Jazz -- In Stock -- LPs  

Even at this early point in their career, the Modern Jazz Quartet were plenty proud of their relation to and reception in Paris -- almost rubbing their international fame in the faces of other American combos with the title and cover of this record! The set's still got the quartet at their crisp... read more

Nice moody stuff from the MJQ -- featuring a number of longish tracks with kind of a haunting soundtrack quality to them. In fact, most of these cuts (we think) appeared on the soundtrack to the film Odds Against Tomorrow, but are redone here by the band in new versions. Titles include "Skati... read more

In addition to the usual Quartet's members John Lewis on piano & harpsichord, Milt Jackson on vibraharp, Percy Heath on bass and Connie Kay on drums & percussion, they are joined by a few others for some of the tracks -- Snookie Young & Joe Newman on trumpets, Garnett Brown on trombone,... read more

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One of the heaviest albums ever made -- and a monstrous bit of organ funk that never gets old! The Mohawks were a one-off studio group led by arranger/keyboardist Alan Hawkshaw (the "hawk" in the Mohawk name), and they're working here in a mad London mix of beat group grooving, soul jazz... read more

The second album from Mombasa -- and possibly even better than the first! The group have really come into their own by the time of this date -- mixing together jazz and African roots with a sound that's unlike anyone else we can think of -- quite unique in its approach to rhythms, sounds, and... read more

Monk's alone in San Francisco -- playing solo piano throughout, with that thoughtful, introspective approach to his work that we really love! Most of the tunes here are Monk originals or standards that Thelonious has played before at least a few times on record -- but the solo setting almost has... read more

A great collection of Monk's 10" recordings for Blue Note -- seminal not only for the label's commitment to a modernist bop ideal, but also for Monk's integration in the growing collection of top-level jazz players on the New York scene. The work's notable also for the fact that Monk's... read more

An incredible album from Wes Montgomery -- and the beginning of a whole new sound for his guitar! Wes moves away from his small combo soul jazz roots on the set -- and hits a wonderfully sweet new vibe with larger arrangements from Don Sebesky -- bigger backdrops that fill in the space between the... read more

A pretty darn important album for Wes -- as it was his first session with the sort of larger arrangements that would later make him huge! Although Montgomery was mostly recording for Riverside in small combos, this session has him playing in front of larger backings by Jimmy Jones -- not as... read more

An assortment of material that Wes Montgomery recorded for Verve before his too-early death -- which the label then collected together as a surprisingly good posthumous release for Wes! There's a really great feel to the record -- a mix of small combo and large group settings that offers up both... read more

Late work from Wes -- recorded in the sublime CTI format that was really breaking down boundaries at the end of his career! Don Sebesky scored these great backings for the set -- jazzy and easily swinging, featuring players like Herbie Hancock, Hank Jones, Grady Tate, Ray Barretto, Stan Webb, and... read more

2nd pressing of some early material by Wes Montgomery -- a tasty trio session cut when he was working with hometown talent from Indianapolis. The set's a real treat because it features organ work by the great Mel Rhyne, an oft-overlooked player who began with Montgomery, but who got left in the... read more

One of James Moody's first albums for Argo -- and an album that features him shifting from tenor sax over to flute -- and playing in a slyly seductive way that would have great implications for generations of soul jazz musicians for years to come! The sound here is never sleepy -- and instead... read more

A wonderful album from Moody -- one of his "comeback" albums for Chess/Argo, recorded after his release from the Overbrook institution, hence the title. By this point, Moody was writing and playing with much more of an edge than during his bebop days -- and the record certainly shows... read more

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We've always been enormous fans of this LP, which features Moody backed by The Albert, a "progressive" funk/rock group. This Perception release is a righteous concept LP dedicated to "revolution" and "change". And more importantly, there is indeed some totally... read more

Sweet funky electric work from James Moody -- and pretty darn nice too! The set was produced by Ed Bland, the force behind the funky James Moody (and Dizzy Gillespie) sessions for the Perception and GWP labels in years back -- and at many levels, the feel here is similar to those great sets, but... read more

One of the best early albums from the legendary Moondog -- a set that got wider circulation than his first few releases, and really helped expand his reach beyond New York City! Moondog's still at his simple best here -- working in a blend of rhythmic percussion, stringed instruments, flute, and... read more

Moondog's second album for Prestige -- and one that we almost like better than the first! The record features more of Moon's incredible spare compositions -- most of them played on instrumentation that includes piano, wood flutes, and percussion, plus 2 instruments that he invented himself: the... read more

One of the best early albums from the legendary Moondog -- a set that got wider circulation than his first few releases, and really helped expand his reach beyond New York City! Moondog's still at his simple best here -- working in a blend of rhythmic percussion, stringed instruments, flute, and... read more

Incredible work from the enigmatic Moondog -- his third, and to that point, possibly most angular record for Prestige to date! The work here is quite different than some of Moondog's later, more serious compositions -- in a mode that's much earthier, personal, and spontaneous -- a little more in... read more

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Ralph Moore's a player we always like to keep our ear on, and this album's no exception -- a cracklingly soulful batch of tunes played with a razor-sharp quintet, all tied together beautifully with Moore's tenor on top! The date's great proof that rock-solid sessions could still be cut well after... read more

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Laidback and soulful piano work from Reggie Moore -- a surprisingly nice little record, although not as funky as most of the Mainstream Records output at the time. The group features acoustic and Fender bass -- and it's the use of electric bass that really makes some of the tunes sparkle. Moore's... read more

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A very different album for Lee Morgan -- especially in comparison with his other early sessions! The record is a gentle batch of ballads and standards, played by Morgan with a quartet that includes Sonny Clark on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Taylor on drums -- all beautifully poised to... read more

One of our favorite albums from Lee Morgan -- a soaringly soulful session that was recorded in the mid 60s, and finally issued by Blue Note at the end of the decade! The vibe here really follows from the lyrically inventive, post-Sidewinder mid 60s Morgan years -- with a spirit that's similar to... read more

One of our favorite albums from Lee Morgan -- a soaringly soulful session that was recorded in the mid 60s, and finally issued by Blue Note at the end of the decade! The vibe here really follows from the lyrically inventive, post-Sidewinder mid 60s Morgan years -- with a spirit that's similar to... read more

One of Lee Morgan's most sparkling sessions from the early years -- a record that already shows a sense of depth and imagination that would take Lee way beyond simple hardbop solo work! There's a sensitivity here that owes something of a debt to Clifford Brown, yet which is much more modernist... read more

A very appropriate title for a very cooking little album -- one of Lee Morgan's first efforts as a leader, cut back during his first years of late 50s fame! The style here is a bit less Morgan-esque than some of Lee's later 60s classics -- but the record is rock-solid throughout, and proof that... read more

A very appropriate title for a very cooking little album -- one of Lee Morgan's first efforts as a leader, cut back during his first years of late 50s fame! The style here is a bit less Morgan-esque than some of Lee's later 60s classics -- but the record is rock-solid throughout, and proof that... read more

A sock-solid sextet session from the mighty Lee Morgan -- recorded for Blue Note at the height of his mid 60s powers, and carried off in a beautiful blend of soul jazz and some slight modern touches! The group here is top-shelf all the way through -- Jackie McLean on alto, Hank Mobley on tenor,... read more

This double album collects tracks from Lee's great hard bop sessions for Vee Jay, recorded around the time of his best early work for Blue Note. Pulled mainly from "Here's Lee Morgan" and "Expoobidient", the material's a tight set of tracks that includes "Fire", "... read more

Brilliant work -- the last LP ever cut by Lee Morgan, a mindblowing session that always leaves us wondering how massive he would have become if he hadn't been tragically murdered shortly after it was recorded! The album's got lots of extended compositions, free flowing numbers played by a larger... read more

A great collection of work by Lee -- mostly from the mid 60s, packaged together here as a Memorial Album issued by Blue Note as part of a long tradition of such albums for jazz labels (more famous examples include those released for Wardell Gray or Clifford Brown by Prestige). Titles include "... read more

An undisputed masterpiece by Lee Morgan -- and one of the first records in which he shed his straight bop sensibility, and began evolving into a soulful genius for the 60s! The album's got 4 long tracks that all build beautifully -- really extended numbers that break the format of some of Lee's... read more

2 fantastic unreleased sets by Lee Morgan! The first one later came out under the name The Procrastinator -- and it has this really weird sound, which is a combination of Morgan's trumpet, Wayne Shorter's tenor, Herbie Hancock's piano, and Bobby Hutcherson's vibes -- the last of which gives the... read more

A brilliant album that proves that even at the height of his success, Lee Morgan was one of the freest thinkers on Blue Note! The first cut on the album is the title track -- "Search For The New Land" -- and it's a beautiful 16 minute exploration of modal jazz themes, with an unusual... read more

One of our top 5 favorite Blue Note records of all time -- a bold and powerful session from trumpeter Lee Morgan, but one that sat in the vaults for 15 years before release! The session was recorded around the same time as Morgan's hit The Sidewinder (which eclipsed its release at the time) -- but... read more

One of our top 5 favorite Blue Note records of all time -- a bold and powerful session from trumpeter Lee Morgan, but one that sat in the vaults for 15 years before release! The session was recorded around the same time as Morgan's hit The Sidewinder (which eclipsed its release at the time) -- but... read more

One of our top 5 favorite Blue Note records of all time -- a bold and powerful session from trumpeter Lee Morgan, but one that sat in the vaults for 15 years before release! The session was recorded around the same time as Morgan's hit The Sidewinder (which eclipsed its release at the time) -- but... read more

One of the rarest albums on the Groove Merchant label -- and one of the best! Ramon Morris has a sweet tone on the tenor that works very well with the electric piano in his tight little combo -- grooving with a style that's like the best Black Jazz funk records of the time -- mixing together... read more

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One of the most sought after Brazilian jazz albums of the 70s -- and one of the strongest ever recorded by the great Paulo Moura! The album's a different one than you might expect from Moura, especially given his recent turn towards more traditional forms -- as it features many complicated... read more

Nice stuff by this Blue Note funky drummer -- featuring funk tracks in a choppy rock/fusion style that's more in the vein of some of the best European fusion albums from the 70s, than in the Blue Note style. Lee Ritenour's on guitar, and he gets a lot of play on the record -- but the main groove... read more

A funky fusion classic from superdrummer Alphonse Mouzon -- a rare date as a leader for MPS, and a set that rivals his best 70s grooves on Blue Note! The album's got a slightly more electric feel than some of Mouzon's previous work, but it's still far from the smoother soul of the 80s -- thanks to... read more

Quite different than Idris' funky drumming on early 70s jazz records -- but not a bad little album on its own terms. As you'd guess by the title, the album's more of a disco/club effort than before, but thanks to some good arrangements by Dave Matthews -- who'd worked some good magic with other... read more

Idris Muhammad's working here in a style that's very different than his heavy-footed funky work on Prestige and Blue Note -- and while it's easy to criticize him for not keeping the same old breakbeat funk style, it's also important to give him a lot of credit for pushing his vision way past the... read more

Very different than Idris' earlier work as a heavy backbeat thumper with Lou Donaldson -- but great stuff nonetheless! David Matthews arranged the tracks, and he's given them a slick but soulful sound, with lots of spacey fusion elements, and a nice funky soul vibe that's a bit similar to some of... read more

An early cooker from Gerry Mulligan -- working here with a real birth of the cool-styled group that includes Chet Baker and Pete Candoli on trumpets, Bud Shank on alto, John Graas on French horn, Bob Enevoldsen on trombone, and Chico Hamilton on drums -- a really wonderful group that has a swing... read more

The sound of Gerry in the early 60s -- and one of the best records by his larger than usual Concert Jazz Band! Given Gerry's piano-less experiments of the 50s, it's surprising to actually have him as the pianist on this session -- hitting the keys with a nice light touch, so that the larger horn... read more

Gerry Mulligan's still far from the mainstream of jazz on this sweet little set -- a great date that expands nicely from the mellower styles of the Pacific Jazz years -- expanding the group a bit, with some really great results! In addition to Mulligan's usual baritone sax, Gerry also plays a bit... read more

The first-ever album on Pacific Jazz -- and a real doozy too! The record's something of a blueprint for west coast jazz of the 50s -- and features Mulligan in a pianoless quartet with Chet Baker on trumpet, Chico Hamilton on drums, and Bob Whitlock on bass -- running through tunes that have a... read more

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An obscure west coast set -- featuring some very hard-driving big band arrangements, short but with breakout solos that really keep things moving along at a good pace. Murphy wrote and arranged most of the material -- cool little offbeat tunes, many with a space theme to match the cover of the... read more

An odd title, but a really wonderful album from Mark Murphy -- an 80s session for Muse that easily matches some of his most creative moments for the label in the 70s! There's some wonderful versions of soulful jazz tracks here -- takes on "Effendi" by McCoy Tyner, "Beauty & The... read more

David Murray in a trio setting -- sounding especially great, thanks to work from Richard Davis on bass and Joe Chambers on both vibes and drums! The album's got a feel that's a bit looser than some other Murray recordings of the late 80s -- and almost hearkens back to his loft jazz years in the... read more

One of the rarest French avant sides ever -- and a key treasure from percussionist Sunny Murray! The record is a stunning session cut during that very fruitful year of 1969 in the Paris scene -- and the music's performed by a mixture of French and American musicians, all led by Murray with a... read more

A fantastic bit of spiritual jazz funk -- and one of the rarest 70s albums on Fantasy Records! The group's headed up by Nat Adderley Jr (son of the famous Nat Sr) on keyboards and vocals -- and the ensemble is a hip, young collective with an approach that reminds us of work by Oneness Of Juju,... read more

A full LP issue of material that Navarro recorded for Blue Note during the 78 and 10" LP eras -- compiled here with master and alternate takes of tunes that were some of the few that Navarro ever recorded for the label! Some of the work was recorded under groups led by Tadd Dameron and Budd... read more

A full LP issue of material that Navarro recorded for Blue Note during the 78 and 10" LP eras -- compiled here with master and alternate takes of tunes that were some of the few that Navarro ever recorded for the label! Some of the work was recorded under groups led by Tadd Dameron and Budd... read more

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Excellent work from one of our favorite arrangers! Nelson was a super-hip super-soulful genius who crafted some of the best charts in the 60s. He managed to work in a great amount of jazz where other arrangers would leave things cold -- and on a record like this he manages to make a large group... read more

Oliver Nelson never gets his due, and we can never understand why, because his talents as both an arranger and soloist are extremely strong. This nice 2 LP set brings together 2 albums that are bound to make a convert out of anyone who's been passing him up so far, and it shows a young Nelson in a... read more

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Phineas Newborn is certainly fabulous here -- thanks in part to some great guitar work from his brother Calvin! The session's got a little extra "kick" than some of Phineas' other records from the time -- a slightly rougher edge that comes from Calvin's raspy guitar work on most of the... read more

A classic 50s session from trumpeter Joe Newman -- and a record that features some especially nice work on flute by Frank Wess! The pair swing beautifully together here with arrangements by Ernie Wilkins -- Basie-like at their core, at least in the way they've got both sophistication and swing --... read more

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A nice avant garde side you don't come across much from James Newton, joined by Anthony Davis, Abdul Wadud and Phillip Wilson. The interplay between Newton on flute and Wadud on cello is especially great, and though the playing throughout is free and energetic, there's a wonderful sense of... read more

An excellent LP of funky big band jazz -- way better than you'd guess from the name of the group! The all-star ensemble -- which includes Blue Mitchell, Willie Bobo, Stix Hooper, Paul Humphrey, Charles Kynard, Ernie Watts, and Joe Pass -- does an excellent job of grooving tightly, in a mellow... read more

A sublime 50s session from vibist Red Norvo -- one that features him working with a really sparkling quintet! The album's got a feel that's similar to Red's fragile trio grooves of the time -- but which is fleshed out a bit more by work on flute and alto from Robert Drasnin, and some great guitar... read more

Claus Ogerman-listed version of one of the most sensitive 70s albums from guitarist Jan Akkerman -- a set recorded with larger backings from Claus, who really helps Jan find a newly mellow side of his sound! Gone are some of the too-jamming, rock-inspired modes of Akkerman's other records -- and... read more

A great bit of funky fusion from Finland -- recorded in 1970 by drummer Matti Oiling, one of the funkiest percussionists in Europe! The album kicks off with the amazing breakbeat track "Oiling Boiling" -- a monster number that no beathead should be without -- then rolls into a very tight... read more

A nice lost bit of funky soul jazz from drummer Grasella Oliphant! The album's a stone groove, very much in the Blue Note mid 60s mode -- and it features Big John Patton, Grant Green, and Harold Ousley. Includes the great groovers by Patton & Green, "The Yodel" and "Soul... read more

A landmark of Afro-centric jazz in the 70s -- and the first album by this famous underground collective! Oneness of Juju were a Washington DC-based group that grew out of the ashes of the Juju avant jazz ensemble -- formed in the culturally rich African-American community of DC in the 70s, with... read more

An excellent bit of funky fusion from this obscure Belgian combo! The group's led by sax player Jacques Pelzer -- but the real highlight is the Fender Rhodes work on the record, played by Ron Wilson, who wrote all the tracks on the set, and who also sings along with the keyboards in a strangely... read more

A mad batch of tunes that are a perfect example of the "pilantragem" (piracy) movement in Brazil at the end of the 60s! Similar to some of the pluralistic cultural influences running through Tropicalia, pilantragem borrows music from a world of different sources -- working in a style... read more

A pile of funky 45s -- stuffed into one glorious album! The record's the best-ever by The Packers -- a hip west coast combo from the 60s, with roots in the Memphis scene of the time! The sound here is kind of a variation on the Booker T & The MGs and Mar-Keys sound -- changed up in the rhythm... read more

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An odd little session for Blue Note -- odd in that it features a host of players who weren't normally part of the label's off-used roster of big-name sidemen, and odd in that it features a swinging style that's a bit of a nod to earlier jazz days than the early 60s. Baritonist Leo Parker cut some... read more

A gem by Joe Pass -- recorded "live" in the studio a few months before the For Django album, but never issued until the 70s! The set's got a freeness that you don't always hear in some of Pass' other more restrained work -- and working with a quartet that includes Mike Wofford on piano,... read more

One of the best Joe Pass albums from the 70s -- largely because he's working with such a great group of Brazilian players! Besides percussionist Paulinho Da Costa, the musicians also include drummer Claudio Slon, as well as Oscar Castro Neves, Don Grusin, and Octavio Bailly. Tracks are light and... read more

Nice collection of groovers that were taken from some of Don's finer records on Prestige -- and from the looks of things, many of the tracks are 45 versions or edits of longer takes (as Don's tracks were usually over 5 minutes.) Plenty of hard wailing organ jazz -- and titles include "Sister... read more

A collection of 6 tracks from Don's stellar years at Prestige -- featuring "jazz giants" that include Pat Martino, Sonny Stitt, Blue Mitchell, David Newman, and Houston Person. All tracks are longish, with searing solos by Don -- and titles include "Ratio & Proportion",... read more

A mighty pairing of organist Don Patterson and saxman Sonny Stitt -- one of Patterson's grooviest late 60s outings, thanks to an excellent sound from all players involved! Stitt plays Varitone sax on the date, which gives his horn a cool electric feel that really sounds wonderful next to Don's... read more

Later work from Don Patterson -- but a record that still shows him in fine fine form! The tunes are all long and spacious -- no gimmicks, just straight ahead soul jazz, in that beautiful back-to-basics mode that Muse was using with Charles Earland around the same time. The group's a quintet --... read more

A massive pairing of the tenor of Booker Ervin and Hammond of Don Patterson -- a record that's got a very famous cover image, and which marks for one of the greatest meetings of soul and modernism at mid-60s Prestige Records! There's no bass at all on the set -- just lots of quick, tight rhythm... read more

A classic by Big John Patton! The master organ player is joined by Grant Green on guitar, and the much-overlooked drummer Hugh Walker -- a fantastic player on the kit, little known, but who played with this incredible "skipping" groove -- one that sounds that reminds us a lot of some of... read more

Oh Baby is right -- as the album's one of the best John Patton albums for Blue Note -- a perfect mix of funky organ and burning hardbop! The tracks hare are all originals penned for the album -- mostly by Patton, but also by other group members -- the kind of fresh grooves that made John's organ... read more

A landmark in 70s jazz and Latin -- one of 2 legendary sets cut during the decade by composer/arranger Bobby Vince Paunetto -- easily one of the most unique voices of his generation! Bobby's got an approach to melody that's all tied up in the rhythms -- one that has most of the instruments in the... read more

A warmly crafted set that features Cecil Payne at the height of his powers on baritone sax -- blowing with a sense of soul and timing that's right up there with some of the hipper tenor players of his generation! Payne's sound on the instrument is amazingly precise and wonderfully fluid -- blown... read more

A much better record than you'd expect -- one of Duke's funkiest sessions, and a hard swinging big band set with a great late 60s feel! The group is all-class all the way -- with players that include Pearson, Bob Cranshaw, Mickey Roker, Marvin Stamm, Julian Priester, Frank Foster, and Jerry... read more

One of the hippest sets that Duke Pearson ever recorded -- and an all-out Blue Note soul jazz set that's even better than Pearson's classic Sweet Honey Bee! Duke's style is deeper and more farther-reaching here -- with echoes of styles used at the time by Hank Mobley and Lee Morgan -- carried off... read more

A classic Blue Note groover -- the funkiest album by Duke Pearson, and a killer batch of piano-heavy soul jazz tunes! Duke really blew out the box for this one -- not only coming up with a great batch of original tunes, and playing them with an incredibly soulful touch -- but also working with a... read more