Songwriting
partner (and later, wife) of super-producer Tony Hatch, Jackie Trent (1940-2015) earned a
big hit single in 1965 when "Where Are You Now (My Love)" famously
ousted the Beatles' "Ticket to Ride" from the top of the British
charts. Nearly as beautiful a piece of AM pop as Dusty Springfield or Petula
Clark ever recorded, the song benefited greatly from Hatch's melodramatic
string production and 
The ultra-hip
and sophisticated "cool jazz" that Chet Baker (trumpet/vocals) helped
define in the early '50s matured rapidly under the tutelage of producer Dick
Bock. This can be traced to Baker's earliest sides on Bock's L.A.-based Pacific
Jazz label. This album is the result of Baker's first sessions for the
independent 
Once available as an LP in the '60s on the RCA label, you can now enjoy it in CD format. The liner notes describe in Hugo's own words how he envisioned all the women named on the disc. Such as "Theme for Irma" being derived from "Irma La Douce". With the exception of "Candy's Theme" all the names relate to women in films, in spite of that,the haunting "Candy's Theme" is my favorite. You must remember that this music was created when recordings needed to be relatively short in play time to accommodate radio airplay. That meant that two minutes and thirty seconds, give or take was the 'sweet spot.' Montenegro makes the most of the short play time and doesn't disappoint, with this foray into musical history. To twist an old quote «'Candy is dandy, but listening won't rot you teeth!» Take a bite and enjoy the orchestra and chorus of the late Hugo Montenegro. And, finally, what you think about the gorgeous cover?
Vocalist/pianist
Peter Cincotti burst onto the jazz scene in 2003 as an 18-year-old wunderkind
much in the same way that Harry Connick, Jr. positioned himself as an updated
crooner with a debut album of enjoyable if predictable standards from various
decades. Interestingly, Cincotti's follow-up, this "On the Moon", finds him exploring
funk and soft rock balladry. Similar to his British contemporary Jamie Cullum,
Cincotti seems intent here on mixing a radio-friendly melodic pop aesthetic
with his jazz chops. In fact, the title track sounds a lot like Cullum's single
"All at Sea," which is not to say that Cincotti is ripping anybody
off. On the contrary, while there are touches of David Gates, Barry Manilow,
and even Coldplay, it is hard to pinpoint any concrete influences for
Cincotti's singer/songwriter style. While original songs are the focus this
time around, there is also a bevy of inspired standard tunes. To these ends, he
opens the album with a funky, hip-hop-influenced take on "St. Louis
Blues," gives "Bali Ha'i" a bluesy Sting-influenced vibe, and
turns "Up on the Roof" into a cinematic ballad. Adding to the lush
atmosphere are full string arrangements and guest spots by such sought-after 
Why it took
vocalist Madeleine Peyroux eight years to follow up her acclaimed "Dreamland" album is anybody's guess. The explanation from her website bio claims, «I
could have kept running with it, but I took a breather.» Really it hardly
matters, since there have been plenty of capable singers to fill that void. Produced
by Larry Klein, "Careless Love" is essentially "Dreamland" part deux. She lost Yves
Beauvais and Atlantic Records, as well as a stellar cast of edgy jazz and rock
session players, but she did gain Larry Klein. There are some fine players on
this album, including Larry Goldings, Scott Amendola, David Piltch, and Dean
Parks, and it's a much more focused set than "Dreamland". That she's on Rounder
is just an "oh well." Since Klein is not reined in by having to be a
"jazz" producer, his sense of restrained and subtle adventure is a
perfect foil for Peyroux's voice and phrasing, which is still too close to the
Billie Holiday model for comfort. The material is a curious collection of
modern pop songs, country tunes, and old nuggets. There's an original as well
in "Don't Wait Too Long," co-written with Jesse Harris and Klein. Peyroux's
reading of Leonard Cohen's "Dance Me to the End of Love" that opens
the disc is radical, sung like a German cabaret song, and lacks the drama of
the original, which is on purpose but it's questionable as to whether it works.
The most successful female songwriter in the history of the US and UK singles charts wrote and recorded the best-selling album by a woman. It seems justice, yet before "Tapestry" was released it also seemed very unlikely. Carole first registered as a singer in 1962 with "It Might As Well Rain Until September," but this had merely been a demo for Bobby Vee that publisher Don Kirshner thought good enough to release in single form. King did not attempt to become an artist herself until the late sixties. An LP with a trio named The City sold about five thousand copies and her 1970 solo debut "Writer" was undistinguished. Nothing prepared the world for "Tapestry", a recital that has long passed the thirteen million mark in sales. Among the tunes played by pianist King were "It's Too Late," an American number one, "So Far Away," a Top 20 tune, and "I Feel The Earth Move," the flip of "It's Too Late" that enjoyed much airplay in its own right. King revisited her hits for the Shirelles ("Will You Love Me Tomorrow") and Aretha Franklin ("[You Make Me Feel Like] A Natural Woman").
Pianist/vocalist
Diana Krall pays tribute to the Nat King Cole Trio on her Impulse! set. In
general, the medium and up-tempo tunes work best, particularly such hot ditties
as "I'm an Errand Girl for Rhythm," "Frim Fram Sauce," and
"Hit That Jive Jack." Krall does not attempt to directly copy Cole
much (either pianistically or vocally), although his influence is obviously
felt on some of the songs. The slow ballads are actually as reminiscent of
Shirley Horn as Cole, particularly the somber "I'm Through With Love"
and "If I Had You." Guitarist Russell Malone gets some solo space on
many of the songs and joins in on the group vocal of "Hit That Jive
Jack," although it is surprising that he had no other opportunities to
interact vocally with Krall; a duet could have been delightful. Bassist Paul
Keller is fine in support, pianist Benny Green backs Krall's vocal on "If
I Had You," and percussionist Steve Kroon is added on one song. Overall,
this is a tasteful effort that succeeds. (Scott Yanow in AllMusic)
Set in 
An extraordinary
collection of late 60’s freakbeat and pop psych produced by a stellar studio
cast. The wunderkind producer Mark Wirtz was a
driving force behind this project from 1969-1971, along with co-writer and
artist Kris Ife. 
«I received a call from Burt Bacharach who was in London recording the music for the movie "Casino Royale". He was unhappy with the lead performance of the title song and asked if I would consider adding the Tijuana Brass sound. When he played the song over the phone and sang the melody to me with the inflections he wanted, I was struck by the unusual composition and was inspired to play it. The multitrack tapes of the recording were quickly sent, minus the lead instrument. We added two trumpets, some percussion, made a stereo mix and rushed the tapes back to London. That all happened within one week. The movie came out in 1967, and to this day people still tell me how much they liked our recording... thanks again to Burt. My choices of songs on this album were all over the map. Here again I was choosing songs that just popped into my head, with suggestions from my partner Jerry Moss (whose ideas I always listened to), along with tunes written by our staff of writers. Another Sol Lake melody that I really liked was "Bo-Bo". The first time I heard it, it felt like travelling music to me. As a result, we played "Bo-Bo" on one of our TV specials while floating down the Mississippi River on the Delta Queen. We performed "In A Little Spanish Town" with the Muppets and the brilliant Jim Hensen for a show we filmed in London, which also marked the public debut of Miss Piggy. It was a delightful experience.» (Herb Alpert)
