Jazz — CDs 
A wealth of jazz in many styles -- bop, hardbop, soul jazz, spiritual, rare groove, modal, improvised music, funk, free jazz, fusion, avant garde, and trad!
About Time 
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Close matches: 2
1
About Time, 1983. New Copy ... $12.99 14.99
Overlooked genius from Henry Threadgill – one of his under-exposed 80s sessions for the About Time label, and work that's every bit as great as his better-known sides for Delmark or Black Saint! The group here has a nice sense of freedom and interplay – almost a quality that hearkens back to Threadgill's roots in the AACM, thanks to strong contributions from Craig Harris on trombone, Olu Dara on trumpet, Fred Hopkins on bass, Deidre Murray on cello, and both Pheeroan Aklaff and John Betsch on percussion. The tracks are nicely arranged, but never too stiffly – and titles include "Cremation", "Black Blues", "Gateway", and "Just The Facts And Pass The Bucket". CD
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About Time, 1982. New Copy ... $12.99 14.99
One of the most beautiful, lyrical albums we've ever heard from Henry Threadgill – a set that still has all the sharp edges you might know from his other work, but which also comes across with a slightly more sensitive sound as well! The compositions are beautiful – really well-written, longer-thought concepts by Threadgill – perfectly paired with a lineup that includes Craig Harris on trombone, Olu Dara on cornet, Fred Hopkins on bass, and Pheeroan Aklaff and John Betsch on drums – players who work well with Henry's flute, alto, and tenor to craft these deep-feeling lines amidst inventive rhythms. Production is great – very unassuming, and just right for the mood – and titles include "Melin", "10 to 1", "Just B", "When Was That", and "Soft Suicide At The Baths". CD
Possible matches: 31
3
Woody Shaw —
Time Is Right ... CD Red (Italy), 1983. New Copy ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
The time is always right for Woody Shaw – as just about every album from the trumpeter's a gem, and this set's no exception to that rule! The set's an overlooked live date from the early 80s – one that features four long songs, just the sort of extended numbers that demonstrate Woody's wonderful talents on the trumpet – that soulful, soaring, exploratory style that really transformed the use of the instrument during Shaw's all-too-short time on this planet. The rhythm section is great – with Mulgrew Miller on long spiraling piano lines, Stafford James on bass, and Tony Reedus on drums – and Steve Turre's also in the group, blowing both trombone and that unique shell of his. Titles include "From Moment To Moment", "Time Is Right", "We'll Be Together Again", and "You & The Night & The Music". CD
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Timeless/
Three full albums from this great Dutch pianist! Miss Dee is a heck of a set from Dutch pianist Rob Agerbeek – easily one of the most soulful European pianists of the 70s, even in an acoustic setting like this! Rob's got a bite on the keys that reminds us a lot more of American players from the 60s – not a straight soul jazz groove, but a style that definitely draws from that mode – then opens up into some more lyrical elements that are more in keeping with overseas expression in the 70s. The trio matches his energy nicely – especially on the upbeat numbers that rule the set – with bass from Harry Emmery and drums from Eric Ineke – on titles that include "Little Miss Dee", "Cup Bearers", "Birk's Works", "Caravan", and "Out Of This World". Second Opinion is a trio set from the great Rob Agerbeek – one that lets him open up on familiar tunes, but with a sense of imagination that really packs a lot into a small space! The lineup features Paul Berner on bass and Ben Schroeder on drums – and titles include "Summertime", "East Of The Sun", "Lover Man", "Besame Mucho", "Mad About The Boy", "Girl Talk", "As Time Goes By", and "Things Ain't What They Used To Be". Lock Stock & Barrell is a relatively recent set from Dutch piano Rob Agerbeek – who locks it up nicely, in a trio with Erik Albjerg on bass and Tjeerd Klapwijk on drums! Titles include "Lock Stock & Barrel", "A Child Is Born", "Round Midnight", "O Morro Nao Tem Vez", "Thora's Dance", "Cubano Chant", "Nearest & Dearest", and "Footprints". CD
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Drag City, 2022. New Copy ... $12.99 16.99
Wonderful work from guitarist Oren Ambarchi – a little more expansive than his preceding effort on Drag City, thanks to larger group and a wider range of instrumentation, while building on what loved about it! The style is tough to pin down in the best kind of way, with strains of improvisational jazz and hypnotic minimalism, but a unique melodic drive that's as compelling as it is tough to cleanly categorize. Collaborators this time include returning Swedish jazz bassist Johan Berthling, drummer Joe Talia, a second guitarist in Julia Reidy, Sam Dunscombe on bass clarinet – and for extra otherworldly, yet melodic atmosphere is some synth by Jim O'Rourke and pedal steel by BJ Cole on a couple of tracks. The whole Shebang is a 4 part set – each track running long, to give it a nice amount of space to build up, settle down, and flow into the next – and numbered 1 to 4. CD
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We Release Jazz (Switzerland), 1976. New Copy ... $15.99 19.99
Lyrical magic from pianist Ryo Fukui – a lost gem from the Japanese scene of the 70s, and a beautifully flowing album throughout! Fukui's got a wide-open touch to the piano that we totally love – and is easily one of the best of his contemporaries on the Japanese trio scene of the time – working in the open-ended mode that was allowed by labels in Tokyo during the 70s, a style that was never too far outside, but which really allowed the pianist to soar with a driving, rhythmic intensity. There's a bit of a modal groove to some of the tracks on the album, but more than that, there's just a beautiful sense of freedom – a love of sound and texture that's never reduced to mere experimentation, and which has Ryo taking full command of the keys to soar to the skies on waves of acoustic soul. The group on the set features Yoshinori Fukui on drums and Satoshi Denpo on bass – and tracks include "I Want To Talk About You", "Scenery", "Autumn Leaves", "Early Summer", and "It Could Happen To You". CD
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Blue Note (Japan), 1975. New Copy ... $10.99 16.99
One more amazing chapter in the mighty development of drummer Chico Hamilton – a killer 70s session for Blue Note – and a record that goes way beyond his earlier experiments of the 50s, modal grooves of the 60s, and funk work for the Flying Dutchman label! The style here is fusion, but way fresher than the usual type – neither jamming rock-styled, nor mellow and smooth – and instead always tickled by Hamilton's sense of a unique rhythm, and his continued great ear for inventive use of reeds – in this case handled by Arthur Blythe on alto and Arnie Lawrence on soprano and tenor sax. The set's also got Steve Turre on bass and trombone, and both Barry Finnerty and Joe Beck on electric guitars – but the real genius is Chico himself, who handled arrangements and wrote most of the album's great tracks. Titles include the exotic number "Abdullah & Abraham" – plus "Andy's Walk", "Peregrinations", "It's About That Time", "Sweet Dreams", "On & Off", "Little Lisa", and "Space For Stacy". CD
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Nimbus, 1979/
A spiritual jazz classic from the hip LA scene of the late 70s – led by saxophonist Billie Harris, and featuring a group that includes Horace Tapscott on piano! We don't know much about Harris, but he's got a freewheeling spiritual sound that's very much in the Coltrane-inspired mode, yet also steeped in the creative improvised style of Tapscott's scene in LA. Tracks are all long, with a sound that builds majestically over time – and the set leaves us wondering why Harris wasn't a bigger player at the time. The core tracks of the CD were recorded in the studio – with Tapscott, Harris, and added bass, percussion, and guest vocals by the enigmatic Lorelei. An additional longer track was recorded live, with a larger group that also includes Adele Sebastian on flute and Sabia Mateen on tenor. And a last track is an 8 minute solo piano number by Tapscott. Titles include "Why Don't You Listen", "I Want Some Water", "Many Nights Ago", "The Advocate", and "Prayer Of Happiness". CD
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Quincy Jones —
Integrale Quincy Jones 1957 to 1962 – Soul Bossa Nova (4CD set) ... CD Fremeaux & Associates (France), Late 50s/
The early years of Quincy Jones, summed up in all their greatness – material from a time years before Quincy became a superstar in the world of soundtracks and soul, yet was already breaking new ground in the field of large ensemble jazz! Q had a special spark, right from the start – and you'll definitely hear that here, in a succession of albums and bonus material that highlight his uniquely swinging, soulful sense of arrangement – and his great ear for individual musicians, at a level that makes the groups here really work as all-star lineups, filled with musicians who often recorded as leaders on their own, but came together in tight formation under Jones' leadership. The set features a few bonus tracks recorded in Sweden in the late 50s – plus the full albums Birth Of A Band, Go West Man, This Is How I Feel About Jazz, Great Wide World Of Quincy Jones, I Dig Dancers, Around The World, Quintessence, and Big Band Bossa Nova – all served up in a big box with 78 tracks in all – and full notes in French and English! CD
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Stones Throw, New Copy ... $9.99
Kiefer's one of those artists that we sometimes forget about, then fall in love all over again when we drop the needle on a record – which is definitely the case this time around, as Kiefer seems to be more on top of his game and focused than ever! As before, there's a mix of piano/
Also available It's OK BU ... LP 27.9911
LG/
A long-overdue look at the mini-soul empire of Leo Gooden – an tiny little enclave in East St Louis that was making some mighty hip music in the early 60s! Gooden wore many hats at the time – politician, club owner, and local businessman – but he also put together his own band and record label, and worked in a very hip mix of R&B and 60s soul jazz modes! Through his nightclub, The Blue Note, Gooden came into contact with a variety of great musicians, both national and local – and he brought their inspiration to play on sessions recorded here for his LG family of labels – issued on a handful of singles and two rare LPs. Although rough-edged at times, these tracks have a really great sound – kind of a grittier take on the Prestige Records groove of the 60s – helped out by musicians who include Oliver Nelson and Hamiet Bluiett – and singers who include Albert King and Charles Drain. The package is a bit loose on discographical details, but definitely includes all the best moments from these mighty years on the East St Louis scene – and the full story in the notes more than helps to fill in the gaps in Gooden's compelling tale. The titles by Leo's Five – Gooden's group – are all hip jazz instrumentals, often with a strong mix of Hammond, guitar, and tenor – and these titles include "Hold It", "Sunrise Serenade", "Something You Got", "Tippin", "Johnnie Come Marching Home (Country Style)", "Minor Over Matter", "Mop Water", "Fredrick's Dream", and "Cookin With Chezie Mae". Other cuts include "COD" and "Worsome Baby" by Albert King, "So Glad" and "Stop & Think About It Baby" by Charles Drain, "Winkee Do" and "Ugly Ugly" by Leo Gooden, and "Let's Do The Cat" by Jamie Ross. CD
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Les McCann —
Never A Dull Moment – Live From Coast To Coast 1966 to 1967 (3CD set) ... CD Resonance, Mid 60s. New Copy 3CDs ... Just Sold Out!
Unreleased live work from Les McCann – recorded at a time when the soulful giant was really breaking it up in clubs around the country, and just about to unleash a whole new righteous side of his talents! The tracks here resonate strongly with some of the earlier Pacific Jazz live work that Les was cutting earlier in the decade – but also show a new evolution that's partly the confidence he had as one of the key soulful musicians on the west coast, but also a shift in his style past some of the more standard soul jazz modes that others were taking from his bag – leaving McCann to keep on growing in new directions of his own. All tracks here are trio titles – recorded in Seattle or at the Village Vanguard – and players include Stanley Gilbert and Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Frank Severino and Paul Humphrey on drums. Titles include "The Grabber", "Could Be", "I Can Dig It", "Doin That Thing", "Sunny", "The Shampoo", "Blues 5", "Out In The Outhouse", "Lavande", "Da Da", "Yours Is My Heart Alone", and "Wait For It". CD
Also available Never A Dull Moment – Live From Coast To Coast 1966 to 1967 (180 gram pressing) ... LP 75.9913
Blue Note (Japan), 1959. New Copy ... $14.99 18.99
Jackie McLean cut some of his best bop sessions for Blue Note – and this is one of them! The record is amazingly precise, and features Jackie as the sole horn soloist in a group with Walter Bishop on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – a crack rhythm combo that give McLean plenty of room to blow on his searing alto sax. Tracks stream along with an amazing ease – and Jackie's perfectly-placed solos are right on the money every time! The set list includes a lot of standards, but they're done with that warm soulful approach that makes you hardly care about the source of the material – and instead focus on Jackie's amazing talents as an improviser! Titles include "What's New", "I Love You", "Let's Face The Music And Dance", and "Stable Mates". CD
Also available Swing Swang Swingin' ... CD 9.99
Swing Swang Swingin' (Japanese paper sleeve edition) ... CD 19.99
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Bethlehem/
A really moody session of vocal jazz from the 50s – a near-lost date from singer Terry Morel, who we only know from this one album on Bethlehem! The album's got a feel that's a bit like some of Chris Connor's work for the label at the time – backing by a trio led by pianist Ralph Sharon, augmented by flute from Herbie Mann, who shades in the tones with some darker hues that really give the record a unique feel. And Terry herself has a slightly different voice too – one that's a bit dusky and breathy, without the sweetness of other female 50s singers – almost bedroom-like in its sensuality. Titles include "How About You", "You're Not The Kind", "Too Late Now", "More Than You Know", "Who Cares", "A Hundred Years From Today", and "The Night We Called It A Day". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD
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Blue Note (Japan), 1965. New Copy ... $18.99 22.99 About May 22, 2024
Oh Baby is right – as the album's one of the best Blue Note albums by Hammond legend Big John Patton – 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 work for Blue Note really stand out from the rest of the 60s Hammond generation – very creative stuff, with occasional modern touches, and a rhythmic conception that's not only unusual, but which also really lets the soloists stretch out on their grooves! Players include Harold Vick on tenor, Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Ben Dixon on drums, and Grant Green on guitar – and the album's about as sharp as you can get for a Blue Note organ session. Titles include "Fat Judy", "Each Time", "One To Twelve", and "Night Flight". CD
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Date/
Massive work from one of the funkiest drummers of all time – the legendary Bernard Pretty Purdie, stepping out here in a batch of instrumentals that may well be his greatest album ever! Bernard's drums are right up front in the mix – leading off all tunes with a full, funky, echoey sort of approach that's unlike anything else we can think of – and certainly different from any other late 60s albums of this type! The production is totally great – and has a way of pulling out some of the weirdest aspects of the music – which itself features guitar from Billy Butler and Eric Gale, bass from Bob Bushnell, tenor and flute from Seldon Powell, and organ and piano from Richard Tee – who also handled all the arrangements on the set! The centerpiece is the hit single "Funky Donkey", but just about every track's a groover in its own way – and titles include "Soul Drums", "Bill's Groove", "Jimmy's Back", "Testifyin", "Modern Jive", "Blow Your Lid", "Bee N Tee", and "Soul Bossa Nova". This new edition includes 8 bonus tracks, with a couple rare 45 tracks and more that have never been released – all soulful & funky – well paired with the Soul Drums album! Bonus tracks are in stereo, and include "Alexander's Rag Time Band", "Genuine John", "Soul Clappin", "If You Never Cried", "Stop" and "Time Is Tight". Also comes with a nice booklet with new liner notes, and choice quotes from Purdie's peers and those he influenced, from Galt MacDermot to Large Professor. CD
Also available Soul Drums (50th anniversary 2LP version – with bonus tracks) ... LP 30.9917
Archie Shepp —
Magic Of Ju-Ju (SHMCD pressing) ... CD Impulse/
Beautifully balanced 60s work from Archie Shepp – a record that mixes newer freedoms with sharper vision – all wrapped up with some wonderfully intense solo work! As with some of Shepp's other great dates for Impulse at the time, the group's a largeish one – a nonet of players who are arranged tightly at some moments, but set loose on their own at others – in a style that many other leaders would copy in years to come, but never really match as strongly! Trumpet is by Martin Banks and Michael Zwerin, the latter of whom also plays trombone – and other players include Reggie Workman on bass, Beaver Harris and Norman Connors on drums, and added percussion from Ed Blackwell, Frank Charles, and Dennis Charles. Shepp wrote all titles for the date – and there's a great mixture of soulful undercurrents and more angular modern edges in every tune. Titles include "The Magic Of Ju Ju", "You're What This Day Is All About", "Shazam", and "Sorry 'Bout That". CD
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Blue Note (Japan), 1956. New Copy ... $18.99 22.99 About May 22, 2024
The lyrical genius at his best – an early record from pianist Horace Silver, but one that already has him really defining that special sort of sound that made him really stand out from his contemporaries! The difference here is hard to put in words – but there's a careful ear for an unusual phrasing in a tune that Silver delivers throughout – not just on his own compositions and piano solos, but also in the way that he puts the whole group together – with stellar work from Donald Byrd on trumpet, Hank Mobley on tenor, Doug Watkins on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums – all players who were about to become leaders and legends on their own, working here under fantastic guidance from Horace. Hayes is particularly great, and his warm drumming brings Silver's playing into a new range that still keeps a lot of his bop roots, but which also allows more room for the kind of flourishes that makes his recordings from this time so great. Titles include the classic "Senor Blues" – plus "Cool Eyes", "Shirl", "Camouflage", "For Heaven's Sake", "Virgo", and "Enchantment". CD
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Gearbox (UK), 2019. New Copy ... $9.99 19.99 About April 15, 2024 (delayed)
One of the most amazing jazz vocalists of our generation returns here with an incredible group – a majestic combo to match all the spiritual inclinations in his music – with work from Kamasi Washington on tenor, Mark De Clive-Lowe on piano, Miguel Atwood Ferguson on viola, and both Carlos Nino and Derf Reklaw on percussion! Dwight Trible on his own is already more than enough to get us to run out and buy a record – but here, the combination of his unique voice with these musicians makes for an album that's an instant masterpiece – and one that even has lots of new colors and styles compared to some of Dwight's previous work! Songs include numbers by older west coast spiritual jazz heavyweights – like Horace Tapscott, Linda Hill, Nate Morgan, James Leary, and Jesse Sharps – mixed with some of Trible's own songs, and versions of work by Carmen Lundy, Oscar Brown Jr, and Donny Hathaway. From top to bottom, start to stop, the album's a treasure – with tracks that include "It's All About Love", "Thank You Master", "Song For My Mother", "Brother Where Are You", "Some Other Time", "These Things You Are To Me", "Desert Fairy Princess", and "Mothership". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD
Also available Mothership ... LP 13.9920
Timeless/
Three albums by this wonderfully unique keyboardist! First up is Eyeball – a really nice mix of modes from keyboardist Jasper Van'T Hof – as some cuts feature the heavy electric modes we know from his MPS recordings of the 70s – but others feature a much more personal approach on acoustic piano! As with other records from the time, Jasper plays a range of keyboards here – from piano to Fender Rhodes to organ – and the group shifts a bit from track to track, depending on the mood – and features Wim Overgaauw on guitar, John Lee on bass, Zbigniew Seifert on violin, and Gerry Brown on drums. Lee and Brown kick in heavily on the jamming cuts, but lay back more on the mellower ones – and titles include "One Leg Missing", "Bax", "Viper Snake", "Eyeball 1", "The Rev", and "Schwester Johanna". Next is Solo Piano – a record that's a bit more down to earth than some of the electric 70s material from Jasper Van't Hof, but equally great in its own sort of way! The session has Jasper playing solo acoustic piano, mixing a few standards with even cooler original material that really makes the record shine! Titles include "Eyes", "7th Day Ticket", "Dinner For Two", "Skyline", "The Dodge", and "New Bob". Tomorrowland is a cool trio set from pianist Jasper Van't Hof – one that has him joined by the great Bob Malach on tenor, a player Jasper's worked with for years, and who really gets some great space to open up here! The third member of the group is the wonderful JF Jenny Clarke on bass – and titles include "Ventre A Terre", "The Quiet American", "Round About", "Ma Belle", "Mr Woof", and "Rutherford" – all nice original material! CD
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Bethlehem/
A cool quintet session from the great trombonists JJ Johnson and Kai Winding – one that really lets their twin horns soar free together – with only a bit of light backing to spur them on! The group's got a great rhythm section – with Dick Katz on piano, Al Harewood on drums, and either Milt Hinton or Wendell Marshall on bass – and the format is simple, but wonderful – as Kai and JJ step out tightly on the leads, then trade solo lines with effortless easy – almost in the way a jazz vocal harmony group might at the time! The pair recorded often together, but this set's still one of their greatest – and titles include "Stolen Bass", "Out Of This World", "Gong Rock", "Lope City", and "That's How I Feel About You". CD features a whopping 7 alternate takes of tracks on the album, too! CD
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United Artists/
It's a little-known fact that Memphis had a huge influence on the sound of late 50s/
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BBE (UK), Late 60s/
An incredible trip through the 70s Japanese jazz scene – a second volume of J Jazz that's even bigger and better than the first – with unknown gems from private presses, indie labels, and rarities from the Japanese branches of the major labels, too! Compilers Tony Higgins & Mike Peden (who are both also responsible for the nicely done notes) follow through on all of the things we loved about the first J Jazz compilation, but improve on it by going bigger and digging deeper. The majority of the tracks were recorded from 1969 through the late 70s – with a few recorded in later years – and all have a wonderful way of being open to the stylistic inventions of the time without getting hung up on trends. So while there's some fusiony funk and electric piano, there's plenty of acoustic instrumentation and timelessly inventive material. BBE has outdone themselves on this excellent collection – and titles include "Dragon Dance" by Makoto Terashita & Harold Land, "Daguri" by Kohsuke Mine Quintet, "Distant Thunder" by Mabumi Yamguchi Quartet, "Animal Garden" by Miyasaka + 5, "Mother Of The Future" by Electro Keyboard Orchestra, "Serenade To A Dimly Lit Street" by Hiroshi Matsumoto/
Also available J Jazz 2 – Deep Modern Jazz From Japan 1969 to 1983 (3LP set) ... LP 34.9924
Centipede —
Septober Energy (2CD edition) ... CD RCA/
A landmark session that gathered together just about every hip British jazz and jazz/
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Tubby Hayes —
Free Flight ... CD Jazz In Britain (UK), 1972. New Copy 2CD ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
British tenor giant Tubby Hayes left the planet all too soon – passing away at the age of 38 in 1973 – but right up to the end, he continued to blow away most of his contemporaries – as you'll hear from this set of unreleased live material from 1972! The recording is from a time when Hayes was actually coming back out of a bit of time away from the scene – recuperating from heart issues that were soon to take away his life – and the period is almost a return to the basics of Tubby's breakout recordings of the late 50s – when he emerged as a tenor soloist to rival American greats like Sonny Rollins or Dexter Gordon! You can definitely hear that quality here, as Tubbs takes on some older standards, plus a few originals – and spins out these wonderful long solos that never fair for imagination or soulful expression – and which also feature some occasional great moments on flute too. The group is a very familiar one – Mike Pyne on piano, Tony Levin on drums, and Ron Mathewson on pass – who happened to record the proceedings over the course of two nights at Ronnie Scotts. Titles include long takes on "Lady Celia", "Trane's Blues", "Someday My Prince Will Come", "I've Got You Under My Skin", "Trenton Place", and "I Thought About You" – plus two shorter incomplete tracks, "Seven Steps To Heaven" and "Sienna Red". CD
(Limited edition of 500!)
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Various —
J Jazz 3 – Deep Modern Jazz From Japan ... CD BBE (UK), Late 70s/
An ear-opening set of Japanese jazz from a time when that nation's scene was really taking off – a period in the 70s when all sorts of new artists and new ideas were really flying around – and leaving behind a huge recorded legacy that's been mostly out of reach for us in the west! Japan always had a few big names in jazz that got exported overseas, but the work here is from some of the smaller names who were still turning out incredible music – much of it only issued on vinyl, and not reissued later – brought together here with copious notes that really tell you a heck of a lot about the music! There's definitely a post-Coltrane vibe going on – lots of spiritual elements, mixed with both moments that are funkier and more soulful, and others that are a bit more freewheeling – often stretched out on extended tracks that really let the artists take off and find their space. Titles include "Black Nile" by Hideyasu Terakawa, "Kirisame" by Ryusei Quartet, "Honey Sanba" by Katsuyuki Itakura, "Cumulonimbus" by Shigeharu Mukai, "Song Of Island" by Yasuhiro Kohno Trio + One, "Phoebus" by Hiroshi Murakami & Dancing Sphinx, "Morning Tiede" by Kohsuke Mine, "Kemo Sabe" by Masao Nakajima, "Song For Hope" by Aki Takase, "Planets" by Masaru Imada Trio + 1, "1/
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Jon Hassell —
Further Fictions (Living City/Ndeya, 1989. New Copy 2CD ... Out Of Stock
A beautiful package of rare work from the archives – two never-released recordings, brought together in a cool book-style package! First up is Living City – breathtakingly organic sounds from Jon Hassell – performing here live, and at a level that's a nice evolution from his studio modes in the earlier part of the 80s – with all sorts of long-blown lines, and nicely complex elements in the sound! Hassell handles both his famous electrified trumpet and keyboards, with a group that includes keyboards, guitar, bass, and percussion samples – all mixed live by Brian Eno, who definitely adds a darkness to the whole proceedings – recalling the Fourth World experiments that he and Hassell had done about a decade before, but with a quality that really respects all the growth that Jon went through as an artist in the intervening years. Titles include "Ituri", "Alchemistry", "Mashujaa", "Paradise Now", "Nightsky", and "Adedara Rising". Next is Psychogeography – very heady work from Jon Hassell – a set that almost seems to showcase his skills as a producer as much as it does his always-creative work on trumpet and keyboards! The sound here is often very layered and dense – maybe Hassell's own take on the noisier territory of Miles Davis electric imports of the 70s – but warmer, and with more of the organic elements that we love in some of Jon's other material. The recordings have never been issued – and are reworked elements of some material that went into the City/
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Ramsey Lewis —
Don't It Feel Good/Columbia/
Sweet electric magic from Ramsey Lewis – four 70s albums in a single collection! First up is Don't It Feel Good – massive keyboard work from the great Ramsey Lewis – easily one of his best records ever, thanks to some spaciously funky production by Charles Stepney! Stepney plays keyboards here along with Ramsey, and the twin-keys approach makes for a sound that's extra-special – one that sums up all the earlier soulful creativity of both artists in their late 60s Cadet Records years, and hones it down to an even sweeter groove for the 70s! A number of tracks have some sort of vocal component, but usually in a chorus mode that soon drops out when the keyboards hit home – and the record features a few great short "interlude" tracks that are almost as great as the longer numbers! Titles include the classic "Juaacklyn", a cover of Earth Wind & Fire's "That's The Way Of The World", and the tracks "I Dig You", "Fish Bite", "Don't It Feel Good", "Something About You", and "Can't Function". Salongo is a tremendous little record, and one of the funky 70s sets that Ramsey Lewis recorded with Earth Wind & Fire! Well, not Earth Wind & Fire entirely – but the Kalimba Productions team of Maurice White and Charles Stepney that gave the group its sound – plus a nice sprinkling of other players that were often associated with sessions by the group! Ramsey's own combo here includes Steve Cobb on drums and vocals, and Derf Reklaw on reeds and vocals as well – and the overall sound has bits of African and Brazilian influences, worked into a soulful fusion groove that sounds a lot like the instrumental backings EWF were using at the time. Titles include "Brazilica", "Slick", "Rubato", "Salongo", and "Seventh Fold". Tequila Mockingbird is an overlooked gem from the Columbia Records years, filled with loads of great grooves, and some pretty mighty keyboards! Part of the record has Ramsey working with Larry Dunn of Kalimba Productions – getting plenty of the Earth Wind & Fire groove that made so much of his Columbia sessions sparkle – while the rest of the set has the great Bert DeCoteaux handling things, and giving Lewis just the right mix of sophistication and soul he was using with other Columbia acts at the time. The album's a perfect example of the way that Ramsey stepped way ahead of the pack during this time in his career – using keyboards and grooves together in ways that so many artists today are still trying to match – but never hit it this right! Titles include "Camino El Bueno", "Caring For You", "Intimacy", "That Ole Bach Music", "Skippin", "Tequila Mockingbird", and "Wandering Rose" – that cool cut by Neal Creque! Love Notes is a great little album of mid 70s funk from Ramsey Lewis – very much in the mode of his Earth, Wind, & Fire related work – no surprise, since the album's dedicated to Charles Stepney, whose influence was such a key part of the sound of the group, and of some of Ramsey's other Kalimba-produced albums from a few years before! Ramsey plays Fender Rhodes, mini moog, and Arp – and he gets help on keyboards from Stevie Wonder and Derf Reklaw, who also plays saxes and percussion on the set. Features versions of Wonder's "Love Notes" and "Spring High", plus Reklaw's "Chili Today Hot Tamale", "Shining", and "Stash Dash". CD
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Ramsey Lewis —
Funky Serenity/Columbia/
A quadruple-header from Ramsey Lewis – four albums from his great 70s electric period on Columbia Records! First up is Funky Serenity – sweet electric funk from Ramsey Lewis! The album's one of his best from the 70s – and it's got Ramsey on Fender Rhodes, electric harpsichord, and other keyboards, grooving away in an open-ended 70s mode that still retains all the heavy soul of his classic work for Chess. Morris Jennings adds in some very nice percussion with his drum work, and Cleveland Eaton's on funky bass, giving the set a strong bottom groove. Features the sublime sample cut "My Love For You", a great version of "Knights In White Satin" that's done with a weird spacey groove, plus the tracks "Kufany Mapenzi (Making Love)", "Serene Funk", "What It Is!", and "Dreams". Golden Hits isn't a "best of", but instead has Ramsey and his funky mid 70s trio with Morris Jennings and Cleveland Eaton revisiting some of his best loved material from the Cadet years, but with the groovy Rhodes and wah wah sound that we dig so much about his CBS recordings. Unlike some of the other records from this period, the group's nice and stripped down, just the electric piano, bass and drums, so the groove's nice and wide open, Ramsey and company popping along with the sanctified soulful vibe of his 60s work, but updating their sound with some nice electric touches. 9 numbers in all: "Hang On Sloopy", "Blues For The Night Owl", "Hi-Heel Sneakers", "Carmen", "Delilah", "Wade In The Water", "Slippin' Into Darkness", "Somethin' You Got", and "The In Crowd". Solar Wind was cut smack dab in the middle of Ramsey's glory days at Columbia Records – with great production help and work on bass from the mighty Cleveland Eaton! The style is nice and lean, with just some occasional fuller touches – and Ramsey plays plenty of Fender Rhodes, in addition to bits of Arp and moog too – in a setting that's mostly trio, with a few guest players stepping into the mix from track to track! There's a nice degree of fuzz at points, thanks to added help from Steve Cropper – and titles include a great funky version of "Summer Breeze", plus "Solar Wind", "Come Down In Time", "Love for A Day", "Hummingbird", "Jamaican Marketplace", and "Sweet & Tender You". Sun Goddess is one of our favorite Ramsey Lewis albums ever – and a perfect summation of the genius that was brewing on the Chicago scene in the late 60s and early 70s! The album has Ramsey working strongly with Earth Wind & Fire – no surprise, given his close ties to Maurice White, who was the drummer in Ramsey's trio before starting his own group – and the shared relationship both artists had with producer Charles Stepney! The three were all key parts of the late 60s sound at Chess Records – but here, they've brought the same soulful energy to Columbia – working in a wider, more mature groove for the 70s – one that has Lewis' wicked Fender Rhodes lines stretching out strongly over tight, compressed, funky lines from EWF! The centerpiece of the set is the massive 7 minute "Sun Goddess", but there's lots of other nice ones like "Living For The City", "Gemini Rising", and "Jungle Strut". Funky, electric, and sublimely wonderful all the way through! CD
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Carmen McRae —
Second To None/Mainstream/
Three great 60s albums from jazz singer Carmen McRae – all in a single set! Second To None is one of Carmen McRae's best records of the 60s – an album done with beautiful arrangements from Peter Matz, who's probably best known for his work with Barbara Streisand at the time – and who really helps McRae take her music to the next level! Carmen was already one of the most sophisticated jazz singers of the 50s – but in the following decade, she really perfected her phrasing – and was able to grab material and make it completely her own – all with a mode that's steeped in the special sort of inflections a jazz singer can bring, but which is also able to maybe be even more adult in approach overall. The strings soar, the percussion is fairly spare and often a little bit off kilter – and Carmen emphasizes her phrasing and more earthy tendencies without any empty histrionics – on titles that include "In The Love Vain", "The Music Makes Me Dance", "Too Good", "Once Upon A Summertime", "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes", and "Cloudy Morning". Live & Doin It is about as strong an example of the genius of Carmen McRae as you could ever hope to find – a live album that displays Carmen's impeccable phrasing in a very stripped-down setting – and one that also swings with a fair degree of sophisticated soul as well! Back in the 50s, Carmen paved the way for later stars like Marlena Shaw or Nancy Wilson – and here, she outdoes both of them with effortless ease – working with a very cool trio that features Norman Simmons on piano, Victor Sproles on bass, and a very young Stu Martin on drums. The set's got that strong understanding of soul that was explored even more fully in her Atlantic Records years – which really transforms tracks in unexpected ways. Titles include "Guess Who I Saw Today", "Quiet Nights", "Trouble Is A Man", "My Ship Has Sailed", "No Where", "Meaning Of The Blues", and "I Only Have Eyes For You". Haven't We Met is great work from Carmen McRae – light and groovy one minute, deeply expressive the other – but all with a sense of balance that few other singers can touch at this point in her career! Carmen's already moved past straight jazz, yet she also avoids the traps of bigger label commercial singers too – really making the best of the sophisticated charts by Don Sebesky, yet also always reminding us who's in charge! The album's on a par with the excellent work to come for Atlantic records – and titles include the groovy "Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries", "Who Can I Turn To?", "He Loves Me", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "Limehouse Blues", "I'm Foolin' Myself", "Fools and Lovers", and the title track – a wonderfully groovy take on the Kenny Rakin tune "Haven't We Met". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD
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Oscar Pettiford —
We Get The Message ... CD Sonorama (Germany), 1958. New Copy ... Out Of Stock
Never-heard work from the legendary bassist Oscar Pettiford – recorded at a time when he was making some very big waves on the European scene! During the 50s, Pettiford not only helped revolutionize the role of the bass in jazz, but also helped bring that instrument to new possibilities in the role of a leader – working in groups that were usually as great as this one – a smoking lineup that features Hans Koller on tenor and alto, Attila Zoller on guitar, and Kenny Clarke on drums – all playing with energy that's about as tight, sharp, and soulful as you could hope for the German scene of the postwar years! Like Clarke, Pettiford's presence on the scene really helped lay the groundwork for a big explosion of talent in the MPS/
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Patrice Rushen —
Feels So Real – The Complete Elektra Recordings 1978 to 1984 (Patrice/Elektra/
A really great collection – five full albums from keyboard giant Patrice Rushen, plus bonus tracks too! First up is Patrice – her first album for Elektra, and a stunning blend of funky jazz and soul! The record really has Patrice stepping out from her earlier years at Prestige – working in some surprisingly great vocals next to tight lines on Fender Rhodes, synth, and clavinet, handled with a smooth and soulful quality that's wonderful all the way through – a blend of soul and jazz that few other players could do this well – no matter how many others tried to copy her style over the years! Rhythms are as hard and heavy as on the Prestige years, and the keyboards have a great sort of focus too – just the right mix of jazz to offset the vocals – which themselves are a wonderful discovery. The whole album's a gem – and tracks include the great funky classic "Hang It Up", plus "Changes (In Your Life)", "When I Found You", "Play", "Didn't You Know?", and "Music Of The Earth". Pizzazz is one of the records that not only helped break her out of the jazz funk ghetto, and right into the mainstream – but a set that also had a pretty profound influence on the progression of soul in the early 80s! Rushen sings as well as plays keyboards – and really pushes the use of jazzy elements that would take R&B to the next level – almost inventing the 80s groove sound in the process! The whole thing's a totally sweet mix of funk and soul, tightened up to get everything in the door at the same time – and titles include "Givin It Up Is Givin Up", "Call On Me", "Haven't You Heard", and "Let The Music Take Me". Posh is an all-out, all-access affair – a great way for anyone to get into the grooves of the mighty Patrice Rushen! Patrice is at the height of her powers here – equally magic on keyboards and vocals, and coming up with groove after groove in a sublime blend of 70s jazz funk and Minnie Riperton-esque soul! The whole album's a winner – real magic that never gets old, and the kind of LP that makes you understand why you'll find Patrice's records in just about any soul collection from the time! Tracks include "I Need Your Love", "Time Will Tell", "The Dream", "Never Gonna Give You Up", and "Don't Blame Me". Straight From The Heart is one of those albums that completely cemented her standing in the world of jazz, funk, and soul – and a wonderful summation of everything she'd done in the years before! The young Patrice was already a breakout keyboardist on the west coast scene of the mid 70s – turning out great work on her own, and adding her talents to plenty of others – but here, she emerges as a soaring soul star in her own right – a talent who's really worked her way up, with a quality level that's head and shoulders above most of her peers! Rushen produced the set with Charles Mims, and there's a righteous blend of jazz and soul that's at the level of Minnie Riperton, so that even the catchiest cuts come off with a sense of sophistication and warmth that's so different than so much other 80s soul and fusion. Titles include the classic "Forget Me Nots", plus "Number One", "I Was Tired Of Being Alone", "Where There Is Love", "Breakout", "If Only", and "Remind Me". The album Now is a masterpiece of 80s groove with lots of jazzy touches! The keyboard sound has evolved a bit here – compressed with more electronic percussion than on Patrice's earlier records, but still done with a degree of soul that sets it apart from work by most of her contemporaries – and the music has this warm flow that really sets Rushen apart from the rest – a sublime mix of soul, funk, and fusion that holds together perfectly throughout! Titles include "Gotta Find It", "Gone With The Night", "My Love's Not Going Anywhere", "High In Me", "To Each His Own", "Heartache Heartbreak", and "Feels So Real". 5CD set features bonus tracks from original 12" singles – and other remixes too! (Soul, Jazz) CD
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Mary Lou Williams —
Mary Lou Williams (Black Christ Of The Andes) ... CD Mary, 1963. New Copy ... Out Of Stock
A landmark album – and one of the best records you'll ever find by Mary Lou Williams! The record's a mixture of jazz and spiritual themes, and it features Mary Lou's piano set in some super-hip jazz arrangements that include players like Grant Green, Budd Johnson, Larry Gales, Melba Liston, Ben Tucker, and Percy Heath. The bass and piano work is amazing, and many tracks have a dark groove that's very subtle, but very compelling. About half the tunes feature hip choral vocalizing – in the mode of some of the Donald Byrd or Max Roach albums from the same time – mostly handled by the group of Howard Roberts. Includes the classic groover "A Grand Nite For Swinging", plus "A Fungus Amongus", "Anima Christi", "Miss DD", "The Devil", "It Ain't Necessarily So", and "My Blue Heaven". Great stuff all around – and even better than we're describing it! This CD issue features the original Mary Records cover art – different than the Saba/
(Special limited CD – pressed up for us by the Smithsonian Folkways label. Comes with original cover artwork, and the CD also features a PDF file with the original liner notes and other materials from the original record release.)
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