Jazz -- In Stock -- LPs  

A great little record -- one that keeps up the high standards set by Charles' earlier work! The set has a bit of a goofy gimmick -- in that it takes work by Russian composers (Stravinsky, Korsakoff, Borodin), and makes it swing with a jazzy groove. But because Charles is working here with "th... read more

The third album from the mighty Chase -- proof that the group was still going strong several years after their groundbreaking debut! The grooves here are almost tighter than before -- a bit more complicated instrumentally, with some of the trumpets backed off a bit, to leave more room for great... read more

One of two great records that Cherry cut for the Sonet label while working in Sweden. The album features Cherry in the company of Swedish players like Bernt Rosengren, Agneta Arnstrom, and Bengt Berger -- all of whom play in a very world jazz vibe, adding in lots of strange percussion, gongs,... read more

A very hip little local set from Chicago -- breezy jazz tracks with some hip soulful vocals from Elaine Hamilton -- all recorded in a way that sounds like some lost west coast set from the 70s! The group features piano, guitar, bass, and drums -- but Elaine's vocals are the star attraction here --... read more

A nice slow funky sleeper, recorded by a hip group of "in" studio players, like Bob Dorough, Randy Brecker, Lew Tabackin, Ron McClure, and Pat Rebillot. The album includes the nice long break track "Plenty Of It", plus other moody cuts like "Strawberries In the Winter"... read more

The birth of modern jazz guitar -- seminal sides recorded by Charlie Christian, working in small group format with Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Fletcher Henderson, and even a bit of Basie. Christian's tone on the instrument is fantastic -- and even though the style of the tracks is more in the... read more

A brilliant set of post-post-post Konitz jazz -- a late 70s Warne Marsh session, produced by Donald Fagan and Walter Becker of Steely Dan! Despite the smooth jazz feeling of Becker & Fagan's own work, the pair are completely respectful to Marsh and his twin-tenor frontman Pete Christlieb --... read more

An unusual session for singer June Christy -- and a set done in tight collaboration with husband Bob Cooper! Bob and June work together here to interpret work from the musical Do Re Mi -- with June singing about half the tunes, and Bob playing the other half instrumentally -- on tenor, and working... read more

Beautiful music from Pietro Ciancaglini -- the bassist of the excellent High Five Quintet, stepping out here as a leader on his own, in a very hip tribute to the late, great Charles Mingus! The music here is hardly the standard Mingus mode -- even though many tracks were penned by Charles -- and... read more

Solo piano work from Curtis Clark -- a compelling set of dark-tinged originals, performed with a style that's exploratory, yet never too "out", and always lyrically evocative. Titles include "Rainbow Over Harlem", "Cosmic Minstrels", "Deep Sea Diver", and... read more

Could there be a more classic Blue Note session? From the cover, to the title, to the hardbopping grooves of the set, this Sonny Clark late 50s smoker is one of the label's best! Clark's working here at the height of his powers -- leading an all-star group that includes Art Farmer on trumpet,... read more

A killer hardbop session from the early 60s -- one of Sonny Clark's later sides for Blue Note, and an album that features a great lineup of players that includes lesser-known Blue Note hornmen Charlie Rouse and Tommy Turrentine! The record crackles with the energy and imagination of Clark's best... read more

A wickedly funky album from Stanley Clarke -- perhaps his most fully-formed album of the Columbia years, and a set that really brings together his jazz and soul styles! There's a definite R&B vibe going on, but it's also one that's still quite heavy on bass work from Stanley -- a groove that's... read more

A mighty collaboration between Stanley Clarke & George Duke -- working here in a pairing that refueled both of their careers for the 80s! In previous years, both Clarke and Duke had a penchant for really stretching out in complex, experimental modes -- but here, they're playing in a relatively... read more

Great work by this legendary hard swinging band -- an early 60s American album issued on Atlantic Records, in the years before the Clark Boland Band's legendary run on MPS! Despite the early date, the album's got all the core elements of the band's sound in place -- soaring rhythms, sharp-edged... read more

Great early genius from the Clarke Boland Big Band -- proof that Kenny and Francy were onto something great, right from the start! The album really has the group hitting the heights of their MPS years -- stretching out way past earlier big band modes, into the hip mix of rhythms and soulful solos... read more

Fantastic stuff, and proof that Rosemary Clooney was always one heck of a great singer -- with strengths in jazz that you didn't always hear in her pop work! As you'd guess from the cover, Duke Ellington's leading the group on the album -- and most of the tracks here are older Ellington standards,... read more

It's definitely Party Time when Arnett Cobb's on deck -- and the album's a well-remembered groover that graced more than a few late nite turntables back in the day! Cobb's got a great mellow groove here -- a slow-blowing, low-stepping sound on tenor that's given a great little kick by the rhythm... read more

A fantastic album of mellow soul by jazz drummer Jimmy Cobb! Yes, that's right, the same Jimmy Cobb who played with Miles Davis in the 50s. This album's very different than Cobb's jazz work -- and is a smooth album of jazzy soul, with a wonderfully warm vibe that sounds like some of the material... read more

Although Billy can be a bit all over the kit for our tastes, he checks in nicely with this great album of funky jazz from his Atlantic years! A few of the tracks are solos that get a bit loopy, but the ensemble tracks are nice, and with a bit more soul than usual. Titles include "Moody... read more

Heavy-jamming fusion from Billy Cobham -- done at a time when he was already cutting plenty of heavy-jamming fusion! The album was recorded live in Switzerland and London -- all very much in a post Bitches Brew approach to jazz that has all players going pedal to the metal in pursuit of their ends... read more

Full throttle fusion from Billy Cobham, the kind of stuff we once winced at because of the really over the top moments of heavy, heavy jamming, but that we find ourselves more sympathetic to these days, probably for the more sublime moments that poke through the onslaught here and there, including... read more

A brilliantly crisp jazz album from British saxophonist Tony Coe -- a lost 1978 session recorded for the tiny Lee Lambert label, and one of Coe's best of the decade! The format is straight and simple -- a quartet with piano, bass, and drums, plus some occasional added percussion -- and Coe blows... read more

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A great example of the Muse Records charm of altoist Richie Cole -- bop-fired creativity at its peak, mixed with some added contemporary elements to keep things fresh! In this case, Richie's horn takes on some key bop classics, but also opens up a bit with vocalsits too -- Eddie Jefferson on... read more

A cool kind of set -- of the sort that you'd probably only find on the Roulette label! Rocky Cole's both a singer and a pianist -- surprisingly soulful and fluid as the latter, and nicely raspy and personal as the former -- a nice change from the usual, and a perfect example of the kind of talent... read more

Essential stuff! This is one of Ornette Coleman's greatest albums -- and it was recorded during a period when he just couldn't miss! The group features Don Cherry on pocket trumpet, Charlie Haden on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums -- working here with a lively dancing sound on the kit, one that... read more

One of Ornette's classic Blue Note sessions, with a free-wheeling group that features only Ornette, Charlie Haden, and Ornette's young son Denardo on drums. The freer sound is a strong break from the more rhythmic material of earlier years -- and Ornette's cutting it up on trumpet and violin, as... read more

Obscure Ornette quartet LP for Impulse, featuring him, Dewey Redman, Charlie Haden, and his son Ornette Denardo (at 12) on drums. 4 tracks featuring prime middle-period playing by Ornette, including "C.O.D.", "New York", and "Bells and Chimes". Ornette also plays... read more

Important mid 60s work from Ornette -- and one of the few recordings of this format to see larger release at the time! The set captures Ornette in a much freer style than heard on his Atlantic recordings from a few years before -- paying alto, violin, and trumpet, in a trio with David Izenzon on... read more

A brilliant large ensemble work from Ornette Coleman -- ambitious material recorded with full orchestra, in a haunting sound that's light years from any of his smaller group recordings of the 60s and 70s! There's an incredible feel to the strings used here -- played by the London Symphony... read more

A landmark in modern jazz -- from the stark stares of the band on the cover, to the starkly haunting music in the grooves! Ornette, Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, and Ed Blackwell make severe statements about the future of modern music in tracks like "Humpty Dumpty", "Beauty Is a Rare... read more

A rare session as a leader from trumpeter Johnny Coles -- a player who cut some great work in the groups of James Moody and Gil Evans, but who shines even more brightly on this classic Blue Note album! Coles really has an ear for finding the hippest side of his instrument -- and he blows with a... read more

A very cool little album from the Chicago scene of the 80s -- one that features the lovely Colette on both piano and vocals, working here in a nicely stripped down trio! The album's an unusual 2LP set -- quite odd for a small label pressing like this -- and the added space really lets Colette... read more

A pretty strange album of "hip" fairytales and fables, recorded by jazz DJ/hipster Al Jazzbo Collins, alongside a group featuring Steve Allen, Hal Blaine, and Terry Gibbs. The approach is a bit square, but the album's also got the appeal of those late 50s beatnik sessions -- with... read more

Genius work from Adegoke Steve Colson -- a player who always has a great way of bridging many different worlds in jazz! The album's got a relatively spiritual feel, but a slightly avant bent too -- very much in the spirit of some of the under-documented work going on in Chicago's AACM during the... read more

Seminal 70s work from one of the most righteous jazz musicians ever! On this set, Alice Coltrane moves past the rawer spiritual sound of her Impulse albums -- working with a more focused vision and an approach to jazz that takes her way past the identity of just being "Mrs Coltrane",... read more

Arguably the most classic Alice Coltrane album on Impulse -- and a strong group effort that features some great work from Pharoah Sanders! Coltrane leads two different small combos on the record -- both with Sanders on saxes, plus either Cecil McBee or Charlie Haden on bass, and Rashied Ali on... read more

Beautifully high concept work from Alice Coltrane -- the kind of record you'd use to announce the arrival of a new king -- or lord, for that matter! The record features Coltrane at the head of a large group of string players -- creating a full, rich sound that serves as the backdrop for the core... read more

Despite the spiritual title of this set, the music was actually recorded in the late 50's for Prestige, and not during his Love Supreme period. That doesn't stop it from being great stuff, though, and the LP's got 3 long tracks that have Trane playing flurries of notes in a setting with Donald... read more

What can we say? Trane's work for Atlantic is still some of his best -- and the versions of tunes on this album remain as some of the best-remembered tracks in his rich rich bag of songs. Titles include "Giant Steps", "Naima", "Cousin Mary", "Equinox", and... read more

John Coltrane's classic -- and only -- recording as a leader for Blue Note! The album's no throwaway date, though -- as it stands strongly with both Coltrane's other label work of the time, and with the best of the late 50s Blue Note scene -- a time when the label was really cooking at full... read more

The title may be a simple one, but the record really marks a key point in John Coltrane's development -- an embrace of the newer freedoms allowed to him at Atlantic Records, but in a way that's a bit more subtle than some of his other work for the label! At one level, the record moves at the same... read more

The title may be a simple one, but the record really marks a key point in John Coltrane's development -- an embrace of the newer freedoms allowed to him at Atlantic Records, but in a way that's a bit more subtle than some of his other work for the label! At one level, the record moves at the same... read more

Coltrane plays the blues, but in a way like nobody else -- stepping off of the deeply soulful sound of his late Prestige years, and moving into even more open and exploratory space for Atlantic! The setting is bare bones and simple -- and many of these numbers begin with the sort of simple vamp... read more

This is a repackaged version of an album that was originally issued under Cecil Taylor's name, under the title Hard Drive (and later Stereo Drive, or something like that). The record brings together two of the late 50's most promising modernists -- Cecil Taylor and John Coltrane -- in a group that... read more

A 2 LP retrospective of some of the more spiritual exploratory sides 'Trane was cutting in the mid to late '60's for Impulse. A number of cuts feature the classic quartet with Jimmy Garrison, McCoy Tyner & Elvin Jones, but a few feature some of the later lineups with Pharoah Sanders, Reggie... read more

It's not really fair to say that Coltrane's playing for lovers on this one, because the album's not a concept project designed to aid bachelors in the success of their romantic endeavors, so much as it is a collection of warm mellow ballads recorded by Trane during the late 50s for Prestige. The... read more

Modal Coltrane at its finest -- a record that almost returns the great one to the territory explored at the end of his years at Atlantic Records, but which still incorporates all of the new ideas learned afterwards! The album's actually one of the straightest that John Coltrane cut after 1964 --... read more

Wonderful wonderful wonderful work from the legendary John Coltrane -- and even though it's probably one of his best-selling albums of all time, it's still a treasure -- and has an essential place in just about any jazz collection! We've heard the original title version of "My Favorite... read more

A magnificent record from John Coltrane -- one of his earliest expressions of unbridled spirituality, and a session that we've treasured for years! As you might guess from the title, there's a slight Latin focus to the record -- but not one that has congas and bongos creating choppy rhythms --... read more

Extended live takes by the classic 'Trane quartet recorded in Paris for radio broadcast in the early 60s (the notes say either '61 or '62). Like other recordings by this group during this remarkable period, the quartet plays with great energy throughout on lengthy readings of "Mr PC",... read more

An excellent set of tracks that was recorded by Coltrane in 1965, but not released until after his death -- when Impulse were going through the vaults, and pulling out some amazing work that ranked with his best official releases of the time. This set's definitely one of those gems -- and it... read more

A beautiful meeting of two major talents from the left end of jazz -- recorded in the early 60's when both were working for Atlantic! Despite the "avant garde" title, this set is straighter than you'd expect -- very much in the spirit of Coltrane's work for the label, but with perhaps... read more

A beautiful meeting of two major talents from the left end of jazz -- recorded in the early 60's when both were working for Atlantic! Despite the "avant garde" title, this set is straighter than you'd expect -- very much in the spirit of Coltrane's work for the label, but with perhaps... read more

The team of Coltrane and Mobley seems like a strange pairing from the perspective of the history books -- but at the time, the pair were two of the brightest new stars on the tenor, each with a sound and style that would make them huge, so it was no surprise that they were brought together for a... read more

A lovely side by Chris Connor for Atlantic, recorded not too long after her stint at Bethlehem -- where she'd perfected an icy cool style of singing that's still to be matched to this day! The album features larger arrangements by Richard Wess -- but still has a light jazzy feel, intimate in... read more

A landmark first album from drummer Norman Connors -- a spiritual jazz masterpiece that builds wonderfully on the post-Coltrane tradition! Norman is years away from his smoother soul recordings at this point, and coming out of a righteous jazz background that included work with Marion Brown and... read more

Early genius from drummer Norman Connors -- a sensational bit of righteous soul jazz -- right up there with the best work on Strata East and Black Jazz from the time! The sound here is full, soulful, and spiritual -- as Connors heads up a large ensemble that includes luminaries like Herbie Hancock... read more

Early genius from drummer Norman Connors -- a sensational bit of righteous soul jazz -- right up there with the best work on Strata East and Black Jazz from the time! The sound here is full, soulful, and spiritual -- as Connors heads up a large ensemble that includes luminaries like Herbie Hancock... read more

Incredible work from Nicola Conte -- Schema records maestro making his Blue Note debut with this set -- and giving the label one of their best new albums of the 21st Century! The record's quite different than Nicola's programmed dancefloor work for Schema -- and is much more of an organic jazz-base... read more

Sublime samba grooves from the great Nicola Conte -- one of his most 60s-styled recordings yet, and that's saying a heck of a lot, given his other work! The set definitely lives up to its title -- jazzy sketches of samba tunes, two by Conte, the other two by Sergio Mendes and JT Meirelles -- all... read more

A late 60s recording from Chick Corea from the period where he was exploring free and modal playing, hinting at the feel of the Circle LPs we love so much that he participated in. Hubert Laws does a great job meeting the vibe of the tracks in an unexpected fashion, and Woody Shaw does a great job... read more

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One of Larry's strongly tripped-out sessions for Vanguard -- recorded with a cool group that includes Steve Marcus on soprano sax and Mike Mandel playing "electric piano with fuzz wah"! The tracks have a spacious sound -- a bit funky at times, but also hard jamming and fusion oriented... read more

A great quartet date from guitarist Larry Coryell -- quite laidback at times, but pretty darn soulful too -- thanks to a rhythm section that features Kenny Barron on piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Marvin Smitty Smith on drums! Coryell's not as dynamic with his guitar lines as in years back,... read more

A famous set of crossover fusion -- one with lots of heavy drums from Alphonse Mouzon, and plenty of sweet guitar from Larry Coryell! This set definitely plays to the rockish side of the fusion crowd, but still has some funky undercurrents too -- and other players include the great John Lee on... read more

Nice bit of soul jazz with a vibe that's very similar to some of the later work that Cowell would do for the Strata East label. Recorded in New York in 1969, the set features Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Woody Shaw on trumpet, Tyrone Washington on tenor, and Joe Chambers on drums. The tracks are... read more

Tremendous work from this lesser-known combo from Detroit -- a session of work that builds strongly on the colors and changes explored by Miles Davis earlier in the 60s, but which takes things off into a whole new direction! (A Multidirection?) The horns on the record have incredible interplay --... read more

Smooth mellow funky jazz from Hank -- recorded with arrangements by Bob James, done in a warm electric style that works well with Hank's easily blown solos on alto. Players include Idris Muhammad, who plays drums on a few tracks, plus Bob James and Richard Tee, who both play keyboards, Ralph... read more

Hank Crawford turns his back on the cover of this sweet little set from Kudu -- but the groove itself is very upfront, strongly in the best mix of funky jazz and club the label had going down into the late 70s! Arrangements are by David Matthews, who keeps things lean and mean, even when the... read more

One of Sonny Criss' classic albums for Imperial -- a brilliant batch of LA bop from the 50s, with an impeccable sound throughout! Criss had a tone like nobody else on the alto -- and here, he's at the height of his early powers -- neither blowing too hard, nor going for boppish tricks -- and... read more

An early 70s classic from The Crusaders -- and a record that has the group perfectly poised between the rougher soul jazz of their roots and some of the tighter styles they brought into play during the 70s! The sound here is heavily electric -- thanks to great keyboards from Joe Sample and bass... read more

A great record that's really the beginning of The Crusaders' strong run of smooth funky jazz for the 70s. The album's got the group dropping the "jazz" from their name, but it's still a great bit of LA funky soul jazz -- with electric keyboards from Joe Sample that are very much in a... read more

Hard to miss with The Crusaders at this point -- and the album's one of their stone classics from the 70s -- just the kind of soulful fusion that few other groups could touch! The core trio of Joe Sample's keyboards, Wilton Felder's saxes, and Stix Hooper's drums is augmented by the guitar of... read more

A great Crusaders album -- and one that's a perfect bridge between their earlier soul jazz styles, and their tighter funkier electric one. The record was recorded live at the Roxy, and the group is augmented by Larry Carlton on guitar, who gives the tracks a nice razor edge at his best moments. ... read more

Incredible work from this legendary Italian drummer -- a set that bristles with all the sharp edges and soulful moments of some of Art Blakey's best albums from the 50s! Cuppini's working here in a number of different settings, all of them great -- with players who include Lars Gullin on baritone... read more

Hard driving work by Ted Curson! Jubilant Power is a pretty apt title for the set -- played with a celebratory fire -- combining the freer loft-style playing of his late 70s American work, with some of the tighter grooving rhythmic approaches of his early 70s sides in France. Chris Woods, a... read more

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Warm and mellow keyboards from the great Jorge Dalto -- an obscure Japanese set from the early 80s, but one that has all the spacious grooves of his US classic from the 70s! Jorge plays a range of acoustic and electric keys here -- mostly in a small group setting that features guitar from Barry... read more

Great jazzy work from keyboardist Jorge Dalto -- a set that's got a warmer, more acoustic feel than some of his other fusion-based material from the time! Jorge still plays both electric and acoustic keyboards for the date -- but the overall format is a lot more stripped down, and strongly rooted... read more

A compelling 70s set from reedman Eddie Daniels -- a lot darker than some of his smoother jazz sides to come! There's a feel here that's almost in the CTI camp, but a bit spacier overall -- as Daniels' work on flutes, tenor, and clarinet comes into play nicely with Fender Rhodes and string... read more

The only full album we've ever seen from tenor player Julian Dash -- a set recorded in 1970, but with the late nite feel of a Prestige album from many years back! Julian's best known as the tenorist with Erkine Hawkins in the 30s and 40s, but here he's working in a great small group mode -- very... read more

Mod mod 60s jazz -- and 12 tight-as-can-be instrumentals from London's Dave Davani combo! Dave's a Hammond player with a great mix of soul jazz and R&B in his grooves -- very much the best sort of instrumental work you might expect from London in the swinging 60s -- a great blend of American... read more

Charles Davis is one of those players that always grabs our attention -- and this 80s set for Nilva is one of the best records he ever cut! Davis' has a way of setting an edge in his saxophone right away -- marking his sound, then his solos, as quite different from the rest -- full of feeling, but... read more

An obscure set by Lockjaw -- a recording that features his tenor backed by the Shirley Scott organ trio -- with George Duvivier on bass and Art Edgehill on drums. Tracks are short, and mostly standards, but they're played with that gutbuckety sound that Davis and Scott had when working together --... read more

Excellent early sides originally cut for King by Lockjaw, working in tight small group formats with Shirley Scott and Doc Bagby. Some of the trios are augmented with conga by Ray Baretto, but all the tracks pop nicely, and since these were originally cut for issue on 45s, there's an economy to the... read more

Volume 2 of Lockjaw's classic early Cookbook sessions -- cut for Prestige in a key transitional moment, when Lock was trying to break past the R&B roots of earlier years, and emerge as a more sophisticated jazz soloist, capable of carrying an idea way past the short format of singles and... read more

A great one -- and one of the rarest Prestige dates from Eddie Lockjaw Davis! The album features a unique group that includes Horace Parlan on piano -- in place of the organ that had graced many of Davis' earlier Prestige records -- with added groovy energy from Buddy Catlett on bass, Art Taylor... read more

Eddie Lockjaw Davis swings way out here -- working in that cool cooking mode from the 50s, with organist Shirley Scott a very important partner on the date! The group's got a larger sound than usual -- thanks to the addition of trombonist Steve Pullman -- a player we don't know much, but who... read more

Classic tenors head-to-head -- as Griff & Lock lay out one of their excellent 2 tenor classics from the early 60s! The rhythm section's deeply soulful -- with Junior Mance on piano, Larry Gales on bass, and Ben Riley on drums -- and the album grooves through some long blowers, a mellow number,... read more

One of the few cases in jazz where an oft-played classic still resonates with power! The record itself is a key cap to Miles Davis' already-groundbreaking years of the 60s -- a bold step forward, not just for his nascent electric sound, but also for jazz in general -- and the benchmark by which so... read more

One of the few cases in jazz where an oft-played classic still resonates with power! The record itself is a key cap to Miles Davis' already-groundbreaking years of the 60s -- a bold step forward, not just for his nascent electric sound, but also for jazz in general -- and the benchmark by which so... read more

An odd little session for Miles Davis -- playing here with a great group, but one that's made up of musicians who are all uncommon sidemen for him, even at this early point in his career! Britt Woodman (a nom-du-date?) is on trombone, and Charles Mingus and Elvin Jones are in the rhythm section --... read more

An album that compiles early Miles Davis sides from two different Prestige sessions of the early 50s. One features Miles with a sextet that includes Sonny Rollins, Bennie Green, John Lewis, Percy Heath, and Roy Haynes -- on the tracks "Morpheus", "Down", "Blue Room",... read more

Import collection of some more obscure Miles moments from the late 50s Columbia years! There's 4 tracks recorded with the orchestra of Michel Legrand -- and players that include Coltrane, Phil Woods, Jerome Richardson, and Bill Evans: "Jitterbug Waltz", "Round Midnight", "W... read more

Miles Davis' last studio session before a few years of seclusion -- and a really monumental effort, probably the baddest of the electric period! The album does a great job of capturing the energy of the frenzied live sets from that time, and matching it with Teo Macero's cut and paste editing, and... read more

There's nothing "silent" here -- as the album's a bold entry in the electric years of Miles Davis -- one that still features contributions from Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Tony Williams -- but which also expands the lineup considerably -- really reaching out towards the sound of... read more

There's nothing "silent" here -- as the album's a bold entry in the electric years of Miles Davis -- one that still features contributions from Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Tony Williams -- but which also expands the lineup considerably -- really reaching out towards the sound of... read more

Legendary early live work from Miles Davis -- one of the first examples on record of the way that Davis could really stretch out in a concert setting! The music's a bit more straight ahead than later live dates, but still pretty open and exploratory -- and in addition to Davis' sparkling work on... read more