Completely evocative late life work from Chet Baker – one of the last albums he ever recorded, and a set that shows just how much Baker kept evolving in the later years of his career! Given some of the personal troubles that plagued Chet over the decades, there's sometimes a thought out there that he was a weaker version of himself at this time – but that's definitely not the case, as Baker really shifted his sound and style to accommodate some of his challenges, at a level that maybe made the music even more powerful than some of his music from years before! Some of the best moments here feature contributions from key musical partner of the 80s Nicola Stilo, who uses flute, guitar, and piano in these light ways while Chet's soloing with this strong, fluid vibe that's a real surprise – gentle, but extremely powerful. A few cuts bring in a bit of keyboards, and Chet sings a bit – but his best "singing" here is through his trumpet, which is still a hell of a voice in jazz. Titles include "Chet's Blues", "Waiting For Chet", "The Party Is Over", "With Sadness", "Deep Arabesques", and "Like The Precedent" – plus a lovely reading of the Elvis Costello tune "Almost Blue". (Jazz, Vocalists) CD

We're not usually the sorts to dig tribute albums, but the mighty Mose Allison is one of our favorite talents from years back – and the lineup here do a great job of reviving some of the classic spirit of Mose, while also pushing things forward with their own creative reinterpretations of his legacy! If you don't know Allison, he was a jazz pianist first, and a singer second – the latter the quality that brought him great fame, with lots of New Orleans-inflected qualities in his vocals, and lyrics that had a nicely biting mix of contemporary wit and more vintage themes. That legacy has held up wonderfully over the years – and is interpreted here by a host of different artists – a lineup that includes "If You're Going To The City" by Iggy Pop, "Your Mind Is On Vacation" by Taj Mahal, "My Brain" by Robbie Fulks, "If You Life" by Jackson Browne, "Parchman Farm" by Richard Thompson, "Ever Since The World Ended" by Loudon Wainwright III, "Stop This World" by Chrissie Hynde, "Numbers On Paper" by Frank Black, and "Monsters Of The Id" by Amy Allison with Elvis Costello. Includes bonus DVD of the film – Mose Allison Ever Since I Stole The Blues. (Rock, Vocalists) CD

Music from William S Burroughs, Betty Carter, Elvis Costello, Charlie Haden, PJ Harvey, David Johansen, Lotte Lenya, the Persuasions, and more. CD