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A seminal classic from Michael Franks – one of those records that's almost a whole genre unto itself, and which set a whole new tone for the male voice in American music! The style here is light and jazzy – almost an evolution of modes first begun by Kenny Rankin, and served up here with a similarly compressed production style that really brings out the jazz in the instrumentation. Players include Michael Brecker, Joe Sample, Larry Carlton, and David Sanborn – all sounding great with a bit of added strings from Nick DeCaro. But the real star of the set is clearly Franks – whose light vocals and creative lyrics sound wonderful next to the electric piano on the set. Titles include "Eggplant", "Monkey See Monkey Do", "Jive", "Mr Blue", "Popsicle Toes", "St Elmos Fire", "I Don't Know Why I'm So Happy I'm Sad", and "Sometimes I Just Forget To Smile". LP, Vinyl record album

Later issue of the first album from Michael Franks – and a bit different than his later hits at Warner! The trademark Frank sound is definitely in place here – well-penned tunes, sung with cool compressed vocals and a slight jazzy tinge – but there's also a bit more of a folksy feel at times, a slightly earthier feel at points that's quite nice, and which almost links him a bit to the early work of Kenny Rankin. Arrangements are by Richard Markowitz, and backings are relatively spare and sometimes jazzy – with bits of flute and sax from Tom Scott, and some especially nice bass work from Max Bennett and Carol Kaye, whose round tones really help shape Michael's vocals. Titles include "Just Like Key Largo", "The King Of Oklahoma", "Born With The Moon In Virgo", "Little Sparrow", and "When Blackbirds Fly". LP, Vinyl record album

Really fantastic work from Jarrod Lawson – one of those underground singers who should be huge, if the world had any justice! Lawson's a cut above, and completely his own singer – the kind of individual talent that comes along once in a generation, like Al Jarreau or Michael Franks – and like both of them, he's got a way of singing in a style that's steeped in jazz, but which comes across with a soulful palette that's all his own – the kind of mode that grabs you right away, and makes you know that you're listening to something really unique, really different, and really special! And while we've loved Lawson before, this album is his crowning achievement to date – the kind of set that really pushes him over the top, and which earns the term "instant classic" in our book. Lawson plays plenty of sweet keyboards next to his amazing vocals – and titles include "Be The Change", "Universal Chord", "Evalee", "Connected", "Embrace What We Are", "Soul Symphony", "Love Isn't Always Enough", "I'll Be Your Radio", and "How Long". CD

A very cool little set – maybe not the deepest dive into the decade of the 70s, in that the package isn't full of unissued tracks or super-rare singles – but it does represent a great look at the decade that goes way past the hits, and much farther than the charts – including the sort of material that was slightly ignored at the time, but has gone on to be really appreciated in more recent years! The book-style set is filled with great choices and unusual tunes – work from both the US and UK scenes, some of it by bigger names represented here by more unusual cuts – some by others who barely cracked the mainstream, but did some great work at the time. There's one full CD of female artists, and a pretty unusual mix of titles – 71 titles in all, by artists who include Murray Head, The Records, Ronnie Lane, Terry Reid, Sandy Denny, Wendy Waldman, Freddie King, Montrose, Tim Buckley, Don Nix, Jerry Williams, Big Star, Tony Joe White, Delaney & Bonnie, John Prine, Michael Franks, Bobby Charles, Andy Pratt, Hirth Martinez, Robert Palmer, Jess Roden, Roy Harper, Patto, Sharks, The Roches, Linda Lewis Valerie Carter, and many others! CD

Even an 80s perm can't hide the brilliance of Sue Raney – a singer who first started crafting great music in the 50s, but who kept on going with great records for decades to come! This overlooked gem got little exposure at the time – and it's a swinger that really stands up to the best in Raney's catalog – maybe one of the few female jazz vocal albums of the period that manages to come across in a classic mode, while also embracing some of the advances in phrasing and arrangement – handled here by keyboardist Bob Florence, who's heading up a quartet instead of one of his usual bigger groups. Titles include a great take on Michael Franks' "Baseball", the Willie Wonka gem "Pure Imagination", and Bob's own "How's That For Openers" – plus the tracks "Ridin High", "This Happy Madness", "No More Blues", "Stardust", and "Tea For Two". CD

A later Warner label compilation – with material by Tin Huey, Alice Cooper, Michael Franks, The Roches, Chaka Khan, Mary Russell, Gary Wright, Bob Marley, George Harrison, Rickie Lee Jones, Osiris, Ashford & Simpson, Lowell George, and others. LP, Vinyl record album

Even an 80s perm can't hide the brilliance of Sue Raney – a singer who first started crafting great music in the 50s, but who kept on going with great records for decades to come! This overlooked gem got little exposure at the time – and it's a swinger that really stands up to the best in Raney's catalog – maybe one of the few female jazz vocal albums of the period that manages to come across in a classic mode, while also embracing some of the advances in phrasing and arrangement – handled here by keyboardist Bob Florence, who's heading up a quartet instead of one of his usual bigger groups. Titles include a great take on Michael Franks' "Baseball", the Willie Wonka gem "Pure Imagination", and Bob's own "How's That For Openers" – plus the tracks "Ridin High", "This Happy Madness", "No More Blues", "Stardust", and "Tea For Two". LP, Vinyl record album