India.Arie – Acoustic Soul (2001)

May 08, 2009 by Mr. Nau India.Arie delivers an incredible debut with this record, fusing guitar-driven soul with hip-hop, funk, and R&B. The songwriting here is first rate and all of the songs are infectious and unforgettable. Her voice, her lyrics, and the arranging make this a record worthy of many repeated spins. Grade: A+. […]

Norah Jones – Feels Like Home (2004)

May 04, 2009 by Mr. Nau In this followup to her award-winning debut, Norah Jones delivers a beautiful set of torch songs—relaxed, laid-back, and full of blues and country influence. Dolly Parton guests on one of the tracks and there are covers and rearrangements of the music of Tom Waits and Duke Ellington. Grade: A. […]

Norah Jones – Not Too Late (2007)

May 01, 2009 by Mr. Nau Norah Jones’ third album is quieter, more sparse, and more artistically adventurous than her previous efforts. The arranging and writing is really beautiful here, although some songs are quite minimal. Thinking About You, Until the End, and Be My Somebody stand out among a number of pretty country-influenced songs. […]

Norah Jones – Come Away with Me (2002)

May 01, 2009 by Mr. Nau Norah Jones makes a beautiful debut in this collection of soulful pop tunes, deeply steeped in country and jazz influence. Norah’s voice is gorgeous, mellow, and introspective. She’s backed up by an amazing band and, with solid arranging, this album heralds an amazing talent to keep an eye out […]

Sonny Stitt – The Good Life (1980)

Apr 29, 2009 by Mr. Nau Sonny Stitt picks up the tenor saxophone on this fun set of standards. His hard bop playing is magnificent and the intricacy of his solo work shows an obsessed devotion to his own development. Hank Jones, George Duvivier, and Grady Tate (who sings on some tracks) lend rhythm section […]

Dizzy Gillespie – Dizzy Gillespie Jam: Montreux 77 (1992)

Apr 28, 2009 by Mr. Nau Dizzy Gillespie helms this rare live set from the 1977 Montreux Jazz Festival, sharing the stage with the likes of Jon Faddis and Milt Jackson — not to mention a rhythm section full of legends. The music here is classic bebop, with Diz, Faddis, and Jackson riffing off each […]

Various Artists – Es Vive Ibiza 2007 (2007)

Apr 28, 2009 by Mr. Nau This huge triple CD set from Fierce Panda features three continuously mixes totalling forty delectable house cuts. The first CD, Poolside, warms us up with soulful deep house. Disk 2, Evening, picks up the tempo with smouldering dancefloor anthems. The last, Afterhours, takes us to the afterparty with electro […]

Blue Six – Aquarian Angel (2007)

Apr 27, 2009 by Mr. Nau The sophomore album by Blue Six is a nice, laid-back collection of jazzy house tracks, like Beautiful Tomorrow. This time out, though, there aren’t any big club anthems. Most of the music here pushes into downtempo territory, but it’s all very relaxed and well-crafted by producer, Jay Denes. Grade: […]

Take 6 – The Standard (2008)

Apr 24, 2009 by Mr. Nau Take 6 has owned vocal jazz outright for more than two decades. They approach a set of standards on this album in their unique style and feature special guests to help them out — giants like George Benson, Al Jarreau, Jon Hendricks, Ella Fitzgerald, Aaron Neville, Roy Hargrove, and […]

DJ Sake1 – Fania Live 03 (2008)

Apr 24, 2009 by Mr. Nau In this mix set of rereleased Fania Latin soul singles, DJ Sake1 throws down a wonderful set of funky tropical grooves and jazzy soul, full of well-known names. The music here is accompanied by samples of lectures about the origins of Afro-Caribbean music, blended in with great effect. Grade: […]

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