During 1951-57, Tab Smith recorded extensively for the United label, and although he was initially popular (due to the hit record "Because of You"), nearly half of the 90 titles he cut went unissued. Delmark in their Tab Smith CD series plans to eventually come out with all of the performances. Their second Tab Smith release has 20 selections, including five songs being released for the first time. Smith, a former swing stylist who was best known in the R&B market during the 1950s, was not a honker like many others in the genre, and his mixture of relatively gentle stomps and ballads is appealing. The distinctive altoist (who takes four vocals) is often joined by Sonny Cohn (mistakenly listed as "Sammy Cohn") or Irving Woods on trumpet and Leon Washington or Charlie Wright on tenor, along with a rocking rhythm section, on four complete sessions from 1952-53. Fun if not essential music.

Altoist Tab Smith, who first gained recognition with Count Basie's orchestra in the mid-'40s, became an unexpected R&B star in the early '50s, thanks in large part to his hit version of "Because of You." Between 1951-1957, Smith recorded 90 songs for the United Record Company, of which only 48 were issued. Delmark, in their CD reissue series, came out with all of the music in chronological order. This first release has the initial 20 (including the hit), and Tab Smith sounds fine on the sweet ballads, blues, and concise jump tunes. The backup crew includes trumpeter Sonny Cohn, tenor Leon Washington, and either Lavern Dillon or Teddy Brannon on piano.

During its classic period, jazz saw the emergence of numerous regular small formations which successfully encouraged improvisation, enabling their best soloists a freedom of expression without any of the constraints of a big band. Jacques Morgantini allows us to discover this decisive period in the evolution of Jazz with this 36 tracks CD set featuring a 32 pages booklet.

60 festive songs starting with Bing Crosby's best-selling single of all time and including all of the popular music giants of the 50s and 60s. Traditional Christmas carols stand alongside specifically written songs for the holiday season, mostly in an easy listening style, although some rock and roll songs have also been added to top it off.

Here the most famous songs of the holiday season, sung by the most famous singers, are presented. Brenda Lee's “Rockin 'Around The Christmas Tree”, Judy Garland's “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” and Eartha Kitt's “Santa Baby” are just three examples of the quality of the songs.

2 CD, 36 tracks including gems from Artie Shaw, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Chet Baker, Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis and many more!

Evidently, Brian Setzer doesn't take the jump blues and swing of the Brian Setzer Orchestra as a joke. Dirty Boogie is his third album with his large band, and instead of sounding tired, the record is the group's best effort yet. Setzer rocks the band hard, tearing through blues and rock & roll covers with vigor, and delivering made-to-order originals that are surprisingly well crafted and memorable. Much attention will be paid to "You're the Boss," a cover of the Elvis Presley/Ann Margaret staple from Viva Las Vegas, performed as a duet with No Doubt's Gwen Stefani, but that's hardly the only highlight here – it's a swinging, rocking record that suggests Setzer's skills are only improving with time.

This Audiophile CD release is comprised of 22 brief performances (generally 2-2 1/2 minutes apiece) that were originally recorded as radio transcriptions (rather than commercial records). Altoist Gene Quill and tenorman Al Cohn (one of the main arrangers) are the main soloists on the big-band selections while Lawrence (on piano) is also featured in a sextet with guitarist Mary Osborne and Tyree Glenn (who doubles on trombone and vibes)…

Guitarist Bireli Lagrene spent his teenage years sounding very close in style to Django Reinhardt. For this German import, his second recording, the 14-year old romps in Djangoish fashion on such tunes as "Djangology," "Lady Be Good" and "Nuages" but also was starting to show some individuality on his own originals. Most of the selections are performed with one or two rhythm guitarists and a bassist, all Europeans. Lagrene has since grown as a player; if only he had had the opportunity this early to record with violinist Stephane Grappelli before his own style changed.

At the beginning of this set Oscar Peterson so overwhelms the normally gentle "Tristeza" that it almost becomes a parody. Fortunately, the remainder of the bossa nova-flavored LP is more tasteful. Even if Peterson is overly hyper in spots, he is able to bring out the beauty of such songs as George Gershwin's "Porgy," Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Trieste," and "Watch What Happens," in addition to stomping through the straight-ahead "You Stepped out of a Dream."

Arguably the most iconic and lastingly influential jazz singer of all time, Billie Holiday expressed an incredible depth of emotion that spoke of hard times and injustice as well as triumph. With accompaniment by some of the finest bands of the era, these classic tracks were recorded during her creative heyday when her voice was at its potent best.

A Greek-only premium compilation, released with the music magazine 'Jazz & Tzaz' (Issue 142). Featuring Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon, Kenny Clarke, Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Fats Navarro and many others.

Grammy-nominated vocalist Seth MacFarlane releases his 6th studio album, Great Songs From Stage & Screen. This collection of tender ballads and uptempo tunes is full of rich, iconic vocals that harken back to Hollywood's Golden Age. The multi-hyphenate is well-known for his work in the Television & Film industries which has earned him numerous nominations and Emmy Awards.

Quintessential jazz singer whose reedy voice and laconic style made her a legend for the ages. The first popular jazz singer to move audiences with the intense, personal feeling of classic blues, Billie Holiday changed the art of American pop vocals forever. More than a half-century after her death, it's difficult to believe that prior to her emergence, jazz and pop singers were tied to the Tin Pan Alley tradition and rarely personalized their songs; only blues singers like Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey actually gave the impression they had lived through what they were singing. Billie Holiday's highly stylized reading of this blues tradition revolutionized traditional pop, ripping the decades-long tradition of song plugging in two by refusing to compromise her artistry for either the song or the band.

This release presents two albums by Johnny Hodges, recorded outside of the Ellington setting and both appearing here on CD for the first time ever. The first, which was originally released as PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED RECORDINGS, is in quintet format and marks Hodges only recorded encounter ever with Argentinean pianist and composer Lalo Schifrin, who contributes two compositions. While the second album, THE ELEVENTH HOUR, showcases the saxophonist soloing on standard tunes with a big band of winds & strings, conducted & arranged by Oliver Nelson.