With John Stephens & Randall Willis on alto saxophone, Jack Nimitz on barritone saxophone, Trey Henry on bass, Maurice Spears on bass trombone, Mel Lee on drums, Anthony Wilson on guitar, and Brian O'Rourke on piano. CD

Some of the most intense work we've ever heard from composer/reedman Darius Jones – a set of longer works, recorded live in Vancouver – with a style that mixes core jazz instrumentation with some added string elements that really send things over the top! There's plenty of free improvisation going on here – and the alto of Jones sounds especially nice next to the skittish drums of Gerald Cleaver – as the duo find strong interplay with the work of Jesse and Josh Zubot on violins, Peggy Lee on cello, and James Meger on bass! All the string instruments are hardly any sort of string quartet – and instead, they come across with those freer improv modes unlocked during the loft jazz generation of the 70s – really exploding here with a sense of united majesty and individual expression. Titles include "Zubot", "Damon & Pythias", "Rainbow", and "Fluxus V5T 1S1". CD

Some of the most intense work we've ever heard from composer/reedman Darius Jones – a set of longer works, recorded live in Vancouver – with a style that mixes core jazz instrumentation with some added string elements that really send things over the top! There's plenty of free improvisation going on here – and the alto of Jones sounds especially nice next to the skittish drums of Gerald Cleaver – as the duo find strong interplay with the work of Jesse and Josh Zubot on violins, Peggy Lee on cello, and James Meger on bass! All the string instruments are hardly any sort of string quartet – and instead, they come across with those freer improv modes unlocked during the loft jazz generation of the 70s – really exploding here with a sense of united majesty and individual expression. Titles include "Zubot", "Damon & Pythias", "Rainbow", and "Fluxus V5T 1S1". LP, Vinyl record album

Jelly Roll Morton on piano with George Mitchell, Ward Pinkett, Ed Anderson, Edwin Swayzee,Red Rossiter, Barclay "horsecollar" Draper, Walter Briscoe & Sidney De Paris on trumpet, Kid Ory, Gerald Reeves, Geechy Fields, William Cato, Charlie Irvis & Claude Jones on trombone, Quinn Wilson, Bill Benford, Bass Moore & Harry Prather on tu, Omer Simeon, Barney Bigard, Darnell Howard, Johnny Dodds, Russell Procope, George Bacquet, Albert Nicholas on clarinet, Stump Evans, Paul Barnes, Joe Garland, Paul "polo" Barnes, Joe Thomas, Walter "foots" Thomas, Sidney Bechet & Happy Cauldwell on saxophone, Rod Rodriguez on ensemble piano, Johnny St. Cyr, Bud Scott, Lee Blair, Barney Alexander, Lawrence Lucie on banjo & guitar, John Lindsey & Wellman Braud on bass, Andrew Hilaire, Baby Dodds, Tommy Benford, Manzie Johnson, William Laws, Zutty Singleton on drums & Marty Bloom on effects. CD

A great entry in one of our favorite series for rare soul tracks these days – a really special sort of collection that brings together tracks with a vibe that's very much all its own! The set definitely serves up the "real side" that it promises in the title – tunes that aren't showy or full of fuss – and instead, these easygoing soul tracks that hit their mark, right from the start – then go long with tremendous staying power, and a sense of warmth that has us returning to the set again and again for repeated listenings! The choice of cuts is sublime – a few familiar numbers mixed with overlooked tracks from artists we know, but haven't heard from in this way before – served up on 20 tracks that include "Never Set Me Free" by Continental Showstoppers, "I'm Coming Home" by Gerald Taylor, "I Can Remember" by The Whispers, "I'd Believe Him" by Deniece Chandler, "What Does It Take" by The Electrifying Cashmeres, "If You Decide" by Bull & The Matadors, "Try Something New" by Eddie Billups, "When" by Joe Simon, "Lover Come Back" by Jackey Beavers, "Nobody But You" by Willie Hightower, "I Hate Hate" by Razzy Bailey, "Why Don't You Write" by Lee Bates, "Grooving With My Thing" by The DeVons, and "Smooth Sailing" by Three Shades Of Soul. CD

A deeply personal project by William Parker in honor of his own Uncle Joe and Aunt Lee – his Bronx dwelling family, paid tribute to with an excellent, timeless soul jazz organ set – we should all by so treasured by uber-talented, passionate kin! Parker holds down the on bass with stellar Cooper-Moore organ grooves, Darryl Foster on tenor and Gerald Cleaver on drums. Titles include "Uncle Joe's Spirit House", "Jacques Groove, "Ennio's Tag", "Document For LJ", "The Struggle", "Oasis" and more. CD

One of the great Pablo Records efforts to revisit the jazz sound of the 50s – but in fresh new ways allowed by the freer recording modes of the 70s! The album features Ella Fitgerald and Joe Pass, plus nobody else – just voice and guitar coming together in quiet, introspective ways that are completely sublime, and a very nice change from some of Ella's fuller band recordings of the few years before this album. And far from being sleepy, the intimacy of the record almost seems to set a new kind of fire – one that comes from the gentle persona of Ella, which is a far cry from the glass-breaking singer that she'd come to be known as in the mainstream! Titles include "Take Love Easy", "Once I Loved", "Lush Life", "You're Blase", "A Foggy Day", "I Want To Talk About You", and "You Go To My Head". CD

Seminal pre-Verve work by Ella Fitzgerald – a variety of early singles from the late 40s and early 50s, collected together in one full album by Decca! Even at this point in her career, the Fitzgerald magic is firmly in place – sensitively taking on familiar lyrics on some tunes, scatting breezily on others – all with a lot more jazz in the mix than her contemporaries, but not nearly as much pyrotechnics as the bebop-era vocalese crowd. Backings are by Sy Oliver on many numbers, by small groups on others – and a few tracks feature backing vocals by the Ray Charles singers. Titles include "Lullaby Of Birdland", "Rough Ridin", "Smooth Sailing", "Later", "Ella Hums The Blues", "How High The Moon", "Air Mail Special", and "Flying Home". CD

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

A nice session of west coast soul jazz – and one that has Les McCann fronting the soulful group of Gerald Wilson. Les sings on a few tracks, but these are mostly sleepy covers of bluesy standards – like "Please Send Me Someone To Love" and "Since I Fell For You". The nicer cuts have Les' piano out front, playing instrumentally on nice originals like "Someone Stole My Chittlins", "Nairobi Nights", and "Lavande". LP, Vinyl record album

A hugely expanded version of the classic double live album by Ella Fitzgerald – featuring a total of 48 tracks in all, recorded over 2 nights at a French jazz festival in 1964, with backing by a group that includes Roy Eldridge and Tommy Flanagan. More than half of the set appears to be previously unissued – and the whole thing's packaged in a wonderful wraparound cover, with great art and notes, and new remastering on the CD. Titles include "Day In Day Out", "Just A Sittin & A Rockin", "People", "Someone To Watch Over Me", "Boy From Ipanema", "The Cricket Song", "Perdido", "Summertime", "The Lady Is A Tramp", "I Love Being Here With You", "Goody Goody", "Cutie Pants", and "Mack The Knife". Some of the cuts repeat over the course of the performance, but they're done in slightly different versions. CD

One of the great Pablo Records efforts to revisit the jazz sound of the 50s – but in fresh new ways allowed by the freer recording modes of the 70s! The album features Ella Fitgerald and Joe Pass, plus nobody else – just voice and guitar coming together in quiet, introspective ways that are completely sublime, and a very nice change from some of Ella's fuller band recordings of the few years before this album. And far from being sleepy, the intimacy of the record almost seems to set a new kind of fire – one that comes from the gentle persona of Ella, which is a far cry from the glass-breaking singer that she'd come to be known as in the mainstream! Titles include "Take Love Easy", "Once I Loved", "Lush Life", "You're Blase", "A Foggy Day", "I Want To Talk About You", and "You Go To My Head". CD

One of the great Pablo Records efforts to revisit the jazz sound of the 50s – but in fresh new ways allowed by the freer recording modes of the 70s! The album features Ella Fitgerald and Joe Pass, plus nobody else – just voice and guitar coming together in quiet, introspective ways that are completely sublime, and a very nice change from some of Ella's fuller band recordings of the few years before this album. And far from being sleepy, the intimacy of the record almost seems to set a new kind of fire – one that comes from the gentle persona of Ella, which is a far cry from the glass-breaking singer that she'd come to be known as in the mainstream! Titles include "Take Love Easy", "Once I Loved", "Lush Life", "You're Blase", "A Foggy Day", "I Want To Talk About You", and "You Go To My Head". LP, Vinyl record album

2 of the greatest artists on Pacific Jazz meet head to head in the studio – as the Les McCann trio gets backed up by the Gerald Wilson Orchestra! Given the hipness of Wilson's sound, and the fact that his group features solo work by Teddy Edwards and Dennis Budimir, the overall approach to the record is really wonderful – pushing McCann way past his usual bag, and fleshing out the core grooves of the trio very very nicely! Tracks include "Maleah", "Love Of Living To Do", "Kathleen's Theme", "Gus Gus", "Restin In Jail", and "Bailor The Wailor". LP, Vinyl record album

Pianist Gerald Clayton has always been a musician who's followed his own path in music – making different-sounding records right from the start – but it's also clear that he's really finding his way ahead in recent years, as this second album for Blue Note will attest! Clayton has a very spacious approach to the piano – not one that's sleepy or uncareful – but instead this way of waiting, thinking, and building the sound up in just the right way – much more rhythmic at the core than an ECM pianist might sound, as there's a lot of organic energy in the music next to contributions from John Clayton on bass, and Justin Brown on drums – pushed even further at times when vocalist Maro joins the group, or saxophonist Charles Lloyd sits in. Titles include "Peace Invocation", "Water's Edge", "Daumunt De Tu Nomes Les Flors", "That Roy", "Rip", and "There Is Music Where You're Going My Friends" – the last of which might be a good way to sum up Clayton's journey! CD

Amazing work from a young Chico Buarque – a record that seems to draw on all the best elements of 60s Brazilian pop, and forge them into a sound that's all its own! At one level, there's a post-bossa style of larger arrangements here that recalls the work of Edu Lobo – handled by Maestro Gaya in a mode that recalls some of the best bits of the time on the Elenco or Forma labels. But at another level, there's also a personal and slightly folksy style that reminds us of the initial power of Geraldo Vandre – a sound that's clearly present in Buarque's work, and which stands in a direct line to the best strengths of the emerging Tropicalia generation. The set's filled with classics that include "Carolina", "Roda Viva", "O Velho", "Ate Pensei", "Sem Fantasia", and "Desencontro" – and a few tracks feature Chico in duets with either Toquinho, Cristina, or MPB4! LP, Vinyl record album

Heavy Nigerian funk from the great Segun Bucknor – an artist who was working during the same Afro Funk revolution as Fela Kuti & Africa 70, but one who never fully got the exposure he deserved on a global level! By the time of these cuts, Segun had already been working hard in a variety of different groups – and he emerges at the start of the 70s with a bold new vision in music – one that draws on the same American soul and funk inspirations that you'll hear on the records of Geraldo Pino, but which also has some moodier elements at times too – a heady current that's clearly inspired by the psych generation, and taken to some more message-oriented lyrics at times. The blend is wonderful, especially when most cuts have these deeply funky rhythms at the bottom – and this 2CD package is a fantastic introduction to his music, with 16 long cuts that include "Sorrow Sorrow Sorrow", "Poor Man No Get Brother", "Dye Dye", "Only In My Sleep", "Adanri Sogbasogba", "Baby Get Your Thing", "Love And Affection", "Son Of January 15th", "La La La", "Gbmojo", "Ayinde Ogo", "Who Say I Tire", "You Killing Me", "Adebo", and "That's The Time". CD

Nancy Wilson remakes American classics of the 20th century – taking a host of tunes from Gershwin, Ellington, Arlen, Porter, and Berlin – and remaking them in her sophisti-soul style of the 60s! She's got plenty of great help on the sessions – with arrangers that include Gerald Wilson, Jimmy Jones, and Billy May – plus accompaniment from players that include Cannonball Adderley, Hank Jones, and George Shearing. The collection features a total of 44 tracks in all – and titles include "Supper Time", "Sleepin Bee", "Secret Love", "My Ship", "Dearly Beloved", "Sophisticated Lady", "You Don't Know What Love Is", "All Of You", "Bewitched", "The More I See You", "Never Will I Marry", "This Time The Dream's On Me", "Prelude To A Kiss", and "By Myself". CD

Music from Lester Young, Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, Machito, Johnny Hodges, Benny Carter, Flip Phillips, Anita O'Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Blossom Dearie, Mel Torme, Jimmy Giuffre, Lee Konitz, and more. CD

Heavy Nigerian funk from the great Segun Bucknor – an artist who was working during the same Afro Funk revolution as Fela Kuti & Africa 70, but one who never fully got the exposure he deserved on a global level! By the time of these cuts, Segun had already been working hard in a variety of different groups – and he emerges at the start of the 70s with a bold new vision in music – one that draws on the same American soul and funk inspirations that you'll hear on the records of Geraldo Pino, but which also has some moodier elements at times too – a heady current that's clearly inspired by the psych generation, and taken to some more message-oriented lyrics at times. The blend is wonderful, especially when most cuts have these deeply funky rhythms at the bottom – and this 2CD package is a fantastic introduction to his music, with 16 long cuts that include "Sorrow Sorrow Sorrow", "Poor Man No Get Brother", "Dye Dye", "Only In My Sleep", "Adanri Sogbasogba", "Baby Get Your Thing", "Love And Affection", "Son Of January 15th", "La La La", "Gbmojo", "Ayinde Ogo", "Who Say I Tire", "You Killing Me", "Adebo", and "That's The Time". CD

Features Bill Cole on didgeridoo, piri, shenai, nagaswarm, and sona – accompanied by Ras Moshe on tenor sax and flute, Joseph Daley on euphonium and tuba, Gerald Veasley on bass, Lisette Santiago on percussion, and Warren Smith on drums. CD

A great step forward for Sarah Vaughan – a set in which she gets the same sort of "songbook" treatment that was really helping Ella Fitzgerald elevate her career at the same time! Backings are by Hal Mooney, who does a good job of bringing a bit of sophistication into the setting, but not at a level that's ever sleepy or overdone – a fair bit like the wonderful mode that Sarah would hit on her Roulette Records material to come! Jimmy Jones plays piano on most numbers, too. CD

Features work by Geraldo Vandre, Leny Eversong, Maria Odette, Elis Regina, Chico Buarque, Paulinho Da Viola, and others! LP, Vinyl record album

A selection of tunes from the film Pete Kelly's Blues – a 20s tale of jazz and gangsters that starred and was directed by Jack "Dragnet" Webb! Given the setting of the film, the tunes often have a more traditional jazz bent to them – with backing from the orchestra of Harold Mooney that features a fair bit of Kansas City-styled jazz. Peggy and Ella's vocals are pure 50s Decca, though – and if anything, the album's a great chance to hear them singing in a slightly different setting, but with all the strength of their best work of the time. Peggy sings on about 2/3 of the album – on tracks that include "Sugar", "I Never Knew", "Somebody Loves Me", and "I'm Gonna Meet My Sweetie Now". Ella sings on the last third – on tracks that include "Ella Hums The Blues", "Pete Kelly's Blues", and "Hard Hearted Hannah". LP, Vinyl record album

Pure and simple genius from Tal Farlow – one of THE greatest jazz guitarists of all time, especially on these important 50s recordings for Veve! Tal's playing here with a simply incredible tone – raspy and earthy, yet with notes that are impeccably placed on his solos – making for a compelling mixture of the rough and the smooth that seems to unlock a huge future potential for the electric guitar in jazz. The group's a quartet, with Gerald Wiggins on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Chico Hamilton on drums – and titles include "Little Girl Blue", "Have You Met Miss Jones", "Tal's Blues", "Cherokee", and "Autumn In New York". CD