The great thing about Avid Records is that their 2 cd sets cover a wide swath of styles. Here, you’ve got some classic material, bopping vocals and some experimental sounds. Happy hunting!
The Louis Armstrong set is a pair of summit meetings, one with Duke Ellington and a small band, and the other with Oscar Peterson’s Quartet. 
Duke and Satchmo mix and match their sidemen with Trummy Young/tb, Barney Bigard/cl, Mort Herbert/b and Danny Barcelona on an April 1961 session. Everyone’s swinging hard on “Duke’s Place” and Armstrong’s horn is strong on “Black and Tan Fantasy.” Armstrong’s vocals are wonderful on a snazzy “Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me” and breathes life into “Drop Me Off in Harlem.” Oscar Peterson’s all star team of Herb Ellis/g, Ray Brown/b and Louis Bellson/dr are sublime behind Armstrongs glorious vocals on “What’s New” and “You Go To My Head.” This 1957 recording is a session for the ages, and one of Armstrong’s many zeniths.
Yusef Lateef was essentially the first artist to mix the worlds of Western Jazz and Middle Eastern sounds and harmonies. This 2 cd set has him in settings from 1957 and 1961, including his very first session Jazz For The Thinker, a straightahead smoker with a dash of Africana that has him on tenor with a quintet that includes Curtis Fuller/tb and Louis Hayes/perc forming very Mingus-bluesy material. His first foray into exotica occurs on the next session which produced Other Sounds, and has him playing the argo as well as using the more dissonant Eastern scale on “Anastasia.” Lateef’s flute on “Mahaba” is the only western instrument, giving a true African feel to the piece. The supporting team includes Wilbure Harden does some intriguing things with his flugelhorn on “Minor Mood” as well. The must-have Eastern Sounds from 1961 got a ton of initial attention with the ear grabbing duet of wooden flute and rabat on the opening “The Plum Blossom that still fascinates to this day. The paradigm shifting session also includes the classic take of “Love Theme From Spartacus” with Lateef’s gorgeous oboe as well as the gauntlet throwing “Blues For The Orient” which is still fresh after half a century. The followup, Into Something, mixes hard hitting jazz on “When You’re Smiling” along with some hair raising pieces like “P. Bouk” with the stellar team of Barry Harris/p, Herman Wright/b and an inspired Elvin Jones/dr. A cooker!
One of the most influential vocalists, Anita O’Day, is caught here in her peak .1956’s Pick Yourself Up is an essential swinger with the vo-coolist teamed with Buddy Bergman’s Orchestra as well as a pair of smaller combos which include Stan Getz and Barney Kessel. A hip reading of “Don’t Be That Way” as well as the title track and the initial foray into “Sweet Georgia Brown” are luscious beauties. Cool Heat from 1960 has her in a band lead by West Coaster Jimmy Giuffre who surrounds O’Day with some sleek reeds like a rice pilaf on “Gone With The Wind” and “Come Rain or Come Shine.” Also recorded in the same year was Incomparable, which has Anita singing with an LA band along with Bill Holman arrangements. She feels at home on”Easy Living” and amazingly desultory on “Blue Champagne,” even making “Slaughter on 10th Avenue”work! The third session from the same year has arranger Russ Garcia along with Bud Shank/as doing some excellent framework for the singer on “The Thrill is Gone” and “When Sonny Gets Blue.” Also included are the two famous songs from the Newport Jazz Festival that put her on the map. She’s got moxie on this one!
Speaking of vocalists, Carmen McRae seems to be ignored these days, even though her influence on vocalist like Diana Krall is unmistakable. In the 50s, she was the only rival to Ella Fitzgerald, and as exemplified by these albums, you can see why. Her 1955 Torchy album was her first essential session, with orchestras by Jack Pleis and Ralph Burns supplying drapery to heart on sleeve takes of “Yesterdays,” But Beautiful” and My Future Just Passed” that will make the hair on your neck stand up on end. Mad About The Man from 1957 is her take of tunes from the pen of Noel Coward, and it’s a delight with jazzers like Ray Bryant/p and Charlie Shavers/tp joining in on the fun on “Poor Little Rich Girl” and “A Room With A View.” From the same year, After Glow has McRae accompanying herself on piano during “Exactly Like You” and “Perdido” while a trio supports her on “I’m Through With Love.” The album Birds of a Feather from 1958 is NOT a collection of Charlie Parker tunes, but the ornithologically themed songs like “Bye Bye Blackbird” and “Flamingo” actually work surprisingly well. It doesn’t hurt that Ben Webster brings his tenor for the session to join in on “Bob White.” This lady needs to be re-appreciated!