Forty-three years after its L.P. release Chris Connor's superlative final album for Atlantic finally appears on C.D. Chris is one of the few artists who did not decline in quality or imagination over the years. Her final albums for Atlantic before she inadvisably went to a small, doomed label begun by her manager (but it would figure she'd be loyal like that....this has to be the most unshowbizy jazz singer of all time, the least temperamental and the most matter-of-fact) were every bit as creative, original and impeccable as her first. "Free Spirits" is devoted to compositions by jazz artists with influences ranging from Duke Ellington to Miss Peggy Lee. The accompaniments by the creme de la creme of jazz musicians are tight, tangy and swinging. Chris is a her most sing-outy and improvisational. The album is almost startingly good! And it sounds not 40-plus years old but maybe 40 minutes old. Chris, by the way, is still performing and doing so beautifully. Now, Collectables or SOMEONE. PLEASE release the Japan-only Atlantic C.D. "Misty," which collected both released and unrelesed Chris singles AND the omitted final track of "Ballads of the Sad Cafe." And add to it all the Chris singles that never made an album, most notably "That's My Desire." And Collectables OR SOMEONE, please do a COMPLETE reissue of "Ballads of the Sad Cafe", with the missing final track ("I'm Afraid the Masquerade is Over") and the TWO versions of "Those Foolish Things" originally issued on the mono and stereo versions of the album so once and for all we have the total package. That would really free our spirits.

I've been waiting since 1961 to replace my well-worn vinyl copy of this wonderful Chris Connor recording on the Atlantic label, and finally Collectables Records has re-issued it on CD. It features tunes by Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn and John Lewis and lyrics by Billie Holiday and Peggy Lee. On top of that, Chris is backed by jazz instrumental legends Phil Woods, Clark Terry, Oliver Nelson, George Duvivier and Joe Newman playing arrangements by a sax guy you probably remember named Al Cohn. The moods range from Ornette Coleman's haunting "Lonely Woman" to the exuberant "I'm Gonna Go Fishin'" by Ellington and Lee. Although it's only a shade over 35 minutes in length, this is a necessary CD for any jazz fan and a must if you're a fan of fine female vocalists. Chris Connor, still performing today, was -- and is -- one of the very best!