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Some of the best material ever recorded by singer Jimmy Scott – presented as a lovely 3 disc package with copious notes, and a lot of bonus material too! The bulk of the sides were cut during the earliest years of Jimmy's career – from 1952 to 1960, all with great small group, jazz-based backing – very nicely handled by the folks at Savoy Records – with just the right sort of pitch to work well with Scott's unique voice. There's a lot of unreleased cuts from these sessions – which makes the package essential even if you own the records – and titles include "If You Only Knew", "If I Ever Lost You", "Once", "What Good Would It Be", "I'll Never Deceive You", "Please Forgive Me", "Guilty", "Anytime Anyday Anywhere", and "The Talk Of The Town". The set then ends with the full album Can't We Begin Again, from Jimmy's "lost" period in 1975 – ne of the most obscure albums we've ever seen from Scott – and that's saying a lot, given how obscure most of his career was before his relatively recent revival! This session – billed in the notes as his "umpteenth comeback" – was recorded in Chicago in 1975, but has a feel that's in keeping with some of Jimmy's more traditional work from earlier years. The set was done by producer Fred Mendelsohn, who'd recorded some of Jimmy's earlier work – and features backings by pianist Ace Carter, plus additional string arrangements from Alex Hamilton. Jimmy's voice is actually a bit less fragile and somewhat deeper than usual – possibly even more confident – and the "jazz with strings" format brings a full feel to the session, but one that never dominates the vocals. Titles include "The More I See You", "I'll Be Around", "Anchored By My Side", "You've Changed", "Can't We Begin Again", "Close Your Eyes", and "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life". Box features 66 tracks in all! CD

Includes tracks omitted from the following Savoy CD releases due to space constraints. Have No Fear Big Joe Turner Is Here, the Original Johnny Otis Show, and the Billy Eckstine album Mister B & The Band. 15 tracks total. CD

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A fantastic early album by the amazing Jimmy Scott – billed here as "Little Jimmy Scott" – because of his youth, height, and his style of singing! Jimmy's fragile voice is in perfect form here – a really unique blend between torch jazz modes and some of the bluesier styles of the time – all set to moody arrangements that perfectly capture the dark undercurrents he's always brought to his work! The set is filled with wonderful material, and stands as a great change to some of the later work from Jimmy's comeback – with titles that include "Someone to Watch Over Me", "When Did You Leave Heaven", "Very Truly Yours", "Guilty", "Street Of Dreams", "Don't Cry Baby", and "Why Don't You Open Up Your Heart". CD

We know it's hard to think of anyone named Mildred as hip, but take it from us, the lady's actually a great singer with a deep capacity for jazzy blues and mellow R&B. These rare Savoy sides were cut during the years 1946 and 1947, and they feature great backing by pianist Ellis Larkin on nearly every cut, set up in either small combo or large group settings. Titles include "At Sundown", "Love In Vain", "It's A Woman's Prerogative", "You Started Something", and "Born To Be Blue". CD

A great 80s collection of work from one of the most compelling 50s vocal groups! The Jive Bombers were part doo wop, part jazz – with an amazing sound – and this package is the only time their work has ever been collected together! (Soul, Vocalists) CD

A very hip album of vocal jazz – recorded by the underground singer Barbara Long, a righteous east coast talent who cut a very small amount of work during the 60s. This set's got Long backed by a small group that includes Booker Ervin, Billy Howell, and Nat Phipps – and Ervin's tenor solos, some of the few he ever played with a singer, are very much in his classic style. The set list features some great obscure numbers – and titles include "Where Is Lonesome", "Largo To Oscar", "Gee Baby", "Swan Lake", "Serenade", and "It's Heaven". CD

Great 40s work from this Kansas City legend – recorded in New York, Chicago, and LA – with work from players who include Don Byas and Wild Bill Moore on tenor, Camille Howard and Pete Johnson on piano, Red Saunders on drums, and Riley Hampton on alto sax. 26 tracks total!! (Blues, Vocalists) CD

Incredible early work from Joe Williams – harder, rawer, and spookier than any of his more famous sides from the late 50s and 1960s! The album's got a style that's almost R&B in parts – and features Joe effortlessly swinging his way through a set list that includes "It's Raining Again", "Detour Ahead", "Every Day", "Blow Mr Low", "Always On The Blue Side", and the incredible "Safe Sane & Single". The recording quality is great, too – looser and rougher than some of Joe's Verve work, with a nice toothy edge! CD

Beautiful recent work from Andy Bey – a singer who seems to get better and better as the years go on! As the title might indicate, the set's a collection of classic American songs – 20th century standards and evergreens, done by Bey in his wonderfully dusky style of singing – and supported by small group backing that includes piano from Geri Allen, tenor and flute from Frank Wess, trombone from Steve Davis, and trumpet from Vernell Garrett. The backings have some nice lush tones at some moments, and fall off into sparer moods at others – allowing a lot of space for Andy's wonderful voice to roll in! Titles include "Never Let Me Go", "Lonely Town", "Midnight Sun", "Angel Eyes", "Speak Low", and "Lush Life". CD

Amazing work from the early, legendary years of Billy Eckstine – that time when he was fronting one of the hippest backing groups a vocalist could hope to have! Eckstine's voice was already becoming the stuff of legend by the time of these recordings – but thanks to contributions from a host of famous boppers, his band was getting equal fame, too – a really legendary lineup that includes such greats as Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie,Kenny Dorham, and Fats Navarro on trumpets; Wardell Gray, Dexter Gordon, and Gene Ammons on tenor; Leo Parker on baritone; Art Blakey on drums; and many other huge names too! The band was virtually a school for a whole generation of jazzmen to come – allowing them to play together, get to know each other, and spin off in important small groups – much in the way the Kenton group a few years later allowed so much development on the west coast. And amidst all this great music, Billy's vocals have never sounded better – much bolder and hard-swinging than in later years! 2CDs, great notes, and a whopping 41 tracks in all. CD

A sweet little collection of work recorded by Mark Murphy for the Muse label – one that shows the rich array of styles and modes that Mark was using at the time – a great run through Brazilian, soul jazz, and more traditional jazz vocal sounds! The depth of Murphy's talents has been noted often by us on these pages – but his work at Muse deserves especial note, because the label offered him freedom to explore the full range of ideas – and Mark's years at Muse were filled with the kind of tunes that few other jazz singers could match. Highlights include his seminal readings of "Red Clay", "Stolen Moments", and "Cantaloupe Island" – plus a great English version of Jobim's "Two Kites", and the tracks "Blood Count", "Young & Foolish", "Moody's Mood", "Time On My Hands", and a version of "Parker's Mood" that includes a reading from Kerouac's The Subterraneans! CD

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

Nice backing on most tracks by a small combo that features Oscar Peterson on piano and Herb Ellis on guitar – and a larger group on a few more, with Stan Getz, Coleman Hawkins, and Lester Young on tenors! Titles include "Stompin At The Savoy", "Goody Goody", "Ill Wind", and "Bewitched Bothered & Bewildered". CD

Tremendous work from a young Jimmy Scott – a great collection that brings together rare singles for Decca, Coral, and Brunswick – plus a few tracks that were never issued at the time! Although Jimmy's work has become famous in recent years – thanks to much-needed support towards the later stretch of his life – he seems to sound even more compelling on these early sides – hanging in a sublime space between male and female vocal traditions, and often backed by groups that bring a bit of a modern flavor to the music. We'd almost say that we dig these sides more than Jimmy's better-known work for Savoy in the 50s – and backings are by the groups of Lionel Hampton, Billy Taylor, and Lucky Thompson – all artists who really keep jazz at the forefront. Titles include "Wheel Of Fortune", "I Wish I Knew", "I've Been A Fool", "Come What May", "They Say You Cry", "Alone With A Memory", "When You Surrender", "Why Was I Born", and "The Bluest Blues". CD

Includes the songs "Green Eyes", "Let Me Off Uptown", "Kick It!", "After You've Gone", "Rockin' Chair", "Armour", "Stop! The Red Light's On", "Watch The Birdie", "The Walls Keep Talking", "Skylark", "Bolero At The Savoy", "Thanks For The Boogie Ride", "Keep 'Em Flying", "Pass The Bounce", "Ball Of Fire", "Harlem On Parade", "Knock Me A Kiss", "Barrelhouse Bessie From Basin Street", "That Drummer's Band", "Murder He Says", "Bop Boogie", "Watch Out", "Swiss Lullaby", and "Why Fall In Love With A Stranger". (Jazz, Vocalists) CD

A wonderful live set from Joe Williams – recorded at Birdland, as you'd guess from the title – and done with a raw depth that surpasses much of his studio work from the time! Joe's really moving past cliche here – using his voice with a power that hadn't been heard since his sides for Savoy – and really commanding the audience with a charisma that shines through with incredible clarity. Harry Edison's leading a small group that also includes Jimmy Forrest on tenor and Ike Issacs on bass – and titles include "Teach Me Tonight", "Come Back Baby", "September In The Rain", "Roll Em Pete", and "Have You Met Miss Jones". CD features 4 previously unissued numbers too! CD

Excellent vocal jazz from postwar Paris! The Blue Stars were a legendary combo that were led by Blossom Dearie, and which featured a host of great vocal talents that would later go onto form groups like Les Double Six or The Swingle Singers, including Mimi Perrin and Christine Legrand, as well as instrumental jazz artists like Fats Sadi and Roger Guerin, who are doing some rare vocalization here. The first 4 tracks on the set are pulled from a 1956 ep – and it features the group on the tracks "Jumpin At The Woodside", "C'est La Vie", "Broadway At Basin Street", and "Grapevine". The next 12 tracks are from the Pardon My English LP – which has the group down to a sextet, working without Dearie, in a groovy accented English vocal style that's a direct precursor of the vocalese grooving of Les Double Six. Titles on that set include "Small Talk", "Move", "Did You Close Your Eyes?", and "Promises & Lies". The last 3 tracks on the set are a bit different – featuring vocals and guitar by Henri Salvador, with backing on bass and drums. The style of Salvador's work is still similar, though – way more vocalese than the "blues" in the title would make you expect – and the tracks are lifted from a rare Fontana ep-only release that was recorded in the same year. Titles include "Don't Blame Me", "Salvador Plays The Blues", and "Stompin At The Savoy". CD