The cover's got a 70s look, but the material here is from that great mid-60s moment when the talents of Carmen McRae were really coming alive – and producer Bob Shad was on hand to capture all the magic in all of its glory! The Carmen heard here is completely different than the singer of the decade before – very much her own woman, and incredibly expressive but without ever sounding cliched – tuning each song into a subtle story with the help of the great Norman Simmons on piano, plus Victor Sproles on bass, and a young Stu Martin on drums. Most tunes are familiar, but completely transformed by Carmen's hipness – and titles include "Bye Bye Blackbird", "In My Solitude", "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most", "Long Before I Knew You/Just In Time", "Round Midnight", and "My Ship Is Coming In". LP, Vinyl record album

An ultra-hip batch of vocal tracks – and one of the few full albums recorded by singer Barbara Moore – a UK jazz artist at the start, but then an important studio talent often working behind the scenes! Barbara's got a very groovy style that's part jazz, part easy, part sunshine pop – all wrapped up into one super-warm blend! Her tracks have been showing up on playlists of beatheads for years – especially cuts from this album, which is a tight blend of jazz dance, dreamy pop, and even a few funky numbers. Most tracks are sung in a bright and breezy scat style – and titles include "Hot Heels", "His Name Was", "Swing Over", "Fly Away", "I'm Feather", and "Shades Tones". (Sound Library, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Lizz Wright continues to grow and grow with each new release – with a style that's maybe more globalist than just the jazz and soul vocal modes that first informed her music – this really expressive mode that's moved into territory that's all Lizz's own – and which takes all these different shapes throughout the set! A key force in creativity here is bassist Chris Bruce – an artist we loved years back, when he was part of our Chicago scene – clearly a talent who's also evolved tremendously, and is a great partner for Wright, with whom he co-wrote some of the album's best tracks. The set features guest appearances from Meshell Ndegeocello, Brandee Younger, and Angelique Kidjo – and titles include "Root Of Mercy", "Sweet Feeling", "Lost In The Valley", "Circling", "Who Knows Where The Time Goes", "No More Will I Run", "This Way", "Your Love", and "Sparrow". (Neo Soul, Vocalists) CD

Lizz Wright continues to grow and grow with each new release – with a style that's maybe more globalist than just the jazz and soul vocal modes that first informed her music – this really expressive mode that's moved into territory that's all Lizz's own – and which takes all these different shapes throughout the set! A key force in creativity here is bassist Chris Bruce – an artist we loved years back, when he was part of our Chicago scene – clearly a talent who's also evolved tremendously, and is a great partner for Wright, with whom he co-wrote some of the album's best tracks. The set features guest appearances from Meshell Ndegeocello, Brandee Younger, and Angelique Kidjo – and titles include "Root Of Mercy", "Sweet Feeling", "Lost In The Valley", "Circling", "Who Knows Where The Time Goes", "No More Will I Run", "This Way", "Your Love", and "Sparrow". (Neo Soul, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

A reworked vision of Blue Note Records for the 90s – put together by Bob Belden, and featuring some excellent remakes of classics from the Blue Note songbook! Each tune has a slightly different flavor – and all work is played by the best artists of the then-revived label – a great way of showing the new talent Blue Note discovered, the old talent it helped bring back, and the rich legacy of sound they were still capable of sending forth! Titles include "Blue Train" by Greg Osby, "Evidence" by Ron Carter & TS Monk, "Maiden Voyage" by Dianne Reeves & Geri Allen, "Un Poco Loco" by Jacky Terrasson, "Tom Thumb" by John Scofield, "Una Mas" by Eliane Elias, "Song For My Father" by Rene Rosnes, "Recado Bossa Nova" by Gonzalo Rubalcaba, "Tanganyika Dance" by Kurt Elling, and "Alligator Boogaloo" by Junko Onishi & Freddie Hubbard. (Jazz, Vocalists) CD

One of Astrud Gilberto's greatest albums – and quite possibly our personal favorite! The record features beautifully understated arrangements by Joao Donato, Don Sebesky, and Claus Ogerman – and the instrumentation is a haunting mix of bossa rhythms with darker orchestrations that bring out an emotional side of Astrud that you don't always get on other LPs. The track list is excellent, and includes some of her best tracks for Verve, like "Non Stop To Brazil", "Fly Me To The Moon", "O Ganso", and "Aruanda". Not to be passed up, and one that we never tire of listening to! (Brazil, Vocalists) CD

A fantastic comeback moment for the great Andy Bey – a singer who did incredible work in the 60s and 70s – then disappeared from the recording scene for awhile! The set's a compelling batch of jazz vocal tracks that show Andy reinventing himself for a whole new generation of jazz listeners. The backing's by a nice small group that includes Gary Bartz on alto, with whom Andy recorded extensively in the 70s – and other players include Geri Allen on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums. The album includes a haunting reworking of Nick Drake's amazing song "River Man", plus a version of Dori Caymmi's "Like A Lover", Monk's "Straight No Chaser", and the moody "Dark Shadows", which was a page from Earl Coleman's songbook. CD

One of Astrud Gilberto's greatest albums – and quite possibly our personal favorite! The record features beautifully understated arrangements by Joao Donato, Don Sebesky, and Claus Ogerman – and the instrumentation is a haunting mix of bossa rhythms with darker orchestrations that bring out an emotional side of Astrud that you don't always get on other LPs. The track list is excellent, and includes some of her best tracks for Verve, like "Gentle Rain", "Non Stop To Brazil", "Fly Me To The Moon", "O Ganso", and "Aruanda". Not to be passed up, and one that we never tire of listening to! (Brazil, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible early work from Lorez Alexandria – the kind of albums that instantly set her apart from other singers of the 50s, reissued here properly for the first time in years! On This Is Lorez, the singer is working with sublime small combo backings from the group of pianist King Fleming – an unusual Chicago ensemble that includes Wilber Wynn on guitar, Ronald Wilson on flute and oboe, Vernel Fournier on drums, and Audrey Jones on bongos – a musical lineup that brings in a different sort of sophistication to the record, shading tunes with moody colors on flute and oboe that perfectly support Alexandria's soulful and sensitive interpretations of the tunes. The whole thing is pure genius, and a key look at the new levels of sophistication that were bubbling everywhere on the Chicago scene during the years of Jamal and Sun Ra. Lorez Sings Pres follows in a very similar mode – with backing by a Chicago group that again includes King Fleming piano, plus Charles Stepney on vibes, Paul Serrano on trumpet, and Vernel Fournier on drums – an extremely hip lineup that makes the record far more than just the Lester Young tribute promised in the title! But despite the instrumentalists, the real star on all sides is Alexandria – who sings with dark tones and deep colors that go far beyond conventional jazz vocals – all carried off with that slightly breathy mode that was one more unique aspect of her work! CD features all tracks from both albums – a total of 22 titles that include "Snowstorm", "I'm Glad There Is You", "The Sky Is Crying", "I'm Making Believe", "Necessity", "Penthouse Serenade", "DB Blues", "This Year's Kisses", "Easy Living", "No Eyes Blues", "Jumping With Symphony Sid", and a key early reading of "Baltimore Oriole". CD

Always brilliant work from the great June Christy – an album that's got a lot more darkness than you might think from the title and the bright-colored cover! The style is very booze-soaked and sad – with plenty of echoes of the classic Something Cool album – and like that set, this one features sublime arrangements from the great Pete Rugolo – who has a perfect way of shading things in with the dark tones and modern elements that always work best for Christy's vocals! One of our favorite-ever records from June – with titles that include "Let There Be Love", "When Sunny Gets Blue", "I Want To Be Happy", "Imagination", "No More", "Better Luck Next Time", and "The Best Thing For You". LP, Vinyl record album

Four late 60s gems from Perry Como – all records that really have him pushing beyond his pop style of the 50s! First up is Lightly Latin – one of the most sublime albums we've ever heard from Perry Como – a set that definitely takes its Latin lightly, and instead really goes for the best sort of mellow side of the Como sound! There's definitely a few bossa touches in the mix – a bit of acoustic guitar or light percussion – but they're added in very sparely, and couched with a beautifully subtle wall of sound from arranger Nick Perito, who works here with a lot more understatement than on some other records. Como's vocals are very far from pop – and the album brings out his maturing style wonderfully with a spacious, soft-toned style of production. Titles include "Dindi", "Once I Loved", "Stay With Me", "How Insensitive", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", "Baia", and "Manha De Carnaval". Next is Perry Como In Italy – one of the most haunting albums we've ever heard from Perry Como – a session recorded in Italy during the mid 60s – featuring arrangements by Nick Perito, and backing vocals by the Alessandro Alessandroni Singers! The tunes include a fair bit of older Italian numbers – some sung in the language of their origin, some in English translations that we've come to know on this side of the Atlantic – and Como takes them all with a sad-tinged style that makes the album one of his moodiest ever – a record that oozes melancholy with every song, and which has a late nite, heartbreaking appeal that goes beyond even the understanding of language. The set's a great one to convey the popularity of Italian work on the American market in the 60s – and Como carries off the session even better than some of the more likely singers on the scene during the period. Titles include "Souvenir D'Italie", "Forget Domani", "Anema E Core", "One Day Is Like Another", "Arrivederci Roma", "Oh Marie", and "E Lei". Look To Your Heart is the kind of record that moves so far beyond familiar pop vocalizations, it's almost like Perry's in a universe all by himself! The words seem to just be sneaking out of the singer's voice – these mutterings that are almost to himself, which makes his readings of the tunes feel even more personal than you might expect – even amidst larger backings from Nick Perito – like Como is off to the side of the room, ruminating on love lost and life lived! That quality comes through tremendously on the eerie "Father Of Girls" – a tune that's worth the price of admission alone – and other titles include "Try To Remember", "Look To Your Heart", "In These Crazy Times", "Sunrise Sunset", and "When You're In Love". Seattle is a record that has Perry Como taking on a bit of a country tinge at times – working with Chet Atkins production that almost seems as if the singer is trying to match the Dean Martin spirit of the late 60s, right down to phrasing that feels a bit like ol Dino himself! A few other cuts have more familiar Como modes, with backings by Nick Perito – and titles include the lively title cut "Seattle", plus "Happiness Comes Happiness Goes", "Together Forever", "Sunshine Wine", "Deep In Your Heart", "Hearts Will Be Hearts", "Turnaround", and "Beady Eyed Buzzard". CD

After some great records on Verve, Capitol, and Fontana, Blossom made a surprising move and started up her own small label – issuing recordings herself, and selling them to the small but dedicated market who continued to come to her live shows, and support her work even as vocal jazz was disappearing from the music scene in the 70s. The set was produced by Bob Dorough in 1973, with a wonderful choice of tunes, and includes some great lesser-known numbers that get past the standards that Blossom was so often forced to record for bigger labels – and the instrumentation on most tracks is gentle piano trio, with some great electric keys on a number of tracks. Titles include "Home", "I'm Shadowing You", "Saving My Feeling For You", "Flame To Fire" and "You Have Lived In Autumn". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful mid 70s session from Blossom Dearie – a small combo outing, but one that's less in the straighter trio style of some of her other records on the Daffodil label! The keyboards here are mostly electric, and used in a way that provides warmly flowing lines alongside Blossom's sweet vocals – in a style that almost makes the record feel like a fuller studio effort, but which retains the close-up and personal sense that always makes a Dearie record sound best. Titles are nearly all original numbers penned with Blossom's great sense of humor – with numbers that include "Hey John", "Sweet Georgie Fame", "I'm Shadowing You", "Many's The Time", "Isn't That The Thing To Do", "How Do You Say Auf Wiedersehn", and "Saving My Feeling For You". LP, Vinyl record album

Bill Evans is reunited with singer Monica Zetterlund – in a live date done more than a decade after their classic Waltz For Debby album! The first side of the record features Evans in a trio mode – working instrumentally, without Monica, in a group that features the great Eddie Gomez on bass and Eliot Zigmund on drums – easily some of the better-recorded European live material by Bill from the 70s, caught in a way that really shows his new sensitivity in the later decade. Evans' piano is breathtaking here – a subtle symphony of shades and tones that delights the ears at each new twist and turn – recorded in some slightly longish takes on tunes that include "Sugar Plum", "Sareen Jurer", "Very Early", and "Gloria's Step". Bill continues the feeling of the first side wonderfully on the flip – as Zetterlund joins the group, and shows how much she's matured as well since here last meeting with Evans. Most of the tunes are standards, but they've got a sensitivity that goes way beyond familiar readings – carried off wonderfully by Monica in some beautifully dark-toned vocals. Titles include "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "The Second Time Around", "Once Upon A Summertime", "What's New", and the lovely "Samba". (Jazz, Vocalists) CD

A later entry in Ella's Songbook series for Verve – but a great one too, thanks to some strong arrangements from Nelson Riddle! Riddle's working here at a level that he brought to his earlier sessions with Frank Sinatra – one that colors in the tunes with just the right amount of shadings needed for each different composition, but which also still leaves plenty of space for the vocalist to dominate the recordings. Ella's in fine form throughout – swinging easily on the more upbeat numbers, but also balancing things out with some thoughtful ballad work that stands as some of her best of the 60s. Titles include "Let's Begin", "Remind Me", "Yesterdays", "Why Was I Born", "She Didn't Say Yes", and "You Couldn't Be Cuter". CD

Plenty cool sounds from Joyce – a lady who's always been the definition of the world used in the title – thanks to her totally unique, totally wonderful style! The album's one of a number of recent gems that have Joyce really going back to basics – hitting that soaring blend of vocals and acoustic guitar that first made her 70s recordings so great, cut here with small combo instrumentation that includes Tutty Moreno on drums and Helio Alves on piano. But the real charm, as always, comes from Joyce – the way she works her voice, plays her guitar, and ties the two of them together in a manner that's unlike anyone else – a sound inspired by bossa, inflected by jazz, but totally her own throughout. Familiar tunes get completely remade with the approach – as you'll hear on the set – which includes these sublime Joyced-up versions of "Cool", "Let's Do It", "Love For Sale", "Fever", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", "Invitation", and "Moon River" – all sounding very unique, and plenty darn cool! (Brazil, Vocalists) CD

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A beautifully understated album from Morgana King – one that has her working with familiar arranger Torrie Zito, but in a style that's a bit more laidback than before! There's a bit of strings on the album, but they really just shade in the sound from the back – leaving plenty of space not only for Morgana's vocals, but also for some great keyboard lines from Don Rebic and guitar from Joe Puma! King's vocals could almost carry the record alone, even without the other instrumentation – but the warmth of the keyboards and well-pointed lines from Puma really help things open up – and subtle use of percussion from Ray Mantilla and Sue Evans makes for some surprising sounds in the background that further the charm of the set. Titles include "Gentleman Friend", "Time After Time", "Dearly Beloved", "Lilac Wine", "With You I'm Born Again", "Through The Eyes Of Love", and "I Wished On The Moon". CD

A nicely different album than some of Peggy Lee's other albums for Capitol Records – a set of sophisticated arrangements, handled by Quincy Jones – which really give Lee the kind of setting to remind the world that she can be as compelling of a jazz singer as she can a vocalist on upbeat groovers! Jones here is coming off of work by his larger groups of the late 50s, and has a wonderful sense of tone and shading – creating this richness that's as deeply blue as the image on the cover, and which really works on the more melancholy currents that Peggy could hit at the right moments – those qualities that would get explored a bit more in later years, but which really find their way to open up here. The group features nice work from Benny Carter on alto and Victor Feldman on vibes – and there's a sense of loss and longing to the record that almost rivals that on the Sinatra album Wee Small Hours. Titles include "As Time Goes By", "If You Go", "I Wish I Didn't Love You So", "I Get Along Without You Very Well", "When I Was A Child", "Here's That Rainy Day", and "I'm Gonna Laugh You Out Of My Life". LP, Vinyl record album

Four early 80s classics from Johnny Mathis – presented here in a single 2CD package! Different Kinda Different is a tremendous start to the 80s for Johnny Mathis – and a set that really continues that strong shift into soul-based territory he begun in the 70s! Gene Page handles a lot of the arrangements here, and gives the whole thing that strong blend of strings and soul that he worked on other 70s classics for different artists – a perfect approach for that magnificent Mathis voice, especially when the tunes have a bit of a groove! Two of the best numbers here – "Different Kind Of Different" and "I'll Do It All For You" – are duets with Paulette McWilliams, who'd recorded on her own, but who really seems to hit her stride with Johnny, and in a way that's different than any of his other soul partners in duets. Other titles include "Never Givin Up On You", "With You I'm Born Again", "I Will Survive", "The Lights Of Rio", and "Love Without Words". Friends In Love is mature 80s work from Johnny Mathis – a set that features two duets with Dionne Warwick, plus some other nice material that shows that Johnny wasn't going to be left behind in the shadows of his older work! At some level, the approach of the 80s, and the rise of a new sort of adult contemporary scene, really helped Mathis find a new audience – especially when teaming with Dionne, who was also having a rebirth at the time! Titles include the classic duet title cut "Friends In Love", and another duet on "Got You Where I Want You" – plus other titles that include "What Do You Do With The Love", "When The Lovin Goes Out Of The Lovin", "I Remember You & Me", and "Somethin's Goin On". Special Part Of Me is a sweet 80s set from Johnny Mathis – one of those great later albums when he brought a good deal of soul into the mix! The feel here is almost more modern R&B than the vocal jazz mode that first brought Johnny fame – and it turns out that the Mathis mode is wonderful for such a setting – rich and full of feeling, and arguably better than some of his younger contemporaries on the charts! The ballads are beautiful, but there's also a few surprising midtempo numbers – and titles include a sublime remake of "Love Won't Let Me Wait", done with Deniece Williams – plus "Love Never Felt So Good", "Simple", "Priceless", "One Love", "Right Here & Now", and "Lead Me To Your Love" – plus "You're A Special Part Of Me", a duet with Angie Bofill. Live is a later live album from Johnny Mathis, and one that brings together classics, newer cuts, and a few titles he'd never sang before – all served up with a sound that shows the continuing strengths of the legendary singer! There's a variety of arrangers used on the set – including Gene Page and Michel Colombier – and titles include "Orange Colored Sky", "When A Child Is Born", "Begin The Beguine", "I Believe In Love", "Fly Away", "99 Miles From LA", and "A Certain Smile". CD

An early vocal set from Les McCann – quite unusual, and pretty darn soulful as well! The album's done in a mode that foreshadows Les' move to soul during the 70s, and features him singing to some hip arrangements by Gerald Wilson – in a soulful, jazzy style that was common for LA of the mid 60s – somewhere in a space between Lou Rawls and Arthur Prysock – with all the hip, adult aspects you'd expect from those references! Tunes include a fair bit of standards, but swung in really fresh ways by Wilson – and McCann's got this restrained style of singing that's really great – almost as if he's hiding a broken heart beneath his groove. Tracks include "It's Way Past Suppertime", "Next Spring", "Bye Bye Black Bird", "Deed I Do", "I Cried for You", and "Wonder Why". (Jazz, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album