Great live material from the best years of this amazing ensemble that included some of the finest American and European players of the 60s! The band's at its best here – wailing away in a firey live setting, recorded with high quality by Europe 1 Radio in 1969. Players include Tony Coe, Johnny Griffin, Benny Bailey, Art Farmer, Sahib Shihab, and Derek Humble – plus the great rhythm team of Jimmy Woode, Francy Boland, and Kenny Clarke! Most of the tunes are classics of the band – and titles include "All Through The Night", "Now Hear My Meaning", "New Box", "Volcano", "Box 702", "Sax No End", "Sonor", "The Jamfs Are Coming", "Doing Time", and "Evanescence". CD

Some of the greatest British jazz of the 60s – two early albums by the groundbreaking Ian Carr/Don Rendell quintet! Shades Of Blue is the debut of a legendary British jazz group – one who not only gave that nation's scene a fresh voice in music, but who also really set the tone for many other acts to come! After a stretch when the London scene was doing a great job of matching American efforts in bop and swing, players like Don Rendell and Ian Carr found a way to really carve out some bold space of their own – here, by matching their own strong sense of writing and arranging, always filled with beautiful tone and color, with some of the more modern phrasing and styles that were just creeping up around town. The set's not nearly as experimental as the work of Joe Harriott, but has all the hallmarks of that generation's openness to new ways of expression – often given a surprisingly soulful swing, and captured perfectly as one of the early entries in the famous Lansdowne Series recordings. The rest of the group is equally great – and in addition to Rendell on tenor and soprano sax, and Carr on trumpet and flugelhorn – the combo includes Colin Purbrook on piano, Dave Green on bass, and Trevor Tompkin on drums. Titles include "Garrison 64", "Blue Mosque", "Just Blue", "Latin Blue", "Sailin", and "Big City Strut". Dusk Fire has a great group getting even better – as the legendary pairing of tenorist Don Rendell and trumpeter Ian Carr is joined by pianist Michael Garrick – who was really helping to shape the sound of British jazz at the time! The album's only the second from the Rendell/Carr Quintet, but it's already moving strongly forward – with this sense of composition and focus that's really amazing – served up in original tunes by all three creative forces in the lead – often with this great balance between soulful swing and modern ideas that makes the whole thing a dream all the way through! Don plays tenor, soprano sax, flute, and clarinet; Carr plays trumpet and flugelhorn; Garrick is on piano, Dave Green is on bass, and Trevor Tomkin is on drums – on titles that include "Prayer", "Dusk Fire", "Hot Rod", "Spooks", "Jubal", and "Tan Samfu". CD

2 later albums by Johnny Griffin – both recorded after his return to the US during the late 70s! Bush Dance is a pretty interesting little set – one that features Griffin working in an easygoing combo with slight electric touches – a group that features George Freeman on guitar, alongside Cedar Walton's acoustic piano, plus bass by Sam Jones, drums by Albert Heath, and percussion and congas from Kenneth Nash. The mixture of guitar and congas gives the album a very different feel than some of Griffin's other work – almost a lighter soul jazz touch that recalls some of the best Muse Records sides from the time. Tracks are long, and rhythms get nice and free at times – and titles include a 17 minute take on "Night In Tunisia" that really gets a bit wild, plus "Since I Fell For You", "Bush Dance", "Knucklebean", and "The JAMFs Are Coming". Call It Whatchawanna is a more straight-ahead album, and a great one too – recorded with a youthful and soulful rhythm combo that features Mulgrew Miller on piano, Curtis Lundy on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums – all supporting Griffin with warm round tones that work perfectly with his open solo style. Titles include "I Mean You", "Lover Man", "Call It Whachawanna", and "A Waltz With Sweetie". CD

A really special album from Belgian reedman Bobby Jaspar – a rare late 50s record that features some of his best work of the decade on flute! The session's got Bobby playing with great backings on vibes by Fats Sadi and Michel Hausser – both of whom use the instrument in ways that resonate strongly with the modern tones in Jaspar's phrasing – and the great Kenny Clarke is on drums, with bass from either Paul Rovere or Jimmy Merrit, plus additional percussion from Humberto Canto. There's a light groove on most numbers – kind of a lyrical swing that's perfect for the flute and vibes! Titles include "Le JAMF", "Speak Low", "Doxology", "Jeux De Quartes", "Chasing The Bird", and "Misterioso". CD

A long-overdue look at the early work of Fats Sadi – a really great player on the European scene during the postwar years, and one who's best known for his 60s material on MPS/Saba, including recordings with the Clarke Boland Big Band! Here, though, Sadi's working in earlier years, and already sounding pretty darn great – a real modernist on his instrument, and working with a great array of really wonderful players – including a fair bit of material with the great Bobby Jaspar on flute and tenor, in groups led by both Fats and Bobby on a set of different recordings! The package also features work from Jimmy Deuchar on trumpet, Rene Thomas and Jimmy Gourley on guitar, Maurice Vander on piano, Nat Peck on trombone, and Francy Boland on piano and arrangements – especially great work on one seven track batch of material in the set. As with the other historical collections like this from Fresh Sounds, the package is overflowing with notes and images – and pulls together 23 tracks from releases that include the 10" albums New Sound Of Belgium No 4, Fats Sadi's Combo, Bobby Jaspar New Jazz Vol 2, and Bobby Jaspar Quartet – and the 7" EP releases Sadi Quartet and Sadi's Vibes. Titles include "Hittin The Road", "Hegor", "Gigi's Pad", "Ridin In", "Early Wake", "Big Balcony", "Sadisme", "Ad Libitum", "Laguna Leap", "Jeux De Quartes", "Doxology", "Le Jamf", and "Karin". CD