Columbia/Sawano (Japan), 1960. New Copy (reissue)
One of the most hard-hitting albums ever cut by pianist Georges Arvanitas – an early effort that's all soul jazz all the way through! Although Arvanitas is best known as a committed modernist, especially in later years, this sweet early 60s session is a stone cooker in the best mode of Blue
...
|
Sawano (Japan), 1958/1959. New Copy
A gem of a record from the Paris scene of the late 50s – noteworthy in that it features superb tenor from the great Guy Lafitte, and also in that it's an early Hammond date from the European scene – featuring modern piano giant George Arvanitas on the organ! The sound is nicely
...
|
Imperial/Esoteric (UK), 1968. New Copy
Rare early solo material from Dutch jazz rock guitar eclecticist/genius Jan Akkerman – a late 60s album released in the Netherlands on Imperial after Akkerman's time in The Hunters and before his work with Brainbox and Focus! It's an early indication of his far reaching tastes and talent
...
|
Ronald Shannon Jackson & The Decoding Society
Eye On You
About Time, 1980. New Copy
One of the loosest, most open albums from Ronald Shannon Jackson & The Decoding Society – and a set that's a great antidote to some of the later records for bigger labels! Jackson's still got a very inspiring sound at this point – a polyrhythmic groove that's virtually the
...
|
High Note, 2012. New Copy
Jeremy Pelt's a player we love more and more as the years go on – a trumpeter who first caught our ear with his soulful, expressive style – but who also seems to be getting better and better with each new release! This set has Pelt playing in a wonderfully mature mode – blocking
...
|
High Note, 2012. New Copy
There's something about Steve Turre in recent years that has us liking him even more and more – a maturity, a rock-solid soulfulness, and a strong commitment to jazz tradition – which, added to his already-inventive work on trombone, really makes him a massive force in jazz –
...
|
Aum Fidelity, 2011. New Copy
Amazing solo work from David S Ware – a CD that brings together two full live performances – like getting the admission to two different concerts for the prices of a single CD! All cuts are great – and Ware plays with the amazing depth of tone we've always loved in his music
...
|
Greenleaf, 2011. New Copy 3CD
Three views – all of them great, and all a rich testimony to the always-inventive sounds of trumpeter Dave Douglas! The package features three very different albums, wrapped up in a multi-faceted demonstration of Douglas' talents – the first a compelling session titled Rare Metals
...
|
A&M/Universal (Japan), 1978. New Copy
A standout set from keyboardist Neil Larsen – a record that crossed over big back in the 70s, and which still sounds pretty darn great in the 21st Century! Larsen's keys here are kind of a more mainstream take on territory Bob James was exploring a few years before – arguably hipper at
...
|
GRP (Japan), 1977. New Copy
Dave Grusin made a few sleepy albums in his day, but this isn't one of them – and instead, it's a sweet funky fusion outing that really sums up some of the best Dave Grusin modes of the 70s! This excellent LP from 1977 really captures the best of the Grusin soundtrack style – heard in
...
|
A&M (Japan), 1973. New Copy
A really great, oft-overlooked album from the best period of Quincy Jones! This album is quite possibly Quincy's most farthest-reaching – as he works in an array of styles that really shows his growing genius in the studio – not just jazz and soundtrack modes, but more soul-based ones,
...
|
Greenleaf, 2011. New Copy
Brass Ecstasy indeed – a really wonderful group with trumpet from Dave Douglas, French horn from Vincent Chaney, trombone from Luis Bonilla, and tuba from Marcus Rojas – plus a bit of added drums from Nasheet Waits! With instrumentation like that, there's a definite dose of New Orleans
...
|
CCPP (Ceccarelli/Chantereau/Padovan/Pezin)
CCPP
Flamophone/Vadim (France), 1975. New Copy
French funky fusion full-on – a wicked set of jamming tracks from CCPP, a group that features mighty drum work from Andre Ceccarelli! You might know Andre from other straighter jazz sets, but here he's working in a groove that's definitely in the best rock fusion style of the time –
...
|
Columbia/Robinsongs (UK), 1978/1979. New Copy
Wonderfully warm work from the late 70s years of Lonnie Liston Smith – material from his key stretch a Columbia Records, a time when he'd really learned to tighten up his groove a bit from earlier years, yet still keep all the deeper soul intact! The set kicks off with Song For The Children
...
|
Atco/Wounded Bird, 1959. New Copy
A jazz version of a Broadway show, but an especially great one too – and a set that's really quite fresh, given the less familiar nature of the Harold Rome compositions! Hanna's presentation of the material really gets past the roots of the tunes – and he uses the songs as great
...
|
Atlantic/Wounded Bird, 1977. New Copy
A great little set – way more than you might think from the cover! Ostensibly, this one's a cash-in album for the mid 70s Star Wars soundtrack craze – but since it's handled by Ellis, it's got a surprisingly funky feel, with many tracks that recall his own great soundtrack work of the
...
|
Sonet (Sweden), 1957/1958. Used
Key late 50s recordings from Swedish saxophonist Lars Gullin – the first-ever album on the now-legendary Sonet label, coupled with a rare Philips 10" from the same time! The CD is a nice contrast to some of Gullin's more American-influenced sessions of the earlier part of the decade,
...
|
No Coast Jazz, 2007. Used
A great reunion for the Don Friedman trio that includes Chuck Israels on bass and Joe Hunt on drums – players who worked together with pianist Friedman famously in the 60s, but haven't recorded as a group in decades! The album's a delight throughout – every bit as fresh-voiced as some
...
|
Blast First (France), Late 60s. Used
A legendary collection of work from Sun Ra – rare 60s New York recordings from the Arkestra archive, put together at the end of the 80s, at a time when there was very little Ra material on the market! The quality of the work here is extremely high – and the tunes are almost a bit more
...
|
Black Saint (Italy), 1987. Used
A new life for the ideas of saxophonist David Murray – worked out here in an octet of top-shelf players! The sound is avant one minute, swinging the next – and carried off with a rich sense of jazz tradition that really marks the growing appreciation of roots in the 80s generation of
...
|
|
