Later live work from Dizzy Gillespie – working in London here with a very hip ensemble! We're not entirely sure of the date, but given the skinny ties on a few of the players, we're guessing it's from that 80s stretch when Dizzy was still going strong – working in a great mix of Latin and bop modes that's always kept fresh through his creative energies! Slide Hampton's on trombone – and also wrote most of the arrangements – and other players include Arturo Sandoval on trumpet, Paquito D'Rivera on reeds, James Moody on sax and flute, Airto on percussion, and Danilo Perez on vocals – and Flora Purim also joins the group on vocals for a few numbers. Titles include "Kush", "Tanga", "Dizzy Shells", "Night In Tunisia", "Tin Tin Deo", "Seresta", and "Samba For Carmen". CD

A warmly collaborative effort from Dexter Gordon – one of his most satisfying albums from the late 70s Columbia revival, thanks to the presence of a hip array of guest artists! The album was recorded both live and in the studio – but the feeling is relatively spontaneous throughout – with a freewheeling, bop-heavy energy that really brings the most out of these famous "encounters"! 2 tracks feature Johnny Griffin on tenor, going head to head with Dex in really classic mode on "Blues Up & Down" and "Cake". 2 more tracks – "Diggin It" and "It's Only A Paper Moon" – feature trumpet from Woody Shaw, trombone from Curtis Fuller, and some especially great vocals from Eddie Jefferson – stretching out here with an energy and focus that almost beats most of the albums under his own name from the 70s! One more track – "Ruby My Dear" – is taken as a long solo vehicle by Gordon, no guest star present, with rhythm by the core trio of George Cables on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Eddie Gladden on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little collection of some classic hard bop from Jimmy Heath, with a few of the sides of some the stuff he recorded with larger ensembles thrown in for good measure, pulled together in the 80s, once the OJC family of labels came under the Fantasy umbrella. Heath's Riverside recordings of the late 50s and early 60s is some of our favorite material on the label, recording with a soulful, hip edge and fiery hard bop energy. This collection pulls numbers from The Thumper, Really Big!, The Quota, Triple Threat, Swamp Seed and On The Trail, and feature a host of top notch players, including Nat Adderley, Curtis Fuller, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, Pat Patrick, Cannonball Adderley, Julius Watkins, Freddie Hubbard, Cedar Walton, and brothers Percy and Albert Heath. Tracks include "Nice People", "Who Needs It?", "The Picture Of Heath", "Down Shift", "Lowland Lullaby", "Dew & Mud", "Wall To Wall" and "All The Things You Are". CD includes two bonus tracks "Goodbye" & "Swamp Seed". CD

One of the greatest 50s sessions from bop trumpet legend Red Rodney – a set that has longer tracks than some previous albums – and a very hip lineup with Ira Sullivan on tenor, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Oscar Pettiford on bass, and either Elvin Jones or Philly Joe Jones on drums! Titles include "Ubas", "Box 2000", "Red Arrow", and "Star Eyes". CD

Bop modes, updated strongly for the 70s – and played by a hip group of older players who really know how to cook! Supersax is led by Med Flory on alto, who also did the arrangements – and works here with great reed help from Warne Marsh and Jay Migliori on tenor, Joe Lopes on alto, and Jack Nimitz on baritone – plus soaring sounds from Conte Candoli and Blue Mitchell on trumpets, Frank Rosolino on trombone, and Lou Levy on piano – all of whom really help the reed players find their groove! Charts are large, as is the ensemble, but there's a nice sense of individual personalities too – even when all the saxophonists are taking a solo together at once. Titles include "Shaw Nuff", "Drifting On A Reed", "Oop Bop Sh'Bam", "Now's The Time", and "The Song Is You". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal record from Lou Donaldson – one that has him forging out some of his first funky soul jazz sounds, moving from his bop roots, and working with a hip young group that includes Grant Green and John Patton, both of whom he discovered and brought to Blue Note (thanks Lou!) The tracks have a tight jaunty feel – very much like those on Patton's mid 60s sides for Blue Note, with lots of room for each player to solo intently – but still a strong focus on the overall groove of the ensemble. Cover's very nice – and tracks include "Funky Mama", "Spaceman Twist", and "Nice n Greasy". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal record from Lou Donaldson – one that has him forging out some of his first funky soul jazz sounds, moving from his bop roots, and working with a hip young group that includes Grant Green and John Patton, both of whom he discovered and brought to Blue Note (thanks Lou!) The tracks have a tight jaunty feel – very much like those on Patton's mid 60s sides for Blue Note, with lots of room for each player to solo intently – but still a strong focus on the overall groove of the ensemble. Cover's very nice – and tracks include "Funky Mama", "Spaceman Twist", and "Nice n Greasy". CD features one bonus track too – "People Will Say We're In Love". CD

Very hip early stuff from Lou – playing here in a bop-heavy mode with Clifford Brown, Elmo Hope, Percy Heath, and Philly Joe Jones! The set will open up a whole new side of Donaldson's playing if you only know his funky Blue Note sides of the late 60s – and in the company of players like this, he keeps his bop chops up nice and sharp! Tracks include "Carving The Rock", "De Dah", "Brownie Speaks", and "Bellarosa". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best-known 50s jazz sessions from the Savoy label – a laidback classic that's a great illustration of the label's shift in modes after the early bop years! The setting here is relatively informal – with Milt Jackson as the ersatz leader, working almost in blowing session mode with hip players who include Frank Wess on flute and tenor, Hank Jones on piano, Eddie Jones on bass and Kenny Clarke on drums – all players who relax into a groove wonderfully, and really open up on the album's four long tracks. Titles include the classic reading of "Opus De Funk", plus "Opus Pocus", "You Leave Me Breathless", and "Opus & Interlude". A great little set from Milt Jackson – not just for his work on vibes, but also for some great tenor from Lucky Thompson! Thompson's raspy edge brings a nice degree of soulfulness to the set – a sound that adds depth to the sometimes mellower moments set down by Jackson and the rhythm section of Hank Jones, Wendell Marshall, and Kenny Clarke! The small group setting and the longer tracks make the record a good showcase for Thompson's talents at the time – and his way of building a solo gets plenty of room to do its thing here – on tracks that include "Lover", "Angel Face", "Can't Help Lovin That Man", "Sometimes I'm Happy", and "What's New". CD

One of the best-known 50s jazz sessions from the Savoy label – a laidback classic that's a great illustration of the label's shift in modes after the early bop years! The setting here is relatively informal – with Milt Jackson as the ersatz leader, working almost in blowing session mode with hip players who include Frank Wess on flute and tenor, Hank Jones on piano, Eddie Jones on bass and Kenny Clarke on drums – all players who relax into a groove wonderfully, and really open up on the album's four long tracks. Titles include the classic reading of "Opus De Funk", plus "Opus Pocus", "You Leave Me Breathless", and "Opus & Interlude". LP, Vinyl record album

"Starting Time" is a great early 60s session by Jordan – who at the time of the recording, was one of a number of firey young tenor players from Chicago – all of them hard-blowing, with a nice soulful bottom that opened up a bop sound to more moods and emotions – but Jordan stood apart from most of them with an approach that was decidedly more complex and forward-thinking. As you'll hear on the album's tracks, he wasn't content enough to just blow off a riff – but had to twist things up a bit, working a tune for more shades and colors than it might yield with another player, pushing on the proceedings with an edge that's very strong. The great Wilbur Ware's on bass, and a young Cedar Walton's playing piano, and with warmth like that, Jordan and trumpeter Kenny Dorham sound great next to each other. Loads of original hard bop lines by Jordan, including "Extempore" and "Quittin' Time", plus "Mosaic" and "One Flight Down" by Cedar Walton. Even better is A Story Tale – a brilliant collaboration between Clifford Jordan and Sonny Red! Red's tone is excellent – a sharper one next to Jordan's more supple blowing – and the pair are a perfect team to lead off tunes like "Prints", "Hip Pockets", "A Story Tale", and "Defiance". CD

The brilliant full length debut of Kings Go Forth – a set we'd been eagerly anticipating after hearing their first few fantastic singles! The group hail from Milwaukee, an unlikely spot for a combo this hip – and they've got a sound that's smoking 70s soul all the way through – not just the deep funk you might hear from other groups working today, but a deeper soul spectrum that brings in bits of Curtom, New Jersey soul, Philly Northern, and a handful of other great 70s soul moments we totally love! As longtime fans of classic soul, we're pretty picky about the contemporary stuff that we rate – so take it from us, when we give these guys a 10 out of 10, we definitely mean it – and they've definitely done what it takes to earn our respect with a record like this. Vocals are wonderful – harmonized like some group soul 45 on most of the best cuts – and titles include "Fight With Love", "You're The One", "I Don't Love You No More", "One Day", "Paradise Lost", "Don't Take My Shadow", and "1000 Songs". LP, Vinyl record album

Blue Note boy genius Jason Moran rolls forward with another fine set for the label – leading a quartet session with a keen ear for 40s deep south jazz with groundwork in the blues – without sacrificing the freedom and fervor of bop or more contemporary sounds! Moran's been moving very well for a few years in the comfort of his great trio, featuring Tarus Mateen on bass and Nasheet Waits on the kit – this time adding a stellar guitar in Marvin Sewell. It's only appropriate that the measured piano firebrand would jump back a couple generations after lending his attention to hip hop and electro on the last studio album – and he does so with the same geniune passion, and perhaps even more appealing results! Tracks include "Gangsterism On The Rise", "Jump Up", "Aubade", "G Suit Saltation", "I'll Play The Blues For You", Mal Waldron's hot "Fire Waltz", "Field Of The Dead", "Restin'", "Gangsterism On The Set" and more. CD

5 albums from Lee Morgan – one of the coolest cats to ever handle a trumpet for Blue Note! First up is Delightfulee – really unique album from the great Lee Morgan – a set that features the trumpeter in two different settings, but in a way that really works well together! Most of the album has Lee blowing in a very cool quintet – with Joe Henderson on tenor, McCoy Tyner on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – a group who maybe bring out a slightly hipper vibe that really points the way to the rest of Morgan's direction in the late 60s, when he was really letting some more spiritual currents loose. The other two tracks on the record feature a hip larger band directed by Oliver Nelson – swinging hard in a really soulful style! Nelson's arrangements on these two tracks are great – quite progressive, with a soul jazz big band style that seems to point the way towards the 70s – and the band provides a raging backdrop that lets Lee's trumpet soar over the top in beautiful crystal clear solos. Titles include "Nite Flite", "Delightful Deggie", "Ca-Lee-So", and "Zambia". Also features a few bonus tracks. The Cooker is a very appropriate title for a very cooking little album – one of Lee Morgan's first efforts as a leader, cut back during his first years of late 50s fame! The style here is a bit less Morgan-esque than some of Lee's later 60s classics – but the record is rock-solid throughout, and proof that Morgan was every bit as great a leader in a hardbop session as Hank Mobley or some of the other emerging heavyweights at Blue Note! The strength of the group really helps keep the fire stoked on the set – and Bobby Timmons turns in some amazing piano work alongside a lineup that includes Pepper Adams on baritone sax, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. The Adams presence gives the record a bit of the feel of some of Pepper's sessions with Donald Byrd – but the sparkling, soaring sound of Morgan makes the record way more than just a copycat set. Titles include "New-Ma", "Night In Tunisia", "Lover Man", "Just One Of Those Things", and "Heavy Dipper". Lee Way is an undisputed masterpiece by Lee Morgan – and one of the first records in which he shed his straight bop sensibility, and began evolving into a soulful genius for the 60s! The album's got 4 long tracks that all build beautifully – really extended numbers that break the format of some of Lee's earlier work, and hint a bit at some of the more complicated touches he'd use on later sessions. All players are great – and include fellow Jazz Messengers Bobby Timmons on piano and Art Blakey on drums, plus Jackie McLean on alto and Paul Chambers on bass. Titles include the sublime "These Are Soulful Days" – a perfect model of soulful lyricism – plus "Midtown Blues", "Nakatini Suite", and "The Lion & The Wolff". Rumproller often gets too easily lumped next to The Sidewinder – because of an obvious title and cover similarity to that hit record – but like that one, the album's far more than jazz cliche – and shows Lee Morgan to be one of the greatest jazz musicians of the 60s. The set starts off with the title cut, "The Rumproller" – hard-wailing soul bop, in the manner of Lee's most popular work – but then it easily flows into more sensitive material that has a freer, lyrical feel – like the great original tune "Eclipso" and Wayne Shorter's "Edda" – both of which are superb. Lee is astounding, as always, on trumpet – and the rest of the group includes the great Ronnie Matthews on piano, plus Joe Henderson, Victor Sproles, and Billy Higgins. Search For The New Land is a brilliant album that proves that even at the height of his success, Lee Morgan was one of the freest thinkers on Blue Note – always coming up with fresh ideas that continued to grow his talents! The first cut on the album is keen poof of that fact – the title track "Search For The New Land" – a beautiful 16 minute exploration of modal jazz themes, with an unusual stop/start device as a means of ushering solos by different bandmates – including Wayne Shorter on tenor, Grant Green on guitar, and Herbie Hancock on piano! The approach is unlike anything that Morgan ever did before – and unlike most of other Blue Note as well – and it also benefits from great rhythmic help from Reggie Workman on bass and Billy Higgins on drums. Other tunes are a bit more conventional, but still pretty special – like some of Morgan's inventive work on the Rajah albums – with titles that include "The Joker", "Melancholee", "Mr. Kenyatta" and "Morgan The Pirate". CD

One of Lee Morgan's first-ever recordings as a leader, cut way back when he was just a hip teenager from Philly with a bucketful of promise on the trumpet! The session's a crack hard bop date – with an all-star cast that includes Hank Mobley on tenor, Hank Jones on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – and although the proceedings are a bit rough around the edges compared to some of the Blue Note sets, the album's still filled with a heck of a lot of fire, and like all Morgan albums, is totally worth owning! Tracks are longish, and filled with imagination – and titles include "Bet", "Hank's Shout", "Nostalgia", "That's All", and "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise". 70s pressing of the sessions – with the previously unissued track "A-1"! LP, Vinyl record album

Five tremendous albums from saxophone genius Art Pepper – presented here with a lot of bonus tracks too! First up is So In Love – beautiful late work from Art Pepper – one of his albums recorded for the well-done Artist House label, and a set that's maybe got a different vibe than some of his Galaxy recordings of the time! There's a rock-solid sense of soul to the record – one that comes from the work of two different rhythm trios – one that features George Cables on piano, Charlie Haden on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – a rhythm trio who keep things swinging, but never in a way that's too straight – pushing Art a bit around the edges, but letting him come right down the middle with some fantastic solos on alto – the other with Hank Jones on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Al Foster on drums. Tunes are a bit shorter than on some other albums of the period, but in a great way that really lets you focus in on Pepper's amazing sound –and titles include "Diane", "Stardust", "Blues For Blanche", and "Straight No Chaser". Artworks is a nicely focused set from the great Art Pepper – a record that features a number of familiar bop and jazz themes, but set to a more open, relaxed, and very soulful style that wonderfully reflects all the greatness of Pepper in his final years! The group on the record is nicely understated, but still very hip – George Cables on piano, Charlie Haden on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – and Art gets plenty of space to step out front and really blow these amazing solos, including one number that features just bass and drums, while Pepper blows a bit of clarinet – which we always love. All other titles feature alto sax – and titles include "Donna Lee", "Anthropology", "You Go To My Head", "Body & Soul", and "Desafinado". Next is a New York Album, but one that was oddly recorded in Burbank – and which has Art Pepper sounding very much at the top of his game! The format here is a bit like the other Artist House Pepper sessions, and those he did for the Japanese Atlas label – tight, focused, often tunes that are older jazz or bop standards – but swing with a great rhythm section, and topped with completely sublime alto solos from the leader! The quartet features Hank Jones on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Al Foster on drums – but one number is a duo between Carter and Pepper, and another features just piano and alto. Titles include "Night In Tunisia", "Lover Man", "Duo Blues", "My Friend John", and "Straight No Chaser". Stardust is a great little record from Art Pepper – four long tracks that really have him stretching out on alto – but in a way that's maybe a bit different than some of his more burning albums on the Galaxy label at the time! The group here follows from some of the previous Artist House recordings – George Cables on piano, Charlie Haden on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – a rhythm combo that's mighty nice – and which benefits from some great straight basswork from Haden, and Higgins' always compelling sense of rhythm! Titles include "My Friend John", "Stardust", and "Tin Tin Deo" – plus a reading of "In A Mellotone" that has Art on clarinet. CD5 features a full disc of Sessions material, titled as such – alternates, and unusual versions from the recording dates – and all other of the four CDs feature bonus material as well – different takes and alternates! CD

A split album that combines work from 2 different early 10" LPs on Bethlehem – both led by some of the best bassists to record for the label at the time! The first 6 tracks are classic work by Oscar Pettiford – some of his best as a leader, and cut with a hip group that includes Charlie Rouse on tenor, Duke Jordan on piano, and Julius Watkins on French horn. The tracks swing nicely with a strong modernist bop influence – and titles include "Cable Car", "Tricotism", "Oscar Rides Again", and "Golden Touch". The other 8 tracks are a bit mellower, but still quite modern – and with a really fresh approach. Recorded by Vinnie Burke's quartet, they feature a very unusual lineup of bass, clarinet, accordion, and guitar – the latter of which is played by the enigmatic Joe Cinderella, of Gil Melle group fame, and who gives the record a similar feeling to Melle's strange work for Blue Note. Titles include "For All We Know", "Time Out", "On The Alamo", and "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise". CD

A split album that combines work from 2 different early 10" LPs on Bethlehem – both led by some of the best bassists to record for the label at the time! The first 6 tracks are classic work by Oscar Pettiford – some of his best as a leader, and cut with a hip group that includes Charlie Rouse on tenor, Duke Jordan on piano, and Julius Watkins on French horn. The tracks swing nicely with a strong modernist bop influence – and titles include "Cable Car", "Tricotism", "Oscar Rides Again", and "Golden Touch". The other 8 tracks are a bit mellower, but still quite modern – and with a really fresh approach. Recorded by Vinnie Burke's quartet, they feature a very unusual lineup of bass, clarinet, accordion, and guitar – the latter of which is played by the enigmatic Joe Cinderella, of Gil Melle group fame, and who gives the record a similar feeling to Melle's strange work for Blue Note. Titles include "For All We Know", "Time Out", "On The Alamo", and "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few albums ever as a leader from alto saxophonist Pete Brown – a less-remembered talent of his times, but a key link between the generations of bop and swing! The set was only issued as a 10" LP, but packs the full punch of most longer albums – sublime alto from Brown with a crisp tone firmly in place – sitting somewhere between older bop players and some of the emerging Tristano-ites from the east coast – a vibe that's almost like Charlie Mariano or Dick Johnson in their best younger years, but with a bit more soul too. The group's a hip sextet – with trumpet from Joe Wilder, guitar from Wally Richardson, and piano by Wadde Legge – and the album includes a great version of "The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise", plus the nice originals "Delta Blues" and "Used Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal modern jazz from Art Farmer & Gigi Gryce – a pair of records the players recorded together on Prestige Records in the mid 50s! First up is When Farmer Met Gryce – one of Art Farmer's pivotal mid 50s sides – recorded in the company of altoist Gigi Gryce, a great player and a budding young arranger who helped Farmer really formulate the best side of his sound! The tracks are lyrically modern – but still have a nice dose of soul in them – a wonderful blend that really sets the stage for the move that Art was making away from earlier trumpeters in jazz – into that hip territory that was neither too cool, nor too overblown – and which would almost be known as "Farmer-like" in years to come! The album features Gryce and Farmer in 2 different groups – one with Horace Silver on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums – the other with Freddie Redd on piano, Addison Farmer on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Titles include "Social Call", "Capri", "Deltitnu", "Stupendous Lee", and "Blue Concept". Art Farmer Quintet has Farmer playing in a quintet (natch!), with able accompaniment from Gigi Gryce, a young newcomer at this point, with a post-bop complication to his style that was not to dissimilar from Farmer's. Gryce's mode is perhaps a bit more academic than Farmer's, but Art's lyricism offsets that tendency nicely, and the pair work together in a mode that's every bit as pleasing as Gigi's work with Donald Byrd. The set features some great tracks in sort of an exoticist hardbop mode – and titles include "Satellite", "Shabozz", "Sans Souci", and "Evening In Casablanca". CD

One of Dizzy Gillespie's hippest big band sessions ever – and one of the few dates as a leader from arranger Gil Fuller! Fuller will always be best-remembered as the man who composed some of Dizzy Gillespie's best known tunes from the bop era – like "Manteca", "One Bass Hit", and "Things To Come" – but on this album from 1965, he's reunited with Dizzy for a large group set of tracks that feature Diz as the main soloist – at a level that really shows the growth of both men at the time! Fuller's charts are large and full, but with a sense of space that's really amazing – almost like some of the soundtrack work Dizzy had done for The Cool World – with a mix of soulful and modern moments that's really wonderful. The group's kind of a mix of hip LA players – with Phil Moore Jr on piano, Dennis Budimir on guitar, and Jimmy Bond on bass – plus a larger set of horn players backing Dizzy up. Titles include a number of great originals – such as "Be's That Way", "Big Sur", "Things Are Here", "Man From Monterey", and "Angel City". CD

An excellent live set – featuring great work by some of Dizzy's best sidemen of the late 50's! The ensemble is razor sharp, in that hip post-bop way that Dizzy was developing in the 50s, before moving into his Latin groove years of the early 60s. Benny Golson, Billy Mitchell, and Wynton Kelly all get a chance to solo nicely, and the tracks include renditions of "Manteca", "Dizzy's Blues", "Cool Breeze", and "Doodlin". Features three long bonus tracks too! CD

A real gem from the height of Dizzy's big band years at Verve – a stunning little set that features a hip larger group that includes Joe Gordon, Melba Liston, Rod Leavitt, Phil Woods, Ernie Wilkins, and Billy Mitchell. The groove here is well-orchestrated, well-placed soul – with less of the playful bop touches of earlier sides, and more of a hiply modern style that shows Dizzy stretching out in larger shades of color and tone. And while the "World Statesmen" cover and image might make you wary of some gimmick on the set, the album's key Gillespie through and through – a deft turn away from the styles of the bop years, into a world of sound that would support his career strongly for years to come! Titles include "Tour De Force", "Doodlin", "Night In Tunisia", "The Champ", "My Reverie", and "Dizzy's Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Later live work from Dizzy Gillespie – working in London here with a very hip ensemble! We're not entirely sure of the date, but given the skinny ties on a few of the players, we're guessing it's from that 80s stretch when Dizzy was still going strong – working in a great mix of Latin and bop modes that's always kept fresh through his creative energies! Slide Hampton's on trombone – and also wrote most of the arrangements – and other players include Arturo Sandoval on trumpet, Paquito D'Rivera on reeds, James Moody on sax and flute, Airto on percussion, and Danilo Perez on vocals – and Flora Purim also joins the group on vocals for a few numbers. Titles include "Kush", "Tanga", "Dizzy Shells", "Night In Tunisia", "Tin Tin Deo", "Seresta", and "Samba For Carmen". CD

A 12" album that combines sides that JJ Johnson previously issued on Prestige – some as 78rpm singles, some as 10" LP material – all of it very top-level bop modern work from Johnson's first stretch on the scene! There's a sharpness here that really sets JJ apart from other trombonists – that mix of fresh ideas that makes all of his recordings from the time worth checking out – both the late 40s cuts that make up a third of the record, and the additional 8 tracks from 1954 that make up the rest. Other players include Kenny Dorham on trumpet, John Lewis on piano, and Sonny Rollins on tenor for the 1949 sessions – and Kai Winding on trombone and Dick Katz on piano for the 1954 sessions. Titles include "Elysses", "Hilo", "Fox Hunt", "Opus V", "Don't Argue", "Riviera", "Dinner For One", "Wing Bag", and "Hip Bones". LP, Vinyl record album

A nicely focused set from the great Art Pepper – a record that features a number of familiar bop and jazz themes, but set to a more open, relaxed, and very soulful style that wonderfully reflects all the greatness of Pepper in his final years! The group on the record is nicely understated, but still very hip – George Cables on piano, Charlie Haden on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – and Art gets plenty of space to step out front and really blow these amazing solos, including one number that features just bass and drums, while Pepper blows a bit of clarinet – which we always love. All other titles feature alto sax – and titles include "Donna Lee", "Anthropology", "You Go To My Head", "Body & Soul", and "Desafinado". CD

There was a special sort of magic in the larger groups on the French scene of the postwar years – a quality of playing and arrangement that wasn't the same as American big bands, and which instead brought in some really creative interplay between the instrumental elements in the lineup! It might be said that these groups were born after bop, and also carried some modern jazz ideas forward too – and that's definitely the case here, with work from pianist Andre Persiany – whose groups on the record are all pretty darn hip! As indicated by the title, there's some wonderful work from Guy Lafitte on tenor – a player who can move between familiar and modern modes with effortless ease – and other players inlcude Bill Jackson and Lucian Juanico on trumpets, Michel De Villers on baritone, Maurice Meunier and Jean Claude Fohenbach on tenors, and Teddy Hameline and Michel Attenoux on altos – players who move beautifully together under Persiany's leadership. A number of cuts are originals by the leader, and there's a number of Basie tunes, remade in a great way – as the 23 track CD pulls together material from three different 10" album releases, the last of which is Andre Persiany Joue Count Basie. Titles include "Halbe Funf", "Blue Organ", "T Bone Steak", "Beer Barrel Bounce", "Little Story", "Panorama", "Shorty George", "Two Cats & A Piece Of Lung", and "Just For Fun". CD

Great jazzy grooves from this hip Italian combo – a late 90s precursor to the current club jazz scene! The group's got a classic Blue Note sound – mixing up soul jazz and modal grooves with some very tight playing and a strong commitment to a classic sound. The horn players are all great – and include Fabrizio Bosso on trumpet, Gianluca Petrella on trombone, and Rosario Giuliani on alto sax – all great names from the Italian scene. The rhythm section's pretty darn nice, too – with piano from Pietro Lussu – and the tracks have a hard groove that reminds us of classic lines by Art Blakey from the early 60s! The set's a tribute to the classic Italian hard bop combo of Gianni Basso and Oscar Valdambrini – and the album includes some of that group's great original compositions, like "Look Out", "Young Man", "Time Was", "Lothar", "Before Ten O'Clock", and "Bob's Buddy". CD

Two MPS gems from this unusual 70s ensemble – back to back on the same CD! Chasin The Bird features classic bop modes, updated strongly for the 70s – and played by a hip group of older players who really know how to cook! Supersax is led by Med Flory on alto, who also did the arrangements – and works here with great reed help from Warne Marsh and Jay Migliori on tenor, Joe Lopes on alto, and Jack Nimitz on baritone – plus soaring sounds from Conte Candoli and Blue Mitchell on trumpets, Frank Rosolino on trombone, and Lou Levy on piano – all of whom really help the reed players find their groove! Charts are large, as is the ensemble, but there's a nice sense of individual personalities too – even when all the saxophonists are taking a solo together at once. Titles include "Shaw Nuff", "Drifting On A Reed", "Oop Bop Sh'Bam", "Now's The Time", and "The Song Is You". Dynamite is a looser, more free-swinging album than usual for Supersax – one that still has the group working with some key contributions from west coast jazz luminaries, but in a vibe that's almost more small combo than larger ensemble! The tracks here include a fair bit of Bud Powell and Charlie Parker numbers, but the arrangements are mighty fresh – open, and swinging with some hipper 70s touches, thanks to rhythms from a trio that features Lou Levy on piano, Fred Atwood on bass, and John Dentz on drums – players that are never locked into a strict bop mode. As with other Supersax albums, there's a brace of reed players working together at the front – Lanny Morgan on alto, Jack Nimitz on baritone, and both Jay Migliori and Don Menza on tenors – coming together as one voice on the solos, and getting some key help from Conte Candoli on trumpet and Frank Rosolino on trombone. Titles include "The Fruit", "Bambu", "Blues For Alice", "Tempus Fugit", "Parker's Mood", and a surprising, but great take on Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Wave". CD

A rare session as a leader from trumpeter Johnny Coles – a player who cut some great work in the groups of James Moody and Gil Evans, but who shines even more brightly on this classic Blue Note album! Coles really has an ear for finding the hippest side of his instrument – and he blows with a style that's unlike anyone else we can think of – and certainly far from the mellower tones of his previous leader set for Columbia. This album's got a great mix of hardbop and modern ideas – right up there with the best Blue Note had to offer at the time – and the group's filled with equally hip players who include Joe Henderson on tenor, Leo Wright on alto and flute, Duke Pearson on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and either Pete LaRoca or Walter Perkins on drums. Titles include "Heavy Legs", "Hobo Joe", "Jano", and "Little Johnny C". Very hip, very hard, and very swingin! CD

A dark little groover from the later days of disco – key crossover work from Cory Daye, and a great bridge between a number of different club camps at the time! There's clearly a mainstream diva influence going on here, but the overall quality of the music is a lot more complicated and hipper – with some of the jazzier and retro-tropical flourishes of the Ze Records scene, plus a bit of moodier electrics on the great hit "Green Light" – a chanting, catchy number that crossed over big. Other titles include "Single Again", "Be Bop Betty", "Pow Wow", "Keep The Ball Rollin", and "Rainy Day Boy". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic work from a time when Billy Eckstine had one of the hippest groups going – a bop-heavy lineup that features trumpet from Dizzy Gillespie, and saxes from Gene Ammons, Dexter Gordon, and Wardell Gray! LP, Vinyl record album

A hokey cover and title, but a hip little record from Duke Ellington – kind of a story of percussion and jazz, all wrapped together with some great vocals and narration! The format is kind of far-reaching, but never too stuffy – and in a way, the album offers a great opportunity to hear some of the Ellington players stepping out in a slightly different vibe than the usual Columbia date from the decade. Duke does a bit of narration himself – and singers include Margaret Tynes, Joya Sherrill, and Ozzie Bailey – who beautifully illustrate the shifting passages of the longer suite. Solos are by Johnny Hodges on alto, Clark Terry on trumpet, and Paul Gonsalves on tenor – and titles include "Congo Square", "Madam Zajj", "Drum is A Woman", "You Better Know It", "Rhythm Pum Te Dum", and "Rhumbop". LP, Vinyl record album

A different version of the album Bash – recorded for the Jazztime label in 1961, with leadership by Dave Bailey – a set that's filled with fire, soul, and imagination – recorded as part of the drummer's amazing (and amazingly short) early 60s run as a leader! The date smokes with the same sort of energy as Dave's great "Gutter" albums for Epic – a groove that's part Blue Note, part Prestige, and carried off with so much precision, we wonder why Bailey never recorded more as a leader. Players are all wonderful – Kenny Dorham's on trumpet, Curtis Fuller's on trombone, Frank Haynes is on tenor, and Tommy Flanagan's on piano. Ben Tucker provides excellent basswork, and proves that him and Bailey were one of the best hardbop rhythm teams ever! Cuts include "Grand Street", "Osmosis", "Soul Support", and "An Oscar For Oscar". CD features 7 tracks in all – including some that haven't been on other versions of this session. Other titles include "Just Friends", "Like Someone In Love", and "BMT Express". CD

Seminal work from Dizzy – showing that he was a genius in any form of jazz! In the mid 50s, Diz had one of the hippest big bands going – filled with great young players that included Lee Morgan, Joe Gordon, Melba Liston, Benny Golson, Billy Mitchell, and Walter Davis Jr. The work he crafted here was partly an extension of his earlier bop sides, but also a demonstration of his desire to express himself in more expansive forms – kind of a hint of the direction he'd take in the 60s, with his work in Latin, soundtrack, and funk styles. The set combines tracks from 3 different Verve albums – and it also packages the material with a number of previously unissued tracks, and some great liner notes that do a wonderful job of summing up the spirit of the work. Arrangements are by AK Salim, Quincy Jones, Tadd Dameron, and Dizzy himself – and tracks include "Jordu", "Tin Tin Deo", "Groovin For Nat", "Dizzy's Business", "Jessica's Day", "Doodlin", "Yo No Quiero Bailar", "Birk's Works", "Tangorine", "Umbrella Man", and "Mayflower Rock". 42 tracks in all! CD

A rare 60s meeting of groovy talents from both sides of the Atlantic – and a record that matches the trumpet of Dizzy Gillespie with the hiply swinging vocals of The Double Six Of Paris! The group were a wonderfully groovy precursor to the Swingle Singers – and sung in a scatting approach to jazz vocals that was very much in the tradition of Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross – but also drew inspiration from the earlier work of Eddie Jefferson, King Pleasure, and others. Their sound is great – much more 60s groovy than some other vocal groups – and pairing them with Dizzy gives this record an added punch that some of their other sessions are missing! Backing is small combo throughout – with either Bud Powell or Kenny Barron on piano, Kenny Clarke on drums, and James Moody on tenor – and with the presence of Diz, most of the material here is of bop orientation – taken at a fast and lively clip! Lalo Schifrin arranged the whole session too – and titles include "One Bass Hit", "Blue N Boogie", "Emanon", "Groovin High", "Ow", "The Champ", "Tin Tin Deo", "Hot House", and "Con Alma". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare 60s meeting of groovy talents from both sides of the Atlantic – and a record that matches the trumpet of Dizzy Gillespie with the hiply swinging vocals of The Double Six Of Paris! The group were a wonderfully groovy precursor to the Swingle Singers – and sung in a scatting approach to jazz vocals that was very much in the tradition of Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross – but also drew inspiration from the earlier work of Eddie Jefferson, King Pleasure, and others. Their sound is great – much more 60s groovy than some other vocal groups – and pairing them with Dizzy gives this record an added punch that some of their other sessions are missing! Backing is small combo throughout – with either Bud Powell or Kenny Barron on piano, Kenny Clarke on drums, and James Moody on tenor – and with the presence of Diz, most of the material here is of bop orientation – taken at a fast and lively clip! Lalo Schifrin arranged the whole session too – and titles include "One Bass Hit", "Blue N Boogie", "Emanon", "Groovin High", "Ow", "The Champ", "Tin Tin Deo", "Hot House", and "Con Alma". CD

The start of a legend – a huge amount of material that introduced the world to the tenor genius of the young Joe Henderson – recorded over the space of a few short years, on records that feature Joe as both the leader and a sideman on some of the hippest Blue Note records of the time! Henderson was amazing right at the start – able to play a soulful hardbop lead at one moment, then slide into edgier modern territory the next – a quality that made him a key artist to work with some of the other strong Blue Note innovators of the period – as you'll hear in this overstuffed set! The set features a total of 47 gems – including some alternate takes – all wrapped up with the usual top-shelf Mosaic Records booklet of notes, photos, and other key details on the material. Includes the full albums Page One, Our Thing, In N Out, Mode For Joe, and Inner Urge – all recorded under the leadership of Joe Henderson – plus tracks from the albums Unity by Larry Young, The Kicker by Bobby Hutcherson, Little Johnny C by Johnny Coles, and Step Lightly by Blue Mitchell – and the full Kenny Dorham albums Una Mas and Trompeta Toccatta, both of which are essential in Henderson's career! CD

Classic Freddie Hubbard on Blue Note – from the hip cover to the magical music in the grooves! The session is one of Freddie's all-time best from the early days – and features a very hard wailing lineup that mixes tight hardbop rhythms with some more adventurous soloing that almost has a modern jazz kind of tinge. Cedar Walton's on piano, Julian Preister's on trombone, and Jimmy Heath is on tenor – working with Freddie to craft some mindblowing work on titles that include the amazing "Plexus", plus "Hub Cap", "Cry Me Not", and "Earmon JR." CD also features a bonus alternate of "Plexus". CD

Seminal work from one of the hippest jazz singers ever – a session that showed the world that Eddie Jefferson was firmly back in business during the 60s! The set's got a really rollicking feel, and a bit more influence from soul than the bop of Eddie's roots – with elements of gospel and R&B filtering into the mix from time to time, alongside some of the more sophisticated jazz styles we've always loved in Jefferson's vocals. The group features some great tenor work from James Moody – one of Eddie's frequent musical partners – plus Dave Burns on trumpet, Barry Harris on piano, Steve Davis on bass, and Bill English on drums. Titles include "Now's The Time", "So What", "Psychedelic Sally", "Filthy McNasty", "Oh Gee", and "See If You Can Git To That" – plus a very cool spoken introduction by Ed Williams! CD

Seminal work from one of the hippest jazz singers ever – a session that showed the world that Eddie Jefferson was firmly back in business during the 60s! The set's got a really rollicking feel, and a bit more influence from soul than the bop of Eddie's roots – with elements of gospel and R&B filtering into the mix from time to time, alongside some of the more sophisticated jazz styles we've always loved in Jefferson's vocals. The group features some great tenor work from James Moody – one of Eddie's frequent musical partners – plus Dave Burns on trumpet, Barry Harris on piano, Steve Davis on bass, and Bill English on drums. Titles include "Now's The Time", "So What", "Psychedelic Sally", "Filthy McNasty", "Oh Gee", and "See If You Can Git To That" – plus a very cool spoken introduction by Ed Williams! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest, hardest albums that trombonist JJ Johnson ever cut for Columbia – a session we'd rank right up there with his amazing JJ Inc record, and like that one a really cooking hardbop record that maybe even rivals the best on Blue Note and Prestige at the time! As with that gem, the strength here is really the group – not just tremendous trombone from JJ, but great work from Nat Adderley on trumpet, Bobby Jaspar on tenor and flute, Cedar Walton on piano, Spanky DeBrest on bass, and Albert Heath on drums – all working with a soaring, soulful energy that's a lot more hardbop heavy than you might expect from JJ Johnson on some of his other projects for the label. Titles include "Me Too", "Decision", "Stardust", "Sidewinder", "Speak Low", and "Red Cross". LP, Vinyl record album

The first-ever album as a leader from Finnish saxophonist Eero Koivistoinen – an amazing debut that's filled with sharp notes and soaring rhythms! The style here is slightly modern, but also filled with a tremendous sense of soul – a deeply creative vibe that takes off from the hippest side of Blue Note in the mid 60s, and really moves into it's own kind of space. Most numbers have a strong sort of pulse – sometimes modal, sometimes more tightly snapping, and almost in a hardbop vein – providing a perfect platform for the bold solo work from Eero on tenor, soprano, and alto sax – and Bertil Lovgren on trumpet, whose instrument dances with Eero's on the leads, then blasts off with some beautifully crafted lines of its own! Titles include "For Fun", "Traneology", "Sleeping", "So Nice", "Country Jive", and "Odysseus". CD

The first-ever album as a leader from Finnish saxophonist Eero Koivistoinen – an amazing debut that's filled with sharp notes and soaring rhythms! The style here is slightly modern, but also filled with a tremendous sense of soul – a deeply creative vibe that takes off from the hippest side of Blue Note in the mid 60s, and really moves into it's own kind of space. Most numbers have a strong sort of pulse – sometimes modal, sometimes more tightly snapping, and almost in a hardbop vein – providing a perfect platform for the bold solo work from Eero on tenor, soprano, and alto sax – and Bertil Lovgren on trumpet, whose instrument dances with Eero's on the leads, then blasts off with some beautifully crafted lines of its own! Titles include "For Fun", "Traneology", "Sleeping", "So Nice", "Country Jive", and "Odysseus". LP, Vinyl record album

A stone classic from the Modern Jazz Quartet – recorded back when the group still featured Kenny Clarke in its membership, but already with some of the more serious, somber tones that would mark the combo's more famous years! Tracks here are from a variety of sessions in 1953, 1954, and 1955 – and trace an evolution of the MJQ style from initial more composed renditions of bop and modern jazz, to some of the more ambitious colors and tones of the Lewis-penned songbook. Titles include longish readings of "Django" and "La Ronde Suite", plus "Milano", "But Not For Me", "The Queen's Fancy", and "Delaunay's Dilemma". CD

A stone classic from the Modern Jazz Quartet – recorded back when the group still featured Kenny Clarke in its membership, but already with some of the more serious, somber tones that would mark the combo's more famous years! Tracks here are from a variety of sessions in 1953, 1954, and 1955 – and trace an evolution of the MJQ style from initial more composed renditions of bop and modern jazz, to some of the more ambitious colors and tones of the Lewis-penned songbook. Titles include longish readings of "Django" and "La Ronde Suite", plus "Milano", "But Not For Me", "The Queen's Fancy", and "Delaunay's Dilemma". CD

A prime Argo gem from James Moody – and key proof that when he wanted to, he could be one of the hippest cats working in 60s jazz! The approach here is subtle, but amazing – a blend of hardbop with some of the more modern ideas that were coming up in the post-bop generation from the team of Moody and Dizzy Gillespie. The rhythms are quite complicated at times – very fresh and vibrant, but without any of the easy gimmicks that other 60s artists would fall into – like vamping soul jazz or borrowed bossa lines. Instead, working in a combo with a young Kenny Barron, Moody concentrates on fresh timings and complicated changes – modes that push his own work on alto, tenor, and flute far from expected territory – and which also features Barron on piano and organ, George Eskridge on guitar, Chris White on bass, and Rudy Collins on drums. Tracks include "Zanzibar", "Dizzy", "Ole", "Sonnymoon For Two", and a nice version of "Fly Me To The Moon". LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of albums from the great David Murray! Ming is beautifully arranged work from David Murray – an important early large group recording, one that really helped point the way to some of his later genius! The session features Murray leading an all-star octet that includes Henry Threadgill on alto, Olu Dara on trumpet, Butch Morris on cornet, George Lewis on trombone, Anthony Davis on piano, Wilbur Morris on bass, and Steve McCall on percussion. Tracks are a very hip set of original compositions that display an incredible range of soulful feeling and expression – and which open a door to a whole new chapter of Murray's career. Titles include "Ming", "Dewey's Circle", "Jasvan", "The Fast Life", and "The Hill". Sacred Ground is a beautifully spiritual set that really reminds us of the promise we first heard in his music decades ago! Murray's working here with a lean, soulful ensemble that includes Lafayette Gilchrist on piano, Ray Drummond on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums – all in a groove that has plenty of sharp edges, but which is also nicely inside – very focused, and with a sense of depth that's really wonderful! All tracks are originals by Murray – penned with the sensitivity of an older soul jazz recording – and two numbers feature lyrics by Ishmael Reed, sung by Cassandra Wilson on guest vocals. Titles include "Sacred Ground", "Transitions", "Family Reunion", "The Prophet Of Doom", "Believe In Love", and "Banished". Lucky Four is a gentler set than some of David Murray's other US dates from the time – but in a really great way that nicely gets at the more sensitive side of his work on tenor and bass clarinet! There's a bit of a hardbop groove to the album, but also a bit more freedom too – a style that never goes that far out, but which reminds us through subtle cues that most of these players have a longer legacy in more avant-oriented work. The group features Dave Burrell on piano, Wilbur Morris on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums – and Burrell especially echoes a range of influences here – almost pulling from older eras of jazz in the way that Jaki Byard used to – an approach that's often echoed by Murray in his horn. Titles include "Valley Talk", "Chazz", "As I Woke", "Abel's Blissed Out Blues", "Sharing", and "As I Woke". CD

After beginning life as a super fuzzed-out psychasouladelic band, Parliament emerged as one of the best pop-funk combos of the mid/late 70s – with a tight tight sound that mixed the smooth major label sound of Casablanca with the mad funk genius of George Clinton. This huge 3LP set brings together some of the band's best tracks from their glory years of the late 70s – when they were hitting the charts and selling a huge amount of albums to college kids stoned out of their mind waiting for the mothership to land. Tracks include "P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)", "Mothership Connection (Star Child)", "Testify", "Mr. Wiggles", "Bop Gun", "Up For The Down Stroke", "Theme From The Black Hole", "Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)", "Flashlight", "Ride On", "Rumpofsteelskin", "Agony Of Defeet", and "Children Of Production". 25 tracksin all! CD

Growing brilliance from the young Archie Shepp – a record that's not just about Archie's own amazing work on the tenor, but also his keen modern vision as a leader! The combo here is an ensemble that features some of the hippest modernists of the 60s – Roswell Rudd and Grachan Moncur on trombone, Perry Robinson on clarinet, Howard Johnson on tuba, Charlie Haden on bass, and Tommy Turrentine on trumpet – making a rare non-bop appearance here, and further enforcing our already-high estimation of his talents! The style's somewhat in the "new thing" mode of the period, but it's also a bit more tightly arranged too – almost hitting Mingus-like modes for the bigger ensemble – balancing the force of the group together with very free, bold solo impulses from the players. Side one features the extended "Portrait Of Robert Thompson (As A Young Man)" – and side two features "Mama Too Tight", "Theme For Ernie", and "Basheer". CD

Sublime work from pianist George Wallington – and one of his best albums ever! The set's also one of the few he ever recorded as a leader outside the trio format, and has him working with a very hip quintet that features Phil Woods, Donald Byrd, Teddy Kotick, and Art Taylor – all players that help push the record with a tremendous amount of hardbop and modern jazz energy! Byrd and Woods are at their best youthful prime on the set – and the longish tracks really give both artists room to stretch out and show off their talents! Titles include "Foster Dulles", "Together We Wail", "Our Delight", and "But George". CD

A great session – and one of the few lost ones on the legendary Transition label! The album was originally recorded in Boston in 1956, and it features a group led by bassist Doug Watkins, with Donald Byrd on trumpet, Hank Mobley on tenor, and Art Taylor on drums – really a Blue Note lineup, if you come to think of it – and the album's definitely got a Blue Note vibe overall! Mobley's tenor is always a treat, and brings out a new sort of fire in Byrd's young horn – and Watkins, who didn't always work as a leader, has a hip conception that really keeps things interesting – a slight exotic undercurrent amidst the hardbop. Tracks are long, and titles include "More Of the Same", "Return To Paradise", "Panonica", and "Phinupi". LP, Vinyl record album

A key showcase of some of the fantastic groups who were starting to shape the sound of jazz on the Japanese jazz scene at the start of the 60s –a set that's a nice contrast to the first volume in this series, which featured all of the different musicians jamming together! Here, leadership is the focus – as each number has the musicians showing of the way that they were moving Japanese instrumental music past some of the more mood-based styles that were still pretty dominant in the mainstream, and instead taking very strong lessons from the 50s American wave of players who revolutionized the sound of jazz with hardbop! Nearly every player here is at the start of their career, but about to unfurl music that would shape Japanese jazz for decades to come – and titles include "Late At Night" played by the combo of pianist Masao Yagi, "With A Feeling Of Love" played by tenorist Akira Miyazawa, "Four On Six" by guitarist Shungo Sawada, "For Singers Only" by pianist Norio Maeda, "What's Now" by pianist Keitaro Miho, and "Alone Together" by altoist Sadao Watanabe. LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal work from one of the hippest big bands of the 70s – the legendary ensemble led by pianist Toshiko Akioshi and reedman Lew Tabackin! The group marks a huge shift for Akiyoshi – a move away from the more bop-inflected small combo work of earlier years, into a rich new role as a composer and arranger – one who comes up with fantastic charts for the ensemble, filled with color, tone, and a great sense of swing! Tabackin's reeds are great too – always handled with bold lines, and a strongly visionary sound – and other players on the dates include Bill Perkins and Gary Foster on saxes, Bobby Shew and Ron Raider on trumpets, Britt Woodman and Charlie Loper on trombones, Don Baldwin on bass, and Peter Donald on drums. The 3CD set features 5 albums in all – Kogun, Long Yellow Road, Tales Of A Courtesan, Insights, and March Of The Tadpoles – and titles include "Elegy", "American Ballad", "Henpecked Old Man", "Opus Number Zero", "Since Perry/Yet Another Tear", "Strive For Jive", "Village", "Studio J", "Mobile", "Deracinated Flower", and "Notorious Tourist From The East". CD

A really landmark album in soulful jazz for the 60s – a set that takes the already-great energy of the young trumpeter Donald Byrd, and mixes it with some voices borrowed from gospel music bur turned towards modern jazz – all in a style that's very similar to some of the Max Roach experiments from the time! The core group is really great – with tenor from Hank Mobley, guitar from Kenny Burrell, and piano from Herbie Hancock – plus vibes from the obscure Donald Best, an instrument that you don't always hear on Donald Byrd's albums! Added to this group are voices directed by Coleridge Perkinson, a very hip cat who takes the voices far away from cliched modes of earlier years – and into some very righteous territory that makes the record one of Donald Byrd's first really powerful statements as a leader. Duke Pearson handled the arrangements, and the sound is beautiful and spiritual, with a sound that mixes Blue Note hardbop with a style that would later show up on labels like Strata East, or in the experiments of Max Roach and Billy Harper. The tracks are long and moody, and the vocal group never gets in the way, but instead backs Byrd in a way that lets him hit new heights, and which gives him a stronger sense of voice. Titles include the classic "Christo Redentor", plus "Chant", "The Black Disciple", and "Elijah". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare session as a leader from trumpeter Johnny Coles – a player who cut some great work in the groups of James Moody and Gil Evans, but who shines even more brightly on this classic Blue Note album! Coles really has an ear for finding the hippest side of his instrument – and he blows with a style that's unlike anyone else we can think of – and certainly far from the mellower tones of his previous leader set for Columbia. This album's got a great mix of hardbop and modern ideas – right up there with the best Blue Note had to offer at the time – and the group's filled with equally hip players who include Joe Henderson on tenor, Leo Wright on alto and flute, Duke Pearson on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and either Pete LaRoca or Walter Perkins on drums. Titles include "Heavy Legs", "Hobo Joe", "Jano", and "Little Johnny C". Very hip, very hard, and very swingin! CD