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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 pretty great session – if only for the work of the sax players! The "stablemates" on the session are a host of older spiritual and soul jazz players – including Nathan Davis, Sam Rivers, Chico Freeman, and Arthur Blythe – alternating solos and coming together in some angular ensemble parts that really sound wonderful. The "Stablemates" reference is well chosen, as there's a lot of Benny Golson influences on the album – especially in the rhythm section of Don Pullen, Santi Debriano, and Idris Muhammad, who groove together with the crackling tightness that Golson would have used on a classic early 60s album, keeping the pace with a soulful swing, so that the horn players can cut loose in some modernist inflections. Titles include "Walkin", "I Remember Eric Dolphy", "Stolen Moments", "Linden Boulevard", and "Stablemates".

A wonderfully edgey album – and a lost classic of South American jazz! The album's a rare 1966 set cut by Argentinian tenorist Chivo Borraro and his quartet – done in a style that uses some fantastic influences from American modal and soul jazz of the 60s, filtered through some of the freer rhythms of the European scene of the same time. There's a number of cuts on here that remind us of the best expatriot work of American player Nathan Davis – raw and emotive playing, yet always swinging as much as possible – as you'll hear on the album's killer cut "Half and Half", it's great take on "Summertime", and the standout "Charlie's Blues".

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!

Hardly just The Birdland Story – and instead, some incredible work from three key players of the hardbop years – often lost to time because of its appearance in this underwhelming package! The first half features incredible material from both John Coltrane and Lee Morgan – some of their best of the early 60s, and a record that always gets shamefully overlooked! The record features a side apiece of work by Morgan and Coltrane, each acting as the leader for a small group in perfect format. Coltrane is playing with an unusual quartet that includes McCoy Tyner, plus bassist Steven Davis and drummer Billy Higgins. Higgins' gives Coltrane a modal groove that's incredible, and Trane hits these riffs that are almost Nathan Davis-ish on tracks like "Exotica" and "One & Four". The Morgan material is a bit more straight ahead hardbop – but equally excellent – and he's got a tight tight group that features Wayne Shorter, Bobby Timmons, Jimmy Rowser, and Art Taylor. Shorter is incredible, and tracks include "Minor Strain", "Bid For Sid", and "Suspended Sentence". Next is some wonderful work from Thad Jones – sprightly cuts that sparkle wonderfully throughout – in ways that show the later Jones talent for arranging a larger ensemble, but played by a smaller combo here! The group features a great Basie-styled lineup – Thad on trumpet, Al Grey on trombone, Billy Mitchell on tenor, and Frank Wess on tenor, flute, and alto sax – players who really know each others' strengths very well, and who dance around sweet compositions by Jones – including "Subtle Rebuttal", "Tip Toe",and "H & T Blues". Also features bonus tracks – "Friday The 13th", "Subtle Rebuttal (alt)", and "Tip Toe (alt)" from the Thad Jones session – plus "Exotica (alt)" from the Coltrane set.

The second go 'round for this Kenny Clarke tribute group, but with Woody Shaw & Nat Adderley up front, along with Joe Henderson & Nathan Davis. The set's also got Idris Muhammad on the traps, and it's easy to forget what a great jazz drummer Idris can be, when you get so used to hear him delivering the funk message – but he does Klook proud here. Mostly originals by the group members, done in the boppish mode of Clarke's classic years, but which also feature many of the soul jazz inflections of the players involved, the six song set includes the title tune, plus "Work Song", "The Man From Potter's Crossing", "Locksley" & "Jamaican Hot Nights".

A great performance from this ultra-hip group – a set of American players who got plenty of chance to work on the European scene of the 60s and 70s – hence the Paris Reunion name! The lineup features Woody Shaw on trumpet, Johnny Griffin on tenor, Nathan Davis on tenor and soprano sax, Slide Hampton on trombone, Kenny Drew on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Billy Brooks on drums – and they're joined by London legend Dizzy Reece on trumpet too. Titles are different than those on the For Klook album, although the spirit here is the same – a performance dedicated to the recently-departed Kenny Clarke – with titles that include "Rue Chaptal", "Lonely Windows", "To Kill A Brick", "Foofy For President", "Fifty Six", and "The Big Fist".

Plenty of flavor here – a really well-crafted brew that's heavy with searing saxophone from Mike Selesia – mixed with other rootsy instrumentation in a very groovy way! Mike plays soprano, tenor sax, and flute on the set – clearly inspired by the John Coltrane generation, yet taking things in lots of different soulful directions too – a bit like Nathan Davis on some of his excellent self-released sets around the same time! Each track seems to showcase the horns in a different way, really giving the record a great sense of depth throughout – and overall, making it way more than just one of those rare albums with one good track. Other instrumentation includes piano, organ, Arp, guitar, tamboura, bass, congas, and drums – and Mike plays a cool tenor bassoon on two tracks too! Titles include "Eastern Raga", "Castle Spook (parts 1 & 2)", "Flavor", "Mr PC", "Brute Strength", and "Yusef's Way".

Fanstastic LP! Produced by Nathan Davis, and released on the same label as his first two U.S. albums (after his return from Europe), this is a mad mix of breezy jazz and breakbeats. Break fans will looooove the cuts "Lunar Invasion" and "Fonky First", which both have a tight break sound, and combine fuzzy distorted vibes with guitar, for a very unique sound. Other tracks have a cool jazzy swingin' vibes sound, with female vocals, and kind of an LA Now Sound feel that's a bit like the Dave MacKay/Vicki Hamilton LPs, but with more of a jazz basis. Very very groovy stuff, and one of the freshest albums we've heard in a long time. With versions of "Norwegian Wood" and "Sally's Tomato", plus more good originals. An excellent LP, and just the kind of hard-to-find reissue you'd expect from Dusty Groove!

A fantastic LP of beautiful modal tracks, played by one of the most underrated reed players ever, during the most fruitful time of his career. At this point, Amy's moved away from his bluesy Texas roots, and has discovered a freer Coltrane-esque sound that works beautifully with his spiritual, strident compositions. Although the record was pushed by Verve with the funkier track "Mustang" (also recorded by Donald Byrd), the record really sounds more like a Nathan Davis record, with a mix of tenor and soprano sax that is extremely spiritual. Tracks include "Mustang" (2 versions), "Shaker Heights", "Enojo", and "Old Devil Moon".

A great record by one of our favorite trumpet players – and one of those albums on Prestige that are darn hard to track down! Carmell Jones recorded this album after playing with Horace Silver and before leaving for exile in Europe (where he later recorded some great music with Nathan Davis) – and the set grooves in an incredible 60s soul jazz mode, right up there with the best that Blue Note or Prestige had to offer. This cracklin' tight group features Jones in the company of Jimmy Heath on tenor, Barry Harris on piano, George Tucker on bass, and Roger Humphries on drums – and the tracks include "Beepdurple", "Jay Hawk Talk", and "Dance Of The Night Child". A great mix of soul jazz and freer ideas, with a very solid groove!

Plenty of flavor here – a really well-crafted brew that's heavy with searing saxophone from Mike Selesia – mixed with other rootsy instrumentation in a very groovy way! Mike plays soprano, tenor sax, and flute on the set – clearly inspired by the John Coltrane generation, yet taking things in lots of different soulful directions too – a bit like Nathan Davis on some of his excellent self-released sets around the same time! Each track seems to showcase the horns in a different way, really giving the record a great sense of depth throughout – and overall, making it way more than just one of those rare albums with one good track. Other instrumentation includes piano, organ, Arp, guitar, tamboura, bass, congas, and drums – and Mike plays a cool tenor bassoon on two tracks too! Titles include "Eastern Raga", "Castle Spook (parts 1 & 2)", "Flavor", "Mr PC", "Brute Strength", and "Yusef's Way".

One of the few American albums cut by saxophonist Chris Woods – a wonderfully talented player who cut some of his best work in Paris during the early 70s! The album captures some of the charm of Woods' best European records – with a lightly dancing groove on the best tracks, one that hints at his strong propensity for playing in modal lines, a trait he shared with Nathan Davis, a contemporary on the European scene, and a slightly similar player. Woods here is a bit more rootsy than Davis, though – working in an easily soulful setting, with pianist Jim McNeely, plus trumpet, bass, and drums. Woods plays flute and alto – and tracks include "Monsieur Le Bois In Paris", "What That", "Modus Operandi", and a nice version of "Scufflin Along". CD also features 3 bonus alternate takes of tracks from the album!

Some of the funkiest, grooviest tunes ever from the MPS label – all brought together in one double-length set at an incredible price! These are the tracks that first got MPS re-noticed by a younger generation of groovers a decade or more ago – tunes that offer up an amazing blend of soul jazz, Brazilian, modal, and vocal styles – all done with genre-crossing genius, and some of the best production an artist could ever hope for in the studio! The collection's sort of an amalgamation of the essential (and now-deleted) compilations by Gilles Peterson that appeared on the Talkin Loud label – a filtering down of all the best bits into a 19-track CD that runs for over 75 minutes in length. Titles include "Sunshine Of Your Love" by Ella Fitzgerald, "Color" by Erwin Lehn, "Just Give Me Time" by Mark Murphy, "Little Bird" by Elsie Bianchi, "Waldmadchen" by Gustav Brom, "Espresso Loco" by Francy Boland, "That Ol Bus Smell" by Peter Herbholzheimer, "Get Out Of My Life Woman" by Dee Dee Barry & The Movements, "Big Schlepp" by Dave Pike, "Carmell's Black Forest Waltz" by Nathan Davis, "Upa Neguinho" by Edu Lobo, "Hold Me I've Got To Leave You" by Johnny Teupen, "Volcano's Daughter" by Nelson Riddle, "Monticello" by Monty Alexander, "Scratches" by Charly Antolini, and "Speech Craft" by Horst Jankowski.

An essential batch of music – four overlooked gems from the German Ego label of the late 70s – one of which is a stone classic that we've treasured for decades! All albums here are incredible – but our absolute favorite is Benny Bailey's Serenade To A Planet – a set that we think is one of the greatest jazz records ever! By the time of this 1976 release, trumpeter Benny Bailey had already had quite a history – working with Quincy Jones in his early years, and recording for MPS with the likes of Nathan Davis and the Clark Boland Big Band, as well as some of the best other players in Europe. This set's Benny's masterpiece – a soulful batch of tunes that feels like it was lifted from the catalog of Strata East, but which is played by a quintet that features Europeans Ferdinand Povel on tenor, Joe Haider on piano, and Isla Eckinger on bass – as well as American Kenny Clarke on drums. The vibe is perfect – and the group's harmoniously searching with a strong modal groove on nearly every track. Titles include "Aquarian Moods", "Neptunis", "Little B", and "The Kicker". East Of Isar is something of a follow-up to that date – done by Bailey with tenorist Sal Nistico – in a wonderful group that also includes Joe Haider on piano, Isla Eckinger on bass, and Billie Brooks on drums! The Haider/Eckinger team are known from other Bailey sessions in Europe – all of which are fantastic – and they perform extremely well here, too. Tracks are long, with a wonderfully searching quality – and titles include "Blues For Trane", "Joyful Sadness", and "East Of Isar". Then, the set steps into Just For Fun – another great album with a very similar groove – thanks to rhythm from Joe Haider on piano, Gunter Lenz on bass, and Joe Nay on drums. The group's backing up tenorist Sal Nistico – usually a sleepy talent, but a sparkling one on this session, thanks to a lively lyrical rhythm section, and some great compositions by Joe Haider. The whole thing sparkles with the kind of imagination and energy that keeps you tracking down sessions on MPS and other European labels – and with tracks like "Beautiful Black Casanova", "Do Not Make Circles", and "7787", you won't be disappointed in this one! And last by not least is After A Long Time – from trumpeter Dusko Goykovich – a rare gem that's in a similar format to Benny Bailey's classic Serenade To A Planet! Dusko stretches out beautifully on the record – in a group that features Joe Haider on piano, Roman Schwaller on tenor, Isla Eckinger on bass, and Alvin Queen on drums. Titles include "Emotionally", "After A Long Time", "Summit", "Mountain Witch", and "The Hunt Is On".

A budget-looking CD – but an essential slice in the career of the great Slide Hampton! Hampton was one of the great American players who departed for Europe during the 60s – and his work on the continent was some of his most fruitful ever, breaking him out of his harbop origins, and turning him into a much more sophisticated modal jazz player. This CD brings together 2 sessions from the late 60s – one a quartet session with Martial Solal on piano, and the rhythm team of Henri Texier on bass and Daniel Humair on drums. The other set's even better – and features the great Nathan Davis on tenor sax, plus vibes work by Dave Pike and piano by Hampton Hawes. Six cuts in all, with many great originals by Hampton, one of the 60s most under-rated jazz writers! Titles include "The Thing", "Chop Suey", "Impossible Waltz", and "Us Six".

An overstuffed package of funk – filled with classics from the 70s, all brought together in celebration of the legendary Pulp Fusion series! Hard to believe it's been 15 years since the first Pulp Fusion volume, but during that time the collections have brought us plenty of joy, and plenty of grooves – and have built a well-deserved reputation for coming up with some of the grooviest cuts around! This double-length collection is all-solid all the way through – a great mix of cuts that go past obvious 70s hits, and include the kind of funky nuggets that have really gotten some fame in later years – thanks to collectors and heavy sample usage. Titles include "Get Down With The Get Down" by Melvin Sparks, "2 For 1" by Pleasure, "Always There" by Willie Bobo", "Captain Connors" by Norman Connors, "We All Got A Mission" by Billy Paul, "Lope Song" by Eddie Russ, "Yellow Sunshine" by Yellow Sunshine, "People Make The World Go Round" by Milt Jackson, "A Time & A Place" by The Heath Brothers, "Tragic Magic" by Nathan Davis, "Jungle Strut" by Gene Ammons, "It's A Trip" by The Last Poets, "La Botella" by Joe Bataan, "Life On Mars" by Dexter Wansel, and "The World We Live In" by The Politicians.