A killer bit of New Jersey soul from the 70s – and one of our favorite Moments tracks ever! Harry Ray steps out as the lead of the group on this one – but is still supported by some great Moments harmonies at times. But the real appeal of the track is the amazing arrangement – which starts out with echoey piano over a funky beat – then keeps this snapping Sylvia-like groove that runs throughout! 7-inch, Vinyl record

One of the grooviest records ever cut by Brit easy maestro Harry Roche – and a set that's got plenty of sweet 70s touches in the mix, at a level that really opens things up in a great way! The set's got some key Fender Rhodes from Alaln Branscombe, who has a very unique touch on the instrument – and in addition to Harry's own work on valve trombone, the record also features Ray Swinfield on flute, Chris Pyne on trombone, and Roy Wilcox on soprano and alto sax. There's plenty of other jazz players in the mix too, grooving to sweet arrangements from David Lindup, Derek Cox, Pete Moore, and others – on titles that include "Superwoman", "Pinball Wizard", "Good Morning Heartache", "Lay Lady Lay", "Ludmilla's Theme", "That's Living", and the 10 minute title track, "Spiral" – a mighty nice number! LP, Vinyl record album

Features Harry Skoler on clarinet, Ed Saindon on vibes and piano, Matt Marvuglio on flute, Barry Smith on bass, and Bob Tamagni on drums. CD

Recorded At Sunnie Sutton's Rocky Mountain Jazz Party. CD

Ben & Sweets finds tenor Webster and trumpeter Edison in wonderful form – both veterans complementing the other brilliantly – with a crack group that includes Hank Jones on piano, George Duvivier on bass and Clarence Johnson on drums. The overall groove is very melodic, but it's still got plenty of kick underneath! Titles include "Better Go", "How Long Has This Been Going On?", "Kitty", "My Romance" and "Did You Call Her Today" and George & Ira Gerswin's "Embraceable You". CD

Ben & Sweets finds tenor Webster & trumpeter Edison in wonderful form – both veterans complementing the other brilliantly – with a crack group that includes Hank Jones on piano, George Duvivier on bass and Clarence Johnson on drums. The overall groove is very melodic, but it's still got plenty of kick underneath! Titles include "Better Go", "How Long Has This Been Going On?", "Kitty", "My Romance" and "Did You Call Her Today" and George & Ira Gerswin's "Embraceable You". LP, Vinyl record album

A gem of a record from this pair of Basie-ites – one that allows Joe Williams to hit some different modes than on his fuller records with the Count – set up here in a nicely relaxed groove with trumpeter Harry Sweets Edison! Arrangements are by Ernie Wilkins, but are more laidback than some of his fuller charts – and we love hearing Joe at a level when he doesn't have to punch it out of the park, and can just fall back in a sweet groove alongside Harry's trumpet, which then often gets a spot to solo on the tune. Charles Thompson plays piano – again with a style that's more easygoing than Basie – and titles include "Out Of Nowhere", "Together", "Winter Weather", "By The River Saint Marie", "Alone Together", "Deep Purple", and "Lover Come Back To Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Danish recording with John Darville's Quartet featuring Kenny Drew on piano, Hugo Rasmussen on bass, Svend Erik Norregard on drums, and John Darville on trombone. LP, Vinyl record album

One of Nilsson's best ever albums – with a more streamlined overall sound than some of his wildly eclectic earlier LPs – really putting a tight focus on both his vocal and songwriting genius! There's an easygoing charm to the album that's pretty much unrivaled in his catalog (and highlighted by the early morning cover photo) – backed by guitars, keys, and in some spots horns – with loads delicate moments and oddball humor. Pure greatness! Titles include "Gotta Get Up", "Driving Along", "Early In The Morning", "The Moonbeam Song", "Down", "Without You", "Coconut", "Let The Good Times Roll", "Jump Into The Fire" and "I'll Never Leave You". CD

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Ben & Sweets finds tenor Webster & trumpeter Edison in wonderful form – both veterans complementing the other brilliantly – with a crack group that includes Hank Jones on piano, George Duvivier on bass and Clarence Johnson on drums. The overall groove is very melodic, but it's still got plenty of kick underneath! Titles include "Better Go", "How Long Has This Been Going On?", "Kitty", "My Romance" and "Did You Call Her Today" and George & Ira Gerswin's "Embraceable You". LP, Vinyl record album

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Harry Allen plays tenor with the Bill Charlap trio! CD

With Joel Forbes on bass and Chuck Riggs on drums. CD

Harry Belafonte gets a bit of bigger backing here – thanks to great arrangements by Ralph Hunter – but the sound is still mighty nice! Titles include "Jump In Line", "Kingston Market", "Monkey", "Goin Down Jordan", and "Angelina". LP, Vinyl record album

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A spiritual jazz classic – one of the rarest albums of its type from the 70s! This legendary session was recorded by Roy Ayers' keyboardist Harry Whitaker – working here as the leader of the Black Renaissance group, a one-shot ensemble that featured Woody Shaw on trumpet, Azar Lawrence on saxes, Buster Williams on bass, and Mtume on percussion. The session was cut in New York in 1976, but only issued on a rare album that came out briefly in Japan. Yet somehow, the quality of the work and the depth of soulfulness have created a strong aura about the session – making it an oft-cited influence by a generation of DJs and soul jazz listeners. The album only features 2 long tracks – both of them strong ensemble numbers that build modally searching grooves in a Strata East-like style, peppered with voices, both sung and spoken, in a hip, socially conscious mode. Both tracks – "Black Renaissance" and "Magic Ritual" are excellent, on a par with the best 70s spiritual soul jazz! CD

Rare work as a leader from baritone saxophonist Harry Carney – working here in a swinging smaller group of players from the larger Ellington ensemble – including Paul Gonsalves on tenor, Willie Cook and Ray Nance on trumpets, Booty Wood on trombone, and Rollins Griffith on piano. The set's got a very different feel than the usual Ellingtonian outing like this – as it features songs and arrangements from Kenny Graham – the inventive British leader of the 50s who really knew how to work some fresh sounds from players like these. There's definitely a London modern vibe going on – and tracks include "Mabulala", "Five O'Clock Drag", "Tree Of Hope", "Blues For Blokes", "Baby Blue", and "Rock Me Gently". LP, Vinyl record album

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Easy-going Verve swing at its best – the kind of small group session that let a player like Harry "Sweets" Edison shine in a way that he didn't always get to do in a larger group! For this set, Edison's joined by Ben Webster on tenor sax, Barney Kessel on guitar, Jimmy Rowles on piano, Alvin Stoller on drums and Joe Mondragon on bass – in a format that features tunes that are a bit shorter than on some of the other Verve swing sides of the time, but still very much with a relaxed and open-ended feel. Titles include several Edison originals – including "Hollering At The Watkins", "Used To Be Basie", "Studio Call", "Opus 711", "K.M. Blues", and "Walkin With Sweets". CD

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A nice change in sound for Debbie Harry – thanks to Chic production from Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards – who really help the solo singer find a groove that's quite different than her work in Blondie! The style's a mixture of the funky club that Chic did so well, with elements that lean a bit more towards an early 80s rockish dancefloor – almost with a vibe that echoes some of the UK imports trickling over to these shores at the time, but with a definite New York vibe underneath! The setting gives Harry's vocals a great way to hit a more playful nature – that sound that was creeping in a bit in Blondie, but which some folks thought was wrong for the group – and Chris Stein is still on hand to bring in some street-sensitive riffing guitar. Titles include "Backfired", "Military Rap", "Oasis", "Surrender", "Chrome", "Jump Jump", and "The Jam Was Moving". LP, Vinyl record album

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A really great way to listen to the music of Harry Nilsson – as the all-singles set is not only a career-spanning collection of his work for RCA, it also includes a lot of very cool tracks that were b-sides, which stand nicely here next to the classics! The genius of Nilsson knows no bounds – and the package shows a great evolution over the decade of recordings that feature in the 63 track collection – from Nilsson's earlier role as a quirky pop singer, to that point when his persona rose strongly in the public eye, and also really helped transform the way he put over a tune! The package features loads of gems that were not on the full length albums of the time – and titles include "Yellow Man", "Waiting", "Freckles", "Buy My Album", "Are You Sleeping", "Without You", "Jump Into The Fire", "Turn On Your Radio", "Makin Whoopee", "Remember Christmas", "The Lottery Song", "Ain't It Kinda Wonderful", "Don't Forget Me", "Mucho Mungo/Mt Elga", "Something True", "Kojak Columbo", and "As Time Goes By". CD

Brilliant stuff – and exactly the place to start with Harry Nilsson! Long before his style had become cliched – or before it was copied by too many others – Nilsson cut this mad album of wonderful little songs – sort of a cross between folksy singer-songwriter work, and more baroque-oriented styles, like those of Scott Walker – and like Walker, in a really unique space of its own! The key element here is whimsy – and Nilsson let arranger George Tipton take him all over the map, from the somber tone of his classic "Without Her", to the spacious joy of "River Deep Mountain High", to the silliness of "1941", and the sad beauty of "She's Leaving Home". Great stuff all around – with a sound that's impossible to pinpoint, but which is perfect all the way through! LP, Vinyl record album

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Written by Harry Nilsson, arranged and conducted by Van Dyke Parks. LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Daybreak", "The Count's Vulnerability", "Frankenstein Merlin & The Operation", "Jump Into The Fire", and "The End". With help from Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Peter Frampton, Bobby Keys, and more! LP, Vinyl record album

The one and only full LP ever recorded by Harry Taussig – blending folk & blues based solo guitar traditions with his unique style – on this great, private press rarity from 1965, dug up by the folk & roots heroes at Tompkins Square! It's really fine stuff, which should appeal to folks who dig the Fahey & Basho style of primitive guitar, but Taussig brings his own flavor to the pot. The tunes have a bit more rag in them, and a real love of lonely blues guitar, and his playing the right kind of ragged to our ears, giving it a natural and truthful resonance that cuts deeper to our souls than players who go for perfection or prettiness. Very highly recommended! Tracks include Taussig's adaptation of "Baby Let Me Lay It On You/That'll Never Happen No More" by Reverend Gary Davis, plus "Blues For Zone VII", "Rev's Rag", "Sugar Babe, YOur Papa Cares For You", "Rondo To Death", "Dorian Sonata", "Fate Is Only Once" and more. CD

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A great little Verve session from the late 50s – recorded in a very relaxed mode, with plenty of solo room for all the players. The tracks are all pretty extended – and include "Salute To Benny", "They Can't Take That Away From Me", "Romping", and "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone". Young's tone is worth the price of the set alone! CD

An excellent set of 50s west coast chamber jazz – featuring a quintet that includes Harry Babasin on cello, Terry Gibbs on vibes, Demsey Wright on guitar, Ben Tucker on bass, and Bill Douglass on drums. The pairing of cello and vibes in the frontline is really great – and with additional support from guitar, the instruments really swing nicely on the set. The album's the sort that you might miss, because the Premier label was sort of a budget operation – but it's a really nice little side that grooves with a keen late 50s approach that's very much in the manner of similar albums on Dawn or Bethlehem – but arguably better, as it's recorded with an open feel, and some really great sound. Titles include "Hoppy", "De Ge", "On Bear Hill", "Pee Wee", and "Wingo". LP, Vinyl record album

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Harry "Sweets" Edison on trumpet, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis on tenor, Count Basie or Dolo Coker on piano, John Heard on bass, and Jimmie Smith on drums. CD

Features Harry Edison on trumpet, Buddy Tate on tenor and clarinet, Frank Wess on tenor and flute, Hugh Lawson on piano, and Ray Drummond and Bobby Durham on drums. Tracks include "Centerpiece", "S'Wonderful", "Bags Groove", and "Blue Creek". CD

Harry "Sweets" Edison on trumpet, Frank Wess on tenor saxophone, Clark Terry on flugelhorn and trumpet, Junior Mance on piano, Marcus McLaurine on bass, and Dave Gibson on drums. CD

A rare 1953 performance by Harry Sweets Edison – presented here in the original by Pacific Jazz on a 10" LP – a real departure from some of Edison's other work of the time! The material was all recorded live at The Haig nightclub – and the 4 tunes feature Edison blowing open and easy with backing from a trio led by pianist Arnold Ross. Titles include "September In The Rain", "Pennies From Heaven", "These Foolish Things", and "Indiana". LP, Vinyl record album

The tenor of Eddie Lockjaw Davis makes an especially nice match for the trumpet of Harry Edison – two very different voices, coming together here with the unusual trio of Hugh Lawson on piano, Ike Isaac on bass, and Clarence Johnston on drums. Tracks include three Edison originals "Oo-ee!", "Jawbreakers", and "Moolah". The album also contains Miles Davis' "Four" and "Broadway", "A Gal In Calico", "I've Got A Crush On You", and "Close Your Eyes". CD

The sweet and the raw – the trumpet of Harry Sweets Edison and the tenor of Eddie Lockjaw Davis – brought together here in a standout small group session for Pablo! The set's got an unusual element in that it features some electric bass from Harvey Newmark – who plays in an otherwise acoustic setting, but gives the tunes maybe this light little bounce – a hint of funk at times, with a rolling element that makes the whole thing a bit different than just a rehash of the old days. Also noteworthy is pianist Dolo Coker, who plays mostly acoustic piano – with that pointed tone that was always such a unique approach – and who also handles a bit of Fender Rhodes, but in a completely different way. Even when Newmark's playing acoustic bass, he's still got a great round tone that really drives the set – and the group's completed by the excellent Jimmie Smith on drums. Titles include "Simply Sweets", "Feelings", "Opus Funk", "Lax", "Miz Kitty's Blues", and "One For The Count". CD

The sweet and the raw – the trumpet of Harry Sweets Edison and the tenor of Eddie Lockjaw Davis – brought together here in a standout small group session for Pablo! The set's got an unusual element in that it features some electric bass from Harvey Newmark – who plays in an otherwise acoustic setting, but gives the tunes maybe this light little bounce – a hint of funk at times, with a rolling element that makes the whole thing a bit different than just a rehash of the old days. Also noteworthy is pianist Dolo Coker, who plays mostly acoustic piano – with that pointed tone that was always such a unique approach – and who also handles a bit of Fender Rhodes, but in a completely different way. Even when Newmark's playing acoustic bass, he's still got a great round tone that really drives the set – and the group's completed by the excellent Jimmie Smith on drums. Titles include "Simply Sweets", "Feelings", "Opus Funk", "Lax", "Miz Kitty's Blues", and "One For The Count". LP, Vinyl record album

Short instrumentals from drummer Harry James – produced in a way that often has a slight hip hop influence at times, but mostly in the way the other instruments are layered into the mix! Harry's drums are often live, and nicely crackling – and there's some great use of piano on the record – often acoustic, but produced with some cool effects that give it a nice wash of color, mixed with contributions from other guests like Keefe Jackson, Rob Frye, and Gerald Bailey. The tunes are short, nicely melodic, and with this crispy blend of drumbeats and sentiment. Titles include "Shaving Ahab", "Tumbleweed", "Mickey's Mantle", "Bucket Boy", "Dragon Juice", "Twenty Five Brookside", and "Crusher Of Babylon". LP, Vinyl record album

Hard swinging big band material from Sweden – a great little set that features the big band of Harry Arnold arranged by Quincy Jones! Quincy was spending a lot of time in Sweden during the mid 50s – bringing with him a host of great players that would soon become big names on the European scene – the biggest of whom was Benny Bailey, who plays some good solos here with a mostly-Swedish group that includes Arne Domnerus, Bengt Hallberg, Ake Persson, and Bengt-Arne Wallin. The style of the work, and its trans-Atlantic jazz orientation, is a direct precursor of later work by the Clarke-Boland Big Band – of whom Bailey was a big part – and the titles all swing nicely, with plenty of room for breakout solos! Titles include "The Midnight Sun Never Sets", "Doodlin", "Room 608", "Quincy's Home Again", "Brief Encounter", and "Meet Benny Bailey". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent! One of the more underrated producers, perhaps because he wasn't as prolific as some of the others in Jamaica, Harry Mudie produced a body of fine rhythms nonetheless, laced with sweet strings and beautiful melodies over heavy drum & bass workouts. He turns them over to King Tubby here, for this spacious dub set, with fat, round bass, crisp drums and just enough echoey fun to keep things interesting. This mighty set includes an awesome dub take on Mudie's version of Idris Muhammed's sought after sample track "Loran's Dance", done here as "Heavy Duty Dub". Also includes "Full Dose Of Dub", "Madhouse Dub", "Dub For The Dread", "Dub With A Difference", "Caught You Dubbing", "Roman Dubbing", "Dub Conference", "Strip Tease Dub" and "String Dub In Rema", 10 tracks in all. LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful early album by one of the great oddball songwriters of the last forty years! The Harry album is certainly the bridge between Nilsson's two previous wildly bombastic LPs, and the slightly more subdued material that popped up on the Schmilsson and later records. Harry runs the gamut from the cute and gentle "The Puppy Song" and "Mournin' Glory Song", to the more gonzo stuff. Other tracks include "Mother Nature's Son", "Fairfax Rag", the excellent break track "Rainmaker" and "I Guess The Lord Must Be In New York City". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Nilsson's best ever albums – with a more streamlined overall sound than some of his wildly eclectic earlier LPs – really putting a tight focus on both his vocal and songwriting genius! There's an easygoing charm to the album that's pretty much unrivaled in his catalog (and highlighted by the early morning cover photo) – backed by guitars, keys, and in some spots horns – with loads delicate moments and oddball humor. Pure greatness! Titles include "Gotta Get Up", "Driving Along", "Early In The Morning", "The Moonbeam Song", "Down", "Without You", "Coconut", "Let The Good Times Roll", "Jump Into The Fire" and "I'll Never Leave You". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful stuff – Nilsson's soundtrack for one of the strangest movies of the 60s – a mad film directed by Otto Preminger, and featuring a cast of characters that included Jackie Gleason, Frank Gorshin, Peter Lawford, Cesar Romero, and Groucho Marx as God! The sounds are a weird hippy dippy soundtrack style – but also drenched in Nilsson's wry wit, which keeps them from being too silly, a good thing, if you've seen the movie! The highlight of the album is the incredible "The Cast & Crew" – a number that rolled at the beginning of the film, in which Nilsson sings the name of everyone associated with the production – including the lighting guys and electrician! Other tracks include "Green Bay Packers March", "Angie's Suite", "The Tree", and "Garbage Can Ballet". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the wilder sets from Nillsson – careening from lovely piano pop with romantic vocals, to spaced out, good humored potty mouth excess – near honky tonk, to fuzzy pop rock – if you like Nilsson at his most unhinged, this is a great one! It's a stunner, actually – with somehow good-natured rageful tunes to sweeter odes to the ladies, it's Nilsson through and through. Titles include "Take 54", "Turn On Your Radio", "Spaceman", "The Lottery Song", "Ambush", "I'd Rather Be Dead", "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Unreleased genius from British altoist Mike Osborne – and a set that easily matches his classic albums of the 70s! The double-length set was recorded live in the mid 70s, and is issued here for the first time – a wonderfully tight trio outing that features Osborne's alto alongside the bass of Harry Miller and drums of Tony Levin – in a mode that's decidedly Coltrane-influenced, and which has a searching, spiritual quality that's even deeper than most other British work of the time! We've never heard Osborne play with so much feeling, and Miller's basswork is wonderful too – really underscoring the sound with a full, rich quality that grounds the whole proceedings nicely – a soaring, majestic energy that's a far cry from some of the unstructured freedom from other Brit groups of the same stretch. Tremendous throughout – and with cuts that include "One For George", "Alfie", "Almost Home Kathy", "More Mike", "Ossie's Opener", "Awakening Spirit", and "Cousin Mary". CD

Oscar Peterson and Harry Edison – two giants from the Verve Records scene of the 50s, reunited here in a wonderfully stripped-down setting! The album features only Oscar's piano and Edison's trumpet – both instruments given plenty of room to open up and improvise freely in each other's company – inflecting a set of standards and familiar jazz tunes with rich new colors and hues – almost as if we're dropping in on a personal conversation between the pair! The set features a great reading of "Days Of Wine & Roses" – almost more optimistic than most – and other tunes include "You Go To My Head", "The Man I Love", "Mean To Me", "Signify", and "Basie". CD

Oscar Peterson and Harry Edison – two giants from the Verve Records scene of the 50s, reunited here in a wonderfully stripped-down setting! The album features only Oscar's piano and Edison's trumpet – both instruments given plenty of room to open up and improvise freely in each other's company – inflecting a set of standards and familiar jazz tunes with rich new colors and hues – almost as if we're dropping in on a personal conversation between the pair! The set features a great reading of "Days Of Wine & Roses" – almost more optimistic than most – and other tunes include "You Go To My Head", "The Man I Love", "Mean To Me", "Signify", and "Basie". LP, Vinyl record album

With Kenny Barron on piano. CD

The excellent follow up to folk guitar great Harry Taussig's Fate Is Only Once album – appropriately titled Fate Is Only Twice – and it's only been 47 years since Fate struck for the first time! Fate Is Only Once was a mid 60s private press rarity, thankfully reissued by the obscure folk heroes at Tompkins Square – so it's fitting that Tompkins Square would see this worthy contemporary sequel into release. It's got a similarly brilliant mix of meditative, unfussy, but incredibly accomplished acoustic folk and blues instrumentals. A solo guitar stunner! Includes "Rondo In D – On Southern Tmemes", "Children's Dance", "Der Dritte Man Fantasia", "Living In The City", "In The Corner Of The Circle", "Perpetuum Mobile Revisited", "Azure", "Fate Is Only Twice" and more. CD

Forget the stupid joke of the title – as the record's a fantastic bit of west coast jazz from the 50s – right up there with some of the best Pacific Jazz sides of the decade! The approach is great – slightly larger arrangements – handled by Johnny Mandel, Cy Touff, and Richie Kamuca – nicely off-kilter, in the vein of some of Shorty Rogers work from the early 50s. As with those recordings, there's some standout solo moments – in a great lineup that features Kamuca on tenor, Cy Touff on bass trumpet, Harry Edison on standard trumpet, Pete Jolly on piano, and Leroy Vinnegar on bass. Titles include "Prez-ence", "Primative Cats", "TNT", and "It's Sand Man". LP, Vinyl record album

Three albums from this great reedman! Gibraltar features a killer Dutch duo from the end of the 70s – tenorist Harry Verbeke, who's got a bold, clear sound – and pianist Rob Agerbeek, who's been making soulful sides from the 60s onwards! The pair get great accompaniment here from drummer Billy Higgins and bassist Herbie Lewis – the last of whom may be at his best here – with these well-placed, well-rounded lines that help the record groove right from the start – and which give the record a nice bounce, even in gentler moments – followed up strongly by Agerbeek and his strong sense of chord progressions. Most tunes are familiar, but get nice readings by the group – and titles include "Gibraltar, "Holy Land", "Soul Sister", "No Me Esqueca", and "No Problem". It's You Or No One is a gem, as Harry Verbeke's a tenor player we grow to love more and more over the years – especially as we discover more of his obscure Dutch recordings like this album from the 70s! Verbeke's a tenorist who's completely fully-formed and strong-voiced right from the very first note – maybe indicated by his choice of a Barney Wilen tune to lead off the set – as, like Wilen, Harry's one of these great under-discovered European talents who really helped move his instrument forward, but away from recognition on our side of the Atlantic. The rest of the group is top-shelf too – the great Irv Rochlin on piano, Harry Emmery on bass, and Max Bollerman on drums – on titles that include "Blue Bossa", "Prelude In Blue", "Mariette", "Sugar", and "Chelsea Bridge". As for Harry Verbeke Plays Romantic Ballads, the title's no lie, but it can't even begin to get at the very special sound of the record – as there's a lot more going on here than just a saxophonist taking on American standards! Harry Verbeke's got this sense of tone and phrasing that are very much his own – a quality that we love on his harder-swinging records from the 70s, but which opens up with even more individuality here – a raspy sort of charm that's hard to describe in words, but which makes the album very different than so many other tenor outings of this type. Another strong element is the use of organ instead of piano – an instrument played here by Carlo De Wijs, who mostly shades in things under Harry's lead, rather than try to challenge him to a sonic battle – as the core get gentle support from Hein Van De Geyn on bass and Arnoud Gerritse on drums. Titles include "Stella By Starlight", "A Child Is Born", "Chelsea Bridge", "Spring Fever", and "Everything Happens To Me". CD

A classic Verve pairing of two of its greatest soloists – both recorded here in a laidback, easily-swinging session that allows both players to shine equally! Young's tenor is always a welcome addition to any set of this nature, and Edison's playing here in a gentler, relaxed mode that's a wonderful fit to the easygoing groove laid down by the rhythm section of Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, and Buddy Rich. Titles include "Mean To Me", "That's All", "She's Funny That Way", and "Red Boy Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Harry Allen and Scott Hamilton on tenor – with Rossano Sportiello on piano, Joel Forbes on bass, and Chuck Riggs on drums. CD

Genius work from trumpeter Harry Beckett – the kind of easygoing electric work that he seemed to do better than anyone else on the British scene of the early 70s! The record's got a laidback approach that's really unique – one that pits Beckett's trumpet against guitar by Ray Russell, keyboards from Brian Miller, and additional bass, drums, and congas – the last of which are used to underscore the sound nicely. The sound shows almost no influence from the electric trumpet jazz of Miles Davis, Donald Byrd, or Freddie Hubbard – and is instead uniquely Beckett's own bag – almost always slightly funky or grooving, but never too much so – and neither too out nor too jamming, with a lanquid quality that's totally great. Titles include "No Time For Hello", "Bracelets Of Sound", "Rings Within Rings", and "Not Just Tomorrow". CD

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Hard to believe this is the fifth project together between Curren$y and Harry Fraud – and definitely a standalone project, despite what you might guess from the title! The album was originally supposed to be a deluxe take on Outrunners, but the duo are so quickly collaborative, they ended up creating a whole new work in the process – often with the kind of cool crispness of the previous record, but with fresh material throughout – and guest appearances from Snoop Dogg, Trippie Redd, Styles P, and Larry Lune. Titles include "White Ashes", "Work Too Hard", "Vintage Haze", "180 Days", "Quicksand", "Kitt", "New On Mute", and "The Crow's Nest". LP, Vinyl record album

With Jerome Richardson on saxophone, Gerald Wiggins on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Larry Bunker on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes 49 tracks on 2 CDs. CD

Harry James a long way from the swing years – and sounding pretty darn great overall! First up is the album Today – a hip 1960 swinger that features the trumpet of Harry James in front of some tight arrangements from Ernie Wilkins and Bob Florence, both talents who know how to update an older band sound strongly – with a leaner, cleaner groove than James ever got in the old days! Harry's solos are strong and bright, and he also gets some help from players who include Willie Smith on alto sax, Jack Perciful on piano, and Ray Sims on trombone. Titles include "Undecided", "End Of Town Blues", "King Porter Stomp", "Ensemble", "Jersey Bounce", and "Lester Leaps In". On Harry James Plays Neal Hefti, Hefti does a great job of updating Harry's older swing style – and the backings here have a solid 60s bounce that's a lot groovier than you ever might have expected from a James record a few decades back! There's a great sense of dynamism in the rhythms here – clearly the same groove that Hefti brought to Basie, but tilted slightly different here – with enough room for James to take the lead on his solos. Titles include "The Creeper", "Mister Johnson", "Tweet Tweet", "Koo Koo", "Rainbow Kiss", and "Hot Pink".. CD

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A big, lush and moody set of standards by the great Harry Nilsson – with Harry's charismatic, unrivaled vocals in peak form – and add just a little touch of the oddball touches he was most famous for to that point! At this point in the early 70s, probably the least hip thing a singer could do would be to hire a a grand pop composer and an orchestra to record a set of standards, but ever the vocal trailblazer, that's what Harry did and it works magically. Gordon Jenkins conducted, and titles include Nilsson's takes on "Lazy Moon", "For Me And My Gal", "It Had To Be You", "This Is All I Ask", "As Time Goes By" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

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... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

A great split set – with some excellent early 60s Columbia material! Ben & Sweets finds tenor Webster & trumpeter Edison in wonderful form – both veterans complementing the other brilliantly – with a crack group that includes Hank Jones on piano, George Duvivier on bass and Clarence Johnson on drums. The overall groove is very melodic, but it's still got plenty of kick underneath! Titles include "Better Go", "How Long Has This Been Going On?", "Kitty", "My Romance" and "Did You Call Her Today" and George & Ira Gerswin's "Embraceable You". Next is the even better album Back In Bean's Bag – a strong full-bodied session with totally solid playing, and a stone cold hardbop groove that you'd never expect from either Coleman Hawkins or Clark Terry. This could be because Dave Bailey's holding down the drum chores, and the record sounds a bit like his great recordings from the early 60's on Epic or Jazztime. There's a fantastic cut called "Tune For The Tutor", which was written by Pat Patrick, and which really grooves. Other nice ones include "Feedin' The Bean" and "Squeeze Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful stuff! Ben Webster blows soulful late night ballads over strings – a perfect combination, and a wonderful idea that was first executed on two LPs in the 50s: Music For Loving and Music With Feeling, both of which are reissued here with some extra unreleased material! Backings are by Ralph Burns and Billy Strayhorn – both of whom can be trusted to keep things hip, using the strings to create mood, emotion, and tension, instead of a pillow to smother the sound of Webster's incredible tenor work. Added to those two albums and bonus cuts is the even rarer Harry Carney with Strings session, recorded in the same era, and a perfect addition to the package that makes for over 3 LPs worth of material on 2 CDs, all packaged with great notes and some very cool Verve artwork! Titles include "Chelsea Bridge", "Some Other Spring", "Blue Moon", "Early Autumn", "My Fantasy", "Love Is Here To Stay", "Under A Blanket Of Blue", "You're Mine You", "Love's Away", and "All Too Soon". CD

A classic Verve pairing of two of its greatest soloists – both recorded here in a laidback, easily-swinging session that allows both players to shine equally! Young's tenor is always a welcome addition to any set of this nature, and Edison's playing here in a gentler, relaxed mode that's a wonderful fit to the easygoing groove laid down by the rhythm section of Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, and Buddy Rich. Titles include "Mean To Me", "That's All", "She's Funny That Way", and "Red Boy Blues". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Nice one! Clint Eastwood will forever be remembered for his groundbreaking tough guy work in the Dirty Harry films – but equally famous are Lalo Schifrin's funky soundtracks for the movies! The work is some of Schifrin's best – a mix of the jazzy style he created in the late 60s, and a funkier 70s cop theme edge that was sort of the white answer to blaxploitation scoring that was happening at the same time. Titles include "Dirty Harry's Creed", "Scorpio", "This Side Of Forever", "Unicorn's Head", "Alcatraz Encounter" and "Rooftop Chase". LP, Vinyl record album

A great album from the glory days of soundtrack maestro Roy Budd – a set that features his own work on the keys backed by a larger group – with tracks from The Carey Treatment, Kidnapped, and Something To Hide – plus other surprises too! LP, Vinyl record album