A legendary set from the team of guitarist Jim Hall and pianist Bill Evans – both already wonderful players on their own, but really hitting a magical sort of space here together! The record is a classic in understatement – the inevitable meeting of two players who'd both made a career out of saying more with less – and both Evans and Hall manage to make this special sort of sound when working together in such a space – spare, but never short on ideas – filled with color and tone, but never overdone. The tracks are long and dreamy, and the piano/guitar lines seem to float in the air, suspended on naught but idea and imagination. Titles include a very nice version of "Skating In Central Park", plus "Dream Gypsy", "Romain", and "Darn That Dream". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary set from the team of guitarist Jim Hall and pianist Bill Evans – both already wonderful players on their own, but really hitting a magical sort of space here together! The record is a classic in understatement – the inevitable meeting of two players who'd both made a career out of saying more with less – and both Evans and Hall manage to make this special sort of sound when working together in such a space – spare, but never short on ideas – filled with color and tone, but never overdone. The tracks are long and dreamy, and the piano/guitar lines seem to float in the air, suspended on naught but idea and imagination. Titles include a very nice version of "Skating In Central Park", plus "Dream Gypsy", "Romain", and "Darn That Dream". LP, Vinyl record album

A spare set of duets between Freeman and duo of guitarists – George Barnes and Carl Cress. As such, it's got a much more relaxed approach than any of Freeman's other albums, and its open-ended sound really lets you hear what a talent he was on tenor. Tracks are short, but they're filled with warmth and imagination. Titles include "Mimi", "Disenchanted Trout", "Something Tender", "The Eel's Nephew", and "Please". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest Milt Jackson albums ever – thanks to an incredible lineup that features Art Farmer on trumpet and Benny Golson on tenor – both of whom give the record a lot more edge than usual for Jackson! The set's almost a maturation of the earliest modern grooves that Milt forged in his earlier sessions for Blue Note and Prestige – a sound that comes across here with a lot more confidence and focus than some of his 50s Savoy sides – with a sharper, edgier quality that comes from Golson's great arrangements for the record. Milt's vibes have a really chromatic feel here, and a sound that's almost louder than usual – and the rest of the group features Tommy Flanagan on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Connie Kay on drums. Titles include "Blues For Diahann", "I Remember Clifford", "Thinking Of You", and "Whisper Not". LP, Vinyl record album

The set was recorded after King's earlier sides for the Prestige and HiFi jazz labels, but it's in a very similar style, with some wonderful vocalese-ing done in Pleasure's landmark style. He's really one of the greatest jazz singers of the 20th century, and it's unfortunate that apart from the big hit fame of "Moody's Mood For Love" (recorded here once again), King never got strong recognition as a richly talented singer. A number of cuts on here are re-recordings of earlier work – like "Don't Get Scared" and "Sometimes I'm Happy" – and other tracks include "It Might As Well Be Spring" and "Old Black Magic". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Despite the fact that he's one of the most influential jazz singers of all time (and certainly one with the biggest hit, as the original recording of "I'm In the Mood For Love" probably sold more copies than most other vocalese recordings combined), King Pleasure only ever cut three full albums – and this third one is the hardest to find! The album was recorded for United Artists during the time when Alan Douglas was cutting sides for the label, and it's very much in the same mode as his earlier recordings for Prestige and HiFi, apart from some occasional spare string backing that's added to the small group jazz playing. Pleasure's vocals are wonderful – incomparable, and right at the peak of vocalese sublimity – and the album's filled with great numbers like "That Old Black Magic (Diaper Pin)", "This Is Always", "Jazz Jump", "Don't Get Scared", "Swan Blues", and "Mean To Me", all completely transformed by Pleasure! (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the grooviest albums by the guy who did so many groovy versions of the score to his own hit musical. This one's got the famous "Ripped Open by Metal Explosions" sample, plus some other great stuff that wasn't in Hair. Very groovy, choppy, and groovy/funky stuff here – and a real tough LP to find these days! Other tracks include "Colored Spade", "Hashish", and "Freakout". LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual album – one that brings together two classic jazz soundtracks in one package! LP, Vinyl record album

Great stuff – recorded in Mingus' classic period! Mingus leads a sharp small group here – a wonderful quintet that features Booker Ervin on tenor, John Handy on alto, and Richard Wyands on piano – with longtime musical partner Dannie Richmond on drums! The session was recorded live at the Nonagon Gallery in New York, and has that sort of arch-modernist groove that was Mingus' hallmark in these key late 50's years. Ervin, as always, is amazing, and John Handy, who makes his recording debut here, demonstrates the genius that Mingus had for spotting brilliant young players as he plays with the sort of imagination and intensity that he only ever managed to hit again on one or two of his own records as a leader. The record's got four long tracks, including long takes of "Nostalgia In Times Square", "Alice's Wonderland", and "No Private Income Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A confusing title, but a wonderful little record! The album's as much a Herbie Mann Latin session as it is a record by Johnny Rae – which is probably why the album's titled as such – and the group on the set features Rae on vibes, Herbie on flute, Jack Six on bass, Philly Joe Jones on drums, Bobby Corwin on piano, and Jose Mangual, Patato Valdes, and Victor Pantoja on an assortment of Latin and African percussion. The groove is tremendous – Latinized jazz, but with a real tension between the heavy percussion on the bottom and the ligher flute and vibes on the top – especially on the album's more tribal, African-styled numbers. The "suite" features 7 tracks in all – 5 composed by Herbie ("Sorimao", "Beouin", "Sudan", "Ekunda", "Guinean"), plus a version of Sonny Rollins' "St Thomas", and the track "Jungle Fantasy" by Noro Morales. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest moments ever from saxophonist Gato Barbieri – and that's saying a lot, given that by the time of this recording, he'd already had a great 60s run as an avant jazz musician, and started the 70s with a string of albums that criss-crossed jazz and South American musical styles! Yet Last Tango In Paris may well be Barbieri's crowning achievement – a sublime record that draws on all the richer, more emotive themes of his Latin America projects, but gives them new focus in the arrangements of Oliver Nelson – who ensures that the music is never too cheesy or overdone – quite a feat, given the sexy setting of the film! Gato draws a lot from Argentine tango, but often uses his own sax solos in place of a more familiar bandoneon – in a way that pushes the "new tango" mode of the time even farther – especially when set amidst Nelson's wonderful orchestrations. Titles include many versions of the "Last Tango" theme, plus the tracks "Girl In Black", "Jeanne", "Why Did She Choose You?", "It's Over", and "Fake Ophelia". (Soundtracks, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A really great early album from George Duke – quite different than his work for MPS to follow – and more in a groovy late 60s California mode! There's a vibe here that resonates nicely with some other late 60s sessions on Liberty Records – kind of an expansion of a Cali soul jazz mode, similar to the style the Crusaders were starting to go for – but colored in with some of Duke's obviously hip inclinations as well! George plays some great electric piano on the record – and other players include Ernie Watts on tenor and flute, and Jay Graydon on guitar – on titles that include "Soul Watcher", "Since You Asked", "Shades Of Joy", "Alcatraz", and "A Little Bit Of Seven". LP, Vinyl record album

Rarely are such "meeting of the minds" sessions worth any fuss at all – but in this case, the masterful talents of the players turn what should be a snoozy "common denominator" session into a modernist classic that still crackles with excitement after all these years! The real success factor here is Ellington, who was hitting a point in his career when he was really beginning to experiment again – as you'll hear in the beautifully angular piano lines that he lays next to Mingus' bass and Roach's lively drums. The set's nearly all originals, and titles include "Money Jungle", "Le Fleurs Africaines", and "Wig Wise". Very nice! LP, Vinyl record album

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

Early prog jazz genius from the mighty Embryo – and an album that perfectly fuses their love of world rhythms and electric jamming grooves – at a level that made them one of the coolest groups on the European scene at the time! Core work here is by a trio – and the percussion by Edgar Hofmann ranges from playful to hypnotic – with heavy drums and basslines crafting some incredible rhythms that spin out strongly – sometimes jamming, sometimes a bit looser – and often topped with great work on flute by Hansi Fischer, and this ultra-cool Leslie piano played by Christian Burchard – which has a nice fuzzy sound. The album's got lots of other sweet organ and mellotron lines – and Hofmann also plays soprano sax and violin as well – on titles that include "Tausendfussler", "Time", "Revenge", "Espagna Si Franco Finished", "Try To Be", and "Change". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal session as a leader by the young Art Farmer – recorded for United Artists, and a great set of tight lyrical tunes, played by Farmer in his sparkling style – in a group along with Benny Golson on tenor and Bill Evans on piano. Evans is a special treat here, as the 1958 session was recorded at a time when he was making a fair bit of appearances in various rhythm sections for horn players (like Miles Davis) – and although this role in Evans' career was a short one, it yielded some amazingly beautiful moments, as you'll hear on this album. Art's brother Addison plays bass, and Dave Bailey rounds out the group on drums. Tracks include "Cold Breeze", "Mox Nix", "Jubilation", and "Fair Weather". LP, Vinyl record album

The legendary trumpeter Booker Little – paired here with drummer Max Roach, who was frequently Book's leader at the time! The set's got a sharp-edged and modern mix of hardbop and fresh ideas – very similar to the best Roach albums of the time – and with a similar sort of group – given that in addition to Little's trumpet, the set also features George Coleman on tenor, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and Art Davis on bass! All arrangements were done by Little – making the album a real showcase of that bold vision in jazz that was taken from us all too soon – and titles include "Milestones", "Rounder's Mood", "Dungeon Waltz", and "Jewel's Tempo". LP, Vinyl record album

With Bob Wilbur on tenor, Peanuts Huckel on clarinet, Urbie Green on trombone, Marty Napoleon on piano, Mundell Lowe on guitar, Jack Lesberg on bass, Osie Johnson on drums, and Chet Amsterdam on percussion. LP, Vinyl record album

With Gene Dunlap on drums, Scott Edwards on bass, and Gregory Phillinganes on piano. LP, Vinyl record album