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A great overview of modern jazz piano work – with Verve material by Bud Powell, Cecil Taylor, Mary Lou Williams, Paul Bley, Wynton Kelly, and Bill Evans!

An excellent album by Mary Lou Williams – a set recorded during the 70s period when she was mixing in a bit of funk with her jazz! The sound here is wonderful – quite different than other work you might know from Williams, and much more in the sort of groove you'd expect from Junior Mance, Ray Bryant, Ramsey Lewis, or other soul jazz-oriented pianists! Williams plays acoustic piano in a very hip trio with Mickey Roker on drums and Bob Cranshaw on electric bass – the latter of whom brings in this well-rounded, soul-drenched tone that's a lot like the bass work on some of Monty Alexander's own best albums from the 70s. And Williams herself is totally great too – playing with some slightly exotic tones at points, and with a really in-the-pocket groove at others. Funky tracks include "Intermission" and "Rosa Mae" – and other titles include "Ghost Of Love", "Medi II", "Zoning Fungus", and a great version of Dizzy Gillespie's "Olinga". CD also features 2 previously unreleased tracks – "Syl-O-Gism" and an alternate of "Gloria".

An odd pairing of musicians – but a classic album of piano jazz from the 50s, and some of the more obscure sides by both players! Barbara Carroll works here in a really lovely way that retains the fluidity of her 50s work on RCA, but which also has a slightly rougher edge – a mode that's got some nicely boozy undercurrents, yet still the sort of poise and grace that made Carroll one of the best female pianists of the time. Joe Shulman is on bass and Herb Wasserman is on drums – and titles include "Taking A Chance On Love", "Love Of My Life", "Autumn In New York", "Tis Autumn", and "The Lady's In Love With You". Mary Lou Williams works here in a bit of a comeback mode – some of her first American recordings in a number of years, with Carl Pruitt on bass and Bill Clark on drums. Titles inlcude "Opus Z", "S' Wonderful", "In The Purple Grotto", "From This Moment On", and "You're The Cream In My Coffee".

A landmark album – and one of the best records you'll ever find by Mary Lou Williams! The record's a mixture of jazz and spiritual themes, and it features Mary Lou's piano set in some super-hip jazz arrangements that include players like Grant Green, Budd Johnson, Larry Gales, Melba Liston, Ben Tucker, and Percy Heath. The bass and piano work is amazing, and many tracks have a dark groove that's very subtle, but very compelling. About half the tunes feature hip choral vocalizing – in the mode of some of the Donald Byrd or Max Roach albums from the same time – mostly handled by the group of Howard Roberts. Includes the classic groover "A Grand Nite For Swinging", plus "A Fungus Amongus", "Anima Christi", "Miss DD", "The Devil", "It Ain't Necessarily So", and "My Blue Heaven". Great stuff all around – and even better than we're describing it! This CD issue features the original Mary Records cover art – different than the Saba/MPS or later Smithsonian CD versions.

Some tracks feature trumpeter Sonny Dunham leading a group with Dick Wilson on tenor, Floyd Smith on guitar, Buddy Miller on alto, and Mary Lou Williams on piano – others feature pianist Joe Sullivan with Coleman Hawkins on tenor and Billy Carton on trumpet.

Revolutionary jazz from the era of the Civil Rights Movement and beyond – soulful and spiritual jazz as important as any of the era – an impeccably well chosen compilation of Freedom, Rhythm & Sound from Soul Jazz Records! The set is a tie-in with Soul Jazz's essential Freedom, Rhythm & Sound book – documenting the sounds and providing an aural portrait of a fertile creative period in African American music and cultural history – when the societal struggles were a counterpart to the heretofore unseen depth of creativity and empowerment in jazz music. Includes a nice booklet of notes, and songs from both the independent underground, and some that made it onto established labels like Verve and others, and material by Joe Henderson, Archie Shepp, Errol Parker, Mary Lou Williams, Art Ensemble Of Chicago, Horace Tapscott, Sun Ra and many more. 23 pivotal tracks on 2CDs, many running on the longer side, for a straight up incredible set of spiritual soul jazz: includes "Africa" by Oliver Lake/NTU, "Space A Nova" by Stanton Davis' Ghetto/Mysticism, "Miss DD" by Mary Lou Williams, "Old Time Religion" by Art Ensemble Of Chicago, "Drinking Song" by Gary Bartz NTU Troop, "Attica Blues" by Archie Shepp, "Peyote Song No III" by Horace Tapscott & Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, "Freedom Time" by Pharoahs, "Black Survival" by Roy Brooks & Artistic Truth and more.

Revolutionary jazz from the era of the Civil Rights Movement and beyond – soulful and spiritual jazz as important as any of the era – an impeccably well chosen compilation of Freedom, Rhythm & Sound from Soul Jazz Records! The set is a tie-in with Soul Jazz's essential Freedom, Rhythm & Sound book – documenting the sounds and providing an aural portrait of a fertile creative period in African American music and cultural history – when the societal struggles were a counterpart to the heretofore unseen depth of creativity and empowerment in jazz music. Includes a nice booklet of notes, and songs from both the independent underground, and some that made it onto established labels like Verve and others, and material by Joe Henderson, Archie Shepp, Errol Parker, Mary Lou Williams, Art Ensemble Of Chicago, Horace Tapscott, Sun Ra and many more. Volume 1 of the vinyl version has 10 tracks on 2LPs, many running on the longer side, for a straight up incredible set of spiritual soul jazz: includes "Africa" by Oliver Lake/NTU, "Space A Nova" by Stanton Davis' Ghetto/Mysticism, "Miss DD" by Mary Lou Williams, "Old Time Religion" by Art Ensemble Of Chicago, "Drinking Song" by Gary Bartz NTU Troop and more.

Includes tracks by Meade Lux Lewis, Pete Johnson, Mary Lou Williams, Willie The Lion Smith, and others.

Amazing! This is a perfectly-constructed compilation of funky abstract downtempo grooves – in a style that evokes the classic work of David Axelrod, and a million lost 70s soundtrack composers! The vibe is very serious – with complex jazzy grooves shifting slowly about, but always staying pretty darn funky. Titles include "Funky Chimes" by Lee Arnold Trio, "Fine & Funky" by David Mensah, "Rosa Mae" by Mary Lou Williams, "Rain Rain Go Away" by Bob Azzam, "Brazilian Greens" by Laurindo Almeida, "Los Caballos" by Alice Coltrane, "Mellow Funk" by Floyd Morris, "It Seems That Way" by The Returners, "Bass In Action #7" by Tonio Rubion, "Head In My Clouds" by Johnny Pearson, "Al's Blues" by Sound Prospect, and "Filigree Funk" by King Ant. 17 tracks – and all great and rare!

One of the grooviest compilations you could ever hope to buy! The set is sort of a complement to the brilliant Lounge Legends series from Germany – and it features tracks that aren't part of that series, but which fit wonderfully next to its titles based on full artists. Essentially, the compilers felt that there was so much groovy music in the Universal catalog of the 60s they could never hope to get out single-volume sets on the work, so they've wrapped up 20 great tracks in a package that includes loads of wonderful moments. Tracks on the set include some real killers by artists that you never knew could be so groovy – including "Dominique's Discotheque" by Sarah Vaughan, "It's Your Turn" by Nelson Riddle, "After Midnight" by Sergio Mendes, "Along Comes Mary" by Cal Tjader, "Shades" by Pat Williams, "Dreamer" by Sylvia Telles, "Sportin Life" by The JBs, "Fried Bananas" by Benny Golson, "Flying Easy" by Woody Herman, "Marrakesh Express" by Stan Getz, "The Look Of Love" by Willie Bobo, "Let The Love Come Through" by Roland Shaw, "Spinning Wheel" by Bossa Rio, and "Love So Fine" by Don Costa. Very very nice – and very nicely priced!