Bold, boozy work from Carmen McRae – a wonderfully mature album from that great time when her style was equal parts jazz and soul – put together here by arranger/producer Arif Mardin, a perfect choice for the record! There's a care to the overall presentation not heard in some of McRae's albums from a few years before – not just jazz vocals with a backing group, but a really rich presentation of some hip, modern, all-adult material that somehow sounds even better in Carmen's hands than anyone else. Titles include the sublime title tune "Just A Little Lovin" – plus"Goodbye Joe", "I Love The Life I Live", "Carry That Weight", "Something", "I Want You", "More Today Than Yesterday", and "Didn't We". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album – not only for Esther Phillips, who's emerging here as a gifted young lady, very different from her R&B years, but also for the genre of country soul, which was emerging to be one of the most important strands in the new music during the 60s. Esther's not fooling around here – as she's working with Nashville arranger Cliff Parman, and getting backup from the Anita Kerr singers for that true Music City sound. Sounds hokey, sounds like it shouldn't work – but the setting is perfect for Esther's raspy rich tone, and in a way, it forces her to break out even more vocally than she does on other 60s recordings. Titles include "Release me", "I'd Fight The World", "Am I That Easy To Forget", "I Really Don't Want To Know", "Just Out Of Reach", and "Be Honest With Me". A wonderful album – one that sits perfectly next to work by Solomon Burke, Ray Charles, and Brook Benton. (Soul, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Arrangements by Thad Jones and JJ Johnson – with titles that include "Sposin", "I Left My Heart In San Francisco", "All Alone", "The Sweetest Sounds", "On The Other Side Of The tracks", "I Had A Ball", and "I Want To Be Happy". LP, Vinyl record album

The genius of Betty Carter knows no bounds – and this album's a perfect illustration of that fact! The record is one of the few that Betty released on her own label – working in near obscurity at a time when she really wanted to break from the BS of the bigger companies, and the staid approach they were using towards vocal jazz. This set is one of Betty's most freewheeling – performed with trio lineups that include players like Onaje Alan Gumbs, Buster Williams, and Louis Hayes – really stretching things out past the simple "piano trio meets standards with singer" that you might hear on other records. The best illustration of the style is the amazing track "Sounds" – a 7 minute workout that has the trio and Betty cutting loose, taking jazz vocals a million miles past Ella or Billie or any other singer. Most other tracks are originals – and beautiful ones too – and titles include "What Is It", "I Can't Help It", "We Tried", "Happy", and "Tight". LP, Vinyl record album