The past few months UK-based Avid Records has stretched its vision beyond strictly jazz to include vocals, vintage blues pioneers and early rock/rockabilly. The world is better for it!
Bassist Don Bagley made his name with Stan Kenton’s orchestra of the early 50s, but he also put out some great stuff on his own. Of the former, the classic New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm have Bagley holding the bass chair with the likes of Lee Konitz, Maynard Ferguson and Bill Holman for the earth shaking “23 N 82 W” which was the inspiration for the famous interlude of Sinatra’s “I’ve Got You Under My Skin.” There’s a hip ‘57 trio with Jimmy Rowles/p and Shelly Manne/dr and they are delightful n “Basically Bagley” and standards like “They Can’t Take That Away From Me.” The same year, he’s with Phil Woods/p, Eddie Costa/p-vib, Sal Salvador/g and Charlie Persip/dr for some 
swinging original pieces like “Odd Man Out” and “Miss De Minor” which has Woods sounding inspiringly ornithological. A year later, Bagley reunites with Rowles and Manne and along with Paul Horn/cl-fl and Tommy Loy/Fhorn they do some clever interplay on originals like “Dot-Cats” and Pitchin’ In” while “The Boy Next Door” is sublime. Check it out!
What would be your 4 Desert Island Coltrane Discs? Well, at least two of them are on this 2 cd set. Coltrane’s sole album for Blue Note, Blue Train, is a true classic, with Lee Morgan/tp, Curtis Fuller/tb, Kenny Drew/p, Paul Chambers/b and Philly Joe Jones/dr defining hard bop on “Moment’s Notice,” “Lazy Bird” and the anthem “Blue Train.” In 1960 he starts forming his quartet with McCoy Tyner/p, Elvin Jones/dr never leaving, and Steve Davis/b fitting in well as Trane plays the soprano on “Blues To BEchet” and “Mr. Sym” and digs in the tenor with “Blues to 
Elvin.” Next Year, he adds Freddy Hubbard/tp and George Lane/as-fl as the band stretches out on “Ole’” and “Dahomey Dance.” The mood continues on the next month as he records a similar concept with a large band arranged by Eric Dolphy for the monumental “Africa,” the rollicking “Greensleeves” and the eternally satisfying “Blues Minor.” Don’t leave home without it!
Like Billie Holiday, Judy Garland was one of those singers who sang with her heart on her sleeve. Similarly tragic, she bares her soul on these various sessions. She sounds more pop-oriented on A Star is Born from the ill fated 1954 film, but the following year’s Miss Show Business is a step in the right direction as she sounds confident and vibrant on “””You Made Me Love You” and “Rock –A-Bye Baby.” Even better is Nelson Riddle’s work with her in 1956 as she sounds convincing and clear on “I Feel A Song Coming On” and “Come Rain or Come Shine.” Gordon Jenkins pulls her heart strings the next year as she sings for the lonely on “Little Girl Blue,” “Mean To Me” and “Me and My Shadow.” The fact that she was the only female member of The Rat Pack should tell you all you need to know.
Both Freddy and Albert King brought the blues into the rock world, and these four albums are the reasons why. Albert King’s The Big Blues from ’62 was a big influence on rockers like Stevie Ray Vaughan, and you can hear the influence on pieces like “I Walked All Night Long,” while his voice wails along with his picking and bent strings on “I Get Evil” and “Let’s Have a Natural Ball.” Freddy King’s opening 1961 salvo is the all instrumental Let’s Hide Away and Dance Away, and it’s a Bunsen burner on pieces like “San-H0-Zay” and “Hide Away.” He shows his debt to BB King on his note picking, but he howls like no one else on “Lonesome Whistle Whistle Blues” and “You’ve Got To Love Her With A Feelin’.” In ’62, he duets with vocalist Lula Reed, and they have fun on “Do the Peppermint Twist” and “I Got A Notion.” If you’re a blues fan, this set is de rigeur.
Roy Orbison was one of the founding fathers of rock, being on the Sun Label the same time as Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis. This set mixes and matches albums and singles and he teams up with some of the best session guys like Hank Garland-Scotty Moore/g, Floyd Cramer/p, Boots Randolph/sax, Jack Kennelly/b and he veers between rockabilly and rock as his operatic voice works well on ”Only The Lonely,” “Crying” and “Leah.” He also knew how to get down and swing as on “Dream Baby,” “Ooby Dooby” and he gets nice and bluesy on “Uptown.” Still unfairly overlooked after all these years, but those “in the know” will love these obscurities mixed with hits.