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A rare gem by singer Jackie Paris – an underrecorded LA singer from the 50s and 60s, with a sound and style that's somewhere between early Mark Murphy and later Bobby Troup! Paris has less of the vocalese approach of some of his contemporaries – and is also lacking the heavy vocal style of singers like Johnny Hartman or Billy Eckstine – which means that he's got a bright, to the point approach that's rare for singers of his generation. Arrangements on the set are by Bobby Scott – who does a good job of shifting between jazzy and moody to fit the range of the material – and titles include "Jenny", "My Very Good Friend In The Looking Glass", "Nobody Loses All The Time", "Duke's Place", "Thad's Blues", and "Cinderella". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge moment in British soul – the debut album from Mica Paris, and a set that broke almost as big on our side of the Atlantic as it did in the UK! Mica's got a wonderful vocal style here – a bit cooler and classier than some of her contemporaries – maybe even in the territory of Sade at times, at least in the way she can deliver a lyric with understated grace and plenty of warmth! The approach is fantastic – completely charming from the get-go, and a really nice change a time when some of the more mainstream soul was sounding a bit tinnier and overproduced. There's a richness to the record that still holds up strongly over the years – thanks in part to the work of songwriters Mick Leeson and Peter Vale – on titles that include "Like Dreamers Do", "Great Impersonation", "Where Is The Love", "So Good", "Don't Give Me Up", "Nothing Hits Your Heart Like Soul Music", and "My One Temptation". CD

Breathily beautiful work from singer Priscilla Paris – an unusual take on the music of Billie Holiday, done with a relatively sweet feel overall! Paris is definitely trying for Holiday's tone at times – but her sound is always a bit warmer and airier – almost as if Claudine Longet were doing a tribute to Billie, with a spacious late 60s feel that's almost A&M at times! Backings are by Sid Feller and Don Peake, and players on the date include Jimmy Rowles on piano, Jim Crutcher on bass, John Guerin on drums, and Peake on guitar – plus a bit of added strings. Titles include "In My Solitude", "Girls Were Made To Take Care Of Boys", "Just Friends", "I Love You Porgy", and "My Man". LP, Vinyl record album

Cooking is right! You might imagine by the mid 80s, these jazz greats were past their prime, but this set has Woody Shaw, Dizzy Reece & Johnny Griffin blowin' hard in a front line that also features Slide Hampton & Nathan Davis, all important American players who made their mark in the Paris scene of the 60s and 70s – hence the name – and they're brought together here for a festival tribute to Kenny Clarke, who was supposed to join them on the date. These studio sides were cut shortly thereafter and find the group working in a mode that recreates the unbridled creativity they had during their years in Paris – the groove is open-ended, in a soul bop mode that recalls the best work of Shaw, Hampton, and Davis from the 70s. . Includes "Klook's Theme", 'the Burner" & "Callitwatchawanna". LP, Vinyl record album

The second set from this wonderful Kenny Clarke tribute group – a combo with a stunning lineup that includes Woody Shaw and Nat Adderley on trumpets, Joe Henderson and Nathan Davis on tenors, Grachan Moncur on trombone, Kenny Drew on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Idris Muhammad on drums! The tunes are mostly originals by the group members, done in the boppish mode of Clarke's classic years –but which also feature many of the soul jazz inflections of the players involved – on titles that include "For Klook" "Work Song", "The Man From Potter's Crossing", "Locksley", and "Jamaican Hot Nights". CD

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With Lee and Sally Sweetland. 78 RPM, Vinyl record

Great backing by a trio with Carlos Franzetti on piano, Marc Johnson on bass, and Joe LaBarbera on drums! CD

A huge moment in British soul – the debut album from Mica Paris, and a set that broke almost as big on our side of the Atlantic as it did in the UK! Mica's got a wonderful vocal style here – a bit cooler and classier than some of her contemporaries – maybe even in the territory of Sade at times, at least in the way she can deliver a lyric with understated grace and plenty of warmth! The approach is fantastic – completely charming from the get-go, and a really nice change a time when some of the more mainstream soul was sounding a bit tinnier and overproduced. There's a richness to the record that still holds up strongly over the years – thanks in part to the work of songwriters Mick Leeson and Peter Vale – on titles that include "Like Dreamers Do", "Great Impersonation", "Where Is The Love", "So Good", "Don't Give Me Up", "Nothing Hits Your Heart Like Soul Music", and "My One Temptation". This deluxe edition from Cherry Pop includes a second disc of bonus tracks – including "Into The City", "Rock Together", "Same Feeling", "Where Is The Love?", "Wickedn", "My One Temptation (Club Mix)" and more. 23 tracks on 2CDs! CD

Some of Paris' best material – righteous lyrics plus a non-lp b-side, "Lights, Camera, Revolution." 12-inch, Vinyl record

On Great Summit Duke joins the combo of Louis Armstrong on piano – a group that includes Trummy Young on trombone and Barney Bigard on clarinet! We've always loved Duke Ellington's soundtracks, and Paris Blues is one of his best! The score is a moody introspective one, written for a 1961 film that starred Paul Newman as a frustrated jazz musician living in Paris. The "Paris Blues" theme is a dark, somber composition that is supposedly Newman's masterpiece as a jazz writer – and it works beautifully with the film's themes of frustration and unfulfilled desire. Ellington's at his best here, and apart from the main theme, the score also has great versions of classics like "Mood Indigo" and "Take The A Train", plus originals like "Nite", "Wild Man Moore", "Guitar Amour", and "Paris Stairs". Also features Louis Armstrong on one track! CD

Seminal work from the Art Ensemble of Chicago – recorded during their most creative period ever! The album was recorded live in October of 1969 – at a time when the group had pulled up roots and moved to France for a few years, bursting on the European scene with unique creativity that was not getting the recognition it deserved in their hometown of Chicago. The studio sets from this time are already the stuff of legend, and have thankfully made it back on reissue heavily the past few years – and this brilliant live set stands perfectly next to them – matching any of the LPs in the Great Black Music series on BYG/Actuel for sheer creative brilliance and soulful energy! Fontella Bass joins the group for a bit of vocals, and the 2CD set features 2 long tracks – "Bon Voyage" and "Oh Strange". CD

A record that definitely lives up to the sixth decade legacy noted in the title – as it takes work of the remaining members of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, and expands it with contributions from a number of musicians – both from Chicago and the global scene as well! The feel here is a mix of some of the larger concepts that Roscoe Mitchell has been working on of late, and some of the more organic expressions that the Art Ensemble helped encourage in the world of jazz – performed by a lineup that has Mitchell on sopranino and alto, and Don Moye on drums and percussion – joined by a huge lineup that includes Junius Paul on bass, Tomeka Reid on cello, Nicole Mitchell on flutes, Hugh Ragin on trumpet, and a larger lineup of basses, piano, and percussion as well. Moor Mother delivers a spoken word passage, and Roco Cordova and Erina Newkirk sing a bit – on titles that include "Kumpa", "Bulawayo", "I Feel Like Dancing", "Jigiba", "Funky AECO", "Improvisation Two", "Ritual Great Black Music", "Cards", and "Leola". CD

A crucial European performance by Albert Ayler in the mid 60s – one that wasn't issued until many years after the recording, but which has become one of the sharpest pictures of his genius at the time! The vibe here is different than the Ayler albums for ESP – still very much in the same territory, but with this approach that's really reaching out with a deeply spiritual consciousness – an energy to embrace the whole history of jazz, both very old and very new – and re-form its entire ideology into a richly personal expression. Ayler's tremendous on tenor, but Don Ayler is often equally great on trumpet – and the unusual group features Michel Samson on violin, William Fowell on bass, and Beaver Harris on drums. Titles include really unique readings of "Bells", "Prophet", "Our Prayer/Spirits Rejoice", "Ghosts", "Truth Is Marching In", and "Spiritual Rebirth/Light In Darkness/Infinite Spirit". CD

A sweet little quartet session from the mid 50s – recorded in Paris, with backing by Gerard Gustin on piano, Jimmy Bond on bass, and Bert Dahlander on drums. Chet's playing in a simple open-ended style – working some lyrical magic on a series of standards that include "I'll Remember April", "Tenderly", "Lover Man", "Summertime", and "You Go To My Head". The album's as great as any of his US work of the time – and it's long overdue for reissue! CD

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Three full albums from this tremendous singer – all in a single set! Morning In Paris is very early work from South African singer Sathima Bea Benjamin – recorded in Paris in 1963, with backing by longtime partner Abdullah Ibrahim, plus additional piano and production by Duke Ellington! The album was cut around the same time as Ibrahim (Dollar Brand) did his famous Reprise album in Paris with Ellington – and it's got a similar mix of modern and moody styles – with Sathima singing in a mellower tone than we're used to from her later records, over extremely spare backing that often has the piano barely stepping in, and which also features some nice plucked violin work from Svend Asmussen – acting almost as the bass on a few tracks! Billy Strayhorn also sits in on this extremely unusual session – and titles include "The Man I Love", "Soon", "Lover Man", "I Should Care", "I Could Write A Book", and "Darn That Dream". Lovelight is always-great work from Sathima Bea Benjamin – one of the hippest jazz vocalists of the 80s, working here in a highly spiritual mode that sounds a lot more like records from many years past! There's a warmly gentle glow to the whole set – thanks to instrumentation from Larry Willis on piano, Buster Williams on bass, Billy Higgins on percussion, and Ricky Ford on tenor sax – all coming together in ways that are filled with unusual rhythms, odd turns of phrases, and just the right sort of unconventional accompaniment to fit the Africanist themes of Sathima's music at its best. A few numbers are more traditional, but even these have a nicely sensitive feel – and offer plenty of room for Willis to solo. Titles include "Winne Mandela Beloved Heroine", "African Songbird", "Gift Of Love – For Duke", "Music", and "You Are My Heart's Delight". Southern Touch is a set that's maybe a bit more of a straight jazz vocal record than some of Sathima Bea Benjamin's earlier material – but that might also be because the great Kenny Barron is part of the group on piano – supporting Sathima's great voice with the help of Buster Williams on bass and Billy Higgins on drums! Tunes are mostly standards, but it's great to hear them opened up with Benjamin's unique phrasing – that voice that was raised up on more righteous material in earlier years, and which still seems to bring some of that power to tunes that include "Street Of Dreams", "Lush Life", "One Alone", "I'm Glad There Is You", and "I've Heard That Song Before". CD

A legendary lineup of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers – heard here on an extended set of concert performances done in France at the start of the 60s! As on the Blue Note live albums by the group, there's a special sort of energy going on here that pushes past the already-great studio material – long solos, and a tremendous showcase for the talents of the key players in the group – the genius young trio of Lee Morgan on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor, and Bobby Timmons on piano – all at the height of their early powers! The group also features the great Jymie Merritt on bass next to Art's drums – and titles include nice long versions of "Noise In The Attic", "It's Only A Paper Moon", "Night In Tunisia", "So Tired", "Blues March", "Kozo's Waltz", "Close Your Eyes", "Lost & Found", "Dat Dere", and "Moanin" – plus "My Funny Valentine", "Round Midnight", "Yama", and "The Summit". CD

An excellent live set by the Jazz Messengers – recorded in Paris in 1958, but with a hard heavy groove that's right up there with their best Blue Note work. The group at this time – Blakey, Bobby Timmons, Lee Morgan, Benny Golson, and Jymie Merritt – plays hard, heavy, and straight ahead, with no other interference from outside players – and the track list is a batch of classic Jazz Messenger standards, stretched out a bit longer than usual, with plenty of solo space! Titles include "Moanin", "Justice", "Whisper Not", "Blues March", and "I Remember Clifford". CD

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The original version of Brel's music, presented to American audiences – with translations by Mort Shuman and Eric Blau – and performances by Shuman, Elly Stone, Shawn Elliott, and Alice Whitfield. CD

The film soundtrack version of this famous 60s musical, which was based around the sounds of Belgian singer Jacques Brel. The film version shares many similarities to the broadway one – translations by Eric Blau and Mort Shuman, vocals by Shuman and Elly Stone – but the overall sound is quite different, as the versions presented here are more subtle, less campy, possibly due to the freer range of expression allowed to the actors on a film soundstage. Plus, this version also includes a few of Brel's best songs that were left out of the original show – making for a total of 26 titles that include "The Bulls", "Sons Of", "The Desperate Ones", "Amsterdam", "The Statue", "Brussels", "Funeral Tango", "Bachelors Dance", "Carousel", and "Next". If you want Brel in English, this may well be the best way to get it – as nearly all other English language versions of his work (by Scott Walker, Marc Almond, and others) came from these translations. LP, Vinyl record album

One of Dee Dee Bridgewater's greatest jazz albums, and a very important record in her career – as it marked a shift back to straight jazz vocals, after years of working in a more R&B inflected mode. The album's recorded in Paris, where Dee Dee's spent an awful lot of time over the years, and you can feel that familiarity in the way she presents the material – easily slipping back into a jazz vocal mode, working before an appreciative audience without any thoughts of crossover popularity, hitting that proud, strong, and free style that's been carrying her well for a number of years now. Includes a great version of "All Blues", plus the tracks "On A Clear Day", "Here's That Rainy Day", "There Is No Greater Love", and "Misty". CD

A nice album compiling of some of the less-collected work by Clifford Brown – 1953 recordings done in Europe for the Metronome and Vogue labels, recorded with a great larger group. Sides feature Brown working with Quincy Jones, Gigi Gryce, Anthony Ortega, Juimmy Cleveland, and others alongside Parisian and European players that include Henri Renaud and Pierre Michelot. The set features 9 tracks in all – with a couple of multiple takes, and titles include "Brownskins", "Keeping Up With Jonesy", "Bum's Rush", "Chez Moi", "All Weird" and "No Start No End". CD

A nice album compiling of some of the less-collected work by Clifford Brown – 1953 recordings done in Europe for the Metronome and Vogue labels, recorded with a great larger group. Sides feature Brown working with Quincy Jones, Gigi Gryce, Anthony Ortega, Juimmy Cleveland, and others alongside Parisian and European players that include Henri Renaud and Pierre Michelot. The set features 9 tracks in all – with a couple of multiple takes, and titles include "Brownskins", "Keeping Up With Jonesy", "Bum's Rush", "Chez Moi", "All Weird" and "No Start No End". LP, Vinyl record album

Hard to get work by Clifford Brown – 1953 recordings originally done in Europe for the Vogue label! On the first record, Brown's working in front of a Parisian trio that features Henri Renaud, Pierre Michelot, and Benny Bennett. There's 11 tracks in all, including "I Can Dream, Can't I?", "The Song Is You", "You're A Lucky Guy" and "Come Rain Or Come Shine" plus "It Might As Well Be Spring" and "Blue & Brown". On record 2, Brown's working here with Gigi Gryce in a sextet that features Henri Renaud, Pierre Michelot, and Benny Bennett – plus some big band material too. LP, Vinyl record album

Hard to get work by Clifford Brown – 1953 recordings originally done in Europe for the Vogue label! Brown's working here in front of a Parisian trio that features Henri Renaud, Pierre Michelot, and Benny Bennett. There's 12 tracks in all, with multiple takes of "I Can Dream, Can't I?", "The Song Is You", "You're A Lucky Guy" and "Come Rain Or Come Shine" plus "It might As Well Be Spring" and "Blue & Brown". CD

Hard to get work by Clifford Brown – 1953 recordings originally done in Europe for the Vogue label! Brown's working here with Gigi Gryce in front of a Parisian quartet that features Henri Renaud, Pierre Michelot, and Benny Bennett. There's 12 tracks in all, including 2 takes each of "All The Things You Are", "Salute To The Bandbox", "Blue Concept" and "Minority", plus "Goofin With Me", "Strictly Romantic", "Baby" and "I Cover The Waterfront". CD

An amazing collection – especially since Clifford Brown died before giving the world that many key records – which makes these French sessions from 1953 a very important part of his catalog! The set captures Brownie at his modern best – really making the move past straighter bop, into sparkling chromatic territory – mostly with alto sax genius Gigi Gryce at his side! Gryce first chose Clifford Brown as his main foil in trumpet/alto arrangements – before having to move on to Art Farmer, and then later Donald Byrd – and the sessions here feature groups with either Brown or Gryce as the leader, plus a few quartet sessions with just Brown – with Henri Renaud on piano. CD

It's no secret that Don Byas made some of his best recordings in Europe, not America – and this tasty little set is great support of that fact! The set features numbers that Byas cut in Paris at the end of the 40s – working with a mixture of American and Parisian players that includes Billy Taylor, Bernard Peiffer, Bill Coleman, Peanuts Holland, Tyree Glenn, and Hubert Rostaing. Tracks are short, and Byas' sound on the tenor is sublime – right up there with the best Ben Webster work of the time! Titles include "The Mohawk Special", "Body & Soul", "Ain't Misbehavin", "Rosetta", "I'm Beginning To See The Light", and "Working Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album

Early in his career, Donald Byrd spent some time in Paris – where he not only got a chance to work in a whole new setting with some really great players, but he also got to record some fantastic sides that still stand as some of his best hardbop work! This rare album was originally issued on the French Brunswick label – and it features a quintet that includes Bobby Jaspar on tenor, Walter Davis Jr on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. The set was recorded live – and the tracks are all quite long – really giving the group ample room to stretch out on hard-blowing solos with a lot of soul. Titles include "Ray's Idea", "Flute Blues", "Paul's Pal", "Dear Old Stockholm", and "The Blues Walk". LP, Vinyl record album

Smoking live work from Can – a set that's very different than their studio work of the time, and which maybe gives an idea of how they came up with all the fantastic sounds on their famous albums! The set's really just one long freewheeling performance – driven by stunning instrumentation from Irmin Schmidt on keyboards, Holger Czukay on bass, Michael Karoli on guitar, and Jaki Liebezeit on his fantastic funky drums – all topped by lyrics from Damo Suzuki that really send the whole thing over the top – and maybe give structure to the jam at the core of the set. The double length package features five passages of music – all hard-driving genius! CD

A stunning lost set from Don Cherry – a live performance that marks his bold shift to global-inspired sounds in the 70s – served up here with a pair of musicians who are perfect for the project! The music is based on themes in Turkish music, and Cherry's trumpet interacts in all these amazing ways with the bass of Johnny Dyani and drums of Okay Temiz – both players who are very bold here, as is Cherry – without some of the looser, more laidback qualities of later projects of this nature – almost as if Don is bringing forward some of his bolder free jazz elements from the end of the 60s, while still dipping his foot into the world of global inspirations! The lean sound of the group is amazing – and Cherry also plays piano as well – on two long tracks that include "Okay's Tune" and "Dollar's Tune". LP, Vinyl record album

Don Cherry gave many wonderful musical performances on the European scene in the 70s, including this one – a gem of a record that was thought to be lost for years, and finally gets released to the world at large! The set's a live collaboration with electronic musician Jean Schwarz – whose contributions here are nicely subtle, and never challenge the acoustic energy of the session, but instead augment it in all these really cool, unique ways – very different than most improvised music with electronics at the time. Cherry plays pocket trumpet and some great doussn gouni – in the company of an equally fantastic lineup that features JF Jenny Clark on bass, Nana Vasconcelos on percussion, and Michel Portal on saxes, bass clarinet, and bandoneon. Given all the elements, there's some very unique sounds going on here – a really amazing record that includes the tracks "Bells One", "Doussn Gouni", "Tribute To Ornette", "Bando", and "Berimbau". CD

Drummer Kenny Clarke was one of the key American players to make the move overseas in the postwar years, which resulted in some excellent recordings from the late 50s onward – a trend that's continued here as Kenny plays with a number of key overseas musicians – including Maurice Vander on piano, Pierre Michelot on bass, Roger Guerin on trumpet, and Marc Fosset on guitar – on titles that also feature some tenor from Bob Garcia, and piano from Walter Davis Jr on one track too. LP, Vinyl record album

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Coltrane caught live in France in 1962 – working with the classic quartet of McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones. The set's surprisingly well recorded (although transferred here on the CD from vinyl, with a few flaws) – and features extended readings of classic Coltrane tunes from the Impulse years, done in the stretched-out searching style that we loved from his classic Village Vanguard sessions of the time! Includes a great take on "Naima", a two-part reading of "Blue Valse", a 10 minute version of "Afro Blue", and a nicely grooving version of "Impressions". CD

A wonderful live set, recorded in Paris in 1962 – and featuring the quartet with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones. The set features three long Coltrane standards – "Impressions", "Afro Blue", and "Naima" – all done in that beautiful spiralling modal style that the group used on their classic first set of recordings at the Village Vanguard. In fact, the set's a perfect complement to that material – which we feel is some of Coltrane's strongest. LP, Vinyl record album

A great addition to the live material the John Coltrane Quartet recorded for Impulse Records in the early 60s – long, live tracks from a Parisian concert, with performances that are extremely long and open-ended! The group isn't totally free – as free as they'd be on some of their overseas live performances a few years later – but they already stretch out magnificently on long takes of "Mr PC", "The Inch Worm" and "Every Time We Say Goodbye" – all with extremely expressive solos from Coltrane, plus piano from McCoy Tyner, bass from Jimmy Garrison, and drums from Elvin Jones! CD

A rare early side of Miles Davis – recorded in postwar Paris in the company of Tadd Dameron! The group's a quintet – with Miles on trumpet and Tadd on piano – and although the overall vibe certainly shows a lot of bop generation spirit, there's also a strong indication of the deeper ideas that were already becoming a part of both artists' music. The group features some excellent work on tenor from James Moody – plus bass from Barney Spieler and drums from Kenny Clarke. Tunes include a fair bit of familiar numbers from the Charlie Parker camp – and titles include "Rifftide", "Good Bait", "Don't Blame Me", "Lady Bird", "Wah Hoo", "Allen's Alley", "Embraceable You", "Ornithology" and "All The Things You Are". LP, Vinyl record album

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A fantastic slice of work from WEB Dubois – materials showcased at the Paris Exposition of 1900, in a special exhibit in which Dubois tried to convey the reality of black life in America to a larger international audience! The materials include a number of handmade charts, graphs, and maps – all created by DuBois as an early sort of data analysis, with a very visual punch – images that instantly conveyed the black experience in America in the years after the Civil War – combined with a range of photographs that provided visual illustration of the contents. Much of DuBois' efforts were to showcase advancement and achievements – and the large 11" x 17" presentation of the softcover book allows the reproductions of these materials to really get the kind of prominence they had at the exposition. The book is the first-ever reproduction of all these items, along with the photographs – and features a new essay by historians Stephen G Hall and Jacqueline Francis. Book

All American In Jazz is a lesser-known Ellington set from the 60s – tracks from the lesser-remembered musical, with alto from Johnny Hodges, trumpet from Ray Nance, and tenor from Paul Gonsalves! Titles include "Our Children", "Nightlife", "I've Just Seen Her", "Back To School", and "If I Were You". Midnight In Paris includes the tracks "Under Paris Skies", "I Wish You Love", "Mademoiselle De Paris", "Comme Ci Comme Ca", "Speak To Me Of Love", "A Midnight In Paris", "My Heart Sings", "Guitar Amour", "The Petite Waltz", "Paris Blues", "Javapachacha", "No Regrets", and "The River Seine". CD

Sublime late live work from Bill Evans – a well-recorded performance for French radio, and one that really stands out from some of the scratchier late 70s concerts on the market! Bill's working here with a sound as sensitive and picturesque as the cover image – never pushing things too hard, but letting each tune unfold organically in waves of sound few other players could conjure up! Trio musicians include Marc Johnson on bass and Joe LaBarbera on drums – and titles on this first volume include "Quiet Now", "My Romance", "Noelle's Theme", "I Loves You Porgy", and "Up With The Lark". CD

Sublime late live work from Bill Evans – a well-recorded performance for French radio, and one that really stands out from some of the scratchier late 70s concerts on the market! Bill's working here with a sound as sensitive and picturesque as the cover image – never pushing things too hard, but letting each tune unfold organically in waves of sound few other players could conjure up! Trio musicians include Marc Johnson on bass and Joe LaBarbera on drums – and titles on this second volume include "Nardis", "Laurie", "34 Skidoo", "Letter To Evan", and "Gary's Theme". CD

A rare set from one of Stan Getz's hippest groups! The album was recorded in Paris in 1966, during a time in which Stan was working with a groundbreaking quartet that included Gary Burton on vibes, Steve Swallow on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums – a combo that unfortunately got a bit overshadowed by Stan's bossa work, which was recorded in earlier years, but still getting issued and played heavily during the time of the Burton quartet's reign. The upshot of that situation was that the combo weren't nearly as exposed, or recorded, as much as they should have been – making the record an essential look at this under-documented side of Stan's career. Getz's tone is fantastic – and he glides freely with the young modernists in a way that you barely ever hear on any of his sides from the 60s, save for, perhaps, the sublime Sweet Rain LP. Titles include the long "The Knight Rides Again" – plus the tracks "Singing Song", "On Green Dolphin Street", "Edelweiss", and "Manha De Carnaval". CD

A rare 60s meeting of groovy talents from both sides of the Atlantic – and a record that matches the trumpet of Dizzy Gillespie with the hiply swinging vocals of The Double Six Of Paris! The group were a wonderfully groovy precursor to the Swingle Singers – and sung in a scatting approach to jazz vocals that was very much in the tradition of Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross – but also drew inspiration from the earlier work of Eddie Jefferson, King Pleasure, and others. Their sound is great – much more 60s groovy than some other vocal groups – and pairing them with Dizzy gives this record an added punch that some of their other sessions are missing! Backing is small combo throughout – with either Bud Powell or Kenny Barron on piano, Kenny Clarke on drums, and James Moody on tenor – and with the presence of Diz, most of the material here is of bop orientation – taken at a fast and lively clip! Lalo Schifrin arranged the whole session too – and titles include "One Bass Hit", "Blue N Boogie", "Emanon", "Groovin High", "Ow", "The Champ", "Tin Tin Deo", "Hot House", and "Con Alma". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary live set from Dizzy Gillespie – recorded over in Paris, but featuring a very hip large ensemble! The group includes extra trumpet from Dave Burns, trombone from Ted Kelly and William Shepherd, alto from John Brown, tenor from George Nicholas, baritone from Cecil Payne, piano from John Lewis, bass from Al McKibbon, and drums from Kenny Clarke – plus congas from the great Chano Pozo, and a bit of vocals from Kenny Pancho Hagood! LP, Vinyl record album

Features Lalo Schifrin on piano, Leo Wright on alto and flute, and two tracks with Candido. CD

Fantastic work from one of our favorite Dizzy Gillespie groups ever – an early 60s lineup that not only features a young Lalo Schifrin on piano, but also the great Leo Wright on alto sax and flute! Dizzy's maybe best known for his bebop material – and he recorded famously in that mode earlier on the Parisian scene – but here at the start of the 60s, he's opening up an entirely new chapter in his book – blowing on much longer tracks that are really set free in new rhythmic modes – in large part by Schifrin's input in the group, which comes not just from his piano work and arrangements, but also from some of the great material he penned for the set! There's plenty of influences from Latin and Brazilian music – but at a level that's nicely submerged, and very different than Dizzy's earlier cubop – more matured, and taken in all these new righteous directions, which unlocks all these incredible elements in Gillespie's trumpet too. This isn't the scat-singing, bebop jokester from the past – and instead a proud, powerful talent who sounds incredible throughout. The 1960 material also features Art Davis on bass and Chuck Lampkin on drums, plus guest congas from Candido – on the long "Gillespiana Suite", plus "Caravan" and "Cripple Crapple Crutch". The 1961 material features Bob Cunningham on bass and Mel Lewis on drums – on titles that include "Kush", "Lorraine", "Desafinado", "Long Long Summer", "Pau De Arara", and "Cripple Crapple Crutch". CD

The legendary meeting of two of the greatest jazz violinists ever! Stephane Grappelli was one of the best-recorded European jazz artists by the time of this 1965 album – and here, he gets the chance to play with Stuff Smith, an American talent on the instrument who was decidedly less well-known, but every bit as great (actually, far better, and more expressive, at least in our book!) Steph and Stuff play with backing by a French rhythm section that includes Rene Urtreger, Michel Gaudry, and Michel Delaporte – and tracks include "S'posin", "Skip It", "Blues In The Dungeon", and "This Can't Be Love". CD

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A live French performance, with a number of very long tracks! CD

Rare English language recordings from the sublime Francoise Hardy – music that's every bit as wonderful as her famous French recordings – and even more compelling to our Anglo-styled ears! The vocals are wonderful – sung with this sense of darkness that's almost got an echo of Nico at points, given the accent – set to backings that balance this darkness with a bit more light, but never in ways that are overly poppy – and which definitely continue that more sophisticated style that Hardy always brought to her music! There's less "yeh yeh" to the tracks than a few years before – and Francoise is definitely digging deeper music at this point in her career – sometimes with a breathy brilliance that's a bit like Jane Birkin too. Titles include "Bown Bown Bown", "Till The Morning Comes", "Loving You", "In The Sky", "Midnight Blues", "Magic Horse", "Song Of Winter", "Strange Shadows", "Ocean", "The Garden Of Jane Delawney", "Sometimes", "Let My Name Be Sorrow", "Times Passing By", "I Just Want To Be Alone", and "Suzanne". CD

With Larry Richardson on bass and Richie Goldberg on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

A really great live set from alto genius Johnny Hodges – a set that's right up there with some of his best studio albums on Verve at the time! As with those records, Johnny's taking a slight sidestep from the world of Duke Ellington here – working with similar material and familiar players, but also really stretching out on these beautiful solos that focus on his warm, raspy charm on the alto – that quality that made Hodges as important to the sound of mid 50s jazz as Ben Webster or Lester Young on the tenor! The group's a septet, and other players include Lawrence Brown on trombone, Harry Carney on baritone, Al Williams on piano, and Ray Nance on cornet – on titles that include "All Of Me", "Blues For Madeline", "Solitude", "Mood Indigo", "Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me", "Jeep's Blues", "Rockin In Rhythm, and a nice long take on "Perdido". CD

Brilliant live work from trumpeter Freddie Hubbard – a set of well-recorded, long and open tracks that really lets him stretch out on his solos – and direct a majestic group of musicians as a leader! We already love Freddie Hubbard in the studio, but on a live record like this he always seems to find deeper, more powerful currents in his music – soaring out with a lineup that includes George Cables on Fender Rhodes, Junior Cook on tenor and flute, Kent Brinkley on bass, and Michael Carvin on drums – mostly playing tunes from the CTI years, but with a very different, more spontaneous vibe. Each track runs the length of the side of a record – and titles include long takes on "Sky Dive", "The Intrepid Fox", "Povo", and "First Light". CD

A tremendous live performance from Ahmad Jamal – one that has the piano genius stretching out on some very long tracks, in a spirit that's similar to the magic he brought to his early 70s records for the Impulse label! As on those, Jamal here also plays a bit of Fender Rhodes – in the company of drummer Frank Gant and bassist Jami Nasser – both players whose sense of open flow really matches Ahmad's energy on the piano – as the tracks take off, open up, and sparkle with creative imagination throughout! The whole thing is a key addition to the small catalog of records from this moment – which include Outertimeinnerspace and Awakening – and titles include long takes on "Bogota", "Effendi", and "Manhattan Reflections". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderfully spiritual sounds from the great Rahsaan Roland Kirk – a rare, unissued live recording done for French radio at the start of the 70s – superbly recorded, and every bit as great as Kirk's Atlantic Records classics from the time! The tunes are long, and the setting is lean – with a style that echoes the brilliance of his Volunteered Slavery album, but with more of an edge – less of the humor that Rahsaan could bring to the stage, and lot more bite – both on his reeds, and the work of group members Dick Griffin on trombone, Ron Burton on piano, Vernon Martin on bass, Jerome Cooper on drums, and Joe Texidor on percussion. Kirk blows alto, tenor, soprano, flute, stritch, manzello, and clarinet – and titles include "Three For The Festival", "Sweet Fire", "Inflated Tear", "Volunteered Slavery", and "My Cherie Amour". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Fantastic work from Thelonious Monk – a superbly-recorded live set from early 60s Paris – done with his legendary quartet with Charlie Rouse on tenor! The music here is wonderful – tracks that are often quite long, and stretched out nicely from the Columbia Records material by the group – with especially long improvisations by Monk that really reignite our respect for his genius – and the kind of soulful solos from Rouse that are always a perfect match! The bass of John Ore is beautifully recorded too – maybe even more powerful here than usual – and Frankie Dunlop completes the group with wonderfully deft work on drums. Titles include "Nutty", "Bemsha Swing", "Evidence", "Body & Soul", "I Mean You", "Epistrophy", "Just A Gigolo", "April In Paris", "Crepuscule With Nellie", "Jakie-ing", and "Off Minor". CD

An unusual live recording by Thelonious Monk – one recorded at the tail end of his famous quartet years on Columbia, but which features him leading an expanded nine-piece group for the date! Usual group members Charlie Rouse (tenor), Larry Gales (bass), and Ben Riley (drums) are expanded by the addition of Ray Copeland on trumpet, Johnny Griffin on tenor, Jimmy Cleveland on trombone, and Phil Woods on alto – all of whom join together in some nice angular readings of Monk classics that include "Epistrophy", "Evidence", "Blue Monk", and "Oska T". CD

Beautifully-recorded material by the great Wes Montgomery – some fairly open-ended tracks recorded for French radio in the 60s – with guest work from tenorist Johnny Griffin on a number of tunes! The core group here is great enough on its own – as Wes' guitar is backed by superb piano from Harold Mabern – who's really opening his flow at this time in his career, and makes for some really imaginative collaboration here with Montgomery – and the rest of the combo features tight rhythm from Arthur Harper on bass and Jimmy Lovelace on drums. The addition of Griffin is a nice surprise – especially as Montgomery wasn't often playing with tenor in a small group setting by this point – and titles include "Twisted Blues", "Blue N Boogie/West Coast Blues", "Full House", "To wane", "Jingles", "Impressions", "Four On Six", and "Round Midnight". CD

Rare work from a very unique chapter in the career of baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan – his larger Concert Jazz Band – an ensemble that really helped flesh out some of the ideas he'd explored previously with smaller combos! The group recorded a few albums for Verve in the early 60s, but this 3CD package presents never-heard performances recorded in Paris during the same time – very fitting, given that the "concert" in the group's name was a reference to their ability to improvise amidst structure – of which you'll hear plenty here, with a lineup that includes Zoot Sims on tenor and Bob Brookmeyer on valve trombone. The tracks are very well-recorded, and many are quite long – with titles that include "Blueport", "Utter Chaos", "Spring Is Sprung", "Five Brothers", "Black Nightgown", "Eighteen Carrots For Rabbit", "Out Of This World", "I'm Gonna Go Fishin", "Apple Core", and "Barbara's Theme". CD

2 great Paris live sets from Gerry Mulligan – with his Concert Jazz Band at L'Olympia in 1960 – followed by a 1962 quartet set at the same venue serving as bonus tracks! The 11 titles on the first CD and the first titles on the second CD are culled from the 1960 set – a tight affair with great solo work from a larger group of players – which includes Don Ferrara and Conte Candoli on trumpet, Bob Brookmeyer on valve trombone, Willie Dennis and Alan Raph on trombone, Bob Donovan and Gene Quill on alto, Jim Reider and Zoot Sims on tenor, Buddy Clark on bass and Mel Lewis on drums. A real triumph! Titles include "You Took Advantage Of Me", "Black Nightgown", "Body And Soul", "Barbara's Theme", "Apple Core", "Out Of This World", "Go Home", "I'm Gonna Go Fishing", "Blueport" and more! The second CD is closed out by a 1962 set by the the Gerry Mulligan Quartet – originally released as the LP Gerry Mulligan & His Quartet Live At The Olympia Theatre 1962! The tracks are long, and the setting fluid – as Gerry plays baritone on most tracks, but piano on a couple; and Bob Brookmeyer does the same, taking a break from valve trombone to play piano for one track as well. Rhythm is by the team of Bill Crow on bass and Gus Johnson on drums – and titles include "Spring Is Sprung", "Five Brothers", "Subterranean Blues", "Blue Port", and "Utter Chaos". More than 2 1/2 hours of music on 2CDs! CD

A sweet disco set from the late 70s – the only one we've ever seen by the Partners, who we're guessing were some sort of European studio combo! The sound is mighty nice – exactly what you'd guess from the title – the best sort of funky Euro disco style of the time, with some sweet harmony vocals that almost have a Bee Gees vibe – yet never nearly as poppy as their disco tunes! There's a warmth here that marks the Paris in contrast to other European club sounds of the time – and attention to lyrics that goes way past the usual "let's throw a singer at some grooves" – especially on the album's mellower cuts. Titles include "Partners", "Friday", "Dance", "Green Eyes", and "Love Meant To Be". CD

Bernard Peiffer was one of the greatest pianists working in the French scene of the postwar years – a technical master of the keys, with a level of skill to equal that of Oscar Peterson, and a rhythmic, pulsating style that had some nice traces of Errol Garner. Peiffer's genius is captured beautifully in this 21 track set – a collection of recordings from 1952 and 1953, originally issued as 78rpm singles by the Blue Star label, but remastered here for the collection! Pieffer's work on the keys is tremendous throughout – and on some tracks he's playing solo, while others feature rhythm work from Pierre Michelot on bass and Jean-Louis Vale on drums. The CD features a total of 21 tracks in all, including 2 previously unreleased tunes – and titles include "La Vie En Rose", "Ballad In Paris", "Hit That Jive Jack", "Tired Blues", "Don't Blame Me", "Midday On Champs Elysees", and "Slow Burn". CD

Oscar Peterson is joined here by bassist Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen and drummer Martin Drew Lorne – both artists that worked with Peterson in the 70's – plus relative newcomer Lorne Lofsky on guitar. CD

A killer group from the contemporary Cali scene – recorded in LA with a nicely lean, stripped-down sound – a smaller version of trombonist Ryan Porter's West Coast Get Down, and one that features excellent work on tenor from Kamasi Washington too! The album's nicely different than most of Porter and Washington's larger concept work – maybe a more back to basics jazz session – performed with work from Jumane Smith on trumpet, Brandon Coleman on piano and keyboards, Miles Mosley on basses, and Tony Austin on drums – all great players who work with the leader in a style that's soulful and righteous, but nicely straightforward too! Titles include "Madiba", "The Psalmnist", "Anaya", "Carriacou", "Oscalypso", and "Mesophere". CD

A very unique session that features the often-modern tenor sax of Lucky Thompson in the company of bluesman Sammy Price, who plays piano and sings on a number of the tracks on the record. Amazingly, Thompson's raspy tenor tone is a perfect fit with the style of the recording – laying down lean blusey licks that really work nicely with Price's barrelhouse piano style, and which also give it a bit more of a jazz-oriented style than usual. The rest of the group features Pierre Michelot on bass, Jean-Pierre Sasson on guitar, and Gerard Pochonet on drums. Titles include "Lucky T", "Minor Blues", "Paris Blues", "Embassy Boogie", and "Up Above My Head". CD

Classic work by Django Reinhardt – and a CD that reissues material that originally appeared on Decca 78s from the early 40s. All the work was recorded in 1939, by Django and the Hot Club Of France (which included Stephane Grappelli, Joseph Reinhardt, and Pierre Barro Ferret). Titles include "Twelfth Year", "Jeepers Creepers", "Swing 39", "Japanese Sandman", "Tea For Two", "I Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight", "Time On My Hands", and "Hungaria". CD

Features piano and harmonica from Corky Siegel. CD

Really wonderful live material from tenor genius Archie Shepp – recorded in Paris, a city that always seemed to bring out the best in his music! Here, Shepp's blowing in a mode that's like some of his later Impulse Records from the early 70s – more spiritual overall, with a free-flowing blend of influences, and a slight nod to the straighter sounds that would emerge a bit more in the decade – served up with a very hip quintet that includes Siegfried Kessler on piano, Bob Reid on bass, Noel McGhie on drums, and Pablo Kino on percussion! The bottom-heavy sound of the group is wonderfully offset by Shepp's raspy, soulful tone on tenor – on titles that include a long take on "Things Have Got To Change" – plus "Blues For Donald Duck" and "Along Came Betty". LP, Vinyl record album

A very late session from trumpet legend Chet Baker – recording here in the very unusual company of tenorist Archie Shepp – a player that few could have imagined working together a few years before! By the time of the date, Shepp had become more of a traditionalist, but still with an ear for the modern edge that graced his earlier work – and while Chet had gotten more modern in his music, the direction was very different than Archie's – in part because of some of the physical changes Baker had gone through. At some level, the session's maybe more one in the mode of Shepp in Europe during the 80s, with Baker along for a guest – as the rhythm section is more suited to Shepp too – with work from Horace Parlan on piano, Herman Wright on bass, and Clifford Jarvis on drums. Both Archie and Chet sing a bit, and titles include "My Ideal", "When Lights Are Low", "Confirmation", "Dedication To Bessie Smith's Blues", "My Foolish Heart", and "How Deep Is The Ocean". CD

Zoot Sims on tewnor saxophone, Gerry Wiggins and Henri Renaud on piano, Pierre Michelot and Don Bagley on bass, Kenny Clarke and Jean-Louis Viale on drums, Fdrank Rosolino on trombone, and Jimmy Gourley on guitar. CD

Late recordings by Willie "The Lion" Smith, done in Paris in the mid 60s – at a time when he was enjoying quite a bit of fame on the European scene! The set features solo work by Willie – only piano, in a style that's drenched in bluesy chord work, but which also has some surprisingly modern moments too – that great combination of modes you'd often get when a player was set loose with the new freedoms of the European scene. A number of the tracks are original compositions by Smith, and ttitles include "Steeplechase", "Dinah", "Sparklets", "Sharps & Flats", "Summertime", "Steeplechase", "Shine", "H&M Blues", "In A Minor Groove", and "The Stuff Is Here". Also features 3 bonus tracks – "Music On My Mind", "Polonaise", and "All Out Of Breath" – two of which feature a bit of vocals, too! CD

Includes material from several sessions from 1960, with sidemen that include Eric Dixon, Elek Bacsik, Kenny Clarke, Quintin Jackson, and Matial Solal. LP, Vinyl record album

Lucky Thompson on soprano and tenor saxophone, Martial Solal on piano, Michel Hausser on vibraphone, Gilbert Gassin on bass, Gerard Pochonet on drums, and Gana M'Bow on percussion. CD