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Ella Fitzgerald sings Broadway – but in a way that makes the tunes completely her own! Marty Paich turns in some great jazzy arrangements for the set – and the tunes are far more swinging than the usual showtunes you might expect – stripped of all their stage-bound drama, and retooled by Paich as these tight little vehicles for Ella's amazing vocals! The album's arguably more expressive than even some of Fitzgerald's previous songbook sessions – even though most work comes from the same American stage mode – titles that include "Hernando's Hideaway", "I Could Have Danced All Night", "Whatever Lola Wants", "Guys and Dolls", "If I Were A Bell", "No Other Love", and "Steam Heat". CD

A much-needed look at a near-lost side of Ella's work for Verve – the singles she recorded for the label in the 50s and 60s, work that's very different than her more famous LPs! Historically, Ella's probably best remembered for her Songbook albums at Verve – serious efforts that focused on the work of 20th Century songwriters like Cole Porter and Irving Berlin. But during the same years she was working on those projects, she also cut a tremendous amount of singles for the label – many of them in styles not heard on LPs. The set's got some really wonderful numbers that really open up our understanding of Ella – short jazzy tunes, catchy pop numbers, weepy ballads, bossa nova, novelty tracks, and even a few Holiday tunes – all packaged in a great 2CD set that includes 36 titles in all! Tunes include "Ol Man Mose", "Desafinado", "Stardust Bossa Nova", "All The Live Long Day", "I'm A Poached Egg", "Your Red Wagon", "But Not For Me", "Dreams Are Made For Children", "Stay There", "Hotta Chocolatta", "Too Young For The Blues", "It's Only A Man", and "Lonely Is". CD

One of those records that no home should be without – not only a pivotal album in the growth of bossa nova in the 60s – but a set that also really helped set the career of tenorist Stan Getz on fire! The real credit here might almost go to guitarist Charlie Byrd – as Byrd was a big early proponent of bossa nova rhythms, and had already been experimenting with them on his records of the time – yet also gets a key extra "umph" here in the presence of Stan's tenor – a bold, rich, soulful sound that really helps give the music a lot of direction – in ways that still resonate strongly all these many years later! Getz is completely sublime – a master of tone and timing throughout – and perfectly fit to these tunes. Rhythms are mostly from Byrd's trio, augmented with some extra percussion – and titles include the classic "Desafinado", plus "E Luxo So", "Samba Dees Days", "Samba Triste", "O Pato", "Samba De Uma Nota So", and "Baia". This is the Verve master edition with 20-bit remastering, bonus track, new liner notes, photographs, cover art & more. CD

A landmark record – both in 60s jazz and bossa nova – and a set that not only bridged worlds of music, but set the tone for so many other albums to come! By the time of this 1964 set, Stan Getz had already issued a few bossa nova experiments on Verve – but this pairing with guitarist Joao Gilberto really pushed the format over the top – thanks in part to the vocals of Gilberto's lovely wife Astrud, who'd never sung in the studio before this famous recording! The record created a sound that was copied endlessly, and which catapulted Astrud to unbelievable fame worldwide – even though she was only included in the session at the last minute, because Joao couldn't sing in English – and the mix of Stan's tenor and Joao's guitar is wonderful – and backed throughout by this light, lilting bossa nova rhythms. Titles include the classic recording of "Girl From Ipanema", plus loads of other bossa classics like "Desafinado", "Cocovado", "O Grande Amor", and "Vivo Sonhando". Plus, this CD reissue package includes 2 bonus cuts – and a very cool tri-fold cover! CD

Accompanied by Ben Webster, Oscar Peterson, Barney Kessel, Benny Carter, Mal Waldron, and others! 35 tracks total. CD

A killer collection of this unique musical moment from Gerry Mulligan – with material that appeared on the albums Concert Jazz Band, Concert Jazz Band At The Village Vanguard, A Concert In Jazz, Concert Jazz Band On Tour Guest Soloist Zoot Sims, and Gerry Mulligan 63 – plus unissued tracks, too! CD

Features Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Thelonious Monk, Hank Jones, and Walter Bishop Jr. on piano, Curly Russell and Ray Brown on bass, and Max Roach and Kenny Clarke on drums. CD

A great little collection of Jimmy's tight tight tight Hammond sides cut for Verve during the 60s – with backings by Oliver Nelson and Lalo Schifrin, plus a few other sides in smaller combo format. Tracks include "Walk On The Wild Side", "Ol Man River", "The Cat", "Got My Mojo Workin", "High Heel Sneakers", "Hobo Flats", and "Organ Grinder's Swing". LP, Vinyl record album

Features "Blues For 3+1", "Ode To Billie Joe", "Organ Grinder's Swing", "Ape Woman", "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", "Funky Broadway", "Mellow Mood", "Burning Spear", "One Mint Julep", "Hobo Flats", "Groove Drops", "TNT", "Blues In The Night", and "the Sermon". CD

Incredibly groovy stuff! Walter Wanderely is one of the hippest organ players in the world – Brazilian by nature, but a huge success in the US in the 60s, thanks to the dreamy bossa nova numbers he recorded for Verve! The most famous of these is the sublime "Summer Samba" – a tune you'll recognize instantly from shopping malls, grocery stores, and elevators everywhere – but there's also a wealth of other excellent work from a variety of records, ones that have Walter grooving with larger backings, a bit of vocals, and back in the straight trio format of his hits. There's a total of 16 tracks in all – and titles include "Batucada Sergiu", "Music To Watch Girls Go By", "Canto De Ossanha", "A Different Beat", "Call Me", "Popcorn", "Agua De Beber", "Amazonas", "Blue Island", and "Crickets Sing For Anamaria". CD

A fantastic collection, and one that's way hipper than the Acid Jazz in the title might make you think – as the whole thing was put together by Gilles Peterson, with unusual Verve tracks by Tony Scott, Cal Tjader, Willie Bobo, Donald Byrd, Jimmy Smith, Little Richie Varola, Dizzy Gillespie, Grant Green, Marcos Valle, La Clave, Jackie & Roy, and lots of others! CD

The blueprint for a great set of future jazz – 14 original tunes that all got redone in the Verve Remixed 2 set! Verve has done a great job with the set – pulling together some excellent grooves from the 50s and 60s, served up at a price that's almost as cheap as a fancy cup of coffee! The set's stuffed with groovy vocal, Latin, and soul jazz numbers – with titles that include "Mama" by Hugh Masekela, "Manteca" by Dizzy Gillespie, "Sinnerman" by Nina Simone, "Do What You Wanna" by Ramsey Lewis, "Brother Where Are You" by Oscar Brown Jr, "Here's That Rainy Day" by Astrud Gilberto, "Naima's Love Song" by Betty Carter, "Fried Neck Bones & Some Home Fries" by Willie Bobo, "Blues For Brother George Jackson" by Archie Shepp, "Soul Sauce" by Cal Tjader, and "Slap That Bass" by Ella Fitzgerald. CD

Classic jazz at a great price – and the complete original tunes used in the 3rd volume of the Verve Remixed project! The package offers a whopping great batch of older vocal work from the Verve, Mercury, and Philips catalogs – all for a price that's hardly more than that of a fancy cup of coffee at the kind of places that like to play older vocal work a heck of a lot! Titles include "Speak Low" by Billie Holiday, "Peter Gunn" by Sarah Vaughan, "Come Dance With Me" by Shirley Horn, "Just One Of Those Things" by Blossom Dearie, "Gentle Rain" by Astrud Gilberto, "Stay Loose" by Jimmy Smith, "Baby Did You Hear" by Dinah Washington, "Lilac Wine" by Nina Simone, "The Boy's Doin It" by Hugh Masekela, and "Fever" by Sarah Vaughan. CD

Killer set of funky Latin Soul tracks, recorded by Willie Bobo in the mid and late 60s, and pulled from his hard to find albums on Verve! The set focuses on some of Willie's grooviest stuff, and is a very tasty blend of soul and instrumental cuts, all with a tight Latin-tinged sound. Titles include "Sham Time", "Stuff", "Night Walk", "Roots", "Black Coffee", "Lisa", "Grazing In the Grass", and "Blind Man, Blind Man". CD

Benny Carter on alto saxophone, Ray Brown on bass, Bobby White, Buddy Rich, and J.C. Heard on drums, Oscar Peterson on piano, Barney Kessel and Herb Ellis on guitar, and Bill Harris on trombone. CD

Includes the tracks "Desafinado", "Early Autumn", "Dynastic", "Here's That Rainy Day", "I Remember Clifford" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

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Part 3 of a series of double LPs issued by Verve in the late 70s compiling his classic recordings for Verve under the direction of Norman Granz. Loads of landmark bop performances are documented here, and the groups include smaller quintets and quartets, as well as some medium sized groups and big band recordings, with sidemen that include Max Roach, Percy Heath, Teddy Kotick, Walter Bishop and others. 30 tracks in all, including "Autumn In New York", "Stella By Starlight", "Begin The Beguine", "Night & Day", "I Can't Get Started", "Old Folks", "I Remember You", "Now's The Time", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "Love For Sale" and "I Love Paris". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic meeting of two giants from the early years of bop – altoist Charlie Parker and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie – brought together here in a session that Norman Granz would later list as one of the truest realizations of his vision for recording jazz music! Parker's sharp lines are a great contrast to the robust horn work of Diz – and the players work here with a rhythm section that features Thelonious Monk on piano, Curley Russell on bass, and Buddy Rich on drums. Titles include "Relaxin With Lee", "Leap Frog", "Oscar For Treadwell", and "Mohawk". The LP also includes a number of alternate takes, and has a nice photo of the 2 jazz giants on the cover. LP, Vinyl record album

Featuring Nat Adderley on cornet, Johnny Coles and Miles Davis on trumpet, John Coltrane on tenor, Bill Evans, Hank Jones, Wynton Kelly, annd Joe Zawinul on piano, Paul Chambers and Milt Hinton on bass, Art Blakey on drums, and others. CD

Very early work from Cannonball Adderley – recorded way before the funky years, when he was a hard-wailing soulful soloist with a lot of bop in his style! Cannon's paired here with brother Nat, a good companion even at this early stage – and the two of them solo in front of a large group that features Jerome Richardson, Max Roach, Cecil Payne, and Jimmy Cleveland, all blowing away in hard heavy form, similar to that used on other Mercury/Emarcy jazz sessions from the time. Quincy Jones handled the arrangements, and Cannonball holds his own nicely – and serves up a whole new tone that's a lot more measured than in later years. Tracks include "Fallen Feathers", "Song Is You", "Willows", and "Everglade". CD

Call us crazy, but this is one of our favorite albums in years! We'll be honest, and say that we've never been big fans of Paul Anka – but take it from us, the Anka on this album's a lot different than the one you may know from the past! Anka's completely reinventing himself here – working in a jazz-based mode with larger arrangements, and serving up a batch of tunes that must be heard to be believed. The tracks are mostly all from 80s pop hits – the kinds of songs that got played to death on the radio 20 years go, so much so that you'd think you'd never want to hear them again. Yet for the record, Anka's completely recasting them in fresh new versions – taking tunes like "Jump", "Eye Of The Tiger", "True", and "It's My Life" – and doing them in jazzy, upbeat styles that completely transform not only the songs, but also Anka's entire career as well. And if you're worried about the album being a gimmick, don't – because there's no sense of irony here, no easy "joke" to the tracks – and instead an honest, personal approach to the lyrics – one that makes us realize new depth in these tunes, often far more than we'd ever have credited the originals. Take it from us, this is pure genius – a leap over all the Starbucks-driven jazz-revival singers who are crooning Dylan and Hendrix for the new generation – and a brilliant recasting of David Lee Roth, Bon Jovi, and Spandau Ballet for the 21st century. The territory's all Anka's own – and we'll be glad to bet we'll be hearing a lot more from him in years to come! Titles include "Hello", "Eyes Without A Face", "Lovecats", "It's A Sin", "Blackhole Sun", "Wonderwall", and even "Smells Like Teen Spirit". CD

Mid 60s concept pop from Appletree Theatre – a mix of unpredictable baroque pop, soaring string laden tunes, and more stripped down and moody numbers – and programmed as acts, in keeping with the theatre mode! What's most impressive, other than the tuneful songcraft, is that it never comes off as shtick, and the concept doesn't get in the way of the songs, making this a really nice discovery! Arranged as a 3 act play, with overture and epilogue, titles include "Lullaby", "Hightower Square", "Saturday Morning", "Nevertheless It Was Italy", "I Wonder If Louise Is Home", "E-Train", "Brother Speed", "Don't Blame It On Your Wife", "What A Way To Go" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic solo work from Peter Bardens – an artist who'd later gain fame as the lead singer of Camel, but who's even more fantastic here on his own – working in a trippy blend of modes that's equally balanced between prog and psych! Bardens plays organ on most of the tracks, but he uses the instrument in ways that are very different from the more R&B-inspired Hammond lines of the mod generation – often tightly fused with the sublime guitar of Andy Gee, a player who's got this sharp sound that's full of chromatic hues that really resonate with the keys of the organ – as the pair take off in this soaring groove that's occasionally a bit funky, always a bit trippy, and which gets a great kick from bass, drums, and percussion – plus support vocals from Linda Lewis and Steve Ellis. The album's really something special – great all the way through – and titles include "The Answer", "Homage To The God Of Light", "I Don't Want To Go Home", "I Can't Remember", "Let's Get It On", and "Don't Goof With A Spook". LP, Vinyl record album

A second solo set from Peter Bardens – recorded in the years before he rose to fame as the singer in Camel – and a set that does a nice job of uniting the two different strands of his career! There's moments here that show Bardens' abilities on the keyboard nicely – piano passages or organ lines that go back to the work he did on the more soulful side of the UK scene in the late 60s. And other cuts stretch out a bit more, and open to progressive ideas – but in ways that are very different than Camel too. Titles include "Sweet Home Wine", "Down So Long", "Write My Name In The Dust", "Blueser", and "Feeling High". LP, Vinyl record album

Kenny Barron on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Billy Hart on drums – plus Eddie Henderson on trumpet and David Sanchez on tenor sax! CD

One of Basie's biggest albums – but still a work of pure genius! "April In Paris" is one of the darkest jazz standards ever written, and it never sounded better than in this original version, which features that great ending in which Basie and the band stop, then start, then stop – leaving you completely unresolved at the finish. The group's a strong one – with Frank Foster, Frank Wess, Freddie Green, Sonny Payne, Marshall Royal, Henry Coker, Joe Newman, and Thad Jones – and tracks include "Shiny Stockings", "Midgets", "Mambo Inn", "Sweety Cakes", and "Corner Pocket". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Basie's biggest albums – but still a work of pure genius! "April In Paris" is one of the darkest jazz standards ever written, and it never sounded better than in this original version, which features that great ending in which Basie and the band stop, then start, then stop – leaving you completely unresolved at the finish. The group's a strong one – with Frank Foster, Frank Wess, Freddie Green, Sonny Payne, Marshall Royal, Henry Coker, Joe Newman, and Thad Jones – and tracks include "Shiny Stockings", "Midgets", "Mambo Inn", "Sweety Cakes", and "Corner Pocket". Features 6 bonus tracks too! CD

Count Basie picks his own set of "winners" – tracks pulled from the pop charts, and re-arranged by Billy Byers to give them the true Basie touch – that soaring, syncopated groove that makes the Basie band so great at this stretch in their career! The set features a number of 60s standards, plus a few older tunes – all performed in a warm, buoyant tone that was every bit the best side of the Basie group in that decade. Players include Eric Dixon and Eddie Lockjaw Davis on saxes, plus lots of great trombone from Al Grey – players who burst out of the group with tight short solos that really get the point across! Titles include "I'll Get By", "Watermelon Man", "Exodus", "I'm Walkin", and "Volare". LP, Vinyl record album

Jon Batiste is looking mighty righteous on the cover, and he's sounding mighty righteous within – imbued with a new spirit of consciousness from the events of 2020, which brings a whole new sort of focus to his music – and makes for an album that's every bit a soul set as it is a jazz record! Jon sings on every track, with this raspy power that pushes the rest of the music forward very strongly – igniting the proceedings with the kind of fire you'd hope for, given the album's dedication to "the dreamers, seers, griots, and truth tellers who refuse to let us fully descend into madness". Batiste can definitely add himself to that list – as can guests who include Zadie Smith, Hot 8 Brass Band, PJ Morton, and Trombone Shorty – on titles that include "Cry", "Boy Hood", "Movement 11", "Show Me The Way", "We Are", "Tell The Truth", "Sing", "Until", "Mavis", and "Whatchutalkinbout". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet 70s collection of late 60s work from George Benson – tracks recorded in 1968 for Verve, originally from the albums Giblet Gravy and Goodies! The set list here really does a great job of picking out the best numbers – the kind of clean, lean tunes that were pushing Benson from his soul jazz roots towards a much bigger audience – yet still without any of the commerciality of later years to come. Players on the tracks include Herbie Hancock on piano, Billy Cobham on drums, Ron Carter on bass, and Johnny Pacheco on percussion – and arrangements are by Horace Ott and Tom McIntosh. Titles include "Billie's Bounce", "Low Down & Dirty", "Thunder Walk", "Doobie Doobie Blues", "What's New", and "I Remember Wes". LP, Vinyl record album

Don't think "rock", think "groove" – because oud player John Berberian takes his instrument into some very groovy territory here – mixing its Mid-East roots with a sweet array of modal rhythms and psychedelic elements – all of which make for an album that's even trippier than you'd guess from its cover! The album's one of the few "jazz meets world" sets that really gets things right – bringing together different global elements to come up with a sound that's wonderfully new and fresh – and which moves the whole thing way past its roots in Turkish, Greek, Armenian, and North African styles! Joe Beck plays some great electric guitar on the record – but the main string focus is on the oud, which Berberian uses with this exotic tinge that rivals the instrument in the hands of Ahmed Abdul-Malik on his own albums like this. The lineup also includes tenor and other reeds from Souren Baronian, plus other percussion, and nice use of electric bass to hold the whole groove together – and titles include "The Oud & The Fuzz", "Tranquility", "Chem-oo-Chem", "Iron Maiden", "Flying Hye", "3/8=5/8=8/8", and "The Magic Ground". CD

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A stone cooker from the Blues Project – a fantastic mix of blues, folk, and pretty darn hard rocking guitar – all recorded with a sense of freedom that really lets the group open up and do their thing! The album's overflowing with great original Al Kooper tunes – and the set's recorded with a great edge to the guitars, making for some wonderfully psychedelic moments – and a sheer raw power that's really let this one stand up over the years, without the kind of cliches you might expect from the group's name! Titles include "Fly Away", "Caress Me Baby", "Two Trains Running", "Steve's Song", "You Can't Catch Me", and "I Can't Keep From Crying". LP, Vinyl record album

The mighty Willie Bobo's feelin plenty good here – so much so, he even sings a bit in addition to his work on percussion! Willie's got a nice raw vocal approach – one that works great for the Latin soul vibe of the rhythms – and titles include the groovers "Feelin' So Good" and "Sock It To Me", plus "Lil Red Riding Hood", "Sunshine Superman", "Call Me", "Dichoso", and "Sunny". Very nice! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the earliest of the classic Verve bossa nova sessions of the 60s – and a wonderful showcase for the talents of guitarist Luiz Bonfa! Most of Bonfa's previous recordings were done in a very spare or solo mode – and this set makes a nice change by adding in some larger orchestrations – yet still handled with great bossa sensitivity by Oscar Castro Neves and Lalo Schifrin – themselves very big up-and-coming talents at the time! The sound is bright and breezy, as you'd expect from Verve at this time – and Bonfa's a lot livelier than usual, and even sings on a number of cuts – with a charming quality that's a bit like Joao Gilberto. Titles include "Bossa Nova Cha Cha", "Sambalamento", "Vem So", "Samba De Duas Notas", "Domingo A Noite", "Quebra Mar", and "Adeus". CD

Very groovy bossa tracks – very much in the mode of some of the Verve hit recordings of the mid 60s! After the success of the Astrud Gilberto/Joao Gilberto work with Stan Getz, it's clear that Philips and Luiz Bonfa wanted to get in on the act – and they've paired Bonfa's guitar with vocals from his wife Maria Toledo – a really wonderful singer with very Astrud-like appeal! The album's got some larger backings from Bobby Scott, who brings in a nice undercurrent of jazz – and while some of Bonfa's other work of the time is somewhat spare and dreamy, the style is nicely full here. Toledo sings in both English and Portuguese, and even scats wordlessly a bit – which we really like – on titles that include "Sambura", "Whistle Samba", "Tanto Amor", "Boticario", "Promessa", and "Sugar Loaf". CD

Features Michael Brecker on tenor sax, Pat Metheny on guitar, Herbie Hancock on piano, Charlie Haden on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – plus guest vocals from James Taylor. CD