A surprising sort of set, one in which Dee Dee Bridgewater pays tribute to Ella Fitzgerald – a link we might never have expected in her style! Dee Dee's not totally copping Ella here, though – although she does sing a good number of tunes from the Fitzgerald songbook – and as usual for Bridgewater, there's a pretty unique flavor to most of the material, something that comes through strongly with help from arrangers Lou Levy, Slide Hampton, and Cecil Bridgewater! The band's upbeat and groovy on most numbers – and titles include the Kenny Burrell-penned "Dear Ella", done as a duet, plus "How High The Moon", "Mack The Knife", "A Tisket A Tasket", "Midnight Sun", "Undecided", "Oh Lady Be Good", and "If You Can't Sing It You'll Have To Swing It (aka Mr Paganini)". CD

A beautiful love letter from Dee Dee Bridgewater to her adopted home of Paris – sung in French, and with a feel that's quite different than much of her recent work! The style here wonderfully mixes together bits of jazz and more traditional chanson – in a style that recalls some of the recent work by Claude Nougaro, but which also has traces of some of Dee Dee's more intimate work as well. Marc Berthoumieux plays accordion on a number of tunes on the set, and Ira Coleman contributes some warmly soulful basslines that give the session a nice bottom grounding – especially on the mellower tunes. Titles include "Mon Homme", "Et Maintenant", "La Belle Vie", "Dansez Sur Moi", "Avec Le Temps", "Les Feuilles Mortes", and "Ne Me Quitte Pas" – plus the Japanese exclusive bonus track "L'Hymne A L'Amour". CD

One of Dee Dee Bridgewater's greatest jazz albums, and a very important record in her career – as it marked a shift back to straight jazz vocals, after years of working in a more R&B inflected mode. The album's recorded in Paris, where Dee Dee's spent an awful lot of time over the years, and you can feel that familiarity in the way she presents the material – easily slipping back into a jazz vocal mode, working before an appreciative audience without any thoughts of crossover popularity, hitting that proud, strong, and free style that's been carrying her well for a number of years now. Includes a great version of "All Blues", plus the tracks "On A Clear Day", "Here's That Rainy Day", "There Is No Greater Love", and "Misty". CD

One of the greatest jazz vocal albums of all time – and one of the first true moments of genius from a young Dee Dee Bridgewater! The album's a Japanese only release (proof that they're always hipper to our jazz artists than we are!) – and it features Dee Dee singing material that's quite different than her later R&B-inflected sides from the late 70s – very soaring and spiritual work, delivered in a way that set a whole new standard for jazz at the time! Backing is by a small combo with brothers Ron and Cecil Bridgewater, plus Roland Hanna on acoustic and electric piano, George Mraz on bass, and Motohiko Hino on drums and percussion – but the star of the set is always Dee Dee, who sparkles beautifully on the album's classic versions of "Afro Blue" and "Little B's Poem" – both of which have been redone by many other singers over the years. Other great cuts include "People Make The World Go Round", "Love From The Sun", and "Love Vibrations". CD

A beautiful love letter from Dee Dee Bridgewater to her adopted home of Paris – sung in French, and with a feel that's quite different than much of her recent work! The style here wonderfully mixes together bits of jazz and more traditional chanson – in a style that recalls some of the recent work by Claude Nougaro, but which also has traces of some of Dee Dee's more intimate work as well. Marc Berthoumieux plays accordion on a number of tunes on the set, and Ira Coleman contributes some warmly soulful basslines that give the session a nice bottom grounding – especially on the mellower tunes. Titles include "Mon Homme", "Et Maintenant", "La Belle Vie", "Dansez Sur Moi", "Avec Le Temps", "Les Feuilles Mortes", and "Ne Me Quitte Pas". CD

One of the most creative albums we've heard from Dee Dee Bridgewater in years – a set of tracks recorded with a host of Malian artists – in a unique cross-cultural mode that's unlike anything else Dee Dee has ever recorded! The core style here is still very firmly rooted in Bridgewater's jazz roots – but that sound is augmented strongly by the additional singers and musicians – in a mix of jazz and Mali musics that comes off surprisingly well. There's hardly any of the overdone cliches that you might expect from such a record – and Dee Dee herself seems creatively re-ignited in the setting – singing with a sense of freedom and exploration we haven't heard in a long long time, and which is a great reminder of why we've always stood by her over the years. Guest artists include Toumani Diabate, Kasse Mady Dibate, Zoumana Tereta, Baba Sissoko, and Oumou Sangare – and the jazz side of the music is handled quite strongly by pianist Edsel Gomez and bassist Ira Coleman. Titles include "Afro Blue", "Bad Spirits", "Dee Dee", "Mama Don't Ever Go Away", "Footprints", "No More", "Four Women", "The Griots", and "Oh My Love". Also features 3 Parisian tracks too – "Compared To What", "Red Earth", and "Meanwhile". CD

Warm, wonderful work from Dee Dee Bridgewater – a relatively straight jazz album, and a hell of a swinger, too! The set's a live date, and has a relaxed, easygoing quality we really love – that soulful, personal feel that Dee Dee picked up strongly in her later years – quite a change from the mode she used on her soul recordings of the 70s. There's definitely a nod here towards older modes of jazz singing too – given that Bridgewater scats a bit at points, almost Ella-esque – but even amidst some familiar tunes, there's a decidedly Dee Dee feel to the whole record, that distinct touch that always makes her records stand out. Instrumentation includes piano and organ from Thierry Eliez, bass from Thomas Bramerie, and drums from Ali Jackson – and titles include "Love For Sale", "Undecided", "Stairway To The Stars", "Sex Machine", "Midnight Sun", and "Cherokee". CD

Dee Dee Bridgewater returns in wonderful form – singing a set of Kurt Weill compositions, working with small combo backings to infuse the tunes with a heck of a lot more soul than usual! Dee Dee's always been one of our favorite jazz singers, and we've got new appreciation for her talents in the way that she transforms older classics like "My Ship", "Bilbao Song", "This Is New", "Lost In The Stars", "Speak Low", and "Saga Of Jenny". Her approach to the material loses all the stark, rough edges of the songs' original readings – and makes them swing with new life in the presence of Dee Dee's warmth! 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

A modern classic from Dee Dee Bridgewater – one of her hippest albums of the later years, thanks to a great choice of material, and some really wonderful execution! The album's a beautiful set of straight jazz vocal readings of some of Horace Silver's best compositions, and it also features guest appearances by Silver and Jimmy Smith – both players who still had plenty going on at the time of the sessions. The real strength, though, is Dee Dee – as she proves once and for all that she's one of the best female true jazz singers of this era, capable of rich emotion on ballad tracks, and swinging free vocalese on more uptempo numbers. Titles include "Nica's Dream", "Pretty Eyes", "St. Vitus Dance", "Soulville", "Lonely Woman", and "Tokyo Blues". One of the greatest jazz vocal albums of the past 10 years! CD

An undisputed 70s soul jazz classic – and arguably the best album that Doug Carn ever cut for the Black Jazz label! The set is a masterpiece of spiritual jazz – with Carn on keyboards setting up the groove, and wife Jean singing some incredible vocals – very different than her later soul work as a solo act, and with a vibe that's like Dee Dee Bridgewater at her soulful 70s best. Jean does a killer job with the album's classic vocal version of Bobby Hutcherson's "Little B's Poem" – done here with sweet lyrics that really open the song up a lot, and make it into an anthem of love and joy that we'd be hard pressed to match with any other tune! And all other tracks are great too – with titles that include "Moon Child", "Passion Dance", and a great version of Wayne Shorter's "Infant Eyes". CD

Man, these guys keep blowing our minds again and again with each new album – stretching out even farther than before, yet still hanging on to all the best elements of their sound! This time around, Nostalgia 77 still have the bolder jazz style forged on their previous experimental recordings – but the groove is a lot more focused and dynamic – soaring out with the depth of a spiritual soul jazz session from the 70s – and often topped by some great vocals from Lizzy Parks, a wonderful singer with qualities that remind us of Dee Dee Bridgewater or Jean Carn back in their earliest days! The bass is right up front on most tracks – giving the tunes a darkly pulsating feel – and the instrumentation is mostly acoustic, and certainly spontaneous – a very welcome change from some of the stiffer, colder modes of the downtempo generation! Titles include "Quiet Dawn", "Arora", "Wildflower", "Stop To Make A Change", "Dreamers Dance", and "Little Steps". CD

The most righteous album ever from Kellee Patterson – her first record, and a set that's way different from her more soul-based sides of later years! The album's got Patterson working in a wonderfully soulful approach to jazz – a style that's not unlike the earliest work by Dee Dee Bridgewater, especially her seminal Afro Blue album – and which mixes Kellee's unique vocals with some very hip backings that are right in the best Black Jazz mode! Instrumentation is from a loose jazz combo, and the tunes are a mix of jazzy numbers and a few tighter tracks – a really rich array of sounds that comes together beautifully in the hands of producer Gene Russell. Titles include a stellar version of Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage", a great take on the Flip Nunez number "See You Later", and the tracks "Soul Daddy", "Be All Your Own", "Magic Wand Of Love", "You", and "Look At The Child". CD

An undisputed 70s soul jazz classic – and arguably the best album that Doug Carn ever cut for the Black Jazz label! The set is a masterpiece of spiritual jazz – with Carn on keyboards setting up the groove, and wife Jean singing some incredible vocals – very different than her later soul work as a solo act, and with a vibe that's like Dee Dee Bridgewater at her soulful 70s best. Jean does a killer job with the album's classic vocal version of Bobby Hutcherson's "Little B's Poem" – done here with sweet lyrics that really open the song up a lot, and make it into an anthem of love and joy that we'd be hard pressed to match with any other tune! And all other tracks are great too – with titles that include "Moon Child", "Passion Dance", and a great version of Wayne Shorter's "Infant Eyes". CD

The female all star Mosiac Project led by drummer, percussionist and vocalist Terri Lyne Carrington – with Dee Dee Bridgewater, Esperanza Spaulding, Nona Hendrix, Sheila E, Dianne Reeves, Cassandra Wilson, Patrice Rushen, Geri Allen and many more! This project is a celebration of the best female instrumentalists and voices in the jazz world and beyond – spanning genres and generations. Includes instrumental and vocal tracks, with some abstract improvisation and more soul jazzy vocal numbers. Includes "Transformation", "I Got Lost In His Arms" "Michelle", "Echo", "Simply Beautiful", "Soul Talk", "Insomniac", "Mosaic Triad", "Sisters on The Rise (A Transformation)" and more. CD

Some great tracks from the jazzy soulful genius of Norman Connors! Connors is one of the best crossover soul jazz artists of the 70s – with a masterful blend of styles that's matched by only a few other artists, like Roy Ayers or Leroy Hutson. This set includes tracks from his Buddah and Arista recordings – and the sound is classic all the way through! Titles include "You Are My Starship", "This Is Your Life", "Betcha By Golly Wow", "Valentine Love", "Dindi", "Romantic Journey, "We Both Need Each Other", "Love From The Sun", and "Once I've Been There". The "friends" are all vocalists – including Michael Henderson, Phyllis Hyman, Jean Carn, Phillip Mitchell, and Dee Dee Bridgewater. CD

A great bit of work from the hip LA scene that centered around the Nimbus label at the end of the 70s – a collective who work together here with the same spiritual jazz modes you'd find on labels like Tribe or Strata East! The group features some bigger names from the scene, including some solo Nimbus acts – plus some other overlooked players – a lineup that includes Henry Franklin on bass, George Bohannon on trombone, Wilbert Hemsley on tenor, Dadesi Komolafe on flute, Jeff Clayton on baritone, and Gary Bias on alto and soprano sax. The album's also got some beautiful vocals from BJ Crowley – who co-leads the group, and sings out with a proud righteousness that recalls some of Dee Dee Bridgewater or Jean Carn's early early soul jazz recordings. The tracks are all long and spiraling numbers – never really "out", but in a free searching mode that's a perfect platform for the piano work of the other co-leader, Kaeef Ruzadun. Titles include "One Step Out", "Flashback Of Time", "All Praises Due", and "Stars In Lightyear Time". CD

A very cool group headed by percussionist Hamid Drake – one that features some deeply soulful work from the contemporary Chicago underground! There's a more righteous feel to the set than some of Drake's other recordings – a quality that stretches back to the Chicago scene of the 70s, with complex interplay between a range of different sounds and spirits – performed by a lineup that includes Joe Morris on guitar and banjo, Jeff Parker on guitar, William Parker and Josh Abrams on basses and percussion, and Dee Alexander on vocals – adding in some surprising wonderful elements to the record! Alexander's vocals almost remind us of some of Dee Dee Bridgewater's more outside expressions from her earliest years in the 70s – a very soulful fit for the group, and one that moves it past the usual improvisational combo. Titles include "The Beautiful Name", "There Is Nothing Left But You", "My Blissful Mother", "Visions Of Ma", "Supreme Lady Victorious In Battle", and "Playful Dance At Soma". CD

One of the most amazing albums ever from Frank Foster – a totally righteous set that's light years ahead of his earlier work with the Basie Band! The format here is right up there with the best on Strata East at the time – a large-group session that's filled with some of the hippest players of the early 70s – all coming together with a joyous, spiritual sense of power! Foster's in the lead on tenor and soprano sax, but other players include Cecil Bridgewater and Hannibal Marvin Peterson on trumpets, Harold Mabern on keyboards, Elvin Jones on drums, Dick Griffin on trombone, Stanley Clarke on bass, Airto on percussion, and even Dee Dee Bridgewater on vocals! Tracks are all quite long and flowing – spiritual expressions of jazz that rival the greatness of anything recorded for Impulse – and titles include "The Loud Minority", "Requiem For Dusty", "JP's Thing", and "EW – Beautiful People". CD

The amazing debut of Ledisi – presented here in the original mix and with the original cover! Ledisi's got a heck of a voice – very rich and mellow, in a style that reminds us a bit of classic work by jazzy soul singers like Jean Carn or Dee Dee Bridgewater, but with more of a bite, and more of a hip hop sensibility. The tracks on this debut set are wonderfully produced – blending together jazzy instrumentation and heavy beats with some warm soul arrangements that are both totally fresh, yet also infused with a classic approach to the music. The record's a treasure, and will be one of the best new soul albums of the past decade! Titles include "Stop Livin In Ya Head", "Hotel", "Groove On", "Free Again", "Papa Loved To Love Me", "I Wantcha Babe", "Groove On", "Get Outta My Kitchen", and "Take Time". 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

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

Strange album for Marlena – recorded after her soul albums, and done in a live setting with a small group (Buddy Montgomery, Larry Ball, and Paul Humphrey). Marlena's ostensibly trying to get back to her jazz roots (as was Dee Dee Bridgewater around the same time), and she kind of does, given the song list (mostly standards), but the sound you'd expect still isn't there, despite her best efforts. Titles include "Go Away Little Boy", "On The Street Where You Live", "Unforgettable", and "Day In Day Out". CD

The last album ever recorded by the legendary Jimmy Scott – the jazz singer who first recorded in the 50s, then spent decades in obscurity – only to be revived to great fame in the last 20 years of his life! This album's a wonderful tribute to Jimmy – as it features the singer's unique voice in the company of an all-star lineup – both singers and instrumentalists who help make the album one of his most special in later years! Backings often feature some light strings, underscoring the darker tones in the music – and players include Joey DeFrancesco on Hammond and trumpet, Kenny Barron on piano, Til Bronner on trumpet, and James Moody and Bob Mintzer on tenor. Guest singers include Oscar Castro Neves, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Renee Olstead, and even Joe Pesci – on titles that include "Love Letters", "If I Ever Lost You", "Motherless Child", "The Nearness Of You", "Poor Butterfly", "The Folks Who Live On The Hill", and "Everybody Is Somebody's Fool". CD

Collection of live performances from Dee Dee Bridgewater, Oscar Peterson, Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz, Shirley Horn, JJ Johnson, Sarah Vaughan, Art Tatum, Clifford Brown, and Sarah Vaughan. CD