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A wonderfully mixed-up, messed-up batch of jazzy tracks from the great Steve Marcus – working here at the height of his late 60s powers on Atlantic's ultra-cool Vortex label! As with other Marcus albums of the time, there's kind of a long haired, freewheeling energy to the set – jazz... read more

The first album ever by Steve Marcus – a key player trying to mix rock and jazz at the end of the 60s! Marcus plays some really wild sax on the set – a bit of soprano and tenor, mixed with guitar and electric keys in a wonderfully fuzzy sound! The approach has lots of funk in the mix... read more

A rare Japanese-only album from American reedman Steve Marcus – best known for his fuzzy freaky sets on the Vortex label – but heard here in the company of Tokyo reedman Jiro Inagaki – who also made some pretty freaky albums of his own! The tracks here are nice and long –... read more

A seminal electric session from Charlie Mariano – one recorded after his shift from bop-based work into trippier, more psychedelic influences – and one of his few American dates from the time! The record has Charlie working on soprano and alto sax, with a group that includes Pat... read more

Quite an interesting project from reedman Charlie Mariano – a record that shows that his search for new creative settings never ends! As you'd guess from the title, there's a bit of a tango inspiration to the record, but in a format that's very different than most tango jazz – as the... read more

A masterpiece by Warne Marsh – and proof that there was always a committed modernist lurking behind some of his more straightforward playing! The session has sort of a post-Tristano underground west coast feel (if we can make up such a heavy handed term!), and it features a piano-less... read more

Genius, pure genius – and one of the few key sides by Warne Marsh as a leader! The album follows on Marsh's appearance with Lee Konitz on an earlier Atlantic album, but it really breaks free from the Konitz mode – and has an open, laidback sound that is instantly captivating –... read more

One of the greatest 50s showcases for the tenor talents of Warne Marsh – a deceptively understated album that captures Warne at his most fluid and creative point! The setting is a quartet – with Ronnie Ball on piano, Red Mitchell on bass, and Stan Levey on drums – and Marsh is... read more

If you can forgive the title of this one, you'll find it to be a very groovy record! The album's a killer batch of funky instrumentals ("black sound") recorded in Italy in 1972 by Augusto Martelli ("white people") – and it's got the groove and swing of some of the best... read more

Solo work from pianist Luigi Martinale – a player we've mostly heard in a trio setting, but one who's equally captivating on his own! In the open space of the set, Martinale's got lots of opportunity to stretch out and spread his wings – yet while doing so, he still comes across with... read more

Percussionist Sabu Martinez is one of the all-time greats of Latin music – and this record is probably the rarest he ever cut! The album came out of Sweden, where Sabu was residing during the 70s – enjoying some success as an expatriot jazz player in the European scene. The album... read more

One of our favorite albums ever – and every track is a masterpiece! The album was originally cut for the tiny Chiaroscuro label in 1977 – and it's got a sound that's unlike anything else we can think of – soaring, soulful, jazzy, and righteous – wrapped up in a blend that's... read more

A pair of funky jazz sets from Bennie Maupin – '77's Slow Traffic To The Right and '78's Moonscapes – together in a single set! Slow Traffic To The Right is Maupin's first LP for Mercury, and a great bit of spiritual funky jazz that recalls a lot of the sound of his work with The... read more

One of the most striking records so far from the mighty Rob Mazurek – a set that makes us more than glad we've been following his musical journey for the past two decades! The set's got a nicely compressed feel – one that takes some of the looser energy that's been bubbling up in... read more

A great record with a really great little lineup – rock-solid players who come together wonderfully under the vision of the leader! Christian McBride's really found a way to focus his energy in recent years – and this quintet set is great proof of that – a refining of all the... read more

A very hip record of vocal tracks – done in the same sort of spiritual soul style that Les introduced on Roberta Flack's first album, and which was also showing up on some of Donny Hathaway's work for Atlantic. While the record is not on of McCann's funkiest, it more than makes up for that... read more

A pretty great set from Les McCann – and quite a bit different than some of his other work of the time! This one's sub-billed as "the ballad style of Les McCann" – but it features Les playing these laidback, mellow numbers that are way different than most jazz ballads of the... read more

A classic set of soul jazz from Chicago – a rare indie date recorded in the early 80s, but with a tight and swinging feel that's more 70s jazz funk than you might think! Corky's on Yamaha keyboards, and he's backed by a hip group of Chicago players that includes Curtis Prince on drums, Artee... read more

Mindblowing work from the mighty Frank McComb – an all-instrumental set, but one that's every bit as soulful as his vocal outings! As you might guess from the title, Frank's paying tribute to some of the greats from years past – and as you'd think from the electric piano on the cover,... read more

A striking little set from vibesman Freddie McCoy – not just for the cool superhero image on the front cover, but also for the tight grooves underneath! The album's one of McCoy's most unified for Prestige – as all tracks feature a core quartet with Freddie on vibes, Charlie Wilson on... read more

A sweet Atlantic soul groover from Brother Jack McDuff – and a set that has him tightening up his Hammond sound from his earlier years at Prestige Records! The tunes here are short and punched-up – almost instrumental soul numbers in their construction, but still filled with plenty of... read more

Tight funky instrumentals from Brother Jack McDuff – an Atlantic groover that's probably closer to his late 60s gems for Cadet Records than it is his earlier work for Prestige! The solos are shorter, but they're packed nicely around the rhythms – played by a combo that features a young... read more

A monster record by Brother Jack McDuff, and one of his best-ever – in our humble opinion! At first glance, the album appears to be just a bunch of jazz covers of standards and pop tracks – like "Tobacco Road", "Shadow Of Your Smile", "This Bitter Earth",... read more

2 of the greatest albums ever by Jack McDuff – back to back on one CD! Soulful Drums of Joe Dukes was originally issued under the name of McDuff's famous mid-60s funky drummer, Joe Dukes – but it's actually a McDuff session, recorded with the classic quartet lineup that includes Red... read more

An unusual little soundtrack to this obscure pre-Roots film about slavery – handled with some very nice touches from Gary McFarland, Bobby Scott, and Grady Tate! The music is penned by Scott, and is mostly in that hip blend of jazz and soul roots that he was using on some of his own 60s... read more

Howard McGhee and his trumpet team up with pianist Phineas Newborn, bassist Leroy Vinnegar and Shelley Manne on drums for this great early 60s session. The record features the McGhee original "Demon Chase" and two Teddy Edwards songs, "Sunset Eyes" and his salute to McGhee... read more

Amazing sounds from the legendary Chris McGregor – a rare set of solo piano performances that shows a whole new side of his genius! The music here is still steeped in South African roots, yet has a style that's a bit more personal and intimate than some of Chris' better-known recordings with... read more

Amazing music from Chris McGregor and his legendary Brotherhood Of Breath ensemble – easily one of the most exciting forces in British jazz in the 70s, and one fo the few who was still sounding their best in the latter half of the decade! McGregor's got as much bite and burn here as with his... read more

One of the most spiritual albums to come from the young AACM movement in Chicago – a session that's somewhat equal in expression to some of the best post-Coltrane work on Impulse Records! Maurice McIntyre plays here with a sound that's already fully formed – an approach to the tenor... read more

An overlooked gem! During the mid 70s, Jackie McLean cut a few fantastic records that had a very spiritual vibe, and which added in a lot more soul than in previous sessions from the 60s. Part of the strength of these recordings – including this one – is the other musicians in the... read more

A beautiful title, and a record that really lives up to it too – filled with evocative piano lines from Murray McNabb – a really great player with a strong sense of flow! The session's an overlooked one – finally out now – and it's got the feel of some lost classic from the... read more

Extraordinary work from one of the true giants of the American scene – a mindblowing set of mostly solo sounds from reedman Joe McPhee – also working here on flugelhorn and a bit of percussion as well! The set begins with the incredible "Glasses" – a piece that appears... read more

Searing early work from Joe McPhee – quite possibly his hardest-hitting recording of the 70s, even if the material wasn't properly issued until 25 years later! The performance was done for radio station WBAI in New York – and it features McPhee, Clifford Thornton, and Byron Morris... read more

A partial tribute to the music of Max Roach – particularly that crucial moment of righteous Civil Rights energy during his Freedom Now period – handled here with great sensitivity by the trio of Joe McPhee on tenor, soprano sax, and clarinet, Lisle Ellis on bass, and Paul Plimley on... read more

A beautiful set of tributes to the legendary Albert Ayler – presented here in a series of improvisations from different assemblages of players – some solo, some duo, and some in larger groups – all working together in a legacy of sound that really takes off from the amazing tones... read more

A really beautiful batch of tracks from Charles McPherson – with a late 60s approach to soul jazz that reminds us of some of the work by Sonny Criss on Prestige, or of some of Cedar Walton's sessions from the same time. McPherson's moved way past his earlier bop roots here – stretching... read more

An excellent album from Carmen McRae – one of her hippest records ever, and a great set of vocal gems that often gets overlooked! Arrangements are by Benny Carter, Shorty Rogers, and Oliver Nelson – and the album's got a swinging groovy style that pushes Carmen past her straighter jazz... read more

What? This is John Medeski? Hard to believe – as the album sounds unlike most other work the keyboardist has ever recorded – especially the sides cut with his famous trio of the past 20 years! The album's a wonderfully moody little set – spare and solo, played on an older-style... read more

A genius group from the glory days of the New York avant scene of the 70s – yet one who haven't been nearly as well-documented as some of their contemporaries! The lineup here is legendary – a quintet with Charles Brackeen on tenor, flute, and soprano sax, Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet,... read more

A mindblower from Menagerie – yet another deep musical chapter in the rich career of Lance Ferguson – an artist we loved for his early club work, then dug as a funk maestro with The Bamboos, now able to hit spiritual jazz sounds with this wonderful new group! The set's got a feel that's... read more

The boldest set so far from Mikrokolektyw – and a record that really has the Polish duo coming into their own! As before, the record's got an electro-acoustic blend of trumpet, drums, and lots of electronics – used in ways that take us back to 70s experiments of this nature from the... read more

Sweet jazzy grooves from this hip Italian duo – Enzo & Gianni Lo Greco, who've also recorded as Quintetto Lo Greco for Schema Records! The sound here is definitely in a Schema groove – lots of jazzy instrumentation on piano, sax, trumpet, and trombone – very much in the best... read more

Mulgrew Miller in a really fresh setting – working here as a key soloist in a European big band – one that seems especially tuned to the lyrical beauty of Miller's music! All tunes are originals by Mulgrew, re-arranged by various group members – turned into these full-on flights... read more

Sweet guitar lines from Dom Minasi – a player who knows how to hit just the right sort of fluid vibe for this session! The album's got Dom soloing strongly over arrangements from Roger Kellaway, Byron Olson, and Bernard Ighner – all of whom bring some strong charts to the session, and... read more

A compelling little record from guitarist Dom Minasi – a player we only know from these few Blue Note albums cut right toward's the label's initial run – sweet albums that might have pushed Dom further, had they gotten better exposure! Minasi's a pretty talented guitarist – with... read more

Incredible music from Charles Mingus – a set that's pulled from a few different periods, yet features some of his greatest recordings ever! The package begins with a stunning 2CD version of Tijuana Moods – a true Mingus masterpiece, filled with amazing rhythms and mindblowing solos... read more

Key moments in the career of Charles Mingus – all recorded during the crucial years of 1964 and 1965, and featuring the first-time release of a fair bit of live material too! The set represents the first full presentation of recordings that have appeared piecemeal on a handful of obscure... read more

Complicated later work from Charles Mingus – a great illustration of the way his power to command a large ensemble never wavered as the years went on! The album features two different large groups of players – filled with modernists young and old – including Ricky Ford, George... read more

Quite a crazy little record from Charles Mingus! Mingus plays piano and sings (yes, you read that right!) in a tight sextet with Booker Ervin and Roland Kirk on reeds, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone. Mingus is trying out a kind of messed-up, blues-inspired sound here – but for some reason... read more

One of the last albums Charles Mingus ever gave us – before departing this planet way way too soon! The set shows the increasing sophistication of Mingus' music in these later years – a mode that almost echoes the path that Duke Ellington would take in his final decade – a move... read more

One of the funkiest albums ever on Blue Note – a set that mixes the trumpet talents of Blue Mitchell with some killer backings from Monk Higgins – all in a groove that more gritty edges than the best funky soundtracks of the time! Higgins keeps the backings full, but always quite lean... read more

One of the most ambitious sets we've heard from Nicole Mitchell – a really unique mixing of modes that features a core Chicago group coming into play with the Arche New Music Ensemble! The initial group features Nicole on flute, vocals, and electronics – with Mwata Boden on baritone... read more

Really lovely work from Nicole Mitchell – an artist who's really been blowing our minds in recent years – working in a wide variety of styles, all of them great! This set has Nicole blowing solo flute, but in a setting that appears to have her on two different versions of the... read more

One of the most beautiful albums we've ever heard from bassist Red Mitchell – and a set that really shows the huge amount of growth he underwent after leaving the west coast scene and moving onto rich musical years in Sweden! The album features Mitchell completely solo – not just on... read more

Very spare sounds from Roscoe Mitchell and drummer Tyshawn Sorey, but still very sharp-edged too – and in a way, a mix of deeper thoughts and spontaneous energy that reminds us a lot of some of the more "out there" moments of the Art Ensemble back in the 70s! Roscoe's reeds have... read more

A great one from Roscoe Mitchell – one of his excellent solo sets from that great 70s stretch when he was really opening up his sound – trying out all sorts of new tones, textures, and elements in a very unfettered space! The feel here is similar to Mitchell's Sackville solo album... read more

The stellar and rare Roscoe Mitchell recordings from the early years of the AACM – with all of the material from Nessa's mid 70s release as Old/Quartet – plus an incredible second disc featuring additional material that we've only seen in Nessa's great Art Ensemble 1967/68 box set! All... read more

A brilliant pairing of two generations of the AACM – as Roscoe Mitchell writes and conducts, and the group's led by Nicole Mitchell – and features a great assortment of very creative musicians! The blend of talents is key to the strength of the set – as the record avoids some of... read more

One of the first bold statements to come from Chicago's AACM underground of the 60s – a tremendous debut effort from the young Roscoe Mitchell! The album's got a "sense of the new" feel that's as gripping as anything recorded by ESP or Impulse around the same time – a rule-bre... read more

Toshiyuki Miyama really makes the New Herd cook with this cool 70s session – a smoker of a large group date, and one with a great mix of funky rhythms and complicated instrumentation! The set's got a feel that's as exotic as its cover, yet comes across with a solid, soulful punch throughout... read more

A rare early slice of work from the legendary Hank Mobley – a live performance from 1953, and one that predates most of his better-known Blue Note material! The recording quality's aged a bit with time, but the genius of Mobley shines through right away – that bold, soulful approach to... read more

One of Hank Mobley's last recordings for Blue Note, and a record that really shows him stretching it out – hitting territory hardly imagined on his earlier hardbop sides! The album's still somewhat inside, but the overall feel is much more spacious than before – a sound that has some... read more

One of those rare treasures that was recorded by Blue Note in the 60s, but not issued at the time – a great late Hank Mobley set from 1967 that only saw the light of day in 1980! The album's got Hank really opening things up – using some of those more inventive rhythms and articulate... read more

A great early 60s set from Modern Jazz Quartet! This one marked the then growing sophistication in the sound of the Modern Jazz Quartet – a concept album based on themes and characters from the Italian tradition of commedia dell'arte. The music is served up in gentle sound poems that have a... read more

Truly one of the Modern Jazz Quartet's greatest albums – and a set that has an edge and a darkness that's missing from some of their other Atlantic records! Part of the reason for this may be the group's fantastic reading of Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman" – a killer moody... read more

One of the groovier albums the Modern Jazz Quartet ever recorded – as you might expect, given the cover and title! In addition to the group's usual cool sound from Milt Jackson's vibes, the set also features John Lewis playing a bit of harpsichord in addition to his usual piano – and... read more

A nice one! The MJQ record for the Beatles' famous Apple label, and the album's one of their most interesting of the 60s! The production's pretty straight, but the group's playing in a cool open-ended style that still has elements of their earlier work, but which really makes things a lot more... read more

A great addition to the Modern Jazz Quartet – as the clarinet of Jimmy Giuffre brings a sharp modern edge to the record! The album's similar to the other MJQ Music Inn date with Sonny Rollins – and shows how the addition of a reed player can really unlock new colors, tones, and... read more

A beautiful double-length package of work from drummer Louis Moholo – a 2CD set that features one record from recent years, and a key classic from the 70s! Spirits Rejoice is one of the strongest 70s statements from ex-Blue Notes drummer Moholo – recorded in the company of fellow... read more

A smashing set of work from drummer Louis Moholo – a set that shows that after all these years, he's still a richly creative talent on his instrument! The album has Louis duetting with pianist Alexander Hawkins – a younger player who'd caught his ear a few years before, and who turns... read more

An incredibly spiritual session from percussionist Louis Moholo and his ensemble Viva La Black – recorded on the occasion of a series of concerts in Moholo's homeland of South Africa – and done in a way that's as much a document of the group's trip as it is a recording of the music in... read more

The second album from Mombasa – and possibly even better than the first! The group have really come into their own by the time of this date – mixing together jazz and African roots with a sound that's unlike anyone else we can think of – quite unique in its approach to rhythms,... read more

A wonderful, wonderful, wonderful "new thing" jazz session from Blue Note – and proof that the avant garde in the 60s didn't necessarily have to resort to blowing their heads off to make fantastic music! Trombonist Grachan Moncur III organized the session – but like other key... read more

Beautiful Columbia work from Thelonious Monk – a record that has as much warmth and charm as it does visionary modernist moments! A number of the tunes are standards, not Monk compositions – and they're done here with a sense of depth and joy of exploration that's really wonderful... read more

A massively expanded package of music – filled with previously unreleased gems! The 2CD set features a landmark collaboration between John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk – two generations of jazz modern, working here to create some really incredible music! The core of this material is... read more

Blues, but with an undercurrent of New Orleans jazz – no surprise, given the Louisiana roots of Eurreal "Little Brother" Montgomery! The album's a classic set recorded in Chicago in the early 60s – featuring both Montgomery in a spare solo setting, and with help from a small... read more

A (completely) terrific and (totally) powerful jazz funk trio set from Galactic drummer Stanton Moore – even if we don't know why all the tunes have parenthesis! There's no question that the set is emphatic – with Moore just killing it on the kit – backed just as dexterously... read more

Nice and stripped-down work from drummer Stanton Moore – a set that really does more with less, and allows plenty of focus on Stanton's grooves, and the album's sweet Hammond B3 and piano lines from Robert Walter! Will Bernard completes the trio on guitar, and although you'll still get a... read more

A very appropriate title for a very cooking little album – one of Lee Morgan's first efforts as a leader, cut back during his first years of late 50s fame! The style here is a bit less Morgan-esque than some of Lee's later 60s classics – but the record is rock-solid throughout, and... read more

Lee Morgan on the hippest side of his 60s talents – working here in a style that's really stretching out, and in the same territory as similar unreleased gems from the time – like Tom Cat or Sonic Boom! The group here is very inventive – Jackie McLean on alto, Larry Willis on... read more

Unreleased genius from Lee Morgan – a key session from the later years of his too-short life, but one that wasn't issued until nearly a decade after his death! The sound here is completely sublime – a mix of the best later Morgan modes – soulful, lyrical, and modal – played... read more

Hardly just The Birdland Story – and instead, some incredible work from three key players of the hardbop years – often lost to time because of its appearance in this underwhelming package! The first half features incredible material from both John Coltrane and Lee Morgan – some... read more

A lost spiritual soul jazz classic – recorded in the early 80s, but with the feel of 70s independent work on labels like Strata East or Black Jazz! Pianist Nate Morgan's got a widely expansive vision – working here in a style that incorporates lots of blocky chords and modal grooves,... read more

The self-titled debut of Mostly Other People Do The Killing – an exciting NYC quartet that manages to both celebrate and skewer jazz traditions, blending the past with modern experimentalism – and also making simply exciting records that are a joyful blast! These guys have chops,... read more

Music that really made the career of drummer Paul Motian – work that firmly established his power as a leader in the 70s, and showed the world that he had a huge range of music to offer beyond his initial fame with Bill Evans! Motian works here both on percussion and a standard drum kit... read more

A heavy heavy set from the legendary Alphonse Mouzon – one of his drum-heavy funk records for Blue Note! Alphonse has a style that's a bit different than some of his other work here – very direct, with plenty of soul undercurrents – although definitely some of the rockish... read more

A really unique album from funky drummer Alphonse Mouzon – a set that has him putting away some of the guitars used heavily on other Blue Note records, in exchange for a keyboard-heavy groove that almost sounds a bit like Gene Harris a the time! In addition to drums, Alphonse solos a fair... read more

A monstrous bit of jazz funk from drummer Alphonse Mouzon – spacey tracks in a choppy style that reminds us a bit of some of the best European fusion albums from the period, but with a harder groove overall! Mini Moog and ARP trip out the sound throughout, but the underlying rhythms are nice... read more

A monstrous bit of jazz funk from drummer Alphonse Mouzon – spacey tracks in a choppy style that reminds us a bit of some of the best European fusion albums from the period, but with a harder groove overall! Mini Moog and ARP trip out the sound throughout, but the underlying rhythms are nice... read more

Drummer Alphonse Mouzon cut some of the hardest, heaviest fusion albums ever to hit the Blue Note label in the 70s – including this legendary powerhouse of a record! The set features Mouzon with one of his longtime partners – guitarist Tommy Bolin – hitting a hard-rocking, heavy... read more

Mr Drum, you're one heck of a funky player – a mysterious Japanese musician from the early 70s, and one who really knows how to kick into a groove! The drums are definitely at the forefront here – breaking hard right at the start of the record, and mixing with raw guitar and freaky big... read more

Two classics from the legendary Idris Muhammad! Black Rhythm Revolution is one of the first records ever as a leader from funky drummer Idris Muhammad – a set that was cut right at the same time Idris was burning up the kit on his classic jazz funk sessions with other Prestige label players!... read more

Two great examples of Gerry Mulligan's Concert Jazz Band – back to back on a single CD! First up is Concert Jazz Band 63 – the sound of Gerry Mulligan in the early 60s – and one of the best records by his larger than usual Concert Jazz Band! Given Gerry's piano-less experiments... read more

One of those great overlooked dates from Gerry Mulligan's sometimes-ignored stretch of the mid 70s – a time when he was really trying out some excellent new musical experiments! This cooking set features his baritone in a group that really cooks nicely – and in ways that are quite... read more

Electric funk, with some mighty nice horns – a mix of saxes from Takeru Muraoka – plus trumpet and flugelhorn from Susumo Kazuhara too! We're not sure, but it almost feels as if Takeru's a bit overdubbed – using alto, tenor, and soprano together at various points to give the... read more

Funky, fuzzy, and outta site – a really wonderful set of extended psychedelic jazz numbers from twin tenorists Takeru Muraoka and Takao Uematsu! The set's billed as a live tenor "battle" on the cover – but it's hardly the sort of record that you'd hear from American players... read more

A key recording from the early years of David Murray – a sharp-edged trio recording that instantly placed him in a strong lineage of tenor improvisers that includes Sonny Rollins and Albert Ayler! The record's a live date – recorded at the Wilisau Jazz Festival in 1978 with a trio that... read more

Two reed giants get some great vocal help here – singer Ozay, who works here with some really great inflections on an unusual choice of tunes! The record's less a heavy workout from Murray or Freeman – and in fact, the players split the record – so that neither is together on one... read more

One of the more electric projects we've heard from reedman David Murray in recent years – a collaboration with bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma, who's still got the same righteous sound he had back in the 80s! The bass shades in the songs right from the start – as does the guitar of Mingus... read more

One of the grooviest takes on The Beatles we've ever heard – served up by a hip group of LA players led by pianist Don Randi! The style here is very hard and percussive – more soulful and swinging than the original tunes on the Rubber Soul album, and often done with a tightly vamping... read more