Mr. Lucky

As modern big-band leaders go, Quincy Jones in the '60s would be first choice for many composers who wrote for a television series or the cinema. Though not the original themes, Jones was quite able to produce a full album featuring Henry Mancini's famous songs from movies and the small screen. This collection of the familiar and obscure Mancini done in 1964, preceded famed epic scores written by Jones from films The Pawnbroker and The Deadly Affair. ~ AllMusic

Vintage-inspired singer/songwriter Chris Isaak has periodically attempted to update his '50s and '60s-influenced sound. Albums like 2002's Always Got Tonight and 2009's Mr. Lucky found the California native incorporating funk grooves, modern rock guitars, and the occasional synthesizer. Despite these moves toward contemporizing his pompadour-accented approach however, Isaak's best work, even on those albums, is always on the tracks where he embraces his old-school aesthetics and delivers melodic, twangy songs in his signature goosebump-inducing croon. This is the approach Isaak takes on his 13th studio album, 2015's First Comes the Night.

What can one say about a singer who Ella Fitzgerald described as the best voice of all time? What Sarah does is miraculous. Some of the songs are a bit weak, but, she makes them better and the great songs, she absolutely soars. Her phrasing and incredible range (some say 3 octaves, but, it sounds more like 5)make this album worth every penny. Dreamsville, Slow Hot Wind, Mr. Lucky are the highlights. There will never be another female singer with a voice like Sarah. This album is a good reminder.