Quincy Jones handles the arrangements, so the set's got plenty of soul – and the band really swings on titles that include "Tea For Two", "Deed I Do", "My Last Affair", "I'm Beginning To See The Light", "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall", and "Shiny Stockings". CD

Quincy Jones handles the arrangements, so the set's got plenty of soul – and the band really swings on titles that include "Tea For Two", "Deed I Do", "My Last Affair", "I'm Beginning To See The Light", "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall", and "Shiny Stockings". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice one from Ella – and a good move past the Songbooks mode that sometimes dogged her years on Verve a bit too much! This set has Ella singing to light arrangements by Frank DeVol – nothing fancy, but a good set of tunes that are perfect for the lovely style that Ella was hitting back in the 50s. Tracks are short, uncomplicated, and very nicely swinging – even in the gentler moments – with titles that include "Let's Fall In Love", "Sweet & Lovely", "Moonlight Serenade", "I Remember You", and "East Of The Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the originals "Changed" and "This Little Light" – plus "Stella By Starlight", "Angel Eyes", "I Fall In Love To Easily", "Black Butterfly", and the Ivan Lins number "The Island". CD

A nice little album from Johnny Hartman – recorded back in the mid 50s for Bethlehem, in the years before he recorded his more famous dates for the Impulse label! The set has Johnny singing nice and mellow – with backing by a group led by pianist Ralph Sharon, one of Tony Bennett's longtime accompanists, with added trumpet by Howard McGhee – which creates some nicely moody interplay in the relatively spare setting of the session. Hartman's vocals are a dream, as always – and tracks include "What Is There To Say", "Moonlight In Vermont", "I'll Remember April", "Down In The Depths", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", and "We'll Be Together Again". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little album from Johnny Hartman – recorded back in the mid 50s for Bethlehem, in the years before he recorded his more famous dates for the Impulse label! The set has Johnny singing nice and mellow – with backing by a group led by pianist Ralph Sharon, one of Tony Bennett's longtime accompanists, with added trumpet by Howard McGhee – which creates some nicely moody interplay in the relatively spare setting of the session. Hartman's vocals are a dream, as always – and tracks include "What Is There To Say", "Moonlight In Vermont", "I'll Remember April", "Down In The Depths", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", and "We'll Be Together Again". CD features lots of bonus tracks – 6 more numbers that are alternate takes of songs on the set! CD

The lovely Kim Sang Hee takes on the music of both Tom Jones and Burt Bacharach – in a setting that has her working with nicely different backings for each of the different sources! The Burt Bacharach material is maybe our favorite – as Kim's sweet voice works wonderfully with the small combo backing of pianist Masahiko Sato, who really seems to get the right sense of space and timing for the Bacharach tunes that include "April Fools", "I'll Never Fall In Love Again", "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head", and "This Girl's In Love With You". The Tom Jones material includes a range of different songs associated with Jones, not necessarily written by him – with groovy larger backings from the New Herd of Toshiyuki Miyama, with arrangements by Norio Maeda – on cuts that include "It's Not Unusual", "Little Green Apples", "Delilah", and "Green Green Grass Of Home". (Japanese, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

A later set by Jackie & Roy, but still plenty darn great – and not nearly as hokey as you might expect from the title! All tracks are sea-themed – but the range of work is surprisingly sophisticated, and perfectly illustrates the ever-deep quality of the Jackie & Roy sound, even at a time when it would be easy for the pair to fall into simple cliches of their older work. As before, the pair display a wonderful ear for a compelling tune – and draw here on work from traditional sources, as well as the hipper end of the jazz songwriting spectrum – work by Tommy Wolf, Mark Murphy, Dave Frishberg, and even Herbie Hancock. The set includes a great vocalese take on "Dolphin Dance", the original number "Full Moon", a slight reworking of "Song Of The Boy & The Dolphins", and the tracks "Boats", "The Shining Sea", "Moon Over Miami", "Home By The Sea", "Zanzibar", and "Sand In My Shoes". CD

A great little album from this overlooked singer – an east coast vocalist from the 50s, working here on one of the few sessions she ever recorded! Teal's got an exotic look on the cover, but the presentation of the music is right up there in the best mainstream jazz modes of the time – and unlike some of the other small combo vocal work on Bethlehem in the 50s, this album has the fuller feel of the sorts of records you might hear on a label like Capitol or Verve at the time. Ted Steele handles the arrangements – and is also credited with discovering Teal in Atlantic City – and the backings are a mix of jazzy flourishes and larger strings – never poppy or overdone. Titles include "Autumn Leaves", "El Cumbanchero", "Deed I Do", "For You My Love", "Who's Sorry Now", "Let's Fall In Love", and "Easy To Remember". CD also features three bonus alternate takes! CD

Tremendous early work from Karin Krog – a great example of her rich vocal talents and creative energy, recorded well before her more experimental sessions of the 60s! Even at this early date, Karin's got a strong commitment to improvisation and unique phrasing – a style that really transforms all the tunes in the set, and marks them as her own through inventive performance with the trio of Egil Kapstad on piano, Kurt Lindgren on bass, and Jon Christensen on drums. Krog's voice is amazing – icy, yet never heartless – and her tones ring out especially beautifully on the modal groover "Karin's Kicks" – but sound great throughout, on other tunes that include "All Blues", "Lover Man", "By Myself", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", and "Mood Indigo". CD

Al Martino plays off his big fame here as Johnny Fontane in The Godfather – serving up an album that includes the title hit of the film, plus a number of other modern Italian-styled numbers! By the early 70s, the Italian fare of Al's old days was fading, but thanks to Coppola and the film, there seemed to be a new market for music like this – so Martino headed into the studio with Peter DeAngelis, one of the better arrangers for such a record, and cooked up a pretty nice little set that updated the Neopolitan pop sound for the 70s. Titles include "Just Say I Love Her", "The Rise & Fall Of A Fool", "Speak Softly Love", "I Have But One Heart", "A Man Without Love", and "You're Breaking My Heart". LP, Vinyl record album

Great 60s work from mellow vocalist Joe Mooney – a singer unlike anyone else we can think of! Joe first rose to fame during the 78rpm era of the postwar years – and here, he moves his style nicely into the 60s – still hip, with a nice shift in material – and supported by jazzy backing that includes work from Gary Burton on vibes, Mundell Lowe on guitar, and Phil Bodner on tenor and flute! Titles include "Cute", "When I Fall In Love", "You Irritate Me So", "She's Not For You", "I Wanna Be Around", "When Sunny Gets Blue", "The Good Life", "Days Of Wine & Roses", and "This Is All I Ask". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from Joe Mooney – a singer/pianist best known from the 50s, but who works here with some sweet Hammond as well! The group's a nice one – with Mundell Lowe on guitar, Joe Venuto on vibes, and Jerry Dodgion on flute – and tracks include "Cute", "When I Fall In Love", "You Irritate Me So", "She's Not For You", "I Wanna Be Around", "When Sunny Gets Blue" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Easily the greatest album that vocalist Mark Murphy has recorded in years – and a surprising departure from a lot of his recent work! Murphy did the album in collaboration with German trumpeter Til Bronner – a player we mostly know for his own smoothly soulful, and often-grooving albums. Yet here, Bronner's got both himself and Murphy working in a lush mode that recalls the spirit of 60s sessions arranged by Claus Ogerman or Don Sebesky – Bronner on trumpet with a core jazz group, augmented by larger orchestrations on most tracks – and recorded in a spaciously sublime way that often has Murphy's vocals hanging beautifully in mid-air! There's a breathtaking depth to the album that gets past some of the simple tracks and over-tread territory of other recent Murphy albums – almost as if the album's the "classic" that Mark never got to record back in the day, but which is finally coming out now, 50 years into his career in music! A real contrast to the recent Mark Murphy dancefloor work – such as his vocals with Five Corners Quintet – and featuring the originals "I Know You From Somewhere" and "Our Game" – plus standards "It Never Entered My Mind", "I'm Through With Love", "When I Fall In Love/My One & Only Love", and "Love Is Here To Stay". CD

Easily the greatest album that vocalist Mark Murphy has recorded in years – and a surprising departure from a lot of his recent work! Murphy did the album in collaboration with German trumpeter Til Bronner – a player we mostly know for his own smoothly soulful, and often-grooving albums. Yet here, Bronner's got both himself and Murphy working in a lush mode that recalls the spirit of 60s sessions arranged by Claus Ogerman or Don Sebesky – Bronner on trumpet with a core jazz group, augmented by larger orchestrations on most tracks – and recorded in a spaciously sublime way that often has Murphy's vocals hanging beautifully in mid-air! There's a breathtaking depth to the album that gets past some of the simple tracks and over-tread territory of other recent Murphy albums – almost as if the album's the "classic" that Mark never got to record back in the day, but which is finally coming out now, 50 years into his career in music! A real contrast to the recent Mark Murphy dancefloor work – such as his vocals with Five Corners Quintet – and featuring the originals "I Know You From Somewhere" and "Our Game" – plus standards "It Never Entered My Mind", "I'm Through With Love", "When I Fall In Love/My One & Only Love", and "Love Is Here To Stay". Japanese pressing features the bonus track "Detour Ahead". CD

An unusual album from Mark Murphy – recorded at a time when he was maybe better-respected overseas, and forgotten a bit here on the US market! As part of that, the record features a great groover – the tune "Dingwalls", dedicated to the London club that Giles Peterson and Patrick Forge helped turn into a jazz dance palace on Sunday afternoons in the late 80s, and which is done as sort of a beat/scat sort of number. Other titles include "Saxophone Joe", "Clown In My Window", "Jamaica", "All My Tomorrows", and "I Fall In Love Too Easily". CD

A pair of late 70s albums from Esther Phillips – '77's You've Come A Long Way, Baby and '78's All About Esther Phillips – together in a single set! The cover of You've Come A Long Way, Baby which has Phillips standing in front of a limo, might be a bit "on the nose" – but the album itself has some really nice tracks, thanks in part to production and arrangements by Pee Wee Ellis, who always managed to get the best out of Esther during the 70s! The groove's got a lot top shelf clubby soul and easygoing funky swagger – and Esther sounds great out front! Tracks include "Into The Mystic", "Love Addict", "If I Loved You", "In A Soft & Subtle Way", "My Prayer", and "Somewhere Along The Line". This version includes "My Prayer (Previously Unreleased Extended Mix)". All About Esther Phillips is a sweet 70s Wayne Henderson-produced set – quite a different groove for Esther! It's got elements of the lightly funky soul of some of the immediately preceding records, but this one has some elements in the arrangements that bring a more gentle touch – particularly the chimes & strings. Groovy stuff! Titles include "The Man Ain't Ready", "Native New Yorker", "SOS", "Pie In The Sky", "If I Fall In Love By Morning" and more. (Soul, Vocalists) CD

A beautiful record from a hell of a great singer – one who established a genre that was all his own, and set a whole new standard for male jazz singers in the 60s! Arthur Prysock's got some of the depth of the Billy Eckstine generation that came before him – but he's also got a mode that's more personal, almost conversational too – sophisticated, but never stand-offish – just this hip cat that really knows how to deliver a tune and make it his own! The arrangements here really fit that style too – nicely understated, but again with all these modern elements that really make things great – as Prysock makes his way through tunes that include "Only For You", "Let Her Wonder", "When I Fall In Love", "Imagination", "Don't Quit Me Now", and "Time After Time". CD

Two full albums from one of the most popular jazz singers of his day – back to back on the same CD, with bonus material too! First up is the album I Worry About You – fantastic work from Arthur Prysock – a singer who really helped redefine the role of the male singer in the 60s, even though he's hardly remembered today! The title cut is one of his anthems – the kind of song that's heartfelt, yet masculine at the same time – almost a different twist on territory that singers like Jerry Butler or Chuck Jackson would explore in their work. Great arrangements – with a mix of strings and jazz – and titles include "I Worry Bout You", "My Everything", "I Just Want To Make Love To You", "You Loved Me Yesterday", and "Keep A Light In The Window For Me". Next is Sings Only For You – a beautiful record from a hell of a great singer – one who established a genre that was all his own, and set a whole new standard for male jazz singers in the 60s! Arthur Prysock's got some of the depth of the Billy Eckstine generation that came before him – but he's also got a mode that's more personal, almost conversational too – sophisticated, but never stand-offish – just this hip cat that really knows how to deliver a tune and make it his own! The arrangements here really fit that style too – nicely understated, but again with all these modern elements that really make things great – as Prysock makes his way through tunes that include "Only For You", "Let Her Wonder", "When I Fall In Love", "Imagination", "Don't Quit Me Now", and "Time After Time". CD features four bonus tracks – "Do You Believe", "Good Rockin Tonight", "One More Time", and "Pianissimo". CD

A wonderful record that's every bit as great as you might expect from the title – a baroque take on the music of Burt Bacharach, and one that's served up with some groovy scatting vocals too! The approach is a bit like that of the Swingle Singers, but a bit more American too – mixed male and female vocals scatting wordlessly to some of Burt Bacharach's greatest tunes – always with a jazzy feel, and usually backed with some cool electric harpsichord, which totally sounds great! The mighty Al Capps handled arrangements – and it's clearly his genius that got this whole thing sounding so wonderful – but the mighty Snuff Garrett produced, and deserves a tip of the hat too. Titles include "The Look Of Love", "What The World Needs Now", "I'll Never Fall In Love Again", and "Close To You". LP, Vinyl record album

Vocalist Amy Sheffer works with an all-star cast here – a very cool quartet that includes Billy Bang on violin, William Parker on bass, and Lou Grassi on drums! Bang is especially great, and his work on violin often recalls the spirit of the 80s work that really made us fall in love with his music – a great companion to the offbeat vocalizations of Sheffer, who certainly channels some of the more groundbreaking vocal jazz modes that emerged from the 70s scene onwards. The tracks were recorded in 2001, and some just feature Sheffer's voice with drums – on titles that include "You Rise", "Words From TS", "Drone Bone", "Improv", "Museeum", "Hovering", and "Bleddidit". CD

4 discs of Sinatra's finest from his Reprise years! 81 tracks including "Let's Fall In Love", "You'd Be So Easy To Love", "The Last Dance", "It Started All Over Again", "You're Nobody Til Somebody Loves You", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "I Have Dreamed", "Luck Be A Lady", "Here's To The Losers", "My Kind Of Town", "The Best Is Yet To Come", "Fly Me To The Moon", "Moonlight Serenade", "Street Of Dreams", "Strangers In The Night", "All Or Nothing At All", "How Insensitive", "All I Need Is The Girl", "My Way", "A Man Alone", 'What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?", "Just As Though You Were Here", "Nancy", "My Shining Hour", "A Long Night", "Mack The Knife" and loads more! CD

Frank's first album for his own label – Reprise catalog number 1001, a number that must have made Sinatra proud! The album's got a really swinging feel that befits the title, and which follows in the best Capitol work by Nelson Riddle. Things are very jazzy and upbeat, thanks to arrangements by Johnny Mandel – and the set list includes loads of great numbers that Frank carries off to perfection! Titles include "Ring A Ding Ding", "The Coffee Song", "Let's Face The Music & Dance", "Let's Fall In Love", "A Fine Romance", and "You & The Night & The Music". LP, Vinyl record album

Frank's first album for his own label – Reprise catalog number 1001 (originally), a number that must have made Sinatra proud! The album's got a really swinging feel that befits the title, and which follows in the best Capitol work by Nelson Riddle. Things are very jazzy and upbeat, thanks to arrangements by Johnny Mandel – and the set list includes loads of great numbers that Frank carries off to perfection! Titles include "Ring A Ding Ding", "The Coffee Song", "Let's Face The Music & Dance", "Let's Fall In Love", "A Fine Romance", and "You & The Night & The Music". Includes 3 bonus tracks – "The Last Dance", "The Second Time Around", and "Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart". CD

Though one of her groovy Hazlewood produced albums, she only does two Hazlewood-penned tunes on this one: "Coastin", and "Sugar Town". The rest of the songs are the old-timey standards like "Sweet Georgia Brown", "Vagabond Shoes", "Let's Fall In Love", "Oh! You Beautiful Doll" and "Hard Hearted Hannah", though you might not guess that from the hot front cover featuring Nancy posing in a mod pink bikini. LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime work from a truly amazing artist – one who both sings and plays acoustic bass – all in a captivating blend of jazz, soul, and Brazilian styles! Esperanza Spalding has a fresh, unique feel that's all her own – the warmth of a jazz singer like Carmen Lundy, the sharper sensitivities of a bossa vocalist, and the depth of a younger soul artist – all wrapped up in grooves that are undeniably jazzy, with a strong sense of rhythm from Spalding's great work on bass! The set is a great one, and provides a perfect platform for Esperanza's wonderful talents – even more so than her previous import release, and at a much nicer price. Instrumentation is mostly small combo – with lots of piano, a bit of Fender Rhodes, and some trumpet and sax from time to time – and titles include "She Got To You", "Precious", "Ponta De Areia", "I Know You Know", "Fall In", "I Adore You", "Love In Time", and "Mela". (Neo Soul, Vocalists) CD

The debut of a great singer on Blue Note – and one who plays her own piano and Fender Rhodes as well! Kandace Springs has a gentle style that's part soul, and part jazz – as expressive as the former at most moments, but with a lot of jazz-based phrasing in the instrumentation, which underscores the message in her music in a really wonderful way! Light keyboard currents step nicely through more acoustic instrumentation – all with a laidback flow that's the perfect pace for the singer at her best. Terence Blanchard plays guest trumpet on two tracks – and titles include "Soul Eyes", "I Thought It Would Be Easier", "Place To Hide", "Novocaine Heart", "Rain Falling", "Too Good To Last", "Fall Guy", "Neither Old Nor Young", and "The World Is A Ghetto". (Neo Soul, Vocalists) CD

Beautiful work from Kay Starr – a set that's still got that remarkable vocal style in place, but which also comes across with a more mature sound too – a mode that's never too emotive, but which is full of feeling – and really makes great use of that classic Starr twang! The arrangements are lush, but never overdone – and have the gentle sadness of the rain shower pictured on the cover of the album – gently washing Kay's vocals on tunes that include "Gonna Get A Guy", "You Always Hurt The One You Love", "Only Forever", "When I Lost You", "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall", and "A Faded Summer Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A real standout in the classic catalog of ECM – not only because the record's got a slightly different inspiration than most, but also because it seems to unlock some especially beautiful moments from players who could sound different in other settings on the label! As the title indicates, the tunes here all take inspiration from the poetry of Robert Creeley – but never in a mode that's got the usual jazz meets poetry approach – as Sheila Jordan sings the lyrics when they appear, with a sense of her own power that's very different than a more standard recitation – and which, to us, really feels a lot like her great vocal performances with Steve Kuhn for ECM. Kuhn is also in the group on piano, and other musicians include David Liebman on saxes, Lyle Mays on keyboards, and Bob Moses on drums – all working under the superb leadership of bassist Steve Swallow – who really outdid himself with the depth of feeling in this project. Titles include "Colors", "In The Fall", "She Was Young", "Some Echoes", "Ice Cream", and "You Didn't Think". (Jazz, Vocalists) CD

A real standout in the classic catalog of ECM – not only because the record's got a slightly different inspiration than most, but also because it seems to unlock some especially beautiful moments from players who could sound different in other settings on the label! As the title indicates, the tunes here all take inspiration from the poetry of Robert Creeley – but never in a mode that's got the usual jazz meets poetry approach – as Sheila Jordan sings the lyrics when they appear, with a sense of her own power that's very different than a more standard recitation – and which, to us, really feels a lot like her great vocal performances with Steve Kuhn for ECM. Kuhn is also in the group on piano, and other musicians include David Liebman on saxes, Lyle Mays on keyboards, and Bob Moses on drums – all working under the superb leadership of bassist Steve Swallow – who really outdid himself with the depth of feeling in this project. Titles include "Colors", "In The Fall", "She Was Young", "Some Echoes", "Ice Cream", and "You Didn't Think". (Jazz, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Early LP of moody mellow vocals recorded by Grady Tate for the Skye label with an orchestra led by Jerome Richardson. Tracks include sublime readings of "Nature Boy", "Meditation", "The End of a Love Affair", and "I Fall In Love Too Easily". Deep stuff, and one of the last gasps of a style that dominated male jazz vocals for generations. LP, Vinyl record album

A well-selected set of tracks by the legendary vocalist Leon Thomas – one that focuses squarely on his recordings for the Flying Dutchman label – with standouts from his own records, a crucial collaboration with Johnny Hodges, and a previously unreleased tune as well! The collection features a really wonderful range of music – some tunes with the righteous feel of Thomas' singing with Pharoah Sanders, some others with a tighter soul feel, and even a few more with a classic jazz approach that's mighty nice! The albums under Thomas' name often feature some great small group backings – with players who include Billy Harper on tenor, and Roy Haynes or Bernard Purdie on drums – and some of the larger backings feature excellent arrangements from Oliver Nelson and Pee Wee Ellis. Titles include "Shape Your Mind To Die", "Just In Time To See The Sun", "It's My Life I'm Fighting For", "The Creator Has A Master Plan", "Let The Rain Fall On Me", "China Doll", "Bags' Groove", "One", "Come Along", "Let's Go Down To Lucy's", "Love Each Other", "Balance Of Life (Peace Of Mind)", "Umbo Weti", "Welcome To New York", and a previously unreleased version of "Um Um Um". CD

Wonderful work from Leon Thomas – easily one of his greatest albums ever, and a set that was recorded at the same time he was working with Pharoah Sanders! Thomas really rose to fame on Sanders' classic "The Creator Has A Master Plan" – and this set really takes off from that moment – letting Leon spin out some spiritual vibes of his own, and step into a few fresh new styles as well! The album's plenty righteous right from the start – partly because the lineup includes James Spaulding on alto and flute, Lonnie Liston Smith on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and the enigmatic "Little Rock" on tenor – who is actually Pharoah Sanders – but also because Leon serves up a shorter take on "The Creator Has a Master Plan" – done in a great style! The album also features a classic vocal take on Horace Silver's "Song for My Father", with lyrics that we totally love – plus the frenetic "Malcolm's Gone" – and the tracks "One", "Echoes", "Let The Rain Fall On Me", and "Damn Nam". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful work from Leon Thomas – easily one of his greatest albums ever, and a set that was recorded at the same time he was working with Pharoah Sanders! Thomas really rose to fame on Sanders' classic "The Creator Has A Master Plan" – and this set really takes off from that moment – letting Leon spin out some spiritual vibes of his own, and step into a few fresh new styles as well! The album's plenty righteous right from the start – partly because the lineup includes James Spaulding on alto and flute, Lonnie Liston Smith on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and the enigmatic "Little Rock" on tenor – who is actually Pharoah Sanders – but also because Leon serves up a shorter take on "The Creator Has a Master Plan" – done in a great style! The album also features a classic vocal take on Horace Silver's "Song for My Father", with lyrics that we totally love – plus the frenetic "Malcolm's Gone" – and the tracks "One", "Echoes", "Let The Rain Fall On Me", and "Damn Nam". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful work from Leon Thomas – easily one of his greatest albums ever, and a set that was recorded at the same time he was working with Pharoah Sanders! Thomas really rose to fame on Sanders' classic "The Creator Has A Master Plan" – and this set really takes off from that moment – letting Leon spin out some spiritual vibes of his own, and step into a few fresh new styles as well! The album's plenty righteous right from the start – partly because the lineup includes James Spaulding on alto and flute, Lonnie Liston Smith on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and the enigmatic "Little Rock" on tenor – who is actually Pharoah Sanders – but also because Leon serves up a shorter take on "The Creator Has a Master Plan" – done in a great style! The album also features a classic vocal take on Horace Silver's "Song for My Father", with lyrics that we totally love – plus the frenetic "Malcolm's Gone" – and the tracks "One", "Echoes", "Let The Rain Fall On Me", and "Damn Nam". CD features three bonus tracks – a live recording of "Um Um Um" and "Damn Nam" – plus a take on "Night In Tunisia". CD

Wonderful work from Leon Thomas – easily one of his greatest albums ever, and a set that was recorded at the same time he was working with Pharoah Sanders! Thomas really rose to fame on Sanders' classic "The Creator Has A Master Plan" – and this set really takes off from that moment – letting Leon spin out some spiritual vibes of his own, and step into a few fresh new styles as well! The album's plenty righteous right from the start – partly because the lineup includes James Spaulding on alto and flute, Lonnie Liston Smith on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and the enigmatic "Little Rock" on tenor – who is actually Pharoah Sanders – but also because Leon serves up a shorter take on "The Creator Has a Master Plan" – done in a great style! The album also features a classic vocal take on Horace Silver's "Song for My Father", with lyrics that we totally love – plus the frenetic "Malcolm's Gone" – and the tracks "One", "Echoes", "Let The Rain Fall On Me", and "Damn Nam". CD include 3 versions of "Take The 'A' Train", 2 takes of "Walkin'", 2 takes of "Willow Weep For Me", and 2 takes of "If It Didn't Hurt So Much". CD

A rare jazz treasure from the European scene of the early 70s – killer material from a wealth of American artists and local talents – all done as special sessions for Dutch radio, and never issued to the public on record! Despite the radio origins of the music, the sound here is tremendous – easily on a par with the best MPS sessions of the time – which is no surprise, given that many of the artists here worked in similar circles! The first half of the set features the trio of pianist Louis Van Dyke augmented with guests who include Mark Murphy, Helen Merrill, Eddie Jefferson, Toots Thielemans, Herb Geller, and Dave Pike – all stepping out into the spotlight while Van Dyke's combo backs them up with lively grooves that are often heavy on bossa influences! The second half features larger orchestrations from The Metropole Orchestra – a soaring big band who groove wonderfully, often in support of vocals from Murphy or Greetje Kauffeld, but also featuring instrumental solos from European players Ack Van Rooyen, Piet Nordijk, Ferdinand Povel, and others. The whole set is worth it alone for the vocals of Murphy – because the record easily stands as some of his best work ever from this decade – and given how great Mark was at the time, that's really saying a lot! Small group titles include "Children Of The Sun", "So What", "Love Sick", "Sao Paulo", "Con Alma", "Seventh Day", and "Falling In Love With Love" – and bigger group numbers include "Out Of This World", "My Shining Hour", "Let's Fall In Love", "Get Happy", "I'll Wind", "This Time The Dream's On Me", "Paper Moon", "One For My Baby", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", and "That Old Black Magic". 37 tracks in all! (Jazz, Vocalists) CD

The set features only 4 duets between Brook & Dinah – "Baby (You've Got What It Takes)", "I Do", "I Believe", and "A Rockin Good Way (To mess Around & Fall In Love)", which is probably the best track on the LP. Other titles are by Dinah alone – "There Goes My Heart", "Love Walked In", "This I Promise You" – or Brook by himself – "Because Of Everything", "Call me", and "Not One Step Behind". LP, Vinyl record album

A gem of a record from this pair of Basie-ites – one that allows Joe Williams to hit some different modes than on his fuller records with the Count – set up here in a nicely relaxed groove with trumpeter Harry Sweets Edison! Arrangements are by Ernie Wilkins, but are more laidback than some of his fuller charts – and we love hearing Joe at a level when he doesn't have to punch it out of the park, and can just fall back in a sweet groove alongside Harry's trumpet, which then often gets a spot to solo on the tune. Charles Thompson plays piano – again with a style that's more easygoing than Basie – and titles include "Out Of Nowhere", "Together", "Winter Weather", "By The River Saint Marie", "Alone Together", "Deep Purple", and "Lover Come Back To Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Power & The Glory", "If I Could", "Quiet Fire", "Rise & Fall Of Paradise", "Ebb Tide", and "Don't Be An Island". CD

A really unique moment for Nancy – one in which she leaves the LA sound behind, and gets some special treatment from the young Philly crew of the Gamble & Huff studios! Arrangements on the set are by Thom Bell, Lenny Pakula, and Bobby Martin – and the style's an interesting mix of Nancy's pop jazz vocals with some of the lighter, sweeter sounds of the Philly scene at the start of the 70s. The result is a surprisingly wonderful album – quite different for Nancy, and with the kind of backings that really break her out of the sound of the 60s – and pave the way for the sophisticated style of the 70s. Titles include "Now I'm A Woman", "Let's Fall In Love All Over", "Lonely Lonely", "Joe", "How Many Broken Wings", and "The Real Me". LP, Vinyl record album