Some of the earliest material ever recorded by the Modern Jazz Quartet – early 50s sides that were originally issued as 78rpm singles, then brought together in this self-titled LP! Some of the material was first released under the name of the Milt Jackson Quartet – but featured the ... read moreCD
An extremely haunting version of the score to Porgy & Bess – recorded by the Modern Jazz Quartet at the height of their powers, in a gently soulful version that really takes off from the original. The group have a very free approach here – one that uses Gershwin's originals as a ... read moreCD
(Out of print early 90s Japanese pressing, includes obi.)
Modern Jazz Quartet —
Pyramid ... CD Atlantic, 1960. Used ...
$1.99
Features a long reading of "Pyramid" – plus "Django", "Romaine", "Vendome", and "It Don't Mean A Thing". CD
Early and brilliant work by the MJQ – recorded at a time when the combo's idea was quite unique, and when its execution was still filled with a lot of creative energy! The group, of course, features the core duo of Milt Jackson and John Lewis – and bass chores are handled by either ... read moreCD
A set that shows that none of the group's imagination or talent had dimmed over the years – and the core quartet of John Lewis on piano, Milt Jackson on vibes, Percy Heath on bass, and Connie Kay on drums are joined by The New York Chamber Symphony, who are a small string-based group who ... read moreCD
(Late 80s pressing.)
Modern Jazz Quartet & The All-Star Jazz Band —
Jazz Dialogue ... CD Philips (Japan), 1966. Used ...
$11.99
Larger group meditations by the Modern Jazz Quartet – working here in an expanded lineup that includes work from Phil Woods, Charlie Mariano, Seldon Powell, Richie Kamuca, Clark Terry, and Jimmy Cleveland! The album takes a core MJQ groove, and only seems to lay out out over the larger ... read moreCD
(Out of print early 90s Japanese pressing, includes obi.)
A fantastic lost legacy in European free improvisation – the complete works of a group who were first known as Modern Jazz Quintet Karlsruhe, then later as Fourmenonly – presented here in a beautiful 3CD set! First up is the album Trees – issued on a small label in 1968, but a ... read moreCD
A mixture of Verve regulars and early third streamers join together in this one-off session designed as a focus on the writing talents of John Lewis. Most of the material takes off from Lewis' work with the MJQ, and the band includes two of his bandmates from that group, Connie Kay & Percy ... read moreCD
(1999 Verve Elite edition. Large backing sticker on back cover.)
Charnett Moffett on bass, Victor Lewis on drums, and Geoff Keezer on piano and synthesizer. CD
(Out of print.)
Moffett Family Jazz Band —
Magic Of Love ... CD Venus (Japan), 1993. Used ...
$11.9914.99
Spiritual work from the great Charles Moffett and his talented family – all of whom have matured nicely by the time of this recording! Gone is the sloppiness of some of the earlier Moffett Family albums, and in its place is a tight soulful groove – with a progressive soul jazz sound ... read moreCD
An incredibly spiritual session from percussionist Louis Moholo and his ensemble Viva La Black – recorded on the occasion of a series of concerts in Moholo's homeland of South Africa – and done in a way that's as much a document of the group's trip as it is a recording of the music in ... read moreCD
Grachan Moncur III —
Evolution ... CD Blue Note, 1963. Used ...
$14.99
Landmark material from the farther reaches of jazz in the mid 60s – one of two albums that trombonist Grachan Moncur recorded for Blue Note – and a session that ranks as one of the best examples of the "new thing" moment in 60s jazz! Grachan's leading a sextet here that ... read moreCD
Landmark material from the farther reaches of jazz in the mid 60s – one of two albums that trombonist Grachan Moncur recorded for Blue Note – and a session that ranks as one of the best examples of the "new thing" moment in 60s jazz! Grachan's leading a sextet here that ... read moreCD
Grachan Moncur III and Dave Woodley on trombone, Tim Hagans on trumpet, Gary Bartz on alto saxophone, Gary Smulyan on baritone saxophone, Billy Harper on tenor saxophone, John Clark on Frnech horn, Ray Drummond on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums. CD
(Out of print, sticker over barcode and promo written in marker on booklet cover.)
One of the most revolutionary players to ever handle a trombone – finally summed up in the full scope of his genius! Grachan Moncur III may not be as well-known a name as some of his more famous contemporaries – like Archie Shepp or Jackie McLean – but his mid 60s recordings were ... read moreCD
(Out of print, limited edition – #1857/5000. Includes original slicase and booklet.)
A brilliant title for this brilliant album from Thelonious Monk – a set that really has him coming back strongly in the second half of the 50s – with a new talent for arrangements that really goes past his previous work! Monk's piano and compositions are every bit as great as before ... read moreCD
A fantastic collection of Monk material for Blue Note – recorded in a few different periods and settings! The package features some late 40s sides with Idrees Sulieman on trumpet and Billy Smith on tenor; 1947 trio material with Art Blakey on drums; a 1947 quartet with Sahib Shihab on alto; ... read moreCD
(Includes box, booklet, and all 4 CDs! BMG Direct pressing.)
Very late work from the legendary Thelonious Monk – but surprisingly great as well! The session was recorded in London – as you might guess from the title – and although Monk's not working with his regular quartet with Charlie Rouse, he does interact wonderfully with a trio that ... read moreCD
(Out of print. Box is solid with a little minor shelf wear and a small rip at the top of the spine, inner contents are in great shape!)
A title and cover that beautifully illustrate the sharp-edged power of the Thelonious Monk quartet on Columbia – and a wonderful place to start if you're just digging Thelonious' music! The record is similar to the best of Monk's Columbia sides – in that it revisits older tunes and ... read moreCD
A great collection of Thelonious Monk's early pre-LP recordings for Blue Note – seminal not only for the label's commitment to a modernist bop ideal, but also for Monk's integration in the growing collection of top-level jazz players on the New York scene! The work is notable also for the ... read moreCD
Monk doing his thing at the '64 Monterey Jazz Festival – backed by his core group of Charlie Rouse on tenor, Steve Swallow on bass and Ben Riley on drums – plus additional backing by the Monterey Workshop crew on a couple – a recording released now for the first time ever! Monk's ... read moreCD
Fantastic work from Thelonious Monk – a superbly-recorded live set from early 60s Paris – done with his legendary quartet with Charlie Rouse on tenor! The music here is wonderful – tracks that are often quite long, and stretched out nicely from the Columbia Records material by ... read moreCD
A beautiful live set from the legendary Thelonious Monk Quartet – that magical lineup you'll know from Monk's early 60s albums on Columbia Records, captured here in a concert performance that really opens up so many different currents of the group's sound! Monk is crucial, of course, on ... read moreCD
A really special live performance from Thelonious Monk – one that features his killer quartet of the 60s, but also opens the door to some surprise guest appearances too – all of which makes for a recording that's nicely different than much of the Monk live material of the period! The ... read moreCD
A key classic from Thelonious Monk's years at Riverside – and an album that's as compelling as its haunting title! The session features Thelonious working with a great quartet that includes Johnny Griffin on tenor, playing these wonderfully angular lines; Ahmed Abdul-Malik on bass, working ... read moreCD
(OJC pressing with a crease through the traycard artwork.)
Thelonious Monk on piano, with Charlie Rouse on tenor saxophone, Butch Warren, John Ore, and Larry Gales on bass, and Ben Riley and Frank Dunlop on drums. CD
An unusual live recording by Thelonious Monk – one recorded at the tail end of his famous quartet years on Columbia, but which features him leading an expanded nine-piece group for the date! Usual group members Charlie Rouse (tenor), Larry Gales (bass), and Ben Riley (drums) are expanded by ... read moreCD
(Sealed copy with cutout hole through rear case and tray card.)
A classic outing of solo piano by Thelonious Monk – a format that wasn't used often, but which always made for some really compelling work! Monk in this mode is often different than the bolder leader of a trio or larger group – and there's a more introspective quality to the record ... read moreCD
A classic outing of solo piano by Thelonious Monk – a format that wasn't used often, but which always made for some really compelling work! Monk in this mode is often different than the bolder leader of a trio or larger group – and there's a more introspective quality to the record ... read moreCD
A full length set that compiles earlier sessions cut under either the name of Thelonious Monk or Sonny Rollins – most of them together in the same group! At the time of recording, Monk was an established figure on the bop scene, but Rollins was still a fresh voiced up-and-comer – yet ... read moreCD
Rare live material by Monk – recorded in Tokyo in 1963, and for many years a set that was unavailable to the rest of the world on record! The date's a great one – and features the classic Columbia quartet with Charlie Rouse on tenor, Butch Warren on bass, and Frankie Dunlop on drums ... read moreCD
Key early trio material from Thelonious Monk – a record that features seminal recordings of important compositions, all done in sharply angular versions that showcase the best modern Monk touch on piano! As with a number of early Prestige LPs, the material here is pulled from 2 different ... read moreCD
A record that documents a meeting of two giants of modern jazz in the 50s – the angular genius Thelonious Monk, and the younger John Coltrane – a tenor player who was probably better-known for his work with Miles Davis during this period! The recordings are more Monk's than Coltrane's ... read moreCD
The session's billed as "very personal treatments of great standards" – and it's a great twist on familiar material, all given the Thelonius touch! There's less of Monk's creative composition and angular group arrangements going on here – and instead, the album's almost a ... read moreCD
A massively expanded package of music – filled with previously unreleased gems! The 2CD set features a landmark collaboration between John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk – two generations of jazz modern, working here to create some really incredible music! The core of this material is ... read moreCD
A rare gem of a session – live material recorded by the Voice Of America in 1957, and featuring a unique Thelonious Monk quartet with John Coltrane on tenor! The performance is contemporaneous with Coltrane's appearance on the legendary Monk's Music album for Riverside – and the ... read moreCD
2 lost sessions from early 60s tenor titan Wild Bill Moore – an R&B inflected player who only cut a few sides on his own, all of them a unique mix of jazz with some of the more screaming R&B saxophone tendencies! This set brings together two albums that feature Bill rocking with a ... read moreCD
Blues, but with an undercurrent of New Orleans jazz – no surprise, given the Louisiana roots of Eurreal "Little Brother" Montgomery! The album's a classic set recorded in Chicago in the early 60s – featuring both Montgomery in a spare solo setting, and with help from a small ... (Blues, Jazz)read moreCD
With grooves this great, the house must have been full – and the album's a gem of an early live date by Wes Montgomery, recorded in Berkeley with a quartet that includes Johnny Griffin on tenor, Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums! The tunes have a nicely ... read moreCD
Wes Montgomery —
Far Wes ... CD Pacific Jazz, Late 50s. Used ...
$2.99
With Pony Poindexter on alto saxophone, Harold Land on tenor saxophone, Buddy Montgomery on piano, Monk Montgomery on bass, and Louis Hayes and Tony Bazley on drums, . CD
Wes Montgomery with a bit of sax and flute – a nice change from the sound of some of his other early records, thanks to key work on the set from James Clay! Clay plays mostly flute on the record, but does so with a hard edge that reminds us of Frank Wess' work from the same stretch – ... read moreCD
Beautifully-recorded material by the great Wes Montgomery – some fairly open-ended tracks recorded for French radio in the 60s – with guest work from tenorist Johnny Griffin on a number of tunes! The core group here is great enough on its own – as Wes' guitar is backed by superb ... read moreCD
A strange little record, but a great one too – a posthumous album that took older Wes Montgomery sides and souped them up a bit after his death! The core material here is quartet recordings done in 1965 – Montgomery's guitar in a hip group with Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on ... read moreCD
Additional material and unreleased from one of the greatest 60s recordings from the Wynton Kelly Trio – thanks to some wonderful guest work from guitarist Wes Montgomery! Montgomery's working here in a gusty, rootsy style that recalls his best soul jazz sides from the earlier years – ... read moreCD
Sublime solo piano work from Tete Montoliu – a set that takes off from the superb directions he'd hit on his Spanish albums of the 60s – when Tete was emerging as one of the most lyrically fluid pianists on the European scene! That legacy is greatly enhanced here – as Montoliu ... read moreCD
Pivotal work from James Moody! The record was cut at a time when Moody was completely reinventing himself – shifting from the hard bopper of earlier years, into a sophisticated, slightly exotic player with an interest in mixing many different styles into a unique soul jazz vision. As part ... read moreCD
Ralph Moore's a player we always like to keep our ear on, and this album's no exception – a cracklingly soulful batch of tunes played with a razor-sharp quintet, all tied together beautifully with Moore's tenor on top! The date's great proof that rock-solid sessions could still be cut well ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Tiny Moore & Kenneth 'Jethro' Burns —
Back To Back ... CD Acoustic Disc, 2004. Used ...
$9.9911.99
Tiny Moore on and Jethro Burns on mandolin – with Eldon Shamblin on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums – plus special guest David Grisman on 3 tracks! CD
A solo set by pianist Jason Moran – but one that's got the intensity of a full group session! We honestly didn't know how we'd respond to this one, but we find the album to be really compelling – a great blend of tunes from sources that include James P Johnson, Arthur Baker, and Muhal ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Frank Morgan —
Lament ... CD Contemporary, 1986. Used ...
$8.9911.99
A sweet quartet date – with cedar Walton on piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums! CD
Excellent later work from Frank Morgan – the legendary LA altoist who first burned brightly in the bop generation, then came back to make really rich recordings like this! The set's got Frank in some really great company – a hip sextet that features Joe Henderson on tenor, Bobby ... read moreCD
One of Frank Morgan's great comeback records from later years – featuring the leader on alto, with Mulgrew Miller on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Al Foster on drums! CD
Frank Morgan & Rodney Kendrick —
Bop! ... CD Telarc, 1996. Used ...
$2.99
Features Frank Morgan on alto – with Rodney Kendrick on piano, Curtis Lundy on bass, and Leroy Williams on drums! CD
(Disc has a promo stamp.)
Frank Morgan with Cedar Walton —
Easy Living ... CD Contemporary/OJC, 1985. Used ...
$9.9911.99
A great date from the later revival years of altoist Frank Morgan – thanks to a warm performance from the Cedar Walton trio! One of the great things about late Morgan is the way in which he's able to really fit himself into different settings – still holding onto his soulful roots, but ... read moreCD
A great date from the later revival years of altoist Frank Morgan – thanks to a warm performance from the Cedar Walton trio! One of the great things about late Morgan is the way in which he's able to really fit himself into different settings – still holding onto his soulful roots, but ... read moreCD
(Out of print, cutout notch through spine.)
Lee Morgan —
Candy ... CD Blue Note, 1957. Used ...
$4.99
A very different album for Lee Morgan – especially in comparison with his other early sessions! The record is a gentle batch of ballads and standards, played by Morgan with a quartet that includes Sonny Clark on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – all beautifully ... read moreCD
(Late 80s pressing. Spine has a small cutout notch.)
A very different album for Lee Morgan – especially in comparison with his other early sessions! The record is a gentle batch of ballads and standards, played by Morgan with a quartet that includes Sonny Clark on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – all beautifully ... read moreCD
One of our favorite albums from Lee Morgan – a soaringly soulful session that was recorded in the mid 60s, and finally issued by Blue Note at the end of the decade! The vibe here really follows from the lyrically inventive, post-Sidewinder mid 60s Morgan years – with a spirit that's ... read moreCD
One of Lee Morgan's most sparkling sessions from the early years – a record that already shows a sense of depth and imagination that would take Lee way beyond simple hardbop solo work! There's a sensitivity here that owes something of a debt to Clifford Brown, yet which is much more ... read moreCD
(Out of print, 1996 Japanese pressing, includes obi.)
One of Lee Morgan's most sparkling sessions from the early years – a record that already shows a sense of depth and imagination that would take Lee way beyond simple hardbop solo work! There's a sensitivity here that owes something of a debt to Clifford Brown, yet which is much more ... read moreCD
A very appropriate title for a very cooking little album – one of Lee Morgan's first efforts as a leader, cut back during his first years of late 50s fame! The style here is a bit less Morgan-esque than some of Lee's later 60s classics – but the record is rock-solid throughout, and ... read moreCD
A sock-solid sextet session from the mighty Lee Morgan – recorded for Blue Note at the height of his mid 60s powers, and carried off in a beautiful blend of soul jazz and some slight modern touches! The group here is top-shelf all the way through – Jackie McLean on alto, Hank Mobley on ... read moreCD
A really unique album from the great Lee Morgan – a set that features the trumpeter in two different settings, but in a way that really works well together! Most of the album has Lee blowing in a very cool quintet – with Joe Henderson on tenor, McCoy Tyner on piano, Bob Cranshaw on ... read moreCD
Tremendous work by Lee Morgan – easily one of his greatest albums, and a soaring session of modal energy that easily rivals the best work of the Impulse era! The album's got a slightly different feel than usual for Blue Note – a sense of freedom, joy, and soaring energy that's totally ... read moreCD
Lee Morgan on the hippest side of his 60s talents – working here in a style that's really stretching out, and in the same territory as similar unreleased gems from the time – like Tom Cat or Sonic Boom! The group here is very inventive – Jackie McLean on alto, Larry Willis on ... read moreCD
One of Lee Morgan's first-ever recordings as a leader, cut way back when he was just a hip teenager from Philly with a bucketful of promise on the trumpet! The session's a crack hard bop date – with an all-star cast that includes Hank Mobley on tenor, Hank Jones on piano, Doug Watkins on ... read moreCD
Brilliant work throughout – the last studio album ever cut by Lee Morgan, and a mindblowing session that always leaves us wondering how massive he would have become if he hadn't been tragically murdered shortly after it was recorded! The album's a huge change from Morgan's already-great work ... read moreCD
One of the hardest to find of the early Lee Morgan albums on Blue Note – and a very lyrical batch of hardbop tracks, played with a slightly exotic flair! Morgan's group on the date features melodic modernists Benny Golson on tenor and Gigi Gryce on alto sax – both of whom push Morgan ... read moreCD
An undisputed masterpiece by Lee Morgan – and one of the first records in which he shed his straight bop sensibility, and began evolving into a soulful genius for the 60s! The album's got 4 long tracks that all build beautifully – really extended numbers that break the format of some ... read moreCD
A brilliant album that proves that even at the height of his success, Lee Morgan was one of the freest thinkers on Blue Note – always coming up with fresh ideas that continued to grow his talents! The first cut on the album is keep roof of that fact – the title track "Search For ... read moreCD
A brilliant album that proves that even at the height of his success, Lee Morgan was one of the freest thinkers on Blue Note – always coming up with fresh ideas that continued to grow his talents! The first cut on the album is keep roof of that fact – the title track "Search For ... read moreCD
Lee Morgan —
Standards ... CD Blue Note (Japan), 1967. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
A great Lee Morgan set – and one of his rarest! The album was recorded in 1967, but unissued until 1998, when Blue Note unveiled the material as part of its "standards" series that featured label players performing material not of their own composition. Unlike the other records in ... read moreCD
(1998 Japanese pressing – includes obi.)
Lee Morgan —
Taru ... CD Blue Note, 1968. Used ...
$16.99
Unreleased genius from Lee Morgan – a key session from the later years of his too-short life, but one that wasn't issued until nearly a decade after his death! The sound here is completely sublime – a mix of the best later Morgan modes – soulful, lyrical, and modal – played ... read moreCD
One of our top 5 favorite Blue Note records of all time – a bold and powerful session from trumpeter Lee Morgan, but one that sat in the vaults for 15 years before release! The session was recorded around the same time as Morgan's hit The Sidewinder (which eclipsed its release at the time) ... read moreCD
(Sealed 2006 pressing with a cutout through the case spine.)
A fitting title for this scorching set tracks led by the incomparable Lee Morgan – captured over several dates throughout 1960 at the legendary Birdland club – and backed up by Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengers! Nothing but legends on the stage here – with Morgan's trumpet out ... read moreCD
Lee Morgan/Donald Byrd/Hank Mobley —
Birth Of Hard Bop ... CD Savoy/Atlantic, 1956. Used 2 CDs ...
$9.99
Tracks include-"Budo", "Cattin", "Hank's Shout", "Madeline" and more. CD
Two rare sessions originally recorded for a larger collection called The Birdland Story and gathered here under the title Minor Strain. The first set is led by Lee Morgan and features Wayne Shorter on sax, Bobby Timmons on piano, Jimmy Rowser on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. The second half of ... read moreCD
A legendary album from the LA jazz underground of the 80s – one of a rare few sets recorded as a leader by the great pianist Nate Morgan! Morgan's something of a lost talent, but was a key part of the scene that was forming around Nimbus Records at the time – a great musician who has ... read moreCD
Ellington numbers all around, played by a great Japanese 70s big band, headed up by Toshio Mori! The sound here would make the late Duke proud – as Mori and the group perform 8 Billy Strayhorn numbers all with just the right mix of ensemble soul and modern touches that made the later ... read moreCD
The cover looks anime, but the music is anything but – and instead offers up some very live-action interplay between drummer Takeo Moriyama and pianist Fumio Itabashi! Itabashi's music is full of beautifully lyrical colors and tones, which get plenty of space to flow and flower on the album ... read moreCD
We love the work of saxophonist Willie Morris – one of the freshest talents to hit the Posi-Tone label in recent years, and an artist who really seems to take off with this album! Willie blows tenor throughout, and the set's got this unexpected depth, especially on his original compositions ... read moreCD
A definite conversation starter from tenorist Willie Morris – a rich-voiced player who steps out here in a set of mostly original material that really knocks things out of the park! Willie's got this way of wrapping his horn next to the alto of Patrick Cornelius – as the pair move ... read moreCD
Jimmy Mosher Quintet —
Satyric Horn ... CD ITI Records, 1984. Used ...
$8.99
With Mosher on alto and flute, Mick Goodrick on guitar, Tom Ranier on piano, Joel Dibartolo on bass, and Peter Donald on drums. CD
(CDr release.)
Paul Motian —
Bill Evans ... CD JMT (Germany), 1990. Used ...
$14.99
A tribute to Bill Evans with Joe Lovano on tenor, Bill Frisell on guitar, Marc Johnson on bass, and Paul Motian on drums. CD
Paul Motian —
Tribute ... CD ECM, 1975. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
A great statement as a leader from drummer Paul Motian – a player that none would have expected to be hitting this territory in the decade before – the start of a great run of records that continued his break from more familiar rhythmic territory! The record's got a very strong ECM ... read moreCD
Paul Motian/Chris Potter/Jason Moran —
Lost In A Dream ... CD ECM, 2010. Used ...
$11.99
A stellar live jazz trio effort led by drummer Paul Motian – and what a trio he leads, with Chris Potter on tenor sax and the always wonderful Jason Moran on piano – one of the better new ECM albums in years! The material was captured in February of '09 at the Village Vanguard, NYC ... read moreCD
A crucial bit of keyboard funk from the 70s – a wild album of many moods, recorded in 1974, and featuring the talents of keyboard whiz Marc Moulin! Moulin's since been resurrected and given the credit he deserves – but at the time of release, this rare gem was somewhat lost – ... read moreCD