Buddy Greco may have gone onto become a bit of a self-parody in his later years, but back in the mid 50s he was a heck of a great singer with a lot of jazz in his style – as you'll hear on this intimate set recorded at Mister Kelly's nightclub! The album's got a very laidback style, especially when compared to later Greco records – and instrumentation is only piano and bass – with Buddy himself on the former and Johnny Frigo on the latter. Given that Greco's playing piano with his vocals for the record, there's a bit of a Matt Dennis quality to the record – a slightly gentler sound than the later Greco "uh-huh" style of the 60s, and a mode that often brings in jazzier inflections to match his actions on the keys. Titles include "They Didn't Believe Me", "A Foggy Day", "Welcome To Mister Kelly's", "The Nearness Of You", "Give Me The Simple Life", and "Will You Still Be Mine". LP, Vinyl record album

An oft-overlooked jazz vocal session by Mary Ann McCall, with superb arrangements by Johnny Richards, and a nice batch of tracks that have a surprisingly dark quality to them. Titles inlcude "Blue (and Broken Hearted)", "Lover Is Blue", "Melancholy Nights", "Am I Blue", and "My Old Flame". LP, Vinyl record album

... 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

Don't hold the cover against it, because this is a pretty great little record – one with far more depth than you might guess from the image of Eydie holding oversized ice cream cones on the front! The album's an early solo effort from Gorme – an obscure Coral session that features arrangements from Neal Hefti, Dick Jacobs, and Monty Kelly – all of whom bring in a nice range of sensitivity to the setting. And while there's a bit less of the playful sort of tunes that Eydie usually sings with Steve, they're replaced by some great straight ballads. Steve guest stars on great versions of "Besame Mucho" and "Take A Deep Breath" – and other tracks include "Frenesi", "Fini", "That Night Of Heaven", "Give A Fool A Chance", "Don't Tell Lies", and "Tell Me More" CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

The title tells the story of the album's concept – as Teddi King pays tribute to a dozen male "kings" of music – including Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Dick Haymes, and Billy Eckstine! The tunes are all signature numbers by each of the male stars – redone by Teddi here with a female twist, and set to backings by Lew Douglas and Johnny Richards – both of whom give Teddi some of the best support of her 50s career. Richards' backings are especially great – nicely dynamic, in a way that breaks past some of Teddi's sleepier qualities – and even on the mellower numbers, the King vocals are in full force, sung with even more promise than on previous albums for RCA. Titles include "Flamingo", "Unforgettable", "April Showers", "A Cottage For Sale", "This Love Of Mine", "Keeping Out Of Mischief Now", and "Temptation". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly wonderful solo set from Steve Lawrence – recording away from Eydie Gorme here, but sounding plenty great on his own! Lawrence has a wide-ranging vocal style that really comes out in this album – an ability to swing a tune with a simple turn of a phrase, and a way of putting over a ballad that makes us wonder why he never shined more brightly as a solo romantic act on his own. Nick Perito contributed some equally dynamic arrangements to the set – matching Steve's finger-snapping swing on the upbeat numbers, but sitting back nicely to let the vocals dominate on the mellower ones –and although the tunes are mostly familiar ones, they're given a new sort of energy here. Titles include "Hooray For Love", "All About Love", "Isn't It A Pity", "Too Late Now", "Love Is A Season", "Blah Blah Blah", and "Lover In The House". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes "Love Is Here To Stay", "How Many Stars Have To Shine?", "Sometimes I'm Happy", "Just One Of Those Things", "My One And Only Love", "I'll Remember April", "A Room With A View", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Tremendous work from a young Jimmy Scott – a great collection that brings together rare singles for Decca, Coral, and Brunswick – plus a few tracks that were never issued at the time! Although Jimmy's work has become famous in recent years – thanks to much-needed support towards the later stretch of his life – he seems to sound even more compelling on these early sides – hanging in a sublime space between male and female vocal traditions, and often backed by groups that bring a bit of a modern flavor to the music. We'd almost say that we dig these sides more than Jimmy's better-known work for Savoy in the 50s – and backings are by the groups of Lionel Hampton, Billy Taylor, and Lucky Thompson – all artists who really keep jazz at the forefront. Titles include "Wheel Of Fortune", "I Wish I Knew", "I've Been A Fool", "Come What May", "They Say You Cry", "Alone With A Memory", "When You Surrender", "Why Was I Born", and "The Bluest Blues". CD