To get an idea of the esteem in which the baritone vocalist Earl Coleman was once held, you only need to look at the personnel of disc one of this exceptional 2CD collection from Acrobat – ‘Don’t Sing Me The Blues’ and ‘Don’t Explain To Me Baby’ recorded with the Miles Davis Sextet in 1946, ‘Dark Shadows’ and ‘This Is Always’ recorded with the Charlie Parker Quartet the following year.

Coleman is featured with other noted bandleaders on the first disc, including the Gene Ammons Sextet on ‘Hold That Money’. Disc two contains some similarly wonderful things, notably the six tracks from Coleman’s 1956 album on the Prestige label, Earl Coleman Returns – recorded at the storied Van Gelder Studio, produced by Bob Weinstock, and featuring the stellar talents of trumpeter Art Farmer, altoist Gigi Gryce and pianist Hank Jones. If you want to hear some inordinately fine ballad singing, head straight for ‘Reminiscing’ (written by Gryce and Jon Hendricks). For perfect tempo and a deliciously lustrous timbre, there’s ‘Social Call’ from the same songwriters.

We also get to hear an additional brace of consummate ballads, ‘My Ideal’ and ‘Two Different Worlds’, which Coleman recorded on the 1958 Sonny Rollins album, Tour de Force – another Prestige release produced by Weinstock which Rollins recorded with the rhythm section of pianist Kenny Drew, bassist George Morrow and drummer Max Roach. If Coleman didn’t quite achieve the recognition he deserved, this release is to be warmly welcomed in its attempt to redress the balance.