Playlist: 30 Jun 2012

Intro: If You Could Read My Mind - Todd Gordon & Jacqui Dankworth: Ballads from the Midnight Hotel

1. Marie - Vic Damone: The Lively Ones

2. It's Easy to Remember - Joan Viskant & John Altman Orchestra: Sure Thing

3. The Birth of the Blues - Sammy Davis Jr: Starring Sammy Davis Jr

4. All Or Nothing At All - Ann Richards & Stan Kenton: Two Much!

5. Let's Do It - Louis Armstrong: Ella and Louis Again

6. He Is the One - Peggy Lee: Let's Love

7. Something Wonderful - Carmen McRae: Something Wonderful

8. T'ain't Nobody's Biz-ness If I Do - Jimmy Witherspoon at The Monterey Jazz Festival

9. Come and Get It - Judy Carmichael: Come and Get It

10. But Not for Me/Love Is Here to Stay/Embraceable You/Someone to Watch Over Me - Sarah Vaughan: Gershwin Live

Outro: Holding On - Todd Gordon: Made in Korea

Inspired by tracks from this week's playlist, here are a couple of very different, yet eye-catching, cover designs from Shirley Horn and Yma Sumac albums.

Playlist: 23 Jun 2012

Intro: If You Could Read My Mind - Todd Gordon & Jacqui Dankworth: Ballads from the Midnight Hotel

1. 'Tain't What You Do - Sy Oliver: For You

2. Stardust - Helen Humes: 'Tain't Nobody's Biz-Ness If I Do

3. Tangerine - Tony Bennett: Here's to the Ladies

4. Baby, Won't You Please Come Home - Shirley Horn: I Remember Miles

5. Sir Duke - Stevie Wonder: Songs In the Key of Life

6. Love Hurts - Clare Teal: Get Happy

7. Bo Mambo - Yma Sumac: Mambo!

8. 'S Wonderful/They Can't Take That Away from Me - Anita O'Day: Sings the Most

9. Ugly Beauty (aka Still We Dream) - Clotilde Rullaud: In Extremis

10. Stompin' at the Savoy - Ella Fitzgerald: At The Opera House

11. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You - Jimmy Scott: Falling In Love Is Wonderful

12. I'm a Woman - Peggy Lee: I'm a Woman

Outro: Holding On - Todd Gordon: Made in Korea

Album Cover: Nightmoves / The Swingin' Miss "D"

Another couple of examples stylish artwork - complementing stylish recordings too - from two eras... Kurt Elling's Nightmoves and the recording Dinah Washington made with Quincy Jones. Tracks from each feature in this week's program.

Playlist: 16 Jun 2012

Intro: If You Could Read My Mind - Todd Gordon & Jacqui Dankworth: Ballads from the Midnight Hotel

1. They Didn't Believe Me - Dinah Washington: The Swingin' Miss D

2. My Funny Valentine - Johnny Hartman: The Tokyo Albums

3. On the Street Where You Live - Dean Martin: This Time I'm Swingin'!

4. You Can Have Him - Nina Simone: Live at The Town Hall

5. I Won't Cry Anymore - Joe Williams: Have a Good Time

6. I'm Beginning to See The Light - Ella Fitzgerald: Live at The Cave Supper Club

7. Blue Skies/On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)/A Foggy Day - Ella Fitzgerald: Live at The Cave Supper Club

8. One Note Samba - Ella Fitzgerald: Live at The Cave Supper Club

9. If You Never Come to Me/Change Partners - Kurt Elling: Nightmoves

10. Candyman - Christina Aguilera: Back to Basics

11. You Do Something To Me - Frank Sinatra: Sinatra's Swingin' Session!

Outro: Holding On - Todd Gordon: Made in Korea

Album Cover: We Remember Mildred Bailey

They don't make - or design - 'em like this any more...

Recorded in 1964 at United Recording Studios, Las Vegas, this album celebrates Mildred Bailey aka The Queen of Swing, The Rockin' Chair Lady and, in the late 1930s, with her then-husband, Red Norvo, Mr & Mrs Swing!

Rumour has it that Bing Crosby first heard Louis Armstrong recordings that Ms Bailey had in her personal collection, and Crosby helped her career by introducing her to Paul Whiteman with whose band she sang from 1929 to '33.

Playlist: 9 June 2012

As I am on a short vacation, this week's show is a repeat of the program that was first broadcast on 25 February 2012.

Intro: If You Could Read My Mind - Todd Gordon & Jacqui Dankworth: Ballads from the Midnight Hotel

1. From This Moment On - Diana Krall: From This Moment On

2. Cow-Cow Boogie - Ella Mae Morse: The Hits of Freddie Slack

3. Johannesburg - Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson: From South Africa to South Carolina

4. I'm Confessin' - Mavis Rivers & Red Norvo: We Remember Mildred Bailey

5. A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square - Clare Teal: Hey-Ho

6. Only a Girl - Randy Newman: Harps and Angels

7. Stars Fell on Alabama - Carol Kidd: Dreamsville

8. Follow Me - Kathy Barr: Follow Me

9. Follow Me - Frank Sinatra & Duke Ellington: Francis A & Edward K

10. My Foolish Heart - Jacqui Dankworth: It Happens Quietly

11. Spring Is Here - Nat King Cole: Where Did Everyone Go?

12. Basellla - Ella Fitzgerald & Count Basie: A Perfect Match

Outro: Holding On - Todd Gordon: Made in Korea

Playlist: 2 Jun 2012

Intro: If You Could Read My Mind - Todd Gordon & Jacqui Dankworth: Ballads from the Midnight Hotel

1. Send in the Clowns - Mel Tormé: A New Album

2. Help Me Make It Through the Night - Peggy Lee: Where Did They Go?

3. Patcha, Patcha - Big Joe Turner & Jimmy Witherspoon: Patcha, Patcha, All Night Long

4. I Get Along Without You Very Well - Diana Krall: The Look of Love

5. Honeysuckle Rose - Ella Fitzgerald & Count Basie: A Classy Pair

6. My Old Flame - Sarah Vaughan: How Long Has This Been Going On?

7. Bye Bye Blues - Bing Crosby & Louis Armstrong: Bing & Satchmo

8. Love Won't Let You Get Away - Bing Crosby & Rosemary Clooney: Fancy Meeting You Here

9. True Love - Bing Crosby & Grace Kelly: High Society (Soundtrack)

10. Waitin' for the Robert E Lee - Bing Crosby & Al Jolson: The Complete Radio Duets

11. Night and Day - Kat Edmonson: Take to the Sky

12. It's a Blue World - Frank Sinatra: Point of No Return

Outro: Holding On - Todd Gordon: Made in Korea