Nicolas Bearde is a singer with equal parts experience in jazz and soul – which makes him a perfect artist to take on the music of Nat King Cole – which he does here in a way that may well be better than any other Cole tribute we've heard, including a recent effort by Gregory Porter! This set's got more of a jazz vibe, and a very open style – classics associated with Nat's years recording for Capitol Records, but swung with a modern small combo style – thanks to arrangements from pianist Josh Nelson, whose talents really shape the set in a great way – as does tenorist Eric Alexander, who appears on a few tracks too – adding a tenor/vocal approach that Nat never used. Titles include "Funny", "That Sunday That Summer", "Sweet Lorraine", "Tenderly", "Rules Of The Road", and "I Wish You Love". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A classic! What seemed a silly idea at the time was true proof of Ray's genius, and the result was the most successful album of his career – and a bona-fide number one hit that rode the charts for years and years! Ray's voice works perfectly with the material, and thanks to soulful arrangements by Gil Fuller, Marty Paich, and Gerald Wilson, the whole thing comes off to perfection. Titles include "You Don't Know Me", "I Can't Stop Lovin You", "Careless Love", "You Win Again", and "Worried Mind". (Soul, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Accompanied by Ed Bickert, Scott Hamilton, Jake Hanna, Dave McKenna, Warren Vache, and Steve Wallace. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... CD

About as classic as you can get for Billie Holiday on Verve – a wonderfully intimate small group session, recorded with top-shelf players and a smokey torchy mood! Billie's in her later years by the time of the set, but somehow singing with even more emotion and life – working with a group that includes Benny Carter, Jimmy Rowles, Harry Edison, Larry Bunker, and John Simmons – on tracks that include "It Had To Be You", "A Fine Romance", "Gone With The Wind", "Isn't It A Lovely Day", "Ghost Of A Chance", and "Come Rain Or Come Shine". CD

Vocalist Fay Victor joins the wonderful group Other Dimensions In Music – for a performance that really helps deepen the sound and knock the whole thing out of the park! Make no mistake, we already love the instrumental side of the group – Roy Campbell on trumpets and other instruments, Daniel Carter on saxes and flute, William Parker on bass, and Charles Downs on drums and percussion – all shifting instruments, and working together in a mode that's very strongly in a legacy that runs from the AACM through the loft jazz generation! But the presence of Victor's voice really adds a whole new layer – contributions from various texts, which are spoken and sung, but in ways that are as unconventional as the music that Campbell and Carter make on their horns. Titles include "An Open Letter", "We Is We Trini", "Saltfish Refried", "Three Friends Advised", "Kitch Goes Home", and "John Gilman Wants Tobacco". (Jazz, Vocalists) CD

Key proof that great songs never get old – and maybe even more, that the political messages of yesterday still have plenty of power today! Drummer Ulysses Owens mines the righteous territory of the 60s and 70s here – bringing together songs originally performed by Nina Simone, Abbey Lincoln, and Joni Mitchell – all with a fresher, more contemporary approach that resonates surprisingly strongly – especially given the superb vocals on the album by Rene Marie, Theo Bleckmann, Alicia Olatuja, and Joanna Majoko! You'll no doubt know some of these songs – and most of the originals have been inspiring us for many years – but Owens finds a great way to open them up and make them sound even more vibrant, working with a group that also includes Allyn Johnson on Fender Rhodes and Hammond, David Rosenthal on guitars, and Reuben Rogers on bass. Titles include "Balm In Gilead", "Borderline", "Driva Man", "Baltimore", "Everything Must Change", "Freedom Day", "Be My Husband", "Mississippi Goddamn", and "Both Sides Now". (Jazz, Vocalists) CD

(Soundtracks, Vocalists) CD

Excellent work from Helen Shapiro – a UK singer known for a few big hits in the 60s, but represented here by a much wider scope of work – including a number of tracks that appear here on CD for the first time ever! Like some of the best of her generation, Helen's got that sweet UK female pop approach that's often heavy on influences from American soul, especially Motown – so that she really soars as she belts on the lyrics, over tunes that often have similarly soulful arrangements and really impeccable production! The package brings together both the a-sides and b-sides of singles recorded for a number of different labels – all with the superb Ace Records presentation that includes detailed notes and excellent sound quality – and the focus is mostly on material from the late 60s and early 70s. Titles include "She Needs Company", "Sill Boy", "Today Has Been Cancelled", "Face The Music", "Stop & You Will Become Aware", "Just Another Weekend", "Brickyard Blues", "That's The Reason I Love You", "A Glass Of Wine", "Waiting On The Shores Of Nowhere", "Take Me For A While", "The Way Of The World", and "Touchin Wood". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

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

... LP, Vinyl record album

With Dinah Shore, Sidney Bechet, Henry Levine, Lena Horne, and others. (Jazz, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Includes 25 songs on 2 CD's. (Soul, Vocalists) CD

Features Ed Neumeister on trombone, Fritz Pauer on piano and Jay Clayton on vocals and electronics. Tracks are a mix of originals plus a few standards. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

A mad assortment of 60s girl pop from the UK – one that features a huge amount of material pulled from the vaults of Pye Records! If you've always thought that Petula Clark and Sandie Shaw were all that was going on in the UK pop scene at the time, you'll really be blown away by the scope of material in this collection – as the package features a total of 32 tunes in all, most of which are by artists that were barely ever known on this side of the Atlantic! The song selection is great – and nearly all of it is in that high-stepping, tightly punctuated mode that we first came to love in the tunes of Petula Clark, but which are really beginning to discover in a huge amount of other singers! Features work by Simone Jackson, Glo Macari, Shirley Abicair, Tammy St John, Helen Shapiro, Sharon Tandy, Sandra Barry, The Ferris Wheel, Mally Page, Tawney Reed, Billie Davis, and many others. (Rock, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing work from singer Dee Alexander – a wonderfully soulful album of jazz vocals, and one that we'd rank right up there with our favorite records by Carmen Lundy or Dee Dee Bridgewater! Dee's a singer who's worked in Chicago for years, but we've honestly only begun to appreciate her talents of late – possibly because she's really hipped up her sound a lot over the years, picking up a range of spiritual, soulful influences that push her music to a whole new level – as you might have heard on her recent collaboration with IG Culture. The music on the set is wonderful too – work by Chicago players we know, but have never heard this strongly before – grooving in modal and soulful modes behind Dee's great vocals, with a lineup that includes Miguel De La Cerna and Michael Logan on piano, Harrison Bankhead on bass, and Leon Joyce on drums and percussion. Titles include versions of two tunes by AACM member Henry Huff – "Live" and "You & I" – plus the Alexander originals "Long Road Ahead", "Rossingnol", "Butterfly", and "C U On The Other Side". CD

A beautiful album from Lorez Alexanderia – one of her two excellent sessions for Impulse! The record was cut after Lorez recorded some great sides for the Argo label – and it works off the strength of those sides, taking her unique vocal approach, forged in R&B, but smoothed by jazz, into a whole new level of expression! The backing is great – small combo, with featured musicians who include Bunk Shank and Paul Horn on reeds, and Victor Feldman and Wynton Kelly on piano – all working with moody, soulful arrangements that are a perfect accompaniment to Lorez' beautiful voice. Includes the cuts "Get Me To The Church On Time", "Satin Doll", "Show Me", "The Best Is Yet to Come", "I'm Through With Love", and 5 more! CD

Early American work from Julie Andrews – recorded right at the start of her big fame on the stage, but with styles that almost hearken back more to the sound of her homeland! Many titles have musical elements or themes that echo the British Isles – a few traditional folk tunes here, or more sentimental styles there – all arranged by Irwin Kostal in ways that are not as swinging or bold as some of her more dynamic Broadway material. There's a sense of subtlety to some of the tunes, and a bit of sadness too – and titles on the set include "Canterbury Fair", "To A Wild Rose", "Where'er You Walk", "These Precious Things", "The Floral Dance", and "London Pride". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic collection of work from those years when singer Ann-Margret first popped up on the American market – young, fresh, and sexy – and willing to do whatever it took to make her music stand out from the pack! Ann-Margret's got a vocal range that's maybe deeper than most of her contemporaries – a lusty growl that makes you feel like she's singing from way down in her toes – with odd bluesy currents mixed with jazzier backings – all in a mode that has really blows away the sultry tones of previous singers like Peggy Lee or Julie London. This 30 track package is a very well-chosen array of tunes from the early RCA years – and includes lots of solo numbers, plus work with Elvis Presley and Al Hirt – on titles that include "Man's Favorite Sport", "Next Time", "Madrid/The Pleasure Seekers", "Mack The Knife", "My Baby Just Cares For Me", "Teach Me Tonight", "The Lady Loves Me", "You're The Boss", "Mr Wonderful", "That Old Black Magic", "Everything Makes Music When You're In Love", "Let Me Entertain You", "Take All The Kisses", "Something To Think About", and "Mister Kiss Kiss Bang Bang". CD

An "after theater" version of the Richard Rogers musical No Strings – done in a cool way that really changes the feel of the music! The "cast" for the set is an assortment of Atlantic Records artists from the early 60s – Herbie Mann, Chris Connor, Lavern Baker, and Bobby Short – all brought together to perform the tunes, which are recast nicely in arrangements by Mann, Al Cohn, and Bobby Scott. Chris Connor sings "The Sweetest Sounds", "No Strings", "Look No Further", and "Nobody Told Me"; Bobby Short sings "Be My Host", "An Orthodox Fool", and "The Man Who Has Everything"; Lavern Baker sings "Eager Beaver" and "Loads Of Love"; and Herbie Mann plays a cool Latinized version of "La La La". LP, Vinyl record album

Count Basie plays the piano and Joe Williams sings in his bluesy way and they are backed by a slew of musicians who include Thad Jones on trumpet, Ben Powell on trombone, Frank Foster on tenor saxophone, Sonny Payne on drums and many, many others. Frank Foster did all of the arrangements and the tracks include Williams' "My Baby Upsets Me", "Ev'ry Day", and "Please Send Me Someone To Love". (Jazz, Vocalists) CD

A set recorded in Brooklyn, but one with plenty of Brazilian spirit in the music – served up in a mix of English and Portuguese lyrics, with a breathy sort of charm that really takes us back to the 60s! The album's more jazz vocals than bossa nova, but definitely has some of the latter – and the group features Piano and Rhodes from Vitor Goncalves, trumpet from Michael Leonhart, and guitar from Jake Owen – who moves between acoustic and electric to give the songs just the right vibe. Alexia sings wonderfully – with the sort of patience that allows a tune to develop in the right way – ala Astrud Gilberto at her best – and tracks include "Mais Devagar", "Grao", "Even Now", "Fim De Sonho", "Serpente", "Floating Away", and "Evergreen" – plus one Japanese track as well. (Brazil, Vocalists) CD

A set recorded in Brooklyn, but one with plenty of Brazilian spirit in the music – served up in a mix of English and Portuguese lyrics, with a breathy sort of charm that really takes us back to the 60s! The album's more jazz vocals than bossa nova, but definitely has some of the latter – and the group features Piano and Rhodes from Vitor Goncalves, trumpet from Michael Leonhart, and guitar from Jake Owen – who moves between acoustic and electric to give the songs just the right vibe. Alexia sings wonderfully – with the sort of patience that allows a tune to develop in the right way – ala Astrud Gilberto at her best – and tracks include "Mais Devagar", "Grao", "Even Now", "Fim De Sonho", "Serpente", "Floating Away", and "Evergreen" – plus one Japanese track as well. (Brazil, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Chie's got kind of a washed-out look on the cover of this one, but the album's a warmly glowing little set – filled with gentle bossa colors, and sung with a light and lovely feel! There's a great Japan-meets-Brazil feel to the record – one that's put together from some well-crafted backings that feature lots of acoustic guitar and percussion, then topped by Chie's slightly fragile vocals – which offer a different take on the music than you might get from a Brazilian singer. Arrangements are by Dudu Trentin, Alex Fonseca, and Celso Fonseca – and titles include "Embola A Bola", "A Ilha", "Minha Voz Minha Vida", "Everytime We Say Goodbye", "So Liguei", and "Ate Nao Mais". (Brazil, Vocalists) CD

Two early 50s recordings by The Chordettes – easily one of the most heavenly groups ever to record in pop music! CD

A mindblowing look at the early years of Nat King Cole – a set that stretches in a mighty wide space before Nat's big fame at Capitol Records – and which also greatly expands our understanding of the material he recorded during his Decca years too! The music takes Nat back to a time long before most folks know his music – with roots in the bluesier side of the Chicago scene, moving through jazzier modes of the swing generation, to the tight trio work that helped Cole shape the sound of a generation – and all before he even got a chance to record more as a singer, and with bigger backings too! There's definitely some early Decca Records material from the 78rpm years, but there's also lots of alternate takes, small label material for Philo, Excelsior, and other labels – then a stunning amount of transcription recordings that were done for radio and broadcast – plus a few live tracks too. Not all the work here was recorded under Nat's name, either – as there's tracks in which Cole features strongly in other combos – although most tracks are trio numbers, and guitar great Oscar Moore is in the lineup right from the start. The 10LP set features over 180 tracks in all, remastered with really great sound – plus a 16 page booklet that's filled with notes, photos, and lots more musical history! LP, Vinyl record album

Cy Coleman takes on the music of Jamaica – a Broadway show that he didn't write, but which he really makes his own here through a mix of lively piano lines and vocals! Cy's better known as an instrumentalist, but his few spots of singing here are quite nice – raspy and understated, and just the right sort of charm for the tunes – delivered in a way that's probably quite different than the numbers must have sounded on the stage. The group's got a good spirit, too – some occasional "island" inflections, which are maybe more Latin jazz overall – as Cy works with Aaron Bell on bass, Ray Mosca and Osie Johnson on drums, Skeeter Best on guitar, and Romeo Penque on flute. Titles include "Savanna", "I Don't Think I'll End It All Today", "Take It Slow Joe", "Monkey In The Mango", and "Little Biscuit". (Jazz, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album