Jazz — In Stock — CDs  

The brass is definitely dynamic here – arcing, curving, and grooving in the best Sharps & Flats mode! The group's at their late 60s best on this well-titled set – really moving past conventional big band styles, and hitting a very groovy sound throughout – one that rivals the... read more

Fantastic work from a lost chapter of Coltrane's career! Sure, you may know his early work with Miles Davis, or his groundbreaking later recordings on Atlantic and Impulse – but in the late 50s, 'Trane recorded some fantastic sides with trumpeter Wilbur Harden for Savoy Records, and the... read more

Beautifully understated work from trumpeter Roy Hargrove – an open, laidback session that's easily one of the best he's done in years! Gone are the urban sounds of his RH Factor records, and the more cerebral modes of some of his other jazz sets – and instead, this time around Roy's... read more

... read more

Fantastic work from one of the most unique talents in jazz! Rufus Harley plays bagpipes – yes, that's right, bagpipes – in a modal Coltrane-esque way that's simply got to be heard to be believed. He uses the drone capability of the instrument to explore reed patterns in the same way... read more

Some of the best Billy Harper work of the past decade or two – a 3 volume series of live performances, all recorded in the Far East in 1991! This first volume features Billy recorded in Korea, with a group that includes Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Francesca Tanksley on piano, Louis Spears on... read more

A great title for this hip little record – one that definitely has the group coexisting together beautifully in the space of the set – working with well-fused energy that really makes the music shine! The set's got the soulful vibe of some of the best indie sets from the end of the 80s... read more

A spiritual jazz classic from the hip LA scene of the late 70s – led by saxophonist Billie Harris, and featuring a group that includes Horace Tapscott on piano! We don't know much about Harris, but he's got a freewheeling spiritual sound that's very much in the Coltrane-inspired mode, yet... read more

A classic session of music from the mighty Raymond Scott – performed here by a small combo led by Scott's old tenor player Dave Harris! All of the tunes here were written by Scott, and many are of the vintage that stretches back to his cool cartoon work – those jaunty, jagged little... read more

We can never get enough of Eddie Harris – and a record like this is a great reason why! Despite all the many different settings Eddie worked in at Atlantic, he still always stayed true to his roots – and a record like this is a perfect example of that – no electric horn, no funk,... read more

A 60s classic from the great Eddie Harris – and proof that his move to Atlantic Records was a very good thing! There's a punch here that Harris didn't have in his earlier sides for Vee Jay – a bite that shows an even stronger focus than before – a willingness to mix soulful... read more

Killer stuff – and an amazing album that not only showcases the varitone sax talents of Eddie Harris, but also features some fantastic arrangements by Chicago soul genius Charles Stepney! Harris plugs in right from the start – blowing an electric sax that comes up with some groovy... read more

A pair of killers from keyboardist Gene Harris – both recorded for Blue Note, and back to back on a single CD! First up is Gene Harris/The 3 Sounds – the last Three Sounds album for Blue Note – and the funkiest too – thanks to lots more electrification than usual, and some... read more

Funky, soulful, and completely sublime work from keyboardist Gene Harris – working here with some great help from Jerry Peters on arrangement and production – in a style that makes the album one of Harris' most compelling sets of the 70s! The backings are full, but tight too –... read more

... read more

A great little solo set from Gene Harris – and a perfect example of that magical time after he'd left the Three Sounds, but hadn't yet hit the more standard styles of later years – a period when Harris was really experimenting with a wide range of keyboards and sounds! The set has... read more

Sweet sweet keyboards from the amazing Gene Harris – one of his seminal electric sides for Blue Note in the 70s – recorded between his earliest fame in the Three Sounds, and his later return to acoustic styles in the 80s! The sound here is equal parts jazz and soul – as Gene's... read more

Gene Harris in three different periods – the past, present, and future – served up here in a record issued under Gene's name as a leader, but which still continues the vibe of the later records by the Three Sounds! Most of the work is trio material – with just Gene on acoustic... read more

... read more

A bold statement from this ambitious Chicago group – a righteous assemblage of musicians working in a tradition that's partly linked to the spiritual jazz of an earlier AACM era, but which is also keenly conscious of the underground soul of groups like Fertile Ground! At its core, there's a... read more

... read more

One of the rare early albums on the Detroit based Tribe label, now made legendary by the compilations on Soul Jazz and P-Vine. Tenor player Wendell Harrison leads a group that includes Marcus Belgrave, Charles Eubanks, and Phil Ranelin, and which features occasional poetry by the "Black... read more

Genius work from the Detroit underground of the 70s – one of the greatest records ever on the now-famous Tribe Records label, and a masterpiece of soul, jazz, and righteous spirit! The session's headed by tenor player Wendell Harrison – and it's got an all-star Motor City lineup that... read more

A weird and wonderful album from Tribe Records giant Wendell Harrison – an obscure electric set from the start of the 80s! There's still a strongly spiritual feel on the record, but Wendell also adds some Fender Rhodes and vocals to his work on tenor and flute – bringing in the same... read more

... read more

Srong work from Boris Hoff (tenor and soprano sax, sine tones and harmonium), Steven Hess (drums and electronics), Keefe Jackson (contrabass clarinet & tenor sax) and Juun (piano) – recorded at Chicago's Experimental Sound Studios in April of '10. Slow building atmosphere and tense... read more

Hampton Hawes isn't exactly the first pianist we think of when it comes to bluesy lines in his music – but there's definitely a blue-tinged undercurrent to most of the work in this set – a well-chosen batch of tracks from Hamp's early years as a leader on Contemporary Records! The... read more

One of Hampton Hawes' last sessions for Contemporary Records – a wonderful little date that's filled with the bright tones and bold confidence that marked Hamp's piano work in later years! The style here is simple, but effective – and Hawes has a way of ringing out the notes without... read more

'Leaping brilliance on the keys from a young Hampton Hawes – a player who makes this record bristle with excitement from the very first note! The format is simple, but the presentation here is breathtaking – a rock-solid trio performance that shows why Hawes was one of the greatest... read more

Beautiful 60s work from Hampton Hawes – a set from the middle of the decade, a period when he wasn't recorded all that often – but one not issued by Contemporary until his American revival in the 70s! The group's got a wickedly fluid feel – not just Hamp's always-amazing piano,... read more

The darkly brooding image of Hampton Hawes on the front cover of this one is a real standout in the mostly-sweet cover lineup of the Contemporary label – but it's also a great indication of the sound of the record, which is something different than most of its contemporaries! Hawes is... read more

A hell of a great live set from pianist Hampton Hawes – thanks especially to the other members of the trio! Hawes is at his free, open, 70s best on the piano – but bassist Cecil McBee really takes the record to the next level – spinning out these amazing lines that are as... read more

An obscure session that was nearly lost, because it was issued on a cheapo label – but which features some really great work from Coleman Hawkins! The format is small combo, with long tracks that really open up – and Hawk is blowing in that fantastic mode that he began to use a lot... read more

Tremendous work from Coleman Hawkins – a sublime "with strings" session from the 50s, and one of Bean's greatest albums from the decade! The setting is quite different than other sets with Hawk on tenor – soft strings from Glen Osser, cascading beautifully and gently –... read more

A key album in the reintroduction of Coleman Hawkins in the late 50s – recorded in a style that still bears a lot of traces of earlier years, but at a time when Hawk was being claimed as a key influence by a variety of younger modernists! The set's got a sense of freedom that's really... read more

A near-forgotten gem from Coleman Hawkins excellent late 50s period – recorded for the short-lived Felsted label, and done in a beautifully relaxed way! The tracks here are long and easy-going – at times even more open than Hawkins' work for Verve, and in the style he'd explore even... read more

... read more

... read more

One of the heaviest keyboard albums you'll ever hope to find – a completely sublime session that not only features Fender Rhodes by pianist Roland Haynes, but also features additional keyboards from Kirk Lightsey – a double blend that really makes the record sparkle! The twin-keyboard... read more

A hip 70s session from Roy Haynes – recorded in Paris, and a fair bit different than some of his few American dates of the time! The group's a very cool one – with alto and flute from Ricardo Strobert, plus guitar, electric bass, and Roy's drums – a groove that's partly electric,... read more

... read more

Proof that this Smalls Live series really brings out the best in most players – as pianist Kevin Hays grabs our ears here more than ever! The set's got an open, spontaneous energy – lots of really long tracks from Hays and his trio of Doug Weiss on bass and Bill Stewart on drums. Yet... read more

Amazing sounds from the SF scene of the 70s – previously unreleased work that really opens up a whole new chapter of jazz on the west coast! The HE3 Project is the brainchild of keyboardist Herman Ebertizsch – who plays lots of Fender Rhodes and moog on this sweet little record –... read more

A second chapter of excellent jazzy soul from the HE3 (Herman Eberitzch III) Project – killer stuff recorded from 1974 to 1977 at Different Fur Studios in San Francisco – with a sound that blends intense, yet sultry disco era live soul with both jazzier and funkier sounds! HE is on... read more

... read more

A great contemporary tribute to Sun Ra – put together in ways that are a lot more sensitive than other projects of this nature! These young players really seem to get the sense of Ra's Arkestra as an ensemble – and work in ways here that really recall the best energy of the early... read more

Three different slices of work from Julius Hemphill all served up over the course of five albums for the Black Saint/Soul Note label! The first two records in the package – Raw Materials & Residuals and Flat-Out Jump Suite – both have Hemphill coming off the New York loft jazz... read more

A seminal session from the St Louis scene of the early 70s – one that was humming nearly as much as Chicago was with the AACM at the time! As with the larger organization in the Windy City, St Louis had the Black Artists Group – of which Julius Hemphill was a key member, forming fresh... read more

18 tracks in all!... read more

Eddie Henderson really lets his spirit flow here – working on some great long tracks in a sweet live setting – caught at a small club in Paris with backing from the trio of pianist Laurent DeWilde! Laurent really seems to get Henderson's groove here – and lays back with Eddie to... read more

The first compilation to really do justice to jazz funk legend Eddie Henderson – and a great one, too! Henderson's spacey trumpet style graced some of the best Blue Note and Capitol jazz sides to come out during the 70s – and his open-ended snakey way of playing was very different than... read more

Essential work from Eddie Henderson – one of the trumpeter's hippest albums of the 70s, and a key link between his early righteous days and his later smoother sound! The set's a near-perfect blend of all elements involved – tight funky rhythms, spacey soulful instrumentation, and... read more

An excellent document of how the rawer soul jazz spiritualism of the early 70s smoothed out to become the spacey mellow fusion of the late 70s. The players all have their jazz funk chops – and include Paul Humphrey, Herbie Hancock, Bennie Maupin, and Bill Summers – and they've taken... read more

Funky fusion doesn't get any funkier than this – and the album's one of the greatest 70s recordings by jazz funk trumpeter Eddie Henderson! The album's got a harder edge than a lot of Eddie's other records of the decade – razor sharp rhythms crackling away underneath a sublime space-hea... read more

... read more

Pretty darn beautiful work from Joe Henderson – much freer than just about any other record of his we can think of! The album is a trio session – with Joe blowing freely on tenor in the front, backing from bass and drums – and the centerpiece of the set is the track "Barcelon... read more

Some of the most ambitious electric work from Joe Henderson to date – a record that really has him stretching out from his previous small combo keyboard sets, into a space that's much fuller and even more righteous! Frequent partner George Cables is very much in force on electric piano... read more

A great set from tenorist Ian Hendrickson Smith – a player you might know from his work with Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings! Smith was in the Dap-Kings for a good part of the oughties, but has really opened up as a jazz musician too – and here, he really cooks in the wonderful... read more

... read more

... read more

Matthew Herbert never fails to amaze our ears, but he does so even more than ever on this stunning Big Band set! The album's more dynamic, more creative, and more experimental than any of Herbert's other work – hardly the slower, cinematic modes of some recordings – or the jazz-meets-gr... read more

A young group, but one with a great take on an older aesthetic in jazz – the chamber styles of the late 50s modern scene, recast here with a hell of a lot more energy than before! The group play together in differing formations – from trio to septet – and their vision here is... read more

... read more

... read more

... read more

... read more

... read more

Conrad Herwig really has a way of making other players cook – a special sort of something that comes through in both his rich vision for the music, and his strong inspiration as a soloist too! This album's key testament to that quality in Herwig's music – as it has all players sounding... read more

... read more

Really lovely sounds from Jana Herzen – a set that features her own vocals and guitar, with just the bass of Charnett Moffett for accompaniment! The spare setting is beautiful – and Jana sparkles here in ways that few other singers could hope to match – bringing out a key... read more

... read more

Sweet electric fusion from Japanese drummer Motohiko Hino – a set that's got a deeper vibe than some of his other work of the 70s! The set's a live one, and all tracks are quite long – played with an open, exploratory feel by the group – in ways that are almost an extension of... read more

One of our favorite albums ever by this inventive Japanese trumpeter – and a really that really lives up to its title! Terumasa's entering his spacey period here – but not too spacey – and he's playing in a stretched out style that takes his trumpet into warm soulful lines that... read more

An early showcase for the talents of Japanese trumpeter Terumasa Hino – a smoking set that showcases his talents in two different settings! The album begins with a quintet that features Hino with Takeru Muraoka on tenor and Hiromasa Suzuki on piano – working through a great open-ended... read more

One of the first great non-Japanese recordings by trumpeter Terumasa Hino – a smoking little live set from Germany, done at a time when Hino was working at the height of his youthful powers! The mode here is stretched out and open – never too outside, but very exploratory – in... read more

One of the great ones from the young Terumasa Hino – a beautiful quartet session that really demonstrates his strength as a soloist on the trumpet! As you might guess from the title, there's a nice sense of melancholy to the record – a blueness that's carried off wonderfully by Hino on... read more

Incredible postwar bop recordings by one of the hippest groups in Germany! During the 50s, pianist Jutta Hipp cut a number of straighter sides for Blue Note that were recorded in the US – but this CD features earlier German recordings, some later issued by Blue Note – all done with a... read more

Art Hodes remembers Bessie Smith – but in a stripped-down mode that's definitely all his own! The set's one of Art's great solo outings for the Euphonic label – cut in the mid 70s, in a very respectful way that allows plenty of space for his magnificent sense of tone and timing –... read more

Two Verve albums from Johnny Hodges – both relatively obscure, and both pretty darn great! The Eleventh Hour is an overlooked gem from Johnny Hodges – a 60s session that hearkens back to the "with strings" Verve mode of the 50s – but one that also updates the approach... read more

The "triple play" in the title refers to the fact that Johnny's working here with 3 different groups – all of them large ones, and stuffed with Ellington-esque players that include Ray Nance, Paul Gonsalves, Milt Hinton, Tiny Grimes, Hank Jones, Cat Anderson, Jimmy Hamilton, Harry... read more

Forget the "punk" in the group's name, and just focus on the "bop" – as the quintet have a nicely angular sort of energy, one that's definitely modern, but which certainly owes a lot to the sharp changes of jazz generations gone by! The instrumentation really draws a lot... read more

The grooviest organ working the other side of the Atlantic in the 60s – as mighty a talent on the Hammond as Jimmy Smith or Jack McDuff back in the US at the time, and equally groovy too! Ingfried Hoffmann's work on the keys is probably best known from his searing soul jazz sides with Klaus... read more

... read more

Amazing stuff – a really incredible dip into the life, mind, and music of Billie Holiday – with some rare studio banter that's almost as compelling as her famous recordings for Verve! Amazing package, too – a real standard-setter for CDs when it came out!... read more

A wonderfully warm and soulful session from bassist Dave Holland – thanks to contributions from a younger batch of players that includes Chris Potter on saxes and Steve Nelson on vibes! Both Potter and Nelson really make the record something special – Potter for his angular, well-crafte... read more

Nice double-length CD that brings together tuff soul jazz tenor tracks culled from some mid 60s sessions that Red Holloway cut with Brother Jack McDuff. Some of the tracks appeared on the albums Cookin' Together and The Dynamic Jack McDuff, and the material is a mix of quartet sides and larger... read more

Partly a funk combo, but a group that's also got plenty of jazz in the mix too – thanks to the presence of Tom Harrell on trumpet and Steve Turre on trombone! Both players were well on the verge of becoming major talents in jazz on their own – and their presence here really gives the... read more

A killer little indie soul set from Oakland's Marvin Holmes – one that's quite different than his better known work for the Uni label – and done in a great blend of jazz, soul, and funk styles! The album's got that great genre-crossing sound that was going down heavily in Holmes' Bay... read more

Funky funky Groove Holmes – one of his tightest albums ever! The set's a monumental batch of organ jazz groovers – recorded with some larger backings from Manny Albam, and a super-dope, super-funk sort of 70s feel that's really outta site! The tracks are lean and very rhythmically... read more

A great trio date that has Takehiro Honda working with Reggie Workman on bass and Motohiko Hino on drums – an extremely great group that really takes off in this setting! The record is one of the freer sides from Honda at the time – done in the more open, lyrical modes that were coming... read more

A great early album from Japanese pianist Takehiro Honda – one of the key jazz talents of Japan in the 70s, and a wonderfully lyrical keyboardist with a style that's right up there with the best American players of the 60s. Unlike later albums, which have Honda grooving with a bit more of an... read more

One of the most starkly beautiful recordings in Paul Horn's career – with spiritually resonant, almost spine tingling solo flute and some chants, all recorded in the Taj Majal one day in April of 1968! It's really all about the atmosphere, as it would have to be given the location –... read more

One of the greatest jazz vocal albums of the 60s, and probably the greatest album ever by Shirley Horn! The session's got a beautiful lively sound, with extremely interesting arrangements by Johnny Pate, and a flute/piano/guitar sound that works perfectly with Shirley's lovely voice. The material... read more

Think what you want about Lena Horne – but this is a plenty darn groovy album! Sure, Lena's style is usually a bit classy and uptown – almost so much so that we don't really dig most of her records. But here, she's working in a very groovy style – paired with the great guitarist... read more

... read more

A cool collection of rare recordings from trumpeter Allen Houser – mostly recorded around the DC scene of the 70s, all with hip small group players and a pretty soulful feel overall! Houser's trumpet is set up in quartet, quintet, and sextet formations – often with a groove that draws... read more

... read more

A beautiful album that we'd rank as one of Freddie Hubbard's greatest recordings ever – a truly sublime set that's quite different than his Blue Note work of the 60s, and which really shows him emerging as a major talent on the trumpet! The set features a core sextet of key players –... read more

... read more

A totally fantastic set from the turn of the 70s, and one of Freddie Hubbard's most soulful, spiritual albums ever – a seminal chapter in the evolution of soul jazz – and a record that was a keen inspiration for changes to come on labels like Strata East and Black Jazz! The group here... read more