A very cool little record – possibly the best cut by tenor player Georgie Auld, and a gimmicky session that actually works wonderfully! Georgie's blowing in the lead on tenor – and he's got Latin backings by the Jud Conlin Rhythmaires, who also sing along on the tracks in a male/female harmony style. The approach is a bit cheesy, but it works nicely in our book – setting up a strongly melodic presentation of the tracks with the voices, so that Georgie can blow freely in whatever direction he wants. Titles include "Love Me Or Leave Me", "Take Me In Your Arms", "Give Me Something To Remember You By", "Dream A Little Dream Of Me", and "Take Me". (Jazz, Vocalists) CD

Not as "adult" as you might think – at least given the way the word is used today – but pretty great work by Pearl nonetheless! The tunes themselves are a bit "blue" in terms of subject matter – tales of girls with hot pants, loose love, and the kind of backroom hijinks that weren't always talked about so freely in the torch singer era. But given the time, and the setting, the tunes are still pretty soft on the subjects – and get the themes across through clever turns of phrase, slight innuendo, and just the right intonation at the right time – a style that makes Pearl Bailey perfect for the work! Titles include "I Want A Man", "She Had To Go & Lose It At The Astor", "The Physician", "Josephine", "Zip", "Flings", "You Can Be Replaced" and "Legalize My Name". LP, Vinyl record album

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

Classic tunes, in the hands of Nnenna Freelon – wonderfully transformed with a soulful spirit that's really wonderful! The approach here is still jazz at the core, but there's a freshness to the arrangements that makes the versions way more than just simple standards – the kind of dynamic vibe that you might hear in a record by Carmen Lundy, although Nnenna's take is very much it's own thing, too! Instrumentation is small combo on all tracks, usually with piano or Fender Rhodes in the lead – and titles include "Get Out Of Town", "The Lamp Is Low", "I Feel Pretty", "Valley Of The Dolls", "Smile", "You & The Night & The Music", and "Lift Every Voice & Sing". CD

Features piano and arrangements by Michael Abene – and work from Joe Beck on guitar and Avishai Cohen on bass – plus guest piano from Herbie Hancock on a nice version of "Maiden Voyage". CD

Includes the originals "Changed" and "This Little Light" – plus "Stella By Starlight", "Angel Eyes", "I Fall In Love To Easily", "Black Butterfly", and the Ivan Lins number "The Island". CD

A real standout in the classic catalog of ECM – not only because the record's got a slightly different inspiration than most, but also because it seems to unlock some especially beautiful moments from players who could sound different in other settings on the label! As the title indicates, the tunes here all take inspiration from the poetry of Robert Creeley – but never in a mode that's got the usual jazz meets poetry approach – as Sheila Jordan sings the lyrics when they appear, with a sense of her own power that's very different than a more standard recitation – and which, to us, really feels a lot like her great vocal performances with Steve Kuhn for ECM. Kuhn is also in the group on piano, and other musicians include David Liebman on saxes, Lyle Mays on keyboards, and Bob Moses on drums – all working under the superb leadership of bassist Steve Swallow – who really outdid himself with the depth of feeling in this project. Titles include "Colors", "In The Fall", "She Was Young", "Some Echoes", "Ice Cream", and "You Didn't Think". (Jazz, Vocalists) CD