Titles include "Fever", "Black Coffee", "The Man I Love", "Too Darn Hot", "It Ain't Necessarily So", and "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend". CD

(78 RPM, Vocalists) 78 RPM, Vinyl record

(Rock, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from Adam Wade – a slightly overlooked singer of the 60s, and one who steps out here in a great mix of soul styles and fuller vocal modes! Wade often has the kind of mature sophistication that could rival Johnny Mathis – and a number of cuts here are certainly cut from a similar mode – but as with other work on the Coed Records label, there's a larger ear for the wider range of listeners in the period – which means that Wade also steps out as a smooth swinger, maybe kind of a precursor to the Marvin Gaye generation. Arrangements are handled by Fred Weismantel and Joe Lipman – and titles include "First Love", "Just In Time", "A Moment Of Madness", "Ruby", "Around The World", "I'm Wise", "Fascination", and "So In Love". (Soul, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful vocal work from Guy Cabay – put together with a strong touch of jazz, a bit of bossa, and a swirling vibe that's mighty nice! Guy's got a breathy style of singing that works perfect with the backings – and its bits of guitar, organ, and other elements – often used as gently as Cabay's vocals, but in a style that's warm and sophisticated – like some of the hippest material on Saravah Records in the 70s, particularly work by Pierre Barouh! These tunes also often have a breezy rhythm that borrows from bossa nova, and which really suits the style of Guy's vocals – on titles that include "Julia Deus", "Pove Tiesse", "Tot Reguede", "Camamele Et Cataplame", "A M'Vwezene", "Li Robaleu", "Pax Pollinibus Bonae Voluntatis", and "Li Sabat D'Sinte Mere L'Oto". (French, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime stuff! Sure, it's easy to sit back and say that you don't really dig Ray Charles albums that mix together country music and soul, and that you prefer his hard raw raunchy Atlantic recordings from the earlier days. But let's be honest, Ray really made his biggest splash with this stuff – and although it became extremely popular over the years, it's also part of a huge country soul tradition that's a very accurate representation of the rich crossover culture going on in southern soul, a tradition that for some reason always gets underplayed by folks who want to carve up the world in easy racial lines. Truth is, Ray was not the only soul artist to embrace country, and we can think of a host of others – including Solomon Burke, Ivory Joe Hunter, Joe Simon, Clarence Carter, Brook Benton, and Bobby Womack who all participated in this rich tradition. This set's essential if you're interested in checking out this side of Ray's career – and the price is pretty nice, considering that you get 4CDs, a great book, and 92 songs in all! Work is pulled from Ray's classic ABC sides in the format, plus others from before and after that generation. Titles include "A Born Loser", "I'm Movin On", "Busted", "Crying Time", "Teardrops In My Heart", "Half As Much", "No Letter Today", "Oh Lonesome Me", "Ring Of Fire", "What Am I Living For", "Let Your Love Flow", "Down In The Valley", and "Take These Chains From My Heart". (Soul, Vocalists) CD

An unforgettable album from Natalie Cole – a record that came at a time when her R&B career was faltering slightly, and a set that not only helped Natalie reach a new level of sophistication in her music – but also find a huge new audience too! If the title sounds familiar, it's because it's the name of a huge hit for Natalie's dad, the great Nat King Cole – who makes a surprising appearance here via the magic of technology, as he duets with his daughter on the album's hit title track. There's a jazzy vibe to the whole set – thanks in part to some piano work by Ike Cole too – and titles include "The Very Thought Of You", "Paper Moon", "Mona Lisa", 'This Can't Be Love", "Lush Life", "That Sunday That Summer", "Avalon", "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", "Nature Boy", "Darling Je Vous Aime Beaucoup", "Thou Swell", and "Unforgettable". (Soul, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

A great example of the Muse Records charm of altoist Richie Cole – bop-fired creativity at its peak, mixed with some added contemporary elements to keep things fresh! In this case, Richie's horn takes on some key bop classics, but also opens up a bit with vocalsits too – Eddie Jefferson on versions of "Hi Fly", "Relaxin At Camarillo", and "Waiting For Waits" – the latter of which also features Tom Waits as well! The Manhattan Transfer make some subtle guest appearances too – but in ways that are much more restrained than their own albums, really leaving most room for Richie's horn. Bruce Forman plays guitar and Dick Hindman piano – and titles include "Hi Fly", "Relaxin At Camarillo", "Hooray For Hollywood", "I Love Lucy", "Malibu Breeze", "Waiting For Waits", and "Tokyo Rose Sings The Hollywood Blues". (Jazz, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

A gem of a record from vocalist Urszula Dudziak – the closest she ever came to doing a "straight" set of vocals, but still one that lives up to her unique style! The album was produced by Michal Urbaniak with a sweet electric vibe – never too smooth or overproduced, but with just enough American jazz funk to set things right – and make for some wonderful instrumentation that helps Urszula breathe new life into some older tunes! A few tracks on here are originals – like "Midnight Rain", "People Say", and "Cuckoo's Nest" – and the rest are wonderfully reworked versions of older tracks like "Lover", "Night In Tunisia", and "Bluesette". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic record from singer Salena Jones – recorded in the UK with backings by Brit Easy maestro Johnny Cameron, and a sweet electric groove that really makes the album sparkle! The record's similar to some of Shirley Bassey's work with Johnny Harris – in that it features familiar tunes made slightly funky, grooving with a nice mix of electric and acoustic instrumentation, taking the singer to new territory without sounding hokey at all. Includes a nice breakbeat version of "I Love You", plus surprisingly great takes on "Summertime", "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", "You Forgot To Remember", and "All The Things You Are". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest 70s albums you could hope to find by Sheila Jordan – originally recorded for the East West label in Japan! The set features Sheila singing with a small group that includes Norman Marnell on tenor, Alan Pasqua on piano, Cameron Brown on bass, and Beaver Harris on drums – and their mix of styles and directions gives the album a wide range of moods that aptly fits Sheila's enigmatic selection of tunes. The album features a slightly funky reading of the cut "Pearlie's Swine", which begins with a beautiful bassline from Brown – plus the tracks "Because We're Kids", "My Favorite Things", "Confirmation", "Why Was I Born", and "Inch Worm". CD

Seminal work from vocalist Teddi King – quite possibly her best material ever, recorded during a memorable run for RCA in the mid 50s! King first came to fame as more of a small combo jazz singer, but during her time at RCA, she tried out a variety of different modes – some of the sweeter female styles of the 50s mainstream, some highly emotive, expressive ballads, and a few standout cuts that come across with a bit more of a playful feel. Most of the backings here are by Hugo Winterhalter – except for a few arranged by Ralph Burns – and the set features 17 tracks from Teddi's RCA years, with great notes on the music by Will Friedwald. Titles include "A Ride On A Rainbow", "Traveling Down A Lonely Road", "I Can Honestly Say It's A Lie", "Should I Ever Love Again", "Baisez Moi", "Say A Prayer", "A Lot In Common", "Then It Starts Again", and "Married I Can Always Get". CD

A record that's sometimes overlooked in the career of the legendary Eartha Kitt – a set that came out on MGM in the early 60s, after Kitt's initial rise to fame on RCA, and before taking off for a long stretch overseas! The set hints at the sound of that era a bit – and arrangements by Billy May and Bill Loose have this gently sophisticated style that fits the growing sophistication in Kitt's phrasing as she really develops her style. Songs follow the themes of her famous work – and titles include "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend", "Good Little Girls", "Never On Sunday", "Always True To You In My Fashion", "La Dolce Vita", "All I Want Is All There Is & Then Some", and "It's So Nice To Have A Man Around The House". LP, Vinyl record album

The cover of this one might make the album one of the campiest records on Verve – but the session's a surprisingly great one, with a straighter vocal approach than you'd guess! Monica's got a really sweet vocal style – a bit sexy, and certainly adult – arranged here with some nice jazzy touches from Frank DeVol, working in backings that are a lot hipper than those we remember him using with other singers from the time. Monica handles herself like a big girl in front of all those Marines – all-woman, but clearly not giving it away to the first man in blue who walks down the street. Titles include "Blues In The Night", "Miss You", "Rough Ridin", "All Alone", "The Song Is You", "Undecided", and "I'll Be Seeing You". CD

Great later work from Abbey Lincoln – music from that time when she's found just the right setting for the magnificent instrument that was her maturing voice! Abbey always had one of the most distinct styles of any jazz singer around – but in later years, the slight rasp that came in was even more present – adding almost this sort of wisdom that made the lyrics feel even more pointed, especially at some of the more understated moments. The vibe here is nicely laidback – work from a core trio that features Brandon McCune on piano – and guest performances from Jerry Gonzalez on trumpet and Joe Lovano on tenor. Titles include "Tender As Rose", "Windmills Of Your Mind", "Lucky To Be Me", "I'm Not Supposed To Know", "I Could Sing It For A Song", "A Heart Is Not A Toy", "Blackberry Blossoms", and "Somos Novios". CD

The shrill goofy vocalist lays down a second album of groovy camp tunes that'll make your dog cover his ears! There's a few lame tracks on here, but there's also some great ones, like her versions of "Girl From Ipanema" and "Monday, Monday". Mod arrangements by Fred Bock and Lex De Azevedo too! 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". CD

Terrible! But pretty darn wonderful, too – at least if you dig The Odd Couple! Considering their roots in Broadway, Randall and Klugman should be pretty decent singers – but instead, they decide to camp it up for this one, as they spend a lot of time arguing about and during sweet old-fashioned tunes like "The Inch Worm", "Johnny One Note", "Brush Up Your Shakespeare", and "Together Wherever We Go" – plus a very groovy version of "You're So Vain". The record also features the extended "Odd Couple Opera", the track "Friendship', and "Applause, Applause". Arrangements by Brit Roland Shaw – probably because nobody in America would touch the record, and an Englishman like Shaw hadn't heard of the show yet! In a great gatefold cover, too. (Comedy, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

2 early Capitol classics by Lou Rawls – back to back on one CD, and perfectly paired throughout! Black and Blues is quite possibly the first truly great Lou Rawls album for Capitol – an all-out swinging jazz session done with arrangements by Onzy Matthews, in a mode that firmly helped put the Lou Rawls sound on the map! The tracks are mostly older numbers from a long lineage of blues and R&B – but with hipper 60s touches by Matthews in the backings, Lou really swings the work into a whole new territory – moving older, clunky compositions into more adult, more mature modes that aren't nearly as sad or downtrodden as their roots! Titles include "I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water", "Roll Em Pete", "Kansas City", "World Of Trouble", "Trouble In Mind", "Strange Fruit", and "Six Cold Feet Of Ground". Tobacco Road was a real breakthrough for Lou – a set that again paired him with arranger Onzy Matthews, and which even more deeply explored the unique space between jazz, soul, and the blues that became Rawls' prime territory back in the 60s! Matthews' backings are hip and jazzy throughout – filled with bold horn touches from players that include Lou Blackburn, Curtis Amy, Sonny Criss, and even Horace Tapscott – who's playing trombone here instead of his more familiar piano. Ray Crawford's guitar underscores a good number of the tracks here with that clean, lean, single-note style of his – but Lou is the clear star throughout with his deeply-voiced lyrics of older familiar tunes. Titles include his landmark reworking of "Tobacco Road", plus "Summertime", "Stormy Weather", "Rocking Chair", "Ol Man River", "St Louis Blues", and "Sentimental Journey". CD also features 2 bonus tracks – "When It's Sleepy Time Down South" and the previously unissued "Gloomy Sunday". (Soul, Vocalists) CD

Vocalist Jimmy Rushing first came to fame working with Count Basie in the 30s, but it wasn't until the 50s that he really got the chance to step out on his own and cut a number of great sessions in the studio! This set features one of Jimmy's finest moments of the 50s – material recorded for Vanguard Records in 1954 and 1955, respectively, and featuring Rushing in the company of great small group trad players like Buddy Tate, Pat Jenkins, Emmett Berry, Lawrence Brown, and Freddie Green. The format is laidback and simple on both records – a style that clearly hearkens back to the Kansas City swing of the 30s, but which is delivered here with a more stripped-down approach that lets us focus even more on Rushing's earthy vocal presentation. Titles include the original tracks "Good Morning Blues", "Take Me Back Baby", "Sent For You Yesterday", and "Goin To Chicago" – plus versions of "How Long", "See See Rider", "Evenin". CD