Cinedelic (Italy), 1970. New Copy (reissue)
A rare 1970 set from Italian tenorist Gianni Basso -- a set that's easily one of the greatest examples of his talents we've ever heard! Basso's tone on tenor is amazing -- blown with a sense of freedom that's breathtaking, with odd phrasings and voicings that are extremely personal -- almost in
...
|
Fledgling (UK), 1969. New Copy Gatefold (reissue)
A previously-unissued gem from pianist Chris McGregor -- recorded at the tail end of the 60s, when McGregor and some of his South African compatriots were really helping to change the sound of the British jazz scene! The album is one of McGregor's strongest ever -- an incredibly bold statement in
...
|
Muse, 1989. New Copy
A great quartet date from guitarist Larry Coryell -- quite laidback at times, but pretty darn soulful too -- thanks to a rhythm section that features Kenny Barron on piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Marvin Smitty Smith on drums! Coryell's not as dynamic with his guitar lines as in years back,
...
|
CTI, 1975. Near Mint- Gatefold
One of Hubert Laws' funkiest records for CTI -- recorded with a full group funky style that's plenty darn great, and a lot harder-hitting than some of Hubert's more laidback sessions for the label! Arrangements are by Bob James and Laws -- working here with a large batch of players who come
...
|
Cadet, Late 60s. Good+
A great session from John Klemmer -- a real giant on the tenor, with a sound that long deserves to be revived! Klemmer's blowing here on straight tenor and with some electronic effects on the horn -- and he's working with a hip Chicago soul jazz combo that includes Phil Upchurch on bass, Morris
...
|
MPS, 1974. Good
Live Monty Alexander set from the mid 70s, featuring his groovy group with Ernest Ranglin on guitar, Eberhard Weber on bass, and Kenny Clare on drums. The bass playing's especially good, and there's lots of nice round funky moments in some of the best tracks. Titles include "Feel Like Making
...
|
CTI, 1970. Very Good- Gatefold
A great early CTI session by George Benson, and one of the most stripped-down, straight-ahead funky records he did for the label! There's a version of "So What" on here that completely cuts down the version that Ronnie Jordan released a few years ago, with a nice funky groove and a good
...
|
Riverside, 1959. Very Good-
Monk's alone in San Francisco -- playing solo piano throughout, with that thoughtful, introspective approach to his work that we really love! Most of the tunes here are Monk originals or standards that Thelonious has played before at least a few times on record -- but the solo setting almost has
...
|
Blue Note, Early 50s. Very Good+
A full LP issue of material that Navarro recorded for Blue Note during the 78 and 10" LP eras -- compiled here with master and alternate takes of tunes that were some of the few that Navarro ever recorded for the label! Some of the work was recorded under groups led by Tadd Dameron and Budd
...
|
Grits, 1981. Very Good-
One of the self-released LPs by a largely unkown Chicago tenor player, who follows along in the great tradition of players like Von Freeman, Cozy Eggleston or Vandy Harris. They may not be a household name, even to jazz fans, but on the south side here they're well know, plugging away on cold
...
|
Blue Note, 1974. Very Good-
A great collection of work by Lee -- mostly from the mid 60s, packaged together here as a Memorial Album issued by Blue Note as part of a long tradition of such albums for jazz labels (more famous examples include those released for Wardell Gray or Clifford Brown by Prestige). Titles include "
...
|
Verve, 1964. Good+
A great album, and unlike anything else Donald Byrd ever recorded -- almost mad hodgepodge of the styles Byrd used at Blue Note, as the session brings together funky soul jazz with vocal backings -- linking the groove of At The Races with the choral stylings of A New Perspective! The session's the
...
|
Blue Note, Early 50s. Very Good
A great collection of Monk's 10" recordings for Blue Note -- seminal not only for the label's commitment to a modernist bop ideal, but also for Monk's integration in the growing collection of top-level jazz players on the New York scene. The work's notable also for the fact that Monk's
...
|
ABC/Paramount, 1957. Very Good+
Quincy turns his soul jazz arranging style to a band filled with West Coast players, and he gets them to groove a lot more than you'd expect! Players include Herb Geller, Art Pepper, Charlie Mariano, Bill Perkins, and Walter Benton. The tracks are short, with tight solo space, and most of them
...
|
Columbia, 1972. Good+ 2LP Gatefold
A beautiful live representation of the energy of the Bitches Brew years -- one that has Miles Davis and the group really letting loose with free-flowing, modally-inspired lines -- cooking up an incredible blend of acoustic and electric sounds at once! There's a bit of funk here, but not much --
...
|
Atlantic, 1972. Good+
Roland plays moody jazz versions of some of the biggest soul hits of the early 70's -- including tracks like "What's Going On", "Mercy Mercy Me", and "Ain't No Sunshine" -- plus some other nice originals which sum up his take on "blacknuss". Titles include
...
|
Impulse, 1960s/Early 70s. Good+ 3LP Gatefold
A motherlode of great jazz tracks -- 3LPs worth of material pulled from the catalog of the legendary Impulse Records, and laid out back to back, as kind of a progression of the modern throughout the label's history. Titles include "New Blue" by Marion Brown, "Bulbs" by Cecil
...
|
Blue Note, 1975. Very Good-
An incredible record that was one of the highest points of Donald Byrd's career! The album's the third one he cut with producer/arranger Larry Mizell -- and of all Byrd's work with Mizell, this one's the funkiest, the tightest, the most soulful, and the most perfectly realized vision of the smooth
...
|
Prestige, 1970. Good+
One of Sonny Phillips' hardest hitting albums ever -- an all-Hammond set that really cooks hard from start to finish! Sonny's working here in a lean, mean combo with plenty of Prestige jazz funk touches -- heavy drums from Bernard Purdie, hard tenor solos from Rusty Bryant, rumbling Fender bass
...
|
Blue Note, 1964. Good+
A lyrical masterpiece from the mid-60's. Freddie Hubbard and Herbie trade lines on extended compositions, as Herbie shows the world that he's more than just a soul jazz player by coming up with soqme of the most spiritual work of his career. Of course, that doesn't displace the treasure that is
...
|
|