One of the greatest albums ever by pianist Kenny Drew – a record that's as noteworthy for the contributions of the sidemen as it is for the efforts of the leader! Drew's a player who often worked mostly in trio formats – but here, he's hitting hard with a righteous Blue Note power – thanks to the presence of Hank Mobley on tenor and Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, both of whom really give the record an edge! Drew's lyrical sensibilities are shifted to darker, more modern moments at times – and the rest of the group features Sam Jones on bass and Louis Hayes on drums. An essential addition to the Blue Note legacy of Mobley and Hubbard – and the set's filled with original tunes by Kenny, including "The Pot's On", "Undercurrent", "Funk-Cosity", and "Lion's Den". CD

Kenny Drew Jr on piano, Ralph Moore on tenor saxophone, Wallace Roney on trumpet, Christian McBride and George Mraz on bass, and Al Foster and Winard Harper on drums. CD

Kenny Drew Jr on piano, Christine Gommere, Richard Locker, and Tomas Ulrich on cello, Ron Lawrence on viola, Hanne-Berit Hahnemann, Laura Seaton, Lenny Rivlin, Mark Feldman, Mary Rowell, Nancy McAlhany, Paul Peabody, and Yuri Vodovoz on violin, Peter Washington on bass, and Lewis Nash on drums. CD

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Features Kenny Drew Jr on piano, Michael Philip Mossman on trumpet, Ravi Coltrane on tenor and soprano sax, and Steve Nelson on vibes! CD

The title's a tribute to the great John Lewis – and although Kenny Drew definitely plays with a Lewis-like sense of space on the set, there's a warmth to the record that's pure Kenny all the way! The record stands strongly amidst some of the great Drew sessions for Baystate – mature work that has Drew bringing in a great mix of modern tones and deeper feelings – working with a perfectly subtle rhythm section that really matches his groove! Players include Niels-Henning Oersted-Pedersen on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums – and titles include the Lewis numbers "Afternoon In Paris" and "Golden Striker", plus "The Quiet Cathedral", "Ach Varmeland Du Skona", and "Midnight Sun". CD

Great work from the Kenny Drew trio of the 80s – a lineup that always manages to bring out some deep sounds in their music – in this case, just the right undercurrent of sadness and loss to fit the title well! Drew's piano is beautiful at this point in his career – as fluid as before, but even more filled with feeling and depth – matched perfectly by the sensitive bass work of Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen, and the drums of Ed Thigpen – who, like Drew, is still constantly evolving in his second home overseas. The tunes are all well-chosen to fit the theme of the title – and tracks include "The Last Romantic", "Django", "Willow Weep For Me", "Elegy", "Tune Down", and "Finale". CD

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With Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass and Alvin Queen on drums. CD

A beautiful album that definitely lives up to its title – and delivers some of the wonderfully impressionistic piano work that Kenny Drew was recording in the 80s – music that's very different than both his early American albums in the 50s, and some of the key accompaniment he'd provide on European dates with tenor players in the 70s! Here, Kenny's very open and fluid, sometimes almost painterly in his approach to sound – yet still able to swing, too, thanks to accompaniment from Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass and Alvin Queen on drums. The set features a killer version of "Last Tango In Paris" – plus "Cafe Flore", "Evening In The Park", "My Ship", "Morning Mist", and "Rouge Blues". CD

Tracks include: "Blues For Duane", " Serenity", "Bosko's Buisness", and "Sophisticated Lady" . CD

An strong session of soulful hardbop – featuring reunited 60s legends Junior Cook on tenor, Kenny Drew on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums! The album was recorded in Japan, using some of that high-tech production ("super disc", the label says), but still nicely retaining the warm interplay between the players. Titles include "Alone Together", "Sunset", "John Paul Jones", and "All The Things You Are". CD

One of the trippiest records we've ever heard from Ilhan Erashin – very different than some of the groove-oriented work he gave us years before, and a rich array of sounds we never would have expected! The album's a trio effort – Erashin on saxes and electric piano, Dave Harrington on guitar, organ, moog, melotron, electronics, and percussion – and Kenny Wollesen on drums, percussion, and vibes – the last of whom might be a good reference point here, as the set's got some of the more open qualities of work that Kenny has done for Tzadik, but with a warmer, more organic layering of elements that really makes the best of the multi-instrumental talents of all the artists involved. Titles include "The Long Goodbye", "Dusty Village", "Invite Your Eye", "And It Happens Everyday", "Wreck The Study", "Even As You Smile", and "What All The Books Say". LP, Vinyl record album

Like any Spike Lee soundtrack from the 80s, this one's a mix of many different styles – with some straight-out pop tracks, like EU's hit "Da Butt", or a number of throwaway 80s R&B tracks by lost groups. The best moments, as usual, are the jazzy ones – like Phyllis Hyman's sweet "Be One", Bill Lee's spiritual "Wake Up Suite", and Kenny Barron & Terence Blanchard's duet on "One Little Acorn". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite a rare vocal jazz session – recorded for the short lived Jazz West label, which was one of the hippest LA imprints of the 50s! Jane Fielding's a pretty decent singer – with kind of a Chris Connor-ish style about her – but the real charm is from Kenny Drew's work as a pianist and arranger, both of which push the session past the usual sleepiness of a Bethlehem or Mode vocal jazz album from the time. Kenny's group features Joe Maini on alto, Ted Efantis on tenor, Lawrence Marable on drums, and either Leroy Vinnegar or Paul Chambers on bass. Titles include "Embers Glow", "Our Waltz", "Right Boy For Me", "Key Largo", "Make The Man Love Me", and "Round Midnight". LP, Vinyl record album

Four Christmas classics in one package – two from Verve, two from Chess Records! First up is the album Ella Fitzgerald Wishes You A Swinging Christmas – a wonderful Holiday album that's stayed fresh for years! Ella's got a perfect style to interpret these numbers – working with Frank DeVol and Russ Garcia in a set of lightly jazzy versions of Christmas favorites like "Sleigh Ride", "Jingle Bells", "Winter Wonderland", "White Christmas", "Frosty The Snowman", and one of the best versions of "What Are You Doing New Years Eve" ever recorded! The Sound Of Christmas album by Ramsey Lewis is a classic – and probably one of the best-selling Christmas jazz albums of all time! Ramsey and his classic trio with Redd Holt and Eldee Young serve up a tight set of grooves based around Holiday favorites like "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", "Winter Wonderland", "Here Comes Santa Claus", "The Christmas Song", and "Sleigh Ride" – and also carve out a few nice originals like "Christmas Blues" and "The Sound Of Christmas". Side one features the trio on its own, and side two features added arrangements by Riley Hampton – swirling around to expand the groove even more! Christmas 64 – also issued as Christmas Cookin – is as cookin a Christmas album as you'll ever find! Jazz organ giant Jimmy Smith works with Billy Byers to craft some sublime instrumentals that have his Hammond interpreting Christmas classics like "We Three Kings", "White Christmas", "Silent Night", "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", and "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town". If you know Jimmy from the time, you know that he can really make tracks like these groove nicely – and take them to places you never expected! Last up is the album Have Yourself A Soulful Little Christmas, from guitarist Kenny Burrell – on which he grooves nicely and gently over arrangements by Richard Evans, perfectly crafted in that soul jazz mode of his 60s work for Chess – not Kenny's most challenging format, to be sure, but proof that he often works better in a more structured environment than a freer one. Titles include "Away In A Manger", "My Favorite Things", "Little Drummer Boy", "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", "Merry Christmas Baby", and "Go Where I Send Thee". LP, Vinyl record album

With Alan Glass, Corrado Rustici, and John Raymond on guitar; Joe Plass and Randy Jackson on bass, Gigi Conaway and Kenny McDougald on drums, and Tony Gable on percussion. CD

Features Pharoah Sanders on tenor and Bobby Hutcherson on vibes – plus Mulgrew Miller on piano, Robert Hurst III on bass, and Brian Blade on drums. CD

Features Kenny Garrett on alto and soprano sax, Kenny Kirkland on piano, Charnett Moffett on bass, and Brian Blade on drums, and Don Alias on percussion. CD

Kenny Garrett on alto sax, soprano sax, and piano – with Benito Gonzalez on piano, Nat Reeves on bass, Ronald Bruner on drums, Rudy Bird on percussion, and Nedelka Prescod on vocals. CD