With Joe Bushkin, Sidney De Paris, Joe Turner, Jess Stacy, Perry Smith, Bernard Addison, and Naomi Price. CD

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Houston Person really sounds great in this later date for Muse Records – definitely the older lion in the title, surrounded by a younger pride of players who really make the record swing! The set's got a rock-solid rhythm section with Benny Green on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Winard Harper on drums – that kind of in the pocket combo that was often the driving force of a Person-produced Muse Records session like this. Philip Harper's also in the frontline on trumpet, sparkling nicely next to the tenor – and the tunes have a relatively laidback feel, and a rich sound that hardly shows the date of the record at all. Titles include "Dig", "Dear Heart", "Sweet Love", "Like Someone In Love", and "Captain Hook". CD

Very hip work from the Boston modern scene of the mid 50s! The album's one of Serge Chaloff's few as a leader – and is much harder to find than his more widely-issued work for Capitol – an obscure date for the Storyville label, and one that originally only circulated as a 10" LP! The set's also unusual in that it features Serge at the head of a nonet – with strong players that include Charlie Mariano on alto, Herb Pomeroy on trumpet, and Dick Twardzik on piano – all working wonderfully with Chaloff in a groove that's sharply modern, but also plenty darn swinging! There's a strong dose of Boston soul in the mix here, thanks to contributions from the horn players – and the album's got a freshness that's a nice contrast to Serge's more familiar work at Capitol. Titles include originals like "Sherry", "Slam", "A Salute To Tiny", and "Ennie Meenie Minor Mode" – written by group members Mariano and Twardzik! Includes 5 alternate takes. CD

Solo piano from Thelonious Monk – ten tracks recorded in London in 1971! CD

Gilles Wolff on tenor saxophone, James Mac Gaw on bass, and Daniel Jeand'heur on drums. CD

A Kenny Dorham-billed version of the only full album ever issued by tenor player Rocky Boyd – but a set so great, it's definitely made a name for him over the years! Boyd's got a wonderful tone on the set – sharp and soulful, with an approach to the tenor that almost reminds us of early 60s Jackie McLean – particularly in the way that Jackie could hit dark corners with raspy, personal tone. The rest of the group's no slouch either – and features Kenny Dorham on trumpet, Walter Bishop Jr on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Pete LaRoca on drums – a lineup so great, they give the album a real Blue Note sort of polish – and the album's definitely one that would have been a better-known date, if it hadn't died quickly on the short-lived Jazztime label. The whole thing's wonderful – and titles include "West 42nd Street", "Avars", "Ease It", "Samba De Orfeu", and "Why Not". CD features bonus tracks too – alternates of 4 tracks on the album! CD

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 includes Art Blakey on drums and Al McKibbon on bass! Blakey's drums have this nice crispness that transforms the Monk experience – and some performances stretch out in a nicely inspired way. CD

Wonderful late work from pianist Bud Powell – recorded in France, where Bud seemed to do all of his best recordings in the early 60s! The setting is a trio – with Art Taylor on drums and Michel Gaudry on bass – but as always in such a mode, Powell has a way of opening the tunes up wonderfully – exploring the boppish currents that he first helped unveil years before, but also showing a newfound lyricism that makes us wonder what strong role Bud would have played on the European scene, had he survived into the 70s! Titles include "Una Noche Con Francis", "Like Someone In Love", "Blues For Bouffemont", "Moose The Mooche", "Little Willie Leaps", and "My Old Flame". CD

Kenny Dorham on trumpet – with Curtis Fuller on trombone, Frank Haynes on tenor sax, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Ben Tucker on bass, and Dave Bailey on drums. CD

A great little combo, and one with a fair bit of organ in the mix – more of a rock instrumental combo than a jazz one, but still with plenty of jazzy touches – thanks to the keyboards! The tunes here are all instrumental – a bit fuzzy at times, but nice and clear at others – and the group stretch out with a wonderful vibe that's much more soulful than some of their contemporaries on the Euro scene – a style that reminds us of the best British jazz rock moments at the end of the 60s, before part of that scene went a bit over the edge. Guitar and organ take the lead on most numbers, and there's almost a Colosseum sense of rhythm going on at the bottom. All titles are pretty great – and titles include "Faster & Faster", "Obsession", "On The Way To Eden", "Feeling In The Living", "Travelling", and "Reinyet Number". This CD version includes the bonus tracks "Under The Sun" and "Travelling (Single Version)". (Rock, Jazz) CD

Wicked funky fusion from Opa – a Brazilian-inspired set, and one with loads of great electric moments! Although originally from Uruguay, Opa are best known for their Brazilian-tinged albums on the soul/jazz Fantasy records label in Cali during the mid 70s – great placement, given that their sound is a bit like Azymuth – with a similar mix of South American roots and contemporary electric grooves! This album is actually their first – captured in America before their two classics on Fantasy – and featuring a sharp quartet that includes legendary pianist Hugo Fattoruso on keyboards – a great talent who'd already made jazz and bossa records in the 60s – working here with George Osvaldo Fattoruso on drums, percussion, and flute – plus Ringo Thielmann on bass. The core trio is also joined for this record by percussionist Pappo Atiles – and although there's some light vocal touches, they've got that breezy style that was often used in Brazilian jazz at the time – almost more instrumental than vocal. Titles include a great take on Edu Lobo's "Casa Forte" – plus "Back Home (The Inner City)", "Brother Rada", "African Bird", "Goldenwings", "Brooklynville", and "One & One & One Is Two". CD also features the bonus track "I Came To This Country". CD

That's not Santa, as in Santa Claus – but a nickname for Santiago Salas, who works here in a very cool, jazzy mode! The album's got plenty of Latin roots, mixed with hipper 70s touches that include some key electric elements as well – all served up in a sparkling groove that's mighty unique, and which makes the record a real standout on the South American scene of the time! Some tunes are quite funky, with great electric piano lines over the rhythms – while others have more of a warmly glowing groove, one that seems to borrow a bit from Brazilian jazz of the time – yet make things into a style that's all its own. Some of these numbers have a bit of vocals, but the instrumental interplay of the album is much stronger overall – especially the Fender Rhodes lines that make the album well worth owning for any fan of 70s electric funk! Titles include "El Salero", "Colores", "Murumba", "La Muneca", "Niebla", "Pajaros En El Jardin", and "Triangulo Espanol". CD

Zoot Sims on tenor sax, Bob Brookmeyer on valve trombone, Hank Jones on piano, Bill Crow on bass, and Jo Jones on drums. Tracks include "Lullaby Of The Leaves", "The King", "Snake Eyes", and "Box Cars". CD

A seminal early moment from the legendary Albert Ayler – an important session recorded overseas in Copenhagen – where enthusiasm for Ayler's music caught fire more strongly than in the US! The group's got an edge that's maybe even sharper than some of Ayler's ESP material, but no less powerful – with Don Cherry on cornet, Gary Peacock on bass, and Sunny Murray on drums – working through tremendous readings of six Ayler classics that include "Ghosts", "Children", "Holy Spirit", "Vibrations" and "Mothers". A wonderful precursor to the ESP years – and equally great! CD

Jack Lesberg on bass, Ruby Braff on cornet, Don Lamond on drums, George Wein on piano and Buddy Tate on tenor sax. CD

With Alan Clarke on piano and celeste. CD

An astounding live set from Johnny Griffin – recorded at the famous Club Montmartre in Copenhagen, Dexter Gordon's famous home in the late 60s – but a place that was also a showcase for the new sort of energy that Griffin was bringing to his horn at the time! The record crackles with the kind of free energy of the best Montmartre sessions – long tracks and compelling solos, stretched-out versions of tunes you may recognize, but which are transformed nicely by Griff's great solo work – and by a rhythm section that features Kenny Drew on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Albert Heath on drums! Titles include "The Man I Love", "Blues For Harvey", "Sophisticated Lady", "Hush A Bye", and "Wee". CD

Tight early work from Lee Konitz – recorded on location at the very hospitable Storyville nightclub in Boston – a sweet setting for his angular tones on the alto! The style here is great – cutting lines that are incredibly precise, yet crafted with enough soul to keep them from just being exercises in sound – delivered with a bit more warmth than some of Lee's other recordings of the time. The group's a quartet with Ronnie Ball on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Al Levitt on drums – and titles include "Sound Lee", "Subconscious Lee", "Hi Beck", and "These Foolish Things". Great reissue of the original 10" LP! CD

A brilliant record – much more straightforward, and straight ahead, than much of Rudd's other work, which is why we like it so much! The album's an ingeniously subtle affair – with Rudd on trombone and French horn, working with a small group that features Sheila Jordan on vocals, Hod O'Brien on piano, Arild Anderson on bass, and Barry Altschul on drums. Jordan is at the height of her powers here – singing beautifully in a wordless mode on tracks like "Maiden Voyage" and "Suh Blah Blah Bu Sibi", or straight and icy on one of the best versions of "What Are You Doing the Rest Of Your Life" that we've ever heard! Hod O'Brien is brilliant too – and the album's one of the few widely-released sessions to really display his talents! CD

With Oscar Pettiford and Slam Stewart on bass, Tiny Grimes on guitar, and Sid Catlett on drums. CD

A tremendous recording from the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – done during the same Paris stretch as their Great Black Music classics on the BYG/Actuel label – and a set that easily matches, if not tops, those classics! You can really hear the group finding their own space here – taking some of the free jazz explorations of the Chicago scene in the late 60s, and forging them with an even earthier use of both percussion, and the more offbeat sonic possibilities of their own instruments – often with a sense of surprise that you don't always get from some of their later albums. Titles include the side-long "The Spiritual" – plus "Toro", "Lori Song", and "That The Evening Sky Fell Through the Glass Wall and We Stood Alone Somewhere?" (And they wondered why they never got their songs on the radio!) CD

Pre-ESP Records work from the legendary Albert Ayler – and a really special set that definitely shows his strong ties to a previous legacy of African-American music! Ayler always clamed blues and other roots in his sound, but didn't always show them as clearly – given his free-thinking, forward-moving approach – yet this set has Albert really reworking an older influence, by taking older songs from gospel and secular sources, and using them as a completely compelling springboard for his new ideas on tenor and soprano sax! The album's the sort that David Murray might have cut in the mid 80s – but conceived by Ayler two decades before – and sadly unissued for years after its recording, possibly because it's a very sensitive, soulful set that's different than the frenetic power of later albums on ESP. A real treasure throughout – with work from Call Cobbs Jr on piano, Henry Grimes on bass, and Sonny Murray on drums – on titles that include "Swing Low Sweet Chariot", "Deep River", "Goin Home", "Ol Man River", "Down By The Riverside", and "Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen". CD

Titles include "Crazy Rhythm", "C Jam Blues", "Basin Street Blues", "Jazz Me Blues", "Honeysuckle Rose", and "Oh! Lady Be Good". CD

A rare early date as a leader from pianist Walter Bishop Jr – cut for a tiny east coast label that folded almost as soon as the record was issued – but a date that's gone onto great fame over the years, thanks to circulation in a few different formats! Bishop's got a really maturing approach here – as sharp as his work from the bop years, but with a deeper sense of tone and color too – occasional lyrical moments that get great shading from the bass of Jimmy Garrison and drums of GT Hogan – both players who make the album really something special – a real cut above the usual trio session. In that manner, the record features two tunes that run for nearly 10 minutes each – opening up in that reflectively soulful mode that Bish would be known much more for in later years – and titles include "Speak Low", "Milestones", "Green Dolphin Street", and "Blues In The Closet". CD features 4 bonus alternate takes! CD

Trio session with Clint Houston on bass and Billy Hart on drums. CD

Young lion jazz from a great little combo – one headed up by pianist Marc Cary, and featuring Roy Hargrove on trumpet, Ron Blake on tenor, and Yarborough Charles Laws on flute! The record's got the positive, forward-thinking sound you'd guess from the players – a great mix of entitled optimism with some nice undercurrents of darkness – really showing this generation of players on the cusp of their maturing talents! The horn work from Blake and Hargrove is especially nice – full of soulful colors that really make the record sparkle – and other players include Dwayne Burno on bass, Dion Parson on drums, and Charlene Fitzpatrick on a bit of vocals. Titles include "Melody In C", "The Trial", "The Vibe", "He Who Hops Around", and "We Learn As We Go". CD

One of the greatest albums ever by pianist Kenny Drew – a record that's as noteworthy for the contributions of the sidemen as it is for the efforts of the leader! Drew's a player who often worked mostly in trio formats – but here, he's hitting hard with a righteous Blue Note power – thanks to the presence of Hank Mobley on tenor and Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, both of whom really give the record an edge! Drew's lyrical sensibilities are shifted to darker, more modern moments at times – and the rest of the group features Sam Jones on bass and Louis Hayes on drums. An essential addition to the Blue Note legacy of Mobley and Hubbard – and the set's filled with original tunes by Kenny, including "The Pot's On", "Undercurrent", "Funk-Cosity", and "Lion's Den". CD

Jon Hassell on trumpet and keyboards, Pete Scaturro on keyboard bass and electric bass, Brain on drums, Joe Gore on guitar, and BLK Lion on keyboard samples and programming. CD

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 of Lee's earlier work, and hint a bit at some of the more complicated touches he'd use on later sessions. All players are great – and include fellow Jazz Messengers Bobby Timmons on piano and Art Blakey on drums, plus Jackie McLean on alto and Paul Chambers on bass. Titles include the sublime "These Are Soulful Days" – a perfect model of soulful lyricism – plus "Midtown Blues", "Nakatini Suite", and "The Lion & The Wolff". CD

An odd little session for Blue Note, but a great one too! The record is odd in that it features a host of players who weren't normally part of the label's off-used roster of big-name sidemen, and odd in that it features a swinging style that's a bit of a nod to earlier jazz days than the early 60s – but it's also a great revival of a player from an earlier generation of jazz! Baritonist Leo Parker cut some heavy sides for labels like King and Savoy – but on this Blue Note session he really opens up in a hard-swinging way that you don't always hear on his earlier recordings. The group's a firey sextet, with John Burks on trumpet, Bill Swindell on tenor, and Yusef Salim on piano – but the real star is Parker, who swings the baritone harder and faster than just about anyone else we've heard. Titles include "Blue Leo", "Glad Lad", "Parker's Pals", "Low Brown", and "Vi". CD also features 2 bonus tracks – a longer take on "Low Brown" and "The Lion's Roar". CD

One of those great "never was" Blue Note sessions – recorded in the 60s, but never issued until years later – even though the label had assigned it a cover, title, and catalog number! The album was the last session by baritone sax player Leo Parker – a bop and R&B legend who sadly passed along at the young age of 36, but left a really rich legacy of music. Parker has a way with the baritone that's almost as lean as a tenorist – blowing the horn with sharp, well-placed notes that really make this session cook – somewhere in the R&B-influenced territory of Don Wilkerson's work on Blue Note. Other players include the great Dave Burns on trumpet – always a welcome presence on any date – plus Bill Swindell on tenor sax, Johnny Acea on piano, Al Lucas or Stan Conover on bass, and Wilbert Hogan or Purnell Rice on drums. Tracks include "The Lion's Roar", "Rollin With Leo", "Jumpin Leo", "Talkin The Blues", "Mad Lad Returns", and Illinois Jacquet's "Music Hall Beat". CD

A classic run of albums that kicks off with Doin' Allright and doesn't let up! This set brings together all Dexter's 60's albums for Blue Note, including Landslide and Clubhouse which weren't released until much later in the 70's – plus a great booklet with detailed notes on each of the sessions and correspondance between Gordon, Alfred Lion, and Francis Wolff. CD

A tremendous album from organist Freddie Roach – arguably his best record ever for Blue Note, and a really wonderful session! The set's got Freddie opening up in a slightly hipper groove than on some of his more R&B-influenced sides – working with a quartet that includes Percy France on tenor, Kenny Burrell on guitar, and Clarence Johnston on drums. Tracks are longish, with some really great rhythms – and show Freddie moving past straight Hammond grooving, into a more righteous mode that would emerge even more on his albums for Prestige. 6 tracks in all, and the titles include "De Bug", "Ahm Miz", "Althea Soon", and "Lion Down". CD

A tremendous set from Jackie McLean – perfectly poised between his hardbop and modern years, with a set of compositions that are as great as the performances! The lineup on this one's a bit unusual – with Walter Bishop on piano, Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – but that mix of players makes for a really unusual sound – as the rhythm section's often straight ahead, Blue Mitchell's notes are bold and sparkling, and Jackie's own solos are reaching for the darker corners of the spectrum! There's a great sense of tension here that heralds the genius of later McLean sides of the 60s – and original titles include "Francisco", "Condition Blue", "On The Lion", and "Capuchin Swing". CD

A tremendous set from Jackie McLean – perfectly poised between his hardbop and modern years, with a set of compositions that are as great as the performances! The lineup on this one's a bit unusual – with Walter Bishop on piano, Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – but that mix of players makes for a really unusual sound – as the rhythm section's often straight ahead, Blue Mitchell's notes are bold and sparkling, and Jackie's own solos are reaching for the darker corners of the spectrum! There's a great sense of tension here that heralds the genius of later McLean sides of the 60s – and original titles include "Francisco", "Condition Blue", "On The Lion", and "Capuchin Swing". CD

Insane music that's unlike anything else on Blue Note – and unlike anything else we can describe! Gile Melle was a baritone sax player who was heavily involved with the Blue Note label in the early 50's. He recorded four 10" LPs, and one full length album for the label – and he also used his talents as a graphic designer to create many of the label's classic early covers. This amazing 2 CD set brings together all of Melle's recorded output for Blue Note, and the tracks are otherworldly mix of strange instrumentation that includes bass, guitar, baritone, and spooky vocals. The music is sublime and moving, and this short space hardly gives us room to let you know how much it affects us. Hopefully, the titles will give you some sort of a hint – and they include wistful ones like "Four Moons", "Cyclotron", "Mars", "Spellbound", "A Lion Lives Here", and "Weird Valley". A real treat – and a superb packaging job! CD

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 of Lee's earlier work, and hint a bit at some of the more complicated touches he'd use on later sessions. All players are great – and include fellow Jazz Messengers Bobby Timmons on piano and Art Blakey on drums, plus Jackie McLean on alto and Paul Chambers on bass. Titles include the sublime "These Are Soulful Days" – a perfect model of soulful lyricism – plus "Midtown Blues", "Nakatini Suite", and "The Lion & The Wolff". CD

A wonderful mid 80s effort from the Don Pullen Quintet – a group that features young lion Donald Harrison on alto sax – recording in a setting that's nicely fresh, compared to some of his other work! Other players include the under-recorded trumpeter Olu Dara, and a wonderful elastic rhythm section of Fred Hopkins on bass and Bobby Battle on drums – all working with Pullen's piano in a groove that's angular at times, but never loses its sense of swing – that wonderful balance that always made Pullen a real standout amongst the jazz communities in which he worked. Titles include "The Sixth Sense", "In The Beginning", "Tales From The Bright Side", "Gratitude", and "All Is Well". CD

A great new showcase for the legendary keyboard work of Doug Carn – and a set that's very different both from his famous albums for the Black Jazz label, and some of his organ jazz records in more recent years too! The set's maybe got a more pronounced influence from Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad than some of the others in this series – as Carn's Hammond B3 and Fender Rhodes still get center stage, but the grooves are very much in the heavy funk style of Younge's legacy of recent recordings – sharp drums, strong basslines, and horns that are sometimes jazzy, sometimes seemingly touched by currents of Ethiopian work from the past. All tracks are originals, and titles include "Processions", "Dimensions", "Windfall", "Down Deep", "Freedom At Sunset", "Nunca Um Malandro", and "Lion's Walk". (Deep Funk, Jazz) CD

One of the greatest albums ever by pianist Kenny Drew – a record that's as noteworthy for the contributions of the sidemen as it is for the efforts of the leader! Drew's a player who often worked mostly in trio formats – but here, he's hitting hard with a righteous Blue Note power – thanks to the presence of Hank Mobley on tenor and Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, both of whom really give the record an edge! Drew's lyrical sensibilities are shifted to darker, more modern moments at times – and the rest of the group features Sam Jones on bass and Louis Hayes on drums. An essential addition to the Blue Note legacy of Mobley and Hubbard – and the set's filled with original tunes by Kenny, including "The Pot's On", "Undercurrent", "Funk-Cosity", and "Lion's Den". CD

One of the greatest albums ever by pianist Kenny Drew – a record that's as noteworthy for the contributions of the sidemen as it is for the efforts of the leader! Drew's a player who often worked mostly in trio formats – but here, he's hitting hard with a righteous Blue Note power – thanks to the presence of Hank Mobley on tenor and Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, both of whom really give the record an edge! Drew's lyrical sensibilities are shifted to darker, more modern moments at times – and the rest of the group features Sam Jones on bass and Louis Hayes on drums. An essential addition to the Blue Note legacy of Mobley and Hubbard – and the set's filled with original tunes by Kenny, including "The Pot's On", "Undercurrent", "Funk-Cosity", and "Lion's Den". CD

Two sweet sets from Hiroshima – back to back on a single CD! First up is the self-titled first album from Hiroshima – a group who took the 70s experiments in Japanese fusion right into the American mainstream – with a wonderful blend of jazz and soul, and a production style that was never too polished or commercial! The group's led by reedman Dan Kuramota – who plays both sax and flutes, including a bit of Japanese wooden flute – which gives the record a few slight "Eastern" touches a times, although the overall vibe is strongly in the best soulful fusion of the period! In keeping with that approach, there's a bit of vocals on the record – sung in English with a soulful vibe – on titles that include "Lion Dance", "Da Da", "Taiko Song", "Holidays", "Never Ever", and "Kokoro". Odori is a wicked blend of jazz and soul from Hiroshima – a group who've got the smooth blend of styles we love in some of the import-only fusion dates that were coming from Japan in the late 70s! The group's got a few light touches that emphasize their Pacific roots – including light flute lines and touches of koto and shamisen, but often used in more subtle ways than on earlier Japanese albums that mixed these rootsy elements with jazz – and the overall vibe here is one that's got plenty of appeal to fans of crossover fusion from the time, especially the kind with a strong current of soul! There's a bit of vocals on the record, too – and titles include "Winds Of Change", "Odori", "Echoes", "Cruisin J-Town", "Fortune Teller", and "Shinto". CD

5 albums from Lee Morgan – one of the coolest cats to ever handle a trumpet for Blue Note! First up is Delightfulee – 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 bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – a group who maybe bring out a slightly hipper vibe that really points the way to the rest of Morgan's direction in the late 60s, when he was really letting some more spiritual currents loose. The other two tracks on the record feature a hip larger band directed by Oliver Nelson – swinging hard in a really soulful style! Nelson's arrangements on these two tracks are great – quite progressive, with a soul jazz big band style that seems to point the way towards the 70s – and the band provides a raging backdrop that lets Lee's trumpet soar over the top in beautiful crystal clear solos. Titles include "Nite Flite", "Delightful Deggie", "Ca-Lee-So", and "Zambia". Also features a few bonus tracks. The Cooker is 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 proof that Morgan was every bit as great a leader in a hardbop session as Hank Mobley or some of the other emerging heavyweights at Blue Note! The strength of the group really helps keep the fire stoked on the set – and Bobby Timmons turns in some amazing piano work alongside a lineup that includes Pepper Adams on baritone sax, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. The Adams presence gives the record a bit of the feel of some of Pepper's sessions with Donald Byrd – but the sparkling, soaring sound of Morgan makes the record way more than just a copycat set. Titles include "New-Ma", "Night In Tunisia", "Lover Man", "Just One Of Those Things", and "Heavy Dipper". Lee Way is 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 of Lee's earlier work, and hint a bit at some of the more complicated touches he'd use on later sessions. All players are great – and include fellow Jazz Messengers Bobby Timmons on piano and Art Blakey on drums, plus Jackie McLean on alto and Paul Chambers on bass. Titles include the sublime "These Are Soulful Days" – a perfect model of soulful lyricism – plus "Midtown Blues", "Nakatini Suite", and "The Lion & The Wolff". Rumproller often gets too easily lumped next to The Sidewinder – because of an obvious title and cover similarity to that hit record – but like that one, the album's far more than jazz cliche – and shows Lee Morgan to be one of the greatest jazz musicians of the 60s. The set starts off with the title cut, "The Rumproller" – hard-wailing soul bop, in the manner of Lee's most popular work – but then it easily flows into more sensitive material that has a freer, lyrical feel – like the great original tune "Eclipso" and Wayne Shorter's "Edda" – both of which are superb. Lee is astounding, as always, on trumpet – and the rest of the group includes the great Ronnie Matthews on piano, plus Joe Henderson, Victor Sproles, and Billy Higgins. Search For The New Land is 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 keen poof of that fact – the title track "Search For The New Land" – a beautiful 16 minute exploration of modal jazz themes, with an unusual stop/start device as a means of ushering solos by different bandmates – including Wayne Shorter on tenor, Grant Green on guitar, and Herbie Hancock on piano! The approach is unlike anything that Morgan ever did before – and unlike most of other Blue Note as well – and it also benefits from great rhythmic help from Reggie Workman on bass and Billy Higgins on drums. Other tunes are a bit more conventional, but still pretty special – like some of Morgan's inventive work on the Rajah albums – with titles that include "The Joker", "Melancholee", "Mr. Kenyatta" and "Morgan The Pirate". CD

One of those great "never was" Blue Note sessions – recorded in the 60s, but never issued until years later – even though the label had assigned it a cover, title, and catalog number! The album was the last session by baritone sax player Leo Parker – a bop and R&B legend who sadly passed along at the young age of 36, but left a really rich legacy of music. Parker has a way with the baritone that's almost as lean as a tenorist – blowing the horn with sharp, well-placed notes that really make this session cook – somewhere in the R&B-influenced territory of Don Wilkerson's work on Blue Note. Other players include the great Dave Burns on trumpet – always a welcome presence on any date – plus Bill Swindell on tenor sax, Johnny Acea on piano, Al Lucas or Stan Conover on bass, and Wilbert Hogan or Purnell Rice on drums. Tracks include "The Lion's Roar", "Rollin With Leo", "Jumpin Leo", "Talkin The Blues", "Mad Lad Returns", and Illinois Jacquet's "Music Hall Beat". CD

Includes the songs "Eleggua", "Takes A Second", "Mother Africa", "Nino Divino", "Cha-Amarillo", "Sleeping Lion", "Blanco En Africa", "Twice As Sad", "Why So Complicated", "Fragile", "Desde Alla", "Prietos", and "Misa". CD

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Trumpeter Raynald Colom blows in great territory here – stretching out on long tracks that have some of the spacey vibe you might guess from the cover image, graced with superb piano, Fender Rhodes, and Yamaha keys from Tony Tixier! The tracks never get too mellow, but really take their time building things up – and bassist Joe Sanders and drummer Francesco Ciniglio do a great job of providing the sort of spacious accompaniment that lets the keys and the trumpet do their thing – even stepping out on the album's long reading of "The Peacocks", which just features piano and trumpet. Other titles include "Wholeness", "Powder Keg", "Stablemates", "When Logan Meets Miro", and "Sketches Set Seven". CD

Music from Duke Ellington And His Kentucky Club Orchestra, The Washingtonians, Traymore Orchestra, Duke Ellington And His Cotton Club Orchestra, The Hotsy Totsy Gang, the Jungle Gang, Bill Robinson accompanied by Irving Mills and His Hotsy Totsy Gang, The Six Jolly Jesters, and Earl Jackson And His Musical Champions. CD

36 tracks over two CDs featuring work by Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra plus small and midsize groups including his quartet, quintet, and sextet. Players include Kenny Dorham, Charles Mingus, Johnny Griffin, Arnett Cobb, and Leonard Feather. CD

Includes the songs "Seven Come Eleven", "Line For Lyons", "Cherokee", "So Long Eric", "I Know That You Know", "Stardust", "Cute", "Sweet Sue", "Slop", and "Gerry Meets Hamp". CD

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

Amazing music from one of the greatest reed players ever – complete with a hefty booklet too! CD

Steve Million on piano, Randy Brecker on trumpet, Chris Potter on tenor and soprano sax, Michael Moore on bass, and Ron Vincent on drums. CD

Steve Million on piano, Dave Marr on bass, and Tim Davis on drums. CD

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Steve Million on piano, Mark Feldman on violin, Eric Hochberg on bass, and Bob Rummage on drums. CD

Features a long list of guest musicians including Roy Hargrove, Jon Hendricks, Joe Lovano, Gerry Mulligan, Joshua Redman, Christian McBride and George Shearing. CD

Two albums back to back on one CD! CD

Paris was always a great city for Lionel Hampton – but it seemed like in the mid 50s, it was also a place where he cut some of his best work, too! The French New Sound pair of albums are both classics in Hamp's book – records that take off from the looser, longer-form style that he'd been hitting with his Verve recordings of the early 50s – yet which also retain some of the tighter, fuller elements of his famous large ensembles. Players on the records are great – a lineup that includes travelling American jazz greats like Benny Bailey and Nat Adderley on trumpets, and a young David Amram on French Horn – plus crack Parisian players who include Sacha Distel on guitar, Rene Urtreger on piano, and Guy Pederson on bass. The tracks are simple jamming numbers – long and open-ended, in the mode of some of Hamp's very popular live work at the time, and the vibes are right out front – hard-edged, with that soulful sound that Hamp pioneered on the instrument – and the other players are given very ample room to solo. Tracks on this second volume include "All The Things You Are", "Night & Day", and "Red Ribbon". CD

Notable sidemen include Dizzy Gillespie, Illinois Jacquet, Arnett Cobb, Johnny Grifffin, Wes Montgomery, Charlie Mingus, and Benny Bailey. 92 tracks total. CD

Includes the songs "Jivin' The Vibes", "Stomp", "Rhythm, Rhythm (I Got Rhythm)", "China Stomp (Chinatown, My Chinatown)", "I Know That You Know","Drum Stomp (Crazy Rhythm)", "I Surrender, Dear", "The Object Of My Affection", "After You've Gone", "You're My Ideal", "Rock Hill Special", "High Society", "Johnny Get Your Horn And Blow It", "Sweethearts On Parade", "Shufflin' At The Hollywood, Take 1", "Wizzin' The Wizz", "Big Wig In The Wigwam", "Memories Of You", "The Jumpin' Jive", "When Lights Are Low, Take 2", "I'm On My Way From You", and "Haven't Named It Yet". CD

Features Nat King Cole, Coleman Hawkins, Benny Carter, and Ziggy Elman. CD

Fantastic work from a trans-Atlantic group – one that features really beautiful work on saxes from Daunik Lazro, in one of his best settings in many years! All the other musicians here are fantastic – as in addition to Daunik on tenor and baritone, the rest of the group features Joe McPhee on tenor and pocket trumpet, Joshua Abrams on bass and guembri, Guillaume Seguron on bass as well, and Chad Taylor on drums and mbira! Given the use of the double basses, there's a strong bottom end here – and that's perfect for those organic tones that we've always loved from Lazro's horn, since first discovering him in the 80s – a very different trajectory of improvisation than some of his European contemporaries, with a quality that seems to bring out more from McPhee as well. Taylor just keeps exploding with his talents in recent years, and is a perfect partner for the music here – and all the tracks are improvised, save for a snippet of Albert Ayler's "Mothers" which appears at one spot. CD

Steve Million on piano – with Randy Brecker on trumpet and flugelhorn, Chris Potter on tenor and soprano sax, Michael Moore on bass, and Ron Vincent on drums. CD

With Greg Ward on alto saxophone. CD