Various Artists Blue Note Plays Cole Porter (2006)

Blue Note Plays Billie Holiday is a solid single-disc collection of standards associated with legendary vocalist Billie Holiday that were culled from various Blue Note releases. Included are such cuts as trumpeter Clifford Brown's 1953 version of "Easy Living" off New Star on the Horizon and tenor saxophonist Ike Quebec's take on "Lover Man" from his 1961 album It Might as Well Be Spring.

Blue Note Plays Rodgers & Hart is a solid single-disc collection of standards by Rodgers & Hart culled from various Blue Note jazz albums. Included are such cuts as pianist Sonny Clark's version of "Lover" off his eponymous 1957 date as well as trumpeter Thad Jones' duet with guitarist Kenny Burrell on "Little Girl Blue" from the 1956 release Detroit-New York Junction.

Blue Note Plays the Beatles contains 11 previously released performances by jazz artists dipping into the Lennon/McCartney songbook. When deciding to cover such well-known songs, an artist has two possible ways of going about it: either re-create the track with no challenge to the original or attempt the complete opposite. Falling into the first category are "I've Just Seen a Face" by Holly Cole, "And I Love Her" by Kevin Hays, and "Come Together" by Dianne Reeves and Cassandra Wilson with Bob Belden.

Tapping into the deep vaults of Blue Note and Capitol Records, the compilers of this Duke Ellington tribute deliver both classic vocal sides and hard bop instrumentals. Kicked off, appropriately enough, with Ellington's own version of "Rockin' in Rhythm," the mix includes the A-list likes of Nat King Cole ("Mood Indigo"), Kenny Burrell ("Caravan"), Nina Simone ("It Don't Mean a Thing"), and Clifford Jordan ("Sophisticated Lady"). Shifting between vintage tracks from the '50s and '60s and more modern turns cut during the '80s, the disc also features big band favorite Stan Kenton; Ellington's writing partner, Billy Strayhorn; Hammond B-3 great Jimmy McGriff; and multi-style singer Lou Rawls. A well-balanced and fetching compilation.

While "Blue Bacharach" (from 1999) originally had 14 tracks, this version has been whittled down to 12 tracks, nine of which are repeats. The three newly added songs, "The April Fools" by Earl Klugh, "One Less Bell to Answer" by Stanley Jordan, and "Any Day Now" by Lou Rawls, were recorded in 1976, 1986, and 1990, respectively, undermining the overall continuity of the '60s-based arrangements. Still, it's nice to have Bacharach standards played in a lively soul-jazz groove by Stanley Turrentine, Grant Green, Richard "Groove" Holmes, and Reuben Wilson, along with Nancy Wilson's outstanding vocals on "Wives and Lovers" and "Alfie."

Containing 10 previously issued cuts from the back catalog of Blue Note, this mix of new and old artists takes a stab at the songbook of one of Brazil's most important artists. While some artists here may not be the best representatives for re-interpretation of Jobim, they all easily imprint their own unique styles and improvisations around his famous melodies. For the most part, these are straightforward interpretations of the originals, and while they offer nothing insightful, they do not do them a disservice, either…