A damn great little record – a small label indie side, but a set that had an unusually strong influence on vocal jazz in the 60s – really setting a new standard for the generation to come! Marv swings things with a hip, sophisticated style – shaking off some of the excesses of the Billy Eckstine generation, going for the leaner modes of the Frank Minion set – and coming up with some groovy tunes that really sparkle in his hands! Marvin plays piano and celeste, and the set also features organ from Charles Kynard and Groove Holmes, flute and tenor from Buddy Collette and Clifford Scott, trumpet from Carmell Jones, and guitar from Hank Crawford – about as hip a backing group as you could hope to pull from the LA scene! The set includes the killer "Big City" – penned and sung by Jenkins, but covered by plenty of others – plus "Chicago", "Small Town", "City Blues", "Visit Me Today", and "I'm Always Drunk In San Francisco". LP, Vinyl record album

Great later work from Jimmy Scott – sides recorded for Milestone Records near the end of his life – at a time when Jimmy's music was finally getting its due, and reaching wide exposure to a whole new audience! The sound is pretty laidback and mellow on most numbers – and Scott gets some great accompaniment from a host of musicians who include Eric Alexander on tenor, Hank Crawford on alto, Wynton Marsalis on trumpet, and Joe Beck on guitar – on titles that include "You Don't Know What Love Is", "Smile", "Moonglow", "Without A Song", "Please Send Me Someone To Love", and "Strange Fruit". CD

Music from Freddy Cole, Stanley Turrentine, Ella Fitzgerald, Woody Herman, Ruth Brown, Merl Saunders & Friends, Charlie Byrd, Hank Crawford, Etta Jones, Sonny Rollins, and more – 28 songs in all. (Jazz, Vocalists) CD

Stunning live material from the great Ray Charles – a 3CD set that brings together a wealth of stage performances from May of 1962, in setting that often lets us focus as much on Ray's incredible piano work as it does his trademark vocals! Charles' talents need no introduction from us, but they're in fantastic formation here – without some of the studio trappings that he was beginning to use in the 60s, and much more of the jazzy flourishes that he was using towards the end of his time at Atlantic Records – played here by a group that includes Marcus Belgrave on trumpet, Hank Crawford on alto, and David Fathead Newman on tenor. The package features 52 live tracks – including "Blue Stone", "The Danger Zone", "From The Heart", "Margie", "One Mint Julep", "Doodlin", "Careless Love", "Hit The Road Jack", and "I Believe To My Soul". Also features a few bonus studio cuts – including work with Louis Jordan! (Soul, Vocalists) CD

One of our favorite-ever albums from Esther Phillips – an album that really helped her transform her sound for the 70s! The approach here is a lot more jazzy than before – served up with a good dose of funk, thanks to arrangements from Pee Wee Ellis – fresh from his work with James Brown, but even more electrically-oriented here! The groove is great – and the album's one of the best Kudu sides from the early 70s – a perfect blend of soul, jazz, and funk – all wrapped up with a new level of sophistication that benefits all parties involved. Other players include Richard Tee on keyboards, Eric Gale on guitar, Bernard Purdie on drums, Airto on percussion, and Hank Crawford on alto sax. Titles include an incredible cover of Gil Scott Heron's "Home Is Where The Hatred Is", plus "From A Whisper To A Scream", "Till My Back Ain't Got No Bone", "Your Love Is So Doggone Good", Scarred Knees", and "Baby, I'm For Real". (Soul, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Features Hank Crawford, Cyrus Chestnut, George Mraz, and others. CD

Gentle magic from singer Jimmy Scott – one of our favorite of his comeback recordings of recent years! The album features tracks that Jimmy Recorded over sessions done in 2000 and 2001 – working with a host of great jazz players like Eric Alexander, Joe Beck, Hank Crawford, David Newman, Grady Tate, and Cyrus Chestnut – all of whom bring a warm and mellow feel to the set, allowing Jimmy some good space to breeze around in understated brilliance. Titles include "Yesterday", "Those Who Were", "How Long Has This Been Going On", "Time On My Hands", and "If I Should Lose You". CD