Jazz — All Formats  

One of Harley's beautiful albums for Atlantic, and a record that shouldn't work at all – but it does! Harley plays bagpipes throughout the album, and he does so in a way that sounds nothing like any of the snoozy Scottish assumptions you may have about the instrument. Instead, Harley draws... read more

Fantastic work from one of the most unique talents in jazz! Rufus Harley plays bagpipes – yes, that's right, bagpipes – in a modal Coltrane-esque way that's simply got to be heard to be believed. He uses the drone capability of the instrument to explore reed patterns in the same way... read more

One of the wildest jazz albums ever recorded for Atlantic! Rufus plays amazingly soulful jazz lines on bagpipes (no kidding, he's really great, and as he points out, the instrument's of African origin originally, and not just Scottish), plus he also proves that he's a monster talent on other... read more

A lost classic, and a landmark blending of jazz and world music! The core of the group is that quintet of West Indian alto player Joe Harriott – one of the leading lights of the British jazz scene of the 60s, and a dedicated modernist who was as important to England as Ornette Coleman was to... read more

Not a great jazz record, but a pretty nice funky soul album by Eddie – who by this point was really electrifying his sax, playing a bit of piano, and even singing in a range of different styles. The best moments are those that kind of push the envelope technique-wise – operating with a... read more

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A super-long batch of messed-up funky jazz from Eddie Harris! The record's got Eddie working all aspects of the electric sax – in a similar style to some of his other work on the best Atlantic albums of the 70s (like Instant Death of Plug It In) – and the group features a shifting cast... read more

A nice little funk album from Eddie – one that shouldn't work, but does nicely, thanks to a unique approach to the groove! Eddie's still playing plenty of electric sax on the set – and is going for a sound here that's equal parts soul jazz, modal groove, and down and dirty funk! The... read more

We can never get enough of Eddie Harris – and a record like this is a great reason why! Despite all the many different settings Eddie worked in at Atlantic, he still always stayed true to his roots – and a record like this is a perfect example of that – no electric horn, no funk,... read more

We can never get enough of Eddie Harris – and a record like this is a great reason why! Despite all the many different settings Eddie worked in at Atlantic, he still always stayed true to his roots – and a record like this is a perfect example of that – no electric horn, no funk,... read more

2 hip ones from Eddie's groundbreaking early 70s years! After already proving himself as a soul jazz giant during the 60s, Eddie's work of the early 70s pushed all the envelopes – taking funky jazz to a whole new level with a number of interesting experiments and techniques. You'll hear... read more

A 60s classic from the great Eddie Harris – and proof that his move to Atlantic Records was a very good thing! There's a punch here that Harris didn't have in his earlier sides for Vee Jay – a bite that shows an even stronger focus than before – a willingness to mix soulful... read more

Killer stuff – and an amazing album that not only showcases the varitone sax talents of Eddie Harris, but also features some fantastic arrangements by Chicago soul genius Charles Stepney! Harris plugs in right from the start – blowing an electric sax that comes up with some groovy... read more

Killer stuff – and an amazing album that not only showcases the varitone sax talents of Eddie Harris, but also features some fantastic arrangements by Chicago soul genius Charles Stepney! Harris plugs in right from the start – blowing an electric sax that comes up with some groovy... read more

A very interesting album from Eddie Harris – one that's more of a comedy album than a jazz record – honest! Most of the record features Eddie performing his own comedy material – pretty blue stuff with lots of bad-rapping and profanity – possibly trying to cash in on the... read more

An excellent album from Eddie Harris – whose love of the Varitone sax is pushed to the max here, as he gets funky and wild on a great batch of tracks! The record features some great bass work from Melvin Jackson, plus keyboards from Joe Zawinul and Eddie. Titles include "Silver... read more

A warm set of soulful 60s numbers from Eddie Harris – almost a ballad album at times, but with a groovier feel overall! The album features a great group that has Harris on acoustic tenor or Varitone sax – warmed up by the piano of Cedar Walton, bass of Ron Carter, and drums of Bobby... read more

One of the last Atlantic Eddie Harris albums! There's a nice mix of funk, straight jazz, and oddball groovers on the set – and players include Don Ellis and Paul Humphrey. Tracks include "Sallie's Theme", "Steps Up", "Brother Wardo", "One Man Section"... read more

A massive batch of funky soul jazz – the Second Movement (to the first album Swiss Movement) of the collaboration of Eddie Harris and Les McCann! The vibe here is even freer, and hipper, than on the first set – with a host of long tracks that have Les really working the Fender Rhodes... read more

Groovy session of piano trio material, recorded in Chicago by the city's "great white hope" of the 60s: pianist Eddie Higgins. The set was recorded for the Dunwich production group (who gave the world The Shadows of Knight), but was licensed to Atlantic for final release. The group's a... read more

Killer work from Freddie Hubbard – some key transitional sides for Atlantic Records, and easily some of his most soulful work ever! Freddie started out as a bopper on Blue Note, but then made a great shift at Atlantic – exploring space and sound in a really wonderful way, and opening... read more

A totally fantastic set from the turn of the 70s, and one of Freddie Hubbard's most soulful, spiritual albums ever – a seminal chapter in the evolution of soul jazz – and a record that was a keen inspiration for changes to come on labels like Strata East and Black Jazz! The group here... read more

One of Freddie Hubbard's wildest records ever – a really unique experiment with electronics, and a set that sounds way different than his other albums for Atlantic, Blue Note, or CTI! The key factor here is experimentalist Ilhan Mimaroglu – who adds lots of electronics and processed... read more

One of Freddie Hubbard's wildest records ever – a really unique experiment with electronics, and a set that sounds way different than his other albums for Atlantic, Blue Note, or CTI! The key factor here is experimentalist Ilhan Mimaroglu – who adds lots of electronics and processed... read more

A wonderful session of hip soul jazz tracks from Freddie Hubbard – mostly short tight and groovy, but played with a sophisticated style that points the way towards the soul jazz sound of the 70s. Soul Experiment is a fitting title – as Freddie works hard with hip players like Billy... read more

A wonderful session of hip soul jazz tracks from Freddie Hubbard – mostly short tight and groovy, but played with a sophisticated style that points the way towards the soul jazz sound of the 70s. Soul Experiment is a fitting title – as Freddie works hard with hip players like Billy... read more

Excellent late 50s work by Milt Jackson for Atlantic! Bags & Flutes is very much in the style of Milt's classic Savoy sides from the preceding couple of years – mixing together his jazzy vibes with light lilting solos on flute, either by Bobby Jaspar or Frank Wess, Milt's old compatriot... read more

A wonderful little record – a real standout in both the careers of Milt Jackson and Coleman Hawkins! The album captures Hawk during his great later years – that time when his sound was even more soulful and inventive than ever – with lots of odd modern undercurrents that really... read more

A wonderful little record – a real standout in both the careers of Milt Jackson and Coleman Hawkins! The album captures Hawk during his great later years – that time when his sound was even more soulful and inventive than ever – with lots of odd modern undercurrents that really... read more

One of the great jazz sessions that Ray Charles cut towards the end of his years at Atlantic Records – a surprisingly great little album with vibist Milt Jackson! The set really shows a side of Milt that didn't always surface in the Modern Jazz Quartet – and Charles is surprisingly... read more

One of the great jazz sessions that Ray Charles cut towards the end of his years at Atlantic Records – a surprisingly great little album with vibist Milt Jackson! The set really shows a side of Milt that didn't always surface in the Modern Jazz Quartet – and Charles is surprisingly... read more

The soulful sax of Willis Jackson meets the Philly Soul mecca of Sigma Sound – and the result is a surprisingly wonderful album! Willis blows in the lead on all tracks, supported by legendary Sigma players – and the sound is a lush and sweetly soulful one, almost an instrumental... read more

Features work by Dave Remington, Max Hook, Marty Marsala, Doc Cenardo, Hal Carnes, and others.... read more

The groovy combo The Jazz Modes were one of the 50's strangest groups – but their work is always entertaining, and a lot more filled with soul than you'd expect! The band is fronted by French horn player Julius Watkins and saxophonist Charlie Rouse – and Rouse's pre-Monk tenor is nice... read more

A sweet early date as a leader from Elvin Jones – one that has him working strongly away from a John Coltrane setting, with some hip arrangements by Melba Liston! Elvin brings in some excellent accompaniment from two other Joneses as well – Thad on cornet and Hank on piano – both... read more

One of Elvin Jones' greatest records – a set that's quite different from both his work in the John Coltrane Quartet, and some of the powerhouse jazz sides he'd cut later as a solo act! The vibe here is a bit hard to describe, but it somehow comes together in the "midnight walk" of... read more

One of Elvin Jones' greatest records – a set that's quite different from both his work in the John Coltrane Quartet, and some of the powerhouse jazz sides he'd cut later as a solo act! The vibe here is a bit hard to describe, but it somehow comes together in the "midnight walk" of... read more

A stunner! Philly Joe's Beat is a beautiful bit of modernist hardbop by the drummer. Philly Joe pounds away with his usual clarity and groove, but the real treat is an unexpected appearance by the great Bill Barron, who plays tenor on the session. Barron's tenor is amazingly precise, and filled... read more

A stunner of an album – and one that definitely draws plenty power from the double drummers in the lead! The set's way different than most of Elvin Jones' other work of the time – and is even more hard-hitting than some of the Philly Joe Jones sessions too – and, unusual for... read more

An odd little album from tenorist Clifford Jordan – but a great one too, given the unique format! As the title implies, Cliff pays tribute to Leadbelly – handling a host of Huddie Ledbetter originals, but in a style that's kind of 60s soul jazz, with a bit of blues as well – one... read more

One of the few full albums recorded by 50s pianist Dick Katz – and a record that's awash with some of the best modernist touches and playfulness that he brought to his work for other artists! As you'd guess from the title, the album's got a focus on the compositions and piano work of Katz... read more

An unusual little record – a set that's a bit "fake" in its pedigree, but which still comes across with some wonderfully vivid results! Fred Kaz is a Chicago pianist, but he works here on a set of original compositions based on his readings on Near Eastern cultures – dubbed... read more

A great blend of older jazz styles and the sweet 70s funk of Robin Kenyatta – served up with a hip sort of sparkle overall! There's a few familiar jazz modes in here that definitely live up to the spirit of the title – but most of the record is more open, laidback, and somewhat... read more

One of the many many groovy jazz versions of the famous Hair score by Galt MacDermot! This one has Barney Kessel getting a lot hipper than usual – with backing by organ and electric bass, which makes for a nice groovy groove. The whole thing's nice and spare, with a groovy feeling, and good... read more

Roland plays moody jazz versions of some of the biggest soul hits of the early 70's – including tracks like "What's Going On", "Mercy Mercy Me", and "Ain't No Sunshine" – plus some other nice originals which sum up his take on "blacknuss". Titles... read more

A great 70s album by Roland Kirk – one that features him working on a lot of short tracks, in a pretty crazy style! A number of the tracks feature Kirk's uniquely quirky reed style in full effect – often processed with added studio techniques, in a very nice way. And along side that... read more

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Some of the greatest spiritual jazz of the late 60s – and 2 of Rahsaan Roland Kirk's best Atlantic albums back to back on one CD! The Inflated Tear is a landmark album from Roland – one of his key 60s sides for Atlantic records, and an amazing blend of soul jazz, hardbop, and freer... read more

Rahsaan Roland Kirk takes on "other folks music" – that is, a host of tunes penned by other jazz artists – but as you'd expect, there's a really personal feel to the record overall – one that definitely makes the music Kirk's own by the end of the set! The album's a bit... read more

Roland makes a nod towards tradition – as he seemed to be doing often in the later years of his life – and he welcomes the great Al Hibbler into the studio for a true "meeting of the times". Hibbler's one of our favorite vocalists from the early 50s, but mixing him with Kirk... read more

One of the hippest albums that Rahsaan Roland Kirk ever recorded – a perfect realization of his "black classical music" ethos, and a pan-generational jazz album that's all held together by one unique musical vision! Side one features the extended suite "The Seeker", which... read more

One of the hippest albums that Rahsaan Roland Kirk ever recorded – a perfect realization of his "black classical music" ethos, and a pan-generational jazz album that's all held together by one unique musical vision! Side one features the extended suite "The Seeker", which... read more

One of the hippest albums that Rahsaan Roland Kirk ever recorded – a perfect realization of his "black classical music" ethos, and a pan-generational jazz album that's all held together by one unique musical vision! Side one features the extended suite "The Seeker", which... read more

A stone classic from Roland Kirk – and a record that beautifully balances his modern ideas and playful energy – as you might guess from the title! While posing as the "whistleman", Roland's also pushing the boundaries of jazz a few steps forward too – not just in modern... read more

A stone classic from Roland Kirk – and a record that beautifully balances his modern ideas and playful energy – as you might guess from the title! While posing as the "whistleman", Roland's also pushing the boundaries of jazz a few steps forward too – not just in modern... read more

An undisputed classic – and a key turning point in the career of Roland Kirk! The set has Roland leading a large group of musicians through a haunting batch of complicated tracks that clearly illustrate his much-heralded concept of Black Classical Music – a mixture of jazz, older... read more

Our favorite album ever from Roland Kirk – and a beautiful mix of two different sides of his genius! Side one's got Roland doing these crazy takes on late 60's pop cuts like "My Cherie Amour" and "Say a Little Prayer", plus his own "songs", done with soulful... read more

A great set by Konitz – recorded live at the height of his powers, in all his icy-blue perfection! The group features the amazing Billy Bauer on guitar, Don Ferrara on trumpet, and Peter Ind on bass – and Ind (a bit of a knob-twiddler) also handled the recording of the set, so it's got... read more

A spacious mid 70s set from Yusef Lateef – with some numbers showing his more soaringly spiritual bent – and others hewing towards a more bluesy or loosely funky vein. Tracked live in San Francisco, some numbers were later augmented with overdubbed strings and vocals – there's... read more

One of our favorite Atlantic albums by the great Yusef Lateef – an incredible session that has him dipping back into his earlier exotic roots, yet still hitting the sweeter soulful groove of some of his other Atlantic sides! The sound is tremendous – wonderfully righteous, at a level... read more

A soulful late 60s outing for Brother Yusef – one of his first, and one of his best, albums for Atlantic! Despite the misleading title, this isn't really the "complete" Yusef Lateef (it would have to be a 50 LP set for that!) – but the record is a nice slice of Yusef's... read more

One of the best of Yusef's Atlantic recordings, and one that offers a mix of his 2 different sides – his older spiritualist one, and his newer funkier one. Includes the tight groover "Live Humble", with nice conga work by Ray Barretto, plus the extended "Chandra" and... read more

One of Yusef Lateef's funkier albums for Atlantic – and a record that features some great keyboard work from Kenny Barron! The liner notes indicate a current Lateef fascination with rhythm, and it tries to present this fascination in a way that implies a bigger intellectual approach to the... read more

One of Yusef Lateef's funkier albums for Atlantic – and a record that features some great keyboard work from Kenny Barron! The liner notes indicate a current Lateef fascination with rhythm, and it tries to present this fascination in a way that implies a bigger intellectual approach to the... read more

One of the greatest Yusef Lateef albums on Atlantic Records – and that's saying a lot, given the high level of quality he was hitting at the label! The album's a perfect blend of the newly-funky Lateef style with some hipper, more sophisticated touches – a mode that hints at his bigger-... read more

A moody set of 70s work from Yusef – proof that he was always trying to push his bag, and a good attempt to bridge his earlier exotic work and his later high concept compositions. Some of this material is spare and thoughtful, while other tracks are trying for sort of a 70's electric funk... read more

One of Yusef Lateef's more ambitious albums for Atlantic – kind of a "history of jazz" in styles and expressions, performed with a large set of players that runs the gamut of talents available at the time – all of whom come together strongly under Lateef's greater vision! The... read more

A groundbreaking set from Yusef Lateef – one that mixes together a number of different soul jazz styles! In a way, Atlantic records tried to handle Yusef Lateef in the same way they did Roland Kirk – by creating recordings that either let him express himself strongly as an arch-modernis... read more

A groundbreaking set from Yusef Lateef – one that mixes together a number of different soul jazz styles! In a way, Atlantic records tried to handle Yusef Lateef in the same way they did Roland Kirk – by creating recordings that either let him express himself strongly as an arch-modernis... read more

A great little set of Latin jazz – and one of the strongest albums ever from flute man Hubert Laws! At the time of this recording, Laws was playing with Mongo Santamaria's group – and for this second solo outing, he borrows a lot of grooves from Mongo's bag – and also hits a few... read more

A great little set of Latin jazz – and one of the strongest albums ever from flute man Hubert Laws! At the time of this recording, Laws was playing with Mongo Santamaria's group – and for this second solo outing, he borrows a lot of grooves from Mongo's bag – and also hits a few... read more

A wicked mix of Latin influences, mod sounds, and 60s soul jazz – all set up beautifully to showcase the flute of a young Hubert Laws! The album's got a nice little bounce right from the start – with some traces of Atlantic soul elements – but it soon moves into some of the more... read more

A wicked mix of Latin influences, mod sounds, and 60s soul jazz – all set up beautifully to showcase the flute of a young Hubert Laws! The album's got a nice little bounce right from the start – with some traces of Atlantic soul elements – but it soon moves into some of the more... read more

Massive early work from Hubert Laws – and a set that really shows some more the more Latin and soul sides of his talents! Tracks here have a tight punch throughout – with some great New York 60s rhythms that feature a young Chick (then called "Armando") Corea on piano, then a... read more

Flute, strings, and soul – a wonderful counterpart to some of Hubert Laws' funkier albums of the time – and a record cut with some tremendous backings! The core group features Hubert on assorted flutes, Gary Burton on vibes, Chick Corea on piano, and Bernard Purdie on drums – all... read more

A very unusual little record, cut at the height of fame for the team of Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller! The session's a rare jazz one from the duo – put together to feature different versions of tunes they'd been penning for acts on Atlantic and some of the other big labels of the late 50s. ... read more

Trad material, recorded by Lewis and two different groups at the New Orleans-based trad jazz factory, Preservation Hall. Titles include "Salty Dog", "Pork Chops", "Linger Awhile", and "Indian Sagua".... read more

John Lewis takes on the music of Gary McFarland – working here in a very cool set of McFarland compositions and arrangements – often with a lot more tone, color, and feeling than usual for a Lewis album! John often punctuates his piano notes, almost as if he's using vibes – and... read more

Serious compositional material by John Lewis – a series of work based upon the Italian tradition of commedia dell'arte, written for a larger group of brass instruments – and given a real "classics meets jazz" sort of vibe – but also handled with a gentle swing, too! ... read more

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... read more

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... read more

One of the strongest sessions recorded by pianist John Lewis in the 50s – a date that shows depths of his talents that run even greater than his work with the Modern Jazz Quartet, quite possibly because is work on piano is at the forefront of the record throughout! There's a sense of... read more

One of the hippest albums that John Lewis ever recorded – and a set that's noteworthy for the presence of two European modernists! Most of the record features Lewis in a wonderful group with trobmonist Albert Mangelsdorff – who gets plenty of space here to play in his stepping,... read more

A uniquely European Encounter between pianist John Lewis and violinist Svend Asmussen – and one that makes for a different blend of instrumentation than you'd get on some of John Lewis' other albums as a leader! The pair are supported by Jimmy Woode on bass and Sture Kalin on drums –... read more

As the title implies, Lewis takes eight different styles of boogie-woogie, including his own, and gives the listener his interpretation of the styles via piano. Tracks include "Pinetop's Boogie", "Cow Cow Blues", "Yancey Special", "Mr. Freddie Blues", "S... read more

Overseas excursions from the Charles Lloyd Quartet – a group who were already breaking down plenty of boundaries at home in the US! The lineup is a bit different than some of the other Lloyd sessions of the time, in that Cecil McBee is in the group on bass – adding in some wonderfully... read more

Overseas excursions from the Charles Lloyd Quartet – a group who were already breaking down plenty of boundaries at home in the US! The lineup is a bit different than some of the other Lloyd sessions of the time, in that Cecil McBee is in the group on bass – adding in some wonderfully... read more

Charles Lloyd in the Soviet Union – blowing beautifully on an open-ended set that must have really loosened things up in Red Square! The album features Lloyd at his freewheeling 60s best – working in his group with Keith Jarrett on piano, Ron McClure on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on... read more

A classic set from reedman Charles Lloyd – a set that really pushes forward all the experiments he'd begun in the Chico Hamilton group – and shows a bold move forward for rhythms in 60s jazz! The tracks are long, and spiral out wonderfully – but in ways that are different than... read more

A great title for this one – as the set really features reedman Charles Lloyd flowering strongly – blooming into a richer expression of his talents than any one might have expected a few short years before! The album features Lloyd working with his groundbreaking quartet of Keith... read more

A famous album – but for good reason! The set's something of a landmark in spiritual jazz from the 60s – and it features a classic live performance from Charles Lloyd, recorded at the Monterey Jazz Festival – almost as a distillation and popularization of ideas that were brewing... read more

A great 60s moment not just for reedman Charles Lloyd, but also for pianist Keith Jarrett – who was a key part of Charles' group for a few years at the time – and who really opens up on this classic set! Tracks are long and very open – reaching in a spiritual sort of way with... read more

A great 60s moment not just for reedman Charles Lloyd, but also for pianist Keith Jarrett – who was a key part of Charles' group for a few years at the time – and who really opens up on this classic set! Tracks are long and very open – reaching in a spiritual sort of way with... read more

A classic batch of modal grooves from Charles Lloyd – recorded during the height of his mind-expanding years, with his famous quartet that included Keith Jarrett on piano and Jack DeJohnette on drums! The tracks are long and magical, done with that spiritual spiraling sound that Lloyd was... read more

A classic batch of modal grooves from Charles Lloyd – recorded during the height of his mind-expanding years, with his famous quartet that included Keith Jarrett on piano and Jack DeJohnette on drums! The tracks are long and magical, done with that spiritual spiraling sound that Lloyd was... read more

A killer from the Charles Lloyd group of the late 60s – a set that still stretches out with all the spiritual energy of Lloyd's other Atlantic albums, yet also seems to have a bit more of a groove, too! The setting is live, and the tracks are nice and long – allowing ample room for... read more

A rare session of violin-led jazz – recorded for Atlantic Records in 1960! Harry Lookofsky may not be a famous name as a leader in jazz, but he scored strings for many pop and instrumental outings during the 60s – and he also has the distinction of being the father of one of the... read more

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One of the richest albums that Junior Mance ever cut for Atlantic Records – a smoking soul jazz set that seems to have a bit of a gospel influence too – at least in the deep, soulful bottom that comes from the feel of the group! Junior's piano is right on the money – as sharp and... read more