A no-frills, loving tribute — with Shirley’s longtime drummer Steve Williams and double bassist Curtis Lundy (brother of Carmen), formerly of Betty Carter’s group; also the fine pianist Alex Minasian and trumpeter Till Brönner.

The NY hipster in Cologne for the day in 1967, with eight members of the Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland big band, including Sahib Shihab and Ronnie Scott. Kicking off with Murphy unaccompanied in Duke’s Jump For Joy, the performances are masterful throughout, in wonderful repertoire, with a perfectly measured, enthralling introspectiveness.
Sconsolato in particular is ravishing, sublime Latin jazz, with casually brilliant drumming by Kenny Clarke and a gorgeous muted trumpet solo by Jimmy Deuchar, from Warrington. A desert island disc.
Very warmly recommended.

Alone at the piano, feeling his way with the fewest moves right to the heart of a deadly selection of all-time-great jazz songs, plus a few of his own. Veteran of all those classic Horace Silver, Max Roach and Ntu Troop recordings, his baritone voice is mostly reined in here, but rivetingly, acutely soulful.

The best recordings of this stupendous singer, the greatest jazz singing there is for fucks sake, nattily presented like a seven-inch box-set. Brownie, Roy Haynes, Cannonball… Do yourself a favour.

A bunch of Broadway standards, Shubert Alley is Torme’s masterpiece, a wonderful jazz vocal album — with Marty Paich and band (featuring Art Pepper) going after the sound of Miles’ The Birth Of The Cool.

Spiritual jazz vocal in the great tradition of Leon Thomas, Joe Lee Wilson and Andy Bey, with excellent versions of I’ve Known Rivers and Ooh Child, and several terrific modal numbers; fine backing. Recommended.

The harpist from Christian Wallumrod’s ensemble, with the Magical Orchestra singer, plus viola and nyckelharpa — performing Purcell, Nick Drake, Leonard Cohen, and a couple of Susanna’s.

The two 1957 LPs — the first more intimate, with quartet and trio settings (four with Carmen playing her own piano accompaniment); the second an all-star session, with Charlie Shavers, Jimmy Cleveland amongst em.

Farsi love songs, including a tribute to Norma Winstone, from the German-Iranian singer Cymin Samawatie.

Two World Pacifics from 1959, The Swingers! and A Gasser! (featuring Annie Ross on her own). Straight songs and hip new renditions of great stuff like Little Niles, Four, Airegin, Now’s The Time.