The music here is as evocative as the title – almost a mix of contemporary Blue Note modes with older ECM styles – all served up as a perfect showcase for the ever-growing talents of trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire! We've really dug the last two records from Ambrose, and this one seems to push his voice even father than before – sometimes in smaller acoustic settings, sometimes with a bit of vocals, and sometimes a bit of strings – performed by a shifting lineup that includes guests Becca Stevens, Theo Bleckmann, and Cold Specks on vocals – plus a core group that includes Walter Smith on tenor and Sam Harris on piano. Titles include "Marie Christie", "Memo", "Ceasless Inexhaustible Child", "Rollcall For Those Absent", "Vartha", and "Our Basement". CD

That's no snake oil in the bottle, it's fantastic music from this razor-sharp quintet – maybe one of the most fantastic projects that saxophonist Tim Berne has given us in many years, and a group that just seem to get better and better with each new record! There's a combination of reed and percussive elements here that's really wonderful – alto from the leader, bass clarinet from Oscar Noriega, piano and tack piano from Matt Mitchell, and drums, vibes, gongs, tanbou, and glockenspiel from Ches Smith – all then strung together by guitar work from Marc Ducret, whose range of sounds really matches those of the other players! Mitchell also adds in a bit of modular synth – and titles include "Surface Noise", "Rolo", "Dear Friend", "The Amazing Mr 7", "Third Option", "Rose Colored Assive", and "The Fantastic Mrs 10". CD

We never tire of the saxophone work of Sonny Criss – and this mid 70s gem is a perfect example of his brilliance! Sonny's sound on alto here is completely his own – raspily, soulful style that's really unique – and which draws strongly from Criss' rich life experience, including his years away from music (he'd been retired for most of the 70s before the time of this album.) The group's laidback and open – with Dolo Coker on piano, Ray Crawford on guitar, Larry Gales on bass, and Jimmy Smith on drums – a group that's all well with Criss on his journey – but also lets him sparkle brightly in the lead. Titles include the extended track "Isle Of Celia", plus "This Is For Benny", "Blues In My Heart", and "Crisscraft". CD

We never tire of the saxophone work of Sonny Criss – and this mid 70s gem is a perfect example of his brilliance! Sonny's sound on alto here is completely his own – raspily, soulful style that's really unique – and which draws strongly from Criss' rich life experience, including his years away from music (he'd been retired for most of the 70s before the time of this album.) The group's laidback and open – with Dolo Coker on piano, Ray Crawford on guitar, Larry Gales on bass, and Jimmy Smith on drums – a group that's all well with Criss on his journey – but also lets him sparkle brightly in the lead. Titles include the extended track "Isle Of Celia", plus "This Is For Benny", "Blues In My Heart", and "Crisscraft". CD features 2 bonus tracks – an alternate of "Blues In My Heart", and "All The Things You Are". CD

We love the music of pianist Orrin Evans in a trio – but we love it even more when he takes on a bigger, more ambitious project like this – a stunning set of tracks done with an array of older jazz legends, as a showcase both to their individual talents, and Evans' visionary role as a leader! Most of the record has a core group with Robert Hurst on bass and Marvin Smitty Smith on drums – both superb players who make the record bristle with energy – with contributions from Nicholas Patyon's trumpet and tenor and flute of Gary Thomas on four tracks, plus vocals from Sy Smith and Jazzmeia Horn, each of whom sing on one number. Two more tracks feature Gene Jackson on drums and Buster Williams on bass – one with tenor from Larry McKenna, the other with trumpet from Wallace Roney – and titles on the album include "Red Door", "Weezy", "Bit Small", "The Good Life", "Dexter's Tune", "Feed The Fire", and "Smoke Rings". CD

Massive music from Ella Fitzgerald – 4CDs worth of sublime small group recordings – all of them live, and all of them previously unissued! The set follows the same format of the Verve Ella In Hollywood album – recorded in a small club setting, with combo backing that really lets Fitzgerald open up and swing – inflecting the tunes with the kind of warmth and spontaneity that she brought to her famous live performances of the time – which were almost always more compelling than her studio sides, no matter how great those were too! The first 3CDs feature material from two weeks' worth of recording in May of 1961 – with backing from Jim Hall on guitar, Lou Levy on piano, Wilfred Middlebrooks on bass, and Gus Johnson on drums – and CD four features Ella returning to Hollywood for two more nights in 1962, with trio backing from Paul Smith on piano, Middlebrooks on bass, and Stan Levey on drums. There's a massive 77 tracks in all – handsomely package in a hardcover 7" square book – which also features beautiful color pages inside, lots of notes on the music, and design that's every bit as groovy as the old albums on Verve. Titles include "Joe Williams' Blues", "It's De-Lovely", "Lorelei", "I Can't Get Started", "Round Midnight", "Perdido", "Little White Lies", "Lover Come Back To Me", "Across The Alley From The Alamo", "Love For Sale", "Exactly Like You", "Mack The Knife", "Teach Me Tonight", "My Kind Of Boy", "It Had To Be You", "Hard Hearted Hannah", "All Of Me", and "Too Darn Hot/Ella's Twist". And, in case you're wondering, there's almost no repetition in the set at all – all discreet, unique tunes – not just the sort of rehash you might get in other concert box sets of this nature! CD

A really powerful project from the LA underground – served up by a group led by Jesse Sharps, who you may remember from classic albums on the Nimbus label – and done at a level that unites the sound of his generation with some of the best currents of more contemporary years! The lineup here is filled with righteous, spiritual giants – the great Dwight Trible on vocals, Phil Ranelin on trombone, Theo Saunders on piano, Robwerto Miranda on bass, Derf Recklaw on congas and percussion – alongside Mercedes Smith on alto, Amos Delone on baritone , and Maia on flute! There's a strong mix of message and music going on here – also delivered with a bit of poetry from Kamau Daaood – and although the set was recorded before the events of 2020, it's got a deep sense of power that really gets at the needs of America in the years after George Floyd. The set begins with a stunningly dark take on "Strange Fruit", then moves into Daaood's equally powerful "Healing Suite" – and soars next on the long "Freedom's Sweet" by Horace Tapscott, before closing with "Mother", a composition by the great Nate Morgan. LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of early records from Hour Glass – back to back in a single set! First up is the self titled Hour Glass album – fantastic early work from Gregg And Duane Allman – a set that's nothing at all like their Allman Brothers material, but which has a wonderful style nonetheless! At some level, there's a very strong soul current running through the music – as the group mix in songs by Curtis Mayfield, Deon Jackson, and others with some headier rock material – all set up in these arrangements by Dallas Smith that seem to begin in uptown soul, then push things into more psychedelic territory! The blend is great, and makes for a really wonderful record – on titles that include "I've Been Trying", "No Easy Way Down", "Out Of The Night", "Nothing But Tears", "Heartbeat", and "Silently". Power Of Love is an excellent second set from Hour Glass – the pre-Allman Brothers Band that featured both Duane and Gregg Allman, the latter of whom is really coming into his own on the record! Unlike the group's debut, this one features a lot more original material by Gregg – and guitars that start to crackle in that sweetly cresting style that would become the group's hallmark, and which would have an undeniable influence on the sound of rock in the 70s. At some level, the whole thing's an early southern effort to answer the sounds of the Bay Area scene – and comes off beautifully, thanks to titles that include "To Things Before", "I'm Not Afraid", "Home For The Summer", "Down In Texas", "Now Is The Time", and "Going Nowhere". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite albums of all times – and a legendary testament to the greatness of the Chicago music scene in the late 60s! Melvin Jackson was the bassist in Eddie Harris' very successful group of the time – and his playing on Eddie's trippy and funky records for Atlantic is one of the factors that made them so great. Here, he's working with an acoustic bass, amplified with electronics like a Varitone sax – and this strange-sounding instrument is set up in a hip group that mixes Cadet funky studio players (Phil Upchurch, Morris Jennings, Jody Christian) with some of the brighter young players of the AACM (Roscoe Mitchell, Lester Bowie, and Leo Smith.) Jackson's bass is looped through all sorts of crazy effects, and the result is this amazing blend of avant garde playing and groovy rhythms that is beyond compare! The album includes great reworkings of two Eddie Harris funk tracks – "Bold and Black" and "Cold Duck Time" – plus monster originals like "Funky Doo", "Say What", "Dance Of The Dervish", and "Funky Skull (parts 1 & 2)". CD

One of our favorite albums of all time – and a legendary testament to the greatness of the Chicago music scene in the late 60s! Melvin Jackson was the bassist in Eddie Harris' very successful group of the time – and his playing on Eddie's trippy and funky records for Atlantic is one of the factors that made them so great. Here, he's working with an acoustic bass, amplified with electronics like a Varitone sax – and this strange-sounding instrument is set up in a hip group that mixes Cadet funky studio players (Phil Upchurch, Morris Jennings, Jody Christian) with some of the brighter young players of the AACM (Roscoe Mitchell, Lester Bowie, and Leo Smith.) Jackson's bass is looped through all sorts of crazy effects, and the result is this amazing blend of avant garde playing and groovy rhythms that is beyond compare! The album includes great reworkings of two Eddie Harris funk tracks – "Bold and Black" and "Cold Duck Time" – plus monster originals like "Funky Doo", "Say What", "Dance Of The Dervish", and "Funky Skull (parts 1 & 2)". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing record from Chicago musician/artist Damon Locks – maybe the album he's been waiting his entire life to make – and the first to really bring together the mighty sum of his many talents! The material was recorded live in performance at Chicago's Garfield Park Conservatory – at an event that also included a group of singers and dancers to augment the musical performance – in a setting that gives Damon's majestic vision the proper setting it really deserves! Locks himself moves between electronics and vocal performances – in a core instrumental group that's heavy on drums and percussion from Dana Hall, clarinets from Angel Bat Dawid, and more percussion from Arif Smith – making music that's even more beautiful when the singers come into the mix, and take the energy to the sky with a very cosmic, righteous vibe. Locks has given us a glimpse of his vision in artwork, music, and writings over the years – but this time around, it feels like we're seeing the full scope at once – with more power and meaning than ever before. Titles include "Solar Power", "Rebuild A Nation", "Which I Believe It Will", "The Colors That You Bring", "The Future", "From A Spark To A Fire", "Black Monument Theme", and "Sounds Like Now". CD

An amazing record from Chicago musician/artist Damon Locks – maybe the album he's been waiting his entire life to make – and the first to really bring together the mighty sum of his many talents! The material was recorded live in performance at Chicago's Garfield Park Conservatory – at an event that also included a group of singers and dancers to augment the musical performance – in a setting that gives Damon's majestic vision the proper setting it really deserves! Locks himself moves between electronics and vocal performances – in a core instrumental group that's heavy on drums and percussion from Dana Hall, clarinets from Angel Bat Dawid, and more percussion from Arif Smith – making music that's even more beautiful when the singers come into the mix, and take the energy to the sky with a very cosmic, righteous vibe. Locks has given us a glimpse of his vision in artwork, music, and writings over the years – but this time around, it feels like we're seeing the full scope at once – with more power and meaning than ever before. Titles include "Solar Power", "Rebuild A Nation", "Which I Believe It Will", "The Colors That You Bring", "The Future", "From A Spark To A Fire", "Black Monument Theme", and "Sounds Like Now". 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

A fantastic record on Strata East – and a concept that shouldn't work as well as it does, but which comes off perfectly – thanks to the strength of the players! As you might guess from the title, the group's an all-piano ensemble – one that features hip talents that include Harold Mabern, Sonelius Smith, Stanley Cowell, Nat Jones, Hugh Lawson, and Webster Lewis – coming together in ways that have the pianos handling every part of the music – rhythm, melody, and all these great little bits around the edges – all on these long, stretched-out tracks that have lots of room for solo contributions too! The vibe is very Strata East, just all-piano – and titles include "Effi", "Killers", "Precious Lord", "The Almoravids", and "Man Extensions". LP, Vinyl record album

An essential chapter of Miami soul – even if most of the work is appearing here for the first time ever! The set is a magnificent companion to Numero's Deep City collection of pre-TK Miami soul – but it's put together in such a way that it's almost a beautiful introduction to the south Florida sound on its own – served up in a batch of rare, unreleased tracks! The music is every bit as wonderful as you'd expect – Miami soul recorded at a time before cliches had started to hit that scene – and when the best artists down south were strongly resonating ideas from Memphis and Muscle Shoals with other elements borrowed from northern groups both funky and mellow. But even above the 20 great tracks on the CD, the package is amazing too – filled with notes on each group, a special appendix on Miami soul, a rare indie label discography, and a wealth of great images and photos – all layered lovingly into a full-color, 32 page booklet! Numero have really outdone themselves with this one – and the collection is way more than a part 2 to their previous package – more of a brilliant set of soul tunes on its own, complete with a booklet that's as beautiful as the music. Titles include "One Little Piece" by The Rollers, "Don't Be Surprised" by Lynn Williams, "No Way Out" by Clarence Reid, "What's In The Lovin" by Helene Smith, "Mr Lucky" by Betty Wright, "There Goes My Baby" by James Knight & The Butlers, "Do What You're Doin" by The Rising Sun, "Do Your Stuff" by Perk Badger, "Masterpiece" by Deep City Band, "Nasty Dog (part 2)" by The Nasty Dog Catchers, "Thank You Baby" by Betty Wright, "Your Love Won't Let Me Leave You" by Snoopy Dean, "The Pot Can't Talk About The Kettle" by Helene Smith, "Show Me What You Got" by Frank Williams & The Rocketeers, "Don't Be A Fool" by Clarence Reid, and "Knockin At The Wrong Door" by The Rollers. CD

Music from Jerry Fuller, Gary Stites, Rocco Granata, Marty Wilde, Jimmie Rodgers, Mark Dinning, Betty Smith Group, and Don Costa. CD

A really wonderful entry in this excellent series – one that initially helped identify a really special strand in postwar music – then continue to provide rare and unique examples with new volumes like this! The music isn't really mambo or Latin at all – but the rhythms here are more sophisticated and modern than more blues-oriented work of the time – and pulled from a fantastic moment when things were really mixing up in the new indie recording scene of the postwar years! Bits of jazz, early soul, and other touches make these tunes really shine – all lively numbers that include both group material and solo singers too – in a killer set list that includes "Wanda" by The Heartbreakers, "You're So Good Looking" by Otis Smith, "Heartaches & Troubles" by Mr Bo, "Song Of Sadar" by Lawrence Peel & The Filatones, "Buddha's Boogie" by Dukes Of Rhythm, "Calvalry" by Marie Knight & Sister Rosetta Tharpe, "Evil One" by The Dundees, "Love For Sale" by Helene Polite, "Oscalypso" by Oscar Pettiford, "Mambo Blues" by Effie Smith, "Big Mary's" by Titus Turner, "Caldonia" by Monchito, "Ali Baba's Boogie" by Preston Love, "Canveral Rock" by The Blasts, "I Want You To Be My Baby Mambo" by The Royals, "Girl Of My Dream" by Frank Butler, and "My Beat Is 125th Street" by Eunice Davis. LP, Vinyl record album

We never tire of the saxophone work of Sonny Criss – and this mid 70s gem is a perfect example of his brilliance! Sonny's sound on alto here is completely his own – raspily, soulful style that's really unique – and which draws strongly from Criss' rich life experience, including his years away from music (he'd been retired for most of the 70s before the time of this album.) The group's laidback and open – with Dolo Coker on piano, Ray Crawford on guitar, Larry Gales on bass, and Jimmy Smith on drums – a group that's all well with Criss on his journey – but also lets him sparkle brightly in the lead. Titles include the extended track "Isle Of Celia", plus "This Is For Benny", "Blues In My Heart", and "Crisscraft". LP, Vinyl record album

An unexpected treasure – like so many of Art Farmer's later albums! The record is ostensibly a tribute to the music of Billy Strayhorn – which might make us expect some soporific Ellington cliches – but the session's really just a small group one, played by Art with a quintet that includes Clifford Jordan, James Williams, Rufus Reid, and Marvin Smitty Smith – all coming together in a fluidly soulful style that's really great. Farmer's work on flugelhorn seems even more inventive than ever – and titles include "Bloodcount", "Johnny Come Lately", "Isfahan", "Raincheck", and "Upper Manhattan Medical Group". LP, Vinyl record album

Really wonderful live work from the great Horace Silver – some more obscure material that stands as a very nice companion to his Blue Note live album of the mid 60s! The first five tracks on the set features a superb group with Joe Henderson on tenor, and either Carmell Jones or Woody Shaw on trumpet, depending on the tracks – both fantastic players who really bring a sharp edge to the proceedings, and who give the music a slightly different vibe than some of Silver's studio material from the period. Tracks are long, and drums are by Roger Humphries, with bass by Larry Ridley and Teddy Smith – on extended takes of "Que Pasa", "The Natives Are Restless", "Song For My Father", and two versions of "African Queen". The CD has two more tracks recorded at the Cork & Bib club in 1964 – a club out on Long Island – again with Henderson and Shaw, on a 15 minute version of "Tokyo Blues", and a shorter version of "Senor Blues" – both great. CD

You might not initially recognize the name of Trevor Tomkins, until you realize he was the drummer in the great Don Rendell/Ian Carr group of the late 60s – continuing his great run of modern jazz expressions here, in a set of never-issued work! The material here dates from years after the breakup of the Rendell/Carr combo, but it's clear that Trevor really drunk in deep from that moment in jazz – and continues the spirit of open flow and creative rhythms in his own music – working here with a great lineup of players that includes Chris Pyne on trombone, Jimmy Hastings and Brian Smith on soprano and tenor saxes, Phil Lee on guitar, John Horler on piano and electric piano, and Paul Bridge on drums. The double-length package features work recorded over the space of a few years, but has a very unified feel – and the material is mostly all original, with a number of especially wonderful tracks penned by Lee. Titles include "Your Eyes Are Love", "The Right Moment", "Chapter One", "Celeste", "Summer Night", "Three Four Peace", "Evansong", "Your Dancing Toes", "Early Spring", and "For Future Reference". CD

Tim Berne really seems to have found his great energy of old while working with his Snakeoil group – that richly-expressive sense of tones and timings that made him such a powerful force at the start, and which has really gotten us listening to his music all over again these days! Berne's on alto, but that's only part of the equation here – as the group also features these amazing lines from Oscar Noriega on clarinet and bass clarinet – used at a sharper level, to bring out even more edge than Tim's instrument. The group also has some excellent piano from Matt Mitchell – whose acoustic lines are a masterpiece of space and strength – sometimes balanced by his own electronics, and use of vibes, timpani, and other percussion by Ches Smith, the group's drummer. The guitars of Ryan Ferreira are used selectively, but in a way that only increases their power – and titles include "Lost In Redding", "Angles", "You've Been Watching Me", "Semi-Self Detached", and "False Impressions". CD

Mighty High features sweet and slow-burning organ from the great Milt Buckner – a really simple session overall, but one with lots of magical touches! Milt plays with a tone that's much lighter than a lot of his contemporaries on the Hammond – not as many tricks as Jimmy Smith, and perhaps more integrated into a group sound than the usual organ soloist. The album features lots of short tracks, played by a quintet with Buckner on organ, Jimmy Campbell on alto sax, and Kenny Burrell on guitar. Titles include "DTs", "Burnt Out", "Castle Rock", "Haunting Me", "After Hours", "Two Flights Up", and "Teach Me Tonight". The liner notes describe Midnight Mood as "music for squares, for hippies and for square hippies" and it has "mood pattern after mood pattern". Milt Buckner plays the organ and is joined by Johhny Pate on bass and Maurice Sinclaire on drums. Tracks include "Almost Lost My Mind", "If I Should Lose You", "Love Is The Thing", "Bouncing At Dawn", "Little White Lies", "One For My Baby", and "Baby Baby All The Time". CD

Very early work from Japanese saxophonist Sachi Hayasaka – a set that's a bit late in the catalog of the Three Blind Mice label, but one that's also a very special session for the label! Sachi blows alto and soprano sax, and the group here is a very free, open trio – just bass from Toshiki Nagata, and trumpet work from the great Wadada Leo Smith – a partner who really matches the youthful imagination that Hayasaka brings to her horn. The work is all improvised, but with a loose sense of structure at times – and there's a spiritual current to the music that almost makes it feel like Sachi could have been a member of the AACM back in the 70s. Most titles are in Japanese – and the set features 10 numbers in all, of varying length. CD

Three beautiful ECM albums from pianist Steve Kuhn – each quite different and wonderful in their own way! First up is Motility, a spacious set done with Steve Slagle on alto, soprano sax, and flute – soaring out alongside Kuhn's warmly flowing acoustic piano lines with a great sense of soul – all the lyrical depth and power that we love so much in Steve Kuhn's music during these key years. Other group members include Harvie Swartz on bass and Michael Smith on drums – and at times, the group almost has the well-honed tightness of a fusion group, but plays with an acoustic soul that's even more beautiful. Titles include "The Rain Forest", "Oceans In The Sky", "Catherine", "The Child Is Gone", and "A Danse For One". Next up is Playground, one of Steve Kuhn's amazing collaborations with vocalist Sheila Jordan! Although Kuhn's a pianist at heart, he always seems to have an ear for singers – especially at this time in his career, when both his playing and his compositions gave such new inspiration to a 70s decade of vocal experimentalists. Jordan's definitely at the forefront of that generation, and works here beautifully with Kuhn's piano – in a group that also includes Harvie Swartz on bass and Bob Moses on drums. Most tunes are relatively spare, and build up with a great sort of sensitivity – and titles include "Deep Tango", "The Zoo", "Life's Backward Glance", and "Gentle Thoughts". Last up is Ecstasy, a solo set from Kuhn – recorded in the mid 70s, with an even more careful, thoughtful tone than some of his other albums of the decade! Steve's piano is captured in a warmly intimate setting – somewhat echoey at points, and spinning out with these captivating lines and tones that hold us more hypnotically than other albums of this nature. Titles include "Thoughts Of A Gentleman – The Saga Of Harrison Crabfeathers", "Ulla", "Silver", and "Life's Backward Glance". CD

One of Joe McPhee's strongest early albums – and a real breakthrough from his sound on Nation Time (also issued as part of the Unheard Music Series.) The group here is a trio – with Mike Kull on electric and acoustic piano, and Harold E Smith on percussion – and the lack of a bass player gives the group an incredible sense of freedom, letting them wail away on long tracks with a strong bent for musical and spatial exploration. The two most marked examples of this are "Astral Spirits" and "Delta" – both searching numbers that start with an electric piano/tenor sound that you might have heard on a Joe Henderson album on Milestone from the same time, but which take that sound to unheard of limits, pushing the keys and the sax to full capacity. The album also includes the longer track "Ionization", which is a fiercely jamming number with a slightly straighter bent. CD

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

A classic Bobby Watson set from the early solo years of his career – just the sort of standout set that shows why he was one of the brightest new jazz voices of the 80s! The album's got a sound that's even more open-ended and exploratory than some of Watson's US releases – cuts that often stretch out a bit more than usual, still with the tight rhythms that make Bobby's music so great – courtesy of Curtis Lundy on bass and Marvin Smitty Smith on drums – but changed up a bit too, with some complexity that really matches Watson's inventive lines on alto sax. John Hicks completes the group on piano, bringing in a nice sense of warmth – and titles include "Dark Days", "Love Remains", "Blues For Alto", "The Mistery Of Ebop", "One For Aaron", and "Sho Thang". CD

A sweetly grooving bit of spiritual jazz from the 80s – done at a time when groups like this were letting a bit of R&B into their music, yet still coming across with a nicely righteous vibe that's far from mainstream modes of period! The group's led by Daoud Abubakar Balewam, pictured on the cover – who blows these lean, soulful solos over warmer work on keyboards and guitar – and the record's got a vibe that's maybe in the mode that Lonnie Liston Smith had been exploring on some of his early 80s material too. Daoud's work on soprano sax is quite nice – even on the album's smoother numbers – and there's some nice laidback tunes that have a sweet smooth fusiony groove with a slight current of jazz funk in the mix. Titles include "Samba Para Mi", "Naima", "The Camouflage", and "I Dream Too Much". LP, Vinyl record album

Saxophonist Tim Berne has found a great recent home in his Snakeoil group – combo that allows him to try out many different tones and colors, really pushing his music forward with a freshness that it maybe hadn't had in previous years! Berne's sharp-edged at the head of the group on alto – alongside Oscar Noriega on clarinet and bass clarinet, Ryan Ferreira on guitar, Matt Mitchell on piano and electronics, and Ches Smith on drums, vibes, percussion, and timpani – an instrumental mix that's often used in these very unusual, very compelling ways – sometimes blocking out spaces in sound with unusual combinations of elements, often with more surprising brightness than the darker or more obtuse moments you might expect. Titles include "Hora Feliz", "Stingray Shuffle", "Incidentals Contact", "Prelude One/Sequel Too", and "Sideshow". CD

A great mix of shadow and noise from Tim Berne's Snakeoil group – one of the best projects he's created in recent years, and a group who really set a new sort of fire to Berne's imagination! There's a wonderful blend of texture, tension, and individual expression going on here – modes that are initially familiar to an ECM setting, but which often break free with the sort of energy that Tim brought to his music years back – especially when his alto sax takes off in some searing solo moments. The group features Matt Mitchell on some especially great piano – very spaced, but very powerful – plus Oscar Noriega on clarinet and bass clarinet, and Ches Smith on drums, vibes, and percussion. Titles include "Static", "Psalm", "OC/DC", "Socket", "Cornered Duck", and "Son Of Not So Sure". CD

One of our favorite albums of all times – and a legendary testament to the greatness of the Chicago music scene in the late 60s! Melvin Jackson was the bassist in Eddie Harris' very successful group of the time – and his playing on Eddie's trippy and funky records for Atlantic is one of the factors that made them so great. Here, he's working with an acoustic bass, amplified with electronics like a Varitone sax – and this strange-sounding instrument is set up in a hip group that mixes Cadet funky studio players (Phil Upchurch, Morris Jennings, Jody Christian) with some of the brighter young players of the AACM (Roscoe Mitchell, Lester Bowie, and Leo Smith.) Jackson's bass is looped through all sorts of crazy effects, and the result is this amazing blend of avant garde playing and groovy rhythms that is beyond compare! The album includes great reworkings of two Eddie Harris funk tracks – "Bold and Black" and "Cold Duck Time" – plus monster originals like "Funky Doo", "Say What", "Dance Of The Dervish", and "Funky Skull (parts 1 & 2)". LP, Vinyl record album

A great debut from a Chicago group who almost seem ready to set a whole new tone for their city's scene – working here in ways that hearken back to the open spontaneous creativity of Sun Ra and the AACM, but also with more of a sense of post-performance presentation that resonates with some of the contemporary experiments on the International Anthem label! But these guys are also different than any of those references might imply – very organic in their approach to the music, which was created spontaneously in the studio, then winnowed down for the six different selections on the record – comprised of an array of sounds from Molly Jones on saxes and flute, Julian Otis on voice and electronics, Ben Zucker on vibes and cornet, and Wilson Tanner Smith on cello and harmonica. In the best AACM tradition, the instrumental shifting also includes work on percussion, toys, whistles, and other instruments – as the group spin things out with spiritual energy that really gets a lot from the vocalizations of Otis. Titles include "Freedom Is A Feeling", "In The Weather Together", "When They See Us", "We Instruments", and "The World Spins On Its Axis". CD

A fantastic record on Strata East – and a concept that shouldn't work as well as it does, but which comes off perfectly – thanks to the strength of the players! As you might guess from the title, the group's an all-piano ensemble – one that features hip talents that include Harold Mabern, Sonelius Smith, Stanley Cowell, Nat Jones, Hugh Lawson, and Webster Lewis – coming together in ways that have the pianos handling every part of the music – rhythm, melody, and all these great little bits around the edges – all on these long, stretched-out tracks that have lots of room for solo contributions too! The vibe is very Strata East, just all-piano – and titles include "Effi", "Killers", "Precious Lord", "The Almoravids", and "Man Extensions". CD

A fantastic record on Strata East – and a concept that shouldn't work as well as it does, but which comes off perfectly – thanks to the strength of the players! As you might guess from the title, the group's an all-piano ensemble – one that features hip talents that include Harold Mabern, Sonelius Smith, Stanley Cowell, Nat Jones, Hugh Lawson, and Webster Lewis – coming together in ways that have the pianos handling every part of the music – rhythm, melody, and all these great little bits around the edges – all on these long, stretched-out tracks that have lots of room for solo contributions too! The vibe is very Strata East, just all-piano – and titles include "Effi", "Killers", "Precious Lord", "The Almoravids", and "Man Extensions". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprise reunion for this all-piano ensemble that features the hip talents of Harold Mabern, Sonelius Smith, Stanley Cowell, Nat Jones, and Hugh Lawson. The group that put out two albums on Strata East back in the late 70s, and this follows in the same form, with pianos handling every part of the music – rhythm, melody, and all these great little bits around the edges! Titles include "Slave Song", "Bip Bip Bam", "Here But For The Grace Of", and "Maiden Voyage". CD

A crackling live set from Tito Puente – recorded at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1977, and more of a straight Latin jazz set than most of his other work of the 70s! The performance is really wonderful – classic Tito without any other trappings at all – Puente in the lead on timbales and vibes, working with a lively large group who are clearly schooled in the stylings of the mambo years of the 50s, but who bring a much more contemporary feel to their music overall! There's no electric instrumentation at all – and players include Mauricio Smith on flute, Richard Pullin on trombone, and Albert Shikaly on tenor. Frank Figueroa sings a bit on the performance, but the main focus is instrumental – and titles include "Oye Como Va", "Tito's Odyssey", "Delierio", "Babarabatiri", "Pare Cochero", and "El Rey Del Timbal". CD

A completely unique slide of work from Dudu Pukwana – a side of the reedman you may never have heard before! Dudu's best known for his work in the Blue Notes – that legendary avant assemblage of South African players – and although he's also recorded in other creative settings, this may well be the first time we've heard him on a soul jazz session – burning brightly with some killer Hammond from organist Bob Stuckey! The combo's tight and right on the money – grooving live at Ronnie Scotts with the feel of some Prestige Records sax/organ group of the mid 60s – a real change for Dudu, but one we really love! Pukwana still puts in lots of unusual edges in his music – some odd tones and unusual shifts that really keep things interesting – especially giving the group's use of mostly original compositions, most by Dudu! Titles include "Jauana's Dream", "Messengers", "Kicks For Sale", "B My Dear", "Moonshine", "Kippie", and "Blessing Light". Plus, the CD features 5 more tracks by a trio that features Stuckey on Hammond and Terry Smith on guitar – "I Feel Pretty", "All Of You", "When I Grow Too Old To Dream", "Bob's Hop", and "Sweet Georgia Brown". CD

The music of John Coltrane, mixed with originals from the SF Jazz Collective – a perfect combination, considering that the lineup is so hip, it features heavyweights like Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Joshua Redman on tenor, Nicholas Payton on trumpet, Miguel Zenon on alto, and Renee Rosnes on piano! Isaac Smith is the trombonist this time around – and rhythm is rock-solid, thanks to the work of Eric Harland on drums and Matt Penman on bass – the last of whom might well be a secret hero of the group! The first half of the set features takes on the Coltrane tunes "Crescent", "Naima", "Africa", "Moment's Notice", "26 2", and "Love/Dear Lord" – followed by originals that include "Psalm For Peggy", "Love Is Enough", "Scrambled Egg", and "Development". CD

One of a few large group sessions recorded by Charles Tolliver during his years on Strata East – and an amazingly spiritual effort that really brings together the best strands of sounds running through the underground at the time! The format's a bit similar to Tolliver's previous Music Inc big band album for Strata, released 5 years before – with lots of strong lead action from Charles on trumpet, and Stanley Cowell on piano. But this time around, the larger group seems to be more fully integrated into the tunes – there not just to support the soloists, but to rise up with a full, proud sense of majesty that's really amazing. Other players include Cecil McBee and Reggie Workman on basses, Billy Parker and Warren Smith on percussion, Jon Faddis and Jimmy Owens on trumpets, John Gordon and Garnet Brown on trombones, and Charles McPherson, George Coleman, Harold Vick, and Charles Davis on saxes! Titles include great versions of the Tolliver classics "Plight" and "Impact" – plus "Mother Wit", "Lynnsome", and "Grand Max". LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful entry in this excellent series – one that initially helped identify a really special strand in postwar music – then continue to provide rare and unique examples with new volumes like this! The music isn't really mambo or Latin at all – but the rhythms here are more sophisticated and modern than more blues-oriented work of the time – and pulled from a fantastic moment when things were really mixing up in the new indie recording scene of the postwar years! Bits of jazz, early soul, and other touches make these tunes really shine – all lively numbers that include both group material and solo singers too – in a killer set list that includes "Wanda" by The Heartbreakers, "You're So Good Looking" by Otis Smith, "Heartaches & Troubles" by Mr Bo, "Song Of Sadar" by Lawrence Peel & The Filatones, "Buddha's Boogie" by Dukes Of Rhythm, "Calvalry" by Marie Knight & Sister Rosetta Tharpe, "Evil One" by The Dundees, "Love For Sale" by Helene Polite, "Oscalypso" by Oscar Pettiford, "Mambo Blues" by Effie Smith, "Big Mary's" by Titus Turner, "Caldonia" by Monchito, "Ali Baba's Boogie" by Preston Love, "Canveral Rock" by The Blasts, "I Want You To Be My Baby Mambo" by The Royals, "Girl Of My Dream" by Frank Butler, and "My Beat Is 125th Street" by Eunice Davis. CD

The overlooked debut of Bachdenkel – maybe not the biggest name on the British scene at the start of the 70s, but a group who were initially signed to Philips, and made some really fantastic music! The group are a trio, and it's a bit hard to sum up the quality of the work in easy words – as it's sometimes very personal, but not folksy at all – other times a bit more instrumentally intense, yet not really prog either – always somewhat dark overall, and never trying at all for an easy hook or the kind of track that might have gotten them any sort of radio play at all. The lineup features guitar, organ, and piano from Colin Swinburne – plus drums from Brian Smith, and six string bass from Peter Kimberley – on titles that include "Long Time Living", "Strangerstill", "Come All Ye Faceless", "The Settlement Song", "An Appointment With The Master", and "Translation". 2LP pressing features the bonus tracks "A Thousand Pages Before", "Donna", and "The Slightest Distance". LP, Vinyl record album

A jazz group at the core, but one with lots of nicely warm touches around the edges – a mix of percussion and vibes from group leader Cory Champion, who also brings in plenty of Fender Rhodes, guitar, and other keyboards as well! At times, there's a nicely cosmic vibe to the music – almost an evolution of the 70s sound of Lonnie Liston Smith – but there's also a lot more going on too, including cool use of bass clarinet, cello, harp, and other elements from other players to complicate the sound – plus occasional Buchla electronics from Champion, which creates a nicely spooky vibe – a bit like when Pat Gleeson might drop in a few sounds on a 70s jazz funk album. Titles include "Sunrise Motif", "Absolvo", "Revolutions", "Kihi", "Drumatix", "Plazma Plaza", and "Talking To Water". LP, Vinyl record album

An unexpected treasure – like so many of Art Farmer's later albums! The record is ostensibly a tribute to the music of Billy Strayhorn – which might make us expect some soporific Ellington cliches – but the session's really just a small group one, played by Art with a quintet that includes Clifford Jordan, James Williams, Rufus Reid, and Marvin Smitty Smith – all coming together in a fluidly soulful style that's really great. Farmer's work on flugelhorn seems even more inventive than ever – and titles include "Bloodcount", "Johnny Come Lately", "Isfahan", "Raincheck", and "Upper Manhattan Medical Group". CD features a bonus track – "Daydream". CD

Sublime girl group sounds from the great Lee Hazlewood – the complete recordings of Honey Ltd – an obscure Hazlewood project from the end of the 60s! The style here combines all the depths of Lee's own music with some of the sweeter Sunshine Pop sounds you'd expect from the cover – a really unique mix that has these moodier moments coming forth at times that really surprise us – and which takes the music way way past that of any of the girls' hipper contemporaries – especially the similarly-named Honeys! The harmonies are incredible – definitely rooted in jazz, with a complexity that goes way past pop – and in a way, the group remind us a bit of the incredible Third Wave group who recorded for MPS around the same time – although these gals definitely get a more sinister sound from Lee's help in the studio. Songs are mostly originals by the group – penned with some very compelling lyrics – and the album features great arrangements from Ian Frebairn Smith, who really does a great job of mixing the baroque with the groovy! The set features the full rare album by the quartet, plus two single tracks, and some unreleased cuts as well – titles that include "The Warrior", "Silk N Honey", "Come Down", "For Your Mind", "I've Got Your Mind", "Tomorrow Your Heart", "Eli's Coming", "I'm So Glad", "Love The Devil (backing track)", and "Silver Threads & Golden Needles". CD

Fantastic stuff! This essential CD brings together two of Roland Kirk's best albums from the mid 60's (and two of his hardest to find on vinyl!) Rip, Rig, & Panic is mindblowing work from Roland Kirk – a record that really pushes the boundaries of his music even farther than some of his earlier, and excellent, albums for the Mercury label! Kirk's really stretching out here – finding a space in jazz that's uniquely his own – modern, yet playful – creative, yet never overindulgent – and perfectly balanced to find a whole new sound of soul for the 60s! Things never get too far outside, but Kirk's reedlines are always breaking out into fresh territory – incredible tenor parts, and also some amazing work on manzello and stritch too, both lesser-known reed instruments that Roland employs to incredible ends. Other group members fit his vibe perfectly – Jaki Byard on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – each stepping quickly to catch the energy of each new twist and turn in Kirk's music. Titles include the sublime "From Bechet Byas & Fats" – plus "No Tonic Pres", "Rip Rig & Panic", "Mystical Dream", "Black Diamond", and "Slippery Hippery Flippery". Beautiful Edith is a bit mellower, but no less wonderful, and the record features some great early piano work by Lonnie Liston Smith. Titles include "Blue Rol", "No Tonic Press", "Rip, Rig, & Panic", "Slipper, Hippery, Flippery", "Stompin' Grounds", and "Mystical Dreams". CD

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". LP, Vinyl record album

A spiritual jazz classic on the Strata East label – yet a record that's also got a very different approach than most of the rest from the time! The style here is hinted at in the group's name – as the lineup features some key spiritual jazz pianists, all working together in this amazing array of sounds – both melody and rhythm often handled by the keys – in an ensemble that features work from Stanley Cowell, Webster Lewis, Sonelius Smith, Harold Mabern, Ron Burton, Hugh Lawson, and Nat Jones! The group uses pianos to make almost all the sounds – including the rhythms – although there is some percussion at times from Mtume, John Lewis, and Jimmy Hopps – all of whom add in these beautifully subtle touches. The set features all original music, completely wonderful all the way through – with titles that include "Ballad For The Beast From Bali-Bali", "In What Direction Are You Headed", "Barbara Ann", and "Prayer For Peace". LP, Vinyl record album

A heavenly blend of jazz and spiritual modes – one of the best jazz mass projects of the 70s, presented here with bonus alternate takes as well! Pianist Heikki Sarmanto composed the work, and leads the core instrumental group on piano – often working in a sweet modal style with help from Pekka Poyry and Seppo Paakkunainen on flutes and saxes – bringing some really soulful currents to the larger arrangements, which feature voices conducted by Gregg Smith, with some occasional solos from singer Maija Hapuoja! As with most projects of this nature, the music takes off from an older mass style, but in a mode that bridges to the spiritual jazz traditions of the 70s too – mixing familiar themes with new compositions, on titles that include "Duke & Trane", "Gracious Father", "Northern Dance", "Intercessions", "Hymn For The Day", "Holy Holy Holy", and "Through Him". CD