Includes 15 CDs – spirituals, lieder, opera excerpts and arias, her Christmas album, and more – all packaged in a beautiful, 228-page coffee book! CD

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Masumi Ormandy on vocals – accompanied by Allen Farnham on piano, Dean Johnson on bass, and Tim Horner on drums. CD

Incredible early work from Lorez Alexandria – the kind of albums that instantly set her apart from other singers of the 50s, reissued here properly for the first time in years! On This Is Lorez, the singer is working with sublime small combo backings from the group of pianist King Fleming – an unusual Chicago ensemble that includes Wilber Wynn on guitar, Ronald Wilson on flute and oboe, Vernel Fournier on drums, and Audrey Jones on bongos – a musical lineup that brings in a different sort of sophistication to the record, shading tunes with moody colors on flute and oboe that perfectly support Alexandria's soulful and sensitive interpretations of the tunes. The whole thing is pure genius, and a key look at the new levels of sophistication that were bubbling everywhere on the Chicago scene during the years of Jamal and Sun Ra. Lorez Sings Pres follows in a very similar mode – with backing by a Chicago group that again includes King Fleming piano, plus Charles Stepney on vibes, Paul Serrano on trumpet, and Vernel Fournier on drums – an extremely hip lineup that makes the record far more than just the Lester Young tribute promised in the title! But despite the instrumentalists, the real star on all sides is Alexandria – who sings with dark tones and deep colors that go far beyond conventional jazz vocals – all carried off with that slightly breathy mode that was one more unique aspect of her work! CD features all tracks from both albums – a total of 22 titles that include "Snowstorm", "I'm Glad There Is You", "The Sky Is Crying", "I'm Making Believe", "Necessity", "Penthouse Serenade", "DB Blues", "This Year's Kisses", "Easy Living", "No Eyes Blues", "Jumping With Symphony Sid", and a key early reading of "Baltimore Oriole". CD

A groovy little vocal group with a swinging 50s sound – working here with some great jazzy arrangements from trombonist Kai Winding! The style of the set prefaces Winding's pop/jazz sides for Verve in the mid 60s – but has a sound that's somewhat similar – with lead vocals by the male/female Axidentals group, and some trombone-based jazzy backings that showcase Winding's horn amidst a larger brass section. There's a great poppy punch to these tunes – and the Axidentals themselves can be credited for some extremely inventive vocal arrangements at times – in styles that go way beyond those of conventional groups of the period, in a mode that reminds us of some of the work by the Kirby Stone Four or the John LaSalle Quartet. Titles include "Walkin", "Out Of This World", "You Gotta Wail", "No Moon At All", "Day In Day Out", and "Close To You". LP, Vinyl record album

A bittersweet set of vocals from Polly Bergen – recorded with a sound that really fits her sad-eyed look on the cover! Although Bergen's voice is sometimes confident and full, it's nicely restrained here – often somewhat dark-toned and moody – in ways that remind us of Morgana King, especially in the way that Polly holds back at just the right moments – keeping things mature by never getting too overly emotive. There's a nice sense of depth to the record that goes way beyond simple pop singing – and Luther Henderson's arrangements further help color the sound of the set – by giving it a sense of unity that almost reminds us of some of Sinatra's best blue-toned late 50s albums for Capitol. Titles include "By Myself", "When The Wind Was Green", "All Alone", "Glad To Be Unhappy", "Too Late Now", "He Didn't Call", and "Not Like Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Four late 60s gems from Perry Como – all records that really have him pushing beyond his pop style of the 50s! First up is Lightly Latin – one of the most sublime albums we've ever heard from Perry Como – a set that definitely takes its Latin lightly, and instead really goes for the best sort of mellow side of the Como sound! There's definitely a few bossa touches in the mix – a bit of acoustic guitar or light percussion – but they're added in very sparely, and couched with a beautifully subtle wall of sound from arranger Nick Perito, who works here with a lot more understatement than on some other records. Como's vocals are very far from pop – and the album brings out his maturing style wonderfully with a spacious, soft-toned style of production. Titles include "Dindi", "Once I Loved", "Stay With Me", "How Insensitive", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", "Baia", and "Manha De Carnaval". Next is Perry Como In Italy – one of the most haunting albums we've ever heard from Perry Como – a session recorded in Italy during the mid 60s – featuring arrangements by Nick Perito, and backing vocals by the Alessandro Alessandroni Singers! The tunes include a fair bit of older Italian numbers – some sung in the language of their origin, some in English translations that we've come to know on this side of the Atlantic – and Como takes them all with a sad-tinged style that makes the album one of his moodiest ever – a record that oozes melancholy with every song, and which has a late nite, heartbreaking appeal that goes beyond even the understanding of language. The set's a great one to convey the popularity of Italian work on the American market in the 60s – and Como carries off the session even better than some of the more likely singers on the scene during the period. Titles include "Souvenir D'Italie", "Forget Domani", "Anema E Core", "One Day Is Like Another", "Arrivederci Roma", "Oh Marie", and "E Lei". Look To Your Heart is the kind of record that moves so far beyond familiar pop vocalizations, it's almost like Perry's in a universe all by himself! The words seem to just be sneaking out of the singer's voice – these mutterings that are almost to himself, which makes his readings of the tunes feel even more personal than you might expect – even amidst larger backings from Nick Perito – like Como is off to the side of the room, ruminating on love lost and life lived! That quality comes through tremendously on the eerie "Father Of Girls" – a tune that's worth the price of admission alone – and other titles include "Try To Remember", "Look To Your Heart", "In These Crazy Times", "Sunrise Sunset", and "When You're In Love". Seattle is a record that has Perry Como taking on a bit of a country tinge at times – working with Chet Atkins production that almost seems as if the singer is trying to match the Dean Martin spirit of the late 60s, right down to phrasing that feels a bit like ol Dino himself! A few other cuts have more familiar Como modes, with backings by Nick Perito – and titles include the lively title cut "Seattle", plus "Happiness Comes Happiness Goes", "Together Forever", "Sunshine Wine", "Deep In Your Heart", "Hearts Will Be Hearts", "Turnaround", and "Beady Eyed Buzzard". CD

Titles include "Early In The Morning", "Plain Jane", "Dream Lover", "Mack The Knife", "Beyond The Sea", "Clementine", and "Artificial Flowers". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of albums from the great Jackie DeShannon – back to back on a single CD! First up is the UK-only release Don't Turn Your Back On Me – a great batch of material with a sweet west coast pop groove – and one that includes a fair number of original tunes written by Jackie herself! Jackie's ability to write her own material really made her stand out amongst sweeter female 60s singers – and it ensured that on an album like this, she'd be working with a depth that went beyond simple pop, and which avoided the over-trodden filler that clogged up too many other albums of the genre. Titles include "Needles & Pins", "Don't Turn Your Back On Me", "She Don't Understand Him Like I Do", "When You Walk In The Room", "Oh Boy", "Hold Your Head High", "It's Love Baby", "The Prince", and "You Won't Forget Me". This Is features the young Jackie DeShannon in a really wonderful setting – partly in the mode of her earlier singles for Imperial Records, partly hitting some hipper, more adult modes – thanks in part to production help from Burt Bacharach! Burt gives Jackie a great early hit with a classic reading of "What The World Needs Now" – and in the spirit of including that tune, the record opens up a bit more to other songwriters than some of DeShannon's other albums – as Jackie's wonderful vocals really do a great job with a nice variety of work, alongside a few of her own tunes too. Titles include "What The World Needs Now", "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying", "Take Me Tonight", "Summertime", "Go On Your Way", "After Last Night", "Am I Making It Hard On You", "Hellos & Goodbyes", and "I'm Gonna Be Strong". (Rock, Vocalists) CD

Four classic albums from Jackie DeShannon – all in a single set! First up is Me About You – sophisticated Jackie at her best – working with great arrangements from Jack Nitzsche and Nick DeCaro – both cats from the California scene we can really trust for "cut-above" pop work like this – music that goes way past the simple sounds of DeShannon's start – into cool adult territory that really makes the album great. Jackie's vocals are surprisingly soulful in the setting – even more so than before – and the tunes include lots of gems, including versions of Van Dyke Parks' "High Coin", John Sebastian's "Didn't Want To Have To Do It", and Tim Hardin's "Baby Close Its Eyes". Also includes "I Keep Wanting You", "Me About You", and "Nicole". Next is Laurel Canyon – heady work from Jackie DeShannon's later years in 60s pop – an album with themes and styles that go way beyond her earlier recordings – as you might guess from the hip Laurel Canyon reference in the title! Jackie's working here in a mode that's much more strongly in a singer-songwriter style than before – with arrangements and backings that are a lot more organic, and less pop-tuned than ever – almost in a Laura Nyro approach on some numbers. As usual, a good portion of the tracks were written by Jackie herself – including "Holly Would", "Come & Stay With Me", "LA", "Too Close", and "Laurel Canyon" – and the album also features a few well chosen tracks by other writers too, like "Bitter Honey" by Paul Williams & Roger Nichols, "I Got My Reason" by Barry White, and "You've Really Got A Hold On Me" by Smokey Robinson. Put A Little Love In Your Heart is quite possibly the last great hit from singer Jackie DeShannon – an album built around the righteous spirit of the title track – filled with really wonderful original tunes penned by Jackie and soul singer Jimmy Holiday! The album may well be the best to explore the space between pop and soul that often characterized Jackie's work – and the overall sound is somewhat similar to some of Dusty Springfield's best pop/soul work from the same stretch. 10 of the album's 12 tracks are originals by Holiday and DeShannon – all set to soaring orchestrations by James Langeford, which often have a pronounced influence from the sound of Atlantic Records in the late 60s! Titles include "Put A Little Love In Your Heart", "You Are The Real Thing", "River Of Love", "Movin", "You Can Come To Me", "You Have A Way With Me", and "I Let Go Completely". To Be Free is an interesting little record – with kind of a crossover California soul feel overall – recorded with Rene Hall arrangements that echo a few rootsy modes at times, mixed in with fuller orchestrations that step a bit back towards Jackie's earlier years on Imperial – a surprisingly nice blend, with a fresh sound for the 70s. The album features a number of great tracks co-written with Jimmy Holiday – a fellow Imperial talent – and titles include "Mediterranean Sky", "Sooner Or Later", "What Was Your Day Like", "Livin On The Easy Side", "Brighton Hill", and "When Morning Comes Again". (Rock, Vocalists) CD

Great stuff – one of the amazing early albums from the team of Julie Driscoll and Brian Auger – kind of a next-generation to the Brit beat group sound of the mid 60s – one that moves beyond simple R&B modes, to bring in more sophisticated soul and jazz touches! Driscoll's vocals are amazing – some of the boldest belted out in the British scene at the time – and Auger's Hammond work really cooks throughout – at a level that easily makes him one of the best UK organists to hit the scene, amidst some very heady company in the 60s. There's a few bluesy moments, but our favorites are the funky ones – especially the group's reading of "Season Of The Witch", which is tremendous. Other cuts include "In & Out", "Black Cat", "Goodbye Jungle Telegraph", and "Break It Up". LP, Vinyl record album

Bill Evans is reunited with singer Monica Zetterlund – in a live date done more than a decade after their classic Waltz For Debby album! The first side of the record features Evans in a trio mode – working instrumentally, without Monica, in a group that features the great Eddie Gomez on bass and Eliot Zigmund on drums – easily some of the better-recorded European live material by Bill from the 70s, caught in a way that really shows his new sensitivity in the later decade. Evans' piano is breathtaking here – a subtle symphony of shades and tones that delights the ears at each new twist and turn – recorded in some slightly longish takes on tunes that include "Sugar Plum", "Sareen Jurer", "Very Early", and "Gloria's Step". Bill continues the feeling of the first side wonderfully on the flip – as Zetterlund joins the group, and shows how much she's matured as well since here last meeting with Evans. Most of the tunes are standards, but they've got a sensitivity that goes way beyond familiar readings – carried off wonderfully by Monica in some beautifully dark-toned vocals. Titles include "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "The Second Time Around", "Once Upon A Summertime", "What's New", and the lovely "Samba". (Jazz, Vocalists) CD

The beginning of an amazing run on RCA for vocalist Jon Lucien – working here in a sublime blend of styles that's way beyond simple soul or standard jazz! Lucien's got a sound that's unlike anything we can think of – apart from the countless imitators who've tried for his style in recent years – and this initial RCA album is a musical masterpiece that's filled with joy, life, and emotion – all without any of the cliches that such a reference might imply! Arrangements are by Lucien, with some occasional help from Horace Ott and Stanley Rubinstein – all a swirling blend of strings, jazz, and some groovier rhythms at the bottom that have made this record an underground favorite for years. Titles include a killer version of "Who Will Buy", done as a breezy jazz groover, in a way that's made it a classic jazz dance track for years – plus "I Am Now", "How Insensitive", "Love For Sale", and "Dindi" – all given the lush, lovely, swirling, soulful Lucien sound! (Soul, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

A great batch of wonderful music – a well condensed 3 CD box set that features some of Sinatra's best recorded during his Capitol tenure! As is well known, Sinatra's Capitol years were his finest – a time when he moved past a simple pop singer into a complicated vocalist with a sense of expression so deep that it lent itself perfectly to the emerging form of the long-playing record. Many of the albums this material is drawn from are early "concept" sets by Sinatra, and feature moods and themes that move far beyond simple vocal work – into richly expressive territory that's hardly ever been matched again! Arrangers include Nelson Riddle, Billy May, Gordon Jenkins, and Alex Stordhal and there's a total of 75 numbers in all included here! CD

Maybe the greatest record so far from the lovely Esperanza Spalding – a set that has her moving farther from jazz, into a wonderfully warm style of soul music overall! The mix of modes is exquisite – a blend of Spalding's jazz-trained vocals with some beautiful arrangements that sparkle and glisten with this righteous vibe we'd put right up there with the best 70s recordings by Minnie Riperton or Linda Lewis – a really rare breed that goes way beyond the wonderful promise Esperanza's always had right from the start! The album is an instant treasure – the sort that's sure to please everyone who's already followed Spalding on her journey, yet also win her a huge new audience as well. Q-Tip helped a bit on production, but most of the work is by Spalding herself – and titles include "Radio Song", "Cinnamon Tree", "Crowned & Kissed", "Land Of The Free", "Black Gold", "Let Her", "Endangered Species", "Smile Like That", and "I Can't Help It". Comes with bonus download cart for 11 short films! (Neo Soul, Vocalists) CD

Maybe the greatest record so far from the lovely Esperanza Spalding – a set that has her moving farther from jazz, into a wonderfully warm style of soul music overall! The mix of modes is exquisite – a blend of Spalding's jazz-trained vocals with some beautiful arrangements that sparkle and glisten with this righteous vibe we'd put right up there with the best 70s recordings by Minnie Riperton or Linda Lewis – a really rare breed that goes way beyond the wonderful promise Esperanza's always had right from the start! The album is an instant treasure – the sort that's sure to please everyone who's already followed Spalding on her journey, yet also win her a huge new audience as well. Q-Tip helped a bit on production, but most of the work is by Spalding herself – and titles include "Radio Song", "Cinnamon Tree", "Crowned & Kissed", "Land Of The Free", "Black Gold", "Let Her", "Endangered Species", "Smile Like That", and "I Can't Help It". Deluxe edition comes with bonus DVD that includes 11 short films and lots of bonus footage! (Neo Soul, Vocalists) CD

Capitol greatness from Nancy Wilson – a pair of excellent albums locked together on one CD! This Mother's Daughter is one of Nancy Wilson's hippest albums from the 70s – a great record of smooth mellow tracks produced by Eugene McDaniels, handled with some nice jazzy flourishes, and a warm soulful sound that brings out the best in Nancy's vocals! If you've dug her vocals on the Life, Love, & Harmony album, you'll find that this one's pretty similar – with some great easily grooving tunes that well mark her move into modern soul – and a sophistication that goes way beyond her work of the 60s! Titles include "China", "I Don't Want A Sometimes Man", "From You To Me To You", "Stay Tuned", "When We Were One", and "Now". On I've Never Been To Me, Nancy Wilson hits hard on two different levels – some of the mellow, sophisticated numbers that made her mid 70s years so great – and a few more upbeat groovers that aim strongly for the clubs! The blend is carried off well here – thanks to production and arrangements from Gene Page and Garry Sherman – both of whom avoid any too-commercial modes and really help keep the album at a level that works perfect for Wilson's huge legacy in soul music! The sound often has that great Capitol Rare blend of class and soul – and titles include "Love Is Alive", "Flying High", "All By Myself", "Here It Comes", "Moments", "Changes", and "Nobody". CD

Seminal work from the lovely Basia – and an album that's a wonderful hybrid of jazz, soul, and pop – all put together at a level that really goes beyond most of her contemporaries! There's a vibe here that's almost like Swing Out Sister at their best – catchy, but never cloying – and done in an 80s style that refers strongly back to 60s and 70s styles, yet still keeps things quite contemporary overall. And although most of the tunes are pretty poppy, they're also pretty great, and really hold up over the years – thanks to slight undercurrents of jazzy instrumentation, of the sort you'd get from Brit artists like Working Week or Sade. Titles include "Promises", "From Now On", "Freeze Thaw", "How Dare You", "Astrud", and "Miles Away". 2CD version is amazing – and features 5 bonus instrumental tracks, plus 8 more remix tracks, and 5 more single versions, and the non-album track "Give Me That". 30 titles in all! (Soul, Vocalists) CD

Possibly the greatest album ever by the legendary Chicago soul singer Terry Callier! Terry's rich mellow voice is mixed with superb arrangements from the Cadet studio team, with Charles Stepney at the head, and the result is completely sublime. The songs are longer than on earlier albums – and spun out with a complex groove that mixes equal parts of jazz, folk, and soul with the soaring spiritual vibe that was running through the Chicago scene at the time. The first side alone is the stuff that legends are made of – with classic tracks like "Dancing Girl", "What Color is Love", and "You Goin' Miss Your Candyman" all in a row, sewn together in a wash of love, soul, and emotion that you'd be hard pressed to find on any other album from the time. Other tracks include "I'd Rather Be With You", "Just As Long As We're In Love", and "You Don't Care" – and the whole album's a masterpiece beyond compare! (Soul, Vocalists) CD

An ultra-hip record from Lorez Alexandria – one of her grooviest albums ever, and a set that was only ever issued in Japan! The set features Lorez hitting some of the hippest, most rhythmic modes of her career – working with jazzy backing arranged by Gildo Mahones and Art Hillery, filled with soul and spirit, and really inspiring Lorez to hit those snapping sort of grooves that make her best tracks so great! Titles include her classic take on "Send In The Clowns" – a real jazz dance classic that goes far beyond its roots – plus the titles "Maybe This Time", "Where Is Love", "Change Partners", "One", "Come Sunday", "Bright Lights & You", and "You Leave Me Breathless". LP, Vinyl record album

Groovy work from one of the greatest voices in American pop in the 60s – the amazing Joanie Sommers, a singer whose style went way beyond most of her contemporaries! Right from the start, Joanie's got a range that's breathtaking – a voice that's equally comfortable in jazz, rock, or mainstream vocals – and which is often recorded by Warner Brothers with some impeccable production that brings it out even more! There's usually a slight sense of echo, a dash of drama, and some well-constructed rhythm patterns used on these early 60s singles – very top-shelf studio work that's made these Sommers singles sparkle for decades – even though most of them barely cracked the charts at the time! The package is a treasure trove of great girl pop from a bygone age – and with a focus on singles, you'll find plenty that hasn't already hit the reissue market – including a fab duet with Ed Kookie Byrnes! Titles include "Ruby Duby Du", "When The Boys Get Together", "My Block", "The Great Divide", "Goodbye Summer", "I'd Be So Good For You", "One Boy", "Why Don't You Do Right", "Since Randy Moved Away", "Big Man", "Passing Strangers", "Johnny Get Angry", "Kookie's Love Song", "I'll Never Be Free", and "Talk Until Daylight". CD

An overlooked gem from Nancy Wilson's excellent 70s run on Capitol Records – a set that goes way beyond the spirit of some of her earlier records, and features a very unified vibe overall! The set was done in heavy collaboration with producer/composer Clarence McDonald – and features all original album penned for the date, most of which has a sublime blend of strings and soul that really pushes Wilson into even more sophisticated territory than before! Nancy's really on a par here with Marlena Shaw at her 70s best – even though Wilson had hit some of the territory years before – and the set's overflowing with great little numbers – including the funky classic "I'm In Love", plus "Let It Flow", "I'm Gonna Let Ya", "Music On My Mind", "He Makes Me Feel Good About Myself", and "Light". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Nancy Wilson's hippest albums from the 70s – a great record of smooth mellow tracks produced by Eugene McDaniels, handled with some nice jazzy flourishes, and a warm soulful sound that brings out the best in Nancy's vocals! If you've dug her vocals on the Life, Love, & Harmony album, you'll find that this one's pretty similar – with some great easily grooving tunes that well mark her move into modern soul – and a sophistication that goes way beyond her work of the 60s! Titles include "China", "I Don't Want A Sometimes Man", "From You To Me To You", "Stay Tuned", "When We Were One", and "Now". LP, Vinyl record album