Verve Remixed: The First Ladies [Release]

Verve Recordings is a unique label: pioneering vocally-based jazz and R&B releases in the 1950s with the likes of Billie Holiday and seeing a recent resurgence in popularity connecting with artists like Diana Krall, it has seen its ups and downs. And every so often, we get a forward thinking, avant-garde take on what is normally such a niche sound. Previously featuring remixing guest artists like Diplo, Wax Tailor and The Postal Service, The Verve’s remix series returns this week after a 5-year hiatus to bring a truly world music take on vocal soul music. Verve Remixed: The First Ladies is exactly what it sounds like: featuring remixes of classic tunes by the queens of soul and vocal jazz, the track listing of the compilation is eclectic, pairing artists like Nina Simone with Pretty Lights and Zeds Dead, and Ella Fitzgerald and RAC. This commissioned remix project has something for everyone, appealing to fans of both the original artists as well as the contemporaries inspired by them. If listened to all together, this album could bring new fans in multiple new genres of music.