My Kind Of Town is a set that's pulled from sessions recorded over a few years in the early 60s – under the direction of arrangers Glenn Osser, Don Costa, and Marty Paich – all of whom bring a slightly different twist to his music! The styles are a bit varied, but in a way that shows Jack's great command of many modes – and given that there's a three-year duration between the first recording and the last on the set, the record acts almost like a portrait of Jones' evolution during the time. Titles include "Yes I Can", "I'm All Smiles", "Time After Time", "King Of The Road", "Travellin On", "My Kind Of Town", and "Somewhere Along The Way". LP, Vinyl record album

A great session that was recorded in Tokyo in 1973 – featuring Abbey backed by a small group that includes Dave Liebman on sax and flute, Al Foster on drums, and Hiromasa Suzuki on piano. The record's pretty darn hip – and it's a nice version of Abbey's haunting approach to vocal jazz, touched by some of the new directions vocalists were going at the time, yet firmly rooted in the firm command of voice and emotion heard on Lincoln's best records from the early 60s. Titles include "Africa", "You & Me & Love", "Naturally", "Living Room", and "Natas", which seems to have Abbey singing along with overdubs of her own voice, to very cool effect! CD

A big overview of the early work of Johnny Nash – a singer that most folks know for a huge crossover radio hit in the early 70s, but who got his start much earlier, through years of recording for ABC Records! The label really saw the young Nash as a singer to challenge Nat King Cole or Johnny Mathis – and he definitely does a great job in the territory of both here, but also really finds his own space too – eventually ending up more as a precursor to the sorts of 60s male singers who were adept at more heartbreaking material, ala Jerry Butler or Chuck Jackson. Arrangements are large and rich, often with a bit of vocals behind the lead of Nash – on 31 tracks that include "Moment Of Weakness", "Love's Young Dream", "Too Much Love", "World Of Tears", "Kisses", "The End Of The World", "Almost In Your Arms", "Roots Of Heaven", "The Wish", "Too Proud", and "Take A Giant Step" – plus the unusual "Teen Commandments", done with Paul Anka and George Hamilton IV! (Soul, Vocalists) CD