Amazing early work from Amanda Ambrose – recorded in a style that's easily as hip as the best live sides from Nina Simone or Roberta Flack – but years before either singer sounded this great! The style is an ultra-hip version of jazz inflected with plenty of soul – reaching back ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Living Stereo pressing with deep groove. Cover has ringwear, heavy edge wear, yellowing from age, and is split at the top left corner.)
Marty Paich brings some nice jazzy charts to this early set from Ann-Margret – just the kind of hip material that made her a swinger from the start! The vocals have a sexy, breathy quality that matches Ann's tight sweater on the cover – and even when Paich grooves in an uptempo style, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Just to get things straight: Ann's the Beauty and Al's the Beard – and they're paired together in this surprisingly tasty set that stands as one of Ann's jazziest albums for RCA! Part of the strength is from arranger Marty Paich, who has Al's trumpet and Ann's voice working with a small ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Louis Armstrong hits the Flying Dutchman label – and unlocks a whole new spiritual side of his talents – a mode that's quite different than some of his crossover pop of the 60s! The style here has a bit of righteous elements in the lyrics, and lots of spiritual jazz in the backings ... (Jazz, Vocalists)read moreCD
(Out of print, digipak case has some wear and a cutout through the spine.)
Louis Armstrong —
Sings The Blues ... LP RCA, 1933/1946/1947. Very Good Gatefold ...
Out Of Stock
(Mono pressing with deep groove. Cover has light aging.)
Chet Baker, Helen Merrill, & Others —
Passaporto Per L'Italia ... LP RCA/Dialogo (Italy), 1962. New Copy (reissue)...
$35.9936.99
A very cool album from the Italian branch of RCA Records – and a set that features a host of artists from other nations who briefly stopped over in Italy, and recorded some of these gems for the label! There's a core energy to the set, which balances contributions from a few key artists, ... (Jazz, Vocalists)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Kathy Barr —
Follow Me ... LP RCA, 1957. Near Mint- ...
Out Of Stock
Kathy, we'd follow you anywhere – not just for your sultry look on the cover of this album, but for your warm and wonderful vocals throughout the set! The notes describe Barr as "vibrant, vivacious, vital, and full of volcanic tenderness too" – and given the presentation of ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Early 70s issue in a booklet cover, with obi. Cover has some spotty aging inside the gatefold.)
Harry Belafonte —
Jump Up Calypso ... LP RCA, 1961. Very Good+ ...
Temporarily Out Of Stock
Harry Belafonte gets a bit of bigger backing here – thanks to great arrangements by Ralph Hunter – but the sound is still mighty nice! Titles include "Jump In Line", "Kingston Market", "Monkey", "Goin Down Jordan", and "Angelina". LP, Vinyl record album
(Living Stereo pressing. Includes mail order inner sleeve.)
Sublime work by a singer who should have dominated the 60s – had he not left this planet in an auto accident early in his short career! Jesse is wonderful here – getting even more coolness and class on RCA than he did in an indie setting – with help from the groups of Shorty ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Mid 80s German pressing in a barcode cover, with a cut corner and Best Buy Series sticker.)
Jesse Belvin —
Mr Easy ... CD RCA, 1959. Used ...
Out Of Stock
The last album ever recorded by LA vocalist Jesse Belvin – a stupendous session that showed where he might have headed, if not for the tragic auto accident that took his voice from us far too soon! The album has Jesse moving from the smooth R&B of earlier albums into a more sophisticated ... read moreCD
A mid 60s gem from Brook Benton, produced by Clyde Otis, done in wonderful, more stripped down style than some of his other efforts of the time. Titles include "My Darling My Darling", "Try A Little Tenderness", "Moon River", "The Second Time Around", and ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Oscar Brown Jr, Sivuca, & Jean Pace —
Joy ... LP RCA, 1970. Near Mint- ...
Out Of Stock
Oscar Brown's score for a hip play that he wrote (one of his many plays!) – performed by him, Sivuca, and Jean Pace. Despite the "show" quality of the material, this actually stands simply as a great Oscar Brown Jr. LP, and the production is nice and intimate, and sounds just like ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Diahann Carroll gets some classy backings here – arrangements from Ralph Burns that really make these tunes come alive! Carroll's vocals are always great, but they seem to sparkle even more here than on other early albums – as Burns' backings feature unusual instrumentation and odd ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Ray Charles & Cleo Laine —
Porgy & Bess ... CD RCA/BMG, 1977. Used ...
$16.99
A surprisingly nice reworking of the Gershwin score – and Ray and Cleo are a surprisingly nice match on vocals! (Soul, Vocalists)CD
(Out of print.)
Ray Charles & Cleo Laine —
Porgy & Bess ... LP RCA, 1977. Sealed 2LP Box Set ...
Out Of Stock
A surprisingly nice reworking of the Gershwin score – and Ray and Cleo are a surprisingly nice match on vocals! (Soul, Vocalists)LP, Vinyl record album
A wonderfully groovy album from Rosemary Clooney – done with arrangements from the great Bob Thompson, and some nice male harmony support in the backgrounds! The style's a bit like that used by Rosie on her album with The Hi-Los for Columbia, but there's a hipper, more finger-snapping sort ... read moreCD
Four late 60s gems from Perry Como – all records that really have him pushing beyond his pop style of the 50s! First up is Lightly Latin – one of the most sublime albums we've ever heard from Perry Como – a set that definitely takes its Latin lightly, and instead really goes for ... read moreCD
One of Bing Crosby's greatest moments of the 50s – and maybe one of his greatest records ever – a wonderful set of duets with Rosemary Clooney, done in all the relaxed, natural styles of his best appearances on film! The tracks all have a travel theme, and Billy May handles the ... read moreCD
A surprising bit of genius from Vic Damone – an album done in a mature, adult, easy-going style that we really love! The set's got echoes of 60s Sinatra and Tony Bennett – but also shares a lot with the newer sophistication that was being crafted by some of the hipper female singers of ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Matt Dennis is best-known to most as the composer of the classic evergreen "Angel Eyes" – but he's also a pretty great singer and piano player, with an easy and hip style that's a lot like Bobby Troup. This album's one of the few he ever cut in this mode – and is a great ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Early 80s mono Japanese pressing, with insert. Cover has light wear and is lightly bent at the spine.)
Matt Dennis is best-known to most as the composer of the classic evergreen "Angel Eyes" – but he's also a pretty great singer and piano player, with an easy and hip style that's a lot like Bobby Troup. This album's one of the few he ever cut in this mode – and is a great ... read moreCD
A lost treasure from one of our favorite male jazz singers – the oft-overlooked Matt Dennis, known best as the composer of a few famous standards, but also a great vocalist in his own right – with a sad and torchy approach that's kind of unique! This album's got Matt singing and ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Early 80s Japanese presing – RJL-2546(M). Includes insert.)
A lost treasure from one of our favorite male jazz singers – the oft-overlooked Matt Dennis, known best as the composer of a few famous standards, but also a great vocalist in his own right – with a sad and torchy approach that's kind of unique! This album's got Matt singing and ... read moreCD
Dreamy vocals from Matt Dennis – a set of Rodgers & Hart numbers, performed in a sweetly swaying style that has plenty of warm touches. Unlike some of Matt's smaller combo records, this set's got larger backings from the orchestra of Harry Geller – using some light strings and ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
One of the sweet sets that Ethel Ennis recorded for RCA in the mid 60s – jazzy and relaxed, with Jimmy Jones on piano, Walt Namuth on guitar, and Jimmy Wells on vibes! LP, Vinyl record album
Groovy backings from Sid Bass – and titles that include "Thrill Me", "Show Me A Man", "Wild Is Love", "Like Love", "Mr Wonderful", "For Every Man There's A Woman", and "Since I've Been To You". LP, Vinyl record album
(Black label stereo pressing with deep groove. Cover has a bent corner and light wear.)
A nice album featuring Ethel's great vocals alongside dynamic backings from Sid Bass – music that's certainly jazz at the core, but which also has some of the more inventive flourishes that Sid was bringing to his own instrumental sides for RCA – not really tricks or gimmicks, but these ... read moreCD
A nice album featuring Ethel's great vocals alongside dynamic backings from Sid Bass – music that's certainly jazz at the core, but which also has some of the more inventive flourishes that Sid was bringing to his own instrumental sides for RCA – not really tricks or gimmicks, but these ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
One of Lena's best from the RCA years – with arrangements by Ralph Burns and Lennie Hayton, on titles that include "Love", "Let's Put Out The Lights & Go To Sleep", "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend", "Honey In The Honeycomb", and "Baubles ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Mono pressing with deep groove. Cover has light wear and aging, mostly in back.)
One of Lena Horne's greatest albums of the 50s – a rock-solid effort that takes its name from her famous film appearance of the 40s, but which features some wonderfully sophisticated songs in a very postwar mode! As with other RCA dates of the time, the orchestra's handled by Lena's partner ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Mono pressing with deep groove and 4S matrix.)
Lena Horne & Harry Belafonte —
Porgy & Bess ... LP RCA, 1959. Very Good+ ...
Out Of Stock
... LP, Vinyl record album
Lurlean Hunter —
Night Life ... CD Vik/RCA (Spain), 1956. Used ...
Out Of Stock
An RCA classic from Lurlean Hunter – a singer who's sadly overlooked these days, but who was a real up-and-comer from the Chicago scene in the 50s! Lurlean's got a style that's surprisingly smooth at times – much richer and more jazz-based than the sometimes-bluesy cover images she was ... read moreCD
Proof that Jack Jones is a much better singer than you might think! Forget hits like "Love Boat" or "Wives And Lovers", and check out a record like this – a wonderfully dark batch of tracks composed by French soundtrack genius Michel Legrand, recorded in Paris with ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A killer record from the great Jack Jones – one of his best, and the kind of material that makes you realize why he was such a favorite of Scott Walker! The set's worth it alone for Jack's sublime reading of the title cut, "LA Breakdown" – but thanks to great arrangements ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Beautiful stuff – almost the American equivalent of Scott Walker! Jack's first album for RCA, with arrangements by Marty Paich. Includes killer versions of "Live For Life" and "Without Her" – plus "Isn't It Romantic?", "For All We Know", "Ho ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Beautiful later work from Jack Jones – a sublime set recorded between his bigger 60s fame and his later Love Boat years! The set has a soaring sense of maturity that's really great – very much in the Scott Walker spirit that Jones first help inspire in Scott back in the late 60s – ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A great album from British singer Salena Jones – one of her best straight jazz albums, recorded in the early 70s with a sweet and mellow backing that's quite surprising for the time! If you're looking for a comparison to Salena's sound, we'd suggest Lorez Alexandria – as both singers ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Salena Jones —
This & That ... LP RCA (Japan), 1974. Near Mint- ...
$13.99
A fantastic record from singer Salena Jones – recorded in the UK with backings by Brit Easy maestro Johnny Cameron, and a sweet electric groove that really makes the album sparkle! The record's similar to some of Shirley Bassey's work with Johnny Harris – in that it features familiar ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Japanese pressing, with obi – RCA 6303. Cover has some light aging, but is nice overall.)
Groovy 70s sounds from the fab vocal arranger – with keyboards by David Briggs, bass from Tommy Cogbill, and a touch of steel guitar from Robert Seymour – on titles that include "I'll Play For You", "At Seventeen", "I Love", "Every Time You Touch Me I ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Sweet 50s vocals from Teddi King – a set that's arranged with a fuller style than her small combo sessions from the time – but which still shows her to be one of the most distinctive singers of her time! Teddi's got a voice that's much richer than you'd guess from her small frame ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Eartha Kitt —
Down To Eartha ... LP RCA/Victor, Mid 50s. Very Good+ ...
Out Of Stock
... LP, Vinyl record album
(Mono pressing with deep groove. Cover has light wear & aging, splitting on the spine.)
The title definitely gets it right on this one – as the set's about as perfect a collection of Eartha Kitt's work as you could ever hope to find – a surprisingly huge batch of music that not only includes familiar hits and holiday classics, but also some unusual rare bits as well! At ... read moreCD
Naughty early work from Eartha Kitt – recorded back way before she was a huge mass of cliches, and had enough sexy power to earn the title of "Tha Bad Eartha"! There's a slinky, erotic quality to most of this work – and slightly accented vocals too, done with a sense of class ... read moreCD
Henri Rene and his orchestra accompany Eartha on this record named after her 1956 autobiography. There is an tiny excerpt from her book on the back cover but the songs don't seem to necessarily reflect her life story. It's a nice collection of some relatively tame tunes in that throaty Earth Kitt ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Mono black label pressing with deep groove. Cover has light wear and aging, half split top seam, and a 4 inch split in the bottom seam.)
Features Clark Terry and Thad Jones on trumpet, plus Coleman Hawkins and Booker Ervin on tenor sax! CD
(Stain along bottom edge of booklet.)
Abbe Lane with Tito Puente —
Be Mine Tonight ... CD RCA (Spain), 1959. Used ...
Out Of Stock
Classic 50s work from vocalist Abbe Lane – and a record that's made all the better by some great arrangements from Tito Puente! Abbe's getting past the sexy tricks of other records here – and singing in a dusky tone that works perfect with Tito's tight, choppy, and highly percussive ... read moreCD
A pretty weird one! Vicky Lane's always been one of the more dramatic singers from RCA's 50s gal catalog – and she's working here with LA jazzer Pete Condoli, who conducts a small jazz combo with lots of added percussion! The style's halfway between straight vocals and hi-fi type numbers ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Black label Living Stereo pressing with deep groove. Cover has some wear and aging, some light marks from price sticker removal, and a small sticker oscuring some marker in front.)
Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme —
Real True Lovin ... LP RCA, 1969. Near Mint- ...
$6.999.99
... LP, Vinyl record album
(Japanese promo pressing, with obi. Cover has some aging, bumped and lightly bent corners, and a patch of paper stuck to the back.)
A great little follow-up to Katie Lee's indie hit of the late 50s, Songs Of Couch & Consultation – and like that set, a batch of playful little tunes with psychoanalytic themes at the core! The scoring here, by Ray Martin, is quite similar to some of the other RCA female vocal sides of ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Mono black label pressing with deep groove. Cover has light wear and aging, some price sticker remnants, half split top seam, small split in the bottom seam, and is bent a bit at the corners on the right.)
Great early work by this swingin' French vocal group! These guys swung as hard as American jazz vocal groups, like Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross or The Hi Los – but they stuck to hipper, jazzier material, and had a driving sound that never let up! The group is led by singer Mimi Perrin, who ... read moreCD
Jon Lucien —
I Am Now ... LP RCA, 1970. Near Mint- ...
$29.99
The beginning of an amazing run on RCA for vocalist Jon Lucien – working here in a sublime blend of styles that's way beyond simple soul or standard jazz! Lucien's got a sound that's unlike anything we can think of – apart from the countless imitators who've tried for his style in ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Original pressing – in great shape! Cover has some light wear, and ringwear that includes a few worn spots on the front.)
Jon Lucien —
Mind's Eye ... LP RCA, 1974. Near Mint- ...
Out Of Stock
Music beyond description or definition – one of Jon Lucien's legendary albums for RCA – a true pinnacle in the generation of sophisticated 70s soul! The sound here is a unique blend that's never been heard before – and hardly ever since, even though many have tried – a ... (Soul, Vocalists)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Incredible work from Carmen – one of her last great albums! The set was recorded in 1988 – but it's got an "instant classic" feel that makes it one of the best vocal jazz albums of its generation. Carmen's working with a small group that includes Charlie Rouse, Larry Willis, ... read moreCD
Carmen McRae pays tribute to Sarah Vaughan – backed by a piano trio led by Shirley Horn! CD
Helen Merrill & Piero Umiliani —
Parole E Musica ... CD RCA (Japan), 1961. Used ...
Temporarily Out Of Stock
A strange and obscure session that has the cool jazz vocals of American singer Helen Merrill backed by a small Italian combo led by soundtrack composer Piero Umiliani – a wonderful mix that really makes the album an unusual one for Helen! The music was originally recorded for a TV program in ... read moreCD
A big, lush and moody set of standards by the great Harry Nilsson – with Harry's charismatic, unrivaled vocals in peak form – and add just a little touch of the oddball touches he was most famous for to that point! At this point in the early 70s, probably the least hip thing a singer ... (Rock, Vocalists)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Helen O'Connell —
Green Eyes ... LP RCA, 1957. Near Mint- ...
Out Of Stock
One of the greatest singers of the big band era comes back beautifully here in a set of vocal work from the late 50s! The style's quite different than Helen's older recordings – despite the reference of her big hit in the title – as the backings from Marion Evans bring a slightly more ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
An early vocal outing from the star of Psycho – surprisingly nice, with this unusual blue-tinged vibe! Plus, the arrangements are great – handled by jazzman Al Cohn, and directed by Urbie Green! CD
Poor Tony Perkins! He actually does a pretty nice job on this early album as a vocalist, and we imagine that he forever regretted having that part of his career closed down once he played the part of Norman Bates in Psycho. Still, there's a bit of a psycho feel to this album – from the ... read moreCD
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.)
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.)
With small combo backing from Zoot Sims and Al Cohn on tenor, plus Budd Johnson on tenor and soprano sax, Ray Nance on cornet, and Dave Frishberg on piano! Titles include "Fine And Mellow", "I Surrender Dear", "Linger Awhile", "My Last Affair", "More ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Eleven tracks, featuring Ray Nance, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, BuddJohnson, and Milt Hinton. Including "Fine And Mellow", "I Surrender Dear", "Linger Awhile", "My Last Affair", "More Than You Know", "Home", and "The You And Me That Used To ... read moreCD