Pivotal work from Duke Pearson – a brilliant set that perfectly sums up all the criss-crossing of styles he was working on in the late 60s – and comes up with a wonderful blend of electric jazz, Brazilian rhythms, and just a touch of 70s soul! Pearson plays some sweet Fender Rhodes on the set, in addition to acoustic piano – and there's some other wonderful instrumentation in the mix too – including flute and guitar from Hermeto Pascoal, making a rare Blue Note appearance – plus sweet flutes from Jerry Dodgion and Lew Tabackin, both blowing in kind of a CTI-ish way – as well as tenor from Frank Foster, trumpets from Collins/Shepley, and wonderful drums from Mickey Roker – whose inventive rhythms here really helps set fire to Duke's new ideas. Flora Purim sings on a few tracks – pre-Fantasy Records, and turning in some of her greatest vocals ever – and titles include a wonderful version of "Stormy", plus "Book's Bossa", "Gira, Girou", "Hermeto", "Emily", and "It Could Only Happen With You". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the strangest albums ever recorded for Blue Note – and one of the coolest, too! Duke Pearson recorded this set in 1969 – during the middle of his last productive period of activity, at a time when he was doing some tremendous genre-crossing jazz that really broke from his earlier styles. The set's got Duke on acoustic piano and celeste – backed by a rhythm section that includes Bob Cranshaw on bass and Mickey Roker on drums, plus Airto on percussion! The sound's more open, more free than you'd expect for a Christmas album – extremely soulful overall, in a mode that makes for some great readings of "Sleigh Ride", "Wassail Song", "Go Tell It On The Mountain", "Jingle Bells", and "Little Drummer Boy". (Holiday Music, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the strangest albums ever recorded for Blue Note – and one of the coolest, too! Duke Pearson recorded this set in 1969 – during the middle of his last productive period of activity, at a time when he was doing some tremendous genre-crossing jazz that really broke from his earlier styles. The set's got Duke on acoustic piano and celeste – backed by a rhythm section that includes Bob Cranshaw on bass and Mickey Roker on drums, plus Airto on percussion! The sound's more open, more free than you'd expect for a Christmas album – extremely soulful overall, in a mode that makes for some great readings of "Sleigh Ride", "Wassail Song", "Go Tell It On The Mountain", "Jingle Bells", and "Little Drummer Boy". (Holiday Music, Jazz) CD

Duke Pearson knocks it out of the park with this one – perfectly summing up all the new ideas in jazz arranging and large ensemble work he'd been exploring at Blue Note – and pushing things way way past his previous small group material as well! The album's quite different than most other 60s iterations of big band jazz – as Pearson's got a way of making all instruments come together on the rhythms, then exploding with subtle colors and soulful tones – yet all at a level that's never forced or gimmicky at all. It helps that he's got a tremendous lineup of players here – both Lew Tabackin and Frank Foster on tenor (the latter of whom does some arranging for the record) – plus Pepper Adams on baritone, Marvin Stamm and Randy Brecker on trumpets, Garnett Brown and Jimmy Cleveland on trombones, Jerry Dodgion and Al Gibbons on alto, and the rhythm team of Bob Cranshaw on bass and Mickey Roker on drums. Duke plays superb piano with a really sophisticated touch, but it's really his strength as an arranger that makes the whole thing come together beautifully. Andy Bey sings on a version of "I'm Tired Cryin Over You" – and other titles include "Amanda", "Tones For Joan's Bones", "Dad Digs Mom", "Disapproachment", and "Make It Good". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible work from pianist Duke Pearson – a darkly-tinged album of grooves that surpasses all his other gems for Blue Note! The record showcases some great work from Bobby Hutcherson – slid into the mix in a really sly way, so that his jazzy vibes color all the tunes with an edgey feeling that's missing from most of Duke's other albums. The group's slightly largeish – with Jerry Dodgion on flute and alto, Sam Brown and Al Gafa on guitar, plus added Latin percussion on a number of tracks – but although the larger group format often made for softer edges on other Pearson sessions from the time, the mix here is quite different – at a level that works in complicated rhythms, rich colors and tones, and warm harmonics that have a slightly unsettling undercurrent. The album's worth it alone for the mighty title cut "The Phantom" – but the whole thing's great, and other tracks include "Bunda Amerela", "Say You're Mine" and "Blues for Alvina". LP, Vinyl record album

Dark genius from Duke Pearson – quite possibly one of his hippest records ever, and an album that's filled with surprising twists and turns! At one level, the set seems to be a simple batch of soul jazz tunes – in the mode of Pearson's mid-60s classics on Blue Note – but at another, it opens up into unusual phrasings, timings, shades, and tones – all of which are years ahead of their time, and serve to keep the album full of complexity throughout! Many tracks groove here – but in a very subtle way that often moves a bit towards modal jazz. And the players on the set shade things in unconventionally – sometimes using understatement and space as their strongest tools – clearly directed by Pearson's budding talents as an arranger. Players include James Spaulding on flute and alto sax, Harold Vick on soprano sax, Johnny Coles on trumpet, George Coleman on tenor, and Gene Bertoncini on guitar – and Pearson himself plays a bit of celeste in addition to his regular piano. Titles include a great version of Joe Henderson's "Soulin", plus Ron Carter's "Little Waltz", and Pearson's own "The Fakir", one of the best tracks he ever wrote! Other titles include "Hush A Bye", "Prairie Dog", and "Angel Eyes". CD

Early early work by Duke Pearson – and one of his few trio sessions ever! The album's a great way to hear Pearson's lyrical soulful style at work, as he's playing in an unfettered setting with Gene Taylor on bass and Lex Humphries on drums – really stretching out on piano, in a way that you don't often hear on some of his larger group albums – a much more intimate side of this great pianist, before he rose to become an important arranger and producer at Blue Note during the late 60s. The album features two of his own compositions "Gate City Bop" and "Two Mile Ride", plus versions of "Black Coffee", "Taboo", and "Witchcraft". CD

Early early work by Duke Pearson – and one of his few trio sessions ever! The album's a great way to hear Pearson's lyrical soulful style at work, as he's playing in an unfettered setting with Gene Taylor on bass and Lex Humphries on drums – really stretching out on piano, in a way that you don't often hear on some of his larger group albums – a much more intimate side of this great pianist, before he rose to become an important arranger and producer at Blue Note during the late 60s. The album features two of his own compositions "Gate City Bop" and "Two Mile Ride", plus versions of "Black Coffee", "Taboo", and "Witchcraft". CD

One of the hippest sets that Duke Pearson ever recorded – and an all-out Blue Note soul jazz set that's even better than Pearson's classic Sweet Honey Bee! Duke's style is deeper and more farther-reaching here – with echoes of styles used at the time by Hank Mobley and Lee Morgan – carried off with some of the more tightly-arranged modes used by Pearson on his backdrops for other players at the time. The group here includes James Spaulding on alto, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Jerry Dodgion on alto and flute, Stanley Turrentine on tenor, Garnett Brown on trombone, and rhythm by Gene Taylor on bass and Grady Tate on drums. Tracks have a strong overall focus on the groove – rolling around in that rollicking mid 60s Blue Note style that Pearson helped establish as the label's trademark at the time – but titles are also touched with some of Duke's lighter lyricism, especially on his own solos. Titles include "Make It Good", "Chili Peppers", "Rotary", "Los Malos Hombres", and "Scrap Iron". CD features a bonus alternate of "Los Malos Hombres". CD

A classic Blue Note groover – the funkiest album by Duke Pearson, and a killer batch of piano-heavy soul jazz tunes! Duke really blew out the box for this one – not only coming up with a great batch of original tunes, and playing them with an incredibly soulful touch – but also working with a top-shelf batch of players that includes Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, and James Spaulding! The great Mickey Roker is on drums, playing away with a nice scatter-shot modal mode that grooves in all the right parts – and titles include "Big Bertha", "Sweet Honey Bee", "Sudel", "Ready Rudy?", and "Empathy". CD

One of the most obscure sessions by Duke Pearson, and one of his first for Blue Note too! The album features Duke hitting a laidback and lyrical groove – working in a trio with Gene Taylor on bass and Lex Humphries on drums – overall pretty much in a soul jazz mode, but with more of Pearson's wonderful touches on the keys to open things up. The album's a nice counterpoint to Duke's later work for the label – much more intimate than his bigger band sides, but still put together with the depth that he'd later show more famously with his fuller arrangements. Titles include "3 AM", "On Green Dolphin Street", "I Love You", and "The Golden Striker". CD

Wahoo is right – as Duke Pearson sets up one of his hippest sessions of the 60s, a lyrical batch of soul jazz tracks, with that slight edge of darkness that he was putting into his best work as the decade progressed! Players include James Spaulding on alto and flute, Joe Henderson on tenor, and Donald Byrd on trumpet – and the overall feel is perhaps a bit like some of those Byrd sessions that were heavily influenced by Pearson, but also with a bit of the later expansive style of writing for horns that you'd find on albums like Pearson's Prarie Dog or Bobby Hutcherson's The Phantom. Titles include "ESP", "Fly Little Bird Fly", "Farewell Machelle", "Bedouin", and "Amanda". CD

Wahoo is right – as Duke Pearson sets up one of his hippest sessions of the 60s, a lyrical batch of soul jazz tracks, with that slight edge of darkness that he was putting into his best work as the decade progressed! Players include James Spaulding on alto and flute, Joe Henderson on tenor, and Donald Byrd on trumpet – and the overall feel is perhaps a bit like some of those Byrd sessions that were heavily influenced by Pearson, but also with a bit of the later expansive style of writing for horns that you'd find on albums like Pearson's Prarie Dog or Bobby Hutcherson's The Phantom. Titles include "ESP", "Fly Little Bird Fly", "Farewell Machelle", "Bedouin", and "Amanda". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare pre-Blue Note session from Duke Pearson – very mellow, very soulful, and with a quality that's unlike most of his later work! The album's a trio side, recorded for the Jazzline label, and it features Pearson on piano, Thomas Howard on bass, and Lex Humphries on drums – the last of whom brings in some wonderfully lyrical lines on the kit, very much in the manner of the free, dancing rhythms used on records with Donald Byrd. Pearson's piano has a sharper edge than usual – these dark, moody tones that are totally great – almost a rougher version of his later sound, with a great sense of depth. Bob Cranshaw's bass and Walter Perkins' drums are featured on one number – and titles include a killer take on "Jeannine", plus "Say You're Mine", "Le Carrousel", "Bags Groove", and "Exodus". Plus, the CD features 3 alternate bonus takes! CD

One of our favorite albums from Lee Morgan – a soaringly soulful session that was recorded in the mid 60s, and finally issued by Blue Note at the end of the decade! The vibe here really follows from the lyrically inventive, post-Sidewinder mid 60s Morgan years – with a spirit that's similar to Lee's work on the albums Gigolo or Tom Cat, in a style that mixes in a fair bit more modal and Latin influences to the rhythms. The lineup is totally great too – a sextet that features Hank Mobley, Jackie McLean, Cedar Walton, Paul Chambers, and Billy Higgins – the last of whom provides tremendous rhythms that are as fluidly inventive as Morgan's playing and the writing of Hank Mobley, who contributed most of the tunes to the set. Titles include "Hey Chico", "The Double Up", and "The Murphy Man" – and the record also includes a nice version of Duke Pearson's "Sweet Honey Bee". CD

Pianist Caili O'Doherty has a great sort of shimmer to her tone – a sense of swing that's familiar, but nicely personal as well – a bit hard to describe in words, but a charm that grabs you instantly from the very first note! Her look on the cover, and the somewhat dated title reference might get in the way of the contents of the record – which are rock-solid, and a great statement from this young artist who's really found a way to leave her mark on the piano trio format – proof that with the right player, the trio still has a long way to go! Tamir Shmerling plays bass, Cory Cox handles drums, and Nicole Glover blows a bit of tenor and soprano sax on a few tracks – titles that include a great remake of the well-chosen Duke Pearson number "You Know I Care", plus the originals "Salt & Vinegar", "Runaway", "Mr O", "Al", "Quarantine Dream", and "Reach Within". CD

The obscure first Verve album from Don Randi – a great little pianist who was well known for his lively club work on the LA scene in the early 60s! Don's got a touch on the keys that's both lyrical and soulful – somewhere between the pyrotechnics of Ramsey Lewis and the smoother grooving of Duke Pearson – always well-composed, but breaking out with some tremendous solo bits from time to time! The album's got Don working with Mel Lewis on drums, and Leroy Vinnegar on bass – and titles include "Take Six", "TJ's Blues", "I Love Paris", "That's All", and "Interlude". CD

Stanley Turrentine's no spoiler here – as his tenor sax soars out over the top of some sweet larger group arrangements from Duke Pearson – all awash in a great sense of soul, joy, and life! The album's got a much brighter feel than you might guess from the cover – a vibe that's a bit similar to Stan's classic Joyride album, but a bit more open and free – thanks to the lyrical touches of Pearson on the charts. Other players include Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Julian Priester on trombone, James Spaulding on alto and flute, and Pepper Adams on baritone sax – plus rhythm from McCoy Tyner on piano, Bob Cranshaw on electric bass, Mickey Roker on drums, and Joseph Rivera on percussion. As on some of the other Pearson dates from the time – particularly those with Donald Byrd – the use of electric bass really opens things up, by creating a subtle rhythmic pulse that really drives most numbers along. And also in the Pearson mode, the added players aren't really a horn section in the conventional way – just a group of like-minded, top-shelf jazz players who egg on the main soloist with a great sense of enthusiasm for the music! Titles include "La Fiesta", "The Magilla", "Sunny", "Maybe September", "You're Gonna Hear From Me", and "When The Sun Comes Out". LP, Vinyl record album

Stanley Turrentine's no spoiler here – as his tenor sax soars out over the top of some sweet larger group arrangements from Duke Pearson – all awash in a great sense of soul, joy, and life! The album's got a much brighter feel than you might guess from the cover – a vibe that's a bit similar to Stan's classic Joyride album, but a bit more open and free – thanks to the lyrical touches of Pearson on the charts. Other players include Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Julian Priester on trombone, James Spaulding on alto and flute, and Pepper Adams on baritone sax – plus rhythm from McCoy Tyner on piano, Bob Cranshaw on electric bass, Mickey Roker on drums, and Joseph Rivera on percussion. As on some of the other Pearson dates from the time – particularly those with Donald Byrd – the use of electric bass really opens things up, by creating a subtle rhythmic pulse that really drives most numbers along. And also in the Pearson mode, the added players aren't really a horn section in the conventional way – just a group of like-minded, top-shelf jazz players who egg on the main soloist with a great sense of enthusiasm for the music! Titles include "La Fiesta", "The Magilla", "Sunny", "Maybe September", "You're Gonna Hear From Me", and "When The Sun Comes Out". CD

Gene Ammons' last session – not as funky as earlier work for Prestige, but still pretty darn nice! The group's got Gary Bartz on alto, Kenny Drew on piano, Sam Jones on bass, Louis Hayes on drums, and Nat Adderley on cornet – and they groove together well, in the kind of soul jazz/modal mode that you'd find on some of the better mid 70s sides for the Muse label. The album includes a nice remake of Duke Pearson's "Jeanine", plus the tracks "Out In The Sticks", "Alone Again Naturally", "It Don't Mean A Thing", and "Geru's Blues". CD

An all-star group take on the music of Duke Pearson – paying wonderful tribute to the kind of special, soulful grooves that Duke cooked up during his too-short career on Blue Note Records in the 60s! The lineup here is top-shelf, and very much in keeping with the sort of strong combos that Pearson would put together – both for records under his own name, and as a producer for Blue Note – and the lineup here features Diego Rivera on tenor and soprano sax, Art Hirahara on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Vinnie Sperrazza on drums – a no-nonsense group who really focus in on the best elements of the songs, then let loose with great solo work. Jon Davis replaces Hirahara on three tracks on the set on piano – and titles include the great tune "Is That So", plus "You Know I Care", "Sweet Honey Bee", "ESP", "Chili Peppers", "Ready Rudy", and "Idle Moments". CD

Bassist Paul Brusger heads up this quartet, but the group's got strong contributions on all its four corners – tremendous baritone work from Gary Smulyan, who's becoming one of our favorite contemporary players on the instrument – plus soulful piano from Mike Ledonne, and just the right sort of swing from the great Louis Hayes! The players come together with a freshness that's noteworthy – really standing apart from even their other recent recordings – quite possibly due to the fact that every tune on the set (save one) is an original composition by Brusger, a writer with a really old school way of balancing lyricism and soul – a compositional strength that almost takes us back to Horace Silver or Duke Pearson. Titles include "In A Minor Funk", "When Will You Ever Learn", "All But One", "Bringin Home The Silver", "Waiting For The Next Trane", and "Andrea's Delight". CD

A wonderfully lyrical session from trumpeter Donald Byrd – yet for some reason, the album's one of his most overlooked from the 60s! The session features material by 2 different groups – one that includes Byrd, Hank Mobley, and Duke Pearson; and another which features Byrd, alongside Jackie McLean and Pearson. Donald's playing is really opening up here – hitting some sweeter, more drifting notes, yet still referencing the heavier style of his hardbop years from time to time – and in a way, the record's almost a hint of the solo style that Byrd would take up on 70s recordings with Larry Mizell – still in a deep groove, but with a newfound ability to sail over the top with some nice light notes. Mobley and McLean are superb, as always, and Pearson plays nice and hard – with more of an edge than on his own recordings of the time. Tracks include "Ghana", "Lex", "My Girl Shirl", and "Bo". CD

A wonderfully lyrical session from trumpeter Donald Byrd – yet for some reason, the album's one of his most overlooked from the 60s! The session features material by 2 different groups – one that includes Byrd, Hank Mobley, and Duke Pearson; and another which features Byrd, alongside Jackie McLean and Pearson. Donald's playing is really opening up here – hitting some sweeter, more drifting notes, yet still referencing the heavier style of his hardbop years from time to time – and in a way, the record's almost a hint of the solo style that Byrd would take up on 70s recordings with Larry Mizell – still in a deep groove, but with a newfound ability to sail over the top with some nice light notes. Mobley and McLean are superb, as always, and Pearson plays nice and hard – with more of an edge than on his own recordings of the time. Tracks include "Ghana", "Lex", "My Girl Shirl", and "Bo". Includes 3 bonus tracks "Child's Play", "Carol", "Soulful Kiddy"! CD

Classic soul jazz material from trumpeter Donald Byrd – one of his most sinister (and most rare) albums for Blue Note! The group's a quintet, with frequent bandmate Pepper Adams on baritone, Duke Pearson on piano, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – all grooving with some of the tightness heard on other Adams/Byrd dates, but also a warmer, more open-ended approach to the music, especially on the solos! The tracks slink along with a dark little groove – and although Pearson's piano is often sweetly lyrical, it also has a nice hard sound that works well with the sharp-edged horn lines of Byrd and Adams. The album's very much in the vein of the pair's work on the Warwick label during the same time – and with excellent compositions that include "Say You're Mine", "Duke's Mixture", "The Cat Walk", and "Hello Bright Sunflower". CD

One of Donald Byrd's first albums on Blue Note – tight, soulful, and a firm statement of hardbop truth – a record that showed that Byrd was firmly on the map! The ensemble features Jackie McLean on alto, and the rhythm section includes Duke Pearson, Doug Watkins, and Lex Humphries – all of whom bring in a sense of lyrical interplay that really shows off a newer side of Byrd's trumpet that didn't emerge in earlier 50s recordings – one that opens up in the individuality of the Blue Note mode, and shakes off some of the more academic trappings of his early work with Gigi Gryce. All tunes are proud originals by Byrd himself – written with a real sense of color, tone, and timing – and titles include "Bup A Loup", "Funky Mama", "Lament", and "Amen". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare session as a leader from trumpeter Johnny Coles – a player who cut some great work in the groups of James Moody and Gil Evans, but who shines even more brightly on this classic Blue Note album! Coles really has an ear for finding the hippest side of his instrument – and he blows with a style that's unlike anyone else we can think of – and certainly far from the mellower tones of his previous leader set for Columbia. This album's got a great mix of hardbop and modern ideas – right up there with the best Blue Note had to offer at the time – and the group's filled with equally hip players who include Joe Henderson on tenor, Leo Wright on alto and flute, Duke Pearson on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and either Pete LaRoca or Walter Perkins on drums. Titles include "Heavy Legs", "Hobo Joe", "Jano", and "Little Johnny C". Very hip, very hard, and very swingin! CD

An unusual session from the heart of Lou Donaldson's return to Blue Note in the late 60s – a mellower date that stands in strong contrast to his funkier albums of the time! As you might guess from the title, there's a lusher feel going on here – one that has Lou's alto sax augmented by larger backings from Duke Pearson – who manages to score things perfectly with a balance of soul and sophistication. The album's hardly a "Donaldson with strings" date – and instead is done in the more mature mode that Duke was using in some of his own sides from the time, and on work with players like Donald Byrd or Stanley Turrentine. Other players here include Wayne Shorter on tenor, Pepper Adams on baritone, Jerry Dodgion on alto and flute, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, and Garnett Brown on trombone – plus core rhythms from the trio of McCoy Tyner on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Al Harewood on drums. Titles include "Sweet Slumber", "The Good Life", "Sweet & Lovely", "Stardust", and "You've Changed" – and the album was recorded in the 60s, it was only first issued in Japan in 1980 – and even then only later in the US! CD

Includes 36 tracks and features work with Kenny Dorham, Lee Morgan, Duke Pearson, Freddie Roach, Renee Rosnes, Horace Silver, McCoy Tyner, Larry Young, Blue Mitchell, Grant Green, Andrew Hill, Freddie Hubbard, Bobby Hutcherson, the Thad Jones - Mel Lewis Orchestra, and Pete La Roca. CD

A wonderful album by Blue Mitchell – one that features some larger arrangements by Duke Pearson, and Blue's soulful trumpet soloing over the top! The use of Pearson is a great addition to the set – as it really sets Mitchell free to concentrate on the best shades, colors, and tones in his solos – allowing him to work in a sweeter, lyrical vein that we really like a lot! The format works surprisingly well for Blue, who could always be a great player, but sometimes faltered as a leader – which is why Pearson's guidance really seems to give the session new life. Titles include greatl versions of Chick Corea's wonderful compositions "Straight Up & Down" and "Tones For Joan's Bones", both with piano by Chick, plus a reading of trumpeter Dave Burns' seminal groover "Rigor Mortez"! CD

One of the first albums to feature the trumpet of Blue Mitchell in a larger group – a really great move that let his soulful horn really come to the lead! Blue sounds wonderful here – soaring out in front of larger charts from Duke Pearson, Jimmy Heath, Don Pickett, and Melba Liston – all talents who start to bring in a bit of funk to Mitchell's music – which Blue responds to with a mighty nice kick! The group also features Pepper Adams on baritone, Jerry Dodgion on alto, Julian Preister on trombone, and Junior Cook on tenor – and titles include "Heads Up Feet Down", "Togetherness", "Good Humor Man", "Len Sirrah", and "People in Nassau". CD features bonus alternate takes of "Togetherness" and "Good Humor Man". CD

One of our favorite albums from Lee Morgan – a soaringly soulful session that was recorded in the mid 60s, and finally issued by Blue Note at the end of the decade! The vibe here really follows from the lyrically inventive, post-Sidewinder mid 60s Morgan years – with a spirit that's similar to Lee's work on the albums Gigolo or Tom Cat, in a style that mixes in a fair bit more modal and Latin influences to the rhythms. The lineup is totally great too – a sextet that features Hank Mobley, Jackie McLean, Cedar Walton, Paul Chambers, and Billy Higgins – the last of whom provides tremendous rhythms that are as fluidly inventive as Morgan's playing and the writing of Hank Mobley, who contributed most of the tunes to the set. Titles include "Hey Chico", "The Double Up", and "The Murphy Man" – and the record also includes a nice version of Duke Pearson's "Sweet Honey Bee". CD

One of the greatest Donald Byrd albums ever – a smoking live performance spread out over two different records – all with some of the tightest, most grooving work that Byrd ever recorded in his early years on Blue Note! Part of the strength of the set is the group – as Don's trumpet is alongside the brilliant baritone of Pepper Adams – who plays with the deftness of a tenor, but with a richer, fuller sound – and the group also includes the great Duke Pearson on piano, who has this way of comping out tunes that are soulful, but richly lyrical too. The group's completed by Lex Humphries on drums and Laymon Jackson on bass – and titles on this first volume include nice long versions of "Soulful Kiddy", "My Girl Shirl", and "Cecile". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderfully lyrical session from trumpeter Donald Byrd – yet for some reason, the album's one of his most overlooked from the 60s! The session features material by 2 different groups – one that includes Byrd, Hank Mobley, and Duke Pearson; and another which features Byrd, alongside Jackie McLean and Pearson. Donald's playing is really opening up here – hitting some sweeter, more drifting notes, yet still referencing the heavier style of his hardbop years from time to time – and in a way, the record's almost a hint of the solo style that Byrd would take up on 70s recordings with Larry Mizell – still in a deep groove, but with a newfound ability to sail over the top with some nice light notes. Mobley and McLean are superb, as always, and Pearson plays nice and hard – with more of an edge than on his own recordings of the time. Tracks include "Ghana", "Lex", "My Girl Shirl", and "Bo". CD

Donald Byrd in a sweet electric mode – as you'd guess from the title! The set was recorded right before Byrd's legendary run with Larry Mizell in the early 70s – and the electric approach is a bit different here – a style that blends Byrd's wonderful trumpet lines with the larger ensemble mode Blue Note sometimes used in the late 60s, but with a spacey, stretched-out feel that's mighty nice! The album's somewhat similar to Byrd's Kofi set – but possibly a bit more open overall – and players here include Duke Pearson on electric piano, Jerry Dodgion on alto and sopranos ax, Frank Foster on tenor, Pepper Adams on baritone, Hermeto Pascoal on flute, Wally Richardson on guitar, Ron Carter on bass, Mickey Roker on drums, and Airto on percussion. Pearson produced, and probably arranged too – given a slight Brazilian undercurrent to the grooves – and titles include "Estavanico", "Essence", "The Dude", and "Xibaba". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest, grooviest 60s albums from trumpeter Donald Byrd – one that has him really reaching out for a hip new sound, but in ways that are different than most of his other material at the time! Key on the date is the placement of electric piano from Duke Pearson – played in this open, flowing style that has all the best hallmarks of Pearson's own work on the instrument for his sessions – yet balanced nicely with the bolder punch of Byrd's trumpet as well. Donald's quite far from any Miles Davis cliches on this one – no too-dark electric modes at all – and instead, the album's got this sense of lyrical soulfulness that we've maybe never heard this strongly again on any of Byrd's other albums. Other players include Frank Foster on tenor, Jerry Dodgion and Lew Tabackin on flute, Julian Priester on trombone, Jimmy Ponder on guitar, and either Idris Muhammad or Joe Chambers on drums. All tracks are nice and long, and very fresh – and include "Weasil", "I Love the Girl", "Fancy Free", and "The Uptowner". CD

One of the coolest, grooviest 60s albums from trumpeter Donald Byrd – one that has him really reaching out for a hip new sound, but in ways that are different than most of his other material at the time! Key on the date is the placement of electric piano from Duke Pearson – played in this open, flowing style that has all the best hallmarks of Pearson's own work on the instrument for his sessions – yet balanced nicely with the bolder punch of Byrd's trumpet as well. Donald's quite far from any Miles Davis cliches on this one – no too-dark electric modes at all – and instead, the album's got this sense of lyrical soulfulness that we've maybe never heard this strongly again on any of Byrd's other albums. Other players include Frank Foster on tenor, Jerry Dodgion and Lew Tabackin on flute, Julian Priester on trombone, Jimmy Ponder on guitar, and either Idris Muhammad or Joe Chambers on drums. All tracks are nice and long, and very fresh – and include "Weasil", "I Love the Girl", "Fancy Free", and "The Uptowner". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Donald Byrd's first albums on Blue Note – tight, soulful, and a firm statement of hardbop truth – a record that showed that Byrd was firmly on the map! The ensemble features Jackie McLean on alto, and the rhythm section includes Duke Pearson, Doug Watkins, and Lex Humphries – all of whom bring in a sense of lyrical interplay that really shows off a newer side of Byrd's trumpet that didn't emerge in earlier 50s recordings – one that opens up in the individuality of the Blue Note mode, and shakes off some of the more academic trappings of his early work with Gigi Gryce. All tunes are proud originals by Byrd himself – written with a real sense of color, tone, and timing – and titles include "Bup A Loup", "Funky Mama", "Lament", and "Amen". CD

Donald Byrd's second foray into the "with voices" genre – done in the same style as his groundbreaking New Perspective album – and with similar choral work from lyrical modernist Coleridge Perkinson! The vibe here is slightly different than the previous record – in that there's Hammond from the great Freddie Roach on a few cuts, and piano from Herbie Hancock throughout – in a stunning lineup that also includes Stanley Turrentine on tenor and Grant Green on guitar – both great players in a larger lineup like this. As before, Byrd's solos are wonderfully – soaring out over the vocals and instrumentation – with a soulful vibe that really works well with the rhythms at the core. Donald Byrd and Duke Pearson wrote all of the tunes – all really great numbers – and titles include "Pearly Gates", "March Children", "Brother Isaac", and "I'm Tryin' To Get Home". CD

Donald Byrd's second foray into the "with voices" genre – done in the same style as his groundbreaking New Perspective album – and with similar choral work from lyrical modernist Coleridge Perkinson! The vibe here is slightly different than the previous record – in that there's Hammond from the great Freddie Roach on a few cuts, and piano from Herbie Hancock throughout – in a stunning lineup that also includes Stanley Turrentine on tenor and Grant Green on guitar – both great players in a larger lineup like this. As before, Byrd's solos are wonderfully – soaring out over the vocals and instrumentation – with a soulful vibe that really works well with the rhythms at the core. Donald Byrd and Duke Pearson wrote all of the tunes – all really great numbers – and titles include "Pearly Gates", "March Children", "Brother Isaac", and "I'm Tryin' To Get Home". CD

A fantastic set of tracks that was recorded at the cusp of the 70s, but which wasn't (for some strange reason) released until many years later! Donald Byrd's playing here with two different larger groups, and the music is a perfect bridge between his spacey late 60s attempts to mimic Miles Davis, and his tighter early 70s jazz funk work with Larry Mizell. The instrumentation's a bit different than usual, and includes a warm frontline of Frank Foster on tenor, Lew Tabackin on flute and tenor, and William Campbell on trombone – all working with these charts that are full and flowing – really strong, soulful elements that get some further great touches from Duke Pearson on Fender Rhodes! Rhythms echo some of Pearson's own great music of the time, with lots of Brazilian undercurrents – no surprise, given that Duke produced the record – and titles include "Kofi", "Fufu", "Perpetual Love", and "Elmina". CD

A really landmark album in soulful jazz for the 60s – a set that takes the already-great energy of the young trumpeter Donald Byrd, and mixes it with some voices borrowed from gospel music bur turned towards modern jazz – all in a style that's very similar to some of the Max Roach experiments from the time! The core group is really great – with tenor from Hank Mobley, guitar from Kenny Burrell, and piano from Herbie Hancock – plus vibes from the obscure Donald Best, an instrument that you don't always hear on Donald Byrd's albums! Added to this group are voices directed by Coleridge Perkinson, a very hip cat who takes the voices far away from cliched modes of earlier years – and into some very righteous territory that makes the record one of Donald Byrd's first really powerful statements as a leader. Duke Pearson handled the arrangements, and the sound is beautiful and spiritual, with a sound that mixes Blue Note hardbop with a style that would later show up on labels like Strata East, or in the experiments of Max Roach and Billy Harper. The tracks are long and moody, and the vocal group never gets in the way, but instead backs Byrd in a way that lets him hit new heights, and which gives him a stronger sense of voice. Titles include the classic "Christo Redentor", plus "Chant", "The Black Disciple", and "Elijah". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime subtle magic from the great Art Farmer – set up here in a laidback quartet setting that really lets him do what he does best! Art is on flugelhorn throughout – with a young Fred Hersch on piano, Bob Bodley on bass, and Billy Hart on drums. Includes the original Hersch songs "One For Sam" and "Summersong" – and a great reading of the fantastic Duke Pearson tune "You Know I Care". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet sweet keyboards from the amazing Gene Harris – one of his seminal electric sides for Blue Note in the 70s – recorded between his earliest fame in the Three Sounds, and his later return to acoustic styles in the 80s! The sound here is equal parts jazz and soul – as Gene's working with vocalist/arranger Jerry Peters, who brings in a good deal of his own groove to the tracks – giving them a strong focus that's sometimes missing from other solo Harris sets. Both Peters and Harris play Fender Rhodes and other keyboards on the album – alongside a variety of players that include Donald Byrd on trumpet, Harvey Mason on drums, and Chuck Rainey on bass. Tracks include the Peters tunes "If You Can't Find Love" and "A Minor", a two-part remake of Duke Pearson's "Christo Redentor", the sweet stepper "Peace Of Mind", and a strong vocal take on Stevie Wonder's "As". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic session of 60s "new thing" jazz – and one of our favorite early records by Joe Henderson – exactly the kind of album to show why his emergence in the decade was such an important new voice in jazz! The album features some incredibly hard playing from Joe – with a very dark edge to his solos that's nicely offset by McCoy Tyner's lyrical piano, and the supple rhythms of Bob Cranshaw on bass and Elvin Jones drums – a really magical quartet who come across very different here than you might expect from the Coltrane legacies of Tyner and Jones! Instead, Henderson makes his presence known right from the very first note – as his voice on the tenor is completely singular – and titles include the Henderson originals "Inner Urge", "Isotope" and "El Barrio" – plus the great Duke Pearson song "You Know I Care", and the standard "Night & Day". CD

A wonderful album by Blue Mitchell – one that features some larger arrangements by Duke Pearson, and Blue's soulful trumpet soloing over the top! The use of Pearson is a great addition to the set – as it really sets Mitchell free to concentrate on the best shades, colors, and tones in his solos – allowing him to work in a sweeter, lyrical vein that we really like a lot! The format works surprisingly well for Blue, who could always be a great player, but sometimes faltered as a leader – which is why Pearson's guidance really seems to give the session new life. Titles include wonderful versions of Chick Corea's wonderful compositions "Straight Up & Down" and "Tones For Joan's Bones", both with piano by Chick, plus a reading of trumpeter Dave Burns' seminal groover "Rigor Mortez"! CD

A lost session by Hank Mobley – originally recorded in 1966, but not officially issued until 1979, and then only briefly until another short issue in the mid 90s! The record has Mobley really reaching out into a new bag – hitting a more soulfully arranged sound than on some of his other straighter Blue Notes – a full, rich groove that's totall wonderful! Duke Pearson arranged the group, and it's slightly larger than usual – with James Spaulding on alto, Lee Morgan on trumpet, McCoy Tyner on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, Billy Higgins on drums, and Kiane Zawadi and Howard Johnson providing a very unique tuba/euphonium bass part – hardly the clunky horns you might expect, and instead sort of a rumbling bottom-end sound that's really great. Titles include "Hank's Other Bag", "Touch Of Blue", and "A Slice Of The Top". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite albums from Lee Morgan – a soaringly soulful session that was recorded in the mid 60s, and finally issued by Blue Note at the end of the decade! The vibe here really follows from the lyrically inventive, post-Sidewinder mid 60s Morgan years – with a spirit that's similar to Lee's work on the albums Gigolo or Tom Cat, in a style that mixes in a fair bit more modal and Latin influences to the rhythms. The lineup is totally great too – a sextet that features Hank Mobley, Jackie McLean, Cedar Walton, Paul Chambers, and Billy Higgins – the last of whom provides tremendous rhythms that are as fluidly inventive as Morgan's playing and the writing of Hank Mobley, who contributed most of the tunes to the set. Titles include "Hey Chico", "The Double Up", and "The Murphy Man" – and the record also includes a nice version of Duke Pearson's "Sweet Honey Bee". CD

A very unusual album for Wayne Shorter – recorded right around that 1970 point when Duke Pearson was exploring formats for Blue Note artists that included larger, often electric arrangements, pointing the way towards some of the later 70s soul jazz work on labels like Kudu or CTI! This set, produced by Pearson, features Shorter as the main soloist on tenor and soprano sax – in a very hip group that includes Dave Friedman on vibes, Gene Bertoncini on guitar, Ron Carter and Cecil McBee on bass, and both Billy Hart and Alphonse Mouzon on drums. Tracks are long and complicated, with searching soulful arrangements that are part post-Miles fusion, part early 70s indie soul jazz – but balanced nicely without any sense of overindulgence at all. Shorter's soprano work is very nice, and much more angular than his playing on tenor – and titles include "Wind", "Joy", "Storm", and "Calm". CD

John Stubblefield at his 80s best – playing tenor and soprano sax in a group with Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet and flugelhorn, Mulgrew Miller on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Eddie Gladden on drums! Ttiles include the originals "Waltz For Duke Pearson", "Spiral Dance", "More Fun", "Confessin", and "Dusk To Dawn". CD

Two great lost titles from the Atlantic jazz catalog of the 60s! Horizons is a beautiful and oft-overlooked album of modal jazz tracks performed by Chicago jazz musician Ira Sullivan – who normally plays trumpet and tenor, but who also here shows his amazing talent on soprano sax. Sullivan plays in a great style that's almost a pop version of Coltrane's spiralling style on "My Favorite Things" – rolling the notes over and over in a beautiful exploratory style. This format works especially well on the set's longer tracks – like "Ninevah", "Horizons", and "Norwegian Wood" – but the whole thing's pretty great! Little Giant is a rare album by the great west coast Latin trumpeter Luis Gasca, and argubly the best album he ever recorded! The set was recorded in New York during the late 60's, and features a great lineup of musicians that includes Paul Griffin on piano, Joe Henderson on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Mongo santamaria on conga, and Bernard Purdie on drums. The style's a mix of soul jazz, Latin, and bits of modal riffing – and the record features some beautiful large arrangements by Gasca and Mark Levine, in a style that's a bit like some of Duke Pearson's work from the late 60s, but handled with a bit more of an edge. Tracks include "Coisa No. 2", "Afro Blue", "Joy Ride", and "Sweet Pea". 2CDs at a nice nice price! CD

One of the all-time great ones by Cannonball! This record captures him in the prime of his early soul jazz fame – working with an unbelievably heavy quintet that featured Bobby Timmons on piano (with Barry Harris sitting in on a few tracks), Sam Jones on bass, Louis Hayes on drums, and brother Nat Adderley on cornet. The quintet forged a sound that made them an immediate hit – and which had their tight, jagged, soul-drenched sound getting copied by everyone. The record features some amazing soul jazz standards – like Nat's original version of "Work Song", the first-ever record of Timmons' amazing "Dat Dere", Cannon's slinky "Them Dirty Blues", and the jaunty groover "Jeannine", a wonderful cut by Duke Pearson that never sounded better! The CD features alternates of "Work Song" and "Dat Dere" – for a total of 9 tracks in all! CD

One of the greatest Donald Byrd albums ever – a smoking live performance spread out over two different records – all with some of the tightest, most grooving work that Byrd ever recorded in his early years on Blue Note! Part of the strength of the set is the group – as Don's trumpet is alongside the brilliant baritone of Pepper Adams – who plays with the deftness of a tenor, but with a richer, fuller sound – and the group also includes the great Duke Pearson on piano, who has this way of comping out tunes that are soulful, but richly lyrical too. The group's completed by Lex Humphries on drums and Laymon Jackson on bass. The whole thing's great – and this 2CD set features both volumes of the albums, plus a lot of extra material that wasn't on the vinyl versions! Titles include "My Girl Shirl", "Jeannine", "Pure D Funk", "Kimyas", "When Sunny Gets Blue", "Mr Lucky", "Chant", and "Child's Play". CD

A wonderfully lyrical session from trumpeter Donald Byrd – yet for some reason, the album's one of his most overlooked from the 60s! The session features material by 2 different groups – one that includes Byrd, Hank Mobley, and Duke Pearson; and another which features Byrd, alongside Jackie McLean and Pearson. Donald's playing is really opening up here – hitting some sweeter, more drifting notes, yet still referencing the heavier style of his hardbop years from time to time – and in a way, the record's almost a hint of the solo style that Byrd would take up on 70s recordings with Larry Mizell – still in a deep groove, but with a newfound ability to sail over the top with some nice light notes. Mobley and McLean are superb, as always, and Pearson plays nice and hard – with more of an edge than on his own recordings of the time. Tracks include "Ghana", "Lex", "My Girl Shirl", and "Bo". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic soul jazz material from trumpeter Donald Byrd – one of his most sinister (and most rare) albums for Blue Note! The group's a quintet, with frequent bandmate Pepper Adams on baritone, Duke Pearson on piano, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – all grooving with some of the tightness heard on other Adams/Byrd dates, but also a warmer, more open-ended approach to the music, especially on the solos! The tracks slink along with a dark little groove – and although Pearson's piano is often sweetly lyrical, it also has a nice hard sound that works well with the sharp-edged horn lines of Byrd and Adams. The album's very much in the vein of the pair's work on the Warwick label during the same time – and with excellent compositions that include "Say You're Mine", "Duke's Mixture", "The Cat Walk", and "Hello Bright Sunflower". CD

A really landmark album in soulful jazz for the 60s – a set that takes the already-great energy of the young trumpeter Donald Byrd, and mixes it with some voices borrowed from gospel music bur turned towards modern jazz – all in a style that's very similar to some of the Max Roach experiments from the time! The core group is really great – with tenor from Hank Mobley, guitar from Kenny Burrell, and piano from Herbie Hancock – plus vibes from the obscure Donald Best, an instrument that you don't always hear on Donald Byrd's albums! Added to this group are voices directed by Coleridge Perkinson, a very hip cat who takes the voices far away from cliched modes of earlier years – and into some very righteous territory that makes the record one of Donald Byrd's first really powerful statements as a leader. Duke Pearson handled the arrangements, and the sound is beautiful and spiritual, with a sound that mixes Blue Note hardbop with a style that would later show up on labels like Strata East, or in the experiments of Max Roach and Billy Harper. The tracks are long and moody, and the vocal group never gets in the way, but instead backs Byrd in a way that lets him hit new heights, and which gives him a stronger sense of voice. Titles include the classic "Christo Redentor", plus "Chant", "The Black Disciple", and "Elijah". CD

A rare album by the great west coast Latin trumpeter Luis Gasca, and argubly the best album he ever recorded! The set was recorded in New York during the late 60's, and features a great lineup of musicians that includes Paul Griffin on piano, Joe Henderson on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Mongo santamaria on conga, and Bernard Purdie on drums. The style's a mix of soul jazz, Latin, and bits of modal riffing – and the record features some beautiful large arrangements by Gasca and Mark Levine, in a style that's a bit like some of Duke Pearson's work from the late 60s, but handled with a bit more of an edge. Tracks include "Coisa No. 2", "Afro Blue", "Joy Ride", and "Sweet Pea". CD

A warmly melodic session from Blue Note's greatest guitarist! The sound of the set's as evocative as the title – an idle moment of space between the notes, explored by Green's tight single-note work on guitar – and wonderfully supported by a lineup that includes Joe Henderson on tenor, Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, and Duke Pearson on piano – all working in a surprising blend of modern ideas and warmer lyricism. Hutcherson and Pearson are always a treat together – bringing out the best exotic side of each other, and crafting a set of spiritually soulful grooves that are really great! The album's got four long tracks – exploratory and open, in the best manner of Green's mid 60s work – and titles include "Nomad", "Idle Moments", and "Jean De Fleur". CD also features two alternate takes! CD

Pianist David Hazeltine doing just what he does best – serving up a nicely punctuated trio performance, in the company of two great rhythm players – Joe Farnsworth on drums, and Peter Washington on bass! The album's a date that illustrates just why Hazeltine's been at the top of his game for many years – able to soulfully swing with plenty of left hand energy, yet also working with a warmly lyrical quality that really comes through in the album's balance of tunes – a number of originals by David, plus tracks by Cedar Walton, Johnny Mercer, and Duke Pearson! The last of these is one of our all-time favorites – and Hazeltine serves up a great reading of "You Know I Care" – next to other tunes that include "Firm Roots", "Here Again", "Blues For Gerry", "Minor Disturbance", and "Here We Go". CD

Wonderful later work from Jimmy Heath – a gently soulful album that captures all the best aspects of his 70s work! The group on the set is a quartet – with Heath on tenor, Tony Purrone on guitar, Kiyoshi Kitagawa on bass, and Albert Tootie Heath on drums – and tunes are open, warm, and played with a gentle approach that's never trying too hard – but which somehow manages to go into all these hidden corners that we wouldn't expect. The mix of tenor and guitar, without piano, is especially nice – and the album features many great Heath tunes – like "The Quota", "Rio Dawn", "Ballad From Upper Neighbors Suite", and You Or Me" – as well as great versions of Duke Pearson's "Is That So" and Blue Mitchell's "Fungii Mama". CD