The title of this CD reissue probably refers to the fact that this was singer Betty Carter's first released recording in five years; a second CD (Round Midnight) also originated from the same concert. The mature Betty Carter is heard for the first time on this record which finds her taking wild chances on a set mostly dominated by standards.

Blue Note Plays Rodgers & Hart is a solid single-disc collection of standards by Rodgers & Hart culled from various Blue Note jazz albums. Included are such cuts as pianist Sonny Clark's version of "Lover" off his eponymous 1957 date as well as trumpeter Thad Jones' duet with guitarist Kenny Burrell on "Little Girl Blue" from the 1956 release Detroit-New York Junction.

As his first album of all-original material (performed with a quintet or less) since his 1988 release Thick in the South: Soul Gestures in Southern Blue, Vol. 1, and his first album for Blue Note Records, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis' The Magic Hour is a disappointing return to progressive, small-group jazz. This is not to say that there aren't some excellent things here, but taken as an album, The Magic Hour seems logy and inconsequential.

Yeah, Cassandra Wilson is a jazz singer, but she’s a 21st century jazz singer, mixing elements of jazz, pop, rock, Delta blues, and light funk into her performances, expanding what a jazz vocalist can be in a contemporary world with her horn player phrasing, smoky texture, and a voice that has matured into a haunting, sensual alto. She tackles some jazz standards, but she’s also adept at taking modern rock and old country-blues songs and finding a way to make them into new jazz standards, fully aware that she’s pushing boundaries in a genre that all too often plays it safe these days.

Blue Note Plays Billie Holiday is a solid single-disc collection of standards associated with legendary vocalist Billie Holiday that were culled from various Blue Note releases. Included are such cuts as trumpeter Clifford Brown's 1953 version of "Easy Living" off New Star on the Horizon and tenor saxophonist Ike Quebec's take on "Lover Man" from his 1961 album It Might as Well Be Spring.

Blue Note Plays the Beatles contains 11 previously released performances by jazz artists dipping into the Lennon/McCartney songbook. When deciding to cover such well-known songs, an artist has two possible ways of going about it: either re-create the track with no challenge to the original or attempt the complete opposite. Falling into the first category are "I've Just Seen a Face" by Holly Cole, "And I Love Her" by Kevin Hays, and "Come Together" by Dianne Reeves and Cassandra Wilson with Bob Belden.

Truffaz's quartet has been awhile, evolving considerably. It's morphed from an all-acoustic mainstream group in 1997 to a more aggressively rock-informed unit in recent years, influenced by but way less dense and angular than Miles's late-60'/early-70's electric works. These days Patrick Muller is often found feeding his Rhodes through a distortion box, with more powerful rhythms coming from bassist Marcello Giuliani and drummer Marc Erbetta. This early work keeps Erik Truffaz new approach into today's modern jazz.

On the Corner is yet another excellent Blue Note U.K. compilation of absolutely killer cuts from Blue Note's prime jazz-funk years in the wake of the soul-jazz explosion of the 1960s and Miles Davis' electric innovations in the late '60s and '70s. Typical of Blue Note in the period, these tracks all came from albums that were, in one sense, birds of a feather. In other words, whatever was "happening," Blue Note recorded it almost exclusively and forced even established artists to fit into that mold. While there were some mixed results, obviously, there is also a wealth of great material to choose from, as this funk-centric compilation makes very clear. One can already judge where the set is headed when it begins with Gene Harris' truly grooving "Losalamitoslatinlovesong." Harris cut three terrific electric jazz-funk sets for the label in the 1970s, only one of which has ever been available on CD. But other selections – such as Eddie Henderson's "Kumquat Kid," Ronnie Foster's "Cheshire Cat," Ronnie Laws' "Always There," and Moacir Santos' "Route" – offer funky fusion delights as well. There are 20 tunes on two discs, each of them jam-packed with gems.

An odd reissue of sorts, Bending New Corners combines tracks off two of trumpeter Erik Truffaz's previous albums. It is unclear why Blue Note felt the need to repackage these tracks yet again; however, here they are and they are worth a listen. Containing tracks from the sessions that produced The Mask and its European version, The Dream, Bending New Corners is a groove-oriented work that draws heavily on late-'60s and early-'70s Miles Davis.

Eliane Elias has considerable chops as an acoustic pianist, although as a singer, she is definitely limited and doesn't have a great range by any means. No one's going to mistake Elias' singing for that of Flora Purim, Astrud Gilberto, Gal Costa or Tânia Maria. But while her voice is paper-thin, Elias sings with enough feeling and sincerity to make Sings Jobim a decent, if conventional, Brazilian jazz offering.

This release is a change of pace for Eliane Elias. Instead of interpreting Brazilian songs, fusion, or modern bop, Elias shows off her classical technique on a set of acoustic solos plus six duets with Herbie Hancock. She really digs into the standards (sometimes sounding a little like Keith Jarrett) and creates some fairly free and unexpected ideas while putting the accent on lyricism. Some of the music is introspective, and there are wandering sections, but the net results are logical and enjoyable. As for the duets, Elias and Hancock mostly stay out of each other's way, which is an accomplishment when one considers that the four-part "Messages" is a series of free improvisations. There are playful spots (particularly on the adventurous ten-minute rendition of "The Way You Look Tonight") and, since Elias knows Hancock's style well (and was clearly thrilled to have him on the date), their collaborations work quite well.

Bill Frisell convenes a new line-up of musical friends on his third Blue Note album Four, which features the acclaimed guitarist with Greg Tardy on saxophone and clarinet, Gerald Clayton on piano, and Johnathan Blake on drums. Together the foursome delve into intimate explorations of 13 Frisell originals both new and old to create this stunning new work that is a meditation on loss, renewal, and friendship.

One of the great jazz trumpeters of all time, Freddie Hubbard formed his sound out of the Clifford Brown/Lee Morgan tradition, and by the early '70s was immediately distinctive and the pacesetter in jazz.