With this CD, the young Canadian singer/pianist/arranger joins forces with producer Tommy LiPuma, who places his orchestral stamp on eight of the 13 tracks. It is the latest attempt to push Krall to an even wider pop/smooth jazz audience than she already enjoys. After all, Nat Cole, Wes Montgomery, and George Benson, among others, went this route. Wonder if she'd agree the cuts sans strings were more fun and challenging? Krall does get to it with central help from bassists John Clayton and Ben Wolfe, drummers Jeff Hamilton and Lewis Nash, and guitarist Russell Malone, all stellar players. Krall's voice is sweet and sexy. She's also flexible within her range and at times a bit kitschy, mostly the hopeless romantic. On this CD of love songs, it's clear she's cool but very much in love with this music. Bob Dorough's "Devil May Care" and the insistent "Best Thing for You" really click. Favorites are a decent Shearing-esque "Let's Fall in Love" with vibist Larry Bunker; a suave slow bossa on the opening number, "Let's Face the Music"; the lusher-than-lush title track; and especially an incredible horn-fired fanfare intro/outro on the hip "Pick Yourself Up." Some might call this fluff or mush, but it depends solely on your personal taste. This will certainly appeal to Krall's fans, lovers, and lovers at heart.© Michael G. Nastos /TiVo

Among Ella Fitzgerald's gigantic discography, the eight volumes of her Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Complete American Songbook form a sacred pantheon. The idea for these records came from producer Norman Granz, who managed the singer and was the boss of Verve. The first volume, Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter Songbook, which came out in 1956, was a runaway success with critics and the public alike. So much so that in that same year, Ella followed it up with Sings the Rodgers & Hart Songbook and then again in 1957 with Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook. This volume, which is given over to the songs of Irving Berlin, was conceived in sessions from 13 to 19 March 1958, with an orchestra directed by the classy and reserved Paul Watson. It's hard to sum up this double album in few words (it originally came out in two separate volumes) without breaking out reams of superlatives. Newcomers to her work can take this record as an easy base camp from which to ascend Ella Everest. Across a repertoire to die for (Berlin passed away in 1989 at the age of 101, having written more than 800 songs!), with light and gay numbers taking centre stage, Ella's voice picks out the great writer's romanticism, which never feels cloying. For fellow composer Jerome Kern, at the heart of Irving Berlin's writing was his faith in American vernacular: his songs were indivisibly linked with the country's history and image. Here, in ubiquitous favourites like Cheek to Cheek, in Watson's arrangements, in ambient swing, in freewheeling and sensual singing, we see the then-41-year-old American reaching the summit of perfection. This is one to play and play and play, again and again and again... © Marc Zisman/Qobuz

While the 1960 live album Ella in Berlin: Mack The Knife will always be the peak of Ella Fitzgerald's solo recording career, this exciting discovery is yet another example of her voice and interpretative drive being pushed to new heights by her audience.  The great jazz singer's other strength as a soloist when it came to recordings—other than her fine collaborations with Louis Armstrong, which are practically their own genre—are the songbook collections she made in the studio with Norman Granz for his Verve label. While they all have their strong points, and the Duke Ellington collection where he and his band back her is exceptional, the volumes dedicated to Cole Porter and Irving Berlin rang true and sold big numbers, and it was music from those two collections that was featured in a split program at the Hollywood Bowl on August 16, 1958. The first pleasant surprise here is the sound. Project producer Gregg Field, who actually played drums with Fitzgerald for a time, has heroically recovered an enormous amount of information from the 64-year-old 1/4" tapes. Though rounded and dynamically limited, the sound is reasonably well-balanced between Fitzgerald's voice and the accompanying full orchestra. While it may be the presence of the audience spurring her on during the upbeat numbers, including many of Berlin's best-known tunes, they are delicious here. "Cheek to Cheek" glides along on her faultless phrasing, and she prances through "Puttin' on the Ritz." And the tempos are loosened in the closer "Alexander's Ragtime Band." Conductor Paul Weston, whose arrangements are heard on the studio records, also marshaled the forces at the Bowl; this would be the only time Fitzgerald performed these arrangements live with a full orchestra. Several more obscure Berlin compositions are the attraction for Fitzgerald fans and collectors, including a gorgeous, bittersweet take on the short "Russian Lullaby." Her sassy run through "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails," is another unexpected revelation. It was one of those nights when luckily all the pieces—the voice, the band, the conductor, the tape machine were all in top form. Now when do we get to hear the Cole Porter material, the other half of the concert?  © Robert Baird/Qobuz

In the 21st century, High Note Records has distinguished itself as a purveyor of exceptionally high-quality offerings by seasoned jazz veterans still playing at the top of their game. This date by Kenny Burrell, Live at Dizzy's Club Coca Cola (a club within the Lincoln Center) is no exception. It was cut on September 9, 2008 during his one-week stand at the venue -- his first extended engagement in the Apple since leaving it for California to head UCLA's jazz program a decade ago. Burrell is accompanied by his regular drummer (and session ace) Clayton Cameron, brilliant pianist Benny Green, bassist Peter Washington, and 24-year-old newcomer Tivon Pennicott on tenor saxophone and flute. While this marks Burrell's debut for High Note, it is the first ever recorded appearance for Pennicott. The band gets right to work on an extended reading of Chano Pozo's "Tin Tin Deo." Burrell introduces it gently, but within a minute, Washington enters and then Cameron. The full band enters at two minutes and the gorgeous Latin groove begins to assert itself in waves beginning with Pennicott's swinging tenor solo. Burrell works all of his harmonic magic on the tune, stretching its rhythmic and lyric possibilities but keeping that loping groove in the center. Another standout is the burning-down-the-house read of Kenny Dorham's "Blue Bossa," with wonderfully inventive work by Cameron and Burrell knotting up his own solo in a multi-faceted chord workout. Green is always in the pocket, pushing Washington and Cameron; and though he plays a backing role, Pennicott's roiling tenor solo is impressive. Washington gets a real chance to shine on Burrell's famous "Bass Face." He not only drives the tune but his solo is rich and multidimensional. (The tune was written as a showcase for Ray Brown.) There are three tributes to Duke Ellington here: the first a strident, rhythmically adventurous take on Billy Strayhorn's "Raincheck," a deeply intuitive, supremely lyric version of "In a Sentimental Mood," and Burrell's solo guitar ballad "Be Yourself." The set closes with a fingerpopping "Bag's Groove." Despite the band's introduction near the beginning, the call-and-response between Pennicott and Burrell, with Cameron's gradually layer-building swing is a fantastic send-off. This is trademark Kenny Burrell: creative, disciplined, and full of melodic blues and grooves.© Thom Jurek /TiVo

Hooking up with the Band, specifically Rick Danko and their producer John Simon, was one of the smartest moves Bobby Charles ever made. His subsequent eponymous album on Bearsville not only gave him a bigger audience, but led to the perfect production for his sly, subtle blend of New Orleans R&B, rock & roll, and country. Partially, that's because the production is fuller, richer than his sides for Chess, Jewel, and Paula, boasting not just some grit, but a sweetness on ballads like "I Must Be in a Good Place Now," a tune every bit as good as those from the singer/songwriters who dominated the charts in 1972. This gives the album an earthier quality than anything else he recorded; it also makes the album feel like a perfect companion piece to other roots rock albums from the time like, of course, the Band. Still, there's a special charm to this record, largely because while it sounds contemporary, it retains Charles' mellow vibe and his sharp songwriting. The songs come on slow -- "Street People," "He's Got All the Whiskey," and "Small Town Talk" all slowly unwind -- but the slow build is friendly, welcoming you into the song. This isn't lazy music, but it takes its time and it's better for it; it's perfect music for a hot summer afternoon. It's a true hidden gem of blue-eyed soul, Southern R&B, and early '70s roots rock (and early-'70s singer/songwriterism, for that matter).© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

On their third Japanese release, Face Yourself, Korean boy band BTS bundled tracks from prior releases Wings and Love Yourself: Her alongside a handful of previously unreleased songs. Featuring translated versions of hits like "DNA," "MIC Drop," "Not Today," and "Blood, Sweat, and Tears," Face Yourself also included new additions like "Don't Leave Me," "Crystal Snow," and "Let Go." The album debuted just outside the Top 40 on the Billboard 200 upon release in spring 2018.© Neil Z. Yeung /TiVo

For this well-rounded CD reissue that adds nine cuts to the original program, Anita O'Day, in her prime period, is mostly heard accompanied by Buddy Bregman & His Orchestra, but there are also a few tracks on which she is joined by a jazz combo featuring trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison. Highlights include "Don't Be That Way," "Stompin' at the Savoy," "Pick Yourself Up," "Sweet Georgia Brown," and "I Won't Dance." Virtually all of Anita O'Day's 1950s recordings are recommended, for her drug use had not yet affected her voice and her creativity was generally at its height.© Scott Yanow /TiVo

Guitarist/vocalist John Pizzarelli returns with another solid collection of tastefully swinging standards on Knowing You. Never straying too far from what he does best, Pizzarelli is nonetheless an exciting improviser and pleasing vocalist who always finds a way to make an old chestnut of a tune his own. Here, his rapport with such longtime bandmates as pianist Ray Kennedy, bassist Martin Pizzarelli, and drummer Tony Tedesco is instinctual, full of humor, and filled with call-and-response interplay. To these ends, Pizzarelli has compiled an enjoyable set of well- and lesser-known standards, including the sprightly swinger "Coffee, Black," the elegantly mellow "The Shadow of Your Smile," and the sweetly unexpected Brian Wilson classic "God Only Knows." That interesting song choice and the Rupert Holmes-esque original title track also show Pizzarelli's ability to push his talents into contemporary areas without alienating his fan base. Also joining in are Pizzarelli's wife, vocalist Jessica Molaskey, along with pianist Larry Goldings, tenor saxophonist Harry Allen, and others.© Matt Collar /TiVo

Among Ella Fitzgerald's gigantic discography, the eight volumes of her Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Complete American Songbook form a sacred pantheon. The idea for these records came from producer Norman Granz, who managed the singer and was the boss of Verve. The first volume, Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter Songbook, which came out in 1956, was a runaway success with critics and the public alike. So much so that in that same year, Ella followed it up with Sings the Rodgers & Hart Songbook and then again in 1957 with Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook. This volume, which is given over to the songs of Irving Berlin, was conceived in sessions from 13 to 19 March 1958, with an orchestra directed by the classy and reserved Paul Watson. It's hard to sum up this double album in few words (it originally came out in two separate volumes) without breaking out reams of superlatives. Newcomers to her work can take this record as an easy base camp from which to ascend Ella Everest. Across a repertoire to die for (Berlin passed away in 1989 at the age of 101, having written more than 800 songs!), with light and gay numbers taking centre stage, Ella's voice picks out the great writer's romanticism, which never feels cloying. For fellow composer Jerome Kern, at the heart of Irving Berlin's writing was his faith in American vernacular: his songs were indivisibly linked with the country's history and image. Here, in ubiquitous favourites like Cheek to Cheek, in Watson's arrangements, in ambient swing, in freewheeling and sensual singing, we see the then-41-year-old American reaching the summit of perfection. This is one to play and play and play, again and again and again... © Marc Zisman/Qobuz

With this CD, the young Canadian singer/pianist/arranger joins forces with producer Tommy LiPuma, who places his orchestral stamp on eight of the 13 tracks. It is the latest attempt to push Krall to an even wider pop/smooth jazz audience than she already enjoys. After all, Nat Cole, Wes Montgomery, and George Benson, among others, went this route. Wonder if she'd agree the cuts sans strings were more fun and challenging? Krall does get to it with central help from bassists John Clayton and Ben Wolfe, drummers Jeff Hamilton and Lewis Nash, and guitarist Russell Malone, all stellar players. Krall's voice is sweet and sexy. She's also flexible within her range and at times a bit kitschy, mostly the hopeless romantic. On this CD of love songs, it's clear she's cool but very much in love with this music. Bob Dorough's "Devil May Care" and the insistent "Best Thing for You" really click. Favorites are a decent Shearing-esque "Let's Fall in Love" with vibist Larry Bunker; a suave slow bossa on the opening number, "Let's Face the Music"; the lusher-than-lush title track; and especially an incredible horn-fired fanfare intro/outro on the hip "Pick Yourself Up." Some might call this fluff or mush, but it depends solely on your personal taste. This will certainly appeal to Krall's fans, lovers, and lovers at heart.© Michael G. Nastos /TiVo

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