Records To Die For

Jimmie Lunceford: Lunceford Special: 1939–1940
Columbia CK 65647 (CD). 2001. Charles L. Granata, reissue prod.; Andreas Meyer, remastering.

Lunceford led one of the swingingest bands of the big-band era, noted for its skin-tight precision, distinctive two-beat rhythm, and stylistic flexibility, embracing both sweet and hot jazz. This is an outstanding collection from the band's peak period, showcasing its silky ensemble work and such first-rate soloists as trumpeter Snooky Young, trombonist Trummy Young, and saxophonists Willie Smith and Joe Thomas. From the down-home sophistication of "Uptown Blues" to the relentless drive of "White Heat" and the exuberant Sy Oliver rearrangement of the standard "Dinah," the music swings like mad.

Cesaria Evora: Miss Perfumado
Nonesuch 79509-2 (CD). 1992. José da Silva, prod.; Stephane Caisson, eng.

The late CapeVerdean contralto, dubbed the Barefoot Diva, won worldwide acclaim for her deeply felt performances of mornas and coladeiras, the best-known musical genres of her native islands. Singing in Portuguese Creole, she expresses the melancholy nostalgia that defines "Sodade," the famous morna that serves as the opening track of her breakthrough album. Other memorable songs here include the similarly wistful title track and the cheerfully uptempo coladeira "Angola." The melodies, all by Cape Verdean composers such as Manuel de Novas, Teófilo Chantre, and B. Leza, are consistently attractive. Her soulful voice makes them irresistible.

En Attendant Ana: Principia
Trouble in Mind Records TIM 174 (LP). 2023. Vincent Hivert, Margaux Bouchaudon, prods.; Paul Rannaud, eng.

I discovered Principia, one of last year's best releases, when I heard it in a record shop I was mooching about in. I was instantly entranced. The delicate indie-pop reminds me of the early, pre-dance Everything but the Girl. En Attendant Ana are a French band, although luckily for monolinguists such as myself, Margaux Bouchaudon sings mainly in English. Her sweet, entrancing voice, singing songs of loves lost or never found, transports you to the banks of the Seine in the middle of a lovely summer day. Not a bad thing, I'd say.

The Human League: Dare
Virgin 535 100-6 (LP). 1981. Martin Rushent, prod.; Dave Allen, eng.

Shiny pop is often seen as ephemeral—but not Dare, which sounds as exciting to me as it did when I first heard it in 1981. Partly that's because the tunes are just so damn catchy. It opens with three monster singles and closes with two, including "Don't You Want Me." But it's more than sing-alongs: These tracks bookend a darker core of five songs, with themes of assassination, paranoia, and death—not the usual subjects of chart pop. Through it all, Phil Oakey's vocals are cool and stylish but never cold. Altogether, Dare is a pop masterpiece.

Little Steven & The Disciples Of Soul: Men Without Women
EMI America ST-17086 (LP). 1982. Steven Van Zandt, prod.; Bob Clearmountain, Toby Scott, engs.

In late 1981, Steve Van Zandt had just concluded work on Gary U.S. Bonds's comeback record, Dedication. Gary Gersh, who headed the Bonds project at EMI, approached Steve and asked him to consider his own solo debut. Some disgruntled Asbury Jukes had begun doing the same. That led everyone to The Power Station in NYC, where an album named after a Hemingway novel and a persona called "Little Steven" were born.

This is a rock record in every sense. It is intentionally remote, with a brass-filled sound that keeps its distance, in songs that move in and out of darkness. This was Steve Van Zandt declaring independence, with a vulnerability and confidence more downtown NYC than Jersey Shore, sonically more akin to Exile on Main Street than Born to Run.

While it wasn't a commercial success, it's often referenced as one of the most significant records of the 1980s. When Van Zandt returned with his Disciples a few years ago, this record became the centerpiece of a wildly popular world tour, demonstrating that these songs have improved with age.

Todd Rundgren: Nearly Human
Warner Brothers 1-25881 (LP). 1989. Todd Rundgren, prod.; Michael Rosen, eng.

The Music Box record store, opened in the late '50s in Newport, Rhode Island, was known as much for closing for shopping sprees by big-name talent like Elton John as it was for having a wide variety of music in stock. In the summer of 1989, I made my first trip to town. I left The Music Box with just two records. One was this gem from Todd.

The single "The Want of a Nail" was getting steady play on NYC FM rock radio; it remains remarkably infectious. This "Todd" was returning from a four-year hiatus with a choral-infused sound reminiscent of that he created with the band Utopia. Even songs about jealousy and loss bounce brightly, with choruses that soar. It's a gorgeous record, made even more human through Todd's decision to not play every instrument, as he had on previous records. Bobby Womack, members of The Tubes, and a few dozen others contributed to an atmosphere of majesty and scale. It would be the last Rundgren record to chart and the first he would return to and celebrate during a world tour.

Blossom Dearie: Once Upon A Summertime
Verve 314 517 223-2 (CD). 1959/1992. Norman Granz, prod.; Tom Nola, eng.; Gary Mayo, remastering

Responsible Stereophile contributors probably choose as their R2L4s recordings they regard as masterpieces. Self-indulgent Stereophile writers have been known to proclaim as R2L4s albums that are not masterpieces but that they love anyway. Blossom Dearie was a minor singer with a tiny, waiflike voice. Greater artists than her have interpreted the works of Michel Legrand. Yet when, with surpassing innocence and yearning, Dearie sang lines from Legrand songs like "I remember when the vespers chime/You loved me once upon a summertime," she could melt a heart as hard as the one that beats in the chest of your present self-indulgent correspondent.

Grant Stewart Quartet: Live At Smalls
Stewart, tenor saxophone; Tardo Hammer, piano; David Wong, bass; Phil Stewart, drums
SmallsLIVE SL-0029 (CD). 2012. Spike Wilner, Ben Rubin, prods.; Jimmy Katz, eng.

Grant Stewart is a tenor player with a huge, welcoming sound and appealing ideas, but he is not famous, and some jazz hipsters regard him as old-fashioned. Ditto pianist Tardo Hammer. April 6, 2012, was just another night. The audience was probably mostly New Yorkers and therefore spoiled. They can take a subway to hear people like Stewart and Hammer. But if you don't live in New York, you will appreciate this stunningly well-recorded opportunity to be in the second row for players this beautiful. It was just another night. Which is why it's a Record to Live For.

Jimmy Buffett: Encores
Mailboat Records MBD 2120 (Qobuz). 2010. Mac McAnally, prod.; Rich Davis, eng.

Jimmy Buffett is one of those artists "I remember before"—before Changes in Latitudes, before Margaritaville, before parrotheads and the Fin Dance. I remember the absolute joy he brought to small clubs and grungy dives and the time he opened for the Eagles at Jeppesen Stadium and stole the show with a stool and his guitar. As happens with too many friends, I didn't realize I missed him until the news of his death sent me searching those memories.

There's plenty to criticize about this collection of encores from concerts in 2008 and 2009, but on the solo numbers, there's a lot more right than wrong. It has claimed a spot near the top of my playlist.

Dire Straits: Live At The BBC
Windsong International WINLP072 (LP). 1995. Jeff Griffin, Michael Appleton, prods.

Live at the BBC is kind of an asterisk in the Dire Straits discography. It was released in 1995 to fulfill a contractual obligation to Phonogram Records, and it marked the band's final breakup. The recording itself was made in 1978, barely a month after the release of the eponymous first album. In 1995, it was dismissed as a throwaway, a mediocre recording of a then-mediocre band. Looking back from 2023, though, it's lightning in a bottle, an unfiltered, unpackaged, eyes-wide-open look at a great band at a point history would show to be their very best.

The Beatles: Rubber Soul
Capitol ST 2442 (LP). 1965. George Martin, prod.

The UK version of this album is a collection of singles padded out with other stuff. The US Capitol version is the first great folk-rock album. It was highly influential on the Beach Boys, among others. The song sequence, made up of tracks from the UK versions of Help! and Rubber Soul, is a real album, with a flow of moods and themes on each side. The songs set the stage for the psychedelic Beatles period that followed. It's no contest. You can make the US album out of tracks ripped from the 1987 or 2009 CDs, and here's a Qobuz playlist: open.qobuz. com/playlist/17604205.

Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense (2023 Reissue)
Sire R1 724897 (2 LP). 1984/2023. Jason Jones, reissue prod.; Joe Nino-Hernes, vinyl mastering.

Jonathan Demme's visually stunning concert movie also has a great soundtrack. The limited-edition 2-LP reissue, which coincided with the dazzlingly restored film's run in IMAX theaters, sold out in weeks. A second pressing is on tap this year. "Big Business/I Zimbra," recorded during the filmed concerts, gets its first release. In conjunction with the movie restoration, the soundtrack was remixed from the first-generation Sony digital multitrack recordings. The result is remarkable clarity and presence. The infectious fun Talking Heads had making the movie comes through in every tune. It sounds fresh and young 30 years later.