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An important and overlooked British ensemble of the late 60s – a group who were contemporaries of the Spontaneous Music Ensemble and AMM, but who never fully received the same sort of attention! The People Band have a relatively loose approach to improvisation – one that's sometimes a... read more

Miguel Zenon serves up some great alto sax on this set from pianist Luis Perdomo – bringing a sense of searching soul to the record that's really wonderful – spurred on by creative rhythms from Dwayne Burno on bass and Rodney Green on drums! There's a balance of complexity and flow to... read more

A killer date from two of the hippest tenors of the west coast scene in the 50s – Bill Perkins and Richie Kamuca – both musicians who worked in the cool school, but could also come across with plenty of soul! The album's got both tenors working head on – hitting counterpoint... read more

One of the few albums ever cut as a leader by crack drummer Charlie Persip – and a great record that you might have missed because Howard Rumsey's name is bigger on the cover than Charlie's! The album's one of Rumsey's "Lighthouse Series" sides of the 50s – but it's a lot... read more

A killer hardbop session – and a long lost classic! This stunning set is one of the best, and hardest sessions ever cut for the Bethlehem label – and it's got a raw pounding groove that sounds a lot more like some of the classic soul-tinged hardbop coming out on Prestige during the... read more

One of the most ambitious works ever by Marvin Hannibal Peterson – a larger work dedicated to the 20 African-American children murdered by a serial killer in Atlanta, performed here with a mix of choral voices and jazz instrumentation! The piece follows strongly in a legacy of that format... read more

One of Oscar Peterson's most sophisticated albums of the 60s – an extended suite of tracks dedicated to the soul and spirit of Canada! The tunes are all originals, and have a really lush, vivid sort of feel – one that still has undercurrents of Peterson's usual soulful style, but which... read more

A near-lost gem in Oscar Peterson's mid-50s catalog for Verve – and a sparkling set of trio numbers recorded at the Shakespeare Festival in Ontario! Despite the literate setting of the recording, the work's never stuffy or academic – and Peterson swings things mightily with his trio... read more

Clean, clear, and incredibly soulful – a wonderful rare live performance that's way more than just another muddy concert record – and instead a key addition to the Oscar Peterson catalog that stands proudly with his best Verve albums of the time! This 1960 performance features Ray... read more

Oscar Peterson takes on two famous scores – back to back on a single CD! West Side Story features music from the famous musical – but handled here by the great Oscar Peterson Trio – in ways that really push the tunes past their Broadway roots! The approach is tight, soulful, and... read more

A book, a CD, and a richly collaborative project – one that brings together the writings of Alexandre Pierrepont and the improvisational work of Didier Petit – with help from a huge host of other musicians as well! The music's the main attraction to our ears – as the set... read more

A real gem in the 50s catalog of bassist Oscar Pettiford, and one of his strongest dates as a leader! Pettiford really sparkles here – leading a great group that features key 50s modernists like Gigi Gryce on alto, Jerome Richardson on tenor, Bob Brookmeyer on trombone, and Donald Byrd on... read more

Keyboardist Sonny Phillips was one of the lesser-known talents on the Prestige roster of jazz funk greats in the early 70s – and this nice 2-in-1 CD brings together his 2 best albums for the label, both of which feature Phillips on organ, along with giants like Ivan Boogaloo Joe Jones on... read more

An excellent jazz soundtrack from Piero Piccioni – captured at a great early point in his film career, when he was still mixing in lots of elements from his work in jazz as well! The style here echoes some of the French jazz soundtracks of the new wave – and the tunes often sport... read more

Lots of jazziness here – including tight piano, snapping snare, and moody vibes – all served up in one of the best early soundtracks we've heard from Piero Piccioni! The core of the record features the original EP release of the film score – some of the most tight, tuneful... read more

Much more of a soul-based effort than usual from Pieces Of A Dream – a tight set of hook-heavy grooves with a sharp late 80s vibe! There's still some of the jazz of the group's roots in place – often heard on the keyboards – but the focus has shifted most strongly to vocals, and... read more

A great return to basics for Pieces Of A Dream – a set that's tightly jazzy, yet still filled with plenty of soul! The style's a great illustration of the smooth jazz roots the group first offered the world – a style that was really coming into its own at the time of this release, but... read more

Groovily tripped-out work from vibist Dave Pike – and one of the few American albums that matches the experimental sound of his work for MPS! The session's often quite free and open – in a way that not only uses odd instrumental combinations and arrangements, but which also features... read more

Amazing grooves from the legendary Dave Pike – one of the American vibists' few albums for the MPS label – and quite possibly the trippiest of the bunch! The set's a beautiful illustration of the freedoms that the MPS label offered American players like Pike – a chance to really... read more

A classic little album that's every bit as groovy as its cover – served up by vibist Dave Pike, and one of the first true expressions of his talents! The set's a standout early American date that predates Pike's later experiments for MPS – done in a great blend of soul jazz and some... read more

Funky, fantastic, and nicely tripped-out – one of the legendary MPS classics by the Dave Pike Set of the late 60s – a combo that did a great job of mixing Dave's vibes with some headier sounds and psychedelic elements! There's a warmth here that's missing from some of the other Pike... read more

Funky vibes, electric sitar, and a madly tripped-out album – one of the best of the MPS psychedelic jazz sessions from the end of the 60s! Back in the US, Dave Pike was always a pretty straight vibist – but he's working here with his European combo that included the legendary Volker... read more

An overlooked gem from the Japanese scene at the start of the 70s – a record that's got a great mix of funky and groovy touches, all of which come across like better-known work from the Japanese Columbia label! Reedman Richard Pine leads the group on soprano sax, tenor, alto, and flute... read more

A very cool little album from Placebo – arguably the group's most soulful session ever, and one that draws heavily from American funky jazz at the start of the 70s! The grooves are nice and tight, and keyboards are focused on the most soulful sort of riffs – not nearly as tripped out... read more

Seminal sounds from Placebo – one of the hippest electric groups going on the European scene of the early 70s, thanks to some great keyboards and electronics from the legendary Marc Moulin! Placebo's sound here is a unique approach to funky jazz – one that certainly draws from the... read more

The second amazing album from Placebo – a wicked mix of funky fusion styles, and a real standout on the European scene of the early 70s! The group's the brainchild of Marc Moulin – who wrote all tracks, and plays a wealth of great keyboards, in ways that almost make him the European... read more

A great New York group – and one that features the heavy frontline talents of Joe Magnarelli on trumpet, Jerry Weldon on tenor, and Peter Bernstein on guitar – plus razor-sharp rhythms from Spike Wilner on piano, Neal Miner on bass, and Joe Strasser on drums! As you'd guess from the... read more

Sweet soulful work from Plunky Nakabinde – a set that has him hitting a different mode than his earlier sounds with Oneness Of Juju – yet still working in a great criss-crossing of styles throughout! The vibe here is righteous early 90s soul and jazz – blended together on the... read more

Kind of an offshoot of the Marc Moulin world of the early 70s – the self-titled album from Plus, a group made up of musicians from the funky combo Placebo! The vibe is much more open than with Placebo, but still shares lots of that group's great talent for mixing together jazz, funk, and... read more

A stone classic from New Orleans reedman Pony Poindexter – a set that's steeped in tradition, but also has a groovy feel too – and a date that features Pony on both alto and soprano sax! The latter instrument is especially nice, played with echoes of earlier Crescent City modes, but... read more

One of the few cats who could ever make us learn to love the violin in jazz – presented here in a host of classic 70s albums for Atlantic Records! By the time of these sides, Ponty had already been making some key sounds in the European and American scenes for a decade or more – yet... read more

Odean Pope's never sounded better – and this smoking trio set may well be one of the best illustrations of his power we've ever heard! There's a righteous focus to the record that grabs us right from the start – a bold, rich sound from his tenor that easily shows that Pope's well... read more

A crazy bit of funk from drummer Roy Porter – a player who first rose to fame during the LA bop years of the late 40s, but who sounds even hipper here in the 70s! The album's got a madly skittish approach to funk – one that's highly rhythmic, but often in unconventional ways –... read more

A wonderful mix of soul jazz, funky rhythms, and even more experimental moments – a truly tremendous effort from LA drummer Roy Porter, and the first set issued under the name of his Sound Machine group! The groove here is really unconventional – filled with unusual timings, phrasings,... read more

A striking solo set from Phillipe Baden Powell – much bolder and more expressive than his previous album – even though the overall feel is a lot more stripped-down too! Baden's got a very sharp approach to the keys of the piano – working here in a range of tones that's really... read more

An excellent sextet session by the great Seldon Powell – one of the late 20th century's best reed talents, but a player who's so often lost in larger bands – which is why it's especially nice to hear him grooving in a small combo set like this! The sound is incredibly soulful, at a... read more

The title and cover are a bit gimmicky, but the album's a wonderfully solid effort from Italian pianist Andrea Pozza – easily one of the most lyrical players we've heard in years! Pozza's got this way of mixing depth with lightness – a quality that sometimes evokes that special... read more

A goofy title and cover – but a really unique session of two-piano jazz, recorded with Russ Freeman and Andre Previn on the keys, plus only the drums of Shelly Manne to provide additional support! The sound is really great – and Previn's especially wonderful here, really stretching out... read more

A lost bit of 70s soul jazz and global funk percussion from conguero & trombonist Melvyn Price – an incredible set of heavily rhythmic grooves recorded in Stockholm in 1974 – originally a private press effort, and the most impressive rediscovery yet from Wax Poetics Records! Melvyn... read more

Drummer Mike Pride's working with a great group here – some especially nice alto and tenor work from Jon Irabagon, whose angular lines really help shape the set – and a cool mix of piano and synth from Alexis Marcelo, whose electric touches at the start really help enforce the freshness... read more

No drummer's corpse here – as, if anything, the sound of the album is more than enough to keep the drummer alive and well – thanks to work from percussionist Mike Pride, and an array of other guest players too! The title track takes up the whole first half of the album – and... read more

Two rare gems from this legendary Latin group – both on CD for the first time ever! Big Stick is quite possibly the rarest album from Pucho & The Latin Soul brothers – and also one of the greatest, too – thanks to a wonderfully soulful vibe overall, and some wicked vocals... read more

Mellow modernism from Joe Puma – one of those guitarists who appeared on countless 50s sessions, then really seemed to disappear from records as the 60s wore on. This album's one of Puma's best – an easily swinging session that flows with warm group interplay, and which never seems to... read more

A lost porno soundtrack from Bernard "Pretty" Purdie – and one of his greatest records ever! The album's amazing – a sweet batch of soulful funk, almost better put together than any of Purdie's more famous albums for Flying Dutchman or Prestige – with a mix of tight... read more

Massive work from one of the funkiest drummers of all time – the legendary Bernard Pretty Purdie, stepping out here in a batch of instrumentals that may well be his greatest album ever! Bernard's drums are right up front in the mix – leading off all tunes with a full, funky, echoey... read more

The only Atlantic Records session from the Quartette Tres Bien – and a set that's got a bit more punch than some of their records for Decca! The groove here still features the compelling percussion/piano lineup of the combo – with Percy James on bongo and conga, Albert St James on... read more

Quasimode are definitely cooking on this sweet little set – picking up a rich array of influences they've never had before – including bits of Latin rhythms, and some soul music as well! A few of the cuts feature vocals – but in ways that are more straight soul than the group's... read more

A totally great live set from Quasimode – and one that really returns the combo to the core brilliance of their first few records from Japan! The setting is completely unfurled and unbridled – the main quartet soaring away in a fast flurry of piano, bass, and percussion – always... read more

A smoking little EP from Quasimode – proof that these guys pack more into a short space than most other groups do into a full album! "Summer Madness" isn't the 70s classic, but a jazzy groover with Japanese lyrics – soaring over a Rhodes-heavy groove that's also got plenty of... read more

Very resonant sounds from this unique quartet – a lineup that features piano and accordion from Fred Van Hove, vibes from Els Vandeweyer, and percussion from both Paul Lovens and Martin Blume! The mix of vibes and piano is already great enough – quite free, and ringing out with... read more

One of the few Blue Note albums with a bossa groove – and a great one too! The record features soulful tenor star Ike Quebec blowing in front of Brazilian-styled rhythms laid out by a combo that includes Kenny Burrell on guitar, and a duo of Latin percussionists! Willie Bobo plays drums on... read more

A killer album that stands as a wonderful complement to Ike Quebec's classic LP sessions for Blue Note – and a set that's even more noteworthy for a rare early appearance of keyboardist Earl Van Dyke! Earl's best known for later famous work at Motown – but here, he plays some great... read more

An excellent organ-heavy session from drummer Alvin Queen – one of the hippest cats working in the soul jazz underground, and a player who never fails to deliver great music over the years! This set's even more of a cooker than some of Queen's other recent albums – and features Mike... read more

A great tribute to the fresh, freewheeling sound of the Miles Davis group of the 60s – that important assemblage that featured Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Tony Williams – not to mention Miles himself! The match of music is a great one – given the huge influence that the... read more

The title tells the tale on this one – as the session's a studio meeting of players all associated with Count Basie over the years – captured here in a style that's much more laidback and relaxed than the usual Basie set! The album's got the feel of some of Prestige's best work in the... read more

Amazing work from Sun Ra – record that really features a great range of sounds and styles, and a heck of a lot of soul as well! Ra plays some especially nice rocksichord on the set – that freaky, fuzzy keyboard that comes off sounding like a guitar, even though it's played with keys... read more

Tremendous lost work from Sun Ra – recorded live in Detroit at the start of the 80s, and only ever issued briefly on a limited Saturn Records pressing! Given the show's setting in the Detroit underground, the material has an especially hip sound to it – a return to some of the more... read more

An expanded version of the material that originally appeared on the Nothing Is album – stretched out here into a 2CD set that features loads of extra unreleased cuts from the recordings! The core album is one of the best non-Saturn Sun Ra albums of the 60s – material recorded live on a... read more

Mindblowing music from Sun Ra & The Arkestra – sounds recorded during the same marathon session that gave the world the records Other Planes Of There, When Sun Comes Out, and When Angels Speak Of Love – but titles that are much more obscure overall! The initial release of the... read more

One of the best-remembered Sun Ra albums from the 70s – a really cool little session that features Ra playing the unusual "rocksichord" all the way through! The instrument's a very weird one – kind of like a messed-up electric piano, with lots of cool broken notes and a weird... read more

If this is disco, point us in the direction of Studio 54! The album's one of Ra's greatest from the 70s – recorded in Italy in 1978, and featuring some incredibly otherworldly keyboards that are some of his most enigmatic on record! Original tracks from the album include "Disco... read more

Previously unissued work by Sun Ra – tracks recorded during the sessions for his Heliocentric Worlds 2 album for ESP, but lost to the sands of time for nearly 40 years! Like that previous album, this one features a smaller version of the Arkestra than usual – an octet that has Ra... read more

An amazing live date from Sun Ra & The Arkestra – recorded in Cairo in 1971, with a very transcendent sound overall! Ra and the group are clearly inspired to be working in the shadow of the pyramids – and their music sometimes has Eastern overtones, a bit in the manner of Salah... read more

Righteous Ra from the end of the 70s – one of the most soulful albums ever by the Sun Ra Arkestra, and a lost treasure that's got some nice funky moments! The vibe here is very much in the Lanquidity/Disco 3000 mode – an extrapolation of styles best known from the Space Is The Place... read more

One of the most soulful Sun Ra albums ever – very much on the Lanquidity tip, and done with a great mix of electric and acoustic instrumentation! The vibe here is really mellow, spiritual, and warm – and the album actually feels a lot more like a session recorded for the Strata East... read more

The rare Space Probe sent out to the cosmos by Sun Ra in the mid 70s – with material recorded from the early 60s onward – the heart of it being Sun Ra's first ever recordings on a moog synthesizer in 1969, and it's one heck of a trip! This excellent edition on Art Yard includes the... read more

Landmark work from Sun Ra – a rare 1964 performance that features some very early work from Pharoah Sanders, a good deal of which is appearing here for the first time ever! The material was recorded at Judson Hall, and only half the tracks came out on a rare Saturn LP – making this CD... read more

A set of varied moods and settings – yet one that really does a wonderful job of fleshing out the Sun Ra aesthetic during these crucial years when Ra dubbed himself the "King Of The Sub Underground"! That humorous title is a reference to the fact that Ra and the Arkestra were still... read more

Really great vocals from Nina Ramsby – sung in Swedish, but in a cool way that really works wonderfully with the music! The trio of pianist Ludvig Berghe has always been a favorite of ours – and here, working with a singer, they find a sharp new space – soaring, soulful, and even... read more

The obscure first Verve album from Don Randi – a great little pianist who was well known for his lively club work on the LA scene in the early 60s! Don's got a touch on the keys that's both lyrical and soulful – somewhere between the pyrotechnics of Ramsey Lewis and the smoother... read more

Phil Ranelin steps out wonderfully here – in a session that may be one of the best in his recent revival years! The album's got some heavy help from the great Henry Franklin on bass and Big Black on congas – both players who help ground the rhythms right from the start, finding that... read more

A mix of jazzy modes and rootsy percussion – put together on the Paris scene of the 90s, at a time when genres were really getting a lot of chance to cross over in styles! Some tunes are more electric than others, but the instrumentation changes throughout – and makes for a nice set of... read more

An excellent bit of early 60s soulbop – and one of two rare albums ever cut by the obscure female alto player Vi Redd, one of the few women sax players of her generation to get recorded! The album's got an easygoing groove that's mighty nice – a touch of R&B at times, but not... read more

One of the few albums ever issued by female alto player Vi Redd – a really unique artist, and a greatly overlooked talent from the time! Vi's got a wonderfully warm approach – and she often sings in addition to playing alto sax – with this vocal style that's really great, and... read more

A beautifully soulful record from the great Dewey Redman – straighter than some of his 70s recordings, but in a really great way that shows that Dewey could still be quite compelling in another sort of way! The sound of his tenor here is wonderful – blowing with a rich, full,... read more

A rare treasure from British trumpeter Dizzy Reece – quite different than his albums at the time for Blue Note! Dizzy's playing here with a style that has a fair bit of exotic touches – not entirely in the Yusef Lateef mode, but definitely with a similar blend of hardbop, soul jazz,... read more

A great one from Mike Reed and his People Places & Things group – a clear, crisp statement of Chicago modernism at its best – not just modes from Reed's own generation, but from the 50s and 60s as well! Reed's an amazing player on his own – but we especially love the way that... read more

A tremendous set from bassist Nat Reeves – a player who doesn't always record as a leader, but one whose talents have graced countless great groups over the years! The album's got a tight, elegant sort of sound – rooted strongly in Nat's soulful basslines, which step out front all the... read more

An all new effort from legendary avant jazz drummer Steve Reid & company – one that mixes his compelling heaviness with some groovy experimental electronics – courtesy of Kieren Hebden (Fourtet)! We'll come right out with the blunt honesty and tell you that a Steve Reid/Fourtet... read more

Great material from Norwegian pianist Christian Reim – all of it unreleased, but all of it pretty darn great! Reim's honestly not a player we know at all, but he emerges as a heck of a great talent in this set – a pianist with a really thoughtful, lyrical sort of feel – but one... read more

Two different slices of this powerful group from reedman Dave Rempis – one live performance from Milwaukee, the other from Antwerp – each taking up a CD each! The group gets their percussive name from the dual drums of Tim Daisy and Frank Rosaly – players who bring a real... read more

A beautiful example of the maturation of American avant jazz in the 70s – a set that has the Revolutionary Ensemble really drawing their sound into focus, drawing on older experimental modes and forging them into a rich new vision – one that would certainly live up to the AACM's promise... read more

Wonderful stuff – a rare one from the early 60s that has master reedman Jerome Richardson running through hip versions of hip tracks from hip (and not-so-hip) movies! Includes nice long versions of "Delilah" and "No Problem" (from Les Liasons Dangereuses), plus "Never... read more

A batch of long, extremely inventive tracks from the quintet of reedman Tim Ries – a group that features just the right sort of heavyweight talents to make the whole thing work! The lineup features Chris Potter on tenor, alongside Ries' tenor and soprano sax – plus John Patitucci on... read more

Previously-unreleased recordings from a brilliant British trio of the 70s – and easily some of the most striking work we've ever heard from pianist Howard Riley! Riley's already one of the freest, most adventurous piano players of the 70s British scene – but here he stretches out even... read more

Way more than a trio recording – as the piano's just one of the key elements in this sound – as bold and free as anything else we've ever heard from Howard Riley, but matched equally by sounds from Barry Guy on bass and Tony Oxley on drums! Both Guy and Oxley are using a bit of... read more

A frenetic stormer from the group of pianist Marc Riordan – a tight combo who work here with a great old school approach to modern jazz! There's a strong sense of unity to the group – a really well-conceived vision built around Riordan's wonderful piano lines – angular, well-state... read more

Sweet grooves from Lee Ritenour – a collection of the guitarist's classic recordings for the GRP label! Lee was one of the key talents who helped forge the GRP sound right from the start – that great blend of soulful and smooth that went onto have an impact on jazz for generations to... read more

Vital late work from the amazing Sam Rivers – masterful, energetic jazz orchestra pieces recorded live and in the studio with players culled from Orlando and the Central Florida areas around Rivers' adopted home – a treasure that finds Sam sounding as spry and fiercely creative in his... read more

A beautiful blend of jazz, voices, and soul – a landmark record in Max Roach's vocal experimental tradition, and a fitting companion piece to Billy Harper's classic Capra Black album – an equally soulful blend of styles! Like Capra Black, this set features Harper's sharp and soulful... read more

Seminal work by drummer Max Roach – recorded in 1960, at the time when he was leading one of his best groups ever! The material was recorded live in Germany with a quintet that includes Tommy Turrentine on trumpet, Stanley Turrentine on tenor, and Julian Priester on trombone – and the... read more

Fantastic stuff, and a record that was virtually the blueprint for spiritual soul jazz in the 70s! Although Max Roach first rose to fame during the bop years, by the time of this set he'd really stretched out a lot – moving past initial righteous projects in the Civil Rights era, to even... read more

Jaunty is a pretty darn great way to describe the Howard Roberts sound on Capitol Records – upbeat, grooving, and wonderfully well-rounded – bringing in a bit of funk, a bit of bossa, a bit of groovy, and coming up with a whole new sound in the process! Roberts guitar is wonderfully... read more

A sweet funky set from the Canadian scene – served up by a combo headed by organist Vanessa Rodrigues – one of the few female players you'll find handling the Hammond these days! The album's got a really nice, lean sort of groove – almost funky jazz as much as it is deep funk... read more

We always love the bass work of Jason Roebke, but the setting here is especially soulful – a beautiful batch of duets with saxophonist Tobias Delius, whose work on tenor really seems to unlock a new sort of depth in Jason's performance! Tobias plays clarinet on a few numbers, but its his... read more

One of Shorty Rogers' greatest records – and a very nice set of tight west coast arrangements that really shows off the Rogers sense of sparkle and swing – a vibe that definitely comes through in the famous cover image too! Shorty wrote nearly all of the tracks, and the writing's a... read more

One of Wallace Roney's best sessions from the time – an album with a great sense of balance and fullness, and a tremendous tribute to Roney's strength as a leader on Muse Records! The album features equally great contributions from Antoine Roney on tenor – a player who balances out... read more

Wallace Roney is one of those players who never lets us down – and here on this recent set, he's every bit as soaringly soulful as on his early albums from the 80s! The trumpeter's got a fluid groove right from the start – sweeping forward with these notes that have a beautiful balance... read more

The Delmark debut as a leader from drummer Frank Rosaly – and a very unique little record! Rosaly's a player we've really dug on other folks' records, and his vision here at the helm is pretty darn great – a real change from some of the modes used by his avant Chicago contemporaries... read more

One of the first albums ever cut as a leader by trombonist Frank Rosolino – a hip set issued under the Stan Kenton Presents banner for Capitol in the mid 50s – but done in a smaller combo mode than you'd hear with Stan! The setting provides a great showcase for the emerging solo... read more