Vocalists — Vinyl
Singers we love -- from vintage torch to vocalese, scat, jazz poetry, standards, and more!
Verve 
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Close matches: 36
1
Ella Fitzgerald —
Ella Fitzgerald Sings The George & Ira Gershwin Songbook – Vol 3 ... LP 
Verve, 1959. Very Good Gatefold ... $9.99
Sweet arrangements by Nelson Riddle! LP, Vinyl record album
(Mono Verve Inc pressing with deep groove. Inner gatefold has light staining and wear along the bottom. The back cover has aging. Front looks nice!)
2
Ella Fitzgerald —
Like Someone In Love ... LP Verve, 1957. Very Good- ... $7.99
Titles include "Midnight Sun", "You're Blase", "Night Wind", "Hurry Home", "What's New", "Close Your Eyes", "More Than You Know", "There's A Lull In My Life", and "How Long Has This Been Going On". LP, Vinyl record album
(Mono Verve Inc pressing with deep groove. Cover has a split spine, clear tape on the top seam, light surface wear & aging.)
3
Verve, 1957. Near Mint- ... $19.99
Two of the biggest singers who ever worked for Verve Records – captured perfectly at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1957! Ella Fitzgerald steps out with a strong, lively groove on the first half of the set – swinging things with a looser, more upbeat quality than on some of her mellower Verve studio sets of the late 50s – really grooving it up with small combo backing from the trio of pianist Don Abney! Billie Holiday also gets some small combo backing too – a hip trio with Mal Waldron on piano, Joe Benjamin on bass, and Jo Jones on drums – often a bit more laidback than the group on Ella's sides, but in a great way that helps Holiday hit a very intimate sound, even before this large audience. Ella sings "This Can't Be Love", "Body & Soul", "April In Paris", "I Got A Crush On You", and "Airmail Special" – and Billie sings "Nice Work If You Can Get It", "What A Little Moonlight Can Do", "My Man", "Willow Weep For Me", and "Lady Sings The Blues". LP, Vinyl record album
(Early 80s mono French Polydor pressing. Cover has spotty aging and some light stains in back.)
4
Ella Fitzgerald & Duke Ellington —
Ella & Duke At The Cote D'Azur ... LP Verve, 1966. Very Good 2LP Gatefold ... $7.99
A superstar performance from the Antibes jazz festival at Cote D'Azur – one that features Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington sharing the stage, in a concert that was also recorded for a film! Most numbers here feature the full Ellington orchestra backing Ella up – but a few other numbers feature just backings from a trio with Jimmy Jones on piano and Grady Tate on drums. Duke and Ella trade the spotlight nicely – and Fitzgerald only sings on about half of the set, numbers that include "Mack The Knife", "The More I See You", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "Jazz Samba", "How Long Has This Been Going On", and "Going Out Of My Head". Ellington's heard on other instrumental performances – some of which are a bit more upbeat and unbridled than usual – almost in a Basie mode. These tunes include "Trombonio Bustosolssimo", "Diminuendo In Blue & Blow By Blow", "The Old Circus Train Turn Around Blues", and "The Matador". LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Ella & Duke At The Cote D'Azur ... CD 3.99(70s stereo Polydor pressing. Cover has some ringwear, edge wear, and a half split top seam.)
5
Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong —
Porgy & Bess (2LP version) ... LP Verve, 1957. Very Good- 2LP Gatefold ... Just Sold Out!
One of the hippest takes ever on the Porgy & Bess score – done in duet format by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, in a fuller spirit than their other albums for Verve! Like many late 50s albums of Gershwin's score, this one was issued in advance of the film with Sidney Poitier – but unlike most, this is less of a cash-in affair, and really takes Gershwin's music on its own – serving it up with that newly serious style that Verve was hitting with some artists, especially Ella, in the latter half of the 50s. Most tracks have relatively full backings – strings and jazz orchestrations – and the double-length set features 15 tracks that include "Buzzard Song", "I Got Plenty O Nuttin", "My Man's Gone Now", "I Wants To Stay Here", "Summertime", "It Ain't Necessarily So", "What You Want Wid Bess", "There's A Boat Dat's Leavin Soon For New York", "Oh Lawd I'm On My Way", and "A Woman Is A Sometime Thing". LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Porgy & Bess ... CD 3.99(Mono Verve Records Inc pressing with deep groove. Includes intact booklet. Side 2 has some light heat and plays with surface noise. Cover has edge wear, half split top seams.)
6
Verve, 1986. Near Mint- ... $11.99
A rare 80s set from Astrud Gilberto – cut at a time when she was hardly doing any new recording at all! As you'll guess from the title, the album has Gilberto teaming up with German groovemaker James Last – who handles all the orchestrations for the record, and shows a surprising sensitivity towards Astrud's bossa styles in his music. Last can sometimes be a bit over the top, but he's quite subtle here – leaving lots of room for Gilberto's sweetly sensitive vocals, and the music of her core combo, which features Romero Lubambo on guitar and Dudu Da Fonseca on percussion. Paulo Jobim guests on vocals and guitar on a few tracks – and titles include "Agua De Beber", "Champagne & Caviar", "Samba Do Soho", and "Saci". (Brazil, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has light wear.)
7
Verve, 1967. Very Good+ ... $34.99
One of the hardest to find Astrud Gilberto records on Verve – and one of the best! Deodato, Don Sebesky, and Pat Williams did the arrangements – and the sound here is a bit different than some of the straighter Gilberto sets of the time – still very bossa-inspired, but also in a style that mixes in some great Sunshine Pop and 60s easy influences too – particularly on the tracks arranged by Williams! Tracks are all quite short, but get a heck of a lot of magic into a tiny space – and the album features some really wonderful songs that break Gilberto's pattern a bit – including versions of the Marcos Valle tracks "Crickets Sing For Anamaria" and "Chup Chup, I Got Away" – plus takes on "Windy", "Sing Me A Rainbow", "Never My Love", and "Where Are They Now?" (Brazil, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album
(60s stereo pressing. Cover has some light wear – but vinyl is clean, and this is a very nice copy.)
8
Verve, 1966. Near Mint- ... $19.99
Kind of a dream combination in one little album – especially if you dig breezy bossa from the 60s! Back in 1966, Verve Records got the great idea of teaming up its (then) biggest Brazilian imports – vocalist Astrud Gilberto and organist Walter Wanderley – both of whom were selling plenty at the time! Astrud's lovely vocals are matched beautifully with the lean, rhythmic bossa grooves of Wanderley's trio – and the result is a record that's near-perfect in execution. Most of the tracks are quite short, as is the record itself – but it's a perfectly concentrated dose of the Verve bossa sound at its best, with tracks that include "Portuguese Washerwoman", "Tu Meu Delirio", "A Certain Smile", "Call Me", "Here's That Rainy Day", "A Certain Sadness", "It's A Lovely Day Today", and a vocal version of Wanderley's big hit "Summer Samba", redone here as "So Nice"! (Brazil, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album
(Stereo MGM pressing with Van Gelder stamp.)
9
Verve, Mid 50s. Very Good+ ... $19.99
Beautiful Billie from the last years of her life. The material was recorded in 1956 and 1957 in Hollywood, featuring Barney Kessel, Ben Wesbster, Harry Edison, and Jimmy Rowles – all grooving nicely in small group formation. The tracks have a wonderfully fragile quality – and although standards, are still some of Billie's nicest work for Verve. Titles include "April In Paris", "All Or Nothing At All", "We'll Be Together Again", and "But Not For Me". Great David Stone Martin cover, too! LP, Vinyl record album
(Later stereo MGM pressing in nice shape.)
10
Verve/
Late work from the great Billie Holiday – the kind of mature set that made Verve Records such a perfect home for the singer in the 50s! Where other labels might have pushed too much to try to get Billie into more commercial, or more straightforward modes – Verve just relaxes into the kind of small combo sound that usually had the singer at her best – pairing Holiday with a great lineup that includes Harry Edison on trumpet, Ben Webster on tenor, Jimmy Rowles on piano, and Barney Kessel on guitar. The songs are short and focused – with Billie at the top of her form on familiar standards like "Comes Love", "Darn That Dream", "Body & Soul", "They Can't Take That Away From Me", and "Embraceable You". LP, Vinyl record album
(Limited, numbered pressing – #3135.)
11
Verve, 1956. Near Mint- Gatefold ... $14.99 19.99
A very unusual concert from Billie Holiday – one that features narration by Gilbert Millstein, telling the story of Billie's life! The format is quite unusual – almost a live documentary, with the subject of the documentary there in person herself! Millstein narrates from the start, and Billie emerges with songs throughout – using Millstein's narration to bracket portions of her career, then delivering the tunes associated with that portion. Backing is by an all-hip group that includes Coleman Hawkins, Kenny Burrell, Chico Hamilton, Roy Eldridge, and Buck Clayton – and titles include "I Cried For You", "My Man", "Don't Explain", "Lady Sings The Blues", "Body & Soul", "I Love My Man", and "Yesterdays". LP, Vinyl record album
(Early 80s mono Japanese Polydor pressing – UMV 2600 – with obi and insert. Obi is torn in half at the seams, with the back piece crinkled.)
12
Billie Holiday —
Lady ... LP Verve, Late 50s. Very Good- ... $1.99
Later work from Billie Holiday – all recorded for Verve with some hip group backing! LP, Vinyl record album
(The bottom half of the cover has waviness and light staining, cutout hole, some wear along the opening.)
13
Verve, 1956. Near Mint- ... $29.99
Possibly one of the most essential Billie Holiday albums for Verve – a set that carries the same title as her famous autobiography, and which also features many key numbers from her songbook at the time! The feel here is quite easygoing and relaxed – with small group backing behind Billie's vocals, which themselves are recorded cleanly and clearly throughout. One side features backing by a combo that includes Wynton Kelly on piano, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Charlie Shavers on trumpet, and Paul Quinichette on tenor – and the other features a group that includes Bobby Tucker on piano, Charlie Shavers on trumpet, Barney Kessel on guitar, and the great Willie Smith on alto sax. Titles include plenty of classics – including "God Bless The Child", "Strange Fruit", "Lady Sings The Blues", "No Good Man", "Good Morning Heartache", "I Must Have That Man", and "Trav'lin' Light". LP, Vinyl record album
(Early 80s mono Japanese Polydor pressing – UMV 2047 – with obi and insert. Cover has light wear, some spotty aging, and some small white print blemishes.)
14
Verve, 1955. Near Mint- ... $39.99
About as classic as you can get for Billie Holiday on Verve – a wonderfully intimate small group session, recorded with top-shelf players and a smokey torchy mood! Billie's in her later years by the time of the set, but somehow singing with even more emotion and life – working with a group that includes Benny Carter, Jimmy Rowles, Harry Edison, Larry Bunker, and John Simmons – on tracks that include "It Had To Be You", "A Fine Romance", "Gone With The Wind", "Isn't It A Lovely Day", "Ghost Of A Chance", and "Come Rain Or Come Shine". LP, Vinyl record album
(Mid 70s mono Japanese pressing – MV 2595 – with obi and insert.)
15
Billie Holiday —
Solitude ... LP Verve, 1952. Very Good ... Just Sold Out!
Classic Billie Holiday for Verve – sad, blue-tinged, and recorded with great small combo backing – in a mode that really updates the sound of her initial recordings while still keeping the best elements intact! Players include Oscar Peterson, Alvin Stoller, Barney Kessell, and Ray Brown on the core group – plus bits of added solo work from Flip Phillips on tenor and Charlie Shavers on trumpet. Titles include "Solitude", "Moonglow", "Tenderly", "Everything I Have Is Yours", "East Of The Sun", "You Turned The Tables On Me", and "Easy To Love". LP, Vinyl record album
(Later stereo MGM pressing. Vinyl plays with a short click on the first 2 tracks on side 2. Cover has light wear, cut corner.)
16
Verve, 2022. Near Mint- ... $18.99
Samara Joy is a rare jazz singer – the sort who manages to have ties to the past, but also really bring so much of her own spirit to the music – not subtle inflections on the tunes, but instead this really personal style that has her absorbing older tracks and turning them into something new – and serving up some great vocal styles of her own! In other words, this isn't a retro-styled record of standard jazz remakes – as Samara's her own sort of singer, right from the start – working with no-nonsense small combo instrumentation that features Pasquale Grasso on guitar, Ben Paterson on piano, and Kenny Washington on drums – on titles that include "Linger Awhile", "Sweet Pumpkin", "Social Call", "Guess Who I Saw Today", "Nostalgia", and "Can't Get Out Of This Mood". LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Linger Awhile ... LP 23.99(Includes the printed inner sleeve.)
17
Verve, 1958. Near Mint- ... $16.99
Anita O'Day is fast and free in this live set recorded at Chicago's famous Mister Kelly's nightclub – a venue that gives the recording a nice intimate feel! As with many of her Verve sides, Anita dominates the set with her wit, warmth, and personality – working the crowd as much as an entertainer as a singer, and giving the record a direct approach that's quite different from torchier vocal sessions of the time. Backing is by a piano trio – and titles include "Tea For Two", "Star Eyes", "Have You Met Miss Jones", "The Song Is You", "Every Time I'm With You", and "But Not For Me". LP, Vinyl record album
(Early 80s Japanese stereo pressing – UMV 2550.)
18
Verve, 1957. Very Good ... $24.99 29.99
Anita sings it swinging and simple – working with a smallish combo to back her up, and vocalizing in a relatively uncluttered style that's in keeping with her best mode at Verve! The tunes are mostly standards, sung in a way that bridges swing and later styles of jazz vocalization – no real scatting or vocalese, but still with a good sense of the rest of the group overall. Titles include "Stella By Starlight", "Taking A Chance On Love", "Tenderly", "Old Devil Moon", "S Wonderful", and "You Turned The Tables On Me". LP, Vinyl record album
(Verve Inc pressing with a trumpeter logo and deep groove. Cover has small splits on spine & bottom seam, light surface wear. The back cover has tape remnant on the sides.)
19
Verve, Late 50s/
With arrangements and accompaniment by the bands of Gary McFarland, Jimmy Guiffre, Johnny Mandel, and Billy May. LP, Vinyl record album
(Late 70s issue. Cover has light ringwear and some smudges on front and back.)
20
Verve, 1956. Near Mint- ... $14.99
A rare vocal session from Jane Powell – a singer better known for her film performances, but who sounds pretty darn great here on an obscure 50s studio session for Verve! Jane's got a higher-voiced style than most of the other singers on Verve, but she's brought down to earth nicely by arranger Buddy Bregman – who manages to keep things jazzy and swinging, but also creates some of the loftier modes from her film work – some lush moments that really come through on the mellower tracks. Titles include "My Baby Just Cares For Me", "Comes Love", "In Love In Vain", "Can't We Be Friends", "Imagination", and "Ev'ry Time". LP, Vinyl record album
(Mono black label Verve Records Inc pressing with deep groove. Cover has some wear and aging, with a peeled spot from sticker removal and small address label in back.)
21
Verve, 1965. Very Good+ Gatefold ... $4.99
An incredible pairing of two important 60s talents – magnificent vocals from Arthur Prysock, and some of the best backings he ever received – thanks to Basie! LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Arthur Prysock & Count Basie (with bonus tracks) ... CD 4.99(Stereo MGM pressing with deep groove. Cover has a factory sticker on the front and faint ringwear.)
22
Verve, 1967. Very Good ... $8.99
Sublimely soulful work from Irene Reid – at one level a record that's in the field between jazz and soul, like albums from Gloria Lynne or Nancy Wilson at the time – but at another level, a key indication of Irene's strong strong vocal approach – one that's much deeper and more soulful than most of her contemporaries in the genre! Clyde Otis handles the arrangements, often using strings in a sweeping way in the background – never sleepy, but to emphasize the richness of Irene's vocals – but the real star of the set is Reid herself, singing in a majestically powerful mode that would captivate even without any other instrumentation at all! Titles include "This Bitter Earth", "If He Walked Into My Life", "A Man Only Does", "For Once In My Life", "I'm Too Far Gone To Turn Around", "Why Did I Choose You", and "Somewhere Along The Line". (Soul, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has just a touch of light wear & aging, but is great overall!)
23
Verve, 1961. Very Good+ ... $48.99
24
Verve, 1989. Near Mint- ... $4.99
Accompanied by Norman Simmons on piano, Henry Johnson on guitar, Bob Badgley on bass, and Gerryck King on drums, with guests Supersax and Marlena Shaw. LP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has minimal wear.)
25
Billy Eckstine —
Everything I Have Is Yours – The Best Of The MGM Years ... LP Verve, Late 40s/
A collection of greatest hits, plus work with Sarah Vaughan and the Metronome All Stars, with 30 tracks over 2 LPs! LP, Vinyl record album
(80s issue. Cover has a cutout notch and light wear.)
26
Ella Fitzgerald —
Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie ... LP Verve, 1961. Very Good- ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
A great small combo set from Ella Fitzgerald – and a record that maybe has a bit more bite than some of her Songbook sessions from the time! The combo's a great one – with excellent piano from Lou Levy, balanced with guitar work from Herb Ellis – a pair whose chromatic contributions really resonate wonderfully with the vocal range of Ella – especially as the singer is hitting that 60s stretch when she seemed to find an even more expressive tone than in earlier years! Other players include Joe Mondragon on bass and Gus Johnson on drums – no other players at all, a nice lean set – and titles include "Night In Tunisia", "Cry Me A River", "This Year's Kisses", "Music Goes Round & Round", "Clap Hands Here Comes Charlie", "My Reverie", and "You're My Thrill". LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie (180 gram pressing) ... LP 36.99(Mono MGM pressing. Cover has light wear and a bit of pen on the back.)
27
Ella Fitzgerald —
Ella Fitzgerald Sings The George & Ira Gershwin Songbook – Vol 5 ... LP Verve, 1959. Very Good+ Gatefold ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
Sweet arrangements by Nelson Riddle! LP, Vinyl record album
(Mono MGM pressing with deep groove. Cover has a cutout hole, some wear and aging, splitting in the top seam, and a small peeled spot in back.)
28
Ella Fitzgerald —
Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Gershwin Song Book Vol 1 ... LP Verve, 1959. Very Good+ ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
... LP, Vinyl record album
(Mono Verve pressing with deep groove. Cover has minimal wear.)
29
Ella Fitzgerald —
Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Irving Berlin Song Book (UK cover) ... LP Verve, Late 1950s. Very Good+ 2LP Gatefold ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
Ella Fitzgerald takes on the music of Irving Berlin – and the witty nature of the words help unlock a whole new style of class and cool in her music! Paul Weston handles the backings, and the set's full of gems that Berlin wrote for films and shows of the 20s and 30s. Titles include "How About Me", "You Forgot To Remember", "All By Myself", "Lazy", "Cheek To Cheek", "Get Thee Behind Me Satan", "Russian Lullaby", "Always", "Change Partners", "It's a Lovely Day Today", "Supper Time", "Reaching For The Moon", and "Isn't This A Lovely Day". LP, Vinyl record album
(70s pressing. Cover has light edge wear.)
30
Ella Fitzgerald —
Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Songs From The Film – Let No Man Write My Epitaph ... LP Verve, 1960. Very Good ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
An album that's often overlooked amidst some of the bigger "songbook" Verve sessions by Ella Fitzgerald – yet a really special record that shows off a side of Ella that's not ever captured this well on other records! The record was also initially billed as tied into the book and film Let No Man Write My Epitaph – but there's nothing soundtrack-like at all about the performance, as Fitzgerald works with only backing from pianist Paul Smith – a player who sounds wonderful next to the singer, and brings just the right sort of inflections to open up Ella's vocals for the date! There's a spare quality that's completely captivating – proof that Fitzgerald was a hell of a jazz singer at the core, even when her star was rising on the international scene – maybe even more compelling without any large arrangements at all, as she takes on superb material that includes versions of "Misty", "Black Coffee", "Angel Eyes", "I Cried For You", "Who's Sorry Now", "September Song", "Then You've Never Been Blue", and "Reach For Tomorrow". LP, Vinyl record album
(Stereo MGM pressing. The bottom inch or so of the cover has some waviness and wear with light staining on the back.)
31
Ella Fitzgerald —
Rodgers & Hart Song Book ... LP Verve, Late 50s. Near Mint- 2LP Gatefold ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
A classic vocal set from Ella – filled with standards from the Rodgers & Hart songbook – including "Isn't It Romantic", "My Romance", "Spring Is Here", "Thou Swell", "Bewitched", "Blue Moon", "A Ship Without A Sail", "I Could Write A Book", and "Where Or When". LP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has light wear.)
32
Ella Fitzgerald & Count Basie —
Ella & Basie ... LP Verve, 1963. Near Mint- ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
Quincy Jones handles the arrangements, so the set's got plenty of soul – and the band really swings on titles that include "Tea For Two", "Deed I Do", "My Last Affair", "I'm Beginning To See The Light", "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall", and "Shiny Stockings". LP, Vinyl record album
(Mono MGM pressing with deep groove. Cover has light wear and is lightly stained at the bottom 3 inches.)
33
Elsa Lanchester —
Elsa Lanchester Herself ... LP Verve, 1961. Very Good+ ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
... LP, Vinyl record album
(Mono blue label Celebrity Series pressing. Cover has some ring and edge wear, light aging, and a small dent at the opening.)
34
Anita O'Day —
Incomparable! ... LP Verve, 1964. Very Good+ ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
Lovely work from Anita O'Day – a relatively obscure session that has her working with west coast arrangements from the pen of Bill Holman. The sound of the album's almost in the mood of a classic 50s Capitol album by June Christy – with a sophisticated and jazzy sound that O'Day didn't always have, and which could sometimes get lost on her more gimmicky albums. Tracks have a wonderful glide and an easy-going approach – and titles include "Easy Living", "Can't We Be Friends", "It Could Happen To You", "Avalon", "The Party's Over", "Blue Champagne", and "Indian Summer". LP, Vinyl record album
(Mono MGM pressing. Cover has light wear.)
35
Joe Williams —
Greatest! – Count Basie Plays & Joe Williams Sings Standards ... LP Verve, Late 50s. Near Mint- ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
An excellent album of vocals by the great Joe Williams! Joe's always been a fine singer, but with Basie, he really gets the backing he needs to do his work the best. And although this album isn't as authenico as it might be, it still comes from a time when Verve really knew how to handle singers well. Titles include "Our Love Is Here To Stay", "A Fine Romance", "This Can't Be Love", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", and "There Will Never Be Another You". LP, Vinyl record album
(Japanese pressing, including obi & insert – MV 2650.)
36
Fred Astaire —
Astaire Story (3LP Box Set) ... LP Verve/
A really amazing set of recordings – vocal sessions done by Fred Astaire in the later season of his career – recorded in the studio with intimate backing by a Verve group that includes Oscar Peterson, Barney Kessel, Charlie Shavers, and Flip Phillips! The material features lovely new interpretations of tunes made famous by Astaire in films, but offered here in a much more relaxed, jazz-based mode. And whether you're a fan of his films or not, Astaire is one heck of a great singer – and hearing him in a setting like this, without the distraction of dancing or film, is really great proof of that fact! Titles include "Cheek To Cheek", "S'Wonderful", "You're Easy To Dance With", "Fascinating Rhythm", "Top Hat White Tie & Tails", "No Strings", and "I Concentrate On You" – plus a few instrumental numbers by the combo. LP, Vinyl record album
(Late 70s white label DRG pressing. Includes the booklet. Box has light aging.)
Partial matches: 6
37
ABC, 1958. Very Good ... $1.99
A groovy little vocal group with a swinging 50s sound – working here with some great jazzy arrangements from trombonist Kai Winding! The style of the set prefaces Winding's pop/
(Mono pressing with deep groove. Cover has light wear & aging, small bottom seam split.)
38
Score, Late 40s. Near Mint- ... $14.99 19.99
A great collection of bop sides from 40s LA – tracks that ostensibly feature Cole on piano, jamming with Lester Young on tenor and Red Callender on bass! Oddly, no other players are listed in the notes – even though there's clearly a drummer and trumpeter on the session – so it's a bit hard to date the material, or figure out the actual source of the work. But we can say that Young's tone alone is more than worth the price of admission – beautifully firm and strong – blown in a way that rivals his best early performances for Verve, but perhaps even with a bit more grit and soul. Titles include "SM Blues", "Jammin With Lester", "Can't Get Started", "Body & Soul", and "Indiana". (Jazz, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album
(Heavy maroon label pressing, with deep groove. Cover has a split spine.)
39
Paramount, Early 50s. Very Good+ ... $5.99
An incredible record from Billie Holiday – and not really a proper sort of "album" at all! Instead, the set features the posthumous release of tapes from sessions recorded with pianist Jimmy Rowles and bassist Artie Shapiro – tracks that feature Billie singing in a looser mode than on Verve, but also talking a fair bit too! The conversation is what really makes the record – as it shows a bad-rapping Billie who's often a lot more self-possessed than you'd guess from the sadder sound of her classic recordings. Her voice is easily recognizable, but the subject matter is often quite surprising – and surprisingly well-recorded. Titles include "Rappin About Jimmy Rowles", "I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good", "Just Friends", "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone", and "Everything Happens To Me". LP, Vinyl record album
(70s issue.)
40
Pablo, 1979. Very Good+ ... $3.99
Sarah Vaughan takes on the work of Duke Ellington – almost presented here in a style that's similar to some of the Songbook albums on Verve from the 50s! Billy Byers handles most of the arrangements here – especially on the larger group numbers – but some tracks are also in a small combo mode, and are often the most interesting, because Sarah opens up with a looser feel than on some of the more "respectful" big group tracks. Titles on this first volume include "In A Sentimental Mood", "I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart", "I'm Just A Lucky So & So", "Solitude", "Day Dream", "Lush Life", "All Too Soon", and "In A Mellow Tone". LP, Vinyl record album
(A nice copy.)
41
Fred Astaire —
Astaire Story (4LP Box Set) ... LP Mercury/
A really amazing set of recordings – vocal sessions done by Fred Astaire in the later season of his career – recorded in the studio with intimate backing by a Verve group that includes Oscar Peterson, Barney Kessel, Charlie Shavers, and Flip Phillips! The material features lovely new interpretations of tunes made famous by Astaire in films, but offered here in a much more relaxed, jazz-based mode. And whether you're a fan of his films or not, Astaire is one heck of a great singer – and hearing him in a setting like this, without the distraction of dancing or film, is really great proof of that fact! Titles include "Cheek To Cheek", "S'Wonderful", "You're Easy To Dance With", "Fascinating Rhythm", "Top Hat White Tie & Tails", "No Strings", and "I Concentrate On You" – plus a few instrumental numbers by the combo. LP, Vinyl record album
(Blue vinyl pressing. Ltd ed spiral bound edition. Inner content is still bound & intact, but a few pages are a bit frayed on the bottom edge. Outer cover looks nice, with minimal wear.)
42
Blossom Dearie —
Blossom Dearie Sings ... LP Daffodil, 1973. Very Good+ ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
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
(Original pressing. Cover has a tiny bump in one corner, but this is a great copy.)
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