An excellent LP that brings together a dozen tracks from some of Chris' lesser-known recordings for the Bethlehem label – originally released as eps and early 10" LPs. Backing on the set is by The Ellis Larkins Trio, The Vinnie Burke Quartet, The Ralph Sharon combo, and Sy Oliver's orchestra – and the set features tracks that include "All About Ronnie", "In Other Words", "A Good Man Is A Seldom Thing", "I Hear Music", "Out Of This World", and "Lush Life". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most compelling early albums recorded by Chris Connor for Bethlehem – a sweet little 10" session that was part of her initial "lullabies" series! The backings on the set are extremely haunting – played by the Vinnie Burke Quartet, with a lineup that includes accordion, guitar, bass, and drums – all of which makes for a more unusual sound than the usual piano trio backings that might accompany a singer like Chris! Titles include "Lush Life", "Out Of This World", "Cottage For Sale", "How Long", and "Stella By Starlight". LP, Vinyl record album

A great set of tracks that represents some of Chris Connor's first recordings as a solo act – culled from earlier ep and 10" releases, and issued here on a full LP with a total of 14 tracks. Backing is by three groups – the Ellis Larkin Trio, Vinnie Burke's Quartet, and Sy Oliver's Orchestra – and Chris is in fine fine form, vocalizing with that icy tone we love so much, a bit sad, and a bit mellow, but always heartfelt, without the forced emotion of other singers of her generation. Titles include "Stella By Starlight", "Goodbye", "Spring Is Here", "Ask Me", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "Try A Little Tenderness", and "He's Coming Home". LP, Vinyl record album

A great set of tracks that represent some of Chris Connor's first recordings as a solo act – a classic album originally issued as a 10" LP by the Bethlehem label! Backing is by the trio of Ellis Larkins – a great pianist with a really moody style that perfectly fits Connor's vocals – and Chris is in fine fine form, singing with that icy tone we love so much – a bit sad, and a bit mellow, but always heartfelt, without the forced emotion of other singers of her generation. Titles include "I Hear Music", "What Is There To Say", "Why Shouldn't I", "All About Ronnie", and "Spring Is Here". LP, Vinyl record album

A tasty little 2LP set – one that collects the excellent late 50s vocal work cut for the Bethlehem label by Chris Connor! At the time, Chris had a sound that she virtually invented – icy vocals backed by small combo jazz, in a very spare and subtle setting – and the sound was, and is, tremendous – filled with sadness, longing, and booze-soaked sorrow. Instrumentation on the set is by the groups of Ellis Larkins, Vinnie Burke, and Ralph Sharon – and titles include "Trouble Is A Man", "Lush Life", "Out Of This World", "I Hear Music", "All About Ronnie", "Lullaby Of Birdland", and "The Thrill Is Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautifully icy vocals from the amazing Chris Connor – the kind of record that set a new standard for vocal jazz back in the 50s! The session's a small group one – with Chris singing intimately alongside backing from Herbie Mann on flute and tenor, Kai Winding and JJ Johnson on trombones, Joe Puma on guitar, and Ralph Sharon on piano – all lightly arranged to allow Connor's vocals prime placement in the record, while shading in the spaces with some nicely modern colors. Titles are mostly familiar, but wonderfully transformed into Connor's own personal statements – and tracks include "Ridin High", "It's All Right With Me", "Someone To Watch Over Me", "All Dressed Up With A Broken Heart", "All This & Heaven Too", "Trouble Is a Man", "Blame It On My Youth", and "The Thrill Is Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

A mid 70s repackaging of one of the best vocal jazz albums that Bethlehem ever produced, and a landmark recording in the vocalese tradition! The first record ever from a young Bob Dorough – and easily one of his most swinging sessions! The style here is a bit straighter jazz than on some of Bob's later work – vocalese inspired by Jon Hendricks, King Pleasure, Eddie Jefferson, and others – recorded with a small combo that includes Jack Hitchcock on vibes, Warren Fitzgerald on trumpet, Jerry Segal on drums, and Bob's longtime partner Bill Takas on bass. Many of the tunes are vocalized versions of bop numbers – done with a nicely quirky style that shows that the mad Dorough touch was already in place during these early years – on titles that include "It Could Happen To You", "Polka Dots & Moonbeams", "Baltimore Oriole", "Yardbird Suite", "Devil May Care", and "Ow" – plus his great original "You're The Dangerous Type"! LP, Vinyl record album

Don Elliott puts down his mellophone and starts to sing – and the results are a surprisingly strong set that's one of his standouts of the 50s! Don's got a limited range, but more than makes up for it with his sense of personality – a mode that's a bit like Jackie Paris or Matt Dennis at the time, with qualities that are quite far from mainstream male pop vocals of the period! Backing is by a core cool combo that includes Billy Byers on trombone and Hal McKusick on alto and flute – and the tunes have a sweet modern quality that's mighty fresh. Titles include "Ooh Baby It Scares Me", "I Hadn't Anyone Til You", "Every Time", "Let's Fall In Love", "Whatever Happened To You", and "Looking For A Boy". (Jazz, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

One of Frances Faye's best sessions – thanks to sharp 50s arrangements from Russ Garcia! Titles include "Love For Sale", "He's Funny That Way", "Toreador", "I've Got You Under My Skin", and "Somebody Loves Me". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest, sharpest albums ever recorded by Frances Faye – a set that has the singer working with unusual backing from Frank Hunter, who brings a lot more punch to the grooves than you might expect! The horns are full – with work by Herbie Mann on flute and tenor, Allen Eager on tenor, and both Bernie Glow and Nick Travis on trumpets – and that unique Faye style of singing really fits in well with the lineup – that kind of short-range quality that makes Frances sound so personal at all the right moments. Titles include "Love Is Just Around The Corner", "Just You Just Me", "Darktown Strutter's Ball", "Well All Right", "My Baby Just Cares For Me", and "Don't Blame Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little album from Johnny Hartman – recorded back in the mid 50s for Bethlehem, in the years before he recorded his more famous dates for the Impulse label! The set has Johnny singing nice and mellow – with backing by a group led by pianist Ralph Sharon, one of Tony Bennett's longtime accompanists, with added trumpet by Howard McGhee – which creates some nicely moody interplay in the relatively spare setting of the session. Hartman's vocals are a dream, as always – and tracks include "What Is There To Say", "Moonlight In Vermont", "I'll Remember April", "Down In The Depths", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", and "We'll Be Together Again". LP, Vinyl record album

Great early work from Carmen McRae – small combo, jazzy, and a nicely different set than some of her other work of the 50s! Backings are by two groups – one headed by accordionist Mat Mathews, the other by saxophonist Tony Scott – both quartets, and both of them working with a nicely lean sense of swing that seems to bring the same out of Carmen! The album's not as dark or moody as you might expect from these years – and that's a great thing to us, because it illuminates another side of Carmen's talents that don't always get as much exposure. Titles include "Easy To Love", "If I'm Lucky", "Tip Toe Gently", "Old Devil Moon", "Misery", and "Too Much In Love To Care". LP, Vinyl record album

The voice of Audrey Morris is a great one – sweet, but also sad too – but never in a too-sentimental way, and perfect for the gentler touch of the Bethlehem label! Audrey's working here with backings penned by Marty Paich – who also plays celeste on the album, with a group that features Stu Williamson on trumpet, Bill Pitman on guitar, Joe Mondragon on bass, and Irv Cottler or Alvin Stoller on drums. Paich uses a bit of strings on the date – never too much, but just enough to underscore the sadness of the bluer tunes, and create a bit of softness on a few of the ballads – all in a way that's never too dramatic, and which always gives way to Audrey's vocals when they slide into the mix – preserving the intimate quality that always makes for her best sort of setting. The track selection is great – far more unusual than the typical Bethlehem vocal date, with some great late nite numbers that include "If Love Were All", "I Never Mention Your Name", "It's Always You", "What More Can A Woman Do", "Blue Turning Gray Over You", "I Go For That", and "I Wonder What Became Of Me". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few small group sessions from vocalist Betty Roche – a singer who was known for her work with Duke Ellington, but who sounds even better in this setting! Betty's got a style that's warmly raspy – a bit more edge than some of the cooler vocalists on the Bethlehem label at the time, but still backed with a group that's slightly modern – in keeping with other dates on the label. The combo features Eddie Costa on vibes, Donn Trenner on piano, Conte Candoli on trumpet, Whitey Mitchell on bass, and Davey Williams on drums – all grooving gently with Betty on a set of tracks that includes "Take The A Train", "Something To Live For", "All My Life", "All Too Soon", "You Don't Love Me Any More", "Go Away Blues", and "September In The Rain". LP, Vinyl record album

Mr & Mrs Jazz – and their cool cousins too – given that the combo also features some sublime tenor sax from JR Monterose, in addition to vocals from Sue and piano from Ralph! The set's a much harder-edged date than you might guess from the cover – and Sharon's approach to arrangements is a bit more dynamic than later work with Tony Bennett – swinging in a cool Bethlehem way, but given a great punch from the instrumentation – which also includes vibes from Eddie Costa and guitar from Joe Puma! Sue Sharon's a pretty nice singer, and appears on about half the tracks – the others are instrumentals – and titles include "That Goldblatt Magic", "Mynah Lament", "Just You Just Me", "Nothing At All", "Hugette Waltz", "A Nightingale Can Sing The Blues", and "A Trout No Doubt". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic set of early jazz recordings by Nina Simone – one of her first albums ever, but already with an approach that's quite different from other singers of the time! Nina's singing a fair bit of standards here, but she brings a deeply personal approach to the material – inflecting the tunes with gospel-inspired soul, and showing some very slight folksy touches – of the sort that would come in more heavily on later records. Backing is by a small combo, and tracks include "Plain Gold Ring", "Good Bait", "He Needs Me", "Don't Smoke In Bed", and "I Loves You Porgy". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little live set from Mel Torme – and one that features the same jazzy style as his studio albums for the Bethlehem label from the 50s! The combo behind Mel is a smallish one – Marty Paich on piano and arrangements, Larry Bunker on vibes, Don Fagerquist on trumpet, Max Bennett on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums – and the arrangements here all have that great mix of sensitivity and swing that Paich was first showing at the time – an approach that really helped Torme hit new levels in his music! Tracks include "Love Is Just A Bug", "Just One Of Those Things", "The Tender Trap", "I'm Beginning To See The Light", and "One For My Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful little album by Mel Torme – easily one of his best albums of the 50s, despite the tighter focus implied in the title! Although the set's a tribute to Fred Astaire. the album's got a very similar feel to Mel's classic album with Marty Paich's Dek-Tette for Bethlehem – arranged by Paich, and done in a similar style of small-orchestra jazz – with great lines and solos from key west coast players who include Herb Geller on alto, Bob Enevoldsen on trombone, Jack Montrose on tenor, and Don Fagerquist and Pete Candoli on trumpet. There's a smooth, warm brilliance to the album that's undeniable – and although many of the tunes are older ones from Fred Astaire movies from decades back, they're updated beautifully by Marty Paich's arrangements! Titles include "The Piccolino", "Nice Work If You Can Get It", "A Foggy Day", "They All Laughed", and "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite recordings ever of George Gershwin's Porgy & Bess – done by Bethlehem Records in the mid 50s, and featuring nearly every one of the label's great talents at the time! The choice of the lead characters is a bit odd – as Mel Torme plays Porgy and Francis Faye plays Bess – but both singers are actually pretty darn great for the set, and really bring a lot out of the tunes. Plus, the other artists on the set really keep things interesting – as the collection features vocal performances by Johnny Hartman, Frank Rosolino, Betty Roche, Bob Dorough, and Sallie Blair. Plus, the whole thing's presented as Gershwin wrote it – complete with narration by Al Jazzbo Collins, and a number of strong instrumental passages. Music is performed by groups led by Russ Garcia, Duke Ellington, Pat Moran, and Stan Levy – and players are an array of the best of both the New York and LA scenes at the time! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the straighter sessions ever recorded by vocalist Bobby Troup – an intimate quartet side, with backing by Howard Roberts on guitar, Bob Enevoldsen on bass, and Don Heath on drums. Bobby sings and plays piano – in that warm, laidback LA style that's made him one of our favorite male vocalists of the time – and he's less tongue-in-cheek here than on some of his other recordings, bringing a simple but honest presentation to material that includes "Have You Met Miss Jones", "It Still Suits Me", "Little Girl Blue", "You Are Too Beautiful", "They Can't Take That Away From Me", and "The Boy Next Door". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet little session of 50s vocal jazz – equally great not just for the singing by Joy Byran, but also for the arrangements by pianist Marty Paich! Paich's captured here at a great early point scoring for singers – and he gives Joy the same fluid jazzy approach that he used on the best Bethlehem albums by Mel Torme – a great thing for the singer, as it really makes the album sparkle a bit more than it might on its own. Joy's a pretty decent singer overall – with a range that's surprisingly deep, and a delivery that's best on the lighter, more sprightly tunes on the session – which are the sort that Paich does his best work with. Players include Bob Enevoldsen, Herb Geller, and Jack Sheldon – and titles include "You're My Everything", "My Shining Hour", "Round Midnight", "My Heart Stood Still", "I Could Write A Book", and "What Is There To Say". LP, Vinyl record album

The first album in a legendary run of vocal jazz classics on Atlantic Records – and a set that really helped Chris Connor move to a new level of expression in her music! The sound here is much richer than Connor's previous recordings for Bethlehem – and the small combo jazz backings have been replaced by fuller orchestrations by Ralph Burns – done in a cool, edgey sort of way that really pushes Chris into newly sophisticated territory! The sound's on a par with the best June Christy/Pete Rugolo collaborations on Capitol – and the group's filled with some great jazz players, including Zoot Sims, John Lewis, Milt Hinton, and Oscar Pettiford. Titles include "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "My April Heart", "He Was Good to Me", "Where Are You", and "Get Out Of Town". LP, Vinyl record album

A very groovy mid 60s set from Chris Connor – quite different than her famous 50s sides for Bethlehem, thanks to some hip arrangements by Don Costa! Don never goes to over the top here, but he does add in some nice groovy touches – things like bossa rhythms and electric harpsichord, used sparingly, but to very nice effect – and all in ways that help Connor hit some new ground for the times! Vocals are still totally top-shelf – as you'd expect from Chris – and tracks include "Love Life", "You're Gonna Hear From Me", "Who's Afraid", "Nowhere Man", and "Goin Out Of My Head". LP, Vinyl record album

Chris' Craft is a great one here – beautifully simple and straightforward jazz vocals, served up at a level that few other singers can match! The album's one of our favorites from Connor's classic years with Atlantic – as it's got a mellow, moody approach that's filled with the darker tones that first caught our ears on Chris' earliest recordings for Bethlehem. Instrumentation here is mostly small combo – arranged by Stan Free, and featuring Free on piano, Bobby Jaspar on flute, Mundell Lowe on guitar, George Duvivier on bass, and Ed Shaughnessy on drums. Titles include "Be A Clown", "Be My All", "Good For Nothin", "Moonlight In Vermont", "The Night We Called It A Day", "Lover Man", and "On The First Warm Day". LP, Vinyl record album

A lovely side by Chris Connor for Atlantic, recorded not too long after her stint at Bethlehem – where she'd perfected an icy cool style of singing that's still to be matched to this day! The album features larger arrangements by Richard Wess – but still has a light jazzy feel, intimate in approach, despite the larger musical backings. Chris' voice is at once personal and removed – a razor's edge of emotion, repressing some impulses, and opening up surprisingly at other moments. Titles include "Skyscraper Blues", "The Lady Sings The Blues", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "When Sunny Gets Blue", "Just In Time", "Baltimore Oriole", and "How Little We Know". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite a rare vocal jazz session – recorded for the short lived Jazz West label, which was one of the hippest LA imprints of the 50s! Jane Fielding's a pretty decent singer – with kind of a Chris Connor-ish style about her – but the real charm is from Kenny Drew's work as a pianist and arranger, both of which push the session past the usual sleepiness of a Bethlehem or Mode vocal jazz album from the time. Kenny's group features Joe Maini on alto, Ted Efantis on tenor, Lawrence Marable on drums, and either Leroy Vinnegar or Paul Chambers on bass. Titles include "Embers Glow", "Our Waltz", "Right Boy For Me", "Key Largo", "Make The Man Love Me", and "Round Midnight". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderfully spare early jazz sides by Peggy, and the kind of material that's not easy to find amidst the bulk of her pop-oriented work. The album's a moving set of ballads and torchy numbers, recorded in small-combo fashion, in a style that's similar to some of Chris Connor's later Bethlehem work. The combo includes Cootie Chesterfield on trumpet, Jimmy Rowles on piano, Max Wayne on bass, and Ed Shaughnessy on drums. A real treasure – with titles like "A Woman Alone With The Blues", "Love Me Or Leave Me", "Easy Living", and "Black Coffee". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderfully spare early jazz sides by Peggy, and the kind of material that's not easy to find amidst the bulk of her pop-oriented work. The album's a moving set of ballads and torchy numbers, recorded in small-combo fashion, in a style that's similar to some of Chris Connor's later Bethlehem work. The combo includes Cootie Chesterfield on trumpet, Jimmy Rowles on piano, Max Wayne on bass, and Ed Shaughnessy on drums. A real treasure – with titles like "A Woman Alone With The Blues", "Love Me Or Leave Me", "Easy Living", and "Black Coffee". LP, Vinyl record album

Mel Torme takes on the sound of Broadway at the start of the 60s – but he does so in a very groovy way, thanks to hip backings from the amazing Marty Paich! The style here is as swinging and jazzy as the work that Mel and Marty cut together on the Bethlehem label in the late 50s – and the tracks have a nice sort of groove, and an overall lean feel – a sound that takes the music far from its Broadway roots! Players include Art Pepper on alto, Stu Williamson on trumpet, Bill Perkins on tenor, and Frank Rosolino on trombone – all bringing a nice sense of themselves to the set. Titles include "Lonely Town", "Whatever Lola Wants", "Old Devil Moon", "Hello Young Lovers", "Too Close For Comfort", and "Just In Time". LP, Vinyl record album

Great live work from Mel Torme – a 14 track set that's done with spare backings from the Al Pellegrini Trio – possibly the most stripped-down Torme recording from these early years, delivered with an intimacy that's quite different than some of Mel's work on Bethlehem! Pellegrini plays mostly piano, but also a bit of clarinet too – given that Torme also handles a bit of piano – and the backings are always somewhat light, so that Mel's voice really dominates the proceedings. Titles include "County Fair", "Goody Goody", "You're Driving Me Crazy", "Jeepers Creepers", "Get Happy", "Get Out Of Town", and "From This Moment On". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Mel's best non-Bethlehem albums, and a record that's as much a loving tribute to New York as any you'll ever buy! Kind of funny, too, because in Mel's California Suite, there's all this stuff about how lousy New York is – but by the time of this early 60s recording, Mel's clearly repented, and he's doing a wonderful job with material like "Let Me Off Uptown", "Autumn In New York", "New York, New York", "Manhattan", and one of the greatest versions of "Sunday In New York" you'll ever hear! Great arrangements, too – with a nice touch of jazz! LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite-ever albums from Mel Torme – a set that sparkles with the same smooth swing as his best late 50s dates for Bethlehem records! Like those sets, this one features Torme's voice really taking off over some tight jazzy charts – arranged by Johnny Williams, Shorty Rogers, and Dick Hazard – all in styles close to those used previously by Marty Paich. But almost even better is the New York theme of the record – surprising, given the anti-NYC vibe of Torme's classic "California Suite" – but perfect, too, as it really ties the whole thing together wonderfully – creating this beautiful picture of the Big Apple in the postwar years. Titles include the greatest version of "Sunday In New York" you'll ever hear – plus "Let Me Off Uptown", "Autumn In New York", "New York New York", "Manhattan", and "My Time Of Day". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from Mel Torme – a great early album for Verve, one that's every bit as nice as his stellar work for the Bethlehem label! The set's got Mel singing with the Marty Paich orchestra – a good thing, too – as Marty's always been the best arranger for Mel's unique way of putting over a jazz vocal. Tunes are all pretty nicely swinging, and at times expand the sound a bit past Mel's earlier work – with titles that include "House Is Haunted By The Echo Of Your Last Goodbye", "Gloomy Sunday", "That Old Feeling", "I'm Gonna Laugh You Out Of My Life", "Nobody's Heart", "How Did She Look", and "Where Can I Go Without You". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best-ever Mel Torme jazz vocal albums – right up there with his best Bethlehem recordings! The set was recorded with Marty Paich's Dek-tette, who set the tone perfectly for the warmly perfect style of The Velvet Fog – and who, like Mel, manage to be totally polished, yet also still swing with a fair bit of emotion. The result is a swinging batch of standards that lets Mel shine at his best – including titles like "I've Got The World On A String", "I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You", "Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea", and "I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart". LP, Vinyl record album