Rare Caribbean funk from the 70s – the second volume of West Indies Funk – once again delivering a stylistically diverse take on the classic funky soul from groups such as The Troubadours, Boo & The Tru Tones, Roosevelt Johnson & His Spice Islanders, The Cassanovas, Blue Rhythm Combo and others! All the things we dug about the first volume are in the mix once again – and ultimately the set goes even further with the range and boundlessly funky styles. Includes numbers that could just as easily come from the funky underground of the regional US and others that roll out grooves that are purely indicative of the Caribbean – with steel drums, tropical rhythms and all around breezier, sunnier touches. Even better than the first one! Includes "Funk Good Feeling" by The Troubaodours, "Have A Party" by The Esquires Now", "Don't Blame This Joint" by Boo & The True Tones", "Shango!" by Steel Image, "Something's Definitely Going On" by Mamwaw, "Look-Ka-Py Py" by L Charmers, "Funky Crookie" by Exile 1, "Sing A Simple Song" by The Cassanovas, "The Big Pay Back" by Kenny & The Beach Boys and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A record that's every bit as cool as its cover – and one of the strongest Blue Note sessions from Hammond organ legend Big John Patton! The tracks are long, and have a great loping rhythm – a groove that Patton creates by using the bass pedals alongside the drums of Ben Dixon – a player who really helps John break past more familiar Hammond modes – and helps establish that unique sound that really made the organist one of the strongest 60s players on his instrument! The rest of the combo is fantastic too – with Fred Jackson on tenor, Grant Green on guitar, Richard Williams on trumpet – the last of whom is a real surprise, if you only know his work with Charles Mingus. The tracks are nice and long, and have a good balance between soulful roots and more modern intentions – on titles that include "Just 3/4", "The Way I Feel", "Jerry", "The Rock", and "Davene". LP, Vinyl record album

Steve's sporting a mighty big club on the front cover – dressed in a loincloth, and standing over a lady in a leopard bikini! The album's another set of Steve's slightly blue comedy – performed live, with some slight musical backing, mostly a rhythm combo walking the bass behind him, playing with slight bluesy touches. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic mid 60s album from Grant Green – but one that never got its due originally, because it was unreleased at the time – and didn't come out until a Japanese version in the late 70s! Despite that oddly long gap, Matador is truly one Grant's best ever records – a really inventive session that goes way past his standard soul jazz roots – and which really shows the guitarist stretching out towards future styles of jazz! The session's a spare quartet date – with Green's guitar playing modal grooves over rhythm by by his incredible combo – with Bob Cranshaw on bass, Elvin Jones on drums and the incomparable McCoy Tyner on piano – blocking out bold changes that really drive the record strongly. Cuts are long, and there's a freewheeling quality to the material that's only ever matched by some of the Grant Green/Larry Young sessions from the same time – especially the Street Of Dreams Record. Titles include "Matador", "Bedouin", Green Jeans", and a killer version of "My Favorite Things", done in a very Coltrane-esque style. LP, Vinyl record album

Jackie McLean cut some of his best bop sessions for Blue Note – and this is one of them! The record is amazingly precise, and features Jackie as the sole horn soloist in a group with Walter Bishop on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – a crack rhythm combo that give McLean plenty of room to blow on his searing alto sax. Tracks stream along with an amazing ease – and Jackie's perfectly-placed solos are right on the money every time! The set list includes a lot of standards, but they're done with that warm soulful approach that makes you hardly care about the source of the material – and instead focus on Jackie's amazing talents as an improviser! Titles include "What's New", "I Love You", "Let's Face The Music And Dance", and "Stable Mates". LP, Vinyl record album

A great session from 1959 – one that features John Coltrane playing tenor in a combo that's billed as being led by altoist Cannonball Adderley – but which is really more of a Miles Davis combo, without Miles! The set was recorded in Chicago when both were stopping through the city with Miles Davis' combo at the time – and since the rhythm section includes Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – the album's essentially a Kind Of Blue-era Miles album, recorded without Miles on trumpet, and grooving in a slightly more soul-based Adderley mode! Given the presence of Coltrane, there's a bit less of the gutbuckety soul jazz that Cannon was cutting in his own Quintet – but that's more than ok with us, as the Coltrane solos more than make up for that difference! The set's got 2 great originals by Coltrane – "The Sleeper" and "Grand Central" – plus the cuts "Wabash" and "Limehouse Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Tremendous work from this lesser-known combo from Detroit – a session of work that builds strongly on the colors and changes explored by Miles Davis earlier in the 60s, but which takes things off into a whole new direction! (A Multidirection?) The horns on the record have incredible interplay – trumpet by Charles Moore and tenor from Leon Henderson, playing together with a sense of dexterity that may even beat the team of Davis and Wayne Shorter – angular one moment, softly lyrical the next, and always in pursuit of fresh tones and righteous sounds. Kenny Cox's piano is great too – an exercise in understatement at times – getting as much done with one note as other players would with five – as he slowly guides the group along, and grounds their freer expressions with a good sense of humanity. Rhythm is by Ron Brooks on bass and Danny Spencer on drums – and titles include "What Other One", "Gravity Point", "Spellbound", "Snuck In", and "Sojourn". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer hardbop session from the early years of MPS/Saba Records – and one of the boldest statements on record from the mighty American reedman Nathan Davis – then residing in Europe, and really making some great waves on the scene! As with so many of the best Saba gems, the record has a way of taking Blue Note/Prestige Records inspiration, and pushing it with a fresher sensibility picked up overseas – elements of spiritual and modal jazz in the mix, served up by Davis on tenor, flute and soprano – in a wonderful combo that also features Carmell Jones on trumpet – with Francy Boland on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums – that ultra-hip rhythm section who opened up so many Gigi Campi productions! The album's a prize in the collection of any serious jazz collector – and titles include "The Hip Walk", "Train Of Thought", "B's Blues", and the nice groover "That Kaycee Thing". LP, Vinyl record album

A great session from 1959 – one that features John Coltrane playing tenor in a combo that's billed as being led by altoist Cannonball Adderley – but which is really more of a Miles Davis combo, without Miles! The set was recorded in Chicago when both were stopping through the city with Miles Davis' combo at the time – and since the rhythm section includes Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – the album's essentially a Kind Of Blue-era Miles album, recorded without Miles on trumpet, and grooving in a slightly more soul-based Adderley mode! Given the presence of Coltrane, there's a bit less of the gutbuckety soul jazz that Cannon was cutting in his own Quintet – but that's more than ok with us, as the Coltrane solos more than make up for that difference! The set's got 2 great originals by Coltrane – "The Sleeper" and "Grand Central" – plus the cuts "Wabash" and "Limehouse Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A really amazing set of recordings – vocal sessions done by Fred Astaire in the later season of his career – recorded in the studio with intimate backing by a Verve group that includes Oscar Peterson, Barney Kessel, Charlie Shavers, and Flip Phillips! The material features lovely new interpretations of tunes made famous by Astaire in films, but offered here in a much more relaxed, jazz-based mode. And whether you're a fan of his films or not, Astaire is one heck of a great singer – and hearing him in a setting like this, without the distraction of dancing or film, is really great proof of that fact! Titles include "Cheek To Cheek", "S'Wonderful", "You're Easy To Dance With", "Fascinating Rhythm", "Top Hat White Tie & Tails", "No Strings", and "I Concentrate On You" – plus a few instrumental numbers by the combo. LP, Vinyl record album

One of a few albums recorded by trumpeter Don Goldie for the Argo label in the early 60s – and probably the best of the bunch! This set has Goldie blowing with a group that includes Eddie Higgons on piano, Richard Evans on bass, and Fred Rundquist on guitar – gently grooving in a small combo early 60s Chicago mode. Goldie's style is a bit bright – as you might guess from the title – but there's enough soul in the rhythm section to keep things solid, even on the shorter tracks. Titles include "Soon", "I'll Be Around", "Look For The Silver Lining", "Toy Trumpet", and "Tis Autumn". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album – one of our favorite Blue Notes ever! Despite the fact that the album's a spare quartet session, the record is one of Wayne Shorter's richest – and features his gutsy young tenor soloing insanely with a rhythmically intense combo that includes Herbie Hancock on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – a wonderfully free-thinking rhythm trio! Workman's bass is especially strong, and it underpins the cuts with a throbbing pulse that takes them past any simple hardbop conventions. Every cut's a winner – and this is one album we reach for time and time again over the years! Titles include "Adam's Apple", "El Gaucho", "Footprints", and "Teru". LP, Vinyl record album

New York is what is funky! This is a killer new release by a small organ jazz combo from the Big Apple – and they are definitely worthy members of the city's great end-of-the century funk scene that includes Medeski Martin & Wood, Sugarman Three, and The Other Side! The band have certainly spent plenty of time getting their chops up – and they have a very tight organ/guitar sound with a totally live feel to it. The overall groove is right up there with the best classic combos on Prestige – with stone cold funky drumming underneath sweetly strident lines on the Hammond, and some very heavy guitar rhythm parts. In a way, the record really evokes the heavy funk sound of Lonnie Smith's fantastic Blue Note sides from the Late 60s – with a very heavy drum sound nicely kicking it live! The CD's their first – and believe us, it will more than break them out of the box. Tracks include "Arruga De Agua", "Doin Something", "Rudy's Way", "Azucar", and "Steppin". Great stuff – and the kind of small-group recording that makes it worth shopping at Dusty Groove! Plus, this is the new remastered version of the CD – featuring 2 bonus cuts that weren't on the original release! LP, Vinyl record album

A real treasure through and through – one of the most unusual Blue Note albums you'll ever hear, and a set that's one of the best-remembered from the team of pianist Jack Wilson and vibist Roy Ayers! Long before Roy struck out on his own in the world of funky soul, he worked often in the 60s with Wilson – and the pair have this unique way of blending vibes and piano that's completely fresh, and still unmatched all these many years later! Wilson's natural lyrical style blends with Roy's modal approach to a groove – and the pair soar out in space with these long-flowing lines that make the whole album a treasure. There's no horn players at all – as with Wilson's other small combo Blue Note date – and rhythm is from Varney Barlow on drums, and either Roy Brown or Buster Williams on bass. Titles include a wonderful version of "Sernata", an unusual take on Ornette Coleman's "The Sphinx", and the wonderful Wilson originals "CFD", "Most Unsoulful Woman", and "Harbor Freeway 5pm". LP, Vinyl record album

Easily one of Ramsey Lewis' most successful records – featuring the hit soul jazz style that he forged with the Young/Holt rhythm combo, honed to perfection before a live crowd at The Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach. The record's a key part of Ramsey's live recorded output – showing the trio in pyrotechnic form before the kind of packed-house audiences they were playing to nightly at the time. Includes swinging versions of "Hard Day's Night", "High Heel Sneakers", and "Hang On Sloopy" – plus the original cut "Movin Easy". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album – one of our favorite Blue Notes ever! Despite the fact that the album's a spare quartet session, the record is one of Wayne Shorter's richest – and features his gutsy young tenor soloing insanely with a rhythmically intense combo that includes Herbie Hancock on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – a wonderfully free-thinking rhythm trio! Workman's bass is especially strong, and it underpins the cuts with a throbbing pulse that takes them past any simple hardbop conventions. Every cut's a winner – and this is one album we reach for time and time again over the years! Titles include "Adam's Apple", "El Gaucho", "Footprints", and "Teru". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful work from the Three Sounds – a tight little combo who weren't out to break any rules in jazz, but who made some excellent albums for Blue Note in the early 60s! The groove here is hard-edge soul jazz piano at its best – similar to early Les McCann work of the same vintage, with a strong sense of rhythm on the left hand, and some wonderfully complicated lines on the right – an early example of the genius of Gene Harris. Harris also shows a nice sense of thoughtfulness on the mellower cuts, too – which still swing in their own sort of way, thanks to the work of Andrew Simpkins on bass and Bill Dowdy on drums. Titles include the great original "Dap's Groove" – plus "Sermonette", "Hey There", "Nothin But The Blues", "Street Of Dreams", and "Little Girl Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

Two Groove Merchant albums by organist Reuben Wilson – back to back in one single set! First up is Sweet Life – a great groover by Wilson, and one of his best albums ever! The funky organist really takes off from the sound of his earlier Blue Note albums here – hitting a vibe that's sharper, darker, and plenty darn righteous – still small combo jazz funk, but with a depth that we wouldn't have expected a few years before! The group's a great one – with Ramon Morris laying down some great lines on tenor sax, plus Bill Hardman on trumpet, Lloyd Davis on guitar, Mickey Bass on bass, and Thomas Derrick on tightly funky drums. The album features Reuben's amazing cover of "Inner City Blues" – which has a great jagged groove that was sampled years back by Tribe Called Quest – and it also includes the groovy cut "Creampuff", plus "Never Can Say Goodbye", "Sugar", "I'll Take You There", and "The Sweet Life". On Cisco Kid, Reuben Wilson's working with an all-hip lineup, with players who include Melvin Sparks on guitar, Garnett Brown on trombone, Bob Cranshaw on bass, Mickey Roker on drums, and Ray Amando on conga. The groove has a nicely choppy approach to rhythm, which you'll hear on the nice remake of "Cisco Kid", a big sample hit over the years – plus the sweet originals "Groove Grease" and "Snaps", both of which are hard and funky! The album's also got a great cover of "Superfly" – and other tracks that include "The Look Of Love", "We've Only Just Begun", and "Last Tango In Paris". LP, Vinyl record album

A searing set of recordings from Cyril Davies – originally the harmonica player in the early group of Alexis Korner, but working here at the head of his own group – singing as well, next to additional vocals from Long John Baldry! The set brings together rare BBC and Hullabaloo recordings by the combo – which also features guitar from Geoff Bradford, and both organ and piano from Keith Scott – a tight combo who really make the group jump as they turn out out mod blues remakes of a host of American tunes – plus a few other surprises along the way! Vinyl features 26 tracks in all – and titles include "Country Line Special", "Good Understanding", "Leave My Woman Alone", "My Babe", "Harmonica Breakdown", "Preaching The Blues", "Money's Getting Cheaper", "I'm Ready", and "Chicago Calling". LP, Vinyl record album

The great early double album from Tom Waits! This is peak Asylum era Waits, getting into that charismatic, drunken bluesy poet mode – essentially working live in the studio with a small audience , giving it a genuine sounding latenight cabaret vibe, and embracing his wit and style as brilliantly as he'd done to this point. Brilliant vintage Waits and a loose, yet nicely rhythmic backing combo. Titles include "Better Off Without A Wife", "Emotional Weather Report", "On A Foggy Night", "Eggs & Sausage", "Spare Parts", "Big Joe & Phantom 309", and "Putnam County". LP, Vinyl record album

A mighty big party from tenor giant Arnett Cobb – a player who always blew strongly in other settings, but really hit his height on these albums for Prestige! The record is a perfect mix of Cobb's bluesy roots and a more sophisticated modern jazz setting – with support from a crack rhythm combo of Ray Bryant on piano, Wendell Marshall on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – plus the special addition of Ray Barretto on congas, who brings in this rolling kick that definitely opens things up to the party atmosphere in the title – even when things are mellow! Most numbers have a open, soulfully blowing feel – and titles include "Slow Poke", "Lonesome Road", "Party Time", and "Blues In the Closet". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the best blue-eyed soul of the 70s – material by a really wonderful group with raspy soul leads and full, soaring harmonies! The Mob had a groove that was partly influenced by crossover soul of the late 60s, but which also had a touch of the jazz/rock modes of their generation – tight horns that swing along with the rhythms wonderfully – all in a way that almost links the group to some of the southern party circuit combos, like The Swinging Medallions or Tempests. Lead vocalist Al Herrero has a totally great way of putting over a tune – a style that never tries too hard, and which always keeps things right on the edge without going over the top. This approach is heard especially well on the classic "I Dig Everything About You", but the whole album's great too – overflowing with fresh original tracks that include "Maybe I'll Find A Way", "Lost", "Give It To Me", "Love's Got A Hold On Me", and "For A Little While". LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of Parisian sessions from Don Byas – tracks recorded in the city that gave Don his warmest welcome of the postwar years, and which provided him with wonderful players to work with! The first 6 numbers feature a quartet with Byas on tenor and Mary Lou Williams on piano – working here with Don in a surprisingly soulful, straight way – really adding a lot to the set with her own original tunes "OW", "Mary's Waltz", "NME", and "Why". The next 3 numbers feature Byas working with pianist Beryl Booker, who also sings a bit too – on a version of "I Should Care" – alongside instrumental versions of "Makin Whoopee" and "Bery Booker's Byas-ed Blues". Last up are 3 tracks by Don Byas Et Ses Rhythmes – a cool combo with the great Fats Sadi on vibes and Maurice Vander on piano – on titles that include "Jordu", "Anatole", and "Lover Come Back To Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A much-needed look at the Dutch jazz scene in the 50s and 60s – a spot in Europe that was turning out some really fantastic modern material – at a level that's every bit as great as better-known work coming from France, Germany, and Scandinavia at the time! Many of the players here quickly became giants who would dominate on the Dutch scene for years to come – and even at this early point, their work is wonderful – occasionally graced with guest work from American players, but already more than great enough on its own – and filled with a mix of sharp rhythms, new ideas, and impeccable instrumentation throughout. As with other Sdban titles, the presentation is wonderful – not just a great set list, but an overall feel that makes the package as hefty as the music inside. Titles include "Four On Six" by Kwartet Martin Verlinden, "So Why" by Kwartet Leo Meyer, "Amsterdam Blues" by Diamond Five, "Lady Elisabeth" by Tony Vos Quartet, "Blues For Eddy" by Red & Brown Brothers, "Sem" by Frans Elsen, "Relaxin With Rhythme" by The Rhythme All Stars, "Mensen Van Morgen" by Herman Schoonderwalt, "Wives & Lovers" by Rita Reys & Oliver Nelson, "Comin Home Baby" by Trio Tony Vos, "Sing Sing Sing" by Leddy Wessel with Jack Van Poll, "Blues Minor" by Boys Big Band, and "Afro Blues" by Herbie Mann with Wessel Ilcken Combo. LP, Vinyl record album

An album that has European jazz great Stephane Grapelli revising the format of his legendary Hot Club Of France with guitarist Django Reinhardt – but in a very different mode, given that this group features electric guitar from Barney Kessel! Kessel is great, and his warm, round tones do very little to change things up from his usual groove – but the setting is definitely a fresh one for Barney, given that the combo features rhythm guitar from Nini Rosso, and sweetly-crafted violin lines from Grappelli! The rest of the group features Michel Gaudry on bass and Jean-Louis Viale on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

A double-header of sweet-styled early work from Wes Montgomery! First up is the album Fusion – a pretty darn important record for Wes – as it was his first session with the sort of larger arrangements that would later make him huge! Although Montgomery was mostly recording for Riverside in small combos, this session has him playing in front of larger backings by Jimmy Jones – not as sublime as later work by Don Sebesky or Gil Evans, but done in a way that definitely shows that Wes can do a lot with the guitar when freed from the need to stick with the rhythm strongly. Titles include "All The Way", "Pretty Blue", "Somewhere", "God Bless The Child", "Tune Up", and "Baubles Bangles & Beads". Next up is a batch of ballads and late nite tunes from his trio recordings of 1963 – titles that include "Dreamsville", "Yesterday's Child", "For All We Know", "Days Of Wine & Roses", "Too Late Now", "Whisper Not", and "For Heaven's Sake". LP, Vinyl record album

It's hard to go wrong with the New Mastersounds – and even after so many years, and so many records, these guys are still totally at the top of their funky game – one of the tightest, hardest, sharpest combos around – one of the first in the 21st century generation of deep funk acts, and still one of the best! Eddie Roberts, as always, is a monster on guitar – both in terms of his solos and his sense of riffing rhythms – and the group features plenty of C3 organ and other keyboards from Joe Tatton, plus some guest vocals on a few cuts from Lamar Williams. Titles include "Gonna Get In My Way", "Hot Tub", "Let Me In From The Cold", "Georgie Famous", "Meet You In The Sunshine", "Northern Lights", "Before", and "High On The Mountain". LP, Vinyl record album

A real cooker in the Atlantic Records' 60s series from Preservation Hall – a record that definitely keeps up the groove throughout! Side one features work by the combo of drummer Paul Barbarin – a lively player with a romping approach to rhythm – one that perfectly suits the trad sounds from Ernie Cagnolatti on trumpet, Waldren "Frog" Joseph on trombone, and Louis Cottrell on clarinet. Titles include "Too Late", "The Second Line", and "Give It Up". Side two features a great group led by legendary trumpeter Ernie "Punch" Miller – with sweet horn work from a lineup that includes Louis Nelson on trombone and George Lewis on clarinet – the latter of whom is in perfect late formation on his well-crafted solos. Titles include "Nobody Knows The Way I Feel This Morning", "Preservation Blues", and "Hindustan". LP, Vinyl record album

An easy-going, openly-swinging set from British reedman Sandy Brown – long live tracks that feature lots of deft clarinet work from Sandy, plus some tightly swinging rhythms from a combo that includes Ray Crane on trumpet, Brian Lemon on piano, Phil Bates on bass, and Mike Scott on drums! There's certainly trad roots to the music, but the execution is much more bop-inflected overall – especially given the long tracks that allow plenty of room for solo work – which almost gives the record the feel of a Buddy DeFranco appearance in a Verve Jam Session! Titles include "Splanky", "In The Evenin", "I Got It Bad", "Royal Garden Blues", and "Roll Em Pete". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare meeting of 2 modern talents from the 50s – joined together in one unique performance from the Newport Jazz Festival in 1971! The baritone sax of Gerry Mulligan's a nice contrast to the usual Brubeck alto of Paul Desmond – long-departed from Dave's combo by this time, but referenced strongly by Gerry in his fluid lines for the set, almost a solo culmination here of previous recorded duets with Desmond in earlier years. Tracks are all quite longish, and given that Dave's group here features Jack Six on bass and Alan Dawson on drums, there's a quality to the session that's a fait bit more rhythmic than before – pulsating strongly with forceful lines on Brubeck's piano, and an overall feel that's much more freewheeling than you'd expect! Album features 3 long tunes – "Blues For Newport", "Open The Gates", and "Take Five". LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning live work from piano genius Ahmad Jamal – still very young at this point, but already working with the fluid sense of imagination that would only unfold even more in the 60s! As with most of Jamal's live dates of the time, the balance of lyrical energy on the keys and rhythmic sensitivity at the core is fantastic – given sublime support from Israel Crosby on bass and Vernell Fournier on drums – a trio who were as unique in their own way as the three piece combo of Ramsey Lewis was as well – although in a completely different style. The tunes are all familiar, but given these really fantastic readings – and titles include "April In Paris", "I'll Take Romance/My Funny Valentine", "Falling In Love With Love", and "The Second Time Around" – plus the Jamal original "Night Mist Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Heavy funk from the great Etta James – one of her standout classics from the later Chess years, done with a style that's completely different than her work of the 60s! The set was recorded in LA with a super-dope sound that's almost in a funky soundtrack mode – full horns, bits of strings, wah wah guitar, and a core tight rhythm combo that features keyboards from William D Smith, percussion from King Errison, and lots of stepping bass from Chuck Rainey! And while funky, the style isn't as rough and ready as some of the other Chess funky blues from the late 60s Chicago years – showing instead a bit more of a soul influence in the mix, at a level that Etta matches beautifully with her vocals. Titles include "All The Way Down", "Only A Fool", "Down So Low", "Lay Back Daddy", "Just One More Day", and a version of "Leave Your Hat On" with a great funky keyboard break! LP, Vinyl record album

A Pablo Records release – but featuring material that was originally destined for Verve Records in the 50s – a rare performance in Japan by the Jazz At The Philharmonic! The double-length set is overflowing with goodness, all recorded in the open-ended, warm-hearted style that Norman Granz brought to these classic performances! The album starts with an extended set by the JATP All-Stars – a group that features Roy Eldridge and Charlie Shavers on trumpets, Willie Smith and Benny Carter on alto, Bill Harris on trombone, and Ben Webster and Flip Philips on tenors – with rhythm from the combo of Oscar Peterson on piano, Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, and JC Heard on drums. JATP titles include a "Ballad Medley", "Tokyo Blues", and "Cotton Tail". The set then features six more tracks by the Oscar Peterson Trio – including "Sushi Blues" and "Up" – and another four by the Gene Krupa Trio – including "Don't Be That Way", and "Cocktails For Two". The set then ends with a long set by Ella Fitzgerald with a quartet – on titles that include "Smooth Sailin", "How High The Moon", "Body & Soul", "Lady Be Good", and "My Funny Valentine" – plus a reading of "Perdido" with the whole JATP group. LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty darn important album for Wes – as it was his first session with the sort of larger arrangements that would later make him huge! Although Montgomery was mostly recording for Riverside in small combos, this session has him playing in front of larger backings by Jimmy Jones – not as sublime as later work by Don Sebesky or Gil Evans, but done in a way that definitely shows that Wes can do a lot with the guitar when freed from the need to stick with the rhythm strongly. Titles include "All The Way", "Pretty Blue", "Somewhere", "God Bless The Child", "Tune Up", and "Baubles Bangles & Beads". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful, beautiful record from Horace Silver – one of his great 70s experiments for Blue Note – and a set that has him working in the same "jazz with voices" mode explored by Max Roach and Donald Byrd in earlier years! The core of the set is focused around the great work of Silver's combo – with Tom Harrell on trumpet, Bob Berg on tenor, Ron Carter on bass, and Al Foster on drums – a wonderfully cohesive unit that arcs and turns with all these sweet little shifts – keeping up with the creative rhythms directed from Silver, while cascading through a beautiful range of tones and colors as well! The vocals follow suit beautifully – directed by Alan Copeland, but with a much more soulful approach than his 60s material – bursting forth with this warmth and sense of tone that really matches the instrumentation. Titles include "I Will Always Love You", "Out Of The Night", "Incentive", "New York Lament", "Mood For Maude", and "All In Time". LP, Vinyl record album

With a sound like this, these guys have gotta be Feelin Good! The album's one of the first few Blue Notes by Gene Harris and his mighty Three Sounds combo – and is done in the group's very successful blend of soul jazz and piano trio musing – a key shift in styles from the 50s to the 60s, and one that always sounds nice! There's a great rhythmic approach to the work, augmented by Harris' chunky style of hitting the keys – and the album's filled with nice numbers that include "Parker's Pad", "Two Bass Hit", "Straight No Chaser", and "Blues After Dark". LP, Vinyl record album

Jimmy Witherspoon pays tributes to his roots in rhythm and blues – but he does so in a wonderful way, by bringing a more jazz-focused approach to the material here – thanks to some nice tenor work from Ben Webster! Back in the 60s, Witherspoon always sat easily on the fence between jazz and blues – but a few key recordings really bring out that aspect of his work – and this obscure session for Reprise is one of them! Spoon's singing in a laidback, small combo setting here – very similar to the style he'd use on live dates in California – and Webster gets in some wonderful moments on the record too, blown with the boozy, late nite style used on his own Reprise album at the time. Titles include "Key To The Highway", "Confessing The Blues", "Did You Ever", "Rain Is Such A Lonesome Sound", "Cherry Red", "Just A Dream", and "Please Mr Webster". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic set that goes "slam" from the very first note – and which helped to set the pace for countless ensemble funk acts to come! Brass Construction had a wonderful sound that was the best-realized version of the east coast indie club combos of the mid 70s – funky at the bottom, but polished at the top, in a style that was equally appreciated by fans of disco and more classic funky soul! The "brass" in their title was certainly strongly supported – as the group used a brace of horns on the top of the mix, smoothly gliding over the choppier rhythms at the bottom. And while there's certainly some vocals on the set, they often take second stage to the tight instrumentation of the group! The set includes the classic "Movin" – virtually a blueprint for mainstream funk at the time – plus the tracks "Changin", "Love", "Talkin", "Dance", and "Peekin". LP, Vinyl record album