Seven Davis Jr Universes (2015) (deluxe Version)

Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. are founding members and lead singers of the original 5th Dimension. Marilyn & Billy left the group and won a Grammy award, which is among their collection of seven Grammy wins, with an even greater number of nominations. Billy Davis, Jr. has continued to attract attention as a soloist and a duo partner with his wife, Marilyn McCoo. Although Marilyn & Billy tour regularly, BLACKBIRD: LENNON-MCCARTNEY ICONS is their first major studio album in three decades, and it is inspired by the turbulent and tragic experiences of lives lost in the ongoing struggle for human rights and equality.

This 2-CD set presents Sammy Davis Jr.’s complete sessions with bands conducted and arranged by Marty Paich in 1961 and 1962 (and featuring such outstanding jazz musicians as Bud Shank, Bill Perkins, Bob Cooper, Jack Sheldon, Jimmy Rowles, and Mel Lewis, among many others). Twelve bonus tracks have been added consisting of songs from the same period that complete the sessions, on which Davis is backed by different arrangers and conductors.

Recognized throughout much of his career as "the world's greatest living entertainer," Sammy Davis, Jr. was a remarkably popular and versatile performer equally adept at acting, singing, dancing, and impersonations – in short, a variety artist in the classic tradition. A member of the famed Rat Pack, he was among the very first African-American talents to find favor with audiences on both sides of the color barrier, and remains a perennial icon of cool.

Walter Davis, Jr.'s debut record as a leader for Blue Note is a terrific hard bop session, a driving collection of six original tunes that emphasize the strengths not only of the pianist himself, but also his supporting band: trumpeter Donald Byrd, alto saxophonist Jackie McLean, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Art Taylor. Apart from the lovely ballad "Sweetness," Davis Cup moves along at a brisk pace, with the rhythm section urging the soloists to new heights. Byrd has rarely sounded better, and on this date McLean provides ample evidence that he was moving beyond the conventions of hard bop and developing his own unique style. Davis, of course, does more than acquit himself - he contributes an engaging, energetic performance that keeps the music grounded…

Reel To Real returns with more top notch live archival music from Bob Mover and Walter Davis Jr. Recorded in Salerno, the recording beautifully captures the short-­lived duo association between two musical legends deserving greater attention.