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) CD

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

Brilliant work throughout – both of Ray Charles' classic country albums on a single CD package! Volume one is the stuff of legends – and what seemed a silly idea at the time was true proof of Ray's genius – 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". Volume 2 is the second installment of one of Ray's greatest albums – and a landmark in the genre of country soul! As the title implies, Ray's singing a host of tunes best known from the country side of the spectrum – but he's working here with arrangements by LA jazzers Marty Paich and Gerald Wilson, to completely re-cast the tunes into the "modern sounds" mode promised in the title. The result is wonderful – a style that gave Ray's career a whole new boost, and a genre that was a perfect foil for his rich bluesy mode of singing. Titles include "No Letter Today", "Take These Chains From My Heart", "Teardrops In My Heart", "Making Believe", and "Hang Your Head In Shame". (Soul, Vocalists) CD

The second installment of one of Ray's greatest albums – and a landmark in the genre of country soul! As the title implies, Ray's singing a host of tunes best known from the country side of the spectrum – but he's working here with arrangements by LA jazzers Marty Paich and Gerald Wilson, to completely re-cast the tunes into the "modern sounds" mode promised in the title. The result is wonderful – a style that gave Ray's career a whole new boost, and a genre that was a perfect foil for his rich bluesy mode of singing. Titles include "No Letter Today", "Take These Chains From My Heart", "Teardrops In My Heart", "Making Believe", and "Hang Your Head In Shame". (Soul, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

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A great illustration of the genius of Carmen McRae in the 70s – a record that easily shows why Carmen was hipper than most of her contemporaries from two decades before! The set has the vocalist somehow managing to still stick in a straight jazz style, without going for cheaper soul routines – yet also opening up with more of a sense of mature presence that showed the sophistication of the times – a killer blend that really makes the album a gem from these 70s years! The live setting features Carmen working through a mixture of new and old material in some really unique variations – working with a small group that includes Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet and Marshall Otwell on keyboards, carving out some space with a really wonderfully confident feel. Numbers include "No More Blues", "Only Women Bleed", "A Beautiful Friendship", "Star Eyes", "Dindi", "Never Let Me Go", "On A Clear Day", "On Green Dolphin Street", and "I'm Always Drunk In San Francisco". LP, Vinyl record album

Proof that Helen Merrill was continuing to grow as a singer – well into her fourth decade of recording! This obscure session was recorded in France in 1986 – with a lineup that includes Steve Lacy on soprano sax, Gordon Beck on acoustic and electric piano, and Stephane Grappelli on violin. In this spare setting, Merrill's are wonderfully at home – sadly picking her way through a host of tunes that includes great readings of some more familiar numbers, plus a few originals by players on the set. Titles include "Nuages", "Round Midnight", "A Tout Choisir", "As Time Goes By", "Laura", "Music Makers", "And She Still Is With Me", and "Solitude". LP, Vinyl record album

The second album from Kathryn Moses – a sweet mix of warm vocals, funky flute, and even a bit of sax! Kathyrn's as great a singer as she is an instrumentalist – and the album offers equal parts of her talents – stepping out with a style that's often a bit funky at the bottom, with an electric mixture of flute, guitars, percussion, and bass. Gene Perla produced the record, and it's got a fair bit of choppy grooves that are right up there in the best PM Records mode – more proof that the Canadian scene could groove nicely when it wanted. Titles include the jazz dancer "Lucky Duck", plus the cuts "Should Be Ancient History", "Katrina", "More Than Ever", "Music In My Heart", and "Love To See You Smile". 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

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A real standout in the classic catalog of ECM – not only because the record's got a slightly different inspiration than most, but also because it seems to unlock some especially beautiful moments from players who could sound different in other settings on the label! As the title indicates, the tunes here all take inspiration from the poetry of Robert Creeley – but never in a mode that's got the usual jazz meets poetry approach – as Sheila Jordan sings the lyrics when they appear, with a sense of her own power that's very different than a more standard recitation – and which, to us, really feels a lot like her great vocal performances with Steve Kuhn for ECM. Kuhn is also in the group on piano, and other musicians include David Liebman on saxes, Lyle Mays on keyboards, and Bob Moses on drums – all working under the superb leadership of bassist Steve Swallow – who really outdid himself with the depth of feeling in this project. Titles include "Colors", "In The Fall", "She Was Young", "Some Echoes", "Ice Cream", and "You Didn't Think". (Jazz, Vocalists) CD

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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

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

It's the early 70s, and Mose is still going strong – grooving with a unique blend of New Orleans soul and Northern jazz influences, his own particular brand of music, timeless from the day it was born! The setting here is a live one, and Mose is playing with a trio that includes Clyde Flowers on bass and Eddie Charlton on drums. The album features a number of strong originals – including "Look What You Made Me Do", "Powerhouse", "I Don't Worry About A Thing", and "Don't Forget To Smile" – plus versions of "The Seventh Son" and "Fool's Paradise". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderfully warm soul from the great Patti Austin – a key artist in the late 70s, and one who really helped push the music forward with a new sense of sophistication! Patti's got a strongly jazzy vibe here – and works with David Matthews arrangements that are really well put-together – less funky than some of Dave's other work of the period, and filled with these mellow moments that really let Austin's energy flow! The overall feel is a bit like some of Jean Carn's work on Philly International – hip, sophisticated, and filled with plenty of jazz touches – although with an even stronger approach to ballads – and titles include the classic "This Side Of Heaven", plus "More Today Than Yesterday", "Say You Love Me", "In My Life", "Give It Time", and "What's At The End Of A Rainbow". (Soul, Vocalists) CD

Bessie Smith by LaVern Baker – a great blend of modes that really comes off great! Instead of sounding like a throwback blues album, the set comes across with a nice degree of contemporary class – thanks in part to a jazzy presentation that's a bit different than some of Baker's other music of the time – and which sports reeds from Sahib Shihab, tenor from Paul Quinichette, trumpet from Buck Clayton, and trombone from Jimmy Cleveland! Baker's voice is in fine form in this comfortable setting – and really works magic with tracks that include "After You've Gone", "Preaching The Blues", "Empty Bed Blues", "Back Water Blues", and "Gimme A Pigfoot". (Soul, Vocalists) 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

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", "April In Paris", and "Please Send Me Someone To Love". (Jazz, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Two key albums from England's legendary Cilla Black – back to back in a single set, and with 26 bonus tracks too! First up is the amazing 1965 debut, Cilla – a record that maybe draws even more heavily on American soul music than some of Dusty Springfield's early work – all given some impeccable handling in the studio by arranger Johnny Scott, with a bit of help from Johnny Spence, and the record's producer, George Martin. Tunes are a great blend of American pop tracks and more off-beat numbers – done in that strangely syncopated mode that always provided a perfect counterpoint for Cilla's vocals – percolating the tracks wonderfully, and keeping things nice and clean, in a way that you don't always find in her later records. Titles include "Baby It's You", "Goin Out Of My Head", "Every Little Bit Hurts", "This Empty Place", "Come To Me", "Dancing In The Street", and "Whatcha Gonna Do Bout It". In My Life is the first set in the second chapter of Cilla Black's years with EMI – and her first record without George Martin at the production helm, too! The styles open up with a lot more contemporary 70s elements than some of Black's previous records – and there's a fair bit of keyboard work to create these warmer currents underneath Cilla's always-strong lead vocals. Titles include "I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song", "Someone", "Daydreamer", "Everything I Own", "Baby We Can't Go Wrong", "Let Him In", "Like A Song", and "I Believed It All". 2CD set features lots of bonus tracks – including "Changes", "From The Inside", "Alfie Darling", "He Was A Writer", "I'll Still Love You", "Little Bit Of Understanding", "Heatwave", "Anything You Might Say", and the full mono mix of the debut album. CD

One of the most amazing musical duos of the 60s – presented here in a double-length set of unreleased recordings! Pianist Ran Blake has gotten some great acclaim over the decades – and strong attention in more recent years as well – but some of our favorite work by Ran is still his 60s pairing with singer Jeanne Lee – just about the only voice who could match Blake's enigmatic shifts in tone and timing, with results that often move way beyond conventional jazz! When straight, Jeanne's a hell of a soulful singer – with a quality and depth that allows her to take off and do all these freer flights and experiments – a mixture of skill and confidence that might mark Sheila Jordan at her most adventurous, but which is handled here in a very different mode – thanks in very large part to the flurries of notes and waves of sound that issue forth from Blake's fingers on the piano. The pair recorded one well-known album on RCA in the 60s – with a title that's similar to this one – but this package features a full 2CDS of material from European performances in 1966 and 1967 – 33 tracks in all, with titles that include "The Frog The Fountain & Aunt Jane", "Out Of This World", "Hard Day's Night", "Birmingham USA", "Beautiful City", "On Green Dolphin Street", "Misterioso", "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most", "Something To Live For", "The Man I Love", "Night & Day", "Something's Coming", "Parker's Mood", and "Smoke After Smoke". (Jazz, Vocalists) CD

An important early release of Brel's best work in the US – titled in a way that references the hit musical based on his songs, and Rod McKuen's butchered translation of "Ne Me Quitte Pas". Fortunately, the album includes the original Brel recording of "Ne Me Quitte Pas", plus the tracks "La Moribond", "Marieke", "La Colombe", "L'Are De La Betise", "La Tendresse", "Les Flamands", and "La Valse A Mille Temps". (French, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet 70s funk from the great Oscar Brown – quite a change from his jazz-based work of the 60s, but a great new sitting for all of his wonderful wit and warmth! Brown's still a hell of a songwriter, and one with a very socially-conscious eye – sharper here than before, with lots of comments on the changes in society in the 70s, mixed with a few more heartfelt, personal moments too. There's still a bit of jazz in the mix – thanks to work from Seldon Powell on reeds, and Joe Sample on keyboards – and arrangements are by old friends Floyd Morris, the underground Chicago soul genius – and Sivuca, best known for his Brazilian music, but a great choice here to expand the groove. Brown wrote all the tunes on the record – and titles include "From My Window", "Like A Flower", "Brother Where Are YOu", ""The Lone Ranger", "If You Come Back", and "The Joneses". LP, Vinyl record album

The only album we've seen from Bug Alley – a relatively obscure jazz vocal group, but a great one too! These guys are equally at home with a number of different styles – scatting instrumentally, harmonizing lyrically, and taking off in some of the vocalese territory explored by Lambert Hendricks & Ross – all with the occasional old school vibe you might guess by their look on the cover! The repertoire goes back to prewar numbers, but the group also takes on the music of Miles Davis and Wayne Shorter too – on titles that include "Down For The Count", "Steppin Around", "Bop Follies", "Sancho Suite", "Footprints", "Daybreak", and "Milestones". LP, Vinyl record album

Later Atlantic Records material from the legendary Ray Charles – a set that definitely lives up to the genius of the title, in that it shows a real sense of development in Ray's music! Charles has moved from the shorter R&B of his early Atlantic singles, to embrace some greater jazz-based sophistication – served up here with players who include Paul Gonsalves and Zoot Sims on tenor, Clark Terry and Joe Newman on trumpets, Melba Liston and Al Gray on trombones, and Freddie Greene on guitar – all players who really shift things towards a richer, fuller sound – setting the stage for Charles 60s growth at ABC Records, but with less of the country modes. Titles include Charles takes on classics like "Just For A Thrill", "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Cryin", "Am I Blue", and "It Had To Be You" – and the record also features a young Marcus Belgrave delivering a trumpet solo on "Alexander's Ragtime Band". (Soul, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Ray Charles in a nicely maturing mode – on a record from later in his Atlantic Records years, definitely paving the way forward for his 60s classics on ABC! The tunes are blues, but not in the way that Charles first started recording on earlier singles for Atlantic – as there's a bit more class, care, and a strong current of jazz that Ray was bringing more and more to his music as the years went on. Titles include the Charles originals "Hard Times", "I Believe To My Soul", "Mr Charles Blues", "I Wonder Who", "Some Day Baby", and "Nobody Cares" – plus nice takes on "I'm Movin On" and "The Midnight Hour". (Soul, Vocalists) CD

A pivotal album for Ray Charles – one that features the sweet electric piano jammer "What'd I Say" – offered up here in 2 parts, and a track that would become the prototype for so many funk songs in years to come! There's a vibe here that really takes off from the R&B of the earlier years – showing Charles as a pivotal force in the move towards soul music – both from an instrumental and vocal standpoint! The Raelettes back Ray up on most tracks – and other tracks include "Rockhouse (parts 1 & 2)", "Roll With My Baby", "You Be My Baby", "Jumpin In The Mornin", and "What Kind Of Man Are You". (Soul, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

2 rare gems from June Christy's later years on Capitol – back to back on one CD! The Cool School is easily one of June's greatest albums – even if it is an unusual one! The format here is a far cry from the boozier modes of Christy's earlier career – as the tunes on the set are mostly children's songs, redone as jazzier numbers by June and the Joe Castro Quartet – the latter of whom provides some rare small combo backing for Christy, in a lightly dancing mode that really makes the album work! And while you might expect the children's tunes to be simple-minded or cloying, June's delivery of the material unlocks the secret sense of loss, sadness, and longing that's often buried in the songs – completely transforming familiar numbers in a way that really leaves us breathless! Titles include "Kee Mo Ky Mo", "Small Fry", "Swinging On A Star", "Give A Little Whistle", "The Magic Window", "Baby's Birthday Party", and "Aren't You Glad You're You". Do Re Mi is another unusual session for Christy – one done in tight collaboration with husband Bob Cooper! Bob and June work together here to interpret work from the musical Do Re Mi – with June singing about half the tunes, and Bob playing the other half instrumentally – on tenor, and working with a smaller group that includes Bud Shank, Conte Candoli, and Buddy Collette. The format's got a fresh feel that changes things up nicely from June's other Capitol albums – and although things are a bit lighter than usual, they're still very much in the best Christy/Capitol mode! Vocal tunes include "Cry Like The Wind", "I Know About Love", "Asking For You", "Make Someone Happy", and "All You Need Is A Quarter" – alongside instrumentals that include "All Of My Life", "Fireworks", "It's Legitimate", and "Ambition". CD

A late treasure from June's years at Capitol – an album that ably earns its "intimate" tag, by featuring June with almost no musical backings at all! Instrumentation on the set is provided only by Don Bagley on bass, Al Viola on guitar, and some occasional flute work by Bud Legge – all gently working behind June's wonderfully dark and moody vocals – somehow even sadder and more heartbreaking than on other of her classic Capitol sets. Titles include "I Fall In Love Too Easily", "Spring Is Here", "It Never Entered My Mind", "You're Nearer", and "Suddenly It's Spring". LP, Vinyl record album