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This is John Coltrane from the period when he was a member of Miles Davis' legendary 1950s quintet, accompanied by fellow quintet members Red Garland and Paul Chambers. This is Coltrane in a relaxed bop mode, making some swinging, relaxed jazz in the vein of Sonny Rollins and Stan Getz (the latter in his more boppish mode). This is not the fire-breathing saxophonist of the mid-'60s, but a player who was beginning to push against the boundaries, all the while playing with thoughtful, imaginative lyricism. It's a set of little-known pop tunes of the era, with the exception of Jackie McLean's "Little Melonae." Anyone who likes the mainstream jazz of the '50s, or Miles' music of that time, or Coltrane fans who want to hear their idol in an easygoing context, should pick this up.

Ella Fitzgerald and guitarist Joe Pass teamed up in a set of duets for this album. Because the emphasis is on ballads and not all of the songs are that well suited to Fitzgerald's musical personality (particularly "Lush Life" and "I Want to Talk About You"), this set is only a mixed success. Much more successful are "Don't Be That Way" and "A Foggy Day" but this is not one of the more essential Ella Fitzgerald records.

In 1984, a 45-year-old Tina Turner made one of the most amazing comebacks in the history of American popular music. A few years earlier, it was hard to imagine the veteran soul/rock belter reinventing herself and returning to the top of the pop charts, but she did exactly that with the outstanding Private Dancer. And Turner did so without sacrificing her musical integrity. To be sure, this pop/rock/R&B pearl is decidedly slicker than such raw, earthy, hard-edged Ike & Tina classics as "Proud Mary," "Sexy Ida," and "I Wanna Take You Higher."

As is often the case with an artist as prolific as John Coltrane, not every release can be considered as essential. Black Pearls seems a bit ambiguous when placed in a more historical context. It was only three days later that Coltrane participated not as a leader, but rather a member, of the Miles Davis Sextet that recorded "Stella By Starlight" and "On Green Dolphin Street." There is an obvious disparity between these three mostly improvised and lengthy jams and the Davis session. This is in no way to insinuate that Coltrane's performance is anything less than par. Black Pearls indeed captures Coltrane at the height of perfecting the intense volley that would garner the name "sheets of sound"…

The arrival of Misha's explosive JVC debut, Connected to the Unexpected, both clarifies and secures the future of the ever-expanding realm where urban-flavored modern hip-hop meets contemporary jazz. More than just a clever twist of phrase, the album title plugs into the keyboardist's ultra-inventive approach in fusing the various elements of his professional background – traditional and modern jazz, rock, pop, and orchestral music – with an aggressive, rap-spiced street vibe, topping off the infectious blend with stylistic homages to rhythms from around the globe. ~ AllMusic