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An unusual record for Randy Weston – a freewheeling live set recorded at Montreux in 1974, with Billy Harper joining Weston's group on tenor and flute, playing long spiritual solos that work wonderfully next to Weston's spiralling piano lines! Harper's searching quality really opens up the set, and Weston's rhythmic pulse keeps him from overly blowing, as on some of his own albums from the time – and the rough edges of the group give the session a nice degree of bite! The rest of the group features William Allen on bass, Don Moye on drums, and Steve Berrios on percussion and tracks include "Mystery Of Love", "Tribute To Duke Ellington", and "Carnival".

A fantastic live set from 1968 – recorded after Blakey's classic Blue Note years, but with a group of fantastic players that includes a young Billy Harper on tenor, Ronnie Matthews on piano, and Julian Priester on trombone. Harper alone is worth the price of the CD – as his firey solos are great, and the whole album's an excellent peek at his early career! There's a sense of open freedom here that's quite different than the earlier Jazz Messengers groove – and this European date is a great complement to the better-known US live recording with the same group from the time. The set features a number of nice long tracks – like Slide Hampton's "Slide's Delight", Billy Harper's "Blues For Eros", Bobby Timmons' "Moanin", and the Jazz Messengers' standard "You Don't Know What Love Is".

A very soulful batch of fusion tracks from drummer Horacee Arnold – here leading a group that includes reed talents Billy Harper and Joe Farrell, percussionist Ralph McDonald, guitarist Ralph Towner, and Dave Friedman on vibes and percussion. Tracks are long and spiralling, with a spiritual approach that goes quite out at times, but which also returns to a modal groove at others. Thanks to great playing by Harper and Farrell, the album's got a lot more soul than some others of the type at the time. Tracks include "The Actor", "Professor Moriarty", "Orchards of Engedi", "Tribe", and "Banyan Dance".

A very soulful batch of fusion tracks from drummer Horacee Arnold – here leading a group that includes reed talents Billy Harper and Joe Farrell, percussionist Ralph McDonald, guitarist Ralph Towner, and Dave Friedman on vibes and percussion. Tracks are long and spiralling, with a spiritual approach that goes quite out at times, but which also returns to a modal groove at others. Thanks to great playing by Harper and Farrell, the album's got a lot more soul than some others of the type at the time. Tracks include "The Actor", "Professor Moriarty", "Orchards of Engedi", "Tribe", and "Banyan Dance".

A great one from this all-star group – an incredibly righteous combo that's given Billy Harper one of his best chances to play in years! As with the previous album by The Cookers, the Harper influence really runs strong – not just in the use of some of his great tracks in the performance, but also in the way the tunes build and work together – that bold, powerful energy that Billy first unleashed on the world in the 70s – driven to new heights here by a lineup that also includes Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Craig Handy on alto sax, George Cables on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Billy Hart on drums! But key thanks should also go to trumpeter David Weiss – also in the group, and producer for the record – a great talent for getting these guys to work together so well. Titles include tunes by McBee, Cables, and Hart as well – with tracks that include "Ebony Moonbeams", "Believe For It Is True", "Free For All", "Quest", "But He Knows", "Tight Squeeze", and "Naaj".

Charles Earland – really stretching things out, and sounding great in the process! The album's an important one, as it shows that Earland wasn't just a funky Hammond player leading a small group – but a visionary player who could put together a session with a larger, cosmic concept. The album features an expanded horn section on most cuts, save for the smaller group "Speedball", which features excellent blowing by Lee Morgan and Billy Harper. Other players are all funky favorites from the Prestige years, and even the familiar numbers take on a whole new sound in this setting! Titles include "Charles III", "Girl You Need A Change Of Mind", "Auburn Delight", and "My Favorite Things".

Gil plays Jimi? Sounds like a gimmick, but it comes off pretty darn great – and it helps you forgive him for trying to convince the kids that he's not as old as his grey hair might make you think! As always with Evans, the key to the album is a beautiful balance between the strength of the players and vision of the arrangements – a hip mix of musicians who include Billy Harper on tenor and flute, Marvin Hannibal Peterson on trumpet, and both Ryo Kawasaki and John Abercrombie on guitars! Arrangements are great too – handled by Tom Malone, Warren Smith, and Howard Johnson – all of whom make the album way more than just an instrumental reading of Jimi Hendrix tunes – and instead a great platform for improvisation that uses tunes that include "Up From The Skies", "Foxy Lady", "Gypsy Eyes", "Voodoo Chile", "Angel", "Crosstown Traffic", and "Castles Made of Sand".

A pretty great 70s album from Gil – with some nice electric playing, and a good groove on the best cuts! The overall approach is still very striking – a 70s equivalent to Gil's famous 60s work – and as always with Evans, the players in the ensemble are impeccably well-chosen, with giants like Hannibal Marvin Peterson, Billy Harper, Ryo Kawasaki, Joe Gallivan, and a young Dave Sanborn handling the solos. Includes the odd spacey Tony Williams number "There Comes A Time", plus a cover of Hendrix's "Little Wing" – both of which have vocals by Peterson. Other tracks include "Aftermath Of The Fourth Movement Children Of The Fire", "Anita's Dance", and "Makes Her Move".

A rare and beautiful Andrew Hill session, and one of the classic Blue Note entries into the "jazz and voices" sound that the label pioneered with Donald Byrd and Eddie Gale. Hill leads a core jazz group that includes Woody Shaw, Carlos Garnett, Richard Davis, and Freddie Waits – and the group is backed by a vocal ensemble with a very spiritual vibe. The sound is a lot more hip than the Donald Byrd & Voices albums, and the playing of the core jazz group is very very soulful – along the lines of Hill's Grass Roots album, which was also from the same period. The record's similar to the Max Roach/Billy Harper vocal work around the same time, and titles include "Ghetto Lights", "Hey Hey", "Two Lullabies", and "Love Chant". A very unique album for Andrew Hill!

Early Blue Note work from the legendary Bobbi Humphrey – a session cut before she hooked up with producer Larry Mizell, but one that's still got a righteously soulful vibe! The arrangements here are by Wade Marcus, but he still has the great idea of giving Bobbi a bit more expanded sound in the background – a full mix of sounds that lets her flute step out in the lead and find its own soulful space on the solos. Other players here include Lee Morgan, Billy Harper, and Frank Owens and the group hits a larger soaring spiritual sound that's very nice. Titles include a version of Eddie Harris' "Set Us Free", plus "Sad Bag", "Don't Knock My Funk", "Journey To Morocco", and "Ain't No Sunshine".

A great blend of older jazz styles and the sweet 70s funk of Robin Kenyatta – served up with a hip sort of sparkle overall! There's a few familiar jazz modes in here that definitely live up to the spirit of the title – but most of the record is more open, laidback, and somewhat spiritual – thanks to help from a hip lineup that includes Billy Harper on tenor sax, Dwight Brewster and Larry Willis on electric piano, Winston Wright on organ, Lew Soloff on trumpet, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone! Some of the best tracks here are surprisingly open and earthy – almost pointing back towards Kenyatta's Until album, but a bit more inside – and other cuts have a warmer sort of 70s glow, more in the mode that Robin was hitting on other Atlantic albums of the time. Titles include "The Need To Smile", "Mellow In The Park", "Jessica", "River Boat", "Two Bass Blues", and "Smooth Sailing".

A beautiful blend of jazz, voices, and soul – a landmark record in Max Roach's vocal experimental tradition, and a fitting companion piece to Billy Harper's classic Capra Black album – an equally soulful blend of styles! Like Capra Black, this set features Harper's sharp and soulful tenor up against a choir of voices – blowing on hard-hitting soul jazz arrangements handled by Max Roach, of the style he used on some of his classic early 60s sides for Impulse and Candid. The tracks are long, Harper's in top form, and the group also includes Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet and George Cables on piano – ultra hip cats, always! Cuts include "Motherless Child", "Let Thy People Go", and "Troubled Waters.

An amazing album – one of our favorite records ever from drummer Max Roach, and a set that also features some of the best 70s work by tenorist Billy Harper too! The session's a unique date done for the Horo label – and soars even farther than other Horo classics from the time – with a one-of-a-kind energy that makes it a really special record right from the start – even better than any other Roach/Harper pairings from the time. Max has a killer quartet here – no piano at all, just himself on drums, Billy on tenor, Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet, and Reggie Workman on bass – a group that's filled with soulful spirit – and manages to stretch out without ever getting overindulgent, nor too free – that special kind of balance we're used to hearing on Harper's Japanese 70s sessions – which is carried through strongly here. The album only features two long tracks – "The Matyr" and "Six Bits Blues" – each of which strech out for both sides of a record!

A fantastic album by Woody Shaw – spiritual, soulful, and filled with some nice modal grooving! The group's one of the best he ever worked with on Muse – with Billy Harper on tenor, plus Rene McLean, Steve Turre, Joe Bonner, and Cecil McBee – and the approach reminds us of some of the work on Strata East from the same time. The highlight of the record is the cut "Sunbath", which was done in a more famous jazz dance version by singer Joyce Hurley – but Shaw's version has a very similar groove. Harper makes many of the other tracks shine brilliantly, and titles include "Love Dance", "Obsequious", and Harper's own beautiful composition "Soulfully I Love You".

One of the few sessions ever cut as a leader by soul jazz trumpeter Charles Sullivan – a brilliant talent who shone brightly in the mid 70s, working in hip small groups that were very much in the Strata East mode. This rare, previously Japanese-only release has Sullivan working with Rene McLean, Kenny Barron, Buster Williams, and Billy Hart – on a tightly crafted set of tunes that share the same lyrical searching quality as some of McLean or Barron's own work from the time. The compositions are incredibly soulful – very much in the mode of some of Billy Harper's genius Japanese recordings – and titles include "Re Entry",take on "Body & Soul", "Carefree", "Mabe's Way", and "Waltz For Cricket". CD also includes 2 bonus tracks – longer takes of the beautiful "Body & Soul" and "Carefree". Outstanding!

One of the most righteous albums of jazz ever recorded – a brilliant blend of soulful and avant garde styles, backed up by a chorus of voices that have a really soulful sound! The album's the second recorded for Blue Note by the Ghetto Music ensemble of trumpeter Eddie Gale – a lesser-known talent who recorded previously with Cecil Taylor, but who made a turn away from modernism at the end of the 60s, in order to express himself at a level that he felt was more clearly grounded in the people. The result of that effort is sheer brilliance – an album that sounds like nothing else you can imagine. Part of the style shares the energy of similar vocal/jazz projects by Max Roach and Billy Harper, but Gale's conception of the music is much more dynamic, and very carefully rooted in song structures – with a sound that's as powerful today as it was when it was recorded! Titles include "Ghetto Love Night", "Song Of Will", "Ghetto Summertime", "Black Rhythm Happening", and "Look At Teyonda".

One of our favorite all-time records, and a real lost album on Blue Note! Eddie Gale leads this group of righteous singers and musicians through five fantastic tracks of soulful chanting and hard jazz playing that never goes too far out, but always threatens to break free of its own chains – soaring to the skies on wings of freedom and spirituality! Gale's trumpet rings hard and loud, and the vocal arrangements never verge on sentimentality, but manage to convey a ton of soul with an incredibly righteous approach that's never been duplicated again! Imagine Donald Byrd's vocal group albums recorded for Strata East – or a hipper version of Billy Harper's Capra Black – and you've only got part of the picture! Titles include "The Rain", "Fulton Street", "The Comign Of Gwilu", and "A Walk With Thee".

A beautiful blend of jazz, voices, and soul – a landmark record in Max Roach's vocal experimental tradition, and a fitting companion piece to Billy Harper's classic Capra Black album – an equally soulful blend of styles! Like Capra Black, this set features Harper's sharp and soulful tenor up against a choir of voices – blowing on hard-hitting soul jazz arrangements handled by Max Roach, of the style he used on some of his classic early 60s sides for Impulse and Candid. The tracks are long, Harper's in top form, and the group also includes Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet and George Cables on piano – ultra hip cats, always! Cuts include "Motherless Child", "Let Thy People Go", and "Troubled Waters.

A classic album that mixes trumpet and voices in a swirling soulful sound that worked very well for Byrd's career! Byrd's sparkling trumpet fronts a tight septet that includes Hank Mobley, Herbie Hancock, and Kenny Burrell – and which is backed by arrangements by Coleridge Perkinson and Duke Pearson. The sound is beautiful and spiritual, with a sound that mixes Blue Note hardbop with a style that would later show up on labels like Strata East, or in the experiments of Max Roach and Billy Harper. The tracks are long and moody, and the vocal group never gets in the way, but instead backs Byrd in a way that lets him hit new heights, and which gives him a stronger sense of voice. Includes the classic "Christo Redentor", plus "Chant", "The Black Disciple", and "Elijah".

A classic album that mixes trumpet and voices in a swirling soulful sound that worked very well for Byrd's career! Byrd's sparkling trumpet fronts a tight septet that includes Hank Mobley, Herbie Hancock, and Kenny Burrell – and which is backed by arrangements by Coleridge Perkinson and Duke Pearson. The sound is beautiful and spiritual, with a sound that mixes Blue Note hardbop with a style that would later show up on labels like Strata East, or in the experiments of Max Roach and Billy Harper. The tracks are long and moody, and the vocal group never gets in the way, but instead backs Byrd in a way that lets him hit new heights, and which gives him a stronger sense of voice. Includes the classic "Christo Redentor", plus "Chant", "The Black Disciple", and "Elijah".

One of the hippest albums ever recorded by the Jones/Lewis band – oddly cut for Philadelphia International, during the height of that label's classic soul output! The group is totally great – filled with deeply soulful players like Ron Bridgewater, Cecil Bridgewater, Billy Harper, Roland Hanna, Jon Faddis, and George Mraz – and the tunes have a laidback feel that moves past the group's big band stylings, into a ream that includes some hipper mellow tracks – including a few with nice electric piano work. Quite soulful throughout – almost a Quincy Jones feel – and includes covers of "Don't You Worry Bout A Thing", "For The Love Of Money", and "Living For The City" – plus the originals "Yours & Mine", "Quiet Lady", "All My Yesterdays", and "Blues In A Minute".

Brilliant work – the last LP ever cut by Lee Morgan, a mindblowing session that always leaves us wondering how massive he would have become if he hadn't been tragically murdered shortly after it was recorded! The album's got lots of extended compositions, free flowing numbers played by a larger band than usual – one that features stellar playing by Billy Harper and Harold Mabern – both of whom are in their prime at this point. Harper is especially fantastic, and although not a leader on the album, soon became well known through his brilliant performance – and the fantastic original compositions "Capra Black" and "Croquet Ballet", both of which are highlights of the set. Other tracks include "In What Direction Are You Heading", "Angela", and "Inner Passions Out".

Excellent work by this underrated trumpet player – a haunting set of tracks that range from moody soul jazz, to straighter funkier numbers, all handled with the kind of flourish you'd expect more from a small-label indie release than a major label session. Owens is in good company here – working with a group that includes Kenny Barron on electric piano, Billy Cobham on drums, and Billy Harper on tenor and flute. The album's funky in parts, but the best tracks are the sparer, slower ones. Includes the track "Chicago Light Green", "Lo Slo Bluze", "Put It All Togetha", and "Funk A De Mama". Great stuff!

A well-selected set of tracks by the legendary vocalist Leon Thomas – one that focuses squarely on his recordings for the Flying Dutchman label – with standouts from his own records, a crucial collaboration with Johnny Hodges, and a previously unreleased tune as well! The collection features a really wonderful range of music – some tunes with the righteous feel of Thomas' singing with Pharoah Sanders, some others with a tighter soul feel, and even a few more with a classic jazz approach that's mighty nice! The albums under Thomas' name often feature some great small group backings – with players who include Billy Harper on tenor, and Roy Haynes or Bernard Purdie on drums – and some of the larger backings feature excellent arrangements from Oliver Nelson and Pee Wee Ellis. Titles include "Shape Your Mind To Die", "Just In Time To See The Sun", "It's My Life I'm Fighting For", "The Creator Has A Master Plan", "Let The Rain Fall On Me", "China Doll", "Bags' Groove", "One", "Come Along", "Let's Go Down To Lucy's", "Love Each Other", "Balance Of Life (Peace Of Mind)", "Umbo Weti", "Welcome To New York", and a previously unreleased version of "Um Um Um".

Charles Earland – really stretching things out, and sounding great in the process! The album's an important one, as it shows that Earland wasn't just a funky Hammond player leading a small group – but a visionary player who could put together a session with a larger, cosmic concept. The album features an expanded horn section on most cuts, with players that include Houston Person, Richard Williams, Billy Harper, and Lee Morgan. Other players are all funky favorites from the Prestige years too, and even the familiar numbers take on a whole new sound in this setting! Titles include "Charles III", "Girl You Need A Change Of Mind", "Auburn Delight", and "My Favorite Things". The CD brings together tracks from the album Charles III, plus other previously unissued tunes from the same period – for a 9 track session that includes the cuts "Funk Fantastique", "Don't Let Me Lose This Dream", and "Grab Hole A Dis".

One of our favorite all-time records, and a real lost album on Blue Note! Eddie Gale leads this group of righteous singers and musicians through five fantastic tracks of soulful chanting and hard jazz playing that never goes too far out, but always threatens to break free of its own chains – soaring to the skies on wings of freedom and spirituality! Gale's trumpet rings hard and loud, and the vocal arrangements never verge on sentimentality, but manage to convey a ton of soul with an incredibly righteous approach that's never been duplicated again! Imagine Donald Byrd's vocal group albums recorded for Strata East – or a hipper version of Billy Harper's Capra Black – and you've only got part of the picture! Titles include "The Rain", "Fulton Street", "The Coming Of Gwilu", and "A Walk With Thee".

Gil plays Jimi? Sounds like a gimmick, but it comes off pretty darn great – and it helps you forgive him for trying to convince the kids that he's not as old as his grey hair might make you think! As always with Evans, the key to the album is a beautiful balance between the strength of the players and vision of the arrangements – a hip mix of musicians who include Billy Harper on tenor and flute, Marvin Hannibal Peterson on trumpet, and both Ryo Kawasaki and John Abercrombie on guitars! Arrangements are great too – handled by Tom Malone, Warren Smith, and Howard Johnson – all of whom make the album way more than just an instrumental reading of Jimi Hendrix tunes – and instead a great platform for improvisation that uses tunes that include "Up From The Skies", "Foxy Lady", "Gypsy Eyes", "Voodoo Chile", "Angel", "Crosstown Traffic", and "Castles Made of Sand". CD features 4 bonus alternate takes, too!

Fantastic stuff – one of Mary Lou Williams' hippest albums, and one of the few in which she blended in funk with her spiritual jazz piano musings! The record's got a larger group arranged by Mary – grooving in a post-Hair kind of funky ensemble way – a bit spiritual at times, but nicely stripped down and soulful at others – with a mystical blend of voices and jazz, at a level to rival similar work from the time by Max Roach, Horace Silver, or Billy Harper! The bassist and drummer really make the record groove nicely – giving a few tracks a surprisingly funky sound – and tracks include "Gloria", "In His Day", "Lazarus", "One", "Praise The Lord", and "Lamb Of God". CD also adds some additional tunes to the original album – making for a 24-track package that's also supported by a 32-page booklet!

Vintage work from this overlooked group from the New York scene of the 80s – an all-star lineup that features Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet, Marion Brown on alto sax, Billy Bang on violin, Sirone and Fred Hopkins on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums! The tracks are long, and there's a loose, open feel that recalls the loft jazz generation – but an overall sound that shows the new strength and focus that some of these players were really hitting at the time – that sharper vision that you'd get during the early years of Black Saint/Soul Note – yet presented here in a style that's much more spontaneous overall! Brown and Bang are especially nice – some of the sharpest corners of this sextet – and titles include a great reading of "Goodbye Porkpie Hate", plus "La Placita", "Shift Below", "Joann's Green Satin Dress", and "Amanpondo". Great booklet too – with loads of notes and historical information!

Vintage work from this overlooked group from the New York scene of the 80s – an all-star lineup that features Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet, Marion Brown on alto sax, Billy Bang on violin, Sirone and Fred Hopkins on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums! The tracks are long, and there's a loose, open feel that recalls the loft jazz generation – but an overall sound that shows the new strength and focus that some of these players were really hitting at the time – that sharper vision that you'd get during the early years of Black Saint/Soul Note – yet presented here in a style that's much more spontaneous overall! Brown and Bang are especially nice – some of the sharpest corners of this sextet – and titles include a great reading of "Goodbye Porkpie Hate", plus "Joann's Green Satin Dress" and "Amanpondo".

Two lost smokers from vibes legend Johnny Lytle – back to back on a single CD! The Soulful Rebel is lost early 70s set from Lytle – totally funky, but in a way that's very different than his famous 60s work! The album's got a sweet electric groove that comes not only from Johnny's vibes, but also from the sweet Hammond and Fender Rhodes of Billy Nunn, and the smoking guitar of David Spinozza – who really wails away here, and brings in a cutting edge to the tunes that's a lot sharper than some of his later work! Lytle's vibes are wonderful throughout – filled with that sense of space, soul, and timing that's always made him one of the grooviest players ever on the instrument – and this time around, he seems to have an even greater ear for unusual tones – in a way that makes the album sparkle strongly throughout! The rhythms are smoking, too – with Ron Carter on electric bass, Jozell Carter on funky drums, and Ray Barretto on congas – cooking things up righteously on the album's funky tunes. Highlights include the stone smoker "Gunky", a great remake of "The New Village Caller", and a reworking of "Lela" – plus the extended "Soulful Rebel Suite" – mighty nice! People & Love is one of Johnny Lytle's most righteous albums ever – a soaring, spacious set that's almost to Lytle's career what Gears was to Johnny Hammond's! Of course, Lytle's groove here is different – no Mizell production, and a mellower feel overall – but the unbridled space of 70s Milestone is definitely a key influence here – and Johnny stretches out here like never before! The players are all pretty hip – and include Daahoud Hadi (aka Butch Cornell) on electric piano and organ, Marvin Cabell on flute and tenor, Bob Cranshaw on bass, Betty Glamann on harp, and Jozell Carter on drums – all perfect mates here for Johnny's spiritual exploration of sound with his vibes – in ways that are almost more amazing than work from Bobby Hutcherson or Roy Ayers at the time! Titles include an amazing original called "Libra", plus "Tawhid", "Where Is The Love", "Family", and a version of "People Make the World Go Round".

One of the best albums ever in Verve's classic set of recordings from the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival – a set that captures the Dizzy Gillespie group of the decade in top live formation! The ensemble here is plenty hip – with a young Lee Morgan joining Dizzy on trumpet, and a host of other great players who include Melba Liston and Al Grey on trombones, Benny Golson and Billy Mitchell on saxes, and rhythm from the trio of Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul West on bass, and Charlie Persip on drums! Although big, the band often had the sharper groove of a small combo – and even when hitting some older moments from Gillespie's earlier years, they still kept a modern edge in their approach – thanks to arrangements by AK Salim, Tadd Dameron, Benny Golson, Quincy Jones, and Dizzy himself. Titles include "School Days", "I Remember Clifford", "Manteca", "Dizzy's Blues", "Cool Breeze", and "Doodlin".

A well-titled set from Chico Freeman – as the reedman definitely takes older modern modes into new territory here – moving in almost Monk-ish space, but with some sharper, bolder tones overall! The album's a surprising one for an early 80s major label release – a great reminder that some companies were still willing to take a chance on jazz at the time – and Chico's got a key assortment of players working with him on the date. In addition to his own tenor, flute, and bass clarinet, the record features Wallace Roney on trumpet, Clyde Criner on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, Billy Hart on drums, and Jack DeJohnette on either drums or piano – shifting about a bit from track to track. Titles include "Mys-Story", "At A Glance", "In Spirit", "The Trespasser", "A Prayer", and "Each One Teach One".