One of David's smooth soul albums for Mercury, with jazzy production by Wayne Henderson that's in line with the best work he was doing at the time. David's got a strange voice that's got the depth of a baritone, but the sweetness of a tenor. It's a little tough to get used to at first, but the arrangements are sparkling, and match his style very well. Tracks include "Love So Strong", "Ms.", "Friends & Strangers", "Munchies", and "Let's Make Happiness". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

With Andy Milne on paino & keyboards, David Gilmore on guitar and guitar synth, Reggie Washington on electric bass, and Oliver Gene Lake Jr on drums and percussion. CD

Genius work from the World Sax Quartet – a really unique ensemble who not only set the tone for a generation of jazz musicians to come, but also gave focus to some richly expressive talents from the 70s underground! The quartet is something of a supergroup right from the start – graced with tremendous reed work by David Murray, Julius Hemphill, Oliver Lake, and Hamiet Bluiett – all key American players who really helped transform the sound of jazz in the 70s – coming together here in a whole new way on seminal sides for the Black Saint/Soul Note label! The format – which inspired many others – is really compelling – as the group's sounds come only from saxes, no other instrumentation at all – with the four wind players handling all rhythm and melody, and making some really amazing music in the process. Horn interplay had never been heard so clearly before – especially as here, the stars put aside their egos, and never try to overblow each other – and instead have this brilliant way of working together to craft a new sort of groove. The box set features the albums Steppin With, WSQ, Revue, Live In Zurich, and Live At The Brooklyn Academy Of Music – all with the classic lineup – plus Moving Right Along, which actually features a quintet with Bluiett, Murray, and Lake – joined by James Spaulding and Eric Person. CD

With Hamiet Bluiett, Julius Hemphill, Oliver Lake, and David Murray on a multitude of saxophones, clarinets – even a bit of flute. Titles include "Ming", "David's Tune", "I Heard That", "Quinn Chapel AME Church", "Affairs Of The Heart", and "Little Samba". CD

With Hamiet Bluiett, Julius Hemphill, David Murray, and Oliver Lake – each playing a variety saxophones. Titles include "R&B", "Hearts", "PO In Cairo", "Steppin", and "Ra Ta Ta". CD

Really groundbreaking work from the World Sax Quartet – one of the first, and best, all-horn ensembles! The strength of the album definitely hangs on the backgrounds of the players – Julius Hemphill, Hamiet Bluiett, Oliver Lake, and David Murray – all already key reedmen in left field jazz, with a sense of sound and identity that makes each part of the group as strong as its whole – a great trading of musical minds, spirits, and sounds. Instrumentation includes alto, tenor, baritone, clarinet, soprano sax, and bass clarinet – and titles include "Sundance", "Pillars Latino", "Suite Music", "Sound Light", "Connections", and "Fast Life". CD

An overlooked early session from multi-instrumentalist Michael Gregory Jackson, recording here with a trio of great horn players in a wonderfully sensitive sound! The record's approach is a perfect illustration of the maturity on the New York avant scene in the late 70s – a real change from the more frenetic modes that ESP was recording a decade before, with some thoughtful, almost pensive points that really round out the record beautifully. Jackson plays mostly guitar, but also vocalizes a bit and plays marimba, percussion, wood flute and other instruments – and he's joined by Oliver Lake on flute and saxes, Wadada Leo Smith on trumpets, and David Murray on tenor sax. Some tracks get nice and bold, while others hold back wonderfully – and titles include "Oliver Lake", "Clarity", "A View Of This Life", "Prelueoionti" and "Iomi". CD

A major label set, but one that stays very true to the new ideals that James Blood Ulmer was trying to bring to jazz guitar at the time – a really revolutionary style that moves beyond simple genre conventions, and embraces a whole world of new ideas that would inspire others in the decade to come! Ulmer plays with a real frenzy at points – deep currents that reflect the bluesy touches of his early work in jazz organ combos, but given a skittish energy that reflects his association with the downtown crowd – and which was very fitting for his record with Rough Trade! The core group here features James, bassist Amin Ali, and drummer G Calvin Weston – and some tracks feature work from David Murray on tenor, Oliver Lake on alto, and Olu Dara on trumpet. Titles include "Timeless", "Pleasure Control", "Night Lover", "Happy Time", "Rush Hour", "Stand Up To Yourself", and "High Time". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal work from the New York avant scene of the mid 70s – an important series of recordings done by Alan Douglas, and sides that initially broke the creative spirit of the scene to a much wider audience! There's a loose, openly creative spirit to these recordings that's a marked change from the intensity of the New York avant recordings of the 70s – a maturity, and confidence, that's come from some of the players' previous work in avant scenes in Chicago, St Louis, and elsewhere – coming together in New York's limelight with some really amazing energy! This 3CD set brings together tracks from all 5 volumes of the original LPs – over 3 hours' of music, with work by players who include Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre and David Murray on tenors; Ken McIntyre, Marion Brown, Oliver Lake, Jimmy Lyons, and Byard Lancaster on alto saxes; Randy Weston, Anthony Davis, and Sonelius Smith on piano; Ted Daniel, Leo Smith, and Olu Dara on trumpet; Khan Jamal on vibes, George Lewis on trombone, Jerome cooper on percussion, and many others too! CD

One of the most comprehensive collections of work we've ever seen on Eddie Bo – a really well-done set that finally gets at the full range of his massive funky talents – including a host of rare singles done for a variety of other artists as well! Despite the dates in the title, most of the music here is from the 60s and 70s – music from those glorious years of New Orleans soul and funk – when it seemed like the Crescent City groove could never stop, thanks to the efforts of Eddie and some of his contemporaries! There's a massively heavy groove to most of the numbers here – an emphasis on the funkiest side of Eddie Bo's sound, especially when he's working in the studio with other singers in the lead – and even if you've got some other Eddie Bo reissues in your collection, there's plenty fresh stuff here that makes this one well worth owning. LP notes are great too – a full history of Eddie's long career and all its different chapters. 30 tracks in all – including "Funky Yeah" and "Shelly's Rubber Band" by Curley Moore & The Cool Ones, "What's Good To You (part 1)" and "The La La Man (part 1)" by Oliver Morgan, "Horse With A Freeze (part 1)" by Roy Ward, "Timber (parts 1 & 2)" by Candy Phillips, "Can I Be Your Main Squeeze" by Chuck Carbo, "I'm A Carpenter (part 1)" by David Robinson, "Garden Of Our Trees" by The Explosions, "Reborn" by Marilyn Barbarin, "Live It Up" by James K-Nine, "Mama Here Comes The Preacher" by Doug Anderson, ""Something You Got" by Barbara George" – and the tracks "Chained", "When The Fingers On The Funk", "Rubber Band", "Getting To The Middle", "Check Your Bucket", "Lover & Friend", "Can You Handle It", "Fallin In Love Again", "Gotta Have More", and "We Like Mambo" all by Eddie Bo. LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic 70s material from trumpeter Ted Daniel – a hell of an artist in his own right, and one whose participation in the New York scene is finally given some documentation with releases like this! The set has Daniel working with some of his most important contemporaries, in two different groups – one a lineup that's heavy on saxophone work – from players who include David Murray, Charles Tyler, Arthur Blythe, Hassan Dawkins, Oliver Lake, and Kappu Umezu; the other a group with a slightly different lineup, which still includes Tyler and Dawkins, but also adds in trumpet from Ahmed Abdullah, trombone from Cahrles Stephens, and drums from Steve Reid! Both groups feature guitar from Melvin Smith and percussion from Tatsuya Nakamura – and compositions are by Lake, Blythe, Tyler, and Daniel – but all given that sense of bold, majestic energy that we usually find in Ted's performances of the time. Titles include "Hassan", "Illusions", "Folley", and "Greeting". CD

Live and lively work from the World Sax Quartet – a perfect illustration of the group's unique powers, recorded in concert at BAM, a very welcome setting for their creative energy! The album's one of our favorite ever by the group – as it has the players coming together perfectly – really knowing each others strengths, and forging a rich new sound out of their unique combinations of horns – truly one of the most inspiring jazz inventions of the 80s! As on other albums, the lineup features Hamiet Bluiett, Julius Hemphill, Oliver Lake, and David Murray on a variety of saxes – and titles include "One/Waltz/Time", "Great Peace", "Kind'a Up", "Paper Works", "Open Air (For Tommy)" and "Georgia Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

Tremendous interplay on saxes from this ultra-hip combo – a legendary lineup that features David Murray, Oliver Lake, Hamiet Bluiett, and Julius Hemphill – all blowing hard on a variety of saxes! The sound here is possibly a bit more free at times than some of the quartet's other 80s albums – less trying to come up with a straighter jazz groove from a batch of horns, and instead more willing to let all the players soar out and express themselves freely. Many tracks definitely still have a sense of structure, but there's also a bit of a different feel here that we really like. Titles include "Steppin", "Bordertown", "Funny Paper", "Stick", "Hattie Wall", "My First Winter", and "Touchic". LP, Vinyl record album

With Hamiet Bluiett, Julius Hemphill, Oliver Lake, and David Murray – on titles that include "Ming", "David's Tune", "I Heard That", "Quinn Chapel AME Church", "Affairs Of The Heart", and "Little Samba". LP, Vinyl record album

A key meeting of Cannonball Adderley and David Axelrod – and one of the pair's first larger collaborations together! The album features Cannonball solos over larger backings by Oliver Nelson – with some occasional help from brother Nat Adderley – all produced with that dark Axelrod edge that we love so much from the Capitol years. The tunes have just the right amount of space to keep things interesting – but also enough soul to link the work nicely to the other Adderley albums of the time. Nelson himself brings in some captivating modern moments to the set – and titles include "Interlude", "Mystified", "Gon Gong", "Shake A Lady", and "Introduction To A Samba". CD also features the extended bonus track "Experience In E" – recorded in 1970 with arrangements by William Fischer! CD

Eric Person, Oliver Lake, Hamiet Bluiett, and David Murray on a saxophones and other reed instruments – plus special guest James Spaulding on two tracks. CD

David Murray on tenor sax & bass clarinet, Hamiet Bluiett on baritone sax, Oliver Lake on alto & soprano sax & Bgruce Williams on curved soprano & alto saxes. CD

Live and lively work from the World Sax Quartet – a perfect illustration of the group's unique powers, recorded in concert at BAM, a very welcome setting for their creative energy! The album's one of our favorite ever by the group – as it has the players coming together perfectly – really knowing each others strengths, and forging a rich new sound out of their unique combinations of horns – truly one of the most inspiring jazz inventions of the 80s! As on other albums, the lineup features Hamiet Bluiett, Julius Hemphill, Oliver Lake, and David Murray on a variety of saxes – and titles include "One/Waltz/Time", "Great Peace", "Kind'a Up", "Paper Works", "Open Air (For Tommy)" and "Georgia Blue". CD

One of their best ones, and a tight set of Ellington tracks that works perfectly with their multi-horn style. Oliver Lake, Julius Hemphill, Bamiet Bluiett, and David Murray split up the arrangements, and the tracks include "Lush Life", "Come Sunday", "Prelude To A Kiss", and 2 different versions of "Take The A Train". CD

Bold, brilliant horns from David Murray, Hamiet Bluiett, Julius Hemphill, and Oliver Lake – on unusual versions of tunes that include "Let's Get It On", "For The Love Of Money", "Nemesis", "Night Train", "Messin With The Kid", and "Dock Of The Bay". CD