A great collection of material from Sammy D – including a number of cuts you can't get elsewhere! CD

Sure, Rickie Lee Jones went onto become a bit of a cliche in later years, but this early album's still got an undeniable power – and was a great breath of fresh air, at a time when it seemed like most of modern music was forgetting its roots! What is it with the LA scene from the 60s onward that they always seemed to find their best inspiration in the past? Artists like Harpers Bizarre, Randy Newman, Tom Waits and others set the stage for a record like this – by reaching back into older styles and bringing them forward with a more contemporary spin. (And why was it that LA seemed to be the center of this mode – and New York, Chicago, and other cities never worked that way?) Rickie serves up a nice assortment of older-styled vocal cuts – performed with a mixture of traditional and 70s jazz backings, supported by some extra-classy Warner production from Lenny Waronker. Titles are all originals, but done with an older hipser sort of feel – and titles include "Easy Money", "Chuck E's In Love", "Young Blood", "The Last Chance Texaco", "Danny's All Star Joint", "Weasel & The White Boys Cool", "Company", "Coolsville", and "On Saturday Afternoons In 1963". (Rock, Vocalists) CD

Features Bob James on piano. CD

A very powerful little session from Joanie Sommers – and like most of her work from the time, one that's done in a great blend of jazz and mainstream pop! Orchestrations are by Tommy Oliver, and there's plenty of dynamic horn passages to keep things interesting – even on the mellower numbers, which are often some of the best in the set – and feature Joanie's sweeter vocals amidst a darker bank of trombones that dip and turn gently. The more upbeat numbers often feature some nice percussion touches to get the groove going – and titles include "Till There Was You", "Make The Man Love You", "Spring Is Here", "Let's Talk About Love", "After The Lights Go Down Low", "Namely You", "Kiss & Run", and "I'll Never Stop Loving You". CD