... CD

Some of the best material Slim Gaillard ever recorded! Although he's best known for his Verve work, and for his early 40s sessions in LA – these 1959 recordings for Dot have Slim hitting a groove that's far tighter than usual, with a better jazz influence, and a much freer approach to singing than his usual stock style. There's a wonderful version of "How High The Moon" that's got crazy guitar, and wild lyrics from Slim about life on the moon. Other nice cuts include "Sukiyaka Cha Cha", "Chicken Rhythm", "Slim's Cee", "Lady Be Good", and "Thunderbird". If you've ever wondered why people think Slim is so great, check this one out – and you'll flip! CD

One of the greatest jazz vocal albums of all time – and one of the first true moments of genius from a young Dee Dee Bridgewater! The album's a Japanese only release (proof that they're always hipper to our jazz artists than we are!) – and it features Dee Dee singing material that's quite different than her later R&B-inflected sides from the late 70s – very soaring and spiritual work, delivered in a way that set a whole new standard for jazz at the time! Backing is by a small combo with brothers Ron and Cecil Bridgewater, plus Roland Hanna on acoustic and electric piano, George Mraz on bass, and Motohiko Hino on drums and percussion – but the star of the set is always Dee Dee, who sparkles beautifully on the album's classic versions of "Afro Blue" and "Little B's Poem" – both of which have been redone by many other singers over the years. Other great cuts include "People Make The World Go Round", "Love From The Sun", and "Love Vibrations". CD

Brilliant work by Terry Callier – and his greatest album in years! If you, like us, have loved Terry's older work, but been a bit disappointed by the heavy production of recent albums, then you'll probably love this excellent live set – recorded recently at London's Jazz Cafe, with small combo jazz backing that really brings out the best of Terry's sound! The group's got a warmly soulful sound that really adds a lot to Terry's vocals – yet which also lets them stand out in all their jazzy folksy brilliance. The mix of electric piano, guitar, and saxes is some of the best support Terry could hope to have in recent years – and it returns him to the glory of his classic years at Cadet, like no other recent recording we've heard. Songs are great, production is wonderful, and the album's one you'll proudly stack with your classic work by this legendary Chicago soul singer! Titles include "People Get Ready", "Step Into The Light", "Lament For The Late AD", "Timepiece", "African Violet", "Ordinary Joe", "Dancing Girl", "You're Gonna Miss Your Candy Man", and "I Don't Wanna See Myself". (Soul, Vocalists) CD

Our favorite-ever album from Gil Scott-Heron – and a set that we'd easily rank as one of our favorite soul records of the 70s! The mix of modes is mindblowing right from the start – as Gil's poetry comes into play with his growing talents as a singer, and his warm sensibility for jazz – all at a level that's light years ahead of anything any singer would have attempted a few years before – and which went onto have a huge influence for years to come. If you only know Gil from his protest work, there's a lot more here to discover – the bittersweet blend of pain and power that's always made him so fantastic. And yes, the record does include the groundbreaking "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" – but what we treasure even more is all the more personal numbers – including "Lady Day & John Coltrane", "Home Is Where The Hatred Is", "The Needle's Eye", "I Think I'll Call It Morning", "Save The Children", and "Pieces Of A Man". Brilliant all the way through! CD features three bonus tracks by Gil's group Black & Blues – "Chains", "Peace", and "A Toast To The People". (Soul, Vocalists) CD

A great second pairing of this hip team – further proof that Tony Bennett was a hell of a jazz singer when he wanted to be! Titles include "You're Nearer", "Lonely Girl", "You Must Believe In Spring", "Two Lonely People", and "The Bad & The Beautiful". CD

A great second pairing of this hip team – further proof that Tony Bennett was a hell of a jazz singer when he wanted to be! Titles include "You're Nearer", "Lonely Girl", "You Must Believe In Spring", "Two Lonely People", and "The Bad & The Beautiful" – plus 2 bonus tracks and 9 more alternate takes! CD

Beautiful work from the legendary Hoagy Carmichael – and one of the few albums to feature him singing his own work! Hoagy's name is one that you're more likely to see in the songwriting credits than in the artist slot for a record – but he's actually got a wonderful voice, one that's filled with honest, personal charms – and which has a sometimes broken-down quality that's perfect for the gentle words of his tunes. This wonderful set features Carmichael working with sublime small combo backing – players who include Harry Edison, Jimmy Rowles, and Art Pepper – working with arrangements penned by Johnny Mandel. Titles include "Rocking Chair", "Georgia On My Mind", "Skylark", "Two Sleepy People", and "Baltimore Oriole". CD

A hugely expanded version of the classic double live album by Ella Fitzgerald – featuring a total of 48 tracks in all, recorded over 2 nights at a French jazz festival in 1964, with backing by a group that includes Roy Eldridge and Tommy Flanagan. More than half of the set appears to be previously unissued – and the whole thing's packaged in a wonderful wraparound cover, with great art and notes, and new remastering on the CD. Titles include "Day In Day Out", "Just A Sittin & A Rockin", "People", "Someone To Watch Over Me", "Boy From Ipanema", "The Cricket Song", "Perdido", "Summertime", "The Lady Is A Tramp", "I Love Being Here With You", "Goody Goody", "Cutie Pants", and "Mack The Knife". Some of the cuts repeat over the course of the performance, but they're done in slightly different versions. CD

Classic Verve work by Billie Holiday – and an album that probably brought the word "distingue" into the vocabulary of more people than any other use! (And in fact, probably also caused a lot more trouble with mispronunciation than any other Billie Holiday album title!) The tracks are slightly longer than usual – really opened up with some nice jazz inflections that make the whole thing feel like Billie is really part of the proceedings, and not just the singer in the front. Titles include familiar songs like "Day In Day Out", "Stars Fell On Alabama", "A Foggy Day", and "Just One Of Those Things" – all given the amazing Holiday take, in a way that opens them up with more emotion than you might have thought possible! CD