Tito Puente

Artist:  Tito Puente

Birth Name:  Ernest Anthony Puente Jr.

Born:  April 20, 1923.  New York City, New York, USA

Died:  May 31, 2000 (Aged 77).  New York City, New York, USA

Genre:  Latin Jazz, Cuban Jazz, Mambo, Afro-Cuban Jazz, Cuban Jazz, Cuban Traditions, Global Jazz, Latin Big Band, Salsa, Latin Pop

Occupation:  Musician, Songwriter, Bandleader, Record Producer

Instruments:  Timbales, Vibraphone

Tito Puente was an American Musician, Songwriter, Bandleader, Timbalero, and Record Producer.  He composed Dance-Oriented Mambo and Latin Jazz Music.  He was also known as "El Rey de los Timbales", or "The King of The Timbales".

Title:  Dance The Cha Cha Cha (Limited Edition) (2025)

Genre:  Latin Jazz, Cuban Jazz, Mambo, Afro-Cuban Jazz, Cuban Jazz, Cuban Traditions, Global Jazz, Latin Big Band, Salsa, Latin Pop

Label:  Descarga Records 

Rating:   *****

Format:  LP

Tracks:

Side A:

 1.  Adelle (Me Lo Dijo Adela) (3:08)

 2.  The Knockout (2:50)

 3.  The Man From Jamaica (El Jamaiquino) (2:53)

 4.  Olgan Ml Cha Cha Cha (3:08)

 5.  Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White (2:56)

 6.  Hot Tamales (Los Tamalitos De Olga) (2:50)

 7.  Oye Ml Guaguano) (3:34)

 8.  Ran Kan Kan (3:09)

 9.  El Cayuco (2:34)

Side B:

 1.  Ricon Vacilon (Having A Ball) (3:07)

 2.  Espinita (2:29)

 3.  Cogele Bien El Compas (2:43)

 4.  Cha Cha Cha For Lovers (3:02)

 5.  Carolina (2:45)

 6.  Mangue (2:31)

Bonus Tracks:

 7.  La Gloria Eres Tu (3:11)

 8.  Mambo Gozon (2:46)

 9.  Oye Como Va (4:29)

Personnel:

Tito Puente & His Orchestra

Tito Puente:  Timbales, Vibes, Vocals

Ray Gonzalez:  Trumpet, Flugelhorn

Bobby Rodriguez:  Bass

Johnny "Dandy" Rodriquez:  Bongos, Congas, vocals

Jose Madera:  Congas, Timbales

Francisco Aguabella:  Congas

Among Others

Dance The Cha Cha Cha is an album by Tito Puente & His Orchestra, originally released in 1999 by Tico Records, remastered and reissued on October 24, 2025 by Descarga Records.  Limited Edition of 500 Copies, with 3 Bonus Tracks.  180 Gram Virgin Vinyl.  The Finest in Latin Jazz.

Coleman Hawkins

 

Artist:  Coleman Hawkins

Birth Name:  Coleman Randolph Hawkins

Born:  November 21, 1904.  St. Joseph, Missouri, USA

Died:  May 19, 1969 (Aged 64).  New York City, USA

Genre:  Jazz, Swing, Bebop, Early Jazz, Mainstream Jazz, Post Bop, Jazz Instrument, Saxophone Jazz, Big Band

Occupation:  Musician, Saxophinist

Instruments:  Tenor Saxophone, Bass Saxophone, Clarinet

Coleman Hawkins was an American Jazz Tenor Saxophonist.  One of the first prominent Jazz Musicians of his instrument.  The main influence on a generation of Tenor Players that included Chu Berry, Buddy Tate, Don Byas, Arnett Cobb, Illinois Jacquet, Flip Phillips, Ike Quebec, Al Sears, Paul Gonsalves, and Lucky Thompson.  While He became known with Swing Music during the Big Band Era, he had a role in the development of Bebop in the 1940s.

Title:  Coleman Hawkins And Confreres (Verve Acoustic Sounds Series) (2025)

Genre:  Jazz, Swing, Bebop, Early Jazz, Mainstream Jazz, Post Bop, Jazz Instrument, Saxophone Jazz, Big Band

Label:  Verve

Rating:   *****

Format:  LP

Tracks:

Side One:

 1.  Maria (6:31)

 2.  Sunday (5:19)

 3.  Hanid (4:50)

Side Two:

 1.  Honey Flower (8:42)

 2.  Nabob (9:29)

Personnel:

Coleman Hawkins:  Tenor Saxophone

Roy Eldridge:  Trumpet on Tracks:  1/2, 3, 2/1, 2

Ben Webster:  Tenor Saxophone on Tracks:  1/1, 2

Hank Jones:  Piano on Tracks:  1/3, 2/1, 2

Oscar Peterson:  Piano on Tracks:  1/1, 2

Herb Ellis:  Guitar on Tracks:  1/1, 2

Ray Brown:  Bass on Tracks:  1/1, 2

George Duvivier:  Bass on Tracks:  1/2, 2/1, 2

Mickey Sheen:  Drums on Tracks:  1/2, 2/1, 2

Alvin Stoller:  Drums on Tracks:  1/1, 2

Coleman Hawkins And Confreres is an album by Coleman Hawkins, originally released in 1958 by Verve, remastered and reissued on November 28, 2025 by Verve.  180 Gram Vinyl.

Frank Sinatra

 

Artist:  Frank Sinatra 
Birth Name:  Francis Albert Sinatra
Born:  December 12, 1915.  Hoboken, New Jersey, USA.
Died:  May 14, 1998 (Aged 82).  West Hollywood, California, USA.
Genre:  Traditional Pop, Jazz, Vocal Jazz, Swing, Big Band, Standards, Vocal Pop
Occupations;  Singer, Actor, Producer, Director, Conductor
Instruments:  Vocals

Frank Sinatra was an American Singer and Film Actor.  He started his career as a boy singer with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey in the Swing Era.  He found success as a solo artist from the early to mid-1940, he had many hits with "Strangers In The Night", "My Way", "New York, New York", "Somethin' Stupid", and many many more!, and he is one of the Best-Selling Artists of All Time.  He was also the recipient of 11 Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Trustees Awards, Grammy Legend Award And The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Title:  The Hits (Limited Edition) (2025) 

Genre:  Traditional Pop, Jazz, Vocal Jazz, Swing, Big Band, Standards, Vocal Pop

Label:  New Continent

Rating:   *****

Format:  LP

Tracks:

Side A:

 1.  The Lady Is A Tramp (3:15)

 2.  Witchcraft (2:53)

 3.  I've Got The World On A String (2:12)

 4.  Don' Cha Go 'Way Mad (3:14)

 5.  Night And Day (4:00)

 6.  All The Way (2:51)

 7.  I Love Paris (1:48)

 8.  Oh! Look At Me Now (2:52)

 9.  Young At Heart (2:50)

10. One For My Baby (4:24)

Side B:

 1.  I've Got You Under My Skin (3:45)

 2.  Nice 'N' Easy (2:46)

 3.  Not As A Stranger (2:47)

 4.  Come Fly With Me (3:18)

 5.  I Get A Kick Out Of You (2:54)

 6.  How Little We now (2:40)

 7.  At Long Last Love (2:26)

 8.  I Wish I Were In Love Again (2:28)

 9.  In The Still Of The Night (3:26)

10. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning (3:09)

The Hits is the compilation album by Frank Sinatra, released on November 21, 2025 by New Continent.  Limited Edition 180 Gram Blue Colored Vinyl.

Nina Simone

 

Artist:   Nina Simone  

Birth Name:  Eunice Kathleen Waymon

Born:  February 21, 1933.  Tryon, North Carolina, USA

Died:  April 21, 2003 (Aged 70).  Carry-le-Rouet France

Genre:  R&B, Jazz, Blues, Folk, Soul, Classical, Gospel, Standards, Vocal Jazz

Occupation:  Singer, Songwriter, Musician, Arranger, Composer, Activist

Instruments:   Vocals, Piano

Nina Simone was an American Singer, Songwriter, Musician, Arranger and Civil Rights Activist.  Her music spanned a broad range of musical styles including Jazz, Blues, Folk, R&B, Gospel, Pop and Classical.  She recorded more than 40 albums between 1958 and 1974, making her debut with Little Girl Blue.  She had a hit single in the USA in 1958 with "I Loves You Porgy".

Title:  A Single Woman:  The Complete Elektra Recordings (2025) 

Genre:  R&B, Jazz, Blues, Folk, Soul, Classical, Gospel, Standards, Vocal Jazz

Label:  Omnivore Recordings

Rating:   *****

Format:  LP

Tracks:

LP 1:

Side One:

 1.  A Single Woman (3:33)

 2.  Lonesome Cities (3:08)

 3.  If I Should Lose You (3:59)

 4.  The Folks Who Live On The Hill (3:39)

 5.  Love's Been Good To Me (3:57)

Side Two:

 1.  Papa, Can You Hear Me? (4:22)

 2.  II N'Y A Pas D'amour Heureux (6:26)

 3.  Just Say I Love Him (4:29)

 4.  The More I See You (2:42)

 5.  Marry Me (2:51)

LP 2:

Side Three:

 1.  The Long And Winding Road (Outtake) (3:32)

 2.  The Times They Are A-Changin' (Outtake) (0:58)

 3.  Sign O' The Times (Outtake) (5:37)

 4.  Baseball Boogie (Outtake) (0:55)

 5.  I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter (Outtake) (2:30)

 6.  Do I Move You (Outtake) (3:16)

Side Four:

 1.  The Times They Are A-Changin' (Alternate Take) (1:03)

 2.  No Woman, No Cry (Outtake) (3:13)

 3.  Do I Move You? (Take 1) (3:15)

 4.  I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter (Alternate Take) (2:21)

 5.  Baseball Boogie (Instrumental (0:55)

Personnel:

Nina Simone:  Vocals, Piano

John Chiodini:  Guitar

Al Schackman:  Guitar

John Clayton:  Bass

Stee Edelman:  Bass

Christopher Hanulik:  Bass

Jim Hughart:  Bass

Bueli Neidinger:  Bass

John Pena:  Bass

Susan Ranney:  Bass

Margaret Storer:  Bass

David Young:  Bass

Mie Melvoin:  Piano

Andre Fischer:  Drums

Jeff Hamilton:  Drums

Paul Robinson:  Drums

Larry Bunker:  Percussion

darryl Munyungo Jackson:  Percussion

Bill Summers:  Percussion

Gerald Abright:  Tenor Saxophone

Jack Sheldon:  Trumpet

Ann Stockton:  Harp

Carol Robbins:  Harp

Assa Dron:  Violin

Connie Kupka:  Violin

Gina Kronstadt:  Violin

Gordon Marron:  Violin

Henry Ferber:  Violin

Irving Geller:  Violin

Isabelle Dasoff:  Violin

Israel Baier:  Violin

Jay Rosen:  Violin

Joe Derouin:  Violin

Kathleen Lenski:  Violin

Mari Tsumura:  Violin

Mark Cargill:  Violin

Shari Zippert:  Violin

Yvette Devereaux:  Violin

Evan Wilson:  Viola

Herschel Wise:  Viola

Margot MacLaine: Viola

Marilyn Baker:  Viola

Rollice Dale:  Viola

David Speltz:  Cello

Frederick Seykora:  Cello

Igor Horoshevsky:  Cello

Marie Fera:  Cello

Melissa Hasin:  Cello

Suzie Katayama:  Cello

Bob Tricarico:  Woodwind, Reeds

Earl Dumler:  Woodwind, Reeds

Gary Foster:  Woodwind, Reeds

Jack Nimitz:  Woodwind, Reeds

Jeff Clayton:  Woodwind, Reeds

Jon Kip: Woodwind, Reeds

Valerie King:  Woodwind, Reeds

Brad Warnaar:   French Horn

Jeff DeRosa:  French Horn

Marilyn Johnson:  French Horn

Richard Todd:  French Horn

Gerald Vinci:  Concertmaster, Violin

A Single Woman:  The Complete Elektra Recordings is the final studio album by Nina Simone, originally released on March 1993 by Elektra, remastered and reissued on November 7, 2025 by Omnivore Recordings with previously unissued tracks.  Legendary Artist's Final Album.  For Fans of Nina Simone and Music Collectors.

Jimmy Smith

 

Artist:  Jimmy Smith 

Birth Name:  James Oscar Smith
Born:  December 8, 1925.  Norristown, Pennsylvania, USA
Died:  February 8, 2005 (Aged 79).  Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
Genre:  Jazz, Hard Bop, Jazz Funk, Soul Jazz, Mainstream Jazz, Fusion Jazz
Occupation:  Musician
Instruments:  Hammond B-3, Electric Organ

Jimmy Smith was an American Jazz Musician.  He wasn't the first organ player in Jazz but no one had a greater influence with the instrument that he did.  He recorded more than 30 albums for Blue Note Records between 1956 and 1963, collaborating with the likes of Kenny Burrell, Stanley Turrentine and Jackie McLean.  In 1963, he signed a new record deal with Verve.  In 2005, he was awarded the NEA Jazz Masters Award from the National Endowment for the Arts, the highest honor that America bestows upon Jazz Musicians.

Artist:  Jimmy Smith & Wes Montgomery

Title:  Jimmy & Wes The Dynamic Duo (Verve Vault Series) (2025)

Genre:  Jazz, Hard Bop, Jazz Funk, Soul Jazz, Mainstream Jazz, Fusion Jazz

Lavel:  Verve

Rating:   *****

Format:  LP

Tracks:

Side One:

 1.  Down By The Riverside (10:02)

 2.  Night Train (6:46)

Side Two:

 1.  James And Wes (8:13)

 2.  13 (Death March) (5:22)

 3.  Baby It's Cold Outside (6:05)

Personnel:

Jimmy Smith:  Hammond Organ

Wes Montgomery:  Guitar

Grady Tate:  Drums

Ray Ashton:  Conga

Additional Musicians:  Tracks:  1/1, 2, 2/2

Bob Ashton:  Reed

Danny Bank:  Reed

Jerry Dodgion:  Reed

Jerome Richardson:  Reed

Phil Woods:  Reed

Clark Terry:  Trumpet, Flugelhorn

Ernie Royal:  Trumpet

Jimmy Maxwell:  Trumpet

Joe Newman:  Trumpet

Jimmy Cleveland:  Trombone

Melba Liston:  Trombone

Quentin Jackson:  Trombone

Tony Studd:  Bass Trombone on Tracks:  1/1, 2

Dick Hixson:  Bass Trombone on Track 2/2

Richard Davis:  Bass

Jimmy & Wes The Dynamic Duo is an album by Jimmy Smith & Wes Montgomery, originally released in 1966 by Verve, remastered and reissued on November 14, 2025 by Verve.  180 Gram Vinyl.

Stan Getz

 

Artist:   Stan Getz
Birth Name:  Stanley Gayetski
Born:  February 2, 1927.  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Died:  June 6, 1991 (Aged 64).  Malibu, California, USA
Genre:  Jazz, Cool Jazz, Bossa Nova, Bebop, West Coast Jazz, Hard Bop, Jazz Instrument, Post Bop, Brazilian Traditions, Saxophone Jazz
Occupation:  Musician
Instruments:  Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone

Stan Getz was an American Jazz Saxophonist.  His idol Lester Young and in 1940 with Woody Herman's Big Band.  He went to perform in Bebop and Cool Jazz Group, but best known for Bossa Nova with the worldwide Hit Single "The Girl From Ipanema" (1964) performed with Astrud Gilberto, and for his work done under the influence of Joao Gilberto and Antonio Carlos Jobim.

Title:  Focus (Verve Vault Series) (2025)

Genre:  Jazz, Cool Jazz, Bossa Nova, Bebop, West Coast Jazz, Hard Bop, Jazz Instrument, Post Bop, Brazilian Traditions, Saxophone Jazz

Label:  Verve

Rating:   *****

Format:  LP

Tracks:

Side One:

 1.  I'm Late,  I'm Late (8:10)

 2.  Her (6:13)

 3.  Pan (3:58)

Side Two:

 1.  I Remember When (5:03)

 2.  Night Rider (3:58)

 3.  Once Upon A Time (4:48)

 4.  A Summer Afternoon (6:03)

Personnel:

Stan Getz:  Tenor Saxophone

Steve Kuhn:  Piano

John Neves:  Bass

Roy Haynes:  Drums

Alan Martin:  Violin

Norman Carr:  Violin

Gerald Tarack:  Violin

Jacob Glick:  Viola

Bruce Rogers:  Cello

Focus is an album by Stan Getz, originally released on January, 1962 by Verve, remastered and reissued on November 13, 2025 by Verve.  180 Gram Vinyl.