With Lotte Lenya. (Soundtracks, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

A famous pairing of talents from the early 60s – Columbia Records giants Dave Brubeck and Tony Bennett, both recorded at a time when that label was at the forefront of jazz in the US – joined up for a special performance at the end of the set! The special performance was done at the Kennedy-era White House – and features an initial instrumental set from the Dave Brubeck Quartet – with completely amazing alto from Paul Desmond, especially on the album's long reading of "Nomad" – one of our favorite overlooked tunes by the the group at the time – plus versions of "Take Five", "Castillian Blues", and "Thank You". Tony Bennett then takes the stage with backings by the Ralph Sharon trio – on titles that include "Make Someone Happy", "One For My Baby", "I Left My Heart In San Francisco", and "Just In Time". But the real highlight of the set is when Bennett sings with backings from the Dave Brubeck Trio – in a mode that's both different from Tony's work with Bill Evans or Basie, and from Brubeck's work with singers like Jimmy Rushing or Carmen McRae! Titles from the Brubeck/Bennett lineup include "That Old Black Magic", "There Will Never Be Another You", "Lullaby Of Broadway", and "Chicago". CD

Massively beautiful pop tunes by this incredibly harmony group! The Free Design have a sound and approach that's like nobody else – and at the end of the 60s, they looked over their shoulder, saw dozens of harmony groups who'd been working before them, and decided to strip the sound down and recraft it with child-like innocence. No wonder they've been a huge influence on loads of today's groovy bands – and on you too, we're sure, after you hear such dreamy tunes as "Butterflies Are Free", "Kites Are Fun", "You'll Be You & I'll Be Me", "Stay Another Season", "Happy Together", "Time & Love", "Like To Love", and "When Love Is Young". CD

Darkly beautiful work from singer June Christy – a lesser-remembered gem from the end of her years at Capitol Records! The mood here is very much in keeping with the "night people" setting of the title – a lonely space of empty streets, open windows, and late night saloons – first brought to record so beautifully by June on the Something Cool album, and wonderfully revisited in this fantastic set! Arrangements are by husband Bob Cooper, and although they're a bit less arch-modern than some of Christy's work with Pete Rugolo, they still really get at the boozy genius of June's vocals at their best. Titles include "I Had A Little Sorrow", "Night People", "Make Love To Me", "Shadow Woman", "My Ship", and "Kissing Bug". CD also features 5 bonus tracks from the Do Re Mi album – including "Make Someone Happy", "Asking For You", and "All You Need Is A Quarter". CD

A standout classic from the Bay Area scene – a wicked batch of grooves from an all-girl jazz combo! The singer in the group is Rhiannon – and she's got a bit of a Flora Purim feel – soaring one minute, dreamy the next – just right for the combo's blend of Fender Rhodes, piano, bass, drums, and percussion. There's a really classic feel to the set – and Rhiannon alternates nicely between scatted and sung lyrics – most famously on the album's classic cover of "Skindo Le Le", which is almost better known than the original by Viva Brasil! Other great cuts include a version of Cedar Walton's "Afreaka", Miles Davis' "Four", and the titles "What Is Life", "Happy Ending", and "City Life". LP, Vinyl record album

Great live work from Mel Torme – a 2CD set that features his best concert performances of the 50s! CD 1 features a live date originally issued on Decca – a whopping 20 track set that's done with spare backings from the Al Pellegrini Trio – possibly the most stripped-down Torme recording from these early years, delivered with an intimacy that's quite different than some of Mel's work on Bethlehem! Pellegrini plays mostly piano, but also a bit of clarinet too – given that Torme also handles a bit of piano – and the backings are always somewhat light, so that Mel's voice really dominates the proceedings. Titles include "County Fair", "Goody Goody", "You're Driving Me Crazy", "Jeepers Creepers", "Imagination", "Get Happy", "Get Out Of Town", and "From This Moment On". CD 2 features two albums' worth of material – a performance at the Crescendo from 1957 that was issued on the albums Mel Torme At The Crescendo and Songs For Any Taste – done in the same jazzy style as his studio albums for the Bethlehem label from the 50s! The combo behind Mel is a smallish one – Marty Paich on piano and arrangements, Larry Bunker on vibes, Don Fagerquist on trumpet, Max Bennett on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums – and the arrangements here all have that great mix of sensitivity and swing that Paich was first showing at the time – an approach that really helped Torme hit new levels in his music! Tracks include "Love Is Just A Bug", "Just One Of Those Things", "The Tender Trap", "I'm Beginning To See The Light", "Home By The Sea", "It's De-Lovely", "Taking A Chance On Love", "Nobody's Heart", "Manhattan", and "One For My Baby". CD

A record that revolutionized the concept of jazz vocals in the 50s – thanks to famous performances by Annie Ross and King Pleasure! The tracks on the LP include Ross' early interpretations of Wardell Gray's classics "Twisted" and "Farmer's Market", and the King Pleasure set includes classics like "Red Top", "This Is Always", "Sometimes I'm Happy", and his great duet with Jon Hendricks, "Don't Get Scared". A landmark LP of jazz vocal sides, and one that no fan of vocalese should be without. LP, Vinyl record album

A record that revolutionized the concept of jazz vocals in the 50s – thanks to famous performances by Annie Ross and King Pleasure! The tracks on the LP include Ross' early interpretations of Wardell Gray's classics "Twisted" and "Farmer's Market", and the King Pleasure set includes classics like "Red Top", "This Is Always", "Sometimes I'm Happy", and his great duet with Jon Hendricks, "Don't Get Scared". A landmark LP of jazz vocal sides, and one that no fan of vocalese should be without. CD reissue includes 4 extra bonus tracks! CD

A totally great collection of work by this enigmatic singer from the 60s! Claudine's got a very lovely voice – as you may already know – and it was a perfect match for the breathy breezy easy studio talents of the great A&M label. Her recordings for A&M during the late 60s are still some of the best pop vocal tracks to ever come out of LA – and this nicely remastered CD features 24 great tracks from Claudine's now out of print LPs – including "Walk In The Park", "Happy Talk", "Sleep Safe & Warm", "A Man & A Woman", "Hello, Hello", "Snow", "Lazy Summer Night", and "I Don't Intend To Spend Christmas Without You". CD

Breathily beautiful work from singer Priscilla Paris – an unusual take on the music of Billie Holiday, done with a relatively sweet feel overall! Paris is definitely trying for Holiday's tone at times – but her sound is always a bit warmer and airier – almost as if Claudine Longet were doing a tribute to Billie, with a spacious late 60s feel that's almost A&M at times! Backings are by Sid Feller and Don Peake, and players on the date include Jimmy Rowles on piano, Jim Crutcher on bass, John Guerin on drums, and Peake on guitar – plus a bit of added strings. Titles include "In My Solitude", "Girls Were Made To Take Care Of Boys", "Just Friends", "I Love You Porgy", and "My Man". LP, Vinyl record album

Great live work from Mel Torme – a 14 track set that's done with spare backings from the Al Pellegrini Trio – possibly the most stripped-down Torme recording from these early years, delivered with an intimacy that's quite different than some of Mel's work on Bethlehem! Pellegrini plays mostly piano, but also a bit of clarinet too – given that Torme also handles a bit of piano – and the backings are always somewhat light, so that Mel's voice really dominates the proceedings. Titles include "County Fair", "Goody Goody", "You're Driving Me Crazy", "Jeepers Creepers", "Get Happy", "Get Out Of Town", and "From This Moment On". LP, Vinyl record album

Not only a great follow-up to the first Echoes Of An Era session, but also a standout 80s performance from Nancy Wilson – quite possibly her best of the decade! The setting is nice and laidback – a live date with a core combo that features Joe Henderson on tenor, Chick Corea on piano, Stanley Clarke on acoustic bass, and Lenny White on drums – plus steller vocals from Wilson, who's really at home in the setting – stretching out beautifully on the long tracks, and coming into play with the soloists at a level that's quite different from her more polished studio records. Clarke's bass is a delight, too – a great reminder that his talents didn't always lie in the electric realm during the 80s – and Henderson, as you might guess, provides some soulful undercurrents that reallyg round the whole proceedings. Titles include "500 Miles High", "Round Midnight", "Rhythm A Ning", "My One & Only Love", "Them There Eyes", and "I Want To Be Happy". 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

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

A really groovy little record from singer Kim Sang Hee – a vocalist who works here in English throughout, but gets backing from a few different forces on the Japanese jazz scene! Things change up nicely throughout the record – so that some tracks have Fender Rhodes backings from the trio of Masahiko Sato, some have the groovy sound of the Freedom Unity group, and others have larger backings from the New Herd of Toshiyuki Miyama – who gets great arrangements from Norio Maeda! Kim's vocals are nice too – but it's the overall instrumental vibe that really sends the album home, and makes things groovy – as you'll hear on cuts that include "The Look Of Love", "We've Only Just Begun", "Close To You", "Scarborough Fair", "You've Made Me So Very Happy", "Spinning Wheel", and "Love Story". (Japanese, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Pure wonderfulness from Dave Mackay & Vicky Hamilton – one of the hippest duos ever to record a jazz record! The duo are a bit like Jackie & Roy at their best – in that Dave plays piano (including a bit of Fender Rhodes) and sings duet vocals with Vicky Hamilton in a sweetly swinging way that sounds very very groovy. Yet the overall sound is even groovier than Jackie & Roy – touched with influences from Sunshine Pop and the hipper side of the jazz spectrum – in a style that's extremely inventive, and unlike anything else we can think of! Tunes are mostly originals penned by the pair, and instrumentation on the record includes flute and saxes from Ira Schulman and guitar from Joe Pass – alongside keyboards from Dave, plus bass and drums. There's a beautifully breezy feel to the whole record – really the blueprint for countless 70s jazz vocal efforts to come from others – and titles include "Happying", "If I Ask You", "4 Ira", "See My Rainbow", "Peek A Boo", "Free", "Silent", and "Reach Out". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the grooviest collection of work we've ever seen from the lovely Nancy Sinatra – a set that features some of her hits, but also includes a lot more material that's much more obscure – and which shows that Nancy was a hell of a song stylist, far from the charts! The core of the work features Sinatra's fantastic collaborations with Lee Hazlewood – the producer who created a darkness in her sound that moved her far from simple pop – and who sometimes joined her in duets, with a mature, adult quality that was dripping with sensuality! The set also features some post-Hazlewood material, too – still very cool, and very groovy – a sublime blend of Cali 60s elements and slight country touches. Titles include "So Long Babe", "Sugar Town", "Kind Of Woman", "Machine Gun Kelly", "Arkansas Coal", "Down From Dover", "How Are Things In California", "Some Velvet Morning", "Hello LA Bye Bye Birmingham", "Hook & Ladder", "Happy", "You Only Live Twice", "Sand", "Lightning's Girl", "How Does That Grab You", "Paris Summer", "Jackson", "Lady Bird", and, of course, "These Boots Are Made For Walking". 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

A nice little package, one that brings together three American releases of music by London's legendary Georgie Fame! First up is the classic Yeh Yeh – a brilliant mix of jazz, soul, and R&B – all filtered through a mod sort of London freshness, as early proof that the city could always take some great things from our own musical roots, and feed it back to us with a whole new flavor! Georgie Fame's no copycat here, though – and the sound is instantly Fame-like – a style that's really not the sort that any Americans were doing at the time, and certainly never this well. Hard-burning Hammond colors most of the tunes here – played with a tightly vamping quality – but it's Georgie's charmingly crackling vocals that really win us over! Titles include "Gimme That Wine", "Pink Champagne", "Monkeying Around", "I Love The Life I Live", "Point Of No Return", "Preach & Teach", "Get On The Right Track Baby", and the hit "Yeh Yeh". Next is Get Away – a great little album from Georgie Fame – with a hard raw soul sound that shows what a big crossover potential he had with the UK soul market – so much so that this batch of material was issued in the US as well! The album's got some wonderful arrangements – quite raw, with some nice organ, and plenty of heavy vocals from Georgie in a strong blue eyed soul mode. Titles include "Sitting In The Park", "Get Away", "Sweet Thing", "Ride Your Pony", "The In Crowd", "Last Night", and "Music Talk". Hall Of Fame is a bit of a best-of – a record that features some singles, and some album tracks – the latter of which aren't included here, as they'd be duplicated. The remaining material is Fame at his raw early best – working in a great soulful style, with plenty of jazzy charms – on cuts that include "Outrage", "Lil Darlin", "Sunny", "In The Meantime", "Something", "Do Re Mi", and Fame's own "Like We Used To Be". CD also features 9 more bonus tracks, some live recordings – titles that include "Bend A Little", "Telegram", "It Ain't Right", "Don't Make Promises", "Many Happy Returns", "I'm In Love With You", "Shop Around", "Green Onions", and "Do The Dog". CD

Brilliant work by a singer we know little about – but who really sparkles on this session! Singer Laurie Allyn was making something of a name for herself on the Chicago scene of the mid 50s when she was courted by Mode Records, and brought to LA for this rare studio session – but unfortunately the label went out of business not long after the tunes were recorded, and the album never saw the light of day at the time! The quality of the music is tremendous – higher than even the other Mode vocal sessions, and done with a depth and feeling that we'd rank with a rare few others from the 50s. Marty Paich handled arrangements on the record, and Laurie's backed by a core group that includes Al Viola, Red Mitchell, Mel Lewis, and Paich – plus larger horns and additional strings on a number of tracks. And although we always appreciate Paich's arrangements, the charm here is mostly Laurie's own – as she sings with a sultry sensitivity to the material that really transforms the familiar tunes into deeply personal statements. That quality's a rare one, even for a well-known singer – and we're extra happy that this great session's finally seen the light of day at last! Titles include "Easy Living", "You're So Bad For Me", "You Go To My Head", "All I Need Is You", "Paradise", "Take Me In Your Arms", and "That's What A Woman Is For". CD

One of the greatest vocal albums of all time! Sinatra's never sounded better than on this album – one of the first truly cohesive albums of torch and ballad songs ever recorded – done by Frank at a time when his heart was really breaking, and sung with a depth you'd hardly ever find in his other work. The whole thing's sublime – one of the darkest, moodiest selections of material we've ever heard – and the record never fails to send chills down our spine, no matter how many times we hear it! Tracks include "Mood Indigo", "I See Your Face Before Me", "Deep In A Dream", "Ill Wind", "I'll Be Around", "This Love Of Mine", "Dancing On The Ceiling", "Glad To Be Unhappy", and "I Get Along Without You Very Well". CD

One of the greatest vocal albums of all time! Sinatra's never sounded better than on this album – one of the first truly cohesive albums of torch and ballad songs ever recorded – done by Frank at a time when his heart was really breaking, and sung with a depth you'd hardly ever find in his other work. The whole thing's sublime – one of the darkest, moodiest selections of material we've ever heard – and the record never fails to send chills down our spine, no matter how many times we hear it! Tracks include "Mood Indigo", "I See Your Face Before Me", "Deep In A Dream", "Ill Wind", "I'll Be Around", "This Love Of Mine", "Dancing On The Ceiling", "Glad To Be Unhappy", and "I Get Along Without You Very Well". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful set of quest-driven songs from Kurt Elling – material directed by inspiration from a passage by Rainer Maria Rilke, then given a spin by Elling that's completely his own! For more than two decades, the singer has redefined the role of the voice in jazz – and here, he's still very much at the top of his game – a fantastic expressionist when singing "straight", and even more compelling when he opens up the full range of his creative process – which he does here often, in the company of a great lineup that includes Marquis Hill on trumpet, Branford Marsalis on tenor, Stu Mindeman on piano, and Jeff Tain Watts on drums. You'll definitely recognize a number of the tunes, but taken together like this – and handled by Kurt – they really have a completely different vibe, as you'll find on "Lonely Town", "Endless Lawns", "The Enchantress", "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall", "A Happy Thought", and "Washing Of The Water". CD

Something groovy always happens to Ella Fitzgerald in London – and in the 60s and 70s, the city became home to some of her best post-Verve recordings! This date's a compelling live performance recorded at Ronnie Scotts in 1974 – with backing by a quartet that includes Tommy Flanagan on piano and Joe Pass on guitar – gently grooving behind Ella in a setting that's one of the most relaxed live dates we've ever heard her do. Some of the tunes feature a bit of patter on the introductions – showing the Fitzgerald charm that extended way beyond singing – and titles include "The Man I Love", "Everytime We Say Goodbye", "They Can't Take That Away From Me", "You've Got A Friend", "Happy Blues", and "Lemon Drop". LP, Vinyl record album