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Kurt Elling turns his talents towards the music of the Brill Building – completely transforming a host of pop and soul classics in the process! The songs are familiar, but the music's got all the careful balance of some of Elling's best records in recent years – definitely jazz all the... read more

Long tracks and plenty of room to move around – a perfect setting for the classic sound of the Red Garland Trio on Prestige! Despite the title, the album's not so much groovy as it is lyrically beautiful and filled with sensitivity – a key bridge between piano players of the mainstream... read more

A nice set by Diz at the 1965 Monterey Jazz Festival – backed by a great group of players – released here for the first time ever! The set opens with a fiery day after, and the set takes some equally hard charging turns plus some relaxed moments, too – and includes some surprises... read more

One of the greatest records we've heard from Al Jarreau in years – a set that features his incredible vocals backed by the Metropol Orkest – a large ensemble who help the legendary singer find a whole new sort of groove! The bold backings are really wonderful – full and flowing,... read more

Great grooves from Sergio Mendes – a contemporary reworking of his older Brazilian rhythms, very much in the best spirit of his other recent records! There's a warm blend of jazzy instrumentation, Brazilian percussion, and well-crafted beats on the set – all to set the stage for great... read more

Remixed cuts from Sergio Mendes' Bom Tempo album – a record that's already pretty strongly pointed at the dancefloor, making it a perfect fit for a project like this! Many of the tracks here are very heavily remixed – using only key hooks and vocal elements from the originals, much in... read more

An all-star effort from Sergio Mendes – one that follows nicely on the comeback energy of his previous Timeless set! Like that one, this album has Mendes dipping heavily into contemporary soul modes – picking up a bit of R&B, bits of hip hop, and bits of a few other styles –... read more

Excellent work from Marcus Miller – the kind of soul-drenched, bass-led set that's made him a favorite for years! There's a tightness here that almost takes us back to the feel of a Stanley Clarke set from the 70s – a right on the money groove you'll hear right from the start –... read more

A massively expanded package of music – filled with previously unreleased gems! The 2CD set features a landmark collaboration between John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk – two generations of jazz modern, working here to create some really incredible music! The core of this material is... read more

Poncho Sanchez always cooks strongly – one of the best congoleros in Latin music for the past few decades – but his sound is even sharper on a live set like this! The album stands head and shoulders with any of Poncho's best records from previous years – a really classic-styled... read more

A wonderful tribute to Dizzy Gillespie – put together by trumpeter Arturo Sandoval – who can not only claim a big influence from Diz, but a number of past musical partnerships as well! The setting is great – not the simple bop mode that you'd usually get from other Diz tributes... read more

A great step forward for trumpeter Christian Scott – a set that really delivers all the promise we've always seen in his music – and really pushes things into rich new territory too! The title and cover look rootsy, but the rhythms are really futuristic – soaring, spiraling bass,... read more

A bold step forward for drummer Kendrick Scott – a set that bristles with way more sharp changes and soulful undercurrents than any of his previous work – and which almost feels nicely in the same vein as some of the best recent artists to step forth on Blue Note! The record is... read more

A soaring stormer from the Spanish Harlem Orchestra – a contemporary group, but one who plays with some really classic Latin jazz modes! The group's always been great, but this may well be their best album to date – full of rich tones, bold colors, and tight rhythms that keep things... read more