A landmark pairing of two Chicago avant players at the start of the 80s – and one that shows that the city had plenty going on, even away from the AACM! The set brings together the older Hal Russell – still an underground secret in the city – and the younger Mars Williams, who was just starting out here, but would soon rise to fame in the NRG Ensemble, and on decades of other recordings and alliances in the Windy City. There's a mix of instrumentation that really shows the open-minded sense of improvisation that Russell helped encourage in the younger Generations – and Hal plays drums, C melody sax, cornet, vibes, toy horns, and "lots of other stuff" – with Mars Williams playing tenor sax, slide whistles, bells, newspapers, and "lots of other stuff" too! Titles include "Carnal Concupiscence", "Is This Virginia", "Odoriferous Flambeaus Of The Paranymphs", "Eftsoons", and "Noise Command Blast 1". LP, Vinyl record album

The Chicago River famously flooded in 1992, but not in a typical way – as the flood was the result of an accident in which the river "leaked" into the city, rather than overtaking it – almost a comical accident that is memorialized here in a benefit performance by the great Hal Russell! Hal's at his most charming here – speaking a bit with that burnt-out voice that he could do so well, as he reads some poetry by Philip Egert, then moves over to blow tenor, soprano, and trumpet – as well as handle drums and percussion – all in duo formation with Joel Futterman, who plays piano, Indian flute, curved soprano sax, and more percussion. The very extended set was performed live at the city's Southend Music Works – and is very much in the looser, unbridled, sometimes shaggy spirit of the free jazz scene in Chicago from the time! CD

Mad music from the legendary NRG Ensemble – a key early force in Chicago's avant jazz scene in the 80s, teamed here with the mighty reedman Charles Tyler! The group itself is already heavy on dynamic reeds – with leader Hal Russell on tenor and Chuck Burdelik on tenor, alto, and clarinet – but Tyler's presence is really felt strongly, as he adds this deeper dimension of spirituality to the music – one that gets past some of the deft movements of the Ensemble, and brings them to richer territory they sometimes never hit this well. Tyler plays baritone, alto, and clarinet – and Russell also handles cornet, vibes, drums, and shenai – with that multi-instrumental talent that always made him so great. The group also features Steve Hunt on vibes and drums, Curt Bley on bass, and Brian Sandstrom on guitar and trumpet – and titles include "Tatwas", "Cascade", "Generation", "Sponge", and "Sinus Up". CD also features two previously-unissued tracks – "This Fence Is A Loving Machine" and "Uncontrollable Rages". CD

An important late recording in the life of Chicago reedman Hal Russell – performances done overseas with the always-energetic NRG Ensemble, at a time when Hal was finally getting his due after years working in the Windy City underground! The larger group sound better here than on just about any of their local recordings – playing with a hell of a lot of ferocity at times, which seems to drive Russell into more of a frenzy too – way past his sometimes quirky modes, into the hard-blown, free-improvised territory he could hit at his best moments. Hal plays tenor, soprano, trumpet, vibes, and drums – and the group also features Mars Williams on tenor and soprano; Brian Sandstrom on bass, trumpet, and guitar; Kent Kessler on bass; and Steve Hunt on vibes and drums. Titles include "Temporarily", "Raining Violets", "For MC", "Mars Theme", "Hal The Weenie", "Monica's Having A Baby", and "Ten Letters Of Love". CD

Hal Russell on saxophones, percussion and vocals, Mars Williams on saxophones and wood flute, Brian Sandstrom on bass, guitar and trumpet, Kent Kessler on bass and trombone, and Steve Hunt on drums, vibes and percussion. CD

A mindblowing moment on the Chicago avant scene of the 80s – a key flowering of the talents of Hal Russell – a musician who'd been working the Windy City since the early 60s, yet who really came into his own in these later years! Hal challenges both the AACM and the European underground with this smoking little set – opening up with unbridled energy on a range of instruments – including drums, vibes, C melody sax, cornet, and even zither – and working with equally energetic younger players who include Chuck Burdelik on tenor, alto, clarinet, and flute; Brian Sandstrom on bass, trumpet, and gong; Curt Bley on bass; and Steve Hunt on vibes and drums, alternating the instruments with Russell from track to track. All tunes are originals, and sound incredibly fresh all these many years later – with titles that include "Uncontrollable Rages", "Kit Kat", "Linda Jazz Princess", and "Seven Spheres". CD features two previously unreleased tracks – "Lost Or" and "C Melody Mania". CD

A key set of modern jazz from the late 50s – not so much a Bill Evans album, as it is a collection of larger group recordings that feature his piano. The first 6 tracks on the set are from the 1957 Columbia album Modern Jazz Six – a series of recordings at the Brandeis Festival arranged and conducted by Gunther Schuller and George Russell – and about as hip as you can get for modern jazz from the 50s! Sure, Gunther and George can have their sleepy moments on wax, but this set's great – thanks to a very hip lineup that includes Hal McKusick, John La Porta, Teddy Charles, Bill Evans, Jimmy Knepper, and Louis Mucci. The tunes aren't in that stodgy "classical meets jazz mode", but more in a swinging larger group style – featuring tunes by Jimmy Giuffre, Charles Mingus, Russell, and Schuller – as well as more serious numbers by Harold Shapero and Milton Babbitt. Titles include "All Set", "Revelations", "All About Rosie", and "Suspensions". Added to these are 3 more live tracks from the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival – featuring a group led by Don Elliott on vibes and bongos, plus Evans on piano – on titles that include "Dancing In The Dark", "I Love You", and "S Wonderful". CD

Sublime work from Hal McKusick – one of those mid 50s modernists who offered up such hope for new ideas at the time, and who seemed to all but disappear by the middle of the next decade! This album's one of Hal's finest – an optimistically crafted batch of tunes written by many of the 50s best modernists: Gil Evans, Jimmy Giuffre, George Russell, and others – played by a group that includes Art Farmer, Barry Galbraith, Jimmy Cleveland, and Milt Hinton. The approach is east coast chamber jazz – a refreshing change from the west coast version, made all the better by McKusick's crisp tone and precise blowing. Titles include "Alto Cumulus", "Tommy Hawk", "Lydian Lullaby", "One Score & Eight Horns Ago", "Jambangle", and "Just Leave It Alone". CD

A 70s issue of 2 seminal sides from George Russell, originally recorded in the 50s. The first, New York New York is a wonderful album from George Russell – and a refreshing change from his overly-academic modernist work! The session's an unusual one – a musical portrait of New York City, performed with an all-star cast that includes John Coltrane, Art Farmer, Bill Evans, Phil Woods, Benny Golson, Max Roach, and Hal McKusick – all working together to paint tones on the tunes that George has crafted to set up his scene of New York in the 50s. Most importantly, though, Jon Hendricks acts as the narrator of the album – talking and scatting in hipster mode, laying out a bit of beat rapportage about the Big Apple, all done in a very cool 50s style that's a bit different from his own vocal work. Titles include "Manhattan", "Big City Blues", "Manhattan-Rico", and "A Helluva Town". And don't let the title of the second, Jazz In The Space Age, mislead you into thinking it's a record of bachelor pad musi. The set's one of Russell's finest recordings of the 50s, and it features some wonderful work in odd tones and scales, executed by another awesome cast of players, including Bill Evans, Paul Bley, Hal McKusick, Bob Brookmeyer, and David Young. An essential chapter in Russell's career, and nice to have in any form. Titles include "Chromatic Universe (parts 1, 2, & 3)", "Dimensions", "Waltz From Outer Space", and "The Lydiot". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful album from George Russell – a refreshing change from his overly-academic modernist work – and a brilliant bit of new ideas with some very down to earth expression! The session's an unusual one – a musical portrait of New York City, performed with an all-star cast who really flesh out the ideas in the music – linked together with these fantastic spoken bits by Jon Hendricks – patter about the city and the scene that really make the whole thing come alive! The lineup is virtually a who's who of modern jazz at the moment – John Coltrane and Benny Golson on tenors, Art Farmer on trumpet, Bill Evans on piano, Hal McKusick and Phil Woods on alto, and Max Roach on drums – coming together under some of the clearest leadership that George Russell has ever provided. The whole thing is great – and titles include "Manhattan", "Big City Blues", "Manhattan-Rico", and "A Helluva Town". CD

Features Kevin Mahogany on vocals, Olu Dara on cornet, Nicholas Payton on trumpet, Don Byron on clarinet and tenor, James Carter on tenor, Jesse Davis on alto, and Russell Malone on guitar. CD

Raucous drag strip rockers and driving R&B-fueled instrumentals by The T-Bones – killer material on Liberty from a group of young session wizards – including Hal Blaine, Glen Campbell, Leon Russell, Dave Pell, Steve Douglas and others! It's wildly fun stuff that goes all in with the drag strip novelty – but totally transcends it – with some rubber-burning, rumbling excellence! Killer guitars, sax, organ drums from a one-time relatively anonymous cast of players. Includes "Hey Little Cobra", "Shut Down", "Drag City", "Draggin'", "Scorchin", "Little Deuce Coupe", "Boss Drag" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Although there were plenty of easy and studio musicians who tried to cash in on the success of the Bond-era spy soundtracks, few did it as well as Billy Strange! He gets a helping hand here from Les Baxter and a boatload of west coast session greats like Carol Kaye, Tommy Tedesco, Dennis Budimir, Don Randi, Leon Russell, Hal Blaine and even Glen Campbell, on a bevy of popular spy and action themes – like "Thunderball", "Man Alone", "I Spy", "Get Smart", "Goldfinger", "The Ipcress File", "Our Man Flint", "OO7", "Run Spy Run", "The Rockford Files" and "The Prisoner" – all done by Strange with that great twangy guitar sound that he already had in the first place, and which was probably ripped off by John Barry for the Bond scores! CD

Features Sidney Bechet, Muggsy Spanier, Tommy Dorsey, Earl Hines, Sid Weiss, Wild Bill Davison, Pee Wee Russell, and Woody Herman – plus vocals from Lee Wiley. 34 tracks on two CD's. CD

A record that will blow your mind – way different than you might expect from the cover! Sure, Pee Wee was a bit of a traditionalist on his instrument – the clarinet – but he's working here in a starkly modern way that almost recalls some of the best 50s work of Jimmy Guiffre, or some of the earlier sides by Steve Lacy. There's still a swing-based approach to the tunes, but they're handled in a spare style that features equal interplay between Russell, trombonist Marshall Brown, bassist Russell George, and drummer Ronnie Bedford – a great player who really makes the album sparkle! The tracks include a couple of Thelonious Monk titles – "Ask Me Now!" and "Hackensack" as well as a couple of Marshall Brown originals – "Licorice Stick" and "Calypso Walk". Other titles are Ornette Coleman's "Turnaround", Coltrane's "Some Other Blues" and Ellington's "Prelude To A Kiss". LP, Vinyl record album

With Harold Baker, Lawerence Brown, Harry Carney, Kay Davis, Tyree Glenn, Sonny Greer, Fred Guy, Al Killian, Jimmy Hamilton, Shelton Hemphill, Al Hibber, Johnny Hodges, Claude Jones, Ray Nance, Oscar Pettiford, Russell Procope, Junior Raglin, Al Sears, and Francis Williams. CD

Although Pee Wee Russell had spent most of his career as a trad player, the 1960s showed him becoming something of an ersatz modernist, still playing in the guise of older styles, but adding in approaches that were much more far-reaching than his earlier work, and which showed that, like Coleman Hawkins, he was never one to rest on his laurels during later years. This nice album from 1963 features Russel in a tight quartet, with Marshall Brown on trombone, Russell George on bass, and Ron Lundberg on drums. The group's piano-less sound is very bracing, and they craft a strong style that's very worth of the title of the album. Titles include "Taps Miller", "Good Bait", "Round Midnight", "Red Planet", and "Pee Wee's Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that will blow your mind – way different than you might expect from the cover! Sure, Pee Wee was a bit of a traditionalist on his instrument – the clarinet – but he's working here in a starkly modern way that almost recalls some of the best 50s work of Jimmy Guiffre, or some of the earlier sides by Steve Lacy. There's still a swing-based approach to the tunes, but they're handled in a spare style that features equal interplay between Russell, trombonist Marshall Brown, bassist Russell George, and drummer Ronnie Bedford – a great player who really makes the album sparkle! The tracks include a couple of Thelonious Monk titles – "Ask Me Now!" and "Hackensack" as well as a couple of Marshall Brown originals – "Licorice Stick" and "Calypso Walk". Other titles are Ornette Coleman's "Turnaround", Coltrane's "Some Other Blues" and Ellington's "Prelude To A Kiss". CD

The first proper Mr Scruff full length in more than half a decade – and as you might have gathered from the boisterous breakbeat funk and more soulful undercurrents of recent 12"s – he's broadened his sonic tapestry a bit! Ninja Tuna is the namesake title for his own imprint at his longtime home Ninja Tune – and if he's not out to break the mold on tried and true formulas, he does a fine job of spinning some engrossing soundscapes! Funk, soul, house and bedrock hip hop beats meet masterfully, and a couple of the best tracks are inflected with more accessible groove via some excellent guest vocalists – including Alice Russell and Anreya Tatiani, and Quantic and Pete Simpson drop by, too! Titles include "Test The Sound", "Music Takes Me Up", "Donkey Ride" featuring Quantic, "Hairy Bumpercress", "Whiplash", "Nice Up The Function", "Bang The Floor", "Get On Down", "Hold On" with Andreya Triana, "Give Up To Get", "Kalimba", "This Way" feat Pete Simpson" and "Stockport Carnival". LP, Vinyl record album

A full length album that brings together some excellent early 50s sides by Zoot – originally issued on 10" LPs, but expanded here with better notes and more space. Half the set features a group with Harry Biss on piano, Clyde Lombardi on bass, and Art Blakey on drums – and the rest features John Lewis, Curley Russell, and Don Lamond. Titles include the two part number "Zoot Swings The Blues", plus "Trotting", "I Wonder Who", "It Had To Be You", "Jane-O", and "East Of The Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

Bill Watrous on trombone, Derek Smith on piano, Russell George on bass, and Joe Ascione on drums. CD

With Sidney Bechet, Earl Hines, Ed Hall, Cliff Jackson, James P Johnson, Gene Krupa, Hot Lips Page, Pee Wee Russell, Willie Smith, Jess Stacy, and George Wettling. LP, Vinyl record album

Soul Jazz gets the royal treatment, or should we say gives us the royal treatment! The royal court is in session with a fine, fine batch of today's sound today, another regal dip into the Studio One vaults, showcasing the top male vocal stars in Coxsone Dodd's stable! The set includes both classic cuts and some well chosen lesser known nuggets, and as you now know (or are about to find out) the Soul Jazz selectors pull together a compilation fit for a king! 17 numbers in all, including "I've Got To Make It" by Larry Marshall, "Every Tongue Shall Tell" by Horace Andy, "Well Run Dry" by Alton Ellis, 'Water More Than Flour" by Johnny Osbourne, "I Am The Ruler" by Anthony Rocky Ellis, "Pretty Looks Isn't All" by Cornell Campbell, "Please Be True" by Alexander Henry, "Them A Come" by Burning Spear, "Change Of Plan" by Joe Higgs, "Roots Natty" by Devon Russell, "Be Yourself" by Ken Boothe, "I Shall Be Released" by Freddie McGregor, "Father Will Cut You Off" by Freddie McKay, "Locust" by the Ethiopian, "One, One" by George Philip, "I Don't Want To See You Cry" by John Holt and "Won't You Come Home" by Delroy Wilson. LP, Vinyl record album

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Early work from pianist Gene Russell – cut long before his bigger fame in the 70s! Long before he became the empresario behind the legendary Black Jazz label in the 70s, Gene cut this album of mellow soul jazz piano tracks, live at Memory Lane Supper Club in LA. The set's not as hard-hitting or funky as some of his 70s work – and has a feel that's more typical of 60s albums by Les McCann or other inside soul jazz players. Titles include "Tenaya", "Norwegian Wood", "Now's The Time", and "Takin' Care Of Business". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite a groovy soundtrack – a mixture of vocal and instrumental numbers written by Billy for this groovy film about the liberated woman of the late 60s! The album sports a few vocal numbers by bigger stars – "Look Again" by the Brooklyn Bridge, "Used To Be" by Vicki Lawrence, and "As Far As I'm Concerned" by Bobby Russell – but the best tunes are the shorter instrumental ones by Goldenberg. These have a sparkling quality that mixes easy instrumentation, some slight grooves, and a few mode touches of instrumentation – like electric sitar, guitar, and more. What this means is that about half the album is very nice groovy music – with titles that include "La De Da", "Tommy Doesn't Like Rosie At All", "Traveling With A Star", "Christine In Las Vegas", "Bonanza Paree", and "Soft Music For Rosie". LP, Vinyl record album

Great small group material from these key revival years of Pee Wee Russell's career – a time when he was a dedicated modernist, even in a trad setting! Players include Buck Clayton on trumpet, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Wendell Marshall on bass, and Osie Johnson on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

With Larry Grenadier and Russell Hall on bass, Ulysses Owens Jr and Smammy Miller on drums, and special guest Alphonso Horne on trumpet. CD

You'll be hard pressed to find a better collection of Charlie Parker's classic work on vinyl! Bird's great recordings for Savoy have often been poorly packaged over the years, but here you get the whole batch of seminal bop sides by the pioneering artist of the genre! Bird's the leader on most of these sides, but there's a nice set of recordings under Tiny Grimes and a very young Miles Davis too, with a host of players from the dawn of the bebop age, including Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Sadik Hakim, John Lewis, Duke Jordan, Curly Russell, Tommy Potter and Max Roach. An as you'd expect from this kind of set, you get loads of multiple takes so you can hear these pioneering players creating the style that would change the face of jazz forever. Put together in 1978, this set features 66 tracks in all, spread out over 5 LPs, with a nicely annotated book, and includes "I'll Always Love You Just The Same","Romance Without Finance", "Billie's Bounce", "Now's The Time", "Thriving On A Riff", "Koko", "Donna Lee", "Chasin The Bird", "Buzzy", "Milestones", "Half Nelson", "Another Hair Do", "Bird Gets The Worm", "Barbados", "Ah-Leu-Cha", "Constellation", "Parker's Mood", "Perhaps","Marmaduke", "Steeplechase" and more! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest sets the Numero Group has ever released – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given their already-mighty catalog! Although the label issued a previous dip into the enigmatic Boddie Recording company of Cleveland, this massive package brings together a whopping 57 tracks from the Boddie studios and related labels – many of which have never been reissued before, even by Numero – and all of which offer up a mindblowing microcosm of the American scene in the 60s and 70s – a wealth of rare funk, soul, psych, gospel, and more – all of it the kind of gritty material that 45 collectors die for! But just as cool as the music is the box itself – a slipcover that fits around a hardcover book, which contains individual pockets with CDs that focus on the core labels from Boddie – then other pull outs that include a big booklet on the studios, another on the artists, and a third set of bonus inserts! Musically, the whole thing's right on par with other Numero releases – maybe even above them, given the wide range and depth of the collection – and artists include Bo & The Metros, Inter Circle, King James Version, Ricky Hodges, Jackie Russell, Angela Alexander, Frankie Pighee, Chantells, AC Jones, Harvey Hall, Headlines, Modern Detergents, Penny North, JC Akins, Little Anthony Mitchell, Gospel Fabulators, Royal Kings, Corinthian Singers, Brother Bill, Victory 5, and many more. This version includes a fourth "Boddie Bonus Disc" with 22 additional tracks! CD

Recordings from 1946 through 1950 – with sidemen that include Charles Brown, Johnny Moore, Eddie Williams, Ernie Royal, Pee Wee Crayton, Tyree Glenn, Russell Procope, Oscar Pettiford, Wendell Marshall, and others! CD

Early solo work by Jesse Ed Davis – two albums in a single set! The self-titled Jesse Ed Davis set is one of a few records as a leader ever issued by the guitarist – a player who worked on countless other albums by big names in the late 60s and early 70s – but who has a very special flavor on his own! Davis is maybe best remembered as an important native American musician on the scene at the time – but his work here stands strongly with that of some of his hipper contemporaries – such as Eric Clapton, Leon Russel, and Gram Parsons – all of whom make an appearance here! Titles include the completely sublime "Golden Sun Goddess", worth the price of the album alone – plus "Tulsa County", "Every Night Is Saturday Night", "Crazy Love", "Reno Street Incident", and "Washita Love Child". Ululu has Jesse working with a number of his famous friends – including Leon Russell and Mac (Dr John) Rebennack – both of whose work the album owes a lot to. Jesse's got a down-home approach to his work – and sings a set of original tunes, plus versions of tracks by Merle Haggard, Leon Russell, Levon Helm, and Taj Mahal – which should give you a good idea of his frame of reference. Titles include "White Line Fever", "My Captain", "Sue Me Sue You Blues", "Ululu", "Alcatraz", and "Strawberry Wine". CD