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

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". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic! What seemed a silly idea at the time was true proof of Ray's genius, and the result was the most successful album of his career – and a bona-fide number one hit that rode the charts for years and years! Ray's voice works perfectly with the material, and thanks to soulful arrangements by Gil Fuller, Marty Paich, and Gerald Wilson, the whole thing comes off to perfection. Titles include "You Don't Know Me", "I Can't Stop Lovin You", "Careless Love", "You Win Again", and "Worried Mind". (Soul, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

A creative blend of jazz and other musical styles from David Ornette Cherry – son of Don Cherry, and an artist who really shares a similar sense of boundary crossing as his father! Cherry provides vocals, piano, and "soundscapes" on the record – mixing acoustic and electric modes with other instrumentation from a shifting lineup of musicians all through the set – very much in an Afro-futurist mode, and infused with a nice sense of politics through the lyrics – which are often processed in a way that fit in nicely with David's more electronic elements. There's a lot of acoustic elements in the mix – global percussion and flute elements, plus guitar too – on titles that include "So & So & So & So", "Ancestors Are Calling", "Frame Of Creativity", "Hidden Sounds", "Najour", "Cosmic Nomad", and "Cultural Workers". (Jazz, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Always brilliant work from the great June Christy – an album that's got a lot more darkness than you might think from the title and the bright-colored cover! The style is very booze-soaked and sad – with plenty of echoes of the classic Something Cool album – and like that set, this one features sublime arrangements from the great Pete Rugolo – who has a perfect way of shading things in with the dark tones and modern elements that always work best for Christy's vocals! One of our favorite-ever records from June – with titles that include "Let There Be Love", "When Sunny Gets Blue", "I Want To Be Happy", "Imagination", "No More", "Better Luck Next Time", and "The Best Thing For You". LP, Vinyl record album

Late Nat King Cole – an album from the early 60s for Capitol, featuring expansive arrangements from Ralph Carmichael! The style here is a bit more flowery than on Nat's earlier work – with him singing in kind of a grand voice, amidst large orchestrations and occasional backing chorus vocals – in a mode that's not as smooch or intimate as his classic Capitol sides, but which still has some nice merits – especially in the way that Nat's voice seems to still have a tremendous amount of presence in the setting. Titles include "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face", "Hymn To Him", "With A Little Bit Of Luck", "The Rain In Spain", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful work from Adegoke Steve Colson – a warmly grooving set cut with vocalist Iqua Colson – possibly one of Steve's straightest records ever, but one of his most soulful, too! Iqua's got a fluid vocal approach that's mighty nice – and the Colson combo swings in a mix of modal moments and soul jazz roots – with work from TK Blue on soprano and alto sax, Andy McCloud on bass, and Reggie Nicholson on drums. Most titles are originals, with a really fresh feel – the kind of hopeful, optimistic spirit of jazz vocals, if you still no where to look – and titles include "Hope For Love", "At The Church Steps", "Picante", "Regina's Lament", "South Of The Border Serenade", and "After Revelation's Ease". (Jazz, Vocalists) CD

Four late 60s gems from Perry Como – all records that really have him pushing beyond his pop style of the 50s! First up is Lightly Latin – one of the most sublime albums we've ever heard from Perry Como – a set that definitely takes its Latin lightly, and instead really goes for the best sort of mellow side of the Como sound! There's definitely a few bossa touches in the mix – a bit of acoustic guitar or light percussion – but they're added in very sparely, and couched with a beautifully subtle wall of sound from arranger Nick Perito, who works here with a lot more understatement than on some other records. Como's vocals are very far from pop – and the album brings out his maturing style wonderfully with a spacious, soft-toned style of production. Titles include "Dindi", "Once I Loved", "Stay With Me", "How Insensitive", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", "Baia", and "Manha De Carnaval". Next is Perry Como In Italy – one of the most haunting albums we've ever heard from Perry Como – a session recorded in Italy during the mid 60s – featuring arrangements by Nick Perito, and backing vocals by the Alessandro Alessandroni Singers! The tunes include a fair bit of older Italian numbers – some sung in the language of their origin, some in English translations that we've come to know on this side of the Atlantic – and Como takes them all with a sad-tinged style that makes the album one of his moodiest ever – a record that oozes melancholy with every song, and which has a late nite, heartbreaking appeal that goes beyond even the understanding of language. The set's a great one to convey the popularity of Italian work on the American market in the 60s – and Como carries off the session even better than some of the more likely singers on the scene during the period. Titles include "Souvenir D'Italie", "Forget Domani", "Anema E Core", "One Day Is Like Another", "Arrivederci Roma", "Oh Marie", and "E Lei". Look To Your Heart is the kind of record that moves so far beyond familiar pop vocalizations, it's almost like Perry's in a universe all by himself! The words seem to just be sneaking out of the singer's voice – these mutterings that are almost to himself, which makes his readings of the tunes feel even more personal than you might expect – even amidst larger backings from Nick Perito – like Como is off to the side of the room, ruminating on love lost and life lived! That quality comes through tremendously on the eerie "Father Of Girls" – a tune that's worth the price of admission alone – and other titles include "Try To Remember", "Look To Your Heart", "In These Crazy Times", "Sunrise Sunset", and "When You're In Love". Seattle is a record that has Perry Como taking on a bit of a country tinge at times – working with Chet Atkins production that almost seems as if the singer is trying to match the Dean Martin spirit of the late 60s, right down to phrasing that feels a bit like ol Dino himself! A few other cuts have more familiar Como modes, with backings by Nick Perito – and titles include the lively title cut "Seattle", plus "Happiness Comes Happiness Goes", "Together Forever", "Sunshine Wine", "Deep In Your Heart", "Hearts Will Be Hearts", "Turnaround", and "Beady Eyed Buzzard". CD

A real standout in Chris Connor's legendary run for Atlantic Records – and a unique double-length set that was almost her answer to some of the 2LP Verve songbook sessions from Ella Fitzgerald! Like those, this album's based upon the work of a single composer – and features key Gershwin compositions from the 20s and 30s, redone here with a moody, mellow, jazz-based approach – one that unlocks even more darkness in these tunes than you might expect! Instrumentation is by a number of different small groups – assemblages of players who include Joe Newman on trumpet, Sam Most on clarinet, Herbie Mann on flute, Milt Jackson on vibes, Al Cohn on tenor, and Ralph Sharon on piano – all working with arrangements by Sharon, Ray Ellis, and Stan Free. The album features a whopping 34 titles in all – with tracks that include "A Foggy Day", "Strike Up The Band", "Nice Work If You Can Get It", "Little Jazzbird", "My One & Only", "That Certain Feeling", "Fascinating Rhythm", "Our Love Is Here To Stay", "Liza", "Soon", and "I Can't Be Bothered Now". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "Strike Up The Band" and "Summertime", done in different takes. CD

A tasty little 2LP set – one that collects the excellent late 50s vocal work cut for the Bethlehem label by Chris Connor! At the time, Chris had a sound that she virtually invented – icy vocals backed by small combo jazz, in a very spare and subtle setting – and the sound was, and is, tremendous – filled with sadness, longing, and booze-soaked sorrow. Instrumentation on the set is by the groups of Ellis Larkins, Vinnie Burke, and Ralph Sharon – and titles include "Trouble Is A Man", "Lush Life", "Out Of This World", "I Hear Music", "All About Ronnie", "Lullaby Of Birdland", and "The Thrill Is Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful stuff – and a great CD that brings together 2 of Chris Connor's best jazz albums for Atlantic! Just about all of Chris' records are great, but on both of these she really hits her stride – working in the small combo setting that she first recorded with, singing to sensitive backing by players like Lucky Thompson, Mundell Lowe, Oscar Pettiford, Joe Puma, and Al Cohn. Arrangements on A Jazz Date are by Ralph Sharon, and those on Chris Craft are by Stan Free – and they both work perfectly to bring out the best of Chris' icy cool vocals! 24 cuts in all, including "The Night We Called It A Day", "Lover Man", "Be My All", "Here Lies Love", "Moon Ray", "All I Need Is You", "Driftwood", and "Lonely Town". CD

A great 2-fer – featuring both of Noel Coward's Columbia albums in one 70s set. First up is Noel Coward In New York – a very cool album from Coward – a talent you're probably more familiar with as a playwright, but who also happens to be quite the entertainer! This album is one of two great sets that Coward recorded live in the US in the mid 50s, and they really show him opening up a lot from earlier recordings – singing with an ease and swinging style that adds a whole new level to his classic compositions. It helps that Peter Matz is handling the backing and arrangements – jazzing up Noel's tunes with a nice 50s style – and the live setting of the recordings make them come off well, especially as the audiences are very enthusiastic! Titles include "Wait A Bit Joe", "Why Must The Show Go On", "I Like America", "Luisa", "I Went To A Marvelous Party", and "20th Century Blues". Next is Noel Coward at Las Vegas, one of our favorite vocal albums of the 50s – an incredibly witty live set from Noel Coward, recorded in Las Vegas, with a very different style than some of his other records! The Noel Coward you'll hear here is still steeped in the mannered wit of his earlier plays, but he's also let himself go considerably – working in front of a live audience with an eager ear for well crafted lyrics and innuendo. The songs are mostly numbers from Coward's earlier shows, but they're sung in a hip swinging loungey style that really gives them legs – moving them past their staid roots into strong 50s vocal territory. Includes 2 great remakes of Cole Porter numbers – "Let's Do It" and "Begin The Beguine", both with Coward's own lyrics – plus "Uncle Harry", "A Bar On The Piccola Marina", "World Weary", and "Mad Dogs & Englishmen". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite vocal albums of the 50s – an incredibly witty live set from Noel Coward, recorded in Las Vegas, with a very different style than some of his other records! The Noel Coward you'll hear here is still steeped in the mannered wit of his earlier plays, but he's also let himself go considerably – working in front of a live audience with an eager ear for well crafted lyrics and innuendo. The songs are mostly numbers from Coward's earlier shows, but they're sung in a hip swinging loungey style that really gives them legs – moving them past their staid roots into strong 50s vocal territory. Includes 2 great remakes of Cole Porter numbers – "Let's Do It" and "Begin The Beguine", both with Coward's own lyrics – plus "Uncle Harry", "A Bar On The Piccola Marina", "World Weary", and "Mad Dogs & Englishmen". LP, Vinyl record album