Always brilliant work from the great June Christy – an album that's got a lot more darkness than you might think from the title and the bright-colored cover! The style is very booze-soaked and sad – with plenty of echoes of the classic Something Cool album – and like that set, this one features sublime arrangements from the great Pete Rugolo – who has a perfect way of shading things in with the dark tones and modern elements that always work best for Christy's vocals! One of our favorite-ever records from June – with titles that include "Let There Be Love", "When Sunny Gets Blue", "I Want To Be Happy", "Imagination", "No More", "Better Luck Next Time", and "The Best Thing For You". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare later work from June Christy – with titles that include "Cecilia", "Mister Wonderful", "Lover", "I'll Take Romance", "Checkin In", and "September Song". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure moment in June Christy's career, but a great one too – a rare later recording, done many years after her time at Capitol Records – in a laidback setting with a hip group of west coast players! June's voice definitely shows a bit of age, but she's still head and shoulders above most jazz singers of her generation – mixing subtle feeling and darkness together beautifully, in a way that makes for a wonderfully moody record! Lou Levy leads the group on piano, and other players include Bob Cooper on tenor and flute, Frank Rosolino on trombone, and Jack Sheldon on trumpet – although the horns don't seem to appear on all the tracks on the date. Titles include "The Trouble With Hello Is Goodbye", "My Shining Hour", "Once Upon A Summertime", "Show Me", "Willow Weep For Me", "Everything Must Change", and "Autumn Serenade". LP, Vinyl record album

From its booze-soaked title cut, to its haunting selection of lonely ballads like "Midnight Sun" and "Stranger Called The Blues", this is one of the most fantastic vocal jazz albums of all time – and a record that we'd recommend instantly to anyone! June Christy has an incredibly icy tone on the record, filled with sorrow, regret, and loneliness – all of which are amplified even more deeply by Pete Rugolo's eerie, off-kilter arrangements. Titles include "Something Cool", "It Could Happen To You", "Lonely House", "I'm Thrilled", and "The Night We Called It A Day". Fantastic stuff! Stereo re-recording of the full LP – from the late 50s. LP, Vinyl record album

From its booze-soaked title cut, to its haunting selection of lonely ballads like "Midnight Sun" and "Stranger Called The Blues", this is one of the most fantastic vocal jazz albums of all time – and a record that we'd recommend instantly to anyone! June Christy has an incredibly icy tone on the record, filled with sorrow, regret, and loneliness – all of which are amplified even more deeply by Pete Rugolo's eerie, off-kilter arrangements. Titles include "Something Cool", "It Could Happen To You", "Lonely House", "I'm Thrilled", and "The Night We Called It A Day". Fantastic stuff! Original Mono recording – from 1953. LP, Vinyl record album

One of her great ones, with moody dark arrangements by Pete Rugolo, and some fantastic stuff like "Whee Baby", "Look Up Out There", and "Kicks". Tight west coast backing, some of her best vocals, and a great purple striped cover too! LP, Vinyl record album

That's "gone" – as in the way June Christy really sends us – vocals that take us to a place that few other 50s singers could ever hope to reach! June's work here is a masterpiece of melancholic understatement – far less overblown than some of her pop contemporaries, but also filled with feeling in a way that's different from some of the other icy singers of the time. A big part of the album's strength lies with arranger Pete Rugolo – who gives June here some of the same dark corners and modern elements you'd find in her classic Something Cool album – which really hits the right sort of emotion for Christy. Titles include "When The Sun Comes Out", "It's So Peaceful In the Country", "When You Awake", "Lazy Mood", and "Interlude". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing stuff, and easily one of June's greatest albums – even if it is an unusual one! The format here is a far cry from the boozier modes of June's earlier career – as the tunes on the set are mostly children's songs, redone as jazzier numbers by June and the Joe Castro Quartet – the latter of whom provides some rare small combo backing for Christy, in a lightly dancing mode that really makes the album work! And while you might expect the children's tunes to be simple-minded or cloying, June's delivery of the material unlocks the secret sense of loss, sadness, and longing that's often buried in the songs – completely transforming familiar numbers in a way that really leaves us breathless! Titles include "Kee Mo Ky Mo", "Small Fry", "Swinging On A Star", "Give A Little Whistle", "The Magic Window", "Baby's Birthday Party", and "Aren't You Glad You're You". LP, Vinyl record album

From its booze-soaked title cut, to its haunting selection of lonely ballads like "Midnight Sun" and "Stranger Called The Blues", this is one of the most fantastic vocal jazz albums of all time – and a record that we'd recommend instantly to anyone! June Christy has an incredibly icy tone on the record, filled with sorrow, regret, and loneliness – all of which are amplified even more deeply by Pete Rugolo's eerie, off-kilter arrangements. Titles include "Something Cool", "It Could Happen To You", "Lonely House", and "I Should Care". This is the original 10" mono recording with 7 tracks – and a green and white cover that has June with eyes closed. LP, Vinyl record album

A well-chosen batch of tunes from June Christy's legendary years at Capitol Records – material that really helped transform the sound of the voice in jazz during the 50s! Arrangements are by Pete Rugolo or Bob Cooper – and there's a tremendous amount of darkness in many of these tunes – a mix of cold and sweet that's simply breathtaking, and which is still a style that June does better than anyone else. Titles include "How High The Moon", "Nobody's Heart", "Something Cool", "Just A Sittin & A Rockin", "Midnight Sun", "Willow Weep For Me", and "My Heart Belongs To Only You". LP, Vinyl record album

June's got rhythm, sure, but the real thing that makes her great is her dark and moody sense of melody! This album's one of June's late 50s efforts done with husband/arranger Bob Cooper – not as arch modern as some of her work with Pete Rugolo, but still in a style that's definitely inspired by that classic work. Backing is by a small group of LA jazzers – including Shelly Manne, Russ Freeman, Laurindo Almeida, Frank Rosolino, and Cooper – and titles include "My One & Only Love", "Blue Moon", "I Can Make You Love Me", "When Lights Are Low", and "Gypsy In My Soul". LP, Vinyl record album

One of June's all-time classics – and perhaps her most famous album, next to the sublime Something Cool. The set, like that one, was arranged and conducted by Pete Rugolo – whose icy and modern touches are the perfect foil for June's sad and dark voice. Familiar tunes are completely transformed by the pair's masterful handling – and titles include "The Wind", "There's No You", "For All We Know", "This Year's Kisses", "That's All", and "Maybe You'll Be There". LP, Vinyl record album

The first album in a legendary run of vocal jazz classics on Atlantic Records – and a set that really helped Chris Connor move to a new level of expression in her music! The sound here is much richer than Connor's previous recordings for Bethlehem – and the small combo jazz backings have been replaced by fuller orchestrations by Ralph Burns – done in a cool, edgey sort of way that really pushes Chris into newly sophisticated territory! The sound's on a par with the best June Christy/Pete Rugolo collaborations on Capitol – and the group's filled with some great jazz players, including Zoot Sims, John Lewis, Milt Hinton, and Oscar Pettiford. Titles include "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "My April Heart", "He Was Good to Me", "Where Are You", and "Get Out Of Town". LP, Vinyl record album

Genius, pure genius! If you've ever wondered why folks think Stan is so great, check out this landmark set of postwar modern swing tunes – some of the most groundbreaking work of its generation, and proof that there was still a lot of room to grow within the big band format. June Christy provides some icy vocals on a few numbers, and other strong players on the set include Vido Musso, Boots Mussulli, Kai Winding, Eddie Safranski, and Shelly Manne. Arrangements are by Pete Rugolo, Gene Roland, and Stan – and titles include "Artistry In Bass", "Artistry In Percussion", "Fantasy", "Come Back To Sorrento", "Soothe Me", "Opus In Pastels", and "Artistry In Bolero". LP, Vinyl record album

Here's a nice one – the only album we've ever seen by vocalist Dee Lawson, an icy yet soulful singer with a style that's clearly forged in the June Christy mode! The set features some nice small combo backing that really matches the late night mood of the tunes – more jazz-based overall than some of the vocal sets with larger orchestrations on Roulette – and featuring some of the great little unusual tunes that used to show up on that label's better vocal sides of the time. Highlights include "A Ballad At 5am", "It Was Nice While The Money Rolled In", "You Can't Hardly Get Them No More", "If The Moon Turns Green", and "Lost Within A Dream". Players include Jimmy Cleveland, Doc Severenson, and Eddie Safranski. LP, Vinyl record album

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

Excellent work by composer/leader Pete Rugolo – Stan Kenton's old partner in modernist jazz, and the force behind excellent work by June Christy, The Four Freshmen, and others. This album's got a great "crime jazz" sound – with an approach that sort of starts at the Peter Gunn level, but which gets much crazier as the record goes on. Titles include "The Teaser", "Richard Diamond Theme", "Who's Sam?", "All Star", and "Teen Age Rock". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful little record from singer Carol Sloane – a singer who's billed as a discovery from the Newport Jazz Festival – but who sings here with shimmeringly modern arrangements that recall some of June Christy's best 50s work with arranger Pete Rugolo! The force behind the backings here is mostly Bill Finegan – of Sauter-Finegan fame – who uses just the right amount of subtle modern colors and tones to instantly announce Sloane as a singer from a new generation – one who's not trying to cross over to pop, nor please the dancers – and instead revel in all the advances that jazz vocals had made in the postwar years. Bob Brookmeyer also arranged a few tunes – and plays often on the record, with a great tone that underscores the blue vibe of the set – and titles include "Who Cares", "My Ship", "Little Girl Blue", "Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries", "Night & Day", "My Silent Love", and "The More I See You". LP, Vinyl record album

Genius, pure genius! If you've ever wondered why folks think Stan is so great, check out this landmark set of postwar modern swing tunes – some of the most groundbreaking work of its generation, and proof that there was still a lot of room to grow within the big band format. June Christy provides some icy vocals on a few numbers, and other strong players on the set include Vido Musso, Boots Mussulli, Kai Winding, Eddie Safranski, and Shelly Manne. Arrangements are by Pete Rugolo, Gene Roland, and Stan – and titles include "Safranski (Artistry In Bass)", "Artistry In Percussion", "Fantasy", "Come Back To Sorrento", "Ain't No Misery In Me", "Opus In Pastels", "Willow Weep For Me" and "Artistry In Bolero". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Julie London's strongest overall albums – a great session that features small group backings with a warm and intimate feel! There's less of the languid sadness of some of Julie's other records, and more of the dreamy floating style of singers like Chris Connor or June Christy on this one. The feeling of the album's great, and it shows that Julie was much more than a pop singer with sexy looks and a smoky finish – although we're happy to hear that on here too! Titles include "Let There Be Love", "Goodbye", "You've Changed", "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To", "Lonesome Road", "They Didn't Believe Me", and "The Thrill Is Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

Very cool work from Anita O'Day – a session cut with Jimmy Giuffre arrangements, in a style that's a bit different than some of her other 50s work for Verve! Jimmy brings a nice touch of modernism to the record – casting the horns in ways that show his own love of creative colors and careful phrasing, which makes for a bit more sensitivity than you'd hear on some of her dates with Billy May. Anita really responds to this shift with her vocals – stepping around the tunes carefully, and seeming to slide in alongside Giuffre's horn charts in a really fresh way. The vibe's a bit like that of June Christy on Capitol with Pete Rugolo – which is a great recommendation to us – and titles include "Hershey Bar", "A Lover Is Blue", "Mack The Knife", "You're A Clown", and "Orphan Annie". LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool record! The album's sort of an American tribute to the emerging French sex goddess Brigitte Bardot – one that features a gatefold cover with a wraparound photo of Brigitte, and some nice images on the inside. Music on the set is by Pete Rugolo – the master arranger who'd worked with June Christy, Stan Kenton, and others – and although Bardot doesn't sing or even make an appearance on the set, Pete does more than enough of a good job of conjuring up her presence with a good selection of jazzy tunes. Players include Pete Candoli and Jack Sheldon on trumpets, Frank Rosolino on trombone, Paul Horn and Bud Shank on reeds, and Laurindo Almeida on guitar. Gloria Wood sings on one track – and titles include "Arsenic Blues", "Paris BB", "Jeff's Blues", "Mambo Bardot", "A T'Aimer", and "The Night Heaven Fell". LP, Vinyl record album

What a singer! Anne Phillips is someone that we know nothing about – we'll admit – but this gem of an album is one we'd gladly stack next to our favorite 50s vocal sides, including work by June Christy and Chris Connor! The arrangements are superb – a blend of jazz and lusher styles, handled by Kermit Leslie in a subtly sweet style that never gets to cloying – and Anne's vocals are moody and dusky, but never self pitying. Wonderful stuff all around – and with tracks that include "For Heaven's Sake", "Lonelyville", "I've Got To Pass Your House To Get To Mine", "When Sunny Gets Blue", and "A Stranger In Town". LP, Vinyl record album

A very moody album from Chris Connor – one that features arrangements by Ronnie Ball and Jimmy Jones, on a somber set of songs that makes the album one of Chris' darkest for Atlantic! Most of the tunes are in small group settings – a bit tightly arranged, but in a good way that gives the record a kind of June Christy sort of sound – never to overdone on the vocal tip, with a sense of restraint that only further creates tensions in the tunes! There's a level of sophistication here that's way different than the somewhat cheesy image on the cover – and titles include "Where Flamingos Fly", "Alone Together", "I'm Glad There Is You", "If I Should Lose You", "Here's That Rainy Day", and "Love". LP, Vinyl record album