One of a handful of records cut by the lovely singer Byrdie Green for Prestige during the 60s! Byrdie's got a sweet soulful voice – not the greatest in the world technically, but very much in that classic small club mode of the 60s and 70s, as often heard singing with a hip small combo late into the nights. In this case, the hip combo's that of Johnny Hammond Smith – as Johnny arranged the whole set, and sort of acted as Byrdie's mentor at Prestige. Johnny's groovy organ group also features Virgil Jones on trumpet, Gene Walker on tenor, and Eddie Diehl on guitar – and they provide some very tasty backing for Byrdie on cuts like "Hurt", "Gin House Blues", "Goin Out Of My Head", "Somebody Groovy", and "In The Dark". LP, Vinyl record album

Double LP compilation of two albums that she originally recorded for Verve – Blossom Sings Broadway & Blossom Dearie Sings Comden and Green. Two great albums, and almost impossible to find in the original. Blossom at her best, with tight jazzy backing that's never as drippy as the later cocktail-ish arrangements that mar some of her records. Showtunes, but done in the great breathy Blossom style, with a nice jazzy edge to them. LP, Vinyl record album

Mose Allison creates a very swinging machine for this classic Atlantic Records set – by adding in a few horns to his usual trio, and making for a groove that's even jazzier overall! Mose's vocals are wonderful, as always – extremely witty, with that great balance of New Orleans roots and 60s hipster jazz – served up in a host of his own wonderful compositions! But at some points, the horns step out even more strongly, and get some great solo play of their own – with excellent work from the obscure Jimmy Reider on tenor sax, a surprisingly great player we wish we knew better – plus the great Jimmy Knepper on trombone. Some tunes are instrumentals – and titles include the classic"Swingin Machine", plus "Do It", "Stop This World", "Promenade", "If You're Goin To The City", and "Saritha". LP, Vinyl record album

We know it's hard to think of anyone named Mildred as hip, but take it from us, the lady's actually a great singer with a deep capacity for jazzy blues and mellow R&B. These rare Savoy sides were cut during the years 1946 and 1947, and they feature great backing by pianist Ellis Larkin on nearly every cut, set up in either small combo or large group settings. Titles include "At Sundown", "Love In Vain", "It's A Woman's Prerogative", "You Started Something", and "Born To Be Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

A bittersweet set of vocals from Polly Bergen – recorded with a sound that really fits her sad-eyed look on the cover! Although Bergen's voice is sometimes confident and full, it's nicely restrained here – often somewhat dark-toned and moody – in ways that remind us of Morgana King, especially in the way that Polly holds back at just the right moments – keeping things mature by never getting too overly emotive. There's a nice sense of depth to the record that goes way beyond simple pop singing – and Luther Henderson's arrangements further help color the sound of the set – by giving it a sense of unity that almost reminds us of some of Sinatra's best blue-toned late 50s albums for Capitol. Titles include "By Myself", "When The Wind Was Green", "All Alone", "Glad To Be Unhappy", "Too Late Now", "He Didn't Call", and "Not Like Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Early recordings by the King Cole Trio, with Nat King Cole on piano, Oscar Moore on guitar, and Johnny Miller on bass, and also with a later line-up of Irving Ashby on guitar, Joe Comfort on bass, and Jack Costanzo on bongos. LP, Vinyl record album

The first album in a legendary run of vocal jazz classics on Atlantic Records – and a set that really helped Chris Connor move to a new level of expression in her music! The sound here is much richer than Connor's previous recordings for Bethlehem – and the small combo jazz backings have been replaced by fuller orchestrations by Ralph Burns – done in a cool, edgey sort of way that really pushes Chris into newly sophisticated territory! The sound's on a par with the best June Christy/Pete Rugolo collaborations on Capitol – and the group's filled with some great jazz players, including Zoot Sims, John Lewis, Milt Hinton, and Oscar Pettiford. Titles include "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "My April Heart", "He Was Good to Me", "Where Are You", and "Get Out Of Town". LP, Vinyl record album

A lovely side by Chris Connor for Atlantic, recorded not too long after her stint at Bethlehem – where she'd perfected an icy cool style of singing that's still to be matched to this day! The album features larger arrangements by Richard Wess – but still has a light jazzy feel, intimate in approach, despite the larger musical backings. Chris' voice is at once personal and removed – a razor's edge of emotion, repressing some impulses, and opening up surprisingly at other moments. Titles include "Skyscraper Blues", "The Lady Sings The Blues", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "When Sunny Gets Blue", "Just In Time", "Baltimore Oriole", and "How Little We Know". LP, Vinyl record album

A sublime little set from the legendary Dave Frishberg – his first vocal effort ever, and quite different than most of his later work! At the time of the record, Frishberg was a songwriter who penned such underground hipster jazz vocalist classics as "I'm Hip" and "Peel Me A Grape" – and the set has a clever, laidback feel that's very much in the spirit of those two great tunes – Dave singing and playing electric piano, clavinet, and organ – with some great jazzy touches by a group that includes Al Cohn on tenor, Bill Berry on trumpet, and Garnett Brown on trombone. There's a nicely offbeat feel to the record – both the tunes and the vocals – that reminds us a lot of the work of Bob Dorough – and part of this may have to do with the fact that Dorough cronie Stuart Scharf played guitar on the album. But the real genius is up to Frishberg, who's clever without being cloying – witty without ever being full of himself – and incredibly charming in the way he delivers the lyrics with a simple, honest approach. Titles include "The Prophet Of Doom", "Oklahoma Toad", "One Horse Town", "Van Lingle Mungo", "The Secret Of Successd", "Wallflower Lonely Cornflower Blue", and "Nasty Nasty Habit". LP, Vinyl record album

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An essential album for fans of early vocalese – and a record that brings together 3 of the greatest talents of the genre! The sides were pulled from early Prestige singles by the artists – and Eddie Jefferson's represented on 4 great numbers with backing by a group that includes Seldon Powell, plus some additional vocals from Irv Taylor. Jefferson titles include "Old Shoes", "Please Be Kind To Me", "Strictly Instrumental", and "Start Walkin Stop Talkin". Joe Carroll swings in next – laying down 4 straighter vocal tunes with a group that includes Bill Graham on baritone sax, on songs that include "Two Wrongs Won't Make It Right", "I Was In The Mood", and "Got A Penny Benny". Last up is Annie Ross, delivering some of the classic numbers from her Ross/Pleasure album – including "Twisted", "Farmer's Market" and "Jackie". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic 50s work from vocalist Abbe Lane – and a record that's made all the better by some great arrangements from Tito Puente! Abbe's getting past the sexy tricks of other records here – and singing in a dusky tone that works perfect with Tito's tight, choppy, and highly percussive arrangements. The set's got a wonderful blend of Latin and torch – with tracks that include "Take It Easy", "Green Eyes", "The River Seine", "Babalu", "Pan, Amore & Cha Cha Cha", "Noche De Ronda", and "Whatever Lola Wants". LP, Vinyl record album

Here's a nice one – the only album we've ever seen by vocalist Dee Lawson, an icy yet soulful singer with a style that's clearly forged in the June Christy mode! The set features some nice small combo backing that really matches the late night mood of the tunes – more jazz-based overall than some of the vocal sets with larger orchestrations on Roulette – and featuring some of the great little unusual tunes that used to show up on that label's better vocal sides of the time. Highlights include "A Ballad At 5am", "It Was Nice While The Money Rolled In", "You Can't Hardly Get Them No More", "If The Moon Turns Green", and "Lost Within A Dream". Players include Jimmy Cleveland, Doc Severenson, and Eddie Safranski. LP, Vinyl record album

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An obscure one from Della Reese – and a set with a nice touch of soul, too! The album was produced by Della herself, with arrangements by Peter Myers – and titles include "Fire & Rain", "Funny", "Bein Green", "If Loving You Is Wrong", and versions of the Bill Withers tunes "Let Me In Your Life" and "Who Is She & What Is She To You". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best albums from singer Teri Thornton – a jazz vocalist who was really starting to come into her own at the beginning of the 60s, and shines here in a way that's different from some of her bigger label sets! Backings are by Norman Simmons – a pianist we love on his own, and for his work in small groups with other singers – but a real surprise here for his work on the album's dark-tinged charts, which have a similar undercurrent of modernism to some of the work at the time by Abbey Lincoln. The group's relatively small – and features work by Seldon Powell on tenor, Clark Terry on trumpet, Earl Warren on alto, Freddie Green on guitar, and Wynton Kelly on piano – and titles include a version of Bob Dorough's "Devil May Care", plus dark takes on "My Old Flame", "Dancing In The Dark", "Left Alone", "What's New", and "Lullaby Of The Leaves". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the grooviest Mel Torme albums ever – a smoking little live set that has the Velvet Fog hitting a whole new soulful sound for the 60s – with a leaner groove than ever before! Backing is from the trio of pianist Jimmy Wisner – although Mel himself also plays a bit of piano on the record – and the rhythms have this upfront, super-tight sound that really makes Torme's vocals pop – coming across with a fresh, swinging sound that's quite a change from the 40s and 50s! Yet throughout it all, ol' uncle Mel still keeps his pipes in perfect tune – that amazing voice that never lets up for a minute – and which holds its own beautifully on tunes that include "Anything Goes", "Love For Sale", "Love Is Just Around the Corner", "Shakin The Blues Away", and "In Other Words". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite-ever albums from Mel Torme – a set that sparkles with the same smooth swing as his best late 50s dates for Bethlehem records! Like those sets, this one features Torme's voice really taking off over some tight jazzy charts – arranged by Johnny Williams, Shorty Rogers, and Dick Hazard – all in styles close to those used previously by Marty Paich. But almost even better is the New York theme of the record – surprising, given the anti-NYC vibe of Torme's classic "California Suite" – but perfect, too, as it really ties the whole thing together wonderfully – creating this beautiful picture of the Big Apple in the postwar years. Titles include the greatest version of "Sunday In New York" you'll ever hear – plus "Let Me Off Uptown", "Autumn In New York", "New York New York", "Manhattan", and "My Time Of Day". LP, Vinyl record album

Ed Townsend's best known as a famous songwriter and producer – whose work through the 60s and 70s made him more than a bit of green – but this early album has Ed trying his pipes as a male vocal lead, singing in a style that's smooth and mellow, a bit in the vein of Jesse Belvin, and really sounding great overall! Orchestrations are by Nelson Riddle, and the album's got a gentle swing that we really enjoy – Ed singing over some lesser known tracks, and bringing a raspy soulfulness to the more familiar ones. Titles include "What's Wrong With Me", "Golden Earrings", "I'm In Love", "Don't Ever Leave Me", and "On The Street Where You Live". LP, Vinyl record album

The title's a bit of a joke – because the record features a batch sidemen from the Count Basie band – Thad Jones, Joe Newman, Freddy Green, Billy Mitchell, Frank Foster, and others – all working with Sarah, but the Count's name is missing, due to contractual obligations! Despite that lack, though, the grooves are very much in the best Basie mode – full of soul and searing horn lines – at a level that makes the album one of Sarah's liveliest from the time! Players include Thad Jones and Joe Newman on trumpet, Al Grey on trombone, Frank Foster and Frank Wess on tenor, and Freddie Green on guitar – and Ronnell Bright handles the piano, instead of Basie. Titles include "Darn That Dream", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", "Doodlin", "Just One Of Those Things", "No Count Blues", and "Missing You". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Sarah's few albums for Columbia – and quite possibly the best, thanks to some great small group backing, heard on 8 of the album's 12 tunes! The group's a really great one – with Miles Davis on trumpet, Benny Green on trombone, Buddy Johnson on tenor, Tony Scott on clarinet, Mundell Lowe on guitar, and Billy Taylor on piano – all of whom get some surprising solo space on the album, and make the record one of Sarah's best jazz outings of the 50s. The remaining tracks on the set have a lusher ballad style, but are still quite nice – and titles include "Mean To Me", "Goodnight My Love", "Can't Get Out Of This Mood", "East Of The Sun", "Pinky", "Ooh Whatcha Doin To Me", and "Come Rain Or Come Shine". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best jazz-based sessions recorded by Dinah Washington in the 50s – appropriately titled Dinah Jams, which is a pretty good reference to the feeling of the set! The sessions were recorded in a relatively relaxed, intimate feel – not necessarily as unbridled as a true jam session might be, but with a lot more interplay between the instrumentalists in the group than you might get on a typical 50s jazz session. And with horn players that include Cliford Brown, Harold Land, and Herb Geller – alongside rhythm by Junior Mance, Richie Powell, and Max Roach – you'd have to expect that there'd be some good interplay on the set! Titles include "I've Got You Under My Skin", "No More", "Darn That Dream", "You Go To My Head", and a nice open-ended version of "I'll Remember April"! LP, Vinyl record album