Jazz — All Formats  

Basie hits the hits of the 50s and early 60s – working here with some tight Billy Byers arrangements that really help transform the tunes! The groove is upbeat, bright, and brilliantly soulful – that punctuated Basie groove first formed when Neal Hefti was with the group, still carried off here wonderfully by a lineup that includes Frank Wess and Frank Foster on saxes, Snooky Young and Al Aarons on trumpets, Benny Powell and Henry Coker on trombones, and Freddie Green on guitar. Titles include "The Second Time Around", "Hey Jealous Lover", "All Of Me", "This Love Of Mine", "Saturday Night", "Come Fly With Me", and "South Of The Border" – almost a Sinatra album in spirit, given the choice of tunes like these!

Not the usual jazz outing from trumpeter Pete Candoli, and more an album of pop instrumentals, designed to cash in on the success of the big hit single "Moscow Mule"! (Pete didn't do the original version of that, right?) Tunes are short, jaunty, and use the trumpet in the kind of 60s pop way that was working big with Al Hirt and Herb Alpert – not as cool as Pete's 50s jazz work, but groovy enough if you're not looking for that. Titles include "Wild Turkey", "Rum & Coca Cola", "Moscow Mule", "Tequila", "Cool Green Grasshopper", and "Scotch & Soda".

One of the hippest funky jazz combos of the 70s – stepping out here in their amazing debut for Cobblestone records! Catalyst had a groove that was unlike most of their contemporaries – a sound that was often jazzier than some of the tighter funk artists on labels like Kudu or Prestige, with some deeply spiritual leanings in the solos – but also a style that was still pretty tight and focused, not as far out as some of the headier groups on the Strata East label. There's loads of great choppy rhythms and tight-edged grooves on the record – thanks to Fender Rhodes from Eddie Green, reeds from Odeon Pop, bass from Al Johnson, and drums and percussion from Sherman Ferguson. Skip Drinkwater produced the session at Sigma Sound, and it's definitely got some of his hallmark appreciation of rhythm in the mix – on titles that include "Ain't It The Truth", "New Found Truths", "East", "Catalyst Is Coming", "Jabali", and "Salaam".

A tight quartet session that pairs the master funky guitarist with Jack McDuff, Al Harewood, and (surprisingly) Yusef Lateef, who plays tenor and flute on the record, in a style that's a lot harder than some of his own work from the time! The group grooves in a nice laidback way through 4 long tracks – "Grantstand", "My Funny Valentine", "Blues In Maude's Flat", and "Old Folks" – and the session is very open-ended, with a good live soul jazz vibe.

A swinging east coast set featuring the reeds of Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, and Tony Scott. Trigger Alpert is actually the leader on these sides, in spite of the way the album is billed, and he plays bass in a piano-less rhythm section alongside Ed Shaughnessy on drums. The front line also includes Joe Wilder and Urbie Green, making for an horn heavy ensemble that blows nicely over Dick Hyman, Tony Scott and Marty Paich arrangements of standards and a handful of originals that include "Looking At You", "I Don't Want To Be Alone Again", "Trigger Happy", "Tranquilizer", "Where's That Rainbow?", "Treat Me Rough", "Triger Fantasy" and "Love Me Tomorrow".

Don't let the "horns" in the title put you off – because the record's not a hokey "with horns" record by Miles, but a batch of all-star sessions that has him playing with some really tremendous contemporaries! The set compiles early Miles Davis sides from two different Prestige sessions of the early 50s – material originally issued as 10 inch LPs, but brought together here in a very cool full length package with a cover image by Mad Magazine's Don Martin! Side 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", and "Whispering" – all taken in a boppish mode, but with slight modern touches. Side two features the compositions of Al Cohn – "Tasty Pudding", "Floppy", "Willie The Wailer", and "For Adults Only" – played by a septet that features Cohn, Zoot Sims, John Lewis, Kenny Clarke, Leonard Gaskin, and Sonny Truitt – a very nice match to the sound of side one, and a surprisingly unified record overall!

Way before Sinatra first grabbed the "Chairman Of The Board" title for his own musical persona, Basie laid great claim to the tag with this tight little album for Roulette! The album's got the 50s Basie band working at the height of their powers – with original compositions written and arranged by Frank Foster, Ernie Wilkins, Thad Jones, and Frank Wess – all of whom play in the bad, along with other all-stars like Freddie Green, Billy Mitchell, and Al Grey. The sound is tight, soulful, and searing Basie all the way through – with tunes that include "Segue In C", "Blues In Hoss' Flat", "Who Me?", "The Deacon", "Half Moon Street", "Mutt & Jeff", "TV Time", "Speaking Of Sounds", and "HRH".

An excellent gimmick – and yet another way that United Artists was trying to push its "Bond" catalog in the 60s! Count Basie brings a soulful swing to the work of John Barry – hitting hard on the tracks with his own smoking piano, and an orchestra filled with some of his best players, like Al Grey, Eric Dixon, and Freddie Green – as well as Eddie Lockjaw Davis, an artist who wasn't credited on the session at he time. Arrangements are by Chico O'Farrill and George Williams – and titles include "Thunderball", "From Russia With Love", "007", "Girl Trouble", and "Goldfinger".

A classic from the undisputed master of the swing jazz jam session! Jumpin' At The Woodside has Buck Clayton recreating a Count Basie vibe, but in a much more open-ended, and long-grooving way! Most of the tracks on the record are nice and long – really opening up with a solo-heavy, jam session sort of style – and players shift from track to track, and include Woody Herman on clarinet, Coleman Hawkins on tenor, Al Cohn on tenor, Urbie Green on trombone, and Ruby Braff on trumpet. Titles include "Broadway", "Rock A Bye Basie", "Jumpin At The Woodside", and "Blue & Sentimental".

Bad Bossa Nova is right – as Gene Ammons really hits a great groove here – one that's not exactly bossa, but which has lots of Latin and tropical touches! The session makes great use of 2 guitars at the same time – using that of Kenny Burrell for soulful rhythm, but also adding in Bucky Pizzarelli for some nice acoustic embellishments – in a mode that's similar to the soul jazz-com-bossa style used on records like Ike Quebec's Soul Samba or Charlie Rouse's Bossa Nova Bacchanal. The overall rhythms are a bit more complicated, and a bit more soul jazz based than those sets – with Hank Jones on piano, Oliver Jackson on percussion, and Al Hayes adding in some sweet extra bongo! Titles include the classic "Ca'Purange" – plus "Anna", "Yellow Bird", "Cae Cae", and "Moito Mato Grosso". Also issued under the title Bad Bossa Nova.

2 rare large group sets – back to back on one CD! First up is Saxes Inc – a unique sax-heavy session done by Warner Brothers, and a blaring batch of tracks played by an all-star all-sax group that includes Herb Geller, Phil Woods, Gene Quill, Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, Seldon Powell, Hal McKusick, and Georgie Auld! Bob Prince arranged and conducted, and the approach is surprisingly modernist, with the saxes carrying the bulk of the rhythm and melody, as well as the solos – a really great approach that makes for plenty of unique moments – all handled with a sound that's a lot more fluid than you might expect! Titles include "Four Brothers" (of course!), "The Gypsy", "Night In Tunisia", "Jumpin With Symphony Sid", and "Axmobile". The second album here is the even rarer 1956 set Trombone Scene – a session done with a much smaller group arranged by pianist Elliot Lawrence, and featuring the talents of four key trombonists – Eddie Bert, Jimmy Cleveland, Urbie Green, and Jimmy Knepper. The sound isn't nearly as full or wide as other records of the type – and there's almost a style that's similar to the JJ Johnson/Kai Winding four trombone project for Debut – except that this one's a bit more tightly arranged. Tracks are shortish, but feature plenty of personality from all players – and titles include "Plungin In", "Hackin Around", "Slim Jim", "Sorta Rumbish", "Hambone", "Sonny's Side", and "Up & Out".

A great set on Porter Records featuring all the tracks from the first two albums by hip funky fusion titans Catylast – the complete Catalyst and Perception albums from the early 70s put together for Complete Recordings Vol 1! The first 6 tracks on the anthology are made up of the the first album, originally released on Cobblestone – one that finds Catalyst in a groove that was unlike most of their contemporaries. The sound was often jazzier than some of the tighter funk artists on labels like Kudu or Prestige, with some deeply spiritual leanings in the solos – but also a style that was still pretty tight and focused, not as far out as some of the headier groups on the Strata East label. There's loads of great choppy rhythms and tight-edged grooves on the record – thanks to Fender Rhodes from Eddie Green, reeds from Odean Pope, bass from Al Johnson, and drums and percussion from Sherman Ferguson. Skip Drinkwater produced the session at Sigma Sound, and it's definitely got some of his hallmark appreciation of rhythm in the mix – on titles that include "Ain't It The Truth", "New Found Truths", "East", "Catalyst Is Coming", "Jabali", and "Salaam". The remaining numbers feature the complete Perception album – another great one, with a lineup that included Billy Hart on percussion, Eddie Green on electric piano, and Odean Pope on tenor and flute. The real highlight, though, is Pat Gleason on arp, who adds a lot of cool dark moody touches to the group's fusiony playing. It's a stellar mix of soul jazz and edgy electric playing, far and away one of the best albums ever to be released on Muse at the time. It's been exceptionally rare over the years, too! Tracks include "Celestial Bodies", "Got To Be There", "Uzuri", and "Perception".

A killer set from an amazing quintet made up of some of the best players to ever grace the Blue Note label! Horace Parlan leads a tight tight tight combo that includes Grant Green on guitar and Booker Ervin on tenor sax – and the three of them fit together beautifully, with a dark moody edge that's unlike anything we can think of – loads of sharp, downturning notes, deeply soulful solo moments, and this raw sound that's totally great! Ervin's tone is razor-sharp, Green's guitar is unbelievably precise, and Parlan keeps on laying out these beautiful blocky chords that have a deeply resonant bottom – supported wonderfully by rhythms from Al Harewood on drums and George Tucker on bass. Tracks include "The Book's Beat", "The Other Part Of Town", "Fugee", and "Up & Down". CD contains a bonus alternate of "Fugee".

Spare sonic textures and mellow musical moments from Eivind Aarset – a great session for ECM, and maybe one of his most compelling records in years! This ECM album has a feel that's a bit warmer than some of Aarset's previous work for the Jazzland – not in a way that's commercial at all, given that the music is still pretty darn abstract – but just somehow more organic – in ways that almost feel acoustic at points, even though most of the instrumentation is electric – possibly because of these bass-heavy shapes that often move at the back and bottom of the mix. Eivind plays guitars, electronics, samples, and percussion – with help from Jan Bang on dictaphone and additional samples – on titles that icnlude "The Beauty Of Decay", "Homage To Greene", "Black Silence", "Close", "Reactive", and "The Whispering Forest".

Vintage work from this overlooked group from the New York scene of the 80s – an all-star lineup that features Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet, Marion Brown on alto sax, Billy Bang on violin, Sirone and Fred Hopkins on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums! The tracks are long, and there's a loose, open feel that recalls the loft jazz generation – but an overall sound that shows the new strength and focus that some of these players were really hitting at the time – that sharper vision that you'd get during the early years of Black Saint/Soul Note – yet presented here in a style that's much more spontaneous overall! Brown and Bang are especially nice – some of the sharpest corners of this sextet – and titles include a great reading of "Goodbye Porkpie Hate", plus "Joann's Green Satin Dress" and "Amanpondo".

Way more than just an album with Gene Ammons as a leader – and instead, a set that truly earns the "all stars" listed on the cover – thanks to a great array of supporting players, and a very loose, open-ended jam session style that lets everyone get in plenty of solo space! Ammons' tenor is tremendous, but he's also a great collaborator here, too – working with Idrees Suliman on trumpet, Pepper Adams on baritone, Mal Waldron on piano, Art Taylor on drums, Doug Watkins on bass, and Ray Barretto on conga – in a mode that's maybe slightly tighter than some of the blowing sessions Prestige was doing at the time, but which still has that key longform creative energy that made the hardbop generation so great. Titles include "Blue Gene", "Scamperin", "Blue Greens n Beans", and "Hip Tip" – and all tracks are long, with plenty of focus on solos!

Nice and cool, but not in a west coast way – and instead a set that's got Gene Ammons working some wonderfully soulful magic on a set of gentle ballads! The set's got a brilliant late nite sort of feel – one of those tenor albums that seems to sound even better in the space past midnight – as the warm glow from Ammons' horn seems to sparkle even more strongly in the dark – standing out with that stark, spare approach that always makes his ballad work so special – and unlike just about anyone else. The group here is nice and cool too – with Richard Wyands on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and JC Heard on drums – and titles include "Someone To Watch Over Me", "I Remember You", "Willow Weep For Me", and "Till There Was You".

A sweet instrumental tribute to the 70s soul genius of Thom Bell – plus the Delfonics and Stylistics as well – served up with lots of mellow keyboards from the mighty Bob Baldwin! Given that Bob's got a firm lock on soulful sounds of the 21st Century, he's a great choice to revive the music of Bell – helping to bridge the space of decades with his well-crafted lines on piano and keyboards – and with great guest work from artists who include Marion Meadows, Vivian Green, Will Downing, Paul Taylor, Ragan Whiteside, and Russ Freeman! Titles include "Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time", "Betcha By Golly Wow", "People Make The World Go Round", "Break Up To Make Up", "I'll Be Around", and "La La Means I Love You".

One of Basie's biggest albums – but still a work of pure genius! "April In Paris" is one of the darkest jazz standards ever written, and it never sounded better than in this original version, which features that great ending in which Basie and the band stop, then start, then stop – leaving you completely unresolved at the finish. The group's a strong one – with Frank Foster, Frank Wess, Freddie Green, Sonny Payne, Marshall Royal, Henry Coker, Joe Newman, and Thad Jones – and tracks include "Shiny Stockings", "Midgets", "Mambo Inn", "Sweety Cakes", and "Corner Pocket".

George Benson more than earns the title on this one – given that most of the tracks feature backings from the Count Basie Orchestra under the direction of Frank Foster – a great ensemble who really help keep things soulful throughout! Despite the date of the set, the feel here is a bit more classic than most of Benson's work from the time – as the group bring a full acoustic soul to the record – a swelling, swaying brace of horns that seems to push George's vocals a bit more than usual – past that simply sweet style that was the usual Benson bag. There's a range and depth here that's really surprising – a quality that goes past the hokey title, which might make you expect less from the record – and although there's a few brief moments that get slightly contemporary, these pass quickly in favor of a classic groove. Titles include "On Green Dolphin Street", "Without A Song", "Ready Now That You Are", "Basie's Bag", "Skylark", and "How Do You Keep The Music Playing".

A trio of modern talents, working beautifully together on a set of extended live tracks! The group features guitar from Peter Bernstein, Hammond from Larry Goldings, and drums from Bill Stewart – coming together in ways that remind us of the hipper side of 60s organ combos – those moments when Grant Green and Larry Young really opened things up with a long-flowing groove! There's still a nice undercurrent of soul in the mix, but the rhythms are relatively free and unfettered too – moving forth with energy that might be called modal by some, but which is even less constricted by a simple tag like that – more just pure, beautiful waves of sound from both the organ and guitar. Titles include "The Danger Zone", "Milestones", "Just A Thought", "Molto Molto", and "Chant".

Cindy Blackman's looking a bit foxy on the cover, but her sound here is solidly soulful – a forceful batch of tunes that really match the best energy of the Muse Records soulbop scene of the early 90s! There's a nice blend of modern ideas and straight jazz energy here – sounds that grow strongly from the contributions of quintet members Steve Coleman on alto, Wallace Roney on trumpet, Kenny Barron on piano, and Lonnie Plaxico on drums – almost all Muse Records labelmates of Blackman, working here with energy that reminds us a lot of Roney's excellent sides for the company at the time. Blackman's the real boss, though – guiding things forcefully with her work on drums, and contributing a wealth of original numbers to the set – tunes that include "Code Red", "Anxiety", "Green", "Face In The Dark", and "Circles".

A really cool little album – recorded by Detroit vibist Jack Brokensha at the end of the 60s, working with a combo called the Baroqe-Adelics, whose instrumentation includes electric harpsichord and fuzzy guitar! The album's the kind of small label jazz side we treasure – and includes a mix of funky and groovy numbers with some straighter tracks that demonstrate Brokensha's vibes in a more conventional jazz context. Includes the great original groovers "Boogaloo", "Opus Barokus", "Twistrist", and "Priscilla" – plus versions of "My Favorite Things", "On Green Dolphin Street", and "Tast Of Honey".

Ray Bryant's turning his heavy-hands version of the piano to a set of film themes here – grooving familiar numbers with a nice little soul jazz groove – but still also keeping a bit of a soundtrack feel! Richard Wess scored some larger arrangements for the record – providing a sweeping backdrop that's a nice foil for Ray's piano – and titles include "Exodus", "Laura", "Affair To Remember", "True Love", "Three Coins In A Fountain", "The High & The Mighty" and "On Green Dolphin Street".

A real smoker of a session – Rusty Bryant's first comeback album of the jazz funk years, done in a mode that virtually set the tone for other Prestige sessions of the time! Rusty's working here on alto sax, in a mode that's clearly inspired by the Lou Donaldson sessions of the time on Blue Note – but done with a freer, looser, more rolling sort of vibe. Organist Sonny Phillips really makes the set great with some fluid work on the Hammond that matches Bryant's groove – and guitarist Grant Green's also in the group, setting up some great single note lines that punctuate the tunes nicely. A key factor is also bassist Bob Bushnell, who plays Fender bass on the record (an element missing from the Donaldson sound), and gives the record a key bit of motion at the bottom! Tracks include the groovy "Zoo Boogaloo", plus "Streak O' Lean", "Night Flight", "The Cat", and "Ready Rusty".

Quite a surprising pairing of talents – and a set that shows that at in the right settings, Stephane Grappelli's still got plenty of modern moments! The core group is really that of vibist Gary Burton – with Steve Swallow on electric bass and Bill Goodwin on drums – both players with an open, spacious feel that's quite different than the usual rhythm group for a Grappelli record – which really opens up the legendary violinist, and has him stretching out wonderfully – especially on some of the more contemporary numbers. Burton's vibes are great at this point – sharp toned, yet incredibly warm too – and titles include "Daphne", "Blue In Green", "Sweet Rain", "Coquette", and "Arpege".

Donald Byrd's second foray into the "with voices" genre – done with the same arranging talents of Coleridge Perkinson, the lyrical modernist who made Donald's A New Perspective such a success! The group that plays with Byrd is excellent, and includes Freddie Roach, Herbie Hancock, Stanley Turrentine, and Grant Green – all of whom blend beautifully with the choir, and know when to lay back, and when to come out strong with hard rhythm playing and good solos. Donald Byrd and Duke Pearson wrote all of the tunes, and the set's got some beautiful shimmering solos by Byrd which just float dreamily over the album's gorgeous orchestrations. With the tracks "Pearly Gates", "March Children", "Brother Isaac", and "I'm Tryin' To Get Home".

Beautiful bass work from 50s LA player Red Callender – heard here on this classic side recorded for the Modern imprint. Swingin Suite is easily one of Red's tightest sessions – a date that has Callender's basslines strongly leading a nonet of players that includes Harry Jones on trumpet, John Ewing on trombone, Willie Green on alto sax, and Buddy Collette on flute and tenor. Collette's lines have a nice sharp edge throughout, and soar out beautifully amidst the bigger backings – and although a "suite", the whole session's got a much more relaxed feel than that compositional title might make you think. Tracks include "On Again", "Greenery", "Pastel", "Dancers", "October Blue", "Bihari", "Skyline", and "Outlines".

The last album in a legendary run of music from keyboardist Doug Carn – his final album for the Black Jazz label, and a set that pushes even farther than his previous efforts! Jean Carn isn't in the group this time around, but the set does feature a totally great twin-vocal approach – with singing by Joyce Green and John Conner, blending their voices together in a style that's right up there with the most righteous 70s jazz experiments by Horace Silver or Billy Gault! This vocal balance really brings a new sort of power to Carn's music – furthering the righteous spirit of earlier years with a hell of a lot of energy – also aided by great instrumental work from Ronnie Laws on tenor and soprano sax, Thurman Green on trombone, Calvin Keys and Nathan Page on guitars, and Big Black on percussion. Titles include the classic "Higher Ground" – plus "Adam's Apple", "Western Sunrise", "Chant", "Sanctuary", "The Messenger", and "Mighty Mighty".

Plenty of spirit, and plenty of soul – a 70s classic from organist Doug Carn, and a record that took his instrument, and jazz in general, to a whole new level for the decade! Carn's got this burning, righteous quality on his keys – a vibe that certainly owes something to Larry Young, but also takes off even further – working in a spiritual ensemble that also features his wife Jean Carn on vocals – sounding way more like a righteous jazz singer than on her later soul sides for Philly International! Other players are great, too – and include Charles Tolliver on flugelhorn, Garnett Brown on trombone, George Harper on tenor and soprano sax, Buster Williams on bass, and Alphonse Mouzon on drums. Tracks include "New Moon", "Trance Dance", "My Spirit", "Blue In Green", and "Arise & Shine".

Another one of the great LPs by a band that was probably one of the best to grace the Muse label – and who have not really ever been reissued. Eddie Green, Odean Pope, Tyrone Brown, and Sherman Ferguson form the core of this funky fusion outfit, and they play in a beautiful way that mixes choppy fusion riffs with more soulful instrumentation. Their sound is really unique, and is an incredibly clear realization of a style that a lot of other groups attempted, but always managed to muddy up. Tracks on this one include "Maze", "Athene", "Mail Order", and "Shorter Street". Nice stuff, and one that we just about never see!

Sublime modern jazz from Teddy – right up there with the best mid 50s work of other groundbreakers like Charles Mingus or George Russell, to whom Charles acknowledges more than a bit of inspiration! Charles plays vibes like no one else – especially at this point in his career, when he's moving into offbeat chromatic ranges that wouldn't be duplicated for another decade, in the work of players like Bobby Hutcherson or Gary Burton. His players on this set include Art Farmer, JR Monterose, Gigi Gryce, and Mal Waldron – and the album includes the original tracks "Green Blues", "The Emperor", and "Vibrations", plus a great version of "Nature Boy".

A richly complex album from vibist Teddy Charles – easily one of his greatest albums ever, and certainly one with the boldest sound! The groups here are filled with hip players – all working under Charles' direction in a set of tracks that shimmers with dark sounds and moody colors – often as textural as it is jazz-based – with a level of sophistication that goes beyond even Charles key modernist work from the early 50s. Teddy's on vibes, alongside Art Farmer on trumpet, Eddie Bert on trombone, Hal Stein on alto, Don Butterfield on tuba, George Barrow on baritone, Hall Overton on piano, and Jimmy Raney on guitar – and while some tracks feature a tentet, 4 of the album's numbers feature a smaller quartet with Charles Mingus on bass! Titles include the 10 minute composition "Word From Bird" – plus "Blue Greens", "Laura", "Showtime", and "Just One Of Those Things".

Amazing work from guitarist Charlie Christian – an artist who only recorded for a few short years before an untimely early death – but a player whose work went onto have a huge impact on both the guitar and jazz music in general for years to come! Charlie's playing has a sharp edge that's undeniable – an approach to the guitar that's definitely jazz, yet also finds a place for bluesy inflections too – in styles that no doubt influenced later players like Grant Green or Tal Farlow – and which may have also been an inspiration to electrified bluesmen in the 50s, too. This package brings together a huge amount of Christian's crucial sides for the Columbia label – material that features his raw electric instrument in the company of the Benny Goodman sextet, where Charlie could really shine – and a bit in Benny's larger group too. The package also features raw material that has Christian playing with Count Basie & Lester Young, and the Metronome All Stars – plus detailed notes too. 98 tracks in all – and a much better design than the previous box – with each CD in a smaller sleeve inside the box.

A reading of Duke Ellington's famous suite of tracks, in a performance that features Norma Winstone on the vocal tunes – and which has some extremely strong solo work from Richard Sudhalter, John Davies, Keith Nichols, and Paul Nossiter. Titles include "West Indian Dance", "Come Sunday", "Work Song", "The Blues", and "In One Movement".

A key album for any fan of classic Ornette Coleman – a 1971 Atlantic release that pulled together tracks from the late 50's and early 60's that didn't make it onto Ornette's earlier records for the label! Why these tracks weren't released at the time is a mystery to all, because the material is great, and ranks with some of his best stuff – and over the years, the value of the album has grown even more within the early Ornette oeuvre – as it contains key tracks that have come to define his edgiest moments of the early 60s . The LP includes "First Take", a 17 minute earlier version of the material the ended up on Free Jazz, plus additional quartet recordings with Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, and Ed Blackwell – on titles that include "Check Up", "Little Symphony", and the wonderful "Joy Of A Toy".

Soaring work from the legendary John Coltrane Quartet – a session that was incredibly far-reaching for the time, and which originally was unissued until after the time of Coltrane's death! The record's got the group really pushing forward strongly – hitting a Love Supreme mode, but also showing even some of the sharper edges that John would explore with the group after this one – a beautiful swan song to the lineup of McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. Things soar with a hell of a lot of spirituality, yet never get too overindulgent to lose their groove – and titles include "Amen", "Dearly Beloved", "Ascent", "Attaining", and "Sun Ship".

Alain Mion leads a new Cortex – grooving nicely, too – doing it live in Paris! Mion is at the grand piano for a good deal of the first side, energetically leading a great group on some stellar, timelessly jazzy numbers. The second half of the set has him on Fender Rhodes, for tracks that fully dive into the jazz funk vibe of classic Cortex. The musicians are fantastic, too! Patrik Boman on bass, Gerard Prevost on electric bass, Adeline De Lepinay on percussion and some vocals, Michael Kersting on drums,and a great lineup of soulful saxes: "Loic Soulat Pietro Tonolo, Greg Deletang, Romano Pratesi and Phil Brohet. Includes a nice set of Mion originals including "Phila Nite Song", "The Wrong Soul Blues", "When The Ship Sails Away", "East St. Louis, 1917", "The Tap Tap", "Green Street" and more.

The title's terrible, but the album's a great one – a really classic-styled jam session, of the sort that the Prestige label hardly ever recorded! The session features 4 tenor giants of slightly older vintage – Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Coleman Hawkins, Arnett Cobb, and Buddy Tate – all coming together in some loosely-structured arrangements that offer the same sympathetic blowing space that you might get from an all-star tenor date on Verve. Rhythm is by a trio with Shirley Scott on organ, George Duvivier on bass, and Art Edgehill on drums – and titles include "Very Saxy", "Fourmost", "Foot Pattin", and "Light & Lovely".

Amazing live documents of Miles Davis and his incredible mid-to-late 60s quintet – Wayne Shorter on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums – complete concert recordings from Antwerp, Copenhagen and Paris on 3CDs seeing release for the first time ever, plus a DVD featuring the only known video footage of this group from the period! CD 1 features material from 10/28/68 in Antwerp, CD 2 on 11/2/67 in Copenhagen and 11/6/67 in Paris, with the latter concert continued on CD 3. This is landmark stuff here – a surprisingly rare opportunity to hear first rate live recordings of legendary material from the ESP, Miles Smiles, Sorcerer and Nefertiti albums – as well as brilliant revisits of vital earlier material. Includes live takes on "Agitation", "Foot Prints", "No Blues", "Gingerbread Boy", "On Green Dolphin Street", "The Theme", "Footprints", "Masqualero", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", "Walkin'" and more. The DVD starts with five numbers recorded on 11/7/67 in Karlzruhe, Germany: "Agitation", "Footprints", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", "Gingerbread Boy" and "The Theme". It concludes with material in Stockholm on 10/31/67: "Agitation", "Footprints", "'Round Midnight", "Gingerbread Boy" and "The Theme".

Amazing live documents of Miles Davis and his incredible mid-to-late 60s quintet – Wayne Shorter on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums – complete concert recordings from Antwerp, Copenhagen and Paris on 3CDs seeing release for the first time ever, plus a DVD featuring the only known video footage of this group from the period! CD 1 features material from 10/28/68 in Antwerp, CD 2 on 11/2/67 in Copenhagen and 11/6/67 in Paris, with the latter concert continued on CD 3. This is landmark stuff here – a surprisingly rare opportunity to hear first rate live recordings of legendary material from the ESP, Miles Smiles, Sorcerer and Nefertiti albums – as well as brilliant revisits of vital earlier material. Includes live takes on "Agitation", "Foot Prints", "No Blues", "Gingerbread Boy", "On Green Dolphin Street", "The Theme", "Footprints", "Masqualero", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", "Walkin'" and more. The DVD starts with five numbers recorded on 11/7/67 in Karlzruhe, Germany: "Agitation", "Footprints", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", "Gingerbread Boy" and "The Theme". It concludes with material in Stockholm on 10/31/67: "Agitation", "Footprints", "'Round Midnight", "Gingerbread Boy" and "The Theme".

A beautiful little record by Miles Davis – oft overlooked next to some of the better-titled Prestige sessions of the 50s, but a great one nonetheless! The session features Miles working with trio backing from Red Garland on piano, Oscar Pettford on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – often in a mellow mode that fits the "musings" in the title, but which also provides a wonderful showcase for Davis to further intensify his vision on a set of longer tracks. Most tunes are familiar, but they're really transformed here – and titles include "I Did", 'Will You Still Be Mine?", "Green Haze", "I See You Face Before Me", "A Night In Tunisia" and "A Gal In Calico".

A beautiful little record by Miles Davis – oft overlooked next to some of the better-titled Prestige sessions of the 50s, but a great one nonetheless! The session features Miles working with trio backing from Red Garland on piano, Oscar Pettford on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – often in a mellow mode that fits the "musings" in the title, but which also provides a wonderful showcase for Davis to further intensify his vision on a set of longer tracks. Most tunes are familiar, but they're really transformed here – and titles include "I Did'nt", 'Will You Still Be Mine?", "Green Haze", "I See You Face Before Me", "A Night In Tunisia" and "A Gal In Calico".

With Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams, recorded in Paris, France, November 6, 1967. 8 tracks: "'Rond About Midnight", "No Blues", "Mascalero", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", 'Riot", "Walkin'", "Green Dolphin Street" and "The Theme".

Incredible stuff – and a rare meeting of two giant jazz talents you'd never thought would appear on the same stage! The album features a 1960 concert in Sweden – Miles and Sonny upfront, with backing by the trio of Wyton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb. Tracks are long, fiery, and a bit dirty (if we can say that in mixed company!) – and titles include "No Blues", "If I Were A Bell", "Walkin", "All Of You", and "On Green Dolphin Street".

An album led by pianist Aaron Diehl – but a set that also features some especially great vibes from Warren Wolf – one of our favorite players on the instrument in the past decade or so! Wolf's tones ring out beautifully – with that richness he really brings to his own albums, and hasn't spared a bit with Diehl – a style that really has great ways of expanding out Aaron's initial impulses on piano, and giving the record a lyrical quality that almost takes us back to 60s collaborations between Jack Wilson and Roy Ayers! Other quartet members include David Wong on bass and Rodney Green on drums – and titles include "Generation Y", "The Cylinder", "Stop & Go", "Single Petal Of A Rose", and "Blue Nude".

Classic 60s soul jazz from Lou Donaldson – and one of the first albums that has him working with Grant Green on guitar and Baby Face Willette on organ! Both players were discovered by Lou and brought to New York for Blue Note – a move that not only helped give the Donaldson sound a really soulful edge on a few key records, but which also helped jump-start the careers of both heavy-hitting players! Green's guitar is always a treat next to Lou's well-crafted lines on the alto – and Willette's organ brings a nicely unbridled quality to this session, giving it a rougher edge than the usual Blue Note. The cover's great too – and tracks include "Cool Blues", "Watusi Jump", and "Here 'Tis".

One of the best albums we've heard in years from trumpeter Dave Douglas – a really in the pocket session that's filled with rhythmic intensity, and some of the boldest music we've heard from Dave in years! There's plenty of edges to the set – especially the trumpet of Douglas and tenor of Jon Irabgon – but there's also a groove to many numbers too – a kind of forward-rolling energy that really takes the whole thing to great points throughout the set, and which makes a great progression from the somber tone of Dave's last album – almost a musical rebirth of sorts! Crack rhythms flow from the trio of Matt Mitchell on piano, Linda Oh on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums – and titles include "Time Travel", "Beware Of Doug", "Little Feet", "Garden State", and "Bridge To Nowhere".

Quite a compelling project from trumpeter Dave Douglas – a record that has him working strongly with singer/guitarist Aoife O'Donovan, whose presence really helps transform the sound of the set! Aoife's got a folksy touch on her vocals, and colors things in with some great earthy tones that are a surprisingly good fit for Douglas' lines on trumpet – sometimes jazzy, sometimes sparkling with a rich sense of American history – yet delivered in a subtle, linear way. The blend works a lot better than it sounds on paper – thanks to help from other musicians who include Jon Irabagon on tenor, Matt Mitchell on piano, Linda Oh on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums. Titles include "Barbara Allen", "Living Streams", "Be Still My Soul", "High On A Mountain", "God Be With You", and "This Is My Father's World".

Tight session of hard post-swing jazz, but still very straight ahead. With Jimmy Forrest on tenor adding a nice hard edge to Harry Edison's trumpet sound, and a large rhythm section featuring Jimmy Jones, Freddie Greene, Joe Benjamin and Charlie Persip. 6 in all: "Nasty", "Pussy Willow", "The Very Thought O f You", "Sunday", "Fair Ground" and "The Strollers".

A great high-concept composition from Duke Ellington – one that rivals the earlier brilliance of his Liberian Suite! Like that one, vocals are a key part of this long-form work – a special performance done for the Century Of Negro Progress Exposition in Chicago in 1963 – with an all-star cast that includes Jimmy Jones both at the piano and conductor's stand; Joya Sherrill on vocals with the Irving Bunton Singers, Jimmy Grissom, Jimmy McPhail, and Lil Greenwood; Billy Strayhorn on celeste, Juan Amalbert on conga, and other familiar Ellingtonians in the larger group! The tunes have a mix of gospel and folk roots, turned towards more modern Ellington compositional modes – and almost all numbers feature vocals, including one with narration by Ellington himself. Titles include "Will You Be There", "Come Sunday", "David Danced", "Montage", "My Mother My Father", "My People", "The Blues Ain't", and "What Color Is Virtue". CD features 25 tracks in all – the first-ever appearance on CD of the entire performance!

An amazing record from the legendary Booker Ervin – and a set that really does a great job of bridging his modernist tendencies and soul jazz roots! The title track – "The Trance" – is an amazing 20 minute number that takes up all of side one of the record – and features Ervin soloing in an incredibly imaginative way – not as boppish as on his set with Dexter Gordon, but more in the powerful-voiced style that he developed with Mingus. The rest of the group features Jaki Byard on piano (always a treat!), Reggie Workman on bass, and Alan Dawson on drums – and side two features a very moody take on "Speak Low", and a nice bluesy vehicle for Booker, entitled "Groovin At The Jamboree".

A lost groover from this obscure soul jazz guitarist – recorded with some pretty interesting backing, and a firey guitar style that makes us wish he'd recorded more! The record sports two main groups backing up Forriest's guitar – one with Ernie Hayes on organ, Bernard Purdie on drums, Willie Rodriguez on conga, and Albert Winston on bass; the other with Grachan Moncur on trombone, Frank Haynes on tenor, Charles Davis on baritone, and Leo Morris on drums. Sonny's guitar work is right out front – very complicated and bluesy, mostly single-note plucked, in the manner of Grant Green, but with a lot more inflection on the strings. Titles include "Minor Blast", "My Soul Is Happy", "Mashin It", "Steppin", "Miss Dee McC", and "Bitter With The Sweet".

Wonderful work from this hip Japanese ensemble – a largeish group who draw on big band modes from earlier generations, yet find a youthful way to create rich new colors, tones, and timings! The set's got a really beautiful reed-heavy approach – one that has all the poetry you might expect from the title – with echoes of Kenton or Gil Evans sorts of arrangements, yet often turned towards the sharper tones of the post-Coltrane generation – and mixed with offbeat rhythms that further push the edges of the tunes. There's also a good number of trumpet and trombone parts, plus lots of great percussion – and titles include "Ladiga", "Divine Gift", "Trivial Chief", "Never Say Die", and "Bold & Able". 2CD set features 7 more bonus tracks too!

Not as completely wonderful as Hal's more electric work – but not a bad album either. Galper always has a way with the piano (acoustic here) that lends itself to warm, blocky chords – perfect for our post hip hop-influenced ears, not as complicated as other jazz pianists, but filled with just the right amount of space and soul. The set was recorded live, with horns by the Brecker Brothers and drums by Bob Moses. Tracks include "Blue & Green", "Now Hear This", "Speak With A Single Voice", and "Waiting For Chet".

A wonderful set of work by a jazz guitarist who doesn't get enough love! Hank Garland was a player who recorded mostly in the Nashville studio scene, but who also had a warmly chromatic approach to jazz, one that was light years ahead of many of his contemporaries on the instrument. Hank's style mixed the complexity of electric guitar on a country session, with the subtle jazzy phrasing of a small group player – in a way that's hard to compare to anyone else! This set features the 2 albums Hank cut for Columbia records – Jazz Winds From A New Direction and Velvet Guitar – plus rare unreleased tracks from the same session, for a total of 31 tracks in all. Tracks include "Ed's Place", "Scarlet Ribbons", "Secret Love", "Autumn Leaves", "Greensleeves", Three Four The Blues", "Move", "Riot Chorus", "Relaxing", "Call D Law", "Rainy Afternoon", "Ed's Place", "It's Love, Of Course", and "Ain't Nothing Wrong With That, Baby".

A rare set from one of Stan Getz's hippest groups! The album was recorded in Paris in 1966, during a time in which Stan was working with a groundbreaking quartet that included Gary Burton on vibes, Steve Swallow on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums – a combo that unfortunately got a bit overshadowed by Stan's bossa work, which was recorded in earlier years, but still getting issued and played heavily during the time of the Burton quartet's reign. The upshot of that situation was that the combo weren't nearly as exposed, or recorded, as much as they should have been – making the CD an essential look at this under-documented side of Stan's career. Getz's tone is fantastic – and he glides freely with the young modernists in a way that you barely ever hear on any of his sides from the 60s, save for, perhaps, the sublime Sweet Rain LP. Titles include the long "The Knight Rides Again" – plus the tracks "Singing Song", "On Green Dolphin Street", "Stan's Blues", "Edelweiss", and "Manha De Carnaval".

Classic Jam Session work from Norman Granz – featuring a group with Stan Getz, Harry Edison, Wardell Gray, Benny Carter, Willie Smith, Buddy De Franco, Count Basie, and Freddie Green – on two long tracks, "Oh Lady Be Good" and "Blues For The Count". The session's got a number of interesting aspects – Basie plays organ, Getz is a bit harder than usual, and Willie Smith sounds great, as always, in one of his rare appearances from the time.

Chicago alto player Bunky Green gets "Latinized" – in a very groovy set of soul jazz tunes from the 60s Cadet Records scene! The style isn't entirely straight Latin – more just a soul jazz approach to small combo jazz, supported with great percussion from a trio of added players – but Bunky's alto sax is right out front in the mix, bounding warmly over the top of the grooves with a sound that's a bit like Lou Donaldson or Chicago contemporary Sonny Cox! The Dells bring in a bit of vocals to the record – not much, but just enough to create a nice sense of surprise – and tracks include "Feeling Good", "Do It Like You Feel It", "Fast n Foxy", "A Ting A Ling", and "How's Your Mambo?".

Soulful, spiritual work from guitarist Grant Green – an exploration of older tunes with a hip Blue Note 60s soul jazz approach! The album features Grant working in a quartet with Herbie Hancock, Billy Higgins, and Butch Warren – plus some added tambourine on a number of tracks – and the overall approach is extremely laidback and open, with Green soloing in a personal style that's a bit less frenetic than some of his other work of the period. Tracks include "Go Down Moses", "Just A Closer Walk With Thee", and "Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen".

Soulful, spiritual work from guitarist Grant Green – an exploration of older tunes with a hip Blue Note 60s soul jazz approach! The album features Grant working in a quartet with Herbie Hancock, Billy Higgins, and Butch Warren – plus some added tambourine on a number of tracks – and the overall approach is extremely laidback and open, with Green soloing in a personal style that's a bit less frenetic than some of his other work of the period. Tracks include "Go Down Moses", "Just A Closer Walk With Thee", and "Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen". CD features the bonus track "Deep River".

Grant Green's first-ever session as a leader – recorded by Blue Note in 1960, and not issued until now! The set features Green's guitar playing in a piano quartet, with rhythm by Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones – about as fine a backing trio as Green could hope to find. We're not sure why Blue Note didn't issue this material at the time – perhaps because they were trying to break Green as R&B-inflected soul jazz player, and this set had more of a straight jazz quality (like his Sunday Morning album) – but whatever the case, it's all here now, along with 2 other tracks from a 1961 session with Sonny Clark on piano. Titles include "Seepin", "Sonnymoon For Two", "Just Friends", "Woody N You", and an early recording of "Grant's First Stand".

Grant's First Stand – and a mighty one at that! The set was recorded when Green was a guitarist fresh on the scene – showing up in New York from St Louis, where he'd been discovered by Lou Donaldson and brought to Blue Note with great acclaim! For this first date, Green's heard in really stripped-down company – just Hammond from Baby Face Willette and drums from Ben Dixon – a spare trio setting that makes for a madly cooking little record, and one without some of the smoother edges of Greens' later years! The set's as raw and soulful as Willette's own Blue Note classics – and is very much in the side of the spectrum that Donaldson was bringing to the label at a time – a much-needed dose of new energy from the Prestige Records side of the tracks. Every track's a winner – and titles include "Blues For Willarene", "Baby's Minor Lope", "Miss Ann's Tempo", and "A Wee Bit O Green".

One of Grant Green's best funky records for Blue Note! The group's cut from the same cloth as Lou Donaldson's great ones from this period – like Hot Dog or Say It Loud – with Idris Muhammad on drums, kicking up lots of those chunky funky breaks that we always love so much! Green's work on guitar is especially nice – stretched out, but never trippy, with a tight single note style that really gets the most out of the grooves. Neal Creque plays keyboards on the set, and contributed 2 tracks – "Windjammer" and "Dracula" – and the album also sports a great long version of James Brown's "Ain't It Funky Now", and a sweet cover of "A Day In The Life"!

Fantastic stuff! This was one of Grant Green's first ever sessions, and it's a winner all the way through! Dave Bailey and Ben Tucker back up the young Grant in a set of impeccably played guitar grooves that showcase the brilliant technique of this young genius – straight and to the point guitar jazz, with a soulful feel that gives the album a really warm finish. The whole thing's great – and the album's got some great original titles that include "No 1 Green Street", "Grant's Dimensions", and "Green With Envy" – all of which sound a lot better than they're titled, too! Also includes two alternate takes.

A rare early chapter in the career of guitarist Grant Green – local material, cut in his hometown of St Louis – in the years before Lou Donaldson picked him up and delivered him to Blue Note Records! Amazingly, though, the Grant Green heard here is every bit as great as the guitarist who emerged strongly on his early Blue Note dates as a leader – a smoking soloist with a strong talent for single-line grooving – working here in a hip organ combo that features Sam Lazar on Hammond and Bob Graf on tenor sax! Lazar's got a mean bite to his organ, and pairs beautifully with Green – and together, the players hit a groove that's gritty, yet which has surprisingly strong fidelity – more than enough to make the record an essential piece of Grant's catalog. The CD's hardly a muddy live recording, and instead has surprisingly great fidelity – and lots of long tracks with open solos, on titles that include "Deep", "Blue Train", "Holy Barbarian Blues", "Caramu", "Grovvin High", and "Out Of Nowhere".

A wicked session by Grant Green – one that's very different than any of his other Blue Note records! Here, Grant's going for a "Latin bit" – adding in a trio of percussionists to spice up the groove with a bit of bossa rhythms, and some harder jamming styles that feel a lot like those used in some of the better Cal Tjader albums of the time. Willie Bobo's in the group on drums, and the only other accompaniment is piano, bass, and percussion – letting Grant run out nice and long on his solos, on a very hip set of tracks that includes "Tico Tico", "Mama Inez", "Besame Mucho", and "Mambo Inn". CD reissue also includes 3 bonus cuts, not on the original album – "Grenada", "Blues For Juanita", and "Hey There".

A wicked session by Grant Green – one that's very different than any of his other Blue Note records! Here, Grant's going for a "Latin bit" – adding in a trio of percussionists to spice up the groove with a bit of bossa rhythms, and some harder jamming styles that feel a lot like those used in some of the better Cal Tjader albums of the time. Willie Bobo's in the group on drums, and the only other accompaniment is piano, bass, and percussion – letting Grant run out nice and long on his solos, on a very hip set of tracks that includes "Tico Tico", "Mama Inez", "Besame Mucho", and "Mambo Inn". CD reissue also includes 3 bonus cuts, not on the original album – "Grenada", "Blues For Juanita", and "Hey There".

A soaring set from guitarist Grant Green – a really amazing double-length set that caps off his legendary run for Blue Note – done with a vibe that's different than most of his other work for the label! Like some of the other Lighthouse sessions from Blue Note – particularly those from Lee Morgan and Elvin Jones – this one has a very open, free vibe – a way of stretching out on the tracks, yet still staying soulful – all an amazing document of the rich talents of the leader in a live setting! The group's a bit unique, too – and features Gary Coleman on vibes, Shelton Laster on organ, Claude Bartee on tenor and soprano sax, Wilton Felder on bass, and Greg Williams on drums – all players who hit this hip Cali groove with Green – and really take off on cuts that include versions of Donald Byrd's "Fancy Free", Neal Creque's "Windjammer", and The Fabulous Counts' "Jan Jan" – plus the cuts "Flood In Franklin Park", "Walk In The Night", and "Betcha By Golly Wow".

A soaring set from guitarist Grant Green – a really amazing double-length set that caps off his legendary run for Blue Note – done with a vibe that's different than most of his other work for the label! Like some of the other Lighthouse sessions from Blue Note – particularly those from Lee Morgan and Elvin Jones – this one has a very open, free vibe – a way of stretching out on the tracks, yet still staying soulful – all an amazing document of the rich talents of the leader in a live setting! The group's a bit unique, too – and features Gary Coleman on vibes, Shelton Laster on organ, Claude Bartee on tenor and soprano sax, Wilton Felder on bass, and Greg Williams on drums – all players who hit this hip Cali groove with Green – and really take off on cuts that include versions of Donald Byrd's "Fancy Free", Neal Creque's "Windjammer", and The Fabulous Counts' "Jan Jan" – plus the cuts "Flood In Franklin Park", "Walk In The Night", and "Betcha By Golly Wow".

A fantastic mid 60s album from Grant Green – but one that never got its due originally, because it was unreleased at the time – and didn't come out until a Japanese version in the late 70s! Despite that oddly long gap, Matador is truly one Grant's best ever records – a really inventive session that goes way past his standard soul jazz roots – and which really shows the guitarist stretching out towards future styles of jazz! The session's a spare quartet date – with Green's guitar playing modal grooves over rhythm by by his incredible combo – with Bob Cranshaw on bass, Elvin Jones on drums and the incomparable McCoy Tyner on piano – blocking out bold changes that really drive the record strongly. Cuts are long, and there's a freewheeling quality to the material that's only ever matched by some of the Grant Green/Larry Young sessions from the same time – especially the Street Of Dreams Record. Titles include "Matador", "Bedouin", Green Jeans", and a killer version of "My Favorite Things", done in a very Coltrane-esque style.

Damn great work from guitarist Grant Green – one of his killer sessions with pianist Sonny Clark – recorded in the early 60s, but unissued until nearly 20 years later! The groove here is a bit different than some of Green's early dates with organ – a bit more soulful hardbop at times, with some great work on rhythm from Sam Jones on bass and Art Blakey on drums – two great players who complete the group beautifully. The setting is calm and spare, but very fluid, and all players play with a brilliant edge – Blakey is excellent, and hearing him on this one makes you want more of his work as a sideman (which was to diminish greatly after this recording). Tracks include takes on "Airegin", "I Concentrate on You", ""The Song Is You", "The Things We Did Last Summer" and a stellar version of "It Ain't Necessarily So". CD also features "Nancy" and an alternate of "Airegin".

An excellent set by Grant Green – recorded in 1964, but not issued until close to 1980, when Blue Note first pulled it out of the vaults, and dropped it on the world! The session's a great one – with an unusual lineup that features Green's guitar in a sextet, with McCoy Tyner on piano, James Spaulding on alto, Joe Henderson on tenor, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – a really wonderful group who help bring something different to the proceedings – helping showcase the great change in Green's second chapter for Blue Note. The album's got a mix of modal grooving and piano-driven hardbop – with a harder groove than some of Green's other non-organ sides for Blue Note. Titles include "Solid", "Minor League", "Ezz Thetic", "Grant's Tune" and "The Kicker". Also features the bonus track "Wives & Lovers".

Although Grant Green started the 60s recording for Blue Note in a soulful churchy kind of groove, he ended the decade recording some great funky albums, most of them with a tight hard groove, of the sort of Idris Muhammad-ish rhythm track that was dominating the soul jazz scene at the time. This tasty 10 track compilation brings together cuts from the mid to late 60s, and features some killer funk and rolling soul jazz groovers from one of the greatest guitarists ever! Titles include "Talkin About JC", "Walk In the Night", "Cease The Bombing", "Final Comedown", "In The Middle", "Grantstand", "Lazy Afternoon", and "Sookie Sookie".

One of our favorite albums ever from guitarist Grant Green – an amazingly stretched-out session that's served up with a good deal of modal jazz in the rhythms – and a date that features killer work from Larry Young on organ and Bobby Hutcherson on vibes! The pair join Green in a quartet that also includes Elvin Jones on drums – who provides a loose, fluid approach to rhythm that really sets the tone for the date – a flowing vibe that folds together the organ, guitar, and vibes beautifully – with an incomparable floating vibe that's pure magic! All tracks are long and very open – and titles include "Street Of Dreams", "Somewhere In The Night", and "Lazy Afternoon".

A cooking group effort from the Chris Greene Quartet – a great Chicago combo we've watched grow tremendously with each previous release – stepping out here in their first-ever live recording! Greene's got a soulfully sophisticated approach to his saxes that really belies his Windy City roots – with this great way of stretching out on the solos, yet still keeping things real – a bit like Eddie Harris at his best, with the depth of Eric Alexander on tenor,but with some deeper sounds too – which come through especially strong on the album's extended tracks. The rest of the group features electric piano, bass, and drums – and titles include the originals "Shore Up", "Future Emperor Of Evanston", "State", and "Three & Six" – plus a nice cover of "Blue Bossa".

Solo Burton Greene – beautifully recorded – in ways that have his already-wonderful lines on piano echoing out in the performance space, and almost folding back on themselves in waves of sound! Given Greene's striking touch on the keyboard – sharp, yet always melodic, which we really love – this presence of "room" really illuminates the record – and makes each statement seem even more forceful, and a more personal utterance that really sends the whole thing home. The whole thing's as tuneful as it is creative – a wonderful demonstration of Burton's talents in these later years – and titles include "Elevation", "Greene Mansions", "Freebop The 4th", "Space Is Still The Place", "Get Through It", "Little Song", and "Tree".

A beautifully tuneful record from Narada Burton Greene – maybe more so than any of his other albums – at least that we can remember! The set's a solo outing, and it's definitely got some of the modern elements that have always made Greene's music so wonderful – but it's also got this brilliant ear for little turns of a tune – one that's handled especially well on the right end of the keyboard, where Burton's got these tones ringing out beautifully, in haunting melodies we really love. And if you're fans of his older music, you've still got plenty to dig here – because the complexity of the keyboard work is rock solid throughout – as you'll hear on tunes that include "Acrturus", "Skumpy", "Bubba Meisa Drama", "Longing", "Moldavian Blues", and "Time Remembered".

Sanctified, indeed – and just the kind of record to show why Slide Hampton was unlike any of his trombone-playing contemporaries! The set's got a tightness and punch that's really unique – not the compact quality of JJ Johnson and Kai Winding, but also not the hardbop of Curtis Fuller either – instead king of a rousing approach to jazz trombone that really makes Hampton the kind of the soul jazz approach to the instrument! Slide's working here with a cool octet that has the focus of a group half their size – a really well-chosen lineup of young, hip players that includes George Coleman on tenor sax, Hobart Dotson and Richard Williams on trumpets, Larry Ridley on bass, and additional trombone from a y oung Charles Greenlee! Titles include "El Sino", "Ow", "Milestones", and the stormin' title cut "Somethin Sanctified".

Classic Herbie from the early years, and a great mix of soul jazz and modernism! The record include a nice groovy "hit", Herbie's "Blind Man, Blind Man" – an obvious follow-up to "Watermelon Man", but still a standout track with a lot of imagination, and a fierce soul jazz hook that just won't quit! The rest of the record, while still groovy, also shows much more signs of Herbie's far-reaching conception – especially shared with players like Tony Williams, Grachan Moncur, Chuck Israels, and Grant Green – all of whom work with Herbie, Donald Byrd, and Hank Mobley – in a larger than usual group that makes for a really great sound! Titles include "A Tribute To Someone", "King Cobra", and "The Pleasure Is Mine". The CD also includes a bonus alternate take of "Blind Man, Blind Man"!

A masterpiece from Gene Harris – an album that's probably been his biggest influence on the sound of soul in the 21st Century, and for good reason too! The set moves way beyond both Harris' acoustic piano roots in the Three Sounds, and his other electric sides of the 70s – into sublime spacey territory that's wrapped up in soul – as much a pinnacle of his musical vision as early 70s records were for Herbie Hancock or George Duke! The vibe here is a bit between the looser styles of Duke's MPS recordings, and the tighter grooves of the Mizell generation – and arrangements are by Harris, Harvey Mason, and Jerry Peters, the latter of whom really adds some great elements to the record. Harvey's drums make for a great funky undercurrent – and the album features the funky break track "Higga-Boom", the great groover "Losalamitoslatinfunklovesong", and the cuts "Rebato Summer", "Don't Call Me N*gger, Whitey", "Love Talkin", "I Remember Summer", "Green River", and "My Roots".

Gene Harris in three different periods – the past, present, and future – served up here in a record issued under Gene's name as a leader, but which still continues the vibe of the later records by the Three Sounds! Most of the work is trio material – with just Gene on acoustic piano, John Halton on acoustic and electric bass, and Carl Burnett on drums and percussion – but there's a fluid, reaching sort of feel that definitely echoes some of the larger productions that Harris was recording at the time – not full strings or heavy electrics, but a really complex approach to the material nonetheless! Tracks on this volume include "On Green Dolphin Street", "Hymn To Freedom", "Love For Sale", "Trieste", and "Something".

A weird and wonderful album from Tribe Records giant Wendell Harrison – an obscure electric set from the start of the 80s! There's still a strongly spiritual feel on the record, but Wendell also adds some Fender Rhodes and vocals to his work on tenor and flute – bringing in the same sort of spacey soul vibe you'd find on work from the time by Oneness Of Juju! The overall sound is still quite soulful – a great extension of the early Tribe spirit from Detroit – and some cuts feature a bit more acoustic piano and sweet earthy percussion. Other cuts have more of a soulful bounce – thanks to vocals from Miche Braden and Kathy Simmons – and titles include "The Wok", "Ginseng Love", "Love Juice", "A Green Meadow" and "Peace of Mind".

A weird and wonderful album from Tribe Records giant Wendell Harrison – an obscure electric set from the start of the 80s! There's still a strongly spiritual feel on the record, but Wendell also adds some Fender Rhodes and vocals to his work on tenor and flute – bringing in the same sort of spacey soul vibe you'd find on work from the time by Oneness Of Juju! The overall sound is still quite soulful – a great extension of the early Tribe spirit from Detroit – and some cuts feature a bit more acoustic piano and sweet earthy percussion. Other cuts have more of a soulful bounce – thanks to vocals from Miche Braden and Kathy Simmons – and titles include "The Wok", "Ginseng Love", "Love Juice", "A Green Meadow" and "Peace of Mind".

One of Hampton Hawes' last sessions for Contemporary Records – a wonderful little date that's filled with the bright tones and bold confidence that marked Hamp's piano work in later years! The style here is simple, but effective – and Hawes has a way of ringing out the notes without overdoing his thing – a balance that was never present in his earlier work, and which made him a more and more compelling player as the years went on. Titles include "Morning", "Blue In Green", "Sunny", "Soul Sign Eight", and "Killing Me Softly".

Great later Coleman Hawkins on Impulse – just the sort of deep-toned, soulfully-blown record that makes all his sessions for the label so great! Hawk's very firmly in the lead on that classic tenor of his – but the rest of the lineup keeps things swinging too – with Snooky Young and Bill Berry on trumpets, Urbie Green on trombone, Barry Harris on piano, and Eddie Locke on drums. The best tracks are the sparest – the album's quartet readings of "Out of Nowhere" and "Indian Summer" – but the rest of the material features some nice gutsy solos from Hawk too, and other tracks include "Bean's Place", "Marchetta", and "She's Fit".

Eddie Henderson really lets his spirit flow here – working on some great long tracks in a sweet live setting – caught at a small club in Paris with backing from the trio of pianist Laurent DeWilde! Laurent really seems to get Henderson's groove here – and lays back with Eddie to let each tune take slow shape out of sound – then build tremendously with these sweeping, soulful lines that show that both players are still very much full of imagination on their solos. The group's completed by Gilles Naturel on bass and Simon Goubert on drums – and titles include "Lost", "Oasis", "On Green Dolphin Street", "Dubai", "Tender You", and "Sand Storm".

Groovy session of piano trio material, recorded in Chicago by the city's "great white hope" of the 60s: pianist Eddie Higgins. The set was recorded for the Dunwich production group (who gave the world The Shadows of Knight), but was licensed to Atlantic for final release. The group's a very tight trio, with Higgins backed by Richard Evans on bass and Marshall Thompson on drums – and the resulting sound is nice and soulful, in the same tradition of Chicago piano recordings by Ramsey Lewis and Ray Bryant. Titles include "Soulero", "Tango Africaine", "Mr. Evans", and "Shelly's World".

Rare work from Weldon Irvine – a selection of tracks recorded as private studio outings, reissued briefly by Luv N Haight in the early 90s, and then only on vinyl! The style here is much more jazz-based than some of Irvine's soul recordings – a mode that's often all instrumental, and which features Weldon playing more acoustic piano than on his 70s fusion classics – but usually mixed in with sweet electric elements, too – which creates this wonderfully righteous balance in the music! The whole thing's very soulful, with plenty of undercurrents of the RCA years – and guest players include Steve Grossman on tenor, Marcus Miller on bass, Tom Browne on trumpet, and Bobby Broom on guitar – the latter 3 of which all worked with Weldon at GRP, making us guess that some of these 80s sides were intended for release on that label. Titles include "Kundabuffer", "Music Is The Key", "Mr PC", "We Can Try Again", and "Blues For Spike". CD features a huge amount of bonus tracks – including "Blue In Green", "Heard It All Before", "It's Funky", "Shopping", "The Sisters", "Think I'll Stay A While", and "Misty Dawn" – all only ever on the Sisters album, making their first appearance here on vinyl.

One of the great jazz sessions that Ray Charles cut towards the end of his years at Atlantic Records – a surprisingly great little album with vibist Milt Jackson! The set really shows a side of Milt that didn't always surface in the Modern Jazz Quartet – and Charles is surprisingly great on piano (and even a bit of alto sax, which is mighty nice) – especially on the long tracks, which really let the players stretch out! Other players include the great Billy Mitchell on tenor sax, Skeeter Best on guitar, Oscar Pettiford on bass, and Connie Kay on drums – and titles include "Blue Funk", "Cosmic Ray", "Soul Brothers", and "How Long Blues".

Not the Hello Dolly album you might guess from the title, but instead a wonderfully groovy batch of tracks from pianist Pete Jolly – an album done with great larger arrangements from Dick Hazard and Dick Grove, and a tight vibe that makes the set one of Pete's grooviest albums ever! Pete's incredibly fluid on the keys of the piano – hitting with a hard punch on the left hand to really underscore the snapping rhythms of the tunes, but flying free on the right with these lyrical lines that are simply beautiful – really on a par with the best 60s work from Vince Guaraldi, and the kind of record that should have more folks talking about Jolly's genius. The core group features Howard Roberts on guitar, Chuck Berghofer on bass, and Nick Martinez on drums – and Jolly's one hell of a pianist in this sort of setting – and it always seems that when he's got a big group behind him, he really lets loose with some great solos, freed from the rhythm of the tracks so that he can skate over the top of the songs in a magical way! Tracks include "Hard Day's Night", "People", "Moment Of Truth", "First Of May", "Blues Two Ways", and "The Grass Is Greener".

Not the Hello Dolly album you might guess from the title, but instead a wonderfully groovy batch of tracks from pianist Pete Jolly – an album done with great larger arrangements from Dick Hazard and Dick Grove, and a tight vibe that makes the set one of Pete's grooviest albums ever! Pete's incredibly fluid on the keys of the piano – hitting with a hard punch on the left hand to really underscore the snapping rhythms of the tunes, but flying free on the right with these lyrical lines that are simply beautiful – really on a par with the best 60s work from Vince Guaraldi, and the kind of record that should have more folks talking about Jolly's genius. The core group features Howard Roberts on guitar, Chuck Berghofer on bass, and Nick Martinez on drums – and Jolly's one hell of a pianist in this sort of setting – and it always seems that when he's got a big group behind him, he really lets loose with some great solos, freed from the rhythm of the tracks so that he can skate over the top of the songs in a magical way! Tracks include "Hard Day's Night", "People", "Moment Of Truth", "First Of May", "Blues Two Ways", and "The Grass Is Greener".

One of the hippest albums that Rahsaan Roland Kirk ever recorded – a perfect realization of his "black classical music" ethos, and a pan-generational jazz album that's all held together by one unique musical vision! Side one features the extended suite "The Seeker", which mixes together bop, avant garde, and New Orleans styles – and side two features more of the same in an extended medley of tracks, plus the titles "Baby Let Me Shake Your Tree" and "Sweet Fire". The album's got a few cool passages that feature recitations by Rahsaan – stating his musical philosophy, and tracing the development of the styles of work – and other players include Leroy Jenkins on violin, Dick Griffin on trombone, Ron Burton on piano, and Sonelius Smith on celeste!

An undisputed classic – and a key turning point in the career of Roland Kirk! The set has Roland leading a large group of musicians through a haunting batch of complicated tracks that clearly illustrate his much-heralded concept of Black Classical Music – a mixture of jazz, older rhythms, and modern ideas influenced by a history of musical expression. The approach is vaguely similar to work by the AACM, but more straightforward in parts, and always touched with Roland's strong sense of imagination and humor. Players are all quite hip – and titles include "Black Mystery Has Been Revealed", "Hot Cha", "I Waited For You", "Quintessence", "IX Love", and the "Expansions" suite.

Gene Krupa and Gerry Mulligan – hardly a pairing that we would have thought of – but one that works surprisingly well here, and which showcases Mulligan's increasing fascination for larger group settings! The album features Gene on drums with a set of players that include Kai Winding, Urbie Green, Phil Woods, Hank Jones, and Barry Galbraith – but the real star of the set is Gerry, who's not playing here, but conducting the larger group of jazz players through charts that are all his own, and which display the same love of fluid ensemble horn parts that he used in his own smaller combo work. There's a lot more brass in the mix than you'd usually get from Gerry – which gives the album a bit more of a Krupa kick – and Gene also gets some nice space to show himself on drums. Titles include "Yardbird Suite", "Margie", "Bird House", "The Way Of All Flesh", "Disk Jockey Jump", "Birds Of A Feather", and "Mulligan Stew".

One of our favorite Atlantic albums by the great Yusef Lateef – an incredible session that has him dipping back into his earlier exotic roots, yet still hitting the sweeter soulful groove of some of his other Atlantic sides! The sound is tremendous – wonderfully righteous, at a level that really set the tone for more ambitious soul jazz projects of the 70s – and carried off to perfection by a hip group of players that include Roy Brooks, Sonny Red, Blue Mitchell, and Hugh Lawson. All tracks are original, and titles include "Sun Dog", "Moon Cup", "Othelia", "Like It Is", and the groovy "Juba Juba".

A tight batch of organ groovers with a raw R&B feel, recorded by the obscure St Louis organist Sam Lazar – with a very young Grant Green on guitar! The album's a bit different than Sam's other records for Argo – in that the tunes are all quite short, with a tight fast sound that's almost more R&B at times than jazz – a very unusual setting especially for Grant Green! The guitar is nice and loud – really racing to keep up with Lazar's fast work on the Hammond – and other members of the group include Willie Dixon on bass and Chauncey Williams on drums. Titles include "Mad Lad", "Space Flight", "Caramu", "Funky Blues", and "Big Willie".

A pretty wonderful album by Michel Legrand – way better than you'd guess from the title! Sure, the tunes are mostly numbers by Richard Rodgers, but Legrand handles them here with the best of his soundtrack skills – really opening them up with some amazingly deft arrangements, and working with a stellar set of American jazz players to give the tunes a sound that's as jazzy as possible – and swinging them with the inherent lyricism that always makes us love his music! Players are a great lineup – with Clark Terry and Ernie Royal on trumpets, Urbie Green and Bob Brookmeyer on trombones, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, Jerry Dodgion and Phil Woods on alto, Julious Watkins on French horn, Gary Burton on vibes, and Tommy Flanagan and Hank Jones on piano. Titles include "This Can't Be Love", "Falling In Love With Love", "Bali Hai", "Have You Met Miss Jones", "There's A Small Hotel", and "The Lady Is A Tramp".

One of a few key efforts done by Michel Legrand for RCA in the 70s – sessions that stand out as some of his best jazz work from the decade, and which present Legrand in unfettered brilliance, both as a player and arranger! This live date still has the original compositions and sense of arrangement that we love so much in Legrand's soundtrack work – but it's also looser and freer, with more room for improvisation to expand upon the gentle warmth of Michel's imagination. Legrand is on piano – both electric and acoustic – and other players include Phil Woods on alto, Ron Carter on bass, Grady Tate on drums, and George Davis on guitars. Legrand sings a bit, in his beautiful sort of way – scatting wonderfully on a version of "Orson's Theme", and performing the lyrics on the haunting "Blue Green Grey & Gone". Other titles include "Organ Eyes", "I Will Wait For You", and "Watch What Happens".