Jazz — CDs  

One of the most tape-centric entries in this great Lost Reel series – given that the recordings here were pulled from a San Francisco rehearsal by Ra & The Arkestra – and still contain some evidence of the recorder turning on and off! But despite that technical element – which actually creates a nice little window into the way the band worked away from the stage, and focused on certain elements on their own – the music here is still plenty darn great, and offers up a rare glimpse of the group during a short SF residence. The tracks include a few "unidentified titles" – which, according to the notes, are numbers that possibly haven't appeared on other recordings – and players include Ra, John Gilmore, Marshall Allen, Danny Ray Thompson, and James Jackson. 2CD set features titles that include "Dance Of The Living Image", "Sometimes I'm Happy", "Astro Nation", "Hard Hearted Hannah", "Passin Gas", "Sophisticated Lady", "Watusi", and a few of those unidentified titles!

The MJQ always manage to sound especially great when working on music for film – and this album's a great illustration of that fact! The work here is written by John Lewis, for a movie that never lasted the test of time as much as the record – and it's some of John's most evocative writing of the time – almost imagistic enough without the film! Selections are played by the core quartet of Milt Jackson on vibes, John Lewis on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Connie Kay on drums – and titles include "The Golden Striker", "One Never Knows", "The Rose Truc", "Venice", "Cortege", and "Three Windows".

Sun Ra's really moving forward with this classic set – refining the sound of his Chicago-based Arkestra, and reaching for new territory that moves him way past familiar jazz modes! The cover bills the group as playing "music from tomorrow's world" – and you can definitely hear that on some titles here, including one number that features Ra on some really haunting celeste, and another that features Marshall Allen making weird noises with his mouthpiece! The group is all greats from the old days – John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on flute, Pat Patrick on baritone and flute, James Spaulding on alto and flute, Hobart Dotson on trumpet, Charles Davis on baritone, and Ronnie Boykins on bass – and titles include "Hours After", "Saturn", "Ancient Ethiopia", and "Blues At Midnight".

2CDs worth of previously unissued material! Both records – Cymbals and Crystal Spears – were originally due to be released on Impulse during the same stretch that the label was repackaging older Saturn albums, but were never issued because of all the messed up relations that quickly terminated what should have been a much longer deal. (Some of this is nicely outlined in the good set of notes that go with the set.) Cymbals features 3 tracks that did appear on a Saturn album called Deep Purple, plus 2 titles that were never issued before – and the set features Ra on organ Rocksichord, vibes, and organ – playing very out and raucously with a group that includes Danny Davis, John Gilmore, and Akh Tal Ebah. Crystal Spears is a lot more introspective, and takes us back to earlier years of the Arkestra. Ra's on organ, marimba, mini moog, and vibes – and the rest of the group's playing a variety of horns and percussion. Tracks include "Crystal Spears", "Sunrise In The Western Sky", "The Embassy Of The Living God", "Thoughts Under A Dark Blue Light", and "The Mystery Of Two".

Landmark work from Sun Ra – a rare 1964 performance that features some very early work from Pharoah Sanders, a good deal of which is appearing here for the first time ever! The material was recorded at Judson Hall, and only half the tracks came out on a rare Saturn LP – making this CD collection that first time that all 11 titles appear in their entirety. Ra and the group recorded the set on New Year's Eve, 1964 – at a time when John Gilmore had left the Arkestra to work with Art Blakey – leaving Pharoah Sanders to come and take his place on tenor. Also noteworthy is the presence of Black Harold (Harold Murray) on flute – blowing with a dark edge alongside other group members who include Al Evans on trumpet, Teddy Nance on trombone, Marshal Allen on alto sax, Pat Patrick on baritone sax, and both Alan Silva and Ronnie Boykins on bass. The performance starts with a relatively fierce sound, but then moves into some beautifully lyrical moments – and titles include "Gods On A Safari", "The New Tomorrow", "The Second Stop Is Jupiter", "Cosmic Interpretation", "The Other World", "Dawn Over Israel", and "Space Mates".

The wildly diverse, heavily percussive global jazz, soul, and exotica inspired Afrodesia from the late 60s combo Afro Soultet – a crazy rare one, too! The group purportedly has roots in Texas, but incarnations of it were gigging around LA a bit earlier as Afro Latin Blues Quintet +1 and a bit later as Afro Latin Soultet. Here they play with boundless inspiration from around the globe. Afro Latin percussion and rhythms hold it all together, but they bring in strains of Latin soul, African rhythms, straighter jazz and madly percussive instrumental rock. Producer/composer/arranger/raconteur Jack Millman plays drums in the group as Johnny Kitchen, and other players include Joey Dubreau on vibes, Frank Morris on guitar and harmonica, Eddie Paris on drums, Dean Elliot on percussion, William Quinn on flute & sax, and Bill Collins on keys. Includes "Afrodesia", "Mozamba", "Soul Rockin'", "Afro Revolt", "Torrid Zone", "Oom Gowa", "Slave Traders", "Drumbouie", "Aphro Bugaloo", "Chocolate Drop", "Le Berber" and "Sand, Sun And Sea".

From its booze-soaked title cut, to its haunting selection of lonely ballads like "Midnight Sun" and "Stranger Called The Blues", this is one of the most fantastic vocal jazz albums of all time – and a record that we'd recommend instantly to anyone! June Christy has an incredibly icy tone on the record, filled with sorrow, regret, and loneliness – all of which are amplified even more deeply by Pete Rugolo's eerie, off-kilter arrangements. Titles include "Something Cool", "It Could Happen To You", "Lonely House", "I'm Thrilled", and "The Night We Called It A Day". Plus, this special CD reissue features the mono and stereo recordings of the album – completely different ones, as the album was originally recorded in mono in 1954, and completely re-recorded again with the same arrangements in 1960!

A rare and beautiful treasure from Chicago's Phil Cohran and his legendary Artistic Heritage Ensemble – material recorded at the end of the 60s, but only issued here for the first time ever! The sound on the record is amazing – much deeper, and more forceful than anything else we've ever heard from Cohran – almost in Sun Ra Arkestra territory at times, given the group's out-there playing, and bold collective action! The lineup is similar to other Cohran recordings from the time – Phil on cornet, Henry Gibson on congas, Pete Cosey on guitar, Louis Satterfield on bass, Charles Williams on alto, Don Myrick on tenor, Charles Handy on trumpet, Willie Woods on trombone, and Aaron Dodd on tuba – a group that's a wonderful bridge between the two important Chicago generations headed by Sun Ra and Earth Wind & Fire. Armageddon is an extended piece, divided up into five different musical acts – conceived by Cohran in the late 50s, and recorded here in 1968 – with some great help from The Spencer Jackson Family on the leadoff track "Motherless Child". Other titles include "Creation Of The Beast", "The Warning", "The Window", and "Armageddon" – a clear reference to the power of the atom bomb!

An amazing album – and a really unique slice of the underground of jazz in the 60s! The session was put together in 1963 by Walt Dickerson, and was conceived as an attempt to draw attention to the incredible amount of great jazz players who were then currently serving time in prison for trumped-up drug charges. The players were culled from New York's Riker's Island, and the mix is a strange and wonderfully surprising blend of musicians that includes Hope, John Gilmore, Ronnie Boykins, Philly Joe Jones, and Earl Coleman. The quality of the work and writing is superb, and not only is the record a high point in Hope's all-too-short career, but it also features some excellent non-Sun Ra work by Gilmore! Titles include "One For Joe", "Three Silver Quarters", "Kevin", "Trippin", and "It Shouldn't Happen To A Dream".

A beauty from trumpeter Tomasz Stanko and his intuitive quintet – a roomy and wonderful session for ECM – featuring some excellent Stanko compositions and a pair of numbers penned by Krzysztof Komeda! There's an efficiency at work in Stanko's material that's effective and moving, with sacrificing any dynamism or sharpness of mood. The arrangements leave plenty of shadowy space, a very effective approach. The group includes Alex Tuomarila on piano, Jakob Bro on guitar, Anders Christensen on bass and Olavi Louhivuori on drums. Titles include "So Nice", "Terminal 7", "The Dark Eyes Of Martha Hirsch", "Grand Central", 'Amsterdam Avenue", "Samba Nova", "Dirge For Europe", "May Sun", "Last Song" and "Etiuda Baletowa No 3".

Probably our favorite entry in this excellent series of classic "jazz meets world music" recordings from MPS. This CD compiles material from 3 rare recordings from the 60's – Djanger Bali by Tony Scott, Sakura Sakura by Hideo Shiraki, and the various artists comp called Jazz Meets India. The Tony Scott stuff is insanely wonderful, and he plays with the Indonesian all stars on a number of jazz renderings of classic gamelon melodies, and a haunting version of summertime. The sound is amazing, the the 5 tracks are some of the most compelling jazz tracks we've heard in ages. Another highlight is the two tracks that bring together the Irene Schweizer trio with Barney Wilen and Manfred Schoof. They play two long tracks – "Yaad" and "Sun Love" – with a haunting "Indian" feel that goes very out in parts. The last 4 tracks are by Hideo Shiraki and his quintet, with Terumasa Hino on trumpet and some added koto playing. The sound is fantastic on all cuts, and the CD's an amazing batch of tracks that will haunt you forever!

New work from pianist Jason Moran – one of Blue Note's more exciting new talents of the past 10 years. Moran's joined on the album by Sam Rivers, which is fitting, as the best tracks have a soulful spirit that recalls the creativity of Rivers' best "new thing" years at Blue Note. Rivers plays tenor, soprano, flute, and piano – and the pair are accompanied by Tarus Mateen on bass and Nasheet Waits on drums. Titles include "Earth Song", "Summit", "Say Peace", "Foot Under Foot", "Draw The Light Out", and "The Sun At Midnight".

A key later album from alto saxophonist Benny Carter – one that has him at the helm of a largeish group, but playing with a nicely focused sort of groove! In addition to Benny's alto, the record also features tenor sax from Charlie Rouse and Coleman Hawkins, plus one more alto from Phil Woods – supported by rhythm from John Collins on guitar, Dick Katz on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Jo Jones on drums. The tunes are traditional, but have some sharper-edged modern ideas on some of the solos – and there's a nicely echoey feel to the production, which further adds to the quality of the record. The album's a bit like a Swingville session for Prestige, but has a bit more going on – and titles include "Doozy", "Blue Star", "Midnight Sun Will Never Set", and "Crazy Rhythm".

Quite possibly our favorite album ever from pianist Andrew Hill – a really unique outing that features the vibes of Bobby Hutcherson and a rare non-Sun Ra appearance by tenorist John Gilmore! The presence of Hutcherson brings a real "new thing" energy to the album – a feel that's similar to Bobby's classic Dialogue album, of which Hill was such an important part. But the searching tenor of Gilmore also brings a striking new level to the session as well – and his solos open up with a raw, earthy quality that really shades in the album with a great deal of feeling. Gilmore's role here is a bit like that of Joe Henderson on his freer Blue Note material – but his sound still undeniably unique, at a level that really makes us wish he'd recorded more albums like this at the time. The tracks are all originals by Hill, and include the titles "Duplicity", "Black Monday", "The Griots", and "Le Serpent Qui Danse". CD features 2 bonus alternate takes too!

A previously unissued performance by the Brotherhood Of Breath – recorded at a time when the group was at the height of their early powers! Some of the styles here are in the straighter, South African-inspired jazz of pianist Chris McGregor's roots – but other tracks get far more experimental, and show the new ideas and levels of expression that some of the players were adopting at the time – a great criss-crossing of cultural modes as the London jazz scene absorbed ex-colonial artists from South Africa and the West Indies. The lineup here includes Dudu Puckwana and Mike Osborne on altos, Alan Skidmore and Gary Windo on tenor, Harry Beckett and Marc Charig on trumpet, Nick Evans and Malcolm Griffiths on trombone, Harry Miller on bass, and Louis Moholo on drums – all coming together with a sense of magical creativity that we'd reserve for a rare few groups – like the Sun Ra Arkestra! Titles include "Nick Tete", "Restless", "Do It", "Eclipse At Dawn", "The Bride", and "Funky Boots March".

The genius of the Chicago collective scene is firmly back in action – on this stunning second CD from Nicole Mitchell! The record is incredible – light years ahead of her debut, and a rich tapestry of sounds and colors performed by a large group that features some of the best underground musicians in the city's soulful avant scene. From the first moment of the set, the music grabs you with the depth and intensity of some of the best work of the 70s Strata East era – and it stands proudly in a tradition of work that includes the collective projects of the AACM, and groups like the Sun Ra Arkestra and Artistic Heritage Ensemble. Mitchell's writing is wonderful – stretching out on a Coltrane-like journey of discovery and spiritual expression – and her playing on the set is interwoven with some beautifully vocalized passages. Titles include "Afrika Rising Trilogy", "Peaceful Village Town", "Emerging Light", "Bluerise", "Goldmind", and "Wheatgrass".

Stanley Turrentine's no spoiler here – as his tenor sax soars out over the top of some sweet larger group arrangements from Duke Pearson – all awash in a great sense of soul, joy, and life! The album's got a much brighter feel than you might guess from the cover – a vibe that's a bit similar to Stan's classic Joyride album, but a bit more open and free – thanks to the lyrical touches of Pearson on the charts. Other players include Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Julian Priester on trombone, James Spaulding on alto and flute, and Pepper Dadams on baritone sax – plus rhythm from McCoy Tyner on piano, Bob Cranshaw on electric bass, Mickey Roker on drums, and Joseph Rivera on percussion. As on some of the other Pearson dates from the time – particularly those with Donald Byrd – the use of electric bass really opens things up, by creating a subtle rhythmic pulse that really drives most numbers along. And also in the Pearson mode, the added players aren't really a horn section in the conventional way – just a group of like-minded, top-shelf jazz players who egg on the main soloist with a great sense of enthusiasm for the music! Titles include "La Fiesta", "The Magilla", "Sunny", "Maybe September", "You're Gonna Hear From Me", and "When The Sun Comes Out".

A great album from McCoy Tyner – a set that's steeped in the modal soulfulness of his years with John Coltrane, but also handled in a way that really has him breaking away from the pack a bit! Half the album's played with a trio that features Jimmy Garrison on bass – but the strongest cuts feature a sextet with John Gilmore on tenor (making a rare non-Sun Ra appearance), Frank Strozier on alto, Thad Jones on trumpet, Butch Warren on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – all working beautifully together in an early example of the soulful group groove that Tyner would hit even more strongly in the post-Coltrane years. Titles include "T 'N A Blues", "Three Flowers", "Contemporary Focus", and "Night In Tunisia".

A key later album from alto saxophonist Benny Carter – one that has him at the helm of a largeish group, but playing with a nicely focused sort of groove! In addition to Benny's alto, the record also features tenor sax from Charlie Rouse and Coleman Hawkins, plus one more alto from Phil Woods – supported by rhythm from John Collins on guitar, Dick Katz on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Jo Jones on drums. The tunes are traditional, but have some sharper-edged modern ideas on some of the solos – and there's a nicely echoey feel to the production, which further adds to the quality of the record. The album's a bit like a Swingville session for Prestige, but has a bit more going on – and titles include "Doozy", "Blue Star", "Midnight Sun Will Never Set", and "Crazy Rhythm".

More straight ahead than some of Charles' other work from the time – most of which is fairly modernist – but still a strong batch of tracks, and one that has a lot more edge than the work of Lionel Hampton, to whom it was recorded as a "salute". Teddy's on vibes throughout – working in different groups that include players like Hank Jones, Zoot Sims, Art Farmer, Bob Brookmeyer, Ed Thigpen, and Addison Farmer. Tracks are all Hamp standards – including "Airmail Special", "Midnight Sun", "Flyin Home", "Stardust", and "Blue Hamp".

Wonderful work from one of our favorite organ players ever – and a tasty set that features titles from a number of rare albums! The work on the set comes from the albums Walk On By, Hallelujah Time, Midnight Sun, Soul Circle, Steppin Out, Silk & Soul, and I Got A Woman – all of which were sort of a mish-mash of tracks that were recorded at different times during the mid 60s, with different groups all caught in the studio to cash in on Jack's rich talent at a time of his immense popularity. Don't let the different origins of the material scare you, though, because the work's all great – and the 13 track set is a perfect summation of McDuff's rich talent for hitting a groove that was at once soulful, skillful, and touched with a groovy sound that was unlike any other organ player! Titles include "Haitian Lady", "Chicken Feet", "Stop It", "More", "That's When We Thought Of Love", "Song Of The Soul", "The Live People", and "Aroudn The Corner".

This is Soul Jazz's masterpiece suite of US independent soul jazz stuff from the seventies. This thing's a monster, and is almost a seventy minute non-stop ride through the heady side of American jazz by great artists like Sun Ra ("Space Is The Place"), Art Ensemble of Chicago ("Theme De Yoyo"), Steve Reid ("Lions of Judah"), and Marcus Belgrave ("Space Odyssey"). A compilation as legendary as the artists it includes.

A key later album from alto saxophonist Benny Carter – one that has him at the helm of a largeish group, but playing with a nicely focused sort of groove! In addition to Benny's alto, the record also features tenor sax from Charlie Rouse and Coleman Hawkins, plus one more alto from Phil Woods – supported by rhythm from John Collins on guitar, Dick Katz on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Jo Jones on drums. The tunes are traditional, but have some sharper-edged modern ideas on some of the solos – and there's a nicely echoey feel to the production, which further adds to the quality of the record. The album's a bit like a Swingville session for Prestige, but has a bit more going on – and titles include "Doozy", "Blue Star", "Midnight Sun Will Never Set", and "Crazy Rhythm".