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Great work from the trio of singer Francoise-Franca Cuomo – a singer with a great blend of experimental modes and European inflections – easily one of the freshest jazz vocalists we've heard in years! The instrumentation here is very spare – just bass and piano – both played with evocative shifts in tone and timing, to match Cuomo's inventive style of singing – a blend that, all together, reminds us somewhat of the more experimental spare Sheila Jordan sessions from years back – although there's also some spoken passages here in French, which definitely give the record a different feeling, and an influence from blues that's bubbling underneath. Music includes a fair bit of songs from rootsy sources, turned towards more offbeat phrasing – and titles include "Alabama Blues", "Le Blues", "Viens Baby", "No Images", "Dealer/Harlem", "Speech", "Vietnam Blues", and "Black Brown & White".

A hip 70s session from Roy Haynes – recorded in Paris, and a fair bit different than some of his few American dates of the time! The group's a very cool one – with alto and flute from Ricardo Strobert, plus guitar, electric bass, and Roy's drums – a groove that's partly electric, but not really in a fusion way – more a semi-spiritual jazz vibe, with almost a Strata East or Black Jazz undercurrent at times! Haynes wrote most of the tunes for the record, and they're some very sharp-edged numbers – never as arch-modern as some of his work in later years, and instead handled with a wicked sense of rhythm – almost a deeper 70s extension of the wonderful groove that Roy brought to his few dates as a leader in the 60s. The whole thing's a key lost chapter in Haynes career – and titles include versions of Freddie Hubbard's "Little Sunflower" and Wayne Shorter's "Foot Prints" – plus the originals "I'm So High", "Bull Fight", "Riverbop Blues", and "True or False".

Eddie Henderson really lets his spirit flow here – working on some great long tracks in a sweet live setting – caught at a small club in Paris with backing from the trio of pianist Laurent DeWilde! Laurent really seems to get Henderson's groove here – and lays back with Eddie to let each tune take slow shape out of sound – then build tremendously with these sweeping, soulful lines that show that both players are still very much full of imagination on their solos. The group's completed by Gilles Naturel on bass and Simon Goubert on drums – and titles include "Lost", "Oasis", "On Green Dolphin Street", "Dubai", "Tender You", and "Sand Storm".

Not an orchestra, but the work of a single individual – yet served up with a sound that's more blistering than most large ensemble! Michel Coffi conceives the record as a "new challenge for the music of the future" – an "interactive collaboration" that heavily mixes and processes sounds from a wide array of sources – sometimes found, sometimes performed – all brought together in Coffi's larger sound design with a very explosive aesthetic! Many sounds are so compressed together they explode like beats, and most of the elements in the blend are just on the cusp of recognition – so that you keep thinking you hear something you know, but aren't entirely sure. Definitely a record that lives up to its promise – with titles that include "Blue Ocean", "Total Clash", "Electro Breakdown", "Peppermint Sax", "Natural Swing", "Black Tribal Imbroglio", and "Red Track".

Richly creative work from Nu Band – a hip ensemble that features Roy Campbell on trumpets and flute, Mark Whitecage on alto and clarinet, Joe Fonda on bass, and Lou Grassi on drums and percussion! There's a flowing, open feel here that's very much like some of Campbell's best albums recorded under his own name – a strong continuation of the 70s loft jazz spirit – sometimes handled with a loose, open, improvisatory quality – but one that still hangs together with a really coherent sense of soul. Other numbers have a rhythmic intensity that really fits the title – and the live setting makes for some great extended performances, too. Titles include "Camel Caravan", "Seventh Heaven", "Parallel Realities", and "Little Piece".

A mix of jazzy modes and rootsy percussion – put together on the Paris scene of the 90s, at a time when genres were really getting a lot of chance to cross over in styles! Some tunes are more electric than others, but the instrumentation changes throughout – and makes for a nice set of variety that goes way beyond what we first expected. Players include the great Alain Jean-Marie on piano, Philipe Catan on percussion, Jacky Arconte on guitar, Didier Malherbe on saxes, Lansine Koyate on balafon, and Roger Raspail himself on percussion – on tunes that include "Nostalgie", "Manze Nana", "Fanny's Dream", "Kaki Lembe", "Darbouck Doudouck", "Sanogo", and "Italian Sorrow".

A brilliant second volume to this classic series of live recordings from Archie Shepp – and a record that shows both ways he could really shine in the 70s! The record's got a wonderful 28 minute take on Archie's classic "Blues For Brother George Jackson" – an Attica Blues-era number that's possibly the closest thing that Shepp ever wrote to a groover – played here in a really open, free way that has a lot more edges than the famous studio version – including some amazing sharp lines from Shepp on tenor sax – over rhythms from Siegfried Kessler on piano, Bob Cunningham on bass, and Clifford Jarvis on drums. The rest of the album showcases Shepp's return to tradition – a new love of bop that he didn't actually even show in his earliest recordings in the US – but which marked Archie's reinvention of himself as an equally straight tenorist at the time – on titles here that include long takes of "Donna Lee" and "Round Midnight".

A fierce and full-on session from Archie Shepp – a real return to avant jamming, in a style that recalls his best French work of the late 60s, but which also has some of the soulful touches of his late 70s years! The group features Sigfried Kessler on piano, Clifford Jarvis on drums, and Cheikh Tidiane Fall on voice and percussion on the album's leadoff track "Poem For Mama Rose", part of a very long reading of Cal Massey's excellent tune "Things Have Got To Change" – which is followed by a searing take on John Coltrane's "Giant Steps" – blown with incredible intensity, at a level that's always threatening to shake the tune apart! CD adds 2 more straight ahead and soulful numbers – versions of Horace Silver's "No Smoking", and the standard "You Don't Know What Love Is".

Loose, soulful and swaggering tenor sax from a pair of legends – Hal Singer and David Murray – fellows who busted boundaries for decades! On Challenge, recorded in Paris in Spring, 2010, they play great, mostly original material with passionate conviction and a a boundless sense of intutitive interplay. Singer and Murray communicate masterfully, and their excellent group includes Rasul Siddik on trumpet, Lafayette Gilchrist on piano, Jaribu Shahid and the always great Hamid Drake on drums. Includes Singer's "Challenge", "Hamid's Time" and "Dreams Of Dreams", Murray's "Hong Kong Nights", "Long March To Freedom", "Stressology" and more.

Nothing fatal about these guys – given the really life-affirming quality of the music on the set! The group features a compelling blend of reeds, trombone, and drums – often used in these really evocative ways that mix the rhythmic with the lyrical! The trombone does a great job of bridging the space between rhythm and melody – played here by Francois Lemonnier, who's got a really compelling touch on his instrument – sometimes swinging, sometimes a bit more sonic overall. Biggi Vinkeloe handles the flute and alto sax on the record, and drums are by Peeter Uuskyla – on titles that include "Singing Softly", "Nordic Waves", "Escargoiseau Blues", "The Wind Is Dancing Over The Hills", and "Space Way Messenger".

Beautiful solo piano from Jasper Van't Hof – an artist we mostly know from 70s electronic sessions for MPS, but who sounds really wonderful here in a spare acoustic setting! Jasper's got this really fluid approach to his instrument – sometimes soaring over the keyboard of the piano as if it were electronic – pulling sharp sounds out with effortless ease. Yet other times, he's got even more of an ear for the space between the notes – carefully choosing with a thoughtful quality that makes each step forward extremely resonant. A few numbers show a warmth and lyricism we never would have expected – and titles include "Brutto Tempo", "Marais De Vincent", "Benefit Of The Doubt", "Reflexions", "Counterpoints", and "The Way She Looks".

Really great work from Sam Rivers – an album that's a bit more inside than some of his other European recordings of the period, but in a really great way that makes it a decided standout in Sam's career! Rivers is playing a bevy of heavy horns here – flute, tenor, soprano sax, and even a bit of piano – and the group has some good electricity in the rhythms, thanks to the guitar of Jerry Byrd and electric bass of Rael Wesley Grant. But the really compelling element is the drums of Steve Ellington – a surprisingly funky player at points, giving some of the cuts here a damn heavy groove, which Sam matches with some of his tightest, most soulful horn work. A few cuts definitely go outside, and unlock the freer side of Rivers – especially the piano moments – and titles include "Swirl", "Rapture", "Crosscurrent", "Sunbeams", "Breeze", "Eddy", and "Serenity".

A recent tribute to Albert Ayler – but one that's performed by some of his immediate musical heirs of the 70s! The performance picks up nicely where Ayler left off – and although some of the tunes are famous Ayler numbers, the overall style is almost a loft jazz extrapolation of Albert's ideals – deconstructing them a bit from their original intensity, and allowing new avenues of sound to open up in the process! Tracks are quite long, and build with a beautifully organic sensibility – and Campbell's great work on trumpet is mixed with McPhee's tenor and pocket trumpet – in a group that also features William Parker on bass and Warren Smith on drums and percussion. Titles include "Prophet John", "Universal Indians", "Music Is The Healing Force Of The Universe", "Muntu", "Obama Victory Shoutout", and "Truth Is Marching In".

Pianist Sophia Domanchic gets some wonderfully freewheeling company here – the bass of Mark Helias and drums of Andrew Cyrille – both perfect accompaniment for her long, lively lines on piano! The tunes are all quite long – most stretch past the 10 minute mark – and have a very open, expressive feel – a way of being quite bold on the keyboard, yet still managing to swing, too – the kind of groove that could only come with such accomplished rhythm players like these. The set's got a sparkle and charm that's undeniable – and both Helias and Cyrille get in some beautiful solo moments that are quite inventive. Titles include "Vestiges", "How To", "Dr Licks", "En El Barrio De Triana", and "Aubade".

Nothing green here, as the frontline is comprised of some well-seasoned players – working together in a really soulful sort of harmony! Tenorist Ricky Ford is joined by Eddie Henderson on trumpet and Kirk Lightsey on piano – opening up wonderfully in a live set handled with classic old school modes – the same sort of style Ricky was first laying down with his early albums on Muse Records – but somehow even bolder and more mature here in these later years! Most tracks are long, and Ford does a hell of a lot with his solos – as does Henderson – and the album gets some great rhythmic energy from James Lewis on bass and Doug Sides on drums – on titles that include "Stills Swingin", "Horn & Soul", "The Melon Man", "A Maiden's Voyage", and "Green Note".

A tremendous double-length set by this hip group of legendary players – a quartet lineup that features trumpeter Roy Campbell, reedman Daniel Carter, bassist William Parker, and drummer Hamid Drake – all working together in sounds that definitely reach some other dimensions in music! The format is very loose and open-ended – perfect for the loft jazz-styled improvisations from the combo – working here in a very friendly, supportive setting in front of a Parisian audience – who clearly inspire the musicians to new heights. Some tracks are quite long, but stand as bold statements throughout – and others are a bit shorter, and nicely compact. Titles include "Other Dimensional Space Travelers Hip Bop", "Blues Configuration", "Slam Me Down", "Blues For Baghdad", "Desert Dance", "Suite For Miles Davis", and "James Brown Ascension".

An obscure Sonny Sharrock session from the early 80s – recorded in Paris, but with a highly-rhythmic sound that's very much in the best New York Black Rock mode of the time! Sonny's working here in trio formation – jamming over electric bass and drums, and really going far out on the longer tracks, yet still keeping the rhythmic pulse of the tunes firmly in place. There's a great combination of jamming and grooving here – one that's actually a lot more palatable than some of Sharrock's too far-out sides from the later part of the decade. Titles include "Marpasa Dawn/Song To Chester", "Dance With Me Montana", "Dick Dogs", "Slow Drag", and "She's Only Fourteen" – and the CD also features a bonus of 6 unissued cuts, including alternates from the album!

Attica Blues, and beyond – a great late 70s performance that has Archie Shepp turning the clock back towards that famous album – but also making some very new grooves with a richly expanded lineup! The double-length set was recorded in Paris, in front of a very lively crowd – and it's honestly one of Shepp's most dynamic records from the time – definitely inspired by all the freedom he'd had in the French scene for the previous decade – yet also brought together with a great sense of focus too. The lineup is excellent – with vocals from Joe Lee Wilson and Irene Datcher – trumpets from Malachi Thompson, Charles McGhee, and Roy Burrowes; trombones from Charles Greenlee, Dick Griffin, and Steve Turre; reeds from Marion Brown, James Ware, and Marvin Blackman; plus piano from Art Matthews, some added strings, great percussion, and piano, tenor, and soprano sax from Shepp himself! Ray Copeland directs the group – giving it the hip focus of his few key recordings like this – and titles include "Star Love", "Moon Bees", "Attica Blues" (in two parts), "Steam", "Quiet Dawn", "Hi Fly", "U-Jaama", "Ballad For A Child", "Simone", "Crucificado", :A Change Has Come Over Me", "Goodbye Sweet Pops", and "Skippin'".

A great trio, and a really great live performance – one that's right up there with work you'd expect from the players involved a few decades before – showing all of them to still be very much at the height of their creative powers! Oliver Lake's alto sax is especially great here – blowing with a bold force and sharp edge that bursts out strongly from the start, almost taking us back to loft jazz years in the open, spontaneous setting of this performance. Reggie Workman's bass gives us plenty to love too – painting a variety of tones throughout the set – strong one minute, soft the next, and both plucked and bowed. Cyrille's drums round things up with the right degree of sensitivity for the other two musicians – and titles include "Wha's Nine", "Hasan", "Striation", "Willow Song", "ZC", "Come On Home Baby", and "Gazzelloni".

An odd little soundtrack of 50s-sounding tunes! The film, in case you don't know it, was an early low budget JD film – set in Brooklyn at the end of the 50s, with Sylvester Stallone in the lead. The budget appears to have been so low that they couldn't afford to pay for using the big hits of the day, so the director had Joe Brooks come up with a bunch of oldies-sounding tunes with kind of a Sha-Na-Na sound to them. Artists performing the music include Jamie Carr, Bill Dean, George Marge, and Charles Brown – and titles include "The Chase", "The Wedding Song", "Gypsy Woman", "A Very Fine Day", "You & Me", and "Rock & Roll Music".

Free-flowing and angular reed work from Francois Jeanneau – a fair bit more soulful than you might guess from the "techniques" in the title! The setting is relaxed and almost informal, but moves along with that subtle sense of groove that often marked the best Owl Records sessions from years back – a rhythmic approach that comes from the flowing piano of Michel Graillier, the punctuated bass of JF Jenny-Clark, and the tight drum work of Aldo Romano. Jeanneau's out sometimes, but mostly just fluidly exploratory – a bit post-Coltrane, but with more space between the notes at times. Titles include "En Marge", "Autrefois Les Baleines", "Heliodanse", "Le Lynx", and "Techniques Douces".

One of our favorite albums ever from Walter Wanderley – a set that's much more complicated than his earlier trio records for Verve – and which really expands the sound with a host of added elements! Wanderley's core organ bossa groove is amplified wonderfully here with the addition of guitar, vibes, horns, and other elements – all of which help to change the rhythms and move the groove way past just simple stock bossa. Walter plays a bit of electric piano too – hinting at work on later albums – and other players include Jerome Richardson on flute, Bobby Rosengarden on vibes, John Pizzarelli on guitar, and even a bit of vocals from Marge Dodson. There's a wonderful variety of tunes on the set – including Joao Donato's "Amazonas", Baden Powell's "Canto De Ossanha", and Bob Crewe's "Music To Watch Girls By" – plus other gems like "Sensuous", "Sambao", "Arrinho Atoa", "Kee Ka Roo", and "The Bobo".

The eerie synth-stoked score for Halloween 3 – featuring tripped out, cosmic horror keyboard compositions for a flick that cast off the lurking "shape" for cyborgs, witchery and masked faces that melt into piles of insects! Whatever you might think of the movie – or even if you don't want to see damn thing – the soundtrack is completely excellent! The sound is great – and nearly, if not wholly analog synth-based, and recorded to 24-track tape – therefore perfectly suited to vinyl listening! Titles include "Chariots Of Pumpkins", "Starker And Marge", "Robots At The Factory", "The Rock", "Challis Escapes", "South Corridor", "Goodbye Ellie" and more.

"Dynamic" is right – as Rod's one of the hippest large group arrangers of his time! The album's a really wonderful record that features Rod leading an octet with a distinctly modern touch – almost building off the styles of Kenton groups of the 50s, but with more of the energetic twists and turns of some of the west coast groups of later years. Players are mostly lesser-known names – save for trumpeter Rolf Ericson – and the album features some really great tenor work by George Marge, who we only know from this record. Tracks are angular and fresh, but always nicely swinging – and titles include "Holler", "Jelly Man", "El General", "Upper Bay", and "Ah! Spain" – all by Levitt!

A great mix of heavy rock and jazzy changes from Spontaneous Combustion – a trio who really live up to their name with a burning way of putting over a tune! The group loves the sudden changes in groove – a shared characteristic with the prog scene of the time, yet delivered here with a tight, no-nonsense quality that makes the tunes might more rocking overall – almost a funky undercurrent at times, thanks to tight interplay between the drums and bass in the trio! Lead vocals from Gary Margetts have a way of being a bit more heartfelt than usual for this sort of set – yet never in a way that's overindulgent or trite – just right on the money when they need to be. Titles include "Speed Of Light", "Listen To The Wind", "Leaving", "200 Lives", "Down With The Wind", and "Reminder". CD features the bonus track "Lonely Singer".

Fab and groovy! The Cinevox label was home to some of the swinginest soundtrack music to come out of Italy in the 60s and 70s – but lots of it's been buried for years, or relegated to pricey Japanese-only reissues. This set does a great job of correcting that problem – by sampling some of the greatest grooves from the legendary label, serving them up in a very strong 16 track set that's filled with loads of wonderful moments that you won't find elsewhere! Tracks include "Diamonds" by Franco Bixio, "Quicksilver (new edit)" by Giorgio Gaslini, "Car Chase At Margellina" by Guido e Maurizio De Angelis, "Fai Presto" by Gianni Ferrio, "Blue Rhythm Festival (new edit)" by Piero Piccioni, "Crazy Sax" by Augusto Martelli, and "Break" by Franco Bixio.