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Wow! Funky guitarist Billy Butler runs through Galt MacDermot's score for Via Galactica, with music conducted by the funky composer himself. The sound is spacey and electronic, with drums by Bernard Purdie, bass by Wilbur Bascomb, and piano by Galt himself. Tracks include "Hush", "Life Wins", "400 Girls Ago", and "Other Side of the Sky". Not really a breakbeat record, but with a bunch of cool spacey moments and some very nice spacey laidback sounds. We used to sell this for a lot more, but we found a bunch at a low price, so take advantage of our good luck and get this lost record at a nice new price!

One of the grooviest records ever – a sublime blend of African percussion, soulful orchestrations, and Dorothy Ashby's amazing electric harp! By the time of this landmark album, Dorothy had been knocking around the jazz world for a number of years, but it wasn't until she hooked up with Richard Evans at Cadet Records that her sound really began to cook – breaking down genres and expectations in the trademark style of the best late 60s sides from the Chicago underground. The record's got a bit of funk, a bit of jazz, and a heck of a lot of soul – and the setting works perfectly for Dorothy's harp, giving it a lot more room to work around than some of her smaller jazz combo albums. The album includes two great originals – "Soul Vibrations" and "Afro-Harping" – both of which have a nice funky edge, and a groovy soulful bounce – and other tunes include "Lonely Girl", "Life Has Its Trials", "Look Of Love", "Come Live With Me", and a great version of Freddie Hubbard's "Little Sunflower".

One of the grooviest records ever – a sublime blend of African percussion, soulful orchestrations, and Dorothy Ashby's amazing electric harp! By the time of this landmark album, Dorothy had been knocking around the jazz world for a number of years, but it wasn't until she hooked up with Richard Evans at Cadet Records that her sound really began to cook – breaking down genres and expectations in the trademark style of the best late 60s sides from the Chicago underground. The record's got a bit of funk, a bit of jazz, and a heck of a lot of soul – and the setting works perfectly for Dorothy's harp, giving it a lot more room to work around than some of her smaller jazz combo albums. The album includes two great originals – "Soul Vibrations" and "Afro-Harping" – both of which have a nice funky edge, and a groovy soulful bounce – and other tunes include "Lonely Girl", "Life Has Its Trials", "Look Of Love", "Come Live With Me", and a great version of Freddie Hubbard's "Little Sunflower".

One of the greatest albums ever for Blue Note – and the only album recorded by tenor player Tina Brooks that was issued during his lifetime! The album's nearly perfect – and features Brooks' edgey tenor set in an all star group that includes Duke Jordan on piano, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Sam Jones on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Brooks had blown on other Blue Note sessions before, but here, working as a leader, his sound is tremendous – vaguely to the left of center of some of his other tenor counterparts on the label, but with an equally impeccable approach to soul and rhythm. Titles include "Miss Hazel", "Good Old Soul", "Up Tight's Creek", and "Theme For Doris".

Beautiful blowing from Buck Clayton and Buddy Tate – captured here in the relaxed, easy-going setting of the Swingville label! The album's got a lot more charm than some of Clayton's sides for Columbia – a bit more mellow, with the kind of after hours feel that lets players like these show their strongest suits on their instruments. Clayton plays trumpet, Tate tenor – and rhythm is from the trio of Sir Charles Thompson on piano, Gene Ramey on bass, and Mousie Alexander on drums. Titles include "High Life", "Birdland Betty", "Can't We Be Friends", and "Kansas City Nights".

A very full-on hard heavy fusion album! Drummer Billy Cobham lays down some massive hard beats, while Tommy Bolin wails away on guitar, Jan Hammer pounds on electric piano, and Lee Sklar noodles on electric bass. 2 cuts feature a different lineup with Joe Farrell and Jimmy Owens – but the rock-heavy one dominates the album, with a very hard sound. The best cut is the slow mellow funk number "Red Baron", which has great breaks and nice electric piano. Other titles include "Stratus", "Taurian Matador", "To The Women In My Life", and "Quadrant 4".

A brilliant tribute to the late Malcolm X – served up by Chicago's legendary Artistic Heritage Ensemble! The record's got an even farther-reaching sound than the group's self-titled effort – a flowing style that unfolds as their tribute to Malcolm rolls on – starting spare and earthy at first, then picking up a fuller, prouder, much more righteous groove as things really get going! As before, there's plenty of heavy percussion at the bottom of most tracks – topped by complicated horn passages that often verge on the exotic – and which have a tremendously captivating sound. The ensemble's led by the great Phil Cohran, who played with Sun Ra for a bit, and also plays cornet on the record – the rest of the group includes Charles Williams, Don Myrick, Louis Satterfield, Pete Cosey, Henry Gibson, Willie Woods, and Aaron Dodd – a lineup of players who also worked with Sun Ra, The Pharoahs, and Earth Wind & Fire! The LP's a suite of 4 tracks dedicated to Malcolm X, each capturing a period of his life, "Malcolm Little", "Detroit Red", "Malcolm X", and "El Hajj Malik El Shabazz".

One of Ornette Coleman's best recordings from the 70s – and like his other album for Columbia, quite a change from the freewheeling sounds he was blowing over at Blue Note! The style here is a bit more high concept, but in a good way – with all the edges that Coleman had developed from the late 50s onward, brought into tighter focus for the Columbia setting – given a bit more complexity, although still with plenty of room for freedom – and played both with a smaller combo, and a slightly larger group. The mix of players is as striking as the sounds on the record – and includes Coleman on alto, trumpet, and violin – plus Dewey Redman on tenor, Don Cherry on pocket trumpet, Bobby Bradford on trumpet, Jim Hall on guitar, Cedar Walton on piano, Charlie Haden on bass, and Billy Higgins and Ed Blackwell on drums. Asha Pulthi sings a bit on the larger ensemble tracks – making a rare appearance here before her 70s soul career in Germany – and titles include "What Reason Could I Give", "Street Woman", "The Jungle Is A Skycraper", and "All My Life".

A landmark album of vocal jazz – and one of the few sessions that John Coltrane ever cut with a singer! In a way, the album's more Hartman's than it is Coltrane's – given that Johnny's warm, mellow style of singing isn't as free and open as Trane at his most adventurous – but at another level, the album's got a great approach to Coltrane's gentler side, one that wasn't showing up on a lot of his Impulse albums of the time. Overall, the album's got an extremely haunting quality, and McCoy Tyner's piano adds as much to Hartman's hip voice as Coltrane's mellow tenor. Titles include some well-chosen moody standards – including "Lush Life", "Dedicated To You", and "Autumn Serenade".

Stellar early 70s work from John Dankwork – in a 2CD set! Full Circle is simply one of the greatest albums we've ever heard from the Brit maestro – a big band album as in earlier years, but one done with lots of hip 70s touches! The feel here is halfway between that of sound library grooving and some of the larger group 70s sessions on MPS – often funky at times, but with freshly modern solo work that breaks out from the larger ensemble nicely to accentuate the mood of the tunes. Players include Alan Branscombe on vibes, John Taylor on piano, Joe Moretti on guitar, and Kenny Wheeler on trumpet – and tunes include Mike Vickers' "Eleven Plus", Mike Gibbs' "A Family Joy" and "Triple Portrait", Keith Jarrett's "Grow Your Own", and Dankworth's "Academy One" and "Earthman". Also features a nice bass-y take on "You Are Too Beautiful". Lifeline is another great one – also reminding us of some of the larger MPS projects of the same time. The tracks have a bit of an electric glow in the basswork and production, but the main focus is on acoustic big band grooving – with breakout solos, and some tighter ensemble passages. Includes the sweet suite "Lifeline", which has a few funky moments – plus"Tomorrow's World", "WRVR", and "Fighting The Flab". Players include Don Rendell, Tony Hymas, Ken Gibson, and Dankworth himself.

Twin pianos from Tommy Flanagan and Hank Jones – with no other instrumentation – played in some great ways that provide an equal balance of rhythmic pulse and lyrical melody! The set's got a sweet stereo split – so that Tommy's in the right channel, and Hank is in the left – and the pair do a great job of bringing new life to a host of bop classics, yet in an all-piano style that has the music billowing out in these great waves of sound! Titles include "Robbins Nest", "Confirmation", "Jordu", "Our Delight", and "Lady Bird".

Matthew Herbert never fails to amaze our ears, but he does so even more than ever on this stunning Big Band set! The album's more dynamic, more creative, and more experimental than any of Herbert's other work – hardly the slower, cinematic modes of some recordings – or the jazz-meets-groove styles of others – and instead a rich new palette of musical colors, one that pushes Matthew far far from the mainstream! The work's more orchestral than big band – complicated in tone and rhythm at times, but always finding a space for soul – either in solo instrumental passages, or in the great vocals on the record – sung by Eska Mtungwazi in a really beautiful style, echoing out brilliantly over the larger orchestrations – which themselves were recorded in the House Of Commons and London City Hall. Titles include "Pontificate", "The Yesness", "Battery", "Regina", "One Life", "Just Swing", "The Rich Man's Prayer", and "The Story".

An amazing second CTI set from Freddie Hubbard – one that takes off nicely from Red Clay territory, and starts to hit an even funkier mode! The tracks here are all relatively long, with a huge amount of solo space for Freddie on trumpet, Joe Henderson on tenor, George Benson on guitar, and Herbie Hancock on piano. The title track "Straight Life" has a style that's quite searing and righteous at points – almost some of Freddie's boldest playing on record from the time. It's followed by an excellent take on Weldon Irvine's "Mr Clean" – one that's rompingly funky while still as righteous as the work on side long title track – played with some great electric piano from Herbie and sweet guitar lines from Benson. The set closes with a mellow take on "Here's That Rainy Day", played in a way that reminds us of Hubbard's more lyrical style – but still with plenty of CTI 70s overtones.

One of the most roosty albums on Blue Note – and a fairly straight session of African percussion tracks by Solomon Ilori and his Afro Drum Ensemble! Unlike similar albums by Art Blakey, this one lacks any strong sort of jazz component – and really just features fairly straight African tracks, with heavy percussion, and touches of highlife grooves. The record features guitar by Jay Berliner, bass by Ahmed Abdul-Malik, and flute by Hosea Taylor – plus work by Montego Joe, Garvin Masseux, Chief Bey, and Robert Crowder, who often show up on other 60s sessions of this nature. Titles include "Follow Me To Africa", "Tolani", and "Ise Oluwa". Plus, the CD also features 3 very long bonus tracks – much more stretched out and open-ended, but also with more of a jazz component as well – thanks to trumpet from Donald Byrd, tenor and flute from Hubert Laws, and piano from Coleridge Perkinson – who was the musical director of both sessions! These tracks are all previously unreleased – and all are numbers that run on for more than 11 minutes, with titles that include "Gbogbo Omo Ibile", "Agbamurrero", and "Igbsei Aiye".

Proof that Milt Jackson was easily the hippest member of the Modern Jazz Quartet – and one of the few who could really open up into different sounds away from that combo! This sweet 70s set for CTI is totally great – a whole new chapter for Jackson's vibes, and a real re-setting of the soulful modes he'd explored as a leader in the 60s. There's a wonderfully warm and chromatic feel to the set from the start – as Milt's vibes are set in fuller arrangements from Don Sebesky – with added instrumentation from Herbie Hancock on electric piano, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, and Phil Bodner on reeds. The highlight of the album is a nice long take on "People Make The World Go Round", but it's all pretty sweet, and other titles include nice versions of "Sunflower" and "What Are You Doing For The Rest Of Your Life" – and Jackson's own "SKJ" and "For Someone I Love".

Lovely work from Kimiko Kasai – easily one of the best female jazz vocalists on the Japanese scene in the 70s! Kimiko's got a wonderfully deep range – an ability to dip into lower notes when needed, but not in any sort of gimmicky way – just this full-voiced quality that makes her interpretation of American standards come across with a really rich groove! Backing is by a piano trio, and Kasai's right out front in the arrangements – on titles that include "The Good Life", "Get Out Of Town", "Bewitched", "Just In Time", "Wild Is The Wind", and "Sunny".

Beautiful music from Charles Lloyd – a great package that brings together all the important Norwegian recordings the tenorist made for ECM in the 90s – music that really helped renew interest in this legendary player! The style here is wonderful – laidback and flowing, in a mode that almost returns Lloyd to that very strong sound he had with Atlantic Records in the late 60s – perhaps a bit less righteous here, but still very powerful and spiritual – at a level that also even seems to bring a new sort of life to that of his bandmates too! The players are a pretty tight lineup throughout – with Bobo Stenson on piano on all tracks, plus Palle Danielsson or Anders Jormin on bass, and either Billy Hart, Ralph Peterson, and Jon Christensen on drums. The set features five full albums, plus a booklet of notes – the titles Fish Out Of Water, Notes From Big Sur, The Call, All My Relations, and Canto.

A wonderful, wonderful, wonderful "new thing" jazz session from Blue Note – and proof that the avant garde in the 60s didn't necessarily have to resort to blowing their heads off to make fantastic music! Trombonist Grachan Moncur III organized the session – but like other key Blue Note dates of this type, including work from Tony Williams and Jackie McLean, the album's a very evenly-weighted date that features equal contributions from all members involved! The lineup's a dream – and features Wayne Shorter on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Tony Williams on drums – and the set's very much in the vein of Williams' Life Time album for Blue Note – with lots of dark, moody, and extremely complex compositions – and beautifully restrained modern solos. Moncur wrote all the tracks, and titles include "The Twins", "Nomadic", "Gnostic", and "Thandiwa".

Mindblowing! This is when Wes Montgomery really starts to get interesting to us – when he's working with a top-line arranger like Don Sebesky, crafting some incredibly compelling chords over lightly jazzy arrangements and soaring strings, in a whole new mode of expression that would go onto transform a generation of guitar players! And sure, this album sold a gazillion copies – but we'll be honest in saying that we think it's loads more complex and mature than some of Wes' straight jazz sides from earlier years – light years away from the small combo dates of the early years, both in conception and sound. Titles include "Day In The Life", "Watch What Happens", "California Nights", "Windy", "Trust In Me", and "The Joker".

A rare non-Blue Note outing from Lee Morgan – and a record that's sometimes mistaken as a large group effort because of the "twelve" in the title, but which is a tight small group set that's equally cooking as some of Lee's better known records! As with the best mid 60s Blue Note work from lee, the players here are both soulful and modern – able to shift easily into some of Lee's most complicated ideas of jazz expression, yet always doing so in ways that are never stiff or academic – but filled with life and spirit in every note! Clifford Jordan's tenor is a fantastic accompaniment to Morgan's trumpet in the frontline – and Barry Harris' piano has the warmth and flowing quality of a young Cedar Walton on most tracks. Bass is by Bob Cranshaw and drums are by Louis Hayes – and titles include "Lee-sure Time", "Second's Best", "Little Spain", and "Waltz For Fran".

Two great examples of Gerry Mulligan's Concert Jazz Band – back to back on a single CD! First up is Concert Jazz Band 63 – the sound of Gerry Mulligan in the early 60s – and one of the best records by his larger than usual Concert Jazz Band! Given Gerry's piano-less experiments of the 50s, it's surprising to actually have him as the pianist on this session – hitting the keys with a nice light touch, so that the larger horn section can take over most of the tunes – a beautifully-arranged ensemble who have a feel that's lighter than some of the groups of the 50s – such as the Kenton ensemble – yet one that's equally modern at times! The lineup is wonderful – with Clark Terry and Nick Travis on trumpets, Willie Dennis and Bob Brookmeyer on trombones, and Gene Quill, Gene Allen, and Eddie Caine on saxes – plus guitar from Jim Hall, bass from Bill Crow, and drums from Gus Johnson. Titles include "Big City Life", "Bridgehampton South", "My Kind Of Love", "Pretty Gypsy", "Bridgehampton Strut", and "Big City Blues". The second album features great large group material from Gerry Mulligan – and a record that definitely defines the sound of his famous Concert Jazz Band of the early 60s! The group features a four part sax section – headed by Mulligan, with other players that include Zoot Sims on tenor, Gene Allen on baritone, Gene Quill on alto, and Dick Meldonian on alto – and the set also features work by Nick Travis and Conte Candoli on trumpets, and Bob Brookmeyer on valve trombone and trombone – shading in some nice colors to the group's tone-heavy approach! Titles include "Out Of This World", "Sweet & Slow", "Bweebida Bobbida", and "Manoir Des Mes Reves".

A fantastic record from one of the greatest underground jazz groups of the 70s! Oneness of Juju are perhaps best known for the heavy funk of their first album, African Rhythms – but we're actually partial to this second album – a warmly spiritual batch of soul jazz tracks, and a set that's filled with life, emotion, and wonderful instrumentation throughout! The group are a bit more relaxed overall – easing into things, but in a way that really builds up as the album moves on – as they layer together heavy percussion, sweet keyboards, and lots of great sax solos from Plunky Nakabinde – plus wonderfully warm vocals that add a soulful edge the group never had before, but which still is very jazzy – and not like the funky club of later years. The whole thing's wonderfully cohesive, and a treasure throughout – and titles include the warm vocal number "River Luvrite", to the harder hitting "Space Jungle Funk", and other gems like "Soul Love Now", "Follow Me", "The Connection", and "Love's Messenger". CD features lots of bonus tracks – "Love's Messenger (inst)", "Bootsie's Lament", "African Rhythm's Chant", "Make A New Start", "Nat's Rebellion", and "African Rhythms (45 version)".

Vital late work from the amazing Sam Rivers – masterful, energetic jazz orchestra pieces recorded live and in the studio with players culled from Orlando and the Central Florida areas around Rivers' adopted home – a treasure that finds Sam sounding as spry and fiercely creative in his 80s has he was half a lifetime ago! Trilogy features 3 unreleased sets – 2 live and one with studio recordings – and it's remarkably vibrant throughout. Sam started dabbling with orchestra jazz in the 70s, bring muscularity and dissonance to big band music in a wholly unique way, and he's been doing it as brilliantly as ever in recent years. 14 horns bring complex, but melodic sweep to the sound, with a 2 piece rhythm. We've been blown away by most of Sam's late period efforts and this exceptional 3CD set from Mosaic is as great as any of it. Players include Jeff Rupert, Chris Charles, David Pate and others on saxes, Tom Parmenter, Brian Scanlon and more trumpet players, Keith Oshiro and David Sheffield on trombone, Doug Mathews on bass and Rion Smith on drums. The first disc (Offering) was recorded at the Plaza Theater in Orlando in November of '08. Includes "Spice", "Ganymede", "Crux", "Aura", "Perkin" and "Pulsar". Disc two (Progeny) was recorded at Sonic Cauldron Studios in Casselberry, FL earlier in '08, and it includes "Robyn", "Cindy", "Monique", "Traci", Iisha", "Destiny" and more. Disc Three (Edge) is a return to the Plaza Theatre in April of '09, and it includes "Ridge", "Brink", "Precipice", "Verge", "Visions", "Point" and more.

An overlooked Sonny Rollins set from the early 80s – one that has him recording with a fair bit of guitar, but still staying very much in his best form as an improviser! The group here features both Bobby Broom on electric guitar, and Yoshiaki Masuo on acoustic and electric – both players who get in plenty of sound during the set, but always as a follow-up to Rollins' bold tenor voice in the lead. Remaining group members include Bob Cranshaw on electric bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums – and although the electric strings might normally make for a smooth sort of record, Sonny's sharper sound still brings plenty of edge – even when the rhythms of a few tunes get a bit bright. Titles include "My Little Brown Book", "Reel Life", "McGhee", "Rosita's Best Friend", and "Best Wishes".

A surprisingly nice jazz album, although one that got hidden in the years of Jimmy's more "concept" oriented sessions for Verve. Most of the material is quartet stuff, with players like Bernard Purdie, Eric Gale, and Ron Carter backing up Jimmy's soulful organ. The tracks are longer than usual too, with lots of nice soloing going on, and a stone easy soul groove. Includes a tasty loping version of "Get Out Of My Life Woman", with a very different drum groove than usual, plus "Funky Broadway", "T Bone Steak", and "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy".

Plenty of style here – a great later date from Sonny Stitt – one of those near-perfect gems from the years when he had fallen far from the mainstream of jazz, but could still blow with some of the best! There's a simple, almost understated quality to the date that's really wonderful – especially for 1981 – a lineage that flows right back to Stitt's marvelous work for the Roost label, alongside which this record could stand proudly, with only a slight difference in production technique. Other players include Barry Harris on piano, George Duvivier on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – and titles include "Western Style", "Yesterdays", "Eastern Style", "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby", "The Good Life", and "Killing Me Softly".

A beautiful project from the contemporary underground scene in LA – a record that shares lots of energy and musicians with recordings by Build An Ark and Life Force Trio! Dexter Story's the main force behind the record, but the set's a strongly collaborative effort – and features keyboards from Mark De Clive-Lowe, flute from Derf Reklaw, strings from Mighel Atwood-Ferguson, vocals from Dwight Trible, and key studio work from Carlos Nino! Story's vocals and overall conception are wonderful – soaring and soulful, with some slight cosmic touches that give the record a bit more crackle than related projects – a sound that's still steeped in spiritual jazz elements, yet which also really opens up as the set rolls on. There's a wonderful sense of variety to the tracks – due to the shifting lineup – but the overall feel is still very cohesive, and an amazing demonstration of Story's bold musical vision. Titles include "Seasons", "Into The Hour", "Love Force Trio (part 1)", "Underway", "Water Bearer", "Paddle Boat", "Bloop Drip", "Gyre Song", "As Is", "God Sun", and "Suijin".

A beautiful project from the contemporary underground scene in LA – a record that shares lots of energy and musicians with recordings by Build An Ark and Life Force Trio! Dexter Story's the main force behind the record, but the set's a strongly collaborative effort – and features keyboards from Mark De Clive-Lowe, flute from Derf Reklaw, strings from Mighel Atwood-Ferguson, vocals from Dwight Trible, and key studio work from Carlos Nino! Story's vocals and overall conception are wonderful – soaring and soulful, with some slight cosmic touches that give the record a bit more crackle than related projects – a sound that's still steeped in spiritual jazz elements, yet which also really opens up as the set rolls on. There's a wonderful sense of variety to the tracks – due to the shifting lineup – but the overall feel is still very cohesive, and an amazing demonstration of Story's bold musical vision. Titles include "Seasons", "Into The Hour", "Love Force Trio (part 1)", "Underway", "Water Bearer", "Paddle Boat", "Bloop Drip", "Gyre Song", "As Is", "God Sun", and "Suijin".

A second unearthed gem from pianist Horace Tapscott at the Lighthouse club in 1979 – very sharp stuff featuring a solid group of Nimbus players! Volume 2 was recorded on October 11, appropriately the night after the set featured on Lighthouse 79 Vol 1, with Tapscott leading the way, and setting up a groove with on the piano, while the group pounces when ready The players are Reggie Bullen on trumpet, Gary Bias on alto, Roberto Miranda and David Bryant on bass, and George Goldsmith on drums. It's an impeccable balance of subtle, slow building melodicism and sharp, emphatic group play & soloing! Totally great stuff, and absolutely worth a second helping. Titles include "Acirfa", "Niger's Theme", the epic "Stella By Starlight", "Lush Life" (at 6+ minutes, the only number in the set that runs less than 10 minutes) and "Inspiration Of Silence".

A really mindblowing session from McCoy Tyner – perfectly titled "Expansions" to showcase the change in his style at the time! The record is one of Tyner's first larger group efforts – and is a brilliant example of the expansion of his talents in the post-Coltrane years – a searing, soaring batch of longer tunes that dance with joy, life, and a new sense of energy in jazz – carried off perfectly by a lineup that includes excellent contributions from Gary Bartz, Woody Shaw, and Wayne Shorter. The album is as spiritual and swinging as you'd expect from those players – with a sound that's more Strata East than Blue Note – and titles include "Visions", "Song of Happiness", "Smitty's Place", and "Peresina".

A brilliant tribute to the late Malcolm X – served up by Chicago's legendary Artistic Heritage Ensemble! The record's got an even farther-reaching sound than the group's self-titled effort – a flowing style that unfolds as their tribute to Malcolm rolls on – starting spare and earthy at first, then picking up a fuller, prouder, much more righteous groove as things really get going! As before, there's plenty of heavy percussion at the bottom of most tracks – topped by complicated horn passages that often verge on the exotic – and which have a tremendously captivating sound. The ensemble's led by the great Phil Cohran, who played with Sun Ra for a bit, and also plays cornet on the record – the rest of the group includes Charles Williams, Don Myrick, Louis Satterfield, Pete Cosey, Henry Gibson, Willie Woods, and Aaron Dodd – a lineup of players who also worked with Sun Ra, The Pharoahs, and Earth Wind & Fire! The LP's a suite of 4 tracks dedicated to Malcolm X, each capturing a period of his life, "Malcolm Little", "Detroit Red", "Malcolm X", and "El Hajj Malik El Shabazz".

A landmark album of vocal jazz – and one of the few sessions that John Coltrane ever cut with a singer! In a way, the album's more Hartman's than it is Coltrane's – given that Johnny's warm, mellow style of singing isn't as free and open as Trane at his most adventurous – but at another level, the album's got a great approach to Coltrane's gentler side, one that wasn't showing up on a lot of his Impulse albums of the time. Overall, the album's got an extremely haunting quality, and McCoy Tyner's piano adds as much to Hartman's hip voice as Coltrane's mellow tenor. Titles include some well-chosen moody standards – including "Lush Life", "Dedicated To You", and "Autumn Serenade".

One of our favorite records from Archie Shepp's "new traditionalism" years – a set of understated brilliance and beauty, and proof that Shepp's tenor could sound every bit as great on the inside of jazz as it did on the out! The group here is a quartet – with Ken Werner on piano, Santie Debriano on bass, and John Betsch on drums – but the real star of the scene is Archie, blowing with a rough-edged tone that's dripping with soul and humanity – definitely "knowing about the life" in the title, and coming through with a timeless quality that makes him stand beautifully alongside older players like Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, or Sonny Stitt! Titles include "Well You Needn't", "I Know About The Life", "Giant Steps", and "Round Midnight".

A tremendous bit of jazz history – 2 classic Archie Shepp albums on 1 CD! Yasmina features Archie Shepp at his spiritual best – recording in Paris in 1969, and absorbing a heck of a lot of pan-African influences! The centerpiece of the album is the amazing "Yasmina" – a long track that builds with passion and fire, pulsing with an intensity that you'd expect more from Pharoah Sanders than Shepp himself. Next up is "Sonny's Back", a wonderful straight jazz groover with Archie and Hank Mobley on twin tenors upfront – making a rare and memorable recorded appearance together! The set's capped off by a mellow version of "Body & Soul", one that points towards the more soulful side of Shepp's work in the 70s. Poem For Malcolm is one of Shepp's most memorable LPs for BYG. Side one has him playing with Burton Greene, Alan Silva, Philly Joe Jones, and Claude Delcloo on the extended Mamarose/Poem For Malcolm. The track starts out with very free playing, then moves into a more subdued passage, with Shepp's recitation of his "Poem For Malcolm". Side two has a great lineup that includes Grachan Moncour III, Malachi Favors, and Hank Mobley, who gives one of the wildest performances of his life! The group runs through the 20 minute track Rain Forest/Oleo, and begins with a dark, spare performance, then leaps into a reading of "Oleo" that's filled with fire.

Two wonderful early 50s albums recorded by Count Basie for Verve – both sessions aimed at the dancefloor, and served up with an undeniably soulful groove! The style here is hard and swinging – the older Basie mode refined for the 50s – thanks to arrangements by Ernie Wilkins, Frank Foster, Neal Hefti, Manny Albam, and others! Groups on the set are often a bit small – and feature reeds by Frank Foster, Frank Wess, and Paul Quinichette; trumpets by Thad Jones, Joe Wilder, and Joe Newman; trombone from Henry Coker and Benny Powell; guitar by Freddie Green; and both piano and organ from Count Basie – the latter of which is a surprising and wonderful addition to this set! Features 24 tracks in all – with titles that include "Cherry Point", "Bubbles", "Straight Life", "Basie Goes Wess", "Mambo Mist", "Stereophonic", "Plymouth Rock", "Sixteen Men Swinging", "You For Me", "Soft Drink", "Slow But Sure", and "She's Just My Size".

A mellow set of ballads, taken mostly from Trane's first few years at Impulse – in various formations that have him working with his classic quartet, plus guests like Johnny Hartman, Eric Dolphy, or Duke Ellington. Titles include "Soul Eyes", "What's New", "Dear Lord", "Lush Life", "Wise One", "My Little Brown Book", "The Spiritual", and "After The Rain".

Strong work from John Coltrane's early years as a leader – even if the album is sort of a collection of tracks that Trane recorded for Prestige, instead of a discreetly separate session! Side one features Coltrane's tenor in a spare setting with Earl May on bass and Art Taylor on drums – playing mellow tunes like "I Love You" and "Like Someone In Love", as well as the original "Trane's Slow Blues". Side two features a blowing session mode – with Donald Byrd, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Louis Hayes – on the cuts "Lush Life" and "I Hear A Rhapsody".

Amazing stuff! Johnny "Hammond" Smith began his career as a simple soul jazz organist – but by the time of this album, he'd teamed up with the mighty Larry Mizell, the genius arranger/producer who'd breathed new life into the careers of Donald Byrd and Bobbi Humphrey. Mizell works with Hammond in the same way he does with other jazz artists – by taking a groove that works best with their solo style, and slowly layering other instrumentation and effects on top of it, so that when the solo kicks in, it's supported on waves and waves of funky sounds and soulful grooves. Mizell and his brother Fonce both play keyboards on the record, and the rest of the group includes monster fusion players like Harvey Mason, Roger Glenn, Hadley Caliman, and Jerry Peters. The real treat is Johnny, though – as his solos are heavenly, the best of his 70s work, stripped mean and lean, laid in at just the right points. Includes the breakbeat classic "Shifting Gears", the house classic "Los Conquistadores Chocolates", and funky numbers "Fantasy" and "Tell Me What To Do".

A warm set of groovers from Flip Nunez – a San Francisco-based pianist with a great Latin tinge, working here in a fantastic setting that makes for one of his greatest recordings! The album was recorded in SF in 1976, and it's got the laidback groove of some of the best sides coming from the area at the time – a sweet blend of fusion, Latin, and modal jazz grooving. Nunez plays electric piano, clavinet, piano, and organ – and a few tracks feature his vocals, which have a confident style that's somewhere between Mark Murphy and Tony Benett (in his jazzier mode.) The centerpiece of the album is a long mellow-grooving version of "See You Later", a tune that Flip wrote, and which has been covered on a number of other jazz dance classics over the years – but the album's filled with great tunes, like "D'ju Like Me", "This Time For Good", "Why Did You Come Into My Life", and "Mr Cool", a sweet little funky tune!

Amazing Art Pepper – work from a 1981 tour of Japan, all of it unreleased – and presented here in a package that sparkles alongside some of his best later albums! Side one is mindblowing – an album-side track that has Art stretching out in so many different ways – voicing these really creative lines on the tune "Make A List", as the rhythm section of George Cables on piano, David Williams on bass, and Carl Burnett on drums make these snapping grooves to keep the whole thing going. Side two features two slightly shorter numbers – "Arthur's Blues" and "Everything Happens To Me" – both wonderful examples of the genius that Pepper was expressing near the end of his life! All tracks previously unreleased – and issued here in a limited vinyl format!

Some of Archie Shepp's most freewheeling material of the 60s – a long, extended, single-song album recorded at the Donaueschingen festival a few years before his classic work for BYG/Actuel – and very much in the same bold spirit as his recordings for that label! The single tune – "One For The Trane" – is opened up, stretched out, and run freely by Shepp on tenor, Roswell Rudd and Grachan Moncur on trombones, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Beaver Harris on drums – a very unique lineup that benefits not just from the presence of two trombones, which gives the record a very deep, rich sound – but also from the creative rhythms of Garrison and Harris, a really great team for a session like this! Shepp is wonderful – still with this inherent sense of soul that also ties the performance to some of his brightest moments for Impulse Records – this structure, even when blowing free, that creates an amazing sense of swing somewhere back in the music.

Rare grooves in many flavors – a wonderful collection of rare gems from the American 70s underground – and a set that's overflowing with cuts from some of the most valuable albums of the period! The core vibe here is jazz, but there's also a lot more going on too – bits of funk, some spiritual touches, and some downright soulful moments too – all presented in a set of tracks that really lives up to the "deep" in the title – a bit like Gilles Peterson pulling together music of this nature, but as if he dug even deeper than usual! Titles include "Shake Your Poo Poo (45 version)" by Earl Carter & The Fantastic 6, "Vaya Mulatto" by Stone Alliance, "Free Man" by George Freeman, "African Rhythms (45 version part 1)" by Oneness Of Juju, "Mr PC" by Mike Selesia, "Destroy The Nihilist Picnic" by London Experimental Jazz Quartet, "Intergalactic Love Song (alt mix)" by The Diddys with Paige Douglas, "Ain't Got No I Got Life" by Nina Simone, "Only Yesterday" by Weldon Irvine, "Afra Jum (alt take)" by Francisco Mora Catlett, and "Dream Come True (part 1)" by Three Of Us.

A post-Blue Note effort, and Donald's changing things up a bit with his 125th Street Orchestra and Uptown Singers – funking along in a way you'd expect from the longwinded title! Byrd loostens up the smoother backgrounds of his recent Larry Mizell helmed work, and in their place are grooves that have more of a heavy slap bass sound, punchier horns and guitars! There are lotes nice moments that are a bit more restrained than the comparably full-on funk approach – and these have a spacey fusiony soul quality that reminds us of similar work that Byrd was doing with The Blackbyrds at the time. One of the best cuts is "Your Life Is My Ecstasy", which has some great bubbling Moog behind it, which creates a sound that you've heard sampled famously by Tribe Called Quest. Other nice ones are "Loving You", which features vocals by Jim Gilstrap, and a remake of Duke Pearson's "Cristo Redentor", a big hit for Don in the 60s, which is redone here in an excellent slow funk mode that feels like Bob James' work on CTI. Others include "Have You Heard The News", "In Love With Love" and "Close Your Eyes And Look Within".

A post-Blue Note effort, and Donald's changing things up a bit with his 125th Street Orchestra and Uptown Singers – funking along in a way you'd expect from the longwinded title! Byrd loostens up the smoother backgrounds of his recent Larry Mizell helmed work, and in their place are grooves that have more of a heavy slap bass sound, punchier horns and guitars! There are lotes nice moments that are a bit more restrained than the comparably full-on funk approach – and these have a spacey fusiony soul quality that reminds us of similar work that Byrd was doing with The Blackbyrds at the time. One of the best cuts is "Your Life Is My Ecstasy", which has some great bubbling Moog behind it, which creates a sound that you've heard sampled famously by Tribe Called Quest. Other nice ones are "Loving You", which features vocals by Jim Gilstrap, and a remake of Duke Pearson's "Cristo Redentor", a big hit for Don in the 60s, which is redone here in an excellent slow funk mode that feels like Bob James' work on CTI. Others include "Have You Heard The News", "In Love With Love" and "Close Your Eyes And Look Within".

Later genius from Dexter Gordon – an album recorded upon his return to the US in 1976, and done in a style that breaks the bounds of some of his sessions in Europe! Gordon seems to take new life in the recording – moving past the simple role of main soloist on familiar tunes, and stepping into a much more strongly group-minded leader – one who grooves easily with the piano of George Cables, bass of Rufus Reid, and drums of Eddie Gladden – in a session that's overflowing with soulful invention. Even older tunes take on a new spark of life in these arrangements – and Gordon's phrasing has this "bite" that comes through beautifully, even in the mellower moments. Titles include "Tanya", "I Told You So", "LTD", "Moment's Notice", and "As Time Goes By".

One of the best Eddie Harris albums ever recorded – a later session, but one handled with a tight, lean approach – returning Eddie to all the majestic glory of his late 60s masterpieces for Atlantic! The album's got a sound that's nicely off kilter – Eddie blowing electric sax with a hip combo backing – never too funky, but always really soulful, with lots of open-ended notes on the solos that blow past the polish of some of his later sides in a really great way. The whole thing's a gem – with not a bad track on the whole set – and titles include "Essence Of Matter", "For Your Life", "Deacceleration", and "Let The Healing Begin". Also features great remakes of "Listen Here" and "Theme In Search Of A Movie".

A cooker from DC tenorist Buck Hill – one of those great local players who never got their due strongly until late in life! Buck's got a tremendous sound on his horn – full and rich in feeling, with occasional raspy edges that really grab us, and a warm command of his instrument that really belies his many decades in music. Yet Buck's also not just blowing familiar notes, either – and, like Von Freeman out of Chicago, he's a dedicatedly creative player who keeps things on edge throughout the set, even in familiar territory. The approach is a bit like that of Ben Webster late in life, but sharper overall – and the group on the date includes Barry Harris on piano, Ray Drummond on bass, and Freddie Waits on drums. Titles include "Jazz Ballad", "Tenor Madness", "On The Trail", "Hail To The Redskins",a nd "Chelsea Bridge". CD also features the bonus track "Vierd Blues".

A double-length set of late genius from the great Art Pepper – a live performance from Tokyo, cut at a time when Pepper was really stretching out on his solos! The tunes are all quite long, with plenty of room for Art's inventive reed work – and the album also features some great spoken bits between a few of the songs – a really great way to hear a Pepper voice that doesn't come from his instrument – which oddly then seems to really illuminate the music to follow. The group's a very familiar one, which means that everyone's in great company – George Cables on piano, Tony Dumas on bass, and Carl Burnett on drums. Titles include "Winter Moon", "Avalon", "YI Blues", "Donna Lee", "Make A List", "Quiet Fire", "Straight Life", and "Landscape".

A pair of overlooked gems from trumpeter Clark Terry – back to back on a single CD! On Everything's Mellow, things are mellow indeed – and that fact makes the record one of Terry's greatest from the 60s! The obscure session features Clark blowing in the laidback style of Prestige's Moodsville imprint – almost a swing-based, Verve-styled mode that makes for some really great tunes. Terry plays both trumpet and flugelhorn on the session – working through really restrained readings of tunes that include "The Simple Waltz", "Out In The Cold Again", "Among My Souvenirs", and "In The Alley" – and the rest of the players on the session include Junior Mance on piano, Joe Benjamin on bass, and Charlie Persip on drums. All American is a surprisingly nice little set from Clark Terry – featuring arrangements by Oliver Nelson, and a pretty nice little group that includes Budd Johnson on tenor and Eddie Costa on vibes and piano. The material appears to be lifted from the musical All American – by the team of Charles Strouse & Lee Adams – although the notes, and certainly not the title, don't do much to indicate this. The best part of the set is Nelson – who manages to, here as always, take any sort of material and give it a really strong swingin – bouncing it up with a lot of soul, and creating plenty of space for some strong breakout solos. Titles include "What A Country", "Same Language", "The Fight Song", "Nightlife", and "It's Fun To Think".

Finnish soul, by an American singer – not the same Charles Williams that you might know from 70s jazz funk albums – but an even earlier talent, really shining brightly here in a soulful Scandinavian setting! The album's a really lost rare groove treasure – a record that almost has the same sort of depth as American soul albums of the time – thanks in large part to Williams' great arrangements on the set, which are a mix of funky club and jazz, with room enough for some nice instrumental passages next to the vocals. The mellower cuts showcase Williams' deeper soul styles, and the more upbeat ones have this sweet lead gliding beautifully over tight instrumentation – never too polished or commercial. Titles include the wicked funk classic "Change It", plus "Standing", "Your Life", "Love Is A Very Special Thing", "Helen", "Standing In The Way", and "Theme From Long Road". CD features two bonus tracks – "Just As Long" and "Funky Music".

The rare second set from the Catch Up combo of the 70s – a cool German group with a very MPS-like groove – a nicely messed-up mix of funk and jazz elements, sorted out into a great new groove! The group's headed by bassist Milan Pilar – whose electric instrument really has a great way of bringing things up from the bottom – guiding the more freewheeling elements with a nice pulse that never lets the proceedings get too out of hand – but does allow for plenty of interplay between Herb Geller on alto and soprano sax, Ack Van Rooyen on trumpet, Max Greger Jr on piano, Rudi Wilfer on keyboards, and other group members on percussion. Things are pretty darn funky throughout – with a great sort of sound library groove – and titles include "Clown", "To Ali Cante", "End Of The Beginning Of The End", "Uru", "Bigosh", and "Birth Of The Second Life".

Post-Atlantic work from Robin Kenyatta – but an album that follows in a very similar mode! This date was done for the Wolf subsidiary of TK Records, but it's got a very hip New York groove – one that's almost even more righteous than some of Robin's earlier work, with some excellent arrangements from Arthur Jenkins – who's managed to fill the set with a great sense of soul! Kenyatta's alto and soprano sax are set up with keyboards from Jenkins and Richard Tee, plus bass, guitar, percussion, and some great backing vocals at points – used sparingly, but in ways that almost remind us of Oneness Of Juju at some of their smoother moments. Kenyatta's reeds have a Plunky-like feel too – more inside than the Juju work of the mid 70s, but pointing towards Plunky's smoother sounds to come. Given that the vocal group features Gwen Guthrie, Vivian Cherry, and Patti Austin, you can bet they sound pretty sweet – and titles on the set include "Love Me", "Oh Oh Oh", "You", "Bluebird", and "Of Life & Love".

A sweet soulful groover from the great Harold Vick – quite a different record than some of his other 70s sessions, but a nice one too! The sound here is very mellow – and very much in the "After The Dance" mode that the album references from the Marvin Gaye tune – laidback, slinky, sexy, and a sweet blend of jazz instrumentation and some larger backdrops put together by William Eaton – almost with a vibe that would be more at home on Kuduo or CTI! Vick solos wonderfully – stepping out with a line that's spare, but right on the money – similar to some Stanley Turrentine solo work on projects like this – amidst other instrumentation from Richard Tee on keyboards, Eric Gale on guitar, and Ralph MacDonald on percussion. Titles include a great version of Marvin Gaye's "After The Dance", plus "You Are Everything", "Blue In The Face", "Ghetto Fantasy", "In My Life" and "Things Ain't Right".

A mixed batch of vocal and instrumental tracks from the Galt MacDermot musical Dude – a lesser-known follow-up to Hair, also written with Jerome Ragni! Dude wasn't as funky as Hair, but there's some very nice moments, and some good soulful tracks that make the album well worth having. Salome Bey sings on some tracks (and these are different from her recordings on her own Dude LP), as does Nell Carter, Nat Morris, and Jim Farrell – all in a gently soulful mode that has some nice folksy touches. Instrumentation is by a group that includes Galt on piano – plus Bernard Purdie on drums, Seldon Powell on saxes, Ernie Hayes on organ, and Wilbur Bascomb on bass. There's a few nice sample-type introductions to a few of the tracks, and a few that are instrumental all the way through. Titles include "Suzie Moon", "Humdrum Life", "Days Of This Life", "Un Do", "Dude All Dude", "Wa Wa Wa", and "The Highway Life".

An overlooked gem from a player who never fails to surprise us – recorded later in the years of drummer Art Taylor's life, but bristling with the same kind of energy we first came to love in his 50s recordings! The set's got a really unified feel – with Taylor masterfully leading the group on drums, working through an assortment of like-minded tunes with a Blakey-like sense of equal power for strongly soulful numbers, and gentle guidance for mellower and more introspective tunes. The group's got a tremendous two-horn frontline in the tenor of Willie Williams and alto of Abraham Burton, and the rest of the lineup includes Marc Cary on piano and Tyler Mitchell on bass. The album's got one very short "out" track entitled "It Doesn't Matter", alongside a number of longer soulful explorations that include "Mr AT", "Soul Eyes", "Bullet Train", "Ahmad's Blues", and "Gingerbread Boy".