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

One of the best jazz-based sessions recorded by Dinah Washington in the 50s – appropriately titled Dinah Jams, which is a pretty good reference to the feeling of the set! The sessions were recorded in a relatively relaxed, intimate feel – not necessarily as unbridled as a true jam session might be, but with a lot more interplay between the instrumentalists in the group than you might get on a typical 50s jazz session. And with horn players that include Cliford Brown, Harold Land, and Herb Geller – alongside rhythm by Junior Mance, Richie Powell, and Max Roach – you'd have to expect that there'd be some good interplay on the set! Titles include "I've Got You Under My Skin", "No More", "Darn That Dream", "You Go To My Head", and a nice open-ended version of "I'll Remember April"! LP, Vinyl record album

An album of mixed vocal and instrumental cuts, some with Nancy in the lead, backed by Shearing's combo, others with Shearing's group alone. The vocal tracks are quite nice jazz ones – and include "On Green Dolphin Street", "Born To Be Blue", "All Night Long", and "Let's Live Again". Shearing's backing is pretty nice, and gives Nancy's style a really moody feel that's different than her pop work! This CD contains 8 extra tracks, including "Evansville", "My Gentleman Friend", "Silk", "Stablemates", and "Whisper Not". CD

A very groovy set of tracks – and one that comes packaged with its own roulette wheel in the cover! The package goes for an all-Vegas style of vocal tracks – swinging and upbeat numbers that make you feel like you're in the set of the original Oceans Eleven, or following Fredo around in Godfather 2. There's a total of 20 tracks in all, and titles include "Games People Play" by Mel Torme, "Who's Got The Action" by Dean Martin, "Lucky Day" by Judy Garland, "I'm Shooting High" by Nat King Cole, "Something's Comin" by Vic Damone, "With Plenty Of Money & You" by Count Basie & Tony Bennett, "Shangri La" by Wayne Newton, "Big Spender" by Peggy Lee, "Night & Day" by Steve Lawrence, "Ain't That A Kick In the Head" by Sammy Davis Jr, and "This Could Be The Start Of Something" by Jack Jones. Packaging has a great roulette wheel with moving ball surrounded by green velvet. CD

One of Mose's mid 60s albums for Atlantic – recorded live, with a bit more of a hip flair than some of his earlier work for Prestige and Columbia, but still with those great vocals that went onto influence a generation of beatnik jazz singers. Mose has more than a bit of New Orleans in his tone – but he's also got some northern distance from his material, bringing a nice bit of wit into the recordings. There's a total of 11 tracks including "Parchman Farm", "Smashed", "Seventh Son", "Fool's Paradise", "Baby Please Don't Go", and "The Chaser". LP, Vinyl record album

An "after theater" version of the Richard Rogers musical No Strings – done in a cool way that really changes the feel of the music! The "cast" for the set is an assortment of Atlantic Records artists from the early 60s – Herbie Mann, Chris Connor, Lavern Baker, and Bobby Short – all brought together to perform the tunes, which are recast nicely in arrangements by Mann, Al Cohn, and Bobby Scott. Chris Connor sings "The Sweetest Sounds", "No Strings", "Look No Further", and "Nobody Told Me"; Bobby Short sings "Be My Host", "An Orthodox Fool", and "The Man Who Has Everything"; Lavern Baker sings "Eager Beaver" and "Loads Of Love"; and Herbie Mann plays a cool Latinized version of "La La La". LP, Vinyl record album

Four incredible albums from the young Georgie Fame – plus a bonus CD of rare material, bonus tracks on all CDs, and 18 previously unreleased tracks – all in a box set with a 48 page book, 5 postcards, and a poster too! First up is Rhythm & Blues At The Flamingo – blistering early work from a young Georgie Fame – a set that definitely lives up to the Rhythm & Blues in the title! The set was recorded live at London's hip Flamingo club – and Georgie and The Blue Flames are very much in command of the crowd – burning with the intensity of a American small organ combo, especially the early 60s variety that often played equal parts soul jazz and R&B! Georgie's on the Hammond, and also sings with a rough-edged style that's plenty soulful, and incredibly appealing – a mode that oozes charisma, but never sounds fake or forced. Titles include "Do The Dog", "Eso Beso", "Work Song", "Baby Please Don't Go", "Shop Around", "Humpty Dumpty", and "You Can't Sit Down". Fame At Last is a brilliant mix of jazz, soul, and R&B – all filtered through a mod sort of London freshness, as early proof that the city could always take some great things from our own musical roots, and feed it back to us with a whole new flavor! Georgie's no copycat here, though – and the sound is instantly Fame-like – a style that's really not the sort that any Americans were doing at the time, and certainly never this well. Hard-burning Hammond colors most of the tunes here – played with a tightly vamping quality – but it's Georgie's charmingly crackling vocals that really win us over! Titles include "Gimme That Wine", "Pink Champagne", "Monkeying Around", "Green Onions", "Let The Sunshine In", "Get On The Right Track Baby", "I'm In The Mood For Love", and "I Love The Life I Live". Sweet Things is a definite sweet thing from Georgie Fame – a record that has him filling in his sound even more than before, with tremendously soulful results! The backings here are bigger than before – a bit tooled in an American soul mode, but still with that beautifully raspy Georgie Fame touch – lots of jazzy inflections on the vocals, and a way of handling a tune, even a familiar one, and really working it on his own level. Hammond still fills in most of the tunes, but other instrumentation includes some nice African percussion from Speedy Acquaye, saxes from Pete Coe, and some nice bold drums from John Mitchell. These come out to the forefront on the classic funky tune "Music Talk" – and still sound great on other numbers that include "The World Is Round", "Last Night", "Dr Kitch", "My Girl", "Ride Your Pony", and "Sweet Thing". Sound Venture is one of the jazziest early albums from Georgie Fame – a set that has him singing with the big band of Harry South, at a level that's a lot more complicated than some of his other work with The Blue Flames! The style here still has that mod 60s London feel, but it also has some deeper inflections as well – modes borrowed a bit from Jon Hendricks or Mose Allison, yet served up with even greater complexity – at a level that really points towards the tremendous growth Fame would unleash over the next few years. Members of the group include Tubby Hayes, Ronnie Scott, Tony Coe, Dick Morrisey, Kenny Wheeler, and many other key Brit jazz figures of the time – and titles include "Three Blind Mice", "Dawn Yawn", "Feed Me", "Lovey Dovey", "Lil Darlin", "Lil Pony", "I Am Missing You", and "Many Happy Returns". CD5 is Bend A Little – a package with 20 unusual titles – demos, rare tracks, and outtakes – including unreleased tracks, IBC recordings, and even two German tracks too! Plus, each individual CD comes with bonus tracks – 40 bonus tracks, in addition to the 20 more titles on the Bend A Little set – a huge amount of material! CD

Could anyone ever utter a sexier line than "Don't go to strangers, come to me?" We think not, and it's material like that that makes the album a real killer from Etta Jones – one of her best from the 60s, cut when she was really developing her skills as a vocalist, but still had enough of an edge to be interesting. Backing is by a small group that includes Frank Wess, Roy Haynes, and Richard Wyands – and the album has a relaxed, jazzy quality that easily makes it one of the real standouts in Etta's career! Titles include "All The Way", "Where Or When", "Yes Sir, That's My Baby", "If I Had You", "Something To Remember You By", and "Don't Go To Strangers". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album – not only for Esther Phillips, who's emerging here as a gifted young lady, very different from her R&B years, but also for the genre of country soul, which was emerging to be one of the most important strands in the new music during the 60s. Esther's not fooling around here – as she's working with Nashville arranger Cliff Parman, and getting backup from the Anita Kerr singers for that true Music City sound. Sounds hokey, sounds like it shouldn't work – but the setting is perfect for Esther's raspy rich tone, and in a way, it forces her to break out even more vocally than she does on other 60s recordings. Titles include "Release me", "I'd Fight The World", "Am I That Easy To Forget", "I Really Don't Want To Know", "Just Out Of Reach", and "Be Honest With Me". A wonderful album – one that sits perfectly next to work by Solomon Burke, Ray Charles, and Brook Benton. (Soul, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic stuff, and a record that was virtually the blueprint for spiritual soul jazz in the 70s! Although Max Roach first rose to fame during the bop years, by the time of this set he'd really stretched out a lot – moving past initial righteous projects in the Civil Rights era, to even more progressive work with a group like this! The players are all youthful geniuses who would go onto shape the sound of 70s jazz tremendously – working here at a point that already shows their brilliance – Gary Bartz on alto, Charles Tolliver on trumpet, Stanley Cowell on piano, and even Andy Bey, who sings vocals on the title track. The overall style is very similar to Bartz's early albums on Milestone, or to some of the Music Inc records on Strata East, which feature Cowell and Tolliver. It's no surprise that Cowell contributed 3 tracks to the set – "Effi", "Equipoise", and "Abstrutions" – and the group also performs a great version of Bartz's "Libra"! (Jazz, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

An album of mixed vocal and instrumental cuts, some with Nancy in the lead, backed by Shearing's combo, others with Shearing's group alone. The vocal tracks are quite nice jazz ones – and include "On Green Dolphin Street", "Born To Be Blue", "All Night Long", and "Let's Live Again". Shearing's backing is pretty nice, and gives Nancy's style a really moody feel that's different than her pop work! The CD contains 5 previously unreleased bonus tracks, including "Evansville", "My Gentleman Friend", and "Whisper Not". CD

From its booze-soaked title cut, to its haunting selection of lonely ballads like "Midnight Sun" and "Stranger Called The Blues", this is one of the most fantastic vocal jazz albums of all time – and a record that we'd recommend instantly to anyone! June Christy has an incredibly icy tone on the record, filled with sorrow, regret, and loneliness – all of which are amplified even more deeply by Pete Rugolo's eerie, off-kilter arrangements. Titles include "Something Cool", "It Could Happen To You", "Lonely House", and "I Should Care". This is the original 10" mono recording with 7 tracks – and a green and white cover that has June with eyes closed. LP, Vinyl record album

A real standout in Blossom Dearie's run of albums for Daffodil Records – thanks to a lot of electric piano in the mix, and an expanded musical lineup that includes Hubert Laws on flute, Jay Berliner on guitar, Grady Tate on drums, and Toots Thielemans on harmonica! The style here is tighter and more studio-oriented than some of Blossom's other records from the time – but the overall approach is still mostly gentle, in the Daffodil spirit – with Dearie's own vocals and electric piano work dominating the tunes, and other players only coming in to flesh out the tunes where needed. The electric piano is especially nice – used in sparely, blocky modes that echo out behind the vocals – creating waves of sound that buoy Blossom's vocals up beautifully. A number of tracks are familiar numbers, but redone here in unique versions – and titles include "A Paris", "Spring In Manhattan", "Killing Me Softly", "You'll Never Lose The Love You Gave To Me", "Smiling Feet", "My New Celebrity Is You", "Unless It's You", "The Pro Musica Antiqua", "Long Daddy Green", "A Song For You", and "Inside A Silent Tear". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little package, one that brings together three American releases of music by London's legendary Georgie Fame! First up is the classic Yeh Yeh – a brilliant mix of jazz, soul, and R&B – all filtered through a mod sort of London freshness, as early proof that the city could always take some great things from our own musical roots, and feed it back to us with a whole new flavor! Georgie Fame's no copycat here, though – and the sound is instantly Fame-like – a style that's really not the sort that any Americans were doing at the time, and certainly never this well. Hard-burning Hammond colors most of the tunes here – played with a tightly vamping quality – but it's Georgie's charmingly crackling vocals that really win us over! Titles include "Gimme That Wine", "Pink Champagne", "Monkeying Around", "I Love The Life I Live", "Point Of No Return", "Preach & Teach", "Get On The Right Track Baby", and the hit "Yeh Yeh". Next is Get Away – a great little album from Georgie Fame – with a hard raw soul sound that shows what a big crossover potential he had with the UK soul market – so much so that this batch of material was issued in the US as well! The album's got some wonderful arrangements – quite raw, with some nice organ, and plenty of heavy vocals from Georgie in a strong blue eyed soul mode. Titles include "Sitting In The Park", "Get Away", "Sweet Thing", "Ride Your Pony", "The In Crowd", "Last Night", and "Music Talk". Hall Of Fame is a bit of a best-of – a record that features some singles, and some album tracks – the latter of which aren't included here, as they'd be duplicated. The remaining material is Fame at his raw early best – working in a great soulful style, with plenty of jazzy charms – on cuts that include "Outrage", "Lil Darlin", "Sunny", "In The Meantime", "Something", "Do Re Mi", and Fame's own "Like We Used To Be". CD also features 9 more bonus tracks, some live recordings – titles that include "Bend A Little", "Telegram", "It Ain't Right", "Don't Make Promises", "Many Happy Returns", "I'm In Love With You", "Shop Around", "Green Onions", and "Do The Dog". CD

A beautiful album of dark-hued vocals – sung by Johnny Hartman with a quality that's as smokey as the image of him with a cigarette on the cover! The album set a whole new standard for male vocal jazz in the 60s – and is a distillation and refinement of earlier ideas in music by Billy Eckstine, taken down to more personal and fluid levels by Hartman – and recorded here with great small group baking that includes Illinois Jacquet on tenor, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Milt Hinton on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. The vibe is very mellow, but never sloppy or sleepy – and titles include "Charade", "In The Wee Small Hours", "Stairway To the Stars", "Kiss & Run", "Our Time", "Don't You Know I Care", "If I'm Lucky", and "Don't Call It Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark meeting from one of the two greatest talents in jazz on the 70s European scene – vocalist Karin Krog and saxophonist Archie Shepp – both coming together in an extremely evocative session! The work has a very moody feel – as Krog's singing in a spacious tone that allows for plenty of tenor work by Shepp – done in a mode that colors in the spaces between the words, and made all that much better by support from his regular group members Charles Greenlee and Beaver Harris. Shepp was hitting a more traditional tone at this point in his career – but as with his other recordings of the same time, there's still a strongly modernist undercurrent that shines through nicely. Combined with Krog's vocals, the result is a beautiful approach that really opens up jazz standards like "Soul Eyes", "Solitude", and "Hi Fly" – and which is matched perfectly for Shepp's "Steam" and Carla Bley's "Sing Me Softly Of the Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

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

A late live recording from the legendary Mark Murphy – and a great one, too – as the vocalist works here at the height of his powers, in a small club setting that really has the singer taking off! Murphy's been making records since the 50s, but he's never dimmed at all – and, if anything, his performances are astounding in the way he continues to explore his phrasing, timing, and careful approach to the words of the songs – always at a level that relatively few other singers can touch! We miss Mark tremendously, and this live set is a wonderful reminder of just why he was always so special – a set that has him working with a relaxed quartet led by guitarist Spiros Exaras, on titles that include "On The Red Clay", "Summertime", "On Green Dolphin Street", "All Blues", "Miles", "Milestones", and "Inutil Paisagem/Dindi". CD

Mari Nakamoto is a jazz singer with a wonderful sense of tone – a musicality in her voice that comes through on the first few notes of the record, then continues throughout as she transforms familiar tunes with that special sort of magic that marks a rare breed of jazz vocalist! Nakamoto really understands the tunes, and clearly sees her voice as much as an instrument as just the conveyor of lyrics – very much in a Sarah Vaughan sort of school, although Mari's certainly got her own sense of phrasing too. Instrumentation includes lots of great touches that bring out the best in her voice – including vibes from Kazuhiro Matsushi, and guitar from Shoji Yokouchi – on titles that include "Love For Sale", "On A Clear Day", "Day By Day", "On Green Dolphin Street", and "No Moon At All". CD

A key moment in the career of Esther Phillips – and a record that really has her shaking off the rougher bluesy styles of the earlier years, and pointing the way towards strong jazz success in the 70s! The album's definitely burnin, but with a sophisticated vibe too – as Esther works with backing from a small combo that includes Jack Wilson on piano, Richard Tee on organ, Chuck Rainey on bass, and Cornell Dupree on guitar – a lineup that almost hits the same vibe as her later work on CTI/Kudu – and which brings out a new depth in Esther's vocals that's simply amazing! There's a heartbreaking quality to most of the numbers – a mix of roots and class, depth and poise – all served up in a style that's unlike any other singer before or since. Titles include "Don't Let Me Lose This Dream", "And I Love Him", "Shangri-La", "I'm Getting Long Alright", and "Please Send Me Someone To Love". (Soul, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best albums from singer Teri Thornton – a jazz vocalist who was really starting to come into her own at the beginning of the 60s, and shines here in a way that's different from some of her bigger label sets! Backings are by Norman Simmons – a pianist we love on his own, and for his work in small groups with other singers – but a real surprise here for his work on the album's dark-tinged charts, which have a similar undercurrent of modernism to some of the work at the time by Abbey Lincoln. The group's relatively small – and features work by Seldon Powell on tenor, Clark Terry on trumpet, Earl Warren on alto, Freddie Green on guitar, and Wynton Kelly on piano – and titles include a version of Bob Dorough's "Devil May Care", plus dark takes on "My Old Flame", "Dancing In The Dark", "Left Alone", "What's New", and "Lullaby Of The Leaves". CD

A really great vocal session from 70s Japan – and one that's got a much more spiritual sound at times than some of the others from the scene! Pianist Shigeko Toya has a way of really taking her time with the tunes – finding the right sort of vibe, then opening things up carefully – as singer Mari Nakamoto comes into the mix once the sound is right – using these very different inflections that are almost in some of the more expressively experimental modes of the European female vocal scene of the time. There's some standards on the set, but even these are given very different readings – and titles include "Greensleeves", "The Blues Ain't Nothin", "Hey There", "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", and "That Lucky Old Sun". (Jazz, Vocalists) CD

A split session of material – both sides recorded during the same concert in Yokohama, but with one side of instrumental work, and one side of vocals! Pianist Masaru Imada starts things out with three really beautiful original tunes – pieces that blend together some modal rhythms with some of the freer energy that he and his Japanese scene were opening up at the time – not avant modes, by wonderfully lyrical progressions that are urged on here by work from Isoo Fukui on bass and Tetsujiro Obara on drums! Both players continue on the vocal tracks, which have singer Shigeko Toya in the lead – and the quartet are also joined by Kenji Mori on alto on two tracks too. Instrumental tunes include "Ascent", "On The Green Pavement", and "Shadows In Spring" – and vocal numbers include "Call Me Irresponsible", "I'll Be Seeing You", "Fine & Mellow", and "Willow Weep For Me". CD

One of 2 ESP sessions by Patty Waters – one of the most groundbreaking vocalists of the 60s, and a singer with a style that mixed equal parts jazz and folk! In a way, Patty's got a sound that's somewhat like Nina Simone at her best – in that she dominates a tune completely, singing as if she's speaking – and infusing it with a raspily personal mode that goes far deeper than simple interpretation. The difference, of course, is that most of Waters' material is all original, so the themes aren't nearly as restrictive as some of the covers that Simone had to re-interpret – but there's certainly a mode here that explores freedoms within limits, and which should have made Waters a much bigger influence in her generation. All material on the set was recorded during a 1966 tour of the state colleges of New York – with backings by Burton Greene on piano, Steve Tintweiss on bass, and Tom Price on percussion – and titles include "Moon Don't Come Up Tonight", "Why Can't I Come To You", "You Thrill Me", "Sad Am I Glad Am I", and "Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair". CD

A really cool collection of car-themed tunes – not 60s hot rod numbers, but mostly 50s tracks from those years when the automobile was really beginning to dominate American culture – and served as the inspiration for car-based cuts in a variety of different styles! A good number of the cuts here are 50s rockers, including some wild novelty-oriented numbers – but there's also country tracks, vocal tunes, and plenty more too – served up in a really well-done assortment of 33 songs that goes way past the familiar material you might find on a collection like this! As always, Bear Family have done a really great job – with presentation, notes, track selection, and more – on titles that include "Freeway USA" by The Bonnevilles, "Stop Jivin Start Drivin" by Bert Keyes, "Cruisin Central" by Faron Warmer, "Keep A Driving" by Chuck Willis, "Flat Tire" by The Del Vikings, "Wow Man" by Bobby Jackson, "The Drive In" by The Aquatones, "Get Out Of The Car" by The Lancers, "Cruisin" by Bucky & The Premieres, "Hey Little Car Hop" by George Weston, and "Big Green Car" by Jimmy Carroll. (Rock, Vocalists) CD

An excellent jazz vocal album by one of the lost greats! Ernie Andrews was always a musician's singer – in that he never cracked the masses, but did have tremendous respect among jazz players in the 60s and 70s. Here, in one of his best albums, he's caught live, working with Cannon's classic quintet, and under production work by David Axelrod. The record perfectly captures the live fire of Adderley's group, and mixes it with the strong voice of Andrews in a good set of material that includes "Big City", "I'm Always Drunk In San Francisco", "Don't Be Afraid Of Love", and "I'm A Born World Shaker". Plus, CD also features 3 bonus tracks, previously unissued – "Green Door", "Work Song", and "Come On Back". (Jazz, Vocalists) CD

Socking soul from the 60s – a record with American roots and a very groovy British sound! The set was the second full length album from Madeline Bell – an American singer transplanted to the mod UK scene of the 60s, where she really flourished in a rich career of hit singles, endless session work, and later fame with the group Blue Mink. The tunes on this set are a wonderful bridge between Madeline's two worlds – and have a sound that's a lot like the uptown soul coming out of the US at the time – sweet and smooth arrangements, topped by deeper soul vocals that make for a wonderful juxtaposition. Arrangements are by British talents Arthur Greenslade, Ian Green, and Keith Mansfield – and titles include "Step Inside Love", "Hold It", "Help Yourself", "After All Is Said & Done", "For Your Pleasure", and "It's Up To You". (Soul, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

It's been nearly 20 years since Natalie Cole first sang duets with her father through the magic of technology – so the time's long overdue to throw a host of other talents into the mix! The style here is a bit like the Verve Remixed albums – in that the record takes older classics by Nat from the 40s and 50s, and updates them strongly with contributions from a host of contemporary mixers and producers. However, there's also a key difference here in that the album also features a fair bit of extra vocals too – from Bebel Gilberto, Natalie Cole, Nas, The Roots, and Izza Kizza – all of whom help to make the album a bit more than the simple remix effort you might expect. Nat's own vocals are a bit buried in the mix at times, but that's no problem if you're eager to hear more from the younger generation – or re:generation, as the case may be! Titles include "Day In Day Out" with Cut Chemist, "Straighten Up & Fly Right" with Will I Am & Natalie Cole, "Lush Life" with Cee-Lo Green, "Walkin My Baby Back Home" with The Roots, "The Game Of Love" with Salaam Remi & Nas, "El Choclo" with Brazilian Girls, "Pick Up" with Just Blaze, "Nature Boy" with TV On The Radio, and "Anytime Anyday Anywhere" with Amp Fiddler. (New Grooves, Vocalists) CD

We think this guy's one of the best new jazz vocalist to emerge over the past decade, and this album – his 4th for Blue Note – is far and away his best! The album was recorded live at Chicago's Green Mill nightclub – with nice small combo backing by Laurence Hobgood, Rob Amster, and Michael Raynor, plus guest horn work by Von Freeman, Eddie Johnson, and Ed Peterson. Kahil El'Zabar also plays percussion, and Jon Hendricks joins in on vocals a bit. But the best part is Elling's voice – which is a sweet mix between Mark Murphy at his best, and earlier vocalese masters, like Hendricks or Joe Lee Wilson. The album features mostly straight-ahead jazz vocalizing – with little of the hipster monologues that have ruined other Elling albums – and it includes an incredible version of Wayne Shorter's "Night Dreamer", plus the cuts "Oh My God", "Esperanto", "My Foolish Heart", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", and the King Pleasure classic "Don't Get Scared". A real treat – especially if you like Cleveland Watkiss' Green Chimneys album, or any of the good Mark Murphy recordings for Muse! CD

A charming little set from the great Dave Frishberg – easily one of the hippest singers and songwriters in jazz during the past few decades! The set's got Dave working solo – just singing along with his own piano accompaniment – in a whimsical way that matches the same sort of energy you'd get from Blossom Dearie or Bob Dorough in a similar setting – both good comparisons, given how much each have sung some of Frishberg's tunes! And as a way of tipping his hat back, the set features a great version of Dearie's "Long Daddy Green" – plus an extended "Johnny Hodges Medley", and loads of great tunes that include "The Dear Departed Past", "Eloise", "One Horse Town", "Zanzibar", and "Blizzard Of Lies". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful work from bassist Charlie Haden and his Quartet West – a lovely look back at the styles and chanteuses of the 50s & 60s noirish jazz – with some lush strings accompaniment and guest vocalists including Cassandra Wilson, Melody Gardot, Norah Jones, Ruth Cameron and Diana Krall! It's the kind of thing that could come of hokey without a genuine love if the material in the mix, and the Haden & co. pull it off wonderfully. The quartet players include Ernie Watts on tenor, Alan Broadbent on piano and Rodney Green on drums. Includes "If I'm Lucky" with Melody Gardot, "Sophisticated Lady", "Today I Am A Man", "Ill Wind" with Norah Jones, "My Love And I" with Cassandra Wilson, "Theme From 'Markham'", "Angel Faces", "Goodbye" with Diana Krall, "Wahoo" and more. (Jazz, Vocalists) CD

Some of the hippest American work of the 70s by vocalist Johnny Hartman – smooth, sophisticated, and with a groove that's almost somewhat different than his more famous records of the decade before! Hartman's captured here in a live setting that's intimate, but never too sleepy or standard – warmly relaxed with backing from a trio that includes Reggie Moore on piano and Bill English on bass – and recorded with some great between-songs patter from Johnny, showing a charm that goes even beyond his studio sides. Titles include "On Green Dolphin Street", "Didn't We", "Watch What Happens", "Help Me Make It Through The Night", "Bidin My Time", "If", "The Folks Who Live On The Hill", "I've Got To Be Me", "Blues", and "Lush Life". CD also features 8 bonus tracks – recorded live in Tokyo in 1977 with Roland Hanna on piano and George Mraz on bass – on titles that include "Send In The Clowns", "My Foolish Heart", "On A Clear Day", "Summertime", and "The Way We Were". CD

A previously unreleased live date from west coast vocalist Bev Kelly – captured here at the end of the 70s in a great small club setting! The album's quite different than Bev's earlier work of the 60s – more dynamic, but never too over the top – just enough sense of freedom and presence to show a great evolution in her music over the course of the 70s. A number of the album's best tracks are originals penned by Kelly – and as before, she shows a lot more of a jazz-based sensibility in her music – a style that's not content to just sing standards in traditional torch modes, and which instead really takes off with the tunes – in the way you might expect from a more dynamic horn player! The group's great too – a combo headed by drummer Al Williams, who also happened to own the club the set was recorded in – with piano and electric piano by Dwight Dickerson, tenor by Rudy Johnson, guitar by Richard Madariaga, and bass by Leroy Vinnegar. Titles include "Lament", "One Day", "Welcome To My Heart", "Nonchalantly", "Drinking Again", "Reflections", "Our Time To Love", "Bein Green", and "Soul Eyes". CD

2 of Peggy's best albums of the 50s – both Decca sides cut with incredibly strong backing! Black Coffee has Peggy singing with some great late night jazz overtones – moving past the gimmicky hits of the Capitol years, and establishing herself as a sensitive jazz vocalist with a real talent for moody expression. Sea Shells is even more compelling – and has Peggy singing with strange spare backing led by a harp – creating a wispy and sad tone that's quite unique for the time – and which seems to bring out even more blue tones in Peggy's voice than any other album we can remember! The set features 28 tracks in all – with titles that include "Black Coffee", "Easy Living", "Love Me Or Leave Me", "When The World Was Young", "Sea Fever", "The Wearing Of The Green", "A Brown Bird Singing", and "Little Old Car". CD

Bold, boozy work from Carmen McRae – a wonderfully mature album from that great time when her style was equal parts jazz and soul – put together here by arranger/producer Arif Mardin, a perfect choice for the record! There's a care to the overall presentation not heard in some of McRae's albums from a few years before – not just jazz vocals with a backing group, but a really rich presentation of some hip, modern, all-adult material that somehow sounds even better in Carmen's hands than anyone else. Titles include the sublime title tune "Just A Little Lovin" – plus"Goodbye Joe", "I Love The Life I Live", "Carry That Weight", "Something", "I Want You", "More Today Than Yesterday", and "Didn't We". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album for Dusty Springfield – one in which she more than proves her soul music talents, by taking a trip to Memphis, and recording in a sweet Atlantic soul mode! The album's handled by stellar talents all the way through – arrangements by Tom Dowd and Arif Mardin, production by those two and Jerry Wexler, backing vocals by The Sweet Inspirations, and studio work from the likes of Tommy Cogbill, Bobby Wood, Bobby Emmons, and other talents that were huge on the Memphis scene at the time. Titles include Dusty's famous reading of "Son Of A Preacher Man", plus "The Windmills Of Your Mind", "So Much Love", "Just A Little Lovin", "In The Land Of Make Believe", and "No Easy Way Down". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible 70s work from the lovely Astrud Gilberto – a rare effort for the CTI label that has her teaming up with arranger Eumir Deodato and saxophonist Stanley Turrentine – all in a groove that's totally different than most of her earlier work! Astrud's breathy vocals are still wonderfully intact – but they're given a more spacious approach in the arrangements – strings mixes with rolling basslines, soaring keyboards, and stone cold tenor from Stanley – in a groove that's simply wonderful, and which takes off in a whole new direction than before! Other players include Airto, Sivuca, Hubert Laws, and Dom Um Romao – and tracks include classic versions of "Ponteio", "Vera Cruz", and "Zazueira" that are all some of the most grooving takes on the tunes ever – plus "Historia De Amor", "Where There's A Heartache", "Brazilian Tapestry", and "Wanting Things". (Brazil, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

One of a handful of records cut by the lovely singer Byrdie Green for Prestige during the 60s! Byrdie's got a sweet soulful voice – not the greatest in the world technically, but very much in that classic small club mode of the 60s and 70s, as often heard singing with a hip small combo late into the nights. In this case, the hip combo's that of Johnny Hammond Smith – as Johnny arranged the whole set, and sort of acted as Byrdie's mentor at Prestige. Johnny's groovy organ group also features Virgil Jones on trumpet, Gene Walker on tenor, and Eddie Diehl on guitar – and they provide some very tasty backing for Byrdie on cuts like "Hurt", "Gin House Blues", "Goin Out Of My Head", "Somebody Groovy", and "In The Dark". LP, Vinyl record album

Ed Townsend's best known as a famous songwriter and producer – whose work through the 60s and 70s made him more than a bit of green – but this early album has Ed trying his pipes as a male vocal lead, singing in a style that's smooth and mellow, a bit in the vein of Jesse Belvin, and really sounding great overall! Orchestrations are by Nelson Riddle, and the album's got a gentle swing that we really enjoy – Ed singing over some lesser known tracks, and bringing a raspy soulfulness to the more familiar ones. Titles include "What's Wrong With Me", "Golden Earrings", "I'm In Love", "Don't Ever Leave Me", and "On The Street Where You Live". LP, Vinyl record album

A great set of torchy ballads from Lee Wiley – a singer who virtually helped invent the genre on record with her classic sets for Columbia Records! This album's done a few years after those – and features backings by Ralph Burns, who brings a fair bit more sentimental moments to his work here than you might expect from some of his other more modern outings. The proceedings have a nice touch of jazz – thanks to players who include Urbie Green on trombone, Nick Travis on trumpet, and Moe Wechsler on piano – and although Lee's vocals have a slightly aging quality, that only serves to help the fragile emotions of the best numbers in the set. Titles include "You're A Sweetheart", "This Is New", "Who Can I Turn To Now?", "My Ideal", "Limehouse Blues", "I Left My Sugar Standing In The Rain", and "Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now". LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of Schubert Lieder recordings through the ages – featuring 64 performers that include Edith Clegg, Marie Goetz, Edyth Walker, Lilli Lehmann, Harry Plunket-Greene, Leo Sibriakov, Elena Gerhardt, Sir George Herschel, Richard Tauber, Vanni Marcoux, Hans Duhan, Lotte Lehmann, Charles Panzera, Elisabeth Schumann, Karl Erb, Ria Ginster, Herbert Janssen, Susan Metcalf-Casals, Elisabeth Schwartzkopf, Hans Hotter, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Kirsten Flagstad, and many others. (Classical, 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

Matt Dennis is best-known to most as the composer of the classic evergreen "Angel Eyes" – but he's also a pretty great singer and piano player, with an easy and hip style that's a lot like Bobby Troup. This album's one of the few he ever cut in this mode – and is a great small group session with backing from guitar, bass, and drums – done in a gentle groove that has some cocktail touches, but which also shares a fragileness with the vocal work of Chet Baker – quite unusual for a male singer of the time! The set list is filled with great original tunes as well – making for a set that sounds quite fresh, especially when compared to the average RCA vocal jazz session of the time. Titles include "Bless You Little Sleepyhead", "That's How Close I Want To Be To You", "Show Me The Way To Get Out Of This World", "Devil Talk", "Old Uncle Fud", "The Land Of Danger", and "Relax". CD

A 21st Century date from Jimmy Scott – recorded live in Tokyo with small combo backing that almost gives him more of a groove than in some of his other late-life sessions! The band's billed as The Jazz Expressions – and features TK Blue on alto and flute, Jon Regen on piano, Hillard Greene on bass, and Dwayne Broadnax on drums – players who are clearly confident enough of their own talents to not be cowed in the presence of Scott – a fact that sometimes obscures the gentler sides of Jimmy's aging vocals, but which can also be appreciated in terms of the way they don't just lay back and go for a sleepy sort of set. Titles include "I'll Close My Eyes", "Why Was I Born", "I Cried For You", "Time After Time", "Pennies From Heaven", and "You Don't Know What Love Is". CD