The voice of Audrey Morris is a great one – sweet, but also sad too – but never in a too-sentimental way, and perfect for the gentler touch of the Bethlehem label! Audrey's working here with backings penned by Marty Paich – who also plays celeste on the album, with a group that features Stu Williamson on trumpet, Bill Pitman on guitar, Joe Mondragon on bass, and Irv Cottler or Alvin Stoller on drums. Paich uses a bit of strings on the date – never too much, but just enough to underscore the sadness of the bluer tunes, and create a bit of softness on a few of the ballads – all in a way that's never too dramatic, and which always gives way to Audrey's vocals when they slide into the mix – preserving the intimate quality that always makes for her best sort of setting. The track selection is great – far more unusual than the typical Bethlehem vocal date, with some great late nite numbers that include "If Love Were All", "I Never Mention Your Name", "It's Always You", "What More Can A Woman Do", "Blue Turning Gray Over You", "I Go For That", and "I Wonder What Became Of Me". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent little album from the team of Herbie Mann & Buddy Collette – one that has both players using a wide range of reed instruments, and not just flute! Herbie and Buddy are wonderfully paired here – in a way that expands past the usual flute jazz mode by adding in bits of tenor sax, alto, and clarinet – as well as a range of different flutes too – not in a mode that's gimmicky, but which complements the lighter sound of the flute with some heavier notes on tenor at just the right moment – in a style that reminds us of some of Jerome Richardson's best records of the time. Rhythm is by the trio of Mel Lewis on drums, Buddy Clark on bass, and Jimmy Rowles on both piano and a bit of celeste – and tracks are long, with a freshly spontaneous feel that's really great! Titles include "Morning After", "Here's Pete", "Theme From Theme From", "Give A Little Whistle", "Herbie's Buddy", and "Pop Melody". This is a 2nd pressing of the Mode album Flute Fraternity – without Buddy Collette as the co-leader on the cover, and with his name listed in the notes as Bobby Collette! LP, Vinyl record album

A beautifully bold statement from the Stan Tracey Quartet – one of the group's key recordings of the 60s, and a wonderful document of the talents of tenorist Bobby Wellins! During the 60s, Tracey and Wellins worked together like the team of Monk and Charlie Rouse – crafting a groove that was as soulful as it was angular – filled with feeling and life, and at once willing to explore the outer reaches of jazz, yet never going too far as to lose its humanity. Yet Wellins and Tracey were no simple Monkish pair – as heard on this set from 1967, a suite of tracks composed by Stan, and featuring him on celeste and vibes as well as his usual piano. The rhythms are increasingly complex as the set moves on – taking the angularities of Tracey's 50s work, and inflecting them with a sense of exploratory energy that really moves the style into a whole new level – one that's wonderfully dynamic, and filled with a freshness that still resonates strongly today. Titles include "Three Times Loser Three Times Bluser", "Undercover Lover", "Amoroso Only Moreso", "Two Part Intention", "Sweet Used To Be", and "Love Now Weep Later" – all of which sound much better than their hokey titles! CD