Sweet slices of work from a hell of a jazz festival – the 1963 Antibes performances, served up here in some incredibly hip material! The set begins with early work from pianist Dollar Brand – whose trio sounds moody and amazing on "Antibes Jam", then gets joined the great vocalist Sathima Bea Benjamin on a version of "Prelude To A Kiss". Next up is the soulful sound of tenorist Klaus Doldinger, whose group includes Ingfried Hoffmann on piano – on a sensitive reading of "Like Someone In Love", which really shows off Klaus' under-recorded ballad style. The great trombonist Eje Thelin follows – leading a quintet with Ulf Andersson on tenor and Lars Joesten on piano – on the very long "Antibes Jam". A Polish group follows with another long track – a sharp-edged take on "Well You Needn't", led by tenorist Jan Wroblewski in a quartet with Wojciech Karolak on piano. Last up is singer Sarah Vaughan – working with the Kirk Stewart Trio – on the titles "I Can't Give You Anything But Love", "Tenderly", "A Taste Of Honey", and "Bill Bailey". CD

Two fantastic Roulette Records sessions from Sarah Vaughan – both featuring backings by Benny Carter! CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty obscure Sarah Vaughn album – and a nice one! The album's got Sarah singing with arrangements by Hal Mooney, who'd done work for her before in a more standard way, and who here is opening up a bit, at times almost hitting a groovy late 60s mode. Players in the group include Bob James (who also arranged a few numbers), Phil Woods, Benny Golson, and Freddie Hubbard – and titles include "The Man That Got Away", "Alfie", "For Every Man There's A Woman", "Jim", and "My Man". CD

A pretty obscure Sarah Vaughn album – and a nice one! The album's got Sarah singing with arrangements by Hal Mooney, who'd done work for her before in a more standard way, and who here is opening up a bit, at times almost hitting a groovy late 60s mode. Players in the group include Bob James (who also arranged a few numbers), Phil Woods, Benny Golson, and Freddie Hubbard – and titles include "The Man That Got Away", "Alfie", "For Every Man There's A Woman", "Jim", and "My Man". CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Live material by Sarah Vaughan – recorded in Tokyo, as you might guess from the title – and done with relatively spare backing throughout! The group's a trio, with Carl Schroeder on piano and Jimmy Cobb on drums – but they really lay back at times, and almost let Sarah sing in near-solo formation on vocals – stretching out with a lot more vocal flair than in the earlier years, and really set free to do her thing. Titles include "On A Clear Day", "I Cried For You", "Tonight Tonight", "Tenderly", "There Is No Greater Love", "Summertime", "The Blues", and "Rainy Days & Mondays". CD

A collection of recordings from 1945 through 1947, with accompaniment by Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, The Earl Rodgers Choir, The Richarld Maltby String Orchestra, and others. LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

A gem from the Roulette Records years of Sarah Vaughan – material that sometimes gets a bit overlooked, partly because of its packaging – but which may well be some of our favorite material by the singer! Vaughan here is in her mature, boozy mode – the same Sarah we heard on the classic Snowbound and After Hours albums for the label – and the music has a blue-tinged blend of strings provided by Marty Manning, recorded by Henry Glover with this magical balance that still has Vaughan's vocals right out front – stark and spare, as if the bigger orchestra isn't even around – as she works incredible curves and inflections to the lyrics of the tunes – so that each performance makes the lyrics completely her own. Titles include "Star Eyes", "Once Upon A Summertime", "As Long As He Needs Me", "There'll Be Other Times", "I Was Telling Him About You", and "I'll Never Be The Same". LP, Vinyl record album

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

A beautiful collaboration between Sarah Vaughan and Michel Legrand – and easily one of Sarah's greatest albums of the 70s! As he was doing with other singers at the time, Legrand helps Vaughan hit a new level of sophistication here – bringing in tunes that really get past simple pop and older standards, with adult themes supported by equally mature backings – filled with rich colors and complicated tones developed over Legrand's great work on film scores. Almost all tunes are originals by Michel – many pulled from his film work – and he also scored the arrangements here, working with the orchestra in a swirling blend of strings and jazz. Titles include "I Will Say Goodbye", "Summer Me Winter Me", "His Eyes Her Eyes", "Wave", "Blue Green Grey & Gone", "Pieces Of Dreams", "Hands Of Time", "The Summer Knows", and "Once You've Been In Love". CD

One of our favorite albums ever by Sarah Vaughan – and a really jazz-based session that's totally hip! Sarah's working here live at the legendary London House nightclub in Chicago – singing with a small combo that includes Ronnell Bright on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums – augmented by some great horn work from Thad Jones on trumpet and Frank Wess on tenor. The set's got a relaxed jazzy feel that's really a welcome departure from some of Sarah's more over-arranged albums from the time – and the interplay between the vocals and the horns is easy, relaxed, and very well placed throughout – a perfect summation of the subtle Vaughan genius, but one that's rarely ever captured this well on record! Titles include "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", "Detour Ahead", "I'll String Along With You", "Three Little Words", "Speak Low", and "All Of You". LP, Vinyl record album

Sarah Vaughan definitely earns her divine nickname here – singing sublimely here in a warmly jazzy setting from her early years at Roulette Records! The style's a nice extension of Vaughan's best sides at Mercury – and is almost a nice back-to-basics approach, the kind of reminder that Sarah always sounds best when she's heard at her jazziest – as on this album, with arrangements and piano from Jimmy Jones, and some great trumpet lines from Harry Edison! The sound is often nicely spare and laidback – letting Vaughan's vocals really come up strongly in the mix, and flow with a tremendously natural, but creatively dynamic style that really leaves us breathless. Titles include "Have You Met Miss Jones", "Somebody Else's Dream", "What Do You See In Her", "Jump For Joy", "Ain't No Use", "I'm Gonna Laugh You Out Of My Life", and "When Your Lover Has Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Features the tracks "Lover Man", "Shulie A Bop", "Polka Dots & Moonbeams", and "Body & Soul". 7-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

Live material by Sarah Vaughan – recorded in Tokyo, as you might guess from the title – and done with relatively spare backing throughout! The group's a trio, with Carl Schroeder on piano and Jimmy Cobb on drums – but they really lay back at times, and almost let Sarah sing in near-solo formation on vocals – stretching out with a lot more vocal flair than in the earlier years, and really set free to do her thing. Titles include "On A Clear Day", "I Cried For You", "Tonight Tonight", "Tenderly", "There Is No Greater Love", "Summertime", "The Blues", and "Rainy Days & Mondays". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Sarah Vaughan's most stripped-down session – a record that really does just have "plus 2" added to the lady's lovely vocals! Backing here are only by Barney Kessel on guitar and Joe Comfort on bass – accompanying Sarah in a moody, mellow, late nite mode that's far different than some of the fuller backings on her other records for Roulette! The spare and sensitive sound is totally great – a side of Vaughan that rarely comes out this perfectly, and an amazing demonstration of her sense of poise, rhythm, and timing – without a piano or rhythm section to push her along. Titles include "When Sunny Gets Blue", "I Understand", "Goodnight Sweetheart", "All I Do Is Dream Of You", "Key Largo", "Just Squeeze Me", and "The Very Thought Of You". LP, Vinyl record album

A smoking set of all-star performances – recorded at Carnegie Hall in 1954, and with a sense of tremendous talent that may well blow away some of the Jazz At The Philharmonic sets of the time! The material here is heavy on Count Basie performances – excellent material from that period when he was really hitting full power again on Verve – with strong solos from Frank Foster and Frank Wess on reeds, plus work from Joe Newman on trumpet! Lester Young's tenor also joins Basie's group at one point – and Sarah Vaughan sings with the group too – but the set also features some more Verve-like performances – from Charlie Parker on alto, and Billie Holiday on vocals, who gets almost one side of the record to herself. There's a huge amount of material on the double-length set – and titles include "My Funny Valentine", "Cool Blues", and "The Song Is You" by Charlie Parker; "Them There Eyes", "My Man", and "Lover Man" by Billie Holiday; "Saturday", "Time", "That Old Devil Moon", and "Don't Blame Me" by Sarah Vaughan; and "Lullaby Of Birdland", "Sure Thing", "Perdido", "Blues Backstage", and "You For Me" by Count Basie. CD

One of the few albums ever cut as a leader by pianist Ronnell Bright – a player best known for his accompaniment behind famous vocalists, like Sarah Vaughan and Nancy Wilson! This rare date was cut in Paris – at a time when Bright was visiting the city with Vaughan – and it's a stripped-down trio date with a nicely relaxed feel – one that has Bright really opening up on the keys, in ways you don't always hear on his material with singers. Other players in the trio include Richard Davis on bass and Art Morgan on drums – and titles include "Johnnie Pate's Blues", "Sail Em", "Doxology", "Chasing Sarah", and "R&R Groove". LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool set that looks at the rise of late 50s beatnik culture from a variety of different styles – not just the jazz and poetry that marked that scene's biggest contribution to music – but also the wealth of modes that inspired those years too! The 3CD package features a stunning 57 titles in all – and begins in the late 30s with hard-edged small combo work and jive-heavy vocal tracks – then runs past WWII to include some bebop, R&B, and very cool vocal numbers – before moving into Greenwich Village classic sounds in a mix of spoken word, jazz poetry, and even a bit of folk! The booklet is filled with notes and history in both English and French – and titles include "The Beat Generation" by Bob McFadden, "High School Drag" by Phillipa Fallon, "The Nazz" by Lord Buckley, "American Haikus" by Jack Kerouac & Al Cohn, "Route 66" by Bobby Troup, "Gator Tail (part 2)" by Cootie Williams, "Rock & Roll" by Wild Bill Moore, "Killin Jive" by Cats & The Fiddle, "You'se A Viper" by Stuff Smith, "Scrapple From The Apple" by Les Double Six, "Kookie's Mad Pad" by Ed Byrnes, "So What" by Eddie Jefferson, "Howl" by Allen Ginsberg, "I Sing Of Olaf" by Roger Steffans, "Say Man" by Bo Diddley, "Shulie A Bop" by Sarah Vaughan, and "The Rocket Ship Show" by Jocko Henderson. CD

Covers from Dee Dee Bridgewater, Oscar Peterson, Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz, Shirley Horn, JJ Johnson, Sarah Vaughan, Art Tatum, Clifford Brown & Sarah Vaughan. CD

Music from Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong, Billy Eckstine, Morgana King, Cassandra Wilson, Sarah Vaughan, Blossom Dearie, Ella Fitzgerald, Fred Astaire, Anita O' Day, Billie Holiday & more. CD

A great take on the Crime Jazz genre – one that focuses strongly on groovier material from the 60s and early 70s, including a fair bit of unusual work from TV! The package really digs deep into the mighty Universal catalog and comes up with a great range of tracks that offer slightly different versions of familiar themes than you might be used to – including a number of key tracks from European labels of the 60s and 70s, used here to round out an already great collection. Titles include "I Spy" by Chaquito, "Peter Gunn" by Sarah Vaughan, "Mission Impossible" by Jimmy Smith, "Hawaii Five O" by Robert Delgado, "Ironsides" by Quincy Jones, "Caught At Midnight" by Peter Thomas, "Dirty Harry" by Lalo Schifrin, "French Connection" by Button Down Brass, "The Untouchables" by John Gregory, "Theme From Shaft" by Alfred Hause, "Gotcha" by James Taylor Quartet, "Lady In Cement" by Paul Desmond, and "Keep Your Eye On The Sparrow" by Sammy Davis Jr. CD

A really fantastic collection of funky jazz from the Mainstream Records label – a funky powerhouse that was maybe only second to CTI in the early 70s – and which had a great way of moving forward older soul jazz players to a sweet electric sound for the new generation! The choice of cuts here is superb – some of our favorites from Mainstream, including a lot of lesser-known gems from their more obscure LPs – packed in a collection that runs for nearly 80 minutes in length, with never a letup on the funky moments! Titles include "El Torro Poo Poo" by Charles Kynard, "Red Clay" by Jack Wilkins, "House Of The Rising Funk" by Afrique, "Naima" by Charles McPherson, "Equipoise" by Roy Haynes, "Quadrivium" by Hadley Caliman, "Mambo Au Go Go" by Joe Cain, "Hot Peppers" by Mauricio Smith, "Mi Hermano" by Blue Mitchell, "Inner City Blues" by Sarah Vaughan, "M'Bassa" by Lamont Johnson, "The Loud Minority (edit)" by Frank Foster, "Babylon" by Buddy Terry, and "Ain't Got Nobody" by Maxine Weldon. CD

Includes selections by Count Basie, Sarah Vaughan, Joe Williams, Maynard Ferguson, Billy Eckstine, Harry Sweets Edison, Bill Russo, and Cora Lee Day. LP, Vinyl record album

The Savoy jazz catalog gets the remix tradition – following nicely in the mode of similar projects on Verve or Blue Note! The work here is all pulled from classic bop sessions of the late 40s and 1950s – key tracks that defined the sound of Savoy back in the day, but cut down here to their core elements – then laid out over more contemporary rhythms for the modern dancefloor! The best numbers actually preserve some sense of jazz soloing – an approach that we like better than other too-abstract remakes of older jazz on the market – and titles include "Moose The Mooche (Quantic rmx)" by Charlie Parker, "Night In Tunisia (DJ Jazzy Jeff rmx)" by Duke Jordan, "Lover Man (King Britt's Speakeasy mix)" by Dizzy Gillespie with Sarah Vaughan, "Minor Vamp (Basement Boys 12")" by Curtis Fuller, "Yardbird Suite (St Etienne mix)" by Herbie Mann, "Bohemia After Dark (Diamond D rmx)" by Cannonball Adderley, "Caravan (DJ Smashish rmx)" by Dizzy Gillespie, and "Movin Nicely (Eclipse rmx)" by Modern Jazz Quartet. CD

Music from Billie Holiday, Helen Merill, Sarah Vaughan, Bing Crosby, Betty Carter, Joe Williams, Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone, Fred Astaire, Shirley Horn & more. CD

Mari Nakamoto is a jazz singer with a wonderful sense of tone – a musicality in her voice that comes through on the first few notes of the record, then continues throughout as she transforms familiar tunes with that special sort of magic that marks a rare breed of jazz vocalist! Nakamoto really understands the tunes, and clearly sees her voice as much as an instrument as just the conveyor of lyrics – very much in a Sarah Vaughan sort of school, although Mari's certainly got her own sense of phrasing too. Instrumentation includes lots of great touches that bring out the best in her voice – including vibes from Kazuhiro Matsushi, and guitar from Shoji Yokouchi – on titles that include "Love For Sale", "On A Clear Day", "Day By Day", "On Green Dolphin Street", and "No Moon At All". CD

Music from Dinah Washington, Shirley Horn, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Helen Merrill, Bill Henderson, Anita O'Day, Sarah Vaughan, Blossom Dearie, Fred Astaire, Billy Eckstine & more. CD

Music from Ernestine Anderson, Billie Holiday, Joe Williams, Anita O'Day, Louis Armstrong, Sarah Vaughan, Blossom Dearie, Fred Astaire, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Shirley Horn & more. CD

Music from Antonio Carlos Jobim, Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Henderson, Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd, Astrud Gilberto, Stan Getz, Wes Montgomery, Oscar Peterson, Sarah Vaughan, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Henderson & more. CD