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Jazz — CDs

XA wealth of jazz in many styles -- bop, hardbop, soul jazz, spiritual, rare groove, modal, improvised music, funk, free jazz, fusion, avant garde, and trad!

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Exact matches: 2
Exact matches1
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
VariousHistory Of Chess Jazz (2CD & book box set) ... CD
Argo/Chess, Late 50s/1960s. Used 2CD ... $11.99 14.99
A great little collection with material from Ahmad Jamal, Zoot Sims, Woody Herman, Benny Goodman, Etta James, Oliver Nelson, Yusef Lateef, Art Farmer, and Illinois Jacquet. CD
(Out of print.)

Exact matches2
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Alex NorrisChess Moves ... CD
Steeplechase (Denmark), 2023. Used ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
Alex Norris has a wonderful sense of tone here on both trumpet and flugelhorn – instruments he trades back and forth nicely across the set, in ways that really help illuminate the different flavors of the original songs that make up most of the album! Tenorist Ari Ambrose is also great too – balancing the phrasing and tonal placement of Norris in a way that opens up the record beautifully – as the pair get some strong accompaniment from Rick Germanson on piano, a player whose energy really seems to resonate with both Ambrose and Norris! The group also features Paul Gill on bass and Brian Floody on drums – and original titles by Norris include "Short Waltz", "Too Many Trips", "No News", "Lights Out", "There It Went", and the especially nice "Bossa Tranquillo". CD
 
Close matches: 12
Close matches3
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Kenny BurrellNight At The Vanguard ... CD
Chess/MCA, 1959. Used ... $6.99
A hip live date from Kenny Burrell – recorded with a trio that includes Richard Davis on bass and Roy Haynes on drums – both of whom help Kenny find a groove that's a bit lighter and more fluid than usual! The rhythms here are quite gentle, almost spare at times – and always touched with Haynes' great sense of lyricism. Kenny's guitar lines are right out front, freely flowing with plenty of warm chromatic hues, and styles that echo a bit more modernism than we've heard in other work of his from the late 50s. Titles include "Well You Needn't", "Trio", "All Night Long", and "Soft Winds". CD

Close matches4
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Roland KirkIntroducing Roland Kirk ... CD
Chess/MCA, 1960. Used ... $4.99
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
(Early 90s pressing.)

Close matches5
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Ramsey LewisGreatest Hits ... CD
Chess/MCA, 1960s. Used ... $1.99
Ramsey Lewis on piano, Christopher White, Cleveland Eaton, and Eldee Young on bass, Maurice White and Red Holt on drums, and Eldee Young on cello. CD

Close matches6
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ James MoodyAt The Jazz Workshop (Cookin The Blues plus bonus tracks) ... CD
Chess/Universal, 1961. Used ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
An excellent live set from James Moody – one that really captures all the creative soulfulness that was part of his genius during the 60s! The set was recorded at the Jazz Workshop in LA, and features a hip group that includes Bernard McKinney on trombone, Musa Kaleem on baritone, Howard McGhee on trumpet, and Moody on flute, alto, and tenor. The groove is a mix of soul jazz and bop – but always with that slightly exotic style that Moody was picking up at the time, kind of a mix of the harder edge of Yusef Lateef, and the more playful Latin grooving of Dizzy Gillespie. The CD features all the tracks from the album Cooking the Blues, plus 3 unissued numbers, and one that had only ever shown up on a compilation. Very nicely done overall, as part of an excellent and short-lived reissue series on Chess. Titles include "Moody's Mood For Love", "Bunny Boo", "One For Nat", "The Jazz Twist", "Little Buck", "Sister Sadie", and "Home Fries". CD
(Booklet appears to be signed by James Moody and inscribed to the previous owner.)

Close matches7
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ James MoodyMoody's Mood For Love ... CD
Chess/Universal, 1956/1957. Used ... Out Of Stock
Pivotal work from James Moody! The record was cut at a time when Moody was completely reinventing himself – shifting from the hard bopper of earlier years, into a sophisticated, slightly exotic player with an interest in mixing many different styles into a unique soul jazz vision. As part of this, Moody took up the flute heavily – adapting it wonderfully to his rich style, and playing the instrument with a lot more soul than had been previously been applied to the instrument. A few of the tracks on the album feature Moody on tenor, but most of them have flute in the forefront – recorded in a great echoey way that really sounds cool and a little rough around the edges. Other players include Johnny Coles, Tate Houson, and Jimmy Boyd – and tracks include "Phil Up", "Foolin The Blues", "Plus Eight", "Mean To Me", and a version of "Billie's Bounce" with vocals by Eddie Jefferson. CD
(Out of print Chessmates pressing.)

Close matches8
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ James MoodyReturn From Overbrook – Last Train From Overbrook/Flute N The Blues ... CD
Argo/Chess, 1956/1958. Used ... Out Of Stock
Last Train From Overbrook, a wonderful album from Moody – one of his "comeback" albums for Chess/Argo, recorded after his release from the Overbrook institution, hence the title. By this point, Moody was writing and playing with much more of an edge than during his bebop days – and the record certainly shows that – not only on the title track "Last Train From Overbrook", a jumpy little number that became one of the big new tunes in Moody's book, but on the whole album, which features some well-conceived large charts written by Johnny Pate. Pate and Moody wrote the bulk of the songs, too – and titles include "Yvonne", "Brother Yusef", "The Moody One", "There She Goes", "Tico Tico", and "Why Don't You". Flute N The Blues is one of James Moody's first albums for Argo – and an album that features him shifting from tenor sax over to flute – and playing in a slyly seductive way that would have great implications for generations of soul jazz musicians for years to come! The sound here is never sleepy – and instead shows the flute to be a perfect vehicle for creating more sensitive colors and tones in jazz – in a way that's also offset by a bit of work on alto and tenor on the album as well. The group features some excellent work from trumpeter Johnny Coles and baritonist Pee Wee Moore – plus some sparkling arrangements from pianist Jimmy Boyd – and Eddie Jefferson joins in on 3 great vocal numbers. Titles include "Birdland Story", "I Cover The Waterfront", "Breaking The Blues", "Easy Living", "Richard's Blues", and "Boo's Tune". 20 tracks in all. CD
(Out of print.)

Close matches9
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Zoot SimsThat Old Feeling ... CD
Chess, 1956. Used ... Out Of Stock
Two obscure quartet sessions from Zoot Sims – and nice ones too! The group's great – with Johnny Williams on piano, Gus Johnson on drums, and Knobby Totah on bass – and Zoot's blowing in an unfettered setting that reminds us a bit of Sonny Stitt in similar settings at the same time! Tracks are shortish, but there's still plenty of room for Zoot to work in a style that's up there with his best bop recordings of the 50s – and at some level, the record's got the same sharp edge as Sims' best early sides for Prestige – but perhaps goes them one better with an added sense of tightness and maturity. CD reissue includes all but one of the tracks originally released on Zoot, and most of Zoot Plays Alto, including "55th & State", "920 Special", "Gus' Blues", "Zonkin", "Blinuet", and "Pegasus". CD

Close matches10
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Gene AmmonsYoung Jug ... CD
Chess, Late 40s/Early 50s. Used ... Out Of Stock
A great collection of early 78rpm material that Gene Ammons cut for Chess Records – 20 tracks in all! CD

Close matches11
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Art Farmer & Benny GolsonBlues On Down ... CD
Chess/GRP, 1960/1961. Used ... Out Of Stock
Killer grooves from the Jazztet – lean, lanky, and plenty darn soulful! CD

Close matches12
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Art Farmer/Benny GolsonMeet The Jazztet ... CD
Argo/Chess, 1960. Used ... Out Of Stock
Landmark work by one of the greatest jazz outfits of the early 60s! Art Farmer and Benny Golson were both known as well-composed players during the 50s – strongly soulful, but often with a fine sense of arrangement that usually tended towards the lyrical side of things. With this group, though, they turned that approach towards a heavier sounding style of jazz – tightly stepping soul jazz, in the manner that was being explored at the time by Cannonball Adderley, Art Blakey, and others – presented by Farmer and Golson with a bit more groove and a wonderful kick at the bottom! This album's the first the group cut together – and apart from trumpet by Farmer and tenor by Golson, it also features Curtis Fuller on trombone, McCoy Tyner on piano, Addison Farmer (brother of Art) on bass, and Lex Humphries on drums. Includes the massive original recording of "Killer Joe", which went onto become one of the most recorded jazz standards ever, plus the tracks "Blues March", "Mox Nix", "Park Avenue Petite", and "I Remember Clifford". Perfect tone, perfect groove, and a perfect sound all the way through! CD
Also available Meet The Jazztet ... CD 13.99

Close matches13
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Ahmad JamalCount 'Em 88 ... CD
Chess/Universal (Japan), 1956. Used ... Out Of Stock
That's right, count 'em – 88 keys on the piano in all, and Ahmad does a pretty good job of hitting them all in this early album of piano virtuosity! The album's amazing – set the pace for a whole new generation of piano expressiveness, with a cool and earthy approach that also still has quite a bit of poise. The group features Walter Perkins on drums and Israel Crosby on bass – fantastic rhythm players both of them, giving the album a pulsating live that goes way beyond the simple format of the tunes! Titles include "Beat Out One", "Jim Love Sue", "Maryam", "Volga Boatman", and "Green Dolphin Street". CD
Also available Count 'Em 88 (SHMCD pressing) ... CD 18.99

Close matches14
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Ahmad JamalBut Not For Me – Ahmad Jamal Trio At The Pershing ... CD
Argo/Chess, 1958. Used ... Out Of Stock
Groundbreaking work from the legendary Ahmad Jamal – not just in his own career, but in live jazz in general! The album's a classic recording of Jamal's trio with Israel Crosby on bass and Vernell Fournier on drums – captured at the Pershing Lounge on the south side of Chicago, where Jamal was clearly wowing the crowd with his amazing talents on the piano. The groove here is sublimely fluid and soulful – clearly the next wave of expression on the piano in the 50s, and as important to the Chicago scene as Bill Evans was to that of New York at the time. The recording quality is wonderful – clear enough to capture the subtleties of Crosby's amazing bass, and the lightly tippling sound of Fournier's drums – and titles include a classic extended reading of "Poinciana", plus "What's New", "But Not For Me", and "No Greater Love". CD
 
Possible matches: 27
Possible matches15
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Lorez AlexandriaFor Swingers Only ... CD
Argo/Dusty Groove, 1963. Used ... $11.99
One of the greatest albums ever from Lorez Alexandria – an ultra-hip singer who recorded for Impulse and King, but who sounds especially wonderful on this rare date for Chess Records! The album's got a groove that definitely lives up to its title – a jazzy, bouncy sort of rhythm that's definitely "for swingers only", and which is a nice contrast to overdone torch or standard jazz vocal modes. Alexandria's singing is completely sublime – quite fluid, yet with a soulful depth that's really amazing – and her backing combo is equally hip – a group led by John Young on piano, and also featuring George Eskridge on guitar, Jimmy Garrison on bass, Phil Thomas on drums, and Ronald Wilson on flute and tenor – an obscure player whose reed work really makes the album sparkle! The song choices are great too – a mix of some under-recorded gems and a few blue-toned classics – all redone amazingly by Lorez with a sound that's quite unique. Titles include her classic Argo reading of "Baltimore Oriole", which begins with an amazing drum/bass passage that's worth the price of the album alone – and other tracks include "The End Of A Love Affair", "Baltimore Oriole", "All Or Nothing At All", "Mother Earth", "Love Look Away", and "Traveling Down A Lonely Road". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD
(Still sealed, barcode has a cutout hole.)

Possible matches16
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Lou DonaldsonBlowing In The Wind ... CD
Cadet (Japan), 1966. Used ... $39.99
One of the excellent Chess Records session that Lou Donaldson recorded in between his two different stretches on the Blue Note label – a small combo date that has a soulful take on the style of his early 60s Blue Note material – with a killer group that includes the mighty Herman Foster on piano, plus Sam Jones on bass, Richard Landrum on congas, and a young Idris Muhammad on drums – listed here when he was still named Leo Morris! Titles include "Relaxing In Blue", "Herman's Mambo", "Pazzing Zone", and "The Wheeler Dealer". CD
(Includes obi!)

Possible matches17
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Cleveland EatonPlenty Good Eaton (Japanese paper sleeve edition) ... CD
Black Jazz/P-Vine (Japan), 1974. Used ... $34.99
One of the most electric albums on the legendary Black Jazz label – a hip set of funky fusion tracks from bassist Cleveland Eaton, with a vibe that's similar to his album for the Gamble label, and his funky 45 work with The Kats! The record's a good extension of Eaton's roots in the Cadet studio scene working with Ramsey Lewis – and as proof of those roots, the record contains work by loads of key Chicago players – including Ari Brown on tenor, Odell Brown on keyboards and Hammond, Duke Payne on tenor and flute, and Morris Jennings on percussion! There's a wicked groove on most cuts, and the set was also recorded at the Chess studios – which furthers the Chicago vibe – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Chi-town Theme", "Keena", "Moe Let's Have A Party", "Kaiser 405", "All Your Lover, All Day, All Night", and "Hamburg 302". CD
Also available
Plenty Good Eaton ... CD 6.99
Plenty Good Eaton ... LP 12.99

Possible matches18
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Bobby HutchersonBobby Hutcherson – The Al Grey & Dave Burns Sessions ... CD
Lonehill/Argo (Spain), 1962/1963. Used ... $11.99
Great early work by jazz vibes guru Bobby Hutcherson – recorded early in his tenure in NYC in the early 60s – backed up by trombonist Al Grey and tenor sax man Billy Mitchell! Of course Hutcherson would go on to spin out all those great records for Blue Note, and these early recordings are a great lost document! The personnel on most cuts feature Mitchell's sextet – which at the time included Herman Wright on bass, Earl Washington on piano, and Otis Finch on the cut. These sessions were cut on separate dates in NYC and Chicago in the early 60s, for Argo/Chess albums under Grey's name – and are a complete document of this legendary assemblage of players time together! 18 tracks in all: "Blues In The Night", "Stardust", "Night And Day", Laughing Tonight", "Stand By Me", "Boss Tina", Something's Got A Hold On Me", "R.B.Q.", "The Way You Look Tonight", "Deep Fried" and more! CD
(Out of print.)

Possible matches19
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Ramsey Lewis TrioBossa Nova ... CD
Argo/MCA (Japan), 1962. Used ... $18.99
One of the most unique albums from Ramsey Lewis' early years at Chess Records – a spare set of bossa groovers that has the Lewis trio with Eldee Young and Redd Holt augmented by added Brazilian percussion and guitar! The sound is spare, sharp, and soulful – and the record's one of the first small combo bossa dates like this in the US – a 1962 effort that even predates most of Verve's better known bossa jazz albums of the 60s, and which matches their groovy energy wonderfully. The record's quite an unusual one for Lewis, and it's further proof that the trio with Young and Holt was an incredibly dynamic outfit! Two tracks on the album – "A Noite Do Meu Bem" and "Cara De Palhacao" – feature vocals, by Carmen Costa and Josef Paulo, respectively – and other tracks are all instrumental, and include "Samba De Orpheus", "O Pato", "Roda Moinho", "Roda Moinho", and "Cancao Para Geralda". CD
(Out of print 20bit K2 pressing, includes obi.)

Possible matches20
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Lee MorganUnforgettable Lee Live At Birdland ... CD
Fresh Sound (Spain), 1960. Used 2 CDs ... $14.99
A fitting title for this scorching set tracks led by the incomparable Lee Morgan – captured over several dates throughout 1960 at the legendary Birdland club – and backed up by Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengers! Nothing but legends on the stage here – with Morgan's trumpet out front of Blakey on the kit, Bobby Timmons on piano, Wayne Shorter on tenor, and Jymie Merrit on bass. The tracks on the first disc were recorded on three dates in the spring and summer of '60, and they include "The Chess Players", "This Here", "The Midget", "Nelly Bly", "Dat Dere", "Justice", Night In Tunisia" and more. Disc two features numbers recorded in the summer and fall of the same year, and it includes "Lester Left Town" with Lester Young sitting in on piano, "It's Only A Paper Moon", "This Here", Sakeena's Vision", "Koko's Waltz" and more. CD

Possible matches21
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Norman Simmons & Richard EvansNorman Simmons Trio/Richard's Almanac ... CD
Fresh Sound (Spain), 1956/1959. Used ... $18.99
Two great albums from Chicago's Argo label brough together on one great CD! Norman Simmons is a wonderfully soulful piano player, of the rare kind who always seems to bring something "extra to the table"! The set's more than the usual piano trio side of the time, as Simmons contributes a number of original tunes, and works with bassist Victor Sproles and drummer Vernel Fournier to craft some lean tunes that have a nice dose of modernism from time to time. Titles include "Peppe", "Capacity In Blues", "Jan", "Chili Bowl", and "Tranquility". Richard's Almanac is a rare early trio session from bassist Richard Evans – known much more famously for his late 60s soul and jazz arrangements at Chess! The set's not only unique for it's exposure of Evans as a jazz artist, but it also marks one of the first appearances of pianist Jack Wilson – still a part of the Chicago scene at the time of this album, but already playing with the fluid lyricism we love so much from his 60s LA recordings! Wilson's piano is a really key part of the record, and he works a groove that's simply sublime – filled with lots of flowing, gliding touches on the top of the keys, but also coming across with enough of a bottom to give the record plenty of soul! The drummer in the group is Robert Barry, another noteworthy south sider at the time – and titles include "Consu", "The Preacher", "Trees", "Vera", "Should I", and "Daybreak". Nice cover, too, with a young Evans sitting in front of a globe! CD

Possible matches22
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Gene AmmonsRed Top (aka Golden Saxophone Of Gene Ammons) ... CD
Savoy/Denon (Japan), Late 40s/Early 50s. Used ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
A nice collection of Gene Ammons' work that doesn't always get as well remembered as his sides for Prestige or Chess – late 40s bop recordings for Savoy, done in a wonderfully full-voiced tone! The set features Gene's classic "Red Top", plus the great two part "Big Slam", and the titles "Chips", "Goodtime Blues", "Fuzzy", "Jim Dawgs", and "Street Of Dreams". The album doesn't list personnel at all for the tracks, or dates – but the music speaks volumes on its own! CD
(Out of print. Includes Savoy Obi!)
Also available Red Top (aka Golden Saxophone Of Gene Ammons) ... LP 9.99

Possible matches23
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Ike QuebecComplete Blue Note 45 Sessions ... CD
Blue Note, Late 50s/Early 60s. Used 2 CDs ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
The "flipside" of Ike Quebec's legendary run of albums for Blue Note – a huge set of material recorded only as 45 singles during his same stretch at the label! Although Quebec's work as a soulful tenorist has been well documented and reissued over the years on albums like Blue & Sentimental and Heavy Soul, Ike also cut a fair number of singles aimed at the jukebox and radio crowds of the time – tunes that were more in the gutsy tenor and organ mode recorded by labels like Prestige or Chess, and which never made it onto any of the full-length sets for Blue Note! This great little package brings together all of Ike's 26 tracks recorded for 45s in the late 50s and early 60s – material that features organ on most numbers, played by either Ike Quebec, Sir Charles Thompson, or the enigmatic Edwin Swanston. Quebec's tone and phrasing is similar to his Blue Note LP work of the period, but there's also a more relaxed, and more punctuated feel to these recordings – one that's not as rough or raw as other jukebox tenor stars of the time, but which still steps out past the usual Blue Note poise, especially on the original numbers. Some tracks were briefly issued on the 80s collection With A Song In My Heart, and in a Mosaic box – but this is the first proper Blue Note album of the material. Titles include "Buzzard Lope", "Zonky", "Blue Monday", "Later For The Rock", "Dear John", "Blue Friday", "Ill Wind", "Mardis Gras", "Everything Happens To Me", "Me N Mabe", "All The Way", "Intermezzo", "All Of Me", and "Imagination". CD
(Out of print.)

Possible matches24
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Sonny StittSonny Stitt ... CD
Argo/MCA (Japan), 1958. Used ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
A record with a simple, elegant title – and a similar cover image too – but if you know Sonny Stitt, you know there's often plenty beneath the surface, and this classic Chess Records has plenty to offer, once you start listening! The album's right up there with Sonny's work for Roost – in terms of straight, strong, confident blowing – remarkably subtle, but also remarkably well-conceived, and proof that by the end of the 50s, Stitt had really matured greatly as a player – bringing so much to bear in very short space, and really coming up with imaginative solos in the process! The group's a quartet with Barry Harris on piano (although conflicting information also claims that it's Ramsey Lewis) – but Stitt's the main focus on this set, and for good reason – on titles that include "Jack Spratt", "Propapagoon", "This Is Always", "Everyone Does", and "Mr Sun". CD
(Out of print, includes obi.)

Possible matches25
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Gene AmmonsGene Ammons Story – The 78 Era ... CD
Prestige, Early 50s. Used ... Out Of Stock
An excellent overview of Ammons' early years at Prestige – back when he was recording mostly 78s for the label, and king of the jukebox scene! The sides vary between bop, swing, and a bit of rougher R&B styled tunes – and players include Sonny Stitt, Duke Jordan, Benny Green, Bill Massey, Matthew Gee, and Junior Mance. The feel of the material is similar to Ammons' sides for Chess at the time, but a bit tighter overall – and the set includes 30 tracks in all. Titles include "Back In Your Own Backyard", "Easy Glide", "Walkin", "Chabootie", "Bye Bye", "Archie", "Ammons Boogie", "Jug", "Wow", "Blue & Sentimental", "When I Dream Of You", "A Lover Is Blue", and "Sock". CD
(Out of print.)

Possible matches26
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Odell Brown & The Organ-IzersDucky ... CD
Cadet/MCA (Japan), 1967. Used ... Out Of Stock
Killer organ jazz from the Chicago scene of the late 60s – one of the few Chess albums recorded by organist Odell Brown, an artist who'd go on to behind-the-scenes fame in the world of soul later on in the 70s! Here, Odell hosts a cool combo that features his own Hammond work in the lead – with other local players who include Artee "Duke" Payne on alto, Tommy Purvis on tenor, Phil Upchurch on bass, and Master Henry Gibson on conga – all grooving nicely through short "combo" oriented organ cuts like "Get Off My Back", "Mirar, Mirar", "She's Coming My Way", "Tough Tip", and "No More Water In The Well". They play with a mix of funkiness and virtuosity, and with the same sense of wit as contemporaries like the Jack McDuff group or Young-Holt Unlimited! CD
(Out of print 1997 Japanese pressing, includes obi.)

Possible matches27
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Ahmad JamalPittsburgh ... CD
Atlantic, 1990. Used ... Out Of Stock
Sweet piano and soaring strings – a wonderful little record that brings the keyboard work of Ahmad Jamal into play with larger arrangements from Richard Evans, both working together here in an update of the sound from earlier albums at Chess! Although a later Jamal recording, the sound here is surprisingly great – and Ahmad's on acoustic piano throughout, playing in bold tones and strong colors – while Evans shades things in with just the right amount of orchestrations to expand on the themes without smothering them. There's very few "modern" touches here, save for perhaps the careful recording of Jamal's grand piano – and titles include "Fly Away", "Apple Avenue", "Pittsburgh", "Bellows", "Mellowdrama", "Divertimento", and "Foolish Ways". CD

Possible matches28
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Frank RosolinoTurn Me Loose ... CD
Reprise/Collectables, 1961. Used ... Out Of Stock
One of the rarest albums by Frank Rosolino – and a surprisingly great vocal set as well! The tunes are short, but Frank manages to both sing and turn in his usual trombone solo work here – and while the latter is great, we especially love the former! Frank's vocals have a raspy, playful quality that's a bit like Jack Sheldon's singing – and as with some of the later Sheldon albums, this one's a great illustration of the under-recorded side of some of the talents of players on the LA scene – their "entertainer" personas that were often used when working the bandstand in a live environment. And if you're suspicious about the vocals, don't be – because Frank is really great here, and manages to transform the tunes heavily – taking old standards and playfully inflecting them with new life and a rough edge – a bit similar to work by Bob Dorough or Johnny Watson (for his Chess session) on similar material. The rest of the group is a quartet that features Charles Berghofer on bass, Victor Feldman on piano, and Irv Cottler on drums – and titles include "It Had To Be You", "I Cover The Waterfront", "Whatcha Gonna Do On Monday", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "It Had To Be You", and "Please Don't Bug Me". CD
(Out of print.)

Possible matches29
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Art BlakeyBig Beat ... CD
Blue Note, 1960. Used ... Out Of Stock
One of the greatest Art Blakey Blue Note sessions of all time – and perhaps one of the greatest to realize the genius of the Jazz Messengers lineup that included Lee Morgan on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor, and Bobby Timmons on piano! The trio of young talents are at the height of their early soulful powers here – working with Blakey and bassist Jymie Merritt in a set of tunes that are overflowing with expressive solos, unusual timings, and the Blakey genius for mixing bold statements with personally introspective moments. Nearly every track on the record's a classic – and titles include an early version of Bobby Timmons' "Dat Dere", plus Wayne Shorter's beautiful tunes "Lester Left Town", "Chess Players", and "Sakeena's Vision". CD
Also available Big Beat (180 gram pressing) ... LP 25.99

Possible matches30
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Art BlakeyBig Beat (Japanese paper sleeve edition) ... CD
Blue Note (Japan), 1960. Used ... Out Of Stock
One of the greatest Art Blakey Blue Note sessions of all time – and perhaps one of the greatest to realize the genius of the Jazz Messengers lineup that included Lee Morgan on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor, and Bobby Timmons on piano! The trio of young talents are at the height of their early soulful powers here – working with Blakey and bassist Jymie Merritt in a set of tunes that are overflowing with expressive solos, unusual timings, and the Blakey genius for mixing bold statements with personally introspective moments. Nearly every track on the record's a classic – and titles include an early version of Bobby Timmons' "Dat Dere", plus Wayne Shorter's beautiful tunes "Lester Left Town", "Chess Players", and "Sakeena's Vision". CD
Also available Big Beat (180 gram pressing) ... LP 25.99

Possible matches31
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Buck Clayton & Buddy TateBuck & Buddy Blow The Blues ... CD
Prestige/Swingville/OJC, 1961. Used ... Out Of Stock
A romping little session from Buck Clayton and Buddy Tate – served up in a looser, more relaxed setting than the former's albums for Columbia, and a slightly more swing-based mode than the latter's dates for Chess! Both horn players get plenty of room to solo in the open-ended Swingville mode – Buck on trumpet and Buddy on both tenor and clarinet – and the group's a nice one too, since Sir Charles Thompson's playing piano, Gene Ramey's on bass, and Gus Johnson's on drums. Titles include "Blue Creek", "Blue Breeze", "Blue Ebony", "Rompin At Red Bank", and "Dallas Delight". CD

Possible matches32
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Richard EvansDealing With Hard Times ... CD
Atlantic/Collectables, 1972. Used ... Out Of Stock
A sublime set of soul instrumentals – very funky work, and sort of a 70s follow-up to the Soulful Strings albums on Cadet Records from the 60s! Maestro Richard Evans is at the top of his game here – stepping out with that hip Chisoul mode he first forged at Chess, tuned here towards some even more sophisticated modes for Atlantic Records! Many of Evan's previous players are on board to make the record great – including Lennie Druss on flute, Paul Serrano on trumpet, Odell Brown on organ, and Phil Upchurch on guitar. Evans himself plays bass for the record – using a very funky bottom sound – and the set also features some wicked vibes from the legendary Billy Wooten, working away from his Nineteenth Hole group on a rare major label date! The sound is blacksploitation soundtrack, part Curtom funk – and titles include the great originals "Pie Daddy's Dream", "Wado City", "Angela My Sister", and the great "Patutu" – which was done by the Soulful Strings – plus a few nice covers like "Mercy Mercy Me" and "Ellie's Love Theme", by Isaac Hayes. (Soul, Jazz) CD

Possible matches33
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✨✧ Paul Gonsalves & Clark TerryDiminuendo Crescendo & Blues ... CD
RCA/BMG, 1958. Used ... Out Of Stock
A great spinoff session from the Duke Ellington group – cool small combo material with Clark Terry on trumpet, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, and Jimmy Woode on bass – almost similar to the players' work for Chess/Argo at the same time! CD

Possible matches34
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✨✧ Duke JordanSolo Masterpieces – Volume 1 ... CD
Steeplechase (Denmark), Late 70s. Used ... Out Of Stock
Features "Table Chess", "Cold Bordeaux Blues", "Mellow Mood", "Orange Mist", "Tall Grass", "Kiss Of Spain" and more – 19 tracks in all! CD

Possible matches35
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✨✧ Roscoe Mitchell Art EnsembleCongliptious (with bonus tracks) ... CD
Nessa, 1968. Used ... Out Of Stock
We're not sure what "congliptious" means – but to us, it's always been the title of this excellent early session from reedman Roscoe Mitchell! The sessions here were recorded in 1968, at the Ter-Mar (Chess) Studios in Chicago – and they document a key coming-together of Chicago avant jazz talents – one that captures Mitchell with Lester Bowie and Malachi Favors in the years before better-known dates by the Art Ensemble of Chicago! The style here is somewhat similar to some of the best Delmark AACM sessions of the time – in that there's a hell of a lot of room for each player to open up individually – almost a recording style that takes off even more strongly from the individualist mode of the New York "new thing" generation – showing that Chicago could go one better by allowing each player completely unbridled space to express themselves. Malachi Favors solos on "Tutankhamen", Mitchell does an alto solo on "Thke", and Bowie plays alone on "Jazz Death" – while the trio of players comes together with percussionist Robert Crowder on the long number "Congliptious/Old" – a cool cut that almost links a Sun Ra aesthetic to the AACM. CD also features 4 bonus tracks – 3 takes of "Carefree", plus "Tatas-Matoes" – all cuts that originally appeared on the Art Ensemble 1967/1968 box set. CD

Possible matches36
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✨✧ Wayne ShorterClassic Blue Note Recordings ... CD
Blue Note, 1960s. Used 2 CDs ... Out Of Stock
2CDs worth of Wayne Shorter's Blue Note recordings – what more could a jazz fan ask for? Without a doubt, Shorter ranks among the most significant jazz composers for small ensembles of the modern era, and it's easy to see why on these recordings, where his vision was fully formed, but that doesn't take away from appreciation of his skill as a soloist, weaving beautiful, intricate lines. As you might imagine, the sidemen here reads like a roster of the most important jazzmen of the age, and their playing here is stellar, including Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Elvin Jones and Tony Williams, with the tracks pulled from LPs like Speak No Evil, Night Dreamer and Adam's Apple among others. The second disc of the set focuses on his playing as a in others' groups, with a nice chunk devoted to the Jazz Messengers. 22 trcks in all, including 'Black Nile", "Yes Or No", "Speak No Evil", "Infant Eyes", "Angola", "Etcetera", "Adam's Apple", "Footprints", "The Chess Players", "Ping Pong", "Children Of The Night" and "Nefertiti". CD

Possible matches37
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✨✧ Art BlakeyBig Beat (RVG remaster edition) ... CD
Blue Note, 1960. Used ... Out Of Stock
One of the greatest Art Blakey Blue Note sessions of all time – and perhaps one of the greatest to realize the genius of the Jazz Messengers lineup that included Lee Morgan on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor, and Bobby Timmons on piano! The trio of young talents are at the height of their early soulful powers here – working with Blakey and bassist Jymie Merritt in a set of tunes that are overflowing with expressive solos, unusual timings, and the Blakey genius for mixing bold statements with personally introspective moments. Nearly every track on the record's a classic – and titles include an early version of Bobby Timmons' "Dat Dere", plus Wayne Shorter's beautiful tunes "Lester Left Town", "Chess Players", and "Sakeena's Vision". CD features a bonus take on "It's Only A Paper Moon". CD
Also available Big Beat (180 gram pressing) ... LP 25.99

Possible matches38
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✨✧ Art Blakey & The Jazz MessengersRitual ... CD
Pacific Jazz, 1957. Used ... Out Of Stock
A hard-swinging cooker from Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers – recorded during the landmark year of 1957 – when Blakey's group was open to recording for a number of different labels, in a number of different settings! The set was originally done for the west coast stalwart Pacific Jazz, but it's got a sound that's much more in the hardbop mode of the New York scene – all the fire and intensity that Blakey first cooked up for Blue Note, cast out with a slight sense of openness here in the less iconic setting. Players include Jackie McLean on alto, Bill Hardman on trumpet, and Sam Dockery on piano – and the album's right up there with Vik/RCA, Savoy, and Chess material they cut at the time. Tracks include "Touche", "Sam's Tune", "Once Upon A Groove", and "Wake Up". CD

Possible matches39
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✨✧ Stan Getz/Jimmy RowlesPeacocks ... CD
Sony (Japan), 1975. Used ... Out Of Stock
A real standout in the Stan Getz catalog of the 70s – a session of mostly spare duets with pianist Jimmy Rowles, done in a way that really breaks from the format of Stan's other work of the time! Rowles here has a raspy warmth that brings out new voicings in Getz's tenor – an earthiness that comes through especially well on the half of the album that features only Stan and Jimmy playing together alone, but which still shines on the few other tracks that feature the bass of Buster Williams and drums of Elvin Jones expanding the group. 2 short tracks feature only solo piano, and Rowles also sings on a number of the album's tracks, in that breathy mode of his that rarely got captured this well on record – and one other track features Jon Hendricks leading a vocal quartet through a rendition of "The Chess Players". Other titles include "It'll Never Be The Same", "Body & Soul", "What Am I Here For", "The Hour Of Parting", "The Peacocks", "Rose Marie", and "Serenade To Sweden". CD

Possible matches40
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✨✧ Ramsey LewisFunky Serenity ... CD
Columbia/Collectables, 1973. Used ... Out Of Stock
Sweet electric funk from Ramsey Lewis! The album's one of his best from the 70s – and it's got Ramsey on Fender Rhodes, electric harpsichord, and other keyboards, grooving away in an open-ended 70s mode that still retains all the heavy soul of his classic work for Chess. Morris Jennings adds in some very nice percussion with his drum work, and Cleveland Eaton's on funky bass, giving the set a strong bottom groove. Features the sublime sample cut "My Love For You", a great version of "Knights In White Satin" that's done with a weird spacey groove, plus the tracks "Kufany Mapenzi (Making Love)", "Serene Funk", "What It Is!", and "Dreams". CD

Possible matches41
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✨✧ Jack McDuffKisses (Japanese paper sleeve edition) ... CD
Sugar Hill/Big Pink (South Korea), 1980. Used ... Out Of Stock
A really cool later album from the great Jack McDuff – nicely stepping out from some of the multi-keyboard modes he forged for Chess Records in the 70s, and still working with a combo here that he calls the Heating System! The group has some key all-star talent – including work from Joe Farrell on saxes and Phil Upchurch on guitar – but it's also noteworthy in that it features early work from Garrick King on drums, a player who was perfect for the sort of rhythms that McDuff forged in the 60s with drummer Joe Dukes! Jack himself handles a variety of key, plus organ – and there's some soulful fusion elements in the mix too, including a bit of vocals – giving the record a feel that's a lot like some of the Charles Earland work for Columbia at the same time. Titles include "Say Sumpin Nice", "Night Fantasies", "Pocket Change", and "Tunisian Affair". CD
Also available Kisses (Japanese paper sleeve edition) ... CD 18.99
 
 
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