The last record we've ever seen by this funky vocal combo – and every bit as tasty as their early work for Fantasy Records! Part of the reason for that is because the group's getting production here from Augie Johnson – who picked up plenty of funky jazz touches through his work with Wayne Henderson, and had a long relationship with the group that clearly shows them in their best light. The vocals are great – harmonic and floating, without being hokey – and the tracks groove along with the same sort of gentle bounce you'd expect from late 70s Fantasy sides by the Boppers, Side Effect, and others. Tracks include "Dog House", "Perfect Love", "If You Go", "Wrap You Up", "Christy", and "Well Deserved Rest". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty catchy bit of Miami club from the late 70s! The group's got a strong acoustic sound underpinning their grooves – with some excellent percussion underneath the best tracks, and some vocals that almost hit a scatting harmony range that reminds us of Side Effect or the LA Boppers. There's a definite Latin bent to some of the better tunes too – almost hitting in a Kid Creole style, but without the retro touches. Titles include "Mademoiselle", "Tena's Song", "Ready For Love", "Get Off", and "It's Happening". LP, Vinyl record album

A heck of a rare jazz album – and a great one too! This obscure session was cut by pianist Kenny Drew in Hollywood in 1955, with a sharp-edged west coast quartet that includes LA boppers Leroy Vinnegar on bass and Larry Marable on drums, as well as the overlooked Joe Maini on alto – a really great talent who makes the album one of Drew's greatest from the 50s. Maini clocks in one of his best performances ever, matching Drew's firey work on the keys with some tight well-toned solos that pack an incredible punch that reminds us of Sonny Criss – supported strongly by some hard and heavy work from Drew and the rhythm section. Many titles are originals, and tracks include "Talkin-Walkin", "In The Prescribed Manner", "Deadline", "Hidden Channel", and "Walkin-Talkin". Great stuff all-out, and the kind of a record that makes it worth collecting rare jazz! LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal session that was virtually one of the only west coast attempts to replicate the famous "cubop" mix of bebop and Latin that had been evolving over the years in the New York scene. Machito percussionists like Jose Mangual and Ubaldo Nieto join a west coast group that includes alto player Frank Morgan, trumpeter Conte Candoli, pianist Carl Perkins, and other LA boppers. The back of the record proclaims that with the death of Charlie Parker, someone must step in as the new bop genius – and Morgan does a capable job on tracks like "Wippet", "Chooch", "The Champ", and "Bernie's Tune" – and on the record's non-Latin numbers, included here to expand the release to a 12" format. LP, Vinyl record album

Two of the best west coast boppers of the postwar years – back together again in a killer revival date cut by Contemporary Records! As the title implies, the set's got a backward-looking sort of feel – at least for the early 60s recording date – but from the perspective of our generation, the whole thing merges nicely into the classic sound of LA bop – perhaps extending out the original Central Ave groove a bit more, thanks to the generous recording spirit of Contemporary, and the longer tracks on the date. Edwards plays tenor, McGhee plays trumpet, and other players include Phineas Newborn on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Ed Thigpen on drums. Titles include "Together Again", "You Stepped Out Of A Dream", "Up There", "Perhaps", "Misty" and "Sandy". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful set of hardbop tracks from this vastly underrated trumpeter! The session was originally recorded for the Signal label, but appears here in a Savoy issue, put out a few years after the original. Rodney is in perfect form here, hitting his stride during this comeback period, and playing in a group with other mature boppers like Tommy Flanagan, Ira Sullivan, Oscar Pettiford, and Philly Joe Jones. Tracks are nice and long, and titles include "Ubas", "Box 2000", "Red Arrow", and "Star Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album

24 tracks that perfectly illustrate all that was great about Gene Ammons in his early days – a set of singles and 78s recorded for Chess in the late 40s and early 50s, featuring players that include Tom Archia, Matthew Gee, Junior Mance, Sonny Stitt, and Bill Massey. Titles include "Do You Really Mean It", "Swingin For Xmas", "The Battle", "Jam For Boppers", "Bless You", "Cha Bootie", "Goodbye", " Tenor Eleven", "Don't Do Me Wrong", "Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe", and "Can Anyone Explain". LP, Vinyl record album

Really fantastic work from Dizzy Gillespie – proof that of all the original boppers, he was maybe the one who really continued to experiment over the years – as he comes across here with a great blend of electric funk and jazz! The whole album has a sly sweet funky sound that's part CTI/part Latin-tinged Dizzy – and the real strength is the great Mike Longo, who plays some amazing stretched out piano lines, which work perfectly with the basslines on the record as a foil for Dizzy's sparkling trumpet solos. The instrumentation also features great use of Latin percussion too, and the album's got 4 long cuts – including the excellent "Me N Them", plus "Olinga", "Timet", and "Diddy Wa Diddy". LP, Vinyl record album