of a ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The greatness of Gregory Porter continues to grow and grow – as the vocalist keeps moving past the straighter jazz of his roots, into a role as one of the greatest soul singers of the 21st Century! Porter's got a depth and maturity that few folks have had in recent years – especially ... read moreCD
A long-overdue look at the short but rich career of Sandy Posey on MGM Records – presented here in a set of four full albums, plus bonus non-LP singles too! Posey has a very unique approach, music that's a little bit country and a little bit pop – and which carries a distinct sound ... read moreCD
A great set of tracks by this lost 60s female singer – a lovely-voiced southern US singer who recorded mostly at Chips Moman's Memphis-based American Studios during the late 60s! Sandy works in a style that's part 60s girl pop, part country – with strong production on the vocals, and ... read moreCD
Really great work from Positive Force – a group who gave the world a rare groove classic back in the 80s, and who return here with fresh material that's every bit as great! The last time around, their lead singer was Denise Vallin – and here, the lovely Leslie Page steps up to the ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A rare vocal session from Jane Powell – a singer better known for her film performances, but who sounds pretty darn great here on an obscure 50s studio session for Verve! Jane's got a higher-voiced style than most of the other singers on Verve, but she's brought down to earth nicely by ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Mono black label Verve Records Inc pressing with deep groove. Cover has some wear and aging, with a peeled spot from sticker removal and small address label in back.)
2 Capitol Records gems from Louis Prima & Keely Smith – on a single CD, and with bonus tracks too! Hey Boy Hey Girl is a groovy little soundtrack recording – done for a rare film that starred Louis Prima and Keely Smith, working very much at the height of their 50s Capitol powers! ... read moreCD
Fantastic work from Arthur Prysock – a singer who really helped redefine the role of the male singer in the 60s, even though he's hardly remembered today! The title cut is one of his anthems – the kind of song that's heartfelt, yet masculine at the same time – almost a different ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Mono light blue label pressing. Cover has minimal wear and aging.)
Arthur Prysock —
Showcase ... LP Decca, 1960s. Near Mint- ...
$2.994.99
An incredible pairing of two important 60s talents – magnificent vocals from Arthur Prysock, and some of the best backings he ever received – thanks to Basie! LP, Vinyl record album
(Stereo MGM pressing with deep groove. Cover has a factory sticker on the front and faint ringwear.)
An incredible pairing of two important 60s talents – magnificent vocals from Arthur Prysock, and some of the best backings he ever received – thanks to Basie! CD adds in three more tracks – originally done for Old Town Records! CD
Three wonderful albums from this legendary Brazilian singer – all presented in a single set! First up is Nothing Will Be As It Was Tomorrow – a record that's quite different from Flora's earlier work, but in a way that we find very compelling! The record was produced by Leon Ndugu ... (Brazil, Vocalists)read moreCD
One of Flora Purim's most ambitious albums of the 70s – recorded with larger backings than usual, and some occasional additional vocal help from Urszula Dudziak and Googie Coppola! The "encounter" of the title is a reference to the added players on the set – as Flora's groove ... (Brazil, Vocalists)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A classic batch of Bay Area Brazilian grooves – recorded in the sweet breezy electric style of the Fantasy studios, and featuring the vocals of the lovely Flora Purim in the lead! The session's got a great mix of Brazilian and American fusion players – including Airto (of course!), Ron ... (Brazil, Vocalists)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has edge wear, some peeling in ring-form in front, some small scrapes, and is bent a bit at the spine.)
Rafael —
Stop Look Listen ... LP Selection/Sdban (Belgium), 1972. New Copy (reissue)...
$29.9932.99
A stunning album of spiritual majesty from American pianist Rafael – a player who'd worked in New York during the bop years, but who ended up overseas, and cut this completely unique album in the early 70s! Tracks are all long, and have a quality that owes a bit to the spiritual modes of the ... (Jazz, Vocalists)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A bit of a groovy switch for this great and under-recognized singer – a set that updates his sound with some 60s swingers that include "I Can See For Miles", "Mr Dream Merchant", "Hard To Believe", "Lelainia", "Woman Woman", and "Let's Go ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Stereo Dynagroove pressing. Cover has light wear and a cut corner.)
Tony Randall & Jack Klugman —
Odd Couple Sings ... LP London, 1973. Near Mint- Gatefold ...
$6.99
Terrible! But pretty darn wonderful, too – at least if you dig The Odd Couple! Considering their roots in Broadway, Randall and Klugman should be pretty decent singers – but instead, they decide to camp it up for this one, as they spend a lot of time arguing about and during sweet old- ... (Comedy, Vocalists)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Phase 4 stereo pressing. Cover has a cutout hole.)
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
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
One of Lou Rawls' best for Capitol – produced by David Axelrod, and arranged by HB Barnum with a joyous, leaping, sock-soulful groove! The drums get nice and hard on the set – especially on the classic break version of "For What It's Worth", and the rolling righteous cut ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Stereo pressing. Cover has light wear.)
Lou Rawls —
Soulin' ... CD Capitol/Elemental (France), 1966. New Copy Gatefold ...
$13.9918.99
One of the best albums that Lou Rawls cut with the team of HB Barnum and David Axelrod – that incredible duo who made some of his 60s Capitol albums so great! The style here is wonderful – upbeat grooves from Barnum – who brings more soul into Lou's music than before – ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreCD
One of the best albums that Lou Rawls cut with the team of HB Barnum and David Axelrod – that incredible duo who made some of his 60s Capitol albums so great! The style here is wonderful – upbeat grooves from Barnum – who brings more soul into Lou's music than before – ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Great work from Lou Rawls on Capitol – one of his fine fine albums produced by David Axelrod, with that snapping tight groove that works amazingly well with his vocals! The arrangements are super-tight – jazzy backings that have Lou shifting between that monologue style that he ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Stereo rainbow label pressing. Cover has a cutout hole, aging, wear, and a number in marker.)
A real breakthrough for Lou Rawls – a set that again paired him with arranger Onzy Matthews, and which even more deeply explored the unique space between jazz, soul, and the blues that became Rawls' prime territory back in the 60s! Matthews' backings are hip and jazzy throughout – ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Stereo rainbow label pressing. Cover has light wear and a price sticker mark.)
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
Annita Ray's vocals are certainly the main attraction here – but we're as equally in love with the backings from Harry Betts! The album's got a great sense of balance between the singer and the band going on – one that takes Ray's mix of breathy and warbling vocals, and focuses it ... read moreCD
(2010 pressing in a replica LP-style sleeve – includes LP Time obi.)
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
Della Reese gets a Latin twist – and result is one of her grooviest albums from the early days! Backings are arranged by OB Masingill, who does a good job of mixing RCA Latin modes with the soulful settings used on Della's straighter jazz records – balancing things out nicely so that ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Mono pressing with deep groove, 1s stampers. Cover has minimal wear and aging.)
One of Della Reese's greatest records – and a unique little session cut "live in the studio" before a very appreciative crowd! Bobby Bryant wrote out some very hip charts for the session, and they're made even better by organ work by Bill Doggett and piano lines by Gerald Wiggins ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Black label stereo pressing. Cover has some wear and aging.)
An obscure one from Della Reese – and a set with a nice touch of soul, too! The album was produced by Della herself, with arrangements by Peter Myers – and titles include "Fire & Rain", "Funny", "Bein Green", "If Loving You Is Wrong", and ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
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
One of the greatest early moments from Dianne Reeves – a set that's still steeped in plenty of jazz, but one that also has the singer coming across with a more personally poetic vibe as well – a quality that opens up Reeves in ways we never would have expected a few years before! ... read moreCD
Dianne Reeves —
That Day ... CD Blue Note, 1997. Used ...
$3.99
Features Mulgrew Miller on piano and Terri Lynne Carrington on drums – plus Bob Sheppard on saxes and flute, and Oscar Brashear on trumpet! CD
A stunning live recording from Elis Regina – one of the last few records she cut during her short time on this planet – and one of the best as well! The album's got a jazzy fire that's missing from some of Regina's other material of the time – and Elis sings with a group that ... (Brazil, Vocalists)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Early 80s pressing. Includes heavy inner sleeve. Cover has light ring wear, light bumps on the opening edge.)
A one of a kind record that still sparkles as brightly today as it did back in the late 60s – an amazing collaboration between Brazilian vocalist Elis Regina and Scandinavian jazzman Toots Thielemans – done in a style that easily makes it one of the best records ever from both artists! ... (Brazil, Vocalists)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Early 80s issue. Cover has light corner bumps/bends.)
Sublimely soulful work from Irene Reid – at one level a record that's in the field between jazz and soul, like albums from Gloria Lynne or Nancy Wilson at the time – but at another level, a key indication of Irene's strong strong vocal approach – one that's much deeper and more ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has a cutout hole and a small trace of a price sticker, but looks great overall.)
They're not lying with the title of this one – as Rita's voice is as cool as it gets, very much in the mode of 50s work by June Christy or Chris Connor – but made even more icy because of her Dutch accent, which adds a strange twist to her interpretation of the English lyrics on the set! ... 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
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
Mavis Rivers sings a set of tracks originally made famous by Mildred Bailey – with backing by a combo led by Red Norvo, and featuring Harry Edison, Bill Harris, and Eric Dixon. The sound's hipper than you might think from the Bailey reference, thanks to Red – and titles include "Ea ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Mono rainbow label pressing. Cover has some surface wear and aging, splitting at the top of the spine, a small sticker in back, and appears to have been signed by Norvo in front.)
One of the most righteous albums that Max Roach ever cut – and a monumental jazz release from the heart of the Civil Rights era! As you can guess from the cover and title, there's a very political bent to the record – served up in righteous lyrics penned by Oscar Brand Jr, and sung by ... (Jazz, Vocalists)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Limited EU clear vinyl reissue on Destination Moon – #462/500. Shrinkwrap has a small tear at the top right edge.)
Fantastic stuff, and a record that was virtually the blueprint for spiritual soul jazz in the 70s! Although Max Roach first rose to fame during the bop years, by the time of this set he'd really stretched out a lot – moving past initial righteous projects in the Civil Rights era, to even ... (Jazz, Vocalists)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Excellent 180 gram pressing – remastered from the original tapes by Bernie Grundman, with new sleeve notes too!)
One of Max's many great records from the late 50's, most of which tend to get overlooked in favor of his more experimental sessions. The group here includes Ray Bryant, Stanley Turrentine, Julian Priester, and Turrentine's great brother Tommy – and they're joined by Abbey Lincoln on vocals ... (Jazz, Vocalists)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
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 moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Inner City pressing. Cover has some ring and edge wear, a light score along the opening, and is bent a bit at the corners.)
Sweetly grooving vocals from Judy Roberts – a Chicago homegirl, but one with the warm sunny touches of the California scene of the late 70s! The record's got Judy working with a tight small combo – keyboards, bass, guitar, and percussion – grooving away in a sweet mode that works ... read moreCD
Breezy electric vocals from 70s Sweden – a great little record that's heavy on electric piano and organ, and which features some sublime vocals from singer Meta Roos! The record does a great job of blending influences from bossa nova and sophisticated American soul – in a style that ... 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