Jazz -- In Stock -- LPs  

A rare all-instrumental outing from Bobby Troup -- best known for his work as a singer and songwriter at the time! But like a number of Bobby's contemporaries on the male vocal scene, Troup was equally well-skilled at handling the keys -- no doubt because he'd frequently be called to accompany... read more

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A rare recording of Joe Daley's trio with Same Rivers and Warren Smith, and as you might guess from the lineup, the group's name is a bit of a misnomer: there's only 1 tuba, not 3. This is the second volume of a three volume set of live recordings made in Amsterdam, 1976. In spite of the weighty... read more

A contemporary jazz set from Italy -- but one that's filled with all the classic elements that have been grooving that scene since the 60s! At some level, the album's a tribute to the genius of the Clarke Boland Bands -- both big and small -- as drummer Lorenzo Tucci reprises some of the group's... read more

Mickey Tucker's a pianist who always gets our attention, and we love him best of all in a group with horns -- as you'll find on this album for Muse! The set's got a really soulful sense of swing -- some of Tucker's far-reaching ideas from other records, but also occasionally a more in the pocket... read more

Mickey Tucker's a pianist who always gets our attention, and we love him best of all in a group with horns -- as you'll find on this album for Muse! The set's got a really soulful sense of swing -- some of Tucker's far-reaching ideas from other records, but also occasionally a more in the pocket... read more

One of Stanley Turrentine's most obscure sessions for Blue Note -- a rare trio side featuring Roy Brooks on drums, and wife Shirley Scott on organ -- billed on the original album cover as "Little Miss Cott"! The feel here is a bit more open than usual -- no bassist on the set, just Roy's... read more

Stanley blows it sweet, mellow, and soulfully -- in this wonderful post-CTI session from the 70s! The set features some swirling larger arrangements from Gene Page -- done with a bit of the CTI sound lurking in the mix, but also a more complicated groove that almost takes on soundtrack-like... read more

Stan the Man's at the top of his game here -- working with full backings from Wade Marcus, but still rich and creative on his solos! There's few other players who can match Turrentine in this setting -- as Stan always steps out from the larger arrangements and brings his best to the forefront --... read more

A very successful album for Blue Note -- and one that took the searing tenor sax of Stanley Turrentine and backed it with some boldly soulful arrangements from Oliver Nelson! Nelson was perfect at this sort of session -- able to provide full backings that infused the record with energy, yet never... read more

A rare non-Blue Note 60s date as a leader from Stanley Turrentine -- recorded for Impluse when his (then) wife Shirley Scott was contracted to the label -- and featuring the talents of both players on some very groovy tracks! The quartet features both Stan's tenor and Shirley's Hammond -- with... read more

A key album in Stanley Turrentine's catalog from the pre-CTI years -- a set that has Turrentine mixing his soulful tenor with some larger orchestrations -- but always in a wonderful way that's still filled with plenty of life, love, and a real jazz sensibility! The sound's a great precursor to the... read more

A great album -- with a really swinging groove! Stanley's soulful horn is set in a slightly larger group, in the style that would dominate his later years for the Blue Note label. Duke Pearson arranged the set, and players include James Spaulding, Blue Mitchell, Grant Green, Pepper Adams, and... read more

An amazing album from Stanley Turrentine -- quite different than most of his other sessions for CTI, but in a really great way! Stan's playing here with arrangements from Deodato -- in a swirling, Brazilian jazz influenced mode that's similar to their work together with Astrud Gilberto on her CTI... read more

Stanley Turrentine's no spoiler here -- as his tenor sax soars out over the top of some sweet larger group arrangements from Duke Pearson -- all awash in a great sense of soul, joy, and life! The album's got a much brighter feel than you might guess from the cover -- a vibe that's a bit similar to... read more

One of the best Stanley Turrentine albums ever! This hard-wailing set is from the early days of Stan's time at Blue Note -- and like his best early sides for that label, this one has him blowing with an edgey tone that rarely ever surfaced in his later, sweeter recordings. Stan's got a sound here... read more

A slightly different version of the album Flipped -- A lost bit of Stanley Turrentine funky work -- recorded between his years at Blue Note and his time at CTI, and nearly lost to the pages of history! Despite the obscurity, though, the album's a great one -- done with these short stomping sort of... read more

A collection of tracks that Stanley Turrentine recorded for CTI during his best stretch of the 70s -- when he was changing his style from more traditional soul jazz to the warm mellow sound that scored him some big hits during the decade. The set features an incredible reading of "Vera... read more

During the early 60s, Blue Note wisely cut a number of sessions that took advantage of their soulful in-house rhythm trio The Three Sounds. The group recorded more than a few successful albums under their own name -- but they also did a few great records that feature them backing up a more famous... read more

Surprisingly sensitive work from French pianist Francois Tusques -- a player we often know from much more bombastic sessions, captured here in a beautiful solo date recorded at his home! Tusques is still extremely creative here -- lots of the modern elements that always make his music so striking -... read more

One of the best ESP sessions from the mid 60s -- and a startling album of avant tracks from Charles Tyler, and his group that included Henry Grimes, Charles Moffet, Joe Friedman, and a young Ronald Jackson. Moffet plays vibes on the session, and combines with Friedman's cello and Grimes' bass, the... read more

One of Tyner's great searching mid 70s sides. This si the sort of record we used to take for granted from coming across it often enough to ignore it, but once we dropped the needle, we find ourselves returning to it often. Featuring a quintet with then younger progressive players like Azar... read more

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A really mindblowing session from McCoy Tyner -- perfectly titled "Expansions" to showcase the change in his style at the time! The record is one of Tyner's first larger group efforts -- and is a brilliant example of the expansion of his talents in the post-Coltrane years -- a searing,... read more

A strong live set from the end of the 70s -- one that shows the culmination of McCoy Tyner's work within larger concept settings, a format that he'd been exploring thoroughly since the passing of his old leader, John Coltrane. The ensemble here is quite strong -- with George Adams and Joe Ford on... read more

A bit of a change for McCoy Tyner -- but a set that's every bit as righteous as his other classics from the 70s! The lineup here is slightly different -- with John Blake's violin playing a strong role in the sound, and lots of percussion from Guilherme Franco giving the set an almost Latin vibe at... read more

Brilliant work by McCoy Tyner -- an album that has him firmly stepping out of the shadow of Coltrane with a sound influenced by the rising Afro-centric style of soul jazz to emerge in the 70s! The group on the set is a quartet with Bobby Hutcherson on vibes -- and the mixture of Hutcherson's vibes... read more

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A nice 70s trio side with Tyner's lyrical, spiraling piano lines nicely underpinned by Elvin Jones' polyrhythms and Ron Carter's supple bass. Three Tyner originals: "Celstial Chant", "Elvin (Sir) Jones" and "Land Of The Lonely", plus Trane's "Impressions",... read more

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One of our favorite Ulmer records, probably because there's a nice groove running underneath most of the numbers, in a sort of post-Prime Time 80s out-funk sort of way. It never drops into a flat out back beat, but there's always some sense of time, while Ulmer's guitar and Charles Burnham's... read more

An amazing set of modern jazz -- penned by Italian film composer Piero Umiliani, but also played by a very hip group headed by a young Gato Barbieri! Although Gato's probably best known for his late 60s appearances on the American scene, and his 70s dates for Impulse and Flying Dutchman -- his... read more

Plenty of darkness here from Phil Upchurch -- those great tones and notes he worked so well back in the 70s -- all with that near-perfect quality that made him one of the most in-demand players of his day! The style here is a bit different than some of Phil's previous work in Chicago -- as the set... read more

Features Upchurch on guitar, Brandon Fields on saxes, Bobby Lyle on piano, Brian Bromberg on bass, and Harvey Mason on drums.... read more

An incredible album from one of the greatest talents on the Chicago soul scene of the late 60s -- guitarist Phil Upchurch, a player with an amazing sound! Phil could work in worlds that were equal parts soul and psychedelia -- making his guitar a perfect accompaniment for the best Chicago soul of... read more

One of the most soulful albums ever recorded for the Kudu label -- and one of the few full LP releases to feature vocal work by Chicago soul singer Tennyson Stephens! Tennyson's working here with Phil Upchurch, the legendary Chicago guitar player whose talents graced countless soul, jazz, and funk... read more

Sweet funky fusion from Michal Urbaniak -- one of the few people who could ever make us like the violin in jazz! Of course, part of the reason for that is the Michal's also pretty darn great on the keyboards -- which almost dominate this set, and certainly have an influence on the way he plays the... read more

Michal Urbaniak's third Fusion set for Columbia -- very fittingly titled, considering what a huge influence his playing had on the genre! The album's a very tight batch of groovers -- soaring and spacious, but never overindulgent -- sometimes featuring scatting vocals by wife Urszula Dudziak, and... read more

A beautiful live set from Michal Urbaniak's legendary Constellation group -- one of the most important fusion combos in the Eastern European scene of the 70s, and a groundbreaking ensemble that also featured his wife Urszula Dudziak on vocals! There's an approach here that's a bit freer than on... read more

A fantastic tribute to the great Polish soundtrack composer Krzysztof Komeda -- recorded in 1972 for MPS records by a group of Eastern European modernists that were among some of his closest associates! Players include the great trumpeter Tomasz Stanko, who also plays piano on the set; Michael... read more

Pretty wild stuff from Michal Urbaniak -- a mixture of hard-jamming fusion tracks and some funkier numbers, performed with a group that also includes Urszula Dudziak scatting away nicely on vocals! There's also some nice keyboards and electric percussion on the set -- all of which makes for once... read more

A beautiful 70s session from Italian jazz legends Dino Piana and Oscar Valdambrini -- the latter of whom is best known for his cooking 60s sets in the Basso-Valdambrini combo, but who sounds quite different here! Given that Piana plays trombone and Valdambrini plays trumpet, there's a nicely... read more

Very groovy sounds from Art Van Damme -- hip small combo instrumentals, done with a very jazzy sound! Art's accordion is in the lead on most numbers -- and titles include "Diane", "Star Eyes", "A La Mode", "How About You", "I'm Shooting High",... read more

Surprising (but lucky!) reissue of this great lost album of funky organ grooves, originally recorded by Earl Van Dyke for Motown's Soul subsidiary. The groove is very hard and funky, with organ instrumental renditions of tracks like "Cissy Strut" and "Thank You Falletinme Be Mice... read more

One of Vaughan's nice jazz sides from the 50s on EmArcy, but cut with slightly larger backing, almost in the vein of some here concurrent pop oriented work at the Mercury parent label during the same time. Arrangements are by Hal Mooney, and Vaughan takes an approach that showcases how she... read more

Sarah grooves up her bag a bit here -- working through some great 60s pop tunes, set to arrangements by Luchi De Jesus that have a nice little swing! The jazz component of the set is a bit muted, but Sarah's voice still sounds great -- and the best tunes on the album have a groovy 60s approach... read more

A beautiful collaboration between Sarah Vaughan and Michel Legrand -- and easily one of Sarah's greatest albums of the 70s! As he was doing with other singers at the time, Legrand helps Vaughan hit a new level of sophistication here -- bringing in tunes that really get past simple pop and older... read more

An incredible album -- and a real surprise in the catalog of Harold Vick, one of those players who just gets hipper the more you listen to him! Harold's working here with a really great group that includes Bobby Hutcherson, Blue Mitchell, Montego Joe, Walter Booker, and Mickey Roker -- all of whom... read more

Easily one of the best records cut by Tommy Vig -- a hip west coast bandleader who flourished at the end of the 60s and early 70s! The album has Vig working in a style that's almost like that of some of the MPS albums of the time -- big band, but with a bit of electricity at the bottom of the... read more

A decade's worth of grooves from keyboardist Emil Viklicky -- one of the funkiest cats working behind the Iron Curtain during the 70s! Viklicky plays a variety of keyboards, and even a bit of vibes too -- working with fusion combos Energit and SHQ -- but also jamming strongly as a leader on his... read more

Very tasty funky fusion session, cut by bassist Miroslav Vitous in San Francisco -- along with a group that includes Airto, Herbie Hancock, and Jack DeJohnette. The sound is very much in keeping with Herbie's early 70s funk albums -- with lots of nice long electric grooves, and spare tasty... read more

A classic album of soulful hardbop from the mid 70s -- one that features the classic VSOP group with Herbie Hancock on piano, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums -- all nicely returned to the acoustic splendor of their early years! ... read more

A lesser-known gem from Mal Waldron -- recorded back on the American scene at the start of the 80s, with some really great help on tenor from Joe Henderson! Both players were working a bit out of the mainstream at the time, but had lost none of their powers -- and instead, there's an odd edge here... read more

Forget what you think about Jerry Garcia, because this is a sweet batch of funky organ tunes! Jerry's on guitar, but the real star of the scene is Howard Wales -- who runs the session with a laidback feel that's partly like Jimmy Smith on early Blue Note, Larry Young on later Blue Note, and which... read more

A mindblowing album of electric piano tracks! Don Walker was a funky pianist from Chicago who worked briefly with the Young-Holt Unlimited group -- and who cut a rare few albums of his own for the Brunswick label. This second solo album features some excellent Fender Rhodes work by Don -- set to... read more

One of Cedar's mid 70s funky jazz efforts -- acoustic keys often traded for electric piano, grooving with a funky bigger band, almost in a Ramsey Lewis mode. Walton's a lot busier on the keys than Ramsey was at the time, though -- not as kicked-back Fender Rhodes as he is keeping up a tight and... read more

One of the last great albums that Hank Mobley ever cut! Although Mobley's 70s output was nothing compared to his 60s Blue Note work, this 1972 session for Cobblestone/Muse is a winner, and features the aging tenorist co-leading a crack quintet with Cedar Walton, and featuring Billy Higgins, Sam... read more

One of Grover Washington's first albums as a leader -- cut hot on the heels of some great work as a sideman, including some key funky dates with Charles Earland on Prestige! The sound here is a bit looser than some of Groover's smoother sides to come -- a nice blend of his earthy jazz funk roots... read more

An incredible batch of electric funk from Grover Washington Jr -- easily one of his best albums ever! The record really picks up from the sweet CTI sound of the 70s -- taking Bob James arrangements with a lot of space and electric keyboards, and letting Groover blow some wonderfully soulful lines... read more

A totally great Grover Washington record -- and with 25 years behind us, we really now realize how fantastic all the early Kudu sessions really were! The record was recorded live at the Bijou, and is spread out over 2 long LPs, with lots of room for tasty open-ended solos by Grover and the group. ... read more

An odd collection from a Kudu series you don't run across much. The title's a reference to performances by artists as sidemen on sides led by others, but showing off their contributions. The 5 tracks here are taken from some of our favorite CTI/Kudu releases, with 2 from Johnny Hammond's Wild... read more

One of the rare few records recorded by this young tenor star from the modernist New Jersey scene of the late 60's. Washington plays here in the company of like-minded youthful musicians like Woody Shaw, James Spaulding, Reggie Workman, Joe Chambers, and Kenny Barron -- and although the strength... read more

A wonderful bit of spiritual soul jazz! This sweet little record was recorded out of the same energy that produced Larry Young's Lawrence of Newark LP for Perception Records, and it's a strange session by Tyrone Washington -- a young player from the Newark scene who'd previously cut a straighter... read more

A sophisticated session from Sadao Watanabe -- a live performance, but one that features some very ambitious arrangements from Dave Grusin -- work that's almost at the level of some of Dave's more complicated work on 70s soundtracks! Grusin plays Fender Rhodes on the album, really bringing a warm... read more

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Features Roy Hargrove on trumpet, Frank Lacy on trombone, John Hicks on piano, Curtis Lundy on bass, and either Victor Lewis or Kenny Washington on drums.... read more

One of Bobby Watson's more urgent-sounding albums from the 80s -- a quartet session recorded with an Italian rhythm trio -- in a style that mostly features Watson blowing in the lead, trying to hold the session together with the strength of his own imagination. And while this approach gets a new... read more

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The stuff of legends, and one of the best sides that Webster cut for Verve in the 50s. The group's a quintet -- with the usual suspects (Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Stan Levey), and a rolling easy groove that's a perfect platform for Webster's gutsy tenor. Norman Granz's formula of... read more

One of Weston's many "comeback" albums -- which he seems to make about every 10 years or so -- but still a great one! Randy's playing cool electric piano, and he's backed by a tight larger ensemble arranged by Melba Liston. The record retains a lot of the best elements of his earlier... read more

An unusual record for Randy Weston -- a freewheeling live set recorded at Montreux in 1974, with Billy Harper joining Weston's group on tenor and flute, playing long spiritual solos that work wonderfully next to Weston's spiralling piano lines! Harper's searching quality really opens up the set,... read more

No blues at all -- despite the title -- and a great set of tracks that showcases the southside Chicago tenor roots of Clarence Wheeler! The album's a bit different than the first two Wheeler albums for Atlantic -- in that the group's slightly bigger, and more 70s electric overall -- opening up a... read more

A landmark album from this legendary Chicago soul jazz combo -- and a record that helped set the tone for changes to come in funky jazz for the 70s! Tenorist Clarence Wheeler heads up the group -- and they've got an amazing organ/bass sound that's made them a legend with funk fans for years -- a... read more

A great set of straight jazz in the MPS tradition -- played by trombonist Jiggs Whigham, who graced more than a few MPS sides in his time! The record features work by the excellent tenorist Ferdinand Povel, plus some cool Fender Rhodes work by Rob Franken -- and thanks to drumming by Grady Tate,... read more

A great little album by Lenny White -- nicely restrained in the best moments, with less of the heavy-hitting fusion sound that you'd hear on his other albums. Space jazz maestro Pat Gleeson produced the album with Lenny -- and also plays quite a bit of synth on the album -- and we're convinced... read more

A pretty hard-grooving set from Michael White -- a mixture of funky fusion tracks and west coast soul jazz numbers, performed with bass, Fender Rhodes, guitar, and a heck of a lot of percussion! White's violin is grooving over the top of the more uptempo tracks, riffing away in washes of sound... read more

A hip little session from tenorist Bob Wilber -- a player who could often play trad, but who hits a nicely swinging groove here in the company of trumpeter Clark Terry! The set's got a simple, unadorned feel that really brings out the best in both players -- echoes of bluesy roots from years past,... read more

An excellent album by this lusty tenor player -- and one of the rarest Blue Notes ever! Brother Don plays lean and mean, in a nice tight group that features Grant Green on guitar, Sonny Clark on piano, and Billy Higgins on drums -- all of whom give Wilkerson a freer setting than he ever got... read more

A totally excellent Buster Williams album from the mid 70's, and one of the best (and hardest to find) albums on Muse! The bassist has always been one of our favorite talents -- and this little gem is one of the few albums he's cut on his own, a majestic bit of soul jazz and funk, recorded with a... read more

Full-on funky backings for saxophonist Charles Williams -- a set that almost has him in the same territory as Stanley Turrentine during his late 70s years on Fantasy Records, or Hank Crawford over at Kudu! The style here is a bit more lush than some of the other Mainstream Records dates of the... read more

A great little groover from saxophonist Charles Williams -- possibly his strongest album ever, and a set that features some rare funky work from a young Don Pullen! There's a slightly bluesy undercurrent to a few cuts -- thanks to organ from Pullen and guitar from Cornell Dupree -- but overall,... read more

Early work from Memphis pianist James Williams -- already playing like a master at this point, working with a quartet for this strong outing for Concord! The set's a simple one -- a mix of standards and originals played by a quartet that includes Bill Pierce on reeds, Billy Hart on drums, and... read more

An excellent album of vocals by the great Joe Williams! Joe's always been a fine singer, but with Basie, he really gets the backing he needs to do his work the best. And although this album isn't as authenico as it might be, it still comes from a time when Verve really knew how to handle singers... read more

Groovy pop orchestrations from one of the best bandleaders working at Verve in the late 60's. Sweet Verve sounds, with a mix of jazz, easy, and Brazilian sounds, and tracks like "Laia Ladaia", "Cinnamon & Clove", "The Look of Love", "Arrasto", and "B... read more

Titles include "Angel Street", "Touch Me", "Red Mask", "Dreamland", and "Obsession".... read more

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Tony's a million miles from his work with the Miles Davis Quintet on this record -- grooving in a heavy rock/fusion mode with his New Lifetime group that includes Allan Holdsworth on guitar, Tony Newton on bass and vocals, and Alan Pasqua on keyboards. The tracks have a post Jeff Beck kind of... read more

One of the few funky albums ever cut as a leader by Larry Willis -- a super-hip keyboard player who's best known for his work with Jackie McLean and Hugh Masekela, but who sounds even better as a leader! This album's a gem all the way through -- with a free-thinking soulful sound that's head and... read more

Latiny tracks from Gerald Wilson -- but done with his usual tight LA soul jazz groove! Wilson swings, as always, and leads a band of LA players with a fabulous mix of styles. The set's got Harold Land, Anthony Ortega, Laurindo Almeida, Roy Ayers, Teddy Edwards, and Jimmy Woods -- to name but a... read more

Beautiful album! Jack Wilson's soaring lyrical piano is joined by the vibes of his long time compaitriot Roy Ayers (his only Blue Note appearance?), and the result is a beautiful set of mellow vibes that manage to still maintain a sort of dark edge to them. There's some great Jack Wilson... read more

A wicked album of dancefloor jazz funk -- featuring the vocals and keyboards of Lesette Wilson, an excellent player who's worked on dozens of albums as a studio musician, but only ever got to cut a few sides under her own name! The album's got a warm soulful finish -- right up there with the best... read more

Nancy keeps it nice and sophisticated on this mellow set of ballads and standards -- with string arrangements by George Shearing, and orchestral work by the great soundtrack genius Milt Raskin. The set's drenched in a lot more emotion than some of Nancy's other more pop-oriented sides for Capitol -... read more

The sweet vocals of Nancy join the classic Cannonball quintet for a great set of soul jazz tunes that was one of Capitol's biggest selling jazz sides in the 60s! About half the cuts feature Nancy on vocals -- on tunes like "Save Your Love For Me", "Never Will I Marry", "Hap... read more

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Heavy funk from the mighty Reuben Wilson -- one of his first few albums for Blue Note, and a solid soulful groover that's right up there with Lou Donaldson's work for the label at the time! Tracks are nice and long, and pretty open -- often with that kicking drum sound at the bottom that you'd... read more

Heavy funk from Reuben Wilson -- one of the last great organ players to emerge from the 60s Hammond scene, and one of the hardest hitting cats at Blue Note during the funk years of the label! The album's a tight one all the way through -- performed with a combo that has Idris Muhammad playing some... read more

Monster funk from Hammond hero Reuben Wilson -- an album of hard-burning, bad-walking tunes that are a fair bit different than most of his other work! Although Wilson recorded some pretty traditional organ jazz for the Blue Note and Groove Merchant labels, this album has him working with his "... read more

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Early work by one of the greatest voices on the alto sax in the 1950s -- a player who worked with the deftness of other altoists of his generation, but a depth of soul usually reserved for the tenor! The setting is simple and perfect -- as Phil Woods blows at the helm of a quartet that features... read more

A rare soul jazz session from alto saxophonist Leo Wright -- a player that we mostly know from his bossa work of the early 60s! The session's extremely noteworthy as being one of the few to feature female organist Gloria Coleman -- a player with whom Wright worked on her classic 1963 date Soul... read more