A cool cooker from the great Lou Donaldson – and a record that's ever bit as tasty as its cover! Lou's really hitting his soul jazz stride here – stepping off his 50s bop years, and moving into a more gutbuckety groove that's delivered with wonderful accompaniment from a quartet that features Grant Green on guitar, John Patton on Hammond, and Ben Dixon on drums! The style is loose and open – and tracks are long, with tight solos, especially from Patton and Green, always a winning combination – really stepping out here with an early raw fury! Titles include "Caracas", "Bad John", "Holy Ghost", and "Good Gracious!". Nice cover, too, with a photo of Lou checking out a sexy model, while speaking the title! CD

An amazing album – simply groundbreaking, and a key turn for Jackie McLean! The record features a group of hip young players – including a very young Tony Williams, plus Grachan Moncur III, Bobby Hutcherson, and Eddie Kahn – all playing in a spare contemplative modernist mode that would soon become known as "new thing" jazz. The four tracks on the album – "Frankenstein", "Ghost Town", "Blue Rondo", and "Saturday & Sunday" – are extremely stark, and even Hutcherson's often-warm vibes sound harsh and metallic, especially next to McLean's razor-sharp tone. The record's a real treasure – and never too out to be unenjoyable by fans of McLean's more inside work. Extremely compelling – and we sure wish they were making them like this again! Also includes a bonus alternate of "Saturday & Sunday". CD

Late life brilliance from the legendary Charles Lloyd – a reed player who seems to have given the world more great music in the past 20 years than he had in the previous 60s! Lloyd keeps on moving forward with all these new ideas and fresh conceptions – and here, he blows tenor, alto, and flutes in a great quartet that features Jason Moran on piano, Larry Grenadier on bass, and Brian Blade on drums – all excellent players on their own, but musicians who also put their egos aside to fold into the richness of Lloyd's music. The set's got a subtle spiritual current throughout – nicely understated, but very pure – on titles that include "The Water Is Rising", "Defiant Tender Warrior", "Beyond Darkness", "Sky Valley Spirit Of The Forest", "Balm In Gilead", "Cape To Cairo", and "Ghost Of Lady Day". CD

A killer quartet session by Brit trumpeter Dizzy Reece, recorded as one of his three American albums for Blue Note during the late 50s! Unlike the other records, which featured larger groups, this album's done with a quartet – which gives Reece a chance to really take over on his solos – blowing with a sense of warm and lyricism that's not heard as strongly on the other records – really getting some great support from a rhythm trio that includes Walter Bishop Jr on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Quite different from some of Dizzy's London work of the time – and with tracks that include "A Ghost Of A Chance", "Our Love Is Here To Stay", "Blue Streak", "Eb Pob", and a nice version of "Yesterdays". CD

Previously unreleased work from the legendary group of Clifford Brown and Max Roach – recorded back in the 50s, when Mainstream producer Bob Shad was working on the Brown/Roach dates for Mercury – but not issued until this set in the 70s, when Shad had his own label! The music here is right up there with the best 50s classics by the pair – really showcasing that amazing trumpet style that made Brownie a genius right from the start – next to some of the burning energy he forged with Roach in the group. Every player's tremendous – Harold Land on tenor, Richie Powell on piano, and George Morrow on bass – and titles include two Clifford Brown originals – "Daahoud" and "Joyspring" – plus Roach's "Mildama", plus the standards "I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", and "These Foolish Things Remind Me Of You". CD

An enigmatic chapter in the always-compelling career of trumpeter Erik Truffaz – one that has him bringing in some distinct Mid East influences, in the form of vocalists Nya and Mournir Troudi! The core group's a quartet, with Truffaz playing in his usual moody trumpet style, as well as a bit of melodica – backed by a bit of electronics, guitar, and percussion. The vocalists sing on about half the album's tracks, giving them lyrics of a strongly political nature – and creating a mood that really makes these tunes stand out from the others on the LP. A few of the instrumentals get a bit guitar-heavy for our taste, but the vocal numbers are great – and tracks include "Saloua", "Ines", "Tantrik", "Big Wheel", "Whispering", "Yabous", "Ghost Drummer", and "Et La Vie Continue". (Deep Funk, Jazz) CD

A cool cooker from the great Lou Donaldson – and a record that's ever bit as tasty as its cover! Lou's really hitting his soul jazz stride here – stepping off his 50s bop years, and moving into a more gutbuckety groove that's delivered with wonderful accompaniment from a quartet that features Grant Green on guitar, John Patton on Hammond, and Ben Dixon on drums! The style is loose and open – and tracks are long, with tight solos, especially from Patton and Green, always a winning combination – really stepping out here with an early raw fury! Titles include "Caracas", "Bad John", "Holy Ghost", and "Good Gracious!". Nice cover, too, with a photo of Lou checking out a sexy model, while speaking the title! CD

An amazing album – simply groundbreaking, and a key turn for Jackie McLean! The record features a group of hip young players – including a very young Tony Williams, plus Grachan Moncur III, Bobby Hutcherson, and Eddie Kahn – all playing in a spare contemplative modernist mode that would soon become known as "new thing" jazz. The four tracks on the album – "Frankenstein", "Ghost Town", "Blue Rondo", and "Saturday & Sunday" – are extremely stark, and even Hutcherson's often-warm vibes sound harsh and metallic, especially next to McLean's razor-sharp tone. The record's a real treasure – and never too out to be unenjoyable by fans of McLean's more inside work. Extremely compelling – and we sure wish they were making them like this again! Also includes a bonus alternate of "Saturday & Sunday". CD

Possibly the strongest album ever recorded by mellow-voiced jazz vocalist Earl Coleman – a singer with a deeper style that's very much in the classic Billy Eckstine mode, but which swings a bit more freely in a small combo! The set's got a nicely open style – with longer tracks than usual for a jazz vocal date, and lots of room for jazz soloists that include Art Farmer on trumpet, Gigi Gryce on alto, and Hank Jones on piano. The backing is in a great small group mode, and in a way, the album's almost unique for the time – and really predates a lot of later male vocal sides of this nature – offering Coleman more of a fresh start than just a standard "return" – and really paving the way for Johnny Hartman sides in the 60s. Titles include "Say It Isn't So", "Reminiscing", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "No Love No Nothin", and a great version of "Social Call". CD features 4 bonus tracks that include "My Last Affair", "This Is Always", "I Haven't Changed A Thing", and "A Ghost Of A Chance". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

One of the most unusual criss-crossings of styles that we've ever heard from saxophonist Charles Lloyd – and that's saying a lot, given all of his unusual projects over the years! This set follows from Lloyd's previous album with his Marvels group – a richly American blending of jazz and roots – and also brings in singer Lucinda Williams on a number of the album's tracks! The core sounds have that strong contribution from guitarist Bill Frisell that made the previous Marvels project so unique – and Williams herself has great sympathy with the guitarist, as she does with Greg Leisz, who plays pedal steel and dobro on the record. Lloyd handles tenor, flute, and "ghost vocals" – and the album equally balances instrumental tunes and vocal selections, including one trio number with just Lloyd, Frisell, and Williams. Titles include "Dust", "Vanished Gardens", "Unsuffer Me", "Monk's Mood", "Angel", "Blues For Langston & LaRue", "Ballad Of The Sad Young Men", "Ventura", and "We've Come Too Far To Turn Around". CD

A killer quartet session by Brit trumpeter Dizzy Reece, recorded as one of his three American albums for Blue Note during the late 50s! Unlike the other records, which featured larger groups, this album's done with a quartet – which gives Reece a chance to really take over on his solos – blowing with a sense of warm and lyricism that's not heard as strongly on the other records – really getting some great support from a rhythm trio that includes Walter Bishop Jr on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Quite different from some of Dizzy's London work of the time – and with tracks that include "A Ghost Of A Chance", "Our Love Is Here To Stay", "Blue Streak", "Eb Pob", and a nice version of "Yesterdays". CD

A killer quartet session by Brit trumpeter Dizzy Reece, recorded as one of his three American albums for Blue Note during the late 50s! Unlike the other records, which featured larger groups, this album's done with a quartet – which gives Reece a chance to really take over on his solos – blowing with a sense of warm and lyricism that's not heard as strongly on the other records – really getting some great support from a rhythm trio that includes Walter Bishop Jr on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Quite different from some of Dizzy's London work of the time – and with tracks that include "A Ghost Of A Chance", "Our Love Is Here To Stay", "Blue Streak", "Eb Pob", and a nice version of "Yesterdays". CD

Recorded May 1, 1966 at Slug's Saloon, NYC. Features themes and variations on "Bells" and "Ghosts". CD

Dizzy and strings – a surprisingly great combination! Although it was Charlie Parker who first made famous the modernist "jazz with strings" approach, Dizzy does wonderfully here in the format – working in similar fashion with edgey backing from the "Operatic String Orchestra" in sessions recorded in Paris in the early 50s! The material was originally only issued as a number of separate 78rpm singles, but is brought together here with full notes and a few bonus tracks – making for a wonderful album that documents this really under-represented part of Dizzy's career. The solos are warm, but edgey – blown over the top of backings that shimmer with rich colors, but have a slightly modern bent. Titles include "Fine & Dandy", "Stormy Weather", "The Very Thought Of You", "Jalousie", "Sweet & Lovely", "The Man I Love", and "Ghost Of A Chance". CD