A whole new kind of trio session for the 70s – one that has the airy, open lines of guitarist John Abercrombie stretching out nicely in the company of drummer Jack DeJohnette and bassist Dave Holland! The music is archetypal ECM work of the time – a complete contrast to a guitar trio session from a decade before, or even a few years before on any different sort of label. Abercrombie's got a bit of bite at a few moments, but mostly keeps things spare and spacious – and Holland and DeJohnette are more than happy to follow suit. Titles include "Backwoods Song", "May Dance", "Waiting", "Jamala", and "Sorcery 1". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly the most tripped-out of all albums by Jack DeJohnette – one that really shows his roots in many streams of the free, soul, and fusion jazz scenes of the time – and which is served up with a heck of a lot of surprises in the mix! Jack himself plays both drums and keyboards on the set – plus a bit of c-melody sax – and other players include Benny Maupin on clarinet, Dave Holland on bass, John Abercrombie on guitar, and Michael Fellerman on the metaphone 1 – a great instrument that really makes the sound of the record special. The keyboards are especially nice on the set, and electrify the proceedings in a way that seems to spark even more fire in DeJohnette's drums – especially on the classic break track "Epilog" – an excellent funky number that's almost worth the price of the set! Other tracks include "Sorcery #1", "The Rock Thing", "Reverend King Suite", "Four Levels Of Joy", and "The Right Time" – which is a wild vocals-only number! LP, Vinyl record album

Drummer Jack DeJohnette's in the lead, but a lot of the energy of the set comes from the twin reed work of Arthur Blythe and Chico Freeman – both of whom get plenty of space to open up and roam in the quartet, which only just includes additional work on bass from Peter Warren! Both tracks are nice and long, and although DeJohnette's a powerhouse on drums, he also steps back and just adds some slight touches at times when Freeman and Blythe are really tearing into their solos. The whole performance makes for a very different vibe than the ECM work of the group – much more avant and improvised, as they take on "Zoot Suite" and "One For Eric". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that some saw as a bit of a jolt in the career of Herbie Hancock when it was released – but a set that's actually gone on to become one of the classics in his catalog, thanks to the mix of material and the players on the date! The "new standard" in the title is a reference to many of the songs in the collection – taken from more (then) recent rock and pop, but then turned into jazz instrumental tapestries with Herbie on acoustic piano, Michael Brecker on tenor and soprano, John Scofield on guitars, Dave Holland on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums. Titles include versions of "You've Got It Bad Girl", "Thieves In The Temple", "Your Gold Teeth II", "All Apologies", "Love Is Stronger Than Pride", "Mercy Street", and "Scarborough Fair". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal session from the late 60s – one that has Jackie McLean pulling things back a bit from his "new thing" period, and turning towards the spiritual soulful groove that would characterize his early 70s work! The album bristles with excitement – still very much informed by a knowledge of the space explored during Jackie's avant years, but never quite willing to go to that space – especially if it means sacrificing the soulful swing of the set! The group's filled with young soulful modernists – including Woody Shaw on trumpet, Lamont Johnson on piano, Scott Holt on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – and Jackie himself seems to be working out a whole new phase of his career with each new track – showing that even when he was at his "new thing" best, he was still ready to move on! Tremendous stuff, and one of our favorite Blue Notes from the time – and one of the most soulful too! Titles include "Floogeh", "Message From Trane", "Toyland", and "Boo Ann's Grind". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few cases in jazz where an oft-played classic still resonates with power! The record itself is a key cap to Miles Davis' already-groundbreaking years of the 60s – a bold step forward, not just for his nascent electric sound, but also for jazz in general – and the benchmark by which so many other records would be judged (and fail) in years to come! The double-length set makes full use of all four sides of the record – expanding the flow (as well as the lineup) of the original Davis modal vision – and using all players to amazing effect, so much so that most players here turn out some of their best recorded work ever! The lineup is virtually a whose who for the sound of fusion in the 70s – including Wayne Shorter on soprano sax, Bennie Maupin on bass clarinet, Joe Zawinul and Chick Corea on keyboards, John McLaughlin on guitar, Dave Holland on bass, and Lenny White and Jack DeJohnette on drums – plus Jumma Santos and Don Alias on added percussion. Titles include "Pharaoh's Dance", "Spanish Key", "Sanctuary", "Bitches Brew", "John McLaughlin", and "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down". LP, Vinyl record album

Bill Evans' first famous appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival – a great 60s trio session, with Eddie Gomez on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums! The tunes are mostly relatively familiar ones, but the ensemble on the set gives them a freer and more lyrical feel than you might expect – especially with DeJohnette on drums, who is a somewhat more powerful choice than some of Bill's other drummers of the 60s. Eddie Gomez is great, as always – with that round bass sound that we totally love – and titles include "Nardis", "Sleepin Bee", "Embraceable You", "Someday My Prince Will Come", "Mother Of Earl", "One For Helen", and "Walkin Up". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Joe Henderson's greatest albums ever – a real treasure from his electric years at Milestone Records, and a set that showed he really had a lot more to offer for the scene of the 70s! The sound here is quite different than Joe's earlier work for Blue Note – a style that's sometimes soaring, sometimes mellow – but always moving forward with a tremendously fluid approach to the tenor sax. Joe's sense of phrasing and timing is impeccable – quite subtle at times, with these dark notes that hang beautifully in air on the ballads – and some sharper-edged qualities that really burst out strongly on the more upbeat tunes. The group's a great one too – and features Herbie Hancock on both acoustic and electric piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – plus additional trumpet by Mike Lawrence on 2 tracks. Titles include "Black Narcissus", "Isotope", "Afro-Centric", "Forsight & Afterthought", and "Power to The People". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great moment in the career of the Finnish saxophonist Eero Koivistoinen – a player who'd been making huge waves on his local scene in the 70s, and finally got the chance to record this date in New York during the following decade! Eero is wonderful throughout – a masterful leader who really brings out a special spirit in the group – a stellar lineup of all-star American players, with Tom Harrell on trumpet, John Scofield on guitar, Jim McNeely on piano, Ron McClure on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums! Even if you know work from these other players, the sound here is quite different – much more the boldness that we know from Koivistoinen's 70s material, given new expression by these musicians. All tunes are originals by Eero – and titles include "Second Thought", "Kindergarten", "Patana", and "Linewriting". Features bonus tracks – "Sunburst", "Artic Blues", "Algo Fresco", "Second Thought (alt)", and "Patana (alt)". LP, Vinyl record album