(Jazz, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Just about the only album the Rat Pack ever did together, and the soundtrack to the goofy mob spoof that starred Sinatra, Dino, Bing, Sammy, and Peter Falk. The movie stinks – which you'll know if you've ever seen it – but the score has some very nice moments, including "Mister Booze" with Bing, Dean, Sammy, and Frank; "Style" with Bing, Frank, and Dean; and "Don't Be A Do-Badder", with just about the whole group singing. Peter Falk even sings one track, and Sinatra does his famous "My Kind Of Town". Nelson Riddle arrangements throughout! (Soundtracks, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Late work from the great Billie Holiday – the kind of mature set that made Verve Records such a perfect home for the singer in the 50s! Where other labels might have pushed too much to try to get Billie into more commercial, or more straightforward modes – Verve just relaxes into the kind of small combo sound that usually had the singer at her best – pairing Holiday with a great lineup that includes Harry Edison on trumpet, Ben Webster on tenor, Jimmy Rowles on piano, and Barney Kessel on guitar. The songs are short and focused – with Billie at the top of her form on familiar standards like "Comes Love", "Darn That Dream", "Body & Soul", "They Can't Take That Away From Me", and "Embraceable You". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent cool jazz vocals from The Netherlands! In the immediate post-war years, the Dutch jazz scene was one of the first to emerge with a sophisticated understanding of the American jazz form. Rita Reys was one of the country's leading talents in this respect, and she had a wonderfully cool vocal style that was similar to American singers like June Christy or Chris Connor. This great Japanese reissue of an album from 1956 has her fronting 2 different groups – one the legendary Wessel Ilcken Combo, the other an early version of The Jazz Messengers, featuring Horace Silver and Hank Mobley. The Jazz Messengers sides were apparently recorded in New York, and the Ilcken sides are of Dutch origin. Both are great – and titles include "I Should Care", "It's Alright With Me", "Old Black Magic", "Taking A Chance On Love", and "Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year". CD

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

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

... CD

Excellent cool jazz vocals from The Netherlands! In the immediate post-war years, the Dutch jazz scene was one of the first to emerge with a sophisticated understanding of the American jazz form. Rita Reys was one of the country's leading talents in this respect, and she had a wonderfully cool vocal style that was similar to American singers like June Christy or Chris Connor. This great Japanese reissue of an album from 1956 has her fronting 2 different groups – one the legendary Wessel Ilcken Combo, the other an early version of The Jazz Messengers, featuring Horace Silver and Hank Mobley. The Jazz Messengers sides were apparently recorded in New York, and the Ilcken sides are of Dutch origin. Both are great – and titles include "I Should Care", "It's Alright With Me", "Old Black Magic", "Taking A Chance On Love", and "Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year". CD

A double-length set – recorded on Bobby's home turf, with titles that include "Sorry Grateful", "Losing My Mind", "Miss Brown To You", "It's Not You", "I Happen To Like New York", "For All We Know", and "New Orleans Hop Scop Blues". CD

A really cool collection of car-themed tunes – not 60s hot rod numbers, but mostly 50s tracks from those years when the automobile was really beginning to dominate American culture – and served as the inspiration for car-based cuts in a variety of different styles! A good number of the cuts here are 50s rockers, including some wild novelty-oriented numbers – but there's also country tracks, vocal tunes, and plenty more too – served up in a really well-done assortment of 33 songs that goes way past the familiar material you might find on a collection like this! As always, Bear Family have done a really great job – with presentation, notes, track selection, and more – on titles that include "Freeway USA" by The Bonnevilles, "Stop Jivin Start Drivin" by Bert Keyes, "Cruisin Central" by Faron Warmer, "Keep A Driving" by Chuck Willis, "Flat Tire" by The Del Vikings, "Wow Man" by Bobby Jackson, "The Drive In" by The Aquatones, "Get Out Of The Car" by The Lancers, "Cruisin" by Bucky & The Premieres, "Hey Little Car Hop" by George Weston, and "Big Green Car" by Jimmy Carroll. (Rock, Vocalists) CD

Features Jimmy Rowles on piano and Arie Shapiro on bass. CD