A great set of rare early material by Betty Carter – featuring 24 tracks from the early days of her career! The set features one album Betty Recorded for the Peacock label, with hip arrangements by Gigi Gryce and Melba Liston, and one that she recorded for ABC, with more mainstream arrangements by Richard Wess. And although both albums don't have Betty singing in the strident style she adopted in later years, they're still pretty darn great, and are filled with a lot of rich emotion and strong jazz vocalizing. Titles include "Jazz Ain't Nothin But Soul", "I Can't Help It", "By The Bend In The River", "Foul Play", "Babe's Blues", "Mean To Me", "Something Wonderful", and "Make It Last". CD

An excellent CD that features some of Betty Carter's earliest work – sides recorded for the album Meet Betty Carter & Ray Bryant, plus other rare ones that were later collected on the Social Call album! The set features some sublime tunes arranged by Gigi Gryce – with a floating jazzy style that works perfectly with Betty's incredible voice – plus others with backings by Ray Bryant's combo, and a few more that feature Ray's group playing without Betty's vocals. Betty's voice is already fantastic – even at this early point in her career – with an amazing range of expression, and a jazz-based approach that's different from most of her generation. There's a total of 19 tracks in all – including one previously unissued number – and titles include "Bryant's Folly", "Social Call", "Thou Swell", "Frenesi", "Run Away", "Tell Him I Said Hello", "Can't We Be Friends", "Sneaking Around", and "Let's Fall In Love". CD

Possibly the strongest album ever recorded by mellow-voiced jazz vocalist Earl Coleman – a singer with a deeper style that's very much in the classic Billy Eckstine mode, but which swings a bit more freely in a small combo! The set's got a nicely open style – with longer tracks than usual for a jazz vocal date, and lots of room for jazz soloists that include Art Farmer on trumpet, Gigi Gryce on alto, and Hank Jones on piano. The backing is in a great small group mode, and in a way, the album's almost unique for the time – and really predates a lot of later male vocal sides of this nature – offering Coleman more of a fresh start than just a standard "return" – and really paving the way for Johnny Hartman sides in the 60s. Titles include "Say It Isn't So", "Reminiscing", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "No Love No Nothin", and a great version of "Social Call". CD features 4 bonus tracks that include "My Last Affair", "This Is Always", "I Haven't Changed A Thing", and "A Ghost Of A Chance". CD

An obscure set of tracks – but some really wonderful material from the catalog of Pacific Jazz Records! The CD's title clearly showcases the presence of Wes Montgomery on the sides – but Wes was actually more of a sideman on these tracks, and the real credit for the greatness goes to the leaders! The first 10 tracks on the CD are from the album Good Git Together by Jon Hendricks – a rare early non-LHR session by the jazz vocalist – one cut in a very different style than his more famous group vocalese work. Hendricks is laidback, open, and very soulful – working with Wes, Buddy, and Monk Montgomery – as well as Cannonball and Nat Adderley, Pony Poindexter, and Gildo Mahones – all coming together in a "git together" session that features some of Hendricks' best vocals on record! The session features great readings of Hendricks originals that include "Minor Catastrophe", "I'll Die Happy", and "I'm Gonna Shout" – as well as Gigi Gryce's "Music In The Air" and "Social Call", plus a great take on Randy Weston's "Pretty Strange" and Gildo Mahones' "The Shouter". Next up on the set are 8 more tracks from a jazz version of Kismet – recorded by The Mastersounds group which featured Buddy Montgomery on vibes and Monk Montgomery on bass – joined here by Wes on guitar! The source of the tunes is a musical, but the presentation is all jazz – and the group craft some real magic in their exotic style, with tracks that include "Fate", "Olive Tree", "Not Since Nineveh", and "Gesticulate & Rhymes Have I". (Jazz, Vocalists) CD