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Like Dave Brubeck's legendary Time Out set? Try this one – a great record that takes off from the concept of the first, but which goes in some very fresh new directions – using the same great group with Paul Desmond on alto, Eugene Wright on bass, and Joe Morello on drums! Dave's... read more

Like Dave Brubeck's legendary Time Out set? Try this one – a great record that takes off from the concept of the first, but which goes in some very fresh new directions – using the same great group with Paul Desmond on alto, Eugene Wright on bass, and Joe Morello on drums! Dave's... read more

One of the lesser-known sets in Dave Brubeck's classic "time" series for Columbia – even more inventive than Time Out! Paul Desmond plays alto – and titles include "Travellin Blues", "He Done Her Wrong", "Cassandra", "40 Days", "Tim... read more

Easily the crowning moment of genius for the legendary Dave Brubeck Quartet – the moment when all things came together magically, and the group somehow elevated themselves to a whole new level in jazz! At the time of the set, Brubeck, Paul Desmond, and the rest had already been making plenty... read more

Easily the crowning moment of genius for the legendary Dave Brubeck Quartet – the moment when all things came together magically, and the group somehow elevated themselves to a whole new level in jazz! At the time of the set, Brubeck, Paul Desmond, and the rest had already been making plenty... read more

The last-ever live performance of the legendary Dave Brubeck Quartet with Paul Desmond – recorded in 1967, but issued here for the first time ever! The group was the stuff of legend in the 50s and 60s – Dave's incredible approach to piano and time signatures, supported by amazing... read more

A sweet pairing of Brubeck and Mulligan – on titles that include "Broke Blues", "Journey", "Cross Ties", "Blues Roots", and "Moving Out".... read more

Ray Bryant's turning his heavy-hands version of the piano to a set of film themes here – grooving familiar numbers with a nice little soul jazz groove – but still also keeping a bit of a soundtrack feel! Richard Wess scored some larger arrangements for the record – providing a... read more

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Pure genius from Ray Bryant – the kind of a record that few other players could ever hope to cut, and a fantastic demonstration of Ray's extremely soulful approach to the trio format! Bryant's working here with Bill Lee on bass and Mickey Roker on drums – in a triple-burning setting... read more

One of the greatest albums ever from BT Express – tighter, smoother, and classier than the group's early funky disco sessions – and with a cosmic sound that shows them really growing at the time! The sound here steps off from both the group's own horn-heavy disco sides of the 70s, and... read more

A killer set that's extremely well-titled – as BT Express were one of the hottest ensemble funk acts of their time! The groove here is definitely aimed at a more disco-oriented dancefloor than before – but the overall sound is plenty funky enough for our ears – thanks to some... read more

These guys are still pretty darn great at this point – and the album's an updating of their uptempo funky club sound, one that still retains a lot of the best elements of earlier efforts. Horn arrangements are very strong, handled by Carlos Ward with a nice touch of jazz – and the... read more

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An overlooked gem from BT Express – the group's 5th album, but still very much in the tightly-crafted ensemble mode of earlier years! The guitar and bass interplay on the set is amazing – handled by arranger/guitarist Billy Nichols, with a chromatic edge that really brings a lot of... read more

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One of Joe Bushkin's more jazz-oriented sessions – thanks to trumpet from Buck Clayton!... read more

A gem of a session from the European expatriot scene of the postwar years – not really a tribute to Cannonball Adderley, but a rare meeting of Bud Powell and Don Byas in the studio, produced by Cannonball in Paris in 1961! The record has a tremendous amount of fire and focus –... read more

Charlie Byrd gets some top-shelf treatment here – in a wonderful album of tunes by Antonio Carlos Jobim, all recorded with full backing arrangements, and sound quality that's a lot better than some of Byrd's previous albums! The setting has Charlie's acoustic guitar right up front in the mix... read more

Charlie Byrd gets some top-shelf treatment here – in a wonderful album of tunes by Antonio Carlos Jobim, all recorded with full backing arrangements, and sound quality that's a lot better than some of Byrd's previous albums! The setting has Charlie's acoustic guitar right up front in the mix... read more

Two sides of Charlie Byrd in the mid 60s – one focused on Brazil and the other a sweet set of jazzy soundtrack adaptations – on one CD! First up is the classic Brazilian Byrd – a wonderful album of tunes by Antonio Carlos Jobim, all recorded with full backing arrangements, and... read more

Wonderful work from the team of Donald Byrd and Gigi Gryce! Byrd is at his youthful best here – blowing with a soulful imagination that's surprising, given his young age, and honed to a modern edge by the arrangements of Gryce. Conversely, Gryce's tone on the alto is fantastic – less... read more

Wonderful work from the team of Donald Byrd and Gigi Gryce! Byrd is at his youthful best here – blowing with a soulful imagination that's surprising, given his young age, and honed to a modern edge by the arrangements of Gryce. Conversely, Gryce's tone on the alto is fantastic – less... read more

The second of two early LPs that the Byrd and Gryce team cut for Columbia – and the more obscure of the two by far! This one features the group's groundbreaking format – a mixture of hardbop and modern jazz, always swinging, but angularly carved, with striking tones and colors that... read more

An amazing little record from Joe Byrd – an artist with roots in serious music, but who's serving things up here with a wild hippie aesthetic that makes the whole thing come across more like a "happening" than the usual sort of studio album – but in ways that also echo an... read more

Mindblowing music from The Byrds – and one of the greatest evolutions in pop music from the 60s! The Byrds were always at the forefront of their generation – starting out as a folksy act mixing in early psychedelia, then reaching for deeper roots with a love of country, yet also really... read more

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Titles include "Hello There", "Gidon's Bible", "Fairweather Friend", "Charlemagne", "Bring It On Up", and "Amsterdam".... read more

A great collection of classic comedy bits – narrated by Eddie Cantor, and released as a premium for the Ken-L Ration Dog Food company!... read more

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Johnny's first LP for Columbia! His terse, spare Sun style is still in evidence here with a slightly more crisp and polished sound, but no less powerful thanks to that famous wobbly baritone. Johnny would soon start stretching out good and wide thanks to the full creative freedom Columbia... read more

A stunning live prison performance from the Man In Black, recorded in conjunction with a television special. Titles include "Starkville County Jail", "I Walk The Line", "Folsom Prison Blues", an incredible version of "Wanted Man", and what became the single... read more

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Another one of the greatest mid 60s Columbia albums by Cash, with a proper CD release! Orange Blossom Special is probably the most successful of Johnny's LPs in which he balances the profound influence of Bob Dylan with his own rough hewn style for something wholly unique. Cash covers 3 of Dylan's... read more

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A really amazing little record – way more than usual for this sort of live recording – given that it features some very unique performances together by artists we've never heard on the same stage otherwise! The premise is simple, but wonderfully effective – in that the album... read more

A wonderful follow-up to the first Montreux Summit album – and like that classic, a groundbreaking assemblage of some of the best jazz musicians of the 70s! The format here is slightly different – with more of a focus on smaller groupings of musicians, but still with a really fresh ear... read more

Bright, bubbly soul from Centerfield – the 80s soul duo of Keni Towns and Phil Jones – who both sing and play most of the instrumentation on the set! The sound's not as lean as you might expect for a duo album – thanks to the addition of some studio help too – but the... read more

Beautiful work from Franco Cerri – a really unique guitar jazz session that features his talents in a host of different settings! The players vary throughout the set – so that one number only features a duo with bass, but others feature larger lineups that include Gianni Basso on tenor... read more

A slightly headier sound than before from Chad & Jeremy – music that's still in a great mix of Brit Invasion and Sunshine Pop, but which also shows a somewhat deeper sensibility too – a desire to reach past the simpler pop modes that first got the pair going here in the US! Chad... read more

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A dream of a record from Chad & Jeremy – a fantastic bit of psychedelic pop produced by Gary Usher! The album's got quite a different feel than the rest of the duo's work – as their standard Brit pop style is augmented by lots of extra strings and woodwinds, super-baroque in a... read more

This one has the Chambers working in a number of styles, sweating hard in a gritty version of Otis Redding's "I Can't Turn You Loose" and to some funky percussion and call-and-response vocals on "Do Your Thing", and grooving softly on "Guess Who" and others. Other... read more

A wonderful treasure from the early 80s soul scene – the first album from Champaign, and an instant winner right from the start! The group may not have been one of the bigger names of their time, but they really won a lot of favor with soul listeners over the years – and this album's... read more

A pair of great ones from this overlooked soul group from Illinois! Modern Heart is wonderful work from Champaign – a really self-contained group, and one who really rise above the rest of the early 80s soul scene! The album's got a tightness that's hard to beat – yet a sound that's... read more

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The birth of modern jazz guitar – seminal sides recorded by Charlie Christian, working in small group format with Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Fletcher Henderson, and even a bit of Basie. Christian's tone on the instrument is fantastic – and even though the style of the tracks is... read more

Amazing work from guitarist Charlie Christian – an artist who only recorded for a few short years before an untimely early death – but a player whose work went onto have a huge impact on both the guitar and jazz music in general for years to come! Charlie's playing has a sharp edge... read more

A sweet replica of an early promo single for Gene Clark – recorded right after parting with The Byrds, and packaged with the great cover shot on the front – and a cool promo message on the back!... read more

Stanley Clarke may be on a journey to love – but that doesn't mean that the album's too sweet or romantic! Many tracks here still have the harder edge and sharper lines you'd expect from Clarke's key 70s fusion reputation – the kind of rock-influenced styles that crossed over big at... read more

A bit more high concept than before for Stanley Clarke – almost a suite of sorts, but one that still has some great standout tunes in the mix! Although Clarke used to bring his higher concepts to bear in the space of a single song, this one's more of a full exploration of the character in... read more

Fully-formed genius from Stanley Clarke – his first album for Columbia Records, and already a radical departure from the spiritual jazz of his previous set for Polydor! This Clarke's the one who'd play on countless sets of headphones in the 70s – the bassist who really revolutionized... read more

A mighty collaboration between Stanley Clarke & George Duke – working here in a pairing that refueled both of their careers for the 80s! In previous years, both Clarke and Duke had a penchant for really stretching out in complex, experimental modes – but here, they're playing in a... read more

An overlooked gem from Buck Clayton – featuring Hammond backing from the Marlowe Morris Trio!... read more

A classic from the undisputed master of the swing jazz jam session! Jumpin' At The Woodside has Buck Clayton recreating a Count Basie vibe, but in a much more open-ended, and long-grooving way! Most of the tracks on the record are nice and long – really opening up with a solo-heavy, jam... read more

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Buzz Clifford will probably always be remembered for the title hit to this one – the slightly goofy "Baby Sittin Boogie", which has the sounds of a baby along with his guitar and vocals – but on this full length set he actually comes off pretty darn great – singing raw... read more

Very groovy stuff! 12 jazzy duets between Rosemary Clooney and The Hi-Lo's, one of the most magnificent male vocal groups of the 50s. If you dig the Hi-Lo's as much as we do, you'll find the album to be a key addition to their catalog – as it features some great vocal harmony numbers like... read more

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The second album from Leonard Cohen – a more stripped down effort produced by Bob Johnston, with some really odd washes of sound on the outer edges of the sound – adding some slightly uneasy atmosphere that's paired masterfully with Cohen's moody pen. An album full of subtle triumphs,... read more

One of just a couple of albums by Leonard Cohen from the 80s – certainly an underappreciated one, in regard to his late 60s and early 70s canon – and that's a shame, because this is pretty brilliant stuff! Stylistically, there's sparse folk pop, some steel guitar twang and then... read more

A great record by this very overlooked singer – a real hip cat on the early 60s New York scene – very jazzy, and very groovy!... read more

One of Ornette Coleman's most groundbreaking albums – a set that takes his best free jazz energy of the 60s, and expands it out into the space of a longer suite – all originally designed as a film soundtrack, then never used in the movie at all! Yet even without the film placement, the... read more

One of Ornette Coleman's best recordings from the 70s – and like his other album for Columbia, quite a change from the freewheeling sounds he was blowing over at Blue Note! The style here is a bit more high concept, but in a good way – with all the edges that Coleman had developed from... read more

A classic set of spiritual fusion from this short-lived allstar group Compost – featuring Harold Vick, Bob Moses, Jumma Santos, and Jack DeJohnette! Vick's at his moody soulful best here, in a mode that's similar to his Strata East work – and the record also features occasional vocals... read more

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One of those great examples of a wildly successful songwriter recording a terrific album of his own, but not connecting with the pop consciousness – which is shame, because Roger James Cooke's Study is, well, a study in wonderful late 60s songcraft! Cook was actually no stranger to... read more

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A damn great little record from Clifford Coulter – a set that's much tighter and more soul-based than his earlier funk albums for Impulse Records – but which comes together beautifully, too – thanks to help from Bill Withers in the studio! Bill produced, and the record has this... read more

The drums are definitely exciting here – really tight rhythms that drive most of these cuts into a funky frenzy – even if the groove is more based on American soul of the late 60s than the African rock promised in the title! Most of the tunes are covers, but remade here as really hip... read more

A great 2-fer – featuring both of Noel Coward's Columbia albums in one 70s set. First up is Noel Coward In New York – a very cool album from Coward – a talent you're probably more familiar with as a playwright, but who also happens to be quite the entertainer! This album is one... read more

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A rare Finnish album from the great trumpeter Ted Curson – and easily one of his greatest albums ever! The Ted heard here is a bit like the Curson of the famous early 70s Paris sessions – soulful, soaring, and still every bit as modern as his initial moments in the 60s – yet... read more

The best of a handful of albums that the one-time Prince bassist put out in the early 80s – a record that made a splash via the great Prince-penned "The Dance Electric" – possibly a blessing and a curse for AC, as Prince was so huge at the time that the record going public was... read more

The best of a handful of albums that the one-time Prince bassist put out in the early 80s – a record that made a splash via the great Prince-penned "The Dance Electric" – possibly a blessing and a curse for AC, as Prince was so huge at the time that the record going public was... read more

The best of a handful of albums that the one-time Prince bassist put out in the early 80s – a record that made a splash via the great Prince-penned "The Dance Electric" – possibly a blessing and a curse for AC, as Prince was so huge at the time that the record going public was... read more

Not the same sort of new wave you'd know from the rock mainstream – but a fresh version of soul music for the 80s – very stripped-down, and performed almost entirely by Andre Cymone! The set's got a fullness that goes way past bedroom soul, though – thanks to advances in... read more

It's easy to survive the 80s when you've got an army of future-suit cats behind you – and given the groove here, it's clear that Andre Cymone was doing way more than just surviving back in the day! The set's a super-tight batch of 80s grooves – with a sharp sound that comes from lots... read more

It's easy to survive the 80s when you've got an army of future-suit cats behind you – and given the groove here, it's clear that Andre Cymone was doing way more than just surviving back in the day! The set's a super-tight batch of 80s grooves – with a sharp sound that comes from lots... read more

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A later effort from James D-Train Williams, but still plenty darn great – and proof that his groove was still one of the strongest in 80s soul music! The style of the set follows from Williams' best earlier work – a bit of bounce at the bottom of most of the tracks, but never too much... read more

James D-Train Williams' first album for a major label – and a really great follow-up to the indie success of his initial recordings for Prelude Records! The style here is very similar to the clubby grooves of D-Train's earlier sides – thanks to strong keyboards, production, and... read more