One of the first albums as a leader from pianist John Hicks – a record that really set the tone for countless great sides to come – and which follows on years of great work with Art Blakey, Lee Morgan, Hank Mobley, Charles Tolliver, and other soulful jazz giants! This set was Hicks' only date for the Strata East label – and has an open, flowing vibe that's very much in keeping with the imprint – and which is maybe a bit different than his later, more familiar material! Part of the strength of the record is bassist Clint Houston – who's completely sublime throughout, and has a way of shaping his notes with this depth that seems to set Hicks free to fly across the keys of the piano on these very long original tunes. Drummer Cliff Barbaro is also part of the trio – and can wind things up when needed, but also lay back and allow some great interplay between Houston and Hicks – on beautiful long tunes that include "Hells Bells", "Avojca", "Yemenja", and "Angie's Tune". LP, Vinyl record album

Elvin Jones rose to fame in the company of one of the greatest saxophone players ever – the mighty John Coltrane – and his post-Coltrane work like this really continues a keen respect for the role of the reeds in jazz – and really does a lot to push it forward as well! There's a compelling edge to the record that's light years from Elvin's work with Coltrane – a completely new sensibility that can be spacious one minute, extremely powerful the next – and quite possibly realized to its fullest potential here, thanks to the mindblowing contributions of Dave Liebman on tenor and soprano sax, Frank Foster on tenor and flute, and Joe Farrell on alto and soprano sax. All three players work together on each track – and all shift reeds throughout the session – opening up majestically with inspiration from Elvin's drums, and some wonderful work from Gene Perla on bass. The sound is beyond easy categorization or simple style – and the record's filled with wonderful titles that include "PP Phoenix", "For All The Other Times", "Three Card Monty", and "Cecilia Is Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Great later blowing from John Klemmer – clear, clean, and extremely well-focused – with nary a dull moment throughout! The album's a mostly acoustic one – save for some keyboards from Milcho Leviev – and the sound is tremendous, very much in keeping with the farther-reaching modes that Klemmer was exploring at the start of the 70s – imaginative, always-creative solos that really take off in the freedoms of the post-Coltrane years, yet which always stay focused and soulful throughout. Other players include Oscar Castro Neves on guitar, Ray Armando on percussion, and Roy McCurdy on drums – and tracks include "Tropical Snowflakes", "Love Affair", "Paradise", "Arabesque", "Touch", and "Summertime". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic album that brings together all of the European winners of the recent Downbeat polls – like Karin Krog, John Surman, Albert Mangelsdorff, Francy Boland, Daniel Humair, and Niels Henning Orsted-Pedersen. The sextet is a lively batch of free-swinging European jazz stylists, with touches of modernism that keep the whole session on edge throughout – in a way that's right up there with the best of the classic MPS sessions! The highlight of the set is Karin Krog's beautiful vocal version of "Maiden Voyage", but there's loads of other nice bits – like "Winter Song", "Ryoan-Ji", "Open Space", and "Hello Thursday". A great one, and darn tough to find! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest, grooviest albums ever from jazz vibist Johnny Lytle – a set that really leans into the impact that he was having with the soul instrumental crowd, and which serves up tunes in these short, tight grooves that show why Johnny was the king of the stepping dancefloor in the 60s! The set's still done with producer Orrin Keepnews, who'd handled Lytle's earlier jazz sides – but the tunes are shorter, and have the grooves punched up nicely – with plenty of cool Hammond work from organist Milt Harris, and tight drums from Peppy Hinnant – augment6ed with work from Willie Rodriguez on congas, and guest piano from Wynton Kelly on a few cuts! The whole thing's sweet and groovy, and the set features Johnny Lytle originals "Big Bill", "The Shyster", "Possum Grease", "The Man", "The Loop", and "Hot Sauce" – plus a cool cover of "Cristo Redentor". LP, Vinyl record album

A massively expanded package of music – filled with previously unreleased gems! The 2CD set features a landmark collaboration between John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk – two generations of jazz modern, working here to create some really incredible music! The core of this material is from the pair's work issued on the amazing Monk's Music album for Riverside – but the expanded collection also features lots of additional work from the same period too – including some unusual and alternate studio moments too! Other players vary from track to track – and include Gigi Gryce on alto sax, Ray Copeland on trumpet, Coleman Hawkins on additional tenor, Wilbur Ware on bass, and Art Blakey on drums. Titles wonderful versions of "Ruby My Dear", "Trinkle Tinkle", "Nutty", "Well You Needn't", "Crepescule With Nellie" and "Monk's Mood" – plus some alternate versions, false starts, and more – all wrapped up with notes and reflections from original producer Orrin Keepnews. CD

Great work from Moody's "second phase" – the post-Overbrook time in which he picks up the flute, drops a bit of the bop style, and starts working in a much more complicated style that showed that he had a hell of a lot of room to grow as an artist! This album's Moody's second for Argo – recorded in 1959, with help from the brilliant arranger Tom McIntosh. Players include Johnny Coles, Musa Kaleem, Gene Kee, and McIntosh – and the album features the first reading of Moody's famous "Darben The Redd Foxx", plus "Cookie", "RBQ", "Daahoud", and McIntosh's perennial favorite, "With Malice Toward None". LP, Vinyl record album

A record with a very deep sound – maybe what you'd guess from the richness of the trombone work of Steve Swell, which is also echoed here by the bass of Peter Giron and drums of John Betsch – both of whom make for a very solid bottom to the set! The music is improvised, but this grounding seems to give it some earth from which to grow – resulting in these flowering lines from Rob Brown on alto sax, and Michel Edelin on flutes – both players whose sense of tonal expression is really opened up here! Swell has this way of moving between the different layers of sound with effortless ease – and the quintet improvise over light compositions with the sort of freshness that keeps free jazz so vibrant over the years. Titles include "Dawn", "Nexus", "Hop Skip & Jump", "New Orleans", "Oer The Wall", "Prevert Is Now", and "For Frank Lowe". CD

A brilliant 80s set from Pharoah Sanders – a record that has him a much more understated setting than some of his other albums from the time – but one that's maybe even more soulful and searching overall! The great one plays blistering tenor right from the start – in a quartet with John Hicks on piano, Curtis Lundy on bass, and Idris Muhammad on drums – all players who have this way of doing a lot with a little, especially in the rhythm department – where they seem to give Sanders some of his strongest sense of groove since the key albums for Theresa. Muhammad's got this tight sense of timekeeping, but with a looseness that we love – and Lundy's warm soulful bass does more than enough to give the set a sound bottom – and Hicks' free lyrical piano works nicely with Sanders' spiritual horn. Titles include a remake of "You've Got To Have Freedom", plus "Naima", "Origin", "Speak Low", "After The Morning", and "Africa". Also features the tracks "Duo" and "Heart To Heart" – not on the vinyl release! CD

A brilliant 80s set from Pharoah Sanders – a record that has him a much more understated setting than some of his other albums from the time – but one that's maybe even more soulful and searching overall! The great one plays blistering tenor right from the start – in a quartet with John Hicks on piano, Curtis Lundy on bass, and Idris Muhammad on drums – all players who have this way of doing a lot with a little, especially in the rhythm department – where they seem to give Sanders some of his strongest sense of groove since the key albums for Theresa. Muhammad's got this tight sense of timekeeping, but with a looseness that we love – and Lundy's warm soulful bass does more than enough to give the set a sound bottom – and Hicks' free lyrical piano works nicely with Sanders' spiritual horn. Titles include a remake of "You've Got To Have Freedom", plus "Naima", "Origin", "Speak Low", "After The Morning", and "Africa". Also features the tracks "Duo" and "Heart To Heart" – not on the vinyl release! Great 2CD version – with a bonus CD that features two alternates of "Speak Low", and one more of "After The Morning". CD

A sweetly funky little set from Sonny Stitt – one of his hippest albums ever, and a rare date cut for Ahmad Jamal's short-lived record label! The sound here is a great combination of the late 60s tone that Sonny forged on other east coast indies – and some of the hipper, more open rhythms he'd later hit on the Jazz Masters label in Detroit on his work with Eddie Russ – a sound that's quite unique, and which is a fair bit different than the funk-based Stitt dates for Prestige around the same time. Players here are quite unusual too – Herbie Hancock on piano, organ, and Fender Rhodes – plus Ted Sommer on vibes, and guitar by either Gene Bertoncini, Howard Collins, or John Pizzarelli – depending on the track. Rhythm is by Ron Carter on bass and Grady Tate on drums – and the arrangements by Dave Ward have a nicely fresh approach to soul jazz – one that really keeps things interesting throughout! Titles include "Sunny", "My Idea", "Jason's Blues", "Out Of This World", "Opus 1", "When Sonny Blows Blue", and "Mac Arthur Park". CD

A classic of 70s avant spiritual jazz – issued on the tiny Sweet Earth label, which was also home to some very special records from Sun Ra and Marion Brown! Bassist David Wertman is a lot more obscure than those bigger names, but he was part of the New York loft jazz scene in those crucial mid 70s years – and had associations with Arthur Blythe, Billy Bang, Steve Reid, and other key members of the group – all heavyweights that Wertman can easily stand next to with the strength of the material on this set! The sounds here are a fantastic combination of larger ideas and more spontaneous creation – almost in an AACM mode, but a bit more spiritual overall – with David's bass at the helm of a group that includes David Swerdlove on alto and soprano sax, John Hagen on tenor and soprano, John Sprague on flutes, Greg Wall on baritone, and John Zieman on keyboards. Drummer Jay Conway really provides some great energy to keep things lively and moving – and titles include "Oh John Love Trane", "Clear Air Dancer", "Earthly Delights", and "Relations". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderfully wide-ranging tribute to the great John Coltrane – served up here in a whole host of tracks recorded after his too-early death, each of which take his musical message in different directions! The sound is certainly spiritual – in keeping with the different volumes in this long-running series – but there's a nice mix of expressions and instrumentation, offering up a journey into John Coltrane's important influence on so many different spheres of jazz – far more than you might expect! And this isn't just a set of Coltrane remakes or covers, either, as new songs are mixed with familiar ones – in a well-chosen batch of tracks that includes "Trane" by Carmelo Garcia, "Transition" by Malachi Thompson, "John Coltrane" by Clifford Jordan, "Naima" by Darwin Strickland Trio, "Terre Engloutie" by Gilles Torrent Jazztet, "To Trane" by Carsten Meinert Kvartet, "Welcome" by Norman Connors, "Ole" by Sonny Fortune, and "Naima" by Jack McDuff. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) CD

A wonderfully wide-ranging tribute to the great John Coltrane – served up here in a whole host of tracks recorded after his too-early death, each of which take his musical message in different directions! The sound is certainly spiritual – in keeping with the different volumes in this long-running series – but there's a nice mix of expressions and instrumentation, offering up a journey into John Coltrane's important influence on so many different spheres of jazz – far more than you might expect! And this isn't just a set of Coltrane remakes or covers, either, as new songs are mixed with familiar ones – in a well-chosen batch of tracks that includes "Trane" by Carmelo Garcia, "Transition" by Malachi Thompson, "John Coltrane" by Clifford Jordan, "Naima" by Darwin Strickland Trio, "Terre Engloutie" by Gilles Torrent Jazztet, "To Trane" by Carsten Meinert Kvartet, "Welcome" by Norman Connors, "Ole" by Sonny Fortune, and "Naima" by Jack McDuff. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A well-titled set from Art Blakey – considering the hard-driving sound of the group! The album's one of the best from that unusual year of 1957 – almost a "lost" year for Art, when he was working away from Blue Note with a very different lineup of the Jazz Messengers than on his famous sessions for that label! The players here are all great – and include Johnny Griffin on tenor, Bill Hardman on trumpet, Junior Mance on piano, and Spanky DeBrest on bass – all working with a style that's a bit loose and open, allowing plenty of space for solos! Griffin's horn has all the sharp edges you'd expect, and Hardman's great too – and Blakey himself seems to sit back a bit more than usual in his chair, letting the soloists lead the tracks, instead of kicking things into gear from the drums. Titles include "Deo X", "Sweet Sakeena", "Late Spring", "Krafty", and "For Miles & Miles". LP, Vinyl record album

The tenor sax here makes the album a standout – as John Coltrane still works with Miles Davis on 2 tracks for the record, but Blue Note stalwart Hank Mobley joins in on the rest! The approach is similar to that of the classic Coltrane/Davis years – and in a way, the record's kind of a swan song to that period – one of the last studio session that Miles would cut in such an unabashedly sweet and lyrical way. And while Mobley's always better known for his harder-blown notes at Blue Note, he sounds totally great here next to Davis – really keeping up the gentle spirit and spaciousness of the record, and working with a gentleness that surpasses even his work on the legendary Soul Station album. Rhythm is by the trio of Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb – and titles include Miles' classic version of "Someday My Prince Will Come", plus "Old Folks", "Teo", "Drad-Dog", and "Pfrancing". CD

Hard wailing! Poppa Lou's caught right at the height of his early Blue Note powers here – recorded in 2 different groups on this set of unreleased sessions from the early 60s! Both sets have Lou in a guitar/organ soul jazz setting – with backing by Grant Green on guitar, and either Jack McDuff or John Patton on organ. The McDuff set features the great Joe Dukes on drums, and the session sparkles like one of McDuff's best Prestige albums from the time. The other session has the classic Patton/Green lineup augmented by trumpeter Irwin Stokes, a lesser-known talent who really opens up the sound nicely. There's a total of 9 tracks in all – a number of them ballads, but done with a lively soulful tone that keeps the whole thing nice and fresh – even after sitting in the vaults for nearly 40 years! Titles include "Star Dust", "Hippty Hop", "Please", "Man With A Horn", and "Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White". CD

That's the Modern Jazz Sextet – not the Modern Jazz Quartet – although the group definitely borrows a bit of energy from the MJQ, and some personnel too! The group was only put together for this date – and combines the subtle touches of MJQ members John Lewis on piano and Percy Heath on bass, with some harder-edged, hardbop-driven sounds from Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Sonny Stitt on alto, Skeeter Best on guitar, and Charlie Persip on drums! The set's got an open, easygoing feel – that loose Verve studio mode of the time – which stems from their jam session modes, but is a bit tighter overall – in ways that really help the players find their energy together in the tunes. Titles include 2 standards, in the usual Verve style – "Mean To Me" and a ballad medley of "Old Folks", "What's New" and "How Deep Is The Ocean" – plus 3 originals – "Blues For Bird", "Tour De Force", and "Dizzy Meets Sonny". LP, Vinyl record album

That's the Modern Jazz Sextet – not the Modern Jazz Quartet – although the group definitely borrows a bit of energy from the MJQ, and some personnel too! The group was only put together for this date – and combines the subtle touches of MJQ members John Lewis on piano and Percy Heath on bass, with some harder-edged, hardbop-driven sounds from Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Sonny Stitt on alto, Skeeter Best on guitar, and Charlie Persip on drums! The set's got an open, easygoing feel – that loose Verve studio mode of the time – which stems from their jam session modes, but is a bit tighter overall – in ways that really help the players find their energy together in the tunes. Titles include 2 standards, in the usual Verve style – "Mean To Me" and a ballad medley of "Old Folks", "What's New" and "How Deep Is The Ocean" – plus 3 originals – "Blues For Bird", "Tour De Force", and "Dizzy Meets Sonny". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant 80s set from Pharoah Sanders – a record that has him a much more understated setting than some of his other albums from the time – but one that's maybe even more soulful and searching overall! The great one plays blistering tenor right from the start – in a quartet with John Hicks on piano, Curtis Lundy on bass, and Idris Muhammad on drums – all players who have this way of doing a lot with a little, especially in the rhythm department – where they seem to give Sanders some of his strongest sense of groove since the key albums for Theresa. Muhammad's got this tight sense of timekeeping, but with a looseness that we love – and Lundy's warm soulful bass does more than enough to give the set a sound bottom – and Hicks' free lyrical piano works nicely with Sanders' spiritual horn. Titles include a remake of "You've Got To Have Freedom", plus "Naima", "Origin", "Speak Low", "After The Morning", and "Africa". Also features the tracks "Duo" and "Heart To Heart" – not on the vinyl release! CD

A runaway hit for reedman Tom Scott – and the record that helped to elevate him to the ranks of studio and fusion superstardom in the 70s! By the time of the record, Scott had already done some key work under his own name, and was contributing heavily to countless other sessions in the jazz, pop, soul, and soundtrack worlds. But this album's the one that really helped Tom get his groove out there – a particular approach to smooth fusion that still kept things plenty funky overall! Part of the credit for the set really goes to bassist Max Bennett and drummer John Guerin – who bring in a tightly snapping bottom that lets Scott get a bit smoother on the top with his saxes, in a style that's augmented by plenty of great keyboard work from Larry Nash. Titles include "Keep On Doin It", "Tom Cat", "Rock Island Rocket", "Mondo", "Refried", "Backfence Cattin", and "Love Poem". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent bop sides cut for EmArcy by Cannonball, collected and assembled in a manner that showcases his wonderfully soulful and hard blowing approach to the alto in the years before Miles recruited him. The set features a host of great sidemen including brother Nat, JJ Johnson, Cecil Payne, Ernie Royal, John Coltrane, Junior Mance, Horace Silver, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, Keeter Betts, Sam Jones, Kenny Clarke, Max Roach and Jimmy Cobb. 17 tracks in all, including "Hurrican Connie", "Cynthia's In Love", "Cannonball", "Nat's Everglade", "Fallen Feathers", "Watermelon", "Fort Lauderdale", "Broadway At Basin Street", "T's Tune", "Blues For Bohemia", "Specutacular", "Miss Jackie's Delight", "Hoppin' John", "The Way You Look Tonight", "I'll Remember April", "Limehouse Blues" and "The Sleeper". LP, Vinyl record album

Angular Monk meets hard-driving Art Blakey – in a session that's quite unique, and which has gone onto become one of the best-remembered Atlantic jazz sessions of the late 50s! The album features Blakey in that key non-Blue Note year of 1957 – a time when he was working with a variety of players, at a variety of labels, and taking some real chances with his music before settling into his more established hit Jazz Messengers sound. The group here is Art's own – with Johnny Griffin on tenor, Bill Hardman on trumpet, and Spanky DeBrest on bass – augmented by the piano of Thelonious Monk – a match that might seem unlikely at first, but not so much so after you consider the great work that Monk and Griffin did together at Riverside during the late 50s. There's a nice match between Johnny's sharp-edged tenor and Monk's imaginative playing – and if anything, the record has Blakey, Hardman, and DeBrest moving dynamically to keep up with the flurry of modern ideas coming from Griffin and Monk! Tracks are almost all originals by Thelonious too – a fact that definitely helps keep up the "Monk-ish" sound of the record – titles that include "Evidence", "Blue Monk", "I Mean You", and "Rhythm A Ning" – alongside Griffin's "Purple Shades". Features a full bonus album of outtakes from the sessions – most unreleased! LP, Vinyl record album

Three albums from reedman Arthur Blythe – served up in one nicely-priced set! Retroflection is a great showcase for the alto talents of Arthur Blythe – a set that's maybe a bit more stripped-down than some of his bigger label albums of the 80s, but in a way that really lets you focus on his strength of tone and phrasing! The group's a quartet, working in an open live setting – John Hicks on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Bobby Battle on drums – and while all players certainly know how to go inside, they keep things swinging and relatively straight at the core – while Blythe waxes beautifully on the alto, with these sharp edges that mix nicely with more lyrical moments. Titles include "Jana's Delight", "JB Blues", "Lenox Avenue Breakdown", "Faceless Woman", and "Peacemaker". Calling Card is a great little record from Arthur Blythe – mostly straight ahead, but pretty darn freewheeling too – thanks to a selection of long tracks that really let him open up on alto sax! The setting is a quartet – nicely put-together with John Hicks on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Bobby Battle on drums – a rhythm trio who do equally well on the album's spiritual tracks and its more soulful groovers. The performance was recorded live, but with a nice degree of intimacy, especially on Blythe's horn – and titles include "Hip Dripper", "Naima's Love Song", "As Of Yet", "Blue Blues", "Break Tune", and "Elaborations". On Hipmotism, there's a really hypnotic blend of sounds – the always-strong alto work of Arthur Blythe, whose solos are a key part of the strength of the set – matched with a super-strong lineup that includes Hamiet Bluiett on baritone sax, Kelvin Bell on guitar, Gust William Tsilis on vibes, Arto Tuncboyaci on percussion, and Famoudou Don Moye on drums! There's a slight crackle of electricity at times, but never in a way that dampens the soul, especially that of a leader – and while earlier efforts of this sort might have gotten mired in too much criss-crossing of modes, this set comes off perfectly – a fresh entry in Blythe's wonderfully storied career. Titles include "Miss Eugie", "Hipmotism", "My Son Ra", "Bush Baby", "Dear Dessa", "Cousin Sidney", "Shadows", and "Dance Benita Dance". CD

Wonderful wonderful wonderful work from the legendary John Coltrane – and even though it's probably one of his best-selling albums of all time, it's still a treasure – and has an essential place in just about any jazz collection! We've heard the original title version of "My Favorite Things" a million times – but it still blows our mind the way Coltrane hits this incredibly soulful modal groove, twisting and turning on soprano sax, always keeping things interesting, so that we're surprised that the cut's 13 minutes have gone by so quickly! The rest of the record's equally great – and the 3 other long cuts are "Everytime We Say Goodbye", "Summertime" and "But Not for Me". As great today as when it was cut, and still one of Coltrane's most revelatory albums! With McCoy Tyner on piano, Steve Davis on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. CD

The complete recordings of a legendary live cycle of shows in Stockholm from 1960 – material that was previously issued on two different 2LP sets during the album era, now brought together here with bonus tracks too! The first third of the set features incredible work from the team of Miles Davis and John Coltrane – working together in space that's very open, and far more exploratory than their studio work of the late 50s – maybe at a level that really shows the impact that Coltrane's growth was having on the solo approach of Davis! The key rhythm trio keeps things swinging – Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – which almost seems to allow the horn players even more freedom. The second two thirds of the set are equally striking, but in a very different way – as they feature the great Sonny Stitt, blowing both alto and tenor with Miles' group – a choice that's maybe a bit surprising, but equally wonderful too – a Stitt brings the sound maybe back to a bop core, but also seems to really get a chance to show off some of those modern currents that he had to soft-pedal on his albums for Roost. Titles with Coltrane include "So What", "On Green Dolphin Street", "All Blues/Theme", "Walkin/Theme", and "Fran Dance" – and titles with Stitt include "Autumn Leaves/Theme", "Walkin", "All Of You", "June Night", "Stardust", "Lover Man", "If I Were A Bell", "No Blues/Theme", "Softly As In A Mornin Sunrise", and "So What". CD

A selection of work by one of the most enigmatic talents on the LA scene of the mid 50s – French Horn player John Graas, an artist with a talent as unique as his horn! Unlike other jazz artists who used the French Horn, Graas managed to keep things cool and light – working in a cool mode that really fit the tone of the scene at the time – but also bringing in some nice modern touches to his writing, as you'll hear in this set of mostly original numbers. The CD collects recordings from the year 1957 – a shifting group of players that includes Graas on a few numbers, plus Jack Montrose, Bill Perkins, Paul Chambers, Philly Joe Jones, and Paul Moer – all coming together in varying configurations around Graas' compositions. Titles include "Cluster", "Mood", "Cannon Friar", "Westlake Bounce", "Motif", "Cannon Ball", and "Mulliganesque". CD

Elvin Jones rose to fame in the company of one of the greatest saxophone players ever – the mighty John Coltrane – and his post-Coltrane work like this really continues a keen respect for the role of the reeds in jazz – and really does a lot to push it forward as well! There's a compelling edge to the record that's light years from Elvin's work with Coltrane – a completely new sensibility that can be spacious one minute, extremely powerful the next – and quite possibly realized to its fullest potential here, thanks to the mindblowing contributions of Dave Liebman on tenor and soprano sax, Frank Foster on tenor and flute, and Joe Farrell on alto and soprano sax. All three players work together on each track – and all shift reeds throughout the session – opening up majestically with inspiration from Elvin's drums, and some wonderful work from Gene Perla on bass. The sound is beyond easy categorization or simple style – and the record's filled with wonderful titles that include "PP Phoenix", "For All The Other Times", "Three Card Monty", and "Cecilia Is Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A really amazing set of work from tenorist Clifford Jordan – a player who first rose to fame in the hardbop scene of the late 50s, but who moved into tremendous new territory with these Strata East recordings of the late 60s and early 70s! Jordan was a Chicago contemporary of players like Johnny Griffin and Von Freeman, but he was never content to rest on his laurels – and stretched out on these records with a spiritual vibe that he'd never expressed before – and which would go onto inspire countless other musicians in years to come! This set brings together all the Dolphy Series recordings that Jordan recorded – either as an artist or producer – two of which were never issued on record at the time. Jordan's own albums for the label are wonderful enough – the double-length Glass Bead Games, one of our favorite records ever – and the killer In The World, which is great too. But this set also adds in other Strata East albums that really help illustrate the scene in which Jordan was working – including the excellent Pharoah Sanders non-Impulse session, Izipho Zam; the modern music of Charles Brackeen on Rhythm X, with Don Cherry on trumpet and Brackeen on tenor; and the great Cecil Payne album Zodiac, which has some of the last trumpet work ever from Kenny Dorham. Plus, the set also features two extremely rare albums – the never-issued Shades Of Edward Blackwell – led by the drummer, with Don Cherry on trumpet and Luqman Lateef on tenor, plus a bit of log drum from Jordan – and the obscure Super Bass album from Wilbur Ware, which features Jordan on tenor, in a quartet with Ware on bass, Don Cherry on trumpet, and Ed Blackwell on drums! These two albums are worth the price of the package alone – even if you have other Strata East albums in your collection – and the whole thing features the usual sublime Mosaic package and booklet. CD

Seminal sounds from saxophonist John Klemmer – very different than his smoother records of later years – and a key step in the direction of spiritual fusion! Klemmer blows saxes and flutes, sometimes with really cool effects pedals – and the group also features the great Lynn Blessing on vibes, plus Mike Lang on Fender Rhodes and organ, and Art Johnson on guitar and effects! John plays with great abandon on some of these tracks, and with an angular style that's more in keeping with some of the European players of the time, than it is with his labelmates at Cadet – and titles include "Gardens Of Uranus", "Summer Song", "Regions Of Fire", and "Lady Toad". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent album from Eric Kloss – maybe one of his last good ones, too! The record has him playing with a hip group of young players – basically the Miles Davis rhythm section (Chick Corea, Dave Holland, and Jack DeJohnette) plus guitarist Pat Martino, who was really stretching out at this time. The resultant electric grooves are way different than Kloss' earlier work, yet still much tighter and more soulful than his later stuff – with some slight bits of funk and soul jazz to keep things real. All tracks are fairly long, and the record features versions of "Sunshine Superman" and "Songs To Aging Children" – plus the tunes "Consciousness" and "Outward Wisdom". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic album – one that pairs the arranging talents of the great French composer Michel Legrand, with a host of American jazz players – including Miles Davis, Ben Webster, Milt Hinton, Donald Byrd, Hank Jones, and John Coltrane. The tracks are a beautiful blend of Legrand's best arranging styles from his soundtrack work, and they show his keen talent for setting up complicated orchestrations, then letting the soloist step forth into the spotlight with individual brilliance. The titles are mostly jazz standards, but they're done in a great way, with lots of twists and turns that keep things fresh. Titles include "Round Midnight", "Night In Tunisia", "Nuages", "In A Mist", and "Django". CD

2 of John Lewis' non-MJQ albums of third stream jazz for Atlantic. Both records feature Lewis working with Gunter Schuller, and they both share Lewis and Schuller's keen ambition to move jazz into the sophisticated world of the concert hall. Although not always successful in their endeavors – mostly because they kind of squash jazz into a more academic instrumental pursuit – the records do have some nice moments, and include great players like Ornette Coleman, Jim Hall, Joe Wilder, and Scott LaFaro. Titles include "Abstraction", "Pulcinella", "Piazza Navona", "Variant I", and "Piece For Guitar & Strings". CD

Murray's tenor and bass clarinet are nicely set in a warm lyrical quartet with John Hicks, Ray Drummond, and Ed Blackwell. The record features some nice long tracks that have Murray playing mostly inside, but with enough soul and raw talent to keep things moving nicely. Titles include "Walter's Waltz", "Ming's Samba", and "Spooning". LP, Vinyl record album

Very groovy work from Chico – still very Latin at the core, but with lots of light 60s touches on top, ala the work of Gary McFarland, or some of the other groove-conscious arrangers for Verve and Impulse! Players on the set include Art Farmer, Clark Terry, JJ Johnson, Seldon Powell, and Pat Rebillot – and there's a nice choppy approach to the tracks that keeps the whole thing fresh! Titles include "Live Oak", "Patcham", "Panache", "Green Moss", and "The Lady From Nine Flags". Very groovy cover, too – with images of ladies from around the world, illustrating the Nine Flags concept! LP, Vinyl record album

Interesting sides from Bud Powell – billed on the front as "his first new recordings since 1958", which isn't really the case, since he did cut some work while living in Paris. And even more interesting, the liner notes describe Powell as "back on the US jazz scene, cured of TB and fat as a Burgermeister" – completely hiding the troubles which still plagued him, and which would take him shortly after the time of this session! The material's maybe not prime work by Bud, but it's still pretty great – with more than a few nice moments on the solos – and backing by John Ore on bass, and JC Moses on drums – which keeps things moving at a nice pace. Titles include "I Remember Clifford", "Hallucinations", "If I Loved You", and "Green Dolphin Street". CD

Warmly chromatic work from guitarist John Scofield – full of tones and textures that shift and shimmer about a soulful center – always as chromatic as you might guess from the album's cover and title! There's certain 80s elements in the instrumentation – especially the use of more electric bits, as was common for the Gramavision label at the time – but Scofield finds a way to keep things interesting by drawing on the deeper roots of his previous work for his solos. Titles include "The Nag", "Time Marches On", "Now She's Blonde", "Make Me", and "So You Say". LP, Vinyl record album

John Scofield's the leader here – but at times, we almost think the record's the vision of pianist Hal Galper as much as it is the guitarist – as both their efforts leap from the grooves with a really wonderful sense of energy! Maybe part of the album's strength is the rhythm duo – as the great Stafford James is on bass, a player we always love, next to drummer Adam Nussbaum – who can also really take off, and keep things driving in ways that have Scofield moving with all these fast flourishes of sound – quickly spinning out those chromatic lines that made him such a distinct player in the 70s! Galper has a great sense of boldness – and titles include "Alter Fields", "Rough House", "Slow Elvin", "Triple Play", "Air Pakistan", and "Ailleron". LP, Vinyl record album

A real standout set from Tony Scott's 50s catalog – an album that features his sweetly fluid clarinet lines backed by a larger orchestra that includes Gigi Gryce, Sahib Shihab, Zoot Sims, Frank Wess, Thad Jones, and Frank Foster! The format's less bop-oriented than some of Tony's other records from the time, but the expansive sound of the larger group is really great – and brings a sense of drama to the record that seems to push Tony a bit more than usual. Some tracks feature incredible solo work that has Scott really stretching the instrument, almost in a way that foreshadows stronger 60s use of soprano saxophone – and arrangements from Bill Evans, John Carisi, Nat Pierce, and Sonny Truitt help to keep the overall sound of the album fresh throughout. Titles include "The Lady Is A Tramp", "Skylark", "I'll Remember April", "Walkin", "Under A Blanket Of Blue", and 2 very nice extended numbers – "Finger Poppin Blues" and "Time To Go". LP, Vinyl record album

The Johnny Smith sound is a wonderful one – not just the sound that he makes with his groundbreaking work on the strings of the guitar, but also the way he records the instrument – which set a new standard in jazz guitar albums, and also helped pave the way for countless generations to come! A date like this is a great example of the standard-setting work that Smith was able to give us in his prime – and the approach slightly updates the Smith guitar sound of the early 50s – clarifying it a bit, but still keeping that great tone right out front – with a group that includes Hank Jones on piano, George Duvivier on bass, and Ed Shaughnessey on drums. Titles include "Misty", "Embraceable You", "Blues Chorale", "Prelude", "As Long As There's Music", and "Round Midnight". CD

Classic bop by Sonny Stitt – material recorded at the end of the 40s, originally issued as singles and 45s, but issued here as a full length set with a great cover image by Don Martin! The record features 2 different groups – one that includes JJ Johnson, John Lewis, and Max Roach; another that features Bud Powell, Curley Russell, and Roach – and in both instances, the players keep a sharp edge and tight focus that allows Stitt's tenor to soar out in those tight lines that made him a key bop figure from the get-go! Really classic stuff – with titles that include "Sunset", "Bud's Blues", "Tea Pot", "Elora", "Afternoon In Paris", and "Blue Mode". CD features 3 bonus tracks! CD

Classic bop by Sonny Stitt – material recorded at the end of the 40s, originally issued as singles and 45s, but issued here as a full length set with a great cover image by Don Martin! The record features 2 different groups – one that includes JJ Johnson, John Lewis, and Max Roach; another that features Bud Powell, Curley Russell, and Roach – and in both instances, the players keep a sharp edge and tight focus that allows Stitt's tenor to soar out in those tight lines that made him a key bop figure from the get-go! Really classic stuff – with titles that include "Sunset", "Bud's Blues", "Tea Pot", "Elora", "Afternoon In Paris", and "Blue Mode". LP, Vinyl record album

A whole new kind of trio session for the 70s – one that has the airy, open lines of guitarist John Abercrombie stretching out nicely in the company of drummer Jack DeJohnette and bassist Dave Holland! The music is archetypal ECM work of the time – a complete contrast to a guitar trio session from a decade before, or even a few years before on any different sort of label. Abercrombie's got a bit of bite at a few moments, but mostly keeps things spare and spacious – and Holland and DeJohnette are more than happy to follow suit. Titles include "Backwoods Song", "May Dance", "Waiting", "Jamala", and "Sorcery 1". CD

Guitarist Jan Akkerman bridges many worlds here – deftly stepping between spare acoustic guitar modes and some much more dynamic electric ones – but all with a sense of care and vision that really makes the record come together! The set begins with a few themes from John Dowland, updated by Akkerman, but still played with an ancient sort of vibe – one that leads into some very cool fusion moments that mix centuries-old aesthetics with the modern – creating a sense of anachronism that really keeps things interesting. Gene Orloff handled some of the larger arrangements, but the focus is always on Akkerman's deft work on the guitar – and titles include "Britannia", "House Of The King", "Javeh", "Lammy", and "A Fantasy". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare Jubilee Records album from Art Blakey – one of his non-Blue Note sets from the late 50s, cut during the year of 1957 – a time when the Jazz Messengers were hopping around a lot of different labels! This version of the group is searing and soulful – and features Johnny Griffin on tenor, Bill Hardman on trumpet, Sam Dockery on piano, and Spanky DeBrest on bass – plus the unusual addition of Sabu Martinez on conga, rocking and rollicking alongside Blakey's drums in an amazing way! The set's quite different than some of Art's "with percussion" dates for Blue Note – as Sabu's congas kind of just set an extra fire to the hardbop groove – giving it a slight Latin flavor, but more than anything, just getting in a wicked edge that really cooks up the session. Griffin is great, as always, and the album features four long tracks "Woddyn You", "Sakeena", "Shorty", and "Dawn On The Desert". CD

Clifford Brown only recorded a handful of sides for Blue Note – but all of the best ones are included in this excellent album – a full length set that culls together Brown's material from the 10" years, issued as a memorial to his early death in 1956! Side one features Brown with the modernist Gigi Gryce on flute and alto sax – plus Charlie Rouse on tenor, John Lewis on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Art Blakey on drums – a lineup that has a strong sense of soul, balanced with a dose of modernism – on titles that include the classic "Hymn to the Orient" – worth the price of the album alone – plus "Easy Living", "Cherokee", "Wail Bait", and "Minor Mood". Side two features an equally sharp group – with Lou Donaldson on some excellent alto, and the great Elmo Hope on piano – on titles that include "Brownie Speaks", "De Dah", "Cookin", "You Go To My Head", and "Carving The Rock". CD

Sharp-edged John Coltrane at his best – a record that we'd rank right up there with Love Supreme, and which is a key transition point in Coltrane's musical ideas! There's a very strong edge to Coltrane's tone here – and even on the mellower ballads, he plays with a sound not always heard before – a quality that's bristlingly modern, and which really opens up on some of the longer numbers on the set. Rhythm is by the classic quartet with McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – and the sound is always pushing the boundaries towards new ideas, but always keeps nicely inside throughout! Titles include "Crescent", "Wise One", "Lonnie's Lament", and "The Drum Thing". CD

Sharp-edged John Coltrane at his best – a record that we'd rank right up there with Love Supreme, and which is a key transition point in Coltrane's musical ideas! There's a very strong edge to Coltrane's tone here – and even on the mellower ballads, he plays with a sound not always heard before – a quality that's bristlingly modern, and which really opens up on some of the longer numbers on the set. Rhythm is by the classic quartet with McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – and the sound is always pushing the boundaries towards new ideas, but always keeps nicely inside throughout! Titles include "Crescent", "Wise One", "Lonnie's Lament", and "The Drum Thing". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant work – John Coltrane really opening up in his new spiritual mode of the 60s, hinting at the changes to come, while still keeping the modal groove of previous recordings! The record features tracks from a few different sessions from the years 1961 to 1963, but it holds together beautifully – thanks to a unified creative spirit in the music! The centerpiece of the album is the stunning track "Impressions" – performed by the quartet with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones – but all tracks are great, and titles include "After the Rain", and "Up 'Gainst The Wall" – plus the brilliant cut "India", which features guest work by Eric Dolphy on bass clarinet! CD

Wonderful wonderful wonderful work from the legendary John Coltrane – and even though it's probably one of his best-selling albums of all time, it's still a treasure – and has an essential place in just about any jazz collection! We've heard the original title version of "My Favorite Things" a million times – but it still blows our mind the way Coltrane hits this incredibly soulful modal groove, twisting and turning on soprano sax, always keeping things interesting, so that we're surprised that the cut's 13 minutes have gone by so quickly! The rest of the record's equally great – and the 3 other long cuts are "Everytime We Say Goodbye", "Summertime" and "But Not for Me". The other players include McCoy Tyner on piano, Steve Davis on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – and the whole album is as great today as when it was cut, and still one of Coltrane's most revelatory albums! LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful wonderful wonderful work from the legendary John Coltrane – and even though it's probably one of his best-selling albums of all time, it's still a treasure – and has an essential place in just about any jazz collection! We've heard the original title version of "My Favorite Things" a million times – but it still blows our mind the way Coltrane hits this incredibly soulful modal groove, twisting and turning on soprano sax, always keeping things interesting, so that we're surprised that the cut's 13 minutes have gone by so quickly! The rest of the record's equally great – and the 3 other long cuts are "Everytime We Say Goodbye", "Summertime" and "But Not for Me". The other players include McCoy Tyner on piano, Steve Davis on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – and the whole album is as great today as when it was cut, and still one of Coltrane's most revelatory albums! CD also features 2 bonus single versions of "My Favorite Things" – parts 1 and 2! CD

Lost genius from the great John Coltrane – a never-issued set, but one that's attained legendary status over the years – thanks to its placement in the Impulse Records vaults! The performance is amazing – filled with soul and spirit, and so much searching that at one famous point in the concert, Coltrane actually puts down his tenor, walks to the microphone, and begins singing and chanting – really driving the rest of the group on with his energy. All tracks are long – and while things are as free as in some of the other important live documents of the time – like the Coltrane In Japan recordings – there's a really spiritual quality that unifies the whole thing – and keeps the music very much in the best Love Supreme mode. The group features Coltrane on soprano, tenor, and flute – plus Pharoah Sanders on tenor and piccolo, Alice Coltrane on piano, Sonny Johnson on bass, and Rashied Ali on drums – and the group's joined by additional alto and percussion players too. Titles include a 26 minute reading of "Crescent", a 23 minute take on "My Favorite Things", and the tracks "Leo", "Offering", and "Naima". CD

The tenor sax here makes the album a standout – as John Coltrane still works with Miles Davis on 2 tracks for the record, but Blue Note stalwart Hank Mobley joins in on the rest! The approach is similar to that of the classic Coltrane/Davis years – and in a way, the record's kind of a swan song to that period – one of the last studio session that Miles would cut in such an unabashedly sweet and lyrical way. And while Mobley's always better known for his harder-blown notes at Blue Note, he sounds totally great here next to Davis – really keeping up the gentle spirit and spaciousness of the record, and working with a gentleness that surpasses even his work on the legendary Soul Station album. Rhythm is by the trio of Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb – and titles include Miles' classic version of "Someday My Prince Will Come", plus "Old Folks", "Teo", "Drad-Dog", and "Pfrancing". CD

The tenor sax here makes the album a standout – as John Coltrane still works with Miles Davis on 2 tracks for the record, but Blue Note stalwart Hank Mobley joins in on the rest! The approach is similar to that of the classic Coltrane/Davis years – and in a way, the record's kind of a swan song to that period – one of the last studio session that Miles would cut in such an unabashedly sweet and lyrical way. And while Mobley's always better known for his harder-blown notes at Blue Note, he sounds totally great here next to Davis – really keeping up the gentle spirit and spaciousness of the record, and working with a gentleness that surpasses even his work on the legendary Soul Station album. Rhythm is by the trio of Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb – and titles include Miles' classic version of "Someday My Prince Will Come", plus "Old Folks", "Teo", "Drad-Dog", and "Pfrancing". Includes the bonus tracks "Blues No. 2" and "Someday My Prince Will Come (alt take)". CD

The title certainly gets it right – as the album's one of the funkiest ever from guitarist George Freeman, and one of the few to really hit that messed-up groove he was working in the clubs before his mid 70s retreat to Chicago! The style here is often all over the map – a mix of soul jazz and funkier numbers, but often served up with less of the direction than you'd get on Prestige, and even less of that on Groove Merchant – more in a raw small combo mode, with Freeman's guitar hitting plenty of raspy notes and weird solo excursions that keep even the mellower tunes exciting! The record features 2 different groups – one with John Young on piano, the other with Bobby Blevins on organ – and brother Von Freeman plays tenor sax on the whole set, although not nearly in the spotlight as George! (Definitely in keeping with something that Von told George many years back – quoted to us by George – "When you've got your own album, make sure that people know that you're the star!") Titles include "New Improved Funk", "Daffy", "Happy Fingers", "Confirmed Truth", "Guitar Lover Man", and "Big Finish". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet KPM funk from the 70s – a set that features the legendary "Big City Suite" from David Gold, plus 20 other groovers from rare KPM sound library albums of the time! Gold's suite is really great – a hip mix of keyboards, wah wah guitar, and strings – all wrapped together warmly in a portrait of a city from a variety of angles, in a variety of moods. The work's almost an update of 50s city-symphony albums, but is put together here with a much hipper 70s soundtrack mode – lots of subtle elements that really keep things interesting! Other tracks offer up a mix of jazz, soundtrack, and sound library funk – hand-picked from KPM classics like Jazzrock, Synthesis, Sounds Of The Times, Trendsetters, and other legendary albums – really packed in here with a huge amount of cuts that are totally great! Titles include "Good Vibrations" and "Trial Of Strength" by Keith Mansfield, "Testing Time" by David Lindup, "Four O'Clock Earthquake" and "Smokey Joe's Dilemma" by John Cameron, "Watchful Eye" by James Clarke, "Sunshine Special" and "Get Ready Get Set Fly" by Alan Hawkshaw, "Open Roads" by Nick Ingman, "Go Getter" by John Cameron, "City Airscape" and "City Police" by David Gold, and "Lap Of Honour" by Clive Hicks. (Sound Library, Jazz) CD

One of the most obscure sessions on Strata East – and an excellent groover that really keeps up the label's soul jazz spirit! Jon Gordon's a lesser-known trombonist from the 70s, but he's working here with an all-star group that includes Charles Tolliver on trumpet, Stanley Cowell on piano, Roland Alexander on reeds, and Andrew Cyrille on drums – all coming together with a spirit that's quite similar to that of Tolliver's classic Music Inc recordings of the time! The titles are mostly all originals by Gordon, played in a loping, lyrical mode that often bursts out with a free-thinking approach to the solos. Titles include "P&G Incorporated", "No Tricks No Gimmicks", "Activity", "Step By Step", and "Dance Of the Ymas". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most obscure 70s sides by Johnny Griffin – a really warm and wonderful set, recorded in Italy with an Italian rhythm section of Franco D'Andrea on piano, Giovanni Tommaso on bass, and Bruno Biriaco on drums. Tracks are all quite long, but never sloppy – and in a way, Griff solos with a more unified, to the point feel than on some of his other European albums of the period – rising to the feeling of the session, in which he's clearly admired by the Italian players he's working with. Titles include "Always Forever", "Keep Going", "For The Love Of", and "Music Inn Blues" – all original numbers. LP, Vinyl record album

Features Hargrove on trumpet and Antonio Hart on saxophone, with John Hicks and Geoffrey Keezer taking turns on piano, and Ralph Peterson and Al Foster on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

A sublime live moment from the CTI scene of the 70s – an album that brings together some of the label's best lead players, into a special live supergroup that stretches out in a mighty nice way! In case you ever though the CTI genius came from the studio production of Creed Taylor, think again – as the focus here is on the core group of instrumentalists – as they soar to the skies on these long tracks that are filled with massively freewheeling solos! Herbie Hancock plays Fender Rhodes, Freddie Hubbard is on trumpet, Eric Gale on guitar, and Stanley Turrentine on tenor – sounding harder here than on some of his other albums for the label – and rhythm is by Ron Carter on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums, two players who are more than loose enough to keep things grooving but also give the soloists some space. Titles include two long takes on Herbie's freaky funky classic "Hornets", done in a hard-wailing style – and side two contains Freddie's "Gibraltar", more of a straight jazz track – but still done here with some excellent electric piano, and a tight soulful groove! LP, Vinyl record album

The beginning of a whole new chapter of greatness for singer Eddie Jefferson – a record that took his older style of putting words to jazz solos, and updated it nicely for a new generation in the 60s! Eddie's got a rootsy look on the cover, but the sound here is snappingly hip and sophisticated throughout – a cool soul jazz take on vocalese that's right up there with the best solo work by Jon Hendricks, and sung in a similarly raspy style. The group shifts a bit from track to track – between small combo and larger ensemble arranged by Ernie Wilkins – and players include Clark Terry and Joe Newman on trumpets, Johnny Griffin on tenor, James Moody on alto and flute, Junior Mance and Joe Zawinul on piano, and Barry Galbraith on guitar. Titles include some great original lyrics by Jefferson on the tunes "Soft & Furry", "Keep Walkin", "Things Are Getting Better", and "Back In Town" – and equally great vocals on versions of "Letter From Home", "Billie's Bounce", and "Night In Tunisia". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

One of JJ's best from the late 50s – a tightly crackling hardbop set, recorded very much in the manner of his classic JJ Inc album! The sound here is a bit more compact overall – with some shorter tracks that really allow Johnson to display his keen sense of economy on his horn, while working in a burning mode that recalls some of his best bop sides from the early years – particularly his work on Blue Note. Bobby Jaspar's in the frontline with JJ – playing both tenor and flute – and rhythm is from a trio that features Tommy Flanagan on piano, Wilbur Little on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. Jones' touch on the kit gives the album a nicely dancing feel throughout – and is a real reminder of his simple genius in an early setting like this. Titles include "Bird Song", "Blue Haze", "Old Devil Moon", "Tea Pot", "Barbados", "Cette Chose", and "So Sorry Please". LP, Vinyl record album

One of JJ's best from the late 50s – a tightly crackling hardbop set, recorded very much in the manner of his classic JJ Inc album! The sound here is a bit more compact overall – with some shorter tracks that really allow Johnson to display his keen sense of economy on his horn, while working in a burning mode that recalls some of his best bop sides from the early years – particularly his work on Blue Note. Bobby Jaspar's in the frontline with JJ – playing both tenor and flute – and rhythm is from a trio that features Tommy Flanagan on piano, Wilbur Little on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. Jones' touch on the kit gives the album a nicely dancing feel throughout – and is a real reminder of his simple genius in an early setting like this. Titles include "Bird Song", "Blue Haze", "Old Devil Moon", "Tea Pot", "Barbados", "Cette Chose", and "So Sorry Please". CD

A classic set of soul jazz guitar tracks – recorded at the start of the 90s, but with a vibe that goes back to much earlier years on Muse Records! As with his other dates for the label, guitarist Randy Johnston's managed to gather a really wonderful group for the record – saxes by Bill Easley, and rock-solid rhythm from the trio of Benny Green on piano, Ray Drummond on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums – three players who really keep things in the pocket throughout, and make the record sparkle strongly! Houston Person produced, and his work in the studio is nicely understated – really keeping a clean, clear focus on the instruments. Titles include "Walk On", "Crazy He Calls Me", "The Queen's Samba", "Moanin", and "Jumping The Blues". CD

The birth of genius – 2 key mid 60s albums from swinging Brit jazzer Johnny Keating – both of which showcase his tightly rhythmic "Keating Sound" approach! Keating had originally worked as an arranger in the 50s group of Ted Heath, but after stepping out on his own in the 60s, he came up with a really fresh approach to big band grooving – one that was highly syncopated, in a choppier style of rhythm than many other groups were using at the time, and which was very much in the snapping mode of the best 60s pop work of the time. This new sound meant that Keating could take just about any tune and swing it on its ear – cutting up the basic structure of the song, and rebuilding it in sharper, tighter blocks of sound. The result is a style that's quite different from the usual big band groove – one that makes for some extremely playful instrumentation, but which manages to still keep moving strongly ahead without resorting to too many tricks or gimmicks. For both albums, Keating's working with some great British talents that include Shake Keane on trumpet, Tubby Hayes on saxes, David Snell on harp, and Jim Sullivan on guitar. The CD features a total of 24 tracks that are a wonderful introduction to the Keating Sound of the 60s – with titles that inlcude "Paris", "Brave New World", "Serenata", "Speak Low", "Listen", "The Preacher", "Hey Girl", "Bee Bom", "My Kind Of Girl", and "The Chihuahua". CD

Both of the rare albums on the tiny Tuba label, cut by jazz vibist Johnny Lytle in the 60s! The Loop is one of the coolest, grooviest albums ever from jazz vibist Johnny Lytle – a set that really leans into the impact that he was having with the soul instrumental crowd, and which serves up tunes in these short, tight grooves that show why Johnny was the king of the stepping dancefloor in the 60s! The set's still done with producer Orrin Keepnews, who'd handled Lytle's earlier jazz sides – but the tunes are shorter, and have the grooves punched up nicely – with plenty of cool Hammond work from organist Milt Harris, and tight drums from Peppy Hinnant – augment6ed with work from Willie Rodriguez on congas, and guest piano from Wynton Kelly on a few cuts! The whole thing's sweet and groovy, and the set features Johnny Lytle originals "Big Bill", "The Shyster", "Possum Grease", "The Man", "The Loop", and "Hot Sauce" – plus a cool cover of "Cristo Redentor". New & Groovy is one of Johnny Lytle's great recordings for the Tuba label, and probably one of the albums that shows his funky jazz vibes style at its best! The whole thing is very nicely stripped down - and the focus of the album is on down-and-dirty groovers, perfect for the jazzy stepper set that still digs Lytle loads! Lots of short groovy ditties on here which match Lytle's vibes and Milt Harris' organ. The group also includes Wynton Kelly on piano, George Duvivier on bass, Jimmy Cobb on drums, and Montego Joe on conga and percussion. Tracks include "The Snapper", "Selim", "The Pulpit", and "Screamin' Loud", "Too Close For Comfort" and more. CD

Crackling live energy from Buddy Rich – recorded at Ronnie Scott's nightclub in London, and with a sound that recalls some of Buddy's best from the 60s! The group is plenty great – and the attraction here goes way beyond just Buddy's famous work as a leader. As with other Rich albums from the time, the album features some really searing solo work from Pat LaBarbera – clearly the second star of the set, and really bringing a lot to the session on tenor, flute, and soprano sax! Arrangements are by John LaBarbera, Mike Gibbs, and others – all very hip talents who keep things compelling throughout – and titles include "The Word", "Dancing Men", "St Mark's Square", "That's Enough", "Little Train", and "Tim Being". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant 80s set from Pharoah Sanders – a record that has him a much more understated setting than some of his other albums from the time – but one that's maybe even more soulful and searching overall! The great one plays blistering tenor right from the start – in a quartet with John Hicks on piano, Curtis Lundy on bass, and Idris Muhammad on drums – all players who have this way of doing a lot with a little, especially in the rhythm department – where they seem to give Sanders some of his strongest sense of groove since the key albums for Theresa. Muhammad's got this tight sense of timekeeping, but with a looseness that we love – and Lundy's warm soulful bass does more than enough to give the set a sound bottom – and Hicks' free lyrical piano works nicely with Sanders' spiritual horn. Titles include a remake of "You've Got To Have Freedom", plus "Naima", "Origin", "Speak Low", "After The Morning", and "Africa". Also features the tracks "Duo" and "Heart To Heart" – not on the original vinyl release! LP, Vinyl record album

Very nice jazz-oriented material that has Sarah working with Jimmy Jones, one of her best accompanists, or John Malachi, who was in Billy Eckstine's band at the same time Sarah was with the group. All the tracks have nice small combo instrumentation – and Sarah keeps things nice and warm vocally, free to get a bit more intimate than usual in the album's casual setting. Titles include "All Of Me", "Lover Man", "Polka Dots & Moonbeams", "Prelude To A Kiss", and "You Hit The Spot". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Very tasty funky fusion session, cut by bassist Miroslav Vitous in San Francisco – along with a group that includes Airto, Herbie Hancock, and Jack DeJohnette. The sound is very much in keeping with Herbie's early 70s funk albums – with lots of nice long electric grooves, and spare tasty keyboard jams. There's a woman named Onike who sings on a few cuts – and grooves include "Basic Laws", "Synthesizers Dance", "New York City", "Aim Your Eye", and "From Far Away". LP, Vinyl record album

Two older players, cooking together beautifully on this early 80s session – and both hitting a vibe that almost makes the set smoke like some rare 60s gem on Blue Note! Frank Wess plays both tenor and alto sax – both of them extremely deep and soulful – with these open, thoughtful solos that almost show more imagination and maturity than in the early days – and also a swinging vibe that's undeniably great. Trumpeter Johnny Coles turns out to be a perfect partner for the session – and manages to mix his sweeter tones with some of his more modern phrasing too – in ways that make the album a treasure trove of unexpectedly great surprises – loads of illuminated passages that keep us coming back again and again over the years. The rhythm section is a good reason for the strength of the set too – and features Kenny Barron on piano, Reggie Johnson on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums – on titles that include "Celia", "Minority", "An Oscar For Oscar", "Ill Wind", "Morning Star", and "Whistle Stop". LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of highlights spanning the entire history of the Monterey Jazz Festival, with performances by Cannonball Adderley, Toots Thielemans, Woody Herman, Joe Henderson, Jon Hendricks, Jimmy Giuffre, Johnny Griffin, Buddy Rich with Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Joe Williams, Benny Golson, and Joanne Brackeen. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the deepest-digging entries in this wonderful series – a set that explores the wealth of spiritual jazz issued on small indie labels in the 70s – material that's sometimes referred to as "private", although that's really just a factor of how little circulation these records saw back in the day! As is well-known, the 60s influence of John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy set countless fires on players in the generation that followed – including some older musicians who really changed up their groove in the post-Coltrane energy, and recorded material that was full of searing solos, modal rhythms, and a new sort of spiritual vibe! The set features plenty of nuggets from that time – including some very rare 45s – and even includes one or two earlier tracks, which makes for a great span of sounds within. As always with Jazzman, the detailed notes are as great as the track selection – and titles include "By The Grace Of God" by Erni Clark, "Ethiopia" by Carmelo Garcia, "Desiree Song" by Bobby Jackson, "Pharoah's Thing" by Compass, "Symbiosis" by Almanac, "A'Keem" by Cullen Knight, "Themes & Variations" by Black Is, "Middle Eastern Fantasy" by Radam Schwartz & Leslie Ford, "Spanish Boots (parts 1 & 2)" by Don Menza, and "Delilah" by Andrew McPherson. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) CD

One of the deepest-digging entries in this wonderful series – a set that explores the wealth of spiritual jazz issued on small indie labels in the 70s – material that's sometimes referred to as "private", although that's really just a factor of how little circulation these records saw back in the day! As is well-known, the 60s influence of John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy set countless fires on players in the generation that followed – including some older musicians who really changed up their groove in the post-Coltrane energy, and recorded material that was full of searing solos, modal rhythms, and a new sort of spiritual vibe! The set features plenty of nuggets from that time – including some very rare 45s – and even includes one or two earlier tracks, which makes for a great span of sounds within. As always with Jazzman, the detailed notes are as great as the track selection – and titles include "By The Grace Of God" by Erni Clark, "Ethiopia" by Carmelo Garcia, "Desiree Song" by Bobby Jackson, "Pharoah's Thing" by Compass, "Symbiosis" by Almanac, "A'Keem" by Cullen Knight, "Themes & Variations" by Black Is, "Middle Eastern Fantasy" by Radam Schwartz & Leslie Ford, "Spanish Boots (parts 1 & 2)" by Don Menza, and "Delilah" by Andrew McPherson. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful wonderful wonderful work from the legendary John Coltrane – and even though it's probably one of his best-selling albums of all time, it's still a treasure – and has an essential place in just about any jazz collection! We've heard the original title version of "My Favorite Things" a million times – but it still blows our mind the way Coltrane hits this incredibly soulful modal groove, twisting and turning on soprano sax, always keeping things interesting, so that we're surprised that the cut's 13 minutes have gone by so quickly! The rest of the record's equally great – and the 3 other long cuts are "Everytime We Say Goodbye", "Summertime" and "But Not for Me". The other players include McCoy Tyner on piano, Steve Davis on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – and the whole album is as great today as when it was cut, and still one of Coltrane's most revelatory albums! CD

The tenor sax here makes the album a standout – as John Coltrane still works with Miles Davis on 2 tracks for the record, but Blue Note stalwart Hank Mobley joins in on the rest! The approach is similar to that of the classic Coltrane/Davis years – and in a way, the record's kind of a swan song to that period – one of the last studio session that Miles would cut in such an unabashedly sweet and lyrical way. And while Mobley's always better known for his harder-blown notes at Blue Note, he sounds totally great here next to Davis – really keeping up the gentle spirit and spaciousness of the record, and working with a gentleness that surpasses even his work on the legendary Soul Station album. Rhythm is by the trio of Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb – and titles include Miles' classic version of "Someday My Prince Will Come", plus "Old Folks", "Teo", "Drad-Dog", and "Pfrancing". CD

One of the best of Decca's Jazz Studio series of recording – a tight set of chamber jazz tracks headed by John Graas, and featuring a strong assortment of players that includes Charlie Mariano, Zoot Sims, Larry Bunker, Gerry Mulligan, Howard Roberts, and Conte Candoli. Tracks get a little cutesy from time to time, but the work of Sims and Mariano especially keep things moving along with a nice edge. Titles include "Rogeresque", "6/4 & Even", "Mulliganesque", and "Jazz Sections From Symphony No 1 In F Minor". LP, Vinyl record album

James P Johnson plays "Sweet Lorraine", "Aunt Hagar's Blues", "The Dream", "Keep Movin", "St. Louis Blues", "Euphonic Sounds", "Blue Moods, Sex", and "Blues For Jimmy". CD

The title tells the story of the album's concept – as Teddi King pays tribute to a dozen male "kings" of music – including Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Dick Haymes, and Billy Eckstine! The tunes are all signature numbers by each of the male stars – redone by Teddi here with a female twist, and set to backings by Lew Douglas and Johnny Richards – both of whom give Teddi some of the best support of her 50s career. Richards' backings are especially great – nicely dynamic, in a way that breaks past some of Teddi's sleepier qualities – and even on the mellower numbers, the King vocals are in full force, sung with even more promise than on previous albums for RCA. Titles include "Flamingo", "Unforgettable", "April Showers", "A Cottage For Sale", "This Love Of Mine", "Keeping Out Of Mischief Now", and "Temptation". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album