A real treasure trove of music from the legendary Bill Evans – the complete recordings the pianist made for Verve Records in the 60s, including trio sessions, solo material, and interesting larger projects as well – plus alternate takes, unissued material, and lots more gems! Evans hit Verve at the height of his powers – already coming off important early records for the Riverside label, and working with Verve with superb recording quality, and great care for Evans as an artist – which allowed Bill to further flower in his familiar trio setting, and also try out solo recordings, and work with other co-leaders who include arranger Gary McFarland, tenorist Stan Getz, guitarist Jim Hall, and singer Monica Zetterlund – all of whom work closely with Evans on a session. The box features remastering for all sides, and includes over 250 tracks in a really overstuffed package! CD

Guitar jazz genius from the amazing Tal Farlow – working here at the height of his powers on a classic session for Verve – a real standout album from the 50s, and one with some slightly more modern overtones than even other Farlow sessions at the time! Part of the strength of the set is the piano work of Eddie Costa – which dances nicely in between the notes, often creating the same sense of counterpoint and interplay as on Costa's excellent albums with Sal Salvador from the same period. Farlow's tone is amazing throughout – rough and pointed, yet always fluid – and titles include "Lean On Me", "The More I See You", "Stella By Starlight", "Topsy", "All The Things You Are", and "Wonder Why". CD

A landmark record – both in 60s jazz and bossa nova – and a set that not only bridged worlds of music, but set the tone for so many other albums to come! By the time of this 1964 set, Stan Getz had already issued a few bossa nova experiments on Verve – but this pairing with guitarist Joao Gilberto really pushed the format over the top – thanks in part to the vocals of Gilberto's lovely wife Astrud, who'd never sung in the studio before this famous recording! The record created a sound that was copied endlessly, and which catapulted Astrud to unbelievable fame worldwide – even though she was only included in the session at the last minute, because Joao couldn't sing in English – and the mix of Stan's tenor and Joao's guitar is wonderful – and backed throughout by this light, lilting bossa nova rhythms. Titles include the classic recording of "Girl From Ipanema", plus loads of other bossa classics like "Desafinado", "Cocovado", "O Grande Amor", and "Vivo Sonhando". Plus, this CD reissue package includes 2 bonus cuts – and a very cool tri-fold cover! CD

A collection of sides cut in the mid 60s by Wes during his association with Verve. Culled from the albums Movin' Wes, Bumpin', Goin' Out Of My Head and Tequila, these numbers all feature the larger arrangements that gave those albums a richer sound than his small group recordings, though Wes' soulful playing shines over top. Arrangements are by Oliver Nelson, Johnny Pate, Claus Ogerman and Don Sebesky and the tracks are 'Tequila", "Movin' Wes (part 1)", "End Of A Love Affair", "Naptown Blues", "Con Alma", "Goin' Out of My Head", "How Insensitive (Insensatez)", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", "Caravan" and "Bumpin' On Sunset". LP, Vinyl record album

Collects 25 tracks – including the entire Smokin' At The Half Note album – and features work with Wynton Kelly, Jimmy Smith, Oliver Nelson, and others. CD

A jazz treasure chest – an extraordinary bounty of Bird on Verve! You get absolutely everything here, master takes, alternate takes, loads of previously unissued material, rehearsals, incomplete takes, you get it all! Sidemen include Benny Carter, Kenny Clarke, Miles Davis, Roy Eldridge, Gil Evans, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Coleman Hawkins, Johnny Hodges, John Lewis, Machito, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Buddy Rich, Max Roach, Ben Webster and Lester Young. There's 177 (!!) tracks in all, so we can't list all the titles here, but some of them include "Blues For Norman", "The Bird", "Repetition", "No Noise", "Okiedoke", "The Opener", "Lester Leaps In", "Flyin' Home", "Perdido", "Everything Happens To Me", "April In Paris", "Summertime", "I Didn't Know What Time It Was", "Bloomdido", "Mohawk", "My Melancholy Baby", "Leapfrog", "East Of The Sun", "I'll Remember April", "Au Privave", "KC Blues", "Swedish Schnapps", "Estrellita", "Funky Blues", "Jam Blues", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", and "Love For Sale". CD

A really incredible collection – Charlie Parker's seminal recordings for Verve Records, done in a great variety of modes – from small bop combos, to crucial "with strings" recordings, to Latin settings, and more! The package is great – maybe the first and best to ever collect Parker's Verve material this way. LP, Vinyl record album

About as classic as you can get for Ben Webster on Verve Records – a nicely mature, nicely laidback session that really captures the energy promised in the title! The sidemen are all in an easygoing, soulful mode – Oscar Peterson on piano, Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, and Stan Levey on drums – and Ben blows these beautifully deep, well-crafted lines on tenor over the top – always with that raspy tone that had already influenced a generation, but which hardly ever got a better showcase than this! Titles include "Time On My Hands", "Where Are You", "Soulville", "Late Date", and "Ill Wind". CD also features 3 previously unissued tracks – "Who", "Boogie Woogie", and "Roses Of Picardy". CD

A fantastic package – 10CDs worth of all the great material recorded at the early Jazz At The Philharmonic concerts – headed by Verve's Norman Granz, and presented in an all-star mix of bebop, swing, and hip jazz vocals! Lots of long tracks, with extended solos, and unique meetings of different jazz talents. CD

Surprisingly wonderful work from Kenny! The album has Kenny's guitar set to arrangements by Gil Evans – who gives the session a modern edge that really sets it apart from other Burrell albums of the time. Kenny's freed to do his thing – wonderfully, we might add – and Gil paints these washes of sound, color, and tone with the help of hip players like Johnny Coles, Louis Mucci, Julius Watkins, Steve Lacy, Richie Kamuca, Elvin Jones, and Lee Konitz. Tracks include "Lotus Land", "Downstairs", "Moon & Sand", "Terrace Theme", "Greensleeves", and "Loie". Plus, the CD includes 10 bonus takes of tunes on the set – and comes in a great fold-out cardboard package! CD

A great title for this one – as the album's got a cool, laidback groove that's very much in a "night song" mode! Arrangements are by Don Sebesky – in that warm and fluid mode he was bringing to some of his best CTI sides at the time – and they push guitarist Kenny Burrell a bit more than usual, as he stretches out over the larger arrangements with some really great solo work that dips, turns, and rolls with incredibly warm hues of sound! Kenny plays solo on 2 tracks, and with a smaller quartet on a few more – and titles include "Night Song", "Love You Madly", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", "Brother Where Are You?", "Nighthawk", and "Teach Me Tonight". CD

A surprisingly great meeting between Kenny Burrell and Jimmy Smith – and a set that's one of Jimmy's standout small combo sessions for Verve! The feel here is much more Jimmy Smith at Blue Note than some of the bigger group Verve dates of the 60s – and Kenny Burrell's sensitive guitar lines provide wonderful company for Smith on the date – shading in his Hammond lines with a nice sense of color, in ways that really fit the late nite setting of the record. Other players on the date include either Bill English or Mel Lewis on drums, George Duvivier or Milt Hinton on bass, Vince Gambella on guitar, and Art Marotti on percussion – and titles include "Kenny's Sound", "Blues For Del", "Blue Bash", "Travelin", and "Soft Winds". LP, Vinyl record album

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, working in an unfettered setting that lets her take off on piano and vocals, working in a mode that's got a modal vibrant quality unmatched by most other singers! The album includes a great version of "Open The Door", a 25 minute reading of the landmark tune "Sounds", and the tracks "Tight", "Fake", "So", "My Favorite Things", "Caribbean Sun", and "I Think I Got It Now". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Regina Carter on violin, Werner "Vana" Gierig on piano, Darryl Hall on bass, Alvester Garnett on drums, and Mayra Casales on percussion. CD

Include the songs "Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte", "Black Orpheus", "Pavane", "Oblivion", "Reverie", "Healing In Foreign Lands", "Apres Un Reve", "Excerpt From Alexandra", and "Cinema Paradiso". CD

Regina Carter on violin, Werner 'Vana' Gierig on piano, Peter Washington on bass, Lewish Nash, and Mayra Casales on percussion. CD

Way more than just the promised tribute to Charlie Parker – and the group features Johnny Griffin on tenor, Jackie McLean on alto, Cecil Payne on baritone, Duke Jordan on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums – all directed by Don Sickler! CD

A really back to basics album from trumpeter Don Cherry – or maybe a set that goes back to basics that Don didn't even have, given that most folks initially heard him in the freewheeling group of Ornette Coleman! The album's straighter than his work with Ornette, and also different than his 70s experiments with world cultures and fusion – as the record has a tight, acoustic vibe – Cherry blowing these great solos on pocket trumpet, in the company of a swinging lineup that also features James Clay on tenor, Charlie Haden on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums! The lack of piano is definitely a nod to Don's roots, and there's certainly an open vibe to the record at times – but things are mostly straight and swinging, in a way that opens up another level in Cherry's long and varied career. Titles include "Art Deco", 'When Will The Blues Leave", "Body & Soul", "Bemsha Swing", "Maffy", "Folk Medley", "The Blessing", "Passing", "I've Grown Accustomed To Your Face", and "Compute". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best albums that Al Cohn and Zoot Sims ever cut together – and that's saying a lot, given the strength of their collaborations during the 50s and 60s! The set's got a nice small group feeling, and is a bit more open and relaxed than some of their RCA material – still in the sharp, thoughtful mode that marked both Cohn and Sims' sessions – but also a bit more earthy, too – possibly because they've got Mose Allison in the combo on piano. The album includes the incredible spare sax-only track "Improvisation For Unaccompanied Saxophones", which is an extremely haunting track that sounds unlike anything the pair had ever done together – and other titles have the full quintet playing, tunes that include "The Opener", "The Note" and "You N Me". CD

Ornette Coleman on saxophone, violin, and trumpet – with Geri Allen on piano, and Charnett Moffett on bass, and Denardo Coleman on drums! CD

Features Geri Allen on piano, Charnett Moffett on bass, and Denardo Coleman on drums – and Ornette plays alto, trumpet, and violin! CD

Duets featuring Ornette Coleman on alto saxophone, trumpet, and violin – and Joachim Kuhn on piano! CD

One of Alice Coltrane's most adventurous albums – a beautiful blend of organ, harp, percussion, and strings – much of which are transcribed for the album by Ornette Coleman! The most haunting aspect of the album is Alice's work on organ – spare, jagged, with a nascent soulful quality that's quite different from her piano work on other Impulse albums. The strings provide a sheet of sound – a shimmering backdrop to support Alice's work on the keys – moving forward tentatively, but growing in energy as the album progresses through a host of Eastern spiritual influences. Alice is way past jazz at this point – moving towards the new level of consciousness hinted at in the title, growing majestically on tracks that include "Oh Allah", "Sita Ram", "Hare Krishna", "Universal Consciousness", and "The Ankh of Amen-Ra". CD

Light mellow Verve-y instrumental orchestral stuff, featuring Don Costa's versions of contemporary pop stuff, like "Heroes & Villains", "All You Need Is Love", "Ode To Billie Jo". and "Valley of the Dolls". Not totally jazzy, but a nice package of soft groovy grooves, in a cool gatefold cover (with notes), and a great subdued easy feel throughout. (Now Sound, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

The original album of lovely clarinet work by Buddy DeFranco –backed by Oscar Peterson's quartet – plus a mammoth bonus number that runs nearly half an hour! The players includes Ray Brown on bass, Herb Ellis on guitar, and Louis Bellson on guitar. The tracks are open-ended, in that swinging Verve style used on the best mid 50s LPs – and while the Peterson group doesn't work in the same soul style of some of DeFranco's recordings with Sonny Clark, they make up for it with their own light touch that helps DeFranco take some chances on his solos! Titles include "Sweet & Lovely", "Fascinating Rhythm", Pick Yourself Up", "Love For Sale", and "Easy To Love". As a bonus track for this edition you get the 23+ minute "Lullaby In Rhythm" – recorded with the same personel plus all star winds Roy Eldridge, Dizzy Gillespie, Bill Harris and Flip Phillips – with great soloing throughout! CD

Tracks include "My Blue Heaven", "S'Wonderful", "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", and "After You've Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

A wickedly funky album from Joao Donato – quite different than his earlier bossa sessions, and recorded in LA with a sweet jazzy bounce! The album's overflowing with great keyboard work – and Joao plays both piano and organ, in a group that includes percussion from Emil Richards, who also produced the set with this mad skittish edge that's awash in crazy and off-kilter rhythms! Deodato helped a bit with the arrangements, too – and the album's got an electric feel that's somewhat similar to Deodato's own work on CTI, but a lot more messed up – and with that sense of odd instrumental placement that we love so much in Donato's classic Quem E Quem album! Tracks are all pretty darn great – and titles include "Mosquito", "Bambu", "Cade Jodel", "Lunar Tune", and "The Frog", nicely done here in a funky version! (Brazil, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection – 42 tracks in all, with a really great range of material! Includes work with Woody herman, George Shearing, and Sarah Vaughan. (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Easy-going Verve swing at its best – the kind of small group session that let a player like Harry "Sweets" Edison shine in a way that he didn't always get to do in a larger group! For this set, Edison's joined by Ben Webster on tenor sax, Barney Kessel on guitar, Jimmy Rowles on piano, Alvin Stoller on drums and Joe Mondragon on bass – in a format that features tunes that are a bit shorter than on some of the other Verve swing sides of the time, but still very much with a relaxed and open-ended feel. Titles include several Edison originals – including "Hollering At The Watkins", "Used To Be Basie", "Studio Call", "Opus 711", "K.M. Blues", and "Walkin With Sweets". CD

2LP set of Roy Eldrige's classic Verve sides from the mid 50's, featuring the great trumpet player in a variety of groups that include Herb Ellis or Barney Kessel on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, and Oscar Peterson on piano and organ! The organ sides by Peterson are perhaps some of the most intriguing on the set, and they include "Love For Sale", "Dale's Wail", and "Oscar's Arrangement". Other tracks include "Little Jazz", "Roy's Riff", "Echoes Of Harlem", and "Feeling A Draft". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the more obscure Roy Eldridge sessions for Verve – with a very cool cover too! Titles include "Tin Roof Blues", "Jada", "Bugle Call Rag", "Black & Blue", and "That's A Plenty". LP, Vinyl record album

Short tracks with a spare swinging groove – featuring the trumpet of Eldridge, with backing by Ronnie Ball on piano, Benny Moten on bass, and Edward Locke on drums. The focus is on Eldridge's lightly playful trumpet style – and tracks include "Song Of the Islands", "Bossa Nova", "The Way You Look Tonight", "I've Got A Crush On You", "Misty", and "Easy Living". CD

Bill Evans' first famous appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival – a great 60s trio session, with Eddie Gomez on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums! The tunes are mostly relatively familiar ones, but the ensemble on the set gives them a freer and more lyrical feel than you might expect – especially with DeJohnette on drums, who is a somewhat more powerful choice than some of Bill's other drummers of the 60s. Eddie Gomez is great, as always – with that round bass sound that we totally love – and titles include "Nardis", "Sleepin Bee", "Embraceable You", "Someday My Prince Will Come", "Mother Of Earl", "One For Helen", and "Walkin Up". LP, Vinyl record album

Tremendous work from Bill Evans – one of his rare non-trio sides of the 60s – and a stunning batch of tunes with backings from the mighty Claus Ogerman! Most of the tunes here are of classical origin, but they're recast by Evans and Ogerman with almost a soundtrack sensitivity – Bill's piano up front, moving spaciously at very much its own pace – none of the too-virtuoso styles of other 60s jazz-meets-classical players. And Ogerman's backings are also great too – hardly ever strong, and more just light shading amidst the notes of Bill's piano – beautifully sliding in to bring a nice level of warm to the tunes. Titles include a sublime reading of "Pavane", plus the tracks "Granadas", "Time Remembered", "Blue Interlude", "Elegy", and "My Bells". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic Verve Records material from Bill Evans – a set that follows the no-nonsense trio style of his Riverside material, but which definitely shows the evolving Evans style of the 60s! The group here is a nicely mellow one – bassist Chuck Israels, whose sound is tremendous – and drummer Larry Bunker – a player you might know from percussion work on other albums, which seems to give him a very sensitive touch on the drum kit here! Both players have a dancing quality that goes far beyond strict rhythmic timekeeping – and this approach opens up Evans' solos in to a freer mode than on some of his early 60s sets. The result is a wonderful album that really transforms the tunes – as you'll hear on the set of tracks that include "Round Midnight", "Israel", "Elsa", and "How My Heart Sings". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic Verve Records material from Bill Evans – a set that follows the no-nonsense trio style of his Riverside material, but which definitely shows the evolving Evans style of the 60s! The group here is a nicely mellow one – bassist Chuck Israels, whose sound is tremendous – and drummer Larry Bunker – a player you might know from percussion work on other albums, which seems to give him a very sensitive touch on the drum kit here! Both players have a dancing quality that goes far beyond strict rhythmic timekeeping – and this approach opens up Evans' solos in to a freer mode than on some of his early 60s sets. The result is a wonderful album that really transforms the tunes – as you'll hear on the set of tracks that include "Round Midnight", "Israel", "Elsa", and "How My Heart Sings". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of great Bill Evans albums for Verve – both a very good fit together! The cover of Empathy co-credits Bill Evans and Shelly Manne as the leader of the set – and that distinction's an important one – as the record has a slightly different feel than some of Bill's other 60s work for Verve! The sound is often a bit stronger, somewhat bolder – and although Manne's not a monster on the drums, he does have a way of directing the tunes that's a bit different than some of Evans' other piano-led albums. Bass is by Monty Budwig, who's nicely sensitive to the talents of both players – and there's almost an equally-weighted melodic feel to all three elements of the trio – which really rounds out the record nicely. Titles include "The Washington Twist", "Danny Boy", "Let's Go Back To The Waltz", "With A Song In My Heart", "Goodbye", and "I Believe In You". Simple Matter Of Conviction is a move into a more sophisticated vein than his earlier recordings! The album has him working with bassist Eddie Gomez, a hugely talented bassist that would be one of Bill's best partners during this period, and a player who added a nice dose of soul to the proceedings. The drummer is Shelly Manne, who's pretty nice, too – and really shows off some of his more sophisticated shadings here in the presence of Evans and Gomez – similar to his work on the great Empathy album. Tracks are shortish, but filled with imagination – and titles include "Unless It's You", "These Things Called Changes", "Stella By Starlight", and "A Simple Matter Of Conviction". CD

An open-ended live date from Bill Evans – recorded at the auspicious venue of Town Hall, but recorded with a warmth that matches Evans' smaller club sessions of the 60s! The sound here is possibly a bit more focused and direct than some of the moodier, mellower Evans live records – well pointed at the start, but then moving into some gentler chromatic modes as the set moves on – all with gentle accompaniment from Chuck Israels on bass and Arnold Wise on drums. Titles include trio versions of "I Should Care", "Spring Is Here", 'Who Can I Turn To" and "Make Someone Happy" – then Evans takes a 13 minute solo turn, dedicating a suite to the memory of his father! CD

One of Bill Evans' most beautiful albums from the time – and one that features the fantastic team of Jeremy Steig and Eddie Gomez, who were cutting some beautiful records for other labels at the time. Steig's flute later got very silly, but at this point, he's got a raw stripped-down sound that works perfectly with Gomez's warm, slightly funky basslines – making for a slightly soulful approach that really transforms the session. Evans is no slouch either – and the youthful company makes him play some of his best bits in years – on titles that include "Time Out For Chris", "So What", "Spartacus Love Theme", and "Autumn Leaves". LP, Vinyl record album

Although Gil Evans is probably best remembered for his work behind Miles Davis, the albums he cut on his own are actually even more interesting, and feature a far-reaching conception of modern jazz, executed by Evans, and some of the top players of his day. This great album from 1964 features a host of wonderful musicians – including Steve Lacy, Eric Dolphy, Johnny Coles, and Wayne Shorter. The set includes mostly original compositions by Evans, like "Las Vegas Tango", "El Toreador", "Flute Song", and "Hotel Me" – all of them a shimmering blend of free solos and tightly composed orchestral passages, filled with rich colors and shades of warm imagination! Plus, this CD also includes a huge amount of extra tracks, either unreleased, or longer versions – including "Time Of The Barracudas", "Spoofull", "Nothing Like You", and "Proclamation"! CD

Gil Evans on piano and Lee Konitz on alto and soprano saxophones. CD

Pure and simple genius from Tal Farlow – one of THE greatest jazz guitarists of all time, especially on these important 50s recordings for Veve! Tal's playing here with a simply incredible tone – raspy and earthy, yet with notes that are impeccably placed on his solos – making for a compelling mixture of the rough and the smooth that seems to unlock a huge future potential for the electric guitar in jazz. The group's a quartet, with Gerald Wiggins on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Chico Hamilton on drums – and titles include "Little Girl Blue", "Have You Met Miss Jones", "Tal's Blues", "Cherokee", and "Autumn In New York". CD

Sublime early work from the legendary Tal Farlow – the kind of sides that show by he was one of the most important jazz guitarists of the 50s! The bulk of the 2CD set features LA sessions recorded for Norman Granz during Farlow's early years at Verve – dates from 1954 and 1955 that often feature Tal's hollow body guitar right out front in the mix, over backing from Gerald Wiggins, Claude Williamson, Red Mitchell, Chico Hamilton, and others. One session features some added horn work by Bob Enelvoldsen, Bill Perkins, and Bob Gordon – and the package features 29 mid 50s titles that include "Tal's Blues", "Little Girl Blue", "Autumn In New York", "I Like To Recognize The Tune", "I Remember You", "It's You Or No One", "Tenderly", "Lullaby Of The Leaves", "Tea For Two", "This Is Always", "Walkin", "Will You Still Be Mine", and "Lorinesque". Added to these are a handful of earlier tunes recorded when Tal was in the Red Norvo trio – really beautiful work that features Farlow's guitar next to bass from Charles Mingus and vibes from Red! Titles include "Godchild", "This Can't Be Love", "Move", "Swedish Pastry", and "Cheek To Cheek". CD

Tremendous guitar work from the great Tal Farlow – easily one of our favorite jazz guitarists ever, and a player with a wonderful sense of tone and timing! This early album has Tal declaring himself loudly and firmly – using a style that's got some slightly raspy edges, and which is a nice change from some of the too-clean modes of other 50s guitarists. The album features a core original 10" album session with a group that includes Oscar Pettiford on bass, Barry Galbraith on guitar, and Joe Morello on drums – plus 4 more tracks from a trio with Red Mitchell on bass and Claude Williamson on piano. Titles include "This Is Always", "Tea For Two", "Blues In The Closet", "Gibson Boy", "My Old Flame", "Is There Somebody Lovelier Than You", "Everything I've Got", "You And The Night and Music", "Love Nest", and "When The Wind And The Rain Are In Your Hair". CD

One of the most magical records ever from this legendary group – a set that swings as hard and soulfully as some of their previous sessions, yet also has a sharper, more modern vibe as well! Of course, this latter aspect is no surprise – once you realize that a young Grachan Moncur is on trombone – adding his hip horn to the wonderful frontline of Benny Golson on tenor and Art Farmer on trumpet and flugelhorn. And given that the rhythm group also features Harold Mabern on piano, you can bet there's a freshness here that can't be beat – a sound and energy that's kept this one at the top of our stack for many many years. Mabern and Moncur contribute two of the best tracks – "Richie's Dilemma" and "Sonny's Back" – and other titles include "Whisper Not", "Tonk", "Rue Prevail", and "Ruby My Dear". CD

An amazing album by the great guitarist Eddie Fisher – and completely unlike his later funk records! Eddie plays stripped down jazz with a small combo that includes organ by Robert Selby, bass by Paul Jackson, and some rhythm guitar by Phil Westmoreland – and the twin-guitar approach creates this super-dope style that's light years ahead of its time, with a sophistication that points the way to later mid 70s work on labels like CTI and Kudu! Eddie's guitar work is an incredible exercise in spareness and soulfulness – best heard on the fantastic "Third Cup", a long drawn-out jazz stepper that's got to be heard to be believed. The cut's been a favorite on the Chicago jazz stepper's scene for years – and it alone is worth the price of the album. However, the record features some other wonderful stuff – like a sublime version of "Shadow Of Your Smile" that runs for a bubbling 12 minutes – plus the originals "Shut Up", "Scorched Earth", and "Two By Two". LP, Vinyl record album

A great small combo set from Ella Fitzgerald – and a record that maybe has a bit more bite than some of her Songbook sessions from the time! The combo's a great one – with excellent piano from Lou Levy, balanced with guitar work from Herb Ellis – a pair whose chromatic contributions really resonate wonderfully with the vocal range of Ella – especially as the singer is hitting that 60s stretch when she seemed to find an even more expressive tone than in earlier years! Other players include Joe Mondragon on bass and Gus Johnson on drums – no other players at all, a nice lean set – and titles include "Night In Tunisia", "Cry Me A River", "This Year's Kisses", "Music Goes Round & Round", "Clap Hands Here Comes Charlie", "My Reverie", and "You're My Thrill". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

This is a 60s set that brings together the 2 volumes released separately. Among the 30 plus songs are "All Through The Night", "Anything Goes", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "I Love Paris", "Easy To Love", "You're The Top", "Let's Do It", "Begin The Beguine", "Love For Sale", "It's Delovely", "Night And Day", and "I've Got You Under My Skin". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Sweet arrangements by Nelson Riddle! (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

An album that's often overlooked amidst some of the bigger "songbook" Verve sessions by Ella Fitzgerald – yet a really special record that shows off a side of Ella that's not ever captured this well on other records! The record was also initially billed as tied into the book and film Let No Man Write My Epitaph – but there's nothing soundtrack-like at all about the performance, as Fitzgerald works with only backing from pianist Paul Smith – a player who sounds wonderful next to the singer, and brings just the right sort of inflections to open up Ella's vocals for the date! There's a spare quality that's completely captivating – proof that Fitzgerald was a hell of a jazz singer at the core, even when her star was rising on the international scene – maybe even more compelling without any large arrangements at all, as she takes on superb material that includes versions of "Misty", "Black Coffee", "Angel Eyes", "I Cried For You", "Who's Sorry Now", "September Song", "Then You've Never Been Blue", and "Reach For Tomorrow". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Midnight Sun", "You're Blase", "Night Wind", "Hurry Home", "What's New", "Close Your Eyes", "More Than You Know", "There's A Lull In My Life", and "How Long Has This Been Going On". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Two of the biggest singers who ever worked for Verve Records – captured perfectly at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1957! Ella Fitzgerald steps out with a strong, lively groove on the first half of the set – swinging things with a looser, more upbeat quality than on some of her mellower Verve studio sets of the late 50s – really grooving it up with small combo backing from the trio of pianist Don Abney! Billie Holiday also gets some small combo backing too – a hip trio with Mal Waldron on piano, Joe Benjamin on bass, and Jo Jones on drums – often a bit more laidback than the group on Ella's sides, but in a great way that helps Holiday hit a very intimate sound, even before this large audience. Ella sings "This Can't Be Love", "Body & Soul", "April In Paris", "I Got A Crush On You", and "Airmail Special" – and Billie sings "Nice Work If You Can Get It", "What A Little Moonlight Can Do", "My Man", "Willow Weep For Me", and "Lady Sings The Blues". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Features arrangements by Quincy Jones! (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

A superstar performance from the Antibes jazz festival at Cote D'Azur – one that features Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington sharing the stage, in a concert that was also recorded for a film! Most numbers here feature the full Ellington orchestra backing Ella up – but a few other numbers feature just backings from a trio with Jimmy Jones on piano and Grady Tate on drums. Duke and Ella trade the spotlight nicely – and Fitzgerald only sings on about half of the set, numbers that include "Mack The Knife", "The More I See You", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "Jazz Samba", "How Long Has This Been Going On", and "Going Out Of My Head". Ellington's heard on other instrumental performances – some of which are a bit more upbeat and unbridled than usual – almost in a Basie mode. These tunes include "Trombonio Bustosolssimo", "Diminuendo In Blue & Blow By Blow", "The Old Circus Train Turn Around Blues", and "The Matador". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

A superstar performance from the Antibes jazz festival at Cote D'Azur – one that features Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington sharing the stage, in a concert that was also recorded for a film! Most numbers here feature the full Ellington orchestra backing Ella up – but a few other numbers feature just backings from a trio with Jimmy Jones on piano and Grady Tate on drums. Duke and Ella trade the spotlight nicely – and Fitzgerald only sings on about half of the set, numbers that include "Mack The Knife", "The More I See You", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "Jazz Samba", "How Long Has This Been Going On", and "Going Out Of My Head". Ellington's heard on other instrumental performances – some of which are a bit more upbeat and unbridled than usual – almost in a Basie mode. These tunes include "Trombonio Bustosolssimo", "Diminuendo In Blue & Blow By Blow", "The Old Circus Train Turn Around Blues", and "The Matador". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Ella's performing songs written by or associated with Duke–what could be better? Here she's backed by two different Ellington groups–-one a big band, the other a small group, whose members included Stuff Smith, Barney Kessel, and Ben Webster. Titles include "Rockin' In Rhythm", "Caravan", "Take The A Train", "Clementine", and "Perdido", all performed with the with the big band, and "Satin Doll", "It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)", "Cottontail", and "Do Nothing Till You Here From Me", backed by the small group. Sublime! (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

One of the hippest takes ever on the Porgy & Bess score – done in duet format by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, in a fuller spirit than their other albums for Verve! Like many late 50s albums of Gershwin's score, this one was issued in advance of the film with Sidney Poitier – but unlike most, this is less of a cash-in affair, and really takes Gershwin's music on its own – serving it up with that newly serious style that Verve was hitting with some artists, especially Ella, in the latter half of the 50s. Most tracks have relatively full backings – strings and jazz orchestrations – and the double-length set features 15 tracks that include "Buzzard Song", "I Got Plenty O Nuttin", "My Man's Gone Now", "I Wants To Stay Here", "Summertime", "It Ain't Necessarily So", "What You Want Wid Bess", "There's A Boat Dat's Leavin Soon For New York", "Oh Lawd I'm On My Way", and "A Woman Is A Sometime Thing". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

One of the hippest takes ever on the Porgy & Bess score – done in duet format by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, in a fuller spirit than their other albums for Verve! Like many late 50s albums of Gershwin's score, this one was issued in advance of the film with Sidney Poitier – but unlike most, this is less of a cash-in affair, and really takes Gershwin's music on its own – serving it up with that newly serious style that Verve was hitting with some artists, especially Ella, in the latter half of the 50s. Most tracks have relatively full backings – strings and jazz orchestrations – and the double-length set features 15 tracks that include "Buzzard Song", "I Got Plenty O Nuttin", "My Man's Gone Now", "I Wants To Stay Here", "Summertime", "It Ain't Necessarily So", "What You Want Wid Bess", "There's A Boat Dat's Leavin Soon For New York", "Oh Lawd I'm On My Way", and "A Woman Is A Sometime Thing". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the best material Slim Gaillard ever recorded! Although he's best known for his Verve work, and for his early 40s sessions in LA – these 1959 recordings for Dot have Slim hitting a groove that's far tighter than usual, with a better jazz influence, and a much freer approach to singing than his usual stock style. There's a wonderful version of "How High The Moon" that's got crazy guitar, and wild lyrics from Slim about life on the moon. Other nice cuts include "Sukiyaka Cha Cha", "Chicken Rhythm", "Slim's Cee", "Lady Be Good", and "Thunderbird". If you've ever wondered why people think Slim is so great, check this one out – and you'll flip! (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

A great little follow-up to the classic West Coast Jazz album recorded by Stan Getz – and like that one, a set to feature some great rhythm accompaniment from the trio of Lou Levy on piano, Stan Levey on drums, and Leroy Vinnegar on bass! The tracks are nice and open – with plenty of room for Stan to roam around – and although you might expect a tightly-arranged kind of sound from the west coast setting, the album's actually surprisingly more relaxed – a fair bit like some of the more open-ended jazz that Shelly Manne started to record on his own at the start of the 60s. Titles include "Where Or When", "Smiles", "This Can't Be Love", and "Woody 'n You". CD