Cool Hunting

Verve: Remixed projects have done it again. The third volume in the series takes things up a notch by not only employing the skills of top DJs, but also some indie rock and hip-hop artists as well. This time around, the obvious divas are remixed, including Billie Holiday, Nina Simone and Sarah Vaughan, but South African-born jazz and world fusion visionary Hugh Masekela gets it too.

Detroit techno whiz Carl Craig tackles Masekela’s haunting trumpet and chanting on “The Boys Doin’ It,” while hip-hop wunderkind DJ Danger Mouse breathes new life to Dinah Washington’s “Baby, Did you Hear?” just like he did to the Beatles “White Album” and Jay-Z’s “Black Album.”

In 13 tracks, the folks at Verve have managed to assemble Adam Freeland (who does an ass-moving, hip-shaking rendition of the classic tune "Fever"), Groove Armada’s Tom Findlay – along with Tim Hutton, Brazilian Girls, Junior Boys, RJD2 and indie darlings the Postal Service, which surprisingly (or maybe not) produced one of the best mixes on the album, that of Nina Simone’s “Little Girl Blue.” The mix deftly incorporates Simone’s smoky vocals among bubble pop explosions. I almost wouldn’t be surprised to hear this song in a Volkswagen or Gap commercial in the future.

The CD dropped on Tuesday and you can check it out on iTunes.