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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

Some of the best material ever recorded by pianist Less McCann – lifted from his groovy mid 60s recordings for the Limelight and Mercury labels – including many gems that were buried on albums that had otherwise weaker material. Lots of these tracks have added instrumentation over Les'... read more

A real cooker – and a stone soulful set that works some real magic at so many levels! First off, the record brings together two of the hottest talents on the west coast scene of the 60s – pianist Les McCann, and the firey young Jazz Crusaders – who are really burning here with a... 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

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

One of the records that put a young Brother Jack McDuff on the map – and a perfect example of the rougher R&B roots that first emerged in his early work on the Hammond! The session's got a much more down-n-dirty feel than some of McDuff's tighter 60s quartet work – and offers a... 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

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One of the best of the early 60s comeback albums by the legendary bop trumpeter Howard McGhee – and a record that really has the player finding a whole new groove in his music! At this point, Maggie's got a fantastic tone that was missing from his earlier records, filled with pain and raw... 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

Classic material by McGregor, recorded in the post-Blue Notes years, but featuring old bandmates Dudu Pukwana, Mongezi Feza, and Louis Moholo. The group also includes some great Brit avant players – like Evan Parker, Radu Malfatti, Harry Miller, and Harry Beckett – and the whole... 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

Excellent organ groovers from the great Jimmy McGriff! The set pulls together some fantastic tracks from Jimmy's years at Veep, Sue, Solid State, and Capitol – including many great short funky cuts that haven't really shown up on other reissues before. The fidelity of the set is way way... read more

Heavy funk from Jimmy McGriff – a monster set of grooves that ranks with his best of the late 60s! The tracks are short and sock-hard – Jimmy wailing on Hammond, over rhythms that have plenty of sharp edges, and lots of nice drum work – all recorded in a mode that's a heck of a... read more

Gritty gritty gritty! This live set of soul jazz tracks was recorded in Chicago's Cook County Jail on Friday the 13th, 1972 – and we can hardly think of a darker place to record a soul jazz album! Side one features the aptly-named "Freedom Suite", an extended groover played by... 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

One of the rare hip sides recorded by Alan Douglas during his brief tenure at United Artists – and a key bit of avant jazz that's well worth seeking out! Ken McIntyre was one of the key underground modernists of the early 60s – and apart from a record on New Jazz with Eric Dolphy, most... read more

One of the most righteous albums ever issued by the always-righteous Tribe Records label of Detroit – a really collective effort, one that features ensemble vocals and spiritual jazz – all pulled together by pianist Harold McKinney! The album showcases a group named Voices Of The... read more

One of the most righteous albums ever issued by the always-righteous Tribe Records label of Detroit – a really collective effort, one that features ensemble vocals and spiritual jazz – all pulled together by pianist Harold McKinney! The album showcases a group named Voices Of The... read more

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An unusual title, but one that refers to Jackie McLean in quartet, quintet, and sextet formation – a growing lineup that develops along the course of the record, as new players are added into the mix with a casual, almost blowing session approach! The set begins with Jackie's alto set out in... read more

Early pre-Blue Note hardbop by Jackie McLean – and one of the few recordings to feature his sextet with Ray Draper! Draper was a real legend in late 50s jazz – a tuba (?) player, believe it or not, with a sound that was dark, brooding, and very modern – very unlike you'd expect... read more

A real classic by Jackie McLean – a record that's pulled from 2 different sessions, but which stands out with a strikingly unified feel! The album was cut during the height of Jackie's bop years for Blue Note – with one 1959 session that featured Donald Byrd and Sonny Clark, and... read more

Long-blowing late 50s work from Jackie McLean – one of his standout sets as a leader from the pre-Blue Note years! The album features McLean in two different settings – really opening up on side one with a sextet that includes Curtis Fuller on trombone, Webster Young on trumpet, Gil... 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

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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

A previously-unissued performance from Joe McPhee – recorded in the early 80s, and a searing ensemble take on Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman"! The arrangements are beautiful – as the track retains some of the haunting melody of the original composition, yet has a loose,... read more

An amazing 2CD set of archival material from saxophonist Joe McPhee – and work that's right up there with his classic early albums for the Hat Art label! The tracks here were all recorded privately in the late 60s and early 70s – and all of them feature Joe completely on his own –... 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

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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

Some of the hippest jazz ever played at Vassar College – and previously-unreleased work from avant legend Joe McPhee, recorded right around the same time as his classic Nation Time record! One CD features a smoking performance by McPhee on tenor – working with a group that also... read more

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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

The first album by this enigmatic jazz funk trio from New York. Medeski's funky keyboards are firmly in place, and the group's got the usual tight rhythm groove, but the lineup's also expanded with some additional horn players, and some guest guitar by Mark Ribot. The album includes a great... read more

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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

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One of the most striking Pat Metheny albums of the period – as the set features the guitarist working with an all-star group that actually features 2 horn players! The group's a quintet, with Dewey Redman and Michael Brecker on tenor sax – blowing in open and spacious modes that... read more

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A near-legendary album from Pat Metheny – the real birth of the "Metheny sound" on record, and a perfect example of the magically fluid groove that he crafted with keyboardist Lyle Mays! The sound here is hard to describe – and even harder when you try to pick out the... read more

A pretty wonderful little concept – Pat Metheny plays music composed by John Zorn – all at a level that resonates both with the wonderful modes we've been hearing from Zorn of late, and with the most adventurous modes of Metheny's early years! Pat's virtually solo on the set –... read more

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Sweet fusion from the end of the 70s – two great Harvest Records albums, packaged together in a single set! Another Sleeper is a killer from keyboardist Max Middleton and guitarist Robert Ahwai – a set that has a tight funky feel on most numbers – very much in the most soulful... 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

An overlooked gem from keyboardist Barry Miles – and one of the most compelling early 70s sides on the Mainstream Records label! Barry's got a way of really making his keys sing out nicely – playing both acoustic and electric piano with plenty of warm tones and gently flowing modes... read more

A well-pointed trio really makes this set great – equal efforts from trumpeter Ron Miles, guitarist Bill Frisell, and drummer Brian Blade – all players who are more than comfortable with moving beyond the ordinary! The music is hardly just trumpet with rhythm – as each player... read more

Great vibes from Jerzy Milian – a player who was easily one of the hippest cats to handle a vibraphone on the European continent in the 70s – heard here in a host of rare recordings from Berlin! Jerzy's Polish, and most of his work was done for the Polskie Nagrania label – but... read more

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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

Fantastic – and one of Mingus' greatest albums ever! This one ranks right up with The Clown and Pithecantropus Erectus for sheer raw power and emotion – and Mingus' writing here is incredibly tight, giving soloists like Charlie Mariano, Jaki Byard, Richard Williams, and Jerome... read more

A great little 70s session from Mingus – the first in the 2-part Changes set – and whether you collect those jointly or separately, they contain some of his best work from the period The sessions were recorded with a small group that includes George Adams, Don Pullen, and Jack Walrath.... 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

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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

An unusual chapter in the label-hopping career of Charles Mingus – a one-off date recorded for Mercury right after Mingus' legendary sessions for Columbia! The format here may well be Mingus' most ambitious to date – as the album features larger groups than before, exploring a range of... 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

Sweet electric 70s funk from Blue Mitchell – blowing here in some of the hippest arrangements of his career! Blue's trumpet alone is always pretty darn great, but for this album he's working with arranger Dave Matthews – who gives the tunes fierce groove that mixes vamping guitars with... 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

Damn great work from Chicago flautist Nicole Mitchell – and another new chapter of her mighty talents! The album's a quartet session that beautifully swings between straight jazz modes and some more creative sounds – never as far out as some of Mitchell's more avant work, but always... read more

One of the tightest, most soulful performances we've ever heard from Nicole Mitchell – a set that has her really hitting with an even more righteous sound than before! The session's a live one, recorded at Chicago's Velvet Lounge – and Nicole's in wonderful territory that's somewhere... 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

One of Roscoe Mitchell's greatest albums from the 70s – a record that easily matches, if not beats, his classic recordings for Delmark and Nessa! Like those sets, there's a perfect sense of clarity here – the best essence of the AACM scene, taken to its most adventurous level by Roscoe... 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

An ultra-hip set from bassist Tyler Mitchell – a player who doesn't often record as a leader, but really makes his mark with this live performance from Smalls! Mitchell's group here is a great one – a really cohesive quintet with Josh Evans on trumpet, Abraham Burton on tenor, Spike... 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

Warm jazz vocals, and some great instrumentation too – thanks to work from the sublime 70s bassist Isao Suzuki! Singer Noriko Miyamoto's on the cover, but the album's got the same great glow as Isao's other albums of the decade – a really refreshing approach to jazz arrangements, with... read more

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A rare non-Blue Note late 50s session that features Hank Mobley and Lee Morgan – and a stone cooker that feels like some of the best Jazz Messengers dates of the time! There's a chance that the session was possibly cut "under duress", like a number of other jazz albums on Roulette... 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

Simply astounding! Soul Station is a deceptively simple album that has tenor giant Hank Mobley playing standards and originals in a quartet with Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Blakey on drums– a spare and simple group, but one with a direct energy that's really amazing... 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 stone classic from the Modern Jazz Quartet – recorded back when the group still featured Kenny Clarke in its membership, but already with some of the more serious, somber tones that would mark the combo's more famous years! Tracks here are from a variety of sessions in 1953, 1954, and 1955... read more

A stone classic from the Modern Jazz Quartet – recorded back when the group still featured Kenny Clarke in its membership, but already with some of the more serious, somber tones that would mark the combo's more famous years! Tracks here are from a variety of sessions in 1953, 1954, and 1955... read more

That's the Modern Jazz Sextet – not the Modern Jazz Quartet – although the group definitely borrows a bit of energy from the MJQ, and some personnel too! The group was only put together for this date – and combines the subtle touches of MJQ members John Lewis on piano and Percy... read more

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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

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A double-length live set from the legendary Modern Jazz Quartet – recorded in Scandinavia in 1960, almost as a summation of the group's growing genius in the 50s! The tunes are a mix of John Lewis and Milt Jackson originals, plus other songs all given the wonderful MJQ twist –... read more

A double-length live set from the legendary Modern Jazz Quartet – recorded in Scandinavia in 1960, almost as a summation of the group's growing genius in the 50s! The tunes are a mix of John Lewis and Milt Jackson originals, plus other songs all given the wonderful MJQ twist –... 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