The Pop up Pitch

UK 'Best Of' for the late lamented singer songwriter who sang with The Smiths, Talking Heads, the list goes on and on. This 18 track collection (long out of print in the U.S.) gives an overview of her eclectic career, highlighting her skills as an interpreter of classic songs and a talented songwriter in her own right. Tracks include her first hit for Stiffrecords, 'There's A Guy Down The Chipshop Swears He's Elvis', 'They Don't Know' (Kirsty's own composition, later a hit for Tracy Ullman), the Brian Wilson inspired, 'He's On The Beach', the Christmas classic, 'Fairy Tale Of New York' feat.The Pogues, and covers of The Smiths' 'You Just Haven't Earned It Yet Baby', The Kinks' 'Days' and Lou Reed's 'Perfect Day' feat. Evan Dando. 1995 release.

The pun in the title of Della Reese's most popular album for RCA Victor refers to the musical basis for these 12 songs: classical pieces originally composed by Tchaikovsky ("Symphony No. 6," "Melodie Op. 42"), Debussy ("Reverie"), Schubert ("Serenade"), Chopin ("Etude in E, Op. 10 No. 3," "Polonaise No. 6 Op. 53"), and Puccini ("Musetta's Waltz Song" from La Boheme), among others. The idea is a full-length expansion of her 1959 single, "Don't You Know," one of the biggest hits of her career (and also included here). Fortunately, Della Reese's voice – as strong, controlled, and pitch-perfect as it had proven in the past – is up to the challenge of such heavy material. Meanwhile, Glenn Osser's arrangements are gauzy and string-heavy, quite suited for the material and Reese's vocals. Though it's not a definitive performance, Reese admirably stretches her grasp of popular song by assimilating pieces from the classical repertoire.

Using the alias Caroline Says, Caroline Sallee made her recording debut in 2014 with 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong, an entirely self-recorded album assembled in her parents' basement in Alabama. An intimate, hazy collection of folk-poppy reflection, it came to the attention of Western Vinyl, which reissued it in 2017 while she was working on the follow-up.

Starpoint was an American R&B sextet from Maryland that began recording in the 1980s, releasing a string of solid albums first on the Casablanca sub label "Chocolate City", and later on Elektra. Their earlier albums, especially 1980's "Keep on It" were more funk than R&B, but vocalist Renee Diggs brought the R&B elements to the forefront with her powerful vocals which had both presence and sophistication, coupled with near perfect pitch and very pleasing tone.

Zero To Professional Production Taught By World Renowned Audio Engineer/Producer Clarian

The Carter Family were pioneers of Country music but their influence was far reaching and impacted future performers of other genres such as folk, pop/rock and even Southern gospel. This 2CD set celebrates their early material (1927-1941) and includes Keep On The Sunnyside', 'Wabash Cannonball', 'Are You Lonesome Tonight?' title track 'Wildwood Flower' plus many more classic tracks.

James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson Jr. (December 18, 1897 – December 29, 1952) was an American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music. He was one of the most prolific black musical arrangers and, along with Duke Ellington, is considered one of the most influential arrangers and bandleaders in jazz history. Henderson's influence was vast. He helped bridge the gap between the Dixieland and the swing eras. He was often known as Smack Henderson (apparently because of his skill as a batter playing baseball in college).

The Red and the Black is the debut album by American musician Jerry Harrison, who rose to prominence as a member of the Modern Lovers and Talking Heads. It was released in 1981 by Sire Records. The track "Slink" was performed live by Talking Heads in 1982.

THE BOSWELL SISTERS The Boswell Sisters inauspiciously launched their recording career in New Orleans, their hometown, on March 22, 1925, but their first release, I’m Gonna Cry and Nights When I’m Lonely didn’t shake any rafters. Early local appearances featured Connie, the eldest, on cello, Helvetia (“Vet”) on violin, and Martha at the piano, but the city’s jazz environment made Connie and Vet switch to saxophone and banjo, respectively. At first, the singing was almost incidental, but it became their ticket to national attention five years later when they moved to New York and became a fixture on radio shows. The Boswell Sisters were notable for their tight harmony as well as their unique ability to modulate pitch and give familiar songs a new melodic twist. They were the cutting edge that inspired future groups, including The Andrews Sisters, who began their own career by emulating them, even down to their Southern accent. The exuberant sisters recorded a string of hits in the 1930s, sometimes teaming up with fellow vocalists, such as Bing Crosby and The Mills Brothers. Instrumental accompaniments are by some of the day’s most popular musicians and bands, including The Dorsey Brothers, Don Redman, Red Nichols, and Benny Goodman. Considering their popularity and impact, the sisters had a relatively brief run, disbanding in 1936 when Martha and Vel married outside of the music industry and decided to give priority to family life. Connie, however, continued and enjoyed a successful solo career. This boxed set contains the entire Boswell Sisters output of commercially released recordings—a remarkable set of performances that paved the way for the vocal trio genre.