Jazz — In Stock  

No need to be cautious here – as the album's the sort you can jump into right away – thanks to some wicked grooves from legendary guitarist Calvin Keys! Calvin's had a great revival in recent years, but this album's the stuff that first put him on the map – a brilliant early date... read more

... read more

Rare grooves from the tiny Quadriga sound library – an album that's split between European maestros Heinz Kiessling and Peter Jacques – but which is more than funky enough for two full records! Side one features great work from Kiessling – tunes that bubble along with a funky... read more

Lots of long tracks played with plenty of fire – just the kind of record to remind us again that David Kikoski's a hell of a pianist, especially in a setting like this! The album follows the format of the other excellent live dates on the Smalls label – lots of room for the artist to... read more

... read more

... read more

... read more

Smoking tenor from one of the greatest reedmen of all time – and one of the few who could easily bridge the worlds of jazz, soul, and R&B! The set's one of King's earliest albums – recorded back in 1959, and really given a tight Atlantic Records focus that takes the music way past... read more

A great little live set from King Curtis – cut in his local turf of Harlem, with a very loose sort of feel and nice gritty groove – which lets both King and his combo get even freer and funkier than usual! There's an edge here you don't usually get on the studio work from Curtis –... read more

... read more

... read more

... 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

... read more

Later genius from Rahsaan Roland Kirk – a record of wonderful depth and soul, and a session that moves back to the straighter jazz focus of some of his work from the Mercury years – yet still keeps all the personality and charm of the best Atlantic sides! Roland's playing in a warm... read more

A beautiful late chapter in the jazz journey of Rahsaan Roland Kirk – and an album of subtle genius that's really opened up to us over the years! The setting here isn't as "hit you over the head" as on some of Kirk's Atlantic Records – because at one level, the tunes are... 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

Mindblowing work from Roland Kirk – a record that really pushes the boundaries of his music even farther than some of his earlier, and excellent, albums for the Mercury label! Kirk's really stretching out here – finding a space in jazz that's uniquely his own – modern, yet... 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 strange and tasty little album that Roland Kirk made with organist Jack McDuff in the early 60s – one of his few outings in such a format, and a smoking little session that almost makes us wish he'd cut more of them! The format is relatively simple – with lots of interplay between... read more

Hip work from the Polish scene at the start of the 70s – a Hammond-heavy combo with a fair bit of jazz in their grooves – almost a more progressive take on the Brit beat group sound of the 60s, but without all of the progressive modes that other Euro groups were moving into! There's a... read more

Tremendous work from this young group – a set that embraces a range of modern jazz traditions, then pushes them forward strongly to the next generation! The lineup here features some of the sharpest talents of the current Windy City underground – James Falzone on clarinet, Jason... read more

... read more

... read more

Jimmy Knepper keeps things sharp here in later years – blowing trombone in a group with John Eckert on trumpet, John Clark on French horn, Roland Hanna on piano, George Mraz on bass, and Billy Hart on drums.... read more

... read more

Sweet jazz funk from 70s Finland! "Boots & Roots" is a wonderful groover from the group of saxophonist Eero Koivistoinen – a snapping groover with guitar on the rhythms, and freewheeling solos on soprano sax from Eero, plus some great solo work on piano! "Roots &... read more

One of the greatest albums ever from pianist Ronnie Kole – a hip cat who played heavily on the New Orleans scene of the 60s and 70s – but who also had a soulful sound that was much more in keeping with piano work from the Windy City! This set has a nice crackle from the start –... read more

Killer piano from Ronnie Kole – a set with loads of cool soul jazz touches throughout! The core of the album's based around Ronnie's trio – with some excellent hard-handed work from Kole that's right up there with Ray Bryant in the 60s – but it also features great arrangements... read more

The greatest session ever recorded by pianist Ronnie Kole – recorded for the Louisiana label Paula, but with all the feel of a Chess/Cadet session from the late 60s! All of this is no surprise, since Ronnie himself was an ex-Chicagoan, living in New Orleans – and the album's... read more

... read more

... read more

... read more

... read more

... read more

With Bill Frisell.... read more

Damn great work from guitarist Volker Kriegel – a player who rose to prominence in the Dave Pike Set, then went onto make some wonderful records of his own! Volker plays both acoustic and electric guitar on the set, and works with a very hip fusion combo that features electric piano from... read more

Psychedelic jazz & funky numbers from Volker Kriegel – a compilation of grooves from his MPS albums of the early-to-mid 70s! Funky electric and fuzzed out jazz from albums such as Lift!, Octember Variations, Spectrum and Elastic Menu – was well as choice selections from records by... read more

The funky fusion classic from guitarist Volker Krieger – finally issued in a great CD edition! Easily one of Krieger's best albums, Spectrum was remarkably cut in just two days at MPS Studios in 1971 – with a group that includes Peter Baumeister on drums, Cees See on bongos and... read more

Sweet soulful fusion from guitarist Volker Kriegel – a player who's definitely tighter here than in his more psychedelic days – but who still has a wonderful sense of sound, space, and timing! The record features some great tones from Volker – sliding along with this slight... read more

A great and groovy early album from Volker Kriegel – the German guitarist who'd cut some very trippy work for the MPS label in the 70s – but a player who steps out here in a sweet soul jazz mode at the end of the 60s! Volker's still got the same wickedly sharp style on guitar you'd... read more

A really unusual later chapter in the career of guitarist Robby Krieger – a post-Doors album done for Blue Note Records – and a set that's got more than enough jazzy touches to live up to its placement on the label! Krieger's guitar gets plenty of workout on the album's fusion-styled... read more

... read more

Three hip European jazz talents from the 70s – all working here in rare performances from the Jazz Live Trio! The first half of the set features wonderful vocals from Karin Krog – very open and free, at a level that's right up there with her hippest studio sides of the 70s –... read more

... read more

Solo acoustic guitar from Uwe Kropinsky – played with incredible dexterity at times, and a great ear for a wide range of sounds that don't always come from the strings! At some level, Kropinsky has this quality that echoes earlier work by Paco DeLucia, or other players on the Spanish scene... read more

Gene Krupa and Gerry Mulligan – hardly a pairing that we would have thought of – but one that works surprisingly well here, and which showcases Mulligan's increasing fascination for larger group settings! The album features Gene on drums with a set of players that include Kai Winding,... read more

... read more

One of the most soul jazz-styled sets ever cut by German clarinetist Rolf Kuhn – a very groovy record that features work from tenorist Klaus Doldinger and organist Ingfried Hoffmann! On their own albums of the 60s, Doldinger and Hoffmann are quite a pair – swinging almost as perfectly... read more

Some of the hippest work we've ever heard from German clarinetist Rolf Kuhn – a beautiful set from the 60s, and one that's filled with modern touches, but never goes too far out! Rolf's clarinet is definitely sharper here than in the decade before – informed by much of the modern jazz... read more

A beautifully bright album from pianist Steve Kuhn – a superb 1986 session that matches his work on the keys with bass from Ron Carter and drums from Al Foster! The trio have a soulful swing right from the start – a vibe that you don't always hear on other albums from Kuhn, and which... read more

Steve Kuhn at his funky best! Over the years, you may have seen Steve's name turn up on collections of hip funky tunes from the early 70s – but probably have never been able to find the right record that offers that same sound. Well, search no further, because this is the record – and... read more

Brilliant work from a guy who gets our vote as one of the best young saxophone talents working today! Jonas Kullhammar's a hell of a great player – one who can be free one minute, focused the next – always working with a long-range creative vision in his solos – of the sort we... read more

One of our favorite jazz artists working today – heard here in an album that bristles with excitement and energy! Jonas Kullhammar could easily be called the new heir to classic sounds on the tenor sax – a player with as much promise as Eric Alexander at his start, but with an even... read more

Genius work from one of the greatest young tenorists in many years – Sweden's Jonas Kullhammar, heard here with his Andratx trio – a group based on tenor, bass, and drums – all with a fluidly creative sound that takes us back to Sonny Rollins at the Village Vanguard in the late... read more

Nothing's kaput here – certainly not the creativity of the players involved – as the album's easily one of the most beautiful, most evocative sets we've ever heard from reedman Jonas Kullhammar! The quartet session is definitely a group effort – as all players work together in... read more

Incredible funk from the Estonian scene of the 70s – grooves so rare, the Iron Curtain kept them locked away from most of the Western world! This excellent collection finally brings these gems to light – and showcases not only Jaan Kuman's tight talent for lead trumpet solos – on... read more

Funky organ and plenty of vamping – a really tight little set from the mighty Charles Kynard – who's working here with a really wide-ranging command of the keyboard! As with some of the other Mainstream Records sessions of the time, the backings here are somewhat full – arranged... read more

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... read more

Despite the stupid name (or perhaps because of it), this is one of the great lost sessions of the 60s! Drummer Pete LaRoca originally cut this set for the tiny Douglas label, and the session's an amazing bit of modernist jazz that features a rare non-Sun Ra appearance by tenorist John Gilmore. ... read more

Sublime solo work from Steve Lacy – a perfect demonstration of the great leap forward he took on the soprano sax in the early 70s – documented beautifully on overseas recordings like this! The core of the set features material recorded in Avignon in 1972 – with Lacy using his... read more

A great one from Lacy – with Steve Potts on alto and soprano, Bobby Few on piano, Irene Aebi on violin, Jean Jacques Avenal on bass, and Oliver Johnson on drums!... read more

Steve Lacy's legendary Argentinean recording – one of his boldest moments of the early years, and the start of a long history of superb work away from the American scene! The group here is quite unusual – as players include Enrico Rava on trumpet, Johnny Dyani on bass, and Louis Moholo... read more

Two different sets of "saxophone special" recordings from Steve Lacy – each representing a key shift in his style on the European scene of the early 70s, and capturing him before he'd stratified things into the more standard Lacy modes that would come! The first half of the set has... read more

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,... read more

One of Steve Lacy's great late 70s recordings for Hat Hut – a searing live performance that was one of his boldest efforts from the time! The group here are a quintet of familiar players – Steve Potts on alto and soprano sax, Irene Aebi on cello and voice, Kent Carter on bass, and... read more

A really unique moment of music – rare duets between Steve Lacy and Joe McPhee – the latter of whom is playing soprano sax alongside Lacy! The material was recorded at the same time as Lacy's solo set Clinkers, but never issued at the time – and McPhee's a real revelation on... read more

Steve Lacy, working with a very comfortable lineup of Parisian players – Bobby Few on piano, Steve Potts on alto and soprano, Jean-Jacques Avenel on bass, Oliver Johnson on bass, and Irene Aebi on vocals and a bit of violin! Lacy plays soprano throughout, and the tunes often have that... read more

... read more

... read more

... read more

A surprisingly nice jazz album from Frankie Laine – one that makes great use of his famous vocals, alongside trumpet from Buck Clayton, trombones from JJ Johnson and Kai Winding, and tenor from Budd Johnson!... read more

... read more

Reedman Oliver Lake at his most creative – stepping out here on a sublime set of 70s improvisations – all put together with a really spiritual feel! There's a very open, collaborative feel to the music – and the set was recorded in St Louis, at a time when Lake was a key part of... read more

Reedman Oliver Lake at his most creative – stepping out here on a sublime set of 70s improvisations – all put together with a really spiritual feel! There's a very open, collaborative feel to the music – and the set was recorded in St Louis, at a time when Lake was a key part of... read more

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... read more

A sharp late 70s duo session from Oliver Lake & Julius Hemphill – captured at Toronto's Eastern Sound in March of '78 – great material joint composed by the two and performed with muscular, tension and delicate melody. Hempill and Lake both play alto saxes on the great opening and... read more

Tenor, bass, and drums – a wicked combination here that really holds together beautifully over the course of the album's long live tracks! Tenorist Ralph LaLama's hardly sounded better – definitely blowing with the bop influences you might guess from the group's name, but also spinning... read more

Andrew Lamb is billed as "The Black Lamb" here – a nice nickname, given the earthy quality of the set! The group's got two percussionists at its core – Michael Wimberly and Guillermo E Brown – both players with different energies that help expand the roots of the record... read more

One of the first albums ever by this legendary jazz vocal group! LHR do the incredible – and create a set of vocal renditions of standards by the Basie band, putting jazzy lyrics in to replace the instrumental solos, but keeping the same vibe as the original tracks. The sound and approach... read more

A sweet trio album from pianist Mathias Landaeus – based around classic Swedish Holiday tunes, but handled instrumentally – which means that you can enjoy the album all year long! The record's way different than an American jazz Christmas album – partly because of the relatively... read more

... read more

Despite the stupid name (or perhaps because of it), this is one of the great lost sessions of the 60s! Drummer Pete LaRoca originally cut this set for the tiny Douglas label, and the session's an amazing bit of modernist jazz that features a rare non-Sun Ra appearance by tenorist John Gilmore. ... read more

Tremendous work from the legendary Prince Lasha – a rare UK-only date from 1966 – and one that has the reedman working away from more familiar contemporaries like Sonny Simmons and Eric Dolphy! The approach on this session is very unique – as Lasha includes harp with the... read more

... read more

Jazzy grooves from reedman Timo Lassy – a 45 that almost feels more like a vintage European jazz EP! "Teddy The Sweeper" features full-on tenor, blown with some of Timo's most angular modes to date – over wickedly tight drum work and a bit of percussion! "Where's The... read more

A strange bit of funk from Yusef Lateef! The record was recorded late in the CTI electric years – and it's got Yusef fronting a funky jazz group on 5 tracks that have a decidely R&B-ish fusion twist. Dave Matthews – of James Brown funky fame – arranged the whole album, and... 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

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 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

One of Yusef Lateef's most fantastic records, and an album that grooves in a way that few of his other ones do. Recorded live in 1964, this material was part of the same session that comprised the classic Club Date LP, which included the track "Brother John" (not on this album). This... 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 lost treasure – one of the few albums ever cut by this fantastic Latin Jazz ensemble, an ultra-hip group led by congolero Juan Amalbert, with a modal vibes/piano groove that's simply wonderful! The combo were one of the hippest early 60s Latin acts – and took equal part inspiration... read more

A wonderful batch of Latin Jazz grooves – played by a group who more than deserved the right to call themselves the Latin Jazz Quintet! The core sound features vibes and piano jamming away nicely, really hitting some great modal rhythms – but this album's also got an added bonus in the... read more

A wonderful full album from keyboardist Jessica Lauren – a London talent we've loved for years, and have watched mature deeply over the past few decades! Jessica's keyboards have graced a number of key recordings from the past 20 years or so on the British scene – but she's issued... read more

A wicked set from reedman Azar Lawrence – one of the few albums issued under his own name, and a great example of the waves he was making on the 70s west coast scene! There's a depth here that goes beyond most of the other Fantasy Records sessions of the time – a sound that would be... read more

... read more

Wonderful sounds from Hubert Laws – and like some of his best CTI work of a few years before, a set that really goes way beyond any easy expectations! There's moments of ambition here that really link the record to Laws' CTI sides – that mix of fuller arrangements and higher-concept... read more