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

Features alto sax from the leader, trumpet from Wilbur Wilson, and vocals by the whole group! (Jazz, Vocalists) 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

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

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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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Lovely work from Lisa Ono – one of the first singers of the modern age to return to the genius of 60s bossa, and one of the few to keep getting it right over the years! Here, Lisa sings with studio help from Mario Adnet – that great contemporary bossa talent who's got a key ear for updating instrumentation without ever losing the charm of the past – keeping things live, spontaneous, and with just the right current of sadness – but all without ever just aping the styles of the 60s either. Lisa's voice is wonderful – maybe even better here than on her earlier records – and titles include "Upa Neguinho", "Roda", "Mas Que Nada", "O Cantador", "Lapinha", "Tim Dom Dom", "Sa Marina", "Bossa Na Praia", and "Chove Chuva". (Brazil, Vocalists) 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

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

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

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A great Tony Bennett LP – very different than others from the time (or any time!) in that the format pairs the master vocalist with the "who's who" of drummers and percussionists of the late 50s – including Art Blakey, Jo Jones, Candido, and Sabu. The sound is as majestic and crashing as you'd imagine, and cuts include "Let's Begin", "Love For Sale", "Crazy Rhythm", and "Let's Face the Music and Dance". A great LP, and one of his best. If you've ever doubted Tony's committment to jazz, check this one out, and be pleasantly surprised! 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

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

You know, over the years, you get exposed to so many cliches about Ray Charles that it's easy to forget how great he is – but you won't after hearing this set! This totally essential box pushes way past any other collection to pull together the raw early R&B sides by Ray – much harder stuff than any of his later country soul work, and way more rockin than even his instrumental sides that show up more as "jazz" efforts. No, this stuff kicks ass – and is right up there with the best 50s R&B work by artists like Tiny Bradshaw, Wynonie Harris, or Ray Brown. Plus, a huge amount of the cuts on here never really appeared on full LPs, so it's not like you'll be able to track them down that easily on other reissues. There's a wealth of excellent material here that will open up a whole new side of Ray for you – and which will fill in loads of holes if you've already got some of his work. There's a total of 53 tracks in all, plus a great set of notes and a very handsome box – and titles include "What Kind Of Man Are You", "Get On The Right Track", "Leave My Woman Alone", "Roll With My Baby", "Jumpin In The Morning", "It Should Have Been Me", "Feelin Sad", "Mess Around", "I Wonder Who", "Blackjack", "Greenbacks", "A Fool For You", "Hard Times", "A Bit Of Soul", "I Want To Know", "It's Alright", "Ain't That Love", and "That's Enough". All cuts are vocal – and this is some of the most satisfying Ray Charles you could ever buy! (Soul, Vocalists) CD

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

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

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