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The genius of Bird and strings is hard to describe – an edgey aproach that really goes far past most other "jazz with strings" projects, not a ballad-driven one, but a tensely strained one that brings out some of Parker's best soloing, almost in a moody soundtrack-type way. The... read more

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A set that brings together half small group sessions, and half large group tracks – with Bird fronting orchestras arranged by Joe Lipman and Gil Evans. The small group tracks are both quartet ones – with either Hank Jones or Al Haig on piano – and titles include master takes and... read more

Volume 3 in Verve's LP run through their Charlie Parker catalog, with some straight quartet sides, and a number of tracks from the Jam Session LPs. The small group stuff includes "Au Prive", "She Rote", "Mohawk", and "Begin The Beguine"; and the Jam Session... read more

The genius of Bird and strings is hard to describe – an edgey approach that really goes far past most other "jazz with strings" projects, not a ballad-driven one, but a tensely strained one that brings out some of Parker's best soloing, almost in a moody soundtrack-type way. The... read more

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Charlie Parker takes on the music of Cole Porter – with results that make for some of his most classic moments at Verve! Parker's horn is as hard-bitten as always, but it's also working here in a slightly lyrical vibe – one that brings out the warmth that Charlie could have at just the... read more

One of our favorite of Verve's "genius of" collections of Charlie Parker's work – largely because it includes some wonderful and oft-overlooked vocal tunes! 4 of the tracks on the set feature Bird blowing with a vocal chorus arranged by Dave Lambert – in a style that shouldn't... read more

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Believe it or not, this is a crackling batch of Latin jazz tracks, featuring the alto solos of Charlie Parker and (more importantly) the arranging genius of the great Chico O'Farrill. The material was originally issued on a number of different 10" jazz LPs – some under Parker's name,... read more

A late 50s album that issues some killer combo material by Bird! One half of the album features work by a group that includes Red Rodney, John Lewis, Ray Brown, and Kenny Clarke – and the other features Parker with Miles Davis, Walter Bishop Jr, Max Roach, and Teddy Kotick. Tracks are short... read more

Classic meeting of these 2 bebop giants, and a record that Norman Granz would later list as one of the truest realizations of his jazz vision. Monk's on piano, and the group plays a lot of short tight boppish numbers like "Relaxin With Lee", "Leap Frog", "Oscar For... read more

A classic meeting of these 2 bebop giants, and a record that Norman Granz would later list as one of the truest realizations of his jazz vision! Monk's on piano, and the group plays a lot of short tight boppish numbers like "Relaxin With Lee", "Leap Frog", "Oscar For... read more

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We love Oscar Peterson with strings – a setting he never got to use that often, given the popularity of his famous trio recordings! When Oscar gets set up with strings, he seems to play even more freely than with a combo – let loose from rhythm a bit more than before, and instead... read more

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One of Oscar Peterson's biggest records ever – one of those albums we turn up time and time again when digging through classic jazz collections – and for good reason too, given the lasting power of the set! The album's got a rock-solid sound that's filled with soul – almost a bit... read more

A pair of Oscar Peterson gems – back to back on a single CD! Night Train is one of Oscar Peterson's biggest records ever – one of those albums we turn up time and time again when digging through classic jazz collections – and for good reason too, given the lasting power of the... read more

Includes material from two early Jazz At The Philharmonic 10" LPs – Volumes 9 and 10 – with cuts that include "Nuages", "Avalon", "Come To The Mardi Gras", "Pompton Turnpike", and "Swingin On A Star".... read more

Less an interpretation of Porgy & Bess than an extrapolation of its themes – one that lets the Peterson trio recraft the music into their own! Given that the Porgy & Bess theme had been explored heavily by many other jazz albums of the late 50s – due to the release of the film... read more

Cole Porter's tunes are great enough on their own, but Oscar really opens them up on this set – picking up the inherent rhythms in the numbers and really working them over – in a way that makes the outing one of the most lively in Peterson's songbook series for Verve! Oscar's fluid... read more

One of the classic Verve series of recordings from the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival, and an album that features one side of the Oscar Peterson trio with Ray Brown and Herb Ellis, plus a side of the trio joined by Jo Jones, Sonny Stitt and Roy Eldridge. 8 tracks in all, including "Will You Still... read more

A near-lost gem in Oscar Peterson's mid-50s catalog for Verve – and a sparkling set of trio numbers recorded at the Shakespeare Festival in Ontario! Despite the literate setting of the recording, the work's never stuffy or academic – and Peterson swings things mightily with his trio... read more

Kind of a companion to the better-known Sound Of The Trio set recorded at London House – an album that features more material from that date, but issued here without the indication of a live album. The style is still as great as before, though – really cooking work from the classic... read more

The West Side Story score – but handled here by the great Oscar Peterson Trio – in ways that really push the tunes past their Broadway roots! The approach is tight, soulful, and filled with strong lines from Peterson on piano – plus bass by Ray Brown and drums from Ed Thigpen... read more

Oscar Peterson takes on two famous scores – back to back on a single CD! West Side Story features music from the famous musical – but handled here by the great Oscar Peterson Trio – in ways that really push the tunes past their Broadway roots! The approach is tight, soulful, and... read more

Milt Jackson joins the Oscar Peterson Trio – helping the group to hit some great new space with his magical work on vibes! Jackson's got an open, airy feel – an approach that almost lets Peterson punctuate the tunes a bit more with his piano – while the pair get strong rhythmic... read more

A beautiful meeting of two mid-century musical talents – the piano of Oscar Peterson and the arrangements of Nelson Riddle – a surprisingly wonderful pairing, heard here on a rare set for Verve! Peterson never recorded with strings nearly as much as he did with a trio, but almost all... read more

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A rare vocal session from Jane Powell – a singer better known for her film performances, but who sounds pretty darn great here on an obscure 50s studio session for Verve! Jane's got a higher-voiced style than most of the other singers on Verve, but she's brought down to earth nicely by... read more

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The obscure first Verve album from Don Randi – a great little pianist who was well known for his lively club work on the LA scene in the early 60s! Don's got a touch on the keys that's both lyrical and soulful – somewhere between the pyrotechnics of Ramsey Lewis and the smoother... read more

Heavy drums from this mighty pair – presented together on two classic albums! Burnin Beat is a drum-heavy spectacular that returns Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich to their big band roots – thanks to some hard-swinging arrangements from George Williams! The tracks are a bit shorter and done... read more

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Frank Zappa's amazing tribute to the sounds of LA that inspired him in his youth – not just the early rock and roll of the late 50s, but the way the music was picked up and given a home by the scene in East LA! There's a surprising amount of nascent soul elements in the music here –... read more

Although not nearly as well-remembered as Lenny Bruce, Mort Sahl is really our favorite comedian from the late 50s. He's got this incredible delivery style that is both immediately arresting and surprisingly heartfelt – and instead of doing short canned "bits", he just sort of... read more

A later recording from Pharoah, when he was working with Bill Laswell in the mid and late 90s. Laswell's on production, and the lineup features some of his international and funk-based crew like Foday Muso Sosa, Bernie Worrell and Aiyb Deng, plus older collaborators like Michael White, and some of... read more

A wonderful album from Lalo Schfrin! This one mixes together bossa piano and sweeping string arrangements – in a style that's incredibly dark-edged and driving, with a sound that's at once spooky and lovely – a dancing groove that makes the best tracks really sparkle! The album's... read more

An excellent little set that compiles some of Lalo's groovier sides for the Verve and MGM labels! The set focuses more on Lalo's jazz than soundtrack work, which makes it a nice companion to the Mission Impossible "best of" set on Motor Music. Some tracks are from albums under Lalo's... read more

A great lost groover on Verve – recorded during the heyday of the label's bossa years with Stan Getz! The record features Bob Brookmeyer fronting a large group arranged and conducted by Lalo Schifrin – soloing over the top, while Lalo comes up with sparkling bossa-tinged grooves that... read more

With Medeski, Martin And Wood as his band.... read more

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Beautiful work from reed player Tony Scott – recorded during a time when he was doing a lot of soul-searching with Eastern cultures! The set's a stripped-down batch of long tracks, with Scott's clarinet in the lead, and backing by 2 Japanese musicians on Koto and Shackuhachi. The tracks are... read more

An excellent little album – with a very funky sound! Don't be put off by the "jazz rock" in the title – because there's very little rock in here – just some hard funky drums and fuzzy use of guitar – served up by Don Sebesky in his approximation of the sound of... read more

A killer set of grooves recorded live by this legendary Brazilian guitarist – and a record of his that we've always sold extremely well over the years! The setting is a stripped down stage at the Monterey Jazz Festival – where Sete grooves in an open-ended fashion with only bass and... read more

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One of the most adventurous records we've heard from Wayne Shorter in years – a collection of live recordings made in Europe in the summer of 2001, featuring a free-thinking group that includes Danilo Perez on piano, John Patitucci on bass, and Brian Blade on drums. The sound here is almost... read more

Classic Nina! The longer she recorded on Philips, the more freedom Nina was given to open things up (probably because of the success of her daring "Four Women" track) – and this record, cut later in her years at Philips, features Nina doing a great batch of tracks with a very... read more

One of Jimmy Smith's biggest albums of the 60s – and a classic Verve pairing of his lean Hammond organ solos with the fuller, hard-swinging arrangements of Oliver Nelson! Nelson is working here at the height of his powers – backing Smith with a large group, but in a way that only seems... read more

A Hammond organ double-header – two Verve classics from Jimmy Smith, back to back on a single CD! First up is Bashin – one of Jimmy Smith's biggest albums of the 60s – and a classic Verve pairing of his lean Hammond organ solos with the fuller, hard-swinging arrangements of... read more

A great little collection of Jimmy's tight tight tight Hammond sides cut for Verve during the 60s – with backings by Oliver Nelson and Lalo Schifrin, plus a few other sides in smaller combo format. Tracks include "Walk On The Wild Side", "Ol Man River", "The Cat"... read more

A great little small combo record that proves that Jimmy was still hitting strong in the late 60s! Although the bulk of the more famous Verve material featured Jimmy in larger settings or singing or playing pop material, there were also some nice stripped-down sides hidden in the catalog, which... read more

A great little small combo record that proves that Jimmy was still hitting strong in the late 60s! Although the bulk of the more famous Verve material featured Jimmy in larger settings or singing or playing pop material, there were also some nice stripped-down sides hidden in the catalog, which... read more

Although he was the consummate high-class hipster at the start of his career, for some reason Jimmy Smith seemed to hit a forced sort of rootsy style about halfway through his years at Verve. The style worked well for him, even if it sometimes languished in bluesy tones that seemed a bit forced... read more

A mighty pairing of Jimmy Smith and Oliver Nelson – one that has the heavy Hammond of Smith set up in some sparkling jazz backdrops from Nelson! The sound here has some bluesy undercurrents, as you might guess from the title – but Oliver's charts keep things hip throughout, and ensure... read more

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A pretty great funk album from Jimmy – and very different than his other jazz work at the time! The record was produced and arranged by soulster Larry Williams, and most tracks have these raspy vocals that we're not sure are Larry's or Jimmy's. But whatever the case, the sound is great... read more

A stunner from Jimmy Smith – and quite possibly one of his greatest records for Verve! The set has Jimmy working with arranger Oliver Nelson – in a setting that's got big band backings, but done in a style that's cool enough to cut through all the BS of similar sessions. There's no... read more

No hokey organ grinder here – no monkey on a leash, begging for change on a street corner – just a smoking little trio session that stands as one of the best records that Jimmy Smith ever recorded for Verve! The album's got a groove that's similar to Jimmy's early years at Blue Note... read more

A surprisingly nice jazz album, although one that got hidden in the years of Jimmy's more "concept" oriented sessions for Verve. Most of the material is quartet stuff, with players like Bernard Purdie, Eric Gale, and Ron Carter backing up Jimmy's soulful organ. The tracks are longer... read more

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A real treasure, and a record that may well be our favorite Jimmy Smith album for Verve – a masterful meeting of his smoking Hammond work with some swingingly sophisticated arrangements by Oliver Nelson and Claus Ogerman! Both Nelson and Ogerman bring a fuller spectrum of horn work to the... read more

The second great session from two of Verve's biggest jazz stars of the 60s – organist Jimmy Smith and guitarist Wes Montgomery – an unlikely pair, to be sure, but one who work great together on the set! The real change here is in Wes' playing – as it's shifted from the mellower... read more

The second great session from two of Verve's biggest jazz stars of the 60s – organist Jimmy Smith and guitarist Wes Montgomery – an unlikely pair, to be sure, but one who work great together on the set! The real change here is in Wes' playing – as it's shifted from the mellower... read more

Excellent meeting between 2 mighty talents who rarely recorded together! Oliver Nelson did the arrangements and leads a big band, but the real focus is on Jimmy and Wes' solos, which are given a lot of room to roam in long tracks like "James & Wes", "Night Train", and "... read more

Excellent meeting between 2 mighty talents who rarely recorded together! Oliver Nelson did the arrangements and leads a big band, but the real focus is on Jimmy and Wes' solos, which are given a lot of room to roam in long tracks like "James & Wes", "Night Train", and "... read more

Excellent meeting between 2 mighty talents who rarely recorded together! Oliver Nelson did the arrangements and leads a big band, but the real focus is on Jimmy and Wes' solos, which are given a lot of room to roam in long tracks like "James & Wes", "Night Train", and "... read more

Sonny Stitt makes Oscar Peterson sit up and groove! The record's a great one, and uses the Peterson Trio as a perfect rhythm section for Sonny's confidently blown solos of the late 50s – in a way that pushes the combo past their usual safe area, and into more freewheeling territory to keep... read more

Sonny Stitt's work for Verve was some of his best on record – and this album is a perfect illustration of that bold claim! Sonny's blowing here in a wonderful style – a bit more restrained than on his early bop sides, more complicated than on his later soul jazz sessions, and all... read more

Probably the most classic of Stitt's sides for Verve – and certainly the one that gets rated time and time again by jazz collectors. We think it's pretty darn great – although we always wonder why folks don't give Stitt's other sides for Verve as much of a chance, because they're all... read more

Sonny Stitt makes Oscar Peterson sit up and groove! The record's a great one, and uses the Peterson Trio as a perfect rhythm section for Sonny's confidently blown solos of the late 50s – in a way that pushes the combo past their usual safe area, and into more freewheeling territory to keep... read more

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One of THE greatest Verve albums of the 60s – an incredible set that's one of the few older records made as a leader by drummer Ed Thigpen! The sound here is incredibly hard to describe – a light mix of guitar from Kenny Burrell, piano from Herbie Hancock, and trumpet from Clark Terry... read more

Great stuff – and very very groovy! Cal cut this record for Verve during the height of his swinging 60s Latin years – and he's working here with arranger Chico O'Farrill, who at the time, was perfectly suited for Cal's short, jaunty approach to a groove! The album's filled with nice... read more

Groovy 2LP set that brings together some of Cal's best Latiny sides for Verve – tracks that shine and sparkle with wit, imagination, and just plain groove! The set's a nice one in that a lot of these cuts are hard to find on the original albums – especially in decent enough shape to... read more

Groovy, YEAH! A very cool set of instrumental tracks, played by Cal on vibes, with sweet 60s pop jazz arrangements by Benny Golson. This is the kind of hip mix of styles that Verve did so well in the late 60s – and it's got a whirlwind of influences (Latin, bossa, soul jazz), all blending... read more

Unlike the mellower Breeze from the East LP (another Tjader "eastern" session), this one's got some very lively Latiny stuff – despite the orientalist theme of the LP. There's a monster version of Horace Silver's "Tokyo Blues", plus takes of Lalo Schifrin's "The... read more

Very groovy! This is a nicely packaged reissue of one of Cal's great Verve sides from the 60's, and the whole package nicely captures the tight light lively feel of the original release – by packaging the cuts in a cool little gatefold with excellent sound! As with most of Cal's best, the... read more

Upbeat, jazzy, and swinging – two great albums from Mel Torme's years at Verve! I Dig The Duke I Dig The Count is an album dedicated to the music of Duke Ellington and Count Basie, set to some very upbeat, jazzy backings from Johnny Mandel! The album's quite swinging at points – and... read more

One of the grooviest Verve albums of all time – a rare American session from Brazilian legend Marcos Valle – and his only US album to feature vocals! The album's even dreamier than Valle's early bossa sides from Brazil – and the setting has some nice Verve-like touches from... read more

Some of the most important recordings in the career of Sarah Vaughan – rich package of albums that really helped her refine her style strongly, and unlock an approach to jazz that nobody else could touch! Vaughan had always been a great singer, no matter what the setting – but here,... read more

Delicate dissonance, bruised beauty, and hazy noise pop – all in one of the best rock albums ever made – the amazing first album from the Velvet Underground and Nico! The album's the stuff of legend – and for good reason, too – a surprising slab of vinyl that barely set the... read more

Delicate dissonance, bruised beauty, and hazy noise pop – all in one of the best rock albums ever made – the amazing first album from the Velvet Underground and Nico! The album's the stuff of legend – and for good reason, too – a surprising slab of vinyl that barely set the... read more

Delicate dissonance, bruised beauty, and hazy noise pop – all in one of the best rock albums ever made – the amazing first album from the Velvet Underground and Nico! The album's the stuff of legend – and for good reason, too – a surprising slab of vinyl that barely set the... read more

Incredible! This album is a masterpiece of subtle rock beauty, and it's still one of our favorite albums of all time. After the onslaught of the band's second album, White Light/White Heat, the Velvets laid back, toned down, and turned out this fantastic album of wonderfully crafted little songs.... read more

Music that no home should be without – presented here in a lavish package, with rare mono mixes too! The set's a wonderful way to get these early gems from Lou Reed, Nico, and The Velvet Underground – and the box set features the first three Velvet Underground albums for Verve, plus... read more

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One of our favorite Walter Wanderley albums ever – and a record that moves past the more familiar bossa trio style used on his hits for Verve, into groovier new territory with added players who include Dom Um Romao on drums and Marcos Valle on guitar! And not only is the lineup expanded, but... read more

One of our favorite albums ever from Walter Wanderley – a set that's much more complicated than his earlier trio records for Verve – and which really expands the sound with a host of added elements! Wanderley's core organ bossa groove is amplified wonderfully here with the addition of... read more

An album that not only broke the bossa big in the US – but a set that also really helped transform the sound of the organ in jazz! Not only is the record a key meeting of bossa rhythms and jazz organ – transplanted hugely to the US after a big initial Wanderley run in 60s Brazil –... read more

One of the richest albums from the Kudu years of Grover Washington – a double-length set that shows the full range of his soul and imagination! The album was done in collaboration with Bob James – who arranged and conducted all tracks, and also plays keyboards on the date – and... read more