Kenny Barron —
Scratch ... CD
Enja (Germany),
1978. New Copy ....
$12.9914.99
A slightly more aggressive trio session than usual for Kenny Barron – still done with that round, warm tone on the keys that we love so much – but hitting the tracks with a stronger punch that's a bit unusual, and which might be the result of using Dave Holland and Daniel Humair as part... read more
Bruce Barth Trio —
Live At Smalls ... CD
Smalls Live,
2010. New Copy ....
$6.9914.99
Bruce Barth is a pianist who always knows how to open up and run – making him an excellent choice for the Smalls Live series – easily some of the best-recorded live jazz CDs in recent years! Barth's touch on the keys is amazing – very fluid, and a mixture of sharp tones and... read more
Quite an unusual record from New Orleans R&B legend Dave Bartholomew – arranger, producer, and trumpeter – coming off here with more of a jazz sound than on his usual records! Despite the "New Orleans" and "House Party" in the title, the album's actually set of... read more
Really wonderful stuff – and one of Gary Bartz's greatest albums ever! This double-length live set was recorded around the time of his NTU Troup albums for Milestone – but it's a bit more straightforward than those sides, going back towards a searching soul jazz sound, with some slight... read more
Gary Bartz —
Ju Ju Man ... LP
Catalyst,
1976. Very Good+ Gatefold ....
$29.99
A rare treat by Gary Bartz – and very different than most of his other work! The album's a small group session – with Charles Mims on piano, Curtis Robertson on bass, and Howard King on drums – recorded with the feel of a looser soul jazz set on Black Jazz or Strata East. Mims'... read more
Gary Bartz —
Monsoon ... LP
Steeplechase (Denmark),
1988. Near Mint- ....
$14.99
A great 80s date – with Bartz on alto, Butch Lacy on piano, Clint Houston on bass, and Billy Hart on drums – a really great rhythm trio who help Gary soar on tunes that include "Samuel", "Never Never Land", "Monsoon", and "Uncle Bubba".... read more
A fantastic bit of jazz funk fusion – and one of the landmark 70s albums produced by Larry Mizell! This is Gary Bartz's second (and most amazing) collaboration with Larry Mizell – a studio genius who could focus on the best talent of a jazz artist, then expand it using additional... read more
One of the last Gary Bartz albums for Prestige – and a really unique session with a different feel than some of his earlier work! Gary's still got plenty of angular funk in his sound here – thanks to some edgey keyboards from Hubert Eaves – but he's also tightened things up a bit... read more
A really wonderful back to basics session for Basie – featuring arrangements by longtime band members Frank Foster, Erick Dixon, Bobby Plater, and Thad Jones! The set also features vocals on 2 tracks by bluesy vocalist Richard Boone – a singer with a really great scatting approach... read more
Basie hits the hits of the 50s and early 60s – working here with some tight Billy Byers arrangements that really help transform the tunes! The groove is upbeat, bright, and brilliantly soulful – that punctuated Basie groove first formed when Neal Hefti was with the group, still carried... read more
Count Basie goes pop, and the results are mighty nice – a hard-swinging take on familiar tunes from the 60s, but all re-tooled the jazzy Basie way! The vibe here is right up there with the best Neal Hefti moments with the group – and although the arrangements are by Billy Byers, they've... read more
An excellent gimmick – and yet another way that United Artists was trying to push its "Bond" catalog in the 60s! Count Basie brings a soulful swing to the work of John Barry – hitting hard on the tracks with his own smoking piano, and an orchestra filled with some of his best... read more
An amazing little record – with results that are even greater than the sum of its parts! As you'd guess from the title, Count Basie takes on the 60s sounds of The Beatles – but he's doing so with arrangements from the great Chico O'Farrill – who really keeps things interesting... read more
Nice bit of funky fusion with production by Wayne Henderson. Roland Bautista plays electric guitar, and does a bit of singing, but a number of tracks also feature vocals by Side Effect, who were also recording with Wayne Henderson at the time. The LP includes the excellent Latin groover "Vida... read more
Sidney Bechet and Wild Bill Davison wailing together in one of Bechet's classic 10" albums for Blue Note – a session that also features Art Hodes, Joe Sullivan, Jimmy Archey, and Claude Luter.... read more
Sidney Bechet —
Unique Sidney ... LP
CBS (Netherlands),
1925/1937. Near Mint- ....
$4.99
Harry Beckett —
Maxine ... CD
ITM (Germany),
Late 80s/Early 90s. New Copy ....
$19.9922.99
Overlooked later work from trumpeter Harry Beckett – material that really sparkles with a lot of warmth and imagination, and which is pulled together from a collection of different sessions in the late 80s and early 90s! The package features Beckett in a number of settings – including... read more
Johnny Beecher (aka Plas Johnson) —
Sax 5th Ave ... LP
CRC,
Early 60s. Very Good ....
$6.99
An obscure session from Plas Johnson – recording here away from Capitol, under another name, quite possibly for contractual reasons! The album's got the gentle groove of Plas' best records of the time – deep deep tenor sax solos, recorded in a moody, echoey, late nite setting –... read more
Charles Bell & The Contemporary Jazz Quartet —
Another Dimension ... CD
Atlantic (Japan),
1962. New Copy ....
$15.99
A wonderful set by the enigmatic Charles Bell – a 60s modernist, but one with a great sense of soul! The album definitely lives up to its title, and has a fresh approach to the medium – a style that has some of the Modern Jazz Quartet influence in its structure, yet which also shares... read more
Arrangements by Ernie Wilkins, Frank Comstock, and Bob Florence – with trumpet by Charlie Shavers, and vocals from Ken Loring on one track.... read more
Belmondo Quintet —
For All Friends ... CD
Challenge (Netherlands),
1994. Used ....
$6.99
Stephane Belmondo —
Ever After ... CD
Universal (France),
2013. New Copy ....
$18.99
One of the coolest albums we've ever heard from trumpeter Stephane Belmondo – a mighty tribute to the great Donny Hathaway – based around a mix of Hathaway's famous tunes and Belmondo's original tracks – and featuring a bit of guest work on vocals from Gregory Porter and Sandra... read more
Sathima Bea Benjamin with Dollar Brand —
African Songbird ... CD
Sun/Matsuli (UK),
1976. New Copy ....
$16.99
One of the coolest albums ever from vocalist Sathima Bea Benjamin – and a set that really shows her strong ties to the South African jazz scene of the 70s! The album was done in close collaboration with husband Dollar Brand – who turns in some sublime arrangements for the record, which... read more
Sathima Bea Benjamin with Duke Ellington —
Morning In Paris ... CD
Enja (Germany),
1963. New Copy ....
$13.9915.99
Very early work from South African singer Sathima Bea Benjamin – recorded in Paris in 1963, with backing by longtime partner Abdullah Ibrahim, plus additional piano and production by Duke Ellington! The album was cut around the same time as Ibrahim (Dollar Brand) did his famous Reprise album... read more
Titles include "Strike Up The Band", "Guess I'll Have To Change My Plans", "Poor Little Rich Girl", "Are You Havin Any Fun", "Anyting Goes", and "With Plenty Of Money".... read more
A famous pairing of talents from the early 60s – Columbia Records giants Dave Brubeck and Tony Bennett, both recorded at a time when that label was at the forefront of jazz in the US – joined up for a special performance at the end of the set! The special performance was done at the... read more
Smooth, soulful piano from David Benoit – sounding stronger than ever here in a collection of classics recorded for the GRP label! Although the setting's often a bit electric, David plays acoustic throughout – bringing in a core sense of humanity to the tracks, and often a strong sense... read more
Pretty mellow stuff from George Benson, but with some nice moments! Don Sebesky handled the arrangements for this set of larger backings – but Benson's guitar is right out front, hitting some super-dope lines at the best moments, stretching out from the warm Fender Rhodes or horn heavy... read more
A great early CTI session by George Benson, and one of the most stripped-down, straight-ahead funky records he did for the label! There's a sharpness here that's different than the larger feel of some of Benson 's later records – a sound that almost links back to his soul jazz roots in the... read more
George Benson more than earns the title on this one – given that most of the tracks feature backings from the Count Basie Orchestra under the direction of Frank Foster – a great ensemble who really help keep things soulful throughout! Despite the date of the set, the feel here is a bit... read more
George Benson —
Compact Jazz ... CD
Verve,
Late 60s. Used ....
$2.99Just Sold Out!
A great little record from the days before George Benson had totally hit his smooth jazz sound of the 70s, and was being pushed by Columbia as a hard wailing soul jazz leader! The record features his classic quartet with Lonnie Smith on organ – grooving away hard hard hard, sometimes even... read more
Yipes! This one made everyone a bucket of money – especially Quincy Jones, whose new Qwest imprint the record was one of the first to grace. George has come a long way from his roots with Jack McDuff here – but in a way that kind of has us impressed, as he's grooving away slickly on... read more
Benson plays his guitar and also sings on some of these tracks. He is joined by Phil Upchurch on rhythm guitar, Ronnie Foster on electric piano & mini-moog, Jorge Dalto on clavinet & acoustic piano, Stanley Banks on bass, Harvey Mason on drums and Ralph MacDonald. Claus Ogerman arranged and... read more
George Benson —
In Flight ... LP
Warner,
1977. Very Good+ Gatefold ....
$2.99
Benson plays his guitar and also sings on some of these tracks. He is joined by Phil Upchurch on rhythm guitar, Ronnie Foster on electric piano & mini-moog, Jorge Dalto on clavinet & acoustic piano, Stanley Banks on bass, Harvey Mason on drums and Ralph MacDonald. Claus Ogerman arranged and... read more
Sweetly jazzy soul from George Benson – a key classic from his great run at Warner Brothers Records, and the kind of record that George did better than anyone else at the time! Back in the 60s, we'd never have guessed that Benson's sweetly crackling vocals would dominate popular jazz more... read more
A great old school session from George Benson – and maybe one of his best albums in years! The setting of the album is just what you'd expect from the title – a tribute to the late, great Nat King Cole – with vocals by George that have an uncanny way of matching Cole's phrasing,... read more
An early George Benson groover from the A&M years of CTI – a set that's quite different than his famous 70s sets, with a really unique sound overall! The arrangements here are by Latin Soul maestro Marty Sheller – who brings some of the vibe to the set that he brought to his 60s... read more
George Benson & Al Jarreau —
Givin' It Up ... CD
Concord,
2006. Used ....
$6.99
A compelling concept for a record – and a set that's also one of the best albums we've heard from Jerry Bergonzi in years! The tunes here are all based on other jazz standards, but really turned inside-out – so that the melodies are mixed up, the changes are changed up, and the overall... read more
Josh Berman —
There Now ... CD
Delmark,
2012. New Copy ....
$11.9916.99
Seminal Chicago sounds from cornetist Josh Berman – and a record that's not just a key example of his talents, but of the whole energy of the Windy City scene as well! There's a nice gag in the "His Gang" on the cover of the record – but it's also somewhat well put, too... read more
Bernstein/Goldings/Stewart —
Live At Smalls ... CD
Smalls Live,
2011. New Copy ....
$9.9914.99Just Sold Out!
A trio of modern talents, working beautifully together on a set of extended live tracks! The group features guitar from Peter Bernstein, Hammond from Larry Goldings, and drums from Bill Stewart – coming together in ways that remind us of the hipper side of 60s organ combos – those... read more
Groovy boogaloo from late 60s Mexico – an album that's quite different than US sets of this nature! The rhythms definitely show a Latin Soul influence, but the overall execution is in a wider 60s groovy mode overall – with bits of mod jazz, soul piano, and more – all filtered... read more
Christophe Berthet —
Malval ... CD
Creative Sources (Portugal),
2011. Used ....
$6.99
John Betsch Society —
Earth Blossom ... CD
Strata East/Heavenly Sweetness (France),
1974. New Copy ....
$18.99
A beautiful session of spiritual soul jazz – and one of the rarer albums on the legendary Strata East label! The obscure combo is led by drummer/percussionist John Betsch – and instrumentation includes guitar, piano, electric piano, and reeds – all used with plenty of warm... read more
One of the many fine albums cut by trombonist Betters during the 60s – the kind of homegrown soul jazz that made him a hit with the kids in Pittsburgh! The album's filled with some nice originals and pretty well-chosen covers – in cluding a few cool soundtrack tunes redone to give them... read more
Andy & The Bey Sisters —
Round Midnight ... LP
Prestige,
1965. New Copy (reissue)....
$9.99
One of the rare few records recorded by a young Andy Bey and his sisters! The group was an obscure jazz harmony trio formed by Andy in his earlier years – and it features him on piano, joining with the vocals of his two sisters Salome and Geradine Bey – in a soulful, moody style that's... read more
Although we've been fans of Andy Bey for years (ever since his early 60s recordings with Andy & The Bey Sisters), we've got to admit that we're stunned at how successful his recent revival has been! This CD is probably the main reason for Andy's success – as it's a compelling batch of... read more
A sweet little set from Candian guitarist Ed Bickert – a record that's filled with amazing tones and colors, and which sparkles brightly from the very first note! The date's a trio outing – with Don Thompson on bass and Terry Clarke on drums – but Bickert's playing gives the... read more
David Binney —
Lifted Land ... CD
Criss Cross (Holland),
2013. New Copy ....
$14.9918.98
Fleet lines on alto sax from David Binney – a player who's paired here with pianist Craig Taborn, a perfect partner for his sound! The set often has Binney and Taborn stepping around together – piano and alto in this dance that's rich and compelling – with more than enough... read more
The most fully-formed album from Nat Birchall so far – and one that has him definitely going into another dimension in jazz, thanks to a slightly expanded lineup! The shift here is almost that betweeen the 60s spiritual sounds on Impulse Records, and the label's groundbreaking material in... read more
Nat Birchall —
Sixth Sense ... CD
Sound Soul & Spirit (UK),
1999. New Copy ....
$11.99
The earliest work we've ever heard from tenorist Nat Birchall – a player who's really blown our minds with his recent albums from the UK! This set's from the late 90s, and already has Birchall really finding his voice – a freewheeling approach to tenor that's unlike most of his... read more
A dream band indeed – as the set features a cast of excellent players who manage to come together tightly as a unit, then break out in really strong and hard-blown solos! Even by a "pulled together for this jam session by the record label"-type group there's a swinging style firmly... read more
Walter Bishop Jr —
Coral Keys ... CD
Black Jazz/Snow Dog (Japan),
1971. New Copy ....
$13.9918.99
The keys are coral, and the sound is sublime – one of the greatest albums ever from pianist Walter Bishop Jr, and proof that he can really stretch out, given the right setting! The piano here is all acoustic, but there's an almost-electric vibe to the date – long, open tracks that sway... read more
Walter Bishop Jr. —
Soul Village ... LP
Muse,
1977. New Copy (reissue)....
$9.99
An album on Muse, but one with the same hip grooves as Walter Bishop's excellent work on the Black Jazz label! Like those gems, this set features Bishop working on Fender Rhodes – hitting a groove we never would have expected in the old days, and really going for a style that's at the... read more
A spiritual jazz classic by Harry Whitaker's Black Renaissance – plus a trippy GB remix on the other side! The original version of "Magic Ritual" is here in full – and it's essentially half of the group's classic Body, Mind And Spirit LP – a legendary session that... read more
Pure genius from the hipper side of the LA scene – 2 rare early sessions from trombonist Lou Blackburn, both cut in collaboration with a young Horace Tapscott! The style here is quite hard to peg – a unique blend of soul jazz and modernism – handled with a key focus on unusual... read more
Blackbyrds —
City Life ... LP
Fantasy,
1975. Very Good Gatefold ....
$9.99
A fantastic album from this legendary jazz funk combo – a bit smoother than their first, but that's the great thing about it! The record has the band getting even tighter than before – coming up with an amazing jazz-inflected funk groove that still leaves us breathless after all these... read more
Sultry vocals from Sallie Blair – one of the hipper singers of her generation, and an artist with a sound that's unlike anyone else we can think of! Blair's a bit bluesy, a bit soulful, but ultimately a jazz singer at heart – and her already-cool style gets some sweet extra help on... read more
Eubie Blake —
Live Concert ... LP
Eubie Blake Music,
1973. Near Mint- ....
$6.99