Connie Frances Sox

Five more CDs of Connie Francis, picking up right where Bear Family's earlier White Sox, Pink Lipstick set left off, in 1960 – although its 300-plus minutes of music only cover the period of 1960 to 1962. By this time, Connie Francis was established as one of the top female vocal talents of her generation, and she was ready to experiment – you hear her successful move into country music, wonderful outtakes, and never-issued songs from her early-'60s sessions…

As the title makes vividly clear, Connie Han’s career may be in the early stages of what promises to be a vertiginous climb, but the 23-year-old pianist and composer is no wide-eyed aspirant, timidly searching for her place in the crowded jazz landscape. One listen to Iron Starlet is ample evidence that she’s every bit an armor-clad talent as the name implies. Her powerful vision takes in the full evolution of her forebearers, from iconic innovators like McCoy Tyner and Hank Jones through the Young Lion revolution spearheaded by the Marsalis Brothers, Kenny Kirkland and Jeff “Tain” Watts, among others.

"Connie & Clyde - Hit Songs Of The Thirties" is a studio album recorded by U. S. Entertainer Connie Francis. Allegedly inspired by the success of Arthur Penn's 1967 motion picture Bonnie & Clyde, Connie Francis decided in March 1968 to record an album of songs from the depression era. To compile a repertoire of songs with the most appeal to the listener, Francis interviewed several contemporary witness about the hit songs from that era and finally made her choice. The album's title is a word play on the outlaw duo Bonnie and Clyde, two of the most remembered personalities of the era.

Connie Francis recorded so many pop trifles during her long career that it's easy to forget what a hip and effervescent singer she could be when paired with the right material and collaborators. Cocktail Connie: Connie Francis Sings and Swings Lounge Classics rights that wrong, assembling 18 surprisingly fresh and sophisticated tracks recorded for MGM during the mid-'60s. A significant chunk of the compilation originates via 1968's Sings Bacharach and David - arranger Claus Ogerman's interpretations of songs like "Walk on By," "This Girl's in Love with You," and "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" augment the melodies' jazz-like intricacies to create subdued, richly textured settings that perfectly complement Francis' uncharacteristic vocal restraint, complete with nuanced orchestration worthy of Burt Bacharach himself…

Pain and heartbreak have permeated Connie Smith’s timeless country sound and they pulse through The Cry of the Heart, Smith’s first album in a decade and her third collaboration with her husband, Marty Stuart (who also produces the effort). Smith asks” How many teardrops have I cried over you” on album opener “A Million and One,” reintroducing listeners to her radiant, textured voice. Smith and Stuart contributed two original tracks written together as well, the soaring “Here Comes My Baby Back Again” and weeper “Spare Me No Truth Tonight.” Other songs on The Cry of the Heart include “I Don’t Believe Me Anymore” the 72nd song Smith has recorded written by Hall of Fame songwriter Dallas Frazier, and Merle Haggard’s “Jesus Takes a Hold,” which is a reflection of Smith’s boundless faith in the midst of troubled times. Grammy Award- winning producer and songwriter Carl Jackson pens "To Pieces" and "I'm Not Over You," the latter composed with classic country singer Melba Montgomery.