Recorded for the Impulse! label in 1963 and very much underrated since, "Salt and Pepper" is an excellent pairing of tenors Sonny Stitt and Paul Gonsalves. Most of the album has the spontaneous feel of a live jam session where two great musicians pass the night trading licks.

Though he was never the most distinctive vocalist, Johnny Hartman rose above others to become the most commanding, smooth balladeer of the 1950s and '60s, a black crooner closely following Billy Eckstine and building on the form with his notable jazz collaborations. This album featuring performances recorded in 1964 for the Impulse! label.

"Lady In Satin" is Billie Holiday’s penultimate masterpiece. The 1958 gem is one of her finest achievements and a full display of her immortal vocal abilities. Joined by the Ray Ellis Orchestra, Holiday dazzles on tunes including “For Heaven's Sake”, “You Don't Know What Love Is” and “I'm A Fool To Want You”. The album is one of Holiday’s personal favorites and an emotional listen from start to finish. It is one of jazz’s bestselling albums and was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame. Absolutely essential.

This album is split between two American jazz musicians and their bands: it includes 1954 recordings from both clarinetist Hank D'Amico and his quartet and saxophone and clarinet player Aaron Sachs and his sextet. On the original vinyl, each band got one side each, combining sessions from the bandleaders originally released on 10" vinyl.

Big band and cabaret singer Joe Derise is probably better known for his work with other bands but he also recorded several albums on his own. This 1955 session consisting mainly of standards was his debut recording as a leader; not only does he sing but he plays some piano and is joined by Milt Hinton on acoustic bass and drummer Osie Johnson.

"Lady In Satin" is Billie Holiday’s penultimate masterpiece. The 1958 gem is one of her finest achievements and a full display of her immortal vocal abilities. It is one of jazz’s bestselling albums and was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame. This Centennial Edition features a set of extensive liner notes, plus two bonus discs covering the complete Lady In Satin sesseions. The recordings were transferred from the original three-track tapes to a hi-res Pro Tools file by Vic Anesini, and remixed and remastered in 24-bit audio by Maria Triana at Battery Studios, NYC. Absolutely essential.

One of the great tenor and organ dates cut for RCA in the 60's by the team of Johnny Hodges and Wild Bill Davis featuring performances recorded in 1965. The title is a play on words based on the term "console organ", a term used by the Hammond organ company to describe the type of organs favored by Davis.

Wild Bill Davis was the stage name of American jazz pianist, organist, and arranger William Strethen Davis. With the dynamic, swirling sounds of his Hammond B-3 organ, Wild Bill Davis provided a bridge from the big band swing of the 1930s and '40s to the organ-driven R&B of the 1950s and early '60s.

Marilyn Moore was an American jazz singer during the 1950s. She recorded one solo album, "Moody Marilyn Moore". Her vocal style was similar to Billie Holiday's, and according to jazz critic Will Friedwald, Holiday and Moore were friends. She was the first wife of saxophonist Al Cohn and the mother of guitarist Joe Cohn.

Widely regarded as the greatest gospel singer of all time, Mahalia Jacksom made her impact felt across several musical genres. Her appearances at the 1957 and 1958 Newport Jazz Festivals exposed her to audiences that had previously been unaware of her abilities, just as her weekly radio show (which began in 1954) had done earlier in the decade. This album was released in 1959 on the Columbia label.

The third and final Chris Connor recording for Bethlehem, this 1955 release is considered one of her best and was recorded as her star was rising high, with a spectacular studio band consisting of Herbie Mann on flute, J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding on trombones, Ralph Sharon on piano, guitarist Joe Puma, bassist Milt Hinton and drummer Osie Johnson.

This Billie Holiday album was recorded in March 1959 and released four months later, in July 1959, the same month Holiday died; after her death the album was renamed "Last Recording". Al Cohn on tenor sax and Milt Hinton on bass are among the several notable session musicians in Ray Ellis's Orchestra which provides horn-driven accompaniment on most of this material.