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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".

A monster! This is a stellar session that has Booker Ervin's tenor fronting a tight group led by drummer Roy Haynes – all with an amazing sense of rhythm that's made the album a standout for years! Ervin is playing in his best modernist vein, and the rhythm section features the excellent pianist Ronnie Matthews – who's playing here in a very funky modal style that makes for some really wonderful grooves. Haynes is the real star, though, as his lively, lyrical drumming breaks from any tight time constraints – and adds an extra-musical edge to the whole session with some quick changes and an undercurrent of lyrical energy. The group's completed by bassist Larry Ridley, also a key force in the sound – and the set includes the track "Dorian", a massive modal groover, plus the killer "Scoochie" – and the cuts "Under Paris Skies", "Honeydew", "Bad News Blues", and "Sketch Of Melba".

Features Hawes on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums. Titles include "Stella By Starlight", "Blue Bird", "St Thomas", and "Spanish Mood".

A monster! This is a stellar session that has Booker Ervin's tenor fronting a tight group led by drummer Roy Haynes – all with an amazing sense of rhythm that's made the album a standout for years! Ervin is playing in his best modernist vein, and the rhythm section features the excellent pianist Ronnie Matthews – who's playing here in a very funky modal style that makes for some really wonderful grooves. Haynes is the real star, though, as his lively, lyrical drumming breaks from any tight time constraints – and adds an extra-musical edge to the whole session with some quick changes and an undercurrent of lyrical energy. The group's completed by bassist Larry Ridley, also a key force in the sound – and the set includes the track "Dorian", a massive modal groover, plus the killer "Scoochie" – and the cuts "Under Paris Skies", "Honeydew", "Bad News Blues", and "Sketch Of Melba".

Pounding! This is the long-awaited re-release of a lost session that Blakey recorded in 1958, with a triple-drum rhythm group that included himself, Philly Joe Jones, and Roy Haynes – plus some additional conga work by Ray Barretto. Unlike other Blakey "drum orgy" sessions, though, this one's got a much straighter jazz feel – with plenty of solo space for trumpeter Lee Morgan and pianist Bobby Timmons. The drums work together in fantastic interplay – with Haynes' lyricism, Blakey's crackle, and Jones' raw power all providing perfect complement to each other while Morgan solos freely out front as the only horn (a role that he rarely ever got to take!) The set also includes 2 amazing other tracks that feature only bass and drum (not drum n bass!) interplay between Blakey and the late Paul Chambers – making for a total of 8 incredible tracks in all, with titles that include "Lee's Tune", "Blakey's Blues", "Lover", and "Drums In the Rain". Great stuff, and with notes by Kenny Washington, too!

A sublime trio set from Strata East mainman Stanley Cowell – a set cut later than his run at that famous label, and in a mode that's a bit more straightforward too – but still equally soulful, and handled with a conception that's far above most of his contemporaries! The group is perfectly balanced – Cowell on acoustic piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums – all players that have strong melodic impulses, which really bring a sense of lyricality to the music. There's a majestic flow to most numbers – different than the modal impulses of Stanley's music a decade before, but still quite powerful, even at mellow moments. The set features a great remake of "Equipoise", plus the tracks "Lady Blue", "Musa & Maimoun", "Dr Jackle", "November Mood", and "Dave's Chant".

Don't pass this one up! Although lots of other albums by Eddie Lockjaw Davis are laidback quartet and quintet sessions, done in a soul jazz organ/tenor mode – this session features Eddie working with stunning bigger band backings, in a searingly soulful sound that's simply incredible! The leadoff track, "Trane Whistle", has Lockjaw really working new waves of sound into his tenor sax – screaming the horn in a way that you thought you'd never hear, and playing with tones that are a lot darker than usual! The set moves on from there in a nice batch of material that includes "Whole Nelson" and "Stolen Moments", two fantastic originals by Oliver Nelson, who also arranged the album – and takes a great deal of responsibility for the strength of the set. The record shows a whole new side of Davis' talents – one that was barely if ever recorded like this again – and which is made even better by the presence of freshly modern players that include Eric Dolphy, Richard Williams, Melba Liston, and Roy Haynes. Great stuff!

Don't pass this one up! Although lots of other albums by Eddie Lockjaw Davis are laidback quartet and quintet sessions, done in a soul jazz organ/tenor mode – this session features Eddie working with stunning bigger band backings, in a searingly soulful sound that's simply incredible! The leadoff track, "Trane Whistle", has Lockjaw really working new waves of sound into his tenor sax – screaming the horn in a way that you thought you'd never hear, and playing with tones that are a lot darker than usual! The set moves on from there in a nice batch of material that includes "Whole Nelson" and "Stolen Moments", two fantastic originals by Oliver Nelson, who also arranged the album – and takes a great deal of responsibility for the strength of the set. The record shows a whole new side of Davis' talents – one that was barely if ever recorded like this again – and which is made even better by the presence of freshly modern players that include Eric Dolphy, Richard Williams, Melba Liston, and Roy Haynes. Great stuff!

Eric Dolphy's first meeting in the studio with trumpeter Booker Little – a brilliant batch of modernism that's easily one of the hippest records Little ever worked on! The Dolphy heard here is Eric at his most inventive – sharp-edged and angular one minute, then spiritually lyrical the next – playing flute, bass clarinet, and alto sax equally well on the record – and somehow managing to get Little to share his inspiration perfectly on every number. Other players include Jaki Byard on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums – a rhythm team whose abilities are a big part of the success of the record – and titles include "Far Cry", "Mrs Parker Of KC", "Left Alone", "Ode To Charlie Parker", and "Miss Ann". CD features 1 bonus track.

Wonderful early work by Stan – originally recorded for the Roost label, then compiled here for the Jazztone LP series. The sides are by Getz's quartet or quintet, the groundbreaking assemblage that featured Jimmy Raney on guitar, whose icy clear tone was a perfect counterpart for Getz's sweet breathy work on the tenor. The quality of the material is really great – and other sidemen are also first rate, including Horace Silver, Al Haig, Tommy Potter, Roy Haynes and Walt Bolden. 12 tracks in all, including "Yvette", "Wildwood", "Melody Express", "Penny", "Potter's Luck", "Split Kick", "Rubberneck", "Mosuito Knees", "Sweetie Pie", "Hershey Bar", "Tootsie Roll", and "For Stompers Only"

A beautiful bit of lost Getz from the 60s – a record of incredible depth that's somehow gotten lost in the shuffle of time! The album has Stan playing at Tanglewood with a core group that includes Gary Burton, Jim Hall, Steve Swallow, and Roy Haynes, plus musical backings by the Boston Pops – conducted by Arthur Fiedler in a style that's somehow without any of the hoke of his other recordings of the time, and which manages to give Stan some of the best "with orchestra" backings he's ever gotten! There's none of the overwrought modernism of some of the other Getz/orchestra collaborations that we never seem to like as much – and Stan's in incredible Spring Rain-like tone on the whole thing – blowing magically through both the lush and grooving numbers alike! Titles include "Tanglewood Concerto", "Where Do You Go", "Three Ballads For Stan", "A Song After Sundown", and a great orchestral take on "Girl From Ipanema".

A rare set from one of Stan Getz's hippest groups! The album was recorded in Paris in 1966, during a time in which Stan was working with a groundbreaking quartet that included Gary Burton on vibes, Steve Swallow on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums – a combo that unfortunately got a bit overshadowed by Stan's bossa work, which was recorded in earlier years, but still getting issued and played heavily during the time of the Burton quartet's reign. The upshot of that situation was that the combo weren't nearly as exposed, or recorded, as much as they should have been – making the CD an essential look at this under-documented side of Stan's career. Getz's tone is fantastic – and he glides freely with the young modernists in a way that you barely ever hear on any of his sides from the 60s, save for, perhaps, the sublime Sweet Rain LP. Titles include the long "The Knight Rides Again" – plus the tracks "Singing Song", "On Green Dolphin Street", "Stan's Blues", "Edelweiss", and "Manha De Carnaval".

Insanely wonderful music from Andrew Hill – a lean, stripped-down session that has Hill working at his firey best – in a space that's somewhere between the "new thing" recordings of Jackie McLean, and the brooding brilliance of Andrew's later Smokestack session! The group here has some key figures fleshing out the sound – a young Joe Henderson, blowing tenor with a very edgey quality – the very versatile Richard Davis on bass – and the great Roy Haynes on drums, very much at his most fluid interpretation of rhythm! The whole set's pretty darn great – one of the more mindblowing Blue Notes you'll ever hope to buy – and tracks include "Pumpkin", "Subterfuge", "Cantarnos", and "McNeil Island".

A key early album from reedman Roland Kirk – at set that really has him strongly finding his voice in jazz, and transforming most of modern music in the process! The set's a perfect illustration of the way that Roland could swing with soul, yet still reach out with bold new ideas too – mixing up work on tenor sax, manzello, stritch, flute, and even nose flute – instruments often played at the same time, with this amazing multi-reed style that's really mindblowing – and which follows the soaring sheets of sound of the Coltrane generation, yet completely in its own way too! There's a sharp modern edge to most of the rhythms – thanks in part to the presence of Andrew Hill on piano and celeste on a few cuts – alongside from Vernon Martin on bass and Roy Haynes and Henry Duncan on drums – and a bit of additional piano from Wynton Kelly. The whole thing's amazing – one of those records that never fails to delight us – and titles include "3 In 1 Without The Oil", "ED", "Domino", "Meeting On Termini's Corner", and "A Stritch In Time".

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

A key classic from Thelonious Monk's years at Riverside – and an album that's as compelling as its haunting title! The session features Thelonious working with a great quartet that includes Johnny Griffin on tenor, playing these wonderfully angular lines; Ahmed Abdul-Malik on bass, working in well-rounded tones that add a lot of depth to the work; and Roy Haynes on drums, bringing in a playfully rhythmic spirit that really matches the tone of Monk's compositions – a wonderful quartet to interpret the thoughtful, angular, inventive numbers on the set – not just Monk's own tunes, but some killer arrangements of a few classics too. Tracks are all longish, and the album features key readings of "In Walked Bud", "Misterioso", "Nutty", and "Let's Cool One".

A classic cooker from Thelonious Monk – recorded during his legendary run at the Five Spot in the late 50s, and featuring some especially great work on tenor from a young Johnny Griffin! Griffin's filling a role here that would be cemented a bit more firmly in the 60s by Charlie Rouse – but what we like about his playing here is that it's not as clearly codified "Monkish" as some of Rouse's work (even though that's all pretty darn great) – sometimes a bit more open, although still filled with angular tones and changes on this set of all-original compositions by Monk. Rhythm is by Ahmed Abdul-Malik on bass and Roy Haynes on drums – and titles include "Evidence", "Epistrophy", "Blue Monk", "Rhythm-a-ning", "Light Blue", and "Coming on the Hudson".

One of the all-time classics of early 60s mainstream jazz – and a beautiful record that showcases writing and arranging talents of Oliver Nelson! Nelson had been bumping around a variety of sessions before this one – as a leader, sideman, and arranger – but it was with this album that his true talents really unfolded – sparkling with a depth of imagination and expression that marked him as one of the greatest artists in 60s American jazz! The group on the set is an all-star sextet – featuring Paul Chambers, Eric Dolphy, Bill Evans, Roy Haynes, and Freddie Hubbard – a disparate group of players who manage to come together with Nelson and find a unique voice that's rarely been duplicated again! The album features 6 fantastic compositions by Nelson, including "Stolen Moments", "Hoe Down", and "Yearnin". A fantastic record – and one that you can't go wrong with!

A compelling little record from pianist Phineas Newborn – and we don't just mean that because of it's bizarre image of "instrument love" on the cover! Newborn's got a touch on the piano that's unlike anyone else – kind of a key link between a number of different 50s modes – on the one hand the warmth and feeling you might get from some of the more laidback mainstream stylists, but on the other a sense of poise and economy that ranks right up there with the best small combo players too – really carefully balanced on a record like this, which does a great job of dispersing the energy over the tracks. Backing features John Simmons on bass and Roy Haynes on drums – and titles include "Love & Marriage", "Real Gone Guy", "Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You", "I've Got The World On A String", and "Ivy League Blues".

An interesting tribute to the passing of pianist Eddie Costa – mostly because the overall feel is much more in a soulful hardbop mode, quite different than the modern and chamber sides that Costa cut during the 50s! Side one features work by the Clark Terry quartet – with Terry on trumpet, Dick Hyman on piano, Art Davis on drums, and Osie Johnson on bass – and side two features and even better group led by Coleman Hawkins – with Hawk blowing in that great late solo style of his, alongside players that include Sonny Clark, Roy Haynes, and Chuck Israels. Tracks on the album are all long and intimate – mellow, but soulful, with plenty of interesting solo space. Titles include "The Simple Waltz", "Just You Just Me", "I'm Confessin", and "Things Ain't What They Used To Be".

Arranged by Mal Waldron – and Tyree Glenn plays vibes and trombone, with Seldon Powell on tenor, George Duvivier on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums!

A reverent snapshot of the spiritual & soul jazz emanating from the Mainstream label in the early 70s – a well curated set featuring great numbers by Frank Foster, Blue Mitchell, Hadley Caliman, Roy Haynes and other giants of the scene! The material comes from a time in Mainstream label history when it was essentially relaunched as a jazz label, following some the psyche era rock albums of the previous few years. Soulful jazz sounds from a spiritual realm as well as some in a jazz funk mode, and excellent material all the way! 12 great tracks in all: The sprawling opener "The Loud Minority" by Frank Foster, "Mi Hermano" by Blue Mitchell, "Up And Down" by Harold Land, "Watercress" by Hadley Caliman, "Kamili" by Buddy Terry, "Senyah" by Roy Haynes, "EW Beautiful People" by Frank Foster, "Little One" by Hadley Caliman and "Petits Machins" by Johnny Coles/

Don't let the "horns" in the title put you off – because the record's not a hokey "with horns" record by Miles, but a batch of all-star sessions that has him playing with some really tremendous contemporaries! The set compiles early Miles Davis sides from two different Prestige sessions of the early 50s – material originally issued as 10 inch LPs, but brought together here in a very cool full length package with a cover image by Mad Magazine's Don Martin! Side one features Miles with a sextet that includes Sonny Rollins, Bennie Green, John Lewis, Percy Heath, and Roy Haynes – on the tracks "Morpheus", "Down", "Blue Room", and "Whispering" – all taken in a boppish mode, but with slight modern touches. Side two features the compositions of Al Cohn – "Tasty Pudding", "Floppy", "Willie The Wailer", and "For Adults Only" – played by a septet that features Cohn, Zoot Sims, John Lewis, Kenny Clarke, Leonard Gaskin, and Sonny Truitt – a very nice match to the sound of side one, and a surprisingly unified record overall!

Volume 1 of a 2 LP set that brings together nearly all of Wardell Gray's classic LA bop recordings for Prestige – most of which were issued originally only on 45s and 78s! The players include the cream of bebop at the time – both from LA and from New York – and artists here include Sonny Clark, Al Haig, Roy Haynes, Teddy Charles, and Lawrence Marable. The set's got a lot of shorter tracks – like his classic "Twisted" (covered vocally by Annie Ross and Joni Mitchell in later years), "Southside", "Treadin", and "Paul's Cause".

A key early album from reedman Roland Kirk – at set that really has him strongly finding his voice in jazz, and transforming most of modern music in the process! The set's a perfect illustration of the way that Roland could swing with soul, yet still reach out with bold new ideas too – mixing up work on tenor sax, manzello, stritch, flute, and even nose flute – instruments often played at the same time, with this amazing multi-reed style that's really mindblowing – and which follows the soaring sheets of sound of the Coltrane generation, yet completely in its own way too! There's a sharp modern edge to most of the rhythms – thanks in part to the presence of Andrew Hill on piano and celeste on a few cuts – alongside from Vernon Martin on bass and Roy Haynes and Henry Duncan on drums – and a bit of additional piano from Wynton Kelly. The whole thing's amazing – one of those records that never fails to delight us – and titles include "3 In 1 Without The Oil", "ED", "Domino", "Meeting On Termini's Corner", and "A Stritch In Time".

2 Columbia killers from Charles Lloyd – back to back in a single set! Discovery is a wonderful bit of soul jazz – much less trippy than some of Lloyd's later work, and handled with a soulful flair that's a mix of Coltrane spiritualism, with an even larger dose of the sort of post-Trane experimentations in jazz that would crop up during the early 70s on smaller independent labels. The record's quite advanced for its time – and features Lloyd's tenor and flute next to piano by Don Friedman, bass by either Richard Davis or Eddie Khan, and drums by Roy Haynes or JC Moses. Includes Lloyd's classic "Forest Flower", plus "Little Peace", "Love Song to A Baby", "Sweet Georgia Bright", and "Bizarre". Nirvana is lovely work from Charles Lloyd – recorded at the point when he was just pushing off from Chico Hamilton's group, and before he got too noodly for his own good! Side one of the record features Lloyd with his own group – jazzing it up in a mix of flute, guitar, and percussion on a number of short tracks that have a light and breezy feel. There's a nice dose of bossa in the set, plus some of the other freer rhythmic styles that Lloyd and Hamilton experimented with together at the time – but all of the tracks have a strong rhythmic pulse, and never lose their groove for too much experimentation. Side two features two wonderful tracks with Hamilton's group at a point when Lloyd was still working with the ensemble – both long tracks with a modal pulse and a great deal of spirituality – again free, but never too much so! A nice little album – with tracks that include "Island Blues", "Carcara", "Long Time Baby", "One For Joan", and "Freedom Traveler".

A 60s repackaging of the album Introducing Nat Adderley – an excellent batch of soulful bop tracks, recorded as Nat's first, and with a group that includes brother Cannonball, Horace Silver, Roy Haynes, and Paul Chambers. The set's got a lot more fire than some of Nat's recordings from a few years later, probably because of the top-notch rhythm section on the session. Titles include "Watermelon", "New Arrivals", "Sun Dance", "Friday Nite", and "Fort Lauderdale".

One of Kenny's nicely grooving sides for Chess – recorded live at the Village Vanguard in 1959, with a trio that features Richard Davis on bass and Roy Haynes on drums. Haynes' free touch on the kit really opens up the style of Kenny's playing – free, light, and lyrical, yet still quite soulful and filled with rhythm. Titles include "All Night Long", "Trio", "Will You Still Be Mine", "Soft Winds", and "Well You Needn't".

Wonderful stuff – a mid 50s LP that compiles some of Stan Getz's best icy sides for Roost Records – material that has the tenorist blowing in a way that really had folks sit up and take notice! There's some of the warmth of Lester Young in Stan's playing here, but also a crisp, modern edge too – a sign of the new voices coming forth on the tenor in the 50s – of which Stan was first and foremost! The record features material from two different sessions – one a quartet that includes Horace Silver on piano and Walt Bolden on drums; the other with Al Haig on piano and Roy Haynes on drums. Titles include "On The Alamo", "Tootise Roll", "Imagination", "Navy Blue", "S Wonderful", "You Go To My Head", and "Hersey Bar".

A great lost Verve album that stands as one of Stan Getz's best sessions from the early 60s – a brilliant pairing with Bob Brookmeyer that shows just how much each player had grown in the past decade! There's a strongly modernist feel to the record – more Brookmeyer's influence than Getz's usual bag – with long tracks that move almost airily at times, and which feature some beautiful interplay between tenor and trombone. Rhythm is by a very hip trio of Steve Kuhn on piano, Roy Haynes on drums, and John Neves on bass – and the work's got a great balance between freedom and more focused blowing! Titles include "Minuet Circa 61", "Thump, Thump, Thump", and "Who Could Care".

A rare set from one of Stan Getz's hippest groups! The album was recorded in Paris in 1966, during a time in which Stan was working with a groundbreaking quartet that included Gary Burton on vibes, Steve Swallow on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums – a combo that unfortunately got a bit overshadowed by Stan's bossa work, which was recorded in earlier years, but still getting issued and played heavily during the time of the Burton quartet's reign. The upshot of that situation was that the combo weren't nearly as exposed, or recorded, as much as they should have been – making the CD an essential look at this under-documented side of Stan's career. Getz's tone is fantastic – and he glides freely with the young modernists in a way that you barely ever hear on any of his sides from the 60s, save for, perhaps, the sublime Sweet Rain LP. Titles include the long "The Knight Rides Again" – plus the tracks "Singing Song", "On Green Dolphin Street", "Stan's Blues", "Edelweiss", and "Manha De Carnaval".

Rahsaan Roland Kirk takes on "other folks music" – that is, a host of tunes penned by other jazz artists – but as you'd expect, there's a really personal feel to the record overall – one that definitely makes the music Kirk's own by the end of the set! The album's a bit more subdued than some of his previous records, but no less creative – as there's a wonderfully understated quality to the record that really cements its charm – that undeniable Kirk genius at work, amidst an inventive lineup that includes Truty Pitts on electric piano, Hilton Ruiz on acoustic piano, Gloria Agnosti on harp, Richard Williams on trumpet, Roy Haynes on drums – and Roland himself on a great range of reeds – including tenor, flute, manzello, stritchaphone, reed trumpet, and harmonica! Titles include a great reworking of Frank Foster's "Simone", plus versions of Hilton Ruiz' "Arrival" , Trudy Pitts' "Anysha", Charlie Parker's "Donna Lee", and Kirk's own "Water For Robeson & Williams".

A pair of corkers from Roland Kirk – back to back on a single CD! Domino is a key early album from reedman Roland Kirk – at set that really has him strongly finding his voice in jazz, and transforming most of modern music in the process! The set's a perfect illustration of the way that Roland could swing with soul, yet still reach out with bold new ideas too – mixing up work on tenor sax, manzello, stritch, flute, and even nose flute – instruments often played at the same time, with this amazing multi-reed style that's really mindblowing – and which follows the soaring sheets of sound of the Coltrane generation, yet completely in its own way too! There's a sharp modern edge to most of the rhythms – thanks in part to the presence of Andrew Hill on piano and celeste on a few cuts – alongside from Vernon Martin on bass and Roy Haynes and Henry Duncan on drums – and a bit of additional piano from Wynton Kelly. The whole thing's amazing – one of those records that never fails to delight us – and titles include "3 In 1 Without The Oil", "ED", "Domino", "Meeting On Termini's Corner", and "A Stritch In Time". Reeds & Deeds is a hauntingly beautiful album from the great Roland Kirk – and a perfect illustration of why his music means so much to us! The set sparkles with warmth and imagination right from the start – a subtle balance between swing, soul, and searching reedwork from the leader – bold on tenor, but also completely creative on flute, stritch, manzello, and even siren too. Benny Golson adds in a bit of tenor, and also helps with the arrangements – and the record also features key contributions from other fresh talents of the 60s – including Charles Greenlee and Tom McIntosh on trombones, Virgil Jones on trumpet, Harold Mabern on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Walter Perkins on drums – the last of whom really seems to get the right sort of rhythms for Kirk's playful swing. The whole thing's wonderful – and titles include "Reeds & Deeds", "Waltz Of The Friends", "Hay Ro", "Limbo Boat", "This Is Always", and "Song Of The Countrymen".

One of the all-time classics of early 60s mainstream jazz – and a beautiful record that showcases writing and arranging talents of Oliver Nelson! Nelson had been bumping around a variety of sessions before this one – as a leader, sideman, and arranger – but it was with this album that his true talents really unfolded – sparkling with a depth of imagination and expression that marked him as one of the greatest artists in 60s American jazz! The group on the set is an all-star sextet – featuring Paul Chambers, Eric Dolphy, Bill Evans, Roy Haynes, and Freddie Hubbard – a disparate group of players who manage to come together with Nelson and find a unique voice that's rarely been duplicated again! The album features 6 fantastic compositions by Nelson, including "Stolen Moments", "Hoe Down", and "Yearnin". A fantastic record – and one that you can't go wrong with!

Excellent early work from trumpeter Red Rodney – one of the most compelling, and often overlooked talents of the 1950s, and a firey player with a tone unlike anyone else. This 19 track CD features tunes from his classic Modern Music From Chicago set for Fantasy, plus titles from the album Broadway, recorded with Gerry Mulligan, Brew Moore, and Kai Winding. Other players include Norman Simmons, Roy Haynes, Ira Sullivan, and Victor Sproles – and titles include "Dig This", "Red Is Blue", "Hail To Dale", "Coogan's Bluff", "Mark", and "The Baron".

Nice one – and a record that's heavier-duty than Shirley's other ones on Prestige. The album (which might have been recorded in earlier days), supports a great group on the b-side, which includes Wally Richardson, Ronell Bright, Peck Morrison, and Roy Haynes. The expanded lineup works nicely – and the tracks performed ("Work Song" and "Chapped Chops") are both nice and lively, with guitar providing a nice complement to Shirley's light style on the keys.

One of the few dates as a leader from reedman Eddie Shu – an excellent player who made some big waves in large bands of the late 40s – but who sounds even better here in a small combo setting! Eddie plays tenor and alto beautifully – with a tone that's as clean and clear as some of the best 50s modernists, but with a punch that also illustrates the way he might have swung out in a larger setting too – a bold voice that's given great accompaniment here by a group that features a young Bobby Scott on piano, bassist Vinnie Burke, and the great Roy Haynes on drums! Tracks include "Peace", "Justice", "Tom, Dick, & Jim", and "On East Side".

A well-selected set of tracks by the legendary vocalist Leon Thomas – one that focuses squarely on his recordings for the Flying Dutchman label – with standouts from his own records, a crucial collaboration with Johnny Hodges, and a previously unreleased tune as well! The collection features a really wonderful range of music – some tunes with the righteous feel of Thomas' singing with Pharoah Sanders, some others with a tighter soul feel, and even a few more with a classic jazz approach that's mighty nice! The albums under Thomas' name often feature some great small group backings – with players who include Billy Harper on tenor, and Roy Haynes or Bernard Purdie on drums – and some of the larger backings feature excellent arrangements from Oliver Nelson and Pee Wee Ellis. Titles include "Shape Your Mind To Die", "Just In Time To See The Sun", "It's My Life I'm Fighting For", "The Creator Has A Master Plan", "Let The Rain Fall On Me", "China Doll", "Bags' Groove", "One", "Come Along", "Let's Go Down To Lucy's", "Love Each Other", "Balance Of Life (Peace Of Mind)", "Umbo Weti", "Welcome To New York", and a previously unreleased version of "Um Um Um".

Spirit, swing, and a whole lot more – a mighty collection of music all hand-picked by the legendary Nicola Conte! There's a deeply soulful groove to the whole thing – and a touch of the exotic as well – and the package really reminds us a lot of the great Gilles Peterson Universal collections that were out a few years back – full of deep tones and rich colors, and proof that when you've got the right guy at the helm, a collection of older jazz tracks can be way more than just the sum of its parts! In addition to Universal label work – originally issued on Decca, Emarcy, and other labels – the package features some Fantasy/Prestige tracks too – including some great gems we might have missed otherwise. Almost 75 minutes of music – with titles that include "Taboo" by Dorothy Ashby, "New Delhi" by James Clay, "Big P" by New Jazz Orchestra, "Juan-Les-Pins" by Staffan Abeleen, "Subo" by Klaus Weiss, "Spanish Castles" by George Gruntz, "Modette" by Roy Haynes, "My Favorite Things" by Sound Of Feeling, "Jungle Fantasy" by Yusef Lateef, "Feeling Good" by Pat Bowie, "The Hooter" by Ernie Wilkins, "Afro Blue" by Abbey Lincoln, "Bogota" by Ahmad Jamal, and "Baltimore Oriole" by Lorez Alexandria.

Pretty hip stuff – recorded in Paris, but featuring some leading lights of American bohemia! The first half of the CD features work by a quartet led by bassist Buddy Banks, and featuring work by American players Bob Dorough on piano and Roy Haynes on drums, as well as the French musician Jimmy Gourley on guitar. Gourley's tone is excellent on the session, and he really dominates the proceedings over piano work by Dorough – especially on the tracks "I Love You", "Line For Lyons", "Night In Tunisia", and "Buddy Bank's Blues". The second half of the CD features a quartet with Bobby Jaspar on flute and the enigmatic Blossom Dearie on piano. Blossom doesn't sing on the set, but she works in a lovely way with Jaspar – providing some light lyrical backing that gives the tracks a nice little kick. Titles include "Old Devil Moon", "Flamingo", and "There Will Never Be Another You".

Eric Dolphy's first album ever as a leader – recorded almost immediately after his arrival on the New York scene! The sound here is already bolder and stronger than the Dolphy experiments on the west coast – sharp-edged and freely exploratory, in a way that pushes the playful lyricism of the Chico Hamilton years aside, and reaches out into the new territory hinted at by the title! The group is a quintet that features Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Jaki Byard on piano, George Tucker on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums – and the overall sound is a beautiful mix of modernist hard bop and some of Dolphy's later freer styles. Dolphy plays his usual mix of alto, flute, and bass clarinet – and the tracks include "245", "Miss Toni", "Les", and "GW".

One of the most ambitious albums ever recorded from Clifford Jordan – a totally righteous little effort that was the first installment in the legendary Dolphy Series on the Strata East label! The set has Jordan working with a larger group than usual – an all-star array of players that includes Kenny Dorham and Don Cherry on trumpets, Julian Priester on trombone, Wynton Kelly on piano, Wilbur Ware and Richard Davis on bass, and drums from Roy Haynes, Ed Blackwell, and Albert Heath. The titles are originals by Jordan – long numbers that flow out slowly as they build up new musical ideas – all in a style that's somewhat laidback and spacious, very organic, and a bit like some of the best early 70s Impulse material by Archie Shepp. Album features 4 long tracks – "872", "Vienna", "Doug's Prelude", and "Ouagoudougou".

First-ever issue of material recorded live by Bud in 1953 – during a performance at Club Kavakos in Washington, DC – with a trio that features Charles Mingus on bass and Roy Haynes on drums. The set's from the private collection of Bill Potts, and is reasonably well recorded for the time – featuring Bud and the trio on a selection of shorter tunes, all given the Powell touch! Titles include "Sure Thing", "Little Willie Leaps", "Somebody Loves Me", "Salt Peanuts", "Conception", and "Lullaby Of Birdland" – plus an interview with Powell from 1963!

West coast jazz and New York hipness from late 50s – Googie Rene's Romesville and the Babs Gonzales classic Tales Of Manhattan – 2 LPs back-to-back on a single CD! Romesville features great work from the small combo king of the LA scene – the great Googie Rene, one of the heaviest piano talents on the west coast at the time! The album's got Googie working in kind of a beat jazz approach – bringing in a larger group of players than usual, but presenting the instruments in a spaced-out setting that still makes for a lean feel overall. The album's stuffed with great guest work by players that include Plas Johnson, Jack Costanzo, Howard Roberts, and Milt Holland – and overall, the album crackles like some of Costanzo's best for Liberty, mixed with a bit of a jazz soundtrack approach. Titles include "Romesville", "Flippin The Pizza", "Cherry Ferrari", "Caesar's Pad", and "Cafe Roman Candle". Tales Of Manhattan is one of the greatest albums ever by the consummate jazz hipster – Babs Gonzales! Babs was part singer, part poet, and part philosophy – working in a jive-heavy style that was filled with inside jokes on the New York jazz scene of the postwar years – and peopled with odd characters from that scene, including musicians, hustlers, hookers, and small-time crooks. Babs speaks and sings on the set, backed by arrangements from Melba Liston, played by a small combo that includes Kenny Burrell, Peck Morrison, and Roy Haynes. The whole thing's great – one of the best blends of hipster jive and jazz ever – and titles include "Dem Resolution Liars", "The Hat Box Chicks", "Dem Jive New Yorkers", "The Squares", and "The Cool Cat's Philosophy".

Insanely wonderful music from Andrew Hill – a lean, stripped-down session that has Hill working at his firey best – in a space that's somewhere between the "new thing" recordings of Jackie McLean, and the brooding brilliance of Andrew's later Smokestack session! The group here has some key figures fleshing out the sound – a young Joe Henderson, blowing tenor with a very edgey quality – the very versatile Richard Davis on bass – and the great Roy Haynes on drums, very much at his most fluid interpretation of rhythm! The whole set's pretty darn great – one of the more mindblowing Blue Notes you'll ever hope to buy – and tracks include "Pumpkin", "Subterfuge", "Cantarnos", and "McNeil Island". CD features 2 bonus tracks too – alternate takes of 2 tracks on the album.

Charlie Parker takes on the music of Cole Porter – with results that make for some of his most classic moments at Verve! Parker's horn is as hard-bitten as always, but it's also working here in a slightly lyrical vibe – one that brings out the warmth that Charlie could have at just the right moments – that sense of soul that made his contribution to jazz one of the more formative sounds of the century! Porter's music takes on tones that we might never have expected – especially in some of the album's alternate versions, which give key proof that Bird was always working out new ideas with each new solo. The group features Walter Bishop on piano, Billy Bauer or Jerome Darr on guitar, Teddy Kotick on bass, and Roy Haynes or Art Taylor on drums – on titles that include "Just One Of Those Things", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "Love For Sale", and "I Love Paris.

One of Coryell's best albums ever – a much more expansive session than some of his other records, fueled by some of the spiritual intensity of the Impulse records generation. Players on the album include Steve Marcus on tenor and soprano sax, Mike Mandel on piano, Roy Haynes on drums, and Larry Killian on congas – working with Coryell on long trippy tracks that are clearly informed by the styles of 60s work by Chico Hamilton, Charles Lloyd, and Gabor Szabo. All tracks are long, and titles include "Call To The Higher Consciousness", "The Great Escape", and "Gypsy Queen".

A rare set from one of Stan Getz's hippest groups! The album was recorded in Paris in 1966, during a time in which Stan was working with a groundbreaking quartet that included Gary Burton on vibes, Steve Swallow on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums – a combo that unfortunately got a bit overshadowed by Stan's bossa work, which was recorded in earlier years, but still getting issued and played heavily during the time of the Burton quartet's reign. The upshot of that situation was that the combo weren't nearly as exposed, or recorded, as much as they should have been – making the record an essential look at this under-documented side of Stan's career. Getz's tone is fantastic – and he glides freely with the young modernists in a way that you barely ever hear on any of his sides from the 60s, save for, perhaps, the sublime Sweet Rain LP. Titles include the long "The Knight Rides Again" – plus the tracks "Singing Song", "On Green Dolphin Street", "Edelweiss", and "Manha De Carnaval".