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A great performance from this ultra-hip group – a set of American players who got plenty of chance to work on the European scene of the 60s and 70s – hence the Paris Reunion name! The lineup features Woody Shaw on trumpet, Johnny Griffin on tenor, Nathan Davis on tenor and soprano sax, Slide Hampton on trombone, Kenny Drew on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Billy Brooks on drums – and they're joined by London legend Dizzy Reece on trumpet too. Titles are different than those on the For Klook album, although the spirit here is the same – a performance dedicated to the recently-departed Kenny Clarke – with titles that include "Rue Chaptal", "Lonely Windows", "To Kill A Brick", "Foofy For President", "Fifty Six", and "The Big Fist".

An amazing chapter in the career of reedman Tony Scott – some key late 50s recordings done on the Swedish scene, issued here together for the first time, with a rare bonus track as well! Scott made some huge waves on the European scene in the 60s – thanks to important collaborations with overseas players, on work that ran from exotic to modal to world-jazz combinations – and this early set of performances really shows the birth of those more creative modes, as Tony's really working hard to break from some of the more boppish styles of his previous American albums! The core group is the trio of pianist Rune Ofwerman – with Gunnar Johnson on bass and Egil Johansen on drums – a combo with a fluid, open style that really sets Scott free on clarinet – a lot like his late 50s recordings to come with Bill Evans. Titles include "Blues For Ava" in both vocal and instrumental modes – plus "Swingin In Sweden", "Night In Tunisia", "Walkin", "I Can't Get Started", and "All The Things You Are".

One of the only live albums we've ever seen from vocalist Monica Zetterlund – a small combo performance with a great sense of depth and personality! There's a range of work here that goes beyond most of Zetterlund's studio albums – a mix of material that almost makes the session a summation of her many years in music, with nice snippets of many different modes. Lyrics are in both English and Swedish – and Zetterlund speaks a fair bit to the audience too, always in Swedish – and backing is by the trio of pianist Lars Bagge. Titles include a great "Bossa Nova Medley", plus "Svart Vit Calypso", "Trubbel", "Milano", "It Could Happen To You", "Social Call", "The Second Time Around", "I Valet Och Kvalet", "As Time Goes By", and "Lil Darlin".

The second go 'round for this Kenny Clarke tribute group, but with Woody Shaw & Nat Adderley up front, along with Joe Henderson & Nathan Davis. The set's also got Idris Muhammad on the traps, and it's easy to forget what a great jazz drummer Idris can be, when you get so used to hear him delivering the funk message – but he does Klook proud here. Mostly originals by the group members, done in the boppish mode of Clarke's classic years, but which also feature many of the soul jazz inflections of the players involved, the six song set includes the title tune, plus "Work Song", "The Man From Potter's Crossing", "Locksley" & "Jamaican Hot Nights".

The long-overdue return of Coultrain – an artist we've been digging right from the start, when he dropped off a pile of handmade CDs as freebies to give away in our store! Since that time, Coultrain has emerged to become one of the freshest talents of the underground – through work with the Platinum Pied Pipers and Hawthorne Headhunters, and work on other projects as well. But we've always loved the man himself out front of the spotlight – sharing his really unique vision of cosmic soul music – a sublime blend of inventive sounds, creative beats, and songwriting that will take you way way way past the usual! This album's been well worth the wait, and shows that our faith in Coultrain has certainly been well-placed – a beautiful set that features the tracks "A Gem Iza Jewel", "Gazelle's Dance", "Y Not", "Deception", "Sassyphrass", "Wanted", and "Asherah Le Chameleon".

Not Joe's most cutting-edge album, but a sweet warm batch of tracks with a good California/Fantasy records feel! The group includes Dawilli Gonga (aka George Duke) on electric piano, Harvey Mason on drums, and Bill Summers on conga – so the group has a nice groove to them. Henderson's joined by Hadley Caliman, Oscar Brashear, George Bohannon, and Snooky Young on horns – and the tracks include "Immaculate Deception", "Black Miracle", "Gazelle", and "Solution".

An excellent electric Joe Henderson album from the 70s – one that features both live and studio material, all of which show Henderson at the height of his powers! George Cables is on electric piano throughout, and his backing of Joe Henderson is excellent – bringing out a whole new edge for the saxophone giant – one that's spacious, and searching, and much more open than before! The album features 2 tracks from the legendary 1970 Lighthouse concert with Woody Shaw on trumpet and Lenny White on drums – plus 3 more from a studio session that includes Curtis Fuller on trombone, Pete Yellen on saxes, and Stanley Clarke on bass. Titles include "Gazelle", "Mind Over Matter", "Invitation", and "A Shade Of Jade".

Heavy rock from the late 60s San Francisco scene – an obscure psychedelic group who cut this stunning record for Capitol! The album's got some really heavy guitar work and high-spirited vocals that predate many of the bigger concept 70s groups – done in a style that's pretty darn jamming, and which has a nice righteous edge at times. The album's got a number of nice long tracks, and titles include "Wind Chimes", "War Goes On", "Hush Julian", "Eastern Light", and "Amphetamine Gazelle".

A darkly beautiful album from Duke Ellington – one that really lives up to the promise of its title! The mode here is almost more "afro" than "bossa" – as Ellington's working in the fuller, richer styles used in some of his more exotic 60s suites – and less in the light and breezy mode than you'd expect from the bossa nova generation. But the approach is a great one – one that complicates the rhythms even further than some of Duke's other work from the time – and which shows that he was more than willing to move past the easy cliches that were part of the Ellington hit sound at the time, but which were so wonderfully cast off for newer modes as the 60s moved on. Titles include "Bonga", "Afro Bossa", "Tigress", "Absinthe", "Sempre Amore", "Eight Veil" and "Puple Gazelle".