Jazz — In Stock — LPs  

With Abercrombie on guitars, Richie Beirach on piano, George Mraz on bass, and Peter Donald on drums.... read more

A wonderful album from Muhal – with all the soulful spiritualness of his best 70s work, more stripped down than later orchestrated efforts, and with a gentler more intimate approach than earlier work. The set is mostly solo piano – although Abrams also plays some occasional percussion... read more

A tremendous step forward for the young Muhal Richard Abrams – a set that still shows his early roots in the AACM, but which also blossoms with some of his more serious compositional efforts to come! There's a sensitivity here that really stands out – even among Abrams' contemporaries... read more

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Wickedly hip work from Cannonball Adderley – and one of his real standout sessions for Capitol Records in the 60s! The set lives up to its "Africa" promise right from the very first note – and features a set of loud, proud tunes that really bring out the righteous sounds of... 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... 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... read more

An early album that features Adderley's beautifully edgey alto sliding nicely through a set of standards conducted by Richard Hayman. The album's not as strikingly emotive as other Verve "with strings"outings – such as the Charlie Parker & Strings sessions – but it is a... read more

An interesting early side by Cannonball that captures him before he'd really found his voice – and when the folks at Mercury still didn't really know what to do with him. The record's a tightly arranged set of tracks from Duke Ellington's musical "Jump For Joy" – with... read more

Excellent live set from the early 70's, featuring George Duke, Airto, Ernie Watts, and brother Nat. David Axelrod produced, and the LP's got that nice hard funky sound that he did so well during his stint with Cannonball. Includes the 12 minute groover "The Brakes", plus "Oh... read more

A swingin' Japanese concert by one of Cannonball's best groups from the 60's. Joe Zawinul's on piano, brother Nat's on cornet, Sam Jones is on bass, and Louis Hayes is on drums. But the real treat here is Yusef Lateef, who does some excellent reed work on tenor, flute, and oboe – and who's... read more

One of the all-time great ones by Cannonball! This record captures him in the prime of his early soul jazz fame – working with an unbelievably heavy quintet that featured Bobby Timmons on piano (with Barry Harris sitting in on a few tracks), Sam Jones on bass, Louis Hayes on drums, and... read more

Bossa madness – and a really hard to find pressing of this album! 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... read more

A gem of a record from Nat Adderley – filled with short soulful groovers, and done with an upbeat vibe that rivals some of Cannonball's best of the 60s! Joe Zawinul handled the arrangements, so there's definitely a strong influence here from the Cannon group – and although the players... read more

Nat plays with a group that's a bit more far-reaching than the classic Cannonball funk ensembles he cut his teeth on. Players include Ken McIntyre, Onaje Allen Gumbs, and John Stubblefield, and the tracks have a bit more of a spiritual quality to them, although they are not without some of the... 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... 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

A great 4-part suite that rivals any of Manny Albam's other sessions from the time – including Jazz Greats Of Our Time, or Jazz New York. The tracks here are all quite long, and done in a bluesy mode that gives the album a bit more soul than usual for Albam – making great use of solos... read more

A wonderful little session from Manny Albam – one that continues the strong tradition of larger group jazz arranging he began in the 60s, but which takes it to an even deeper level! Manny composed the entire set as kind of a "city suite" in jazz – one that paints the picture... read more

An unusual group – with a piano quartet that features Dick Marx, Eddie Costa, Hank Jones, and Johnny Costa!... read more

The cover of this one makes it look like a no-name leaderless session, but this one actually features some great work by some very hip players! Half the album features vibist Teddy Charles leading a group of modernists that includes Hal McKusick, Frank Socolow, Bill Russon, Bob Brookmeyer, Mal... 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

Easily one of the best of Monty Alexander's early albums – and a nicely-grooving set of soul jazz numbers with a bouncy, bass-y finish! The core group on most of the set features Paul Humphrey on drums and Victor Gaskin on bass – but a few cuts have some added guitar, used mostly for... read more

Mellow warmth from the great Monty Alexander – one of his best for MPS, and a trio set cut with Senator Eugene Wright on bass and Bobby Durham on drums! The roundness of Wright's bass makes the best cuts on the album even better – as he rolls around with a subtle sense of soul that... read more

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A stone classic from Gene Ammons – and a record that introduced his talents to a whole new audience in the 60s! The album's a more laidback one than some of Jug's more hard-blown honkers – as you might guess from his hit rendition of the ballad in the title – and the... read more

One of the great records that Jug made for Prestige after he got out of the jug at the end of the 60's. George Freeman's on guitar, and his playing is positively smokin'. Harold Mabern plays piano and electric piano, and Idris Muhammad's on drums. With the funky cut "The Black Cat"... read more

Way more than just an album with Gene Ammons as a leader – and instead, a set that truly earns the "all stars" listed on the cover – thanks to a great array of supporting players, and a very loose, open-ended jam session style that lets everyone get in plenty of solo space! ... read more

One of Gene Ammons' classics from the 60s, and a straight ahead session of soul jazz tenor and piano, with drums by Art Taylor and a bit of extra conga from Ray Barretto. Nice rolling 60's soul jazz groove, and some nice piano comping behind Jug by Patti Brown and Walter Bishop Jr. Tracks include... 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... read more

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More proof that the Prestige blowing session style worked perfectly for Gene Ammons – as he's right at home on the album's long relaxed tracks, cut in the company of expert players like Art Farmer, Jackie McLean, Duke Jordan, and Art Taylor. Candido's also along for most of the ride, giving... read more

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A real turning point in the career of Gene Ammons – a record that almost returns Ammons to his earthier roots, and in the process helps build up a whole new sound in soul jazz for the 60s! The "Jug" nickname in the title is kind of a joking way to help Ammons stand alongside "M... read more

Nice and cool, but not in a west coast way – and instead a set that's got Gene Ammons working some wonderfully soulful magic on a set of gentle ballads! The set's got a brilliant late nite sort of feel – one of those tenor albums that seems to sound even better in the space past... read more

Beautiful beautiful work from tenorist Gene Ammons – and an album that really demonstrates that during the 60s, one of Ammons' strongest suits was his work with a mellow tune or ballad! The tracks here are wonderfully laidback, but never sleepy – very soulful, and solidly put together... read more

A great little session by Jug – cut after the late 50s blowing session years, and with a much tighter sound that's very much in the pocket! The record features two groups – one with Walter Bishop, Art Davis, and Art Taylor; the other with Patti Brown, George Duvivier, and Taylor... read more

These two tenor giants meet in the period slightly before Ammons death, and they're grouped with some of the younger funky players on Prestige, like Leon Spencer, Idris Muhammad, and George Freeman. The sound is fairly traditional, but there's some nice funky moments. Tracks include "Out Of... read more

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Nice and rarely seen trio side from under-recorded Chicago pianist Anderson. He plays here with Bill Lee and either Walter Perkins or Philly Joe Jones on drums, in a trio that made the core of the rhythm section on Frank Strozier's excellent Jazzland date, Long Night. The group is in fine form... read more

Spare set of moody out pieces, played by a trio that includes Andrews on reeds, Nana Vasconcelos on percussion, and Nat Adderley Jr. on piano – adding a surprisingly nice sound to the album. Titles include "Vamos Para Casa", "Danca Das Kashala E Sarhanna", and "Um... read more

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Interesting stuff, if not the kind of record you'd put on every day. The album's an interview with Louis Armstrong's wife Lil, and she talks at length about her famous days in the early years of jazz. Segments include "The Young Louis", "Early Life In Chicago", "Return To... read more

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A key album in the career of Louis Armstrong – one that helped him forge the fourth or fifth great comeback in his career! As you'd guess by the title, the album's built around Louis' hit version of "Hello Dolly" – sung in a mode that at one level stretches back to his roots... read more

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Some consider this the worst point in Louis' career – when he was singing odd pop material for Decca, and had really left his jazz roots behind. We don't think it's that bad, though – and the album's got a wonderfully playful style that shows what a great entertainer Louis could be... read more

Music from the film of the same name – with some extracts from the film, too!... read more

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One of the last live appearances by Louis Armstrong – presented here in a really charming little album, issued in a small pressing by The National Press Club! The album's a great document of all the Armstrong charms in one package – as Louis talks as much as he plays – telling... read more

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A very soulful batch of fusion tracks from drummer Horacee Arnold – here leading a group that includes reed talents Billy Harper and Joe Farrell, percussionist Ralph McDonald, guitarist Ralph Towner, and Dave Friedman on vibes and percussion. Tracks are long and spiralling, with a spiritual... read more

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A brilliant jazz rock jammer from Brian Auger – recorded here with a bit more effects than usual, in a nicely tripped-out way that makes us forgive the vocals and really get into the grooves of the tunes! The group seems even tighter than ever – but never too slick or rocking –... 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... read more

Soaring organ work from Brian Auger's Oblivion Express – and arguably the greatest album he ever cut with this post-Trinity group! The sound here is clean and lean – with Brian himself on a mix of organ, piano, and moog – really hitting a nice jazz funk mode that drops some of... read more

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One of a few records cut by this surprisingly popular Australian group – temporary ex-pats to the US scene, featuring Errol Buddle on tenor and Bryce Rhode on piano, two of the country's greatest jazz players of the 50s and 60s. Given the sympatico between the Aussie and LA mode of the 50s... read more

The last of Azymuth's LPs before Jose Roberto Bertrami left, only to rejoin the group about a decade later. The group's still in fine form here, playing everything from breezy Brazilian jazz and fusion , to some acoustic jazz numbers, and as always, Bertrami's work on the keys is fluid and bright.... read more

Warmly mellow grooves from Azymuth – a set that nicely lives up to the "Flame" in the title – and which shows the strengths the trio picked up during their years in the US! The sound here is round and soulful – a great fusion of the group's roots in the 70s Brazilian... read more

Titles include "Up In A Tree", "Yonder In Molon", "Midsummer Eve", "Far Away Star", and "Loves Me Loves Me Not".... read more

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A hard-jamming bit of jazz rock – with lots of free solo work on alto and soprano sax by Ron Aspery, and a pretty strong power-trio instrumental format from Tony Hicks on drums and Colin Hodgkinson on bass. The album's more jamming than it is funky, but there's some pretty great playing on... read more

A nice set from these latter day Detroit free music explorers, with a spiritual vibe and a varied approach to improvisation that isn't afraid to groove at moments, but also involves some nice textural dynamic playing in a very post AACM mode. Anthony Holland plays reeds, Tani Tabal tablas and trap... read more

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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 –... read more

Bold work from Charlie Barnet – packaged in a cover with great graphics too!... read more

Quite an unusual record from New Orleans R&B legend Dave Bartholomew – arranger, producer, and trumpeter – coming off here with more of a jazz sound than on his usual records! Despite the "New Orleans" and "House Party" in the title, the album's actually set of... 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'... read more

A great 80s date – with Bartz on alto, Butch Lacy on piano, Clint Houston on bass, and Billy Hart on drums – a really great rhythm trio who help Gary soar on tunes that include "Samuel", "Never Never Land", "Monsoon", and "Uncle Bubba".... read more

A really wonderful back to basics session for Basie – featuring arrangements by longtime band members Frank Foster, Erick Dixon, Bobby Plater, and Thad Jones! The set also features vocals on 2 tracks by bluesy vocalist Richard Boone – a singer with a really great scatting approach... read more

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A very handsome collection of Count Basie material for Roulette – easily some of our favorite Basie recordings ever!... read more

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Basie hits the hits of the 50s and early 60s – working here with some tight Billy Byers arrangements that really help transform the tunes! The groove is upbeat, bright, and brilliantly soulful – that punctuated Basie groove first formed when Neal Hefti was with the group, still carried... read more

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Live material recorded in Germany in the early 70s – also featuring Eddie Lockjaw Davis on tenor and Al Grey on trombone!... read more

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Nice bit of funky fusion with production by Wayne Henderson. Roland Bautista plays electric guitar, and does a bit of singing, but a number of tracks also feature vocals by Side Effect, who were also recording with Wayne Henderson at the time. The LP includes the excellent Latin groover "Vida... read more

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Sidney Bechet and Wild Bill Davison wailing together in one of Bechet's classic 10" albums for Blue Note – a session that also features Art Hodes, Joe Sullivan, Jimmy Archey, and Claude Luter.... read more

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