A great early 80s 2-fer – with a pair of killer albums from Chic! First up is Real People – wonderful work from Chic, and a record that maybe didn't include any super-huge hits, but which is maybe even better because of that – a sometimes-overlooked gem that has the team of Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards in perfectly sharp formation! The group have already moved past disco, yet maintain that core funk that always makes their work so tremendous – rock-solid basslines from Edwards, ripping guitars from Rodgers, and unified vocals with help from Alfa Anderson and Luci Martin – who both really help the tunes soar! Titles include "Chip Off the Old Block", "Open Up", "26", "I Loved You More", "Real People", and "Rebels Are We". Tongue In Chic is damn funky work from Chic – one of those early 80s records that has the group freed from any need to cross over to the disco dancefloor – which only seems to bring out a deeper groove from the duo of Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards! Basslines and guitar are razor-sharp – and there's some jazzy horns brought into the mix, which emphasize the great 80s groove in the music – a soaring quality that has the twin vocals of Alfa Anderson and Luci Martin really soaring over the top! Titles include "I Feel Your Love Comin On", "When You Love Someone", "Sharing Love", "Chic (Everybody Say)", "Hangin", "Hey Fool", and "City Lights". CD

A real proggish jammer – similar to early Genesis, especially in the keyboard parts! LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic album from saxophonist Sadao Watanabe – and one that stands at a real back-to-basics effort at a time when he was often recording in a more electric mode! The set has Sadao on alto, playing with the Great Jazz Trio of Hank Jones on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums – a superb rhythm group who really help return Watanabe to the early bop roots of his youth – but with a tremendous tone that shows all the new sounds he was able to bring out of the alto sax during his more experimental years! The core trio are wonderful, too – every bit as great here as on their own excellent albums of the period – and obviously, Jones gets in some strong solos too – but we're almost even more in love with the work of Carter and Williams. Titles include "Donna Lee", "Star Eyes" "If I Should Lose You", "KC Blues", "Bird Of Paradise", and "Dexterity". CD

The tenor of Sonny Rollins pays tribute to the alto of Charlie Parker – in a landmark set that's one of Sonny's real standout 50s sessions for Prestige! Sonny's tone on the tenor is proud and bold throughout – able to shift and turn in the spirit of Bird, but also very much in Rollins' own highly inventive mode as well. The group features Max Roach on drums – who cut a contemporary Bird tribute of his own on Mercury – plus Kenny Dorham on trumpet, Wade Legge on piano, and George Morrow on bass. Titles include a "Bird Medley" that takes up all of side one – featuring "Old Folks", "Star Eyes", "Just Friends", and "My Little Suede Shoes", all given the Parker twist – and side 2 features a great long cut called "Kids Know", plus a shorter take on "I've Grown Accustomed To Your Face". CD also features a bonus 9 minute reading of "The House I Live In". CD

A real classic by Cal – one of the trademark albums of his time at Verve, and a unique blend of jazz, Latin, and other groovy influences! The tunes have that lightly jazzy approach that made Cal a hit with the radio and jukebox crowds at the time – a bossa-influenced mix of vibes, piano, and percussion – dancing easily over some very lively rhythms. Cal's group on the set features pianist Paul Griffin and percussionist Armando Peraza – both of whom bring a nice soulful finish to the album, helping it live past the "Whiffenpoof" in the title! Tracks include "The Prophet" – one of Cal's classics – plus "Soul Motion", "Reza", "Doxy", and "Daddy Wong Legs". Very groovy, very vibesy, and very very Verve. LP, Vinyl record album

A real classic by Cal – one of the trademark albums of his time at Verve, and a unique blend of jazz, Latin, and other groovy influences! The tunes have that lightly jazzy approach that made Cal a hit with the radio and jukebox crowds at the time – a bossa-influenced mix of vibes, piano, and percussion – dancing easily over some very lively rhythms. Cal's group on the set features pianist Paul Griffin and percussionist Armando Peraza – both of whom bring a nice soulful finish to the album, helping it live past the "Whiffenpoof" in the title! Tracks include "The Prophet" – one of Cal's classics – plus "Soul Motion", "Reza", "Doxy", and "Daddy Wong Legs". Very groovy, very vibesy, and very very Verve. CD

One of the greatest albums ever recorded by pianist Hal Galper – and that's saying a lot, given his huge legacy of records! This set has Hal working in a strongly electric mode – using an electric piano with the same sort of spacious qualities he could bring to acoustic – never jamming as hard as some of his more dynamic 70s contemporaries, but in a really great way that creates a special energy on the record – not just for Galper, but also for the groupmates, who really seem to bring out their best. The lineup includes Randy Brecker on trumpet and Michael Brecker on tenor and soprano sax – both playing in the darker edges of their sound – and the record also features guitar, bass, and drums. Some moments are funky, but the real stand out tracks have an even more special electric vibe – and titles include "This Moment", "Whatever", "Wild Bird", and "Change Up". LP, Vinyl record album

Two rare Charlie Parker albums in a single set! First up is Bird On 52nd Street – one of the more obscure Charlie Parker sessions of the 40s – at least in the original release! The material was recorded in 1948, on a home tape recorder, but not issued until after his death – part of a huge wave of Charlie Parker material that hit the market at the end of the 50s and start of the 60s! The sound here is quite raw – made even more so by the recording quality – but it also offers up a good illustration of the sheer power of Bird back in the day, the kind of bold, bracing energy that made even more than the regular jazz world sit up and take notice. The group's a quintet – with Miles Davis on trumpet, Duke Jordan on piano, Tommy Potter on bass, and Max Roach on drums – and there's been a few tape tricks in the mastering, in order to come up with a better version of some of the recordings. Tracks are short – in true bebop format – and titles include "Night In Tunisia", "Dizzy Atmosphere", "Out Of Nowhere", "My Old Flame", "How High The Moon", "This Time The Dream's On Me", "Hot House", and "Chasin The Bird". Next is Bird At St Nicks – a posthumous issue of an early 50s live set by Charlier Parker – one of the many that were rushed to the public in the years after his early death. The set, like many of the other live ones from the time, isn't recorded that well – but the music is still pretty wonderful. There's a real focus on Bird in the way the microphone was set up – so although you hear the rest of the band comping in the background, the album almost works like a session of solo sax work by Parker – as his alto is right out front in the mix, playing with a faltering style at times – but in a way that only seems to deepen our vision of his genius. Players include Red Rodney on trumpet and Al Haig on piano – and titles include "Ornithology", "Star Eyes", "Visa", "I Didn't Know What Time It Was", and "Confirmation". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic packaging of Muddy Waters' famous early work for Chess Records – brought together with a cover and title that pitch him strongly towards the growing folk movement of the time! And, although most of these tracks were recorded in Chicago, with some electric guitar in the mix, there's a definitely folksy quality to most of the numbers – a down-home feel that's nice and gritty, stepping along with spare instrumentation alongside the vocals. Titles include "Mannish Boy", "Screamin & Cryin", "Just To Be With You", "Walkin Blues", "Walkin Through The Park", "Same Thing", and "Canary Bird". LP, Vinyl record album

A massive Muddy Waters double-header – filled with vintage recordings for Chess! First up is The Real Folk Blues – a classic packaging of Muddy Waters' famous early work for Chess Records – brought together with a cover and title that pitch him strongly towards the growing folk movement of the time! And, although most of these tracks were recorded in Chicago, with some electric guitar in the mix, there's a definitely folksy quality to most of the numbers – a down-home feel that's nice and gritty, stepping along with spare instrumentation alongside the vocals. Titles include "Mannish Boy", "Screamin & Cryin", "Just To Be With You", "Walkin Blues", "Walkin Through The Park", "Same Thing", and "Canary Bird". More Real Folk Blues is a 60s album, but one that's filled with some of the earliest recordings Muddy Waters made for Chess Records – all wrapped up in a title that proclaims his music as the real deal! The instrumentation here is all quite spare – varying combinations of electric guitar, harmonica, piano, and bass – all topped by Waters' wonderfully twanging vocals, heard here at a level that's still extremely fresh and without cliche! The tunes are the sort that bar bands have been ruining for decades, but they still sound great in the originals – and titles include "Sad Letter", "Gonna Need My Help", "Train Fare Blues", "Too Young To Know", "Honey Bee", "My Life Is Ruined", and "She's All Right". CD

Two vocal group classics by the Corsairs – an excellent group graced by the unique lead vocals of Jay Bird Uzzel! "Smoky Places" is a sad and dreamy ode to the places two secret lovers have to meet – but "Thinkin" is the real winner here. At the first listen, the track's got a Platters-esque sound, but as it goes on, there's lots of weird sound effects and vocal tricks – almost in a Jive Bombers mode, with Jay Bird's voice making plenty of odd noises, beeps, grunts, and things like that under the lyrics! 7-inch, Vinyl record

One of the most righteous albums to come out of the Kingston scene in the early 70s – a set that's driven by the new spirit of the Rastafarian generation, but which also pushes the music much more than some of the commercial efforts of the time! The style of the music here is almost to mainstream reggae what spiritual jazz was to 70s funk – richer, deeper, more thoughtful, driven by message, and carried forth through instrumentation and production – a heady brew cooked up by Lloyd Charmers in the studio, with work from Willie London on guitar, Lloyd Parks on bass, and Charmers himself on organ, piano, and lots of earthy percussion. Of course, the vocals of Ras Michael are the real driving forces of the record – again very different than any mainstream singers, as he stretches out on these long, hypnotic tracks that include "Run Come Rally", "Seventy Two Nations", "Zion Land", and "Know How You Stand". This killer 2CD version features a full bonus CD – 22 more Lloyd Charmers dub tracks from the mid 70s, all of which have never been on CD before! CD

A whopping collection of the Dells' classic work – featuring tunes pulled from their years at Vee Jay, Chess, Chi-Sound, and Mercury! The package starts way back in the 50s, and traces the group through their groundbreaking 60s soul sides, their sublime baroque 70s numbers, and their later smooth modern tracks – and as you listen to this stuff, you'll be stunned to hear how great the group remained through all of that time! The early tracks are straight doo wop, with simple production; later work has the great Charles Stepney crafting some majestic Cadet/Concept arrangements; and even the modern stuff has a well-constructed smooth groove. Through it all, though, the real strength is the group's vocals – still wonderful even in the album's one more recent number, "A Heart Is A House For Love". Titles include "I Can Sing A Rainbow/Love Is Blue", "Always Together", "Give Your Baby A Standing Ovation", "I Miss You", "Slow Motion", "We Got To Get Our Thing Together", "The Glory Ove Love", "Long Lonely Nights", "Dreams Of Contentment", "The Bossa Nova Bird", "Oh What A Night" (in 2 versions), "Stay In My Corner (in 3 versions)", and "Does Anybody Know I'm Here". CD

A whopping collection of the Dells' classic work – featuring tunes pulled from their years at Vee Jay, Chess, Chi-Sound, and Mercury! The package starts way back in the 50s, and traces the group through their groundbreaking 60s soul sides, their sublime baroque 70s numbers, and their later smooth modern tracks – and as you listen to this stuff, you'll be stunned to hear how great the group remained through all of that time! The early tracks are straight doo wop, with simple production; later work has the great Charles Stepney crafting some majestic Cadet/Concept arrangements; and even the modern stuff has a well-constructed smooth groove. Through it all, though, the real strength is the group's vocals – still wonderful even in the album's one more recent number, "A Heart Is A House For Love". Titles include "I Can Sing A Rainbow/Love Is Blue", "Always Together", "Give Your Baby A Standing Ovation", "I Miss You", "Slow Motion", "We Got To Get Our Thing Together", "The Glory Ove Love", "Long Lonely Nights", "Dreams Of Contentment", "The Bossa Nova Bird", "Oh What A Night" (in 2 versions), "Stay In My Corner (in 3 versions)", and "Does Anybody Know I'm Here". CD

Fatback flying like the Phoenix – but hardly rising from the ashes, given that the group's always on top! The sound here is a bit different – slightly leaner than before, but in a good way – with lots of core keyboards from Bill Curtis, who also handles most of the lead vocals – although as with most Fatback sets, there's plenty of sharing on that front with the rest of the group members – a bit of harmony here, a switched lead there – all keeping things nice and fresh! And this time around, there almost seems to be more of a focus on the mellower cuts, which we like a lot – because we've always enjoyed the more laidback numbers tucked in amidst the group's funkier sets – so this album's a real treat, with plenty of mellow and midtempo groovers. Titles include "The Drum Song", "Lover Man", "Call Out My Name", "You've Got That Magic", "Big Brother", "Jump Up Baby Jump Up", and "I Love You So". CD

We love Sonny Fortune – because he always plays so great! Sonny started as more of an acoustic soul jazz player – but by the time of this session, he's working with a lot of electric backing, in a fusiony mode that should dampen his enthusiasm, but which only seems to spur him onto new heights! The group's got some killer keyboards from Larry Willis, tight guitar from Ray Gomez, and lots of Latin percussion touches that really make the grooves dance – but the real highlight is Sonny, whose tone and placement are impeccable, almost in the vein of Gary Bartz during his years with Larry Mizell, but perhaps a bit more soaring and searching. Titles include "Afortunado", "Georgiana", "Igbob's Shuffle", "Francisco" and "Come In Out Of The Rain". CD

Some of our favorite work ever from the mighty Lee Hazlewood – material recorded under his own name for Reprise Records – during a stretch when he was also producing for the label with Nancy Sinatra and Dean Martin! The 2CD set features 3 full albums, plus great bonus tracks too – and the assembled lot is as great of a tribute to Hazlewood's genius as we've ever seen! First up is The NSVIPs – a set that follows up the same sort of "story song" format that Lee laid down on his wonderful Trouble album for Mercury – but done here with themes that are a bit hipper, and more wry – in keeping with his Reprise persona. Next is Friday's Child, which has some of Hazlewood's most beautifully-penned tunes – tracks that mix the whimsy of his bigger hits with some great darker elements. Last up is the amazing Love & Other Crimes – one of our favorite albums of the 60s, magically recorded in Paris with a very unique sound – and a style that's a bit different than some of Hazlewood's other records. Titles include "First Street Blues", "I Had A Friend", "Everybody Calls Me Something", "Me & Charlie", "A Real Live Fool", "Hutchinson Jail", "By The Way", "Houston", "Morning Dew", "The House Song", "Love & Other Crimes", "Pour Man", and "Wait & See". Bonus tracks are great too – and include Hazlewood tracks "Ode To Billie Joe", "Rainbow Woman", "I Am You Are", and "Charlie Bill Nelson" – plus other gems that include "Just Bluesin" and "Houston" by Sanford Clark, "A Stranger In Town" by The Vanguards, "The Whisk" by The Whisk Kids, "Zapata" by Jack Nitzsche, "What Are We Gonna Do In 64" by The Wildcats, "Our Man Flint" by The Ring A Dings, and "This Town" by Duane Eddy. 55 tracks in all. CD

One of JJ's best from the late 50s – a tightly crackling hardbop set, recorded very much in the manner of his classic JJ Inc album! The sound here is a bit more compact overall – with some shorter tracks that really allow Johnson to display his keen sense of economy on his horn, while working in a burning mode that recalls some of his best bop sides from the early years – particularly his work on Blue Note. Bobby Jaspar's in the frontline with JJ – playing both tenor and flute – and rhythm is from a trio that features Tommy Flanagan on piano, Wilbur Little on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. Jones' touch on the kit gives the album a nicely dancing feel throughout – and is a real reminder of his simple genius in an early setting like this. Titles include "Bird Song", "Blue Haze", "Old Devil Moon", "Tea Pot", "Barbados", "Cette Chose", and "So Sorry Please". CD

Gene Krupa and Gerry Mulligan – hardly a pairing that we would have thought of – but one that works surprisingly well here, and which showcases Mulligan's increasing fascination for larger group settings! The album features Gene on drums with a set of players that include Kai Winding, Urbie Green, Phil Woods, Hank Jones, and Barry Galbraith – but the real star of the set is Gerry, who's not playing here, but conducting the larger group of jazz players through charts that are all his own, and which display the same love of fluid ensemble horn parts that he used in his own smaller combo work. There's a lot more brass in the mix than you'd usually get from Gerry – which gives the album a bit more of a Krupa kick – and Gene also gets some nice space to show himself on drums. Titles include "Yardbird Suite", "Margie", "Bird House", "The Way Of All Flesh", "Disk Jockey Jump", "Birds Of A Feather", and "Mulligan Stew". LP, Vinyl record album

A real breakthrough in female soul for the 70s – the initial album from Labelle – a set that's very different material than the group were doing on their girl group singles in the 60s! The trio here is legendary – Patti Labelle, Nona Hendryx, and Sarah Dash – three tremendous singers all working together at a level that really sets the standard for bad-rapping female soul in the 70s! We're not sure what happened with Patti and the group between their 60s material and this set – but whatever it was, it was something great – a turn towards a style that would keep them in the record racks for years! Titles include "Too Many Days", "Running Out Of Fools", "When The Sun Comes Shining Through", "Heart Be Still", and a nice version of "Time & Love". CD

Two unusual Herbie Mann albums – back to back in a single set! The first Reggae album has a surprisingly strong mix of 70s modes – as the funky flute of Herbie Mann takes on some of the nascent reggae grooves of the time – with results that are a lot nicer than you might expect! There's some core rhythms on the record from Tommy McCook, but Herbie's regular keyboardist Pat Rebillot also adds in some surprisingly nice lines too – making the whole thing way more than just another session cut down in Kingston. One real surprise is a very extended take on "My Girl", which runs for over 18 minutes and takes up all of side two – and other cuts include "Rivers Of Babylon", "Swinging Shepherd Blues", and "Ob La Di". Reggae II is a lesser-known follow-up to Herbie Mann's first album of reggae-styled instrumental grooves – and one that's every bit as sweet as the first! Like that record, the approach here is one that has Mann working with Kingston-bred rhythms from a lineup that includes Winston Wright on organ, Jackie Jackson bass, and Michael Richard on drums – mixed with tenor from Tommy McCook and trumpet from Bobby Ellis – then given a slight fusion vibe from Mann's frequent 70s musical partner Pat Rebillot on a variety of keyboards! Herbie's flute snakes into the groove in this warm, easygoing way – very open in tone, and a surprisingly good fit for an instrument that isn't often used in such a setting. Titles include "Down On The Corner", "Cecilia", "I Know", "Stoned By You", "Bend Down Low", and "So Get It While You Can". CD

John Coltrane live – in a setting that really shows the tenorist starting to stretch out a lot – almost hitting some of the freer modes of a few years later, but still keeping things swinging throughout! The rhythm section is superb – that legendary lineup of Jimmy Garrison on bass, McCoy Tyner on piano, and Elvin Jones on drums – creating this magical flow that really sets the tenor free – stretching out in a take of "Bye Bye Blackbird" that really transforms the tune – matched by a equally great reading of "Traneing In". Each long track takes up a side of the record – and both were recorded live in Europe in 1962. CD

Bassist Bill Crow is perhaps best known for his work in the Gerry Mulligan group of the 50s, but he also had a great revival moment in the 90s – thanks to a well-penned autobiography, and a few great sessions as a leader like this! The album's got the same title as Bill's life story, and it's billed as something of a musical accompaniment to that book – but really just works best as an illustration of the fact that Crow had grown tremendously as a musician in his years after working with Mulligan – a well-rounded talent on the bass, and a leader with a good vision for steering together younger talents. The group's a quartet – with Bill on bass, Carmen Leggio on tenor, Joe Cohn on guitar, and David Jones on drums – working in a mix of modes that recall Crow's modernist roots in the 50s, but which have some warmer, more mature tones that reflect his (then) current presence on the upper echelon of the New York scene. Titles include "From Birdland To Broadway", "News From Blueport", "Tricotism", "Autumn Leaves", "Night Lights", and "My Funny Valentine". CD features 2 bonus tracks not on the original album – "Okay Bug" and "Share A Key". CD

Overlooked 70s work from Jimmy Giuffre – a hip trio session that has all the free elements of his earlier recordings, but possibly an even greater focus on tone! Jimmy plays a range of reeds here – tenor, clarinet, and flute – and he works with bass and drum accompaniment, but often in a really gentle way that allows his own solo energy to dictate the tunes – coming out in space that's boldly soulful on the tenor, yet more fragile and intimate on the flute – kind of a cross between more expressive avant work and some of the more spiritual tones of the time. The tenor tunes are especially great – kind of opening a new chapter for Giuffre's career – and the group features Kiyoshi Tokunaga on bass and Randy Kaye on percussion. Titles include "The Bird", "Mosquito Dance", "The Chanting", "The Butterfly", "Dervish", "Phoenix", and "Night Dance". CD

Overlooked 70s work from Jimmy Giuffre – a hip trio session that has all the free elements of his earlier recordings, but possibly an even greater focus on tone! Jimmy plays a range of reeds here – tenor, clarinet, and flute – and he works with bass and drum accompaniment, but often in a really gentle way that allows his own solo energy to dictate the tunes – coming out in space that's boldly soulful on the tenor, yet more fragile and intimate on the flute – kind of a cross between more expressive avant work and some of the more spiritual tones of the time. The tenor tunes are especially great – kind of opening a new chapter for Giuffre's career – and the group features Kiyoshi Tokunaga on bass and Randy Kaye on percussion. Titles include "The Bird", "Mosquito Dance", "The Chanting", "The Butterfly", "Dervish", "Phoenix", and "Night Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

A set of incredible records from Charles Mingus – all presented together in one mighty nice package! First up is Mingus Moves – a fantastic fresh new chapter in the career of Charles Mingus – a set that features the addition of two key players who would really shape his sound in the 70s – Don Pullen on piano and George Adams on tenor, both completely wonderful here! The group also features excellent trumpet from Roland Hampton, a player we don't know from many other settings – and the set also features some really nice vocal work from Honi Gordon and Doug Hammond. Titles include "Canon", "Moves", "Wee", "Flowers For A Lady", "Opus 3", and "Newcomer". CD also features bonus tracks – "Big Alice" and "The Call". Changes is key 70s work from Charles Mingus – an album that was recorded over the course of three days of creative activity at the end of 1974, but somehow split into two different albums under the Changes name! The lineup here is prime 70s Mingus – George Adams on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Don Pullen on piano – young players who really give a fresh voice to Mingus' musical ideas, and help him find this beautiful late life sense of color, tone, and timing that's completely sublime! Titles on this second volume include "Sue's Changes", "Devil Blues", "Remember Rockefeller At Attica", "Free Cell Block F Tis Nazi USA", "Black Bats & Poles", "For Harry Carney", and "Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love" – which features a guest appearance by Marcus Belgrave on trumpet and Jackie Paris on vocals. On 3 Or 4 Shades Of Blues, Charles Mingus is returning to the soulful gospel-influenced mode he swung big in the early 60s! The record's something of a later predecessor of the classics Blues & Roots for Atlantic and Mingus (x5) for Impulse – and the style is slightly less dramatic, but still quite steeped in soulful explorations that feature plenty of notes from the bluer side of the spectrum! Players include George Coleman and Ricky Ford on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Larry Coryell on guitar – and titles include new takes on "Better Git Hit In Your Soul" and "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" – plus"Nobody Knows", "Noddin Ya Head Blues", and "Three Or Four Shades Of Blues". Next is Cumbia & Jazz Fusion – one of the most enigmatic albums that Charles Mingus ever recorded – especially in his later years! The set features two very long tracks done by Mingus for use in a film about cocaine traffic between New York and Columbia – but considering the nature of the music, and the freely exploratory style, both numbers here stand very well on their own! Although touched with some of the Latin influences you might expect from the title, the sounds are often darker and more brooding than, say, the Mingus style on the classic Tijuana Moods set. And instead, there's a very serious soundtrack-like vibe going on through most of the set – larger jazz orchestrations used to beautifully underscore subtle themes, and breakout solo moments from players who include Mauricio Smith on flute, Paul Jeffrey on tenor sax, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone. The album also features a fair bit of added percussion – and features two long tracks, "Cumbia & Jazz Fusion" and "Music For Todo Modo". Me Myself An Eye is complicated later work from Charles Mingus – a great illustration of the way his power to command a large ensemble never wavered as the years went on! The album features two different large groups of players – filled with modernists young and old – including Ricky Ford, George Coleman, and Michael Brecker on tenors; Ronni Cuber and Pepper Adams on baritone; Randy Brecker and Jack Walrath on trumpets; Lee Konitz on alto, Larry Coryell on guitar, Slide Hampton on trombone, and Eddie Gomez on bass. Side one features the 30 minute track "Three Worlds Of Drums", and side two contains a remake of "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting", plus "Devil Woman" and "Carolyn Keki Mingus". Something Like A Bird is one of the last albums Charles Mingus ever gave us – before departing this planet way way too soon! The set shows the increasing sophistication of Mingus' music in these later years – a mode that almost echoes the path that Duke Ellington would take in his final decade – a move towards some larger-form material that still holds onto all the raw energy of the early days, but finds a way to not only bridge larger musical ideas – but musical generations as well! As part of this, the set's got a wonderful lineup – with Lee Konitz on alto, Pepper Adams on baritone sax, George Coleman on tenor, Eddie Gomez on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – and titles include the long title track, "Something Like A Bird", split up over 2 sides of the LP, plus "Farewell Farwell". CD

The best album to date from Orange Pekoe – a lovely blend of light rhythms, acoustic instrumentation, and sweet female vocals! The instrumentation here has a more jazz-based sound than before – with lots of light percussion, guitar, and keyboard bits – creating an almost bossa-like sense of intimacy, one that really lets the breezy vocals of Tomoko Nagashima dominate the set. Most of the lyrics are in Japanese, and titles include "Story", "Heavenly Summer", "Cradle", "Songbird", and "Niwaka-ame". LP, Vinyl record album

Famous radio recordings of the legendary Charlie Parker – captured at the Royal Roost nightclub in the late 40s – blasting out with incredible power over the airwaves in the New York scene! The presentation of the material here includes bits of announcer patter – mostly from Symphony Sid, who's really one of those guys that you've gotta hear to believe – a surprisingly wonderful combination with Bird's famous alto sax – presented here in a milieu that really lets you hear the raw power of both Parker's music and the way in which he was put forward to audiences at the time! LP, Vinyl record album

Famous radio recordings of the legendary Charlie Parker – captured at the Royal Roost nightclub in the late 40s – blasting out with incredible power over the airwaves in the New York scene! The presentation of the material here includes bits of announcer patter – mostly from Symphony Sid, who's really one of those guys that you've gotta hear to believe – a surprisingly wonderful combination with Bird's famous alto sax – presented here in a milieu that really lets you hear the raw power of both Parker's music and the way in which he was put forward to audiences at the time! CD

Famous radio recordings of the legendary Charlie Parker – captured at the Royal Roost nightclub in the late 40s – blasting out with incredible power over the airwaves in the New York scene! The presentation of the material here includes bits of announcer patter – mostly from Symphony Sid, who's really one of those guys that you've gotta hear to believe – a surprisingly wonderful combination with Bird's famous alto sax – presented here in a milieu that really lets you hear the raw power of both Parker's music and the way in which he was put forward to audiences at the time! This second volume features work by Kenny Dorham on trumpet, Al Haig on piano, Tommy Potter on bass, and Max Roach on drums – and there's a slightly larger group on a few numbers too. Titles include "White Christmas", "Little Willie Leaps", "Half Nelson", "Ornithology", "Cheryl", and "On A Slow Boat To China". CD

Great material from a very famous session, recorded on 11/26/1945, originally issued on 78s, along with extra tracks, compiled here in one of Savoy's posthumous Bird LPs from the early 60s. The group includes Miles Davis on trumpet, Bud Powell on piano, Curley Russell on bass, and Max Roach on drums – and titles include original and alternate takes of "Thriving From A Riff", "Meandering", "Koko", "Now's The Time", and "Billie's Bounce", all in early famous versions! LP, Vinyl record album

A really well done memorial to the (then) recently-departed Charlie Parker – cut with an unusual lineup that features Cecil Payne on baritone sax, Phil Woods on alto, and Frank Socolow on tenor – all working through long, laidback takes of 4 of Bird's best known compositions! There's a really relaxed feel to the record that's totally great – and the players aren't so much aping the sound of Charlie Parker's work, as they are working in the newer freedoms allows by it – stretching out in freely creative lines that never fail to please, and working here with a rhythm section that includes Duke Jordan on piano, Wendell Marshall on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. The album was recorded live at the Five Spot – and titles include "Parker's Mood", "Steeplechase", "Buzzy", and "Scrapple From The Apple". Great 80s pressing – done on 2LPs – with lots of unissued material! LP, Vinyl record album

Charlie Parker may live again in the title of this set – but given the strengths of the group, the album would be great even without a reference to Bird! The setting's a bop one, as you'd guess – but there's also a lot more going on here too, given that some of the tunes are longer and open – and almost show some of the maturation of all the players on the date – especially saxophonist Charles McPherson and pianist Barry Harris, both of whom got their start with boppish ideas, but who were really branching out by the time of this early 70s session. The quintet also features some excellent rhythm from Sam Jones on bass and Roy Brooks on drums – both players who bring plenty of fresh ideas to the table – and Red Rodney's work on trumpet has lots of earthy notes that show a strong sense of personality too. Titles include "Big Foot", "I'll Remember April", "Donna Lee", "Chasing The Bird", "Round Midnight", and "52nd Street Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little record, and one that definitely hangs strongly on the "and more" promised in the title – as alto sax genius Phil Woods moves very far from the familiar "Charlie Parker With Strings" format you might expect – almost as a statement that shows how much both the setting and Woods have evolved over the decade! There's definitely strings on the set – a full backing that's really seems to inspire Woods towards some of his best work of the period – as does the core rhythm contributions from Ben Arnov on piano, Reggie Johnson on bass, and Douglas Sides on drums – all players who seem to be higher in the mix than the strings, which really emphasizes their presence. The tracks include some long takes on classic Bird/strings songbook material, plus some great surprises – all in nicely different versions. Titles include "April In Paris", "All The Things You Are", "I'll Remember April", "Easy To Love", "The Midnight Sun Will Never Set", "Repetition", "The Best Thing For You Is Me/How Deep Is The Ocean", "Solitude", "Willow Weep For Me", and "I Get Along Without You Very Well". CD

Gritty and powerful grooves from The Yardbirds – a set that mixes bluesy guitars and psych in a pretty incredible way – all infused by excellent work from the young Jimmy Page, at a level that predicts course he's take with Led Zeppelin just a few years later! By the time of Little Games, the group are really hitting their stride – moving way past simple mod modes or garage grit, to find that sharp-edged sound that made the Yardbirds one of the best of their generation – and a huge influence on groups for years to come. The set was produced by Mickie Most – and titles include "Little Games", "Smile On Me", "White Summer", "Glimpses", "Drinking Muddy Water", "Little Soldier Boy", "Only The Black Rose", "No Excess Baggage", and "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary session from the early years of ECM – one of those records that really helped set the tone of the label for years to come! The album's definitely on the more avant side of the spectrum, and is a great reminder of how much ECM contributed to European free jazz at the start – with fantastic interplay from a group led by reedman Jan Garbarek on tenor, bass sax, flutes, clarinet, and percussion – in a quartet with Terje Rypdal on guitar, Jon Christensen on percussion, and Arild Andersen on bass, xylophone, and kalimba! The tracks vary in length, and the players all shift instruments nicely – on titles that include "Myb", "Blow Away Zone", "Afric Pepperbird", "Scarabee", and "Beast Of Kommodo". CD

A legendary session from the early years of ECM – one of those records that really helped set the tone of the label for years to come! The album's definitely on the more avant side of the spectrum, and is a great reminder of how much ECM contributed to European free jazz at the start – with fantastic interplay from a group led by reedman Jan Garbarek on tenor, bass sax, flutes, clarinet, and percussion – in a quartet with Terje Rypdal on guitar, Jon Christensen on percussion, and Arild Andersen on bass, xylophone, and kalimba! The tracks vary in length, and the players all shift instruments nicely – on titles that include "Myb", "Blow Away Zone", "Afric Pepperbird", "Scarabee", and "Beast Of Kommodo". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Lasha & Simmons firey collaborations from the mid 60's! Both players are at the top of their form, and the backing – by Bobby Hutcherson, Buster Williams, and Charles Moffett – provides a hard rythmic drive that sets their solos on edge and really gives them focus. Lasha plays flute, alto, and alto clarinet, and Simmons plays alto and a bit of English horn. Great stuff, and beautiful mix of out sensibilities and tight rhythm playing. With the tracks "Island Song", "Firebirds", and "Psalms Of Solomon". CD

A killer set from Count Basie – recorded during the height of his years at Roulette! The back cover of the record proclaims that "Basie Is Back Home" – clearly a bit by Birdland to lay claim to being the Count's home address, which is a bit of a challenge to his KC roots! Whatever the back story, though, the set's a nice one – swinging hard in that completely tight 60s mode, with a great lineup that includes Frank Foster and Budd Johnson on tenor, Thad Jones on trumpet, Bennie Powell on trombone, and Freddie Green on guitar – a really great group who definitely make the record a cooker! Tracks include "Good Time Blues", "Segue In C", "Little Pony", "Discommotion", and "Whirly Bird", which has a vocal by Jon Hendricks! LP, Vinyl record album

A killer set from Count Basie – recorded during the height of his years at Roulette! The back cover of the record proclaims that "Basie Is Back Home" – clearly a bit by Birdland to lay claim to being the Count's home address, which is a bit of a challenge to his KC roots! Whatever the back story, though, the set's a nice one – swinging hard in that completely tight 60s mode, with a great lineup that includes Frank Foster and Budd Johnson on tenor, Thad Jones on trumpet, Bennie Powell on trombone, and Freddie Green on guitar – a really great group who definitely make the record a cooker! Tracks include "Good Time Blues", "Segue In C", "Little Pony", "Discommotion", and "Whirly Bird", which has a vocal by Jon Hendricks! CD features 8 more bonus tracks – recorded at the same time, and first issued on the Mosaic set Complete Roulette Live Recordings – titles that include "Easin It", "Corner Pocket", "Discommotion", "Whirly Bird (inst)", "I Needs To Be Bee'd With", and "A Little Tempo Please". CD

A really great little live jazz date from the mid 50s – one that features a unique pairing of east and west coast players, working together as part of a Birdland Stars package tour! The group's an exceptionally balanced one – with players who are all strong enough to work together seamlessly, but who each bring together something different to the date – especially in the blend of west coast cool and east coast hot that comes up during some of the horn passages! Trumpets are by Kenny Dorham and Conte Candoli, tenor by Al Cohn, alto by Phil Woods, piano by Hank Jones, bass by John Simmons, and drums by Kenny Clarke – and with a balance like that, there's probably a bit more "east" than "west" on the set – but that's ok with us! The style is similar to some of the RCA work cut by Cohn or Woods, but a lot more open overall – tracks that are looser and less arranged, with some really great room for solos. CD features volumes 1 and 2 of the albums – 14 titles that include "Phil Er Up", "Roulette", "Last Lap", "Hip Boots", "For Kicks Only", "Playboy", "Ah Funky New Baby", Birdland Fantasy", and "Minorin The Blues". Tracks are all originals by Manny Albam and Ernie Wilkins! CD