Pop/Jazz

Holly Cole brings her own dimension to the tradition of cabaret, a strong voice that's still capable of nuance, an ear for quirky repertoire, and a light touch that keeps some of these performances floating just at the edge of irony. On her second al

Singer-songwriter Amos Lee draws inspiration from soul music, contemporary jazz and 1970s folk artists such as James Taylor. The Philadelphia native honed his songwriting skills while waiting tables and bartending after graduating from the University of South Carolina with a degree in English. He eventually landed some high-profile gigs as an opening act, including an extended tour with pianist/vocalist Norah Jones, whose bassist, Lee Alexander, agreed to produce Lee's first album. With Alexander's help, Amos Lee released his self-titled debut on Blue Note in 2005. The album won Lee a small following for his blend of acoustic funk, folk, and light jazz. Norah Jones herself plays the piano on two tracks; "Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight" and "Colors". A notable debut like Amos Lee deserves the Analogue Productions reissue treatment. This beauty was cut by Bernie Grundman in Los Angeles from the master tape, and is now pressed at 45rpm on two glorious sides of 200-gram vinyl by Quality Record Pressings, makers of the world's finest-sounding LPs. QRP is noted for deep-black backgrounds and pristine clarity. If you're already familiar with Amos Lee, get ready — you've never experienced it with such lifelike sonics and premium richness. This is how all vinyl should sound. The songs on the album incorporate themes of folk, soul, gospel and jazz. Amos's style is a mix of Bill Withers, Arthur Lee, and James Taylor. Amos has recently toured with Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, Van Morrison, Adele, Dave Matthews and many others.

2LPs 200g 33rpm, AS AAPP 131-33

It took a bass player to return vocals to their proper place on "Duets" — a record that's a model of simplicity. On the tracks on this LP you'll find Rob Wasserman's bass, and another voice. The result is a charming collection of duets featuring bassist Wasserman joined by special guests Aaron Neville, Rickie Lee Jones, Bobby McFerrin, Lou Reed, Jennifer Warnes, Dan Hicks, Cheryl Bentyne and Stephane Grappelli. The experimental release pairs the human voice with the bass guitar, resulting in a collection of unique and soulful material. And now — we've upped the ante even more for true audiophile bliss — the 45rpm 2LP version reduces distortion and high frequency loss as the wider-spaced grooves let your stereo cartridge track more accurately. Natural tonalities, superb balances, pristine clarity and more are all revealed. Unlike much of current music, where vocals are squelched and compression molded into something of an afterthought, Wasserman sought to create on "Duets" a music record — without technology interfering. "It's kinda like being in a club. It lets you get closer to the song", Wasserman says. Not surprisingly, "Duets" ranks among the most breathtaking collections of popular songs issued in the 1980s.

What more can be captured from the masterpiece that the late trumpet great Hugh Masekela left devoted fans, the effervescent 'Hope'. Now cut at 45rpm and spread over four 200-gram premium LPs, you're about to discover the answer to that question. The eigh