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They're not lying with the title of this one – as Rita's voice is as cool as it gets, very much in the mode of 50s work by June Christy or Chris Connor – but made even more icy because of her Dutch accent, which adds a strange twist to her interpretation of the English lyrics on the set! Backing is by Ian Corduwener or Tom Dissevelt, and there's an unusual blend of flute and bass and strings on many of the tracks, which creates a sound that makes the music somber and sad – a blend that really works wonders with material like "Only A Moment Ago", "Where Are You", "There Is No Greater Love", "The Song Is You", "They Didn't Believe Me", and "Star Eyes". CD

Excellent cool jazz vocals from The Netherlands! In the immediate post-war years, the Dutch jazz scene was one of the first to emerge with a sophisticated understanding of the American jazz form. Rita Reys was one of the country's leading talents in this respect, and she had a wonderfully cool vocal style that was similar to American singers like June Christy or Chris Connor. This great Japanese reissue of an album from 1956 has her fronting 2 different groups – one the legendary Wessel Ilcken Combo, the other an early version of The Jazz Messengers, featuring Horace Silver and Hank Mobley. The Jazz Messengers sides were apparently recorded in New York, and the Ilcken sides are of Dutch origin. Both are great – and titles include "I Should Care", "It's Alright With Me", "Old Black Magic", "Taking A Chance On Love", and "Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year". CD

Lovely work from Tabu Ley, aka Rochereau – a singer who definitely earns the "voice of lightness" title on this set! Tabu's style isn't light in a soft of mellow way – but it's got a wonderfully floating sort of quality – a way of staying on top of the percussion and guitars that back him up on the tunes, but always with a sense of depth and feeling. The approach is tremendous – and Ley's singing has a way of going beyond language in its appeal – bringing you in, even though you don't know the meaning of the lyrics. Backings are by African Jazz, African Fiesta, Afrisa International, ad Onanza – and the 2CD set features 29 tracks from the 60s and 70s – supported by a 44 page booklet of notes! Titles include "Pesa Le Tout", "Kelya", "KJ", "Christine", "Ana Mokoy", "Kasala", "Nzale", "Omanga", "Mongali", "Aon Aon", "Adeito", "Yombe", and "Kaful Mayay". CD

Cory Smythe on piano and electronics – accompanied by a variety of vocalists with additional sampling and percussion. CD

Legendary vocal work from the postwar years – some of the earliest recordings from the enigmatic Yma Sumac – an artist whose records really laid the groundwork for an entire generation of exotica records to come! Sumac's authenticity has been debated over the years – but there's no denying that she's got this incredible vocal range – a many-octave approach that almost makes her sound like a human theremin – as she works with exotic backings from Les Baxter to offer up a take on Peruvian roots, styled towards a 50s bachelor pad listener! Titles include "Xtaby", "Wayra", "Taita Inty", "Monos", and "Tumpa". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Sun Ra quartet material from the late 70s – his great Italian studio recordings from Voice Studio in Rome –rare material originally released on the New Steps and Other Voices, Other Blues LPs on the Horo label that's been hard sought over the years! The group features John Gilmore on percussion and tenor, Michael Ray on trumpet, Luqman Ali on drums, and Ra on keyboards. It's got a number of tracks that are relatively straight – at least for Ra – and which are played with a wonderful edge that makes them instantly compelling, sounding almost like obscure indie soul jazz sides from the east coast underground of the mid 70s. The feel on most numbers is very different than Ra's usual work, and the record sparkles with a genius that makes us wish it was easier to find the Horo work! Includes the sublime vocal tune "When There Is No Sun", plus the original tracks "The Horo", "Moon People", "Rome At Twilight", and "Friend & Friendship" – plus a very nice cover of "My Favorite Things", Along The Tiber", "Rebellion", "The Mystery Of Being", "One Day In Rome", and "Springtime & Summer Idyll". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic full length collection of early Frank Sinatra recordings for Columbia Records – and maybe the definitive album of his mid 40s material originally issued on 78s! The quality of Sinatra's vocals here definitely live up to "The Voice" promised on the cover – as the singer's really finding himself away from the big bands of his youth, and singing with amazing clarity from both a position of musicality and expression. Titles include incredible readings of "Laura" and "Try A Little Tenderness" – plus "Paradise", "A Ghost Of A Chance", "Fools Rush In", "Lover", "She's Funny That Way", and "I Don't Know Why". LP, Vinyl record album

Capitol 12" LP that features work from 2 earlier Yma Sumac 10" LPs – Voice of The Xtabay and Inca Taqui. Voice Of The Xtabay is one of her earliest Capitol albums, with classic arrangements by Les Baxter, of material that was written by Yma's Partner Moises Vivanco. Titles include "Xtaby", "Wayra", "Taita Inty", "Monos", and "Tumpa". The other album has a sound that's a lot more primal – with orchestrations by Moises Vivanco, and tracks that include "Malaya", "Ripui", "Wak Ai", "Chumbe Maita", and "Karawi". LP, Vinyl record album

At the time of this album, Johnny Hartman definitely was the voice that is – a singer with a new level of maturity for the 60s, and a voice that's far more masculine than the geeky look of the photo on the cover! Hartman's sound here is smooth and warm, but never in a too-commercial way – a great antidote to some of the bigger singers of his generation, and cast perfectly here in some lightly jazzy arrangements by Bob Hammer. A few tracks feature backing by a quartet led by Hank Jones – and the rest feature a slightly larger group with 2 guitars and some nice Latin percussion. Titles include "Funny World", "Waltz For Debbie", "It Never Entered My Mind", "Let Me Love You", "My Ship", "The Day The World Stopped Turning", "Slow Hot Wind", and "The More I See You". CD

Dang, who is this guy? Jimmy's got a really wonderful voice (the title wasn't kidding!), with the mix of rootsiness and intensity that you'd find in the best mid 60s sides by Ben E King, inflected by some of the harder soul sound of the Minit label. Calvin Carter's producing the set here – working during the post Vee Jay years in LA – and arrangements are by Rene Hall and Jimmy Gordon. The set's a treasure, the kind of lost soul album that keeps you hitting these pages every week – and it's filled with great tracks like "I'm Gonna Move To The City", "The Turning Point", "In The Eyes Of My Girl", "I Don't Want To Hear It", and "I've Got To Live While I Can". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest voices ever in soul music – served up here in a stunning set of new mixes by the legendary John Morales – king of the edit, with a talent that goes way back to the best modes of the early club scene in NYC – and an equally great ability to find all the best bits in a cut and make them even better! In other words, these aren't the kind of remixes that seek to bludgeon an original track to death in service of putting the remixer in the spotlight – and instead, Morales has a superb way of helping Teddy Pendergrass shine even more than ever – letting the vocals soar over majestic Philly soul grooves – on tracks that are both from the Pendergrass years in Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, and some of Teddy's later solo cuts too. Titles include Morales mixes of "The More I Get The More I Want", "The Love I Lost", "Come Go With Me", "Don't Leave Me This Way", "Only You", "Now Is The Time To Do It", "Satisfaction Guaranteed", "If You Know Like I Know", "You Can't Hide From Yourself", "Is There A Place For Me", "Where Are All My Friends", and "If You Don't Know Me By Now". 2CD set features 18 tracks in all – 6 more than the vinyl version! CD

Excellent cool jazz vocals from The Netherlands! In the immediate post-war years, the Dutch jazz scene was one of the first to emerge with a sophisticated understanding of the American jazz form. Rita Reys was one of the country's leading talents in this respect, and she had a wonderfully cool vocal style that was similar to American singers like June Christy or Chris Connor. This great Japanese reissue of an album from 1956 has her fronting 2 different groups – one the legendary Wessel Ilcken Combo, the other an early version of The Jazz Messengers, featuring Horace Silver and Hank Mobley. The Jazz Messengers sides were apparently recorded in New York, and the Ilcken sides are of Dutch origin. Both are great – and titles include "I Should Care", "It's Alright With Me", "Old Black Magic", "Taking A Chance On Love", and "Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year". CD

A beautiful blend of jazz, voices, and soul – a landmark record in Max Roach's vocal experimental tradition, and a fitting companion piece to Billy Harper's classic Capra Black album – an equally soulful blend of styles! Like Capra Black, this set features Harper's sharp and soulful tenor up against a choir of voices – blowing on hard-hitting soul jazz arrangements handled by Max Roach, of the style he used on some of his classic early 60s sides for Impulse and Candid. The tracks are long, Harper's in top form, and the group also includes Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet and George Cables on piano – ultra hip cats, always! Cuts include "Motherless Child", "Let Thy People Go", and "Troubled Waters. CD

A beautiful blend of jazz, voices, and soul – a landmark record in Max Roach's vocal experimental tradition, and a fitting companion piece to Billy Harper's classic Capra Black album – an equally soulful blend of styles! Like Capra Black, this set features Harper's sharp and soulful tenor up against a choir of voices – blowing on hard-hitting soul jazz arrangements handled by Max Roach, of the style he used on some of his classic early 60s sides for Impulse and Candid. The tracks are long, Harper's in top form, and the group also includes Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet and George Cables on piano – ultra hip cats, always! Cuts include "Motherless Child", "Let Thy People Go", and "Troubled Waters. CD

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A huge run of records from Yma Sumac – presented here in a box that collects just about everything she recorded for Capitol Records in the 50s! First up is Voice Of The Xtaby – legendary vocal work from the postwar years – some of the earliest recordings from the enigmatic Yma Sumac – an artist whose records really laid the groundwork for an entire generation of exotica records to come! Sumac's authenticity has been debated over the years – but there's no denying that she's got this incredible vocal range – a many-octave approach that almost makes her sound like a human theremin – as she works with exotic backings from Les Baxter to offer up a take on Peruvian roots, styled towards a 50s bachelor pad listener! Titles include "Xtaby", "Wayra", "Taita Inty", "Monos", and "Tumpa". Legend Of The Sun is early work from Yma Sumac – with that moody mix of other worldly vocals and semi-Latin instrumentation that made her a popular one with the early exotic crowd. Yma runs up and down the vocal scale, while Moises Vivanco leads the band in a set of crashing dramatic orchestrations with a Peruvian feel. Tracks include "Sunray Surita", "Mamallayi", "No Es Vida", "Ccori Canastitay", and "Kon Tiki". The package features selections from the album Flahooley – one of the more obscure Yma Sumac albums from the 50s – a Broadway production with a larger cast – and much more of a musical than Sumac's other records. Yma really stands out in the show, though – singing a few special numbers with music by Moises Vivanco – but the rest is familiar Broadway modes of the early 50s, penned by Sammy Fain & EY Harburg. Sumac titles include "Najala's Song Of Joy", "Najala's Lament", and "Come Back Little Genie Birds". Mambo is quite possibly our favorite album ever by the enigmatic Yma Sumac – thanks to some lively arrangements by Billy May, who gives the set a swinging jazzy groove! As you might guess from the cover, the style here is more in a Latin jazz mode than some of Yma's other more ethereal work – and that style turns out to be a wonderful fit for Sumac's incredible vocals – creating a batch of driving tunes that swing nicely, yet still have a spooky exotic sound on the top! Titles include "Bo Mambo", "Taki Rari", "Goomba Boomba", "Malambo No 1", and "Five Bottles Mambo". Inca Taqui is an early 10" LP – on which Yma Sumac sings chants of the Andes – and authentic or not, the sound's pretty darn great! The record's in the same format as her other early work for Capitol – tunes written by Moises Vivanco, who also conducts the backings in a dramatic early 50s style that's perfect for Yma's wonderful voice! And whether or not these tunes are actually the ones that all the cats in Peru were singing up in the mountains, they still sound pretty darn great as a key part of postwar exotica! Titles include "Incachao", "Llulla Mak'Ta", "Chuncho", "K'Arawi", and "Cumbe-Maita". Legend Of The Jivaro is one of Yma's more "historical" records – and the notes say that the album is "the rare plum of authenticity". We don't know if we'd go that far, but we can tell you that the record features Yma performing songs of the legendary Jivaro headhunters! Supposedly, Yma learned them in her "South American jungle-home", but we keep wondering why the headhunters took the time to teach her, when they could have been shrinking her head. Tracks include "Yawar", "Shou Condor", "Aullay", "Sumac Soratena", and "Hampi". Last up is Fuego Del Ande – one of the most obscure albums by vocalist Yma Sumac – and one of the most compelling too! The album has Yma working in the Andean style of her earlier 10" albums for Capitol – working with Moises Vivanco on a set of tunes that have a much more traditional and almost folkloric style than some of her work with Les Baxter. Titles include "Clamor", "Dale Que Dale", "Llora Corazon", "Gallito Caliente", "La Molina", and "Flor De Canela". CD

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Titles include "Tearing Me Apart", "Bite The Hand That Feeds", "Fire In The Rain", "It's In Your Head", "Voices In The Night", "I Kill Spies", and "This Is Not The End". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Features the "Song to the Siren" from the final episode of The Monkees plus two other live recordings – packaged with a 120 page chapbook in English and Italian. CD

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A great moody set – one that features compelling arrangements from Coleridge Perkinson! CD

Just voice and guitar – a wonderful way to hear the talents of Gilberto Gil, especially after an array of sometimes-muddled styles used on some of his later work! This gem from the late 90s features Gilberto in one of his most stripped-down modes ever – just singing and with his own gentle guitar as accompaniment, in a gentle mode that's quite different from most of his other records, and almost reminds us a bit of his classic album from 1971 – except that here the lyrics are all in Portuguese, and the sound is a little warmer and more optimistic! The recording quality is great – tight enough to capture all the intimacy of the performance, but never too fake or "studio" – and titles include "O Seu Amor", "Aqui E Agora", "Preciso Aprender A So Ser", "Tempo Rei", "Retiros Espirituais", "Rebento", "Metafora", "Meditacao", and "O Compositor Me Disse". CD

A rare and beautiful Andrew Hill session, and one of the classic Blue Note entries into the "jazz and voices" sound that the label pioneered with Donald Byrd and Eddie Gale. Hill leads a core jazz group that includes Woody Shaw on trumpet, Carlos Garnett on tenor, Richard Davis on bass, and Freddie Waits on drums – and the group is backed by a vocal ensemble with a very spiritual vibe – a chorus who soar out soulfully, and really augment the jazz instrumentation of the album! The sound is a lot more hip than the Donald Byrd & Voices albums, and the playing of the core jazz group is very very soulful – along the lines of Hill's Grass Roots album, which was also from the same period. The record's similar to the Max Roach/Billy Harper vocal work around the same time, and titles include "Ghetto Lights", "Hey Hey", "Two Lullabies", and "Love Chant". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful collection of work from Langston Hughes – material pulled from a handful of albums recorded for the Folkway labels in the 50s, all of which are pretty darn great and long out of print! Hughes' writings are well known – part of a rich tradition of African-American expression in the 20th Century – but his readings of his own work are equally great – performed at a level that really illuminates the text, and balances them with all the right stress and meaning that can sometimes be overlooked given the simple nature of his language. Most of the sides here feature Hughes alone, reading his work – but a few also feature bits of music too – touches of jazz or gospel that further set the scene, and point to Langston's later experiments with Charles Mingus. Titles include "Breath Of A Spiritual", "Homesick Blues", "The Weary Blues", "I Too", "The Negro Speaks Of Rivers", "Simple Prays A Prayer", "Rhythms Of The World", "The Struggle", "Youth", and "Mother to Son". CD

Four great albums from Lurlean Hunter – a singer who's sadly overlooked these days, but who was a real up-and-comer from the Chicago scene in the 50s! Lurlean's got a style that's surprisingly smooth at times – much richer and more jazz-based than the sometimes-bluesy cover images she was given – a quality that sounds especially great here on these recordings. Titles include "That Old Feeling", "Gentleman Friend", "Crazy He Calls Me", "Alone Together", "Brief Encounter", "Old Devil Moon", and "Blues In The Night". CD

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A key album from the later Charles Lloyd years on ECM – from a moment when the saxophonist seemed to be completely reinvigorated, and exploring very different territories than his music of the 60s! Part of the sound has Lloyd hitting a few ECM vibes – hard not to do with a group that features John Abercrombie on guitar, Dave Holland on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – but there's also moments that are looser and freer, too – really showing the individuality that's always been such a hallmark of Charles' recordings, and which here is hardly going to cowtow to any sort of stricter style for the label. The tenor work is superb – very sinuous and constantly exploring, but never overindulgent – and titles include "Voice In The Night", "Dorotea's Studio", "Homage", "Pocket Full Of Blues", "Forest Flower Sunrise/Sunset", and "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing". CD

That's Brasil 65, not Brasil 66 – a distinction that marks a key early stage for the great Sergio Mendes – heard here on one of his first albums to mix together bossa jazz and vocals! The approach here is a bit more like vintage bossa dates from Brazil – or a bit like some of the Verve bossa records too – as Sergio's core trio is at the heart of every tune, playing with a great jazzy approach – then augmented in different ways by alto and flute from Bud Shank, guitar from Rosinha De Valenca, and vocals from the lovely Wanda De Sah! Production is perfect – really in a classic Elenco Records mode – and titles include "Let Me", "Consolacao", "Tristeza Em Mim", "Muito A Vontade", "Reza", "Berimbau", and "Aquarius". CD

The voice of Audrey Morris is a great one – sweet, but also sad too – but never in a too-sentimental way, and perfect for the gentler touch of the Bethlehem label! Audrey's working here with backings penned by Marty Paich – who also plays celeste on the album, with a group that features Stu Williamson on trumpet, Bill Pitman on guitar, Joe Mondragon on bass, and Irv Cottler or Alvin Stoller on drums. Paich uses a bit of strings on the date – never too much, but just enough to underscore the sadness of the bluer tunes, and create a bit of softness on a few of the ballads – all in a way that's never too dramatic, and which always gives way to Audrey's vocals when they slide into the mix – preserving the intimate quality that always makes for her best sort of setting. The track selection is great – far more unusual than the typical Bethlehem vocal date, with some great late nite numbers that include "If Love Were All", "I Never Mention Your Name", "It's Always You", "What More Can A Woman Do", "Blue Turning Gray Over You", "I Go For That", and "I Wonder What Became Of Me". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest records ever made by singer Madeline Bell – even though it was never issued to the public at the time! Madeline Bell first broke big on the UK soul scene at the end of the 60s, and also sang famously on many studio sessions too – but here, she works alongside groovemaker Alan Parker (with some help from Mike Moran), to serve up vocal versions of tunes that also appeared on the instrumental album Sound Of Soul! That record was a counterpart to this one – also issued on the Themes label – but the presence of Bell's vocals really sends things over the top, and she works at a level that makes us wish that she and Parker had made more commercial releases at the time. All tunes are nice and soulful, with plenty of funky currents – and titles include "Love Doctor", "Move & Shake Your Body", "Soul Slap", "Crumpet", "That's What Friends Are For", "Flying High", "You're A Winner", "Mr Smooth Man", and "Love Is All". LP, Vinyl record album

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A comprehensive overview of Frank's early work for Columbia – packaged as a six LP set, with each album divided up into themes that include Saloon Songs, Standards, Screen, Love Songs, Swings, and Stage. The package is a great way to navigate the complicated set of recordings done by Sinatra in the pre-album years, and until the release of the complete Columbia sides as a CD set, this one was your best chance to look at these years. Titles include early versions of "One For My Baby", "September Song", "Love Me", "Should I", "Blue Skies", "I Couldn't Sleep A Wink Last Night", "Saturday Night Is The Loneliest Night Of The Week", and "When Your Lover Has Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant testament to the righteous power of soul music in the civil rights era – and key proof that even a subtle message could do a lot back in the day! The package presents the work in roughly chronological order – starting from a time when politics had to be peddled softly, and moving towards a time when things could be a bit more explicit – showing a great evolution of themes of pride and power, offered up in tunes both familiar and obscure. The collection is way more than a "hip hits of the 60s" sort of set – and acts almost as a mini-documentary of the contributions of soul music to civil rights – supported by a great set of notes and photos in the booklet. We're especially happy to see the track "Have You Ever Seen The Blues" by Yaphet Kotto – alongside 22 more titles that include "Blues For Mr Charlie" by Lou Gosset & Joe Lee Wilson, "The Ghetto" by Homer Banks, "We're A Winner" by The Impressions, "When Will We Be Paid" by The Staple Singers, "Oh Lord Why Lord" by Parliament, "Message From A Black Man" by The Spinners, "Run Charlie Run" by The Temptations, "Cryin In The Streets (parts 1 & 2)" by George Perkins & The Silver Stars, "Free At Last" by Jackie Day, "Someday We'll All Be Free" by Donny Hathaway, and "The Prayer" by Ray Scott. CD

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Orchestra under the direction of Alex Stordahl. CD

An obscure bit of Christian rock from the Seattle scene at the start of the 70s – but a record that's got a lot more to offer than just that unusual pedigree! Don't think "Jesus rock", think instead of some of the more laidback, open-minded singer/songwriter material of the Bay Area scene – especially Marin County, with its elements of rootsy instrumentation and warmly collaborative spirit in the musicianship – a perfect fit for the gently spiritual messages of Wilson McKinley, which are mostly aimed at living a good life with a clear conscience. Production is lean, but in a great way – and the strength of the music's spirit comes through wonderfully on cuts that include "Crown Of Glory", "All My Life", "Tree Of Life", "One In The Spirit", and "It's Up To You". LP, Vinyl record album

Kei Akagi on piano, Tomokazu Sugimoto on bass, and Tamaya Honda on drums. CD

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... LP, Vinyl record album

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