Genius early work from this ultra-hip pair – with titles that include "Hey Stop That Dancing Up There", "Avocado Seed Soup Symphony", "Matzoh Balls", and "Voutoreene". LP, Vinyl record album

With Fletcher Smith on piano and Bam Brown on bass on the trio sessions; Dodo Marmarosa on piano, Bam Brown on bass, and Zutty Singleton on drums on the quartet sessions; and featuring Howard McGhee, Lucky Thompson, Teddy Edwards, and Leo Watson in the orchestra. LP, Vinyl record album

An early, early Hi-Lo's album on Starlite Records – and a harmony vocal masterpieces of the 50s! Vocal groups had certainly existed in American pop music before the quartet first hit the scene, but thanks to incredible vocal arrangements by leader Gene Puerling, and dynamic orchestrations by Frank Comstock, the Hi-Los managed to impress with a sound that was incredibly fresh at the time – and which went onto have a strong impact on many other groups for years to come. Comstock's got a great "loud then soft" style of backing that perfectly suites Puerling's tonal and chromatic complexities – heard here at a very early point, but already showing signs of the brilliance to come with Singers Unlimited. 8 numbers in all, including "Rockin' Chair", "Stars Fell On Alabama", "Nice Work If You Can Get It", "I Thought About You", "Jeepers Creepers", "Speak Low", "Button Up Your Overcoat", and "Put Your Dreams Away". LP, Vinyl record album

An early gem from singer Freda Payne – recorded back in the days when she was a jazz vocalist, years before her famous hits as a soul artist in the early 70s! The album's a darkly-tinged session with arrangements by Manny Albam – done in the late nite mode that you'd expect from the title, and featuring the kind of sad songs that you'd hear on an album from the time by Lorez Alexandria. The highlight of the album is a great vocal reading of Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman" – and other tracks include "Out Of This World", "Sweet September", "Blue Piano", and "After The Lights Go Down Low". LP, Vinyl record album

With "Stars Fell On Alabama", "Our Monday Date", "Casanova's Lament", "Doctor Jazz", "After You've Gone", "If I Could Be With You", "The Shiek Of Araby", "Beale St Blues", and more. (Jazz, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few albums ever cut by singer Vi Velasco – and a great vocal follow-up to the Zoot Sims bossa albums on Colpix! Zoot plays tenor on this record too – mixing his solos with Vi's vocals in a style that's like the interplay between Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto – with a similar blend of American jazz and Brazilian roots! Arrangements are by Al Cohn and Manny Albam – and the players also include Marky Markowitz on trumpet and Jim Hall on guitar – who brings in some nice Brazilian flavors on his instrument. Titles include "Recado", "Tu E Eu", "Sem Saudades De Voce", "Exactamente Como Tu", "Nao Branques Com O Amor", and "Tenho Ritmo" – many of which are bossa versions of familiar tunes. (Brazil, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Classic Verve work by Billie Holiday – and an album that probably brought the word "distingue" into the vocabulary of more people than any other use! (And in fact, probably also caused a lot more trouble with mispronunciation than any other Billie Holiday album title!) The tracks are slightly longer than usual – really opened up with some nice jazz inflections that make the whole thing feel like Billie is really part of the proceedings, and not just the singer in the front. Titles include familiar songs like "Day In Day Out", "Stars Fell On Alabama", "A Foggy Day", and "Just One Of Those Things" – all given the amazing Holiday take, in a way that opens them up with more emotion than you might have thought possible! LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning standout from Ray Charles' years on ABC Records – and a set that brings in a bit of hard-swinging jazz to the country-styled groove Ray was hitting at the time! Backings are by Ralph Burns, who keeps things pretty hip – not as modern as some of his 50s charts for other singers, but with some great horns that cascade beautifully alongside Ray's raspy vocals in the lead. The "road" title leads to a bunch of travel-themed tunes – but that approach also yields one of Charles' biggest classics – his version of "Georgia On My Mind" – heard here amidst other tracks that include "New York's My Home", "Moonlight In Vermont", "Deep In The Heart Of Texas", "Blue Hawaii", "Carry Me Back To Old Virginny", "Alabamy Bound", and "Mississippi Mud". (Soul, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

A rare 80s set from Astrud Gilberto – cut at a time when she was hardly doing any new recording at all! As you'll guess from the title, the album has Gilberto teaming up with German groovemaker James Last – who handles all the orchestrations for the record, and shows a surprising sensitivity towards Astrud's bossa styles in his music. Last can sometimes be a bit over the top, but he's quite subtle here – leaving lots of room for Gilberto's sweetly sensitive vocals, and the music of her core combo, which features Romero Lubambo on guitar and Dudu Da Fonseca on percussion. Paulo Jobim guests on vocals and guitar on a few tracks – and titles include "Agua De Beber", "Champagne & Caviar", "Samba Do Soho", and "Saci". (Brazil, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Not really the soundtrack for the movie – but a sweet batch of tracks that feature the lovely Dionne Warwick singing the title tune – and stretching out on a host of other great 60s numbers too! The album was recorded in two different sessions, mostly with backings by Burt Bacharach – who always makes his own music sound great – with a bit of extra help from Pat Williams, Manny Albam, and Garry Sherman – who each get a tune to work with. Gone is the dreamy optimism of some of Dionne's earlier albums – and in its place is a more mature, slightly sadder style that's really great. Titles include "Valley Of The Dolls", "For The Rest Of My Life", "Do You Know The Way To San Jose", "Silent Voices", "Let Me Be Lonely", "You're My World", "Where Would I Go", and "Walking Backwards Down The Road". (Soul, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album