Sinatra & Strings, Frank Sinatra's first album with arranger Don Costa, is an exquisite, romantic collection of ballads and one of his most sensual records. Costa has given the songs – which consist entirely of standards – exceedingly lush, heavily orchestrated arrangements that sound like updated, contemporary versions of Axel Stordahl's ornate charts. Sinatra responds with smooth, nuanced, yet powerful vocals that make these traditional songs sound fresh. The pair take some chances with their arrangements – "Stardust" never reaches the chorus, for instance – but Sinatra & Strings remains a definitive ballads album, complete with impassioned readings and endlessly rich, detailed arrangements.

What Every Girl Should Know (1960). When Doris Day entered the recording studio to make her annual LP in December 1959, she was arguably at her peak as a movie star, having seen the release two months earlier of Pillow Talk, the first of the frothy comedies she would make in the late '50s and early '60s. But as a recording artist, she seemed to be in trouble. Since 1957, when both Day by Day and the soundtrack to The Pajama Game, in which she starred, made the Top Ten, she had not cracked the album charts, failing with Day by Night (1958) and Cuttin' Capers (1959). Unfortunately, What Every Girl Should Know was not the album to reverse this pattern. The concept, as expressed in Robert Wells and David Holt's 1954 title song, was the offering of advice to females, much of it, as it happened, written by men…

Celebrated trumpeter and vocalist Bria Skonberg forges new foundation with What It Means, a heartfelt and hard-grooving homage to New Orleans, releasing July 26, 2024 via Cellar Music Group.

A superior Brazilian jazz singer, Ana Caram takes a slight detour on this CD, stretching her repertoire while mostly still performing in a style influenced by bossa nova. One does not get to hear such songs as "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You," "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head," "Smile," and "As Time Goes By" in a bossa nova setting that often. Also unusual is that Michel Freidenson plays all of the instruments other than the reeds (which are performed by Lawrence Feldman), and most of his electronic instruments sound real enough not to be an issue. The focus throughout is on Caram's lovely voice and she excels on this material, showing that it really is not what you sing but how you sing it. Recommended.

Sinatra Sings Great Songs from Great Britain is one of the oddest albums in Sinatra's catalog. Recorded in the summer of 1962 and available only in the U.K. for a number of years, the album consists of songs by British composers, performed with British musicians, and recorded in Britain, while Sinatra was on tour. As it happened, Sinatra was tired and worn out during the sessions, and arranger/conductor Robert Farnon had written a set of charts that were ambitious, lush, ornate, and sweeping. Although the arrangements are provocative – occasionally they are more interesting than the actual songs – Sinatra was simply not in good shape for the sessions, which is clear from his thin, straining singing. As such, Great Songs from Great Britain isn't much more than a curiosity.

Born in Osaka. The roots are South Korea. When she was in junior high school, she became fascinated by the song of Harry Connick Jr. from the TV commercial and became interested in jazz. Debuted in October 2003 with her album "better than anything". In January 2004, she also succeeded in a solo tour centered on the national Blue Note, which is unusual for a newcomer. Her debut album will be released in Korea and she will visit Korea for promotion. From January 2004, the song "Close to you" will be used for the TV commercial of Toyota Home.

In a climate-controlled, ofttimes sterile studio environ, Freddy Cole's recordings strive for perfection, perhaps a bit too much. So it's great to hear him at age 75 in live performance at Dizzy's Club Coca Cola in Lincoln Center, N.Y.C. with an excellent backup quintet, cutting loose a bit. His dusky, slightly raspy, well-weathered voice has an universal, sophisticated appeal that transcends the standards he sings, while his choice of material allows for no modicum of surprise.

On her sixth album So Good, So Right: Nicole Henry Live, Henry demonstrates her gift for sublime interpretation as well as her love for the emotionally tinged soul, pop and rock songs that were staples of the 1970's. The 13-track live album, which was recorded at Henry's sold-out performances at Feinstein's in NYC in May 2012, showcases her soulful, inspired interpretations of some of her favorite classic hits of the decade from iconic artists including Bill Withers, Aretha Franklin, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, The Commodores and Gladys Knight.

After a celebrated career, which has seen her release a number of critically acclaimed albums, tour the world and receive praise from the likes of Annie Lennox and Jamie Cullum, Judith Owen - powerhouse British vocalist, pianist and songwriter - has reached her creative happy place with brand new album, 'Come On & Get It' This next iteration of Owen finds her right back at the beginning of her journey into life as a musician as a six-year-old music-loving kid, with her headphones on, singing along to the jazz records she'd discovered via her parent's record collection in her bedroom. It starts with the arrival of her 13th album, 'Come On & Get It', which is a collection of the songs that soundtracked her youth. Featuring tracks by a legion of female jazz musicians from the '40s and '50s, including Nellie Lutcher, Blossom Dearie and Julia Lee, the album showcases talents who sparked a flame in Owen as a child but who haven't received the widespread recognition they deserve.

Vocalist Lizz Wright delivers jazz that harks back to such luminaries as Nina Simone and Abbey Lincoln on her debut Verve release, Salt. Still in her early twenties, Wright has a warm, dusky voice reminiscent of Cassandra Wilson and similarly to Wilson seems interested in tackling an eclectic mix of jazz standards, traditional folk, and R&B. Early on, a folky afterglow-Latin version of "Afro Blue" takes center stage followed by the gorgeous "Soon as I Get Home," which betters the version from The Wiz.

In 1989, after working as a freelance singer in Sweden, Rigmor Gustafsson left her homeland to try the New York City scene. There she started working in local jazz clubs, performed with Fred Hersch, and recorded alongside Randy Brecker and Bob Mintzer. But most of her activity was with her own quintet of New York players, with whom she recorded two albums. Returning to Sweden in 1996, she continues to perform and teach at the Royal Academy of Music.