All Categories — LPs  

Not west coast, but "best coast" jazz – a prime example of the way the Clifford Brown/Max Roach team helped to cook up the intensity of the LA scene of the 50s by infusing it with a bit of New York fire! The album takes off in the extended mode of Clifford's All Stars album – and like that one, features Max Roach on drums alongside a lineup of players that includes Herb Geller and Joe Maini on alto saxes, Walter Benton on tenor, Kenny Drew on piano, and Curtis Counce on bass – all jamming together in really extended, side-long tracks that have plenty of space for creative solo work and free-flowing improvisation! The format's a very unusual one for the 50s – and a great side-stream to the better-known Brown/Roach albums – with the 2 long tracks "Coronado" and "You Go To My Head".

A beautiful bit of hardbop that often gets overlooked because of the "leaderless" quality of the session. One batch of tracks on the record has Jackie McLean playing some beautiful rough interpretations of Bird on the standards "Old Folks" and "Embraceable You". The other batch was recorded live at Newport, and features Max Roach leading a sextet with JJ Johnson, Howard McGhee, Sonny Stitt, and Harold Mabern, on "Buzzy", "Now's The Time", and "Wee". The album's worth the price for the playing of Stitt and McLean alone – who both fall into the Parker-ish groove that they were once haunted with, but which here gives them a chance to show how individual they are. Nice stuff, and a record we almost passed by years ago. Don't make the same mistake.

The late 50's work of Max Roach is some of the most crucially overlooked material in the history of modern jazz. His various groups at the time were filled with some of the brightest young players of the time – like George Coleman, Julian Priester, and Booker Little – all of whom were firmly rooted in a bop tradition, yet also committed to pushing the envelope of the music whenever they could. This 1958 United Artists album by Little is virtually a Roach session, and features group members Coleman and Little, plus Art Davis and Tommy Flanagan – all of whom fall perfectly into line behind Roach's masterful drumming on tracks like "Rounder's Mood", "Dungeon Waltz", and "Jewel's Tempo".

A great little album from Max Roach – one that has him finding a whole new voice in jazz! The set was recorded on the heels of Max's time with Clifford Brown – and it's a great little album that has him bouncing back nicely from the loss by moving into a new realm that shows off his more lyrical side! The group on the album features Kenny Dorham, Sonny Rollins, Billy Wallace, and George Morrow – and as you'd guess by the title, most tunes are in a jazz waltz mode, which gives them a nicely dancing quality, soft and a bit exotic – almost modal at times – and a nice change from Roach's more full-on hardbop style of the Clifford Brown years. Titles include "Little Folks", "Lover", "The Most Beautiful Girl In the World", and "Blues Waltz".

A beautiful blend of jazz, voices, and soul – a landmark record in Max Roach's vocal experimental tradition, and a fitting companion piece to Billy Harper's classic Capra Black album – an equally soulful blend of styles! Like Capra Black, this set features Harper's sharp and soulful tenor up against a choir of voices – blowing on hard-hitting soul jazz arrangements handled by Max Roach, of the style he used on some of his classic early 60s sides for Impulse and Candid. The tracks are long, Harper's in top form, and the group also includes Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet and George Cables on piano – ultra hip cats, always! Cuts include "Motherless Child", "Let Thy People Go", and "Troubled Waters.

Also insludes selections from the films – A Stolen Life, Four Wives, The Searchers, and Charge Of The Light Brigade.

Absolutely burning live recording of Brownie's group co led with Max Roach, and also featuring Sony Rollins. This set features some the group's best playing, limited only by the mediocre sound quality of the recording. Great extended takes on "I'll Remember April", 'What's New", "Dfaahoud", "Lover Man" and "52nd Street Theme".

A seminal set from Max Roach – the start of his more righteous stretch in jazz, as you might guess from the title of the album! At some level, the record's got a bit of the feel of the post-Clifford Brown Mercury years from Roach – but at another, it's stretching out towards the directions Max would explore fully on the Candid, Impulse, and Fantasy labels in the 60s – an approach to hardbop that often really pushes its limits – not content to simply set up solos for the players, and instead moving with a much more forceful energy overall! Group members include Booker Little on trumpet, George Coleman on tenor, Ray Draper on tuba, and Art Davis on bass – and the lack of a piano makes for a very exciting sound! The album's got 2 great originals by Bill Lee – "Jodie's Cha Cha" and "Deeds Not Words" – plus Draper's classic "Filide", and the groundbreaking "Conversation" – a very cool solo by Roach on the drums!

The drums are certainly unlimited here – and the album's a really unique one, in that it shows Max Roach in 2 different settings – one with a group, and one that's simply solo! One batch of tracks has Max in the company of a tight group of soul jazz players like Freddie Hubbard, Roland Alexander, James Spaulding, and Ronnie Matthews. The group is very tight, and they've got hard wailing sound similar to a Blue Note group, but with a bit more of a soul jazz feel. They play on two long tracks – "Nommo" and "In the Red". The rest of the tracks – "Drums Unlimited", "The Drum Also Waltzes", and "For Big Sid" – feature Max playing solo, which is a rare treat for a recording of this vintage. The tracks are great, with a very musical groove, and lively playing by Max that never gets too self indulgent.

One of Max's real killers from the late 50s! After experiencing the hardship of the loss of Clifford Brown and his LA connection, Max seemed to set his sights on Chicago – where his keen talent for spotting strong young players hooked him up with some of his best bandmates in years. This album has Roach working with windy city young lions like George Coleman, Booker Little (both of whom were up in Chicago from Memphis), Bob Cranshaw (from the MJT+3), and Eddie Baker, an underrated midwestern pianist. The tracks are played with a soulful electricity that graces Roach's best work from the time – and titles include "Shirley", "Sporty", "Memo To Maurice", and "Stella By Starlight".

One of the more guitar-driven groups on the West End label at the end of the 70s – an outfit with a really great approach to cutting longer dancefloor grooves! Tracks on the album have a nice tight feel that's echoed strongly by the guitar and keyboard work on the tracks – not as spacey as you might think from the sci-fi cover of the record, but still with a strong cosmic groove nonetheless! The album includes the legendary break cut "The Mexican", served up here in a full version that's nearly 12 minutes long, and which has lots of nice congas and guitars! Other titles include "Main Man", "Don't Stop The Music", and "Super Max".

One of the harder to find 50s sessions from LA jazz brothers Pete & Conte Candoli – a twin-trumpet album with rhythm from Jimmy Rowles, Howard Roberts, Max Bennett, and Frank Capp. The tracks are a clean extension of mid 50s LA cool jazz – blown with a bit more edge, and perhaps a looser feel than some of the brothers' earlier work – and nicely swinging overall. Titles include "Splanky", "Rifts For Rosie", "Doodlin", "Blueing Boogie", and "Richard Diamond's Blues".

An early full-length album issued under Miles Davis' name – one that brings together some earlier 10" and single recordings for Prestige! The feel here is quite similar to Davis' work of the time for Blue Note – done with tracks that are short and tight, and very boppish – less of the glistening Davis style of later years, but still quite strongly voiced nonetheless. Players include Horace Silver on piano on most tracks, plus a bit of keys from John Lewis – and one track even features Charles Mingus on piano! Other players on the sessions include Art Blakey, Max Roach, or Kenny Clarke on drums – plus Percy Heath on bass, and a bit of alto from Davey Schildkraut. Titles include "I'll Remember April", "Old Devil Moon", "Tune Up", "Miles Ahead", "Four", and "Smooch".

One of Slide Hampton's greatest records of all time – a totally hip batch of tracks recorded with a large group that reminds us of some of Max Roach's ensembles of the early 60s! No surprise, Roach is a key part of the album – pounding away with frenzy on Hampton's 5-part "Drum Suite", and working well here on other tracks with players that include Yusef Lateef and George Coleman on tenor, Freddie Hubbard and Hobart Dotson on trumpet, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Eddie Khan on bass, and both Hampton and Benjamin Jacobs-El on trombones. There's a righteous, majestic energy to most of the tracks – not just the pivotal "Drum Suite" in five parts, but also the originals "Gallery Groove" and "Fump" – plus versions of "Lover", "Our Waltz", and "Stella By Starlight".

Art Hodes in on piano and is joined by Max Kaminsky on trumpet, Ray Conniff on trombone, Rod Cless on clarinet, Jack Bland on guitar, Bob Haggard and Sid Jacobs on bass and Danny Alvin on drums. Tracks include "Doctor Jazz", "Yellow Dog Blues", "Changes Made", "Slow Em Down Blues", "Maple Leaf Rag", "Shoe Shiner's Drag", "She's Crying For Me", and "Clark & Randolph".

Features work by Dave Remington, Max Hook, Marty Marsala, Doc Cenardo, Hal Carnes, and others.

A killer from trumpeter Booker Little – one of the last few records that Book cut before his early death, and one of his only ones as a leader! The album features an excellent soulbop quintet with Wynton Kelly and Tommy Flanagan on piano, Scott LaFaro on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums – working with that dark, sharp edge that always seemed to characterize Little's sessions – kind of an added fire he always brought to the studio when working as a leader. Little's trumpet has some of those great modern tones he blew with Max Roach – and the album's got some great little tracks like "Bee Tees Minor Plea", "Opening Statement", "Minor Sweet", and "The Grand Valse". Excellent stuff all around – and a record that would have been bigger, had it been issued on a larger label!

A late 50s album that issues some killer combo material by Bird! One half of the album features work by a group that includes Red Rodney, John Lewis, Ray Brown, and Kenny Clarke – and the other features Parker with Miles Davis, Walter Bishop Jr, Max Roach, and Teddy Kotick. Tracks are short, and include some classics – and the album includes alternate takes of 4 numbers. Titles include "Si Si", "Swedish Schnapps", "Back Home Blues", "Lover Man", "Au Privave", "She Rote", and "Star Eyes".

Although vocal arranger Howard Roberts (not the guitarist) made some nice funky records in his time, this is a fairly traditional batch of spirituals, augmented by African production, and packaged in a style that's designed to appeal to the white liberal – even though the conception of the project is fairly authentic. Roberts himself plays tenor on the session, and the overall sound is sort of a mix between a Max Roach vocal project and one of the Art Blakey drum ensemble records. Titles include "Hold On", "Sinner Man", "Steal Away", and "Let My People Go".

A great little set from Sylvester – 3 sides recorded live in San Francisco, one more recorded in the studio! All the sides have a complicated approach to the groove – larger orchestrations that really show Syl pushing his conception of soul to the max, sounding really wonderful, and almost a bit jazzy on the best tracks – much more than the colder dancefloor act of later years, and with a depth of soul that should have made him rank right up there with some of the more righteous soul geniuses of the 70s. Tracks include "Body Strong", "Blackbird", "Happiness", "Lover Man", "You Are My Friend", "Can't Stop Dancing", "In My Fantasy", and "Sharing Something Perfect Between Ourselves".

One of a few large group sessions recorded by Charles Tolliver during his years on Strata East – and an amazingly spiritual effort that really brings together the best strands of sounds running through the underground at the time! The format's a bit similar to Tolliver's previous Music Inc big band album for Strata, released 5 years before – with lots of strong lead action from Charles on trumpet, and Stanley Cowell on piano. But this time around, the larger group seems to be more fully integrated into the tunes – there not just to support the soloists, but to rise up with a full, proud sense of majesty that's really amazing. Other players include Cecil McBee and Reggie Workman on basses, Billy Parker and Warren Smith on percussion, Jon Faddis and Jimmy Owens on trumpets, John Gordon and Garnet Brown on trombones, and Charles McPherson, George Coleman, Harold Vick, and Charles Davis on saxes! Titles include great versions of the Tolliver classics "Plight" and "Impact" – plus "Mother Wit", "Lynnsome", and "Grand Max".

A beautifully full session from McCoy Tyner – one recorded with added horns and voices, and very much in the mode of some of Horce Silver's best 70s experiments for Blue Note! The sound is as bold, dynamic, and soulful as other Tyner albums from the time – and the added elements really help create a unique feeling – horn parts that underscore the power of Tyner's piano, and wordless vocals that rise to the skies, with a feel similar to Donald Byrd or Max Roach sessions like this – but with a bit more 70s vibe overall. Other players include Earl Klugh on guitar, Ron Carter on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – and solos are by Jon Faddis on trumpet, Alex Foster on tenor, and Charles Stephens on trombone. Titles include "For Tomorrow", "Opus", "Festival In Bahia", "Rotunda", and "Uptown".

An excellent album from Eddie Harris – whose love of the Varitone sax is pushed to the max here, as he gets funky and wild on a great batch of tracks! The record features some great bass work from Melvin Jackson, plus keyboards from Joe Zawinul and Eddie. Titles include "Silver Cycles", "Electric Ballad", "Little Bit", "Free At Last", "Coltrane's View", "Electric Salad", "1974 Blues", and "Smoke Signals".

Excellent bop sides cut for EmArcy by Cannonball, collected and assembled in a manner that showcases his wonderfully soulful and hard blowing approach to the alto in the years before Miles recruited him. The set features a host of great sidemen including brother Nat, JJ Johnson, Cecil Payne, Ernie Royal, John Coltrane, Junior Mance, Horace Silver, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, Keeter Betts, Sam Jones, Kenny Clarke, Max Roach and Jimmy Cobb. 17 tracks in all, including "Hurrican Connie", "Cynthia's In Love", "Cannonball", "Nat's Everglade", "Fallen Feathers", "Watermelon", "Fort Lauderdale", "Broadway At Basin Street", "T's Tune", "Blues For Bohemia", "Specutacular", "Miss Jackie's Delight", "Hoppin' John", "The Way You Look Tonight", "I'll Remember April", "Limehouse Blues" and "The Sleeper".

A key slice of Clifford Brown from the 50s – two long tracks both recorded in an open-ended jam session format, showing a side of Brown's powers that's even bolder and more inventive than some of his previous studio work! The album soars along beautifully – with Brownie in the lead amongst an unusual, but well-chosen batch of players that includes Herb Geller and Joe Maini on alto saxes, Walter Benton on tenor, Kenny Drew on piano, Curtis Counce on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all grooving alongside Clifford on the album's nicely extended tracks. The album was released after Brown's death in 1956, features the side-long tracks "Caravan" and "Autumn In New York".

A classic album that mixes trumpet and voices in a swirling soulful sound that worked very well for Byrd's career! Byrd's sparkling trumpet fronts a tight septet that includes Hank Mobley, Herbie Hancock, and Kenny Burrell – and which is backed by arrangements by Coleridge Perkinson and Duke Pearson. 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. Includes the classic "Christo Redentor", plus "Chant", "The Black Disciple", and "Elijah".

Key early work by Abbey – no so much the "blue" album you'd guess from the title, but a session that's filled with the kind of anger and emotion that makes us love her so much when she's this good! The group here is very hip – an ensemble brought to the date by her then-partner Max Roach – with Max on drums, Tommy Turrentine on trumpet, Stanley Turrentine on tenor, and Julian Preister on trombone – all working with Abbey in a mode that's quite similar to her best appearances on Roach records from the same stretch! Titles include her amazing early version of "Afro Blue", plus "Lonely House", "Come Sunday", "Let Up", and a great version of Oscar Brown, Jr's "Brother Where Are You?"

A fantastic sextet session recorded in 1961, shortly before Booker Little's death – and filled with all the promise and power he ever packed into his playing! There's a sharp, angular groove to many of the numbers here – that mix of modern and hardbop that was cresting best in the early 60s Blue Note generation – and which echoes some of the work that Little had done with Max Roach in the years before this date. The lineup's filled with great players to help Book realize his strongest musical vision – Julian Priester on trombone, George Coleman on tenor, Don Friedman on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Pete LaRoca on drums – and although the set's issued on the sometimes-staid Bethlehem label, it's got all the sharper edges of an early 60s date on a label like Impulse or Candid! Titles include "Matilde", "Booker's Blues", "Forward Flight", and "Victory and Sorrow".

2nd pressing of one of the most obscure sessions for the legendary Mode label – a one-off date by The Bernie Nerow Trio – a group that was actually led by pianist Peter Nero, working on the original album under a "nom de date", but billed here on the 2nd pressing with full credits! The Nero sound here is much jazzier than on any of his more overblown pop instrumental sides from the time – a lightly leaping approach that still allows plenty of space for his strong command of the keys, yet which never succumbs to its own excesses. Rhythm is by the team of Max Wayne on bass and Dick Stein on drums – and the record's got a gentle warmth and easygoing feel that we like a heck of a lot! Titles include "Lullaby Of The Leaves", "Scratch My Bach", "Red's Romp", "Love For Sale", "How About You", and "Our Love Is Here To Stay".

Classic Bud Powell trio work for Verve – recorded with Max Roach on drums, adding a nice edge to the session! The record features some of Powell's classics – like "Tempus Fugit", "Strictly Confidential", and "Celia" – plus other haunting renditions of standards like "Get Happy", "Yesterdays", and "April In Paris" – all wrapped up in a nice cover that features a moody David Stone Martin image in red!

The title says "57", but the music's from a few years before – yet that's OK with us, because Bud Powell always has a sound that's instantly timeless no matter what the year! The album brings together sides from Verve dates in 1954 and 1955 – one featuring Art Blakey on drums and Lloyd Troutman on bass, the other featuring Max Roach and Percy Heath. Given the presence of the strong drummers, there's a drive here that's a bit harder than on some of the other Verve dates – a highly rhythmic component that often brings a real focus to some of the more upbeat numbers, but which lays back nicely on the mellower ones to let Powell hit some especially dark notes. Titles include "Deep Night", "That Old Black Magic", "Round Midnight", "Thou Swell", and "Tenderly".

If worktime was like this for us, you'd catch us showing up on the job early every day – but sadly, nothing at our office can match the brilliance of early Sonny Rollins here – a sharp-edged genius that perfectly illustrates why he was one of the greatest players on his horn for many decades running! There's a depth of tone on the record that rivals Coleman Hawkins or Lester Young – but a quickness of pace and imagination that shows a clear influence from Charlie Parker, and a deftness that few were bringing to the tenor at the time. The rhythm section here is super tight – and features Ray Bryant on piano, George Morrow on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all supporting Rollins' bold lead with lines that bristle with electricity, but still often fall back to let the sound of the tenor envelop the whole group. Tracks are longish, and titles include "Raincheck", "There Are Such Things", "Paradox", and "It's All Right With Me".

A very cool little concept set – one that perfectly illustrates the jazz wars at the end of the 40s! Jimmy McPartland represents the "hot jazz" side, and Dizzy the "cool" – although the Gillespie approach is more bop than actual "cool jazz" – but you get the point! Each track has McPartland's group doing a trad version, then Dizzy's doing a bop version – and titles include "Indiana", "How High The Moon", "Muskrat Ramble", and "Battle Of The Blues" – each done in trad and bop takes. Other players include Don Elliott, Max Roach, Buddy DeFranco, Edmond Hall, and Vic Dickenson – and the recording appears to be live.

One of the most obscure sessions for the legendary Mode label – a one-off date by The Bernie Nerow Trio – a group that was actually led by pianist Peter Nero, working here under a "nom de date"! The Nero sound here is much jazzier than on any of his more overblown pop instrumental sides from the time – a lightly leaping approach that still allows plenty of space for his strong command of the keys, yet which never succumbs to its own excesses. Rhythm is by the team of Max Wayne on bass and Dick Stein on drums – and the record's got a gentle warmth and easygoing feel that we like a heck of a lot! Titles include "Lullaby Of The Leaves", "Scratch My Bach", "Red's Romp", "Love For Sale", "How About You", and "Our Love Is Here To Stay".

An 80s issue looking back on alternate takes of seminal bop material cut by Bird for Savoy. The recordings here are all of alternate versions of those originally released by Savoy on 10"s and 78s, and feature Parker alongside Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Bud Powell and others. 16 tracks in all, including "Tiny's Tempo", "Romance Without Finance", "Billie's Bounce", "Thriving On A Riff", "Donna Lee", "Chasin' The Bird", "Milestones", "Half Nelson", "Bluebird" and more. . .

One of our favorite of Verve's "genius of" collections of Charlie Parker's work – largely because it includes some wonderful and oft-overlooked vocal tunes! 4 of the tracks on the set feature Bird blowing with a vocal chorus arranged by Dave Lambert – in a style that shouldn't work, but does – thanks to Lambert's keen bop sensibilities (heard here before his Lambert Hendricks & Ross years), and to players in the group that include Hal McKusick, Max Roach, and Charles Mingus. Other tracks have Parker either playing in a quartet with Buddy Rich, Ray Brown, and Hank Jones – or in a different group with Kenny Dorham and Tommy Turk. Titles include "Cardboard", "Visa", "Segment", "Passport", "Diverse", "I'm In the Mood For Love", "If I Love Again", and "Star Eyes".

Quite obscure later work from Maxine – done in a style that's partly like her classic uptown soul work for Wand, but which also has some more down-home and rootsy moments – in an approach that was clearly intended to make her come across as more of a hard soul singer! Arrangements are by Bert De Coteaux, and all very strong throughout – with a level of quality that matches the Atlantic sort of session of this type, which was probably what Bert was aiming for! Titles include the single "We'll Cry Together", plus "Piece Of My Heart", "See & Don't See", "Reason To Believe", "You're The Reason I'm Leaving", and "Didn't You Know".

A pretty great follow-up to the original Hair soundtrack – featuring tracks that were outtakes from the musical, presented here with notes, a cool gatefold package, and backings conducted by Galt MacDermot himself! The tracks are all pretty great – lots of them short and really messed up, a lot more down and dirty than the tracks that did make the musical, with subject matter that's a lot raunchier too. Not really that funky, but with plenty of nice moments – and vocalists that include Melba Moore and George Tipton. Titles include "Hello There", "I'm Hung", "Climax", "Washing The World", "Manhattan Beggar", "Exanaplanatooch", "One Thousand Year Old Man", "Dead End", "Mess O'Dirt", and "The Bed".

Beautiful late work from Lee Morgan! The last five years of Lee's life saw him really stretching out to do some fantastic writing, playing, and leading – and this record stands today as one of the best examples of that period – a pure act of genius, with a sound that really takes off from Lee's earlier Blue Note albums. The styles are a unique blend of soulful hardbop and the more stretched-out spiritualism that would later emerge in the early 70s soul jazz scene – and players include the lesser-known Frank Mitchell on tenor, plus Jackie McLean on alto, Cedar Walton on piano, Victor Sproles on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – the last of whom provides an amazingly lyrical approach to rhythm, the sort that was key to some of Lee Morgan's best work of the time! Titles include "Afreaka", "Short Count", "The Cry Of My People", "Anti Climax", and "Psychedelic".

A pretty great little live set – recorded in Central Park in the late 60s, before a very large crowd! Lou sounds great, as always – and the Ramsey Lewis material is very much in the spirit of the live mid 60s Cadet recordings. Maxine Brown is the real treat, though, as the live setting is quite a contrast to her more staid sides for Wand. Maxine sings "In The Midnight Hour" and "Soul Serenade", Lou Sings "They Don't Give Medals", "Tobacco Road", and "On Broadway", and Ramsey plays "Salute To Ray Charles", "Hang On Sloopy", and "Goin Out Of My Head".

The Rubber Band turn their talents towards The Beatles – after successful earlier albums based around the work of Cream and Jimi Hendrix! The sound here is a bit more playful than the funkier sets from before – almost whimsical at times, with instrumentation that does odd things with woodwinds, strings, and other instrumental bits. Most of the tunes are from the later Beatles years – post-Revolver material arranged nicely by John Bahler – with titles that include "Maxwell's Silver Hammer", "She's Leaving Home", "Here Comes The Sun", "Blackbird", "Getting Better", and "Got To Get You Into My Life".

Right on, right on – as Maxine Weldon gets a hip kind of edge from arranger Artie Butler – always a welcome addition on any session! The album's Maxine's first, and may well be her best – thanks to Artie's tight use of soulful backings – often supported by rolling basslines, socking rhythms, and just the right amount of horns to push the album into outta site territory! There's a pretty large group behind Maxine on most numbers – including some LA studio jazz and funk talents like Carol Kaye on bass, Victor Feldman on vibes, Joe Sample on piano, and Plas Johnson on tenor and flute. Titles include the great tune "Right On", plus "Johnny One Time", "Grits Ain't Groceries", "It Ain't Me Babe", "Lodi", "Tomorrow On My Mind", and "Make It With You".

Features great work from the classic years – including "Fio Maravilha" by Jorge Ben, "Um Frevo Novo" by Caetano Veloso, "Quando O Carnaval Chegar" by Nara Leao, "Cacada" by Chico Buarque, "Esse Cara" by Maria Bethania, "Alo Alo Tai Carmen Miranda" by Elis Regina, and "Ultima Forma" by MPB4.

A brilliant collaboration between vibist Bobby Hutcherson and reedman Harold Land – the first Blue Note album to feature the talents of the pair together, and a stone classic from the very first note! Hutcherson had already been making big waves for the label with his earlier sides – some avant, some soulful, all great – but adding Land's magical tenor and flute to the mix really opens his sound up a lot, and unlocks a lyrical quality in Bobby's music that really points the way to his flourishing years in the 70s! Yet all is not totally sweet – as both Land and Hutcherson maintain an edginess on the record that makes it more of a progression from the "new thing" years than a break – and pianist Chick Corea is on hand, moving through a very similar path in his own music too. Other players include Reggie Johnson on bass and Joe Chambers on drums – and the tracks are nice and long, with that free-wheeling soulful sound that Land seemed to nicely bring to Hutcherson's playing. Titles include "Herzog", "Same Shame", "Maxtrix", "Total Eclipse", and "Pompeian".

A spacious mid 70s set from Yusef Lateef – with some numbers showing his more soaringly spiritual bent – and others hewing towards a more bluesy or loosely funky vein. Tracked live in San Francisco, some numbers were later augmented with overdubbed strings and vocals – there's some nicely thumping elements of earthy percussion, loose moments, and quiet passages that sometimes build slowly, and at others change abruptly for maximum impact. The set features several longer selections, including the suite divided "Samba De Amor" in three sections, plus "Yusef's Mood" and "I Be Cold" – all approach or crossing the 20 minute mark – plus nice takes on "But Beautiful" and " A Flower". The group features Kenny Barron on piano and cowbell, Bob Cunningham on bass and bells, Albert Kuumba Heath on percussion and flute, and Bill Salter on bass – alongside Lateef whose working with tenor sax, flutes, oboe, thumb piano and percussion.

An excellent album of hard electric funk, with tight Betty Davis-ish vocals over the top, and lots of heavy guitar-driven funky backings underneath! Maxayn was a real nutter, and never cut many records – but this one's probably the best version of her stoner funk sound from the early 70s. Includes the great moogy cut "Moonfunk", plus "Bail Out" and "Life is What You Make It".

A tough title to live up to – but Raphael makes it happen! The album's as wonderful as you might think – all the deeply soulful styles Saadiq worked out with Tony Toni Tone, taken back through a historical range of soul music – firmly planted in a legacy that begins with Stevie Wonder, runs through Maxwell and D'Angelo, and which points the way towards the future of urban soul. Backings are very much in the beats-n-keyboards mode, but Raphael works out such a wide range of moods and modes that the album avoids any of the shortcomings of other albums in such a style. Includes guest performances by Angie Stone, Leslie Wilson, T-Boz, Calvin Richardson, and D'Angelo – and titles that include "Doing What I Can", "Be Here", "Still Pay", "You're The One That I Like", "Excuse Me", "Tick Tock", "People", "Faithful", "Make My Day", "Blind Man", "Different Times", "What's Life Like", and "Skyy, Can You Feel Me".

Woody Shaw's debut for Columbia Records – and easily one of the most soulful major label jazz sessions of the 70s! The album's a beautiful summation of all that Shaw had done in the years before – his soaring, searing lines that first came to play as a sidemen for others, then took new shape on the Muse label as a leader – all really hitting home here in an immaculately put-together set! The album's still got all the best soul jazz elements of Shaw's work from a few years before, but it's even more powerful in its presentation – with none of the mis-steps that could sometimes mar Woody's albums when he wasn't hitting on all burners. Shaw plays both trumpet and flugelhorn, and the rest of the lineup includes Carter Jefferson on tenor and soprano sax, Onaje Allen Gumbs on piano, Clint Houston on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums. Joe Henderson blows on three number – and titles include "Rosewood", "Every Time I See You", "The Legend Of Cheops", "Rahsaan's Run", "Sunshowers" and "Theme For Maxine".

Jazz from the heart of the cold war – not actually recorded in Moscow, but featuring a bunch of hip players on their return from a tour of the Soviet Union – a historic moment in which west met east, with some groovy jazz in the offing! Apart from the tenor of Zoot Sims and alto of Phil Woods, the record also features flute and alto from Jerry Dodgion, trombone from Willie Dennis, trumpets from Markie Markowitz and Jimmy Maxwell, and piano from Eddie Costa – and the set features arrangements from Al Cohn on tracks that hit the 5 minute range – tight at the top, with breakaway solos, as you might hear during some of the Cohn/Sims sides for RCA during the 50s! Titles include "Let's Dance", "Mission To Moscow", "The Sochi Boatman", and the obligatory "Russian Lullaby".

Space seemed to be a logical direction for Lenny White to go – since his high-powered fusion drumming style is enough to power him right out of the galaxy! This album's a hard heavy batch of funky fusion tunes – with lots of hard drums by Lenny, and spacey spacey keyboards by the great Don Blackman! Patrick Gleeson had a hand in some of the synthesizer work, and he gives the album a similar astral sound to the work he did on the Mercury label at the same time. There's a lot of guitars in the lead, but they sound pretty nice next to Lenny's heavy drums – and titles include "Heavy Metal Monster", "Assault", "Climax", "Universal Love", "The Great Pyramid", and "Remembering".

One of Oscar Brown's great ones, recorded live at the Cellar Door in Washington before an enthusiastic crowd of hipsters! The record's a beautiful mix of soul, jazz, and folk – in the same Chicago tradition that spawned Terry Callier (although Brown's style has a bit more of a "show" feel to it). There's a lot of great stuff on here, and most of it doesn't appear on Oscar's other albums in studio versions. Tracks include "Call of the City", "Muffled Drums", "Maxine", "Brother Where Are You?", and more! Backing's by a tight little combo that includes Floyd Morris and Phil Upchurch!

A great little session – ostensibly a tribute to Clifford Brown, but way more than that! The set's actually an excellent soul bop session – recorded with a sextet that features Woody Shaw, Freddie Hubbard, Kenny Barron, Cecil McBee, and Ben Riley, working together in that soulful spiritual mode that Golson was exploring wonderfully at the time, and which is a good extension of Shaw's work of the late 70s. Tracks include "No Dancin", "Time Speaks", "Blues For Duanae", "Theme For Maxine", and "Jordu".

Performed by Gerard Schwarz on trumpet and Ursula Oppens on piano.