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Tom Browne returns to his R&B roots with this collection of favorites from the '70s through the '90s, including "Hanging on a String" and "Unbreak My Heart." Just as Browne's music fuses his love of soul and jazz, this collection brings together luminaries from both worlds as Browne's special guests Chieli Minucci, Dianne Reeves, Christian McBride and KCB of Us3 all make contributions to R 'N' Browne's musical flavor. Smooth and soul-stirring, R 'N' Browne should please fans of contemporary jazz and R&B alike.

"I was trying to find the thread that connects one type of music - one type of musician - toanother, and to follow that thread in some kind of natural, evolutionary way." - (Tom Jones on the "This Is Tom Jones' TV show)
In the handful of years that the show aired on television, a host of famous actors, comedians and singers graced the stage. After it made its debut appearance, the programme went on to have two more series with a total of 65 episodes by the time it came to an end in 1971. Perhaps most impressive was the calibre of musical talent that Jones managed to book for the show. The series’ ran from 1969 to 1971 and saw him singing with everyone from Jerry Lee Lewis to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Jones’ authenticity as a singer and performer shine through on these prized duets that often highlighted his own musical tastes which were varied and eclectic. London Calling revisits these incredible performances, made for prime time television audiences in the UK and USA over 50 years ago. Featuring an array of exclusive performances from iconic artists in the captivating company of the one and only Tom Jones! Fully restored and professionally remastered original TV broadcasts, presented with background notes and timeline photos.

Tom Jones Gold is a two-disc, 42-track set that does an admirable job of mixing all his major hits recorded between 1965 and 1975 for the American Parrot label with well-chosen album tracks and B-sides. Interestingly, the U.K. Deram versions of Jones' singles and albums would occasionally differ slightly from the U.S. releases. All eight of those tracks are wisely included on Gold along with remastered favorites like "Delilah," "She's a Lady," "What's New Pussycat?" "Green, Green Grass of Home," "I (Who Have Nothing)" and "Help Yourself." Recommended for those who want to go a step beyond the average greatest-hits package.

Like Roy Ayers, Patrice Rushen, George Benson, and George Duke, Tom Browne is a perfect example of a jazz musician who switched to R&B and was lambasted by jazz snobs for it. As jazz's hardcore saw it, the trumpeter was a sellout – a gifted Clifford Brown disciple who was shamelessly wasting his chops playing commercial music. But commercial music isn't necessarily inferior to jazz, and the fact is that much of Browne's soul/funk output was excellent.

Southside Johnny Lyon has been fronting one of America's most consistently hard-rocking R&B show bands, Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes, for well over 30 years, so this album should come as something of a surprise to longtime fans - here Southside sings a dozen tunes from the songbook of Tom Waits alongside a jazzy, full-bodied big band led by Richie "LaBamba" Rosenberg, a longtime fixture in the Asbury Jukes horn section (and a member of Max Weinberg's band on Late Night with Conan O'Brien). While this is very much a change of pace, it's one that both Lyon and Rosenberg handle with confidence and aplomb; Lyon's voice shows a touch more grain than it did in his salad days with the Jukes, but his sense of phrasing and showman's touch is superb, and he brings swagger, heart, and sincerity to every performance here, and when Waits shows up for a duet on "Walk Away," the two trade lines as if they've been singing together for years…

Despite the absence of Joe Sample and Larry Carlton, Tom Scott's L.A. Express remains very Crusaders-influenced on Tom Cat – a highly accessible jazz-funk-R&B date that, as commercial as it is, leaves room for inspired blowing courtesy of both the leader and sidemen like electric guitarist Robben Ford and keyboardist Larry Nash. Sweaty, hard-hitting jazz-funk is the rule on such down-home grooves as "Good Evening Mr. & Mrs. America & All the Ships" and "Day Way," which allow the players to let loose, blow, and say what needs to be said. "Love Poem" is a pleasant, likable piece of delicate mood music (but not "Muzak"!) that features wordless vocals by pop-folk singer Joni Mitchell and has a slightly Flora Purim-ish appeal.