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A seminal early recording from one of our favorite reed players ever! In the late 1950s, the young Frank Strozier came up to Chicago from Memphis, along with his longtime friend, pianist Harold Mabern. The two of them both settled nicely in the city's MJT+3 combo, where they proceeded to recorde... 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

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

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

A near-perfect album from the great John Surman – recorded at the crossroads of the British jazz scene as it stepped into the 70s, and done with a fullness and focus that Surman hardly matched again! As with some of the other Deram sessions of the time, the album's overflowing with great... 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

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

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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An excellent set that has the vocal talents of the Swingle Singers backed by the sweet and mellow instrumentation of the Modern Jazz Quartet! Given that John Lewis & Co were essentially local residents in Paris for so many years, it's amazing it took them until 1966 to hook up with Ward... 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

Excellent trippy pop-psychedelia from Gabor Szabo! The record's a bit less jazz than some of his other efforts, with more of that faked-out "eastern"production that you'd get on efforts like these – with occasional voices behind his guitar. Titles include "The End Of... read more

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Lew Tabackin looks a bit stiff on the cover of this one (who wouldn't, in a tan polyester suit?) – but the record's a surprisingly hip date, and a great chance to hear Lew away from his 70s big band with Toshiko Akioshi! As the title and cover imply, the album features Tabackin's "dual... read more

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New blues, but with some definite rootsy elements too – yet all turned around in really weird ways, by an ensemble that features some key contributions from Eugene Chadbourne! The set's half originals by pianist Aki Takase, and half old classics by Fats Waller, WC Handy, and Jelly Roll... read more

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Pure genius from Horace Tapscott – a record that really lights a new fire under his talents – and takes us back to some of the most expressive, most righteous jazz from the LA scene of the 70s! The quartet here features key LA player John Carter on clarinet – an instrument that... read more

A great group recording from pianist Horace Tapscott – recorded in LA in the early 80s, but done with all the righteousness and spirituality of his earlier albums! Tracks are long and exploratory, but also relatively lyrical too – stretching out with a style that's never too "outsi... read more

One of the best trio sessions we've ever heard from Horace Tapscott – warmer and a bit more soulful than some of his other sides of this nature, and played with a well-rounded style that really hits home! The group features great drum work from Ben Riley, and bass by Fred Hopkins – and... read more

A lost treasure from pianist Horace Tapscott – material recorded live at the legendary Lighthouse club, done with a very hip group of players from the Nimbus Records scene! The tracks are quite long throughout – and often start with Tapscott musing into the groove with solo piano, soon... read more

A second unearthed gem from pianist Horace Tapscott at the Lighthouse club in 1979 – very sharp stuff featuring a solid group of Nimbus players! Volume 2 was recorded on October 11, appropriately the night after the set featured on Lighthouse 79 Vol 1, with Tapscott leading the way, and... read more

A surprisingly strong trio session from Horace Tapscott – recorded in Santa Barbara in 1981, with a group that features Sonship on percussion and the great Roberto Miranda on bass! Miranda's tone is round and warm, and brings out some of the most soulful sides of Tapscott's playing –... read more

Beautiful solo work from Horace Tapscott – a record that's a bit gentler than some of his other sessions for Nimbus – very stretched out and moody, and with a wonderfully contemplative feel overall! There's a bit of echo in the recording quality here – so that even when Tapscott's... read more

Large-group genius from the legendary Horace Tapscott – one of the few recordings of his groundbreaking Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra! The music here is totally righteous right from the start – even more searching and soaring than Tapscott's trio or solo work – thanks to help from... read more

Large-group genius from the legendary Horace Tapscott – one of the few recordings of his groundbreaking Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra! The music here is totally righteous right from the start – even more searching and soaring than Tapscott's trio or solo work – thanks to help from... read more

An excellent double-length set from Horace Tapscott's Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra – an extremely righteous ensemble that was one of the hippest things going on the LA jazz scene of the 70s! The vibe is free and spiritual, but it also has a wonderful groove pulsating underneath many of the... read more

One of the best Horace Tapscott albums on Nimbus – and one that features him playing with the Pan-African Peoples Arkestra, who give the session a much fuller feel than some of Horace's other sparer sets. The group's made up of some strong hip players from the LA underground – and in a... read more

Definitely the standards promised in the title, but in the hands of Gregory Tardy, they're also something more – these beautiful little poems in sound, served up mostly by Tardy on tenor sax, but also featuring clarinet on a few sweet numbers too! The album's mostly a quartet outing –... read more

Soulful fusion by one of the best groups of their genre! The CD contains both albums recorded by Tarika Blue for Chiaroscuro Records in the 70s – both of them wonderful fusion records that have an incredibly soulful sound. The group features work by soulful luminaries like Justo Almario,... read more

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Very late material from Art Tatum – recorded at a private party in LA in 1956, and featuring the piano genius working his way through spare complicated solo versions of standards. Titles include "Yesterdays", "Body & Soul", "Someone To Watch Over Me", "I... read more

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Unusual trio material – with Benny Carter on alto and Louis Bellson on drums!... read more

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A real stormer! This was one of the few albums ever cut as a leader by the great hardbop drummer Art Taylor – and it's one of the best from the Blue Note catalog at the time! The band is a heavily smoking one – with Dave Burns on trumpet, Stan Turrentine on tenor, and Wynton Kelly on... read more

The Billy Taylor touch is mighty nice here – on a blend of tracks that were partially recorded during Billy's earliest years as a leader, and partially recorded during his big rise to fame in the late 50s! Taylor's handling of the piano is beautiful throughout – already quite soulful,... read more

A great change of pace for Billy Taylor – and one of the most striking sessions he made in the 50s! As you'll guess from the title, the record features Taylor's piano along with four flutes – played by Frank Wess, Herbie Mann, Jerome Richardson, and Phil Bodner – working here... read more

An early classic from pianist Billy Taylor featuring his classic 50s trio with bassist Earl May and drummer Percy Brice! The tracks are mostly short and simple, and done in Taylor's warmly rhythmical approach to the keys – a groove that was clearly informed by the hardbop of the time, but... read more

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That's five flies in the title – each of them warranted, given the incredible energy of Cecil Taylor on the keys of the piano! This obscure solo set is a gem all the way through – an unusual session recorded for MPS – with Taylor playing beautiful tones on a Bosendorfer Grand... read more

One of Cecil's 2 Blue Note recordings, and a large group session that includes Eddie Gale, Jimmy Lyons, Ken McIntyre, Henry Grimes, and Andrew Cyrille. The record's probably one of the most out recordings ever on the label, and tracks are based on a system of energy and impulses described by... read more

The record features Cecil's Segments II Orchestra Of Two Continents – with trumpets by Enrico Rava and Tomasz Stanko, bass by William Parker, drums by Rashied Bakr and Andre Martinez, and saxes by John Tchicai, Frank Wright, and Jimmy Lyons. Titles include "Winged Serpent", "Wo... read more

A very moody performance from Cecil Taylor – one long reading of the piece "Calling It The 8th", originally presented as 2LP set, but finally getting its due here as a single CD that presents the whole thing from start to finish with no interruption! Although as free as some of... read more

A pair of very unusual albums – back to back on a single CD! The set's a bit out of order – and actually starts with Panic, the sequel to Creed Taylor's previous album for ABC, and like that one, a very weird mix of jazzy backings, odd sound effects, and cool production techniques! ... read more

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A pair of very different albums from John Tchicai – both hard to find, and brought together here on a nicely priced package! Strange Brothers is overlooked brilliance from reedman John Tchicai – a late 70s session recorded for the FMP label, and easily one of the most soulful sets on... read more

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Classic work by Teagarden – pop trad tracks, cut at the height of his popularity in the mid 50s. Teagarden sings and plays trombone – and other players include Gus Bivona, Nick Fatool, Harry Geller, Jack Marshall, and Manny Klein. Tracks include "After You've Gone", "I'm... read more

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A really incredible record from Jimi Tenor – spiritual soul jazz at its best, and unlike anything else he's ever recorded before! We always knew that Jimi's had a record like this inside of him, but it's taken years to get past the colder, stiffer styles of his earlier records – but... read more

We've always loved the music of Jimi Tenor – but recently, he seems to get better and better with each new record – hitting a spiritual, soulful depth we never would have expected years ago! This album's one of his best efforts ever – and feels more like some lost 70s... read more

We've always loved the music of Jimi Tenor – but recently, he seems to get better and better with each new record – hitting a spiritual, soulful depth we never would have expected years ago! This album's one of his best efforts ever – and feels more like some lost 70s... read more

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Cool lost album by tenorist Buddy Terry, who plays Varitone on a number of tracks (hence the title of the LP). Jimmy Owens is on trumpet, Harold Mabern's on electric piano, and the set has a nice electric groove that's unusual for Prestige sessions at the time – and which points the way... read more

A surprisingly nice set that brings together Clark Terry and Thelonious Monk! Given Terry's bright approach to jazz, it's a bit hard to imagine him and Monk working well together – but at the time of this session, Clark still had a fair bit of an edge – with roots in a number of modern... read more

2 LP set that brings together the best moments from 4 different Clark Terry albums on Riverside – Serenade To A Bus Seat, Duke With A Difference, In Orbit, and Top and Bottom Brass. he's playing in a variety of groups here, but the overall feel is straight hard bop. Players include... read more

A surprisingly great little record from Clark Terry – filled with warmth, humor, and some really great grooves! The core of the album is the track "Mumbles", one that's based around Terry kind of slurring a scat vocal to a jazzy 60s groove. The track was a minor hit at the time,... read more

A surprisingly nice little set from Clark Terry – featuring arrangements by Oliver Nelson, and a pretty nice little group that includes Budd Johnson on tenor and Eddie Costa on vibes and piano. The material appears to be lifted from the musical All American – by the team of Charles... read more

Clark Terry's breezy trumpet is paired with Don Butterfield's tuba for a real "top and bottom" session of brassy jazz. The two of them are backed by a sharp rhythm section that includes Jimmy Jones on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. The set's got a lot of nice... read more

An obscure session that Clark Terry cut for the mostly-pop Cameo label during the early 60s – and some of the better recording that Terry did during the decade. The group is relatively small – filled with soul jazz players like Buddy Lucas, Seldon Powell, Willie Rodriguez, and Dave... read more

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The team of Clark Terry & Bob Brookmeyer shouldn't work so well together – but although Terry's always been an optimist, and Brookmeyer's had a history as a modernist, the pair cut some great records together! This set's one of the best of a short run the Terry/Brookmeyer group cut for... read more

An interesting tribute to the passing of pianist Eddie Costa – mostly because the overall feel is much more in a soulful hardbop mode, quite different than the modern and chamber sides that Costa cut during the 50s! Side one features work by the Clark Terry quartet – with Terry on... read more

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Includes the tracks "Wailin Blues", "Barrelhouse Stomp", "I Found A New Baby", "Baby Won't You Please Come Home", and "There'll Be Some Changes Made".... read more

Hard and heavy funky jazz from west coast tenorist Fats Theus – and one of the rarest albums on CTI! This one differs strongly from the label's smoother electric output – as it's got the rough n ready feel of a classic Prestige jazz funk session. Fats is backed by an all star group... read more

One of THE greatest Verve albums of the 60s – an incredible set that's one of the few older records made as a leader by drummer Ed Thigpen! The sound here is incredibly hard to describe – a light mix of guitar from Kenny Burrell, piano from Herbie Hancock, and trumpet from Clark Terry... read more