A great Horace Silver album – and one of the rarest! The record features some top-line material that virtually defines Silver's post-Jazz Messengers sound – tracks that come out with a hard and heavy groove, yet which also have a lightness in the mix too – a sense of play and ... (Jazz) read moreCD
A great Horace Silver album – and one of the rarest! The record features some top-line material that virtually defines Silver's post-Jazz Messengers sound – tracks that come out with a hard and heavy groove, yet which also have a lightness in the mix too – a sense of play and ... (Jazz) read moreCD
One of the few live recordings ever done by Horace Silver during his Blue Note years – a real surprise, considering what a crowd pleaser he was at the time! The set catches Horace working with that great quintet that graced most of his best early Blue Notes – with Blue Mitchell on ... (Jazz) read moreCD
One of the few live recordings ever done by Horace Silver during his Blue Note years – a real surprise, considering what a crowd pleaser he was at the time! The set catches Horace working with that great quintet that graced most of his best early Blue Notes – with Blue Mitchell on ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Two great albums from Chicago's Argo label brough together on one great CD! Norman Simmons is a wonderfully soulful piano player, of the rare kind who always seems to bring something "extra to the table"! The set's more than the usual piano trio side of the time, as Simmons contributes ... (Jazz) read moreCD
We've gotta admit, this record sounds a lot better with the passing of time than we might have expected – thanks in part to some totally sweet Fender Rhodes, used often, and in all the best ways to pepper the tunes! Barry Beckett and Bob James handle the keys – and there's even some ... (Rock) read moreCD
Righteous and soulful! The work that Nina Simone did at Philips is among some of her best work ever – and this set features 12 great cuts that aren't always that easy to find on wax. Includes the anthemic feminist classic "Four Women", the slightly-funky "Mississippi ... (Vocalists) read moreCD
Nina's folsky, but she's also jazzy too – and the album's from a key time in which she was finding a very special way to bring the two modes together! Simone could have been a straight jazz singer if she wanted – but as records like this always remind us, she was always striving for ... (Vocalists) read moreCD
A key early moment for Nina Simone – recorded live at Newport in 1960, at a time when the festival was one of the most important showcases for groundbreaking jazz – and a perfect setting for Nina to really let loose in that righteous style that would fuel her career during the 60s! ... (Vocalists) read moreCD
Nina sings Ellington – but as always, she makes whatever she sings all her own! The album's a bit straighter than later efforts – with large backings by Stu Phillips that also feature vocals by the Malcolm Dodds Singers – but Nina also conceived the whole thing herself, as an ... (Vocalists) read moreCD
A great later set from Nina Simone – quite sensitive at times, and with a different feel than some of her 70s work – but one that's still pure Simone all the way through! There's a return-to-classic feel going here – the sort of album that Jimmy Scott and others were making in ... (Vocalists) read moreCD
A vital box set of both classic and rare Nina Simone! This is much more than just another Nina Simone hits package – and instead, a massive collection of work – one that not only features 8 previously unissued tracks, but also a full bonus DVD, which contains a never-reissued ... (Vocalists) read moreCD
A rare treat from Zoot Sims – an album of soprano sax material, recorded in striking contrast to his more familiar tenor! The sound is oddly more traditional than usual – and unlike many other players in the 70s, Sims doesn't use the soprano in a Coltrane-inspired mode, but in a way ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Way more than just a Gershwin Songbook sort of record – thanks to some tremendous blowing here by Zoot Sims, who's mellowed nicely with age, and comes up with a wonderful sound for the record! It may just be us, but there seems to be a lot more soul in Zoot's horn than ever before – ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Zoot Sims & Kenny Drew —
Flower Walts ... CD Venus (Japan), 1978. Used ...
$14.9924.99
With Neils Pedersen on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums. (Jazz) CD
A real lost treasure for fans of Zoot Sims – a well-done live recording from the mid 50s, featuring longish tracks that have Zoot blowing with a trio led by Joe Castro! Castro's a under-acknowledge piano talent from the LA scene of the time – a player with a soulful edge on his best ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Maybe the most essential of all the Frank Sinatra box sets – as there's an insane amount of stuff on here that never came out on other CDs – a wealth of material from the 78rpm generation of early Sinatra! (Vocalists) CD
(Out of print. Wooden box has some marks but the set is still in great overall condition.)
Sinatra at his lonely best – as emphasized by the cover image, which has him sitting alone at a bar, looking sadly into his drink. The album's got backings by Gordon Jenkins, a bit more flowery than some of Nelson Riddle's, but in that sad dreamy mode that Sinatra worked with on the Wee ... (Vocalists) read moreCD
A Swingin Session indeed – as Frank steps out with Nelson Riddle on one of his last great albums for Capitol! The record's got the bounce and lilt of Frank's earlier gems with Riddle – a sly mix of jazz and strings that's every bit the best fit for Blue Eyes' vocals at the end of the ... (Vocalists) read moreCD
A classic Vegas moment for Sinatra – with accompaniment by Count Basie, and arrangements from Quincy Jones, to boot! The set features some great spoken bits – really one of the first chances the American mainstream got to taste the Vegas vibe – and titles include "It Was A ... (Vocalists) read moreCD
(Out of print 1998 remastered edition with bonus track.)
Hal Singer with Charlie Shavers —
Blue Stompin ... CD Prestige/OJC, 1959. Used ...
$14.99
A killer lost session on Prestige – one that takes the two players in the lead into some sweetly soul jazz territory! Hal Singer plays tenor, and really gets room to wail here in one of his strongest American jazz-based sessions of the 60s – and Charlie Shaver's also pretty great too, ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Possibly the greatest moment ever from Sister Sledge – a set that has the Philly quartet teaming with the Chic team of Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards! Rodgers' guitar brings in a hell of a groove to the record – that choppy, skittish sound that made Chic such a favorite at the time ... (Soul) read moreCD
(1997 Japanese pressing with 4 bonus tracks – includes obi!)
Steve Slagle on alto saxophone and flute, Joe Lovano on tenor and soprano saxophone, Joe Lovano, Gerald Cannon on bass, Roman Diaz on congas, and Bill Stewart on drums. (Jazz) CD
Features special guest Frank Wess on tenor sax and flute! (Vocalists) CD
(Out of print, booklet has a slight cut corner and a promotional stamp on the CD.)
Margaret Slovak —
New Wings ... CD Slovak Music Fund, 2005. Used ...
$4.99
Features Doug Smith on guitar, Dave Captein on bass and George Mitchell on piano. (Jazz) CD
Sly & The Family Stone —
Anthology ... CD Epic, Late 60s/Early 70s. Used ...
$8.99
A double length collection of Sly's classic work for Epic – featuring the best of the old days, when he was really into a groove! 20 titles: "Dance To The Music", "Everyday People", "Sing A Simple Song", "Don't Call Me N!gger, Whitey", "Stand!" ... (Soul) read moreCD
Classic funkiness from Sly & The Family Stone – an album that really pushed them to the top of their game, and exploded on the late 60s scene like a righteous funky bomb! The title cut's a mega-hit that you'll recognize right away – but the whole album's great, and is filled with ... (Soul) read moreCD
Sly's leaping into the air on the cover of this one – and for good reason too, given the overall groove of the set! The album's a bit more stripped-down and upbeat than the previous few – almost more of a return to the simple funky style of the first albums, but with a slightly more ... (Soul) read moreCD
Almost a "greatest hits" of greatest hits albums – one of those collections that almost sold more copies than all the full albums by the artist – forever earning Sly & The Family Stone a place in record collections around the globe! All the hits are here, laid out back to ... (Soul) read moreCD
A wonderful album from Sly and crew – moving way past the straight funk approach of earlier records, into a complicated crossover soul style that's filled with warmth and righteousness! Despite the political tone implied by the "riot" in the title and the co-option of the American ... (Soul) read moreCD
Features "Ogden's Nut Gone Flake", "Long Agoes And Worlds Apart", "Song Of The Baker", "Feeling Lonely", "Lazy Sunday" and more – 16 tracks in all! (Rock) CD
Smashing Pumpkins —
Gish ... CD Virgin, 1991. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
Ches Smith on drums, Miguel Zenon on alto sax, Matt Mitchell on piano, Nick Dunston on bass, and Daniel Brevil, Fanfan Jean-Guy Rene, and Markus Schwartz on percussion – plus Sirene Dantor Rene on vocals. (Jazz) CD
Elliott Smith —
Either/Or ... CD Kill Rock Stars, 1998. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
One of the best, most influential indie singer-songwriter records of the 90s – and maybe the best ever by the late, great Elliot Smith! In the noisy indie rock early 90s, vulnerable, quietly-recorded, largely solo acoustic confessionals were not par for the course, but Elliot Smith was by no ... (Rock) read moreCD
A classic album of raw New Orleans soul from one of the all-time greats! Huey was a key figure who bridged the gap between the rolling sound of 50s Crescent City R&B, and later funky grooves from the 60s. This album's filled with 12 original tracks by Huey – recorded by Ace Records in ... (Soul) read moreCD
A partner album of sorts to Jimmy Smith's classic Midnight Special album – recorded during the same sessions as that one, and also featuring Stanley Turrentine on tenor and Kenny Burrell on guitar! The sound here is almost even more open and stretched out – with only 4 long tracks on ... (Jazz) read moreCD
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 ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Jimmy Smith serves up a bucket of soul here – on an album that's one of his last for Blue Note, and still very much in the strong trio mode that launched his work for the label! The group's that super-sharp early 60s combo of Jimmy's – with Quentin Warren on guitar and Donald Bailey on ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Proof that at his start, Jimmy Smith had a greatness that knew no bounds – as the album's one of a few that Blue Note recorded in the late 50s, but never issued until many years later – even though they had already released so many amazing records from this period! The set has Jimmy ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Proof that at his start, Jimmy Smith had a greatness that knew no bounds – as the album's one of a few that Blue Note recorded in the late 50s, but never issued until many years later – even though they had already released so many amazing records from this period! The set has Jimmy ... (Jazz) read moreCD
One of Jimmy's most classic albums for Blue Note – and a key example of why his solo skills on the organ surpassed most of his contemporaries! The record's got a stripped-down trio group of Jimmy, guitarist Quentin Warren, and drummer Donald Bailey – working through mostly familiar ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Jimmy Smith on organ, Russell Malone on guitar, Reggie McBride on bass, and Harvey Mason on drums – plus guest vocals from Etta James and Dr. John, as well as guitar and vocals from BB King and Taj Mahal. (Jazz) CD
Jimmy Smith —
Fourmost ... CD Milestone, 1990. Used ...
$4.99
A sweet little quartet date – in case you couldn't tell from the title. Fourmost features Stanley Turrentine on tenor, Kenny Burrell on guitar, and Grady Tate on drums plus vocals on "My Funny Valentine". (Jazz) CD
Jimmy Smith live was a killer – especially in the early days, when this one was recorded! Back in the late 50s, when Jimmy was shocking the world with his fantastically creative approach to the organ, Blue Note cut some of the first strong-selling live albums by following Jimmy to the clubs ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Jimmy pays tribute to an earlier generation of R&B – in a hard-wailing set of soul jazz, done with backings from the legendary Oliver Nelson! A few tracks feature vocals by Jimmy, in a rough bluesy style, and others have some harmonica by Buddy Lucas – in a raspy, hard-wailing mode ... (Jazz) read moreCD
One of those hard-wailing all-star sessions that Jimmy did so well for Blue Note! The album features an amazing array of top-line players – like Tina Brooks, Lee Morgan, Curtis Fuller, Lou Donaldson, Art Blakey, and Kenny Burrell – and they all play with Smith in differing combinations ... (Jazz) read moreCD
A real stormer from Jimmy Smith – done in his first year at Blue Note, but with a sense of power and imagination that cannot be denied! It might be easy to pass up this album, because many of the tunes are standards, done in a simple trio format – but back at the time of this session, ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(Out of print, includes obi which has an old piece of clear tape.)
A great return to form for Hammond giant Jimmy Smith – heard here on an early 90s date for Blue Note, done in the same style as Jimmy's classic work for the label! The set's a live one, recorded in Japan – and the tracks have this open flow that's mighty nice – proof that Smith's ... (Jazz) read moreCD
A new star is right – because with the strength of this set, Jimmy Smith set a whole new tone for the way that the organ was used in jazz! The album's got a raw, earthy power that grabs us right away – and even though the tunes themselves are mostly familiar numbers, Jimmy's early ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Material that was recorded in the early 60s, but not issued by Blue Note until later in the decade – when they were pulling out any Jimmy Smith session they had, in order to compete with the bigger hits on Verve. The record features 8 extended tracks, with an all-star jam session lineup that ... (Jazz) read moreCD
A pair of near perfect soulful jazz organ sets from Jimmy Smith – 1967's Respect and 1968's Livin' It Up – plus the rare non album single "Mickey Mouse" as bonus track for the first time on CD! Respect is really nice jazz album from Jimmy, although one that got hidden in the ... (Jazz) read moreCD
One of the most famous early albums from Hammond organ giant Jimmy Smith – and for good reason too, as he was using the instrument to pioneer a whole new field in jazz! Before Jimmy, others had used the organ on short tracks, usually for a bit of color – but here, Smith explodes as a ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Fantastic studio material from Jimmy's best period on Blue Note! The CD features 6 unreleased tracks – all recorded in 1958, but never issued until now, for some insanely stupid reason! The tracks feature Jimmy's usual organ/guitar/drums trio approach, augmented with some great baritone ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(1999 Connoisseur pressing. Spine has a cutout notch.)
Material recorded early in the Blue Note career of Jimmy Smith – but not issued until the mid 60s, and often overlooked at the time! The record's still in the spare trio mode of the early Jimmy Smith years – but is a bit lighter and more lyrical than before – a nice change from ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(1998 Connoisseur pressing.)
Jimmy Smith —
Standards ... CD Blue Note, Late 50s. Used ...
$4.99
Material that was never released at the time that it was recorded – half came out on a late 70s album, and the other half is here for the first time! (Jazz) CD
A really wonderful album in the Verve Records catalog of the 60s – a set that's not only a fantastic meeting between two superstar jazz musicians, with Jimmy Smith on Hammond and Wes Montgomery on guitar – but one that also takes things in a whole groovy new dimension, thanks to the ... (Jazz) read moreCD
The Johnny Smith sound is a wonderful one – not just the sound that he makes with his groundbreaking work on the strings of the guitar, but also the way he records the instrument – which set a new standard in jazz guitar albums, and also helped pave the way for countless generations to ... (Jazz) read moreCD
The gentler side of Keely Smith – recorded here away from Louis Prima in a warmly sweet style that reminds us that she's a heck of a great singer on her own! The album features some top-shelf backings by Nelson Riddle, who gives Keely the kind of sensitive interpretations that he brought to ... (Vocalists) read moreCD
A smooth groovers from the mid 80s by Lonnie Liston Smith – a lot better than you might think for the time! Though this side's a set that leans a bit more towards being a straight jazz effort than some of Smith's more cosmic recordings of earlier years, it's got a sweet mellow feel – ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(Out of print and sealed with a small cutout hole through the case spine.)
Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes —
Expansions ... CD Flying Dutchman/RCA, 1975. Used ...
$8.99
Quite possibly the most celebrated album ever from keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith – a groove-heavy classic that's burned up many a dancefloor in its day, yet also a record that features some great mellow moments as well! The title track "Expansions" is virtually a blueprint for ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Lonnie Smith —
Afrodesia ... CD Laser Light/Groove Merchant, Mid 70s. Used ...
$6.99
A tasty CD that brings together some cuts from Lonnie's legendary Afro-desia album for Groove Merchant from 1975, plus other tracks from later Groove Merchant sessions. The Afro-desia material is great – with Lonnie playing in a very stretched out, Larry Young-ish kind of way, and a young ... (Jazz) read moreCD
A lost jazz-funk gem – originally recorded at Club Mozambique in Detroit in 1970, but not issued by Blue Note until the mid 90s! The set's right up there with Lonnie's classic Move Your Hand live set – as the tracks are long, free, and very funky, performed by a hip group that includes ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(Out of print 1995 Rare Groove pressing with a cutout through the case spine.)
Lonnie Smith —
Think! ... CD Blue Note, 1968. Used ...
$9.9912.99
A seminal album from Hammond giant Lonnie Smith – a bold statement that really gives the organist his own identity after some killer work in the combos of Lou Donaldson and George Benson! Lonnie's one of the key flag-fliers of the new style of funky organ jazz – a mode different from ... (Jazz) read moreCD
With John Abercrombie on guitar and Marvin "Smitty" Smith on drums. Tracks include "Voodoo Chile", "Gypsy Eyes", "Up From The Skies", and "Purple Haze–Star Spangled Banner". (Jazz) CD
A late 50s Verve session by Stuff Smith – one in which the jazz violinist does a wonderful job shaking off his often quite hammy persona for a strong, straight up set of standards and well-known bop era cuts! He's got a great crew for these sessions, with the great Shirley Horn on piano on a ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Tab Smith on alto and tenor saxophone, Sonny Cohn on trumpet, Leon Washington on tenor saxophone, Lavern Dilon and Teddy Brannon on piano, Wilfred Middlebrooks on bass, Walter Johnson on drums, and Louis Blackwell on vocals. (Jazz) CD
A righteously powerful piece from trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith – a tribute to the political power of Rosa Parks, and her lasting legacy in American history – served up as an oratorio of seven songs, performed with a nicely shifting lineup! The album is one of the most ambitious we've ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Fantastic work from trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith – maybe one of the few musicians who could hold us completely rapt throughout a 3CD presentation of completely solo material! The work was all recorded over the space of a few short days, in a church in Finland – and Smith uses his many ... (Jazz) read moreCD