One in a long series of Julie London records, this set features the sultry but subtle singer on a dozen standards, each of which she dedicates to a different male singer. No dates or personnel information are given other than the LP stating that Andre Previn arranged for the backing orchestra. Although not essential, this is a worthwhile set, with London adding sensuality to such songs as "Learnin' the Blues," "When I Fall in Love," "The More I See You," and "Angel Eyes."

Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits Vol. 1 (1968). Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits! concentrates on the Chairman of the Board's pop hits from the mid- and late '60s, several of which were single-only releases or only available on movie soundtracks. Appropriately, it begins with his biggest solo hit of the '60s, "Strangers in the Night," and then vacillates between adult contemporary pop songs and ballads. Much of the production sounds dated, with its guitars, reverb, and arrangements bearing all the hallmarks of '60s pop. While some of the songs rank among Sinatra's finest moments, particularly "Summer Wind" and "It Was a Very Good Year," most of these songs are guilty pleasures. They might not have the emotional resonance of his finest ballad and swing albums, but fluff like the Nancy Sinatra duet "Somethin' Stupid," the fuzz guitar-tinged "The World We Knew (Over and Over)" and the bluesy "This Town" are enjoyable as pop singles…

Exotic and Latin albums were big deals in the 1950s and early '60s, and singers as diverse as Dean Martin, Lena Horne, and Peggy Lee were recording with castanets and bongo drums. Peggy Lee was so successful at the style that she cut two albums of light pseudo-Latin jazz in 1960. Like Peggy Lee, Julie London combined a restrained vocal approach with jazz phrasing and a cool attitude with icy sex appeal. But while London had Lee's stripped-down musical approach, she just didn't share her unrelenting rhythmic vocal drive or her innate feeling for exotic rhythms. It doesn't help that London is paired with arranger Ernie Freeman, who was usually better at crafting Nashville and soft rock style charts than Latin jazz arrangements. This isn't a bad album - London sounds casual and confident throughout - but it is a rather bland one, and isn't blandness what these types of exotica albums are supposed to be fighting against…

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."

Jazz critic Will Friedwald has stated that Julie London's records were so popular in the 1950s mainly because she looked so drop-dead gorgeous on the album covers. The marketing hook behind Calendar Girl may just be the main example for those critical of London's musical career, since its sleeve has made it a prized collector's item. The famous wraparound cover depicts cheesecake shots of London posed for every month of the year, while original issues of the album included a more-than-suggestive insert photo of the singer stretched out in bed. While Friedwald's correct about London's physical beauty, he's wrong in suggesting that the vocalist didn't have the talent to go along with her looks. Like Chet Baker, Julie London had an extremely limited vocal range but she did the most with what she had, possessing a special knack for torch songs that cast her in the role of a woman constantly being destroyed by love in general and by men in particular…

Rod Stewart didn’t devote his new millennium solely to the Great American Songbook – he dallied with classic rock and soul – but it sure felt that way, with Rod delivering five collections of standards in just under a decade. Released in 2011, only a matter of months after the fifth installment, Fly Me to the Moon, hit the stores, The Best of… The Great American Songbook rounds up highlights from those five records, and since they’re all cut from the same cloth – albeit finished with varying degrees of tailoring – it’s hard to tell the source of each without a cheat sheet; without it, it’d be hard to realize “You’ll Never Know” never had seen release prior to this compilation. Naturally, this consistency means that this best-of holds together well – arguably better than a few of the actual records – because it does have the cream of the crop of records that often bleed together.

Lots of pop vocalists have tackled the vaunted SONGS Lennon-McCartney songbook, but this 1964 release from the late, great Keely Smith was the first album by an artist of her ilk devoted to the lads from Liverpool. And perhaps the best one, too…with sparkling arrangements by Ernie Freeman and Benny Carter, and production from Keely’s soon-to-be husband Jimmy Bowen, the record alternately seduces and swings, and Keely’s voice—with its bluesy phrasing and lilt patented on The Strip—is the perfect instrument to interpret these Fab tunes.

There's no way Keely Smith will ever be able to escape the long shadow of Louis Prima, whose fourth wife she was and who led the band where she found her greatest fame. Heard apart from Prima, she was a fantastic vocalist, the equal of more respected singers like Chris Connor or Helen Merrill, who were working a much different circuit than Smith during the late '50s and early '60s. The Essential Capitol Collection is an excellent way to survey Keely Smith's early career; it includes 27 songs, including much of her several LPs for the label, as well as her most popular duets with Prima and two with Frank Sinatra.

Peggy Lee is in fine voice throughout this jazz-flavored set, backed by ensembles arranged by Benny Carter, Billy Byers, Billy May, and Shorty Rogers. One of her better recordings from the early ’60s.
Where some of Peggy's albums in the 1960's included much forgettable contemporary material that hasn’t stood the test of time too well, this album features a program of songs that range from contemporary show tunes ("I Beleive In You" and "The Sweetest Sounds"), an excursion into the blues ("See, See Rider") and the great American song book ("When The Sun Comes Out" and "I’ve Got The World On A String") plus a few lesser known numbers for good measure.

By the end of 2015, exactly December 12, Frank Sinatra would have been 100 years old. An anniversary celebrated around the world for the first six months of 2016 with concerts, exhibitions, initiatives, records. The Hello Frank: The Anniversary Collection contains 12 CDs for a total of 170 songs including the most popular "I´ve got under my skin", "My funny Valentine", "Ol ´my river", "Blue skyes "," Sweet Lorraine "and many more.

Possessing a tone as clear as a bell, perfect diction and phrasing, and no shortage of personality, Jo Stafford was one of the greatest and best- selling female singers of the pre-rock and roll era and beyond; whether it’s her early sides with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and The Pied Pipers or her classic solo recordings for the Capitol and Columbia labels with arranger/conductor husband Paul Weston, there is no mistaking the sound of that magnificent voice. Now, we at Real Gone Music have a very special treat for fans of this superb, yet to some degree overlooked, vocalist: a treasure trove of 24 radio performances taken from The Carnation Contented Hour, which Jo co- hosted on the Columbia Broadcasting System. These previously unreleased 1950-1951 recordings come to us from the Tony Martin estate courtesy of Michael Feinstein and with the blessing of Jo’s son Tim Weston, and are taken from original master tapes, not transcription discs; remastered by Mike Milchner at SonicVision, these are studio quality sessions and thus a major, major find in the Jo Stafford discography. It is such a treat to hear Jo interpret songs like “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and “I’ve Got the World on a String” that became big hits for other artists.

Vinylogy label presents the new 5CD box set including 5 original albums of the great artists. All the recordings are digitally remastered in superb high quality sound by 32bit/44,1kHz sampling rate. Each of the discs are packed in a beautiful miniature LP paper sleeve. The best choice for music fans and collectors. Album list: Disc 1.Billie Holiday At Jazz At The Philharmonic / Disc 2. Music for Torching / Disc 3. Lady sings the Blues / Disc 4. Velvet Mood / Disc 5. Rare West Coast Recordings.