The Diva Series

Astrud Gilberto, the Brazilian canary with the voice like honey and diction that defied belief, has been compiled many times on Verve, but rarely as well as on her entry in 2003's The Diva Series. A 21-track of her prime decade, the '60s, this one includes all of the classics associated with her: "The Girl From Ipanema," "Agua de Beber," "Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars)," "So Nice (Summer Samba)," and "Dindi." Not all of her LPs have been reissued on CD (in the States), so the compilers also added tracks that may surprise a few Gilberto fans, like "Eu e Voce" and "Canto de Ossanha (Let Go)."

Part of Verve's Diva Series of compilations, this Billie Holiday collection is by no means the definitive account of her career – Columbia's Lady Day: The Best of Billie Holiday takes that honor. That said, it is still a great introduction to the vocalist's singular and influential style. There is a timely flow to the track listing on most of the Diva Series albums, and this collection is no exception.

Ella Fitzgerald's entry in the Verve Diva Series is a 16-track compilation that selects tracks from the first three decades of her recording career. Beginning with 1938's smash hit "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," the disc covers her hot and swinging big-band days in the late '30s and early '40s through her triumphant songbook records of the 1950s. The tracks compiled here include some of the songs that she made her own, like "Oh, Lady Be Good," "(You'll Have to Swing It) Mr. Paganini, Pts. 1-2," "How High the Moon," and the song she shares with Bobby Darin, "Mack the Knife," as well as lots of other great songs.

Blossom Dearie's time spent with Verve during the late '50s resulted in several albums of great music, and her entry in the label's 2003 The Diva Series is one of the better single-disc wrap-ups of her career. This one is much longer than Verve's previous attempts; it also does a good job of compiling most of her best moments, including "I'm Hip," "Blossom's Blues," and "Always True to You in My Fashion."

Nina Simone spent time recording with Verve or the associated Philips during the mid-'60s, so her entry in the label's 2003 The Diva Series focuses on that period, when she had an R&B hit with "I Put a Spell on You" and recorded many live albums. Though it is much longer than Verve's previous attempts, it certainly doesn't qualify as a solid compilation of Simone's career. A few career-defining songs like "I Loves You, Porgy" are presented in live versions which, fine as they are, don't rate with the studio recordings. For what it is, The Diva Series is a solid label wrap-up, including rarer material like "Wild Is the Wind" as well as a few classics like "Mississippi Goddam" and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood."

Part of Verve's Diva Series, this Sarah Vaughan collection is by no means a definitive look at her career. It is, however, a nice overview featuring a healthy slice of some of her best tracks. Included here are such popular recordings as "How High the Moon," "I Want to Be Happy," and "Misty." While most die-hard collectors will already own these tracks, listeners looking for a truthful introduction to Vaughan's mellow vocal style could do worse than this.

If you are making a shortlist of the best jazz singers, Carmen McRae had better be right at the top. She had a distinctive voice, able to do heartbreaking and lighthearted equally as thrillingly. She had an unerring sense of melody and her phrasing is a thing of beauty. This collection covers her work in the mid-'50s for Decca both with small groups and larger orchestras. She shines on swinging tracks like "Comes Love," "Falling in Love With Love," and "I'm Putting All My Eggs in One Basket" and won't leave a dry eye in the house with her deeply emotional ballad singing.

Part of Verve's Diva Series, this Dinah Washington collection serves as a solid introduction to her dynamic work. Featuring such popular Washington mainstays as "What a Diff'rence a Day Made," "If I Were a Bell," and "I'll Close My Eyes," this is a timely introduction to one of the jazz world's most versatile artists. While by no means definitive, at over 14 tracks one could do worse with a single-disc overview than to check this one out first.

This final LOiseau-Lyre set presents some of the most significant Medieval & Renaissance albums recorded by one of the most authoritative Early Music labels.