Nina Bailey

There are no less than 20 CD compilations on the market with the words "Jazz Divas" in the title, and another eight that use the phrase "Divas of Jazz." Those two nouns, so carelessly bandied about, describe improvising female vocalists whose works are an extension of a tradition established by Bessie Smith, Adelaide Hall, Ethel Waters, Mildred Bailey, Ivie Anderson, Valaida Snow, Una Mae Carlisle, and Lee Wiley, none of whom appear on Verve's 2007 double-disc anthology titled Jazz Divas: Gold. Although a collection this diverse is vulnerable to criticism, particularly in regards to the song choices that were made, the temporal range – May 1938 through June 1997 – allows for a healthy overview of stylistic evolution. Thirty singers are represented here, with Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, and Nina Simone checking in twice (each of the five has her own volume in Verve's Gold series). This is a mainstream selection; while the omission of Ada Moore, Jeanne Lee, and June Tyson is therefore not surprising, the absence of Pearl Bailey, Betty Roché, and Etta Jones is most unfortunate. On the positive side, it's an entertaining survey of mostly great recordings made over a span of six decades by a variegated assortment of female jazz vocalists.

Jamaica's national motto, 'Out Of Many One People', could well be applied to the music that shaped the island's national sound, with modern reggae the result of many different musical forms coalescing to form a wonderfully unique 'one'. Fantastic Voyage's highly popular Sound System Classics series has already celebrated the American jump blues favoured at Jamaican dances in the pre-ska era, but contrary to widespread belief, US rhythm & blues and the indigenous style of mento were not the only types of music enjoyed across the island prior to the development of Shuffle Blues and Ska. In fact, the diversity of sounds that exerted a direct influence on popular Jamaican music throughout the 20th Century is astonishing, taking in gospel, blues, jazz, vocal groups, country, pop, film music and exotica, hailing from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Southern Africa and the British Isles, as well as America.

There are no less than 20 CD compilations on the market with the words "Jazz Divas" in the title, and another eight that use the phrase "Divas of Jazz." Those two nouns, so carelessly bandied about, describe improvising female vocalists whose works are an extension of a tradition established by Bessie Smith, Adelaide Hall, Ethel Waters, Mildred Bailey, Ivie Anderson, Valaida Snow, Una Mae Carlisle, and Lee Wiley, none of whom appear on Verve's 2007 double-disc anthology titled Jazz Divas: Gold. Although a collection this diverse is vulnerable to criticism, particularly in regards to the song choices that were made, the temporal range – May 1938 through June 1997 – allows for a healthy overview of stylistic evolution. Thirty singers are represented here, with Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, and Nina Simone checking in twice (each of the five has her own volume in Verve's Gold series). This is a mainstream selection; while the omission of Ada Moore, Jeanne Lee, and June Tyson is therefore not surprising, the absence of Pearl Bailey, Betty Roché, and Etta Jones is most unfortunate. On the positive side, it's an entertaining survey of mostly great recordings made over a span of six decades by a variegated assortment of female jazz vocalists.

The ultimate discovery from Elton John's extensive back catalogue, 'Jewel Box', includes a selection of insightful pieces selected by Elton John himself; rarities from the earliest stages of his and Bernie Taupin's musical journey; 30 years of B-sides and songs featured in Elton's best-selling and critically acclaimed memoir of 2019, 'Me'. The eight CDs come in a beautiful hardcover book, packed in an outer slipcase. Each section contains detailed notes, and for 'Deep Cuts' there is a track-by-track commentary by Elton. The set contains an unprecedented number of previously unheard, unreleased tracks from 1967 - 1969, the years that cemented the foundation of the iconic John Taupin partnership: "Jewel Box" is truly a treasure trove for Elton John fans.

Louise Johanna "Anneke" Grönloh (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɑnəkə ˈɡrʏnloː]; 7 June 1942 – 14 September 2018) was an Indonesian-born Dutch singer. She had a successful career starting in 1959 that lasted throughout the 1960s, and scored a hit with "Brandend zand", one of the best-selling Dutch songs of all time.

We feature the very greatest female singers from the 20th century encompassing the fields of Jazz, Blues, R&B, Easy and with a hint of Country too. They are all performing their signature classics.