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A strong showcase for young Nat Adderley's talents on cornet – and an album that's got a different feel that his work with his more famous brother's combo at the same time! The style here is simple – Nat blowing with 2 different quartets – one with Joe Zawinul on piano, Sam Jones... read more

Mose Allison's last album for Prestige Records – before moving onto even bigger fame at Columbia and Atlantic during the 60s! Unlike Allison's later sets, this one is mostly instrumental – but there are a few sweet vocal tracks that bring out the hip, rootsy lyrical modes that would... read more

An all-instrumental set from Mose Allison – one that drops out his familiar jazz vocals, and really brings a nice focus to his energy on the keys of the piano! Given that Mose really got his start as a sideman in other combos during the 50s, the selection's no surprise – and if you've... read more

Very nice album by Jug that often gets overlooked because it's comprised of 2 different sessions, and can't get the "historical" writeup of being a single significant moment in the studio. Some tracks – including "Lascivious" and "Soft Winds" – are with a... read more

Kind of an obscure session by Ammons – most likely recorded in that jumble of contracts and conflicting label arrangements in the early 60s – a time when Jug actually did some of his best work! There's no players listed on the notes – which is sometimes typical for these early... read more

One of the great ones! No kidding, Jaki Byard was an amazing talent in the 60s – and records like this one are rare treasures to be sought-after by any serious jazz fan. Byard had an incredible range of talents and influences – and, like his frequent bandmate Roland Kirk, he could... read more

One of the most revelatory albums ever cut by reedman James Clay – a player who's often lumped into the "hard blowing" camp because of his Texas roots, but one who emerges here with a great deal of sensitivity and imagination! The record features Clay playing both tenor and flute... read more

Beautiful blowing from Buck Clayton and Buddy Tate – captured here in the relaxed, easy-going setting of the Swingville label! The album's got a lot more charm than some of Clayton's sides for Columbia – a bit more mellow, with the kind of after hours feel that lets players like these... read more

One of the few Cobb sides for Prestige to feature an organist, in this case the obscure player Austin Mitchell. The record's got a pretty deep gutbuckety groove, thanks to trombonist Buster Cooper, the other main soloist on the album. Cobb's rich Texas tenor is firmly in place – and titles... read more

Pre-Atlantic work from Ornette Coleman – one of his first recorded statements in jazz – and one of his boldest! At some level, the complete Coleman sound isn't entirely in place here – as there's a bit of a trace of hardbop in the mix – not entirely, but just a bit. But at... read more

A hip little album from Buddy Collette – one that's ostensibly based around the then-popular idea of a set of Paris-inspired tunes – but which comes off with a sound that's a lot deeper than you might expect! David Axelrod produced the set – it was one of his early projects for... read more

Buddy Collette's definitely a man of many parts here – and many talents too, considering the reedwork on the set! Buddy plays alto, tenor, clarinet, and flute – using the horns with wonderful invention that really showcases his unique style of the time – that mix of modern and... read more

A fantastic album from Sonny Criss! The record is one of his excellent late 60s "comeback" sides for Prestige – and it features incredibly solid, confident, and hard alto solos, blown with a tremendous amount of imagination. Bob Cranshaw and Alan Dawson provide excellent rhythm... read more

A fantastically beautiful album that strongly proves the old jazz adage "It's not the song, but the singer"! The "singer" in this case is alto player Sonny Criss – and the songs are a middle of the road batch of compositions, like "Sunny", "Willow Weep For... read more

A tasty session of west coast Brazilian grooves – cut by the great percussionist Paulinho Da Costa, with a group that includes Claudio Slon, Larry Williams, and Lee Ritenour. The record's got a very nice breezy feel – with a sound that's similar to some of the Fantasy Brazilian LPs of... read more

A soul jazz Latin classic – one that matches the searing tenor work of Eddie Lockjaw Davis with the hard-hitting conga of a young Ray Barretto! The core group of the set is a soul jazz one – with Lockjaw blowing over rhythm by Lloyd Mayers on piano, Larry Gales on bass, and Ben Riley... read more

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... read more

A key early appearance on record by Sonny Rollins – recorded here with Miles Davis and Jackie McLean in the landmark Dig session! The album's the stuff that 50s bop dreams are made of – a session that has up-and-coming modernists working in the new freedom of the long playing record,... read more

Classic set of European recordings – made by Dolphy in 1961, before the fateful 1964 European tour that would later claim his life. The group features Swedish piano giant Bent Axen, plus a rhythm section that includes Erik Moseholm on bass and Jorn Elniff on drums. Like most Dolphy... read more

Classic early work from Kenny Dorham as a leader – a brilliant set that sparkles with modern touches! The group's a quartet that pairs Kenny's trumpet with the alto sax of the late Ernie Henry – a perfect accompanist that brings out both the brightness in Kenny's horn, and the edgier... read more

Excellent set of LA hardbop tracks by the great tenor player Teddy Edwards, with a group that includes Joe Castro, Leroy Vinnegar, and Billy Higgins. Edwards' tone is fantastic, and the tracks give him a chance to show off his soloing talent in a way that he didn't always reach on other recordings.... read more

One of Farmer's best sessions of the 70s – recorded in a mode that's a bit freer than usual, with a group that includes Hampton Hawes, Ray Brown, and either Steve Ellington or Shelly Manne on drums. Art Pepper sits in on 4 of the album's 6 tracks – and it's his tone and edgieness that... read more

Gutsy tenor work from Jimmy Forrest – a player who was poised to rival Sonny Stitt and Gene Ammons at the start of the 60s, and who could have easily done so, given the strength of his work for Prestige! The record's one of a few that the St Louis player got to cut for the label – and... read more

A charming little set from the great Dave Frishberg – easily one of the hippest singers and songwriters in jazz during the past few decades! The set's got Dave working solo – just singing along with his own piano accompaniment – in a whimsical way that matches the same sort of... read more

An obscure little quartet session from Red Garland – recorded with Les Spann on both guitar and flute, caught at a time when he was just starting to make waves on the New York scene! The presence of Spann gives the record a decidedly different feel than most of Garland's work on Prestige... read more

A smokin' hard bop side from a sort of amalgamation of players who played in and out of the Jazz Messengers around this time, but Philly Joe's sittin' in the drummers seat, so though the rhythms cook hard, that not quite as bombastic as Bu's. We've always loved Benny Golson, and though his playing... read more

A moodier session than usual for Griff – but in a nice way – and one that's cut with Buddy Montgomery on vibes and piano, and handled in a laidback soul jazz mode that's a refreshing change from some of his sharper hardbop sides! Highlights include the extended original "Slow... read more

Tiny's in Swingville – and as far as we're concerned, it's a great place to be! The set's got Tiny grooving on guitar in that easy-going, open-ended style that made the Prestige Swingville sessions so great – nothing fancy, just a relaxed approach to the session that makes for some of... read more

Great early work from the amazing Vince Guaraldi – an album issued in the 60s on the wave of his rising fame, but which was most likely recorded a few years earlier! The group here is Vince's key early trio with Eddie Duran on guitar – grooving with Vince in drumless splendor that... read more

An extremely striking sextet session from pianist Barry Harris – quite unlike most of his other work from the time! The group on the album features Pepper Adams on baritone, Junior Cook on tenor, and Slide Hampton on trombone – and that brace of three horns gives a really solid feel to... read more

Maybe the title's a bit overly-optimistic – but with a record like this, you can certainly imagine a world in which everybody does like Hampton Hawes! The record's the third in a legendary early run for the Contemporary label – trio material that broke Hawes out of the box and firmly... read more

One of Hampton Hawes' last sessions for Contemporary Records – a wonderful little date that's filled with the bright tones and bold confidence that marked Hamp's piano work in later years! The style here is simple, but effective – and Hawes has a way of ringing out the notes without... read more

Beautiful 60s work from Hampton Hawes – a set from the middle of the decade, a period when he wasn't recorded all that often – but one not issued by Contemporary until his American revival in the 70s! The group's got a wickedly fluid feel – not just Hamp's always-amazing piano,... read more

Funky Woody from the 70s – an excellent and overlooked album, one that has Woody leading a great group with a fair bit of electric players, in a funky big band style that sparkles with the best of the genre! The group's filled with younger unknown players – but from the sound of the... read more

A sweet larger group session from vibist Milt Jackson – proof that he was really trying to stretch his wings, and get into new things during the 60s! The set's got Milt working with some great help from Tadd Dameron and Ernie Wilkins on larger group arrangements – nicely swinging... read more

Forgive Roger Kellaway for all the other snoozy work he's ever done – because this album's a treasure! Kellaway's working with a jazz trio that includes drummer Dave Bailey – and the set's a hip one with a mix of straight soul jazz grooving and some more experimental twists that... read more

A key moment in the west coast harbop scene – and one of the greatest early records from saxophonist Harold Land! The group's a really striking one – with the unique Dupree Bolton on trumpet, a great player that we really only know from this set – plus Herbie Lewis on bass, Frank... read more

One of our favorite albums ever from Harold Land, and a great set that has a hard soul jazz feel – despite the "west coast" in the title. Harold's playing with a great group that includes Barry Harris, Joe Gordon, and Sam Jones – as well as guitarist Wes Montgomery, who's... read more

A pretty hip set of big band arrangements – very much along the lines of early 50s Stan Kenton, with a tight swing, but a nicely modern undercurrent as well! The arrangements, as the title indicates, are all by Gerry Mulligan – and in addition to the piano of Elliot Lawrence, players... read more

"Dynamic" is right – as Rod's one of the hippest large group arrangers of his time! The album's a really wonderful record that features Rod leading an octet with a distinctly modern touch – almost building off the styles of Kenton groups of the 50s, but with more of the... read more

The title's a great one for the set, as Mundell Lowe was one of the moodiest players of his generation – a great guitarist with a really unique tone – recorded in a perfect setting for the album! The group's a bit unusual, as it features Lowe's guitar next to small combo arrangements... read more

Think what you want about Chuck and his 70s hits, this version of the Mangione Brothers is a cooker! Chuck is on trumpet, Gap is on piano, and the rest of the group features Larry Combs on alto, Sal Nistico on tenor, Bill Saunders on bass, and Roy McCurdy on drums – all grooving in a nice... read more

An early record by Herbie Mann, and one that offers a nice treat – bass clarinet! Although Herbie made his fame in the 60s with his Latiny flute playing, he was also a darn good bass clarinetist, and he plays both instruments on this rare early session from 1957. The bass clarinet doesn't... read more

One of the records that put a young Brother Jack McDuff on the map – and a perfect example of the rougher R&B roots that first emerged in his early work on the Hammond! The session's got a much more down-n-dirty feel than some of McDuff's tighter 60s quartet work – and offers a... read more

Howard McGhee and his trumpet team up with pianist Phineas Newborn, bassist Leroy Vinnegar and Shelley Manne on drums for this great early 60s session. The record features the McGhee original "Demon Chase" and two Teddy Edwards songs, "Sunset Eyes" and his salute to McGhee... read more

God, we love James Moody! He's a total genius, waiting to be fully rediscovered – and this album is a perfect place to start! The record features James playing soprano and flute over some incredible arrangements by Tom McIntosh, the hip 60s composer/arranger who worked on some of Moody's... read more

Excellent later work from Frank Morgan – the legendary LA altoist who first burned brightly in the bop generation, then came back to make really rich recordings like this! The set's got Frank in some really great company – a hip sextet that features Joe Henderson on tenor, Bobby... read more

The first album from Phineas Newborn in a number of years – and a set with a strong enough sound to warrant the "Phineas Is Back" in the title! Newborn's sound here has hardly dimmed at all – and he's still got that great blend of complicated flourishes and bluesier... read more

Joe blows it strong and mellow – in this spare swinging group that includes Frank Wess on tenor, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Eddie Jones on bass, and Oliver Jackson on drums. Tracks are warm and unpressured, more in a Verve mode than a Prestige one – and titles include "Wednesday's... read more

Tight swing-based material from trumpeter Joe Newman, featuring Frank Foster as a very welcome bandmate in the frontline! The rest of the group includes Tommy Flanagan on piano, plus Eddie Jones on bass and Bill English on drums. The tracks have a nice open-ended quality, with good room for... read more

2 early 60s sessions by tenorist Sal Nistico – a great player who spent most of his life in bigger bands, but who also knew how to shine on small group settings like these! They sure got the title right on the CD, as Sal's playing tenor in groups that feature many heavyweights, and soul jazz... read more

We love the piano of Jimmy Rowles in a laidback setting – as it always seems to bring out the most charm and wit in his style! This date's a perfect example of that mode – as it just features a bit of extra guitar from Joe Pass – no bass or drums at all – which leaves Jimmy... read more

Andre Previn's got some very hip pals here – drummer Shelly Manne and bassist Red Mitchell – both frequent partners during the late 50s, especially on this classic run of jazz-Broadway records for Contemporary! The spirit here is very much like that of the famous My Fair Lady date made... read more

A goofy title and cover – but a really unique session of two-piano jazz, recorded with Russ Freeman and Andre Previn on the keys, plus only the drums of Shelly Manne to provide additional support! The sound is really great – and Previn's especially wonderful here, really stretching out... read more

The title tells the tale on this one – as the session's a studio meeting of players all associated with Count Basie over the years – captured here in a style that's much more laidback and relaxed than the usual Basie set! The album's got the feel of some of Prestige's best work in the... read more

A rare treasure from British trumpeter Dizzy Reece – quite different than his albums at the time for Blue Note! Dizzy's playing here with a style that has a fair bit of exotic touches – not entirely in the Yusef Lateef mode, but definitely with a similar blend of hardbop, soul jazz,... read more

Striking modern work from jazz singer Lucy Reed – no surprise, though, given that arrangements here are by the likes of Gil Evans, George Russell, and Eddie Higgins! Reed's got a beautiful sense of tone – a clarity that comes through right away, but which is never miscast in these... read more

An excellent bit of soul jazz – completely rare in the original pressing, and one of the few early albums ever cut by organist Melvin Rhyne! Rhyne first came to prominence as the organist with Wes Montgomery – and he hailed from Montgomery's hometown of Indianapolis, and had the... read more

A classic set that brings the east coast tenor of Sonny Rollins into contact with a west coast rhythm section of Ray Brown and Shelly Manne! Despite Rollins' silly look on the cover, and the album's overall "western" theme, the session's a brilliant one – right up there with Sonny's... read more

A standout early session from organist Shirley Scott – noteworthy in that it's a quintet recording, different than Shirley's mostly-trio output from the time! Here, she's working in a group that includes Oliver Nelson on tenor sax and Joe Newman on trumpet – and Nelson's edgey tone... read more

Not sure exactly why Zoot's got some Gemini wishes in the title – but the album's a great date, one of his later pairings with pianist Jimmy Rowles – a beautiful partner for the laidback tone that Sims adopted at this stage in his career! The album's got an understated eloquence that... read more

A great record – or half-great, as the case may be! One part of this album features Billy with his standard trio of Earl May and Percy Brice, playing mellow piano trio versions of tracks that include "Tune For Tex", "Goodbye", "Biddy's Beat", and "Eddie's... read more

Mellow trio material by Bobby, recorded in the final moments of the Riverside label in its first incarnation, but not issued until 1970, when ABC took over the label's holdings. The set's notable in that Bobby plays vibes on 2 tracks, and also performs an unaccompanied piano solo on another. ... read more

A rare little straight ahead set from Cal – not nearly as Latin as some of his other sides for Fantasy at the time, and done in a gently grooving way that's mighty nice! The group's a quartet (in case you couldn't guess from the title!) – with Gerald Wiggins on piano, Eugene Wright on... read more

One of the best records Mal Waldron ever made, and a blinding hard bop session featuring a tight quintet with knock-down-dead front horn lines! The record really follows strongly in the mode of some of Waldron's contributions to Prestige blowing sessions from the same period – but it's also... read more

This is the kind of killer bop piano stuff that made Wallington a legend early on – collecting classic trios originally recorded for release as 10" LP in the early days of Prestige! The material features Wallington in three different groups, featuring Max Roach on drums, and either... read more

Later work from trombonist Albert Wynn – sides cut after a 33 year absence from the recording studio – as part of the excellent Chicago Living Legends series on Riverside! The work has a tight trad jazz feel – but with a bit more space than you might find for solo expression in... read more