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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 ...

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 ...

We're not going to say that the album's actually got Maynard Ferguson hitting any "new sounds" overall -- but the set's a really nice one, and very much in the best spirit of the excellent early 60s albums that Maynard cut for Roulette! As with those, there's some great players working ...

Well, we're not sure if this was really the most important album of the time -- as it had a lot of heavy-hitters to contend with -- but it sure is a nice batch of tracks from Chet, playing in a straight simple style that recalls his classic work, and working with a tight soulful quintet that ...

Hard-wailing tenor work from two of the late 50's best R&B sax stars! Both Prysock and Austin were often recorded by Mercury in albums that didn't show their best sides, or which didn't let them open up the same way as in their very popular live sets -- but this album has them playing head-to-h ...

Soaring big band work from trumpeter Maynard Ferguson -- one of his key albums done with help from Brit Easy genius Keith Mansfield! Mansfield really helped Ferguson reinvent the sound of his big band at the end of the 60s -- taking the sometimes modern, sometimes brassy sound of his earlier work ...

A classic pairing of the tenor of Stan Getz and the gentle rhythms of the LA scene of the 50s -- and a record that stands up beautifully over the years! Clearly, someone at Verve thought that Stan should get in on the bug for west coast jazz at the time -- and although the date was recorded in LA ...

Nothing too secret about this record -- given that it was one of Grover Washington's biggest hits of the 70s, and for good reason too! The album features four long tracks -- all stretched out and layered together with washes of funky, yet subtle sounds -- in a perfect blend that let Washington ...

A sweet smooth album of funky jazz from guitarist Jimmy Ponder -- with a style that's right out of the Bob James-arranged albums for Kudu! Jimmy's guitar is nice and lean, laidback over some tripped out, easily funky arrangements, with strings conducted by Johnny Pate on a few numbers, and ...

One of the more laidback albums from George Freeman's early 70s run -- but still a great little set that shows the mellower side of his talents! Despite the sexy style of the cover, the sound here is relatively straight soul jazz -- small combo work with Harold Mabern on acoustic piano, Kenny ...

One of the best albums ever in Verve's classic set of recordings from the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival -- a set that captures the Dizzy Gillespie group of the decade in top live formation! The ensemble here is plenty hip -- with a young Lee Morgan joining Dizzy on trumpet, and a host of other great ...

Great Dizzy big band LP from the late 50's, with a stellar lineup that includes a young Lee Morgan on trumpet, Billy Mitchell on tenor, and the underrecorded Billy Root on baritone. The band swings hard, and the playing's great both in the ensemble moments and in the solos. Tracks include "DD ...

Mindblowing work from Roland Kirk -- a record that really pushes the boundaries of his music even farther than some of his earlier, and excellent, albums for the Mercury label! Kirk's really stretching out here -- finding a space in jazz that's uniquely his own -- modern, yet playful -- creative, ...

A lost chapter in the David Axelrod/Cannonball Adderley tradition -- and one of Nat's best albums from the 70s! Nat's funky trumpet sits nicely in moody arrangements by David Axelrod and Jimmy Jones -- and the group features electric piano by George Duke, plus guest playing by Cannonball Adderley, ...

One of Cal Tjader's best albums ever -- and a sweetly electric side that features Joao Donato on organ and Gary McFarland on vibes! The record is a brilliant extension of Cal's styles at Verve -- a bit of Latin, a bit of jazz, with some easily grooving numbers that have just the right dose of funk! ...

We don't know if we'd stretch so far as to use the word "exciting" to talk about Terry's work -- but his band here is filled with some great west coast players -- including Bill Perkins, Richie Kamuca, Mel Lewis, Frank Rosolino, and Joe Maini -- all coming together with a bit more of a ...

With Blythe on alto, Abdul Wadud on cello, Kelvyn Bell on guitar, Steve McCall and Bobby Battle on drums, John Hicks on piano, Amina Claudine Myers on organ, and Fred Hopkins on bass. Titles include "Misty", "Spirits In The Field", "Just A Closer Walk With Thee", ...

One of the best albums ever by this crack soul jazz combo -- the mighty Jazztet, an early 60s group led by Art Farmer and Benny Golson! The set was recorded in Chicago, and it features the group hard-grooving through some really well-arranged numbers -- lively tunes with a snapping, in-the-pocket ...

Wild electric work from Les -- and a real break from his work of the 60s! Side one of the album features a 26 minute fusion jam called "The Lovers" -- filled with lots of breaks, grooves, and time changes -- and played by a hip ensemble that includes Yusef Lateef, Cornell Dupree, Bernard ...

A landmark album -- even if it was the only session that Cannonball Adderley ever cut for Blue Note! The album was recorded at a time when Adderley was working with Miles Davis -- and as such, the session features a group that includes Miles, blowing in a cool tone that's a perfect offset to ...

One of their all-time classics! If you've ever bought an Art Ensemble album and said "Hmm, what's all the fuss about?", get this one. It'll change your mind. The band is in perfect form -- and hits an incredible blend of free thinking modernism and soulful soloing, peppered with a ...

One of 2 rare albums recorded by organist Jimmy Caravan in the 60s -- a really great talent on the Hammond, and a player with a really clean, lean, and groovy sound! Jimmy's style here borrows a lot from the Capitol jazz scene of players like Howard Roberts or Henry Cain -- an approach to organ ...

This album was such a big hit for Herbie that it's easy to forget the sheer raw power of the group -- a mighty quartet that included Roy Ayers on vibes, and both Sonny Sharrock and Larry Coryell on guitars -- jamming with a hard but ragged edge, and getting some tighter backing here by a hip ...

Although you may think of Dave Grusin as the man who's only capable of putting out snoozy fusion, this excellent session from 1964 is a very tight boppish one that features great players like Thad Jones, Frank Foster, and Bob Cranshaw. Dave shows a strong early talent for arranging, and he gives ...

One of the beautiful records that Jeremy Steig and Eddie Gomez cut together during their fruitful period of the late 60's. Gomez' bass has an incredibly soulful funk sound, and Steig riffs across the top of his deep lines with choppy, funky flute solos. Don Alias plays drums, and the group is ...

The first and loosest of the Jazz Studio series from the 50s -- an quite possibly the most Verve-like too. This set's got a very open-ended jam session feel -- with a group that include Paul Quinichette and Frank Foster on tenor, Hank Jones on piano, Benny Green on trombone, Joe Newman on trumpet, ...

A well-titled set -- in that it's got Oscar's piano in a fairly loose, soulfully relaxed setting with Sam Jones on bass and Bob Durham on drums. The album was recorded by MPS wizard Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer in his own home -- and it's an excellent example of the label's scene at its most relaxed ...

Early work from Jimmy Smith -- raw Hammond grooves from some of the first few years of the organ's use in jazz! Jimmy's working here in trio formation -- shifting between bop and ballad modes with a trio that includes Eddie McFadden on guitar and Donald Bailey on drums (Art Blakey makes an ...

A brilliant little soundtrack from Dizzy Gillespie -- composed by Mal Waldron, and played by Diz with a sound and sensitivity that few of his other 60s albums can match! The feel here is quite bold and righteous -- a perfect accompaniment for the documentary-like black and white images of Shirley ...

An excellent groover from Kenny Dorham -- possibly one of his best ever albums for Blue Note -- a record that shows how much he was pushing past his bop roots in his later years! The tracks are extremely long, and with a Latiny feel that's surprising when you look at Dorham's earlier material. He' ...

Very hiply swinging work from Maynard Ferguson -- not as Latin-based as you might think from the title, but great nonetheless! The record features an excellent group that includes Don Rader on trumpet, Lanny Morgan on alto, Rufus Jones on drums, and Don Menza on tenor -- all tightly wrapped around ...

US issue of one of Monty Alexander's great MPS recordings, with his nice groovy piano, cool rhythm lines, and a nice laidback groove. Montego Joe complements Monty's trio on conga, and he gives the set a nice rolling feeling. Tracks include "Montevideo", "Brown Skin Girl", and ...

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 the harder tones ...

One of the best records ever cut by funky sax man Joe Farrell! The album's got a stripped down, choppy groove -- virtually the blueprint for later 70s funk of this type, and played perfectly by Farrell and a very hip quartet lineup! Players include Joe on soprano and tenor sax, Herbie Hancock on ...

Diz meets the great jazz violinist in one of his few sets for Verve from the 50's. Wynton Kelly's on piano, and the groove is pretty laid-back, with the nice sort of long swing-oriented tracks that you'd find on some of the best Verve sessions from the time. Cuts include "Rio Pakistan", ...

Later solo work by Earl Fatha Hines -- an unusual one for Fantasy, but a very nicely done session! Titles include "Deep Forest", "Blues For Tatum", "Ann", "In San Francisco", "You Can Depend On Me", "My Monday Date", "Piano Man" ...

This funky Chicago organist does a pretty darn nice job of paying tribute to the late Otis Redding in a tasty set of soul jazz groovers with large group arrangements by Gene Barge. Although a number of the tracks are mellower soul numbers, the group has a nice Chicago kick to them, in the manner ...

A classic West Coast session, long hailed by critics as one of the best to come out of the LA scene. Shorty Rogers leads a crack group of players that includes Art Pepper, Jimmy Giuffre and Bob Cooper through a bunch of short swinging tracks that really have an edge to them. The tracks were ...

One of the strongest sides to feature Diz's mid 50s format -- a larger group than usual, an octet, with a more tightly arranged style that showed that he continued to develop as an artist long after the days of his early bop sides. The album's also noteworthy for demonstrating Dizzy's great talent ...

Charles Mingus caught live is a totally different experience from Mingus in the studio -- as this crack album from 1964 will testify! The album features a stripped-down quartet that includes Clifford Jordan on tenor, Jane Getz on piano, and Dannie Richmond on drums -- plus a guest appearance by ...

An incredible record from funky drummer Idris Muhammad! Idris is probably known for his funky break work on Blue Note and Prestige records sessions of the late 60s and early 70s -- but by the time of this 1974 album, he was really expanding his style, hitting a laidback groove that went way beyond ...

Strange batch of soul jazz tracks that features a number of different groups with players like Fuller, Waldron, Little, Donald Byrd, Bill Evans, Paul Chambers, Pepper Adams, and others -- all playing soul jazz tracks with lots of added percussion. The percussion takes the form (mostly) of booming ...

A very strange and unusual chapter in Chet's career -- an album that was recorded as a part of a marathon session that Chet did under the guidance of his 60s manager -- issued across other records that include Groovin, Smokin, and Comin On -- all of which were leased to Prestige, but have kind of ...