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A legendary bit of funky fusion from the French scene of the 70s -- the standout set from Cortex, a combo who's very heavy on the keyboards! The tunes have a feel that's quite different than American electric work of the time -- funky, but also a bit breezy too -- with a strong Brazilian influence ...

Pure solo reeds from Sabir Mateen -- a solo concert recorded in France, and a set that easily stands up to his best American sides of the past decade or so! Mateen plays alto clarinet, alto sax, and some small percussion -- and also vocalizes a slight bit, but almost with horn-like intonation that ...

A much better project than you might guess from its title -- not really a reggae album at all, but more a complex pastiche of a variety of different rhythms -- all played by a hip combo headed by percussionist Hamid Drake, with work by Jeff Parker on guitar, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Josh Abrams on ...

A wonderful little record from pianist Myra Melford and her Be Bread combo -- a lovely, all acoustic set that's fresh and timeless! We're loving the way Melford's piano plays with with the clarinet of Ben Goldberg, and if we had the pick out a favorite element of the set that might be it, but the ...

Richly textural work from Abdullah Ibrahim -- a set done in collaboration with the WDR Big Band, and as such, a bit different than some of Ibrahim's albums on his own! At first, things start out somewhat spare and contemplative -- but as the record moves on, the larger ensemble take a great hand ...

Lionel Loueke's got some great help on this set -- Angelique Kidjo, Esperanza Spalding, and Richard Bona -- each of whom appear on two tracks apiece! The set's got quite a different vibe than the usual Blue Note outing -- still a core of jazz, given Loueke's great guitar work -- but also plenty of ...

A pivotal album in the development of the use of the Hammond organ in jazz -- and Charles Earland's first exposure to a large audience! Durign the 60s, Charles was bumping around the Philly scene quite a bit -- and recorded some small group indie sides that first gave a glimpse of his unique sound ...

A triple-trumpet session with a really wonderful sound -- the kind of all-star date that only a label like Verve could have done so well! As you'll guess from the title, the record's a showcase for the three trumpeters in the lead -- and the tracks are long, with plenty of space for each player to ...

A seminal recording from the legendary FMP label -- brilliant early work by the Schlippenbach Trio, an important group in the European avant scene of the 70s! The trio features Evan Parker on soprano and tenor sax, Paul Lovens on drums, and Alexander Von Schlippenbach on piano -- working together ...

The 1st-ever issue of this rare set from 1964 -- an early example of the genius of Albert Ayler, recorded in The Netherlands for a small audience in a Dutch radio studio! The setting is a wonderful one -- a mix of the live freedoms that would really let Ayler stretch out -- especially when playing ...

A great little follow-up to the classic West Coast Jazz album recorded by Stan Getz -- and like that one, a set to feature some great rhythm accompaniment from the trio of Lou Levy on piano, Stan Levey on drums, and Leroy Vinnegar on bass! The tracks are nice and open -- with plenty of room for ...

Although pressed up by Verve, the music is definitely Imported From Europe -- as Stan Getz plays here with a host of great Swedish players -- on a date that makes for a real standout in his 50s catalog! Stan was living in Sweden at the time of the album -- bringing a big influence to the scene ...

A tremendous start to the 60s for the legendary Stan Getz -- a unique double-length album recorded in Copenhagen -- and filled with some of his best work on record to date! There's a quality here that shows a whole new side of Getz -- one that's slightly modern at times, but also slightly more ...

An incredible batch of freely crafted tracks from Jimmy Giuffre's legendary early 60s trio! The group features Steve Swallow on bass and Paul Bley on piano, and the two young modernists were a perfect match of Giuffre's ever-developing ideas of freedom and harmony. The music is beautiful -- with ...

One of the more loosely-constructed sides on the Bethlehem label -- an imprint that's normally known for keeping the reigns in pretty tightly! The album features 3 longish tracks played by 3 different groups: "I'm Glad There Is You", played by a group led by Russ Garcia, and including ...

Two mellow jams from Mr T -- back to back on a single CD! On Have You Ever Seen The Rain, Stanley Turrentine blows it sweet, mellow, and soulfully -- in a wonderful post-CTI session from the 70s! The set features some swirling larger arrangements from Gene Page -- done with a bit of the CTI ...

A beautiful little record by Pharoah Sanders -- quite different than most of his other recordings of the 70s, and done in a smoothly jazzy mode that also features plenty of soul! Sanders did the set in collaboration with Norman Connors -- and the style is in that same great mix of mellow soul and ...

We're not sure what "soul-stream" is as a genre -- but given the strength of this record, we'd be more than willing to grant it onto Curtis Fuller all by himself! The record's a gem that's even more obscure than Fuller's already-rare dates for Blue Note at the end of the 50s -- a crack ...

A great set that brings together 2 live albums from organist Charles Earland! Live At The Lighthouse is a real killer -- with that tight jazzy groove that Earland had on his first few albums for Prestige, a mix of jazz funk and soul jazz, handled with an incredible touch on the organ! The band ...

An amazing (and often forgotten!) quartet session that brings together the enigmatic pianist Jaki Byard and the mind-blowing multi-reed player Roland Kirk! Kirk and Byard had played together previously -- most notably on some of Kirk's Mercury recordings -- and they fit together perfectly in this ...

A well-named LP, as this hard-grooving blowing session is one of Kenny Burrell's earthiest performances -- a no-nonsense, stripped-down batch of hardbop tunes that really lets him let loose! The format here is in the best late 50s Prestige blowing session mode -- with rhythm from the trio of Mal ...

Howard McGhee and his trumpet team up with pianist Phineas Newborn, bassist Leroy Vinnegar and Shelley Manne on drums for this great early 60s session. The record features the McGhee original "Demon Chase" and two Teddy Edwards songs, "Sunset Eyes" and his salute to McGhee ...

Lockjaw and Griff were a mighty team together -- and their records from the 60s cook with incredible intensity. This great set was recorded at Minton's Playhouse in Harlem, on January 6, 1961 -- as part of a marathon live session that was a big seller for Prestige. The group's incredible -- a ...

Hip work all around -- 2 incredible albums from the mighty Charles Kynard! Afro-Disiac is the rarest of all Charles Kynard albums -- and a real standout groover from the classic funk days of Prestige! The album's a really creative outing -- with arrangements by Richard Fritz that take the usual ...

2 early sixties groovers from Johnny Hammond Smith -- back to back on one CD! Cooks With Gator Tail is an album that Smith recorded with tenorist Willis Jackson -- back at a time when they were both two of the best soul jazz players on the scene -- working here in quartet format with Eddie ...

Pure genius from one of our favorite players ever -- and proof that some of the freshest modern jazz of the 60s was being recorded on vibes! Dickerson's tone, timing, and sense of composition alone are enough to make the set a great one -- but he's also working here with a really great quartet -- ...

Charles Earland -- really stretching things out, and sounding great in the process! The album's an important one, as it shows that Earland wasn't just a funky Hammond player leading a small group -- but a visionary player who could put together a session with a larger, cosmic concept. The album ...

An excellent album that features modernist piano player Don Friedman in the company of guitarist Atilla Zoller -- one of the most unique talents to ever handle his instruments, and a perfect match for the groundbreakingly expressive styles of Friedman. The pair are augmented here by bassist ...

A classic set of soul jazz tracks from Gator Tail and Brother Jack McDuff -- recorded in a raw grooving style, very similar to that used on some of their live recordings at the time! The tracks on the disc are lifted from the first Together Again album cut by the pair, and the second set -- ...

Early funky work from Rusty Bryant -- 2 cookers for Prestige back to back on one CD! Night Train Now is one of the first few funky classics from tenorist Rusty Bryant -- a record that showed a whole new side of his talents, thanks to the addition of a rock-solid rhythm section! As the title might ...

An essential Art Farmer session from the mid 50s -- and a magnificent batch of hardbop tracks that we'd rank with some of our favorite work on Blue Note! The group is incredibly strong -- with Hank Mobley on tenor, Kenny Drew on piano, Addison Farmer on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums -- all coming ...

Rare work by Cannonball Adderley -- recorded in the early 60s, but not issued until after his death! The album features live material -- recorded in Tokyo and San Francisco -- performed by Cannon's amazing sextet that includes Joe Zawinul on piano, Yusef Lateef on reeds, Nat Adderley on cornet, ...

Early genius from Jimmy Heath -- a set that displays both his talents on the tenor sax, and his growing role as a jazz arranger! The style here is still relatively simple -- with Heath's saxophone offset by a range of brass players who include Donald Byrd on trumpet, Julius Watkins on French horn, ...

The first 2 albums as a leader from keyboardist Patrice Rushen! Prelusion is a great set from Patrice -- 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 ...

A monster -- and Charles Earland's second album for Prestige, the follow-up to his groundbreaking Black Talk album! This set's as great as that classic set -- a tight batch of groovers that features Earland's Hammond work right out front, grooving away in a soaring, exploratory style that blew ...

One of our favorite Kenny Burrell albums -- and a record with a much deeper feel than lots of his other work! Kenny cut this album with John Coltrane in 1958 -- and the session's a real standout in both of their careers at the time -- Kenny's, for being a well-crafted, highly-focused effort -- and ...

A wonderful version of the famous Henry Mancini score -- arguably better than the original soundtrack for the TV show! Shelly Manne leads a small group of west coasters that includes Victor Feldman on vibes, Conte Candoli on trumpet, and Russ Freeman on piano -- plus Herb Geller on alto, whose ...

One of the most far-reaching, exploratory records cut by Booker Ervin during the 60s -- a set that really lives up to the "freedom" in its title! The album really takes off from some of Ervin's other work of the time -- and stands along next to the equally-great Space Book as a departure ...

Easily one of Barney Kessel's greatest records -- done with a really surprising quartet lineup that includes Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Chuck Domanico on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums! The group's far hipper than Kessel, but that also really drives him to keep up with them -- forging these modal ...

A key outing from drummer Roy Haynes -- a classic trio session that has a lot more energy than the usual set from the time -- thanks to equal participation from Paul Chambers on bass and Phineas Newborn on piano! The unified approach hinted at in the title certainly comes through in the grooves -- ...

A 2-in-1 killer that features some of the funkiest work ever from Rusty Bryant! First up is the legendary Fire Eater album -- one of the best jazz funk albums ever on Prestige! Rusty Bryant blows his top off on this one -- taking his tenor stylings out of the more staid R&B mode of earlier ...

Fantastic work by this obscure LA legend! Jimmy Woods was one of the unsung geniuses of the west coast scene at the start of the 60s -- and the few recordings he ever made stand as some of the best examples of how the avant garde was feeding into the hard bop scene out there -- and with fantastic ...

Fantastic material from one of the few through-and-through modernists in bebop! Teddy Charles always marched to a completely different drummer -- even in these early 10" recordings, 3 of which are compiled on this long-overdue disc! We'd put him in a bop-era experimentalist camp, along with ...

Booker Ervin's definitely grooving high here -- hitting some of the same soulful notes as on his classic Blues Book album, but also bringing in some more modernist moments too! The set features one track that's clearly a Blues Book number -- a take on "Groovin High" with Carmell Jones on ...

An excellent session! The record's filled with soul, emotion, and most of all, a hell of a lot of creativity -- enough to show that Coleman Hawkins was still a great force to be reckoned with, even when labels were sticking him into loose blowing sessions like this! The group features Kenny ...

2 rare sessions from Prestige Records' Swingville label -- both of which feature work from Ellington trumpeter Taft Jordan! The first date on the set was issued under Taft's own name -- and is a great laidback set that shows Jordan in a completely different setting than the Ellington group -- ...

An overlooked set from the late 50s show-meets-jazz run of Shelly Manne and Andre Previn -- a cool jazz instrumental take on the score to Bells Are Ringing! As with other Manne/Previn pairings, the music is incredibly sprightly -- some of the best jazz Andre ever recorded in the 50s, with piano ...

Kenny Burrell gets the soul call from Prestige Records -- the result is one of his grooviest albums of the 60s! The vibe here is nicely mellow -- pretty laidback, and almost in the late nite style of some of the Moodsville label dates -- with Kenny's guitar ringing out in these beautifully-formed ...

A classic Prestige jam session from the late 50s -- one with Thad Jones on trumpet, Frank Wess on tenor and flute, Teddy Charles on vibes, Mal Waldron on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. Charles is amazing, as he is on all of his Prestige recordings, and he plays with a dark ...

A beautiful Art Blakey album from the early 70's, and one that's got the same sort of electric soul jazz vibe as his great Buhania album. He's playing here with a great set of musicians that includes Woody Shaw, George Cables, John Hicks, and Ramon Morris -- and the group grooves together in a ...