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A wicked set from reedman Azar Lawrence – one of the few albums issued under his own name, and a great example of the waves he was making on the 70s west coast scene! There's a depth here that goes beyond most of the other Fantasy Records sessions of the time – a sound that would be... read more

A very nice bit of spacey funky jazz from sax player Azar Lawrence, and one of the great earlier productions by Skip Scarborough, with a feel that's very similar to Gary Bartz's work with Larry Mizell! Azar plays a mix of funk and spiritual soul jazz – and he's got some great electric... read more

Early work from Len Novy – who went on to do some hip rock work in the late 60s!... read more

One of the most hard-wailing albums that Harold Mabern ever cut – a bit of a shift from some of his more lyrical modes, and a soul jazz smoker that's almost in a Prestige jazz funk mode! The combo here is great, and a bit of a shift for Harold – with Lee Morgan on trumpet, Hubert Laws... read more

One of the most hard-wailing albums that Harold Mabern ever cut – a bit of a shift from some of his more lyrical modes, and a soul jazz smoker that's almost in a Prestige jazz funk mode! The combo here is great, and a bit of a shift for Harold – with Lee Morgan on trumpet, Hubert Laws... read more

Great stuff, and one of the few albums that features pianist Harold Mabern getting down and dirty as a leader! This one's a quintet affair – with Leo Morris (Idris Muhammad) on drums, Virgil Jones on trumpet, George Coleman on tenor, and Buster Williams on bass. Mabern plays a bit of... read more

Just Wailin is right – as the album's a real cooker in the classic Prestige mode of the late 50s – and a record that shows lots of early bite from a young Herbie Mann! Mann's in the frontline, working alongside the heavy tenor of Charlie Rouse – and in company like that, it's... read more

Vital early Prestige work from alto sax great Charlie Mariano – who's fronting a quintet of Boston All Stars! The record includes a couple of his more essential early compositions in "Erosong" and "Barsac" – and Charlie's solos on those are incredible on those. It's... read more

Early 50s greatness from Charlie Mariano for Prestige – sessions that are mostly done in an octet format – wonderful stuff that we'd rank right up there with some of his best work of the decade! This 10-inch LP is subtitled New Sounds From Boston – which is quite appropriate... read more

A key album in the shift in Pat Martino's sound at the end of the 60s – with one foot in the soul jazz camp in which he got his start, and the other in the freer, open-minded style he used a lot in the 70s! Pat's playing electric 12 string guitar on the set – really running up and down... read more

An excellent album from guitarist Pat Martino – caught here at a key point when he was breaking out of his earlier soul jazz roots, and going for a more complicated style that showed he was picking up a lot of spiritual influences from the Coltrane generation. The record's got a core group... read more

One of the only early albums as a leader from pianist Ronnie Mathews – a player who recorded more often in later years, but who really sounds incredible in this rare session for Prestige! Although a lyrical player at heart, Mathews also has a very hard edge here – more of a soul jazz... read more

One of the only early albums as a leader from pianist Ronnie Mathews – a player who recorded more often in later years, but who really sounds incredible in this rare session for Prestige! Although a lyrical player at heart, Mathews also has a very hard edge here – more of a soul jazz... read more

2 lost sides of soul jazz – both of them rare gems on vinyl, and back-to-back here in one nicely priced CD package! Doin The Thang is an excellent bit of lost soul jazz piano work – featuring the highly underrated Ronnie Mathews, with a quartet that includes Freddie Hubbard on trumpet... read more

A striking little set from vibesman Freddie McCoy – not just for the cool superhero image on the front cover, but also for the tight grooves underneath! The album's one of McCoy's most unified for Prestige – as all tracks feature a core quartet with Freddie on vibes, Charlie Wilson on... read more

Don't be put off by the staid sound of "concert" in the title – because the album's a great set of swingin' live McDuff, recorded at his prime, with the classic quartet of George Benson, Red Holloway, and Joe Dukes. The album's filled with screamin' groovers throughout, including a... 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

Hard hitting R&B organ tracks from the early years of Jack McDuff! The CD features 14 tracks – with the full LP of Brother Jack and Goodnight, It's Time To Go, and one extra track from Jack's Steppin Out LP. The tracks show Jack just getting past the stock jukebox sound of his "Hone... read more

A killer diller of a live set from Brother Jack McDuff – a cut that burns with energy that almost beats his studio 60s classics for Prestige! The group is one of Jack's best ever – a lineup that includes the twin tenors of Red Holloway and Harold Vick, plus incredibly sharp guitar from... read more

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Wonderful work from one of our favorite organ players ever – and a tasty set that features titles from a number of rare albums! The work on the set comes from the albums Walk On By, Hallelujah Time, Midnight Sun, Soul Circle, Steppin Out, Silk & Soul, and I Got A Woman – all of... read more

One of the classics, and one of the first albums where McDuff got away from the snoozy organ sound of his early records, and really started to jam with an edge. Joe Dukes is on drums, and Harold Vick is wailing on tenor. With great cuts like "Smut" , "Our Miss Brooks", and... read more

One of Jack McDuff's first albums as a leader – and a really solid cooker that also features vibes and tenor sax! Given that McDuff hardly ever recorded with vibes again, the session's got a real standout sound that deserves to be heard – as Jack's smoking work on the Hammond comes... read more

One of Jack McDuff's first albums as a leader – and a really solid cooker that also features vibes and tenor sax! Given that McDuff hardly ever recorded with vibes again, the session's got a real standout sound that deserves to be heard – as Jack's smoking work on the Hammond comes... read more

2 of the greatest albums ever by Jack McDuff – back to back on one CD! Soulful Drums of Joe Dukes was originally issued under the name of McDuff's famous mid-60s funky drummer, Joe Dukes – but it's actually a McDuff session, recorded with the classic quartet lineup that includes Red... read more

An unusual title, but one that refers to Jackie McLean in quartet, quintet, and sextet formation – a growing lineup that develops along the course of the record, as new players are added into the mix with a casual, almost blowing session approach! The set begins with Jackie's alto set out in... read more

Tight hardbop from Jackie McLean, played with a lot more gutsy fire than some of his Blue Note material – very open and jamming, with a rough edge we really like! Plus, the record introduces the excellent trumpeter Bill Hardman – a key player in the late 50s hardbop scene, especially... read more

Nice hard-blowing material from the Prestige scene of the late 50s – and more a set of group jam sessions, than an album that's led by Jackie. Still, the bop alto master's in great form here – and he shines nicely in the company of Mal Waldron, Webster Young, and Art Taylor – who... read more

A rough little killer from Jackie McLean – less well-formed than some of his Blue Note sides, but in a way that really gives him a great soulful edge! There's an open-blowing quality to the record, one that's almost a blowing session, but a bit tighter overall – a hint of the energy... read more

Early genius from Jackie McLean – arguably his best pre-Blue Note album, and a sinister batch of hardbop tracks recorded with a great group that includes Donald Byrd on trumpet and Elmo Hope on piano! The tracks are long, with a bit of the "blowing session" feel of other Prestige... read more

A fantastic album from this great Detroit alto player, and one that has a lot of beautiful lyrical passages that push him way past his straight bebop stuff. Barry Harris plays piano with a sweet mellow vibe, and Clifford Jordan lays down some of his usual sharp tenor solos. The title track is one... read more

A really beautiful batch of tracks from Charles McPherson – with a late 60s approach to soul jazz that reminds us of some of the work by Sonny Criss on Prestige, or of some of Cedar Walton's sessions from the same time. McPherson's moved way past his earlier bop roots here – stretching... read more

Fantastic! You've heard us rave here before about how much we love Gil Melle, and this CD contains one of his best-ever albums! Primitive Modern is an incredible record that features the arrangements and playing of Gil's great quartet (with Joe Cinderella on guitar, and Ed Thigpen on drums), plus... read more

A stone classic from the Modern Jazz Quartet – recorded back when the group still featured Kenny Clarke in its membership, but already with some of the more serious, somber tones that would mark the combo's more famous years! Tracks here are from a variety of sessions in 1953, 1954, and 1955... read more

A stone classic from the Modern Jazz Quartet – recorded back when the group still featured Kenny Clarke in its membership, but already with some of the more serious, somber tones that would mark the combo's more famous years! Tracks here are from a variety of sessions in 1953, 1954, and 1955... read more

Even at this early point in their career, the Modern Jazz Quartet were plenty proud of their relation to and reception in Paris – almost rubbing their international fame in the faces of other American combos with the title and cover of this record! The set's still got the quartet at their... read more

Even at this early point in their career, the Modern Jazz Quartet were plenty proud of their relation to and reception in Paris – almost rubbing their international fame in the faces of other American combos with the title and cover of this record! The set's still got the quartet at their... read more

A full length set that compiles earlier sessions cut under either the name of Thelonious Monk or Sonny Rollins – most of them together in the same group! At the time of recording, Monk was an established figure on the bop scene, but Rollins was still a fresh voiced up-and-comer – yet... read more

A full length set that compiles earlier sessions cut under either the name of Thelonious Monk or Sonny Rollins – most of them together in the same group! At the time of recording, Monk was an established figure on the bop scene, but Rollins was still a fresh voiced up-and-comer – yet... read more

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Genius work from Moody – and a larger session than usual – one that shows his strong talents with an expanded lineup! Moody's working here with players that have a definite Dizzy Gillespie Big Band bent – including trumpeter Dave Burns, trombonist William Shepherd, baritonist Pee... read more

Genius work from Moody – and a larger session than usual – one that shows his strong talents with an expanded lineup! Moody's working here with players that have a definite Dizzy Gillespie Big Band bent – including trumpeter Dave Burns, trombonist William Shepherd, baritonist Pee... read more

Wail Moody indeed! One side of this gem of an album features an extended hard blowing track – called "Wail Moody Wail" – one that features James blowing on both tenor and alto, in a group with Pee Wee Moore on baritone, Dave Burns on trumpet, Jimmy Boyd on piano, and William... read more

Wail Moody indeed! One side of this gem of an album features an extended hard blowing track – called "Wail Moody Wail" – one that features James blowing on both tenor and alto, in a group with Pee Wee Moore on baritone, Dave Burns on trumpet, Jimmy Boyd on piano, and William... read more

One of the first records ever as a leader from funky drummer Idris Muhammad – a set that was cut right at the same time Idris was burning up the kit on his classic jazz funk sessions with other Prestige label players! The groove here is tight, funky, and very much in the mode that Muhammad... read more

Two classics from the legendary Idris Muhammad! Black Rhythm Revolution is one of the first records ever as a leader from funky drummer Idris Muhammad – a set that was cut right at the same time Idris was burning up the kit on his classic jazz funk sessions with other Prestige label players!... read more

The two best cuts from Idris' first Prestige album, edited down to hot 45 takes, with tight funky drums, and an excellent instrumental groove! "Express Yourself" bounces the groove even more than the original Charles Wright version – and "Super Bad" punches the beat with... read more

One of Oliver Nelson's first politically conscious albums, and a classic set of larger orchestrations with a "Afro/American" orientation. The album works as one long suite, showcasing a number of different styles, and spanning a range of African American traditions. Players include... read more

A relaxed small group session from saxophonist Oliver Nelson – a record that's quite different than some of his more tightly arranged dates, and a good reminder of this side of his talents! Oliver plays both alto and tenor sax on the album, and he's joined by a perfect group for the easy... read more

This is the kind of battle we like to see! Three heavy tenors – Nelson, King, and Jimmy Forrest – come head to head in a relaxed set of tunes cut in that Prestige blowing session mode, but tweaked with a bit more tightness, in the style of some of the label's emerging soul jazz sides... read more

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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

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

Groovy trio set, with a organ/guitar/drums lineup playing through a batch of soul hits like "Uptight" and "Wade in the Water", plus "Wee Dot", and a few pop hits. More groovy organ lines from Patterson, who's the main star here, and a surprisingly nice version of... read more

A great groover from Don Patterson – cut in a trio format, with an open-ended style that lets the players kick back and play, in the sort of free and easy setting you'd hear in a hip small club. Patterson's organ is backed by his usual drummer Billy James, and 4 of the album's 5 tracks... read more

Two organ and tenor classics – back to back on a single CD – with some bonus cuts too! Four Dimensions is sweet soulful work from the legendary Don Patterson – a great Prestige set that has tenorist Houston Person joining the organist's hip trio with Pat Martino on guitar and... read more

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2 rare albums by this obscure soul jazz combo! The Modern Jazz Disciples are one of those groups that will make you scratch your head and say "who the heck were they?" Unfortunately, we can't answer that question with much information, except to tell you that they were part of the... read more

2 sides of sweet electric grooving from Houston Person – records that feature his soulful tenor set in larger arrangements than on his earlier small combo Prestige sessions, in a mode that's a bit like some of the larger jazz sets coming out on CTI and Kudu at the time! Like Stanley... read more

A fantastic session that's also one of Houston Person's rarest! The set is a bit more complicated than some of his earlier work – moving away from the hard and funky organ lineup, into a more lyrically swinging quintet mode, with Cedar Walton on piano, Alan Dawson on vibes, Bob Cranshaw on... read more

A lost treasure! This set features 9 unreleased tracks recorded by Houston Person during the height of his jazz funk years for Prestige – one track with a group that includes Billy Butler on guitar, Ernie Hayes on organ, Bernard Purdie on drums, and Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet – the... read more

One of Houston Person's first forays into the jazz funk sound that other Prestige Records players were picking up at the time – a sweet little set with some nicely extended tunes! The groove here is a bit harder than some of Person's previous soul jazz sets – with some tightly snapping... read more

French violinist Stephane Grappelli joins up with one of Oscar Peterson's European trios for this 1973 recording – which features Kenny Clarke on drums and Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass. The tracks are mostly standards in a swing-based mode – and the album was originally issued... read more

Keyboardist Sonny Phillips was one of the lesser-known talents on the Prestige roster of jazz funk greats in the early 70s – and this nice 2-in-1 CD brings together his 2 best albums for the label, both of which feature Phillips on organ, along with giants like Ivan Boogaloo Joe Jones on... read more

A stone classic from New Orleans reedman Pony Poindexter – a set that's steeped in tradition, but also has a groovy feel too – and a date that features Pony on both alto and soprano sax! The latter instrument is especially nice, played with echoes of earlier Crescent City modes, but... read more

A stone classic from New Orleans reedman Pony Poindexter – a set that's steeped in tradition, but also has a groovy feel too – and a date that features Pony on both alto and soprano sax! The latter instrument is especially nice, played with echoes of earlier Crescent City modes, but... read more

Two rare gems from this legendary Latin group – both on CD for the first time ever! Big Stick is quite possibly the rarest album from Pucho & The Latin Soul brothers – and also one of the greatest, too – thanks to a wonderfully soulful vibe overall, and some wicked vocals... read more

A double-header to die for – two of the rarest albums from Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers – back to back on a single CD! First up is Saffron & Soul – one of the first albums from the legendary Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers – a wonderful little record that... read more

One of the greatest albums by this funky Latin combo! The record differs from some of their earlier Prestige albums in that the tracks are longer, more instrumental, and have a hard fuzzy electric groove. The band jams hard in a way that's more like some of the funk combos of the early 70s, than... read more

A full funky session from master drummer Bernard Purdie – a set that expands out his previous Prestige vibe, and almost goes for a soundtrack scope to match the record's Shaft title! The set leads off with a great take on the Isaac Hayes hit – one that follows in the same fully-flowing... 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

Incredibly groovy work from one of the hippest organ talents of the 60s – a true "soul book" of tu nes, most of which are originals penned by Freddie Roach! The sound here is really unique – a bit in the R&B-inspired style of Freddie's work for Blue Note, but also with a... read more

Key recordings from Sonny's breakout year of 1954 – tracks from 2 different sessions, brought together into one album that packs a hell of a punch! The modernist Rollins tenor is at its early peak here – fresh, bold, and highly creative – yet equally concerned with the role of... read more

Quite possibly THE greatest Sonny Rollins album of the early years – or at least the one that has received the most accolades over the years! The record is a brilliant batch of quartet tracks that reinvents bop through Sonny's complicated, yet seemingly automatic solos – an excellent... read more

A groundbreaking album from Sonny Rollins, largely for the extended track "Tenor Madness", which runs on for 13 minutes, and features him and Coltrane blowing head to head – redefining the sound of the tenor sax in jazz through the course of that amazing track! Backing is by the... read more

A groundbreaking album from Sonny Rollins, largely for the extended track "Tenor Madness", which runs on for 13 minutes, and features him and Coltrane blowing head to head – redefining the sound of the tenor sax in jazz through the course of that amazing track! Backing is by the... read more

A groundbreaking album from Sonny Rollins, largely for the extended track "Tenor Madness", which runs on for 13 minutes, and features him and Coltrane blowing head to head – redefining the sound of the tenor sax in jazz through the course of that amazing track! Backing is by the... read more

If worktime was like this for us, you'd catch us showing up on the job early every day – but sadly, nothing at our office can match the brilliance of early Sonny Rollins here – a sharp-edged genius that perfectly illustrates why he was one of the greatest players on his horn for many... read more

A great set from Patrice Rushen – very different than her later R&B work from the 80s! The record's her first, and at the time, Patrice was much more of a jazz artist – working here with a cool west coast set of players (Joe Henderson on tenor, Hadley Caliman on alto and soprano,... read more

A pivotal record for Patrice Rushen – a set that has her really tightening things up from her previous Prestige albums – heading much more towards the focused soul-drenched grooves of her Elektra Records years! The set's a stunner – still very much with the hip, west coast funky... read more

A pivotal record for Patrice Rushen – a set that has her really tightening up the groove from previous albums on Prestige – heading much more towards the focused soul-drenched grooves of her Elektra Records years! The set's a stunner – still very much with the hip, west coast... read more

Incredible! This is a stunning set of African-inspired jazzy percussion tracks – similar to some of the work done by Art Blakey on his Orgy In Rhythm albums, but with a lot better horn work, and with an overall conception that's much more unified! AK Salim did some sleepier work for Savoy... 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

A mellow trio session – Shirley on organ, George Duvivier on bass, and Art Edgehill on drums – done in the moody, loungey style of most of Shirley's work as a leader for Prestige. There's nothing here that's going to hit you over the head, but the album does have a really solid feel... read more

Sweet Hammond grooving from the legendary Shirley Scott – a set that brings together two of her earliest albums for the Moodsville label at Prestige, both of which are in a soulful, mellow, late nite mode! The first album in the set is The Shirley Scott Trio – a date done for the... read more

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... read more

Sure, a number of Shirley's early Prestige sessions were real snoozers – but this album, with husband Stanley Turrentine on tenor, cooks nicely, and has a lot more going on than usual. The pair were a great team while they lasted, and this album's one of their best together – as you'll... read more

A killer record by Shirley Scott and Stanley Turrentine – and quite possibly the best they ever did together! The lady organist and husband tenorist play hard, firm, and strong – and the backing by Earl May and Grasella Oliphant is right in the pocket, and bubbles with a nice strong... read more

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Early work, and one of the hardest to find albums by Johnny Hammond Smith – a sweet set of easy-going grooves, with a wonderful late night soul jazz approach! The feel here is very much in the mode of work by Jimmy Smith from the time – grooving by a rhythm group that includes Thornel... read more

A key turning point for Johnny Hammond Smith – 2 hip albums from the latter half of the 60s, a time when he was really changing up his groove! First up is Soul Flowers, one of Johnny's most obscure records – and a great little album that's filled with short tracks played by a largeish... read more

A sweetly funky set from Johnny Hammond Smith – a date done right at the start of the jazz funk era on Prestige – and one that marks a nicely heavy change in Johnny's sound! The format here is quite different than the style of Smith's early 60s work – with Hammond that's much... read more

A great little groover from Johnny Hammond Smith – and one of his rarest albums! The record may be rare because it's got a strange cover that features a comic character that looks like the Green Lantern, and Prestige might have gotten nervous about copyright infringement – but more... read more

A Johnny Hammond 2-fer – a pair of very early albums, back to back on a single CD! First up is Talk That Talk – subtle early magic from Johnny Hammond Smith, and the kind of sweet organ jazz set that really set Smith apart from his contemporaries in the 60s! There's a slightly offbeat... read more

A sweet double-header from Johnny Hammond Smith – 2 early albums on a single CD! All Soul is one of the hardest to find albums by Johnny Hammond Smith – a sweet set of easy-going grooves, with a wonderful late night soul jazz approach! The feel here is very much in the mode of work by... read more

Massive funkiness! This album ranks as one of the best from the early 70's period at Prestige, and it features a crack group of young heavy hitters like Sparks on guitar, Leon Spencer on organ, Grover Washington on tenor, and Idris Muhammad on drums – all wailing, just wailing, away on long... read more

Forget the preview, because Leon Spencer is already the main attraction on this key early album for Prestige! The date may well be one of the organist's greatest – and is a lean, mean session cut with that stretched out funky style that Prestige was really laying down at the time –... read more

Badass organ funk from the mighty Leon Spencer – a set that's got a bit of a fuller feel than some of his previous albums for Prestige – but a groove that's also equally great! The style here is somewhere between blacksploitation funk and some of the grooves from the CTI/Kudu camp... read more

One of those Prestige compilations issued late in the label's history but before they were acquired by Fantasy. This set collects Sonny Stitt's organ combo collaborations with Jack McDuff, with a half a dozen popping soul jazz sides pulled from the Soul Shack and Nuther Fu'ther LPs: 'Soul... read more