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A cooker of a record from Lester Bowie – one that takes the earlier sound of the Brass Fantasy ensemble, and focuses it into a mode that shows his growing love of soul and funk! The set was issued on the the short-lived Venture imprint of Virgin – a surprisingly strong outlook for... read more

Spare improvisations from Chicago saxophonist David Boykin – recorded as a duet with butoh artist Nicole Legette, who also seems to be vocalizing a bit on the record! The album's easily one of the most challenging that Boykin's ever given us – quite open, and very expressive –... read more

One of the greatest albums so far from mighty Chicago reedman David Boykin – and easily a set that lives up to the rich legacy of avant jazz in the Windy City! There's a depth to the record that comes through right from the very first note – a sense of history and feeling that shows... read more

A beautiful tribute to the genius of trombonist/arranger Melba Liston – and a set that doesn't just copy her music, but really opens up a whole new spirit from its inspiration! Reedman Geof Bradfield composed all the tracks in the set, and puts things together with a spirit that's not unlike... read more

A brilliant reinvention of the Bobby Bradford/John Carter partnership – a key force on the LA avant scene of the late 60s and early 70s – still filled with fire in this later recording! Bradford's cornet has lost none of its force – and the real shift here is Carter, who works... read more

Wonderful grooves from trombonist Jeff Bradshaw – arguably one of the only artists to keep the Hidden Beach sound going this strongly over the years! The album's a double-length set – which means even more magic than usual from Jeff – still plenty of those sweet instrumental... read more

A tremendous collection of work from Inge Brandenburg – a German jazz singer who never made it big on our side of the Atlantic, but who cut some excellent English language recordings in the 50s and 60s! The package features a great range of tunes from Inge – pulled together to... read more

Bold bass saxophone sounds from the overlooked Helmut Brand – a German player of the postwar years, and one with a sense of tone and texture to rival that of Gerry Mulligan at his west coast best! The work here is all previously unreleased, but shows Brand as one of the key reed innovators... read more

A Christmas jazz album – even though you might not guess it from the title and cover – and one that really takes a fresh approach to a wide range of Holiday classics! Guitarist Craig Brann isn't content to simply rehash old melodies – and instead really steps out with creative... read more

Even at an early age, Anthony Braxton was already experimenting with new forms of jazz composition – and this 1968 debut as a leader is filled with the imaginative approaches to music that would make him a key shaper of jazz in the next decade! The tracks here are all quite long, and... read more

One of Braxton's great records for BYG, and like the other one, a very cool session that has Braxton playing in a vibe that shows his AACM roots much more clearly than a lot of other sessions. He's playing here with a number of other Chicago expatriates, including Leroy Jenkins, Steve McCall, and... read more

An amazing moment in 70s jazz – the real rise of reedman Anthony Braxton, yet on a label that was also known mostly for pop, rock, and soul recordings! Braxton on Arista should have been a disaster – but instead, the label gave Anthony a huge amount of freedom – and, if anything,... read more

One of Anthony Braxton's first great recordings with a larger group – a really impressive array of sounds and tones that takes his compositional experiments to the next level! Tunes here are all those complicated Braxton formulas from the 70s – carried out by a host of equally-imaginati... read more

A very angular trio recording from Anthony Braxton – one that features drums from Tony Oxley and bass from Adelhard Roidinger – and a range of great reeds from Braxton! Oxley's presence is especially important here – as the set was recorded in that great late 80s stretch when he... read more

An excellent session for BYG! Anthony Braxton is recorded here with a number of other Chicago AACM players, including Steve McCall, Leroy Jenkins, and Leo Smith. The instrumentation includes an amazing range of oddball sound sources, including Hohner Organ, sirens, logs, mouth organ, sound... read more

Braxton and Ellington appear here as composers of the work, not as performers – but the spirit of both is alive and well in this performance, breaking out in complicated waves of sound that recall the earliest moments of the former, but which are also informed by the concepts of freedoms put... read more

A great blend of Brazilian roots and piano jazz – played here by a trio that's all-solid, all the way through – serving up some really wonderful music that never relies on bossa cliches, or any sort of tricks and gimmicks! Instead, there's a really rich mixing of modes – one that'... read more

Soulful fusion from The Brecker Brothers – a set that's one of their standout efforts from the 70s – and a record that went onto influence a whole generation of jazz musicians too! The album features the twin horns of Randy & Michael Brecker, along with alto by David Sanborn,... read more

Seminal work from The Brecker Brothers – 6 of the group's best albums, plus the two Blue Montreux live albums – packaged together in one very cool set, in tiny LP-like sleeves! The self-titled Brecker Brothers album is the first super effort from the team of Randy & Michael Brecker... read more

Maybe the greatest album we've ever heard from trumpeter Till Bronner – a beautiful tribute to the 70s sound of Freddie Hubbard – recorded with instrumentation that's heavy on Fender Rhodes, and these soaring solos that are simply the greatest we've ever heard Bronner play! There's a... read more

Maybe the greatest album we've ever heard from trumpeter Till Bronner – a beautiful tribute to the 70s sound of Freddie Hubbard – recorded with instrumentation that's heavy on Fender Rhodes, and these soaring solos that are simply the greatest we've ever heard Bronner play! There's a... read more

A beautiful package of work from trumpeter Clifford Brown – his complete Emarcy master takes for work with three key singers in the 50s – Helen Merrill, Sarah Vaughan, and Dinah Washington! Brown's trumpet has a fluid, soulful style that's easily one of the most modern of the time... read more

Oscar Brown moves into a funky 70s mode – working here with some great soul-based arrangements by Chicago soul legend Richard Evans! There's lots of funky clavinet grooving on the record by Tennyson Stephens and Marvin Yancy – and other players include Chess/Cadet session groovers,... read more

A key bit of jazz funk from trumpeter Tom Browne – still grooving strong here, with a sublime mix of modern soul, funky jazz, and some of the 80s groove touches that showed up on the best GRP titles from the time! The album's got a smooth compressed groove – kind of post-Donald Byrd,... read more

A classic killer from trumpeter Tom Browne – a smoking set that still has all the jazz funk touches of his earlier records, yet which also picks up a bit of an electro vibe as well! The move here is a bit like that taken by some of Browne's labelmates on GRP at the time – particularly... read more

The last-ever live performance of the legendary Dave Brubeck Quartet with Paul Desmond – recorded in 1967, but issued here for the first time ever! The group was the stuff of legend in the 50s and 60s – Dave's incredible approach to piano and time signatures, supported by amazing... read more

Weird instrumental grooves from composer Sandro Brugnolini – played by a small combo that almost has a sound library feel! We know Brugnolini most from his soundtrack work, and this set's got a similar flair for odd sounds and weird rhythms – played here by a group that features organ,... read more

Experimental vocals and offbeat reed sounds – a really great pairing of singer Uschi Bruning and reedman Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky! We know Ernst-Ludwig and Uschi from a range of other projects, but they really sound different here together – especially because Petrowsky's reeds are often... read more

A perfect title for a perfect record – especially given all the love we've felt from Build An Ark over the years! The album's a masterpiece through and through – easily the greatest statement ever from this already-amazing band – a contemporary ensemble, but one that we'd... read more

A brilliant extension of the Love set from Build An Ark – focusing on some of the more improvisational spirit that's integral to their cosmic groove! Love Part 2 is mix of intimate moments and soaring atmospherics from Carlos Nino, Miguel-Atwood Ferguson and the rest of the stellar ensemble,... read more

A really sweet little album from guitarist Kenny Burrell – one in which he takes older tunes ("a generation ago"), and updates them with a sweetly compressed Verve 60s groove ("today"!) The record features 2 small groups – one with Ron Carter, Grady Tate, and Phil... read more

Straight, strong, and soulful sounds from guitarist Kenny Burrell – quite possibly one of his best albums of the 60s, thanks to a really well-focused sound throughout! The groove here is nice and tight – a cooking little rhythm section that features Richard Wyands on piano, Martin... read more

Groundbreaking work on vibes by Gary Burton – recorded in a setting that's live and open, yet quite groovy too! There's a rhythmic freeness that marks the set from the very first note – lessons learned from the generation of Ornette, yet taken in new direction – and definitely... read more

Quite a surprising pairing of talents – and a set that shows that at in the right settings, Stephane Grappelli's still got plenty of modern moments! The core group is really that of vibist Gary Burton – with Steve Swallow on electric bass and Bill Goodwin on drums – both players... read more

A beautiful, sweetly jazz-based set from LaVerne Butler – and we can't imagine why you'd lose the love for her voice and style, if you've ever found it in the first place – but this is a great place to find it! Bruce Barth is on piano and handles the arrangements, with the great... read more

One of the great ones! No kidding, Jaki Byard was an amazing talent in the 60s – and records like this one are rare treasures to be sought-after by any serious jazz fan. Byard had an incredible range of talents and influences – and, like his frequent bandmate Roland Kirk, he could... read more

The songs of Freddie Redd – re-arranged wonderfully by tenorist Chris Byars – and played by an octet who really make some new magic with the music! Redd's one of our favorite talents from the late 50s/early 60s scene – a budding modernist who also never failed to swing – a... read more

Tenorist Don Byas is one of those players who always seemed to get more recognition in Europe than the US – or if that's not entirely the case, he at least got more chances to record properly than he ever did over here! This excellent 18 track CD features tunes from 3 early 50s sessions that... read more

Some of the first bop sides cut by Americans in Paris – a quartet of material from four different sessions, issued properly for the first time on CD, with great mastering, and a good set of notes in French and English! Don Byas is at the forefront of two sessions here – one with the... read more

A pair of classics from guitarist Charlie Byrd – back to back on a single CD! First up is Latin Impressions, a set that's more Brazilian than Cuban – and maybe a bit Spanish, too – given the strong use of acoustic guitar from Charlie Byrd! The set's got a laidback, open feel... read more

A Donald Byrd treasure – and an album that was almost left in the vaults by Blue Note, until they briefly released it at the end of the 70s! The cover and title are a bit unfamiliar, but the music is right up there with Byrd's classic sessions with baritonist Pepper Adams – a great... read more

A rock-solid set from Donald Byrd and a great group of players – a record that's got the same sharp edges and dark undercurrents of late 60s classics like Black Jack, Mustang, and Slow Drag! As with those gems, this album's got Donald really experimenting a bit more – especially with... read more

An essential bit of jazz funk from Donald Byrd and Larry Mizell! The groove's very similar to the classic Places & Spaces, and the record's got loads of cool spacey tracks with hot funky trumpet from Donald, and cool waves of synth and sound from Larry. The title cut's a great groover, and... read more

A landmark album by Donald Byrd – the first one where he really started to click with jazz-funk producer Larry Mizell! Mizell and Byrd had worked together previously on the Black Byrd album – a soaring bit of futuristic jazz funk that took Byrd's career to a whole new level – but... read more

A post-Blue Note effort, and Donald's changing things up a bit with his 125th Street Orchestra and Uptown Singers – funking along in a way you'd expect from the longwinded title! Byrd loostens up the smoother backgrounds of his recent Larry Mizell helmed work, and in their place are grooves... read more

A gracious and soulful gospel jazz effort from Don Byron – a set inspired by Thomas Dorsey and Sister Rosetta Tharpe – and he serves both proudly! The set includes a number of Dorsey compositions, plus some nice takes on traditional "Didn't It Rain", Eddie Harris's "Sham... read more

Very very very cool stuff from Italy in the 70's. This tight little combo featuring Fender Rhodes, electric bass, and congas lays down some super tight grooves with a very deep, very funky, very laid back feel. Originally intended for soundtrack use in TV and commercials, this disc has finally... read more

Stellar sounds from pianist George Cables – the kind of fluid, soulful set he's been serving up for years – but one with a bittersweet undercurrent too! The "muse" in the title is Cables' late partner – for whom he wrote a few key tracks on the set, showing us that his... read more

A lost west coast gem from the 50s – a unique quintet session for Atlantic Records, cut by a group co-led by trumpeter Conte Candoli and pianist Lou Levy! There's a bit more fire here than in some of the other sides from the time by the players – especially Levy – and in a way,... read more

The last album in a legendary run of music from keyboardist Doug Carn – his final album for the Black Jazz label, and a set that pushes even farther than his previous efforts! Jean Carn isn't in the group this time around, but the set does feature a totally great twin-vocal approach –... read more

An undisputed 70s soul jazz classic – and arguably the best album that Doug Carn ever cut for the Black Jazz label! The set is a masterpiece of spiritual jazz – with Carn on keyboards setting up the groove, and wife Jean singing some incredible vocals – very different than her... read more

The Black Jazz recordings of Doug Carn are always a revelation – some of the most powerful, progressive work on the American underground of the early 70s – music that got Carn into way more record collections than you might expect! The sound here is a perfect summation of Doug's early... read more

Plenty of spirit, and plenty of soul – a 70s classic from organist Doug Carn, and a record that took his instrument, and jazz in general, to a whole new level for the decade! Carn's got this burning, righteous quality on his keys – a vibe that certainly owes something to Larry Young,... read more

A cool little set from pianist Barbara Carroll – a player who got her start in the New York scene of the 50s, and served up some excellent work in later years – but who also comes across surprisingly well in this overlooked 70s session for Blue Note! The album's not nearly as electric... read more

An interesting early album from Betty Carter – less jazz than some of her later work, but with a bit more of an edge than some of her ABC recordings. The album's got sort of an arranged sophisticated jazz style – in the mode of 60s work by Esther Phillips or Dinah Washington –... read more

Previously unreleased material from the duo of Bobby Bradford and John Carter – two players who created ferocious energy together in their famous LA quartet of the late 60s and early 70s, but who here get at a completely different sound of their talents! In a way, the record really... read more

An amazing debut from the John Carter/Bobby Bradford New Art Jazz Ensemble – one of the most powerful voices in jazz on the west coast at the end of the 60s! In a way, the quartet's sound is a culmination of the underground changes that had been bubbling under during most of the 60s on the... read more

One of Ron Carter's best from the 70s – a hip and subtle effort recorded for CTI, with a small group that includes Joe Henderson on tenor, Roland Hanna on piano, and Billy Cobham on drums! Henderson's tenor work dominates the album, and the long tracks really let him snake around mightily... read more

A beautiful album by Ron Carter – and quite rare, too! The record features a group that's got a nice 70s modal soul jazz sound – with players that include Herbie Hancock on acoustic and electric piano, Hubert Laws on flute, Sam Brown on guitar, and both Billy Cobham and Grady Tate on... read more

Great work from Ron Carter's Golden Striker trio – a group with a really unique sound that comes from the careful balance of Carter's bass, Mulgrew Miller's piano, and Russell Malone's guitar! All three players have just the right amount of individuality and maturity to work together... read more

A soulful smoker from the west coast scene – and some of the only work as a leader we've ever seen from pianist Joe Castro – a player with just the right sense of rhythm and soul to live up to the title! In addition to this rare appearance by Joe, the set's also noteworthy for some... read more

A legendary early set from percussionist Francisco Mora Catlett – and a really sublime blend of spiritual jazz and Latin rhythms! Mora's percussion is definitely at the core – but the set also features wonderful contributions from Vincent Bowens on tenor and soprano sax, Jerome LeDuff... read more

A really amazing little record – way more than usual for this sort of live recording – given that it features some very unique performances together by artists we've never heard on the same stage otherwise! The premise is simple, but wonderfully effective – in that the album... read more

Beautiful work from Franco Cerri – a really unique guitar jazz session that features his talents in a host of different settings! The players vary throughout the set – so that one number only features a duo with bass, but others feature larger lineups that include Gianni Basso on tenor... read more

An overstuffed package that feature 2 albums from Italian guitarist Franco Cerri! First up is Metti Una Sera Cerri, from 1973 – an unusual album that has Cerri working with larger backings, in a style that's almost a bit like soundtrack work of the time! Franco's guitar lines are clean and... read more

One of the most obscure of the Paul Chambers albums on Blue Note – and one of the most interesting as well! Although best known for his solid rhythm work on late 50s hardbop recordings, Chambers breaks out here with a more introspective, more exploratory style on the bass – using the... read more

Sublime modern jazz from Teddy – right up there with the best mid 50s work of other groundbreakers like Charles Mingus or George Russell, to whom Charles acknowledges more than a bit of inspiration! Charles plays vibes like no one else – especially at this point in his career, when he's... read more

A richly complex album from vibist Teddy Charles – easily one of his greatest albums ever, and certainly one with the boldest sound! The groups here are filled with hip players – all working under Charles' direction in a set of tracks that shimmers with dark sounds and moody colors... read more

A rare slice of work from trumpeter Don Cherry – music that's every bit as forward-thinking as his three classic 60s albums on Blue Note! The session is a live one, but the sound is quite strong – recorded up-close, and with great focus on Cherry's incredible horn work – as well... read more

Incredible work from Don Cherry – a previously unreleased live date from the 60s, but every bit as great as any of his better-known records from the decade! The sound here is really amazing – a hip blend of Cherry's trumpet with tenor from Gato Barbieri and vibes from Karl Berger... read more

A trio of classic albums from Don Cherry – packaged in a heavy book-like cover, with lots of new notes too! On the first part of the set, Cherry really breaks out on his classic Mu sessions from France – using the new freedoms of post-68 Paris to explore themes at a level that would... read more

Early 70s greatness from Don Cherry – a double album's worth of profoundly spiritual soundscapes paired with lots of weird effects – and a very laidback groove overall! Tracks are written by Cherry, Terry Riley, Pharoah Sanders, and Nana Vasconcelos – and include performances... read more

Amazing work from guitarist Charlie Christian – an artist who only recorded for a few short years before an untimely early death – but a player whose work went onto have a huge impact on both the guitar and jazz music in general for years to come! Charlie's playing has a sharp edge... read more

Always brilliant work from the great June Christy – an album that's got a lot more darkness than you might think from the title and the bright-colored cover! The style is very booze-soaked and sad – with plenty of echoes of the classic Something Cool album – and like that set,... read more

French journalist/composer Andre Hodier was one of the leading voices of European jazz in the postwar years – a committed modernist, but with a strong understanding of all the traditions of jazz. This classic set features American drummer Kenny Clarke working with a group of French musicians... read more

A mighty run of classic fusion from Stanley Clarke – some of his biggest albums for Columbia Records, packaged here in mini LP-styled sleeves in a 6CD slipcase! The package is a great one – especially given that some of these records aren't easy to find on CD – and it traces the... read more

A trio of funky electric albums from Stanley Clarke's mid 80s R&B years – 1984's Time Exposure, ''85's Find Out and '86's Hideaway – in a 2CD set! Time Exposure has a lot of 80s electro funk in the mix, particularly Clarke's impeccable bass lines, which are heavy throughout. ... read more

A hard slammer from the Clarke-Boland Big Band – recorded when the band was burning up the road in Europe, taking great players and audiences in one fell swoop, coming up with some of the strongest straight jazz of their generation! The album features stunning solos all around by an all-star... read more

One of the greatest long-form albums from the Clarke Boland Big Band – a sophisticated suite that not only shows off the writing ability of Francy Boland, but also demonstrates the group's ability to swing like a mofo, even when things are serious! The album's a jazz suite written by Boland,... read more

One of the first great moments from this legendary 60s ensemble – a brilliant pairing of American and European players – heard here in one of their pre-MPS sessions! Group founder Gigi Campi is well-placed at the helm – as both producer and supervisor – giving the ensemble... read more

Great early genius from the Clarke Boland Big Band – proof that Kenny and Francy were onto something great, right from the start! The album really has the group hitting the heights of their MPS years – stretching out way past earlier big band modes, into the hip mix of rhythms and... read more

One of the greatest records ever by this hip jazz ensemble – and one of their most unique! The record has the band grooving hard through two incredible suites of Latin music – Gary McFarland's "Latin Kaleidoscope" and Francy Boland's "Cuban Fever" – each of... read more

A seminal session from one of the greatest large groups ever! This one captures the Clarke-Boland ensemble at the peak of their creativity – swinging hard in that tight firey way that was virtually their trademark during the late 60s. The players are a top-shelf mix of European and American... read more

Beautiful blowing from Buck Clayton and Buddy Tate – captured here in the relaxed, easy-going setting of the Swingville label! The album's got a lot more charm than some of Clayton's sides for Columbia – a bit more mellow, with the kind of after hours feel that lets players like these... read more

Five killer albums from Billy Cobham – all records that really define his strength on the drums in the 70s! The music here is a groundbreaking mix of jazz, rock, and a bit of funk – a style of which Billy was one of the greatest proponents at the time – not just on albums like... read more

Tremendous horn interplay from the team of Al Cohn and Zoot Sims – and a record that may well be one of the best illustrations of their famous magic together in the 50s! The record's got a way of focusing energy, yet letting each player state themselves clearly and cleanly – almost a... read more

A really well-titled set from the legendary Phil Cohran – as the album's one of his most meditative efforts ever – a beautiful single piece, spun over the course of the entire album, with slow-changing instrumentation that's wonderfully seductive! Phil's in a near solo mode here –... read more

Great lost work from the legendary Phil Cohran and his Artistic Heritage Ensemble – a composition that was recorded during the group's late 60s years on the Chicago scene – but which has never been released until now! The album stands beautifully alongside the group's self-titled... read more

An amazing bit of music – and an incredible document of generations of creative jazz energy as well! The legendary Phil Cohran teams up here with Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – a collective made up of Cohran's sons, who follow strongly in the rich legacy of his own Artistic Heritage group... read more

A brilliant tribute to the late Malcolm X – served up by Chicago's legendary Artistic Heritage Ensemble! The record's got an even farther-reaching sound than the group's self-titled effort – a flowing style that unfolds as their tribute to Malcolm rolls on – starting spare and... read more

Amazing work from the legendary Phil Cohran – and a much-needed collection of his rare singles on the Zulu label! The work here is contemporary to the sides issued by Phil's Artistic Heritage Ensemble on their two famous records – but the sound is often a bit tighter, and funkier too... read more

A wonderful idea for a record – very unique, and with a style that makes for one of the freshest jazz vocal sets we've heard in years! The tunes here are all numbers penned by saxophonist Pepper Adams – a great change from overdone standards – and they've got some inventive... read more

A great slice of work from trumpeter Bill Coleman – an American player by birth, but one who became a key part of the French jazz scene in the postwar years – thanks to a big move overseas! Yet the sides here show Bill in an even fresher setting – not just a UK venue, but also... read more

A great slice of work from trumpeter Bill Coleman – an American player by birth, but one who became a key part of the French jazz scene in the postwar years – thanks to a big move overseas! Yet the sides here show Bill in an even fresher setting – not just a UK venue, but also... read more

One of Ornette Coleman's most groundbreaking albums – a set that takes his best free jazz energy of the 60s, and expands it out into the space of a longer suite – all originally designed as a film soundtrack, then never used in the movie at all! Yet even without the film placement, the... read more

A great couple of harder-to-find Ornette Coleman records – nicely paired up in a 2CD set! First up is The Music Of Ornette Coleman, from 1967 – which is beautiful record that serves as both a showcase for Ornette's "serious" writing efforts – and his ability to play... read more

A stunning session by Ornette Coleman, and one that always seems to get overlooked in discussions of his albums for Atlantic! His quartet here features the amazing Scott LaFaro on bass, and a young Ed Blackwell on drums – both of whom give the tracks an amazing pulse that brings new energy... read more

A great set from Chicago's Joan Collaso – one of the hippest vocalists working today in the Windy City! There's a soulful swing to the record that grabs us right from the get-go – thanks to a killer take on "My Favorite Things" – done in an open-ended spirit that owes... read more

A hip little album from Buddy Collette – one that's ostensibly based around the then-popular idea of a set of Paris-inspired tunes – but which comes off with a sound that's a lot deeper than you might expect! David Axelrod produced the set – it was one of his early projects for... read more

Buddy Collette's definitely a man of many parts here – and many talents too, considering the reedwork on the set! Buddy plays alto, tenor, clarinet, and flute – using the horns with wonderful invention that really showcases his unique style of the time – that mix of modern and... read more