On The Other Side of Me, her first album for Verve, Linda Eder branched out from her show music environment to dabble in country. Soundtrack, her second Verve release, consists of movie songs, which might suggest she is returning to her familiar style. But the collection of 11 tracks is sufficiently unusual in terms of selection and musical arrangements to mark another step into unknown territory for the singer.

Ella recorded some incredible live albums-and this one, taped at a jazz festival on the French Riviera in '64, is among the best. Ella, Tommy Flanagan, Roy Eldridge and the rest of her band thrill the crowd with Hello, Dolly!; Day In, Day Out; The Lady Is a Tramp; Them There Eyes; A-Tisket, A-Tasket; Blues in the Night; Summertime , and 42 more. The first time all the music from both nights has been available; more than half the cuts are unissued!

The utter brilliance of the renowned vocal great's first official foray into rock-edged country music should shutter for good the adage that an artist must stick to a single genre to be marketable and successful. Over the years, the world got so used to her glowing interpretations of Broadway standards–and her keen ability to carry on the grand traditions of Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand–that any deviation might have been seen as risky or crazy. But the truth is, as the singer puts it, "This isn't so much a departure as it is me getting back to who I really am."

John Gary (born John Gary Strader; November 29, 1932 – January 4, 1998) was an American singer, recording artist, television host, and performer on the musical stage. From Watertown, New York, Gary started singing at the age of 5. He joined his older sister, Shirley Strader. At the age of 9, he won a 3-year scholarship to the prestigious Cathedral School of St John in Manhattan. He auditioned for the choir master, Norman Coke-Jeffcott. At the age of 10, Gary had won two pins of distinction from the American Theatre Wing Merchant Seaman's Club for the Stage Door Canteen. Aged 12, he toured the southern states with Frank Pursley, a blind pianist for the Mason Conservatory.

There are songs that just shouldn't be covered anymore, as timeless as they may seem. "Here Comes the Sun" is one of them, and Linda Eder seems to have made a major misstep in opening her album Gold with it. Her version is down-tempo, saccharine, and overly produced. It is a shame, because the rest of the album doesn't seem to follow suit. Taken as a whole, Gold may be one her strongest efforts, as she pours a lot of personal emotion and energy into a mix of classic pop standards and show tunes authored by her husband, Frank Wildhorn.

“My road led me on a journey of musical growth that allowed me to discover more of who I really am as a singer. I always knew that Frank and I would work together again one day and this album is the result.”

Collectables presents 24 more of the greatest holiday hits of all time. All songs are the original hits by the original artists that made them great. Elvis Presley, Andy Williams, Frank Sinatra, Bing Cosby, Brian Wilson, Perry Como, Johnny Mathis, Barry Manilow, Luther Vandross, Michael Bolton, Gloria Estefan, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Kenny Loggins, Buster Poindexter, Englebert Humperdinck, Donny Osmond, John Denver, The Manhattan Transfer, Gladys Knight, Kenny Vance, Bobby Vinton and Aretha Franklin.

The Ultimate Christmas Album, Vol. 6: WCBS FM 101.1 is another eclectic collection of pop holiday tunes from the '50s, '60s, '70s, and '80s, including Wham!'s "Last Christmas," the Beach Boys' "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," and Andy Williams' "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!." Aretha Franklin's "Winter Wonderland," America's "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," and Connie Francis' "White Christmas" are some of the other highlights from this scattered compilation, which somehow mixes different sounds and eras into a festive celebration.

Between 1957 and 1968, Ray Conniff had 28 albums in the American Top 40. He started out at Columbia Records as their home arranger, backing artists such as Rosemary Clooney, Johnny Mathis, and Johnnie Ray, with his orchestra and was eventually offered the chance to do his own record. We Wish You a Merry Christmas is packed with traditional holiday tunes that Conniff and his (25) Singers wove into a series of medleys. This album has a retro studio sound, which, upon listening, may conjure up images of Lawrence Welk singers strolling the stage, dressed in matching holiday garb. Sometimes melodramatic ("Ring Christmas Bells"), other times, bright and exuberant ("Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!"), it's good, clean fun for the whole family and a solid addition to any Christmas catalog.

The Ultimate Christmas Album, Vol. 5 collects more pop and rock holiday tunes, this time venturing further into the '70s and '80s with songs like Paul McCartney & Wings' "Wonderful Christmastime," Hall & Oates' "Jingle Bell Rock," and Barry Manilow's "It's Just Another New Year's Eve." The collection still features traditional pop chestnuts, including Dean Martin's "A Marshmallow World," Johnny Mathis' "The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)," and Andy Williams' "Sleigh Ride," but this volume's overall feel is more contemporary than classic. Other highlights include Manhattan Transfer's "A Christmas Love Song," the Waitresses' "Christmas Wrapping," the Tokens' "Little Drummer Boy," and the Jackson 5's "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus." If The Ultimate Christmas Album, Vol. 5 isn't necessarily the most coherent volume in the series, it's certainly one of the most interesting.

Another installment in Collectables' The Ultimate Christmas Album series, volume four gathers a mix of well-known and offbeat holiday tunes, including Elvis Presley's "Blue Christmas," the Platters' "Winter Wonderland," and Perry Como's "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas." Brook Benton's "You're All I Want for Christmas," Percy Faith's "Christmas Is," and Otis Redding's "Merry Christmas Baby" are some of the collection's soulful highlights, while Santo & Johnny's "Twistin' Bells" and Stan Freberg's "Christmas Dragnet" add some novelty to the festivities. Though it's a somewhat uneven collection, The Ultimate Christmas Album, Vol. 4: WCBS 101.1 has enough interesting and classic moments to make it worthwhile for anyone looking to go beyond the season's basic music.

UK three CD collection from the influential Jazz vocalist. While her life may have been tragic, her music has remained an integral part of American Jazz history and is constantly discovered by a new generation or rediscovered year after a year. This three CD collection features 78 tracks including 'God Bless the Child', 'Pennies from Heaven', 'Gloomy Sunday' and many others.

Another installment in Collectables' The Ultimate Christmas Album series, volume 3 gathers a mix of well-known and offbeat holiday tunes, including Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song", The Singing Dogs' "Jingle Bells", The Supremes' "Twinkle Twinkle Little Me", The Ventures' "Sleigh Ride", Johnny Mathis' "Winter Wonderland", Perry Como's "Home For The Holidays", Burt Bacharach' "The Bell That Couldn't Jingle", Paul Anka's "It's Christmas Everywhere", Percy Faith's "We Need A Little Christmas", Andy Williams' "Happy Holidays", Ray Charles' "Christmas Time", Eartha Kitt's "Santa Baby".

Volume two of Collectables' Ultimate Christmas Album gathers more classic pop and rock holiday tunes, including the Beach Boys' "Little Saint Nick," Gene Autry's "Here Comes Santa Claus," and Diana Ross & the Supremes' "White Christmas." Most of this volume's best-known tracks are by traditional pop crooners, such as Dean Martin's "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!," Bing Crosby's "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas," and Burl Ives' "Holly Jolly Christmas." However, less-familiar tracks like the Echelons' "A Christmas Long Ago (Jingle Jingle)," Augie Rios' "Donde Esta Santa Claus," and Barry Gordon's "Nuttin' for Christmas" prevent the collection from being too predictable. It's not exactly a straightforward holiday-hits compilation, but The Ultimate Christmas Album, Vol. 2 balances enough standards and obscure tunes to make it a unique collection.

Collectables Records' various-artists compilation The Ultimate Christmas Album has been released both on its own and as a tie-in with a series of radio stations. There are identical editions of the album associated with KLUV, K-Earth 101 FM, and WCBS FM-101.1 in addition to this version, WJMK 104.3 Chicago. The word "ultimate" has been overused and misused in record releases to the point that it doesn't mean very much to see it on the cover of an album. Whether or not one considers this album to justify its title will have a lot to do with individual musical taste. If the potential consumer is a listener to one of the radio stations listed above, which are oldies stations devoted to playing pop/rock music of the 1950s, '60s, and '70s, he or she may agree that the album is the ultimate in holiday music of that period.