With Cedar Walton on piano! CD

A fantastic record – one of the best jazz vocal records of the 80s, and a real bright spot in an often dim decade for jazz! The set is Carmen Lundy's debut – and it's a masterful self-produced effort that immediately put her in the ranks of the ultra-hip, ultra-soulful jazz crowd – singers like Betty Carter and Dee Dee Bridgewater, both of whom took a lot longer to sound this good than Carmen! The record is set in a perfect setting – Carmen working closely with musicians headed up by brother Curtis on bass, and including soulful players like Bobby Watson, Rene McLean, Cecil Bridgewater, Jon Faddis, and Harry Whitaker. The whole thing's great – the kind of righteous vocal set that few singer ever seem to make this well – and titles include some great originals like "Good Morning Kiss", "Time is Love", and "Perfect Stranger" – plus excellent versions of "Dindi", "Love For Sale", and "The Lamp Is Low". CD also features 3 bonus alternate takes! CD

Beautifully sensitive work from pianist Geri Allen – a session cut with a core trio of Ron Carter on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums, but one that sparkles even more from guest contributions by Wallace Roney and Carmen Lundy! Geri's piano is at the forefront of the set – sliding out gracefully with a sound that's not exactly timeless, but which has a soulful energy that reminds us a lot of some of the best styles of her roots – focused a bit more here, and augmented on a few tracks by the Atlanta Jazz Chorus, a vocal group who hardly dominate the record, but float in very gently alongside Geri's piano – almost in a style that's similar to the use of voices on some of Duke Pearson's last recordings for Blue Note. Titles include "Portraits & Dreams", "Oh Freedom", "Melchezedik", "Well Done", "La Strada", "I Have A Dream", "Nearly", "In Real Time", "Our Lady", and "Timeless Portraits & Dreams". CD features a bonus disc with a version of "Lift Every Voice & Sing" by vocalist George Shirley with the Atlanta Jazz Chorus. CD

Always the master storyteller, Kip Hanrahan turns his unique musical vision to source material from 1001 Arabian Nights – interweaving stories from the text with jazz-based expression, augmented by spoken and vocal passages. Carmen Lundy sings quite a bit on the record – which is a real treat to our ears, as its great to hear her in such a left-field project – and other artists on the set include Don Pullen, Milton Cardona, Mike Cain, Jack Bruce, JT Lewis, and Henry Threadgill. Tracks include "Diente De Oro", "Aziz & Azizah", "Dunya's Nocturnal Realization", "The Hasheater's Tale", "The Angel Charles & The Caravans Of Jinns & Dreams", and "The Jewish Doctor's Tale". CD

Lezlie Harrison's a great singer, and she sounds especially wonderful here next to the Hammond B3 of Ben Paterson – a player who really seems to click with Lezlie's great approach! There's a slight current of soul in Harrison's music, but the music is definitely jazz – as she's got a richness of expression, and way of using her voice that we'd rank right up there with vocalists like Carmen Lundy or Dee Alexander – given plenty of space to open up and soar here in a small combo setting, with work also from Matt Chertkoff on guitar and Pete Zimmer on drums. The approach is great – very different than some straight old school Hammond/vocal session – as Harrison's take on the tunes is very fresh, with more contemporary approach to arrangements – on titles that include "Love Won't Let Me Wait", "Let Them Talk", "A Lover Is Forever", "What A Little Moonlight Can Do", "Fly Like An Eagle", and "Close Your Eyes". CD

Sublime work from a truly amazing artist – one who both sings and plays acoustic bass – all in a captivating blend of jazz, soul, and Brazilian styles! Esperanza Spalding has a fresh, unique feel that's all her own – the warmth of a jazz singer like Carmen Lundy, the sharper sensitivities of a bossa vocalist, and the depth of a younger soul artist – all wrapped up in grooves that are undeniably jazzy, with a strong sense of rhythm from Spalding's great work on bass! The set is a great one, and provides a perfect platform for Esperanza's wonderful talents – even more so than her previous import release, and at a much nicer price. Instrumentation is mostly small combo – with lots of piano, a bit of Fender Rhodes, and some trumpet and sax from time to time – and titles include "She Got To You", "Precious", "Ponta De Areia", "I Know You Know", "Fall In", "I Adore You", "Love In Time", and "Mela". CD

One of the most amazing jazz vocalists of our generation returns here with an incredible group – a majestic combo to match all the spiritual inclinations in his music – with work from Kamasi Washington on tenor, Mark De Clive-Lowe on piano, Miguel Atwood Ferguson on viola, and both Carlos Nino and Derf Reklaw on percussion! Dwight Trible on his own is already more than enough to get us to run out and buy a record – but here, the combination of his unique voice with these musicians makes for an album that's an instant masterpiece – and one that even has lots of new colors and styles compared to some of Dwight's previous work! Songs include numbers by older west coast spiritual jazz heavyweights – like Horace Tapscott, Linda Hill, Nate Morgan, James Leary, and Jesse Sharps – mixed with some of Trible's own songs, and versions of work by Carmen Lundy, Oscar Brown Jr, and Donny Hathaway. From top to bottom, start to stop, the album's a treasure – with tracks that include "It's All About Love", "Thank You Master", "Song For My Mother", "Brother Where Are You", "Some Other Time", "These Things You Are To Me", "Desert Fairy Princess", and "Mothership". CD

Bobby Watson is definitely back home here – really re-rooted in the kind of greatness he was giving us on record many years back, at a level that's come back strongly in recent years – thanks to a top-shelf release like this! As you'll note on the cover, Bobby's got his key early musical partner in place – bassist Curtis Lundy, with whom he cut some of his finest in the 80s – and the alto giant's also got some other wonderful bandmates in the lineup – especially trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, whose upbeat tone and way of reaching up with his sound really matches the positivity in Watson's horn. Other players include the great Cyrus Chestnut on piano and Victor Jones on drums – and Carmen Lundy, makes a very welcome vocal return on the title "Our Love Remains". Other tracks include the Watson originals "Side Steps", "Bon Voyage", "Back Home In Kansas City", and "Blues For Alto" – and other tunes include "Red Bank Heist", "Mind Wine", "The Star In The East", and "Dear Lord". CD

Amazing work from singer Dee Alexander – a wonderfully soulful album of jazz vocals, and one that we'd rank right up there with our favorite records by Carmen Lundy or Dee Dee Bridgewater! Dee's a singer who's worked in Chicago for years, but we've honestly only begun to appreciate her talents of late – possibly because she's really hipped up her sound a lot over the years, picking up a range of spiritual, soulful influences that push her music to a whole new level – as you might have heard on her recent collaboration with IG Culture. The music on the set is wonderful too – work by Chicago players we know, but have never heard this strongly before – grooving in modal and soulful modes behind Dee's great vocals, with a lineup that includes Miguel De La Cerna and Michael Logan on piano, Harrison Bankhead on bass, and Leon Joyce on drums and percussion. Titles include versions of two tunes by AACM member Henry Huff – "Live" and "You & I" – plus the Alexander originals "Long Road Ahead", "Rossingnol", "Butterfly", and "C U On The Other Side". CD

Lezlie Harrison's a great singer, and she sounds especially wonderful here next to the Hammond B3 of Ben Paterson – a player who really seems to click with Lezlie's great approach! There's a slight current of soul in Harrison's music, but the music is definitely jazz – as she's got a richness of expression, and way of using her voice that we'd rank right up there with vocalists like Carmen Lundy or Dee Alexander – given plenty of space to open up and soar here in a small combo setting, with work also from Matt Chertkoff on guitar and Pete Zimmer on drums. The approach is great – very different than some straight old school Hammond/vocal session – as Harrison's take on the tunes is very fresh, with more contemporary approach to arrangements – on titles that include "Love Won't Let Me Wait", "Let Them Talk", "A Lover Is Forever", "What A Little Moonlight Can Do", "Fly Like An Eagle", and "Close Your Eyes". CD

A really wonderful little record – equal parts jazz and soul, and recorded with the same warmly flowing vibe as the best recent work from Carmen Lundy or Dee Dee Bridgewater! The style is jazz vocal, but it's definitely got a hip sort of twist – one that inflects each tune with a strongly rhythmic energy, and a sense of energy that's way more than simple torch songs and ballads. Like Carmen Lundy, Laika Fatien has a way of really inhabiting a tune – making it her own, warming things up, and letting the whole thing overflow with life, love, and a never-failing sense of righteousness. Instrumentation here includes piano, tenor, guitar, bass, and drums – and the whole thing is beautifully produced with a small combo feel that few jazz singers seem to touch these days! Titles include versions of Joe Henderson's "Shade Of Jade" and "Serenity", Wayne Shorter's "This Is For Albert", Abbey Lincoln's Throw It Away", and Nicholas Payton's "Zigaboogaloo" – all of which feature original lyrics by Laika! Other tracks include "Where Are The Words", "Bird Alone", "I Hear Music", and "Just Say Goodbye". CD

A sublime debut from the up-and-coming Cecile McLorin Salvant – a fresh new jazz singer with really rich roots – and a vocalist who's equally at home with both contemporary styles, and modes from the earliest years of jazz! There's a really complex approach to this record – both stylistically and referentially – and Salvant wants to show right from the start that she's a force to be reckoned with – a singer who can resonate with the best of the contemporary jazz underground, yet one who's got a special attention to creative roots as well. The tunes are a really surprising blend of well-chosen nuggets and a few original numbers – and Cecile gets some killer backing from a creative quartet that features Aaron Diehl on piano and Rodney Whitaker on bass. Cecile's got a sound that's right up there with the best work by Dee Dee Bridgewater or Carmen Lundy in recent years – yet an approach that's definitely all her own as well! Titles include "Baby Have Pity On Me", "Woman Child", "Nobody", "Le Front Cache Sur Tes Genoux", "You Bring Out The Savage In Me", and "Deep Dark Blue". CD

One of the most amazing jazz vocalists of our generation returns here with an incredible group – a majestic combo to match all the spiritual inclinations in his music – with work from Kamasi Washington on tenor, Mark De Clive-Lowe on piano, Miguel Atwood Ferguson on viola, and both Carlos Nino and Derf Reklaw on percussion! Dwight Trible on his own is already more than enough to get us to run out and buy a record – but here, the combination of his unique voice with these musicians makes for an album that's an instant masterpiece – and one that even has lots of new colors and styles compared to some of Dwight's previous work! Songs include numbers by older west coast spiritual jazz heavyweights – like Horace Tapscott, Linda Hill, Nate Morgan, James Leary, and Jesse Sharps – mixed with some of Trible's own songs, and versions of work by Carmen Lundy, Oscar Brown Jr, and Donny Hathaway. From top to bottom, start to stop, the album's a treasure – with tracks that include "It's All About Love", "Thank You Master", "Song For My Mother", "Brother Where Are You", "Some Other Time", "These Things You Are To Me", "Desert Fairy Princess", and "Mothership". CD

Features Kenny Barron on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, plus guest vocals by Carmen Lundy! CD