With Stanton Davis, Malachi Thompson, Bruce Purse, and Bowie on trumpet – plus Craig Harris and Steve Turre on trombone, Vincent Chancey on French horn, and Phillip Wilson on drums. Titles include "Coming Back Jamaica", "Nonet", "When The Spirit Returns", and "Lament". LP, Vinyl record album

Smooth jazzy work from Deodato – a record that takes off from his electric keyboard work of the early 70s, and shows his growing interest in modern soul and R&B a the time! Deodato's still a few years way from some of his famous soul production work, but he's already got a great ear for a groove – and works in a style that's tight, but never too slick – the best Joe Sample or Crusaders territory, but even more groove oriented too. You can definitely hear Deodato's growing taste for modern soul here – especially on the seminal club jammer "Whistle Bump", which is a tight keyboard-driven groove, with some sweeping strings underneath wah wah guitar. The cut's the real standout on the album – although there's a few other nice moments, like "Space Dust" and "Lovely Lady", which has a great mellow Bob James-ish sound. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the tracks "Black And Tan Fantasy", "Maroon", "Blue Serge", "Mood Indigo", "Azure", "Gal From Joes" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The great Lalo Schifrin plays piano and leads a crack group of studio players through some larger orchestral material with a nice jazzy feel! The overall approach is similar to Lalo's classic 60s soundtrack work – with nice solos arching out over sweeping strings and orchestral passages, and all tracks written with a good deal of punch, plus lots of little Latiny influences. Easily one of his most perfectly conceived albums of the 60s – and pretty darn tough to find. Tracks are long and titles include "El Salon Mexico", "New Fantasy", "Sabre Dance", and "Prelude #2". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare early Fantasy LP, one that features Gerry Mulligan working with a strong early group – Chet Baker on trumpet, Chico Hamilton on drums, and Carson Smith on bass – on 4 tracks recorded in San Francisco, and 4 others recorded slightly later in LA. The tunes are short, piano-less, and have that fluid 50s Mulligan groove – and titles include "Turnstile", "Limelight", "Carioca", "Bark For Barksdale", and "Line For Lyons". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal material from Cecil Taylor – an explosive album that was one of the first to show the world just how much his style had evolved since the late 50s! When Taylor first showed up on the scene, he was already a pianist that was going farther out than just about anyone – but by the time of this 1962 performance in Copenhagen, he'd really taken off – working in these massive flurries of keyboard intensity that were unlike anything anyone had ever heard before – the full-blown Taylor aesthetic that's endured for decades, set up perfectly here in a trio with some brilliantly bracing alto sax by Jimmy Lyons, and equally free work on drums by Sunny Murray! All tracks are long, and titles include "Trance", "Call", "Lena", and "D Trad That's What". LP, Vinyl record album

A 70s collection of recordings off the Jazz At Oberlin and Jazz At College Of Pacific albums, featuring Paul Desmond. LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary live performance, and one that's often billed as a high moment in the history of bebop – a special concert-only group that brings together five key bop heavyweights – Charlie Parker on alto, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all coming together in a unique one-off performance! The set was recorded up in Canada, and represents one of the first widely-circulated live recordings of a straight bop set – different than some of the mix of styles you'd get on a JATP record, with long tracks that really show the nonstop creative energy that shifts between the players. The original vinyl release broke the concert out into two records – and this is the quintet material, with titles that include "Perdido", "Salt Peanuts", "All The Things You Are", "Wee", and "Hot House". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic record – one of Shaw's real landmarks of the 70s, and a lasting testament of soul jazz genius! The record features Shaw working with a group that includes a number of like-minded players – Frank Strozier, Ronnie Matthews, and Stafford James – all of whom fit together perfectly with Shaw to craft some strident tunes with the same sort of modal groove and soulful spiritualism as his work on the Moontrane record. Titles include "Sashianova", which has a great modal groove, "Jean Marie", and "Tomorrow's Destiny" – but the whole album is great together, and we never tire of listening to it! LP, Vinyl record album

A 12" LP that brings together early 50s tracks from Dave Brubeck's trio – back when the group included a young Cal Tjader on drums and vibes. Tracks are short and sweet – less time-change oriented than Brubeck's later work – and titles include "Perfida", "Avalon", "Heart & Soul", "Squeeze Me", "Always", and "I Didn't Know What Time It Was". LP, Vinyl record album

Late work from Duke – a set that has that nicely mature approach to arrangements, with a group that includes Johnny Hodges on alto, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, Cootie Williams and Cat Anderson on trumpets, and Lawrence Brown on trombones. Titles include a "Johnny Hodges Medley" – plus "Boola Boola", "Chromatic Love Affair", "Put-Tin", and "Swamp Goo". LP, Vinyl record album

A later session from Bill Evans – but one that features some great work from Lee Konitz on alto and Warne Marsh on tenor – one of Evans' last sessions with horn players! Eddie Gomez plays bass – and titles include "Eiderdown", "Pensativa", "Everytime We Say Goodbye", "Pensativa", and "Speak Low". LP, Vinyl record album

A great pairing, heard perfectly here – on titles that include "Show Type Tune", "Invitation", "Blue Serge", "Are You All The Things", and "Falling Grace". LP, Vinyl record album

Keystone bop indeed – a smoking little set from Freddie Hubbard, recorded during his great back-to-basics years of the early 80s! The tracks here are all quite long, and informed by a strong sense of hard bop – but they also open up with some sharper, more modern moments at times – of the sort that keenly reflect Freddie's best roots during his early years at Blue Note. The other players here are all quite strong – especially well-matched for the energy of such a record – with Bobby Hutcherson on vibes and Joe Henderson on tenor, plus rhythm from Billy Childs on piano, Larry Klein on bass, and Steve Houghton on drums. 3 lengthy tracks: "The Littlest One Of All", "One Of Another Kind", and "Body & Soul". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the original Fantasy LPs that the Montgomery Brothers cut when they were just wee lads from Indianapolis who'd showed up on the west coast with their guitar, vibes, and electric bass in hand. Wes, Buddy, and Monk play a lively live set that has a lot more swing than usual, and which grooves nicely on just about every cut. Paul Humphrey is the drummer, which probably explains the groove, and the tracks include a tasty cover of "Jeanine", plus "Green Dolphin Street", "Beaux Arts", and "Snowfall". LP, Vinyl record album

A 50s Fantasy album that brings together 2 earlier 10" jazz sessions – one by Mulligan and one by Desmond, both unusual outings for the players. Side one features Gerry Mulligan working with a strong early group – Chet Baker on trumpet, Chico Hamilton on drums, and Carson Smith on bass – on 4 tracks recorded in San Francisco, and 4 others recorded slightly later in LA. The tunes are short, piano-less, and have that fluid 50s Mulligan groove – and titles include "Turnstile", "Limelight", "Carioca", "Bark For Barksdale", and "Line For Lyons". Side two is a session that features 4 tracks with Paul in a quintet with Dick Collins on trumpet and Dave Van Kriedt on tenor sax – working without a piano, and in a fluid-grooving style that recalls a lot of the Gerry Mulligan style of the time. The other 4 tracks from the set are even more unique – and have Desmond blowing dreamily over a "with voices" chorus – done with the Bill Bates singers in a style that's warmer than similar work by Charlie Parker, and which really points the way towards some of the Desmond solo genius of the 60s. Titles include "Jeruvian", "Garden In The Rain", "Misty Window", "Winky", "Soon", and "Will I Know". LP, Vinyl record album

The second half of the legendary Jazz At Massey Hall performance from 1953 – a set that features the core rhythm trio, without Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie – a killer lineup that has Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums! The tunes are a bit shorter than on the quintet sides, but maybe that's because Powell can always pack so much into such a short space – and Mingus has plenty of sharp small group imagination here, while Roach is a young genius, really breaking out here too. Titles include "Sure Thing", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "Jubilee", "Cherokee", and "Embraceable You". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few recordings ever made by this obscure Chicago singer – with a few tracks that feature Bill Evans on piano! Titles include "Out Of This World", "My Time Of Day", "Lazy Afternoon", "It's All Right With Me", and "Because We're Kids". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best records ever by this unique bop trumpeter – and one that catches him with a strong comeback group that includes Chicagoans Ira Sullivan on trumpet and tenor, Vic Sproles on bass, and Norman Simmons on piano. Roy Haynes rounds out the group on drums – giving the proceedings a warm soulful feel. Titles include "Swingin With Daddy-O", "Hale To Dale", "Laura", and "Trumpet Juice". LP, Vinyl record album

The crashing waves of the Pacific coast hardly seem like the serene setting you might want for the vibes of Cal Tjader – but this album works surprisingly well, and offers up Cal's combo in a Monterey live date, before the jazz festival really got going strong! The group's one that matches his best early albums for Fantasy – piano from Lonnie Hewitt, soulful bass from Al McKibbon, and some great Latin percussion from Mongo Santamaria and Willie Bobo! Paul Horn also joins the group on flute – blowing with lyrical lines that fit the sound wonderfully, adding a whole new dimension to the music. Many tracks are longer than usual for the Fantasy years – and titles include "Walkin With Wally", "Doxie", and "Afro Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Cal Tjader's best late 50s dates for Fantasy Records – thanks to some smoking tenor sax from Jose "Chombo" Silva! The album has Cal working in the very comfortable territory of San Francisco's Blackhawk Nightclub – in a combo that also features familiar players Vince Guaraldi on piano, Al McKibbon on bass, Willie Boby on drums, and Mongo Santamaria on congas – all musicians who'd previously helped Tjader hit some of his best Latin grooves! But the addition of Silva on a few tracks here really makes the set crackle – giving it a gutsy, soulful fee that you don't always get on some of Tjader's other records. Tracks are longish – and titles include the nice original "Bill B", plus jazzy versions of "I Love Paris", "Blue & Sentimental", and "Night In Tunisia". LP, Vinyl record album

Stanley blows it sweet, mellow, and soulfully – in this wonderful post-CTI session from the 70s! The set features some swirling larger arrangements from Gene Page – done with a bit of the CTI sound lurking in the mix, but also a more complicated groove that almost takes on soundtrack-like proportions at times – a warmly-flowing groove that's lush without being soppy, and which really sets Turrentine up nicely for some sophisticated, mature solos on tenor. Stan's got some great company on the record – including Patrice Rushen on keyboards, David T Walker on guitar, and Freddie Hubbard on trumpet – and although the set's laidback, it's a lot more soulful than you might think – almost like a hip mellow soul set from the time, but with tenor instead of vocals. Includes covers of the Earth Wind & Fire tunes "Reasons" and "That's The Way Of The World", plus the tracks "Touching You", "T's Dream", and "Have You Ever Seen The Rain". LP, Vinyl record album

Soulful Stan, over arrangements by Claus Ogerman! Titles include "Papa T", "Joao", "Birdland", "Nightwings", "Don't Give Up On Us", and "If You Don't Believe". LP, Vinyl record album

A 70s soulful classic from the mighty Stanley Turrentine! Stan's not the bad "Mister T" on this set – he's more in a smooth, mellow mode – blowing over some nice soulful arrangements by Gene Page, ones that take the CTI funk approach, add in some strings, and create a bit of a Barry White sort of instrumental groove! The result is surprisingly great – a lot nicer than you might think – with plenty of slinky soulful numbers that have a subtle undercurrent of funk, and still feature some excellent and inventive blowing from Stan. Titles include "Midnight & You", "Blanket On The Beach", "I'm In Love", "Evil", "Pieces of Dreams", and "Deep In Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Use The Stairs is a near-forgotten date from 1980 – recorded at a time when Stanley Turrentine was still steeped in the fuller arrangements picked up during his CTI years – blowing beautifully as a soloist in the larger setting! The sound here is plenty darn hip – thanks to arrangements from Wade Marcus, who keeps the proceedings more in the soul side of the spectrum than the smooth jazz one. And as always, Turrentine almost sounds better here than in a small group – blowing with a "voice" that's tremendous, and which speaks volumes in a very small space. Other players include Cedar Walton on piano, Gene Bertoncini on guitars, Phil Bodner on reeds, and Grady Tate on drums – and titles include "Tomorrow", "The Lamp Is Low", "Till The Very End", "Jordu", "On A Misty Night", and "Pay The Price". LP, Vinyl record album

Bill Evans returns to the solo mode of his 60s album for Verve, but in a way that really shows how much he's grown – longer tracks that open up with a great sense of beauty! LP, Vinyl record album

One of a few great 70s albums from Luis Gasca – a funky jazz player, but one who draws on a lot of Latin influences too – all in this sweet soulful mode that echoes some of the hippest Bay Area sounds of the time! Arrangements are done with help from Joe Gallardo – who also plays trombone on the record – amidst a very hip lineup that includes Joe Henderson and Hadley Caliman on tenor and flutes, Oscar Brashear and Eddie Henderson on trumpets, George Duke and Mark Levine on electric piano, David Holland on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums! The record includes a great track called "New Orleans Strut", plus the cuts "Dr Gasca", "A Love Supreme", and "I Was Born To Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful record of light, lyrical piano jazz – and one of the best-selling jazz albums ever on Fantasy Records! Vince Guaraldi started the set as a tribute to the film Black Orpheus – and some of the album features his nice renditions of Jobim/Bonfa tunes like "Manha De Carnaval" and "Samba De Orpheus". However, Guaraldi also managed to pen his own amazing track – "Cast Your Fate To The Wind" – a lyrical romping piano instrumental that went onto become a huge charting instrumental hit during the 60s. The track's been heard a million times over the years, but it's still pretty darn great – and it's surrounded in a nice set with other tunes that have the same feel – including "O Nosso Amour", "Alma-Ville", "Since I Fell For You", and "Moon River". LP, Vinyl record album

Freddie Hubbard makes a sweet splash for the 80s in this great little set – one of his last electric outings before a return to more acoustic modes! The vibe's a bit leaner than some of his late 70s albums, with most of the electricity coming from the bass, and from the keyboards by Chester Thompson or Louis Small – but the record's definitely got that soaring sense of flow that Freddie brought to his best work of this nature – that new sound he unlocked during the 70s, which finally seemed to find the right voice for that mighty horn of his! Jeanne Tracy sings a bit of vocals on the set, bringing in a touch of soul to the album – and titles include the stepping classic "Touchdown" – plus "Splash", "Mystic Lady", "I'm Yours", "Jarri", "You're Gonna Lose Me", and "Sister Stine". LP, Vinyl record album

A groovy set of bossa and samba-tinged guitar tracks from Bola Sete – recorded in California with a small combo that includes Monte Budwig on bass and Johnnie Rae on percussion. The tracks are shortish and with a slightly folksy quality – filled with the kind of warm expression that Bola had on acoustic guitar, showcased especially on the album's strong original tunes. Titles include "Original Joe's", "Just Another Love", "Be Bossa", "Sarava", "Bolido", and "Lamento De Negro". (Brazil, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

One of Duke's most popular albums of the 50s – but we won't hold that against him! The session's one of a number of 50s outings that revisit older classics with the new level of quality offered in the studio – and it's got a similar feel to some of Duke's work for Bethlehem around the same time, which was also done by producer Gus Wildi – tight, but never too facile – and a perfect demonstration of the great balance the Ellington orchestra had at the time. The group includes key players Ray Nance, Cat Anderson, Clark Terry, Juan Tizol, Harry Carney, Paul Gonsalves, and Jimmy Hamilton – and titles include "Black & Tan Fantasy", "Rockin In Rhythm", "Flying Home", "Happy Go Lucky Local", and "In The Mood". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the tracks "Mood Indigo", "Satin Doll", "Black And Tan Fantasy", "You Dirty Dog" and much much more. LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of Duke's signature tunes spanning two decades – with "Black And Tan Fantasy", "The Mooche", "Ring Dem Bells", "Mood Indigo", "Solitude", "Take The A Train", "Perdido", "C Jam Blues", "Caravan", "Sophisticated Lady", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Dex's famous return to New York in the mid 70s – recorded at the Village Vanguard in 1977, and featuring some of his best group-heavy playing of the decade! The quintet is fantastic – and includes Woody Shaw, Ronnie Matthews, Stafford James, and Louis Hayes. Features versions of Shaw's "Little Red's Fantasy" and "In Case You Haven't Heard", Matthews' "Let's Get Down", Jimmy Heath's "Gingerbread Boy", and Gordon's own "Fenja" and "Backstairs". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest, grooviest albums that pianist Vince Guaraldi ever recorded – a set that's got the same Peanuts theme as his earlier dates for Fantasy Records, but which also features some sweet electric touches that only make things even better than before! In addition to his warmly vamping piano, with all those lyrical touches we love so much, Vince is playing an electric harpsichord too – which makes for some very groovy moments – in a cool quartet that features guitar from Eddie Duran, bass from Stanley Gilbert, and drums from the great Carl Burnett! All tunes are Peanut-themed – the music that Guaraldi wrote for the TV specials – but they're sometimes taken at a looser style that's even jazzier overall – as you'll hear on the classic "Linus & Lucy", plus "Red Baron", "Peppermint Patty", "Great Pumpkin Waltz", and "Rain Rain Go Away". LP, Vinyl record album

After working for years in the Crusaders, then honing his production skills with excellent work for Fantasy and Mercury, Wayne Henderson put out this album of his own, which drew on a lot of the work he'd been doing during the mid 70s. The album's a showcase for his At Home productions team, and it features work by Bobby Lyle, Roland Bautista, Ronnie Laws, and others. Henderson plays trombone, but he also gets in the way a bit with some hipster vocalizing that doesn't quite work. Titles include "Lady Bug", "Foot Stompin Music", "I'm Staying Forever", and a version of the great stepper "Keep On Keepin On". (Soul, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Genius, pure genius! If you've ever wondered why folks think Stan is so great, check out this landmark set of postwar modern swing tunes – some of the most groundbreaking work of its generation, and proof that there was still a lot of room to grow within the big band format. June Christy provides some icy vocals on a few numbers, and other strong players on the set include Vido Musso, Boots Mussulli, Kai Winding, Eddie Safranski, and Shelly Manne. Arrangements are by Pete Rugolo, Gene Roland, and Stan – and titles include "Artistry In Bass", "Artistry In Percussion", "Fantasy", "Come Back To Sorrento", "Soothe Me", "Opus In Pastels", and "Artistry In Bolero". LP, Vinyl record album

One of numerous two-fers offered by Milestone in the early 70s, compiling recordings by artists that fell under the Fantasy records catalog umbrella at the time, in this case, the Riverside recordings of Wes Montgomery. There are two groups documented here, a quintet and sextet, the first featuring Milt Jackson, Wynton Kelly, Sam Jones and Philly Joe Jones and the second his 2 brothers Buddy and Monk, plus George Shearing, Walter Perkins and Armando Peraza. 18 tracks in all, including "Stablemates", "Stairway To the Stars", "Sam Sack", "Jingles", "Delilah", "Love Walked In", "Love For Sale", "Enchanted", "Stranger In Paradise", "The Lamp Is Low", "Darn That Dream" and "Mambo In Chimes". LP, Vinyl record album

A confusing title, but a wonderful little record! The album's as much a Herbie Mann Latin session as it is a record by Johnny Rae – which is probably why the album's titled as such – and the group on the set features Rae on vibes, Herbie on flute, Jack Six on bass, Philly Joe Jones on drums, Bobby Corwin on piano, and Jose Mangual, Patato Valdes, and Victor Pantoja on an assortment of Latin and African percussion. The groove is tremendous – Latinized jazz, but with a real tension between the heavy percussion on the bottom and the ligher flute and vibes on the top – especially on the album's more tribal, African-styled numbers. The "suite" features 7 tracks in all – 5 composed by Herbie ("Sorimao", "Beouin", "Sudan", "Ekunda", "Guinean"), plus a version of Sonny Rollins' "St Thomas", and the track "Jungle Fantasy" by Noro Morales. LP, Vinyl record album

The important first album by singer Judy Roberts – an excellent jazz talent with a sound that's up there with the best jazz fusion vocalists of the 70s! Judy comes at the end of a decade that scored big recordings for singers like Flora Purim and Urzula Dudziak – and she's easily as great as any of those three, and often sadly lost to time because of the later years in which she recorded, and the Chicago scene in which she made her home! This first self-produced album is a rare groovehound's gem – filled with soaring numbers that feature Roberts on both vocals and keyboards – including electric piano, Arp, clavinet, and other keyboards. Titles include "Fantasy", "Thumbs", "Never Was Love", "Dandelion", "Yes Indeed", and "Watercolors". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet little record that draws plenty from a double-headed power team – Ernie Watts on reeds, and the mighty Wayne Henderson on production! The album may well be one of the best that Watts ever cut – a set that's not nearly as polished or commercial as his later 80s efforts – and which has that wonderfully soulful flow that Henderson brought to his best records of the time! Charts are full, but loosely grooving too – in the best sort of 70s Fantasy Records mode – and Ernie sounds wonderful in the territory as his work on various saxes glide alongside the rhythms, keyboards, and occasional chorus vocals. Titles include "Just Holdin On", "Makin Music", "Let's Sail Away", and "Beyond The Cosmic Void Suite". LP, Vinyl record album

Easily the crowning moment of genius for the legendary Dave Brubeck Quartet – the moment when all things came together magically, and the group somehow elevated themselves to a whole new level in jazz! At the time of the set, Brubeck, Paul Desmond, and the rest had already been making plenty of waves with their creative yet swinging approaches to modern jazz – heard on a number of successful albums for Fantasy and Columbia in the 50s. But with this record, they really knocked one out of the park – blending Desmond's cool alto, Brubeck's unusual piano phrasing, Joe Morello's melodic drum work, and Eugene Wright's pulsating bass into a waltzing, almost modal groove that crossed over to many camps at the time! The classics "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo Ala Turk" were both hits on their own – but all titles are great, and include "Kathy's Waltz", "Strange Medow Lark", "Everybody's Jumpin", and "Pick Up Sticks". LP, Vinyl record album

A cool cooker from Maynard Ferguson – and a set that has all the upbeat tones you'd expect from the title, but lots of funky currents underneath! The set really sparkles right from the start – and has that sweet vibe that Maynard was really getting perfect on these late 70s records for Columbia – jazzy fusion that's tight, but never too uptight – with lots of room for sweet solos from the leader himself, plus Bill Hannon on moog, John Qdini on guitar, Eric Traub on tenor, and Mike Migliore on alto. Titles include a famous working of Earth Wind & Fier's "Fantasy" – plus "Battlestar Galactica", "MF Carnival", "Baker Street", "Birdland", "How Ya Doin Baby", and "Stella By Starlight". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice 2LP set that brings together some of his most striking sessions of the early 60s recorded for Emarcy. This set includes pieces composed and arranged by Lalo Schifrin played by a large ensemble led by Benny Carter – with Dizzy as the main soloist, and work by players that include James Moody, Phil Woods, Emil Richards, Francisco Aguabella, and Schifrin himself. Tracks are long, and have complicated introductions – then easily give way to the sort of flowing grooves that Schifrin was penning often at the time. Titles include "The Conquerors", "The Chains", "The Swords", "The Empire", and "The Legend Of Atlantis". The set also features Diz playing tracks from Tom McIntosh, one of the scene's brightest arrangers at the time, and a talent who was looming large, thanks to support from folks like Diz and James Moody. Moody's in the group – blowing tenor with a quintet that includes Kenny Barron on piano, Chris White on bass, and Rudy Collins on drums – and his tone is incredible, with a darkness that he'd rarely had before, and the whole group has a mixture of modern tones and soulful grooves that's beyond compare! Titles include "November Afternoon", "The Cup Bearers", "The Day After". Also included are songs from the soundtrack for the lost Shirley Clarke verite drama The Cool World. Mal Waldron wrote the material for the score, and Diz plays the music with a moody emotionality that you don't often hear in his other 60's work. The recording was made by his great group that included Kenny Barron and James Moody, and the titles include "The Pushers", "Duke's Fantasy", "Coney Island", and "Street Music". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic collection from the early days of the Ubiquity/Luv & Haight label – the kind of groundbreaking funk collection that set the tone for so many others! This set's got some real killers – including Hilton Felton's "Spreadin' Fever", Don Cunningham's "Tabu","Fantasy" by PIR Square, "Hip City" by Roy Porter, and the Chili Peppers' "Chicken Scratch", a funky hard scratchy guitar track that makes the Meters look like a bunch of wimps! Worth it for this track alone! (Funky Compilations, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Pure genius from the B Baker Chocolate Company – a set that's equal parts fusion and soul, held together by these rich arrangements that really send the whole thing home! The album's never too slick, yet has a sense of perfection that matches some of the best soulful fusion dates at Blue Note or Fantasy in the mid 70s – a quality that's especially strong on the vocal tracks on the set – one of which features Lew Kirton in the lead! The players are all totally top-shelf – and include Lonnie Smith and Jimmy McGriff on keyboards, John Faddis and Marvin Stamm on trumpets, and Jimmy Ponder on guitar – and the set's got a beautiful balance that few other records like this can match. Lew Kirton sings on "It's Where You're Coming From", and "Dreamer" features Gene Scott – and instrumental tracks include the funky classic "Snowblower", plus "Carousel" and "Spirit Level". LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of different trumpet sides recorded by Bob Shad for the Time label – material recorded over the space of a decade, but all pretty darn great! Titles include "Clifford's Fantasy" and "The Boss Man" by Clifford Brown, "A Waltz" by Kenny Dorham, "Variations On The Scene" and "Gandolfo's Bounce" by Booker Little, and "Gunga Din" by Tommy Turrentine. LP, Vinyl record album

A great 2-fer – with 2 different classics from Dave Brubeck! First up is Gone With The Wind – a surprisingly nice little album from Brubeck – one that's mostly comprised of old-fashioned type tunes, but which all take on a hip new light in the hands of his classic quartet! As usual, Paul Desmond's one of the main assets of the set – working with Brubeck to forge a slightly off-beat and swinging approach that brings plenty of nice moments to tunes like "Gone With The Wind", "Ol Man River", "Shortnin Bread", "Camptown Races", and "The Lonesome Road". Time Out is easily the crowning moment of genius for the legendary Dave Brubeck Quartet – the moment when all things came together magically, and the group somehow elevated themselves to a whole new level in jazz! At the time of the set, Brubeck, Paul Desmond, and the rest had already been making plenty of waves with their creative yet swinging approaches to modern jazz – heard on a number of successful albums for Fantasy and Columbia in the 50s. But with this record, they really knocked one out of the park – blending Desmond's cool alto, Brubeck's unusual piano phrasing, Joe Morello's melodic drum work, and Eugene Wright's pulsating bass into a waltzing, almost modal groove that crossed over to many camps at the time! The classics "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo Ala Turk" were both hits on their own – but all titles are great, and include "Kathy's Waltz", "Strange Medow Lark", "Everybody's Jumpin", and "Pick Up Sticks". LP, Vinyl record album

Miles must have turned over in his grave with this one – although it went on to influence a decade of jazz remix projects! Miles spacey trumpet is remixed from tapes recorded before his death, and production is handled by Easy Mo Bee, with kind of a "hip hop meets jazz" sort of flair. Titles include "Chocolate Chip", "High Speed Chase", "Fantasy", "Duke Booty", "Mystery", and "The Doo Bop Song". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky concept album from George Duke – and one that's filled with some mighty nice grooves! Guardians Of The Light is a full-on "musical fantasy" – with the story line laid out in the liner notes, yet still a bit difficult to follow – but we can't fault him for that when it's done in his masterful R&B-fusion-funk approach! George sings on all cuts, but he also gets some stellar vocal assistance from Jeffrey Osborne, Portia Griffin, and Patti Austin. The record also has some surprisingly sweet mellow moments that bring a deeper level of spacey soul to the out-there concept – those laidback lines that George could always do better than anyone else! Titles include "Born To Love You", "You Are The Light", "Reach Out", "Give Me Your Love", "Stand", "Soon", and "Fly Away". LP, Vinyl record album