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"Ella & Louis [Remaster]" (03/07/2000) Jazz Vocal Fitzgerald, Ella, Verve (USA)Personnel: Ella Fitzgerald (vocals); Louis Armstrong (vocals, trumpet); Oscar Peterson (piano); Herb Ellis (guitar); Ray Brown (bass); Buddy Rich (drums). Recorded at Capitol Studios, Hollywood, California on August 16, 1956. Orginally released on Verve (4003). Includes liner notes by John McDonough. An inspired collaboration, masterminded by producer Norman Granz. Both artists were riding high at this stage in their careers. Granz assembled a stellar quartet of Oscar Peterson (piano), Buddy Rich (drums), Herb Ellis (guitar) and Ray Brown (bass). Equally inspired was the choice of material, with the gruffness of Armstrong's voice blending like magic with Fitzgerald's stunningly silky delivery. Outstanding are Irving Berlin's "Cheek To Cheek" and "Isn't This A Lovely Day," and everything else works like a dream, with the golden star going to the Gershwin brothers' "They Can't Take That Away From Me." Gentle and sincere, this is deserving of a place in every home.

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"Sentimental Journey" (07/26/2004) Jazz Vocal Clooney, Rosemary, Concord JazzRosemary Clooney With Big Kahuna & The Copa Cat Pack: Rosemary Clooney (vocals); Matt Catingub (leader, arranger, vocals, alto saxophone, piano); Albert Alva, Jeff Prinz (alto saxophone); Matt Cowan (tenor saxophone); Jennifer Lovejoy (baritone saxophone); Dave Scott, Brian Kettelhut, Mike Olmos (trumpet); Doug Beavers, Greg Saul (trombone); Dan Parentti (acoustic bass); Steve Moretti (drums). Additional personnel: John Oddo (arranger, piano); Thomas Marriott (trumpet); Vincent Falcone (piano, synthesizer); Tom Warrington, Chuck Berghoffer (bass); Jo LaBarbera (drums). Producers: Allen Sviridoff, Leslie Ann Jones. Recorded at Skywalker Sound, Marin County, California, Capitol Studios, Hollywood, California, Sound Images, Cincinnati, Ohio, and live at the Rosemary Clooney Music Festival, Maysville, Kentucky. Includes liner notes by Will Friedwald. SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY was nominated for the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.

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"Hot Fives and Sevens [Box]" (10/26/1999) Jazz Instrument Armstrong, Louis, JSP (UK)The four CDs in HOT FIVES AND SEVENS are all available separately as volumes 1 through 4 of the series. Digitally remastered by John R.T. Davies. VOLUME ONE: Louis Armstrong Hot Five: Louis Armstrong (vocals, cornet, slide whistle); Lil Armstrong (vocals, piano); Johnny DoddS (alto saxophone, clarinet); Kid Ory, Hy Clark (trombone); Johnny St. Cyr (banjo). Additional personnel: May Alix (vocals); Clarence Babcock (spoken vocals). Butterbeans & Susie: Joe Edwards, Susie Edwards (vocals). Recorded in Chicago, Illinois in 1925 & 1926. Includes liner notes by Charles Fox. VOLUME TWO: Personnel: Louis Armstrong (vocals, cornet); Lil Armstrong (vocals, piano); Boyd Atkins (soprano & alto saxophones, clarinet); Joe Walker (alto & baritone saxophones); Albert Washington (tenor saxophone); Bill Wilson (cornet); John Thomas, Honore Dutrey, Kid Ory (trombone); Pete Briggs (tuba, bass); Johnny Dodds (clarinet); Johnny St. Cyr, Rip Bassett (guitar, banjo); Lonnie Johnson (guitar); Earl Hines (piano); Baby Dodds, Tubby Hall (drums). Recorded in Chicago, Illinois in 1927. Includes liner notes by Charles Fox. VOLUME THREE: Personnel includes: Louis Armstrong (vocals, trumpet); Earl Hines (vocals, cello, piano); Mancy Cara (vocals, banjo, bass); Bert Curry, Crawford Wethington (alto saxophone); Jimmy Strong (tenor saxophone, clarinet); Homer Hobson (trumpet); Fred Robinson, Jack Teagarden (trombone); Joe Sullivan (piano); Dave Wilborn (guitar, banjo); Pete Briggs (bass); Zutty Singleton (drums). Recorded in Chicago, Illinois in 1928 and New York, New York in 1929. Includes liner notes by Sally-Ann Worsfold. VOLUME FOUR: Personnel: Louis Armstrong (vocals, trumpet); Hoagy Carmichael (vocals); Albert Nicholas, Charlie Holmes, Williams Blue (alto saxophone, clarinet); Bert Curry, Crawford Wethington (alto saxophone); Jimmy Strong (tenor saxophone, clarinet); Teddy Hill (tenor saxophone); Homer Hobson, Otis Johnson, Henry "Red" Allen (trumpet); J.C. Higginbotham, Fred Robinson (trombone); Carroll Dickerson (violin); Paul Barbarin (vibraphone, drums); Gene Anderson (piano, celeste); Luis Russell, Buck Washington (piano); Lonnie Johnson, Will Johnson (guitar); Eddie Condon, Mancy Cara (banjo); Pops Foster, Pete Briggs (bass); Zutty Singleton (drums). Recorded in New York, New York in 1929 & 1930. Includes liner notes by Sally-Ann Worsford.

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"Circlesongs" (04/01/1997) Jazz Vocal McFerrin, Bobby, Sony ClassicalPersonnel: Bobby McFerrin, Beth Quist, Nick Bearde, Joey Blake, Pierre Cook, Sussan Deyhim, Kirsten Falke, Paul Hillier, Raz Kennedy, Rhiannon, Janis Siegal, Pamela Warrick Smith, David Worm (vocals). Recorded at The Hit Factory, New York, New York in May 1996. Includes liner notes by Barbara Graham, Theodore Levin, Jonathan Goldman.

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"The Legacy of Phyllis Hyman" (10/29/1996) Jazz Vocal Hyman, Phyllis, Arista Records (USA)Personnel includes: Phyllis Hyman (vocals, whistle); Michael Henderson (vocals, bass); Gary Betz (tenor saxophone, saxophone); Greg Scott, Cater Jefferson (saxophone); Barry Lee Hall, John Longo (trumpet, flugelhorn); Joseph Smithers (trumpet); Mark Johnson (trombone); Sidney Muldrow (French horn); Art Webb (flute); Herbie Hancock, Paul Schaefer, Barry Manilow, Bill Summers (piano, keyboards, synthesizers); Keith Loving, Craig Snyder, Louis Russell, Lee Ritenour, John Rowin (guitars); Bob Babbitt, Steve Green, Nathan East, Randy Jackson (bass); Charles Collins, Richard Pratt, Narada Michael Walden, Quinton Joseph (drums); Rocky White, Charles Simmons, Eddie Brown, Casey James (percussion); Al Martinez, Sharon Redd (background vocals). Producers include: Larry Alexander, Skip Scarborough, Thom Bell, Chuck Jackson, Skip Drinkwater. Compilation producer: Leo Sacks Recorded between 1977 & 1991. Includes liner notes by Clayton Riley.

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"Season" (10/18/2005) Jazz Vocal Monheit, Jane, Epic (USA)On this 2005 outing, jazz singer Jane Monheit applies her smoky voice to an excellent set of holiday classics. While some tunes are upbeat (the celebratory, horn-driven "This Christmas"), the quieter ballads (the spare, string-tinged "Moonlight in Vermont") most effectively showcase Monheit's singing, which often evokes a serene, snow-covered landscape.

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"Something Cool [Remaster]" (10/23/2001) Jazz Vocal Christy, June, Capitol/EMI RecordsPersonnel includes: June Christy (vocals); Pete Rugolo (arranger, conductor); Bud Shank (alto saxophone, flute); Ted Nash, Bob Cooper (tenor saxophone, flute); Jimmy Giuffre (tenor saxophone); Chuck Gentry, Johnny Rotella (baritone saxophone); Paul Horn, Buddy Collette (reeds); Maynard Ferguson, Conrad Gozzo, Shorty Rogers, Jimmy Zito, Conte Candoli (trumpet); Vince DeRosa (French horn); Paul Sarmento (tuba); Milt Bernhart, Herbie Harper, Tommy Pederson, Harry Betts, Frank Rosolino (trombone); George Roberts (bass trombone); Geoff Clarkson, Russ Freeman, Paul Smith, Claude Williamson (piano); Barney Kessel, Howard Roberts, Jack Marshall (guitar); Joe Confort, Joe Mondragon (bass); Frank Carlson, Shelly Manne, Larry Bunker (drums). Producer: Lee Gillette. Recorded at Capitol Studios, Los Angeles, California in 1953-54. In 1960, June Christy and arranger Pete Rugulo re-recorded the original mono 1955 SOMETHING COOL arrangements in stereo. This 2001 remastered edition contains both versions. June Christy's SOMETHING COOL, originally released as a 10-inch LP in 1954. single-handedly inaugurated the cool-jazz vocals movement. Christy had been a star vocalist with the Stan Kenton Orchestra in the late '40s, enjoying such major hits as "Tampico" and "Shoo Fly Pie & Apple Pan Dowdy." Soon after she left the band, she began working with key Kenton arranger Pete Rugolo and a slew of top West Coast studio musicians (including her husband, tenor saxophonist Bob Cooper) on her first solo album for Capitol Records. The result was SOMETHING COOL, which is both a winning showcase for Christy's wistful style and a landmark of cool-jazz modernism. From the start, Christy established herself as an artist who strove for the very best in song selection, arrangements, and notably intelligent interpretation. There were perhaps other vocalists with greater vocal equipment but few could match June Christy's artistic integrity. The celebrated title track is the soliloquy of a female barfly of a certain age, reminiscing (and fantasizing) about better days to a fellow male patron who just might buy her another drink. It remains Christy's signature performance to this day. Other highlights include a swinging "It Could Happen To You," "Midnight Sun," and an ambitious arrangement of Kurt Weill's "Lonely House."

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"Ticket to Ride: Beatles Tribute" (02/26/2002) Jazz Vocal Swingle Singers (The), Primarily A CappellaThe Swingle Swingers include: Ann De Renais, Joanna Forbes, Sarah Simmonds, Wendy Nieper, Andrew Gray, Michael Robinson, Jeremy Sadler, Patrick Ardagh-Walter (vocals). Producers: Alexander L'Estrange, John Milner, Joana Forbes. Recorded at Novasonics Studios, Hertford, England.

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"Hipsters' Holiday: Vocal Jazz & R&B Classics" (09/26/1989) Jazz Vocal Various Artists, Rhino Records (USA)Recorded between 1946 & 1988. Includes liner notes by Will Friedwald.

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"Under Her Spell: Phyllis Hyman's Greatest Hits" (10/31/1989) Jazz Vocal Hyman, Phyllis, Arista Records (USA)Producers include: Larry Alexander, James Mtune, Reggie Lucas, Barry Manilow, Ron Dante. Digitally remastered by Bill Inglot and Dan Hersch.

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"This Time of the Year" (10/22/2002) Jazz Vocal Tyrell, Steve, Columbia (USA)Personnel: Steve Tyrell (vocals); Clark Terry (vocals, trumpet); Lou Marini (saxophone, flute, clarinet); Roger Rosenberg, Plas Johnson (saxophone); Lew Soloff, Bob Milliken (trumpet); Birch Johnson, Mike Davis, Michael Boshen (trombone); Toots Thielemans (harmonica); Antoine Silverman, Natalie Cenovia Cummins, Anja Wood, Jill Jaffe (strings); Eliot Douglas, Randy Kerber (vibraphone, piano); Bob Mann (guitar); Bob Magnusson, Chuck Berghoffer (bass); John Guerin (drums). Producers: Steve Tyrell, Bob Mann, Stephanie Tyrell. Recorded at Tyrell Studios, Los Angeles, California and Deep Diner, New York, New York.

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"At the Waldorf Astoria/at the Sands" (03/14/2006) Jazz Vocal Horne, Lena, Collectables Records2 LPs on 1 CD: AT THE WALDORF ASTORIA (1957)/AT THE SANDS (1961). Personnel includes: Lena Horne (vocals); Lennie Hayton (conductor). Recorded live at the Waldorf Astoria, New York, New York and the Sands, Las Vegas, Nevada on Feburary 20, 1957 and November 3-5, 1960. Originally released on RCA (1038) & RCA (2364). Vocalist Lena Horne is most widely known for her film appearances and nightclub performances, and this excellent collection offers up two of the latter, one live set from 1957 at New York City's prestigious Waldorf Astoria Hotel and another from 1960 at Las Vegas's renowned Sands venue. And as this 20-track release makes clear, the Brooklyn-born singer was often more comfortable in front of an audience than in the studio. Rather than relying on signature tunes such as "Stormy Weather," Horne goes for more adventurous set lists that include energetic numbers such as "Come Runnin'" and "New Fangled Tango," along with medleys of beloved composers, including Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, and Rodgers & Hammerstein. With both performances featuring orchestras conducted by Horne's husband, Lennie Hayton, these are two of the singer's most successful and highly regarded albums, making this two-for-one disc a must-have for '50s and '60s pop-vocal fans.

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"Lady Day: The Best of Billie Holiday" (10/02/2001) Jazz Vocal Holiday, Billie, Columbia (USA)Personnel includes: Billie Holiday (vocals); Tab Smith (soprano & alto saxophones); Benny Carter (alto & tenor saxophones); Johnny Hodges (alto saxophone); Lester Young (tenor saxophone, clarinet); Ben Webster, Chu Berry (tenor saxophone); Harry Carney (baritone saxophone, clarinet); Buck Clayton, Roy Eldridge, Charlie Shavers, Bunny Berigan, Hot Lips Page (trumpet); Benny Morton (trombone); Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Edmond Hall, Buster Bailey, Jimmy Hamilton (clarinet); Teddy Wilson, Claude Thornhill, Billy Kyle, Joe Sullivan, Joe Bushkin, Eddie Heywood (piano); Freddie Green, Lawrence Lucie, Carmen Mastren, Dave Barbour (guitar); Walter Page, Milt Hinton, John Kirby (bass); Jo Jones, Gene Krupa, Cozy Cole, Kenny Clarke. J.C. Heard (drums); Producers include: John Hammond, Bernie Hanighen. Compilation producers: Michael Brooks, Michael Cuscana. Recorded between 1935 and 1942. Includes liner notes by Gary Giddins. Digitally remastered by Mark Wilder & Seth Foster (Sony Music Studios, New York, New York). One of the top three female jazz singers in history, Billie Holiday (along with Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan) changed not only the course of jazz but the very shape of pop culture. On this 2001 Columbia two-CD collection, we hear Holiday in her early years. These indelible recordings, backed by legends in their own right, Teddy Wilson (piano), Roy Eldridge (trumpet), Benny Goodman (clarinet) and others, highlight the passionate singing of the great Lady Day. Holiday was known for her elegant phrasing, warm (often heart-rending) tone, and her coarse, witty parlance. This combination of musical and personal attributes was her charm and, indeed, few of her contemporaries could compete with such magnetism. In the entire history of jazz, arguably no one sang such standards as "You Go to My Head," "The Very Thought of You," and "God Bless the Child" with the same radiance as Holiday; these sessions are testament to this. Compiled from performances recorded between 1933 and 1944, this CD represents the golden years of Holiday's career.

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"Greatest Hits" (06/06/2000) Jazz Vocal Horne, Lena, RCA Victor Records (USA)Recorded between 1942 & 1962.

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"Rodgers & Hart Songbook Vol. 2" (10/25/1990) Jazz Vocal Fitzgerald, Ella, Verve (USA)Volume One of the RODGERS AND HART SONGBOOK was one of Ella Fitzgerald's most artistically and commercially successful albums, so obviously a sequel was called for. You'd be forgiven for expecting lukewarm leftovers, but given the range and depth of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's catalogue, it's not entirely surprising that THE RODGERS AND HART SONGBOOK VOLUME TWO is even better than the original. Opening with the little-known but wonderfully sly New York love song "Give It Back To The Indians," VOLUME TWO sprints through 16 other Rodgers and Hart classics in just over 56 minutes, including their early gems "There's a Small Hotel" and "Mountain Greenery," an exquisite "Blue Moon," and one of the very best of the seemingly hundreds of versions of the standard "My Funny Valentine." This is a remarkable tribute to one of pop music's greatest songwriting teams.

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"Jazz Ladies: In a Soulful Mood" (05/18/1999) Jazz Vocal Various Artists, Empire Music Collection (UK)

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"Ultimate Phyllis Hyman" (01/27/2004) Jazz Vocal Hyman, Phyllis, Arista Records (USA)Producers include: Barry Manilow, James Mtume, Reginald Lucas, Norman Connors, Thom Bell, Narada Michael Walden. Compilation producer: Rob Santos. Recorded between 1977 & 1995. Includes liner notes by David Nathan.

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"Nicky's Jazz For Kids [Digipak]" (04/14/2006) Jazz Vocal Various Artists, Dominick MediaPerformers include: Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie.

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"All or Nothing at All" (10/24/1995) Jazz Vocal Holiday, Billie, Verve (USA)ALL OR NOTHING AT ALL compiles three separate LPs originally released in the late 1950s: ALL OR NOTHING AT ALL (Verve 8329), BODY AND SOUL (Verve 8197) and SONGS FOR DISTINGUE LOVERS (Verve 8257). SONGS FOR DISTINGUE LOVERS is available separately on CD on Verve (815 055). Personnel: Billie Holiday (vocals); Ben Webster (tenor saxophone); Harry "Sweets" Edison (trumpet); Jimmy Rowles (piano); Barney Kessel (guitar); Joe Mondragon, Red Mitchell (bass); Alvin Stoller, Larry Bunker (drums). Producer: Norman Granz. Compilation producer: Michael Lang. Recorded at Radio Recorders and Capitol Studios, Hollywood, California on August 14 & 18, 1956 and from January 3-9, 1957. Includes liner notes by Nat Hentoff and new Donald Clarke. This is Volume 7 of the Verve Take 2 series. ALL OR NOTHING AT ALL is actually a compilation of three albums worth of material recorded in 1956 and 1957, near the end of Holiday's life. The satisfactions here are numerous. Producer Norman Granz presented one of jazz's definitive vocalists sitting in with a stellar combo of swing-style all stars. Granz assembled a wonderful band for Holiday. Hearing musicians like Ben Webster, Jimmy Rowles, Harry "Sweets" Edison and Barney Kessel constructing sixteen and thirty-two bar statements on some of the finest standards to ever come out of Tin Pan Alley is reason enough to listen. Holiday is featured by virtue of being the singer, and she includes the introductory verses on several of the tunes. But the band passes around the introductions and obbligatos with the ease and generosity of old familiar colleagues, and everyone makes enthusiastic use of the room they're given, occasionally taking up to a chorus apiece before taking it back to the top. Holiday is one of those artists whose work tends to get divided into "early" and "late" periods. These recordings offer an expansive view of her late work in perhaps the most sympathetic, inspiring and swinging context possible.

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"Back to the Blues" (03/11/1997) Jazz Vocal Washington, Dinah, Blue Note Records (USA)The 1997 reissue of BACK TO THE BLUES contains 3 previously unreleased tracks. Personnel includes: Dinah Washington (vocals); Illinois Jacquet, Eddie Chamblee (saxophone); Billy Butler (guitar). Recorded in New York, New York between July & November 1962. Includes liner notes by Bob Porter.

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"Guess Who I Saw Today: Nancy Wilson Sings Songs of Lost Love" (08/30/2005) Jazz Vocal Wilson, Nancy (Jazz), Capitol JazzPersonnel: Nancy Wilson (vocals); Dick Garcia, Herb Ellis, Jack Marshall, John Gray, Al Hendrickson, John Collins (guitar); Harry Bluestone (violin); Justin Gordon (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet); Abe Most, Ted Nash (flute, clarinet); Paul Horn, Bill Green, Bill Perkins, Lew McCreary, Buddy Collette (reeds); Cannonball Adderley (alto saxophone); Don Fagerquist, Harry "Sweets" Edison (trumpet); Nat Adderley (cornet); Vincent DeRosa, Richard Mackey, Henry Sigismonti (French horn); Phil Teele (trombone); Donn Trenner, Joe Zawinul, Milt Raskin, Ronnell Bright (piano); Mike Melvoin (organ); Eddie Costa (vibraphone); Chuck Berghofer, George Duvivier, Ralph Pena, Sam Jones, Joe Comfort, Buster Williams (bass instrument); Bill Plummer (bass guitar); Earl Palmer, Louis Hayes, Shelly Manne, Stan Levy, Kenny Dennis, Walter Bolden (drums); Larry Bunker (timpani, percussion); Emil Richards (percussion). Recording information: Capitol Studios, New York, New York; Capitol Studios, Hollywood, California (1960 - 1968). Arrangers: Billy May; Jimmy Jones ; George Shearing; Sid Feller; Oliver Nelson. The title track here--a certifiable vocal jazz classic which finds Nancy Wilson unfurling the narrative of Grand and Boyd's composition with exquisite sensitivity and heartbreaking nuance--is alone worth the price of the album. But with songs like "When Sunny Gets Blue" and the conversational, melancholic "You Can Have Him," the rest of the collection is a winner from start to finish. Wilson is backed by combos (which feature musicians like George Shearing, Cannonball Adderley, and Joe Zawinul) and orchestras (arranged and conducted by the likes of Oliver Nelson and Billy May), but it is her voice and her peerless delivery that captivate and thrill.

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"Love Songs" (12/28/2004) Jazz Vocal Vaughan, Sarah, Legacy RecordingsPersonnel include: Sarah Vaughan (vocals); Miles Davis, Taft Jordan, Billy Butterfield, Jimmy Maxwell (trumpet); Will Bradley, Benny Green (trombone); Jimmy Jones (piano); J.C. Heard, Nick Fatool (drums). Recording information: 1949 - 1953. Sarah Vaughan's sultry, resonant, and technically agile vocals couldn't be more perfectly suited to romantic ballads. Consequently, this addition to Columbia's LOVE SONGS series is one of the best. During her tenure for the label in the late 1940s and early '50s, Vaughan's recordings featured lush orchestral accompaniment and a pop-oriented approach. This set is drawn primarily from that pool, with a program heavy on standards ("The Nearness of You" and "It Might as Well Be Spring"). Vaughan was only in her early 20s when she cut these sides, but her musicianship and command of phrasing are so masterful that they belie her age. Sprinkled among the string-rich crossover material are a few straight-ahead jazz numbers. The languid, winding "Goodnight My Love" and the yearning narrative "East of the Sun (And West of the Moon)," for example, were cut with a small combo that features a young Miles Davis on trumpet. These tracks truly shine, as the understated accompaniment allows the subtleties in Vaughan's melodic explorations to come soaring through. Her technical expertise is matched by the sensuality, longing, and romance that drips from her voice, so that her simmering lyrical intensity can, literally, make one weak in the knees.

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"Day Dream: Variations on Strayhorn" (06/04/2002) Jazz Vocal De Haas, Darius, PS Classics/Image EntertainmentPersonnel includes Darius De Haas (vocals); Bruce Couglin (arranger, conductor); Roy Nathanson (tenor saxophone); Deidre Rodman (piano); Marvin Sewell (guitar); Brad C. Jones (bass); J.T. Lewis (drums). Recorded at Avatar Studios, New York, New York in December 2001 and January 2002. Includes liner notes by Joel E. Siegel.

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"Someone to Watch Over Me: Songs of George Gershwin" (07/26/2004) Jazz Vocal McCorkle, Susannah, Concord JazzFull title: Someone To Watch Over Me-The Songs Of George Gershwin. Personnel: Susannah McCorkle (vocals); Jerry Dodgion (alto saxophone, alto flute); Chris Potter (tenor saxophone, alto flute); Randy Sandke (trumpet, flugelhorn); Conrad Herwig (trombone); Allen Farnham (piano, synthesizer); Howard Alden (guitar); Steve Gilmore, Dick Sarpola (bass); Rich DeRosa (drums). Recorded at Sound On Sound, New York, New York on October 21-22 & 24, 1997. Includes liner notes by Robert Kimball.

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"My Gentleman Friend" (09/23/2003) Jazz Vocal Dearie, Blossom, Verve (USA)Personnel: Blossom Dearie (vocals, piano); Bobby Jaspar (flute); Kenny Burrell (guitar); Ray Brown (bass); Ed Thigpen (drums). Recorded at Nola Studios, New York, New York on May 21 & 22, 1959. Originally released on Verve (2125). Includes liner notes by Lawrence D. Stewart. Another in the superior series of LPs Blossom Dearie recorded for Verve in the late '50s, MY GENTLEMAN FRIEND finds the cabaret-jazz maven joined by guitarist Kenny Burrell and her husband at the time, Belgian saxophonist-flutist Bobby Jaspar, who accompanies Blossom on just a few French-language tunes--"Chez Moi," the swinging "Boum," and a lovely impressionist ballad called "L'Etang," all of which she manages with aplomb. Dearie always chose her reperoire carefully so there are almost no typical standards here. Still she excels on Cy Coleman's "You Fascinate Me So," with its deft, witty lyrics by the great Carolyn Leigh. Closing the set is her plaintive version of the Gershwin's "Someone To Watch Over Me." The singer's self-accompanying piano work is excellent throughout.

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"Save Your Love For Me: Nancy Wilson Sings the Great Blues Ballads" (08/30/2005) Jazz Vocal Wilson, Nancy (Jazz), Capitol JazzPersonnel: Nancy Wilson (vocals); Howard Roberts, Joe Pass, Mundell Lowe, John Collins, Bob Bain (guitar); Chuck Gentry (saxophone); Cannonball Adderley (alto saxophone); Don Fagerquist (trumpet); Nat Adderley (cornet); Donn Trenner, Joe Zawinul, Ronnell Bright (piano); Mike Melvoin (organ); Chuck Berghofer, Jimmy Bond, Ralph Pena, Sam Jones (bass instrument); Buster Williams, Carol Kaye (bass guitar); Earl Palmer, Louis Hayes, Shelly Manne, Kenny Dennis (drums); Victor Feldman, Gene Estes, Larry Bunker (percussion). Recording information: Capitol Studios, Los Angeles, California; Capitol Studios, New York, New York (1959 - 1968). Heaps of gratitude should go to Capitol Jazz for putting together their line of 2005 Nancy Wilson compilations. SAVE YOUR LOVE FOR ME: NANCY WILSON SINGS GREAT BLUES BALLADS may be the finest of the lot, as Wilson's silky timbre and highly nuanced delivery are perfectly suited to the blues form. The selections presented here date from the late-'50s to the late-'60s, and find Wilson at the very height of her vocal prowess. The title track, one of the singer's finest moments, features the Cannonball Adderley Quintet, with Cannonball and Nat Adderley in dialogue--on saxophone and cornet, respectively--and with Wilson's sultry phrasing throughout. There are a handful of other small combo dates (including one with George Shearing) interspersed with more orchestral settings, but even in the largest ensembles Wilson's subtlety and sense of intimacy never waver (the string-sweetened "Don't Go To Strangers" is a case in point). In short, this is quintessential Nancy Wilson, and a sure-fire winner for even the most casual fan.

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"Sings the Irving Berlin Songbook [Remaster]" (11/14/2000) Jazz Vocal Fitzgerald, Ella, Verve (USA)Personnel includes: Ella Fitzgerald (vocals); Paul Weston (conductor); Ted Nash (tenor saxophone, flute, woodwinds); Babe Russin (tenor saxophone, flute); Chuck Gentry (baritone saxophone, woodwinds); John Best, Pete Candoli, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Don Fagerquist, Manny Klein (trumpet); Ed Kusby, Dick Noel, William Schaefer (trombone); Juan Tizol (valve trombone); Matty Matlock, Fred Stulce (flute, clarinet, woodwinds); Leonard Hartman (flute); Gene Cipriano (woodwinds); Paul Smith (piano); Barney Kessel (guitar); Joe Mondragon, Jack Ryan (bass); Alvin Stoller (drums). Producer: Norman Granz. Reissue producer: Bryan Koniarz. Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, California in March 1958. Originally released on Verve (6005). Includes liner notes by James Gavin and Nat Hentoff. Digitally remastered using 24-bit technology by Andrew Nicholas and Chris Corley. This is part of the Verve Master Edition series.