Jazz — All Formats  

A groovy set of instrumentals – based on hits made big by Petula Clark, but given a cool Cali jazz feel from Bob Florence!

Amazing sounds from the SF scene of the 70s – previously unreleased work that really opens up a whole new chapter of jazz on the west coast! The HE3 Project is the brainchild of keyboardist Herman Ebertizsch – who plays lots of Fender Rhodes and moog on this sweet little record – really driving some amazing lines for a wickedly soulful group that also features Coke Escovedo on timbales and Linda Tillery and Johnny Lovett on vocals! Supposedly, these sessions were the genesis of the groove that Escovedo later laid down on Mercury Records – but the sound here is a lot more open-ended and funky – a beautiful combination of jazz and soul elements, put together in ways that are quite different than any other Bay Area acts of the time. Titles include "Rapture Of The Deep", "Funk Punk", "Appreciation", "Life Is A Tortured Love Affair", "Make It Sweet", "We All Have Our Own Lives", "In A Soft & Subtle Way", and "Easy Come Easy Go".

The coolest chapter so far in the long-lost story of the He3 Project – wonderfully spiritual jazz sounds from the San Francisco scene of the early 70s – recorded with a wicked blend of instrumentation and vocals, and a really cosmic sound overall! The music isn't just the usual spiritual jazz of the time – nor the familiar funky sound from the other side of the Bay – and instead, it's kind of a tripped-out hybrid that's really unique – and often served up with a rough edge that makes the instrumentation even more compelling! Players include Hadley Caliman on tenor and flute, Joe West and Terry Mederios on guitars, and Herman Eberitzsch (the HE in the group's name) on Fender Rhodes, Echoplex, piano, and screwdriver. Vocals are from two members of The Waters – Maxine and Julia – although the overall vibe is more instrumental in the end. Titles include "Civilization", "The Massage", "Dark Angels", "Artesian Wells", "Shake A Leg Woman", "To Be True", and "This Is The Struggle".

A second chapter of excellent jazzy soul from the HE3 (Herman Eberitzch III) Project – killer stuff recorded from 1974 to 1977 at Different Fur Studios in San Francisco – with a sound that blends intense, yet sultry disco era live soul with both jazzier and funkier sounds! HE is on piano, Rhodes, synths – and the vibe on Chapter Two has moments of jazz funk reminiscent of the previous Chapter One set from Family Groove – but others that have a straight up, live and direct modern live soul feel, and others that are straight up jazzy. It's all great stuff – and alternate group lineups throughout include vocalists Johnny Lyvett, Linda Tillery and Wendy Hass, trombone player Sheldon Bermont, sax players Robert Olivera and Jerry Vejmoja, percussionist John Mingo Lewis, guitarist Pat Duffy, drummer Amadeus Barrios and others. Includes "Thesis On Love", Soul Support", "From Africa To Oakland", "Try A Different Road", "It Came From The Clear Blue Sky", "Sashay Sahay", "She Got You By The Hook', "I Know You", "Inspiration", "Make It Sweet", "Hop Skip & Jump", "Summertime" & "High Life".

With Woody Allen on clarinet.

After the success of the US3 hit "Cantaloop", Blue Note embraced the "let's sample our classics, and turn them into new dance hits" philosophy, and put together this full album that features modern DJs and producers remixing older works by the likes of Cannonball Adderley, Bobby Hutcherson, Lonnie Smith, Ronnie Foster, Grant Green, Donald Byrd, and others. Remixers include Large Professor, DJ Smash, Guru, The Roots, Diamond D, and Angel – and titles include "The Sophisticated Hippie", "Montara", "Listen Here", "Move Your Hand", "Summer Song", and "Down Here On The Ground".

A mighty collaboration between Stanley Clarke & George Duke – working here in a pairing that refueled both of their careers for the 80s! In previous years, both Clarke and Duke had a penchant for really stretching out in complex, experimental modes – but here, they're playing in a relatively stripped-down and focused way – hitting some of the more soul-inspired sides of fusion at the time, although still without the slick or commercial feel of the rising GRP generation. Guitars figure heavily on a number of tracks, and vocals do too – sometimes in ways that are slightly too sweet and almost cloying. Tracks include "Wild Dog", "Louie Louie", "Sweet Baby", "I Just Want To Love You", "Winners", "Let's Get Started", and "Touch & Go".

Amazing sounds from the SF scene of the 70s – previously unreleased work that really opens up a whole new chapter of jazz on the west coast! The HE3 Project is the brainchild of keyboardist Herman Ebertizsch – who plays lots of Fender Rhodes and moog on this sweet little record – really driving some amazing lines for a wickedly soulful group that also features Coke Escovedo on timbales and Linda Tillery and Johnny Lovett on vocals! Supposedly, these sessions were the genesis of the groove that Escovedo later laid down on Mercury Records – but the sound here is a lot more open-ended and funky – a beautiful combination of jazz and soul elements, put together in ways that are quite different than any other Bay Area acts of the time. Titles include "Rapture Of The Deep", "Funk Punk", "Appreciation", "Life Is A Tortured Love Affair", "Make It Sweet", "We All Have Our Own Lives", "In A Soft & Subtle Way", and "Easy Come Easy Go".

The coolest chapter so far in the long-lost story of the He3 Project – wonderfully spiritual jazz sounds from the San Francisco scene of the early 70s – recorded with a wicked blend of instrumentation and vocals, and a really cosmic sound overall! The music isn't just the usual spiritual jazz of the time – nor the familiar funky sound from the other side of the Bay – and instead, it's kind of a tripped-out hybrid that's really unique – and often served up with a rough edge that makes the instrumentation even more compelling! Players include Hadley Caliman on tenor and flute, Joe West and Terry Mederios on guitars, and Herman Eberitzsch (the HE in the group's name) on Fender Rhodes, Echoplex, piano, and screwdriver. Vocals are from two members of The Waters – Maxine and Julia – although the overall vibe is more instrumental in the end. Titles include "Civilization", "The Massage", "Dark Angels", "Artesian Wells", "Shake A Leg Woman", "To Be True", and "This Is The Struggle".

A great set of grooves from the He3 Project – pressed up as a sweet 12" single with really great sound! "Soul Support" is a righteous funky number with a good dose of jazz in the mix – already excellent with the vocals, which you'll know from the album – and a compelling instrumental too, with drums that somehow seem even funkier without the lyrics! "She Got You By The Hook" is an instrumental too – and the drums really sound massive on this 12" single – and "Do You Like Music" features these wonderful male/female vocals that soar along with the groove, really illuminating the tune with soulful energy!

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".

A totally great project from Bryan Ferry – completely unlike anything that he or Roxy Music have ever done in the past – even though the whole thing is a tribute to the glory days of the group! The tunes are all famous 70s tracks by the group, but they're redone here as jazz instrumentals – not just jazzy takes on the music of Roxy, but work with a much older vintage – really 20s-styled versions of the tunes – with instrumentation that's completely faithful, as is the production – so that you'd honestly think you're listening more to a collection of older 78s from the days of acoustic recording – even though the songs are oddly familiar. The vintage jazz mode prevails so much that the core melodies of the tunes aren't even apparent at first – they kind of sneak up on you with a nice sense of surprise, and only after a bit do you actually catch the song – but even then, marvel at the way that the older melody has this sinister sound that still comes through amidst the blend of trombone, clarinet, guitar, and skittish rhythms. A brilliant set – far more charming than we would have expected – and titles include "The Bogus Man", "Love Is The Drug", "Do The Strand", "Don't Stop The Dance", "Virginia Plain", "This Island Earth", and "Avalon".

Pretty amazing work from one of the greatest under-rated talents of 50s modern jazz! John LaPorta was a brilliant multi-instrumentalist who's probably best known for his work with Mingus in the mid 50s Jazz Workshop years, and for his earlier sides with Woody Herman – but it's on records under his own name that LaPorta really begins to shine. This great set features 14 tracks that were recorded in the 50s, but never issued before – and 9 more that were from the album Conceptions, issued briefly in the 50s by Fantasy Records. The first 14 tracks form a long suite of jazz-based compositions, handled with a modernist chamber-type approach – and based around some really great solo work on trumpet, baritone, tenor, and bass. The feel is almost like a 50s jazz soundtrack – with lots of moody moments paired with others that break out in a stronger swinging groove. The remaining tracks are equally nice – in a similar style, and showing LaPorta as a composer who could have handled just about any ambitious jazz project of the time. Titles include "Forward Motion", "Jazz Canon", "Images", "Lucidity", "Little Fantasy", "Ferme LaPorta", "En Rapport", and "Triplets You Say".

A wonderful blend of free jazz & atmospheric electronic experimentation led by soprano mainstay Steve Lacy – a truly inviting blend of open-ended sounds that manages to all come together in a very natural way! Sadly, this set captured here at the NEWJazz meeting of 2002 at Baden-Baden, Germany turned out to be one of Lacy's final projects – and it's a nice tribute to his legacy of openness and a free spirit. The project started by using a piece by ambitious composer Bernard Lang, "DW 1.2 For Piano, Flute And Saxophone" as a starting point for the improvisations of an interesting group of players – including Lacy, Peter Herbert on double bass, Wolfgang Reisinger on drums, Philip Jeck on turntables, plus Christof Kurzmann and Lang on electronics. It essentially develops a dialogue among the genres themselves – jazz, electronica and freeform sound art – as much as between the individual players! 6 extended numbers with the titles "DW 1.2 Remix 6.8" (quartet of Lacy, Lang, Herbert & Reisinger), "DW 1.3 Remix 7.4" (trio of Lacy, Lang & Jeck) "DW 1.2 Remix 10.2" (quartet of Kurzman, Lacy Herbert & Reisinger), "DW 1.2 Remix 7.7" (duo Jeck & Lacy), "DW 1.2 Remix Karlsruhe 3.3" (solo Lacy) and "DW 1.2 Remix 6.1" (quartet Lang, Lacy Herbert & Reisinger).

A great large group project from reedman Oliver Lake – and a great reminder of his mighty strengths as a writer and arranger too! Right from the start, Lake's had a great ability to move between smaller, intimate settings and more ensemble-based music – and here, he's at the helm of a great batch of well-chosen reed players – all of whom move together as one to realize Lake's complicated charts for the record! The set explodes with bold hues and rich tones right from the start – a shifting palette that only gets stronger as the album moves through Oliver's original compositions – material played by Mike Lee and James Stewart on tenor, Darius Jones and Bruce Williams on alto, Jason Marshall on baritone, Stafford Hunter and Aaron Johnson on trombones, and Walton Ricks, EJ Allen, Nabate Isles, and Freddie Hendrix on trumpets. Titles include "Drum Thing", "Is It Real", "Philly Blues", "Maasai Moves", "Studder", and "Wheels Suite".

Way more than just "abstractions" – as the set's a very focused batch of some of the larger ideas that John Lewis had about jazz – explored beautifully here away from the Modern Jazz Quartet! The album has Lewis working with frequent partner – and fellow third stream conceptualist – Gunther Schuller – and also features great guest work from Ornette Coleman on alto, Joe Wilder on trumpet, Jim Hall on guitar, and Scott LaFaro on bass – all very different talents at the forefront of jazz at the time, helping bring a wider range of voices than you might normally get on a John Lewis project. Titles include "Abstraction", "Variants On A Theme of Thelonious Monk", and "Piece For Guitar & Strings".

Quite an interesting project from reedman Charlie Mariano – a record that shows that his search for new creative settings never ends! As you'd guess from the title, there's a bit of a tango inspiration to the record, but in a format that's very different than most tango jazz – as the album features Charlie on alto and flute, in duets with Quique Sinesi, who plays a variety of acoustic guitars, including 7 string Spanish, charango, and piccolo guitar. This spare sound is quite different than regular tango modes – and the spareness allows Mariano to solo freely – in that wonderful range of tones that's always made his work surprisingly soulful, no matter what the setting. Titles include "Tango Para Charlie", "If Only", "Zephyr", "The Lady", and "Faluseando".

A really striking little cover – one based on the front image of Minnie Riperton's classic Perfect Angel album from the 70s – and a batch of music that really opens up whole new territory in Riperton's rich musical legacy! The set's way more than you might expect – hardly just a straight or smooth jazz take on classics by Minnie – and instead an openly creative project that takes the core structure of the songs, then pulls them apart – especially when it comes to the rhythms – so that the players continually revisit the lovely melodies created by Riperton, yet also fly free in musical moments inspired by her energy. Palmer's trumpet is great – pointed, yet soulful throughout – and other instrumentation by the quintet includes Fender Rhodes from Jake Sherman, guitar from Greg Duncan, bass from Edward Perez, and drums from Lee Fish. Titles include "Memory Lane", "Inside My Love", "I'm In Love Again", "Lovin You", "Adventures In Paradise", and "I'm A Woman".

A really unusual project from bassist William Parker – a great tribute to the legendary Godard film Alphaville, done with music that's a surprisingly great fit! There's almost a jazz soundtrack feel to the record at points – a bit straighter than usual for Parker, but still with plenty of edge – although other tracks sometimes get a bit more outside and improvisational, making for a really nice balance in the record. The core group features Parker on bass, Rob Brown on alto, Lewis Barnes on trumpet, and Hamid Drake on drums – which is then augmented by two cellos, violin, and viola – shading in the sound nicely. Parker really does a great job of capturing the quick shifts, bold moments, and striking qualities that make Godard's film so great – and titles include "Alphaville Main Theme", "Interrogation", "Alph 60", "Doctor Badguy", "Oceanville Evening", and "Civilization Of Light" – plus two versions of the great track "Natasha's Theme", a spiritual soulful number with vocals by Leena Conquest!

A book, a CD, and a richly collaborative project – one that brings together the writings of Alexandre Pierrepont and the improvisational work of Didier Petit – with help from a huge host of other musicians as well! The music's the main attraction to our ears – as the set documents collaborations that Petit made on the road during a tour of the US – beautiful improvisations with a huge range of players that includes Joe Morris, Hal Rammel, Nicole Mitchell, Jim Baker, Larry Ochs, Marilyn Crispell, Andrea Parkins, Kamau Daaood, Michael Zerang, Hamid Drake, and others – each of whom gets their time to shine in collaboration alongside Petit's cello – in ways that really show the amazing adaptability of his instrument. The book features a long evocative poem by Pierrepont, in both English and French – and features some nice photos too!

A smoking set of work from Tito Puente – four classic albums, wrapped together in a single package – with a bonus album of rare material too! First up is Cuban Carnival – one of Tito Puente's finest albums for RCA, with a tight hard bunch of cuts that have a Cuban big band sound, and a lot more drive to them than some of Tito's other work for the label. Ray Bryant wrote the great track "Cuban Fantasy", and Tito contributed most of the other tunes on the set – a really unique batch of material that includes "Yambeque", "Elegua Chango", "Que Sera", and "Cha Cha De Pollos". The percussion is nice and hard, and the band grooves in tight ensemble playing throughout! Night Beat is a really jazzy effort that was cut with a top-shelf list of players! The groove's a bit different than some of Tito's other work – but in a good way, and one that has him stretching past straight Latin to mix in a heavy dose of jazz – really getting the most of players who include Eddie Bert on trombone, Gene Quill on saxes, Bernie Glow on trumpet, and Barry Galbraith on guitar. The rhythms are key – and in addition to drums from Jimmy Cobb, the album also features Mongo Santamaria on congas and Willy Correa on bongos – not to mention more percussion from Tito himself! Dance Mania is a burner of a set from Tito Puente – very well titled to suit the energy of the session! The tracks are all highly rhythmic numbers – short, but filled with jazzy horn flourishes and the kind of snapping rhythms that made the Puente group one of the biggest crossover favorites of the 50s. Tunes nicely mix up vocals with some more pronounced jazz soloing – getting a heck of a lot into a relatively small space, and really keeping up the energy of the record overall. Revolving Bandstand is a joint project from Tito Puente and Buddy Morrow – both leaders who recorded some great work for the label in the 50s, sounding great here in a unique variation on their classic sounds! The album has both Morrow and Puente playing back to back – creating a "revolving bandstand" that has both groups playing the same tunes at the same time – a very odd approach, but one that comes off well here – mixing Tito's Latin and Buddy's swing nicely, without too much confusion in the instrumentation. There's some great vibes on a few tracks! Last up is Tito Puente Quatro Bonus Edition – a set that features 13 rare tracks, with singles, outtakes, and more – including "La Virgen De La Macarena", "Moonlight In Vermont", "The Continental (alt take)", "Blue Moon (alt)", "Ran Kan Kan", "Timbal Y Bongo", and many outtakes of "Pa Los Rumberos"! All LPs on 180 gram vinyl – with liner notes too!

One of the best-remembered Sun Ra albums from the 70s – a really cool little session that features Ra playing the unusual "rocksichord" all the way through! The instrument's a very weird one – kind of like a messed-up electric piano, with lots of cool broken notes and a weird fuzzed-out tone – one that almost feels like a guitar's being fitted into a keyboard, with almost psychedelic results! Ra's use of the rocksichord gives the album a really eerie, outer spacey sound – one that mixes strongly with more familiar jazz lines from John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto and flute, Danny Thompson on baritone, and Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet. Titles include "The Mystery Of Two", "Interstellar Low Ways", "Cosmos", "Moonship Journey", "Neo-Project #2", and "Jazz From An Unknown Planet".

One of the best-remembered Sun Ra albums from the 70s – a really cool little session that features Ra playing the unusual "rocksichord" all the way through! The instrument's a very weird one – kind of like a messed-up electric piano, with lots of cool broken notes and a weird fuzzed-out tone – one that almost feels like a guitar's being fitted into a keyboard, with almost psychedelic results! Ra's use of the rocksichord gives the album a really eerie, outer spacey sound – one that mixes strongly with more familiar jazz lines from John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto and flute, Danny Thompson on baritone, and Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet. Titles include "The Mystery Of Two", "Interstellar Low Ways", "Cosmos", "Moonship Journey", "Neo-Project #2", and "Jazz From An Unknown Planet".

An interesting project from Elliott Sharp – a set that mixes his older downtown sounds with some surprising rootsy elements – all in a blend that really helps his music stretch out strongly! Sharp's guitar work is still incredible – whether arch and arty, or acoustic and bluesy – and the album features a mix of instrumental workouts and vocal numbers – with lyrics sung by Tracie Morris, Eric Mingus, and Joe Mardin. Hubert Sumlin plays some guest guitar, and Curtis Fowlkes adds a bit of trombone – and titles include "Fade To Noir", "This House Is For Sale", "Endless Path", "Banking Blues", "I Blame You", and "Off The Hook".

Soaring spiritual jazz from Larry Stabbins – a reedman you might know from his recent Stonephace project for Tru Thoughts, or for his seminal work in the groups Weekend and Working Week! Yet the sound here is something else entirely – a righteous side of Larry's music we never would have expected back in the 80s – as his tenor and flute are mixed with bold, modal lines that recall some of the contemporary spiritual energy from Matthew Halsall and Nat Birchall on the Gondwana label – music that has a similar sort of early 70s approach! Tracks are long and flowing, and very open – with great solos from Larry and sublime piano from Zoe Rahman – whose tones and timing really give the record a lot of energy. Titles include "Noetic", "Immanence", "Transcendental Euphoria", "Soul Train", "White Queen Psychology", and "Africa".

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".

Snapping rhythms with plenty of jazz – a great collaboration between musicians who've worked together with Gregory Porter, Jose James, and Ty – stepping out here on a unique project of their own! The core energy of the set comes from the live drums of Richard Spaven and keyboards of Grant Windsor – who uses a fair bit of Fender Rhodes on the record, often with the best cosmic touches of the London scene, but a bit more classic focus overall – which really gives the set a sparkling, soulful energy that you'll love right from the start. Most tracks also features these wonderfully round acoustic basslines from Neville Malcolm – and although one track features some vocals from Nailah Porter, the main vibe overall is instrumental – with a quality that's quite similar to Kaidi Tatham's entry in the 5ive series. Titles include "Perseophone", "Koln", "The Sure Chimes", "Sort Of Things", and "Loose Shots".

A remixed version of the collaboration between Neneh Cherry and The Thing – but a set with a sound so different, it may as well be an additional record from project! The remixes here really take a lot of liberties with the original music – so that the resulting tracks aren't just jazzy numbers with a bit of flourish, and instead sparkle with this really new creative energy – core elements pulled from their roots and relayered in very different ways – with almost more of a focus on Cherry's wonderful vocals overall. Titles include "Accordion" remixed by Hortlax Cobra, "Dream Baby Dream" remixed by Four Tet, "What Reason Could I Give" remixed by Kim Hiorthoy, "Cashback" remixed by Lindstrom & Prins Thomas, "Sudden Moment" remixed by Merzbow, "Dirt" remixed by Kurzman, and "Golden Heart" remixed by Nymph.

A remixed version of the collaboration between Neneh Cherry and The Thing – but a set with a sound so different, it may as well be an additional record from project! The remixes here really take a lot of liberties with the original music – so that the resulting tracks aren't just jazzy numbers with a bit of flourish, and instead sparkle with this really new creative energy – core elements pulled from their roots and relayered in very different ways – with almost more of a focus on Cherry's wonderful vocals overall. Titles include "Accordion" remixed by Hortlax Cobra, "Dream Baby Dream" remixed by Four Tet, "What Reason Could I Give" remixed by Kim Hiorthoy, "Cashback" remixed by Lindstrom & Prins Thomas, "Sudden Moment" remixed by Merzbow and "Golden Heart" remixed by Nymph. 8 tracks on the vinyl version.

Quite an unusual project from pianist Keith Tippett – a group that works in sparing, sensitive sounds – all at a level much gentler than other Tippett recordings of the time! There's a meditative, contemplative feel to the record – but one that's also inflected with some of the more experimental jazz modes you might expect from Keith – and instrumentation is heavy on percussion from Frank Perry, who's definitely got a Tibetan influence in his music. Other group members include Julie Tippetts on voice and sopranino recorder, Harry Miller on bass, and Keith Tippett on piano, recorder, harmonium, and maracas. Most tracks are long, emerging slowly from the farther reaches of sound – and titles include "Gentle One Says Hello", "Communal Travel", "Coda", "Fragment No 6", and "A Man Carrying A Drop Of Water On A Leaf Through A Thunderstorm".

A nice little tribute to soul, jazz and fusion legend George Benson – and a project that's a labor of love for Benson-devotee, soulful spirit and brilliant guitarist U-Nam – with an allstar lineup that features Ronnie Foster, George Duke, Patrice Rushen, Andreas Oberg, Tim Owens, Marcus Millers and others! Benson is an artist who embraced diversity and creative evolution – and this tribute does that legacy proudly. It’s rich with fusiony soul groovers that are laced with some truly impeccable guitar work. It's got some throwback swagger in spots, but it's also got some distinctly modern soul appeal – and an all around affectionate spirit. U-Nam plays guitars, keyboards and more here – on top of handling the recording and arrangements – and the guests bring their best! Includes "Weekend In LA" with Rhodes and clavinet by Ronnie Foster and vocals by Andreas Oberg, "Give Me That", "Shiver" and more with singer Tim Owens, "This Masquerade" with more great Fender Rhodes – this time by George Duke, "Hip Ship", "Before You Go/Breezin'" with Patrice Rushen, "Nature Boy" with Stokely Williams and more.

The minimalism of Erik Satie, handled by the maximalism of the Vienna Art Orchestra – at first glance a seeming mismatch, but instead a record that really opens up Satie's music strongly – and also makes for one of the Vienna Art Orchestra's most memorable moments! The large group is broken out into much smaller ensembles for most of the album – often just duos or solo players, working through some of Satie's most inventive compositions – varying instrumentation throughout, in ways that almost make for different refractions of the music through differing lenses – a bit like the excellent Satie project issued around the same time on Nato. Players include Wolfgang Puschnig on flute, Christian Radovan on trombone, Woody Schabata on vibes, Wolfgang Reisinger on tarabuka, and Lauren Newton on voice – and titles include "Reflections On Aubade", "Vexations 1801", "Gnossienne No 3", and "Reflections On Idylle".

Amazing music from the legendary Barney Wilen – previously unreleased African recordings, done around the same time as his classic Moshi album! Although Wilen was best known as a hardbop giant in both his later and early years, the late 60s also marked a period of really rich experimentation – when Barney, like some of his other contemporaries, was really trying to break out of any traditional formats for jazz – and really take chances with new musical hybrids! In this case, Wilen's blowing with a whole host of different musicians from various African scenes – especially Zanzibar – mixing his own incredible tenor and other reeds with regional percussion, unusual instrumentation, vocals, and even some trippier electric touches too – all served up in a blend of music and sounds that's as much an ethnographic project as it is a conventional jazz album. This special set features 80 minutes of previously-unreleased tracks that never made it onto the first Moshi album – which was issued by Saravah Records in the early 70s – rare tracks that have come from Wilen's private archives, and which are every bit as amazing as the music on the original album. Titles include "Black Locomotive", "Moshi Too","Fullys In The Bush", "Serenade For Africa", "Barka De Sala", "Fete A Tam II", "Leave Before The Gospel", "Zombizar Reloaded", "Bumba Ciagalo", and "Kira Burundi".

Amazing music from the legendary Barney Wilen – previously unreleased African recordings, done around the same time as his classic Moshi album! Although Wilen was best known as a hardbop giant in both his later and early years, the late 60s also marked a period of really rich experimentation – when Barney, like some of his other contemporaries, was really trying to break out of any traditional formats for jazz – and really take chances with new musical hybrids! In this case, Wilen's blowing with a whole host of different musicians from various African scenes – especially Zanzibar – mixing his own incredible tenor and other reeds with regional percussion, unusual instrumentation, vocals, and even some trippier electric touches too – all served up in a blend of music and sounds that's as much an ethnographic project as it is a conventional jazz album. This special set features 80 minutes of previously-unreleased tracks that never made it onto the first Moshi album – which was issued by Saravah Records in the early 70s – rare tracks that have come from Wilen's private archives, and which are every bit as amazing as the music on the original album. Titles include "Black Locomotive", "Moshi Too","Fullys In The Bush", "Serenade For Africa", "Barka De Sala", "Fete A Tam II", "Leave Before The Gospel", "Zombizar Reloaded", "Bumba Ciagalo", and "Kira Burundi".

A great follow-up to the initial News For Lulu project – a late 80s reinvention of the sound of Blue Note, handled by this trio of key modernists from the time! As proven by recordings like this over the years, John Zorn's a player who – despite his own very modern and avant tendencies – has a great respect for older jazz traditions, and a strong ability to bring them into his music – even if the connections aren't always that obvious! Here, the link is explicit – in the album's choice of tunes by Hank Mobley, Sonny Clark, Kenny Dorham, John Patton, and Freddie Redd – all Blue Note legends from the hardbop generation, providing core elements that are completely reworked into modern showcases for the alto of Zorn, guitar of Bill Frisell, and trombone of George Lewis. Lewis' presence is especially great – a rhythmic pulse and sense of depth that really grounds the session nicely. The CD features material from two live performances – and titles include "Melody For C", "News For Lulu", "Funk In Deep Freeze", "Gare Guillemins", "Hank's Other Tune", "Minor Swing", and "Peckin Time".

DJ Mitsu takes on the legendary Black Jazz label from the 70s – and serves up a sublime mix of spiritual and funky jazz classics from some of the company's greatest records! Mitsu's one of the few cats we could trust with a project like this – and as with his Fender Rhodes mixes from a few years back, this one really respects the core essence of the tunes – yet also finds a way to make them flow beautifully into one another – a 28 track blend of magical music that stands as a great testament to the soulful, spiritual depth of the Black Jazz catalog! There's no tricks or gimmicks at all – just sweet sounds galore – and titles include "Listen Here" and "For Heaven's Sake" by Gene Russell, "Soft Spirit" and "Plastic Creek Stomp" by Henry Franklin, "Infant Eyes" and "Revelation" by Doug Carn, "Little Dance" and "Time & Space" by Rudolph Johnson, "Aunt Lovely" and "Shaw Neeq" by Calvin Keys, "Magic Wand Of Love" and "Maiden Voyage" by Kellee Patterson, "Mode For DD" and "Slinky" by The Awakening, "Trip One" and "Power House" by Chester Thompson and "Funky Mama Moose" by Roland Haynes.

Funky soul, righteous jazz, and hip production made the Flying Dutchman label one of the greatest imprints of the early 70s! The label was the brainchild of producer Bob Thiele, and was a post-60s project to bring together unheard voices in African American culture – recording heavily in a number of genres that included jazz, funk, soul, and Latin – cutting records that were destined to become instant classics, most of which are still pretty darn influential today! This set does a great job of starting to unpack the wealth of work on Flying Dutchman – bringing together tracks by a few familiar acts, and other lesser-known artists, a few who have rarely been reissued. Titles include "Carnavalito" and "Maria Domingas" by Gato Barbieri, "Mama" and "Chains Of Love" by Esther Marrow", "Baja Bossa" by Oliver Nelson, "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get" by Pretty Purdie, "Save The Children" and "I Think I'll Call It Morning" by Gil Scott Heron, "The Creator Has A Master Plan" by Louis Armstrong & Leon Thomas, "Echoes" by Leon Thomas, and "Footprints" and "Astral Travelin" by Lonnie Liston Smith.

A great little budget CD edition with a number of the cuts from the CDs and limited edition 12-inches in the Blue Series! If you haven't been introduced to the Blue Series, it's an ongoing project bridging the worlds of underground, innovative hip hop and avant garde jazz on Matthew Shipp's Thirsty Ear label. A pretty great little intro to the movement! Includes "Cohesion" by Matthew Shipp, "Monstro City" by Antipop Consortium, "Ananda Rotation" by David S. Ware, "That Subliminal Kid vs. The Last Mohican" by DJ Spooky, "Scrapbook" by William Parker Violin Trio, "Sunrise Over Bkln" by El-P, "Lit" by Spring Heel Jack and more.

Hit stuff from Herbie – recorded back at the Newport Jazz Fest, where he'd cut some other strong-selling albums for Atlantic. This one features a soulful group that shows Herbie's strong talent for picking hip players – with Jimmy Owens on trumpet, Reggie Workman on bass, and Carlos Patato Valdez on percussion. The album features 4 tracks recorded at Newport, plus one more recorded beforehand, with an expanded group that also includes guitarist Atilla Zoller. Tracks are all long, and titles include "Project S", "Scratch", "She's A Carioca", and "All Blues".

One of Roscoe Mitchell's greatest albums from the 70s – a record that easily matches, if not beats, his classic recordings for Delmark and Nessa! Like those sets, there's a perfect sense of clarity here – the best essence of the AACM scene, taken to its most adventurous level by Roscoe – who's working way beyond music here, and is into a rich array of tones, textures, and sonic shapes – really amazing elements to come from a familiar alto, soprano, or tenor saxophone! He's got some great creative help on the project too – Muhal Richard Abrams on piano, George Lewis on trombone, and Spencer Barefield on guitar – the last of whom is darker here than on most of his later recordings. Obviously, the sensitivity that Lewis and Abrams bring to the record is a perfect match for Mitchell's direction – and the long tracks draw much from the spontaneous interplay between the three players. Titles include "Tnoona", "Music For Trombone & B Flat Soprano", "Cards", and "Olobo".

A great project from late 80s Blue Note – a super-tight group with Bobby Watson handling the arrangements and playing alto, with more arrangements from trumpeter Don Sickler – and other players who include Roy Hargrove on trumpet, Bill Pierce on tenor, Frank Lacy on trombone, Mulgrew Miller on piano, and Kenny Washington on drums. Titles include "Open Sesame", "Conservation", "M&M", "Time Off", and "Marvelous Marvin".

A contemporary project from Jeter Thompson – of the legendary Quartette Tres Bien!

Pretty darn hip stuff – and with some great soloing by Cannonball! The record features Adderley's alto fronting a large group conducted by Ernie Wilkins, and featuring a host of hip players like Melba Liston, Oliver Nelson, Jerome Richardson, Ray Barretto, Sam Jones, and Wynton Kelly. The title track is a beautiful reading of Galt MacDermott's "African Waltz" – and other tracks include "Blue Brass Groove", "Something Different", "The Uptown", and "Letter From Home". Wilkins outdoes himself on this one, really providing some strong swinging arrangements that work well with the complicated groove of the project – and in a way, the record feels more like Randy Weston or Melba Liston's at the helm.

A compelling conception from drummer Jaimeo Brown – a set that mixes the jazz performance of his trio with inspiration from older gospel music – in particular the famous work of the Gee's Bend Singers, who are sampled here on a number of tracks! About half the record draws vocals from vintage Gee's Bend recordings – and the other half shifts between instrumental passages, and other new vocal performances with singer Selah Brown, Marisha Brown, and Falu. At the core, Brown's trio keeps things on edge, and pushes the project far from hoke with their nicely dark tones – subtle work on drums from Jaimeo, plus tenor from JD Allen and guitar from Chris Sholar. Titles include "Mean World", "You Can't Hide", "Patience", "Power Of God", "Be Free", "You Needn't Mind Me Dying", and "Baby Miesh".

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".

Milt's definitely in a new setting here – playing with a good little soul jazz combo that includes Jimmy Heath on tenor, McCoy Tyner on piano, and Bob Cranshaw on bass. The overall sound is much tighter than Milt's earlier work – with a focus on groovy short cuts that have a nice vibes/piano/tenor sound. Titles include "Clay's Blues", "Slow Death", "Ineffable", "That's In", and "Project S".

Way more than just "abstractions" – as the set's a very focused batch of some of the larger ideas that John Lewis had about jazz – explored beautifully here away from the Modern Jazz Quartet! The album has Lewis working with frequent partner – and fellow third stream conceptualist – Gunther Schuller – and also features great guest work from Ornette Coleman on alto, Joe Wilder on trumpet, Jim Hall on guitar, and Scott LaFaro on bass – all very different talents at the forefront of jazz at the time, helping bring a wider range of voices than you might normally get on a John Lewis project. Titles include "Abstraction", "Variants On A Theme of Thelonious Monk", and "Piece For Guitar & Strings".

An ambitious project from David Murray – one that features an expanded string ensemble working with his core quartet – performing a set of original material that includes the long "Pushkin Suite" and some shorter numbers that revel in Murray's own soulful spirit. While the "Pushkin Suite" is supposedly the main focus of this effort, we're more partial to the shorter tracks – as they dance, glide, and soar with the freely exploratory spiritualism we love so much in Murray's earlier years – and get past the headier mode of the longer suite. Titles include "Waltz Again", "Dark Secrets", "Steps", and "Sparkle" – and players include Lafayette Gilchrist on piano, Jaribu Shahid on bass, and Hamid Drake on drums.

One of David Murray's most ambitious projects ever – and that's saying a lot, given the depth of the 150-plus albums in his recording career! As you'd guess from the title, the set's a tribute to the En Espanol albums by Nat King Cole from the early 60s – and like those gems, Murray's project is a trans-cultural outing that brings together his jazz roots with Cuban musicians, additional strings, and an occasional vocalist – all recorded in studios from Argentina, to Portugal, to France! There's still a nicely unified feel to the whole record, though – and there should be, given how long Murray has kept this musical vision in his heart – and honestly, the whole thing is one of the most impressive things he's recorded in years – not only a great reminder that he's got deep respect for many jazz traditions, but also that he can inflect his horn with rich flavors with effortless ease. Titles include "Quizas Quizas Quizas", "Black Nat", "Piel Canela", "Cachito", "Aqui Se Habla En Amor", and "El Bodeguero".

One of THE smooth jazz albums of the 80s – a great little set put together by George Duke, who wrote most of the tracks on the set, produced the album, and even selected the group specially for the project! So in essence, at some level, the album steps off of Duke's own work of the time – but it's also got a cleaner, fresher, almost indie approach to the music – and the record circulated heavily in scenes that were a bit to the left of the mainstream. Guest players include Duke, Leon Ndugu Chancler, and other LA fusion luminaries – and titles include "Africa", "Night Voices", "So Easy", "Lady Of The Night", "Pillow Talk", and "Sashimi".

One of the best-remembered Sun Ra albums from the 70s – a really cool little session that features Ra playing the unusual "rocksichord" all the way through! The instrument's a very weird one – kind of like a messed-up electric piano, with lots of cool broken notes and a weird fuzzed-out tone – one that almost feels like a guitar's being fitted into a keyboard, with almost psychedelic results! Ra's use of the rocksichord gives the album a really eerie, outer spacey sound – one that mixes strongly with more familiar jazz lines from John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto and flute, Danny Thompson on baritone, and Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet. Titles include "The Mystery Of Two", "Interstellar Low Ways", "Cosmos", "Moonship Journey", "Neo-Project #2", and "Jazz From An Unknown Planet".

A totally amazing treasure – a deep dig through the Sun Ra archives, featuring music from Ra, spoken bits, and more – all packaged with amazing presentation of the vinyl, and a huge booklet as well! The records feature way more than just the usual music on Ra projects like these – as they artistically mix together rehearsal moments with some spoken passages, and also some sound effects and other found bits too – almost an art collage in tribute to Sun Ra, but based around music by Ra himself! Highlights include some key rehearsal moments – including a John Gilmore solo, Ra on moog, and "The Second Stop Is Jupiter" performed with Art Jenkins and June Tyson. But the package also features Ra lecturing the Arkestra, talking on music – plus other spoken bits from Dick Gregory, Avery Young, and Krista Franklin. The vinyl is super-heavy, with different colors – and the jackets are heavy pressboard cardstock, hand-printed. The book is LP-sized, 32 pages, with interview materials, notes on the music, details on the project, and some images too. Tremendous stuff – and a must for any Sun Ra collector!

Funky grooves from Jiro Inagaki and his Soul Media combo – and some cool vocals from 70s Japanese singer Sammy – a pretty enigmatic talent who really makes her mark with this record! The album's less island-styled than you might guess from the title or cover – and instead, it mixes these spacious vocal passages with more forceful backings from Soul Media – a groove that's got the same blend of female lead and funkier elements that you might find in a Serge Gainsbourg/Jane Birkin project – although the lyrics here are mostly in Japanese! The set features a killer version of Aretha Franklin's "Rock Steady", with really wild vocals and drums – plus the cuts "Memories Of That Guy", "So High", "Wanderer's Lullaby", "The In & Outer Stomp & Shouter", "Nobody Loves Me", and "My Sweet Dolls".

One of the most ambitious albums on CTI – a very large project in which Don Sebesky seems to work with just about everyone else who recorded for the label! The Giant Box title is apt – as the record originally came packaged in a cardboard box – room enough to hold the 2 records that comprised it, all the long tunes on the set, and the huge array of cast who helped out on the project. Players include Sebesky on organ, piano, and electric piano – plus Baws, Joe Farrell, Paul Desmond, and many others. There's some sweet vocal backgrounds on the set – by Jackie & Roy, Lani Groves, and Tasha Thomas – and titles include "Vocalise", "Semi Tough", "Firebird/Birds Of Fire", "Free As A Bird", and "Song To A Seagul". Great stuff – with bits of funk, jazz, and ambitious arrangements – all filtered into the cool CTI sound!

A beautiful contemporary project from these two British jazz legends – one that definitely lives up to all their genius from earlier years – while finding a whole new level of expression! The album was done in collaboration with the London Vocal Project – a large group who are used here in a manner that's similar to some of the Donald Byrd "with voices" albums on Blue Note, or some of the Max Roach choral projects of the 60s. Winstone comes forth as the key soloist on some tracks – singing lyrics with this amazing quality that hasn't dimmed at all, with all the darkness we've always loved in her approach – and on other numbers the full chorus rises with the rhythms, propelling things forward alongside Wheeler's lines on flugelhorn – and the work of Mark Lockheart on saxes and Nikki Iles on piano. A stone classic, and a real surprise – with tracks that include "Black March", "The Hat", "The Broken Heart", "Breughel", and "The Lover Mourns".

A great follow-up to the first Jobim Jazz set from guitarist Mario Adnet – and in many ways, an even better-conceived version of the project! The difference this time around is that Adnet's been working through the concept in a live setting for a few years – and has come up with wonderfully rich arrangements that really push beyond any simple bossa remake sort of vibe – and instead show up the rich, complicated qualities that we've always loved in the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim – especially in the 70s years of his career! Adnet mostly plays acoustic guitar, but other instrumentation is full with horns – usually flutes and saxes that are intertwined beautifully, with a dipping, soaring sort of energy – not unlike some of the best arrangements by Moacir Santos. Titles include "Takatanga", "Mojave", "Boto", "Bonita", "O Homem", "O Barbinha Branca", "Samba De Maria Luiza", and "Deus E O Diablo Na Terra Do Sol".

Very groovy stuff – two unlikely gems from mid 70s MPS! First up is Amazing Strings from Svend Asmussen – a set that features his famous jazz violin in the lead, but amidst larger arrangements that feature MPS players like Dieter Reith on keyboards, Sigi Schwab on guitar, and Gunter Lenz on bass! The tunes are mostly classical numbers, but are mixed with fresh arrangements from Christian Schmitz Steinberg – who swings them with a Euro jazzy style that's mighty nice, especially when the keyboards and guitar kick into the mix! Titles include "Golgatha", "Men's Living Joy", "Danse De Jeunes Filles", "Fur Elise", and "Ah Vous Dirais Je Maman". Rockin Bach Dimensions is even cooler – a batch of numbers penned by Johann Sebastian Bach, but taken to groovy new heights by some funky MPS players of the 70s! The album's arranged and conducted by Mladen Gutesha – who you might know from his excellent Und album – and it features Wolfgang Dauner on keyboards, Sigi Schwab on guitar, Herb Geller on flute, Ake Persson on trombone, Ack Van Rooyen on trumpet, and Horst Jankowski on electric harpsichord – all very groovy players who get plenty to do here – breaking out in jazzy inflections that underscore some of the funkier elements in the charts! Much groovier than any other jazz/classical project of this nature – with titles that include "Air", "Fuga In A", "Fuga In D", "Inventio 13", "Inventio 9", and "Inventio 15".

An unreleased treasure from the European scene of the late 50s – material recorded for a soundtrack, and a rare meeting of American trumpeter Donald Byrd and French tenor giant Barney Wilen! Neither the film nor the music were ever issued at the time – and this archival project finally brings together the sublime sounds in the studio from Byrd and Wilen – music that's easily every bit as great as the best French jazz scores of the time, as well as most other European hardbop records too! The group features talents from both sides of the Atlantic – Jimmy Gourley on guitar, Walter Davis on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Al Levitt on drums – and the style is a bit tighter than usual for a jazz soundtrack – with long tracks that have a more conventional jazz tune shape, instead of shorter atmospheric numbers. Wilen gets plenty of room to stretch out in expressive tones – as on his soundtrack work with Miles Davis from the same time – and hearing Byrd's trumpet alongside makes for a really nice contrast!

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".

One of the rarest Johnny Griffin albums ever – a set recorded as a side project when Griff was working with the Clarke Boland Big Band – in a lineup that features some of the best members from that great ensemble! The style's a bit more laidback and soulful than other CBBB projects – more in the mode of Johnny's roots in Chicago during the 50s, but still inflected with some of the sharper touches he picked up during his 60s years in Europe. Other players here are all wonderful – and include Benny Bailey on trumpet, Sahib Shihab on baritone sax, Ake Persson on trombone, Francy Boland on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and both Kenny Clarke and Kenny Clare on drums – seemingly playing together on some tracks, which creates a nicely skittish rhythm in the set! Titles include "The Turk's Bolero", "Deep Eight", "A Handful Of Soul", "Foot Patting", and "Lady Heavy Bottom's Waltz".

Funky vibes and fuzzy guitar – a full CD worth of instrumental work by Detroit soul legend Dave Hamilton! Hamilton's well known for his production and arranging work for a variety of other artists, but here he steps out on his own as a heck of a great funky musician – working in a sly, slinky motor city groove that's fuzzed up with plenty of touches that recall the best moments of the early Westbound generation. Hamilton plays vibes equally well as guitar on the set – recalling a bit of the jazz of his early roots as a recording artist, but mixing it in with plenty of trippier styles from the end of the 60s – making for a groove that's totally outta sight all the way through! But best of all, the CD features a full album's worth of material that's issued here for the first time ever – Hamilton's legendary Soul Suite project, which is presented here alongside additional rare tracks from singles! The CD features a total of 16 cuts in all – with titles that include "Blue Funk", "Soul Suite", "The Sweeter The Juice", "Brother Rat", "Pisces Pace 2", "Tell Your Mama", "Yesterdays", "Take It In Stride", "The Deacons", "Blue Vibes", "Marriage Is A State Of Vibes", "Cracklin Bread", and "Can You Dig It".

How can we even begin to describe the genius of Lambert Hendricks and Ross? The group was a jazz vocal supergroup that merged three talents that had already made a big name in the bebop vocalese field – Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks, and the lovely Annie Ross – and the project was an attempt to completely work the emerging vocalese style onto a full-blown jazz group. This album wasn't their first – but it was the first to really break them with the masses, and it's a vocal jazz classic if there ever was one. Backings are by the Ike Isaacs Trio, plus Harry Edison on trumpet – and titles include "Moanin", "Twisted", "Cloudburst", "Everybody's Boppin", and "Sermonette".

The reeds of John Tchicai are always a treat, and really help make any album stand out when he's along for a guest appearance – which may be why John's name and photo are so prominent on this project recorded with the trio of Christopher Dell on vibes, Jonas Westergaard on bass, and Christian Lillinger on drums! All three players are great – working in very spacious timings and unusual textures and tones – but it's definitely Tchicai that helps push the album over the top – blowing with a sense of soul and power that hasn't dimmed at all over the space of decades – and which really takes us back to some of his key contributions on the European scene of the 60s and 70s. The vibes are an especially nice combination with the sax lines – and titles include "New", "Minor Or Major", "Venus", "Double Exposure", "Traveller", "Wet", and "Fond".

A smoking set of work from Tito Puente – four classic albums, wrapped together in a single package – with a bonus album of rare material too! First up is Cuban Carnival – one of Tito Puente's finest albums for RCA, with a tight hard bunch of cuts that have a Cuban big band sound, and a lot more drive to them than some of Tito's other work for the label. Ray Bryant wrote the great track "Cuban Fantasy", and Tito contributed most of the other tunes on the set – a really unique batch of material that includes "Yambeque", "Elegua Chango", "Que Sera", and "Cha Cha De Pollos". The percussion is nice and hard, and the band grooves in tight ensemble playing throughout! Night Beat is a really jazzy effort that was cut with a top-shelf list of players! The groove's a bit different than some of Tito's other work – but in a good way, and one that has him stretching past straight Latin to mix in a heavy dose of jazz – really getting the most of players who include Eddie Bert on trombone, Gene Quill on saxes, Bernie Glow on trumpet, and Barry Galbraith on guitar. The rhythms are key – and in addition to drums from Jimmy Cobb, the album also features Mongo Santamaria on congas and Willy Correa on bongos – not to mention more percussion from Tito himself! Dance Mania is a burner of a set from Tito Puente – very well titled to suit the energy of the session! The tracks are all highly rhythmic numbers – short, but filled with jazzy horn flourishes and the kind of snapping rhythms that made the Puente group one of the biggest crossover favorites of the 50s. Tunes nicely mix up vocals with some more pronounced jazz soloing – getting a heck of a lot into a relatively small space, and really keeping up the energy of the record overall. Revolving Bandstand is a joint project from Tito Puente and Buddy Morrow – both leaders who recorded some great work for the label in the 50s, sounding great here in a unique variation on their classic sounds! The album has both Morrow and Puente playing back to back – creating a "revolving bandstand" that has both groups playing the same tunes at the same time – a very odd approach, but one that comes off well here – mixing Tito's Latin and Buddy's swing nicely, without too much confusion in the instrumentation. There's some great vibes on a few tracks! Last up is Tito Puente Quatro Bonus Edition – a set that features 13 rare tracks, with singles, outtakes, and more – including "La Virgen De La Macarena", "Moonlight In Vermont", "The Continental (alt take)", "Blue Moon (alt)", "Ran Kan Kan", "Timbal Y Bongo", and many outtakes of "Pa Los Rumberos"! Beautiful packaging too – in a 7" square hardcover book, with many pages of notes and images – like some of the Hip-O Select collections!

A totally amazing treasure – a deep dig through the Sun Ra archives, featuring music from Ra, spoken bits, and more – all packaged with amazing presentation of the vinyl, and a huge booklet as well! The records feature way more than just the usual music on Ra projects like these – as they artistically mix together rehearsal moments with some spoken passages, and also some sound effects and other found bits too – almost an art collage in tribute to Sun Ra, but based around music by Ra himself! Highlights include some key rehearsal moments – including a John Gilmore solo, Ra on moog, and "The Second Stop Is Jupiter" performed with Art Jenkins and June Tyson. But the package also features Ra lecturing the Arkestra, talking on music – plus other spoken bits from Dick Gregory, Avery Young, and Krista Franklin. The vinyl is super-heavy, with different colors – and the jackets are heavy pressboard cardstock, hand-printed. The book is LP-sized, 32 pages, with interview materials, notes on the music, details on the project, and some images too. Tremendous stuff – and a must for any Sun Ra collector!

A totally amazing treasure – a deep dig through the Sun Ra archives, featuring music from Ra, spoken bits, and more – all packaged with amazing presentation of the vinyl, and a huge booklet as well! The records feature way more than just the usual music on Ra projects like these – as they artistically mix together rehearsal moments with some spoken passages, and also some sound effects and other found bits too – almost an art collage in tribute to Sun Ra, but based around music by Ra himself! Highlights include some key rehearsal moments – including a John Gilmore solo, Ra on moog, and "The Second Stop Is Jupiter" performed with Art Jenkins and June Tyson. But the package also features Ra lecturing the Arkestra, talking on music – plus other spoken bits from Dick Gregory, Avery Young, and Krista Franklin. The vinyl is super-heavy, with different colors – and the jackets are heavy pressboard cardstock, hand-printed. The book is LP-sized, 32 pages, with interview materials, notes on the music, details on the project, and some images too. Tremendous stuff – and a must for any Sun Ra collector!

A beautiful Rebirth for the Tribe Records scene in Detroit – a set that brings together older players whose work illuminated that famous label – Phil Ranelin on trombone, Wendell Harrison on saxes, and Marcus Belgrave on trumpet – all working here with younger musicians who include Amp Fiddler on keyboards, John Arnold on guitar, and Carl Craig on keyboards and production! The mix of generations is amazing – every bit as mesmerizing as the Detroit Experiment session from years back – and the tunes have this soulful, spiritual sensibility that really holds up to the promise first laid down by Tribe back in the 70s – a righteous reworking of familiar jazz ideals, stretching forward with cosmic energy that's really amazing! Craig's presence on the set makes for a bit of electricity at times – but the rhythms are all live and acoustic – and if anything, the whole project marks a real growth in Carl's own music, almost more than that of the originators whose sound here is every bit as great as we could have hoped! Titles include "Son Of Tribe", "Livin In A New Day", "Deneka's Chant", "Jazz On The Run", "Ride", "Lesli", "Where Am I", "13th & Senate", and "Glue Fingers".

An unreleased treasure from the European scene of the late 50s – material recorded for a soundtrack, and a rare meeting of American trumpeter Donald Byrd and French tenor giant Barney Wilen! Neither the film nor the music were ever issued at the time – and this archival project finally brings together the sublime sounds in the studio from Byrd and Wilen – music that's easily every bit as great as the best French jazz scores of the time, as well as most other European hardbop records too! The group features talents from both sides of the Atlantic – Jimmy Gourley on guitar, Walter Davis on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Al Levitt on drums – and the style is a bit tighter than usual for a jazz soundtrack – with long tracks that have a more conventional jazz tune shape, instead of shorter atmospheric numbers. Wilen gets plenty of room to stretch out in expressive tones – as on his soundtrack work with Miles Davis from the same time – and hearing Byrd's trumpet alongside makes for a really nice contrast!

The genius of Joe Chambers knows no bounds – and record after record, his recent stretch has really continued to blow our mind! Chambers was always a hell of a talent back in the day – even at his start as a 60s Blue Note sideman – but in the past decade or so, he's really found his voice – and shows a talent for larger-concept projects that's really amazing – such as this project with his Moving Pictures Orchestra! The group's a largeish jazz ensemble with some top-shelf players – and they work together on Chambers arrangements that definitely have a cinematic feel – but there's also a richer jazz-based approach too – one that almost reminds us of classic charts from Gil Evans or Ralph Burns. Players include Craig Handy on tenor and soprano sax, David Weiss and Frank Greene on trumpets, Conrad Herwig and Steve Davis on trombones, Xavier Davis on piano, Steve Berrios on percussion, Dwayne Burno on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums and vibes. Titles include the "Moving Pictures Suite", plus "Lonesome Lover", "Power To The People", "Theme From M Squad", and "Mendacity" – which features vocals from Nicole Guiland.

A totally great project from Bryan Ferry – completely unlike anything that he or Roxy Music have ever done in the past – even though the whole thing is a tribute to the glory days of the group! The tunes are all famous 70s tracks by the group, but they're redone here as jazz instrumentals – not just jazzy takes on the music of Roxy, but work with a much older vintage – really 20s-styled versions of the tunes – with instrumentation that's completely faithful, as is the production – so that you'd honestly think you're listening more to a collection of older 78s from the days of acoustic recording – even though the songs are oddly familiar. The vintage jazz mode prevails so much that the core melodies of the tunes aren't even apparent at first – they kind of sneak up on you with a nice sense of surprise, and only after a bit do you actually catch the song – but even then, marvel at the way that the older melody has this sinister sound that still comes through amidst the blend of trombone, clarinet, guitar, and skittish rhythms. A brilliant set – far more charming than we would have expected – and titles include "The Bogus Man", "Love Is The Drug", "Do The Strand", "Don't Stop The Dance", "Virginia Plain", "This Island Earth", and "Avalon".

A real classic from Swedish pianist Jan Johansson – and a key effort to link the modernism of his nation's postwar years with their rich centuries of cultural traditions! The tunes here are mostly from folk sources, but they're recast by Johansson in a moody modern jazz mode – often handled very sparely, with just bass accompaniment from Georg Riedel – who seems wonderfully suited to the project at hand! The melodies are incredibly evocative – and Johansson's playing is really set free amidst these familiar frameworks – never too outside, but deeply exploratory, and with a surprising depth of feeling. Titles include "Visa Fran Utanmyra", "Emigrantvisa", "Gammal Brollopsmarsch", "Brudmarsch Efter Larshoga Jonke", "Leksands Skanklat", and "Visa Fran Jarna". CD features 4 bonus alternate takes – plus, the CD also features bonus CD-rom material – including all the session recordings that were originally done!

A really compelling large group project from Lee Konitz – quite rare at this point in his career, and a beautiful demonstration of his many talents! Many of the numbers here are older jazz classics, but reworked by Konitz in fresh new arrangements – handled with a solid swing, yet some echoes of modern styles as well – and played by a lineup that includes Lee on alto, Ronnie Cuber on baritone, Burt Collins on trumpet, Jimmy Knepper on trombone, Ben Aranov on piano, Knobby Totah on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums. This mix of players from different generations really helps flesh out the feel of the set – with results that are almost like some of the Phil Woods projects of this nature. Titles include "Fourth Dimension", "Chi Chi", "Giant Steps", "April/April Too", "Who You", and "Struttin With Some Barbecue".

A lost treasure – finally brought back to light! The album features previously unissued material by the team of Art Pepper and Warne Marsh – tracks recorded back in 1956 for Contemporary records, but only issued many years later as part of the Complete Contemporary project for Pepper's work. Why these dates never made it to wax is a real mystery to us – because the pairing of Pepper's alto and Marsh's tenor is perhaps even greater than the more famous team of Marsh & Konitz – and the sound here is completely wonderful – fluid, modern, and exceptionally poised – yet never without soul! CD includes a few master and original takes of some numbers – and titles include "All The Things You Are", "Tickle Toe", "Warnin", "Stompin At The Savoy", "What's New", "Avalon", and "I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me".

A limited edition vinyl nugget – one that brings forth three rare tracks from the Cosmo Earth Fantasy project! First up is the beautiful "World Of Africa" – a tune that's partly chanted vocals over percussion, partly skittish guitar that dips and turns all over the groove – in a really exotic, hypnotic sort of way! "Love Is Always" is this sublime ballad – with Ra playing echoey piano lines over slow percussion, which then opens up to a soulful tenor solo that's incredible – the Arkestra at their spiritual best! "Space Is The Place" completes the record – but done here in a very offbeat, upbeat version that features lots of chanting and changing up the groove – much more live and spontaneous than any other take we've heard of the tune – almost as if they're forming the track out of spoken ideas between members of the Arkestra!

We have to admit, we had a lot of misgivings about this project before we gave it a chance and listened to it all the way through – but after all was said and done, we were quite impressed! While Herbie Hancock, Roy Hargrove and Michael Brecker all have the chops, recognition and reputations to make as many new recordings as they'd like, without resorting to pandering tributes, this project actually works beautifully and makes great sense. The group is rounded out by the elastic rhythms provided by John Patitucci (who seems to have graduated well beyond the sort of 6 string noodling he usually purveys) and Brian Blade. In most cases, we'd rather hear Miles doing Miles and Trane doing Trane, but this group manages to capture both the dark, brooding beauty of Miles' music and the deeper, soulful vein that Coltrane mined. Herbie sounds the best we've heard in ages and the highlight of this live set is a medley of Miles' "So What" and Coltrane's "Impressions", while the rest of the set is made up mostly of originals (2 more Coltrane pieces, "Naima" and "Tansition" are included) composed by members of the group like Hancock's "The Sorcerer" and Hargrove's "The Poet".

The rarest of all of Art Blakey's percussion group projects – and quite possibly the best, too! The session features Blakey at the head of a strong mix of jazz and percussion players – with Art Taylor and Philly Joe Jones on the regular drum kit, Donald Byrd on trumpet and Ray Bryant on piano, and a host of assorted percussion work by the likes of Ray Barretto, Sabu Martinez, Victor Gonzalez, Julio Martinez, and others. The resultant sound is incredible – very full, rich, and earthy – and done in a way that interweaves African and Latin percussion styles with straighter American jazz! A few cuts have chanting by Blakey and Sabu – and titles include "The Feast", "Mirage", "Lamento Africano", "O'Tinde", "Swingin Kilts", "Dinga", "Reflection", and "Aghano".

A cooker of a record from Lester Bowie – one that takes the earlier sound of the Brass Fantasy ensemble, and focuses it into a mode that shows his growing love of soul and funk! The set was issued on the the short-lived Venture imprint of Virgin – a surprisingly strong outlook for creative projects like this – and the vibe's quite different than the Brass Fantasy records cut for ECM – with almost a bit more soul at the bottom, and a compact sort of energy that really sends the ideas home. Players include Bowie, Stanton Davis, Malachi Thompson, and Sasul Siddik on trumpets – plus Steve Turre and Frank Lacy on trombones, Vincent Chancey on French horn, Bob Stewart on tuba, and Phil Wilson on drums. Titles include a surprisingly great remake of "Thriller" – plus "Vibe Waltz", "I Am With You", "Duke's Fantasy", "Personality", and "Twilight Dreams".

One of the greatest albums so far from mighty Chicago reedman David Boykin – and easily a set that lives up to the rich legacy of avant jazz in the Windy City! There's a depth to the record that comes through right from the very first note – a sense of history and feeling that shows just how much Boykin's developed as a player over the past decade or so – a tenorist with a done that's right up there with Archie Shepp or David Murray at their creative best – really stretching out on some wonderful solos that never fail to dim in imagination or new ideas. The group's a trio – with Alex Wing on bass and James Woodley on drums – which gives the recording an almost ESP Records sort of vibe – and Boykin's the shining star throughout, really knocking us over with his solos on the well-recorded set! Titles include "Blast Off For Love", "Walk Turn Bat Shimmy", "Try Harder", "Blue Lotus", "Star Book", and "Late Night With The David Boykin Trio Theme".

One of the greatest albums so far from mighty Chicago reedman David Boykin – and easily a set that lives up to the rich legacy of avant jazz in the Windy City! There's a depth to the record that comes through right from the very first note – a sense of history and feeling that shows just how much Boykin's developed as a player over the past decade or so – a tenorist with a done that's right up there with Archie Shepp or David Murray at their creative best – really stretching out on some wonderful solos that never fail to dim in imagination or new ideas. The group's a trio – with Alex Wing on bass and James Woodley on drums – which gives the recording an almost ESP Records sort of vibe – and Boykin's the shining star throughout, really knocking us over with his solos on the well-recorded set! Titles include "Blast Off For Love", "Walk Turn Bat Shimmy", "Try Harder", "Blue Lotus", "Star Book", and "Late Night With The David Boykin Trio Theme".

Experimental vocals and offbeat reed sounds – a really great pairing of singer Uschi Bruning and reedman Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky! We know Ernst-Ludwig and Uschi from a range of other projects, but they really sound different here together – especially because Petrowsky's reeds are often trying to emulate the modes and timing of Bruning's vocals – which themselves are very free and horn-like in their expression – quite far from any sort of usual jazz vocals! The whole record's given us a great deal more respect for Uschi, and opens our ears even further to the genius of Ernst-Ludwig – thanks to tracks that include "Lonely Woman", "Sax Shop", "Kontraste", "Bandblatt", "Das Ding", "Skizzen", and "Duellarando".

A hip little album from Buddy Collette – one that's ostensibly based around the then-popular idea of a set of Paris-inspired tunes – but which comes off with a sound that's a lot deeper than you might expect! David Axelrod produced the set – it was one of his early projects for Specialty Records – and Buddy Collette plays alto, tenor, and flute – in a group with Frank Rosolino on trombone, Howard Roberts on guitar, Red Mitchell on bass, and Bill Richmond or Bill Douglass on drums. Red Callender joins in on some tracks, and his deep tones mixed with Rosolino's trombone, really help offset the lighter sounds of Collette's reeds in a nice way. Titles include "Domino", "Mam'Selle", "Pigalle", "I Love Paris", "La Vie En Rose", and "Under Paris Skies". CD features 4 bonus alternate takes, too!