Michel Legrand at Shelly's Manne Hole

Singer/actress Lena Horne's primary occupation was nightclub entertaining, a profession she pursued successfully around the world for more than 60 years, from the 1930s to the 1990s. In conjunction with her club work, she also maintained a recording career that stretched from 1936 to 2000 and brought her three Grammys, including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1989; she appeared in 16 feature films and several shorts between 1938 and 1978; she performed occasionally on Broadway, including in her own Tony-winning one-woman show, Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music, in 1981-1982; and she sang and acted on radio and television.

Jazz from The Pacific Northwest combines two previously unissued concert recordings from one of the greatest jazz drummers of all-time, Shelly Manne. The first recording features Monty Budwig on bass, Russ Freeman on piano, Stu Williamson on trumpet, and Herb Geller on flute and alto saxophone recorded at the Monterey Jazz Festival on October 4, 1958. The second recording features Hampton Hawes on piano, Frank Strozier on flute and alto saxophone, Conte Condoli on trumpet and guest vocalist Ruth Price on two tracks recorded at the Penthouse jazz club in Seattle on September 7 and 15, 1966.

This unusual CD reissue has five selections from a date featuring the great tenor Coleman Hawkins, pianist Hank Jones, bassist George Duvivier and drummer Shelly Manne. Both "Take the 'A' Train" and "Cherokee" find the group at times playing two tempos at once (Manne sticks to doubletime throughout "Cherokee") and showing that they had heard some of the avant-garde players. The most swinging piece, "Avalon," was previously available only on a sampler while "Me and Some Drums" features Hawkins and Manne in a very effective duet with the veteran tenor making his only recorded appearance on piano during the first half. ~ AllMusic

In a follow-up to their hit recording of music from My Fair Lady, Shelly Manne and his Friends (a trio with pianist André Previn, bassist Leroy Vinnegar, and the drummer/leader) recorded nine songs from the play Li'l Abner. Although Johnny Mercer and Gene DePaul wrote the score, none of the songs caught on except for the ballad "Namely You," and this LP was not a best-seller. The musicians are in fine form but the melodies are not too memorable (when was the last time anyone played "If I Had My Druthers" or "Progress Is the Root of All Evil"?).

A newly remastered definitive anthology of one of the world's best loved popular singers. In her 30 year career, Mouskouri has sold over 300 million albums worldwide and continues to enthrall audiences everywhere. This selection draws from the full spectrum of her recording career. The task of compiling a single-disc best-of collection for legendary Greek chanteuse Nana Mouskouri is virtually impossible, but this 21-track retrospective, spanning the singer's career and incorporating a range of musical styles, is an excellent introduction for the novice or casual fan.