Amazing modern work from the young Chick Corea – a set that captures the pianist in much more avant territory than his famous 70s sets – at a time when he was just coming off some years working in a variety of modes on the New York scene! The group here is as revolutionary as Chick's own work on piano – a trio with Miroslav Vitous on bass and Roy Haynes on drums – generations coming together to really unlock the possibilities of a piano trio, with the same sort of freshness that you'd hear in the earliest work by Steve Kuhn or Keith Jarrett from the same time. By that, we mean that there's still elements here that tie the approach to older modes – but with a quality that's also instantly Chick's own – especially on the very compelling original material on the set. Titles include "Now He Sings – Now He Sobs", "Steps – What Was", "Matrix", and "The Law Of Falling & Catching Up". Lots of bonus tracks – including "Fragments", "Windows", "Samba Yantra", "I Don't Know", "Gemini", and "Bossa". CD

Great later work from Sonny Criss – very much in the format of his late 60s work for Prestige, but with an approach that's perhaps a bit more open-ended overall! The vibe here is laidback and soulful – Sonny blowing alto sax in that wonderful, all-his-own sort of tone – a sound that's almost tenor-like in phrasing, but with a crisp alto quality that's completely sublime! The group's a batch of familiar associates, all of whom lay back wonderfully in the rhythms – Dolo Coker on piano, Larry Gales on bass, and Jimmie Smith on drums. There's a solidness here that few other players can match – and titles include the original numbers "The Dreamer" and "The First One" – plus "El Tiante", "All The Things You Are", and "Out Of Nowhere". CD

Miles Davis' first-ever performance in Japan – a really unique concert that featured the quintet with Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – augmented by a young Sam Rivers on tenor! The presence of Rivers really gives the set an edge – and although Miles is holding Sam a bit more in check than on some of his "new thing" albums from the time, there's an overall quality here that's different than the other Davis quintet albums of the time. The set was one of a number of important Miles Davis live sessions from the period – including albums from Berlin, Antibes, and Chicago – and titles include "If I Were A Bell", "My Funny Valentine", "So What", "Walkin'" and "All Of You". CD

Spacey piano work from Jordan De La Sierra – material that's clearly informed by the 60s experiments of La Monte Young and Terry Riley, but which also has a more open, spiritual quality too! The piano has a nice sense of tuning – one that's almost watery at points – and Jordan's in no rush to let the notes unfold, as he often waits for one to resonate out before starting the next – which creates this very spacious, meditative quality throughout – a mode that's also inspired by Indian music, but much more laidbck and North California! The package reproduces the original 2LP set – complete with artwork and original notes. CD

Amazing avant garde material from Dolphy – and never issued before in any form! The concert was recorded in 1963 at the University of Illinois, and it features some of the most "out" playing we've ever heard from Dolphy. He's backed by a trio comprised of Herbie Hancock, Eddie Khan, and JC Moses – and the main solos are on flute, alto, and bass clarinet, which Dolphy plays to amazing effect! 6 tracks feature the core quartet playing alone with Dolphy, and a 7th features backing by a larger group comprised of University Of Illinois students, including a very young Cecil Bridgewater! This is definitely the kind of lost material we're happy to see unearthed – and it's packaged and notated with the usual high Blue Note level of quality. Titles include "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", "South Street Exit", "Iron Man", "Red Planet", and "GW". CD

Some of the most striking Eric Dolphy work we've ever heard – a set of live performances from the years 1962 and 1963 that feature Dolphy in a free-thinking mode that surpasses even the modernism of his classic studio sides! The recordings feature Dolphy amidst a variety of players – including a number of unlikely suspects like Barry Galbraith, Eddie Costa, and Jim Hall – and although some of the tracks have a moody and introspective third stream quality (3 of the numbers are written by Gunther Schuller), others are quite open, and almost have an ESP-like intensity. One longer title is a jam session take on Charlie Parker's "Donna Lee" – recorded with a lineup that includes Phil Woods, Nick Travis, Benny Golson, Don Ellis, and Lalo Schifrin! Other titles include "Iron Man", "Half Note Triplets", "Densities", and "Night Music". CD

Really wonderful early work from pianist Berndt Egerbladh – a player who's gotten a lot more global attention in recent years, but who sounds especially great on this rare date from the 60s! The album's a masterful showcase for Berndt's warm, fluid approach on the keys of the piano – a style that's really quite unique for the time, and a very strong precursor to modes that wouldn't show up that strongly on other scenes until the following decade. There's a really mature sound to the record, but one that never tries to hard to be "new", nor pushes its own sense of specialness too strongly. Instead, Berndt manages to stretch out spaciously, but in an understated way – a beautiful balance of color and sound that gives the record a really timeless quality. Bass is by Bjorn Alke, drums by Sten Oberg – and titles include "Mr Idrees", "Eva", "Sarek", "Monique", "Schizo", and "Days Of Wine & Roses". CD

Not the Prince music from the first Batman film – but all those other sounds that were used in the movie, penned and produced at a surprisingly strong level by Danny Elfman – who shows the world that he's got a lot more to offer than just his previous work in the group Oingo Boingo! This isn't a rock soundtrack by a fading talent from the mainstream – and instead, it's one of Elfman's first full forays into scoring – performed by the Sinfonia of London with a richness that's given the music maybe a more enduring quality than the film! Titles include "Waltz To The Death", "Roof Fight", "Batman Theme", "Clown Attack", "Flowers", "Roasted Dude", "The Joker's Poem", and "The Bat Cave". CD

Not the Prince music from the first Batman film – but all those other sounds that were used in the movie, penned and produced at a surprisingly strong level by Danny Elfman – who shows the world that he's got a lot more to offer than just his previous work in the group Oingo Boingo! This isn't a rock soundtrack by a fading talent from the mainstream – and instead, it's one of Elfman's first full forays into scoring – performed by the Sinfonia of London with a richness that's given the music maybe a more enduring quality than the film! Titles include "Birth Of A Penguin", "The Lair", "Selena Transforms", "Cat Suite", "Rise And Fall From Grace", "The Children's Hour", and "Final Confrontation". CD

A nicely understated session that was recorded in honor of Billy Strayhorn – who'd passed away a few months before the recording. The set features all classic Strayhorn compositions – played in new versions by Duke and a group that includes Clark Terry, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Aaron Bell, and Jimmy Hamilton. The recording quality is great, and the sound of the album really makes old classics sparkle nicely once again! Titles include "UMMG", "Blood Count", "Boo Dah", "Rain Check", "Day Dream", "All Day Long", and "Lotus Blossom", done in a haunting solo piano version by Duke!. Includes the bonus tracks "Raincheck (take 4)", Smada (takes 3 & 4)", "Midriff", "My Little Brown Book" & "Lotus Blossom (trio version)'. CD

Duke Ellington classics from 2 different decades! Blue Light is subtitled "jazz for that relaxed mood", but is actually a great compilation of early work by Ellington's group – recorded for Columbia during the years 1934 to 1939! Somehow, the tracks still end up sounding 30 years ahead of their time – far stronger than most other big band work of the early 50s – which is when the album was released. Recording quality is excellent, and the whole thing's awash in richly chromatic waves of sound – with titles that include "Pyramid", "Reminiscing In Tempo", "Tough Truckin", "No Greater Love", and "Finesse". Hi Fi Ellington Uptown is one of Duke's best mid 50s sides for Columbia – a strong recording that revisits many of the best elements of his earlier work, and offers up some more sophisticated scoring for the 50s! Players include Billy Strayhorn, Paul Gonsalves, Clark Terry, Ray Nance, Juan Tizol, and Louis Bellson – and the record features long versions of "The Mooche", "Perdido", "Controversial Suite", and "Skin Deep" – plus a 13 minute reading of "A Tone Parallel To Harlem (aka The Harlem Suite)". CD

Don't let the title put you off, because this certainly isn't a session of background music – and the name simply refers to the fact that the arrangements on the set really showcase the strong horn work of the Ellington orchestra! Duke's still on piano for the session, but the real strength of the album's carried by classic Ellington players that include Ray Nance, Willie Cook, Johnny Hodges, Jimmy Hamilton, Harry Carney, and Lawrence Brown. Arrangements are by Bill Mathieu and Gerald Wilson – and although many of the tunes are older Ellington numbers, they've got a tight groove (and excellent recording quality) – which updates the material nicely. Titles include "Midriff", "Main Stem", "Happy Go Lucky Local", "What Am I Here For", "Kinda Dukish", and "Perdido". CD

Don't let the title put you off, because this certainly isn't a session of background music – and the name simply refers to the fact that the arrangements on the set really showcase the strong horn work of the Ellington orchestra! Duke's still on piano for the session, but the real strength of the album's carried by classic Ellington players that include Ray Nance, Willie Cook, Johnny Hodges, Jimmy Hamilton, Harry Carney, and Lawrence Brown. Arrangements are by Bill Mathieu and Gerald Wilson – and although many of the tunes are older Ellington numbers, they've got a tight groove (and excellent recording quality) – which updates the material nicely. Titles include "Midriff", "Main Stem", "Happy Go Lucky Local", "What Am I Here For", "Kinda Dukish", and "Perdido". CD features 5 bonus tracks – "Lullaby Of Birdland" (in 2 versions), "The Wailer", "Dreamy Sort Of Thing", and "Harlem Air Shaft". CD

2 wonderful late 50s sessions from arranger Gil Evans – both of which we'd rank right up there with his best work with Miles Davis, or the albums under his own name for Impulse in the 60s! The first half of the CD is from the album New Bottle Old Wine – a record of swinging modern backdrops, used to showcase both the solo talents of a young Cannonball Adderley, and the dynamic energy of Evans himself! Cannon's sharp-edged early tone is a really great sound for the record – far more modern than you might expect from later funk and soul sides of the 60s – and perfectly poised next to Gil's larger back drops to reignite a host of older tunes with new energy! And while the titles are familiar, the readings certainly are not – as the Evans pen has really changed things up beautifully – as you'll hear on numbers that include "St Louis Blues", "King Porter Stomp", "Willow Tree", "Struttin' With Some Barbeque", "Lester Leaps In", "Round About Midnight", "Manteca", and "Bird Feathers". Great Jazz Standards is equally great, a fantastic lost set from Evans – and one that features Mingus trumpeter Johnny Coles as the lead soloist in front of Evans-led modern groups that include players like Elvin Jones, Ray Crawford, Steve Lacy, Budd Johnson, Rod Levitt, and Chuck Wayne. Despite the "standards" in the title, most of these numbers are modern tunes from the 50s – like "Joy Spring", "Ballad Of The Sad Young Men", "Django", "Straight No Chaser", and "Chant Of The Weed" – all given Evans' unique style of arrangement, tweaked up a few notches to give them a really edgey quality. Coles is clearly standing in for Miles here, but the format works well overall! CD features 15 tracks in all, including some newly-improved versions of a few tracks, correcting mistakes in the original records! CD

An amazingly beautiful set of tracks from Art Farmer – playing here with superb accompaniment from a young Harold Mabern on piano, in a laidback quartet format that really lets Art open up! Art's playing is fresh and creative throughout – never too over the top, and always blown with that subtle genius that he was bringing to his work in the 60s – a pure exercise in understatement, with a quality that seems to make the notes fall out of the air by themselves. Rhythm is by Tommy Williams on bass and Roy McCurdy on drums – and the choice of material includes Tom McIntosh's great composition "The Day After", plus Art's "Punsu" and "Kayin" – and versions of "Change Partners", "Blue Room", and "Nobody's Heart". CD

Ella Fitzgerald swings it nicely with the Tommy Flanagan Trio – a small group on the date for backup, but one who give this Montreux performance almost as much bounce as Ella's 70s live dates with a bigger ensemble! Tommy seems to have a bit more punch in his piano than usual, and Fitzgerald really makes great use of that quality – hanging her groove on his bold lines nicely, with support from Keter Betts on bass and Bobby Durham on drums. Titles include "Day By Day", "Billie's Bounce", "Too Close For Comfort", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "One Note Samba", and "Ordinary Fool". CD

The legendary first album by The Fugs – a set that was first issued on Folkways Records, then later on ESP – and which is maybe a perfect bridge between these different underground worlds in the 60s! Ed Sanders, Tuli Kupferberg, Peter Stampfel, and the others are clearly budding hippies – but there's also a quality here that's different than the scene a few years later – maybe pulled equally from the late beat world, and the underground film world – no surprise, as Harry Smith produced the record for the group, and really has a great ear for their rootsier elements on acoustic instruments. The whole thing was recorded in two afternoon sessions in 1965, and still remains a record with surprising power after all these years – on titles that include "Slum Goddess", "Swinburn Stomp", "Supergirl", "Boobs A Lot", "My Baby Done Left Me", and "I Couldn't Get High". CD adds in 11 more bonus tracks - additional material from the original sessions – plus material recorded at the Night Of Napalm at St Marks place in 1965! CD

A gem of a record – easily one of Herb Geller's best! There's a bite to the record we really love – a quality in Geller's tone that really blows us away – and which has had us going back and re-evaluating his career after hearing this set. Part of the strength is the setting – a nicely dark vibe, typical to some of the other Jubilee jazz sessions of the time – played by a lineup that includes Kenny Dorham on trumpet, Harold Land on tenor, Lou Levy on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Lawrence Marable on bass – an ensemble that have a fuller punch than some of Geller's other groups in the 60s. The track's are easily grooving hardbop numbers – nearly all originals, and handled with a style that's much more New York oriented than you'd expect from Geller's west coast roots. Titles include "S'Pacific View", "The Fruit", "Marable Eyes", "Melrose & Sam", and "An Air For The Heir". CD

A lovely later recording from Stan Getz – very spare and spacious, and recorded with a casual approach that's quite striking, and really fresh! The album features Stan playing alongside pianist Albert Dailey – with no other rhythm accompaniment, just piano and tenor sax. The tunes are mostly familiar numbers, played in a relaxed, improvised mode that makes the whole thing feel like you're getting a lucky glimpse of Stan and Albert playing together in an after hours session or rehearsal. There's a bit of roughness in the recording, but given the depth of soul and color from both players, that quality also emerges as an honest humanity that only serves to make the recording more compelling! Titles include "Tune Up", "A Child Is Born", "Confirmation", "Round Midnight", and "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most". CD

A beautiful little session from one of the greatest guitarists ever! The album's part of Blue Note's tendency to "churchify" Grant Green on some albums – giving his guitar a gospelly groove that has some nicely soulful connotations – but it's also a record that's maybe the strongest of that bunch, as it's got this approach that's loose and open – and which has this fantastic flow that's aided by the piano of Kenny Drew! Drew is the equal star on this set – and the longer tunes on the record really allow for plenty of open solo space – and the whole thing shines with Drew's piano matching lines with Green's strung-out single-note solos. The groove is pretty hard, and the recording quality keeps the whole thing nice and lively – thanks also to work from Ben Tucker on bass and Ben Dixon on drums. Titles include "Sunday Mornin", "Come Sunrise", "Exodus", and "Freedom March". CD features the bonus track "Tracin Tracey". CD

Tenorist Steve Grossman's a hell of a player in so many different settings – but we're especially fond of the mid 80s stretch in which he made this record – a time when Steve had learned from all of his bolder, more dynamic moments of the 70s – and was able to fold them back into some soulful, old school tenor work that's really amazing! Case in point is this cooker – a record with the simple, subtle title of Standards – and which features Grossman making his way through a host of familiar tunes – yet at a level that's really breathtaking – a classic sense of individual phrasing and interpretation – beholden to none, and maybe all the more revolutionary in the way it's never trying to overstate its own existence. Yet that quality is also what makes it even more exciting – maybe more so than some of Steve's more experimental sessions – and Grossman holds us rapt throughout, in a quartet that also features Fred Henke on piano, Walter Booker on bass, and Masahiro Yoshida on drums. Titles include "Time Was", "Just In Time", "Autumn Leaves", "Half Nelson", "Easy Living", and "When I Fall In Love". CD

Scott Hamilton's first two albums in one great package! Good Wind is the great opening statement from tenorist Scott Hamilton – a young player who emerged in the late 70s, but one with a definite old school sound! Scott blows here with a wind that's plenty good – very deep-toned, and with a raspy, honest quality that almost takes us back to Ben Webster in the 50s – quite a surprise for the Concord Records sound. The record's got a very well-matched group, too – Nat Pierce on piano, Monty Budwig on bass, Bill Berry on trumpet, and Jake Hanna on drums – all of whom give Hamilton's tenor plenty of space to dominate the session. Titles include "Stuffy", "Indiana", "Blue Room", "Sometimes I'm Happy", "Ill Wind", and "Broadway". Scott Hamilton 2 builds on the same foundation as its predessor, but swaps Berry's trumpet for guitarist Cal Collins. Tracks include "East Of The Sun", "There Is No Greater Love", and the Hamilton original "Blues For The Players". CD

A warm and wonderful 60s session from Lionel Hampton – recorded in a personal and intimate way, one that even surpasses his great small combo sides of the 50s! There's a relaxed feel here that you don't always get with Hamp – a gently grooving quality that we really like a lot, and which is traditional, but never too staid or too "easy" in its choices. The set benefits from some really strong horn work from Clark Terry on trumpet and Ben Webster on tenor – the latter of whom really crackles out with a great sound here. Other players include Milt Hinton on bass, Hank Jones on piano, and Osie Johnson on drums – and there's also a very slight bit of vocalizing on the record as well. Titles include "Tempo's Birthday", "Vibraphone Blues", "Trick Or Treat", "Cute", "Swingle Jingle", and "Taste Of Honey". CD

A wonderful late album from Coleman Hawkins – recorded in 1956 with the orchestra of Billy Byers, including soloists Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, and Hank Jones. Coleman's the main blower, though – and the arrangements have a solid base that lets him open up in that exploratory tone he was crafting during the time. And although tracks are short, there's a heck of a lot of soul packed into them – recorded with impeccable quality, much more so than earlier sides. Titles include "I Never Knew", "Bean Stalks Again", "The Essence of You", "Have You Met Miss Jones", "Dinner For One Please, James", and "I'm Shooting High". CD

Very hip work from a young Jimmy Heath – a relative newcomer to the scene at this point, but breaking out with a firm conception and tone, exercised strongly here in a set of large group arrangements worked out in collaboration with Tom McIntosh. McIntosh's work in this format is well known from albums by Dizzy and James Moody – and as with those records, this one has an edgey quality that really keeps the music fresh, and which provides a good foil for solos by Heath, McIntosh, Pat Patrick, and Cannonball Adderley. Titles include "Big P", "Mona's Mood", "Nails", and "The Picture Of Heath". CD

Very hip work from a young Jimmy Heath – a relative newcomer to the scene at this point, but breaking out with a firm conception and tone, exercised strongly here in a set of large group arrangements worked out in collaboration with Tom McIntosh. McIntosh's work in this format is well known from albums by Dizzy and James Moody – and as with those records, this one has an edgey quality that really keeps the music fresh, and which provides a good foil for solos by Heath, McIntosh, Pat Patrick, and Cannonball Adderley. Titles include "Big P", "Mona's Mood", "Nails", and "The Picture Of Heath". CD features the bonus track "Nails", in an alternate take! CD

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! CD

Great post-Gong work from Steve Hillage – an album of gently progressive tracks that really makes some wonderful use of his talents on guitar! The record's got a slightly shimmering quality that's a bit in keeping with the spirit of the title – and the sound is something of a refinement of British progressive modes from a few years back – reigned in slightly, and given a bit more focus on some of the album's most tuneful numbers. But there's also still a nice sense of sonic playfulness throughout, too – the slightly experimental qualities that were one of Virgin's best contributions at the time – as shorter tracks are interspersed with the longer ones – allowing Hillage to create a rich tapestry of sound. Titles include "Solar Music Suite", "Fish", "Mediatation Of The Snake", "The Salmon Song", and "Aftaglid". CD also features the bonus tracks "Pentagrammaspin (2006 rmx)" and "Aftaglid (original power trio backing track)". CD

One of the most fantastic records we've heard from bassist Marc Johnson in years – a wonderful solo set that not only furthers Johnson's legacy as a musician, but also ties it to the larger ECM Records tradition – but without having Marc just swim in the same waters as his labelmates! Johnson's bass sounds very different here – a sense of tone that's very low and moody – which is obvious, for a bass, but with a very particular quality that sets the record apart from other efforts of this nature – as does some of the material on the set, which features a few well-chosen remakes that link Johnson's experiments with a longer history of jazz. These include versions of "Love Theme From Spartacus", "Nardis", and "Freedom Jazz Dance" – alongside other tunes that include "Yin & Yang", "Samurai Fly", "Life Of Pai", and "And Strike Each Tuneful String". CD

Could anyone ever utter a sexier line than "Don't go to strangers, come to me?" We think not, and it's material like that that makes the album a real killer from Etta Jones – one of her best from the 60s, cut when she was really developing her skills as a vocalist, but still had enough of an edge to be interesting. Backing is by a small group that includes Frank Wess, Roy Haynes, and Richard Wyands – and the album has a relaxed, jazzy quality that easily makes it one of the real standouts in Etta's career! Titles include "All The Way", "Where Or When", "Yes Sir, That's My Baby", "If I Had You", "Something To Remember You By", and "Don't Go To Strangers". CD

Despite the fact that the title's "Introducing Roland Kirk", it's not actually Kirk's first album – but it is a heck of a smoker with a very unusual sound! The session features Roland with a Chicago group that includes Ira Sullivan on trumpet, Don Garrett on bass, and Ron Burton on both piano and organ – the latter of which gives Kirk's playing a very different feel than usual – a bit more soul jazz and gutbuckety than on the later Mercury recordings. In fact, given Roland's use of many different reed instruments (tenor, manzello, stritch, and whistle – all often played at the same time!) – there's almost a Yusef Lateef quality to the album, at last in the style of some of Lateef's more hardbop sides for Prestige at the time. Kirk's tone, as always, is amazing – with that really spacious feel he gets from playing more than one horn at once! Titles include some great originals, like "The Call", "Soul Station", and "Spirit Girl" – plus "Our Waltz" and "Jack The Ripper". CD

Despite the fact that the title's "Introducing Roland Kirk", it's not actually Kirk's first album – but it is a heck of a smoker with a very unusual sound! The session features Roland with a Chicago group that includes Ira Sullivan on trumpet, Don Garrett on bass, and Ron Burton on both piano and organ – the latter of which gives Kirk's playing a very different feel than usual – a bit more soul jazz and gutbuckety than on the later Mercury recordings. In fact, given Roland's use of many different reed instruments (tenor, manzello, stritch, and whistle – all often played at the same time!) – there's almost a Yusef Lateef quality to the album, at last in the style of some of Lateef's more hardbop sides for Prestige at the time. Kirk's tone, as always, is amazing – with that really spacious feel he gets from playing more than one horn at once! Titles include some great originals, like "The Call", "Soul Station", and "Spirit Girl" – plus "Our Waltz" and "Jack The Ripper". CD

A brilliant meeting of the minds – one that features the coming together of some of the greatest talents on the current cosmic groove scene! Legends Of The Underground is a project spearheaded by Mark De Clive-Lowe, and featuring work from Domu, Seiji, and Bembe Segue – all of whom work with Mark in a set of blistering tunes that take the London sound of the past few years to the next level! There's an intensity and focus here that remind us of 4Hero at their Two Pages best – a sense of spacey jazz mixed with modern groove – all swirling to the skies on waves of power, life, joy, and energy. Vocals often have a floating, spiritual sort of quality – and the tunes dip and bubble nicely throughout. Titles include "The Divine Room", "The Gathering (parts 1 & 2)", "The Dark Room", "Anarchite City", and "Paradise Garden". CD

Two years might be a short time for any artist to be in their "prime" – but the quality of these sides is so strong, they've supported the reputation of Furry Lewis for many many years! The set features wonderful low-key material recorded for 78s in the years 1927 and 1928 – all with Lewis on acoustic guitar, but working with an even greater emphasis on his voice – which has all these amazing inflections that so many other singers would copy over the years. Titles include Furry's classic two part "Kassie Jones" – plus "Jellyroll", "Why Don't You Come Home Blues", "Good Looking Girl Blues", "Mistreatin Mama", "Furry's Blues", "I Will Turn Your Money Green", and "Cannonball Blues". CD

One of the strangest things about Abbey Lincoln's career is the fact that, despite her hip affiliations with the left end of the jazz spectrum, she's actually been slotted into a fair number of straighter projects, not only in music, but in film as well. This album's a perfect example of that – and may well be the reason for Abbey's later leanings towards the left – as here, in her debut LP, she comes off as a dreamy girl singer, recorded by Liberty almost in a mode that's similar to Julie London or some of their other gal stars – with complicated backings from Benny Carter and Marty Paich. The record is lacking the stark captivating quality of Abbey's later records, but it does have a certain kind of charm – especially as the love themes in the set are all-adult, at a mature level that you'd really only hear from a rare few other singers, like Shirley Horn or Lorez Alexandria. Titles include "Two Cigarettes In The Dark", "Take Me In Your Arms", "No More", "Affair", "This Can't Be Love", "I Wake Up Smiling", and "Love Walked In". CD

A famous album – and for good reason too! 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 in the music of John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, and others! The group here features a young Keith Jarrett on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – all flowing magnificently with Lloyd's work on tenor and flute – in an open-ended groove that draws on modal rhythms for inspiration, and which features solos that stretch out, but never go "outside"! The classic performances of "Forest Flower" takes up all of side one – with a dreamy drifting quality that has Jarrett at his best – and side two features a version of his "Sorcery", plus McBee's "Song Of Her", and a version of "East Of The Sun". CD

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 in the music of John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, and others! The group here features a young Keith Jarrett on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – all flowing magnificently with Lloyd's work on tenor and flute – in an open-ended groove that draws on modal rhythms for inspiration, and which features solos that stretch out, but never go "outside"! The classic performances of "Forest Flower" takes up all of side one – with a dreamy drifting quality that has Jarrett at his best – and side two features a version of his "Sorcery", plus McBee's "Song Of Her", and a version of "East Of The Sun". Soundtrack features a similar line-up with Lloyd on tenor and flute, Keith Jarrett on piano, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – adding Ron McClure in place of Cecil McBee on bass. Titles include "Forest Flower 69", "Pre-Dawn", "Sombrero Sam", and "Voice In The Night". CD

A straight street, but a great street – as Harold Mabern returns to full force in this lovely set of trio tracks! The set's one of the best of any of Mabern's early 90s sessions for DIW Records – a very strong outing with Ron Carter on bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums – served up with a no-nonsense approach to the music that has Harold spinning off lyrical lines at his soulful best. The recording quality brings out some nice round tones in Mabern's piano – and titles include "Seminole", "To Wane", "Mr Stitt", "Straight Street", "It's You Or No One", and "Crescent". CD

A wonderful set from this mighty ensemble – a record that opens up immediately in a range of complex colors and tones, yet all with a quality that still manages to swing throughout! That balance is part of the real strengths of pianist/arranger David Matthews at this point in his career – able to draw on a few decades' worth of innovation in big band material, yet all without hitting you over the head with it – almost a return to the more organic shifts of sounds you'd get in a 50s arranger like Ralph Burns. The players are all great – and include Randy Brecker and Byron Stripling on trumpet, George Young and Chris Hunter on saxes, and Danny Gottlieb on drums – and titles include "Doxy", "Spanish Blue", "Sir Duke", "One Black Orchid", and a great take on Duke Jordan's "No Problem". CD

An incredible step forward for 60s soul singer Gene McDaniels – so much so, that most folks hearing this album can't believe he's the same guy who recorded for Liberty Records a few years before! The album's incredibly righteous right from the start – and has a genre-busting quality that isn't quite soul, but isn't rock or anything else either – and instead, the kind of progressive, "years ahead of its time" sort of set that guys like David Axelrod were cutting in the same stretch. Apart from the title, the whole record's got a strong political message that's probably best embodied in the statement on the back – "Under conditions of national emergency, like now, there are only two kinds of people – those who work for freedom, and those who do not – the good guys vs the bad guys". With words like that, you can definitely bet that Eugene is on the side of the good guys – really pushing a social agenda with some wonderfully-penned tunes on the album – set to cool musical backdrops from the equally-righteous William S Fischer. Titles include "Love Letter To America", "Black Boy", "Outlaw", and "Sagittarius Red". CD

A series of duet and trio pieces recorded live by pianist Misha Mengelberg – in the company of saxophonist Steve Potts, trumpeter Thomas Herberer, tuba player Michel Godard, and percussionist Achim Kremer – all in ways that are often spare, and graced with the strong feeling of each player staking out their individual space! The overall quality of the record is perhaps a bit more academic than some of Mengelberg's other recordings, but the overall result is still quite nice – and Misha's own piano often breaks through some of the too-contemplative moments with a stronger sense of spirit. Performance features 9 titles in all – each numbered versions of "IC Root". CD

Early work from this tremendous Japanese saxophonist – working here on both alto and soprano sax, in styles that are sharply angular, but also quite warm and soulful! Kosuke Mine's got a quality that's a bit like Joe Henderson at the same time – obviously informed by earlier hardbop, but let loose in some bolder lines that snake out with a rich, bold feel that's totally great. His group here features Fender Rhodes from Hideo Ichikawa – possibly further underscoring some of the Henderson electric styles of the set – and other players include Takashi Imai on trombone, Takashi Mizuhashi on bass, and Hiroshi Murakami on drums. The record's got a nice sense of freedom, but is never too far outside – and titles include a version of Joe Henderson's "Isotope", plus the originals "Morningtide", "Dream Eyes", and "Work I". CD

DO Misiani and his Shirati Jazz band at their 70s peak – wiry, catchy guitars and passionate vocals melding in hypnotic songs and performances that came to define the Kenyan benga sound in the 70s! Misiani and Shirati Jazz were the first stars of the style, and this collection from Sterns makes it clear why the recordings made such an impact – and the sound quality is terrific, too. Includes "Giko Piny", "Wang Ni To Iringo", "LK The Pretty", "Mary: Part 1", "Mary: Part 2", "Jaa", "Safari Ya Garissa", "Sheroline", "Christina Jaber" and more. CD

One of the greatest albums ever from Joni Mitchell – and maybe one of the most go-to records in her legendary catalog! The record set a new high mark for singer/songwriter material in the 70s – and there's an intimate, upfront quality here that's even more striking than Mitchell's early work – personal storytelling, with a slightly poetic vibe, set to spare acoustic backing that really makes the presence of the lyrics stand out even more. Well worth all the praise and attention the album's gotten for decades – with titles that include "All I Want", "My Old Man", "Little Green", "Carey", "Blue", "California", "This Flight Tonight", "River", "A Case Of You", and "The Last Time I Saw Richard". CD

One of the greatest albums ever from Joni Mitchell – and maybe one of the most go-to records in her legendary catalog! The record set a new high mark for singer/songwriter material in the 70s – and there's an intimate, upfront quality here that's even more striking than Mitchell's early work – personal storytelling, with a slightly poetic vibe, set to spare acoustic backing that really makes the presence of the lyrics stand out even more. Well worth all the praise and attention the album's gotten for decades – with titles that include "All I Want", "My Old Man", "Little Green", "Carey", "Blue", "California", "This Flight Tonight", "River", "A Case Of You", and "The Last Time I Saw Richard". CD

A rare gem from Hank Mobley's initial late 50s run at Blue Note – a session recorded by the label in 1957, but unissued at the time! The quality of the set is right up there with Hank's best from the period – presented here in full album format, and the mix of searing hardbop and gentle soul that we've always loved in Mobley's work – all so great that the album's easily a cut above most other jazz sides of the time, and at a level that has us (as always) scratching our heads as to why Blue Note never put this one out. Players include Art Farmer on trumpet, Pepper Adams on baritone sax, Sonny Clark on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – and titles include "East Of Brooklyn", "Tune Up", "Poppin", "Darn That Dream", and "Getting Into Something". CD

A brilliant title for this brilliant album from Thelonious Monk – a set that really has him coming back strongly in the second half of the 50s – with a new talent for arrangements that really goes past his previous work! Monk's piano and compositions are every bit as great as before – but what really makes the album amazing is his ear for horn lines – particularly the alto of Ernie Henry and tenor of Sonny Rollins, both of whom add in an additional angular quality to Monk's groove. Clark Terry replaces Henry on a few numbers – and the rhythm is from the wonderful team of Oscar Pettiford and Max Roach – on classic long takes of "Brilliant Corners", "Ba-Lue Bolivar Blues Are", "Pannonica", and "Bemsha Swing". CD

A classic outing of solo piano by Thelonious Monk – a format that wasn't used often, but which always made for some really compelling work! Monk in this mode is often different than the bolder leader of a trio or larger group – and there's a more introspective quality to the record that we really like – a sound that's sometimes tentative, then sometimes pushing forward with strength – almost more human than on some of his other efforts of the late 50s. John Coltrane makes a surprising appearance on the last track – "Monk's Mood" – and other titles include "April In Paris", "Ghost Of A Chance", "Functional", "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You", "I Should Care", "'Round Midnight", and "All Alone". CD

Sublime solo piano work from Tete Montoliu – a set that takes off from the superb directions he'd hit on his Spanish albums of the 60s – when Tete was emerging as one of the most lyrically fluid pianists on the European scene! That legacy is greatly enhanced here – as Montoliu works without any bass or drums at all, yet has this wonderfully rhythmic quality to his music – not in the ways that Garner or Tatum might have expressed in a similar setting, but this more flowing sense of color – really illustrating some of the advances that the European jazz scene was making at the time. Titles include "Rainy Day", "Two Catlan Songs", "Gentofte 4349", "Apartment 412", "Ballad For Line", and "Little Camila". CD

A dark little score from Ennnio Morricone – penned for a mid 70s film that starred Rod Steiger as Mussolini! The style here is even more spacious, and almost more tense, than some of Morricone's horror work of the time – and in a way, the music often has a cold, grey quality – with far less color or striking sound than some of Morricone's lighter, whimsical soundtracks. There's also a pronounced sense of space, too – a feel that almost has you waiting for each new note to come – instead of that more flowing Morricone style of familiar work. Titles include "SOS La Fine", "Ultimo Atto", "Giustiziato", "Verso La Frontiera", and "Mussolini Ultimo Atto". CD

Gerry Mulligan brings the piano back in nicely here – but in a way that still hangs onto all the best modern tones of his earlier Pacific Jazz sessions! The date's a live one – done at Storyville in Boston – but the sound is wonderfully intimate, with Gerry on baritone sax and piano, Bob Brookmeyer on valve trombone, Bill Crow on bass, and Dave Bailey on drums. The Crow/Bailey rhythm section is superb – nicely swinging throughout – and Gerry's work on piano has that airy, moody quality that would show up even more strongly in the 60s. Titles include "Bweebida Bwobbida", "Open Country", "Rustic Hop", "Bike Up The Strand", and "Storyville Story". CD

Definitely a special space from Carlos Nino – a record that seems to even deepen the sound of some of his recent cosmic explorations – to take Nino into territory that's far beyond jazz or much of his other modes too! The set features a bit of guest work from Iasos – an artist you'll know from his homegrown 70s meditative explorations – and that music really seems to inspire both Nino and Farmer Dave Scher, who work together here in a mix of percussion, lap steel, pedals, keyboards, and effects – to weave these very complex sonic tapestries, but with a quality that feels very organic, and every bit as at peace with the world as the image of the cover. The CD features a full album's worth of material, plus 6 more reworked remixes of the core tunes – and titles include "FriendshiptribeFire", "Cascaderience", "Espacio Especial", "Enterthadreeeam", "In theWoodsbytheOcean", and "Trippppp" – the last of which really sums up the spirit of the album! CD

An overlooked treasure from Anita O'Day – easily one of her best records of the 70s, and a record that seems to bring together both of the best aspects of her sound! At one level, there's a tightly swinging groove to the set – that great small combo jazz approach that seemed to work best for Anita back in the 50s – but at another level, there's also that more mature, slightly world-weary quality that really helped deepen her sound in later years – giving O'Day's vocals a fleshed-out feeling that she never would have hit back in the day! There's a richness to the record right from the start – and titles include "Opus One", "Gone With The Wind", "It Had To Be You", "When Sunny Gets Blue", "Exactly Like You", and "A Song For You". CD

One of the rarest soul records of the 70s – recorded in Germany by a bunch of American servicemen on leave, but with a sound that's right out of the Chicago or Detroit groove of the pre-disco years! The group's great with both the funky and soulful material – hitting hard with monster groovers like "Holes In My Shoes" and the jazzy break classic "Windy C", and keeping it sweet and mellow on ballads like "My Little Someone" and "Boarding Pass". The album's got a great sound overall – almost like some of the jazzy soul albums on Fantasy from the mid 70s – and the quality of the vocals and instrumentation is great throughout. Titles include "I Love You", "Bet You Say You Want To Make It With Me", "No More City, No More Country", and "You Keep Me Coming Back". CD

Wonderful work by a group who really know how to make their mark – coming across with a sound that's very much their own, with a quality that hits you from the very first note! As with previous records, a big part of the sound here depends on the vibes of Behn Gillece – already a really great player on his own records, and a core part of the color and tone of this quintet – a tight lineup that also features Patrick Cornelius on alto, Ryan Keberle on trombone, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums! There's a way in which the vibes are used that's very different than on other records of this nature – maybe the initial paintbrush on the palette, with a stroke that resonates throughout the canvas and touches all other players – bringing them together wonderfully on tunes that include "Slope Of The Blues", "Dinner Is Served", "We Will Know", "Sisters Of Mine", "We Dare", "After KW", and "Waiting For Takeoff". CD

A great litle early album from Ann Peebles – rawer than most of her more familiar stuff, with a gutbuckety soul quality that really keeps things fresh! We always love Ann's work, but in these early years she has a deep soul vibe that few other singers can touch – a level that easily rivals Aretha Franklin, but has more real southern roots – and which is handled here by the Hi Records sound. Willie Mitchell produced and arranged (of course!), and the record's got some sweet backing vocals by Rhodes, Chalmers, & Rhodes – very much in a Sweet Inspirations mode, but again maybe a bit deeper too. Tracks include a funky remake of The Isleys' "It's Your Thing", plus "Solid Foundation", "Crazy About You Baby", "Give Me Some Credit", and "Generation Gap Between Us". CD

The title's a bit misleading – because it makes you think that Art Pepper's playing TV Themes – but the music's great, and the session features some excellent work from Pepper during the razor-sharp year of 1957! The tracks on the set are recordings made for the LA-based Stars Of Jazz and Steve Allen Show – all of which feature Pepper in quartet formation with players that include Larry Bunker, Victor Feldman, Carl Perkins, Ben Tucker, and Chuck Flores – and one of which features vocalist Pam Russell singing with the group. The sound quality is wonderful – especially given the TV recording nature of the tunes – and Pepper's tone is incredible throughout, a real delight, with that sharp edge and soulful undercurrent that made his late 50s recordings so great. Titles include "All The Things You Are", "Over The Rainbow", "What Is This Thing Called Love", "Stormy Weather", "Everything Happens To Me", and "Cherokee". CD

Tremendous saxophone interplay throughout – and 2 great 50s sessions that both feature Art Pepper and Warne Marsh! The first half of the CD is the legendary Vanguard album Free Wheeling – one of the few sessions ever cut by tenorist Ted Brown – working here with a group that features Warne Marsh and Art Pepper in the frontline, with rhythm by Ronnie Ball on piano, Ben Tucker on bass, and Jeff Morton on drums. The session's got the outward appearance of a west coast session, but has much more soul overall – the kind of Back Bay Boston sound you'd hear in 50s sessions by Charlie Mariano or Dick Johnson – with plenty of rasp on Pepper's horn, and some nice edges on Brown's as well! Tracks are short, and often with ensemble heads – but the production is beautiful, and the interplay between the three saxophonists comes through with amazing quality! Titles include "Crazy She Calls Me", "Arrival", "Once We Were Young", "Avalon", "Foolin Myself", "Aretha", and "Long Gone". The remaining 7 tracks on the CD were recorded on the same day, but with a lineup that features Ted Brown dropping out, so that the main interplay is between Pepper's alto and Warne Marsh's tenor. Again, the sound is incredible – far fresher than most of Pepper's so-called "classic" sessions, and it shows the edge and creativity of his alto playing in a way that few other albums ever do. We really recommend this one if you've ever been disappointed by another Pepper album – because there's a sharpness here that really comes through. Titles include "All the Things You Are", "What's New", "Avalon", "Warnin", "Stompin At The Savoy", and "Tickle Toe". CD

Rare work from the German years of bassist Oscar Pettiford – a late 50s stretch when Pettiford got even more freedom to explore his musical vision than in the US! The material here often features Pettiford's bass or cello in the company of some of the best European soloists of the time – often in an intimate mode that makes the set revelatory not just for Oscar's own performances, but for those of his compatriots as well! Highlights include a reading of "But Not For Me" that includes Dusko Goykovich on trumpet, a take on "Sophisticated Lady" with Lucky Thompson on soprano sax, a reading of "A Smooth One" with Rolf Kuhn on clarinet, "OP" with Hans Koller on tneor, and "My Little Cello" with Attila Zoller on guitar. Material was recorded at the SWF studios, and the sound quality is great! CD features a few more tracks than the LP – including a few live performances too. CD

One of the most intimate albums we've ever heard from Jimmy Ponder – and one of the most compelling as well! The set's an unusual live date from the early 80s – one that has Jimmy playing entirely solo – just electric guitar hanging out in space on beautifully fluid lines – perfectly crafted, and filled with a sense of rhythm and imagination that doesn't always come through on some of Ponder's fuller combo sessions. And although live, the recording quality is great – well-suited to capture the subtle changes in tone and color that make Jimmy's playing here a surprising joy throughout. Titles include "Work Song", "Freedom Jazz Dance", "Con Alma", "Milestones", and "All The Things You Are". CD

A lost European performance from Bud Powell – recorded in Stockholm relatively late in his life, but on some nicely long tracks that really let Powell stretch out on the piano! There's a nice degree of echo in the recording – and we mean that not as a cover up for poor sound quality, because the quality here is quite strong – and instead delight in the way it has Bud's tones resonate strongly in the space of the performance hall – this bold, clear tone that really lets the Powell magic sparkle in all of its glory! The trio features Torbjorn Hultcrantz on bass and Sune Spangberg on drums. Includes a rare vocal performance from Powell on the tune "This Is No Laughing Matter". CD

Sun Ra's made the move here from Egyptian pyramids to Mayan temples – but the sound is every bit as cosmic and compelling as ever! The album's one of Ra's last – a studio set recorded in Italy in 1990, and one that draws strongly from the tightening of tradition the Arkestra experienced in the 80s – working at a time of some of their greatest acceptance by jazz audiences worldwide, and able to express themselves fully in a range of different modes! The sense of tone and timing here is beautiful – almost Ellington-like at points, but still with a decidedly Sun Ra-like quality – and players on the date include Michael Ray and Ahmed Abdullah on trumpets, John Gilmore on tenor, Noel Scott and Marshall Allen on alto sax, and Tyrone Hill on trombone – and June Tyson also sings just a bit on the set. Ra plays both piano and synth, and titles include "Alone Together", "Discipline 1", "Sunset On The River Nile", "El Is The Sound Of Joy", "I'll Never Be The Same", "Theme On The Stargazers", and "Opus In Springtime". A double-length set too – nearly 80 minutes of music! CD

The lofty trumpet of Enrico Rava is a perfect match for Dino Saluzzi's wonderfully airy performances on bandoneon – and this record is one of the lost gems of late 80s ECM. The sound definitely has that "bordering on wallpaper" feel fo a lot of the ECM work from the time, but Saluzzi's bandoneon has a breathy emotive quality that works against the usual formula, and Rava's solos help the entire project along tremendously. Titles include "Le But De Souffle", "Minguito", "Luna Volver", and "Tiempos De Ausencias". CD

Lou Reed's maybe a bit more subtle here than during his years with the Velvet Underground, and his earliest solo records – but he also has this new sort of maturity that really points the way forward to the years to come! Coney Island Baby further marks the continuing legacy of Lou Reed as a hell of a songwriter – able to portray human strivings and failings with a surprisingly sensitive ear – all in the kind of modes that might not hit you over the head the first time around, but which are completely compelling over the next few spins. There's always that wry little quality to Reed's vocals here – that bite that almost comes as a weary attempt to snap back at the world – and while the album's maybe not the most transgressive release of 1976, it's got a subtle power that's made it a lot more long-lasting than some of its contemporaries. Titles include "Crazy Feeling", "Charly's Girl", "A Gift", "Ooohhh Baby", "Coney Island Baby", and "She's My Best Friend". CD