Plenty of body, and even more soul – a great little groove on the record at points, in that slinky, vampy sort of mode that Julie London picked up in the 60s! The album's got Julie taking on a fair bit of R&B and bluesy numbers – still singing in her more jazz-based style, but getting a nice groove on most numbers from Kirk Stuart – balancing out some piano-led grooves with more brassy backings, all very much in the style of Peggy Lee over at Capitol in the early 60s – yet completely different too, given London's vocal approach. Titles include "Romance In The Dark", "I Got A Sweetie", "The Comeback", "Come On By", "If You Want This Love", and "Treat Me Good". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Mature, mellow, and totally wonderful – clear proof that Julie London was still making great music well into the 60s! The album's got a simple, unassuming charm – very much in the late nite mode you'd guess from the title, with spare backings from Don Bagley that often have a key guitar line in the mix – working along with London's vocals in the same style as the mid 50s – but with a different feel overall – a bit more mature and world-wise, which makes for a perfect fit for tunes that include "I Got It Bad", "Here's That Rainy Day", "Am I Blue", "I'll Never Smile Again", "Can't Get Out Of This Mood", and "When The Sun Comes Out". CD

First up is one of Julie London's strongest overall albums – a great session that features small group backings with a warm and intimate feel! There's less of the languid sadness of some of Julie's other records, and more of the dreamy floating style of singers like Chris Connor or June Christy on this one. The feeling of the album's great, and it shows that Julie was much more than a pop singer with sexy looks and a smoky finish – although we're happy to hear that on here too! Titles include "Let There Be Love", "Goodbye", "You've Changed", "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To", "Lonesome Road", "They Didn't Believe Me", and "The Thrill Is Gone". Around Midnight's just about the best time to listen to Julie London – especially given her sultry late-night style of singing! This album's one that definitely follows in that mode – setting Julie's vocals to backings by Dick Reynolds – a bit fuller than some of her earliest Liberty albums, but still quite moody, and very much in the best spirit of the album's songs of adult love and loss. The song choices are especially great too – with some key mid-century classics that include "In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning", "Lush Life", "Lonely In Paris", "Something Cool", and "You & The Night & The Music". CD

A record that has Julie London already hitting that great "Nice Girls Don't Stay For Breakfast" mode of later years – the adult, informed approach that showed that the teasing nude of the 50s had turned into a pleasing woman of the 60s – capable of frank presentation of material and assumption of desire that other singers often still just toyed with. Peter King handles the arrangements, and mixes soft strings with lighter modes to really flesh out Julie's simple but effective delivery of the tunes. Titles include "Love On The Rocks", "Where Did The Gentleman Go", "What's New", "How Did He Look", "The End Of A Love Affair", and "Where Are You". LP, Vinyl record album

Hard to imagine that Julie London would ever have to ask anyone to make love to her – at least not when she looks as sexy as this on the cover! The album's a key early classic for Liberty – still very fragile, personal, and up-close enough to make you think you might just be able to jump inside the cover and spend the night with Julie! Russ Garcia handles the backings with great care – a bit of gentle strings here, some light jazz there – but always letting London's breathy vocals come up very high in the mix. Titles include "Go Slow", "Lover Man", "Body & Soul", "Snuggled On Your Shoulder", and "Make Love To Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Julie London's shortened her trademark tresses for the cover of this album – but as the title will tell, she's very much in the best sultry territory of her earlier years! This time around, Don Bagley's turned in some near-perfect arrangements that really bring back the London sound of the late 50s – very spare, slow-moving backdrops that are heavy on jazz, and also feature nice use of guitar – an instrument that's always worked well for Julie. Titles include the excellent "Nice Girls Don't Stay For Breakfast" – plus "I've Got A Crush On You", "There Will Never Be Another You", "I Surrender Dear", "Give A Little Whistle", "Baby Won't You Please Come Home", and the very odd "Mickey Mouse". CD

Julie London's shortened her trademark tresses for the cover of this album – but as the title will tell, she's very much in the best sultry territory of her earlier years! This time around, Don Bagley's turned in some near-perfect arrangements that really bring back the London sound of the late 50s – very spare, slow-moving backdrops that are heavy on jazz, and also feature nice use of guitar – an instrument that's always worked well for Julie. Titles include the excellent "Nice Girls Don't Stay For Breakfast" – plus "I've Got A Crush On You", "There Will Never Be Another You", "I Surrender Dear", "Give A Little Whistle", "Baby Won't You Please Come Home", and the very odd "Mickey Mouse". CD

42 tracks over three CDs. CD

A landmark album in 50s vocal jazz – spare, moody, and evocative tunes from Julie London – sung in a stripped-down setting that few other singers would dare at the time! The sound of the set is as sexy as the cover – intimate, personal, and breathily sung in a mode that comes across with a brashly adult presentation of the material. Backing only features Barney Kessel on guitar and Ray Leatherwood on bass – leaving Julie plenty of room to take over the record with her vocals – a real masterpiece of understatement, given the setting! Titles include her famous version of "Cry Me A River" – virtually THE version of the tune – plus "I Should Care", "Say It Isn't So", "Gone With The Wind", "Laura", and "Can't Help Loving That Man". LP, Vinyl record album

A lesser-known follow-up to Julie London's classic Julie Is Her Name album – one that actually features Julie wearing clothes on the cover, but which still comes across with a very sexy sound! The approach here is similar to the first set – with Howard Roberts backing up Julie's vocals, in a style that's quite similar to that used by Barney Kessel the first time around. Red Mitchell's bass is really the only other instrumentation – and the spareness of the set is stunning – with a nakedness that gets past even Julie's heavy turtleneck on the cover! Titles include "If I'm Lucky", "Little White Lies", "Hot Toddy", "Blue Moon", "Goody Goody", and "Spring Is Here". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Julie London's strongest overall albums – a great session that features small group backings with a warm and intimate feel! There's less of the languid sadness of some of Julie's other records, and more of the dreamy floating style of singers like Chris Connor or June Christy on this one. The feeling of the album's great, and it shows that Julie was much more than a pop singer with sexy looks and a smoky finish – although we're happy to hear that on here too! Titles include "Let There Be Love", "Goodbye", "You've Changed", "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To", "Lonesome Road", "They Didn't Believe Me", and "The Thrill Is Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A split album that features 13 tracks by Carmen McRae with the Mat Mathews quartet, plus 4 more obscure numbers by Julie London, recording with the quartet of Tony Scott. The McRae material is some of her best jazz work from the time – cut in that perfect small group vocal mode that was one of Bethlehem's strongest points in the 50s. Titles on those tunes include "Easy To Love", "I'm Lucky", "Last Time For Love", "Misery", and "Too Much In Love To Care". The Julie London material features backing by Scott on clarinet and Dick Katz on piano, which makes for a very different sound than some of her work for Liberty during the same time. Tunes include "A Foggy Day", "Don't Worry 'Bout Me", and "You're Blase". CD

Around Midnight's just about the best time to listen to Julie London – especially given her sultry late nite style of singing! This album's one that definitely follows in that mode – setting Julie's vocals to backings by Dick Reynolds – a bit fuller than some of her earliest Liberty albums, but still quite moody, and very much in the best spirit of the album's songs of adult love and loss. The song choices are especially great too – with some key mid-century classics that include "In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning", "Lush Life", "Lonely Night In Paris", "Something Cool", and "You & The Night & The Music". All that – and a great cover that has Julie posing as the hands of a clock! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of Julie London's wildest albums – and one of her sexiest too! The record has Julie running through the calendar – singing a song a month, dedicated to January, February, March, and so on – a really great concept for a record like this, in ways that set the album apart from some of London's other classics of the time! The record's certainly one of her campier efforts – but in a great way – and it's further augmented by a great cover that has pinup images of Julie in a setting specific to each month – a cheesecake spectacular that's almost worth the price of admission alone. Titles include "June In January", "February Brings The Rain", "Melancholy March", "Memphis In June", and "Time For August". LP, Vinyl record album

Breathy vocals from the great Julie London – an album recorded early in her years on Liberty Records, but with a slightly full sound overall! Backings are by the orchestra of Pete King – a little heavy on the strings, but never too much so – just enough to give the tunes a sad-tinged sort of sound that glows and shimmers nicely behind Julie's vocals – very much in the moody feel you might expect from the trashy image of London in an alley on the cover! The set's never sleepy, and has a nicely dark undercurrent – on titles that include "Nobody's Heart", "The Exciting Life", "Something I Dreamed Last Night", "Well Sir", "In The Middle Of A Kiss", "Pousse Cafe", "Mad About The Boy", and "My Man's Gone Now". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet, sophisticated musings from Julie London – a set that has her taking on some of the coolest tunes from the first half of the 60s – including a fair bit of soundtrack themes too! Backings are by Richard Wess and Ernie Freeman, who each have their own distinct flavor – and help give the record a nice sort of balance between mellow and upbeat. There's loads of groovy tunes on the set – and London does a wonderful job with "Theme From A Summer Place", "More", "Never On Sunday", "An Affair To Remember", "Boy On A Dolphin", "The Second Time Around", "Charade", and "Wives & Lovers". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

(Folk/Country, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

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-fashioned tunes like "The Inch Worm", "Johnny One Note", "Brush Up Your Shakespeare", and "Together Wherever We Go" – plus a very groovy version of "You're So Vain". The record also features the extended "Odd Couple Opera", the track "Friendship', and "Applause, Applause". Arrangements by Brit Roland Shaw – probably because nobody in America would touch the record, and an Englishman like Shaw hadn't heard of the show yet! In a great gatefold cover, too. (Comedy, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

(Classical, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

The wonderful voice of Marianne Faithfull in all its 60s glory – set up here with sublime arrangements from Mike Leander, in a style that's unlike just about anything else we can think of! Marianne's got a bit of a trill – as you might hear in female folk singers of the decade – but the overall presentation is something completely different altogether – kind of a dark recasting of the usual pop modes you might hear from Leander, with all these blue undertones and weird intonations that kind of point the way towards moodier female singers to come at the end of the 60s – but still with enough ties to the mainstream to make Faithfull's music even more powerful! The balance is hard to describe in words, but hits you right away from the very first note – and titles include "Counting", "Ne Me Quitte Pas", "In The Night Time", "Tomorrow's Calling", "With You In Mind", "I'm The Sky", "Lucky Girl", and "I Have A Love". (Rock, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

The wonderful voice of Marianne Faithfull in all its 60s glory – set up here with sublime arrangements from Mike Leander, in a style that's unlike just about anything else we can think of! Marianne's got a bit of a trill – as you might hear in female folk singers of the decade – but the overall presentation is something completely different altogether – kind of a dark recasting of the usual pop modes you might hear from Leander, with all these blue undertones and weird intonations that kind of point the way towards moodier female singers to come at the end of the 60s – but still with enough ties to the mainstream to make Faithfull's music even more powerful! The balance is hard to describe in words, but hits you right away from the very first note – and titles include "Counting", "Ne Me Quitte Pas", "In The Night Time", "Tomorrow's Calling", "With You In Mind", "I'm The Sky", "Lucky Girl", and "I Have A Love". (Rock, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

The second album from one of the most unique voices in British music in the 60s – a really sublime little set that moves beyond familiar folk, rock, and pop – to put Marianne Faithfull in a mighty special place that's all her own! Right from the very first note of her voice, Marianne's out to sound way different than the rest – with a darkness that almost echoes the solo work of Nico, but a warmer sound that still holds on to some of the previous Brit mode that inform the album. Arrangements are totally great – penned by David Whittaker, Mike Leander, and Jon Mark – conducted by Leander with an eerie sound that's really amazing. Titles include "Come & Stay With Me", "As Tears Go By", "Down Town", "I'm A Loser", "What Have I Done Wrong", "They Never Will Leave You", and "He'll Come Back To Me". (Rock, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A set cut with British maestro Edmundo Ros – in a style that's similar to some of his own albums from the time – not really straight Latin, but more a blend of tropical and exotic influences with some fuller big band modes! The style has almost an older sort of sound here – reminding us of work that might have appeared on RCA or Columbia during the previous decade – and Ros' sense of subtle drama is a nice counterpoint to Caterina's sometimes sweeter vocals. Titles include "Baiao", "Canto Karabali", "Frenesi", "Fale Baixinho", "Felicidade Infeliz", and "Saudades Da Bahia", which features Ros and Valente scatting together beautifully! LP, Vinyl record album

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 – and was able to mix his sharp jazz skills on piano with a gutbuckety style of singing that drew heavily from the sound of New Orleans – as did his sense of rhythm – but always with an approach that was more upbeat and jazzy overall, with a hip sophistication that few other artists could hope to touch! And while Mose recorded excellent sounds for decades, this collection focuses in on some of the most important work he ever cut – music done for Prestige, Columbia, and Atlantic Records from the late 50s through the early 70s – served up in the most amazing tribute to Allison we've ever seen. 24 tracks in all – with cuts that include "Foolkiller", "I'm Not Talking", "If You Only Knew", "The Seventh Son", "I'm Smashed", "Wild Man On The Loose", "Back On The Corner", "I Love The Life I Live", "Jus Like Livin", "If You Live", "V8 Ford Blues", "Parchman Farm", "Baby Please Don't Go", "Western Man", "Your Molecular Structure", "Hellow There Universe", and "Swingin Machine". CD

Brilliant work by Terry Callier – and his greatest album in years! If you, like us, have loved Terry's older work, but been a bit disappointed by the heavy production of recent albums, then you'll probably love this excellent live set – recorded recently at London's Jazz Cafe, with small combo jazz backing that really brings out the best of Terry's sound! The group's got a warmly soulful sound that really adds a lot to Terry's vocals – yet which also lets them stand out in all their jazzy folksy brilliance. The mix of electric piano, guitar, and saxes is some of the best support Terry could hope to have in recent years – and it returns him to the glory of his classic years at Cadet, like no other recent recording we've heard. Songs are great, production is wonderful, and the album's one you'll proudly stack with your classic work by this legendary Chicago soul singer! Titles include "People Get Ready", "Step Into The Light", "Lament For The Late AD", "Timepiece", "African Violet", "Ordinary Joe", "Dancing Girl", "You're Gonna Miss Your Candy Man", and "I Don't Wanna See Myself". (Soul, Vocalists) CD

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 in the mid 70s – and features backings from Jerry Van Rooyen and Tony Noite, both of whom mix jazzy inflections with fuller orchestrations – helping to bring Cole's rich background into a whole new light! Freddy's voice still has that wonderful trademark rasp – familiar to, yet quite different than brother Nat – and the use of some smoother soul modes makes for a really great contrast. Titles include "One More Love Song", "I Loved You", "I Need You So", "Still Wanna Be With You", "Isn't She Lovely", and "Here Is Where Your Love Belongs". Right From The Heart has Freddy Cole taking on a mix of adult ballads and some groovier numbers – set to arrangements by John Gally, Hennie Bekker, and Steve Gray – and recorded in London with a nicely mature feel. There's a bit of polish to the production, especially on the more upbeat cuts – but the mellower numbers still have Cole singing in a great old school mode. Titles include "The Girl From The Piano Bar", "To Be With You", "Teach Me Tonight", "Summer Love", "Somewhere Down The Line", and "Right From The Start". CD

A classic set of jazz vocals from Blossom Dearie – recorded at Ronnie Scott's nightclub when she was living in London during the 60s! The set's got a nice intimate feel, and is one of Blossom's best-ever jazz recordings – a bit more live and hip than some of her Verve material, with backing from Jeff Clyne on bass and Johnnie Butts n drums. The record has little of the cocktail sound that marred some of her other releases, and more of the swinging jazz piano and vocals that you find on her best work. Blossom's voice is as unique as always, and the set's got some great groovy numbers, like "I'm Hip", "Once Upon A Summertime", "When In Rome", and "The Shape Of Things". Very nice vibe, with a good live feel and lots of interaction with the audience! CD features the bonus track "Cornflower Lavender Wallflower Blue (mono)". CD

One of a handful of totally wonderful albums cut by Blossom Dearie in London – a gem of a set, and one that really takes off from the style of her earlier American albums on Verve, thanks to some hip Brit arrangements from Reg Guest! Blossom embraces all sorts of sounds here that she hadn't touched before – a bit of bossa, French soundtrack, and material from other sources – all wrapped up with those wonderfully charming vocals that are unlike anyone else at all – in a way that makes even familiar tunes sound very much like Dearie's own! There's some great jazzy elements in the music – including alto sax from Keith Bird – and titles include "Dindi", "Once I Loved", "Trains & Boats & Planes", "Watch What Happens", "Sunny", "The Folks Who Live On The Hill", "Once I Loved", "A Wonderful Guy", "Meditation", and the incredible "Soon It's Gonna Rain". CD features two bonus tracks – mono single versions of "Discover Who I Am" and "The Music Played". CD

Maybe the first vocal album we've heard on London's Jazz Refreshed label, but one that really lives up to the high quality of the imprint's legacy of well-chosen music! Sofia Grant's got this style that warmly wraps around the jazzier backings of the music – relatively lean on most numbers, in a way that seems to have Grant pushing the more soulful qualities of her voice with these really nice inflections – not like standard jazz vocals, but also not commercial either, given that the presentation of the album is relatively laidback and easygoing. Sofia handled production and arrangements herself – and the set features guest trumpet from Poppy Daniels and flute from Sarah Wackett – on titles that include "Walk On Water", "Extinction", "Circular Motion", "Ochre", and "Storm". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best-remembered jazz albums from singer Bev Kelly – partly for the record's great use of guitar by Johnny Smith, but also for the great vocals from Bev herself! The album's one of a few that really set a new standard for small combo jazz in the 50s – different than the bigger band records with singers, but also not nearly as cabaret-styled as some of the other records with a small group behind the vocalist. Smith's tone is wonderful – that moody, mellow magic he did so well – and his pairing here is not unlike that of Barney Kessel with Julie London, but with much more of a New York vibe overall. Titles include "Looking For A Boy", "Destination Moon", "Tis Autumn", "Almost Like Being In Love", "Snuggled On Your Shoulder", and "Moe's Blues". CD

One of the strangest things about Abbey Lincoln's career is the fact that, despite her hip affiliations with the left end of the jazz spectrum, she's actually been slotted into a fair number of straighter projects, not only in music, but in film as well. This album's a perfect example of that – and may well be the reason for Abbey's later leanings towards the left – as here, in her debut LP, she comes off as a dreamy girl singer, recorded by Liberty almost in a mode that's similar to Julie London or some of their other gal stars – with complicated backings from Benny Carter and Marty Paich. The record is lacking the stark captivating quality of Abbey's later records, but it does have a certain kind of charm – especially as the love themes in the set are all-adult, at a mature level that you'd really only hear from a rare few other singers, like Shirley Horn or Lorez Alexandria. Titles include "Two Cigarettes In The Dark", "Take Me In Your Arms", "No More", "Affair", "This Can't Be Love", "I Wake Up Smiling", and "Love Walked In". CD

Pretty darn cool stuff from one of the greatest jazz singers around! This one was Mark's first album, cut a long time ago when he was a wee lad – as you'll see by the photo on the cover. The arrangements are by Ralph Burns, and they're pretty darn hip – and although the style is more traditional than some of Mark's later records, it's amazing to hear how well-developed his vocal style is even at this early age. Many of the tracks remind us of some of the harder swinging work that Murphy cut in London and Europe during the late 60s – and tracks include "I've Got Two Eyes", "You Mustn't Kick It Around", "Exactly Like You", "Give It Back To The Indians", and "Fascinating Rhythm". LP, Vinyl record album

Heavenly work by one of the greatest vocal jazz combos ever! The Singers Unlimited cut many mighty albums for MPS with arrangements by some of the label's best bandleaders – but this one features them all alone, with only their voices to hold them up, which they do wonderfully, thanks to some crack arrangements by Gene Puerling of the group! The approach is natural – given that their vocal interplay was always the group's strongest calling card – and thanks to sublime MPS production, acapella vocals have never sounded so amazing. Titles include "The Fool On The Hill", "Emily", "Since You Asked", "Lullaby", and "London By Night". LP, Vinyl record album

Breathy brilliance from April Stevens – the sexy west coast singer who made some really wonderful records in the 50s! At some level, April was a bit like Julie London – in that she sang in a laidback, seductive tone that was quite risque at times – but she was also a bit more pop than jazz, and was always up for a catchy arrangement or a slight production gimmick to really help send over a tune! The title track was a hit single, but the whole album's great – and titles include "I'm In Love Again", "Do It Again", "Teach Me Tiger", "That's My Name", "When My Baby Smiles At Me", "I Want A Lip", and "In Other Words". LP, Vinyl record album

The "future" in the title is very well-put – as the album seems to open up a rich new chapter in the music of the legendary vocalist Dwight Trible – a singer who's carried on the spiritual legacy of the 70s well into the 21st Century, and who's always given us some fantastic records in the past! And here, Trible's continuing that legacy, but in a different way – mixing up styles in ways that almost seem to echo the experiments on the London and Chicago scenes of late, and also mixing cosmic elements with more down to earth soul styles – in a core group that's heavier on bass and electric guitar than some of his other groups. The set features guest vocals from Georgia Anne Muldrow on one track, and guest tenor from Kamasi Washington on another – and titles include "Beach Vibes", "Elements", "African Drum", "Black Dance", "Wind", "Derf Reklaw", and "My Stomping Ground". CD

A very cool collection – one put together in celebration of the centennial of the Hollywood sign that rises above Sunset Strip in LA – and which brings together a whole host of unusual performances by actors who sing, singers who act, and other artists who made some key contributions to the American film scene in the postwar years! Most of the music here is from the late 40s through 60s period that you'll usually find on Bear Family collections – but there's also some surprises from later years too – a few tracks near the end from later films, thrown in for good measure. As always with Bear Family, the package is as cool as the set list – a set of 61 titles that feature work from Jane Russell, Anthony Perkins, Julie London, Robert Mitchum, Sophia Loren, Henry Manciny, Jayne Mansfield, Telly Savalas, Hugo Montenegro, Twiggy, Richard Chamberlain, Ray Campi, Carl Parkins, Gene Ray, Laurel & Hardy, Gina Lollobridigda, Jerry Lewis, Fred Astaire, Val Kilmer, and dozens of others. (Soundtracks, Vocalists) CD

Very groovy – 18 tracks of cocktail lounge and bachelor pad grooves – work by Jack Costanzo, Martin Denny, Al Caiola, Julie London, Terry Snyder, Gloria Wood, John LaSalle, and others! (Now Sound, Vocalists) CD

Four incredible albums from the young Georgie Fame – plus a bonus CD of rare material, bonus tracks on all CDs, and 18 previously unreleased tracks – all in a box set with a 48 page book, 5 postcards, and a poster too! First up is Rhythm & Blues At The Flamingo – blistering early work from a young Georgie Fame – a set that definitely lives up to the Rhythm & Blues in the title! The set was recorded live at London's hip Flamingo club – and Georgie and The Blue Flames are very much in command of the crowd – burning with the intensity of a American small organ combo, especially the early 60s variety that often played equal parts soul jazz and R&B! Georgie's on the Hammond, and also sings with a rough-edged style that's plenty soulful, and incredibly appealing – a mode that oozes charisma, but never sounds fake or forced. Titles include "Do The Dog", "Eso Beso", "Work Song", "Baby Please Don't Go", "Shop Around", "Humpty Dumpty", and "You Can't Sit Down". Fame At Last is a brilliant mix of jazz, soul, and R&B – all filtered through a mod sort of London freshness, as early proof that the city could always take some great things from our own musical roots, and feed it back to us with a whole new flavor! Georgie's no copycat here, though – and the sound is instantly Fame-like – a style that's really not the sort that any Americans were doing at the time, and certainly never this well. Hard-burning Hammond colors most of the tunes here – played with a tightly vamping quality – but it's Georgie's charmingly crackling vocals that really win us over! Titles include "Gimme That Wine", "Pink Champagne", "Monkeying Around", "Green Onions", "Let The Sunshine In", "Get On The Right Track Baby", "I'm In The Mood For Love", and "I Love The Life I Live". Sweet Things is a definite sweet thing from Georgie Fame – a record that has him filling in his sound even more than before, with tremendously soulful results! The backings here are bigger than before – a bit tooled in an American soul mode, but still with that beautifully raspy Georgie Fame touch – lots of jazzy inflections on the vocals, and a way of handling a tune, even a familiar one, and really working it on his own level. Hammond still fills in most of the tunes, but other instrumentation includes some nice African percussion from Speedy Acquaye, saxes from Pete Coe, and some nice bold drums from John Mitchell. These come out to the forefront on the classic funky tune "Music Talk" – and still sound great on other numbers that include "The World Is Round", "Last Night", "Dr Kitch", "My Girl", "Ride Your Pony", and "Sweet Thing". Sound Venture is one of the jazziest early albums from Georgie Fame – a set that has him singing with the big band of Harry South, at a level that's a lot more complicated than some of his other work with The Blue Flames! The style here still has that mod 60s London feel, but it also has some deeper inflections as well – modes borrowed a bit from Jon Hendricks or Mose Allison, yet served up with even greater complexity – at a level that really points towards the tremendous growth Fame would unleash over the next few years. Members of the group include Tubby Hayes, Ronnie Scott, Tony Coe, Dick Morrisey, Kenny Wheeler, and many other key Brit jazz figures of the time – and titles include "Three Blind Mice", "Dawn Yawn", "Feed Me", "Lovey Dovey", "Lil Darlin", "Lil Pony", "I Am Missing You", and "Many Happy Returns". CD5 is Bend A Little – a package with 20 unusual titles – demos, rare tracks, and outtakes – including unreleased tracks, IBC recordings, and even two German tracks too! Plus, each individual CD comes with bonus tracks – 40 bonus tracks, in addition to the 20 more titles on the Bend A Little set – a huge amount of material! CD

One of Mel's best albums of jazz vocals! The record was cut in London, with work by arrangers Geoff Love, Tony Osborne, and Wally Stott – and it's got a wonderfully full quality that works perfectly with the vocals of "The Velvet Fog". Stott's best known as the arranger for Scott Walker's solo work – and although this stuff isn't as totally baroque as Scott's work, it's still got an approach to arrangements that is somewhat in the same vein. Includes a driving version of "You & The Night & The Music", Mel's own country-story "County Fair", and a number of tracks from The Bandwagon, including "I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan", "By Myself", and "Dancing In The Dark". CD

The best work we've heard in years from Terry Callier – the legendary soul singer from Chicago who's finally getting his due! This album avoids many of the mistakes of Terry's recent comeback efforts – and has him working with the best of the London scene – extremely fitting, as London's always given Terry some of his biggest support, and were crucial in bringing him back from obscurity! Most of the tunes on the set are produced by Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick, of Incognito – and they go for a spacious sound that's a strong extension of Terry's classic work for Cadet – rough vocals and acoustic guitar mixed with warmer keyboards, tight rhythms, and touches of strings. The album also features guest appearances by Paul Weller, Marc Mac of 4 Hero, and a number of other important London forces – and tracks include "Brother To Brother", "Imagine A Nation", "Monuments Of Mars", "Darker Than A Shadow", "Running Around", and "Speak Your Piece". CD features 14 tracks in all – including "Turn This Mutha", "Caravan Of Love", "Sierra Leone", "Just My Imagination", and "Tokyo Moon". (Soul, Vocalists) CD

One of a handful of totally wonderful albums cut by Blossom Dearie in London – a gem of a set, and one that really takes off from the style of her earlier American albums on Verve, thanks to some hip Brit arrangements from Reg Guest! Blossom embraces all sorts of sounds here that she hadn't touched before – a bit of bossa, French soundtrack, and material from other sources – all wrapped up with those wonderfully charming vocals that are unlike anyone else at all – in a way that makes even familiar tunes sound very much like Dearie's own! There's some great jazzy elements in the music – including alto sax from Keith Bird – and titles include "Dindi", "Once I Loved", "Trains & Boats & Planes", "Watch What Happens", "Sunny", "The Folks Who Live On The Hill", "Once I Loved", "A Wonderful Guy", "Meditation", and the incredible "Soon It's Gonna Rain". CD features two bonus tracks – mono single versions of "Discover Who I Am" and "The Music Played". CD

There's few singers we like better than Blossom Dearie – and this great little record captures Blossom at her unfettered best, working live before an intimate crowd at London's Ronnie Scott's nightclub in the 60s! The performance is in the same small combo mode as some of Dearie's Verve albums from the 50s – but there's a looser swing here that's really great – an even hipper approach to the even hipper tunes that pushes the Blossom aesthetic very nicely into the 60s. Blossom herself is on piano, supported by the bass of Freddie Logan and drums of Alan Ganley – and overall, the album's a few notches up from the better-known Blossom Time At Ronnie Scotts, thanks to a more fluid groove and very strong choice of material. Titles include "Big City", "One Note Samba", "On A Clear Day", "You Turn Me On Baby", "Let's Go Where The Grass Is Greener", "You're Gonna Hear From Me", "Peel Me A Grape", "Sweet Lover No More", and an early reading of "Sweet Georgie Fame". CD

There's few singers we like better than Blossom Dearie – and this great little record captures Blossom at her unfettered best, working live before an intimate crowd at London's Ronnie Scott's nightclub in the 60s! The performance is in the same small combo mode as some of Dearie's Verve albums from the 50s – but there's a looser swing here that's really great – an even hipper approach to the even hipper tunes that pushes the Blossom aesthetic very nicely into the 60s. Blossom herself is on piano, supported by the bass of Freddie Logan and drums of Alan Ganley – and overall, the album's a few notches up from the better-known Blossom Time At Ronnie Scotts, thanks to a more fluid groove and very strong choice of material. Titles include "Big City", "One Note Samba", "On A Clear Day", "You Turn Me On Baby", "Let's Go Where The Grass Is Greener", "You're Gonna Hear From Me", "Peel Me A Grape", "Sweet Lover No More", and an early reading of "Sweet Georgie Fame". CD