This 1955 recording finds pianist Oscar Peterson delving into the Count Basie songbook, one of several albums Peterson recorded in the 1950s dedicated to specific composers. He is surrounded by a stunning line-up of talent here, namely Ray Brown on double bass, guitarist Herb Ellis and legendary drummer Buddy Rich.

Released in 1961, this volume in Ella Fitzgerald's essential Songbook series spotlights composer Harold Arlen and features such beloved classics as "Over The Rainbow", "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive" and "That Old Black Magic", arranged and conducted by Billy May and produced by Norman Granz.

Two of the most influential and popular voices in modern music, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong form a jazz dream team on "Ella and Louis". A once-in-a-lifetime masterpiece, their distinctive vocals meld seamlessly together along with Armstrong's exceptional trumpet playing. This recording has become the touchstone and template for jazz vocal duets.

Recorded in 1957, „Ella And Louis Again“ re-teams Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong after the success of their first album and a popular series of concerts at the Hollywood Bowl the previous year. This is not a mere retread, however, and if anything, „Ella And Louis Again“ is the stronger of the two records. Fitzgerald shines particularly brightly, singing with sassy confidence throughout, as if goosed by Pops' infectious good humor. The backing quartet, led by the great Oscar Peterson on piano and featuring guitarist Herb Ellis, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Louis Bellson, is up to the challenge of playing with these two magnificent singers.

Guitarist Herb Ellis is joined by rhythm guitarist Freddie Green, pianist Ross Tompkins, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Jake Hanna for this lightly swinging but uneventful program which has been reissued on CD. Since Green as usual does not solo, his contribution is purely as a background player. Ellis, Tompkins and Brown are the lead voices on a variety of swing tunes; best are "It Had To Be You," "A Smooth One" and "When My Dream Boat Comes Home".

The selections are a mixture of standards, most of them typical jazz springboards (though the 1940s pop hit "To Each His Own" seems to be new to the medium) with a Brown original and showcase, "Blues for Junior," and another original, "Captain Bill," that contains associations with Count Basie. Whether playing fast or slow, the three musicians interact well together, the younger Alexander holding his own with his veteran partners.

This 1959 release from Oscar Peterson is one of several albums he recorded in the 1950s dedicated to specific composers. On this collection Peterson revisits several of the Harold Arlen songs he included on a previous album years earlier, in a trio configuration here backed by bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen.

On this release, jazz saxophonist and flutist Bud Shank devotes more than half the songs to instrumental covers of Beatles songs, in addition to tunes by Boyce and Hart, Burt Bacharach and more.

This 1957 album from late jazz vocalist and pianist Blossom Margrete Dearie was her debut for Verve and her first American release after spending five years in France. Dearie is backed by guitarist Herb Ellis, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Jo Jones on a collection of standards by composers including Oscar Hammerstein II, Hart and Rodgers, Frank Loesser and others.

Blossom Dearie's second album for Verve, released in 1958, continued a streak of success that began with her first LP the year before. The jazz vocalist and pianist covers standards including the title song by Cole Porter, along with less familiar but no less impressive tunes. Dearie is backed on this session by the same stellar musicians as on her debut: guitarist Herb Ellis, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Jo Jones.

The superb November 1960 session recorded by the Ben Webster-Johnny Hodges sextet in studio conditions at the Jazz Cellar, in San Francisco (without an audience). It is presented here in its complete form for the first time ever. These recordings are exceptional in that no other date exists in their collaborative discography featuring them as the only horns. The two great saxophonists were the only horn players heard at the session. They were backed by a rhythm section of piano, guitar, bass and drums. As bonus, to this new DSD release has added a complete (and very rare) octet session featuring Johnny Hodges and His Orchestra from August 27, 1964.

This early '60s studio session captures Ella Fitzgerald moving toward the smaller, more pointedly jazz-inflected ensembles that would shape her career in her final decades. The intimate setting, superb musicianship and stellar recording make it a favorite among jazz-oriented audiophiles. Not to be missed!

Guitarist Herb Ellis still considers this to be one of his personal favorite recordings. Ellis was reunited with his old boss Oscar Peterson and, with the assistance of Peterson's trio of the period (with bassist Sam Jones and drummer Bobby Durham), the two lead voices often romp on the jam session-flavored set. Most of the chord changes are fairly basic (including three blues and "Seven Come Eleven"), and Peterson was clearly inspired by Ellis' presence (and vice versa).

Illinois Jacquet was "foremost of the WWII-era "Texas tenor titans", an influential figure in both jazz and R&B saxophone. "Swing’s The Thing" is one of his first recordings. Recorded in Los Angeles in 1956, it features Illinois Jacquet on tenor sax, Roy Eldridge on trumpet, Jimmy Jones on piano, Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, and Jo Jones on drums. These magical performances capture the genius that was Jacquet's playing, backed by a stellar ensemble.

This 1959 six disc set from Ella Fitzgerald is the largest and most ambitious in her celebrated Song Book series, consisting of her interpretations of 59 Gershwin tunes, including her Grammy-winning version of But Not For Me. The album also marks Fitzgerald's first collaboration with arranger Nelson Riddle, a partnership that would yield further recordings in the 1960s.