A stunningly soulful setting for the magnificent voice of Kurt Elling – set up here in a lean trio with Nate Smith on drums and Fender Rhodes, and Charlie Hunter on guitar – or rather, his own unique "hybrid guitar" variation of the instrument! Elling just seems to get better and better in his mature years – using that trademark rasp in his vocals in ways that are even more expressive and soulful, especially in this setting – where the Superblue presentation and production treat him in very different ways than some of his straighter jazz records – letting Kurt really knock it out of the park on a set of surprisingly great covers that include "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap", "Sticking To My Guns", "Baby Hold On", "Bounce", "Boogie Down", and "Wrap It Up". LP, Vinyl record album

Ray Charles in a nicely maturing mode – on a record from later in his Atlantic Records years, definitely paving the way forward for his 60s classics on ABC! The tunes are blues, but not in the way that Charles first started recording on earlier singles for Atlantic – as there's a bit more class, care, and a strong current of jazz that Ray was bringing more and more to his music as the years went on. Titles include the Charles originals "Hard Times", "I Believe To My Soul", "Mr Charles Blues", "I Wonder Who", "Some Day Baby", and "Nobody Cares" – plus nice takes on "I'm Movin On" and "The Midnight Hour". (Soul, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

A host of early classics from the young Ray Charles – tracks that were some of his most important singles for Atlantic Records, from a time when Ray was really finding his groove – issued here as a full length set in the classic Atlantic "rock & roll" series in the late 50s! These are the tunes that really put Charles on the map – and many have a raw, vibrant quality that's a lot more R&B than some of his later work – hard-burning numbers that move at a mighty quick pace – mixed with a few that show the jazzier approach in years to come. Titles include "Sinner's Prayer", "Mess Around", "Greenbacks", "I Got A Woman", "A Fool For You", "Losing Hand", "Ain't That Love", "Drown In My Own Tears", "This Little Girl Of Mine", and "Don't You Know". (Soul, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

(Soul, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of Ray's incredible work for Atlantic during the late 50s – a mixture of hard grooving R&B tunes and more jazz-based mellower numbers, all done in that stripped-down raw style he was using at the time, one that was a lot harder than his later work for ABC. Titles include "Yes Indeed", "What Kind Of Man Are You", "Rockhouse", "I'm Movin On", "What'd I Say", "Just For A Thrill", and "Talkin Bout You". (Soul, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Yes indeed – a mighty early classic from the great Ray Charles – one of his first full length albums, and a set that brings together the searing sort of work he was doing for Atlantic Records in the 50s! Ray's completely confident and at the top of his game here – and a lot more raw than if you only know him from his later country-tinged material. Tracks include "What Would I Do Without You", "It's All Right", "Get On The Right Track", "Blackjack", "I Want A Little Girl", and "Heartbreaker". (Soul, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

From its booze-soaked title cut, to its haunting selection of lonely ballads like "Midnight Sun" and "Stranger Called The Blues", this is one of the most fantastic vocal jazz albums of all time – and a record that we'd recommend instantly to anyone! June Christy has an incredibly icy tone on the record, filled with sorrow, regret, and loneliness – all of which are amplified even more deeply by Pete Rugolo's eerie, off-kilter arrangements. Titles include "Something Cool", "It Could Happen To You", "Lonely House", and "I Should Care". This is the original 10" mono recording with 7 tracks – and a green and white cover that has June with eyes closed. LP, Vinyl record album

One of her great ones, with moody dark arrangements by Pete Rugolo, and some fantastic stuff like "Whee Baby", "Look Up Out There", and "Kicks". Tight west coast backing, some of her best vocals, and a great purple striped cover too! LP, Vinyl record album

A very moody album from Chris Connor – one that features arrangements by Ronnie Ball and Jimmy Jones, on a somber set of songs that makes the album one of Chris' darkest for Atlantic! Most of the tunes are in small group settings – a bit tightly arranged, but in a good way that gives the record a kind of June Christy sort of sound – never to overdone on the vocal tip, with a sense of restraint that only further creates tensions in the tunes! There's a level of sophistication here that's way different than the somewhat cheesy image on the cover – and titles include "Where Flamingos Fly", "Alone Together", "I'm Glad There Is You", "If I Should Lose You", "Here's That Rainy Day", and "Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautifully icy vocals from the amazing Chris Connor – the kind of record that set a new standard for vocal jazz back in the 50s! The session's a small group one – with Chris singing intimately alongside backing from Herbie Mann on flute and tenor, Kai Winding and JJ Johnson on trombones, Joe Puma on guitar, and Ralph Sharon on piano – all lightly arranged to allow Connor's vocals prime placement in the record, while shading in the spaces with some nicely modern colors. Titles are mostly familiar, but wonderfully transformed into Connor's own personal statements – and tracks include "Ridin High", "It's All Right With Me", "Someone To Watch Over Me", "All Dressed Up With A Broken Heart", "All This & Heaven Too", "Trouble Is a Man", "Blame It On My Youth", and "The Thrill Is Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

Great stuff – one of the amazing early albums from the team of Julie Driscoll and Brian Auger – kind of a next-generation to the Brit beat group sound of the mid 60s – one that moves beyond simple R&B modes, to bring in more sophisticated soul and jazz touches! Driscoll's vocals are amazing – some of the boldest belted out in the British scene at the time – and Auger's Hammond work really cooks throughout – at a level that easily makes him one of the best UK organists to hit the scene, amidst some very heady company in the 60s. There's a few bluesy moments, but our favorites are the funky ones – especially the group's reading of "Season Of The Witch", which is tremendous. Other cuts include "In & Out", "Black Cat", "Goodbye Jungle Telegraph", and "Break It Up". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Given her start as a rough-hewn child junkie R&B singer, it's hard to believe that Esther's the one singing these beautiful ballads and soul tracks! The album's fantastic, though – and it shows Esther maturing into one of the more fantastic vocalists of her generation. Oliver Nelson, Ray Ellis, and Jimmy Wisner handle the arrangements – and they all have a very nice blend of fragile orchestrations that are just right for Esther's raw pain-filled voice. Titles include "Taste Of Honey", "Crazy He Calls Me", "He Touched Me", "Just Say Goodbye", and "As Tears Go By". (Soul, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

The magnificent voice of Gregory Porter is a wonderful fit for the Holiday season – full of feeling, and coming across with a sense of honest, human emotion that really makes the music come alive! Gregory's definitely in more of the soul side of his spectrum than the jazz of his roots – but he delivers things with a mature, sophisticated vibe that's balanced nicely between the two at most moments – with a sense of care that makes most of the album resonate with Christmas classics from artists like Donny Hathaway, Bill Withers, and Luther! Titles include the great "Everything's Not Lost", plus "Purple Snowflakes", "Christmas Waltz", "Someday At Christmas", "Christmas Wish", "Do You Hear What I Hear", and "Heart For Christmas". (Holiday Music, Vocalists) CD

The magnificent voice of Gregory Porter is a wonderful fit for the Holiday season – full of feeling, and coming across with a sense of honest, human emotion that really makes the music come alive! Gregory's definitely in more of the soul side of his spectrum than the jazz of his roots – but he delivers things with a mature, sophisticated vibe that's balanced nicely between the two at most moments – with a sense of care that makes most of the album resonate with Christmas classics from artists like Donny Hathaway, Bill Withers, and Luther! Titles include the great "Everything's Not Lost", plus "Purple Snowflakes", "Christmas Waltz", "Someday At Christmas", "Christmas Wish", "Do You Hear What I Hear", and "Heart For Christmas". (Holiday Music, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Classic early work from Jimmy Scott – airy ballads and love songs, done in that incredible vocal style that has made Scott an enduring legend for countless years! Backings are very nice – sad and dreamy, perfectly fitting the mood of the tunes. The record's one of Jimmy's key early sides, and titles include "How Else", "Please Forgive Me", "An Evening In Paradise", "Things That Are Love", "Once", and "What Good Would It Be". CD

Wonderful work from Dorothy Shay – a very unusual singer for her time, and in a backwards way, almost a force in mainstreaming country music in later years! As the title implies, Dorothy's a bit of a "Park Avenue Hillbilly" – in that she sings country themes, but in a style that's less hillbilly and more in the mode of some of the straighter female vocalists of the time. She's working here with backings from Russ Black, and the sound's almost in the mode of some of the country sides cut by Bing Crosby – but perhaps a bit more whimsical overall. Titles include "A Little Western Town Called Beverly Hills", "Why Shore", "Television's Tough On Love", "Sugar Plum Kisses & Vinegar Tears", and "Don't You Think You Should've Mentioned It Before". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice one from Bobby Short – who's still pretty groovy at this point, and works with some compelling backings from Phil Moore! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Legendary vocal work from the postwar years – some of the earliest recordings from the enigmatic Yma Sumac – an artist whose records really laid the groundwork for an entire generation of exotica records to come! Sumac's authenticity has been debated over the years – but there's no denying that she's got this incredible vocal range – a many-octave approach that almost makes her sound like a human theremin – as she works with exotic backings from Les Baxter to offer up a take on Peruvian roots, styled towards a 50s bachelor pad listener! Titles include "Xtaby", "Wayra", "Taita Inty", "Monos", and "Tumpa". (Now Sound, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Groovy 60s pop from the sunny brother & sister duo of Nino Tempo & April Stevens – wonderful stuff that's crafted as sweetly as can be, encapsulating influences from a wide range of pop styles of the time – and it still sounds great! This anthology features a bunch of the their best duo numbers, as well as some earlier and later separate projects we'd never heard before. 24 tracks in all: "Deep Purple", "All Strung Out", "Sweet And Lovely", "Follow Me", "Hey Baby", "Out Of Nowhere", "Wings Of Love", "Lovin' Valentine" (April Stevens), "Sister James" (Nino Tempo & 5th Ave Sax), "Hey Baby", "Honeysuckle Rose", "Whispering", "Amazon River" and many more. (Rock, Vocalists) CD