This double-length set brings together two albums' worth of work that Carmen McRae recorded for the Groove Merchant label in the early 70s! The style here is strongly jazzy, but with a firm dose of soul too – all in a mode that follows nicely from Carmen's late 60s sessions for Atlantic Records, but with a sound that's almost even more focused and in the pocket. The band is largeish, but the rhythms are tight – and even the mellower tunes seem to have a nice sort of lilt at the bottom, one that goes great with the way that Carmen spaces out her vocals on the set. Players include Joe Pass on guitar, Larry Bunker on vibes, Zoot Sims on tenor, and Dick Shreve on piano – and the CD features 19 tracks that include "Hey John", "Inside A Silent Tear", "The Right To Love", "You & I", "Sunshine Of My Life", "The Good Life", "It Takes A Whole Lot Of Human Feeling", "Livin", "Masquerade", "You're Mine You", and "There Will Come A Time". LP, Vinyl record album

A 70s set from the great Dakota Staton – but done with a lean, jazzy vibe that really gets back to the spirit of some of her earlier recordings! The group's a small combo, with the great Norman Simmons on piano – always a great accompanist for a jazz singer, and working here with saxophonist Peter Loeb, whose lines help the record sound like more than just the usual trio backing behind a singer. Staton's got some great soulful currents in her sound – and Simmons' piano really brings a wonderful aspect to the session – flowing out with a soulful edge and a lot of playful energy behind Dakota's vocals, creating a great sound that really grounds the set. Titles include "Play Your Hands Girls", "He Will Call Again", "Between 18th & 19th On Chestnut Street", and "Hurry Home". LP, Vinyl record album

Great 70s live work from Sarah Vaughan – material that easily stands alongside her best for the Pablo label at the same time, but which is far more obscure overall! The notes on the CD aren't much – and obviously help enforce the obscurity of the sessions – but we can say that all the performances are from live dates, and backing appears to be from a trio led by Bob James on acoustic piano on some tracks – and by a larger group with Hank Mobley and Dizzy Gillespie on a few more. Sarah's vocals are simple and straightforward, but have a confidence and poise that's totally great – qualities that have always almost made her a better singer live than in the studio. Titles include "Sassy's Blues", "Scat Blues", "Alfie", "Misty", "I Had A Ball", "The Theme", "Lover Man", "What Now My Love", and "Lover Come Back To Me". CD

A sweet and jazzy little session from Carmen McRae – an overlooked batch of groovy tunes recorded with small combo backing – with a hip vibe that's a bit different than some of her other 70s work! The sound's pretty soulful overall, and takes off nicely from Carmen's best moments on Atlantic a few years before – mixing in just a bit of electricity to keep things sounding a bit 70s-styled without losing any of Carmen's talent for interpreting a tune. The group features Joe Pass on guitar and Larry Bunker on vibes – and titles include Blossom Dearie numbers "Hey John" and "Inside A Silent Tear", plus "All The Things You Are", "The Right To Love", "Where Are The Words", "It Takes A Whole Lot Of Human Feeling", and "Imagination". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little CD – not only for the very nice price, but for the fact that the double-length set brings together two albums' worth of work that Carmen McRae recorded for the Groove Merchant label in the early 70s! The style here is strongly jazzy, but with a firm dose of soul too – all in a mode that follows nicely from Carmen's late 60s sessions for Atlantic Records, but with a sound that's almost even more focused and in the pocket. The band is largeish, but the rhythms are tight – and even the mellower tunes seem to have a nice sort of lilt at the bottom, one that goes great with the way that Carmen spaces out her vocals on the set. Players include Joe Pass on guitar, Larry Bunker on vibes, Zoot Sims on tenor, and Dick Shreve on piano – and the CD features 19 tracks that include "Hey John", "Inside A Silent Tear", "The Right To Love", "You & I", "Sunshine Of My Life", "The Good Life", "It Takes A Whole Lot Of Human Feeling", "Livin", "Masquerade", "You're Mine You", and "There Will Come A Time". CD

Always-hip work from the great Carmen McRae – a singer who moved way past standard jazz during the second half of the 60s – to a point where she was really handling a great range of material by the start of the 70s! Carmen's voice was always great, but there's a really special quality to it once she starts picking songs with a fair bit of variety – almost more expressive, especially when in an indie label setting like this – which features light arrangements and just a small combo that includes Zoot Sims on tenor and Bucky Pizzarelli on guitar – both keeping the jazz currents strong. Titles include "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", "Masquerade", "You & I", "The Good Life", and "Livin". CD

A stunning live recording from Sarah Vaughan – recorded in the late 70s, when she was at a whole new height in her talents – and at a level that's far more dynamic and striking than some of her other records from the time! The double-length set presents the first-ever commercial release of a beautifully recorded performance originally done for NPR – with Vaughan in a very open, expressive mode alongside a trio with Carl Schroeder on piano, Walter Booker on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – working at a small club in New Orleans with a wonderfully soulful vibe! Vaughan shines beautifully on the ballads, but really blows us away with the swingers – hitting some edges we don't always hear on her 70s sides for Pablo, Groove Merchant, or Mainstream – managing vocal complexity with inherent rhythm, all with effortless ease. The sound quality is wonderful – and titles include "I'll Remember April", "A Lot Of Livin To Do", "The Man I Love", "Watch What Happens", "If You Went Away", "I Could Write A Book", "Time After Time", "Somebody Loves Me", "My Funny Valentine", "Everything Must Change", "Send In The Clowns", "Sarah's Blues", and "East Of The Sun". CD

A bit of a groovy switch for this great and under-recognized singer – a set that updates his sound with some 60s swingers that include "I Can See For Miles", "Mr Dream Merchant", "Hard To Believe", "Lelainia", "Woman Woman", and "Let's Go To San Francisco". LP, Vinyl record album