In this group of a dozen songs spanning more than half a century, Nancy Harrow demonstrates her ability to absorb the essence of the most valuable popular music from any era. She concentrates on pieces that helped the Beatles become one of the best-known bands in the world and leavens the collection with standards by master songwriters who have enriched the lives of generations.

Stan Getz was invited to perform a concert with a local rhythm section in Warsaw, Poland, in 1960; he was sufficiently impressed with the trio to join them for a brief studio session afterwards. While this five-song set isn't flawless, as Getz has some problems with repeated reed squeaking in the rendition of "Cherokee," the all-standards program is otherwise very enjoyable, with excellent sound. Getz is in total control with the lush take of "Darn That Dream," as he makes a delayed entrance following pianist Andrzej Trzaskowski, who proves himself to be a thoughtful accompanist and soloist. Bassist Roman Dylag and drummer Andrzej Dabrowski also get high marks. This compilation is rounded out with two tracks from a 1974 concert in Warsaw by a working edition of the Stan Getz Quartet, with pianist Albert Dailey, bassist George Mraz, and drummer Billy Hart. The tenor saxophonist again gets a little sloppy with atypical reed squeaks in both tracks, which include an extended, exciting workout of Chick Corea's "La Fiesta" and an old favorite, Jobim's "Desafinado." Getz fans will definitely want to acquire this obscure Polish CD.

Executive producer Gordon Anderson took a simple approach to constructing this two-disc compilation, which mail-order company Collectors' Choice Music licensed from Capitol Records. Referring to chart researcher Joel Whitburn's reference books, especially Pop Memories 1890-1954, Anderson simply chose all 45 songs that were pop hits for Margaret Whiting along with three of the ones she scored earlier as the vocalist for big bands on Capitol between 1943 and 1956, her tenure with the label, and sequenced them chronologically by recording date.

Vi Redd is best known as a Charlie Parker-influenced alto saxophonist, though she also sings on the 1962 Bird Call studio sessions. She leads an excellent band that includes pianist Russ Freeman, either Leroy Vinnegar or Bob Whitlock on bass, guitarist Herb Ellis, trumpeter Carmell Jones, vibraphonist Roy Ayers (before his defection to lightweight smooth jazz), and her then-husband, Richie Goldberg, on drums. Redd is more impressive as a player than a singer. She is at her best on standards like "All the Things You Are" and "Old Folks."

TAPIR est un quartet qui développe un univers musical singulier à la croisée du jazz, des musiques traditionnelles et de l’improvisation. Mené par des musiciens issus d’univers musicaux différents, ce projet a l’ambition de proposer une voix originale qui interroge les rapports entre écriture et improvisation, savant et populaire, tradition et modernité. Inspirées d’une Méditerranée largement imaginaire, les compositions font la part belle aux recherches modales et aux rythmes asymétriques qui deviennent le terrain de jeu des improvisateurs. Le quartet acoustique saxophones/piano/zarb/contrebasse laisse parfois la place à un univers plus électrique marqué par les textures du Fender rhodes et le groove puissant de la basse électrique alliée à la batterie.

Dakota Staton has long been a fine jazz singer who is at her best on blues and standards. Usually her ballad renditions make for a fine contrast, but this out-of-print LP is a bit of a disappointment. Staton is backed by strings, flutes, French horns, a harp and a rhythm section arranged by Benny Carter. Unfortunately, the strings often weigh down the music, and the worst aspects of Staton's singing are often emphasized with exaggerated emotions, a touch too much vibrato and a sameness to many of her interpretations. The dozen songs mostly stick to older standards and are not completely without merit Dakota Staton's fans will want it anyway, but she is represented by much more exciting performances elsewhere.

AVID Jazz continues with its Four Classic album series with a re-mastered 2CD release by Paul Bley, complete with original artwork and liner notes. 'Introducing'; 'Paul Bley'; 'Solemn Meditation' and Jimmy Giuffre 3-'Fusion'. Quite some career this Canadian pianist had! Starting in the early 1950's, he founded the Jazz Workshop in Montreal where he played piano and recorded with Charlie Parker. At around the same time he was also playing with other great be-boppers, Lester Young and Ben Webster. By 1953 Bley was working with bassist Charles Mingus who would go on to produce his debut album 'Introducing Paul Bley'.

Though she was the epitome of the vocal cool movement of the 1950s, June Christy was a warm, chipper vocalist able to stretch out her impressive voice on bouncy swing tunes and set herself apart from other vocalists with her deceptively simple enunciation. From her time in Stan Kenton's Orchestra, she inherited a focus on brassy swing from arranger friends like Pete Rugolo. Rugolo would become a consistent companion far into her solo days, too, arranging most of her LPs and balancing her gymnastic vocal abilities with a series of attentive charts.

Singer Barbara Lea often recalls her idol and friend Lee Wiley on this set of love songs. The backup is uniformly tasteful but changes from song to song with such impressive stylists as trumpeter Johnny Windhurst, baritonist Ernie Caceres, Garvin Bushell (on oboe and bassoon), Dick Cary (the arranger on piano and alto horn), guitarist Jimmy Raney and (on a beautiful version of "True Love") harpist Adele Girard making memorable appearances. Lea's straightforward and heartfelt delivery is heard at its best on such songs as "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," "Mountain Greenery," "More than You Know" and "Autumn Leaves" (which is partly taken in French). These interpretations are often touching.

A star-studded ensemble of contemporary jazz guitarists from around the globe join together for this ultra melodic, supremely smooth album of original material, written and produced by multi-Emmy winning musician/composer Brian Tarquin! Features Australian jazz fusion great Frank Gambale, former Dire Straits guitarist Hal Lindes, New Yorker and former Stan Getz sideman Chuck Loeb and more!

The Trumpet Artistry of Chet Baker is an album by jazz trumpeter Chet Baker recorded in 1953 and 1954 and released on the Pacific Jazz label. The album compiles tracks previously released on the 1954 10 inch LP Chet Baker Sextet along with previously unissued recordings.

Chet Baker was a primary exponent of the West Coast school of cool jazz in the early and mid-'50s. As a trumpeter, he had a generally restrained, intimate playing style and he attracted attention beyond jazz for his photogenic looks and singing. But his career was marred by drug addiction.

A romantic, dreamy collection of smoky jazz standards, along with two originals, by one of New York's most brilliant and beloved downtown chanteuses.

Recorded in the great year of music and especially jazz – 1957 – Herbie Mann at the time was gaining momentum as a premier flute player, but was a very competent tenor saxophonist. Teamed here with the great alto saxophonist Phil Woods and criminally underrated vibraphonist Eddie Costa, Mann has found partners whose immense abilities and urbane mannerisms heighten his flights of fancy by leaps and bounds. Add to the mix the quite literate and intuitive guitarist Joe Puma, and you have the makings of an emotive, thoroughly professional ensemble.

Fans of female vocalists of the '50s inevitably bemoan the lack of respect given to one of the true greats. Frances Faye, like Peggy Lee, was a dishy, somewhat off-kilter blonde who could scribble out a mean tune when the mood hit her. She was actually a recording presence in the decades prior, writing and co-writing songs that were recorded by herself and other artists such as the Andrews Sisters all through the late '30s and '40s.