An excellent 70s set by Jackie & Roy – very different than their work of the 50s and 60s, with an approach that's much more far-reaching and complicated – a style that opens up their vocal talents majestically! Gone are the simpler ditties of earlier years, and in their place are warmly gliding numbers that open up to really unique vocal interplay – sometimes with Jackie in the lead, but other times trading back and forth with all the kind of complicated inflections you'd expect from early 70s CTI! Don Sebesky handled the arrangements with a great mix of spacey and breezy sounds – some slight electric touches at the bottom, but never in a way that makes the record too slick or smooth. Titles include a great version of "Bachinas Brasileiras #5", plus "Heading", "Summer Song", and "Lazy Afternoon". CD

An excellent 70s set by Jackie & Roy – very different than their work of the 50s and 60s, with an approach that's much more far-reaching and complicated – a style that opens up their vocal talents majestically! Gone are the simpler ditties of earlier years, and in their place are warmly gliding numbers that open up to really unique vocal interplay – sometimes with Jackie in the lead, but other times trading back and forth with all the kind of complicated inflections you'd expect from early 70s CTI! Don Sebesky handled the arrangements with a great mix of spacey and breezy sounds – some slight electric touches at the bottom, but never in a way that makes the record too slick or smooth. Titles include a great version of "Bachinas Brasileiras #5", plus "Heading", "Summer Song", and "Lazy Afternoon". CD

Jackie & Roy are definitely getting bit wilder here – hitting an electric early 70s CTI mode, and really growing a lot in the process! The session has the vocal pair working with CD players who include Hubert Laws on flute, Joe Farrell on saxes, Roy Pennington on vibes, and Steve Gadd on drums – all working with arrangements from Roy that are every bit as hip as the Don Sebesky treatments they previously got on CTI. The tracks are all longish, with plenty of room for complex vocals and great interaction with the instruments – and the titles are all originals, sounding really great and creative! Titles include "Good & Rich", "The Way We Are", "Waltz For Dana", "Niki's Song", and "A Wilder Alias". CD

Features vocals from Elvis Costello and Debbie Harry. CD

... CD

... CD

... CD

A brilliant set of straight jazz material from Roy Ayers – a set recorded for Atlantic at a time when he was working for the label in Herbie Mann's group – but done in a much more righteous groove that really points the way towards Roy's growth in the 70s! The lineup changes a bit throughout the set – but all cuts feature Herbie Hancock on piano, who helps give the record a solid modal groove that works great with the sound of Roy's vibes – and other players include Buster Williams and Ron Carter on bass, Sonny Sharrock on guitar, and Freddy Waits and Bruno Carr on drums. There's a bit of added strings and woodwinds at points – already showing Ayers' ear for larger, more ambitious sounds – and the whole record's arranged by the ultra-hip William Fischer. Titles include the classic "Daddy Bug", plus "Bonita", "I Love You Michelle", "Emmie", "Shadows", "It Could Only Happen With You", and "Look To The Sky". CD

Killer 50's R&B – of the sort that will blow your mind if you never knew that the music could get this raunchy! Wynonie Harris' material alone is worth the price of the album – as it includes insane drunken hard-loving tracks like "Bloodshot Eyes", "Loving Machine", "Shake That Thing", and "All She Wants To Do Is Rock". CD

A great album from trumpeter Roy Campbell and his Pyramid Trio – aka William Parker and Hamid Drake! Tracks include "Tazz's Dilema", "Malcolm, Martin And Mandela", "Imhotep", 'Impressions Of Yokahama", "Ethnic Stew And Brew", "Heavenly Ascending" and "Amadou Diallo". CD

Features Roy Eldridge on trumpet, Benny Goodman on clarinet, and Chu Berry on tenor sax. Tracks include "Wabash Stomp", "Mutiny In The Parlour", "Where The Lazy River Goes By", and "High Society" – 22 cuts in all. CD

A funky collaboration of new and old players – as trumpeter Roy Hargrove explores a range of classic styles with a host of excellent guest stars! The RH Factor project includes work by Bernard Wright, Cornell Dupree, Karl Denson, and other funk luminaries – and it also features great vocal performances from the likes of Common, Q-Tip, Erykah Badu, and D'Angelo. The groove soars from Miles-inspired electric to the heavy funk of George Clinton – and makes plenty of side-trips in between – exploring a range of soulful jazz, both new and old, and coming off a lot better than we might have thought! Titles include "Pastor T", "I'll Stay", "Common Free Style", "Juicy", "The Stroke", "Poetry", "Liquid Streets", "The Joint", and "Forget Regret". CD

A tremendous album from Roy Haynes – simple, understated, and extremely well done! There's no tribute to Charlie Parker here – just sweetly swinging work by a group that features Kenny Barron, Dave Holland, Christian McBride, Joshua Redman, and John Scofield – all of whom come together strongly behind Roy's leadership to craft elegant versions of standard jazz tunes, working in lyrical territory that reminds us a lot of Roy's classic 60s recordings. Titles include "Love Letters", "Que Pasa", "Afro Blue", "The Best Thing For You", "Shades Of Senegal 2", and "How Deep Is The Ocean". CD

Titles include "Candy Man", "Only The Lonely", "Running Scared", "Love Hurts", "Leah", "In Dreams", "Uptown", "Mean Woman Blues", "Pretty Paper", "Oh Pretty Woman", and lots lots more! CD

... CD

A great compilation of tracks by Roy Ayers – one that feels quite different than some of his other collections, as it goes past the hits to show a warm and uniquely mellow side of his career! The 18 track package is drawn from some of his best work on Polydor during the 70s – and instead of uptempo club tracks, or Roy's few famous hits, it goes for laidback numbers that offer a strong focus on his mellow vibes and wonderful production styles. The set grooves along with some of our favorite lesser-known tracks by Roy – occasionally stepping into a hit, but mostly sticking to obscurer album cuts, and a few favorites that have grown in fame over the years, thanks to the sample crowd. Titles include "The Black Five", "Feel Like Making Love", "The River Niger", "And Don't You Say No", "Can't You See Me", "Time & Space", "Vibrations", "Searching", "We Live In Brooklyn Baby", "The Boogie Back", and "Sweet Tears". CD

One of Roy Ayers' greatest albums of the 70s – a set that tightens up the groove from previous Polydor productions, yet still keeps all the soul intact! The record picks up the style begun with the Mystic Voyage album, and pushes it to some slightly tighter territory – a more focused Roy Ayers sound that's totally great, and which makes the album sparkle wonderfully throughout! All aspects of Roy's talents are perfectly balanced here – his warm vocals and jazzy vibes, his uptempo grooves and mellower rhythms – played to perfection by a hip lineup of players that includes Philip Woo on electric piano, Justo Almario on tenor sax, and Steve Cobb on drums. Edwin Birdsong guests a bit on the record – bringing in a nice edge to a few tunes – the album's got a really unique dark undercurrent, even in smoother moments – that subtle Roy Ayers' approach that's always made him one of our all-time favorite artists. Titles include the wonderful jazz-tinged "Searching", a great midtempo stepper that we really love; the funky break track "The Memory", a righteous number that feels like work from earlier records; the clubby classic "One Sweet Love to Remember"; and the sweet instrumental "Vibrations", which has a mellow kickback feel! Other tunes include "Higher", "Domelo (Give It To Me)", "Baby I Need Your Love", and "Better Days". CD

... CD

An amazing unissued live set from drummer Roy Brooks – done at that moment when he was hitting the 70s with some very righteous energy, of the sort that only saw brief exposure on albums like The Free Slave, or some of Roy's own self-released titles! This album is a much-needed addition to that tiny catalog of spiritual avant gems – and it may well be the best of the bunch, as the live setting allows for long tracks that pack a hell of a punch all the way through – not just from Roy's work on drums, but also from this amazing quintet that includes Woody Shaw on trumpet, Carlos Garnett on tenor, Harold Mabern on piano, and Cecil McBee on bass! All players are at the height of their powers – often playing with even more edge than you might expect – and the album's as much a tribute to the genius of Shaw, Garnett, and Mabern as it is to the visionary leadership of Brooks. Titles include "Understanding", "Zoltan", "Taurus Woman", "The Theme", "Billie's Bounce", and "Prelude To Understanding" – all very long. CD

Although Roy Brown had a slightly softer edge than some of his King R&B contemporaries – he could definitely rock and wail when he wanted to, as you'll hear on this CD! The folks at Rhino have done a good job of digging through Roy's work at King, pulling together 18 tracks that have a fierce Wynonnie Harris-ish sound to them – no surprise, as King often had Brown and Harris splitting "Battle Of The Blues" albums together! Tracks include "Black Diamond", "Mighty Might Man", "Rockin At Midnight", "Cadillac Baby", "Hard Luck Blues", "Bar Room Blues", "Big Town", "Gal From Kokomo", "Beautician Blues", and the original version of "Good Rockin Tonight", which is a lot rawer than you'd expect! CD

... CD

Includes the songs "After You've Gone", "The Gasser", "Jump Through the Window", "Minor Jive", "Stardust", "Oh, Lady Be Good", "I Surrender, Dear", "Body And Soul", "I Can't Get Started", "After You've Gone", "Fish Market", "Twilight Time", "St. Louis Blues", "Embraceable You", "All The Cats Join In", "Poor John", "Hi Ho Trailus Boot Whip", "Yard Dog", "Lover, Come Back to Me", "Rockin' Chair", "It's the Talk of the Town", and "Christopher Columbus". CD

Includes 97 tracks and features performances with Ike Quebec, Lionel Hampton, Fletcher Henderson, Chu Berry, Cecil Payne, Zoot Sims, Kenny Clarke, and others. CD

Includes 58 tracks on 4 CDs. CD

A great collection of seminal 40s work from trumpeter Roy Eldridge and some of his contemporaries – all vintage material done for the Keynote label! CD

A classic pairing of postwar trumpets – those of Dizzy Gillespie and Roy Eldridge, each given plenty of space to speak their piece here in the best Verve all-star tradition! The group's great too – with Herb Ellis on guitar, Oscar Peterson on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Louis Bellson on drums. The album's got some sweet stretched out tracks that feature the two trumpet giants really opening up! CD

Ehran Elisha on bells, temple blocks, gong, rototoms, and percussion and Roy Campbell on trumpet, flugelhorn, pocket trumpet, flute, and percussion. CD

Features Hargrove on trumpet, Sherman Irby on alto, Larry Willis on piano, Gerald Cannon on bass, and Willie Jones on drums – backed by a string section with arrangements by Hargrove, Willis, and Cedar Walton! CD

The second set of jazzy jam tracks from Roy Hargrove's RH Factor – following very nicely on the style of the first! Hargrove's funky trumpet is very firmly in the lead of the set – pushing the group through a sound that's tightly percussive at the bottom, but which also has a lot of complicated horn parts on the top. There's traces of New Orleans, Afro Funk, and New York grooves in the set – but the overall approach is also pretty laidback, open, and personal to the group. We really love the mellow grooving soul of the title cut "Strength" – which features lead vocals by Renee Neufville and piano by the great Bernard Wright – and other tracks include a remake of "Listen Here", plus "Rich Man's Welfare" and "Bop Drop". Also includes a bonus "Bigga Than You Know It Is" mix of "Universe", and a "Soulfest Vocal Remix of "For Fun", featuring Omar! CD

Features Roy Hargrove on trumpet and flugelhorn, Stephen Scott on piano, and Christian McBride on bass. Tracks include "Marmaduke", "Dewey Square", "Dexterity", "Laura", and "Yardbird Suite". CD

... CD

The battle here is almost no contest – given that both singers come out on top! The set's a classic in the Harris/Brown "battle" records for King – and includes a side each of amazing R&B vocal numbers by the singers – some really hard-edged stuff that's really at the top level of the genre at the time! Wynonie Harris is especially great – often as raunchy as soul and funk singers from later years – but Roy Brown is excellent too, and has a voice that really comes across with a great deal of power, with a lot more bite on his King recordings than his work for other labels. Harris numbers include "Man Have I Got Troubles", "I'll Never Give Up", "Drinking Blues", "Tremblin", and "Luscious Woman" – and Brown tracks include "Sweet Peach", "Hard Luck Blues", "Dreaming Blues", and "Wrong Woman Blues". CD

Drummer Roy Haynes always brings something great to the table for any album he does as a leader – and this record is no exception! Here, the "added something" is the presence of Roland Kirk on reeds – offered a key early chance to express his most modern ideas in the freedom of Haynes' group – working alongside Tommy Flanagan on piano and Henry Grimes on bass, in what was easily one of the hippest groups to record for Impulse in the early 60s! The record's filled with wonderful material – and a mix of originals and standards done with a very twisted edge – all with great interplay between Kirk's quirky sax work and Roy Haynes' amazing drumming – often changing up timings and rhythms with ease, and really matching Kirk's quirky energy for the set. Titles include "Moon Ray", "Raoul", "Snap Crackle", and "Long Wharf". CD

A monster! This is a stellar session that has Booker Ervin's tenor fronting a tight group led by drummer Roy Haynes – all with an amazing sense of rhythm that's made the album a standout for years! Ervin is playing in his best modernist vein, and the rhythm section features the excellent pianist Ronnie Matthews – who's playing here in a very funky modal style that makes for some really wonderful grooves. Haynes is the real star, though, as his lively, lyrical drumming breaks from any tight time constraints – and adds an extra-musical edge to the whole session with some quick changes and an undercurrent of lyrical energy. The group's completed by bassist Larry Ridley, also a key force in the sound – and the set includes the track "Dorian", a massive modal groover, plus the killer "Scoochie" – and the cuts "Under Paris Skies", "Honeydew", "Bad News Blues", and "Sketch Of Melba". CD

... CD

One of the first albums ever from the team of Jackie Caine and Roy Kral – and one of the best, too! The album's got a relaxed, open-ended approach to jazz vocals that already carries all the hallmarks of the Jackie & Roy style – wordless scatting on some tunes, playful lyrical interplay on others, and a focus on Jackie's ballad talents on some of the gentler numbers – all wrapped up in small combo backing that's sensitive, creative, and modern – yet never in a way that overwhelms the vocals. It's hard to match the poise, class, and cleverness of this one – and the album easily set a new standard for vocal jazz in the 50s! Titles include a few great early tunes by Tommy Wolf – the songwriter who would become so important for the pair – and backing is by Roy on piano, Barney Kessel on guitar, Red Mitchell on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums. Titles include "Let's Take A Walk Around The Block", "You Smell So Good", "Listen Little Girl", "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most", "Bill's Bit", "Dahuud", "I Wish I Were In Love Again", and "Lover". CD

Jackie & Roy are definitely getting bit wilder here – hitting an electric early 70s CTI mode, and really growing a lot in the process! The session has the vocal pair working with CTI players who include Hubert Laws on flute, Joe Farrell on saxes, Roy Pennington on vibes, and Steve Gadd on drums – all working with arrangements from Roy that are every bit as hip as the Don Sebesky treatments they previously got on CTI. The tracks are all longish, with plenty of room for complex vocals and great interaction with the instruments – and the titles are all originals, sounding really great and creative! Titles include "Good & Rich", "The Way We Are", "Waltz For Dana", "Niki's Song", and "A Wilder Alias". CD

Roy Orbison's big comeback album at the end of the 80s – with production help from Jeff Lynne, Bono, and T-Bone Burnett! A sort of pre-Traveling Wilburys get together - with Tom Petty and George Harrison. – This version includes the single mix of "(All I Can Do Is) Dream You" as a bonus track! CD

Obscure tracks from Roy Orbison's early days at Monument – plus one unusual single from the 70s! Titles include "The Actress", "Wings Of Glory", "Belinda", "Today's Teardrops", "Paper Boy", "With The Bug", "Blues In Mind", "Only With You", and "Drifting Away". CD

A beautiful set of modal jazz tracks – recorded by the great LA pianist Jack Wilson with a young Roy Ayers! The set is amazing, and features haunting piano and vibes interplay between Ayers and Wilson – in a style that could best be summed up as LA modern modal, but which is also embellished by lots warm, lyrical twists by both of the soloists. The title cut is a totally groovy workout on Ornette Coleman's "Ramblin", and the rest of the set includes Coltrane's "Impressions", Oliver Nelson's "Stolen Moments", Lee Morgan's "The Sidewinder", and a great 3-part reading of "The Sandpiper". One of our favorite albums from the 60's, and a beautiful document of one of the lesser-known streams of jazz that was coming out of the west coast during the time – and it's key proof that Ayers was an incredible jazz player in his years before moving to soul music! CD

A great little Verve session from the late 50s – recorded in a very relaxed mode, with plenty of solo room for all the players. The tracks are all pretty extended – and include "Salute To Benny", "They Can't Take That Away From Me", "Romping", and "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone". Young's tone is worth the price of the set alone! CD

A blinding reissue of Roy's early jazz work for Atlantic! Both records are great, and feature super-hip lineups that include players like Herbie Hancock, Sonny Sharrock, Joe Henderson, Reggie Workman, Charles Tolliver, and Ron Carter. Despite the early placement of the material in Roy's career, his conception on the vibes is extremely mature, and both records represent a haunting new conception of the instrument that was to later emerge in full force on Roy's jazz funk albums for Polygram a few years later. These Atlantic sides are essential listening for Roy, and they're amazing little records that show a previously under-recognized side of his career. They're filled with great original tracks like "Ayerloom", "Virgo Vibes", "Glow Flower", "Shadows", and "Daddy Bug" – and the sound and package is excellent! CD

An amazing set of tracks from one of our favorite artists ever – a whopping 33 track, 2CD compilation of some of the best of Roy's work for Polydor! Given the title, you can expect a very hip bent to the tracks picked for the set – lots of righteous politics and hip cultural themes bubbling underneath the funky and jazzy grooves that were Roy's forte during the 70s. And while we treasure just about every single track that Roy recorded for Polydor (re-release all the albums – please!), we also have to say that we probably couldn't have come up with a better 33 tracks if we'd picked them ourselves! Titles include "The Old One Two", "Life Is Just A Moment (part 2)", "The Memory", "Hey Uh What You Say Come On", "Running Away", "Searching", "We Live In Brooklyn Baby", "Coffy Is The Color", "Sweet Tears", "Red Black & Green", "No Deposits No Return", "The Third Eye", "Sweet Tears (disco)", "Africa Center Of The World", "Our Time Is Coming", "Destination Motherland", "Fever", "What You Won't Do For Love", "Thank You Thank You", "Can't You See Me (12" mix)", "Baby You Give Me A Feeling", "Everybody Loves The Sunshine", and "Love From The Sun". CD

One of Roy Ayers' biggest albums ever – and also one of his deepest, too! The whole thing's an incredible album of mellow jazzy soul – and it shows Roy at the crossroads, perfecting his earlier funk style with a sweet mellow R&B edge, getting a bit slicker, but still staying on the righteous path, and opening up a whole new bag in soul music. There's a wonderful electric vibe running through the record – not just from Roy's vibes, but from the Fender Rhodes and Arp work by Phillip Woo – and the amazing energy of the rest of the group too. Features the landmark title cut – "Everybody Loves The Sunshine", one of those tunes that becomes more and more of a classic each year – plus spiritual numbers like "Third Eye" , "Keep on Walking", and "The Golden Rod". Very righteous, and with a cool dope jazzy groove! CD

An excellent live set by Roy Ayers – recorded back in 1988, but with a sound that's right up there with his classic work! Roy's working here in front of a very appreciative crowd at London's Ronnie Scott's night club – and there's clearly plenty of British rare groovers in the audience who really appreciate Roy's jazzy work on vibes, and the high quality of his backup group on the night. The set includes long live versions of classics like "The Spirit Of Doo Doo", "I Wanna Touch You Baby", "Fast Money", "Running Away", and "Don't Stop The Feeling" – as well as "Everybody Loves The Sunshine" and "Battle Of The Vibes". CD

Produced by Roy Ayers and DJ Smash. CD

A live set by Roy – and pretty darn nice! The album was recorded live at London's Ronnie Scotts in 1990 – but given that Roy was playing for a British crowd that was keen on his classic work of the 70s, the set's got a very 70s-styled feel – and really takes us back to the glory days of Roy's recordings for Polydor! The live setting really lets Roy and the group open up on the tunes – taking some of them into very long versions that feature some great keyboards, vibes, and vocals. Highlights include a 12 minute take on "Searchin", a 9 minute jam on "Spirit Of The Do Do", and a 10 minute reading of the sublime "Mystic Voyage"! Other tracks include "You Send Me", "Yes", "Can You See Me", and "Love Will Bring Us Back Together". CD

A holy grail of jazz – Roy Ayers' first album as a leader, and a near-lost session that's simply sublime! The record was cut at the same time that Roy was working in LA with pianist Jack Wilson – and it's got an approach that's a bit similar to some of the Wilson/Ayers sessions for Atlantic, Blue Note, and Vault – but with a marked difference here in the presence of Curtis Amy, who plays some incredible tenor and soprano sax on the session – arcing out over the modal lines set up by the vibes and piano, and shading in the record with a much deeper sense of soul! Amy plays on about half the album's tracks – all of which are standout modal tunes that preface the MPS/Saba sound by a number of years, and which we'd easily rank as some of the greatest jazz recorded anywhere in the 60s. And even the tracks without Amy are great too – and have Roy echoing out with a wonderfully round tone on the vibes – no tricks, no gimmicks, no attempt to cross over to commercial jazz – just a brilliant tone and fresh vision on his instrument for the time. Wilson's great too (but when is he not?) – and rhythm is by either Bill Plummer or Victor Gaskin on bass, and either Tony Bazley or Kenny Dennis on drums. Titles include "Sound & Sense", "Ricardo's Dilemma", "Out Of Sight", "Young & Foolish", "Reggie Of Chester", and "Days Of Wine & Roses". CD also features 2 bonus tracks – "Now's The Time" and "Perhaps/Cool Blues" – both pulled from the Bird Call record with Vi Redd as a leader, noteworthy as Roy's first time in the studio! CD

Talk about a meeting of the minds – a pair of ultra-amazing classics from the team of Roy Ayers & Wayne Henderson – back to back in a single set! At the time of Step Into Our Life, Henderson & Ayers were probably the biggest names in the jazz funk business – both with a smooth soulful style that was pushing the genre onto whole new levels, while still keeping firm roots in jazz – a rare blend that few other artists could handle this well! This initial debut from the pair seems to be much more dominated by the spirit of Roy Ayers' work at the time – particularly the mellow jazzed up work he was laying down on albums like Vibrations and You Send Me – a wicked sound that's rooted in modern soul modes, but filled with plenty of warm jazz elements too. The album's got wonderful vibes and electric piano from Roy – and tracks include "Step Into Our Life", "Lovers Should Always Be Together", "No Deposit No Return", "Ooh Baby", and "For Real". Prime Time is a funky classic from the team of Roy Ayers and Wayne Henderson – both at the top of their game here, and effortlessly mixing together jazz, funk, and soul! The record really seems to embrace the best of both artists' styles – some of the bassy groovers that Wayne did so well himself, and while producing for other artists – and those snakey, soulful numbers that we love so much in the late 70s work from Roy Ayers – ultra-sophisticated, but still plenty darn grooving – and some of the most sensual soul you'll ever hope to hear. The whole thing's great – and titles include "Weekend Lover", "Thank You Thank You", "Can You Dance", "It Ain't Your Sign It's Your Mind", "You Make Me Feel Like Rockin With Ya", "Have Your Way", and "Million Dollar Baby". CD

Live material recorded in Germany in the early 70s – also featuring Eddie Lockjaw Davis on tenor and Al Grey on trombone! CD

... CD

Not the first album from Roy Buchanan, despite the title – but a set that helped firmly cement his strong 70s legacy – thanks to plenty of the almost-effortless guitar craft that made Roy one of the key forces to carry blues inspiration towards a more rock-oriented world at the time! Despite his face on the cover, Roy doesn't even sing at all – he leaves that to vocalist Bill Sheffield, who's got a soulful style that really matches the grooves – which leaves Buchanan to spin out all these long, well-crafted guitar lines that are more important to the record than the lyrics. Titles include "I'm A Ram", "In The Beginning", "You're Killing My Love", "Wayfaring Pilgrim", and a nice take on the Cannonball Adderley/Joe Zawinul tune "Country Preacher". CD

The young Roy Buchanan live – working here in front of a New York crowd who are clearly in love with his talents! Roy only sings a bit – Billy Price handles most of the vocals – but he lets his guitar sing out loud and clear, with solos that dominate most of the tracks right after they get started – followed by some mighty nice work on organ and keyboards from Malcolm Lukens too. Titles include "I'm Evil", "I'm A Ram", "Can I Change My Mind", "Hot Cha", "Further On Up The Road", and "Roy's Bluz". CD

... CD

... CD

A collection of some of the famous film themes recorded by Roy Budd during the early 70s – featuring a mix of breezy jazzy numbers, plus others that are in more of a straight soundtrack orchestral mode. Roy's piano is tippling nicely through most cuts, though – and the set list includes 12 tracks in all, with the titles "Get Carter", "Getting Nowhere In A Hurry", "Love Is A Four Letter Word", "Fields Of Green & Skies Of Blue", "All You Want To Be Be", "Little Boy, Little Girl", "Lust", "Envy Greed & Gluttony", and "Walkin Down O'Connell Street". CD

A great introduction to soundtrack composer Roy Budd, with themes from Get Carter, Fear Is The Key, Wild Geese, Paper Tiger, and Diamonds – plus additional cuts by Barry Gray and Maurice Jarre! CD

A tremendous set from Jamaican trumpeter Roy Burrowes – a musician who's never been as recorded as often as he should, which is what makes this lost live set so special! The set was recorded live in Paris at the start of the 80s – with Burrowes on trumpeter, in a group that also features Mal Waldron on piano – at a time when he was doing some really wonderful work on the European scene, at a level that's almost a new wave of spiritualism in his music – which really seems to bring out the best in Roy! Also great is reedman Richard Raux – who plays some soulful tenor and soprano sax that works wonderfully alongside Burrowes – on long titles that include "Old Compton Street", "Seagulls", "Jamaica", "Searching", Going Back Home", "Symphony In Blues", and "Hard Talk". CD

A great all-star group – recorded live in 1981 – with Chick Corea on acoustic piano, Joe Henderson on tenor, Gary Peacock on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums! CD

Peven Everett's breakout track! Though this single is credited to and really by new school Chicago producer Roy Davis, Jr, it's most well known around these parts as the first record that Peven really got a chance to shine on, with his soulful vocals nicely adding icing to the sweet, soulful house tracks! CD

Spanky Davis on trumpet and Roy Eldridge on vocals – with Artie Baker on clarinet, Bobby Pratt or Dick Katz on piano, Frank Tate on bass, and Eddie Locke on drums. CD

Lots of rare work from the great trumpeter – material from the albums Roy & Diz, Roy & Diz Vol 2, Little Jazz, Rockin Chair, Dales Wail, Trumpet Battle, Trumpet Kings, Ralph Burns Among The JATPs, Swing Goes Dixie, That Warm Feeling, The Urbane Jazz Of Roy Eldridge/Benny Carter, Swingin On The Town, Tour De Force, and other 10" and compilation tracks too. CD

Notable sidemen include Zoot Sims on tenor, Dick Hyman on piano, Pierre Michelot on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums. CD

... CD

Includes the songs "Green Eyes", "Let Me Off Uptown", "Kick It!", "After You've Gone", "Rockin' Chair", "Armour", "Stop! The Red Light's On", "Watch The Birdie", "The Walls Keep Talking", "Skylark", "Bolero At The Savoy", "Thanks For The Boogie Ride", "Keep 'Em Flying", "Pass The Bounce", "Ball Of Fire", "Harlem On Parade", "Knock Me A Kiss", "Barrelhouse Bessie From Basin Street", "That Drummer's Band", "Murder He Says", "Bop Boogie", "Watch Out", "Swiss Lullaby", and "Why Fall In Love With A Stranger". CD

... CD

Two great albums in the Verve Jam Session tradition – both featuring twin-trumpet leadership from Dizzy Gillespie and Roy Eldridge! Diz and Roy come together in a nice blend of two traditions – blowing in a relaxed mode that's less of the "battle" you might expect from the title – and more of a friendly exchange of solos, recorded in the open and laidback style of Verve at the time. The group features Oscar Peterson on piano, Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, and Louis Bellson on drums – and Dizzy himself even vocalizes a bit on the set! Tracks are mostly longish, with plenty of solo space, and the 10 titles include "Sometimes I'm Happy", "Algo Bueno", "The Heat's On", "The Ballad Medley", "Trumpet Blues", and "Blue Moon". CD

One of the first collections we've ever seen to really do justice to the genius of Roy Hamilton in the 1950s – a package of tracks that not only features his better-known crossover ballads of the time, but which also includes some great tracks in a harder R&B mode! Roy was one of the first singers of his generation to strongly break down the color barrier in popular music – and his amazing vocals were wonderfully suited to a range of material that reached out to many listeners – mellow love songs, rocking upbeat numbers, and even a bit of early country soul – all presented here in great sound with a batch of notes that further illustrates the importance of this material. 26 tracks in all – including "Unchained Melody", "You Can Have Her", "Don't Let Go", "Hurt", "Earthbound", "Crazy Feelin", "Mr Rock & Soul", "I Need Your Lovin", "Dreams Oh Dreams", "I'll Never Be Free", "Blowtop Blues", "On My Way Back Home", "Jungle Fever", "Forgive This Fool", "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down & Cry", "You'll Never Walk Alone", "I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town", and "That's All Right". CD

Features "Death Or Glory?", "Commune", "Me And My Woman", "Male Chauvinist Pig Blues", "Highway Blues" and more! CD

A tremendously beautiful album from overlooked genius Roy Harper – a set that steps into even more personal, private territory than his first few records – but with a sound that's every bit as great! The album only features four tracks – two long, two a bit shorter – and Roy handles guitars, vocals, and even a bit of piano – sometimes in a really spare setting, bot on one track with great arrangements from David Bedford. The music has a really fantastic vibe – that special Harper style of acoustic work that's light years past folk, and very much in a unique space of its own – filled with odd changes and colors, and set to Roy's incredible vocals. Titles include "Hors D'Oeuvres", "The Same Old Rock", "Me & My Woman", and "One Man Rock & Roll Band" – all of which are way more interesting than you'd guess from their titles! CD

With David Sanchex on tenor sax, Kenny Garrett on alto and soprano sax, Graham Haynes on flugelhorn, and David Kikoski on piano. CD

Drummer Roy Haynes works here with an ensemble that's definitely as hip as the title promises – a really righteous group that makes the album one of Roy's most spiritual records ever! Haynes was always a drummer who was really a cut above, even back at the start – but here, he really steps out strongly with a new musical vision for the 70s – working with a lineup that includes George Adams on tenor and flute and Marvin Hannibal Peterson on trumpet – but players who give the music a really bold feel, right from the start! The rest of the lineup is wonderful, too – as Carl Schroeder plays Fender Rhodes with this flowing vibe that's plenty soulful – alongside bass from Terud Nakamura and Mervin Bronson, conga from Lawrence Kilian, bongo from Elwood Johnson, and more drums from Haynes himself. Titles include a sublime reading of Stanley Cowell's "Equipoise" – plus "Tangiers", "You Name It", and "Satan's Mysterious Feeling". CD

A real standout in the career of drummer Roy Haynes – and a sweet set of spiritual jazz from the 70s, unlike most other albums that Haynes ever cut! The lineup here is totally great – with George Adams on tenor, Marvin Peterson on trumpet, and Roland Prince on guitar – and the set has a slightly electric groove that blends beautifully with the soaring acoustic solo work by the main players – in a style that's strongly reminiscent of the best work on Strata East, Black Jazz, or Muse at the time! This album's definitely one of the few times that Mainstream really got things "right" in the studio – and Haynes is superb at the helm of the group, making things come off with a great sense of exploratory creativity! Tracks are long – and titles include "Full Moon", "Senyah", "Brujeira Con Salsa", and "Little Titan". CD

Roy Haynes on drums – with Jaleel Shaw on saxophones, Robert Rodrgiuez on piano, and John Sullivan on bass. CD

The team of Jackie & Roy have a charm that never seems to go away – even on later recordings like these which you might imagine to be suspect! The pair fit together so perfect vocally – and after decades of swinging together on a range of jazzy material they seem better equipped than ever to tackle a range of musical challenges. As usual, Jackie dominates on the gentler tunes, but the best numbers have Roy coming up with strong and warm support. Backing is by a trio led by Roy on piano, plus additional horns, strings, and guest instrumentalists that vary from track to track. Highlights include the Annie Ross tune "Music Is Forever", Jackie's own "Fred Astaire", and the lovely Fran Landesman tune "Through The Windows Of Cars" – and the album also features new versions of Jackie & Roy classics "Cheerful Little Earful" and "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most" – and the tracks "I Know That You Know", "You Didn't Tell Me It Was Wrong", and "The Duke". CD

It's late in the career of Jackie & Roy, but the pair haven't faltered a bit – working here on two different mid 80s albums that are both surprisingly great! Bogie is a live set from 1986 – a dozen songs dedicated to Humphrey Bogart, either from his films, or written in honor of them – performed by Jackie & Roy in a style that's without schmaltz or hoke – and which features some great lyrical twists that are very much in the "smart" Hollywood mode of the postwar years, which was fading strongly by the time of this session. Full Circle is a more straight ahead session – but equally great – with a larger group that includes Conte Candoli, Bill Watrous, Bill Perkins, and Bob Cooper, all of whom give the best tracks a swinging west coast groove. Titles include "Am I Blue", "Bogie", "As Time Goes By", "Sleigh Ride In July", "Never In A Single Year", "Full Circle", and "Line For Lyons". CD

A great late 80s date from Pat Metheny – working here in a trio with Dave Holland on bass and Roy Haynes on drums! Tracks include "Law Years", "Change Of Heart", "Old Folks", "Three Flights Up", and the title tracks, "Question & Answer". CD

A great late 80s date from Pete Metheny – working here in a trio with Dave Holland on bass and Roy Haynes on drums! Tracks include "Law Years", "Change Of Heart", "Old Folks", "Three Flights Up", and the title tracks, "Question & Answer". CD

Titles include "Candy Man", "Only The Lonely", "Running Scared", "Love Hurts", "Leah", "In Dreams", "Uptown", "Mean Woman Blues", "Pretty Paper", "Oh Pretty Woman", and lots lots more! CD

Spiritual genius from trumpeter Roy Campbell – a player who was too often trapped in the underground during this point in his career – even though he plays with a majesty that demands to be heard! There's a power here that's undeniable – as Campbell works in beautifully triangulated formation with bassist William Parker, and drummer Zen Matsuura – who also handles a range of percussion with a care for sound that takes us back to early experiments from the AACM. Each number offers up a different sort of statement of righteousness – and titles include "Brother Yusef", "Camel Caravan", "Song For Alan", "Ancestral Homeland", and "The Positive Path". CD