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The accordion never sounded groovier – thanks to some great playing by Art Van Damme and amazing production by MPS! This 5CD set features a whopping 10 albums that Art recorded for the legendary German label between 1966 and 1972 – all of which are hipper and more swinging than any of Van Damme's work in the US – and most of which have never been on CD before! Most numbers feature a trademark blend of accordion, vibes, and guitar – and Van Damme plays his instrument in a way that's somewhere between an organ and a saxophone – often hitting notes in really surprising ways, and working with a phrasing that's far different from any mainstream use of the accordion in the 50s. A few sessions augment the instrumentation a bit more – using flutes or saxophones – and overall the whole thing's an amazing illustration of the way that MPS was always able to get work that was a cut above regular dates by any player! 5CD set features the full albums Mit Art Van Damme In San Francisco, Ecstasy, Gentle Art Of Art, Lullaby In Rhythm, Art In The Black Forest, On The Road, Art & Four Brothers, Squeezing Art & Tender Flutes, Keep Going, and Blue World – all remastered, and presented with beautiful notes!

An amazing package of work from George Duke – 6 of his legendary fusion albums for MPS Records, including the never-reissued double-length set Solus/The Inner Source! That incredible album is worth the price of the package alone – as it begins with some sublime trio work from Duke, rooted in jazz but already stretching out in amazing ways – then moves into some even hipper Latin-styled grooves, with Jerome Richardson on reeds and Luis Gasca on a bit of trumpet! Other albums in the set are equally great – and trace Duke's evolution from straighter jazz into funky freer fusion and soul – an incredible musical shift that's presented on the albums Faces In Reflection, Feel, I Love The Blues She Heard My Cry, The Aura Will Prevail, and Liberated Fantasies – each of them classics in their own right, presented together wonderfully here in this complete MPS package! The set is amazing – with a whopping 64 titles in all, and complete notes on all the music – including some recollections from Duke himself.

A tremendous European meeting of tenorist Dexter Gordon and trombonist Slide Hampton – brought together in this impeccable sextet session for MPS – a real standout in the label's straight jazz catalog over the years! By the time of the set, Gordon had been working heavily in Europe, especially Copenhagen – a locale where he was given ample freedom to stretch out and really explore his tone and phrasing. Hampton had also kicked around the continent a fair bit too, but in a tighter format, doing arrangements for others and working in bigger groups – and it's actually his careful touch that really helps shape the sound of the set – by bringing Gordon's groove into a focus more strongly than before, and reminding us that Dex was a great group player when he wanted to be! The frontline features Gordon's tenor, Hampton's trombone, and the trumpet of Dizzy Reece – often stating the heads in a fluidly soulful way, then breaking out nicely with individual voices – very much in the best Blue Note mode. Rhythm is by the trio of Kenny Drew on piano, Art Taylor on drums, and Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass – and titles include 3 excellent originals by Hampton – "A New Thing", "My Blues", and "A Day In Vienna" – plus a wicked almost-Lee Morgan-esque take on "What's New", and versions of "Shadow Of Your Smile" and "You Don't Know What Love Is".

A groovy dream come true – the complete studio recordings of German bandleader Peter Herbolzheimer – easily one of the funkiest European talents of the 70s! Although Herbolzheimer's got a clunky name, his sound is incredibly fluid and tight – a large group approach to funk that rivals some of the best American work of his time – including classics from Lalo Schifrin, Johnny Pate, and other key maestros of the blacksploitation era. Peter's got a way of taking a large group of players and really making them groove – a sound that's kind of an electrified extension of the styles first laid out at MPS by the Clarke-Boland Big Band, but served up with a hipper, funkier 70s approach to rhythm. Like the CBBB, Herbholzheimer's groups often feature American players – such as Art Farmer on trumpet or Herb Geller on saxes – alongside more familiar MPS talents like Dusko Goykovich on trumpet, Dieter Reith on organ, Ferdinand Povel on flute, Jiggs Whigham on trombone, and Sigi Schwab on guitar – joined by the legendary Sabu Martinez on a few of the best sessions here! The 4CD set is a massive discovery in music – as it features not only Herbholzheimer's Rhythm & Brass albums for MPS and Polydor, but also records under the group names Certain Lions & Tigers and The Galactic Light Orchestra. The package features a whopping 8 albums in all – Soul Condor, Time Travellers Galaxis, Waitaminute, Wide Open, Hip Walk, Touchdown, and I Hear Voices – most of which have never been reissued before – a whopping 61 long funky jazz tracks!

Classic funky MPS material from Peter Herbolzheimer and his legendary group of European and American ex-patriot players. The record grooves on hard and funkily, in a way that you'd hardly guess from a German bandleader – but which has become a favorite with groovers and jazz dancers worldwide over the years! The group is great, and soloists include Dusko Goykovich, Dieter Reith, Herb Geller, and Art Famer – and the album includes 5 long tracks, including "Timbales Calientes", "Sunflower Chant", "What'd I Say", and a nice take on Horace Silver's "Senor Blues".

Live Monty Alexander set from the mid 70s, featuring his groovy group with Ernest Ranglin on guitar, Eberhard Weber on bass, and Kenny Clare on drums. The bass playing's especially good, and there's lots of nice round funky moments in some of the best tracks. Titles include "Feel Like Making Love", "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", and "S.K.J.".

Mellow warmth from the great Monty Alexander – one of his best for MPS, and a trio set cut with Senator Eugene Wright on bass and Bobby Durham on drums! The roundness of Wright's bass makes the best cuts on the album even better – as he rolls around with a subtle sense of soul that really helps Alexander step into the 70s nicely – getting past some of the stiffness of 60s albums and even hitting a few funky notes at times! Titles include the jazzy dancer "Monticello", a classic reading of "We've Only Just Begun", and the tracks "Blue Alexander", "Love Story", and "Summer Of 42".

One of the funkiest records ever from Charly Antolini – the drummer who cut some mighty groovy records for MPS! This album features Charly's drums really kicking hard – actually hitting some moments that make for some tight breaks in the set, supported by instrumentation that's very much in the best MPS big band mode of the time! The mixture of heavy drums and tight horns reminds us a lot of some of the best funk from Buddy Rich – although the MPS setting here is a lot groovier – and players include Dusko Goykovich on trumpet, Armin Rusch on organ, Sigi Schwab on guitar, and Ack Van Rooyen on trumpet and flugelhorn. The whole thing's jumping – an extremely propulsive little set – and titles include "Handicraft", "Punching Ball", "Gemma Ham", "Skinny", and "Scratches".

A hard slammer from the Clarke-Boland Big Band – recorded when the band was burning up the road in Europe, taking great players and audiences in one fell swoop, coming up with some of the strongest straight jazz of their generation! The album features stunning solos all around by an all-star mix of American and European players that includes Benny Bailey, Johnny Griffin, Tony Coe, Dave Pike, Sahib Shihab, and Ronnie Scott – all coming together with incredibly fluidity, yet also breaking out for some massive solos on their own! Arrangements are by Boland – tight, right, and outta site – and titles include "Let's Face The Music & Dance", "High School Cadets", "By Strauss", "Gloria", "Sweet & Lovely", "Get Out Of Town", and "I'm All Smiles".

A large group in a small club – the legendary Clarke Boland Big Band, playing at the home turf of one of their key members – tenorist Ronnie Scott! The set features a very legendary performance by the ensemble – a crack lineup that's easily one of the best ever sported by the CBBB – perfectly mixing American rhythms, and a trans-Atlantic lineup of soloists – all tied together with just the sort of rich arrangements that make the group so great! Things groove right from the get-go – thanks to a rhythm lineup that features Kenny Clarke on drums, and Francy Boland on piano – plus bassist Ron Matthewson, sitting in for the usual Jimmy Woode. The horn players really send things off, though – tight trumpets from Benny Bailey, Idrees Sulieman, and Dusko Goykovich; bold trombones from Ake Persson and Nat Peck; and some searing reed lines from Johnny Griffin and Ronnie Scott on tenor, Derek Humble on alto, Sahib Shihab on baritone, and Tony Coe on both tenor and clarinet. This CD features both the first and second sets at Scotts by the group – albums titled Volcano and Rue Chaptal – with titles that include "Volcano", "Griff's Groove", "Now Hear My Meanin", "Box 703 Washington DC", "Thence We Issued Out Again to See the Stars", "Rue Chaptal", "I Don't Want Nothin From Nobody & I Ain't Giving Nothin Away", "Sax No End", "Minor Blues", and "The Girl & The Turk".

US issue of one of the best albums from Clark/Boland's big years on MPS – Sax No End! They got the title right on this one – because with Johnny Griffin, Sahib Shihab, Karl Drewo, and Eddie Lockjaw Davis as main soloists on the record, the sax never ends! The album's easily one of the most hard-burning 60s sessions from the legendary Clarke-Boland Big Band – and has that ensemble really cutting changes incredibly – working with a tremendous amount of power that not only comes from the sax soloists, but also from trumpet work by Benny Bailey, Idrees Sulieman, and Shake Keane – as well as the group's usual hard-slamming rhythm section of Francy Boland on piano, Kenny Clarke on drums, and Jimmy Woode on bass. The tracks are shortish, but get in plenty of great solo space – and are all originals for the session, with titles that include "Peter's Waltz", "Milkshake", "The Turk", "Sax No End", and "New Box".

One of the greatest records ever by this hip jazz ensemble – and one of their most unique! The record has the band grooving hard through two incredible suites of Latin music – Gary McFarland's "Latin Kaleidoscope" and Francy Boland's "Cuban Fever" – each of which takes up a side of the record, both driving the band to new solo heights with a very hip edge! Players include the usual cream of the crop of European jazz residents – like Sahib Shihab, Dusko Goykovich, Jimmy Deuchar, Phil Woods, Tony Coe, and Benny Bailey – and the tracks include "Uno Graso De Areia", "A Rosa Negra", "Olhos Negros", "Cara Bruja", and "Fiebre Cuban". Wonderful all the way through – and always a treasure! One of the shining jewels in the crown of MPS – and a Gilles P classic all the way through!

One of the greatest records ever by this hip jazz ensemble – and one of their most unique! The record has the band grooving hard through two incredible suites of Latin music – Gary McFarland's "Latin Kaleidoscope" and Francy Boland's "Cuban Fever" – each of which takes up a side of the record, both driving the band to new solo heights with a very hip edge! Players include the usual cream of the crop of European jazz residents – like Sahib Shihab, Dusko Goykovich, Jimmy Deuchar, Phil Woods, Tony Coe, and Benny Bailey – and the tracks include "Uno Graso De Areia", "A Rosa Negra", "Olhos Negros", "Cara Bruja", and "Fiebre Cuban". Wonderful all the way through – and always a treasure! One of the shining jewels in the crown of MPS – and a Gilles P classic all the way through!

A seminal session from one of the greatest large groups ever! This one captures the Clarke-Boland ensemble at the peak of their creativity – swinging hard in that tight firey way that was virtually their trademark during the late 60s. The players are a top-shelf mix of European and American jazz legends – coming together without ego, without attitude, and having a hell of a time working through groundbreaking arrangements from leader Francy Boland. Soloists include Sahib Shihab, Tony Coe, Dusko Goykovich, Ronnie Scott, Jimmy Woode, and Benny Bailey – and the tracks are all short, but swing like a mofo, with plenty of solo action in the mix. Titles include "Love For Sale", "November Girl", "All Through The Night", "Lullaby Of The Leaves", and "Bei Dir War Es Immer So Schon".

Mad MPS material from Wolfgang Dauner – right up there with some of the wildest records on the label during the 70s! The album's easily one of Dauner's most striking sessions – a set that has him handling a whole host of electric keyboards, and working with a group that also includes fuzzy guitar from Larry Coryell, bass from Gunter Lenz, and some really heavy drums from Jon Hiseman and Fred Braceful! Some moments are tight and funky, while others offer up a sweet spacey vibe – and overall, the album's got a perfect blend of MPS groove and some of the freakier, more far-reaching elements of the German scene at the time. The group take on a killer version of Coryell's classic "The Really Great Escape" – then roll into Dauner gems that include "Yin", "Sun", "Tuning Spread", and "Yan" – which features some guest voice and sound effects from Richard Ketterer.

The aura here is spreading wide – as George Duke really grows his sound strongly from the early years, and takes hold of a whole host of cosmic influences! The record's one of Duke's biggest for MPS – a beautiful balance between jazzy fusion and spacey soul – served up with help from an array of great singers and players from the west coast scene. Duke's still stretching out plenty on keyboards – but never in a too-jamming, too-indulgent way – always sensitive enough to never mess up the groove, and always with a sense of space and timing that never showed up this well in his later records. Players include Airto on percussion, Alphonso Johnson on bass, Ndugu Chancler on drums, and Duke himself on more keyboards than we could ever hope to list here! Vocals are by Sylvia St James, Gee Janzen, and Kathy Woehrle – as well as Duke himself – and titles include "Foosh", "For Love", "Uncle Remus", "Fools", "The Aura", "Enchinda's Arf", "Floop De Loop", and "Dawn".

The hard wailing trumpet of Maynard Ferguson gets a perfect showcase on this obscure MPS session from the 60s – a record that offers up a nice bridge between his earlier albums on Roulette, and his more famous funk sides for Columbia! The sound here is mostly acoustic, but definitely hard-grooving – in ways that are similar to other MPS big band projects of the period, such as records by Gustav Brom, or the Clarke Boland Big Band! Like the latter, there's a great ensemble working with Maynard here – and even though he's the main soloist, the sense of the larger ensemble always helps shape the sound nicely. Deiter Reith plays piano on the date – and arrangements are by Slide Hampton, Don Sebesky, Bill Holman, Willie Maiden, and Mike Abene – on cuts that include a great reading of Slide Hampton's "Got The Spirit", plus the tracks "Knarf", "Ole", "Dancing Nitely", and "Whisper Not".

A groovy late 70s outing from the Hi Los – done at the same time that group member Gene Puerling was having a great run for MPS with his group The Singers Unlimited! The style here's a bit like the Hi Los of old, but it's also got some of the smoother, sweeter tones that Puerling developed with the Singers Unlimited – that near-perfect approach to sound, with the vocals wrapped up nicely in pure harmonic bliss! Backings are directed by Rob McConnell, and vocal arrangements are by Puerling – on titles that include "Misty", "Everything Must Change", "I Remember You", "Seems Like Old Times", and "When Sunny Gets Blue".

Great stuff – the US issue of some very rare tracks that were recorded for MPS in Germany under the leadership of either Carmell Jones or Nathan Davis. One group on the record features Davis and Jones, along with a rhythm section of Francy Boland, Kenny Clarke, and Jimmy Woode. They swing very very hard, and keep in a tight groove on tracks like "Carmell's Black Forest Waltz", "The Hip Walk", and "That Kaycee Thing". The other group is a little bit more swing-based, and features Jones, Pony Poindexter, Leo Wright, Fritz Pauer, and some guest vocals by Annie Ross. They do a long version of "Twisted", with great solos, plus a less-stellar version of "Jumpin At The Woodside". Very hard swingin' jazz, and one of the best MPS/Saba recordings of American players in Europe!

Damn great work from guitarist Volker Kriegel – a player who rose to prominence in the Dave Pike Set, then went onto make some wonderful records of his own! Volker plays both acoustic and electric guitar on the set, and works with a very hip fusion combo that features electric piano from John Taylor, soprano sax and flute from Stan Sulzman, bass and cello from Eberhard Weber, and electric violin from Zbigniew Siefert – all players who gell together perfectly, with this sublime MPS blend that's never too jamming or too rocking – a perfect balance that you'd hardly get from US fusion groups of the time! Tunes are a nice mix of funky and fuzzy numbers, with a dose of easternisms to round things out – and titles include "Lift!", "Forty Colors", "Electric Blue", "Lame Donkey", and "Blue Titmouse".

Psychedelic jazz & funky numbers from Volker Kriegel – a compilation of grooves from his MPS albums of the early-to-mid 70s! Funky electric and fuzzed out jazz from albums such as Lift!, Octember Variations, Spectrum and Elastic Menu – was well as choice selections from records by The Dave Pike Set – of which Volker was an integral member and perhaps best remembered for! Titles include "Spiral Crackers", "Lift!", "Circus Gambert", "Let's Say Windmill", "Suspicious Child", "Mather", "The Secret Mystery of Hensh", "Mild Maniac" and more.

The funky fusion classic from guitarist Volker Krieger – finally issued in a great CD edition! Easily one of Krieger's best albums, Spectrum was remarkably cut in just two days at MPS Studios in 1971 – with a group that includes Peter Baumeister on drums, Cees See on bongos and percussion, Peter Trunk on bass and cello, and John Taylor on Hohner electric piano. It kicks of with the amazing track "Zoom", a seriously funky maelstrom of groovy funky guitar and percussion that mixes in washes of sitar and Eastern effects here and there for a really trippy effect! The album doesn't try to duplicate the frenzy whipped up by the opener right away, and finds a much more relaxed groove in tracks like "So Long, For Now", "More About D", "Ach Kina", and "Instant Judgement" before flailing away in the exciting closer "Strings Revisited". One of the great ones from MPS – and a hugely influential one to the progression of 70s jazz funk. A really groovy record!

Sweet soulful fusion from guitarist Volker Kriegel – a player who's definitely tighter here than in his more psychedelic days – but who still has a wonderful sense of sound, space, and timing! The record features some great tones from Volker – sliding along with this slight undercurrent of spaciness, in a lineup that features keyboards from Rainer Brunighaus, trombone from Albert Mangelsdorff, and acoustic guitar, drums, and some mighty nice percussion! Players shift a bit throughout the session, giving the record a nice depth of flavors and colors – really fleshed out in a nice way that goes way beyond the usual fusion outing of the time. Titles include "Bahia Next Year", "Tribut", "Let's Say Windmill", "Saturnalia", "Circus Gambet", "Hallo Albert", and "Sister Matic".

Mellow magic from Oscar Peterson – recorded for MPS during the mid 60s, but "secret sessions" that didn't get issued until later! The album features Oscar working some incredible wonders on the piano – working with either Sam Jones or Ray Brown on bass and Bob Durham or Louis Hayes on drums. The tunes are simple and elegant, but Peterson's work on the keys takes them to a whole new place – taking off even farther than his American sides at the time with the freedom allowed him by MPS. The set includes a 17 minute reading of "I'm In The Mood For Love", plus shorter takes on "Girl Talk", "Moon River", and "On A Clear Day".

Amazing grooves from the legendary Dave Pike – one of the American vibists' few albums for the MPS label – and quite possibly the trippiest of the bunch! The set's a beautiful illustration of the freedoms that the MPS label offered American players like Pike – a chance to really open up and do his thing, and find new sides and styles he'd never expressed before on his records back home! Of course, part of the strength of the set is the group he's working with here – an ensemble that includes the amazing Volker Kreigel on guitar (and sitar!), plus JA Rettenbacher on bass and Peter Baumeister on drums. But, lest you think this is a standard quartet affair, let it be known that all players – including Pike – handle a very wide variety of instruments throughout the session – including bongos, toys, maracas, other percussion, and more – even a bit of vocalizations as well! Tracks often have a slow-building, slightly-trippy feel that's totally great – and Kreigel's work on guitar is a perfect pairing with Pike's vibes – especially as both players are clearly digging an Eastern influence for the set. Titles include "Suspicious Child", "Soul Eggs", "Raga Jeeva Swara", "Rabbi Mogen's Hideout", "Attack Of The Green Misers", "Infra Red", and "Send Me The Yellow Guys".

Funky, fantastic, and nicely tripped-out – one of the legendary MPS classics by the Dave Pike Set of the late 60s – a combo that did a great job of mixing Dave's vibes with some headier sounds and psychedelic elements! There's a warmth here that's missing from some of the other Pike dates for MPS – wonderful tones that really show Dave growing a lot as an artist, and settling into a beautiful working relationship with guitarist Volker Kriegel – who also plays some sitar and electric bass on the record too! Main bass bits, though, are handled by JA Rettenbacher – who's got this bottom sense of flow that's really wonderful – kind of a building swell that works perfectly, no matter what the flavor of the tune – and there's a mighty nice array of flavors on the set. The group's completed by drummer Peter Baumeister, who's no slouch either – and titles include "Greater Kalesh No 48", "Professer Porno's Romance", "Cornflower Girl", "The Seventh Day", and "A Nose Opener".

Funky vibes, electric sitar, and a madly tripped-out album – one of the best of the MPS psychedelic jazz sessions from the end of the 60s! Back in the US, Dave Pike was always a pretty straight vibist – but he's working here with his European combo that included the legendary Volker Kriegel – who plays both electric guitar and sitar on the record, giving it a really groovy "Eastern" sort of vibe! Drummer Peter Baumeister kicks the bottom of the set mightily – rolling in a modal groove one minute, picking up a heavier funk approach the next – and always inspiring the rest of the group to stretch out in the grooviest way possible. Tracks are shortish, but filled with great sonic touches – and titles include the legendary "Mathar", a well known bit of sitar funk – plus the tracks "Mother People", "I'm On My Way", "Regards From Freddie Horowitz", and "Walkin' Down The Highway In A Red Raw Egg".

Incredibly sweet vocal work from the Singers Unlimited – impeccably arranged by harmony stalwart Gene Puerling, and recorded with sublime perfection by the MPS crew! Backings are by Les Hooper, and titles include "We've Only Just Begun", "Look Around", "Snowfall", "If", "My Ship", "Where Is Love", and "Jennifer's Rabbit".

One of our favorite albums by Don Sugarcane Harris – largely because it's got more of a jazz component than some of the others! Harris is still playing violin on the set, but the real charm seems to come from the tightness of the group – which features some lesser-known LA players on electric piano, guitar, and percussion – all working in a laidback yet rhythmically-driven sort of groove – one that fits in very nicely with the overall MPS aesthetic of the time! Plus, Harvey Mandel plays guitar on the record – initially billed as a "mystery guest" on the original release. Tracks are longish, and titles include "Runnin Away", "Hattie's Bathtub", "Bad Feet", "Cup Full Of Dreams", and "Generation Of Vipers".

That's five flies in the title – each of them warranted, given the incredible energy of Cecil Taylor on the keys of the piano! This obscure solo set is a gem all the way through – an unusual session recorded for MPS – with Taylor playing beautiful tones on a Bosendorfer Grand Piano Imperial, ringing out with the sort of freedom that you'd know from other recordings of his from the 70s – but possibly a bit more structure at times too – an almost lyrical mode that's a really wonderful change, and which makes the record one of Cecil's most sensitive sides ever! Even in a world that's heavy with Taylor solo moments, this album's well worth tracking down – as it shows Cecil with a focus that's simply breathtaking – no less of the fire and freedom than before, but pushed into spaces that really make sense right away – and help illustrate the greatness of Taylor when everything's working perfectly. Titles include "Rocks Sub Amba", "N+R (Love Is Friends)", "The Stele Stolen & Broken Is Reclaimed", "Ensaslayi", and "Astar".

A wicked little set from British pianist Eddie Thompson – a player who always wasn't as well noticed on this side of the Atlantic, but who will forever be remembered for this classic date for MPS! The set's got a great criss-crossing of styles – a punctuated way of playing the keys with roots that go back to jazz piano of the pre-war years – yet a flowing, open approach to the groove that's also pure MPS too – kind of a timeless match that's really compelling, and which makes the record unlike anything else we can think of from the time. The trio features Tony Archer on bass and Terry Jenkins on drums – and titles include "Jitterbug Waltz", "I Wish I Was In Love Again", "Tea For Two", "Spring Is Here", and "My Romance", plus the nicely grooving original, "One Mohr Time".

Key proof that the German MPS label could take an American player, and make them even better! By the time of the 60s, the small combo accordion grooving style of Art Van Damme had waned considerably – sounding a bit dated compared to the changes in American music at the time. However, it took the genius ears at Saba/MPS to bring Art over to Germany – and let him work in a setting that updated his style nicely – with changes in rhythms, different production, and instrumentation that included vibes, flute, guitar, and even some added sax! The 2 albums on the set are two of Art's best for the label – and they go miles beyond his American work of earlier years, taking the accordion into some incredibly sweet grooving territory that sparkles with the best Snowflakes sound! Titles include "Sunny", "Easy To Love", "My Little Boat", "Watch What Happens", "The Way You Look Tonight", and "Yellow Days".

Probably our favorite entry in this excellent series of classic "jazz meets world music" recordings from MPS. This CD compiles material from 3 rare recordings from the 60's – Djanger Bali by Tony Scott, Sakura Sakura by Hideo Shiraki, and the various artists comp called Jazz Meets India. The Tony Scott stuff is insanely wonderful, and he plays with the Indonesian all stars on a number of jazz renderings of classic gamelon melodies, and a haunting version of summertime. The sound is amazing, the the 5 tracks are some of the most compelling jazz tracks we've heard in ages. Another highlight is the two tracks that bring together the Irene Schweizer trio with Barney Wilen and Manfred Schoof. They play two long tracks – "Yaad" and "Sun Love" – with a haunting "Indian" feel that goes very out in parts. The last 4 tracks are by Hideo Shiraki and his quintet, with Terumasa Hino on trumpet and some added koto playing. The sound is fantastic on all cuts, and the CD's an amazing batch of tracks that will haunt you forever!

One of George Duke's best albums for the MPS label – and a set that has a sound that's a little bit more soul than before! The album uses a fair bit of vocals alongside Duke's funky keyboards – but in a way that's not nearly as smooth as some of his albums for Epic, and which still retains all the best spacey and cosmic bits of his roots! The record's got a strong west coast soul feel – with elements of some of the jazzy funk of the Fantasy Records/Bay Area scene, and elements of the electric funk that was starting to come out of LA at the time – and there's a huge host of guest stars on the record, including Johnny Guitar Watson (who sings on one track), Emil Richards (who plays marimba), and Flora Purim (who does her usual thing!) Titles include "Chariot", "Someday", "That's What She Said", "Sister Serene", "Prepare Yourself", "Rokkinrowl", and "Look Into Her Eyes".

A wonderfully surprising later album from Stephane Grappelli – one that stretches out with a sound that's far more than just the Django tribute you might guess from the title! Grapelli's working here with two guitarists – Philip Catherine and Larry Coryell – in the twin-guitar grooving mode that was used often with the Hot Club. However, the real difference here is the overall sound – as Catherine and Coryell can't help but explore the tunes in a more interesting and contemporary manner – and really bring in some amazing colors and tones to the sessions. Each guitarist is featured in a different channel – and Grappelli and bassist Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen handle the rest of the work on the set. Titles include "Blues For Django & Stephane", "Gallerie St Hubert", "Tears", "Swing Guitars", "Oriental Shuffle", "Sweet Chorus", and "Are You In The Mood".

A classic European date from Freddie Hubbard – recorded right around the vintage of his Red Clay years, but with a sound that hearkens back more towards his Blue Note sessions of the mid 60s! There's a nicely angular feel to this set – that bold, modern quality that really set Hubbard apart from other players of his generation – and while some of the songs show Freddie's growing love of longer, more openly rhythmic tunes – there's also still a sharper focus on the bold talents of the soloists. Freddie's on trumpet throughout, and other players include Eddie Daniels on tenor – still really sounding great at this point, with a surprisingly hard edge – plus Roland Hanna on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums. Titles include "Blues For Duane", "The Things We Did Last Summer", and "Without A Song" – and all tracks are long.

Great US double LP set compiling two of Baden's MPS recordings from the late 60's. The first record's got some excellent tracks with Baden Singing, including "Tres Themas Da Fe Afro-Brasileira", "Samba Em Preludio", and "Tributo A Um Amigo". And the second LP features Baden's guitar with Sidney Smith's flute, Eberhard Weber's bass, and Charly Antolini's drums. Tracks include "Feitiha Pro Poeta", "Consolacao", and "Samba Triste".

Some of the best-remembered work of this legendary vocal group – a sublime session of unaccompanied vocals, done with no other instrumentation alongside the warm harmonies of the quartet! The sound here is really amazing – simple, elegant, but filled with undeniable magic – and far far different than any other hokey acapella work of the time. The acapella sound here has no doo wop or vocalese references – and is instead a warm, wonderful pillow of sound – forged through the unique arrangements of leader Gene Puerling, and carried off beautifully by all members of the group. Titles include a great version of Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Clair" – plus the tunes "Girl Talk", "I Don't Know Where I Stand", "Nature Boy", and "Lost In The Stars".

With Heribert Thusek on tenor and Otto Weiss on piano – plus great drums from Charley Antolini. Titles include "April In Paris", "Cherokee", "Yesterdays", and "One O'Clock Jump".

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".

One of the funkiest records ever cut for the mighty MPS label – and a unique session that definitely lives up to the "soul time" promised in the title! The set features a unique combination of American soul vocals and European funky jazz – a hybrid formed in late 60s Germany as Baltimore-born singer Dee Dee McNeil started working with South African drummer Barry Window – who's got a hell of a funky talent for hitting a groove! The pair were making big waves in the German clubs, then came to the attention of MPS – who hooked them up with hip jazz players like Barney Wilen on tenor, Joel Vandroogenbroeck on organ, and Ronald Bryer on guitar! The result is a very very groovy little record – funky on some key tracks, and burning with mod soul on others – a brilliant blend that's way better than most of the other expatriate work cut on the Euro scene of the 60s – and definitely worth the legendary status its hit over the years. Dee Dee mostly takes the lead on vocals, but some cuts feature surprisingly nice duets with Barry – and titles include the landmark break cut "Get Out Of My Life Woman", plus "Midnight Hour", "Hold On I'm Coming", "It's Alright", "Funky Broadway", "Soultime", and "Summertime".

A well-titled album from trumpeter Don Ellis – as the set soars to the skies from the very first note! The album's got a dynamic energy that almost beats Don's American work of the time – lots of funky rhythms, and a cool MPS groove that shows the label's strong 70s legacy of larger group jazz recordings! Like other MPS dates of the time, there's a nice mix of electric and acoustic instrumentation in the lineup – bass and guitar that kick the rhythms up strongly, plus keyboards and electrified strings that bring in their own unique sounds. Milcho Leviev handles the keys on the session – and titles are a fresh batch of numbers that include "Sidonie", "Image Of Maria", "Sladka Pitka", "Go Back Home", "Whiplash", "The Devil Made Me Write This Piece", and "Invincible".

A tremendous European meeting of tenorist Dexter Gordon and trombonist Slide Hampton – brought together in this impeccable sextet session for MPS – a real standout in the label's straight jazz catalog over the years! By the time of the set, Gordon had been working heavily in Europe, especially Copenhagen – a locale where he was given ample freedom to stretch out and really explore his tone and phrasing. Hampton had also kicked around the continent a fair bit too, but in a tighter format, doing arrangements for others and working in bigger groups – and it's actually his careful touch that really helps shape the sound of the set – by bringing Gordon's groove into a focus more strongly than before, and reminding us that Dex was a great group player when he wanted to be! The frontline features Gordon's tenor, Hampton's trombone, and the trumpet of Dizzy Reece – often stating the heads in a fluidly soulful way, then breaking out nicely with individual voices – very much in the best Blue Note mode. Rhythm is by the trio of Kenny Drew on piano, Art Taylor on drums, and Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass – and titles include 3 excellent originals by Hampton – "A New Thing", "My Blues", and "A Day In Vienna" – plus a wicked almost-Lee Morgan-esque take on "What's New", and versions of "Shadow Of Your Smile" and "You Don't Know What Love Is".

Amazing stuff – and one of the hippest records ever cut by pianist Friedrich Gulda! Unlike some of his other more modernist efforts, this one's got a really free swing to it – and it features a spare stripped-down approach that has Gulda's work on piano and "electra piano" backed only by the drums of Klaus Weiss. If you know Weiss' playing, you'll know that he's a heck of a player – one of the hardest swinging players in Germany during the 70s, with a rich range of styles that included funk, soul jazz, and hard bop playing. The best numbers on the album feature Gulda playing these amazing lines on "electra piano", with Weiss grooving underneath – either hitting a modal groove, a bossa one, or in some cases a freer beat to match Gulda's solos. The record kicks off with the four-part "Suite For Piano, Electra Piano, & Drums" – which has two great groovers, the "bossa nova" and "finale" section". Side two features the more avant "Meditation III", plus the excellent "Blues Fantasy", which starts out free, then rolls into a great modal funky part with great electric keyboard lines!

A classic European date from Freddie Hubbard – recorded right around the vintage of his Red Clay years, but with a sound that hearkens back more towards his Blue Note sessions of the mid 60s! There's a nicely angular feel to this set – that bold, modern quality that really set Hubbard apart from other players of his generation – and while some of the songs show Freddie's growing love of longer, more openly rhythmic tunes – there's also still a sharper focus on the bold talents of the soloists. Freddie's on trumpet throughout, and other players include Eddie Daniels on tenor – still really sounding great at this point, with a surprisingly hard edge – plus Roland Hanna on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums. Titles include "Blues For Duane", "The Things We Did Last Summer", and "Without A Song" – and all tracks are long.

Sadness on guitar – a perfect title for Baden Powell's work on his chosen instrument, especially the way he could bring a simple but emotive style to his music! Powell's work on guitar here is often quite spare, but beautifully handled – set up with rhythms by a small combo that includes Milton Banana on drums alongside added percussion, as well as some especially great flute from Copinha – and recorded with an echoey style that makes each new note resonate with tremendous strength. The overall groove is a bit more upbeat than some of Powell's other "on guitar" sessions for MPS – with a number of tracks that hit the livelier groove of his earlier Brazilian recordings. Titles include a great spare version of "Round Midnight", plus "O Astronauta", "Sarava", "Canto De Xango", "Canto De Ossanha", and "Som Do Carnival".

Some of Archie Shepp's most freewheeling material of the 60s – a long, extended, single-song album recorded at the Donaueschingen festival a few years before his classic work for BYG/Actuel – and very much in the same bold spirit as his recordings for that label! The single tune – "One For The Trane" – is opened up, stretched out, and run freely by Shepp on tenor, Roswell Rudd and Grachan Moncur on trombones, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Beaver Harris on drums – a very unique lineup that benefits not just from the presence of two trombones, which gives the record a very deep, rich sound – but also from the creative rhythms of Garrison and Harris, a really great team for a session like this! Shepp is wonderful – still with this inherent sense of soul that also ties the performance to some of his brightest moments for Impulse Records – this structure, even when blowing free, that creates an amazing sense of swing somewhere back in the music.

Very groovy stuff – two unlikely gems from mid 70s MPS! First up is Amazing Strings from Svend Asmussen – a set that features his famous jazz violin in the lead, but amidst larger arrangements that feature MPS players like Dieter Reith on keyboards, Sigi Schwab on guitar, and Gunter Lenz on bass! The tunes are mostly classical numbers, but are mixed with fresh arrangements from Christian Schmitz Steinberg – who swings them with a Euro jazzy style that's mighty nice, especially when the keyboards and guitar kick into the mix! Titles include "Golgatha", "Men's Living Joy", "Danse De Jeunes Filles", "Fur Elise", and "Ah Vous Dirais Je Maman". Rockin Bach Dimensions is even cooler – a batch of numbers penned by Johann Sebastian Bach, but taken to groovy new heights by some funky MPS players of the 70s! The album's arranged and conducted by Mladen Gutesha – who you might know from his excellent Und album – and it features Wolfgang Dauner on keyboards, Sigi Schwab on guitar, Herb Geller on flute, Ake Persson on trombone, Ack Van Rooyen on trumpet, and Horst Jankowski on electric harpsichord – all very groovy players who get plenty to do here – breaking out in jazzy inflections that underscore some of the funkier elements in the charts! Much groovier than any other jazz/classical project of this nature – with titles that include "Air", "Fuga In A", "Fuga In D", "Inventio 13", "Inventio 9", and "Inventio 15".

Some of the grooviest classical piano work you'll ever hope to hear, thanks to the keyboard talents of the amazing Eugen Cicero – heard here on a two rare albums of material recorded for the MPS label! Back in the 60s, a number of European artists were experimenting with a blend of classics and jazz – but few did it as well as Cicero, who could hit the keys with the fluidity of a concert pianist, but make the whole thing swing like some of his best jazz labelmates! The set begins with Marching The Classics – which has Cicero really swinging some unlikely numbers – march numbers from Mozart, Strauss, and others – taken at quick tempos that really move wonderfully with very fluid piano lines from Eugen, and work on bass from JA Rettenbacher, and drums from Kenny Clarke. Titles include "Aida March", "Carmen March", "Boccaccio March", "Love Of The Three Oranges March", and "Radetzky March". Balkan Rhapsody features wonderful tunes sourced from Balkan folklore, but also revamped strongly by Eugen Cicero – to give them a swinging 60s piano sound overall! Great credit here goes to the members of his trio – Peter Witte on bass and the legendary Charly Antolini on drums, the latter of whom had a sense of tightness that really brought a new sense of energy to these tracks. Titles include "Der Gehort Mein Ganzes Leben", "Memories Of Clausenberg", "Suber Sang Ertront", "Dort In Der Ferne", "Ima Modenschein", and "Der Schlitten Eilt".

One of the funkiest records ever cut for the mighty MPS label – and a unique session that definitely lives up to the "soul time" promised in the title! The set features a unique combination of American soul vocals and European funky jazz – a hybrid formed in late 60s Germany as Baltimore-born singer Dee Dee McNeil started working with South African drummer Barry Window – who's got a hell of a funky talent for hitting a groove! The pair were making big waves in the German clubs, then came to the attention of MPS – who hooked them up with hip jazz players like Barney Wilen on tenor, Joel Vandroogenbroeck on organ, and Ronald Bryer on guitar! The result is a very very groovy little record – funky on some key tracks, and burning with mod soul on others – a brilliant blend that's way better than most of the other expatriate work cut on the Euro scene of the 60s – and definitely worth the legendary status its hit over the years. Dee Dee mostly takes the lead on vocals, but some cuts feature surprisingly nice duets with Barry – and titles include the landmark break cut "Get Out Of My Life Woman", plus "Midnight Hour", "Hold On I'm Coming", "It's Alright", "Funky Broadway", "Soultime", and "Summertime".

Sweet keyboards and lots of funky grooves – one of the best of George Duke's seminal albums for MPS – and a record that captures him at a key middle point in his growth! The sound here is tighter than the trippier records of before, but also never too smooth or commercial – still with plenty of cosmic influences in the funk, and a wealth of great keyboard work that rivals some of Herbie Hancock's best from the same stretch. George sings a bit himself – in a warmly compressed mode that's simply wonderful, and which further expands the grooves – and although much of the album's instrumentation comes from the keyboards, the record also features guest appearances from Airto on percussion and Ndugu on drums – as well as a bit of guest vocals from Flora Purim. Titles include "The Once Over", "Tzina", "Statement", "Love", "Feel", "Funny Funk", "Rashid", and "Cora Joberge".

One of the most beautiful albums Friedrich Gulda ever recorded for MPS – a wonderful session that features key solo work from players who include Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, JJ Johnson on trombone, and Sahib Shihab on flute and baritone sax! The work has a somewhat serious feel, but isn't nearly as much so as some of Gulda's other work – and the presence of the soloists really keeps things soulful throughout – with a fluid sense of tone and color that's really wonderful. Gulda plays piano with a larger ensemble, but they really drop back nicely to give the soloists plenty of space! Titles include the 3 part title track – "Music For 4 Soloists & Band No 1" – plus "Minuet" and "Prelude & Fugue".

A bold, brilliant record from one of the funkiest ensembles of the 70s – and proof that Peter Herbolzheimer could groove as great in a live setting as he could in the studios of MPS! The session's done in a style that's right in keeping with the combo's famous studio sets of the early 70s – full, tight formation from the whole group – a mixture of acoustic horns and electric rhythms – with loads of heavy organ and electric piano from Dieter Reith, driven forward by some soulful congas from Sabu Martinez! Horn players inlcude Benny Bailey and Ack Van Rooyen on trumpet, Jiggs Whigham and Herbolzheimer on trombones, and Ferdinand Povel on alto, flute, and soprano sax – all wrapped up beautifully over funky arrangements of "Peoytl", "That's Live", "The Catfish", "Corean Chick", "PM", and "Head Egg" – all prime MPS groovers from the 70s.

Moody vocals from the Jankowski Singers – a hip ensemble led by pianist Horst Jankowski, with a floating dreamy sound that's very much in the best MPS easy mode! The tracks on the set are as haunting as the "nightpeople" in the title might imply – harmonic, yet slightly off-kilter – and easy, yet with an undercurrent of 70s slink that makes everything feel a bit stranger than it otherwise might. The title track – "Nightpeople Only" – is a real gem, and worth the price of the record alone – but the rest of the set is pretty wonderful too, with a cool blend of male/female chorus vocals, Jankowski's piano and keyboards, and some sweetly compressed flugelhorn solos from Ack Van Rooyen. Other tracks include "Didn't We", "Let's Make A Day", "With Two Eyes", "Light My Fire", and "Lady Eve". CD also features lots of bonus tracks too – 9 more numbers that include "Heideroslein", "Ach Wie Ist's Moglich Dann", "Dreamflight", "Pink Balloon", "So Wie Heut", "Like A Ruby In The Street", and "Du Du Liegst Mir Im Herzen".

One of jazz accordian player Art Van Damme's groovy records for MPS – recorded in the early and late 70s and finally released in 1979! So Nice was recorded in quintet sessions on 1973 – featuring Siegfried Schwab, Heribert Thusek, Eberhard Weber and Charly Antolini – and it's a got a fairly timeless, sweet natured feel to it. The strings were recorded nearer to albums release later on in the decade, arranged by Van Damme and blend in unexpectedly will – actually pretty great! Titles include "Perdido", "Mountain Greenery", "How Insensitive", "Moonlight In Vermont", "Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars" and more.

One of the first great moments from this legendary 60s ensemble – a brilliant pairing of American and European players – heard here in one of their pre-MPS sessions! Group founder Gigi Campi is well-placed at the helm – as both producer and supervisor – giving the ensemble the vital energy that made them different from so many other groups of previous years – a quality that almost has them hitting like a small combo, especially on the breakout solo moments on the set. Players include Benny Bailey and Idrees Sulieman on trumpets, Sahib Shihab and Derek Humble on reeds, and Fats Sadi on vibes – not to mention core rhythms from Francy Boland on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums. The group's inventive style of writing and arranging is already in place – and titles include "Long Note Blues", "Speedy Reeds", "Sonor", and "Om Mani Padme Hum".

Great work by this legendary hard swinging band – an early 60s American album issued on Atlantic Records, in the years before the Clark Boland Band's legendary run on MPS! Despite the early date, the album's got all the core elements of the band's sound in place – soaring rhythms, sharp-edged frontlines, and some great solo work by players who include Benny Bailey, Derek Humble, Jimmy Woode, Shahib Shihab, Idrees Sulieman, and Fats Sadi – coming together in a brilliant trans-Atlantic meeting of jazz talents! Tracks include "Long Note Blues", "Speedy Reeds", "Sonor", and "Om Mani Padme Hum".

Great early genius from the Clarke Boland Big Band – proof that Kenny and Francy were onto something great, right from the start! The album really has the group hitting the heights of their MPS years – stretching out way past earlier big band modes, into the hip mix of rhythms and soulful solos that made the ensemble unlike any other group in the 60s – a really groundbreaking approach to their music, delivered by a range of top-shelf players! Arrangements are by Boland, who also plays piano – and other group members include Benny Bailey and Jimmy Deuchar on trumpets, Derek Humble on alto sax, Carl Drewo and Zoot Sims on tenor, Sahib Shihab on baritone sax and flute, and Ake Persson on trombone – plus rhythm from the rock-solid duo of Jimmy Woode on bass and Kenny Clarke on drums. Titles include the Latin-tinged "Los Bravos", and more great originals by Boland – including "Volutes", "The Styx", "Charon's Ferry", and "Box 703 Washington DC" – plus versions of "Gloria" and "Last Train From Overbrook".

Great early genius from the Clarke Boland Big Band – proof that Kenny and Francy were onto something great, right from the start! The album really has the group hitting the heights of their MPS years – stretching out way past earlier big band modes, into the hip mix of rhythms and soulful solos that made the ensemble unlike any other group in the 60s – a really groundbreaking approach to their music, delivered by a range of top-shelf players! Arrangements are by Boland, who also plays piano – and other group members include Benny Bailey and Jimmy Deuchar on trumpets, Derek Humble on alto sax, Carl Drewo and Zoot Sims on tenor, Sahib Shihab on baritone sax and flute, and Ake Persson on trombone – plus rhythm from the rock-solid duo of Jimmy Woode on bass and Kenny Clarke on drums. Titles include the Latin-tinged "Los Bravos", and more great originals by Boland – including "Volutes", "The Styx", "Charon's Ferry", and "Box 703 Washington DC" – plus versions of "Gloria" and "Last Train From Overbrook".

Stellar early 70s work from John Dankwork – in a 2CD set! Full Circle is simply one of the greatest albums we've ever heard from the Brit maestro – a big band album as in earlier years, but one done with lots of hip 70s touches! The feel here is halfway between that of sound library grooving and some of the larger group 70s sessions on MPS – often funky at times, but with freshly modern solo work that breaks out from the larger ensemble nicely to accentuate the mood of the tunes. Players include Alan Branscombe on vibes, John Taylor on piano, Joe Moretti on guitar, and Kenny Wheeler on trumpet – and tunes include Mike Vickers' "Eleven Plus", Mike Gibbs' "A Family Joy" and "Triple Portrait", Keith Jarrett's "Grow Your Own", and Dankworth's "Academy One" and "Earthman". Also features a nice bass-y take on "You Are Too Beautiful". Lifeline is another great one – also reminding us of some of the larger MPS projects of the same time. The tracks have a bit of an electric glow in the basswork and production, but the main focus is on acoustic big band grooving – with breakout solos, and some tighter ensemble passages. Includes the sweet suite "Lifeline", which has a few funky moments – plus"Tomorrow's World", "WRVR", and "Fighting The Flab". Players include Don Rendell, Tony Hymas, Ken Gibson, and Dankworth himself.

New material from this legendary German pianist – recorded as a solo acoustic set, without any of the electronics or gimmicks of some of Dauner's famous 70s recordings – but still done at the legendary MPS Studios! The tracks are an array of shorter themes – and in keeping with the "past" in the title, stretch back to some of Dauner's earliest jazz expressions – surprisingly rich in sound, and filled with feeling – a great reminder of the straight jazz talent that Wolfgang's always had, sometimes lost in his more experimental modes. Titles include "Blue Light", "All The Things You Are", "Wheat Song", "Dream Talk", "Seikilos Lied", "Petronella", "Yesterdays", and "I Loves You Porgy".

An early session from German pianist Wolfgang Dauner – one with a sound that's every bit as great as you'd expect from the title! The "dream talk" component here is one that comes from Dauner's gentle, yet modern approach to the keys – one that's clearly learning lessons from 50s modernists like George Russell or Bill Evans, but which is stretching out here in some of the bolder freedoms of the European scene at the time – a precursor to later modes on MPS and Saba, but performed here with a bit more careful restraint. The record's nicely free from some of the overindulgences of some of Dauner's 70s sides, and is an acoustic effort throughout – extremely imaginative, with a "set free" quality that's also never too "out", nor too full of itself – a bit like the best early recordings by Steve Kuhn. Wolfgang's approach to the keys is nothing less than revelatory – and he receives well matched accompaniment from bassist Eberhard Weber and drummer Fred Braceful. Titles include "Free Fall", "Dammerung", "Soul Eyes", "A Long Night", "Dream Talk", and "Bird Food".

An album that's every bit as hip as you'd expect from its Sam Rivers-inspired cover image – a beautiful tribute to the modal jazz scene of the 60s, particularly the work of John Coltrane and some of his followers on Impulse Records! Apart from a cover of "Naima", though, the set's hardly a simple rehash of Coltrane modes – as all other tunes are originals, and the band delivers them with a core piano trio groove, then adds in flute, tenor, and soprano sax on different tracks! Rhythm is at the heart of the record, and bassist/leader Jerker Kluge really moves the group with a pulsating sound on his instrument – a deep, soulful tone that's matched beautifully by the brightly soaring piano lines of Jo Junghanss. A few cuts feature vocals by Julia Fehenberger, who further deepens the soul of the record – and the whole thing's a massive killer – like finding some lost Saba/MPS gem from the late 60s, with all the European jazz genius you'd expect from such a reference. Titles include "Heaven & Earth", "Naima", "Orange Flower", "Red Smoke", "Starlings Talk", and "Black Tiger".

An unusual session from the great Clare Fischer – although probably his best-known record as well! Clare cut many other jazz sides in a smaller, more intimate setting – but this album features his full talents as a larger arranger – working with a hip ensemble, and turning in some great charts that really keep things on edge! Fischer plays both Fender Rhodes and piano – and the group's got some great west coast help from Bill Perkins and Warne Marsh on tenors, Gary Foster on alto, and Conte Candoli on trumpet – all playing with a bit more sharpness here than usual. There's a nicely off-kilter edge – similar to that which you might hear in some of Clare's work with Cal Tjader – or some of his larger arranging projects for labels like MPS. Solos are out front on all tracks, and titles include "In Memoriam", "Bitter Leaf", "Calamus", and "Miles Behind".

Modal brilliance from Gerardo Frisina – possibly his greatest album ever, and a set that really shows his true transformation into a jazzman! The set's got a wide range of acoustic jazz instrumentation played live, and features none of the rhythm programs you might get on earlier Frisina records – a shift that has him moving in the same classic jazz space as labelmate Nicola Conte! As with Conte's recent records, there's a warmth and soul here that's undeniable – a feel that wraps up 50s Blue Note, 60s Italian jazz, and 70s MPS with ease – delivering something new and fresh for a younger generation in the process. Core instrumentation includes vibes, piano, tenor, flute, and trombone – and the set features guest vocals by Norma Winstone on one track, and Francesca Sortino on another. All other titles are instrumental, and tunes include "Titoro", "Joy Shout", "Will You Walk A Little Faster", "Tata Somba", "Mille E Una Notte", "High Hat", "Bubbly", and "Another Waltz".

Tremendous early work from German saxophonist Joki Freund – a player who would go onto much greater fame in the progressive years at the end of the 60s, but who already sounds plenty darn great on this early combo side from 1963! The style of the work is incredibly hip – with a definite John Coltrane modal groove in place, but also a sense of globally conscious jazz that's very much in the spirit of classic Saba/MPS work, but which predates most of that by a number of years! Freund plays tenor and soprano sax here – in a sextet with Wolfgang Dauner on piano, Emil Mangelsdorff on flute and alto, Eberhard Weber on bass, Karl Theodor Geier on bass, and Peter Baumeister on drums – and the record is overflowing with great tunes that more than live up to the compelling title and cover image! Lots of "Eastern" styled numbers – and titles include "Aisha", "Carribean Ringo", "Yogiana", "HL 20", and "Killer Joe".

US issue of a session that was also floating around on MPS. 4 long tracks of moody spacey jazz, most with vocals by Mark Murphy, who gets very deep and wandering, and blends in with the instruments in a rich, warm way. Includes the great track "Space A La Mode", a nice slow electric builder, plus "Power Of A Smile" and "Sudden Senility". Great stuff.

A legendary German session from the 60s – and a record that really showcases the unusual criss-crossing of modes that was going on in the European scene at the time! There's a very strong MPS vibe here – as trumpeter Dusko Goykovich leads a swinging sextet that includes Nathan Davis on flute, soprano, and tenor – blowing some tremendously soulful reed lines – plus incredible rhythms from Mal Waldron on piano, Peter Trunk on bass, and Cees See on drums. The record's an attempt to bring traditional Macedonian rhythms into a jazz perspective – but with players like these, it swings in a way any Macedonian album never could – damn soulful, and with a great exotic vibe. Davis is especially great, and plays in a soaring modal vein that's similar to his work on his classic MPS sides, and on the records he cut in America in the early 70s. The album's a beautiful session that often get's overlooked because it blends it with the Enja catalog – but it's really more of a record that belongs in an MPS reissue series, and is a great lost groover that's waiting to be rediscovered by the Dusty Groove crowd. Titles include "Macedonia", "Old Fisherman's Daughter", "Jumbo Uganda", "Bem Basha", "Saga Se karame", and "The Nights Of Skopje".

A legendary German session from the 60s – and a record that really showcases the unusual criss-crossing of modes that was going on in the European scene at the time! There's a very strong MPS vibe here – as trumpeter Dusko Goykovich leads a swinging sextet that includes Nathan Davis on flute, soprano, and tenor – blowing some tremendously soulful reed lines – plus incredible rhythms from Mal Waldron on piano, Peter Trunk on bass, and Cees See on drums. The record's an attempt to bring traditional Macedonian rhythms into a jazz perspective – but with players like these, it swings in a way any Macedonian album never could – damn soulful, and with a great exotic vibe. Davis is especially great, and plays in a soaring modal vein that's similar to his work on his classic MPS sides, and on the records he cut in America in the early 70s. The album's a beautiful session that often get's overlooked because it blends it with the Enja catalog – but it's really more of a record that belongs in an MPS reissue series, and is a great lost groover that's waiting to be rediscovered by the Dusty Groove crowd. Titles include "Macedonia", "Old Fisherman's Daughter", "Jumbo Uganda", "Bem Basha", "Saga Se karame", and "The Nights Of Skopje".

The brass is definitely dynamic here – arcing, curving, and grooving in the best Sharps & Flats mode! The group's at their late 60s best on this well-titled set – really moving past conventional big band styles, and hitting a very groovy sound throughout – one that rivals the best instrumental modes at A&M Records in the US, or some of the tighter jazzy projects from MPS too! There's a fair bit of horns in the lineup, but the arrangements are nice and lean – and the players really come together strongly – never trying to blow things too out of line, and really letting the rhythms direct their hip energy here. Titles include "Moneypenny Goes For Broke", "Scarborough Fair/Canticle", "Fool On The Hill", "Hold On I'm Comin", "Amen", "Gumba Gumba", "Wave", and "The Look Of Love".

Beautiful 60s work from Hampton Hawes – a set from the middle of the decade, a period when he wasn't recorded all that often – but one not issued by Contemporary until his American revival in the 70s! The group's got a wickedly fluid feel – not just Hamp's always-amazing piano, but also great drums from Donald Bailey and some especially great bass from Red Mitchell – really hitting those rounded, warm tones that would flower even more boldly during his time overseas. The sound is great – almost more of a Saba/MPS piano set than the usual Contemporary bag – and titles include "I'm All Smiles", "Searchin", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", "Spring Is Here", and "Manha De Carnaval".

Rare non-MPS work from this groovy leader – a sweet Polish live date, with versions of "Spanish", "Sunflower Chant", and "Blues In My Shoes"! Gustav Brom is great too – on titles that include "Who Can I Turn To", "Prilezitestne Blues", and "Misty".

An overlooked gem from the early years of Schema Records – a straight jazz set that crackles with classic modal energy! The group's really a great one – and features some tremendous trumpet from Fabrizio Bosso – plus trombone from Gianluca Petrella, piano from Stefano Bollani, and saxes from Gaetano Partipilo – mostly all players who've really gone on to make a name for themselves after this set! There's a really classic feel here – somewhere between the Italian jazz of the Basso/Valdambrini group, and some of the best hardbop on Saba/MPS. The group falls into none of the cliches that you might expect – quite a surprise at the mid 90s time of the session, but a bit more common in today's club jazz era – and the production here is wonderful too, just right for the 60s feel of the record. Titles include "Mr. Kenyatta", "Argento D'Africa", "Unit 7", "Mira", and "Modal Convention".

Sweet sound library funk from Joy Unlimited – an early 70s German combo heard here on their rarest record ever! As with the group's commercial releases, there's a wicked blend of funky jazz and hard-riffing instrumentation – and unlike other records, this one's got an even leaner, meaner groove – all instrumental, and with a great focus on key elements of the sound – funky flute here, sweet keyboards there, and lots of tightly-played guitar lines – which really help give the music a nice edge! The set's got a sound that's a lot like some of the best MPS funk of the time – no surprise, given that it comes from the same scene – and instrumentation includes Fender Rhodes, flute, guitar, saxes, marimba, trumpet, and lots of sweet drums. Titles include "Jamara", "Soul Gravy", "Homunkulus", "Breeding Ground", "Jigsaw Man", "Blue Box", "Parabolica", "Spectrum", "Herbie", and "Laguna Seca".

Sweet sound library funk from Joy Unlimited – an early 70s German combo heard here on their rarest record ever! As with the group's commercial releases, there's a wicked blend of funky jazz and hard-riffing instrumentation – and unlike other records, this one's got an even leaner, meaner groove – all instrumental, and with a great focus on key elements of the sound – funky flute here, sweet keyboards there, and lots of tightly-played guitar lines – which really help give the music a nice edge! The set's got a sound that's a lot like some of the best MPS funk of the time – no surprise, given that it comes from the same scene – and instrumentation includes Fender Rhodes, flute, guitar, saxes, marimba, trumpet, and lots of sweet drums. Titles include "Jamara", "Soul Gravy", "Homunkulus", "Breeding Ground", "Jigsaw Man", "Blue Box", "Parabolica", "Spectrum", "Herbie", and "Laguna Seca".

Fantastic French grooves from the end of the 60s – a killer set of jazz-based tracks recorded by trumpeter Ivan Jullien, with help from funky arranger Michel Colombier! Jullien recorded a fair bit of jazz and studio work around the time, and his playing here is razor-sharp – and supported by Colombier grooves that rival his best soundtrack material, his experiments with Pierre Henry, or his backings for singers like Serge Gainsbourg or Brigitte Bardot! Colombier also plays keyboards on the record, as does the great Maurice Vander – amidst a host of other great French jazzmen who include Pierre Gossez on sax, Roger Guerin on additional trumpet, and Eddie Louiss on organ. Drums are nice and funky on most cuts – and the whole thing kicks even more than most funky big band records on MPS! Includes the great break cut "I Remember Otis" – plus "Sonoro", "The Looser", "Talk", "An Oscar For Eddy", "Wake The Monster", "Edith", and "Crescendo".

An unusual little record – a set that's a bit "fake" in its pedigree, but which still comes across with some wonderfully vivid results! Fred Kaz is a Chicago pianist, but he works here on a set of original compositions based on his readings on Near Eastern cultures – dubbed by Fred as "Turkish experiments" in the liner notes – and a compelling blend of Eastern modes and modern jazz piano – maybe not as all-out as later experiments of the type on MPS/Saba, but still pretty darn great! The group's a trio – with Victor Sproles on bass and Roger Wanderscheid on drums – and titles include "Sand", "Ameer", "Salaam", "Turkish Blues", "Fez", "Muezzin", and "Tassel".

A wicked collaboration between Dutch keyboardists Rob Franken and Jan Huydts – a set that has the pair of them really stretching out on Fender Rhodes, Arp, clavinet, and other keyboards – with only a bit of drums to back them up! Yet although the set's got a really freewheeling sort of feel, it's never too jamming – as both players have a strong inherent sense of rhythm that really keeps things on track – a great little groove that makes for a wonderful little record – one that comes off more like a familiar Fender Rhodes trio date than you might think! There's a nice degree of funk at points, but also some modal elements that really make the set cook – a vibe that's right up there with the best MPS keyboard-heavy sets, such as the classic early work by George Duke – although without any vocals here. Titles include "Absorbed Love", "Six Seven Eight", "Blue Bossa", "Protuberans", "Tamotua", "The Kumquat Kids", and "Basic Train".

A great and groovy early album from Volker Kriegel – the German guitarist who'd cut some very trippy work for the MPS label in the 70s – but a player who steps out here in a sweet soul jazz mode at the end of the 60s! Volker's still got the same wickedly sharp style on guitar you'd know from his later fame – but here, it's turned towards the kind of soulful guitar work you'd hear on Verve Records at the time – somewhere in the territory of George Benson, or maybe a bit in that of Wes Montgomery – but also with some occasional freewheeling moments that hint at the changes to come! The group's a trio on side one – with Peter Trunk on bass and Cees See on drums – but side two moves into wilder material with a quartet that features vibes by Claudio Szenkar, who adds in just the kind of psychedelic touches to really make the music open up! These cuts are much more modal, and show Kriegel's growing love of Eastern sounds – and titles include "Na Na Imboro", "Morandi", "Interpunctuation", "Traffic Jam", and "With A Little Help From My Friends". CD features loads of great bonus tracks – including more with the quartet, and some with Tony Scott and Gustl Mayer – titles that include "Spanish Soul", "Teaming Up", "Na Na Imboro", and "Nina's Dance".

Incredible funk from the Estonian scene of the 70s – grooves so rare, the Iron Curtain kept them locked away from most of the Western world! This excellent collection finally brings these gems to light – and showcases not only Jaan Kuman's tight talent for lead trumpet solos – on a par with some of the best Freddie Hubbard CTI work of the 70s – but also his wonderful ear for larger arrangements – jazz backdrops that mix acoustic and electric elements beautifully, often with a sense of soul and sentiment that's completely sublime! There's slight echoes of European soundtrack modes in the music – but the overall presentation is definitely jazz, and the tight work of the leader and other players make the tunes plenty damn funky throughout – like a lost MPS gem from the glory days. Titles include "Hey Boys Try Harder", "Contrasts", "Caprice", "Wheels", "Terminus", and "Globus".

A killer album of jazzy bossa grooves – originally recorded in France in the early 70s, and darn hard to find in any format! The record was cut for the tiny Saravah label – home to groovy French acts like Brigitte Fontaine and Areski, as well as an elite group of jazz and world musicians. The overall style is similar to bossa nova piano sessions coming out of Brazil in the 60s, but the groove is a lot freer, and the band has a nice rolling sound that might be compared to some of the MPS jazz/Brazilian crossover sessions. Fernando Martins is the pianist, and Edson Lobo is on bass. Titles include "Upa Neguinho", "Nascente", "Bia", "Noa Noa", "Samba Novo", "Berimbau", "Nao Tem Solucao", and "Muito A Vontade". Very nicely repackaged, too!

Brilliant modern jazz from German trombonist Albert Mangelsdorff – recording here in 1964, but sounding years ahead of his time, with an amazing a blend of jazz and Asian styles! The album's one of Mangelsdorff's best ever – a set of rhythmic tunes that seem clearly informed by the work of Ornette and Joe Harriott, but also based along eastern themes picked up by the group on a tour of the Orient – and performed by a sharp-edged quintet that includes Heinz Sauer on tenor and soprano sax, Gunter Kronberg on alto, Gunter Lenz on bass, and Ralph Hubner on drums. There's some nice traces of MPS/Saba modal and Jazz Meets the World styles – and overall, the rhythmic pulse keeps things from getting as free and out as on Mangelsdorff's 70s sides – really soaring, but never too far out – and always with a cool exotic groove. The whole thing's great – instantly striking, and always a treasure – and titles include "Sakura Waltz", "Now Jazz Ramwong", "Raknash", "Theme From Vietnam", and "Burungkaka".

Great vibes from Jerzy Milian – a player who was easily one of the hippest cats to handle a vibraphone on the European continent in the 70s – heard here in a host of rare recordings from Berlin! Jerzy's Polish, and most of his work was done for the Polskie Nagrania label – but these tracks offer up a very different side of his talents than usual – some very cool, very groovy tunes that have a fantastic feel throughout – somewhere between late 60s Verve, hip Italian soundtracks, and some of the groovier projects on MPS – all reference points that really make this collection a treasure to our ears! All tunes were written and arranged by Milian – and many have a focus on the fuller ensemble instead of just his vibes – a very generous spirit to guide them. Titles include "Bagira", "Signor Cosmalino", "Wo Ist Die Socke", "Acht Und Dreizig", "Die Bunte Balkone", "Der Lustige Witwer", and "Mademoiselle Horror".

One of the greatest studio talents of Europe in the 70s! Janko Nilovic may not be a household name, but he was a seminal force in the Parisian studio scene during the 60s and 70s – cutting jazz, funk, pop, and Latin sides with a nutty genius that we'd be hard pressed to beat on this side of the Atlantic! He had a mad talent for mixing unmixable elements – in the kind of way we might ascribe to some of the better MPS groovy sides, or some of the weirder European funk albums, like the classic work of Duke Of Burlington. This long-overdue 2 volume set takes a rich look at Nilovic's talent - and provides some of his best obscure work in a very handsome package. Titles on this first volume include "Gipsy Funk", "Shacking Pop", "Electric Days", "Cross Rolls", "Blow Down", "Centre Atomique", and "Scratching Machine".

One of the greatest studio talents of Europe in the 70s! Janko Nilovic may not be a household name, but he was a seminal force in the Parisian studio scene during the 60s and 70s – cutting jazz, funk, pop, and Latin sides with a nutty genius that we'd be hard pressed to beat on this side of the Atlantic! He had a mad talent for mixing unmixable elements – in the kind of way we might ascribe to some of the better MPS groovy sides, or some of the weirder European funk albums, like the classic work of Duke Of Burlington. This long-overdue 2 volume set takes a rich look at Nilovic's talent - and provides some of his best obscure work in a very handsome package. Titles on this first volume include "Gipsy Funk", "Shacking Pop", "Electric Days", "Cross Rolls", "Blow Down", "Centre Atomique", and "Scratching Machine".

One of the greatest studio talents of Europe in the 70s! Janko Nilovic may not be a household name, but he was a seminal force in the Parisian studio scene during the 60s and 70s – cutting jazz, funk, pop, and Latin sides with a nutty genius that we'd be hard pressed to beat on this side of the Atlantic! He had a mad talent for mixing unmixable elements – in the kind of way we might ascribe to some of the better MPS groovy sides, or some of the weirder European funk albums, like the classic work of Duke Of Burlington. This long-overdue 2 volume set takes a rich look at Nilovic's talent - and provides some of his best obscure work in a very handsome package. Titles on this second volume include "Mixed Grill", "Golf Open", "Soul Impressions", "Strange Dream", "Machine Gun", "Samba Dio", and "Funky Tramway". Great titles – and the music's even better!

A beautiful album of jazzy vocal tracks with a definite bossa feel, recorded by the group O Quarteto – a harmony group whose style is very reminiscent of earlier Brazilian ones – like Os Cariocas and The Tamba Trio! The record's a sparkling batch of bossa tracks, produced with an electric groove that's sort of similar to some of the late 70s MPS material – with soaring harmonies, warm keyboards, and a killer mellow jazzy groove – the kind of sound that was probably overlooked at the time, but which really sounds great all these years later! Titles include "Ceu E Mar", "Vo Ceitar E Rolar", "Desafinado", "Moca Flor", "Preciso Aprender A Ser So", and "O Barquinho". Very nice, and one not to pass up!

A hip Finnish take on soul jazz – headed up by drummer Matti Oiling! The groove here is tight and very straightforward – almost an amped-up European groove based on American soul jazz of the 60s – similar to some of Charly Antolini's excellent work for Saba/MPS! Instrumentation includes some nice trumpet and sax passages – often tightly arranged, but in ways that work with the drums in a cool sort of soundtrack funk feel – usually leaving Matti plenty of room to open up on the kit. Titles do a good job of summing up the energy of the record – with cuts that include "Boom Bang Basch", "Soul Rock", "Chicken Nerve", "Road Runner's Waltz", and "Steam Train".

Groovily tripped-out work from vibist Dave Pike – and one of the few American albums that matches the experimental sound of his work for MPS! The session's often quite free and open – in a way that not only uses odd instrumental combinations and arrangements, but which also features some offbeat production by Herbie Mann that further abstracts the sound! Elements of Pike's earlier work shine through in a few of the more straightforward groovers, but his new European-endowed sense of hipness wins in the end – thanks to a good deal of modal grooves, psychedelic elements, and even a bit of fuzzy Fender bass! Other players include Lee Konitz on alto sax, Don Friedman on piano, Chuck Israel on bass (electric and acoustic), and Eddie Daniels on tenor and clarinet – and titles include "Free Improvisation", "The Drifter", "Ballad", "The Doors Of Perception", and "Anticipation".

A classic little album that's every bit as groovy as its cover – served up by vibist Dave Pike, and one of the first true expressions of his talents! The set's a standout early American date that predates Pike's later experiments for MPS – done in a great blend of soul jazz and some tighter Atlantic Records influences – all served up by a hip group of players that includes Billy Butler on guitar, Clark Terry and Marty Sheller on trumpets, and Grady Tate on drums – plus Herbie Hancock making a rare appearance on organ! There's a great little bounce to most numbers – not really funk, but a blend of soul instrumental and more contemporary jazz styles – in a way that takes a Blue Note groove more towards the jukebox audience. Titles include "When I'm Gone", "Devilette", "Sweet Tater Pie", "Blind Man Blind Man", and "Sunny".

A classic little album that's every bit as groovy as its cover – served up by vibist Dave Pike, and one of the first true expressions of his talents! The set's a standout early American date that predates Pike's later experiments for MPS – done in a great blend of soul jazz and some tighter Atlantic Records influences – all served up by a hip group of players that includes Billy Butler on guitar, Clark Terry and Marty Sheller on trumpets, and Grady Tate on drums – plus Herbie Hancock making a rare appearance on organ! There's a great little bounce to most numbers – not really funk, but a blend of soul instrumental and more contemporary jazz styles – in a way that takes a Blue Note groove more towards the jukebox audience. Titles include "When I'm Gone", "Devilette", "Sweet Tater Pie", "Blind Man Blind Man", and "Sunny".

Easily one of the most tripped-out records we've ever heard – and take it from us, we've heard a lot of tripped-out records in our time! This unusual session from 1968 is kind of a free-form blend of folk, raga, improvisation, and vocals that are more the sorts of utterances you'd hear at "happening" then really lyrics themselves – all wrapped together with echoey production and weird sort of sounds that make the whole thing feel like one of the MPS "jazz meets world" projects collided with "Sister Ray", or kind of a hippie folk version of some of Don Cherry's organic music experiments. Instrumentation includes flutes, dulcimer, guitar, violin, and percussion – and there's a lot of cool electronics used to process the sounds too. Daevid Allen also works on the recording – and titles include "Lovin Spaceship", "Women Of Moon", "Guharam Rock", and "Between Spirits". 2LP set also features a bonus album with more music recorded in 1970 – with a similar mad mix of styles, on titles that include "Voyage To Nebadon", "Ananada", "Rainbow Forest", and "Titicaca".

A great little album from Shorty – and not that easy to find, either! The title gives away the concept – as all tracks are in a jazz waltz format, which means that they swing very nicely, often with a groove that hints at big band modal work that would show up on labels like MPS. The instrumentation includes interweaving lines on flute, tenor, and some cool vibes by Emil Richards – and the approach throughout is tightly swinging, and never hokey! Titles include "Be As Children", "Walk On The Wild Side", "Jazz Waltz", "Terrence's Farewell", and "A Taste Of Honey".

A beautiful document of the work of Sevda – a cool Swedish group from the early 70s, and one who mixed together equal parts jazz and Turkish music! First up is their Jazz I Sverige album form 1972 – a mixture of jazz and folkloric influences – a really unique album that shows the rich cross-cultural tendencies going on in the Swedish jazz scene of the 70s! The group's fronted by Maffy Falay, who plays trumpet and piano – but many of the tracks have dominant violin from Salih Baysal, a Turkish player who worked with the group, and who brought along a lot of inspiration for the tunes on the set. Bernt Rosengren's also on the album – playing tenor and soprano saxes – and the group also features Okay Temiz on drums and percussion, Gunnar Bergsten on baritone sax, and Ove Gustafsson on bass. Titles include "Oyun Havasi", "Taksim", "Kaynasma", "Ya Mustafa", "Karsilama", and "Balkan". Next up is Live At Jazzhus Montmartre – a strange mixture of jazz and folk tunes – played by a group that features guest work by violinist Salih Baysal. Side one is solo violin – all Turkish folk tunes, but not that interesting to our ears. The real charmer, though, is side two, which features medleys of other Turkish tunes, played in a way that mixes folk and fusion forms. The group that plays on that side includes Okay Temiz on percussion, Gunnar Bergsten on baritone sax, and Maffy Falay on trumpet, piano, and Darbuka – and they have a tight sound that's in keeping with some of the MPS Jazz Meets The World projects. Titles include "Karsilama", "Naciye", "Kurt Ali", "Kocekce", and "Ya Mustafa". Plus, the set also comes with a bonus DVD – featuring 1972 TV performances by this unique group – really amazing music – packaged in a box with a big booklet too.

Double-length brilliance from the mighty Sahib Shihab – a set that collects a number of killer 60s sessions with members of the Clarke Boland Big Band – all of them great! The small combo work here is amazing – hard-hitting modal jazz that matches, if not tops the best MPS/Saba sounds of the time – all produced to perfection with a really sharp edge, and a cutting approach to jazz that's gone onto inspired countless others in the current scene – including artists on Schema and Ricky-Tick Records, as well as most Japanese club jazz combos! But long before any of those cats started copping his groove, Sahib Shihab had it all totally together – a great ear for his own amazing solos on baritone and flute, and a way of hooking up with players like Francy Boland on piano, Fats Sadi on vibes, Benny Bailey on trumpet, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums. All players here were Shihab's partners in the Clarke Boland Big Band, and they use these small combo sessions to explore some great new ideas – stripped-down groovers that are heavy on rhythm, and really allow full expression from all the players involved. Titles include "Companionship", "Om Mani Padme Hum", "Bohemia After Dark", "Serenata", "Yah Yah Blues", "Balafon", "Talk Some Yak-ee Dak", "The Turk's Bolero", "CT + CB", "Jay Jay", "Stoned Ghosts", "Just Give Me Time", and "Dijdar".

Soaring, sweeping piano work from Paul Smith – a fluid player who was already known for his "liquid sounds" of the 50s, and who gets a great showcase here in a batch of bossa-inflected material! The style here is less straight bossa than you might think – and Smith really pushes the fluidity of his keys strongly – often taking off much faster, and with much more intensity than some of the Brazilian players of the era. In a way, the record has a "with strings" mode that's a bit like some MPS sides from the time – touches of Paul's virtuoso talents shining out from time to time, but a bit more restrained at others. Smith seemingly leads the orchestra, and titles include "The Girl From Ipanema", "So Nice", "How Insensitive", "More", and "One Note Samba" – plus the nice originals "Brazilian Detour" and "The Gnat".