Ray Charles was the musician most responsible for developing soul music. Singers like Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson also did a great deal to pioneer the form, but Charles did even more to devise a new form of black pop by merging '50s R&B with gospel-powered vocals, adding plenty of flavor from contemporary jazz, blues, and (in the '60s) country. Then there was his singing; his style was among the most emotional and easily identifiable of any 20th century performer, up there with the likes of Elvis and Billie Holiday. He was also a superb keyboard player, arranger, and bandleader. The brilliance of his 1950s and '60s work, however, can't obscure the fact that he made few classic tracks after the mid-'60s, though he recorded often and performed until the year before his death.

This LP is an excellent studio representation of Louis Armstrong & the All-Stars at work in their prime as a nostalgia act. And just because they were a nostalgia act didn't mean they didn't push the envelope given half a chance, as these recordings did. The personnel list is impressive on its own terms, with Jack Teagarden, Earl Hines, and Barney Bigard together in the small group stretching out on "Twelfth Street Rag," and if the later incarnations of the group aren't as eye-catching in their personnel, they're every bit as much of a pleasure to hear on "Skokiaan" (aka "South African Song"), "Frog-I-More Rag," or the title tune. Pianist Billy Kyle gets the spotlight for a chunk of the extended jam of "Otchi-Tchor-Ni-Ya" before Peanuts Hucko and Eddie Miller take center stage on clarinet and tenor sax…

He played the characteristic mix of styles of dance bands in the 1920s. George Olsen was a drummer and bandleader from Portland, Oregon, who made his name playing in hotels and then in Broadway shows, and despite latterly not being one of the best known names of the era had a string of 49 hits between 1925 and 1945. He played the characteristic mix of styles of dance bands in the 1920s, featuring a blend of hot dance music alongside his more familiar style of middle-of-the-road orchestral music, gradually introducing featured singers after his initial hits, and becoming typical of the "sweet" orchestras of the 1930s who were popular on radio. This 49-track 2-CD collection solely comprises all his career hits, which came out on the Victor, Columbia and Majestic labels. It includes the No. 1 hits "Who", "Always", "A Precious Little Thing Called Love", "Lullaby Of The Leaves" and "The Last Round-Up", plus the Top 3 hits, "Sunny", "Drifting And Dreaming", "Horses", "Someone To Watch Over Me", "Blue Skies and "The Best Things In Life Are Free". There were no notable stars among his featured vocalists, but they include Fran Frey, Bob Borger, Bob Rice, Jack Gifford, his wife Ethel Shutta, Paul Small, Dave Marshall, Joe Morrison Judith Blair and Ray Adams. Featuring only his hits, this is a thorough look at one of the consistently popular and successful bandleaders of the '20s and '30s.

Previously unheard Ra culled from the archives and compiled based on their association to that children's film corporation with the cartoon rodent.

This is one of many small-group jam sessions organized by Norman Granz to feature pianist Count Basie. This time around the proceedings (utilizing a sextet) have plenty of solo space for trumpeter Willie Cook, altoist Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson (who also takes a vocal) and guitairist Joe Pass. As usual, when Basie had his way, the emphasis is on the blues and the music always swings.

It always seemed that women have led the way when it came to Swing. For every Crosby and Sinatra, there was not only an Ella or a Billie, but also a Sarah and a Peggy. For each Mel Tormé or Tony Bennett, there was a Lena, an Aretha, a Nina or a Dinah. When women became band singers during the Swing era, they frequently outlasted their employers in terms of celebrity and record sales. There are many remarkable examples of female vocal art on this compilation, some by those who have achieved superstar status. So many stories, so many brilliant performances. What a way to swing!

Caro Emerald came out of nowhere in 2009 with the summertime hit "Back It Up," a catchy jazz-pop song with a dance beat. The follow-up single, "A Night Like This," was an even bigger hit, topping the Dutch charts. By the time Deleted Scenes from the Cutting Room Floor came around, Emerald was well established as one of the most exciting new artists to emerge from the Netherlands in some time, and her full-length album debut was eagerly awaited. It includes the smash hit singles "Back It Up" and "A Night Like This," both written by Vincent de Giorgio, David Schreurs, and Jan van Wieringen.

Bireli Lagrene's debut on record is extraordinary in a couple of ways. He sounds like an exact duplicate of Django Reinhardt (no easy feat), an accomplishment that is more shocking when one realizes that he was 13 at the time. Already a virtuoso with complete control of his guitar, Lagrene (who like Reinhardt came from a gypsy family) romps through the swing-oriented set with a variety of lesser-known European musicians, including two rhythm guitars, bass, occasional piano, vibes, trumpet, and violin. Performances of such tunes as "All of Me," "I've Found a New Baby," and "My Melancholy Baby" are guaranteed to fool even experts on blindfold tests.

Italian-born Caterina Valente comes from one of Italy's most prestigious families of artists. Her mother Maria Valente was the most famous circus clown of her time, her brother Silvio Francesco (1927-2000) was also active in show business and made numerous recordings and performances together with Caterina. Caterina was already performing in the circus ring with her siblings at the age of five. Her extraordinary international career began in 1953 as a guest singer with the Kurt Edelhagen Orchestra. Her first record, Istanbul, reached the top 20 of the German charts. With her first No. 1 hit Ganz Paris träumt von der Liebe, Caterina Valente remained in the German charts for 36 weeks. The song sold half a million copies in Germany, which was unusually high for the time. Other top placings included Baiao Bongo (#2, 1955) and her second No. 1 hit Wo meine Sonne scheint (1957), followed by Tschau Tschau Bambina (#2, 1959) and her third No. 1 Ein Schiff wird kommen (1960). At the beginning of the 1960s, Caterina Valente achieved further top placings with Pepe (#3, 1961), Ein Seemannherz (#5, 1961), Quando, Quando (#9, 1962) and Rosen sind rot (#7, 1962).

Pianist Oscar Peterson and violinist Stephane Grappelli meet up for this Scandinavian concert. The "backup" crew (guitarist Joe Pass, bassist Niels Pedersen, and drummer Mickey Roker) isn't too bad either. In addition to a closing blues (which is highlighted by tradeoffs from Peterson and Grappelli), the quintet performs five veteran standards with creativity and swing.

This release contains some of the best recordings made by Billie Holiday in the later period of her career. All of the tracks included here are studio recordings with excellent sound quality, and showcase Billie shining among such star jazzmen as Harry “Sweets” Edison, Ben Webster, Benny Carter, Charlie Shavers, Oscar Peterson, and Barney Kessel, among others. The six complete albums compiled on this set are: Music for Torching with Billie Holiday (Clef MGC- 669), Velvet Mood (Clef MGC-713), Lady Sings the Blues (Clef Records MG C-721), Solitude (Clef LP MG C-690), Songs for Distingué Lovers (Verve V6-8257), and Body and Soul (Verve V6-8197).

One of the biggest teen idols of the late 1950s and early '60s, Paul Anka moved to the adult sphere several years later and became a successful performer, songwriter, music businessman, and recording artist, remaining so well into the new millennium. He had his first hit song with 1957's "Diana," which went to number two on the U.S. Hot 100 and all the way to the top of singles chart in the U.K. Following a string of subsequent hits, he finally topped the U.S. singles chart with 1959's "Lonely Boy" before just missing the top spot with "Put Your Head on My Shoulder" the same year. Anka remained a presence on the singles chart with songs like "Puppy Love" and "Dance On Little Girl" until around the time of the British Invasion – his last Top 40 hit of the '60s was 1963's "Remember Diana."

(I Got No Kick Against) Modern Jazz is a 1995 tribute album by various jazz artists and bands (George Benson, Diana Krall, Lee Ritenour, Chick Corea, David Benoit, Arturo Sandoval, Dave Grusin, and many others) from the GRP Records label. It consists of jazz cover versions of songs originally by The Beatles. The album's title comes from the lyrics of the Beatles's cover of the Chuck Berry song, "Rock and Roll Music", which was originally released on the studio album Beatles for Sale. Dave Grusin was nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance for his cover of "Yesterday" on the album.

The folks at Irma certainly took their time getting around to releasing this 4th volume in the excellent Mo Plen series – but it's been worth the wait! Like previous volumes, this set's got a great selection of rare groovy grooves – with a focus on mod numbers and soundtrack type material, touched with a bit of Braziliana to open things up a bit. The whole package is as lively musically as it looks on the cover – and there's plenty of groovy gems on here that we've never stocked before on any other title! Includes "Skyscrapers" by Santi Latora, "No No No" by Paolo Ormi, "Superstar" by Santi Latora, "Che Meraviglia" by Elza Soares, "Batticuore" by Renato Serio, "Rive Blanche" by Bruno Nicolai, "Aquarius" by Elio Gandolfi, "Love On Love" by Orchestra King Zerand, "Saudade De Nise" by Zeta One, "I Bikini" by Piero Piccioni, and the Italian-language "Passo Le Mie Notti Qui Da Solo", a rare early tune by Stevie Wonder! © 1996-2025, Dusty Groove, Inc

This CD has ten performances of Christmas songs from 1990 plus a few earlier recordings (Chet Baker's "Winter Wonderland," Count Basie's "Jingle Bells," Dexter Gordon's "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and Stanley Jordan's 1986 version of "Silent Night." With such top stars as Bobby Watson, Lou Rawls, Eliane Elias, Benny Green (who has two piano solos), Dianne Reeves, John Hart, John Scofield, Joey Calderazzo and Rick Margitza playing music not available elsewhere, this melodic CD is worth picking up. A particular highlight are two versions of "A Merrier Christmas," a previously unknown Thelonious Monk composition here performed separately by Benny Green and Dianne Reeves.