Nathan Davis is one of our all-time favorite saxophone players – and he sounds tremendous here in the company of trumpeter Woody Shaw, as the pair both take on Shaw's early "Zoltan" composition, with help from Larry Young on piano! The flipside features an even bolder number – the Davis composition "Mister E", with some very fierce work from Young on the piano – a really surprising change from his usual organ work of the time! 7-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant album that would forever change the way the organ was used in jazz! The set's the greatest contribution ever from organist Larry Young – a lean and modal session recorded with help from a young quartet that includes Woody Shaw on trumpet, Joe Henderson on tenor, and Elvin Jones on drums – all leaping and loping with Larry's free-thinking work on the Hammond – stretching things out into spiritual grooves that belie Young's fascination with Coltrane's sound of the time, and his freer fusion work of later years! The Hammond had never sounded so righteous before – freed from the task of thumping out a deeper rhythm, and let loose to explore the same space carved out by Shaw and Henderson's horns! Titles include a classic reading of Woody's "Moontrane", plus "Zoltan", "If", "Beyond All Limits", and "Monk's Dream". CD

An amazing unissued live set from drummer Roy Brooks – done at that moment when he was hitting the 70s with some very righteous energy, of the sort that only saw brief exposure on albums like The Free Slave, or some of Roy's own self-released titles! This album is a much-needed addition to that tiny catalog of spiritual avant gems – and it may well be the best of the bunch, as the live setting allows for long tracks that pack a hell of a punch all the way through – not just from Roy's work on drums, but also from this amazing quintet that includes Woody Shaw on trumpet, Carlos Garnett on tenor, Harold Mabern on piano, and Cecil McBee on bass! All players are at the height of their powers – often playing with even more edge than you might expect – and the album's as much a tribute to the genius of Shaw, Garnett, and Mabern as it is to the visionary leadership of Brooks. Titles include "Understanding", "Zoltan", "Taurus Woman", "The Theme", "Billie's Bounce", and "Prelude To Understanding" – all very long. CD

An amazing unissued live set from drummer Roy Brooks – done at that moment when he was hitting the 70s with some very righteous energy, of the sort that only saw brief exposure on albums like The Free Slave, or some of Roy's own self-released titles! This album is a much-needed addition to that tiny catalog of spiritual avant gems – and it may well be the best of the bunch, as the live setting allows for long tracks that pack a hell of a punch all the way through – not just from Roy's work on drums, but also from this amazing quintet that includes Woody Shaw on trumpet, Carlos Garnett on tenor, Harold Mabern on piano, and Cecil McBee on bass! All players are at the height of their powers – often playing with even more edge than you might expect – and the album's as much a tribute to the genius of Shaw, Garnett, and Mabern as it is to the visionary leadership of Brooks. Titles include "Understanding", "Zoltan", "Taurus Woman", "The Theme", "Billie's Bounce", and "Prelude To Understanding" – all very long. CD

A beautiful mixing of modes – a set that blends the compositions of Woody Shaw with driving rhythms from a Latin jazz group – and a very strong frontline that's overflowing with top trumpet talents! In addition to leader Brian Lynch, the set also features performances by Dave Douglas, Josh Evans, Sean Jones, Etienne Charles, and others – working with core sounds from a combo that's heavy on percussion, with piano and bass to round things out. Trumpets criss-cross in a beautiful way – making new rhythmic magic from Woody's classic tunes, and also really stating a strong difference in the solo performances too. Most tracks are nice and long – and titles include "Zoltan", "In A Capricornian Way", "Tomorrow's Destiny", "Sweet Love Of Mine", "Just A Ballad For Woody", "On The New Ark", and "Song Of Songs" – plus Lynch originals "Blues For Woody & Khalid" and "Madera Latino Suite". CD

Really really wonderful work from legendary organist Larry Young – a set of rare recordings that we'd easily rank right next to our favorite Blue Note albums that Young cut as a leader! The sides here were done for French radio in the mid 60s, but they're hardly throwaway quickie tracks or lame live sides – and instead are superbly recorded selections that feature Young's organ in the company of really great musicians who include Woody Shaw on trumpet and Nathan Davis on tenor! The music is mostly from the ORTF studios, with impeccable sound – and tracks stretch out in that long, imaginative way that Young brought to his famous Unity album for Blue Note – a complete reworking of the role of Hammond in jazz, set to new modern modes, which are definitely emphasized by the work of Davis and Shaw. A number of tracks were recorded under the name of the Nathan Davis Quartet – with the addition of Billy Brooks on drums and a few more add in Sonny grey on trumpet and Jean-Claude Fohrenbach on tenor – both great players who join Shaw and Davis on some very extended tracks. The whole thing's wonderful – impeccable sound, great notes, and lost material that's a key addition to the too-small Larry Young catalog! Titles include "La Valse Grise", "Discotheque", "Trane Of Thought", "Luny Tune", "Larry's Blues", "Talkin About JC", "Black Nile", and "Beyond All Limits" – as well as a 20 minute reading of the classic "Zoltan". There's also even one track that has Larry playing some Monk-like piano – really great! CD

Essential work from Nathan Davis – one of our favorite jazz musicians ever! Davis is one of those cats who you'll never find mentioned in the mainstream, but his music has had a profound influence on our groove for many years – an essential soul jazz style that is finally given full due by this wonderful compilation! Nathan's got a very long resume in jazz – but one that's mostly occurred in the underground – time in both the KC and Pittsburgh scenes here in the US, and key years overseas, working in Paris, Germany, and even Eastern Europe – touching both musicians and jazz fans alike in his travels, and continuing to develop a really unique, truly amazing sound. Davis plays both tenor and soprano sax on these recordings – blowing with a style that owes just a bit to Coltrane, but which really takes off strongly on its own groove too – often with modal rhythms in support of his tones, which makes for some really spiritual, exotic moments in his music. The package brings together a wealth of rare recordings by Davis, many of which are not currently available in any form – cuts from albums for MPS, European Polydor, and other overseas labels – and some rare indie cuts from the US too. Titles include a version of "A5" recorded live in Yugoslavia; the rare "Cecen Kizi", recorded in Turkey – and the tracks "B's Blues", "Theme From Zoltan", "Mandingo", "Up Jumped Spring", "Uschimaus", "Atlanta Walk", "Makatuka", "New Orleans", "Tragic Magic", "Sconsolato", and a studio version of "A5". CD

A brilliant album that would forever change the way the organ was used in jazz! The set's the greatest contribution ever from organist Larry Young – a lean and modal session recorded with help from a young quartet that includes Woody Shaw on trumpet, Joe Henderson on tenor, and Elvin Jones on drums – all leaping and loping with Larry's free-thinking work on the Hammond – stretching things out into spiritual grooves that belie Young's fascination with Coltrane's sound of the time, and his freer fusion work of later years! The Hammond had never sounded so righteous before – freed from the task of thumping out a deeper rhythm, and let loose to explore the same space carved out by Shaw and Henderson's horns! Titles include a classic reading of Woody's "Moontrane", plus "Zoltan", "If", "Beyond All Limits", and "Monk's Dream". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant album that would forever change the way the organ was used in jazz! The set's the greatest contribution ever from organist Larry Young – a lean and modal session recorded with help from a young quartet that includes Woody Shaw on trumpet, Joe Henderson on tenor, and Elvin Jones on drums – all leaping and loping with Larry's free-thinking work on the Hammond – stretching things out into spiritual grooves that belie Young's fascination with Coltrane's sound of the time, and his freer fusion work of later years! The Hammond had never sounded so righteous before – freed from the task of thumping out a deeper rhythm, and let loose to explore the same space carved out by Shaw and Henderson's horns! Titles include a classic reading of Woody's "Moontrane", plus "Zoltan", "If", "Beyond All Limits", and "Monk's Dream". CD