Jo Privat 1945 1958

The rock era saw a few white female singers, like Janis Joplin, show they could sing the blues. But one who could outshine them all - Jo Ann Kelly - seemed to slip through the cracks, mostly because she favored the acoustic, Delta style rather than rocking out with a heavy band behind her. But with a huge voice, and a strong guitar style influenced by Memphis Minnie and Charley Patton, she was the queen. Her debut studio album was released in 1969.

Not a vocal session from Ray Charles, but instead a set that showcases his great abilities in jazz - a side of Charles' talents that Atlantic was focusing on a bit more at the end of the 50s! The record's a collaboration with vibist Milt Jackson, who's nicely more loose and gritty here than in the company of the Modern Jazz Quartet - and in addition to piano, Ray also plays a bit of alto sax too - which comes as a nice surprise! Other players include the great Billy Mitchell on tenor sax, Skeeter Best on guitar, Oscar Pettiford on bass, and Connie Kay on drums.

Linda Jo Rizzo is a German singer, songwriter and producer. Originally from the United States, she was a photo model and studied nourishing sciences in New York. There she met Bobby Orlando and participated in his group, The Flirts, from 1983 to 1984. In 1984, Rizzo moved to Germany and started her own music career there. Linda has released and produced over 20 records and CD’s with some known producers as Fancy (Slice Me Nice, Lady of Ice) Glen P. Stone (Mandy Winter’s “Julian”) Joe Kleindienst (Saragossa Band) Mino Siciliano (La Bouche) and La Bionda (Vamos a la Playa, One For You-One For Me).

Not a vocal session from Ray Charles, but instead a set that showcases his great abilities in jazz - a side of Charles' talents that Atlantic was focusing on a bit more at the end of the 50s! The record's a collaboration with vibist Milt Jackson, who's nicely more loose and gritty here than in the company of the Modern Jazz Quartet - and in addition to piano, Ray also plays a bit of alto sax too - which comes as a nice surprise! Other players include the great Billy Mitchell on tenor sax, Skeeter Best on guitar, Oscar Pettiford on bass, and Connie Kay on drums.

Chet Baker in New York features the trumpeter in the company of a strong New York unit including Johnny Griffin, Al Haig, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones. These tracks mark the only collaborative recordings by Baker and Griffin. A reading of “Soft Winds” that completes the sessions (originally released on the various artists album New Blue Horns), and a full date that was recorded in New York the following year (on which Baker plays four songs by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe) have been added as a bonus.