In 1959, sultry vocalist Julie London was really coming into her own as a singer. Her worldwide hit "Cry Me a River" was four years behind her, and while she would never attain that level of fame as a recording artist for the rest of her career, her ability to interpret a song was at its strongest in the late '50s and early '60s. Liberty Records' Julie…At Home finds the vocalist comfortably in front of a small jazz combo highlighted by vibraphonist Emil Richards and guitarist Al Viola. The sessions seem relaxed and casual, often with the lyrics slyly slipping from London's lips, at once sophisticated and sensual. The remarkable thing about Julie…At Home is that it was in fact recorded in her own living room, which proved to be the ideal surroundings for these warm and romantic standards.

In 1960, pop vocalist Julie London was really cranking out albums for the successful label Liberty Records. The success of her 1955 hit "Cry Me a River" put Liberty into overdrive and London responded by making some of the strongest records of her career. Her ability to interpret a song was at its strongest in the late '50s and early '60s, as is evidenced on the shimmering Around Midnight. While some of her best recordings were front of small jazz combos, Around Midnight proves that London was just as effective in front of larger orchestras and bands. The drowsy "Black Coffee" and lazy "Lush Life" typify the late-night feel of the album, leading right into "The Wee Small Hours of the Morning."

Sonny's Story is an excellent showcase for Sonny Terry's talents, which sometimes went unheralded because they largely were showcased in the shadow of Brownie McGhee. Here, Terry is largely playing solo acoustic, with J.C. Burris joining in for harmonica duets every so often; Sticks McGhee and drummer Belton Evans also play on a few cuts. Unlike some solo acoustic blues albums, Sonny's Story is positively infectious. It's hard not to get caught up in Terry's shouts and boogies, and that's one major reason why this is among his best solo recordings.

Fuego - a title that might be somewhat misleading - is the final Blue Note recording exclusively pairing Donald Byrd with Jackie McLean, a fruitful partnership that set the yin of the (in this case) restrained trumpeter, against the yang of the tart and extroverted alto saxophonist. While not quite a unified whole, the two were involved in turf battles that were based on mutual respect, here exuding a quieter fire that toned down McLean and muted Byrd to attain an intriguing harmonic balance. Duke Pearson's clever piano in the middle, with Doug Watkins playing bass and favored drummer Lex Humphries, made for one of the more diverse sounds in modern jazz circa 1959-1960. Of course hard bop is at the core of this band, but Byrd is moving further into post-bop, as served up heartily by the two horns during the modal, rambling, and staggered theme of the title selection…

John Lee Hooker developed a “talking blues” style that became his trademark. Though similar to the early Delta tradition, his metrically free approach and unique sound would make him a staple of Detroit blues. Often called the “The King of the Boogie”, Hooker's driving, rhythmic approach to guitar playing has become an integral part of the blues. His thunderous electric guitar sounded raw, while his basic technique was riveting. This quintessential collector’s edition includes two of Hooker’s finest albums: That’s My Story (1960), and House of the Blues (1959). These two masterpieces have been remastered and packaged together in this very special release. Contained here is the cream of the crop from Hooker's hit-making stretch during his most inspired years. Without a doubt, this is the material upon which John Lee Hooker's legend was built.

Avid Jazz presents three classic Ella Fitzgerald albums plus including original LP liner notes on a finely re-mastered double CD.
A live set kicks off our Ella Fitzgerald tribute, “Mack The Knife” was recorded in 1960 in Berlin as part of the Jazz at the Philharmonic International tour. It features Paul Smith on piano, Jim Hall on guitar, Wilfred Middlebrooks on bass and Gus Johnson on drums. A rather portentious title greets our next selection “Let No Man Write My Epitaph” featuring Paul Smith again on piano recorded in L.A. in 1960.This album features the music from a film of the same name Ella had appeared in plus numbers that Ella just felt were right to complete the record. A year on from “Mack the Knife” featuring Ella in Berlin, we have “Ella in Hollywood”…

At last the legendary Vee Jay recordings are being released on CD with the best possible sound. During recent years these classic jazz albums have appeared on CD in different countries, in compilations that mixed mono and stereo masters, with errors in the titles and a variable sound. Now, this present edition has been carefully chosen from the best sources, and each track has been digitally remastered in 24-Bit high resolution. These CDs represent a real treasure for jazz fans all over the world, and we feel certain that they will enjoy them.

This two-fer from Dutton Vocalion features a pair of out of print LPs by easy listening artist Mantovani, Concert Spectacular and American Scene, originally issued in 1959 and 1960. These 24 remastered tracks find the conductor/musician/arranger interpreting such traditional material as "I Dream of Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair," "Camptown Races," "Londonderry Air," and "Turkey in the Straw." This is an enjoyable reissue chosen from Mantovani's numerous London albums.

One of the less interesting John Lewis "third-stream" projects, this LP features Lewis' "Music for Brass." Six of his originals (four songs from his ballet "The Comedy," "Odds Against Tomorrow" and "The Golden Striker") plus four brief "Fanfares" are performed by four trumpets, two trombones, four French horns, a tuba and Lewis' trio.

Walking in the Night, recorded for RCA a year before the legendary Best Italian Jazz 1962, is actually the stronger album. Along with saxophonist Gianni Basso and trumpeter Oscar Valdambrini, the quintet lineup includes the great bassist Giorgio Azzolini, pianist Renato Sellani, and drummer Gianni Carzola. This 11-tune set is a much more diverse program, consisting not only of flaming hard bop and ballads, but killer, Euro-styled Latin groovers such as "Lotar" by the trumpeter, and Attilo Donadio's wonderful take on American West Coast jazz in "Blues for Gerry." There are some great surprises here, too, including the fleet, knotty "Estroverso" by Piero Umiliani, which is a showcase for how tight and quick this group could be when playing bop…

Leo Wright's Atlantic debut, Blues Shout, effectively summarizes his career as a sideman, embracing the expressionist sensibilities of longtime boss Dizzy Gillespie as well as the Latin inspirations of longtime bandmate Lalo Schifrin to create a fiercely modern and uncommonly impassioned sound all its own. Joined by pianist Junior Mance, trumpeter Richard Williams, bassist Art Davis, and drummer Charlie Persip, Wright divides his attention between his signature alto sax and flute, delivering a series of thoughtful and lyrical solos that positively radiate energy. The blues referenced in the title are more a feeling than a sound, underscoring the emotional intensity that bristles below the surface of every note.