CTI, 1972. Very Good Gatefold
An excellent 70s set by Jackie & Roy – very different than their work of the 50s and 60s, with an approach that's much more far-reaching and complicated – a style that opens up their vocal talents majestically! Gone are the simpler ditties of earlier years, and in their place are ...
Atlantic, 1968. Very Good
A great return to form for vocalist Earl Coleman – a singer who'd recorded earlier in the bop years, but who makes a rare 60s appearance here on a soulful set for Atlantic Records! Coleman's got a rich voice that's somewhere between Johnny Hartman and Billy Eckstine – with a great ...
Colpix, 1961. Very Good
An album recorded relatively early in the career of singer Nina Simone – but a set that already shows the very unique approach that would make her a legend by the time the 60s moved on! Even the very first tune is a stunner – a haunting reworking of the favorite "Just In Time" ...
Westbound, 1975. Very Good+
Surprisingly nice album that Etta Jones cut with a larger backing group for Westbound, and a record that has her mixing in soul sounds with her usual jazz-based vocals. The set's got a great version of Bill Withers' "Grandma's Hands", and a Marlena Shaw-esque cover of "Go Away ...
United Artists, 1959. Very Good
A great early album from Diahann Carroll – the kind of set that shows that she was already ahead of the pack on the scene! The album's a mix of jazz vocals and more uptown material – all handled by the young Peter Matz, who does a great job with the charts – at a level that ...
Capitol, Late 60s. Near Mint-
A bit lusher, and a bit more pop-vocal oriented than some of Nancy's other Capitol albums – this one has arrangements by Sid Feller, and a rich string-laden sound that's nicely juxtaposed against Nancy's soulful vocals. Titles include "Gentle Is My Love", "When He Makes ...
Dauntless, 1963. Very Good+
Obscure set of sexy vocal numbers, sung by Teri Thornton with some nice backing by Larry Wilcox and his orchestra. Thornton's got a polished style that resembles some of Sarah Vaughan's Mercury recordings of the mid and late 50s, and the backing is lush and dreamy, and works well with her voice. ...
ABC, Late 50s. Near Mint-
One of the first albums ever by this legendary jazz vocal group! LHR do the incredible – and create a set of vocal renditions of standards by the Basie band, putting jazzy lyrics in to replace the instrumental solos, but keeping the same vibe as the original tracks. The sound and approach ...
Verve, Mid 50s. Very Good+
Beautiful Billie from the last years of her life. The material was recorded in 1956 and 1957 in Hollywood, featuring Barney Kessel, Ben Wesbster, Harry Edison, and Jimmy Rowles – all grooving nicely in small group formation. The tracks have a wonderfully fragile quality – and although ...
United Artists, Late 50s. Very Good+
Nice obscure set of blues material recorded for United Artists – featuring the little-known Big Miller performing a set of 11 compositions from the pen of Langston Hughes. The backing on here is similar to that of a Jimmy Rushing album from the same time – as it includes arrangements ...
Capitol, Late 60s. Very Good
Genius work from Nancy Wilson – the kind of Capitol Records gem that was partly jazz, partly soul, and very much in that special territory that made Wilson one of the most mature, sophisticated singers of the 60s! The record's got Nancy working through some material with bluer currents, ...
Riverside, 1961. Near Mint-
Great early work by Mark Murphy – a set that's different than the cool breeziness of his 70s work, and done with an approach that's a lot hipper than most of his 60s contemporaries! Ernie Wilkins handles the arrangements, and there's a rollicking soul jazz groove here that's a bit unusual ...
Erect, 1981. Very Good+
An obscure bit of Chicago jazz – featuring vocalist Luba Raushiek, kind of a self-styled spiritualist, with an approach that hits both traditional modes, and more far-out soulful ones – running through styles that range from Leon Thomas to Billy Eckstine, as was typical for a small club ...
Atlantic, 1956. Very Good+
A fantastic cover, and some great music to match – a key early classic in Chris Connor's late 50s run for Atlantic Records! As on her debut for the label, Ralph Burns handles the arrangements here – in a mode that's somewhat modern, but never too academically so – with just the ...
Capitol, Mid 50s. Very Good+
Wonderful stuff by Nat – truly one of his greatest Capitol vocal albums, and set to great arrangements by Nelson Riddle, very much in a classic mode. Tracks include heartbreakers like "Dinner For One, James", "There Will Never Be Another You", and "There Goes My ...
Mercury, 1964. Very Good+
Well, we don't know if Mr B could ever be considered "modern", but this is a pretty groovy batch of 60s pop tunes – like "Mister Kicks", "People", "Wanted", "Wives & Lovers", and "A Beautiful Friendship" – all done to ...
Reprise, 1967. Near Mint-
A beautiful little album that shows a whole new side of Sinatra! Frank's a bit late on the bossa game – but the record's a wonderfully gentle batch of bossa nova tunes, performed with musical and occasional vocal accompaniment by Jobim, and larger orchestral backings by Claus Ogerman. Far ...
Tomato, 1974. Very Good+
Quite a big album for Annette Peacock – and a set that helped break her into a much wider audience than before! The album's got a quirky electric style that's years ahead of its time – a blend of Peacock's older jazz roots with some of the artier styles that would show up much more ...
ABC, 1966. Near Mint-
One of Della Reese's greatest records – and a unique little session cut "live in the studio" before a very appreciative crowd! Bobby Bryant wrote out some very hip charts for the session, and they're made even better by organ work by Bill Doggett and piano lines by Gerald Wiggins ...
Verve, Late 50s. Near Mint-
An excellent album of vocals by the great Joe Williams! Joe's always been a fine singer, but with Basie, he really gets the backing he needs to do his work the best. And although this album isn't as authenico as it might be, it still comes from a time when Verve really knew how to handle singers ...
Riverside, Early 60s. Near Mint-
Interesting stuff, if not the kind of record you'd put on every day. The album's an interview with Louis Armstrong's wife Lil, and she talks at length about her famous days in the early years of jazz. Segments include "The Young Louis", "Early Life In Chicago", "Return To ...
Inner City, 1978. Very Good+ Gatefold
A great session that was recorded in Tokyo in 1973 – featuring Abbey backed by a small group that includes Dave Liebman on sax and flute, Al Foster on drums, and Hiromasa Suzuki on piano. The record's pretty darn hip – and it's a nice version of Abbey's haunting approach to vocal jazz, ...
Columbia, Late 50s. Very Good+
A classic from Jimmy Rushing – recorded at a time when he was really finding a new audience for his vocals! In a style that Columbia was using on a number of sides in the late 50s and early 60s, Jimmy and Buck do a bit of educatin' – and trace a progression of jazz styles from New ...
Capitol, 1963. Very Good+
Nancy Wilson turns her wonderfully sophisticated vocal style towards a batch of hits from Hollywood films of the 40s, 50s, and 60s – arranged and conducted by Jimmy Jones, in that classy blend of jazz and soul that suited Wilson so well in the 60s! The style is really a cut above the usual ...
Capitol, 1956. Near Mint-
A great album, and one in which Nat King Cole returns to his roots as a jazz singer! The session differs greatly from Nat's other schmaltzy ones from the time, and it features a very "after midnight" sound – with Nat playing and singing backed only by a small combo that includes ...
Colpix, 1963. Very Good
A hip set of live tracks from Nina Simone – very dark and moody, with backing by only a small combo that includes two guitars, bass, and drums by Montego Joe! Nina handles all the arrangements herself – with a quality that really shows her stepping forward from straight jazz, and ...
Philips, 1962. Very Good+
Great early stuff by this swingin' French vocal group! These guys swung as hard as American groups, like Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross – but they stuck to hipper, jazzier material, and had a driving sound that never let up! The group is led by singer Mimi Perrin, who also handed the ...
Capitol, 1955. Very Good
A masterpiece – and possibly the greatest record ever by the Four Freshmen! The album is arranged by Kentonite Pete Rugolo, who gives it a very dark feel – similar to his amazing work on June Christy's Something Cool album (which is a perfect complement to this one) – and he's ...
Starlite, 1956. Very Good+
The first-ever album from the legendary Hi-Lo's – a landmark indie debut that went onto transform the sound of vocal harmony in the 20th century! The record's got a subtle brilliance that's hard to catch at first – a way of putting together the tunes that's often only slightly ...
Blue Note, 1976. Near Mint-
Sweet soul from Carmen McRae – a great 70s album for Blue Note, and one that has the classic singer moving into some very groovy material! The feel here is much more soul than jazz – at least the jazz of the torchy style from Carmen's roots – but as you'd guess from McRae, the ...