Lucille

Although Alberta Hunter, who had briefly come out of retirement, gets first billing on this CD reissue, in reality she shares the spotlight with two other veterans of the 1920s: Lucille Hegamin and Victoria Spivey. Each of the singers is featured on four songs apiece while backed by such top players as clarinetist Buster Bailey, trombonist J.C. Higginbottham, and Cliff Jackson or Willie "The Lion" Smith on piano. Hunter is in superior form on such numbers as "You Gotta Reap Just What You Sow" and "I Got a Mind to Ramble," although she would soon be out of music for another 15 years, continuing her work as a nurse. Hegamin (who had not recorded since 1932) was having a brief last hurrah, despite sounding good, and Spivey, reviving her "Black Snake Blues," would soon be launching her own Spivey label. This is a historic and enjoyable set recommended to both classic jazz and blues collectors.

Their third duo album on Signum Classics, husband and wife Alessio Bax and Lucille Chung unite to bring an album of French works by Debussy and Ravel in versions for piano duo and four hands. With arrangements by Dutilleux and Ravel himself key works include ‘Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune’ for four hands and La valse for two pianos.

A decent but short (nine songs) late '60s set, with somewhat sparser production than he'd employ with the beefier arrangements of the "Thrill Is Gone" era…

Jeff Simmons (electric bass/piano/organ/accordion/vocals) - erstwhile member of the Indian Puddin' & Pipe, West Coast Natural Gas, Easy Chair, and Ethiopia - issued a pair of solo long-players on Frank Zappa's short-lived Straight Records imprint. First was the primarily instrumental Naked Angels original soundtrack (1969), followed several months later by this LP. Joining Simmons are Craig Tarwater (guitar), Ian Underwood (sax), and Ron Woods (drums/percussion) with Zappa (lead guitar) and John Kehlior (drums) collectively guesting on the exceedingly bluesy selections "Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up" and "Raye." Apart from the Zappa connection, the effort showcases Simmons' considerable talents as a composer and performer…