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A sweet debut set from Solution – a Dutch group who work here in a seriously jazzy blend of keyboards and reeds – almost with a vibe that's like Brian Auger in his post-Trinity years, but sometimes a bit more freewheeling too! The group's got great instrumentation from Tom Barlage on... read more

Beautiful material from this legendary Bay Area soul jazz combo! The Sons & Daughters of Lite have an incredibly spiritual sound – one that sounds sort of like the best groups on the Strata East label, with touches of Roy Ayers or James Mason-esque soulfulness, but with a little less... read more

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A soaring stormer from the Spanish Harlem Orchestra – a contemporary group, but one who plays with some really classic Latin jazz modes! The group's always been great, but this may well be their best album to date – full of rich tones, bold colors, and tight rhythms that keep things... read more

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Hard swinging work from James Spaulding – still sounding great after all these years! Spaulding's in perfect company here – with Ronnie Matthews on piano, Ray Drummond on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums, plus horn work by Dan Faulk and Don Sickler, next to the range of flute and alto... read more

Great bluesy funk by the quartet of John Medeski, Jack Bruce, Cindy Blackman Santana, and Vernon Reid!... read more

Forget the preview, because Leon Spencer is already the main attraction on this key early album for Prestige! The date may well be one of the organist's greatest – and is a lean, mean session cut with that stretched out funky style that Prestige was really laying down at the time –... read more

Badass organ funk from the mighty Leon Spencer – a set that's got a bit of a fuller feel than some of his previous albums for Prestige – but a groove that's also equally great! The style here is somewhere between blacksploitation funk and some of the grooves from the CTI/Kudu camp... read more

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A tight funky fusion group from Europe – with a lineup that features a lot of keyboards and guitar jamming together, over the same kind of slow bass-driven rhythms that you'd find in the best work by John Lee & Gerry Brown. There's a real spaciness in the mix, and despite the presence of... read more

A trippy little combo with a distinct post-Coltrane feel – stretching out here wonderfully, on a hip little session on a homegrown label! The group hail from the unlikely spot of Las Vegas – but they've got a deeply spiritual sound that rivals the best work on the coasts in the early... read more

A record of free-thinking jazz – recorded by a trio from Chicago, featuring drummer Paul Wertico, reedman Rich Corpolongo, and bassist Doug Loftstrom. There's a frenetic, choppy sound here that at one level seems to take off from European fusion groups of the 70s – yet also point the... read more

A definite set of bare essentials from the Spontaneous Music Ensemble – especially given that at this point, the group was stripped down to just the duo of John Stevens on percussion and cornet, and Trevor Watts on soprano sax! The material was all recorded live, and the double-length set is... read more

Early sounds from the Spontaneous Music Ensemble – in this case mostly the duo of John Stevens on percussion and Evan Parker on soprano and tenor – with the bass of Peter Kowald added in on two tracks! The material is quite striking, especially given the vintage – and the... read more

The title here is an apt one – as the SME is a trio on most of these recordings, but augmented by a nice range of players on two of the album's five tracks! The core group features John Stevens on cornet and percussion, Nigel Coombes on violin, and Roger Smith on guitar – working in... read more

Unreleased recordings from that amazing moment when British jazz was really coming into its own – exploring the farther reaches of the avant garde, but in ways that were quite different than American sounds at the time! The lineup here features some of the most inventive London players of... read more

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A wonderful pairing of talents – the ever-evolving vocals of Mary Stallings, and the rock-solid piano talents of Eric Reed! Stallings is one of those singers who just sounds better and better as the years go on – working with a depth and individual sense of structure that recalls Betty... read more

An incredible bit of funky fusion from the Texas scene of the 70s – a record that's unlike anything else we've ever heard from the Lone Star state, and which still sounds plenty fresh all these many years later! Starcrost have a sound that mixes jazzy riffing with great female lead vocals... read more

Amazing sounds from The Stark Reality – an obscure group from the early 70s, but one who've really risen to fame over the years – thanks to their groundbreaking ear for new music, and their freewheeling way with a funky groove! This package brings together all the incredible work... read more

Massive massive work from Starship Orchestra – a trio of talents from the Norman Connors universe, but one who get some heavy help in the studio from arrangers Bobby Lyle, McKinley Jackson, and Jerry Peters! There's a real Aquarian Dream sound at play here – all the best energy of... read more

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A mindblower from flute man Jeremy Steig – his only album ever for Blue Note – and quite possibly his best! There's a stripped-down feel here that beats even the rich soul of Steig's sets for Solid State – a brilliant pairing of Jeremy's choppy lines on flute with the soulful... read more

Beautiful duets from flautist Jeremy Steig and bassist Eddie Gomez – recorded with no other backing, and a haunting style that gets at the best talents of both players! Gomez is well known for his work on trio sides with Bill Evans, but here he gets a chance to be even more expressive than... read more

Brilliant work from Jason Stein – a Chicago player who's been making some mighty waves on the avant scene of late, and who really comes into his own with this album! Stein's part of the new generation of avant Chicagoans – players who have a strong knowledge of free jazz, but also opt... read more

Moodier music than you might guess from the lush image on the cover – a really evocative mix of acoustic and electronic elements – filtered together in ways that lie somewhere between the world/jazz experiments of 70s Sweden, and some of the more creative moments at ECM! The music's... read more

Moodier music than you might guess from the lush image on the cover – a really evocative mix of acoustic and electronic elements – filtered together in ways that lie somewhere between the world/jazz experiments of 70s Sweden, and some of the more creative moments at ECM! The music's... read more

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A great tenorist, heard here in a wonderfully rich setting – a set of long, open tracks that really let Grant Stewart solo strongly – all with the special sort of energy that seems to take place in these Smalls Live recordings! Most numbers push up towards the 10 minute mark, leaving... read more

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Trumpeter Rex Stewart heads a great lineup of players from the Fletcher Henderson band – including Joe Thomas and Taft Jordan on trumpets, Benny Morton and Dicky Wells on tormbones, Buddy Tate and Hilton Jefferson on saxes, and Red Richards on piano!... read more

A really cool trio recording – one that has Fred Lonberg-Holm playing some mighty sweet tenor guitar in addition to his usual cello – an instrument that comes across with this great sort of fuzzy sound! The tones spin out in these fluid waves – often a bit more forward-moving... read more

A lost Sonny Stitt session from the 60s – but wonderfully swinging, and with a groove that really works well! The album's a set of Broadway tunes played jazz-wise – but in the hands of Stitt, they come up wonderfully – stretching out with soulful intensity that's mighty nice,... read more

A great little Sonny Stitt album – very different than any of his other sets from the 60s! The album has a number of interesting aspects – from hard-wailing organ by Wilmer Mosby (who we think is Don Patterson under a fake name), to some screaming guest work by Rufus Harley and Robin... read more

Plenty of style here – a great later date from Sonny Stitt – one of those near-perfect gems from the years when he had fallen far from the mainstream of jazz, but could still blow with some of the best! There's a simple, almost understated quality to the date that's really wonderful... read more

Sonny Stitt makes Oscar Peterson sit up and groove! The record's a great one, and uses the Peterson Trio as a perfect rhythm section for Sonny's confidently blown solos of the late 50s – in a way that pushes the combo past their usual safe area, and into more freewheeling territory to keep... read more

2 classic Stitt albums back to back – Turn It On and Black Vibrations, both recorded during his early 70s funk years at Prestige! Turn It On is very firmly the funky Prestige sound of the early 70s – complete with Idris Muhammad on drums, organ by Leon Spencer, guitar by Melvin Sparks,... read more

Magical Stitt work on Roost – an album of marked understatement, from the simple title, standard cover, and lack of session details on the back – all of which might make you think "oh yeah, heard this one before." But one drop of the needle opens the album up immediately... read more

A record with a simple, elegant title – and a similar cover image too – but if you know Sonny Stitt, you know there's often plenty beneath the surface, and this classic Chess Records has plenty to offer, once you start listening! The album's right up there with Sonny's work for Roost... read more

A great later date from the legendary Sonny Stitt – and one recorded with the same soulful depth and laidback feel as his best 50s sessions for Roost or Verve! Sonny blows both alto and tenor sax here – and works in the warm company of Sadik Hakim, whose sharp tones on piano bring in a... read more

Sonny Stitt plus the early genius of Quincy Jones – a really great combination that makes for a standout session on Roost! As you might guess with Quincy handling the arrangements, the gorup here is bigger than usual for Stitt – especially given that the bulk of his Roost sessions were... read more

An oft-overlooked, but very nice record from Sonny Stitt – recorded in Chicago in the early 70s, and with two different types of groups that show off both sides of the city's jazz scene at the time! O the first 4 numbers, the group is a bit on the larger side – giving the material a... read more

An oft-overlooked, but very nice record from Sonny Stitt – recorded in Chicago in the early 70s, and with two different types of groups that show off both sides of the city's jazz scene at the time! On the first 4 numbers, the group is a bit on the larger side – giving the material a... read more

Sonny Stitt goes Latin – and the results are tremendous! The set's still got all the soulful feel of the best Stitt sessions for Roost, but it brings in some nice Latin rhythms too – inflecting things with that blend of soul jazz and congas you might find over at Prestige or Blue Note,... read more

An incredible blend of Fender Rhodes and soulful saxophone – a late record from saxophonist Sonny Stitt, but one that also features the young Eddie Russ on keyboards! The record's got a laidback and funky sound that goes deeper than any of Stitt's earlier sides of the 70s – and it... read more

Lost late Stitt – and a much more compelling album than you might think. The album's got a nice underground feel, despite the fact that it's a tribute to Ellington – with a core combo that features Stitt on alto and tenor, Gildo Mahones on piano, Allen Jackson on bass, and Clarence... read more

A sweetly funky little set from Sonny Stitt – one of his hippest albums ever, and a rare date cut for Ahmad Jamal's short-lived record label! The sound here is a great combination of the late 60s tone that Sonny forged on other east coast indies – and some of the hipper, more open... read more

Head to head blowing from Sonny Sitt and Paul Gonsalves – just the kind of twin-horn performance that Stitt was famous for in his live battle days, and one that also reminds us that Gonsalves can be a very loose swinger when he wants to be! The tracks are all long, and played with the sort... read more

Stitt & McDuff in a very tasty set of organ/tenor grooves, played with that style that Prestige was finally beginning to perfect in the early 60s, as it let these organ combos shake off their 50's R&B sound, and start to hit a straighter jazz groove. Art Taylor's on drums, Eddie Diehl's on... read more

A beautiful project from the contemporary underground scene in LA – a record that shares lots of energy and musicians with recordings by Build An Ark and Life Force Trio! Dexter Story's the main force behind the record, but the set's a strongly collaborative effort – and features... read more

A beautiful project from the contemporary underground scene in LA – a record that shares lots of energy and musicians with recordings by Build An Ark and Life Force Trio! Dexter Story's the main force behind the record, but the set's a strongly collaborative effort – and features... read more

A beautiful little record – and one that definitely earns the "suite" distinction in the title – given the thoughtful longform approach of the set! The album's got a more composed feel than other spiritual jazz sessions of the time – not in a stiff way, but in a style... read more

A beautiful little record – and one that definitely earns the "suite" distinction in the title – given the thoughtful longform approach of the set! The album's got a more composed feel than other spiritual jazz sessions of the time – not in a stiff way, but in a style... read more

An unusual non-Ellington session from Billy Strayhorn – but one that's recorded in septet formation with plenty of the Duke's men at his side! Strayhorn's in the lead on piano, and other players include Quentin Jackson on trombone, Cue Porter (Johnny Hodges?) on alto sax, Shorty Baker on... read more

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We love Frank Strozier – and think he's one of the greatest talents in jazz – period! This long-overdue CD brings together two of Frank's early 60s sessions for the Jazzland label – both of them gems that have lain under-discovered for years. Long Night is an excellent example... read more

Hardly a prelude – as the album's a fully-formed, fully-stated set right from the start – easily one of the best moments ever for reedman John Stubblefield – and an overlooked spiritual classic from the 70s! There's a vibe here that rivals the Strata East scene at their best... read more

Late 70s soul fusion from masters of the groove – perhaps the best ever by the late 70s supergroup Stuff – featuring a core group that includes Cornell Dupree, Steve Gadd, Eric Gale, and Richard Tee! This time out the smooth sound is vibrantly top notch – all produced by Steve... read more

A really great quartet that works together beautifully here – bass from Joelle Leandre, trombone from Sebi Tramontana, violin from Carlos Zingaro, and drums from Paul Lovens – all well-trained players for open improvisations like this – coming together in ways that recall some of... read more

A real finger-popper from Japanese pianist Kunihiko Sugano – a sweet 60s album that has him playing like the best American players of the soul jazz generation! There's a boldness to the left hand that echoes bits of Ray Bryant or Junior Mance – yet Sugano can also tipple the keys with... read more

One of our favorite albums by Don Sugarcane Harris – largely because it's got more of a jazz component than some of the others! Harris is still playing violin on the set, but the real charm seems to come from the tightness of the group – which features some lesser-known LA players on... read more

Whomp! It's a stormer! Killer killer killer! No kidding, this album's a monster – and it's one of the heaviest slices of funk we've heard in ages! Pardon the exclamations, but we're telling the truth – and this classic by the Sugarman Three is a must-have for any fan of funky jazz... read more

The return of the great ones – and quite possibly the funkiest album ever from The Sugarman Three – a crowning achievement for this funky combo that we've loved for years! The core trio is still in place – soaring Hammond, tight tenor, and heavy drums – but they've also... read more

The return of the great ones – and quite possibly the funkiest album ever from The Sugarman Three – a crowning achievement for this funky combo that we've loved for years! The core trio is still in place – soaring Hammond, tight tenor, and heavy drums – but they've also... read more

Beautiful duets between vocalist Milton Suggs and pianist Willie Pickens – two Chicago generations coming together beautifully in a very intimate setting! Unlike some of Sugg's other work, which is all self-penned, this set features some Ellington standards – done in a wonderfully... read more

One of the few sessions ever cut as a leader by soul jazz trumpeter Charles Sullivan – a brilliant talent who shone brightly in the mid 70s, working in hip small groups that were very much in the Strata East mode. This rare, previously Japanese-only release has Sullivan working with Rene... read more

In the years after Charlie Parker passed away, tributes to his greatness were a very common thing in local jazz scenes across the US. This is a prime example of that tradition, but way more than that, it's also a killer Chicago jazz session from the old days – featuring trumpeter Ira... read more

A beautiful, and oft-overlooked, album of modal jazz tracks performed by Chicago jazz musician Ira Sullivan – who normally plays trumpet and tenor, but who also shows here his amazing talent on soprano sax! The album's quite different than most of Sullivan's straighter material, and some... read more

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Tremendous work from bassist/percussionist Juma Sultan – a wealth of wonderful tracks from the loft jazz years of the 70s! Sultan's a player who doesn't always get his due on record – especially during this formative generation – so the release is a much-needed look at his mighty... read more

Tremendous work from bassist/percussionist Juma Sultan – a wealth of wonderful tracks from the loft jazz years of the 70s! Sultan's a player who doesn't always get his due on record – especially during this formative generation – so the release is a much-needed look at his mighty... read more

Masterful funky soul jazz from the mid 70s – and one of the best solo albums recorded by Headhunter Bill Summers – a sunny batch of Bay Area funk that really grooves with the best of Fantasy Records from the time! The set was produced by Skip Scarborough, and has that great bubbling,... read more

The Supersax ensemble takes on the classic concept of Charlie Parker with strings – really sticking true to the groundbreaking spirit of the original experiments, while also bringing things forward a bit with their wonderful multi-horn approach! The group features lead alto from Med Flory,... read more

A stone classic from Supersax – a record with plenty of classic bop elements, despite a very 70s-styled group name and cover! The combo's a large one, and features tight horn formation deftly cutting through a host of bop classics – lots of ensemble passages at the start, then breakout... read more

Snapping rhythms with plenty of jazz – a great collaboration between musicians who've worked together with Gregory Porter, Jose James, and Ty – stepping out here on a unique project of their own! The core energy of the set comes from the live drums of Richard Spaven and keyboards of... read more

An essential lost bit of British jazz – and the first record ever released by avant reed player John Surman! The album's an interesting mix of styles, with a split that runs right down the middle. The first 4 tracks on the record reflect a distinct Carribean style, and are a good indication... read more

Beautiful sounds from reedman John Surman – played solo, but on a variety of different instruments – all in tones and textures that aptly demonstrate that Surman's style is as sonic as it is musical! The record does a great job of avoiding some of the colder elements that sometimes... read more

A beautiful lost slice of British jazz, recorded during the crucial period before some of the scene's players went too far off the deep end! John Surman partners here with composer/leader John Warren, for a large group recording that sounds similar to some of the best early Mike Westbrook... read more

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Loads of great keyboards here from Hiromasa Suzuki – working in a mode that's somewhere between earlier funky jazz, and the tighter Japanese fusion of the late 70s! The style here is never too smooth, yet Suzuki really manages to blend some great elements together – his own keys, lots... read more

An excellent early album from Japanese drummer Masahiko Togashi, featuring a group that he co-led with trombonist Hiroshi Suzuki! The quintet's got a sound that's kind of a messed-up take on the Blue Note groove of the 60s – particularly the Lee Morgan rolling funky soul jazz sound of the... read more

A really inventive little record from Japanese bassist Isao Suzuki – and a set that, like most of his best 70s work, really defies any sort of easy categorization! Suzuki's got a wonderfully wide range of ideas running through his music – at one level a really close-up and personal... read more

A wicked wicked set of tracks from Japan – one that blends together jazzy riffing and Brazilian rhythms, all played with a surprisingly soulful bent! Suzuki's on bass and piccolo bass, and Yamamoto plays not only electric piano but also a bit of electric harpsichord – which adds a cool... read more

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Heavy fusion from southern Wisconsin – a pretty tasty little set by a group we know nothing about! The lineup includes bass, drums, guitar, keyboards, and saxes – played in a style that's somewhere between some of the jamming, frenetic European groups of the time, and some of the... read more

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Sweet funky fusion from France – a classic set played by an all-star group of players! The groove here is a blend of choppy euro fusion, funky big band grooving, and some soulful touches that remind us of some of the funky jazz coming out of the west coast during the 70s. A few cuts have... read more

Sweet funky fusion from France – a classic set played by an all-star group of players! The groove here is a blend of choppy euro fusion, funky big band grooving, and some soulful touches that remind us of some of the funky jazz coming out of the west coast during the 70s. A few cuts have... read more