Akibiyori Yasujirō Ozu 1960

In 1960, pop vocalist Julie London was really cranking out albums for the successful label Liberty Records. The success of her 1955 hit "Cry Me a River" put Liberty into overdrive and London responded by making some of the strongest records of her career. Her ability to interpret a song was at its strongest in the late '50s and early '60s, as is evidenced on the shimmering Around Midnight. While some of her best recordings were front of small jazz combos, Around Midnight proves that London was just as effective in front of larger orchestras and bands. The drowsy "Black Coffee" and lazy "Lush Life" typify the late-night feel of the album, leading right into "The Wee Small Hours of the Morning."

This two-fer compiles Polly Bergen's All Alone by the Telephone and Four Seasons of Love. It's an economical and convenient way for those who have a limited knowledge of Bergen's music to increase their knowledge and discover what lies beyond the singer's best-known recordings.
All Alone by the Telephone (1959) pairs Polly Bergen with arranger Luther Henderson to create a deeply melancholy song cycle that explores romantic estrangement and isolation from a refreshingly adult perspective. Bergen's dusky, world-weary vocals never resort to histrionics, finding their mode of expression in restraint, not release - her thoughtful interpretations of material like "Glad to Be Unhappy," "Too Late Now," and "By Myself" strip the songs to their core, articulating their themes of loss with hard-fought maturity…

Recorded originally for the Prestige subsidiary Moodsville, Coleman Hawkins (along with the Tommy Flanagan Trio) sticks exclusively to ballads and slower pieces, all played at a low flame. Although it is nice to hear the veteran tenor interpreting "Poor Butterfly" and "I'll Get By," this CD is more successful as pleasant background music than as creative jazz.