Napier, Nancy J

The Music for Lovers series from EMI and Blue Note spotlights the balladic nature and romantic side of artists who have recorded for its associated labels. Nancy Wilson may not get her due as a jazz vocalist, but as a romantic balladeer she has few peers, with a voice that communicates romance and sensuality. The 12 selections come from her best albums, including 1961's The Swingin's Mutual! (with the George Shearing Quintet), Yesterday's Love Songs/Today's Blues from 1963, and But Beautiful from 1969.

California Girl is a collection of old songs and newly recorded tracks by Nancy Sinatra, all built around one central concept – songs about California, from San Francisco to San Fernando, from classic tunes from the silver screen to sun-kissed rock & roll. It's a good idea for a record and even if the mix of old and new material is a little bit awkward, it's still a breezy, rather engaging record for longtime fans who have stuck by Nancy through thick and thin.

Being a former teenage rock journalist, Cameron Crowe has made no secret of his love of pop and rock music, or the inspiration he derives from it. He's one of the few film directors who places pop music at the center of his films, littering his pictures with references to rock & roll, even at times where it may not be necessary – witness how Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz inexplicably morph into the cover of The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan in Vanilla Sky…

Originally released in December of 1963, Yesterday's Love Songs/Today's Blues was the eighth in a long series of albums Nancy Wilson was to make for Capitol Records over a period of 20 years. During that time, she became one of the label's most artistically and commercially successful artists. The album was also made during the time when major recording companies were turning out sessions featuring black female singers with a gospel and/or blues background, singing standards and pop hits backed by a large orchestra, usually with strings. Columbia Records had Aretha Franklin, Everest used Gloria Lynne, and Capitol, Nancy Wilson. Here, teamed with the Gerald Wilson Orchestra and his arrangements, Wilson wends her way through 17 standards and traditional pop songs with a good balance between ballads and up-tempo numbers…

In this group of a dozen songs spanning more than half a century, Nancy Harrow demonstrates her ability to absorb the essence of the most valuable popular music from any era. She concentrates on pieces that helped the Beatles become one of the best-known bands in the world and leavens the collection with standards by master songwriters who have enriched the lives of generations.