Almost everything soulful at Capitol Records in the mid 60s – packed together in one sweet little place! The set's a winner in a great line of Cannonball Adderley live dates from the time – produced by David Axelrod, and done with that great mix of angular, slightly electric groove the combo was virtually pioneering – thanks to help from Joe Zawinul on electric piano, and Nat Adderley on cornet! Cannon also plays some great soprano sax – an instrument that he was taking off beautifully with at the time – and sets fire to a few great tunes with the instrument. But as if that's not enough, Lou Rawls joins in on vocals on a few cuts, and Nancy Wilson comes in on a few more – and the album alternates singing with instrumentals in a really great way. Titles include two very nice extended tracks by Joe Zawinul – "Rumplestiltskin" and "The Scavenger", both of which are over 10 minutes long, and which have the group stretching out in a nice live vein – and other cuts include "The Scene", "Somewhere", "Sweet Emma", and "Zorba". (Jazz, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Ernestine Anderson at the height of her powers – caught during a very successful run at Concord Records, where she was easily one of the hippest things going down at the time! The group here is a trio, and very tight – Hank Jones on piano, Monty Budwig on bass, and Jeff Hamilton on drums – all shifting easily to fit the mood and personal demeanor of Anderson's performance, which is a fair bit more dynamic than other jazz singers of the period. In a way, the record's got a similar feel to Lorez Alexandria's albums from the time – hip soul jazz vocals at its best, with just the right twists, turns, and rhythmic impulses to keep things interesting – but not enough to goof things up too much! Titles include "Big City", "Welcome To The Club", "All Blues", "All I Need Is You", "Spring Is Here", and "I'll Never Pass This Way Again". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Chet Baker's most classic albums of the 50s – a record that features both vocals and strong trumpet solos – all from a time when Baker was one of the hottest things going in jazz! The album's different from records from previous years, in that it moves Baker from LA to New York – where he works with a great quartet that features Kenny Drew on piano, George Morrow or Sam Jones on bass, and Philly Joe Jones or Danny Richmond on drums – all players who have a slightly different approach than some of Baker's compatriots on Pacific Jazz sessions, which also seems to bring out a bit more bite in Chet too. Tracks are still shortish, with those breathy Baker vocals we love so much, balanced with really well-crafted trumpet solos – and titles include "It Could Happen To You", "Do It The Hard Way", "Old Devil Moon", "Dancing On The Ceiling", and "The More I See You". (Jazz, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest collaborations of Dave Brubeck's years at Columbia Records – and one of the greatest jazz sessions from vocalist Jimmy Rushing too! On paper, the modernist Brubeck and Kansas City roots singer Rushing would seem to be a very unlikely pair – but by this time in his career, Jimmy had gotten extremely inventive and was very open to new ideas – and manages to lend his amazing vocals to some sublime instrumental backdrops from the Brubeck quartet! Dave unlocks a whole host of bluesy tones for the session, and really matches Rushing's energy – and Paul Desmond's alto sounds somewhat unusual in that setting, but with a real appeal too – a very unusual sound for a record like this. Titles include "There'll Be Some Changes Made", "My Melancholy Baby", "Blues In The Dark", "I Never Knew", "Ain't Misbehavin", "Evenin", "All By Myself", "River Stay Way From My Door", "You Can Depend On Me", and "Am I Blue". (Jazz, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful chapter in the career of Ray Charles – and a key album in helping raise his respect level a notch or two in the early 60s! We might argue with the mathematics in the title – or at least joke that Ray was using equations as titles years before Anthony Braxton – but you can't contest the fact that this one's a classic treat, and a legendary attempt to class up Ray's bluesy style for the masses. Quincy Jones and Ralph Burns handled the arrangements, and given that the record was issued by ABC a few years before they brought Ray into a country mode, it's interesting to think what might have happened had his career continued this way. There's only a small number of vocal tracks on the record, and most of the rest feature Ray at the organ, grooving away very nicely! Titles include "One Mint Julep", "Moanin", "I've Got News For You", "Mister C", and "Stompin Room Only". (Soul, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Always brilliant work from the great June Christy – an album that's got a lot more darkness than you might think from the title and the bright-colored cover! The style is very booze-soaked and sad – with plenty of echoes of the classic Something Cool album – and like that set, this one features sublime arrangements from the great Pete Rugolo – who has a perfect way of shading things in with the dark tones and modern elements that always work best for Christy's vocals! One of our favorite-ever records from June – with titles that include "Let There Be Love", "When Sunny Gets Blue", "I Want To Be Happy", "Imagination", "No More", "Better Luck Next Time", and "The Best Thing For You". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure moment in June Christy's career, but a great one too – a rare later recording, done many years after her time at Capitol Records – in a laidback setting with a hip group of west coast players! June's voice definitely shows a bit of age, but she's still head and shoulders above most jazz singers of her generation – mixing subtle feeling and darkness together beautifully, in a way that makes for a wonderfully moody record! Lou Levy leads the group on piano, and other players include Bob Cooper on tenor and flute, Frank Rosolino on trombone, and Jack Sheldon on trumpet – although the horns don't seem to appear on all the tracks on the date. Titles include "The Trouble With Hello Is Goodbye", "My Shining Hour", "Once Upon A Summertime", "Show Me", "Willow Weep For Me", "Everything Must Change", and "Autumn Serenade". LP, Vinyl record album

An important album by Nat King Cole – one that presented him in a live format, working in front of a very relaxed crowd at the Sands, expressing himself in a way that's quite different than some of his studio albums. The staid sound of Cole is opened up a bit here in the live set – a bit more relaxed, not necessarily improvised, but with a familiarity that shows Nat as more of an entertainer than you might expect. Titles include "Thou Swell", "Ballerina", "Funny (Not Much)", "I Wish You Love", "You Leave Me Breathless", and "Where Or When". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite albums by Nat King Cole – done with a bit more depth and feeling than some of his other Capitol sets of the time – and some great jazzy backings, too! Arrangements are by Dave Cavanaugh, but there's almost a Basie-like quality to the group at times – never too hard-swinging, but definitely that slow-burning quality the Count could hit so well with a singer, especially on the horns! The group is awash with Basie-ites – and saxes are by Marshall Royal, Frank Foster, Billy Mitchell, and Frank Wess; trumpets include Joe Newman and Thad Jones; trombones feature Al Grey, Henry Coker, and Benny Powell; and rhythm features guitar from Freddie Greene, piano from Gerald Wiggins, and drums from Sonny Payne – definitely a swinging lineup. Titles include the great "Welcome To The Club" – plus "Anytime Anyday Anywhere", "The Late Late Show", "Wee Baby Blues", "Avalon", "She's Funny That Way", and "The Blues Don't Care". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album of vocal jazz – and one of the few sessions that John Coltrane ever cut with a singer! In a way, the album's more Hartman's than it is Coltrane's – given that Johnny's warm, mellow style of singing isn't as free and open as Trane at his most adventurous – but at another level, the album's got a great approach to Coltrane's gentler side, one that wasn't showing up on a lot of his Impulse albums of the time. Overall, the album's got an extremely haunting quality, and McCoy Tyner's piano adds as much to Hartman's hip voice as Coltrane's mellow tenor. Titles include some well-chosen moody standards – including "Lush Life", "Dedicated To You", and "Autumn Serenade". (Jazz, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest Bobby Darin albums ever! Gone are all the gimmicks of some of his teen records, and in their place is a solid, serious approach to jazz vocals that has Darin standing tall with the likes of Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. Honest, this is one of our favorite vocal albums from the time – and Darin glides effortlessly over arrangements by Torrie Zito, sort of in the way that Mel Torme could when he was at his best. Titles include "How About You", "No Greater Love", "Long Ago & Far Away", "I Didn't Know What Time It Was", and "In Love In Vain". A real treasure – and one that we've loved for years! LP, Vinyl record album

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". LP, Vinyl record album