Like many other 70s reissues in the Prestige/Milestone/fantasy family, this set compiles 2 early albums by Mose. Unlike a lot of his later material, this set's mostly instrumental, though he does get in some vocals on about a third of the tracks. The album features some great work by Allison's trio of the time – Addison Farmer on bass and Ronnie Free or Nick Stabulas on drums – simple piano-driven groovers, performed with a slight gutbuckety approach, and lots of sweet down home soul. 20 tracks in all, including "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", "How Long Has This Been Going On", "Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand", "Stroll", "I Hadn't Anyone Till You", "Seventh Son", "If You Live", "Mule", "If I Didn't Care", "Moon & Cypress", and "Creek Bank". CD

Great early classics – including "Seventh Son", "Eyesight To The Blind", "Parchman Farm", and lots more! CD

One of the records that really helped establish the legend of Mose Allison as one of the most unique talents in jazz – an early effort that still has Mose working mostly as a pianist, but which also features key vocal performances of "Parchman Farm" and "Lost Mind" – and a spot of trumpet on "Trouble In Mind"! Allison is joined by Addison Farmer on bass, and Nick Stabulas on drums – and the instrumental sides include "Crepuscular Air", "Mojo Woman", "I'll Never Be Free" and "Ain't You A Mess". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal work from one of the hippest jazz singers ever – a session that showed the world that Eddie Jefferson was firmly back in business during the 60s! The set's got a really rollicking feel, and a bit more influence from soul than the bop of Eddie's roots – with elements of gospel and R&B filtering into the mix from time to time, alongside some of the more sophisticated jazz styles we've always loved in Jefferson's vocals. The group features some great tenor work from James Moody – one of Eddie's frequent musical partners – plus Dave Burns on trumpet, Barry Harris on piano, Steve Davis on bass, and Bill English on drums. Titles include "Now's The Time", "So What", "Psychedelic Sally", "Filthy McNasty", "Oh Gee", and "See If You Can Git To That" – plus a very cool spoken introduction by Ed Williams! CD

Seminal work from one of the hippest jazz singers ever – a session that showed the world that Eddie Jefferson was firmly back in business during the 60s! The set's got a really rollicking feel, and a bit more influence from soul than the bop of Eddie's roots – with elements of gospel and R&B filtering into the mix from time to time, alongside some of the more sophisticated jazz styles we've always loved in Jefferson's vocals. The group features some great tenor work from James Moody – one of Eddie's frequent musical partners – plus Dave Burns on trumpet, Barry Harris on piano, Steve Davis on bass, and Bill English on drums. Titles include "Now's The Time", "So What", "Psychedelic Sally", "Filthy McNasty", "Oh Gee", and "See If You Can Git To That" – plus a very cool spoken introduction by Ed Williams! LP, Vinyl record album

An essential album for fans of early vocalese – and a record that brings together 3 of the greatest talents of the genre! The sides were pulled from early Prestige singles by the artists – and Eddie Jefferson's represented on 4 great numbers with backing by a group that includes Seldon Powell, plus some additional vocals from Irv Taylor. Jefferson titles include "Old Shoes", "Please Be Kind To Me", "Strictly Instrumental", and "Start Walkin Stop Talkin". Joe Carroll swings in next – laying down 4 straighter vocal tunes with a group that includes Bill Graham on baritone sax, on songs that include "Two Wrongs Won't Make It Right", "I Was In The Mood", and "Got A Penny Benny". Last up is Annie Ross, delivering some of the classic numbers from her Ross/Pleasure album – including "Twisted", "Farmer's Market" and "Jackie". LP, Vinyl record album

Could anyone ever utter a sexier line than "Don't go to strangers, come to me?" We think not, and it's material like that that makes the album a real killer from Etta Jones – one of her best from the 60s, cut when she was really developing her skills as a vocalist, but still had enough of an edge to be interesting. Backing is by a small group that includes Frank Wess, Roy Haynes, and Richard Wyands – and the album has a relaxed, jazzy quality that easily makes it one of the real standouts in Etta's career! Titles include "All The Way", "Where Or When", "Yes Sir, That's My Baby", "If I Had You", "Something To Remember You By", and "Don't Go To Strangers". CD

Could anyone ever utter a sexier line than "Don't go to strangers, come to me?" We think not, and it's material like that that makes the album a real killer from Etta Jones – one of her best from the 60s, cut when she was really developing her skills as a vocalist, but still had enough of an edge to be interesting. Backing is by a small group that includes Frank Wess, Roy Haynes, and Richard Wyands – and the album has a relaxed, jazzy quality that easily makes it one of the real standouts in Etta's career! Titles include "All The Way", "Where Or When", "Yes Sir, That's My Baby", "If I Had You", "Something To Remember You By", and "Don't Go To Strangers". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful album of heartfelt vocal tracks by a young Etta Jones – featuring arrangements by Oliver Nelson that rank among the best sort that he was penning for vocalists of this sort during the 60s. Etta's got a nice mix of material here, and although some of the tracks are a bit well-known, the arrangements and performance keep them fresh enough throughout. Titles include "By The Bend In The River", "There Goes My Heart", "Look For The Silver Lining", "Good Morning Heartache", and "I'll Never Be Free". LP, Vinyl record album

Hard to imagine Etta Jones being lonely and blue – especially when she sounds as great as this! The album's one of Jones' early classics from Prestige – a date that really has her classing things up a lot, and drawing on bits of Billie Holiday and Dinah Washington's styles, to mix in with the bluesier tones of her roots – put together with a great deal of charm, and a new sophistication that made Etta one of the hippest jazz singers of the 60s! Backing is by a cool small combo – with Patti Brown on piano, Wally Richardson on guitar, and a bit of tenor from Budd Johnson – and titles include "I'll Be There", "In the Dark", "Gentlemen Friend", "I Wonder", and "Miss You So". CD includes 3 more bonus tracks from a date recorded with Gene Ammons on tenor – "But Not For Me", "If You're But A Dream", and "Cool Cool Daddy". CD

Etta Jones is definitely nice and warm here – working with some great backings from Oliver Nelson, who mixes in a bit of strings with the usual jazzy punch he was delivering at the time! Jones' vocals are at the height of her early powers here – working with poise, class, and a heck of a lot of soul – and titles on the set include "You Better Go Now", "All My Life", "And This Is My Beloved", "Unchained Melody", "If You Were Mine", "Hurry Home", and "I Laughed At Love". CD

It's always something nice when Etta Jones makes a record – but this one is especially so, thanks to some intimate small group backing from players who include Oliver Nelson, Lem Winchester, Wally Richardson, and Richard Wyands! The style is relatively intimate throughout – more late nite than some of Jones' other records, in a way that really works well for her vocals, and takes her away from some of the crossover pop modes of her albums that sound a bit more like Gloria Lynne. Titles include "Easy Living", "Through A Long And Sleepless Night", "My Heart Tells Me", "I Only Have Eyes For You", "That's All There Is To That", "Love Is The Thing", and "Canadian Sunset". 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. LP, Vinyl record album

Backings feature Kenny Burrell on guitar, Leo Wright on alto, and Gildo Mahones on piano! Titles include "Mean Old Frisco", "Rocks In My Bed", "Lonely Boy Blues", and "One Scotch One Bourbon One Beer". CD

Possibly the strongest album ever recorded by mellow-voiced jazz vocalist Earl Coleman – a singer with a deeper style that's very much in the classic Billy Eckstine mode, but which swings a bit more freely in a small combo! The set's got a nicely open style – with longer tracks than usual for a jazz vocal date, and lots of room for jazz soloists that include Art Farmer on trumpet, Gigi Gryce on alto, and Hank Jones on piano. The backing is in a great small group mode, and in a way, the album's almost unique for the time – and really predates a lot of later male vocal sides of this nature – offering Coleman more of a fresh start than just a standard "return" – and really paving the way for Johnny Hartman sides in the 60s. Titles include "Say It Isn't So", "Reminiscing", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "No Love No Nothin", and a great version of "Social Call". LP, Vinyl record album

Great 60s work from Sylvia Syms – and a set that features some excellent guitar work from Kenny Burrell! The set's got a hip small combo feel – like other great Prestige sides from Syms – and it's much groovier and more swinging that some of her other show-ish sort of records – lean vocal jazz with a very mature 60s approach! Burrell's on all numbers, but Bucky Pizzarelli also plays on a few too – and titles include "As Long As I Live", "How Insensitive", "If You Could See Me Now", "More Than You Know", "Meditation", and "Wild Is The Wind". CD

A hipster vocal jazz classic – a full length Prestige album that brings together all of Mose Allison's vocal numbers from his initial run a the label! Mose started out as a pianist, but quickly won even greater attention with his down home, New Orleans-influenced way of singing – a mode that would be copped by many other singers in both rock and soul for years to come – but which still sounds best, here at the source! The recordings feature Mose on piano alongside his vocals – with only bass and drum accompaniment on all numbers – and titles include the mod classics "Parchman Farm" and "Seventh Son", plus "I've Got A Right To Cry", "Young Man's Blues", "Eyesight To The Blind", "If You Live", "One Room Country Shack", and "That's Alright". LP, Vinyl record album

Although Pat was a mainstream vocalist, she's got a heck of a great sound – one that's lean, groovy, and very well suited for the 60s-styled title of the album! Pat's a jazz singer on one side, but also has an edge to her tone – at a level that's a bit like Lorez Alexandria during some of her jazz outings of the same time – a very groovy mode that's quite different than most other standard vocals, with a depth of feeling that's totally great! Backings are by a small combo with Seldon Powell on tenor and flute, Kenny Burrell on guitar, and Ray Bryant on piano – and the album's got some groovy tracks like "Joey Joey Joey", "Get Out Of Town", "Don Cha Go Away Mad", "Moon & Sand", "The Music That Makes Me Dance", and "The Sounds Of The Night". LP, Vinyl record album

Hard to imagine Etta Jones being lonely and blue – especially when she sounds as great as this! The album's one of Jones' early classics from Prestige – a date that really has her classing things up a lot, and drawing on bits of Billie Holiday and Dinah Washington's styles, to mix in with the bluesier tones of her roots – put together with a great deal of charm, and a new sophistication that made Etta one of the hippest jazz singers of the 60s! Backing is by a cool small combo – with Patti Brown on piano, Wally Richardson on guitar, and a bit of tenor from Budd Johnson – and titles include "I'll Be There", "In the Dark", "Gentlemen Friend", "I Wonder", and "Miss You So". LP, Vinyl record album

Mose Allison's last album for Prestige Records – before moving onto even bigger fame at Columbia and Atlantic during the 60s! Unlike Allison's later sets, this one is mostly instrumental – but there are a few sweet vocal tracks that bring out the hip, rootsy lyrical modes that would make Mose a big hit with the mod scene overseas – including the classic "Eyesight To The Blind", plus "That's All Right" and "Do Nothing Till You Here From Me". The remaining piano trio sides have a great rollicking groove – rootsy, yet slightly modern too – with bass by Addison Farmer and drums from Ronnie Free – on titles that include "Promenade", "It's Crazy", "Strange", "Autumn Song", and "Groovin High". CD

Tasty R&B material, recorded on Prestige's short-lived Tru-Sound subsidiary. Ernestine had some earlier fame under the name Anisteen Allen, and this record's got a similar sound to her late 40s work – with lots of smoky vocals, touched by a warm jazz sensibility that gives the material a bit more sophistication than your average R&B shouter. King Curtis leads the group, and titles include "Let It Roll", "Lullaby Of Broadway", "Love For Sale", and "Miss Allen's Blues". (Soul, Vocalists) CD

Mose Allison is one of the coolest, grooviest singers ever to grace the face of jazz – a voice you'll recognize instantly, even if you don't know his name – and an artist who had a huge influence on the sound of the London scene in the 60s! Mose was mod before mod was a thing – and was able to mix his sharp jazz skills on piano with a gutbuckety style of singing that drew heavily from the sound of New Orleans – as did his sense of rhythm – but always with an approach that was more upbeat and jazzy overall, with a hip sophistication that few other artists could hope to touch! And while Mose recorded excellent sounds for decades, this collection focuses in on some of the most important work he ever cut – music done for Prestige, Columbia, and Atlantic Records from the late 50s through the early 70s – served up in the most amazing tribute to Allison we've ever seen. 24 tracks in all – with cuts that include "Foolkiller", "I'm Not Talking", "If You Only Knew", "The Seventh Son", "I'm Smashed", "Wild Man On The Loose", "Back On The Corner", "I Love The Life I Live", "Jus Like Livin", "If You Live", "V8 Ford Blues", "Parchman Farm", "Baby Please Don't Go", "Western Man", "Your Molecular Structure", "Hellow There Universe", and "Swingin Machine". CD

An overlooked gem from jazz singer Etta Jones – an effort cut around the same time as her better-known records for Prestige, but one that's maybe done with an even hipper sound overall! Etta's nicely laidback, and hits that soulful, singing mood that makes her so great right from the start – a bit offbeat, but in the best way possible – as Jones brings older bluesy inflections into play with more contemporary ideas – all set to wonderful instrumentation from a cool group that features Junior Mance on piano, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Joe Newman on trumpet, Frank Wess on tenor, and Mike Manieri on vibes. The song choices are great – and the balance between steppers and mellow cuts is perfect – on titles that include "Swinging Shepherd Blues", "All Right OK You Win", "Moon Man", "Did I Remember", "Lonely Crowd", and "I Was Telling Him About You". LP, Vinyl record album

The rarest of three albums that King Pleasure ever recorded – and pretty darn hard to find, too. The set was recorded after King's earlier sides for the Prestige and HiFi jazz labels, but it's in a very similar style, with some wonderful vocalese-ing done in Pleasure's landmark style. He's really one of the greatest jazz singers of the 20th century, and it's unfortunate that apart from the big hit fame of "Moody's Mood For Love" (recorded here once again), King never got strong recognition as a richly talented singer. A number of cuts on here are re-recordings of earlier work – like "Don't Get Scared" and "Sometimes I'm Happy" – and other tracks include "It Might As Well Be Spring" and "Old Black Magic". Plus, this CD reissue also expands the original album with a lot of bonus cuts, including some great unreleased numbers – a total of 18 tracks in all, and a treasure trove of work by King Pleasure! CD

A mighty nice setting for Carmen McRae, and a bit different than usual too – especially given that the backing group is a pretty soulful tenor/organ combo! Jack McDuff handles the Hammond, and Red Holloway plays both tenor and alto, with some nice comping from Phil Upchurch on guitar in the group – and this mix of hip players gives the set a more soulful swing than some other McRae dates from the time – and from other times as well – almost going for the feel of some of the 60s Etta Jones sets on Prestige. Titles include "Black & Blue", "My Handy Man Ain't Handy No More", "Fine & Mellow", "What Is This Thing Called Love", "What Can I Say After I Say I'm Sorry", and "One More Chance". CD

Early Atlantic Records work from the great Mose Allison – easily one of the most unique jazz artists of his time! Most started out as a pianist with a nicely bluesy vibe, but soon added in this excellent vocal approach that was maybe part New Orleans, part New York hipster – delivered here with a vibe that follows nicely from his earlier recordings for Columbia and Prestige Records! The sound is nice and stripped-down – none of the larger arrangements that Mose would soon use on Atlantic – and the set features accompaniment from Addison Farmer on bass and Osie Johnson on drums. Titles include the classic "Your Mind Is On Vacation" – plus "I Don't Worry About A Thing", "It Didn't Turn Out That Way", "Stand By", "Meet Me At No Special Place", and "The Song Is Ended". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Mose's mid 60s albums for Atlantic – recorded live, with a bit more of a hip flair than some of his earlier work for Prestige and Columbia, but still with those great vocals that went onto influence a generation of beatnik jazz singers. Mose has more than a bit of New Orleans in his tone – but he's also got some northern distance from his material, bringing a nice bit of wit into the recordings. There's a total of 11 tracks including "Parchman Farm", "Smashed", "Seventh Son", "Fool's Paradise", "Baby Please Don't Go", and "The Chaser". LP, Vinyl record album