Not Now Vinyl, CD & Tape 211 Items

Take a listen to any of the many styles that Etta James worked in and you will very quickly realise that she would have been able to wipe the floor with any of today's so-called divas. Her vocal strength, phrasing, range and all-over sass stand out head and shoulders over any competition. In a career that lasted from the fifties right up to the noughties, she survived slumps, depressions and addictions, she recorded many singles and albums most of which were big sellers. This collection covers material from the early sixties when she properly broke through and really established herself.

The Newport Jazz Festival at Rhode Island was first established in 1954 and quickly became one of the main summer happenings in America’s jazz calendar. It became the place to be - a showcase for jazz performers, established stars and innovators alike… Nina Simone was booked to play the opening night at the seventh edition of the festival on 30 June 1960. However, it wasn’t the best of times to appear there - it was the year when the hooligans made their way to Rhode Island to gatecrash the festival. These tussles caused the cancellation of several performances. But whatever the circumstances, Nina Simone was confident that she could make an impact. At the conclusion of Simone’s set, the crowd rose to its feet and offered the kind of ovation that would only be surpassed when she returned to the festival again in 1966, causing an audience of 15,000 to stand and cheer.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Charismatic showman Richard blazed a trail with his sequined jackets and frenetic pounding of the Piano keys. His breakthrough track Tutti Frutti, would not only make him a star and kick off an influential career that would span over half a century, but was one of the templates for what we know as popular music. Indeed, as People Magazine proclaimed, 'There could not have been a Michael Jackson if there had not been a Little Richard."

A significant moment in the early career of Nina Simone came when she was invited to perform not just at a Town Hall, but the New York City Town Hall, one of the most prestigious venues in America. It happened on the night of 15 September 1959, when the young singer and pianist performed a selection of ballads, standards and traditional songs that perfectly suited her own musical tastes and talents. As a rising star and proud representative of African-American culture, Nina showed audiences and critics alike, her prowess as a commanding and gifted performer.

In his introduction to the opening number, the entirely appropriate Manhattan, singer and lyricist Hendricks reminds us he once wrote the shortest jazz poem ever heard…Listen. Well, that’s good advice. Just listen and enjoy the headlong rush of exhilarating performances inspired by life in the Big Apple. The need to get down to business is soon established by Charlie Persip’s drumming that has all the urgency of that city’s rush hour. Charlie’s brushes set the rhythm while Jon does his rhyming thing, before the massed ranks of an all-star brass section roar into action. In a constantly evolving arrangement, the full orchestra tends to dominate. But it courteously gives up its N.Y. Subway seats every now and then, to give the soloists room for musical manoeuvre. In New York George met and worked with Miles Davis, Gerry Mulligan and Gil Evans. His own theoretical ideas including the Lydian Concept helped pave the way for the modal style adopted by Miles and John Coltrane in the 1950s. He had earlier arranged the Afro-Cuban theme Cubana-Be And Cubana-Bop recorded by Dizzy Gillespie in 1947. In later years George worked intensively with Bill Evans, composing an orchestral suite All About Rosie featuring the pianist. Russell eventually moved to Sweden and toured Europe with his own sextet. In 1969 he returned to the U.S. to take a teaching post in Boston.

Bobby Darin's Atco albums, original copies of which were pressed with yellow 'harp' labels, are collector's items today. He remained with the Label until switching to Capitol in 1962, by which time he had released no fewer than 13 long-players including 'At The Copa', 'Two Of A Kind' (with Johnny Mercer), the dance themed 'Twist With Bobby Darin' and 'Bobby Darin Sings Ray Charles'. This compilation picks the best from those albums. Enjoy the fabulous musical fruits of the multi-talented Bobby Darin.

When giants of Jazz join together in conjugal jamming the resultant jousting can be less than jubilant. That was often the case in the era when promoters and record producers thought it a bright idea to create battle conditions at concerts and on albums. Undercurrent features the protagonists unsupported by a rhythm section, and relies on their intuition and telepathic understanding to create the interplay revealed in this album. Much admired as an influence on other Pianists, Bill Evans won seven Grammy Awards and a led a Trio that released many acclaimed albums. While Jim Hall continued playing, composing and arranging touring the world, receiving myriad awards in recognition of his achievements.

When 17 year-old Drummer Tony Williams joined The Miles Davis Group in 1963 he told the leader that Milestones was 'the definitive Jazz album of all time'. Miles was stunned and immediately began playing the title tune again in his band's live set. While it took the brash youngster to renew the Trumpeter's interest in his own heritage, the set of tunes first released in 1958, had already been acknowledged as a timeless work of art. The British Critic, Author and Editor of Melody Maker Richard Williams recently described Milestones as 'the greatest piece of music created in the 20th century'.

During the 1920's the group hit on a format that provided a winner, each of them imitating a musical instrument: John Jr. vocally provided the sound of a Bass Trumpet; Herbert delivered the sound of Sax, Trombone and Trumpet; Harry mimicked Trumpet and sang Baritone; while Donald sang lead vocals when required, leaving Guitarist John Jr. to donate the only actual instrument sounds heard on their recordings. The brothers were signed to the U.S. Brunswick label following a recommendation from none other than Duke Ellington.

There have been many great Jazz Pianists, but foremost amongst them is Bill Evans. Accepted by all fans as being supremely influential for defining the format and scope of the Jazz trio, Evans entered his first purple patch in the mid to late fifties and refined his playing with a series of album. Over the years he recorded many trio albums with frequent changes of members, with the most lauded being his first and second line-ups. By May 1962 Evans cut what would be his seventh album for Riverside . New Bassist, Chuck Israels, joined the group, and together this second classic line-up cut two albums in the same sessions. The first was Moon Beams which contained ballads, while the second one, How My Heart Sings, had the up-tempo numbers. These were recorded as a mixture during the sessions as producer Orrin Keepnews wanted to release an album of just ballads from Evans, and so made up the album from the varied session tracks. During the recordings, Evans only revealed the tracks to his trio at the session itself. Fans and critics alike were more than appreciative of Chuck Israels' ability to meld into the trio with his punchy lines, meshing in especially well with Motian.

When Bill Evans played those haunting exploratory notes that introduce So What on the Miles Davis album Kind Of Blue he made a lifelong impression on generations of music lovers. Bill thereafter launched a solo career greeted with the kind of critical acclaim the bespectacled, classically-trained Pianist no doubt found unsettling yet deeply satisfying. While his association with Miles, which included performing on the most influential Jazz album of all time, was relatively short, his time with the Bill Evans Trio was longer lasting and in many ways more productive. Certainly Explorations proved a great success when first released by the Riverside label in 1961. The trio was completed by Scott LaFaro on double bass and Paul Motian on drums, gave the leader the right combination of swing and subtlety needed to suit Evans’ sensitive and yet ultimately commanding style. It was the second album by the trio and Bill claimed it was his personal favourite. Explorations produced by Orrin Keepnews certainly impressed the Jazz critics of Billboard magazine who voted it the Best Piano LP of 1961 in their annual poll.