Classic New Orleans soul from Smiley Lewis – an artist who's best known for his classic "I Hear You Knocking", but who has a lot more great tracks under his belt! Titles include "Bumpity Bump", "Bells Are Ringing", "Blue Monday", "Lillie Mae", "Real Gone Lover", and "One Night". CD

Incredible work from one of the greatest groups on the east coast scene at the end of the 50s – a wonderful harmony combo, but one with a hell of a lead singer too! Anthony's voice is hardly "little" here – as he belts it out with this raw soul power that's years ahead of its time – really bold on the upbeat tracks, heartbreaking on the ballads, but still able to slide back and harmonize with the Imperials at all the right moments. The album's one of the best examples of the group's genius at its height – a style that would later go onto become such a big influence on 70s groups like The Delfonics or The Stylistics – and titles include "Tears On My Pillow", "So Much", "The Diary", "Oh Yeah", "Wishful Thinking", "Two People In the World", and "What Did I Do". CD

One of the greatest blue-eyed soul groups of the 60s – made even better by tight arrangements from Sonny Sanders and Horace Ott! Titles include "Peace Of Mind", "Maybe Maybe Baby", "I Wish You Love", "Do A Justice To Your Heart", "I Got News", "Much Much More Of Your Love", and "Misty". Also includes the great "Keep On Climbing"! CD

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A tasty jazz session from David Fathead Newman – straight ahead, as the title implies, but still with some of the R&B touches that Newman crafted during his years with Ray Charles! The jazz side of the album's held down very nicely by a rhythm section that features Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Charlie Persip – and Newman himself plays flute, alto, and tenor – on a selection of longer tunes that really open up with some nice solo space! Titles include "Batista's Groove", an early composition by Marcus Belgrave – plus "Cousin Slim", "Night Of Nisan", and "Congo Chant". CD

As you'd expect from the title, this one features Cecil Payne performing a number of Charlie Parker compositions – and for the Charlie Parker label, no less! The session has a slightly off-beat quality, given that Payne's horn is a baritone, and not an alto, like Parker's – but given the fluid approach that Cecil always used, the sound is great – thanks also to support from a great combo that includes Duke Jordan on piano, Clark Terry on trumpet, Charlie Persip on drums, and Ron Carter on bass. Titles include "Cool Blues", "The Hymn", "Communion", and "Bongo Beep". CD

Rare garage rock from the East Coast – includes "Respectable", "Harlem Shuffle", "Ninety Nine And A Half (Won't Do)", "Double Shot", "Turn On Your Love Light", "Gimme Some Lovin", and more. CD

Although the name of George Wein is usually associated with some super un-hip trad jazz projects, this album's actually a pretty cool batch of grooves that matches Wein's older jazz tendencies with some newer styles of playing – and some good electric instrumentation on the best cuts. The album's got a super-nice version of "Sunny", plus "Blue Boy", "In A Little Spanish Town", "Topsy", and "Ja Da" – and believe it or not, Wein even plays some electric piano! Players include Red Norvo, Tal Farlow, Larry Ridley, and Barney Kessel. CD

12 tracks by The O'Jays, The Escorts, The Whatnauts, and Linda Jones. CD

Beautiful work from singer Doris Day – and a record that may well be her jazziest for Columbia – thanks to backing from the Andre Previn trio! The pianist is still at the height of his early jazz powers here – able to solo boldly when needed, but almost more equipped as a painter in tonal color – which he uses beautifully to emphasize all the right emotive currents in Day's vocals. The approach is great – quite sophisticated, and almost at the level of a Chris Connor record at times – and very different than the Doris you might expect from her comedic films of the time. Yet that sense of surprise is also what always made her one of the secret sexy stars of her generation – as comes through beautifully on tunes that include "Yes", "Close Your Eyes", "Remind Me", "Daydreaming", "Give Me Time", and "Nobody's Heart". Includes five bonus tracks. CD

Rare live material from Duke Ellington – first issued back in the 70s, but undoubtedly recorded decades before! The set's got a nicely gritty feel – that Ellington orchestra approach before they'd gotten too sure of themselves, and had lots of sharp edges – as you'll hear in the performance that features work by Shorty Baker and Al Killian on trumpets, Lawrence Brown and Tyree Glenn on trombones, and Jimmy Hamilton, Johnny Hodges, and Ben Webster on reeds! Titles include "The Mooche", "How High The Moon", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "The Hawk Talks", "The Tattooed Bride",a nd "Lover Come Back To Me", with vocals by Billie Holiday! CD

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Mid 60's material from Woody Herman & The Herd. Woody's Winners is a live recording from San Francisco, a run of shows that produced enough material that some of it was included on Jazz Hoot. Tracks include "I Can't Get Started", "Northwest Passage", "Sidewinder", "Satin Doll", "Black Opal", "Watermelon Man", "Greasy Sack Blues", and "Opus De Funk & Theme (Blue Flame)". CD

Jazz Swinger is a collection of Jolson tunes – Music For Tired Lovers features Woody Herman singing with backings from Erroll Garner! CD

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Quite possibly the best of Stacy Lattisaw's early work for Cotillion – a great little record that shines equally on groovers and mellower cuts! Stacy's still got a keen ear for pop soul here, but she definitely takes things a bit deeper too – working through a great set of original tunes penned by Narada Michael Walden (mostly with Bunny Hull), and singing in a style that has sophistication beyond her young years, but which is also youthful and catchy on a few of the album's best cuts. Years later, we might bet that Stacy's regretting the shirt and hairstyle on the cover – but hearing the music, she's got plenty more to be proud of here! Titles include "Dynamite", "Jump To The Beat", "Let Me Be Your Angel", "My Love", "You Know I Like It", and "Don't You Want To Feel It". CD

An excellent bit of funk – dark, heavy, and with a sweet sound on the top that makes the best cuts sound even more sinister! Includes "I Been Watchin' You" – a killer funky number with a sample riff that you'll recognize instantly, and will probably play again and again and again. Other tracks are nice too – and titles include "Mud Wind", "Superstition", "Can You Get To That", "La Dee Da", and "You're Gonna Lose My Love". Very nice sound, with tracks recorded in Chicago and Muscle Shoals, and real hard to find on CD – or vinyl for that matter. CD

2 rare Columbia albums by trumpeter Joe Wilder! The Pretty Sound has a title that might make you think that the album's a bunch of flowery instrumentals – but don't let that put you off, because it's actually a pretty strong set of tunes from trumpeter Joe Wilder, recorded with a bit of polish, to be sure, but in a way that lets him take the lead, solo-wise. Players on the session include Jerome Richardson, Hank Jones, Urbie Green, and Milt Hinton – and titles include "Caravan", "Harbor Lights", "It's So Peaceful In The Country", and "Guys & Dolls". Jazz From Peter Gunn is probably Joe Wilder's greatest album as a leader – and one of a number of competing Peter Gunn jazz albums on the market! Joe's take on the Mancini score is a bit warmer and rounder than some of the others – thanks in part to his fluid tone on the trumpet, and to the fact that the album's only a quartet session, with Hank Jones, Milt Hinton, and John Cresci behind Joe's solos. Titles include "Brief & Breezy", "A Quiet Gass", "The Floater", "Slow & Easy", and "Brothers Go To Mothers". CD

Two trio albums from pianist Teddy Wilson – an artist who'd already been recording for a few decades by the time of these late 50s sets, but one who was still very much at the top of his game! Both titles have Teddy taking on tunes by other jazz talents – and by George and Ira Gershwin on the second set – all given great treatment in Wilson's hands. CD

14 songs from the Willows, the Monarchs, the Tokens, the Rocketones, the Legends, the Nutmegs. CD

Features music by The Aquatones, Bellnotes, Excellents, Fireflies, Mello-Kings, Chevrons, Knockouts, Chimes, Safaris, Roomates, Imaginations, Three Friends, Tokens and more – 25 tracks in all! CD

Jo Armstead was one of the best talents working in the Chicago soul scene of the old days, and even if you don't know her individual records by name, you're bound to find her name as a writer or arranger on some of your favorites from the old days. This nice 18 track CD brings together some of her great rare recordings, both from her Chicago sessions, and from the ones that she did for Stax. Titles include "A Stone Good Lover", "I Got The Vibes", "Stepping Stones", "There's Not Too Many More (Left Like Him)", "I Feel An Urge Coming On", and "Never Had It Like This Before". CD

A blinding reissue of Roy's early jazz work for Atlantic! Both records are great, and feature super-hip lineups that include players like Herbie Hancock, Sonny Sharrock, Joe Henderson, Reggie Workman, Charles Tolliver, and Ron Carter. Despite the early placement of the material in Roy's career, his conception on the vibes is extremely mature, and both records represent a haunting new conception of the instrument that was to later emerge in full force on Roy's jazz funk albums for Polygram a few years later. These Atlantic sides are essential listening for Roy, and they're amazing little records that show a previously under-recognized side of his career. They're filled with great original tracks like "Ayerloom", "Virgo Vibes", "Glow Flower", "Shadows", and "Daddy Bug" – and the sound and package is excellent! CD

A sweet bit of soulful rock from the end of the 60s – part pop psychedelia, part small combo grooving, with some jaunty instrumentation and nice use of organ. "Little Green Bag" is a bona-fide oldies classic – and there's plenty of other nice tracks on the album with a similar feel. Titles include "Fly", "Road Of Peace", "Winter Time", "The Prisoner", and "Goodbye". CD

A sweet soul classic from late 60s Philly – the one and only album recorded by vocalist Chris Bartley – arranged and produced by Van McCoy! The style's really great – with a host of original tunes by Van that follow nicely in the style of Chris' hit title cut, and which show him off to be quite a well-versed singer. We're not sure why he never made it bigger – but possibly he was so eclipsed by the talents of Van it was hard to get out on his own! Includes the hit title cut – "Sweetest Thing This Side Of Heaven" – plus "Gotta Tell Somebody", "For You", "Sittin Pretty", "Hooked On You", "I'll Be Loving You", and "Sugar Baby". CD

Includes the songs " I Can't Get Started", "Trees", "Jelly Roll Blues", "'Deed I Do", "High Society", "Black Bottom", "Russian Lullaby", "The Prisoner's Song", "Caravan", "Swanee River", "Never Felt Better, Never Had Less", "(Shango, Shango, Shangoree) Rockin' Rollers Jubilee", "Frankie And Johnny", "'Cause My Baby Says It's So", and "The Wearin' Of The Green". CD

Two classics of modernist jazz on one CD! Both records are from the Atlantic studios, and they're both quite tough to find on wax. Brookmeyer's Portrait Of The Artist is one of his best works, and features him on piano and trombone, playing with largeish groups over a suite of tracks entitled "Blues Suite", plus the cuts "Mellow Drama", "Darn That Dream", and "Out Of Nowhere". The real treat, though, is Jimmy Guiffre's rare Four Brothers Sound album – a record that uses early overdubbing techniques to let Giuffre play four tenor sax parts at once! The sound is amazing, and although he's backed by usual trio-mates Brookmeyer and Jim Hall, Brookmeyer plays piano, and the set has a bit more swing than usual. The 4-tenor frontline is wonderful, and titles include "Four Brothers", "Ode To Switzerland", "Space", "Blues In The Barn", and "Memphis In June". CD

2 icy-cool jazz classics on one CD! The Candoli/Levy session is one of Conte's best-ever records, and it features a tight west coast jazz group playing great hard little numbers like "Pete's Alibi", "Jordu", "Cheremoya", and "Comes Love". Bill Holman's on tenor, and the rhythm section features Leroy Vinnegar and Lawrence Marable – and the whole thing's one of the best (and most overlooked) west coast sessions of the late 50s! Ballads of The Sad Cafe is one of the most heartbreaking albums ever cut by Chris Connor – and it features the lovely vocalist working her way through a great set of moody tracks, with stunning arrangements by Ralph Sharon. Titles include "Glad To Be Unhappy", "Bargain Day", "Something I Dreamed Last Night", "Ballad Of The Sad Cafe", and "The End Of A Love Affair". The backing is great, too, and it features many strong players! CD

An early charmer from Diahann Carroll – with arrangements from Peter Matz, and tracks that include "Fun Life", "The Boys In The Back Room", "Runnin Wild", "Blah Blah Blah", and "I Don't Care". CD

2 classic bop sides from the long-gone Vee Jay label! Go is one of the few records made by the great bassist Paul Chambers as a leader, and like all of them, this is a tight session that features some of the best players of the hardbop idiom. Cannonball Adderley's on alto, Freddie Hubbard is on trumpet, Wynton Kelly's on piano, and Philly Joe Jones brings it all together on drums. The tracks are long, with a classic Vee Jay hardbop groove, and titles include "Ease It", "Awful Mean", and "Julie Ann". Kelly At Midnite is a nicely laidback set by Wynton Kelly – recording here with the crack team of Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones on rhythm, in a mellow set of long tracks with lots of soulful meandering solos. The album is hard to find in the original pressing – and cuts include Babs Gonzales' "Weird Lullaby", plus "On Stage" and "Pot Luck". CD

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Very nice reissue that brings together two of the best albums by two players that don't necessarily have a lot of great albums (or at least a lot of albums that have stood the test of time!) We'll be the first to admit that Chick Corea has many weak moments – but his debut as a leader, Tones For Joan's Bones, is amazing! At the time, Chick was coming off of years of work in Latin bands, and in smaller soul jazz combos, and his writing here is a mix of the freer style that would later become too free, with the rootsier elements of his background. The players on the record include Woody Shaw, Joe Chambers, and Joe Farrell, and the tracks are long, with a sweeping, searching, soulful sound to them. Includes a beautiful rendition of Chick's "Litha", which he also recorded with Stan Getz on Sweet Rain, plus two other nice originals – "Tones For Joan's Bones" and "Straight Up And Down". And added to that album is an obscure early album by bassist Miroslav Vitous, which features playing by Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, and Jack DeJohnette. The album's a simple one, with less of the indulgent playing that would later mar some of Vitous' other sessions. It includes a version of "Freedom Jazz Dance", plus the originals "Infinite Search", "Cerecka", and "I Will Tell Him On You". (Please note that "When Face Gets Pale" was deleted from the Vitous album, due to space limitations.) CD

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A Benny Goodman two-fer! Notable sidemen include Les Robinson, Billy Butterfield, Geroge Auld, Cootie Williams, Johnny Guarnieri, and Slam Stewart – plus vocals by Helen Ward and Peggy Lee. CD

A 60s classic from the great Eddie Harris – and proof that his move to Atlantic Records was a very good thing! There's a punch here that Harris didn't have in his earlier sides for Vee Jay – a bite that shows an even stronger focus than before – a willingness to mix soulful undercurrents with some of the more exotic styles in his music – all in a blend that's completely captivating all the way through! The set features some wicked work from Cedar Walton on piano, adding in some lyrical lines that are mighty nice – and other players include the mighty Melvin Jackson on bass, the great Ray Codrington on trumpet, and Sonny Phillips on organ – adding in some sweet electricity to the set. Harris goes a bit electric at times – bringing in some great sounds on the Varitone – and titles include an early take of "Listen Here", with Eddie on electric piano – plus "Goin' Home", "Blues In The Basement", and "Mean Greens". CD

2 classic albums of jazz harmony vocals by The Hi Lo's! Love Nest is a warmly romantic set – one that's got the quartet singing with backings by Frank Comstock, one of their best accompanists, on a set of tracks that includes "Fairyland", "Dancing On The Ceiling", "But Beautiful", "Love Nest", and "In The Wee Small Hours". The other album's All Over The Place – a rare gem with jazzy backings by Marty Paich, and a wide range of interesting harmony numbers that include "Bali Hai", "Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square", "April In Fairbanks", "Sand In My Shoes", and "Massachusetts". CD

Excellent swinging vocal group from The Hi-Los – one of the best male vocal quartets ever! The foursome have an amazing talent with a jazz riff – and their style of handling a tune was only ever matched by the Four Freshmen for sheer inventiveness and vocal imagination. This set features two rare Columbia albums by the group – Now Hear This, which features orchestrations by Frank Comstock, and Broadway Playbill, which has the band grooving to some broadway tunes, whimsically conducted by Warren Baker. There's a total of 25 tracks in all – and titles include "Politics & Poker", "A Quiet Girl", "Sunnyside Up", "Laura", "Two Ladies In De Shade Of De Banana Tree", "The Heather On The Hill", "Mr Goldstone, I Love You", and "Small World". Wonderful stuff – with a perfect mix of harmony vocals, jazz, and humor! CD

Early genius from Eddie Higgins – a pianist who was a big thing on the Chicago scene of the 60s, but is probably best known to most folks for his revival records of the past decade or two! The younger Higgins has more of an edge than the later one – and this self-titled debut is a cooker of a hardbop album – thanks not only to work from Eddie's core trio, but also some great horn interplay from Frank Foster on tenor and Paul Seranno on trumpet! Eddie wrote some of the best cuts on the record – some really fresh numbers – and he gets rhythmic help from either Richard Evans or Jim Atlas on bass, and Marshall Thompson on drums. Higgins titles include "Foot's Bag", "Zarac The Evil One", and "AB's Blues" – and the album also features versions of "Blues For Big Scotia" and "Falling In Love With Love". CD

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Rick James makes the move away from Motown here – heading over to Warner/Reprise, in the Prince side of the spectrum – along with a cover image that has him wearing a paisley costume on top of a purple background – in a way that could well make the buyer think that Rick's working with Prince! But despite these Prince-like trappings (which also include some more Purple Rain-ish costumes on the inside cover), Rick's still writing, producing, and arranging himself – hitting a groove that clearly inspired by the success of his Paisley Park competition, but which is also kind of a natural extension of the Rick James funk sound into the end of the 80s. Roxanne Shante and Big Daddy Kane make some guest appearances on the album – and titles include "Loosey's Rap", "Hypnotize", "I Believe In U", "In The Girl's Room", "Sherry Baby", "Love's Fire", "Wonderful", "So Tight", and "Sexual Luv Affair". CD

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Hip, breezy, and wonderful! Irene Kral's a good vocalist, but she's never been one of our favorites – until we heard this album! The record's a totally hip batch of jazzy tracks with a 70s approach to the kind of underground songwriter styles used in the 60s by artists like Jackie & Roy or Bob Dorough. No surprise that Kral sings some tracks by cronies of those singers – like Tommy Wolf, Fran Landesman, and Dave Frishberg. Backing's by an acoustic quartet that features Alan Broadbent on piano and Emil Richards on vibes and percussion – and tracks include "Small Day Tomorrow", "Some Time Ago", "It's Nice Weather For Ducks", "Experiment", and "Wheelers & Dealers". CD

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Wonderful early work from the great John D Loudermilk – one of the quirkiest songwriters to ever record for RCA! Titles include "The Great Snowman", "Mister Jones", "What Would You Take For Me", "Two Strangers In Love", "Song Of The Lonely Teen", and "The Rocks Of Reno". CD

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The only full album ever cut by The Majors – a hell of a vocal group from the Philly scene of the early 60s, and one with a fantastic approach that's a bit unlike anyone else we can think of! The group sports soaring lead vocals from singer Ricky Cordo – a singer with a range that's really amazing, and used in these ways that can be really dynamic, even on the mellow cuts – as he's backed by the group's three guys and one gal, who sometimes get a bit more spotlight in the lead – amidst this wonderful palette of instrumental touches, which includes bits of vibes, organ, and other nice touches that really keep things interesting. Titles include "Oh Wee Baby", "Time Will Tell", "She's A Troublemaker", "Don't You Lose Your Cool", "Come One Come On", "What In The World", "A Wonderful Dream", and "Anything You Can Do". CD

2 groovy 60s sides by Herbie – back to back on one CD! A Mann & A Woman is a surprisingly groovy groovy batch of tracks that has Herbie joined by soul singer Tamiko Jones, for a nice set of tracks that have flute and female vocals in the lead. The groove is somewhat pop-bossa, and the album has great versions of "A Man & A Woman", "O Barquinho", "Sunny", and "How Insensitive". Jones is perhaps a bit less soulful than on later recordings, but her mellow moody voice is a perfect accompaniment to Herbie's laidback flute solos. Nice stuff, with arrangements by Melba Liston, Joe Zawinul, and Jimmy Wisner. Herbie Mann & Joao Gilberto is a good record, but with a title that's a bit misleading. Although Herbie and Joao are listed together in the artist credits together for the record, they don't really play together on the record – as did Joao and Stan Getz on their album together. Instead, they trade off tracks of bossa nova material, recorded with Jobim in Rio – Joao's by EMI/Odeon, Herbie's by Atlantic. The set includes a host of great light breezy bossa stuff – like "Amor Em Paz", "O Barquinho", "Bim Bom", "Bolinha De Papel", and "Deve Ser Amor". Not totally over the top, but a very nice batch of breezy bossa tracks with lots of light flute and guitar lines floating around! CD

Features swinging arrangements from Buddy Bregman – and titles that include "All Through The Night", "A Wonderful Guy", "Something Wonderful", "Hello Young Lovers", "Give A Little Get A Little", and "If This Isn't Love". CD

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Jazz in romantic places, but some pretty groovy ones too – a host of global destinations all referenced in the track selection for the set! Dave Pell's tenor is at the lead on most numbers, but the octet's in fine formation too – arranged by Jack Montrose, Marty Paich, Johnny Mandel, and Shorty Rogers – the last of whom also produced the album, and manages to give it the same sort of feel as his own great sets for Atlantic at the time! The style is prime west coast 50s – with a classic cover to match – and players include Bob Gordon on baritone sax, Don Fagerquist on trumpet, Ray Sims on trombone, and Donn Trenner on piano and celeste. Titles include "New Orleans", "Flying Down To Rio", "Paris In The Spring", "Memphis In June", "Isle Of Capri", "Shuffle Off To Buffalo", "On A Slow Boat To China", and "London In July". CD

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Two great lost titles from the Atlantic jazz catalog of the 60s! Horizons is a beautiful and oft-overlooked album of modal jazz tracks performed by Chicago jazz musician Ira Sullivan – who normally plays trumpet and tenor, but who also here shows his amazing talent on soprano sax. Sullivan plays in a great style that's almost a pop version of Coltrane's spiralling style on "My Favorite Things" – rolling the notes over and over in a beautiful exploratory style. This format works especially well on the set's longer tracks – like "Ninevah", "Horizons", and "Norwegian Wood" – but the whole thing's pretty great! Little Giant is a rare album by the great west coast Latin trumpeter Luis Gasca, and argubly the best album he ever recorded! The set was recorded in New York during the late 60's, and features a great lineup of musicians that includes Paul Griffin on piano, Joe Henderson on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Mongo santamaria on conga, and Bernard Purdie on drums. The style's a mix of soul jazz, Latin, and bits of modal riffing – and the record features some beautiful large arrangements by Gasca and Mark Levine, in a style that's a bit like some of Duke Pearson's work from the late 60s, but handled with a bit more of an edge. Tracks include "Coisa No. 2", "Afro Blue", "Joy Ride", and "Sweet Pea". 2CDs at a nice nice price! CD

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Music from the Students, Rainbows, Love Notes, Debonaires, Magnificent Four, Videos, Collegians, Kodaks, Bop-Chords, Jesters, and more – 20 tracks total. CD

Music from the Edsels, Eldorados, Carnations, Revels, Quins, Pyramids, Veltones, Lewis Lymon, Little Bobby Rivera, The Dells, Eternals, and more – 20 tracks total. CD

Music from The Exterminators, The Ricochetts, Chances R, Ronnie Rice and the Gents, The High-Schoolers, The Proper Strangers, Jimmy Watson and the Original Royals, The Exceptions, The Commons Ltd, the Riddles, and more. CD

Music from the Universals, the Ducanes, the Temptations, the 5 Stars, the Dialtones, the Dreamers, the Vocaltones, the Orlandos, Cleo & the Crystaliers, the Persians & more. CD

Features music by the Crests, the Duprees, the Five Discs, the Dimensions, the Charades, the Parktowns, the Barries, the Classics, the Voxpoppers, the Belmonts, the Emotions, the Dreamers & more. CD

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2 of Les Baxter's greatest exotic albums on one CD! Tamboo was cut with Les' orchestra and chorus – and it's a swirling mass of tribal drums, singing strings, and moody voices that would forever change the face of easy listening. Les' compositions are astounding – filled with all the sophsitication of a great soundtrack, but simple enough to evoke the fake primitive charm of the album's cover. Every cut is great – and tracks include "Simba", "Oasis of Dakhla", "Mozambique", and "Zambezi". Skins is a very groovy album of instrumentals – subtitled as a "Bongo Party for Young America". The overall feel is nice and jazzy, and the tracks have a nice snapping bongo sound. Tracks include "Reverberasia", "Bustin the Bongos", "Brazilian Bash", and "Afro-Deesia" – and they all sound as great as the titles might imply! Plus, the CD also features 3 bonus cuts from Les' mellower pop years – "The Poor People Of Paris", "Unchained Melody", and "April In Portugal". CD

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Two albums on one CD. All Alone On The Telephone is a bittersweet set of vocals from Polly Bergen – recorded with a sound that really fits her sad-eyed look on the cover! Although Bergen's voice is sometimes confident and full, it's nicely restrained here – often somewhat dark-toned and moody – in ways that remind us of Morgana King, especially in the way that Polly holds back at just the right moments – keeping things mature by never getting too overly emotive. There's a nice sense of depth to the record that goes way beyond simple pop singing – and Luther Henderson's arrangements further help color the sound of the set – by giving it a sense of unity that almost reminds us of some of Sinatra's best blue-toned late 50s albums for Capitol. Titles include "By Myself", "When The Wind Was Green", "All Alone", "Glad To Be Unhappy", "Too Late Now", "He Didn't Call", and "Not Like Me". Four Seasons Of Love includes the songs "Canadian Sunset", "June In January", "Lazy Afternoon", "September In The Rain", "Four Seasons", "Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year", and "Autumn In New York". CD

This session shouldn't work, but it does – and beautifully! By all means, an album that includes Diz, Art Blakey, Monk, and Sonny Stitt playing together should be a first-rate snoozer, with hackneyed performances of common-denominator material that they can all get their hooks around – but instead, it's an amazing bit of work that has all players hitting some of their best moments of the 70's! Diz has that great deep 70's funk sound in his trumpet, Stitt's solos are razor sharp, and Blakey's drums have a good snap to them, and were recorded extremely well, despite the fact that this was a live session. All tracks are long, and the record includes great versions of "Tin Tin Deo", "Night In Tunisia", "Allen's Alley", "Blue Monk", "Woody N You", and "Tour De Force". CD

The start of a tremendous run from Blue Magic – easily one of the greatest harmony groups of the 70s, a quintet we'd place in a rare class with heavy hitters like The Stylistics or The Moments! The album's smooth and sweet, but never slick – perfectly arranged by the great Norman Harris, who makes the vocals sound equally great on mellow tracks and uptempo numbers – setting a new Philly standard with the album, and one that few other groups could match so well! Every piece of the core 70s Philly harmony sound is in place here – from the near-perfect (but wonderfully human) vocals of the group, to the full yet subtle backings by Sigma players who include Vince Montana, Earl Young, Bobby Eli, and Harris himself – and if you've ever needed a record to prove the genius of the east coast harmony sound, this may well be it! Titles include "Look Me Up", "What's Come Over Me", "Tear It Down", "Sideshow", "Stop To Start", "Welcome To The Club", and "Just Don't Want To Be Lonely". CD

Features Buck Clayton on trumpet, Sid Weiss on bass, and Jo Jones on drums. CD

A rare bit of early bossa jazz from the US – an obscure 1959 session by Charlie Byrd, and one that predates most of his more famous work on Riverside, Columbia, and Verve! The session's a bit different than most of Charlie's lighter bossa recordings – in that it features his acoustic guitar work over bigger band backings from Woody Herman – done in modes that borrow a sense of sound and space from bossa nova, but which also share plenty of modern jazz touches as well. Arrangers for the record are Sid Feller and Ralph Burns – the latter of whom does a tremendous job with his 4-part "Summer Sequence" – a tone-based Kenton-esque suite that's a real standout part of the record, even if it's not as bossa-styled as some of the other work. Other tunes are all originals by Charlie – and include "Bamba Samba", "Love Song Ballad", "Prelude A Cha Cha", and "Original #2". CD