... LP, Vinyl record album

36 tracks over two CDs featuring work by Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra plus small and midsize groups including his quartet, quintet, and sextet. Players include Kenny Dorham, Charles Mingus, Johnny Griffin, Arnett Cobb, and Leonard Feather. CD

... CD

... CD

With 28 tracks! CD

Girl pop gems we never would have heard otherwise – a huge assortment of UK female numbers from that special stretch in the 60s when it seemed like the scene was turning out gem after gem with effortless ease – all mixed up with a blend of rock, pop, and soul modes that really set the work apart from American singles of the time! You may know the way that Dusty Springfield mixed together soul and rock styles in her big hits – but the assortment of singers here maybe even take the mode further, and really showcase the heady brew of sounds that was taking place in mid 60s London! As always with Ace, the song selection and notes are fantastic – and titles include "You" by Lorraine Child, "Jenny Let Him Go" by Antoinette, "He Loves Me He Loves Me Not" by Dana Gillespie, "All The Time In The World" by Stevie Kimble, "Spark That Lights The Flame" by Margo, "Me About You" by Billie Davis, "Mind How You Go" by Barry St John, "Primrose Hill" by Kathe Green, "Don't Blow Your Cool" by The Caravelles, "Love For Living" by Clare Torry, and "Mr Scrooge" by The Orchids. CD

... CD

... CD

Features Helen O'Connell, Bing Croby, Judy Garland, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Mel Torme, Sylvia Sims, and Jeri Southern – 20 tracks in all. CD

Monumental work from these two key figures in pre-bop jazz – both musicians with a strong early tie to trad styles, but also artists who opened up to a fair bit of fresh ideas in the 40s as well! The box is the most comprehensive package we've certainly seen of Eddie Condon at this point in his career – with every Commodore and Decca recording, including many alternate takes, never-issued numbers, and other gems that really flesh out these years of his vital contribution to the growth of jazz guitar. Recordings feature Condon alongside players that include Max Kaminsky on trumpet, Wild Bill Davison on cornet, Jack Teagarden on trombone, Pee Wee Russell on clarinet, and Bud Freeman on tenor – plus a few that have Bing Crosby on vocals. And Freeman is featured on some excellent recordings of equally wide scope – less tracks overall than Condon, but lots of rarities and alternates from the Commodore years – including some excellent small group material. The box features a whopping 199 tracks in all – with the usual very thorough Mosaic level of notes and presentation – and most material was originally issued on 78s, save for the number of rare tracks that were unreleased back in the day. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of the earliest albums from the legendary Quartette Tres Bien – the hip piano combo from the St Louis scene – one who were almost to that city's jazz world what Ramsey Lewis was to Chicago! Unlike other piano groups of the time, which were trios, the Quartette featured an additional percussionist in their lineup of piano, bass, and drums – and that added percussion really gives records like this a super-cool kick – a romping sort of rhythm that's totally great! Pianist Jeter Thompson's also one heck of a great writer – as you'll hear on the album's original "Kilimanjaro" – and percussionist Percy James really makes other tunes groove, including versions of "You Came A Long Way From St Louis", "I Left My Heart In San Francisco", "Secretly", "My Favorite Things", and "My One And Only Love". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection of a unique showcase in 50s jazz – large group recordings by arranger Manny Albam, done to showcase some of the best players of the time from both the New York and LA scenes! The sessions were originally recorded for Decca – with volume 1 featuring mostly players from New York, and volume 2 featuring the cream of the crop of the west coast scene. The format was simple – in that Albam would pen arrangements for longish tracks that brought together the whole ensemble – then allowed plenty of space for players to break out in well-crafted solos. Artists include Art Farmer, Harry Edison, Conte Candoli, Bob Brookmeyer, Phil Woods, Zoot Sims, Bill Holman, Gerry Mulligan, Charlie Mariano, Milt Hinton, Lou Levy, Hank Jones, and Pepper Adams – and tracks include "See Here Miss Bromley", "Poor Dr Millmoss", "Blues From Neither Coast", "Home Brew", "Little Eye Opener", "Blues Over Easy (parts 1 & 2)", and "Afterthoughts". 2CD set features 20 tracks in all – seemingly a lot more than on the original albums! CD

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

One of the hipper Louis Armstrong albums of the 50s – a set that still has him singing in that charming comeback style of other sessions of the time – but which also has a slightly deeper groove overall! The New Orleans Nights title is taken very strongly here – and the session has a much more stretched out, open-ended feel than some of Armstrong's sessions from the time – almost the sort of material you'd hear in a Crescent City club in the small hours of the evening, polished a bit perhaps for a larger audience. Players include Barney Bigard on clarinet, Jack Teagarden on trombone, Bud Freeman on tenor, and Earl Hines on piano – and titles include the hip suite "New Orleans Function", which features narration by Armstrong – plus "Struttin With Some Barbecue", "Basin Street Blues", "My Bucket's Got A Hole In It", and "Bugle Call Rag". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Jeepers Creepers", "A Kiss To Build A Dream On", "Old Man Mose", "The Whiffenpoof Song", "La Vie En Rose", "Blueberry Hill", "On The Sunny Side Of The Street", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... CD

An obscure and wonderful chapter in the career of Burt Bacharach – material penned for a 1967 TV musical starring Rick Nelson and Joanie Sommers – all of it perfect 60s Bacharach pop all the way through! The plot of the musical is a bit silly, but the performance isn't – tightly-crafted vocal numbers that often mix Burt's older Brill Building style with a bit more of a Sunshine Pop kind of approach. Although penned by Bacharach, the music is actually conducted by Peter Matz – who does a great job of retaining the maestro's sense of space and timing, but also unlocks some bolder flourishes in the tunes, and manages to get some really amazing vocal performances out of both Sommers and Nelson! There's a sophistication here that goes beyond the roots of both singers – and the record's filld with lesser-known tracks that still sparkle with plenty of Bacharach brilliance – including "It Doesn't Matter Anymore", "They're Gonna Love It", "Juanita's Place Montage", "Try To See It My Way", "They Don't Give Medals", "Fender Mender", and "Juanita's Place". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A nice set – 21 tracks from Count Basie's 78rpm recordings for Decca Records! CD

... CD

... CD