Jazz -- In Stock -- LPs  

A brilliant mix of jazz and world music! Abdul-Malik was the legendary bass player from the fifties who mixed straight jazz playing with traditional Middle Eastern rhythms -- and although he most famously recorded albums with Monk as a regular bassist, his albums on his own are amazing blends of... read more

Amazing stuff from Ahmed Abdul-Malik -- one of the early 60s most enigmatic jazz talents! Malik was Thelonious Monk's bassist for a few years, but by the time of this record, he was working in a very sophisticated cross-cultural mode -- pulling together many different strands of jazz and Eastern... read more

Abrams recorded this set of seven songs in Chicago with Joseph Jarman and Douglas Ewart on saxophones and other woodwinds. Amina Claudine Myers contributes piano and voice in addition to Abrams' own. Thurman Barker plays drums and percussion. Song titles include "Bud P.", "Lifea... read more

One of the earliest Muhal Richard Abrams sessions for the Black Saint label -- and a set that's filled with unusual musical moments! The tracks here are somewhat freer than some of Abrams' work to come -- almost in the looser creative improvised mode of the first generation AACM -- expressed with... read more

While this album isn't as afro-funky as other efforts from the time by other artists, it is an excellent chapter in Cannonball's funky work from the late 60s, and is proof that the Adderley/David Axelrod team was always willing to do the work to come up with new sounds. The long groovy tracks have... read more

Well, Cannonball was doing great with his bigger concept albums -- like Soul Zodiac or Soul Of the Bible -- but he slipped a bit with this one, which is an exploration into the life of John Henry. Still, the record has all the elements of the classic Fantasy sound in place -- including production... read more

Originally, this set was issued as a double LP in the early 70s, pulling together sides Cannonball cut for Riverside and Capitol, but the set was subsequently split into 2 separate volumes, and this is the first of those. Touching on the many styles Adderley played throughout his career, though... read more

Cannonball Adderley recorded this nice little groover in 1962, when American musicans were just getting on the bossa tip, and still keeping things pretty authentic. The record was cut in New York with Sergio Mendes' early Bossa Rio group -- the legendary Brazilian jazz ensemble that featured Paulo... read more

A great lost chapter in the Cannonball/David Axelrod story! The record features Cannon's classic quintet performing some longer, more serious works with orchestral backing -- and the sound is vaguely similar to some of Axelrod's "high concept" work for Capitol. The record features a... read more

Fantastic work from the Cannonball Adderley Quintet -- one of their greatest performances from the seminal early 60s years! The band at this time includes Cannon on alto, Nat on cornet, Victor Feldman on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums -- and although Feldman's not as strong of... read more

One of the greatest Cannonball Adderley albums from the Riverside years -- a completely smoking live date recorded in San Francisco, often with long tracks that really let the group open up and do their thing! The lineup here is that classic one that first grabbed attention -- the group with... read more

A hardbop classic from Cannonball Adderley -- and one of his harder to find albums from the Riverside days! The set has Cannon playing without his usual group, in the context of an all-star batch of players that includes Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb -- who he worked with in his time... read more

A key meeting of Cannonball Adderley and David Axelrod -- and one of the pair's first larger collaborations together! The album features Cannonball solos over larger backings by Oliver Nelson -- with some occasional help from brother Nat Adderley -- all produced with that dark Axelrod edge that we... read more

The title's a bit of a mouthful, but a good description of the way Cannonball was presented in the years before his soul jazz groove firmly kicked in! The "hi fi" is a bit overstated -- as the album's pretty much of a straight jazz record, featuring Cannon blowing lead solos in a large... read more

One of Cannonball Adderley's late funky sessions for Fantasy -- and a record that still features some mighty heavy production from David Axelrod! The album's got that core groove that Axe and Cannon first crafted together at Capitol in the 60s -- but the sound here has some definite 70s touches... read more

If the 60's ever had a "hit" jazz record, it was probably this one! The album's a sparkling live session featuring the trademark soul jazz sounds of the Cannonball Adderley group with Joe Zawinul on acoustic and electric piano, and brother Nat Adderley on cornet. The tracks have a long... read more

Sweet funky 70s work from Cannonball Adderley -- a record that has him revisiting older tunes from his early soul jazz years -- but in ways that give them a whole new electric vibe overall! The album's actually Cannonball's last full studio set, but it's also one of his greatest too -- a very hip... read more

One of the coolest, baddest, funkiest albums Cannonball Adderley ever recorded -- a massive suite of tunes based on the signs of the Zodiac, produced to perfection by David Axelrod, and featuring some hip recitations from the mighty Rick Holmes! The double-length set is completely compelling all... read more

An overlooked album of short soul jazz groovers -- featuring Nat's shimmering cornet in the company of some tight arrangements by Joe Zawinul. The album boasts a number of different groups -- but they're all pretty compact, and they groove along in that pop soul jazz mode that Atlantic was putting... read more

Excellent work from this totally sweet west coast Latin combo -- a wonderful group who mixed Latin percussion with piano and vibes -- in a manner that's similar to some of Cal Tjader's best Verve work of the 60s! Some tracks also make nice use of flute or alto sax -- creating a snakey feel that... read more

Great work by one of the grooviest groups on the LA 60s scene! The Afro Blues Quintet have a blend of soul jazz and Latin styles that's similar to the best 60s work by Cal Tjader, or to records by small combos like the Quartette Tres Bien or The Latin Jazz Quintet. Lots of grooves have a nice... read more

Airto's unique Brazilian fusion style meets the electric funky genius of CTI -- and the result is a killer album of long tracks with a far-reaching jazzy groove! The album takes off a bit from Airto's work with Return To Forever -- no surprise, since Chick Corea and Flora Purim are on the record --... read more

A great little fusion set from Airto -- recorded in a mode that's a great bridge between his acoustic roots and some of his smoother albums in years to come! The sound has some key electric elements here -- bits of bass, guitar, and keyboards -- but there's still a strongly acoustic sound overall... read more

The Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabackin Big Band plays tribute to their experiences on the European scene -- with a well-written set of tracks recorded in big band format. Toshiko takes the lead on "Remembering Bud", a great tune dedicated to the pianist who first inspired her style -- and the... read more

An early masterpiece from the team of Toshiko Akiyoshi and Lew Tabackin -- big band tracks written and arranged by Toshiko, and played to perfection by a group that includes Bobby Shew, Don Rader, Mike Price, Dick Spencer, and the great Gary Foster. Titles include "Opus Number Zero",... read more

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A second great performance from the Akioshi/Tabackin Big Band's performance at Newport in 1977 -- and one we like even more than the first! The sound here is totally great -- hard, focused, and flowing with a magical energy that made this group one of the few large jazz bands to flourish strongly... read more

A great large group project from arranger Manny Albam -- one that teams him up with "jazz greats" of the east coast scene, in a really hard-swinging set of tracks that showcase some wonderful solo work! Manny's working here with a set of players who are well-chosen for their ability to... read more

A cool collection of very unusual grooves from Argentine composer/guitarist Rodolfo Alchourron -- part of a generation of groundbreaking musicians in his homeland that also included Lalo Schifrin and Gato Barbieri -- yet unlike those artists, a talent that never achieved greater global fame! The... read more

A great entry in the Gentle Ballads series from tenorist Eric Alexander -- and a set that's got a lot more force than you'd guess from the title! Sure, the tunes are mostly mellow numbers, but Alexander plays them with a very soulful depth -- blowing beautifully on extended renditions of familiar... read more

One of the lost funky albums on Flying Dutchman -- and a real tough one to find! Harold Alexander plays great flute and soprano sax, and he's joined by Neal Creque, who lays down some excellent soulful piano grooves on this live set from 1972. The record has only 3 tracks -- but they're all... read more

US issue of one of Monty Alexander's great MPS recordings, with his nice groovy piano, cool rhythm lines, and a nice laidback groove. Montego Joe complements Monty's trio on conga, and he gives the set a nice rolling feeling. Tracks include "Montevideo", "Brown Skin Girl", and... read more

Live Monty Alexander set from the mid 70s, featuring his groovy group with Ernest Ranglin on guitar, Eberhard Weber on bass, and Kenny Clare on drums. The bass playing's especially good, and there's lots of nice round funky moments in some of the best tracks. Titles include "Feel Like Making... read more

One of the greatest albums ever from Lorez Alexandria -- an ultra-hip singer who recorded for Impulse and King, but who sounds especially wonderful on this rare date for Chess Records! The album's got a groove that definitely lives up to its title -- a jazzy, bouncy sort of rhythm that's... read more

The second album by this excellent all-female San Francisco jazz combo -- a live date that's even more cooking than their debut! As before, there's a sweetly breezy style to the record -- that hip SF sound of the 70s -- with echoes of Braziliana and soul amidst the group's jazzier leanings -- all... read more

With Allen on trumpet, Sammy Price on piano, Benny Moten on bass, and George Reed on drums.... read more

One of Mose's best early albums -- even though he hardly gets a chance to sing on it! The album features some great work by Allison's trio of the time -- Addison Farmer on bass and Ronnie Free on drums -- simple piano-driven groovers, performed with a slight gutbuckety approach, and lots of sweet... read more

An excellent album of funky jazz -- arranged and conducted by British organ and sax player Johnny Arnold -- but also featuring some incredible work from an assortment of west coast soul jazz players that include Charles Kynard, Curtis Amy, Hadley Caliman, and Vi Redd! As the title kind of implies,... read more

Jug's big and bad here in tone -- and the style is nicely complicated at times -- a bit more open-ended and electric than before, with a sound that's almost like the shift that Stanley Turrentine was making during his years at CTI! There's still a bit of the previous Prestige funk in the mix --... read more

A soul jazz classic from Gene Ammons -- the kind of session that easy made him "boss" on tenor -- with a tone and conception that few other players could touch! The set is done in a style that's laidback, but never too loose -- bouncing along in that "with conga" style of... read more

Gene Ammons gets the Cannonball Adderley treatment -- as he blows funky solos over an album arranged and conducted by David Axelrod! Brasswind has a larger, fuller funky sound than some of his earlier work for Prestige -- and it works very well! The overall sound's a bit smoother, but Axelrod's... read more

Dang! Poor Gene Ammons kept getting stuck with albums that had titles which referenced his prison time! Fortunately, the quality of this one's good enough to live past the stupid name -- and the record has Gene blowing with a larger group of west coast soul jazz players, arranged by Bobby Bryant,... read more

Gene Ammons has some pretty hip friends here -- a roster of talent that includes guest appearances by hornmen Cannonball Adderley, Dexter Gordon, and Nat Adderley on one long jam number -- plus Hampton Hawes on electric piano on the entire set! The work's done in a laidback, long-blowing way --... read more

A more laidback set than usual from Ammons' early 70s stretch on Prestige -- but a record that nicely gets back to that big-toned tenor sound he used often on ballads from earlier years! The combo mixes both electric piano and organ -- the former from Hank Jones, the latter from Ernie Hayes -- and... read more

Ahhhh . . . The Jam Session years of Gene Ammons! This album was one of a number that Jug cut for Prestige during the mid 50s, all excellent examples of how perfectly the label's "blowing session" style could work when it wanted to. The set takes Ammons' tenor, and groups it with an... read more

Bad Bossa Nova is right -- as Gene Ammons really hits a great groove here -- one that's not exactly bossa, but which has lots of Latin and tropical touches! The session makes great use of 2 guitars at the same time -- using that of Kenny Burrell for soulful rhythm, but also adding in Bucky... read more

Classic blowing session material from Jug -- with 4 long tracks that are all a superb example of how great Prestige could be when they wanted to! The group is filled with great players -- Jackie McLean, Mal Waldron, Idrees Sulieman, and Kenny Burrell -- and the band plays with a free easy groove... read more

A nice little album -- featuring some of the sides that Gene Ammons cut "off contract" for Chess/Argo during the early 60s, and ones that feature him paired with Sonny Stitt, his longtime partner in legendary tenor battles from the 50s. The two horns aren't really locked in combat here,... read more

A definite soul summit for the time -- with 3 top-shelf players in the lead, all getting plenty of room to do their thing! Both Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt are on tenor in the front, working with the respect and confidence they'd forged together on other co-led sessions from the time -- and Jack... read more

One of the best albums ever by Curtis Amy, and a tasty live set recorded during the period when he was beginning to steep himself in Coltrane influences, and stretch out his tenor sound a bit. The album's also notable for being an early appearance on wax by Roy Ayers, who is incorrectly listed in... read more

Great LA soul jazz session featuring the deep Texas tenor of Curtis Amy and the funky organ of Paul Bryant! Also present is Roy Brewster, the great, under-recorded LA valve trombonist, whose playing here gives the session a nice round bottom. 5 long cuts, with earthy, bluesy solos, and a very... read more

Incredible sounds from the team of Paul and Limpe Fuchs -- a record that's filled with unusual improvisations on a variety of instruments -- including some of the pair's own creations! The record's much more outside than most of the German generation of the time -- proggish in its sonic approach,... read more

Hard swinging big band material from Sweden -- featuring the big band of Harry Arnold arranged by Quincy Jones. Quincy had been spending a lot of time in Sweden during the mid 50s -- bringing with him a host of great players that would soon become big names on the European scene. Biggest of these... read more

One of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago's all-time classics! If you've ever bought an Art Ensemble album and said "Hmm, what's all the fuss about?", get this one. It'll change your mind. The band is in perfect form -- and hits an incredible blend of free thinking modernism and soulful... read more

Beautiful work from the Art Ensemble -- and one of their undisputed classics! The record features some of the most perfectly realized moments the band ever cut to wax, with a blend of whimsical multi-instrumental improvisation, and a strong sense of the spiritual tradition in jazz. The album... read more

Although Dorothy Ashby cut a number of funky groovy records for the Cadet/Argo label at the end of the 60s, this was her first early effort for the label -- and it's a much straighter album of jazz, although still quite nice. The setting is one of the sparest for Dorothy's early records -- and it... read more

Great stuff by the grooviest artist ever to play a harp! Dorothy Ashby had a unique soul jazz harp sound, and although the instrument she used is probably more thought of in terms of bedtime lullabies, she actually makes it swing nicely, and with a soulful sound that draws back to traditions of... read more

Jazz harpist Dorothy Ashby has always had one of the most unusual sounds around -- and even though it might sound a bit crazy at first, her mix of harp playing with tight jazzy backing is always a winning combination. This early album has Ms Ashby playing with a groovy little combo that includes... read more

The third album from Brian Auger & The Trinity -- and the first to feature the group recording without vocals from Julie Driscoll! The sound here is just as soulful as before -- a tight take on American soul jazz and funky soul of the 60s -- pushed along by Auger's mighty work on the Hammond... read more

One of David Axelrod's oddest records, but still a darn great one! The whole album is sort of a concept album about slavery (hence the title "The Auction"), and it has some spiritual political vocals on a number of tracks -- but underneath is the usual great funky instrumentation of... read more

A beautiful document of a magical musical moment -- one of the few live performances ever of the work of David Axelrod -- a concert that's presented here in a special vinyl package! Axelrod's 60s albums are the stuff of legend -- orchestral efforts with a funky undercurrent, and longtime favorites... read more

High concept work from David Axelrod -- and following on the same progression that he began with his work for the Electric Prunes, and on some of his Capitol work. The record's a version of Handel's Messiah, but it's done with all the right Axelrod touches -- plenty of subdued funk, nice jazzy... read more

A masterpiece! This is one of David Axelrod's most perfectly realized albums -- and it's a brilliant batch of baroque arrangements, jazzy solos, and slightly subtle funky bits! The album contains the much-sampled song "Holy Thursday", but the whole thing has a very similar feel to that... read more

A really great little album from Roy Ayers -- titled after a famous 60s pop hit, but with a much hipper feel than you'd expect! The group on the album features modernist soul jazz musicians like Herbie Hancock, Gary Bartz, Charles Tolliver, and Hubert Laws -- all of whom work nicely with Roy on... read more

A really great little album from Roy Ayers -- titled after a famous 60s pop hit, but with a much hipper feel than you'd expect! The group on the album features modernist soul jazz musicians like Herbie Hancock, Gary Bartz, Charles Tolliver, and Hubert Laws -- all of whom work nicely with Roy on... read more

A great set of straight jazz from Roy, recorded for Atlantic, and with a feel that's a lot edgier than some of his other work from the time! The groups on the record feature some of the hippest soul jazz players of the time -- including Charles Tolliver, Jack Wilson, Joe Henderson, Harold Land,... read more

A great set of straight jazz from Roy, recorded for Atlantic, and with a feel that's a lot edgier than some of his other work from the time! The groups on the record feature some of the hippest soul jazz players of the time -- including Charles Tolliver, Jack Wilson, Joe Henderson, Harold Land,... read more

Proof that Azymuth were one of the few groups who could keep things real at a time when most of their fusion contemporaries were sounding cloying and commercial! The album's got a well-rounded sound that really shows the group's roots in the 70s, and their wonderful evolution over the years --... read more

Proof that Azymuth were one of the few groups who could keep things real at a time when most of their fusion contemporaries were sounding cloying and commercial! The album's got a well-rounded sound that really shows the group's roots in the 70s, and their wonderful evolution over the years --... read more

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Heavy duty hardbop -- and the rarest of Dave Bailey's sides for Epic! The record grooves as massively as his One and Two Feet In the Gutter albums, and it was recorded with a similar lineup that includes Horace Parlan on piano, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Charlie Rouse on tenor, and Clark Terry on... read more

Chet's only session for Columbia, arranged in conjunction with the Pacific Jazz label -- which seems strange for some reason, because Baker hardly needed to move to a big label, given his success on the LA indie scene. Still, Richard Bock and the Pacific Jazz crew are firmly in place here -- and... read more

A classic album of vocal tracks from Chet Baker -- working here with a core group that features piano by Russ Freeman and flute by Bud Shank -- plus additional arrangements on some tracks by the likes of Johnny Mandel, Marty Paich, and Frank Campo. The album's classic Chet all the way through --... read more

Searing live work from Gato Barbieri -- a brilliant little album that follows on the spirit of his other Latin America sessions for Impulse! The format here is similar to those studio outings -- an organic blend of percussion, keyboards, and sax -- all bubbling together in a highly rhythmic mode... read more

A far reaching late 70s set from Gato Barbieri -- a record that blends fusiony jazz funk, lush stings, and Latin rhythms and fluid solos on a varied batch of tunes! One of the more interesting things about the production is that those varied approaches often come into play within the same tunes --... read more

Excellent lost funky work from Italy! The Barigozzi Group were one of these obscure little combos that churned out tight funky tracks for bigger outfits -- very much in the style of I Gres, Marc 4, or some of the other great Italian groups that are being discovered lately. Their strength was a... read more

Later work from Charlie Barnet, but a set that really cooks nicely overall -- still with the strong sax tones of earlier years, but also with a groovier sort of sparkle that marks the 60s date of the session! The tunes are short, but Charlie gets plenty of space to do his thing -- leading off... read more

Sweet electric keys from Kenny Barron -- and one of our favorite 70s albums by him! The record has Kenny playing electric on most of the set -- working with musicians that include Sonny Fortune, Buster Williams, Jimmy Owens, and Ben Riley to craft long tunes that are warmly spiritual and deeply... read more

One of Kenny's best albums from the 70s -- a moody set of piano tracks -- both electric and acoustic -- that features backing by Ted Dunbar, David Williams, Sonny Morgan, and Albert Heath. Most of the tracks have a very nice warm 70's soul jazz sound -- laidback, but exploratory and always opening... read more

Amazing, simply amazing! The record is one of the first that Gary Bartz ever cut -- done during a time when he'd been working with Max Roach and a super-hip group of younger soul jazz players who would go onto shape the sound of the 70s. Bartz leads a group that includes Stanley Cowell, Freddy... read more

A rare treat by Gary Bartz -- and very different than most of his other work! The album's a small group session -- with Charles Mims on piano, Curtis Robertson on bass, and Howard King on drums -- recorded with the feel of a looser soul jazz set on Black Jazz or Strata East. Mims' is great on... read more

Very righteous material from Gary Bartz -- and one of his classic NTU Troop albums, with Andy Bey on vocals and electric piano, and the great Stafford James playing some mighty heavy bass! The tracks are nice and long, with a very soulful sound that mixes freer spiritual playing with a good sense... read more

A fantastic bit of jazz funk fusion -- and one of the landmark 70s albums produced by Larry Mizell! This is Gary Bartz's second (and most amazing) collaboration with Larry Mizell -- and more proof that Mr. M was a genius in the studio who could completely transform anyone's sound into a complex... read more

One of the last Gary Bartz albums for Prestige -- and a really unique session with a different feel than some of his earlier work! Gary's still got plenty of angular funk in his sound here -- thanks to some edgey keyboards from Hubert Eaves -- but he's also tightened things up a bit without... read more

Basie picks his own set of "winners" -- tracks pulled from the pop charts, and re-arranged by Billy Byers to give them the true Basie touch! The set features a number of 60s standards, plus a few older tunes -- all performed in a warm, buoyant tone that was every bit the best side of the... read more

Pretty groovy stuff, actually -- although it's probably not classic Basie from a "jazz" perspective. The record should be thought of more as a hip instrumental album -- kind of in the jaunty 60s groovy mode -- but one done with some great players, and put together with excellent... read more

One of the lesser-remembered Basie sessions for Roulette -- but one of the best ones too! The album follows nicely in the "dance" style of Basie's earlier albums for Clef -- by offering a set of work that was typical of that the group might have performed on one of their more popular... read more

A great little set -- despite our initial fears! We'll admit that we're the first ones to shy away from anything that says "Kansas City" in the title -- as we expect a lot of hoke -- but this album's a surprisingly great batch of tunes, original numbers written by Benny Carter in honor... read more

Breakfast Dance & Barbecue? Our stomachs are growling already! The album's a great little live set from Basie -- recorded at the Americana Hotel in Miami at 2 in the morning -- featuring an all-star late 50s Basie group with Freddie Green, Sonny Payne, Frank Foster, Frank Wess, Joe Newman,... read more

A rare 1970 set from Italian tenorist Gianni Basso -- a set that's easily one of the greatest examples of his talents we've ever heard! Basso's tone on tenor is amazing -- blown with a sense of freedom that's breathtaking, with odd phrasings and voicings that are extremely personal -- almost in... read more

European jazz sweetness from Gianni Basso and his excellent quartet of Italian scene players -- a masterful early 80s set with real warmth, and a timeless elegance! Basso's ear for classic small combo jazz serves him incredible well on these recordings, with an easy going, but no less... read more

Bossa jazz, done Italian style -- handled here by two wonderful leaders in a groove that's as laidback as it is soulful! Tenorist Gianno Basso sounds beautiful here -- gliding gracefully across flowing rhythms that offer a really unique take on the bossa -- quite spacious at points, and with a... read more

Trad tracks from Sidney -- recorded for Blue Note during the years 1951 and 1953, and originally issued on 10" LPs. Players include Sidney De Paris, Pops Foster, Don Kirkpatrick, and Jimmy Archey -- and titles include "Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gave To Me", "That's A Plenty"... read more

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Drummer Louis Bellson definitely sounds brilliant here -- kicking his large group into full gear with the same sort of energy he brought to dates with famous leaders in the postwar years! All tunes are short, and pretty upbeat -- driven strongly by the drums, and featuring arrangements by Bellson,... read more

Pretty mellow stuff from George Benson, but with some nice moments! Don Sebesky handled the arrangements for this set of larger backings -- but Benson's guitar is right out front, hitting some super-dope lines at the best moments, stretching out from the warm Fender Rhodes or horn heavy backings. ... read more

A sweet 70s collection of late 60s work from George Benson -- tracks recorded in 1968 for Verve, originally from the albums Giblet Gravy and Goodies! The set list here really does a great job of picking out the best numbers -- the kind of clean, lean tunes that were pushing Benson from his soul... read more

Yipes! This one made everyone a bucket of money -- especially Quincy Jones, whose new Qwest imprint the record was one of the first to grace. George has come a long way from his roots with Jack McDuff here -- but in a way that kind of has us impressed, as he's grooving away slickly on guitar,... read more

Sweet 70s funk from George Benson -- an album that's a bit smoother than some of his earlier work, but still free from the commercial polish of his later hits! Maestro David Matthews is at the helm for this session -- and most numbers have a full backing from players who include some of the best... read more

Includes "Hey Girl", "Nassau Day", "Livin Inside Your Love", "Welcome Into My World", "Before You Go", "Unchained Melody", "Love Ballad", "Prelude To Fall", and "Soulful Strut".... read more