Wilson Williams

Hep's Teddy Wilson series sticks to his all-star band sides (skipping his solo piano performances), many of which feature the vocals of Billie Holiday. This entry starts with a pair of vocals by the long-forgotten Redd Harper ("You Turned the Tables on Me" and "Sing, Baby, Sing"), has two spots for the talented singer Midge Williams and also a couple of instrumentals; otherwise, the set is comprised of Holiday vocals that are readily available in more complete form elsewhere. The highlight is Lady Day's first recorded meeting with tenor saxophonist Lester Young and trumpeter Buck Clayton which resulted in "He Ain't Got Rhythm," "This Year's Kisses," "Why Was I Born," and "I Must Have That Man."

The first eight tracks on this disc are rock and pop, including songs from Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians, Don McLean, and the Temptations. The last six are from the pen of John Williams. The music literally haunts you as you watch the movie. It's just as effective here.

‘Made in Britain’ is a rich and nostalgic journey through English music straddling the turn of the 20th century, with John Wilson, today’s leading proponent of British Music, at the helm of the UK’s oldest orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. ‘Made in Britain’ celebrates a rich period of English music surrounding the turn of the 20th century, including evergreens such as Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending (for years No 1 in the Classic FM Hall of Fame) and Elgar’s Salut d’amour, as well as the folk-inspired Two English Idylls by Butterworth and English Folk Song Suite by Vaughan Williams.

The first-ever collection to celebrate the contribution and career of cherished Motown star Mary Wilson. The Motown Anthology features 38 songs. Featured songwriters include Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Deke Richards, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Thom Bell and Linda Creed.

Nancy Wilson's not the first name in bluesy jazz (check out Dinah Washington and Joe Williams for that), but she usually can enliven the form with her sophisticated and sultry style. That's made clear on her rendition of "Stormy Monday Blues," where she eschews blues clichés in favor of a husky airiness, at once referencing a lowdown mood and infusing it with a sense of buoyancy. This split is nicely essayed on Capitol's Blues and Jazz Sessions, as half the tracks ooze with Wilson's cocktail blues tone and the other find the jazz-pop chanteuse in a summery and swinging mood. Ranging from the big band blues of "I've Got Your Number" to the lilting bossa nova "Wave," Wilson handles all the varying dynamics and musical settings with aplomb. Featuring cuts from her '60s prime with the likes of Cannonball Adderley, Oliver Nelson, George Shearing, Gerald Wilson, and a host of top sidemen, this best-of disc offers a fine, off-the-beaten-path overview of Wilson's Capitol heyday.