Although Pee Wee Russell had spent most of his career as a trad player, the 1960s showed him becoming something of an ersatz modernist, still playing in the guise of older styles, but adding in approaches that were much more far-reaching than his earlier work, and which showed that, like Coleman Hawkins, he was never one to rest on his laurels during later years. This nice album from 1963 features Russel in a tight quartet, with Marshall Brown on trombone, Russell George on bass, and Ron Lundberg on drums. The group's piano-less sound is very bracing, and they craft a strong style that's very worth of the title of the album. Titles include "Taps Miller", "Good Bait", "Round Midnight", "Red Planet", and "Pee Wee's Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A strangely beautiful record recorded during Pee Wee Russell's brief comeback as a modernist folk hero during the 60s. As with a number of his other sessions from the time, Russell's tone is amazingly angular, with strange off-kilter notes that expose the genius that had been lurking for years behind playing that was otherwise fairly straightforward. Titles include "The Lady's In Love", "I'm In The Market For You", and "Pee Wee's Song" – and the group is a quintet with Nat Pierce on piano and Steve Jordan on guitar. LP, Vinyl record album

A record that will blow your mind – way different than you might expect from the cover! Sure, Pee Wee was a bit of a traditionalist on his instrument – the clarinet – but he's working here in a starkly modern way that almost recalls some of the best 50s work of Jimmy Guiffre, or some of the earlier sides by Steve Lacy. There's still a swing-based approach to the tunes, but they're handled in a spare style that features equal interplay between Russell, trombonist Marshall Brown, bassist Russell George, and drummer Ronnie Bedford – a great player who really makes the album sparkle! The tracks include a couple of Thelonious Monk titles – "Ask Me Now!" and "Hackensack" as well as a couple of Marshall Brown originals – "Licorice Stick" and "Calypso Walk". Other titles are Ornette Coleman's "Turnaround", Coltrane's "Some Other Blues" and Ellington's "Prelude To A Kiss". CD

Trad revival material – but like most of Pee Wee's sides from the time, a lot hipper than you might expect, with traces of modernism that show why Russell was getting the ears of a lot of the jazz elite at the time, and why these mid 60s recordings are well worth seeking out. The group includes youthful talents Steve Kuhn on piano and Charlie Haden on bass – further illustrating the modernist component – and titles include "Blue Monk", "2 Degrees East, 3 Degrees West", "Body & Soul", and "Graduation Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

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Half of the fourth album from The Incredible String Band and by far their most sprawling work to date – which was originally split into separate LPs for the US release – this bein the more intimate Wee Tam portion! Multi-instrumentalists Mike Heron & Robin Williamson began using studio multi-tracking to incredible effect on their previous LP, and continue on that path here, though accompanied by violin and percussion by Rose. Titles include "Job's Tears", "The Yellow Snake", "Beyond The See", "The Half-Remarkable Question", "Ducks On A Pond" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty darn important album for Wes – as it was his first session with the sort of larger arrangements that would later make him huge! Although Montgomery was mostly recording for Riverside in small combos, this session has him playing in front of larger backings by Jimmy Jones – not as sublime as later work by Don Sebesky or Gil Evans, but done in a way that definitely shows that Wes can do a lot with the guitar when freed from the need to stick with the rhythm strongly. Titles include "All The Way", "Pretty Blue", "Somewhere", "God Bless The Child", "Tune Up", and "Baubles Bangles & Beads". LP, Vinyl record album

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The fourth album from The Incredible String Band and by far their most sprawling to date – the double album Wee Tam & The Big Huge – which was originally split into separate LPs for the US release, but best served as a whole! Multi-instrumentalists Mike Heron & Robin Williamson began using studio multi-tracking to incredible effect on their previous LP, and continue on that path here, though accompanied by frequent collaborator Licorice (who earlier sang with the group, but contributes Irish harp & percussion here) plus violin and percussion by Rose – and the album as in turns their most ambitious and also quite intimate, particularly on the first half. 18 tracks on 2CDs: "Job's Tears", "Puppies", "The Yellow Snake", "The Half-Remarkable Question", "Air", "Ducks On A Pond", ", "Maya", "Lordly Nightshade", "The Mountain Of God", "The Circle Is Unbroken" and more. CD

A great run of music from Jimmy Lyons – some of his most important albums as a leader! First up is Wee Sneezawee – the kind of work that makes you love the Black Saint label for giving players like Jimmy Lyons a chance to still express themselves this way! Lyons is in wonderful form throughout – blowing with all the sharp tones that you'd know from his work with Cecil Taylor, but also bringing in a bit more structure too – kind of shaping a coherent sound out of an infinite array of possible actions – any of which seem possible at any moment, given the dynamic energy of the group! Other players include William Parker on bass, Paul Murphy on drums, Karen Borca on bassoon, and Raphe Malik on trumpet – and tracks include "Wee Sneezawee", "Gossip", "Shackinback", "Remembrance", and "Driads". On Give It Up, Jimmy Lyons is wonderful, but equally great is trumpeter Enrico Rava – whose bold tones on the record easily match those of Lyons in terms of energy and inventiveness! The format is relatively free – although some tunes have a bit of an inside swing, at least more so than Lyons' work with Cecil Taylor – and other players include Karen Borca on bassoon, Jay Oliver on bass, and Paul Murphy on drums. Titles include the long workouts "Methods", "Never", and "Give It Up" – plus the shorter tune "Ballada". Burnt Offering features great duets between Jimmy Lyons on alto and Andrew Cyrille on percussion – and titles include "Popp A", "Exotique", and "Burnt Offering". Nuba is a compelling collaboration between percussionist Andrew Cyrille, vocalist Jeanne Lee, and alto saxophonist Jimmy Lyons – one of the freer sessions on the Black Saint label, and one of the most striking as well! Cyrille handles a wide range of percussion – and also a few whistles too – and he really sets the tone with his open, expressive approach to his instruments – almost more melodic at points than rhythmic, with echoes of African roots that come through more strongly than on some of his other albums. Most numbers are pretty spare, and titles include "Nuba 1", "Cornbread Picnic (Maize)", "The One Before Zero", "JJ & A", "In These Last Days", "Sorry", and "Nuba 2". Something In Return is another set of duets between Lyns and Andrew Cyrille! While working in Cecil Taylor's group, Cyrille and Lyons developed a wonderful interplay and dynamic, which can be felt in full effect on this wonderful duo recording, where they approach mostly original material, but also take on Strayhorn's "Take The A Train". Also includes the title track "Lorry", "JL", "Nuba" and "Fragments I". CD

One of the greatest vocal albums of all time! Sinatra's never sounded better than on this album – one of the first truly cohesive albums of torch and ballad songs ever recorded – done by Frank at a time when his heart was really breaking, and sung with a depth you'd hardly ever find in his other work. The whole thing's sublime – one of the darkest, moodiest selections of material we've ever heard – and the record never fails to send chills down our spine, no matter how many times we hear it! Tracks include "Mood Indigo", "I See Your Face Before Me", "Deep In A Dream", "Ill Wind", "I'll Be Around", "This Love Of Mine", "Dancing On The Ceiling", "Glad To Be Unhappy", and "I Get Along Without You Very Well". CD

One of the greatest vocal albums of all time! Sinatra's never sounded better than on this album – one of the first truly cohesive albums of torch and ballad songs ever recorded – done by Frank at a time when his heart was really breaking, and sung with a depth you'd hardly ever find in his other work. The whole thing's sublime – one of the darkest, moodiest selections of material we've ever heard – and the record never fails to send chills down our spine, no matter how many times we hear it! Tracks include "Mood Indigo", "I See Your Face Before Me", "Deep In A Dream", "Ill Wind", "I'll Be Around", "This Love Of Mine", "Dancing On The Ceiling", "Glad To Be Unhappy", and "I Get Along Without You Very Well". LP, Vinyl record album

A near-forgotten gem from Coleman Hawkins excellent late 50s period – recorded for the short-lived Felsted label, and done in a beautifully relaxed way! The tracks here are long and easy-going – at times even more open than Hawkins' work for Verve, and in the style he'd explore even more deeply for Prestige on some albums recorded right after this set. Hawk is playing in a quintet with Buck Clayton on trumpet, Hank Jones on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Mickey Sheen on drums – and titles include "My One & Only Love", "Bird Of Prey Blues", "Get Set", "Ooh Wee Miss GP", "Vignette" and "You've Changed". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful pairing of this German pianist and American tenor star Zoot Sims – and an album that may well be the greatest that Jutta Hipp ever cut! Hipp was one of the rising stars of the German postwar jazz scene in the 50s – and although she issued other American albums in the decade for Blue Note and Decca, this side's probably the best-remembered of the bunch – thanks to the presence of Zoot, and support from a great rhythm section that includes Ahmed Abdul-Malik on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums – both of whom match the modern tones of Jutta's piano, but also give a solidly soulful Blue Note feel to the set. The group's completed by trumpeter Jerry Lloyd, who helps bring a nice sparkle to the frontline – and titles include "Just Blues", "Wee Dot", "Almost Like Being In Love", and "Down Home". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "S'Wonderful" and "These Foolish Things". CD

An overlooked gem from the years when most of the rest of the world had forgotten about the JBs – but Fred Wesley and the group were still going strong! The set's a great meeting of two funky generations – the classic James Brown funk of the late 60s and early 70s, and some of the revival modes that sprung up on the London scene at the end of the 80s – heard to best effect here in the way the album was recorded – with core horns from Wesley on trombone, Maceo Parker on alto sax, and Pee Wee Ellis on tenor – plus added London grooves in a real Brand New Heavies mode! The groove is nice and hard, and the album's way more of a classic-styled funk outing than most of the other JBs-revival titles from the same stretch – thanks to rock-solid production from the Soulciety family too. Noel McKoy, Jay Ella Ruth, and other Brit funk talents help out on the set – and titles include "What Goes Around", "Chillin With Fred", "Picture On The Wall", "Homeboy", "Push", and "I Like It Like That". CD

First up is one of Julie London's strongest overall albums – a great session that features small group backings with a warm and intimate feel! There's less of the languid sadness of some of Julie's other records, and more of the dreamy floating style of singers like Chris Connor or June Christy on this one. The feeling of the album's great, and it shows that Julie was much more than a pop singer with sexy looks and a smoky finish – although we're happy to hear that on here too! Titles include "Let There Be Love", "Goodbye", "You've Changed", "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To", "Lonesome Road", "They Didn't Believe Me", and "The Thrill Is Gone". Around Midnight's just about the best time to listen to Julie London – especially given her sultry late-night style of singing! This album's one that definitely follows in that mode – setting Julie's vocals to backings by Dick Reynolds – a bit fuller than some of her earliest Liberty albums, but still quite moody, and very much in the best spirit of the album's songs of adult love and loss. The song choices are especially great too – with some key mid-century classics that include "In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning", "Lush Life", "Lonely In Paris", "Something Cool", and "You & The Night & The Music". CD

Easily one of the best albums ever cut by this oft-overlooked bop trumpeter – and a clean, clear, no-nonsense session played with some great modern touches! The session really steps off from McGhee's earlier work nicely – and is noteworthy not only for Howard's great trumpet work, but also for the presence of baritonist Sahib Shihab in the group, making a great small group appearance here and really dominating the session with his strong sound. Other players include Duke Jordan on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – and titles include a good number of originals by McGhee. Tracks include "Tweedles", "Tahitian Lullaby", "Rifftide", "Oo Wee But I Do", "Transpicious", and "Don't Blame Me". CD

Easily one of the best albums ever cut by this oft-overlooked bop trumpeter – and a clean, clear, no-nonsense session played in the company of a crack group that includes Sahib Shihab, Duke Jordan, Percy Heath, and Philly Joe Jones. Maggie's in the lead on firey solos, and tracks are short, but economical enough to get plenty across! Titles include "Tweedles", "Tahitian Lullaby", "Rifftide", "Oo Wee But I Do", "Transpicious", and "Don't Blame Me". 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 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". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the original Fantasy LPs that the Montgomery Brothers cut when they were just wee lads from Indianapolis who'd showed up on the west coast with their guitar, vibes, and electric bass in hand. Wes, Buddy, and Monk play a lively live set that has a lot more swing than usual, and which grooves nicely on just about every cut. Paul Humphrey is the drummer, which probably explains the groove, and the tracks include a tasty cover of "Jeanine", plus "Green Dolphin Street", "Beaux Arts", and "Snowfall". LP, Vinyl record album

Genius work from Moody – and a larger session than usual – one that shows his strong talents with an expanded lineup! Moody's working here with players that have a definite Dizzy Gillespie Big Band bent – including trumpeter Dave Burns, trombonist William Shepherd, baritonist Pee Wee Moore, and pianist Jimmy Boyd – but they're working with Moody in a groove that's got equal parts modern alongside the bop, in a way that makes for some complicated arrangements that bristle with electricity. There's almost a bit of Gigi Gryce or Benny Golson in the spirit of the set – and Moody's work on alto is an especially good example of this on the record. Eddie Jefferson makes a great vocal appearance on "Disappointed" – and other tracks include "Little Ricky", "Big Ben", "Show Eyes", "Hard To Get", and "And You Called My Name". LP, Vinyl record album

Pretty darn cool stuff from one of the greatest jazz singers around! This one was Mark's first album, cut a long time ago when he was a wee lad – as you'll see by the photo on the cover. The arrangements are by Ralph Burns, and they're pretty darn hip – and although the style is more traditional than some of Mark's later records, it's amazing to hear how well-developed his vocal style is even at this early age. Many of the tracks remind us of some of the harder swinging work that Murphy cut in London and Europe during the late 60s – and tracks include "I've Got Two Eyes", "You Mustn't Kick It Around", "Exactly Like You", "Give It Back To The Indians", and "Fascinating Rhythm". LP, Vinyl record album

The complete presentation of a legendary live performance, and one that's often billed as a high moment in the history of bebop – a special concert-only group that brings together five key bop heavyweights – Charlie Parker on alto, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all coming together in a unique one-off performance! The set was recorded up in Canada, and represents one of the first widely-circulated live recordings of a straight bop set – different than some of the mix of styles you'd get on a JATP record, with long tracks that really show the nonstop creative energy that shifts between the players. The original vinyl release broke the concert out into two records – both of which are united here with additional material! The set features two takes on the Quintet material – without overdubs, and with them added – on titles that include "Night In Tunisia", "Perdido", "Salt Peanuts", "All The Things You Are/52nd Street Theme", "Wee", and "Hot House". The package then also adds in the second half of the concert – a set that features the core rhythm trio, without Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie – a killer lineup that has Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums! The tunes are a bit shorter than on the quintet sides, but maybe that's because Powell can always pack so much into such a short space – and Mingus has plenty of sharp small group imagination here, while Roach is a young genius, really breaking out here too. Titles include "Sure Thing", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "Jubilee", "Cherokee", and "Embraceable You". Plus, the set features a stunning solo drum performance by Max Roach – "Drum Conversation". CD

The complete presentation of a legendary live performance, and one that's often billed as a high moment in the history of bebop – a special concert-only group that brings together five key bop heavyweights – Charlie Parker on alto, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all coming together in a unique one-off performance! The set was recorded up in Canada, and represents one of the first widely-circulated live recordings of a straight bop set – different than some of the mix of styles you'd get on a JATP record, with long tracks that really show the nonstop creative energy that shifts between the players. The original vinyl release broke the concert out into two records – both of which are united here with additional material! The set features two takes on the Quintet material – without bass overdubs, and with them added – on titles that include "Night In Tunisia", "Perdido", "Salt Peanuts", "All The Things You Are/52nd Street Theme", "Wee", and "Hot House". The package then also adds in the second half of the concert – a set that features the core rhythm trio, without Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie – a killer lineup that has Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums! The tunes are a bit shorter than on the quintet sides, but maybe that's because Powell can always pack so much into such a short space – and Mingus has plenty of sharp small group imagination here, while Roach is a young genius, really breaking out here too. Titles include "Sure Thing", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "Jubilee", "Cherokee", and "Embraceable You". Plus, the set features a stunning solo drum performance by Max Roach – "Drum Conversation". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary live performance, and one that's often billed as a high moment in the history of bebop – a special concert-only group that brings together five key bop heavyweights – Charlie Parker on alto, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all coming together in a unique one-off performance! The set was recorded up in Canada, and represents one of the first widely-circulated live recordings of a straight bop set – different than some of the mix of styles you'd get on a JATP record, with long tracks that really show the nonstop creative energy that shifts between the players. The original vinyl release broke the concert out into two records – and this is the quintet material, with titles that include "Perdido", "Salt Peanuts", "All The Things You Are", "Wee", and "Hot House". CD

A legendary live performance, and one that's often billed as a high moment in the history of bebop – a special concert-only group that brings together five key bop heavyweights – Charlie Parker on alto, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all coming together in a unique one-off performance! The set was recorded up in Canada, and represents one of the first widely-circulated live recordings of a straight bop set – different than some of the mix of styles you'd get on a JATP record, with long tracks that really show the nonstop creative energy that shifts between the players. The original vinyl release broke the concert out into two records – and this is the quintet material, with titles that include "Perdido", "Salt Peanuts", "All The Things You Are", "Wee", and "Hot House". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary live performance, and one that's often billed as a high moment in the history of bebop – a special concert-only group that brings together five key bop heavyweights – Charlie Parker on alto, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all coming together in a unique one-off performance! The set was recorded up in Canada, and represents one of the first widely-circulated live recordings of a straight bop set – different than some of the mix of styles you'd get on a JATP record, with long tracks that really show the nonstop creative energy that shifts between the players. The original vinyl release broke the concert out into two records – and this is the quintet material, with titles that include "Perdido", "Salt Peanuts", "All The Things You Are", "Wee", and "Hot House". CD

A legendary live performance, and one that's often billed as a high moment in the history of bebop – a special concert-only group that brings together five key bop heavyweights – Charlie Parker on alto, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all coming together in a unique one-off performance! The set was recorded up in Canada, and represents one of the first widely-circulated live recordings of a straight bop set – different than some of the mix of styles you'd get on a JATP record, with long tracks that really show the nonstop creative energy that shifts between the players. The original vinyl release broke the concert out into two records – and this is the quintet material, with titles that include "Perdido", "Salt Peanuts", "All The Things You Are", "Wee", and "Hot House". CD

Strong work from the Peterson Trio's London House gig in Chicago in 1961 – material that offers some slightly longer than usual takes on the group's sound, especially on a few numbers that really let Oscar open up on the keys! The group here is the legendary combo with Ed Thigpen on drums and Ray Brown on bass – but on the album's long versions of "Sometimes I'm Happy", "In The Wee Small Hours" and "Chicago", it's Oscar's inventive work on the keys that really dominates the nearly 10 minute run of each track. Other shorter tunes include "Billy Boy", "Whisper Not", and "The Night We Called It A Day". Includes five bonus tracks. CD

One of Esther's strong winners for Kudu – a record that takes her soulful style of earlier years, and wraps it around some sly 70s funky arrangements! Ex-James Brown hornman Pee Wee Ellis arranged the album, and gave Esther a nice little dose of funk that really helped her groove – getting out of the sad bag of her Atlantic recordings, and sounding hipper than anyone would have expected! The record features the great slow funk groover "Black Eyed Blues" – and other tracks include "I've Only Known A Stranger", "You Could Have Had Me, Baby", and "Too Many Roads". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty amazing set from Esther Phillips – her final album for Kudu – and a beautiful mix of soaring soul sounds from one the most unique, emotionally-inflected soul vocalists of her era! Esther's in prime Kudu mode here – working with jazzy arrangements by David Matthews and Pee Wee Ellis, adding her unique, grit-inflected soul chanteuse vocals to a smoother mix of instrumentation that creates a perfect counterpoint that took her way past her earlier work! There's also a couple of really sweet disco skewed numbers that work incredibly well – with spacier bits of synth and a dancefloor soul bed of percussion and rhythms – and in general, the arrangements are pretty great from track-to-track! Players include Randy Brecker and Mike Brecker on trumpet and tenor sax, Bray Miles on synthesizer, Bobby Lyle on clavinet, Eric Gale on guitar, Joe Farrell on tenor sax and alto flute, percussionist Ralph MacDonald and other excellent name musicians and others bring a grand sweep and sweeter intimacy when the mood requires. Titles include "Magic's In The Air", "A Beautiful Friendship", "Boy I Really Tied One On", "Higher & Higher", and "All The Way Down". LP, Vinyl record album

Not a live album – as you might think from the title – but a tight batch of tunes that shows the full funk and soul talents of the legendary Esther Phillips! The album's got a nicely dark undercurrent at times – a sound that's not as smooth as some of Esther's other Kudu albums from the 70s, with bits of R&B bubbling underneath the more contemporary arrangements. Backings are penned by Pee Wee Ellis and Gary King – and players include Bob James and Richard Tee on keyboards, Hubert Laws on flute, and Bernard Purdie and Steve Gadd on drums – the latter of whom provides a sublime beat on the album's standout funky number "Disposable Society" – one of those great little groovers that never did anything for Esther at the time of its release, but which has really gotten rediscovered in recent years! Other tracks include "Doing Our Thing", "Living Alone", "Can't Trust Your Neighbor With Your Baby", and "I Feel The Same". LP, Vinyl record album

The cover might be a bit "on the nose" – but the album itself has some really nice tracks, thanks in part to production and arrangements by Pee Wee Ellis, who always managed to get the best out of Esther during the 70s! The groove's got a lot top shelf clubby soul and easygoing funky swagger – and Esther sounds great out front! Tracks include "Into The Mystic", "Love Addict", "If I Loved You", "In A Soft & Subtle Way", "My Prayer", and "Somewhere Along The Line". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of late 70s albums from Esther Phillips – '77's You've Come A Long Way, Baby and '78's All About Esther Phillips – together in a single set! The cover of You've Come A Long Way, Baby which has Phillips standing in front of a limo, might be a bit "on the nose" – but the album itself has some really nice tracks, thanks in part to production and arrangements by Pee Wee Ellis, who always managed to get the best out of Esther during the 70s! The groove's got a lot top shelf clubby soul and easygoing funky swagger – and Esther sounds great out front! Tracks include "Into The Mystic", "Love Addict", "If I Loved You", "In A Soft & Subtle Way", "My Prayer", and "Somewhere Along The Line". This version includes "My Prayer (Previously Unreleased Extended Mix)". All About Esther Phillips is a sweet 70s Wayne Henderson-produced set – quite a different groove for Esther! It's got elements of the lightly funky soul of some of the immediately preceding records, but this one has some elements in the arrangements that bring a more gentle touch – particularly the chimes & strings. Groovy stuff! Titles include "The Man Ain't Ready", "Native New Yorker", "SOS", "Pie In The Sky", "If I Fall In Love By Morning" and more. CD

A definite real thing from the mighty David Porter – one of his killer solo albums for Stax Records, after splitting his partnership with Isaac Hayes at the end of the 60s – and a record that really matches some of Ike's classic solo sets for sheer ambition and power! Porter's approach is a bit more earthy – almost some deeper soul currents in the music, set alongside fuller arrangements that bring in some gentle funk currents at the bottom, and a complicated instrumental approach that still stays plenty soulful, while stunning us with a level of complexity. Like Hayes, Porter talks a bit along with his vocals – and Ike helps out on one track, but clearly lets David give the album most of his own flavor. Titles include a long version of "Hang On Sloopy", one that goes on for over 11 minutes, and with a soul sound that's very different than the original – and other tracks include "I Don't Wanna Cry", "Ooo Wee Girl", "Thirty Days", "Grocery Man", and "Too Real To Live A Lie". CD features three rare, originally unissued bonus tracks too – "Come Get From Me (parts 1 & 2)", "Gotta Get Over The Hump", and "Somebody's Trying To Ride Piggy Back". CD

One of Frank Sinatra's last great ballad albums for Capitol – a sad and dreamy batch of tunes that kicks off with the incredible "Only The Lonely" – one of those Sinatra torch songs that's so great, so sad, nobody else has ever been able to record a better version, nor have they really tried! The rest of the album's great, too – with arrangements by Nelson Riddle that are very much in the Wee Small Hours mode – expressive, but subtle and sophisticated – at that level that set Sinatra so far apart from most other male singers of the 50s. Despite the creepy cover, there's a mature, adult approach to the whole thing – a new level of emotion that most other singers wouldn't find for a decade. Titles include "Only The Lonely", "Angel Eyes", "What's New", "Ebb Tide", "Spring Is Here", "Goodbye", and the sublime "One For My Baby". CD

A sad little album that has Frank still in the throes of the emotional loss expressed on The Wee Small Hours album – working here with Gordon Jenkins arrangements that use a fair bit of strings to well up the darkness that lurks in the songs on the set. The album kicks off with the sublime "Where Are You?", one of the greatest songs of loss we could ever recommend – and then moves into some incredible readings of standards like "Where Is The One", "I'm A Fool To Want You", "I Cover the Waterfront", "Laura", and "Lonely Town" – all done in a style that's emotive, yet never overwrought, perfect sad Sinatra all the way! CD also features 4 bonus tracks – "Don't Worry Bout Me", "Rain (Falling From The Skies)", "It Worries Me", and "I Can Read Between The Lines". CD

An undisputed masterpiece, and a record we never tire of hearing – unabashedly the inspiration for our years of jazzy exploration as adults, even though it was probably the closest thing we ever got to the genre as wee lads! Walter Becker & Donald Fagan raise their already-high bar to new heights here – creating one of those rare records that flows together so beautifully, it's hard to remember where some songs begin and others end. There's a sense of perfection in everything about the record – the sound, the songs, the instrumentation – all woven together beautifully without any sense of self-consciousness. One majestic flow that starts with "Black Cow", and runs through classics that include "Aja", "Deacon Blues", "Peg", "Home At Last", "I Got The News", and "Josie". LP, Vinyl record album

A very nicely selected 2LP set of tracks from Stitt's oft-overlooked years at Argo/Chess! The tracks have him in great company that includes the pianists Barry Harris, John Young, and Ronnie Matthews – and if you know Stitt's style from the time, you know that his choice of piano player made a very important difference in the sound of his playing. Most of the cuts are easily blown quartet material – with a lot of creative imagination applied to tunes that would otherwise be top-snooze material in the hands of a lesser player. Titles include "Ko Ko", "It's Hipper Than That", "A Natural Fox", "Wee", "Reed & A Half", "Flame & Frost", and "A Minor Sax". LP, Vinyl record album

A smoking little bop set from Sonny Stitt – recorded live at the Keystone in 1981, as sort of a "summit meeting" of horns – one that features Richie Cole and John Handy in the frontline with Sonny! The rhythm section alone is enough to cook this one up nicely – with Cedar Walton on piano, Herbie Lewis on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – and the sextet is expanded by Bobby Hutcherson, whose vibes seem to bring an even deeper level of soul to the set. But the main focus here is on the horns – and it's a focus that's well-kept, especially on the longer tunes, which really sparkle in the range of tone and mood expressed. Highlights include an extended "Ballad Medley" and versions of "Wee", "Lover Man", and "Star Eyes". (And by the way, that's "bad", as in "good" – in case you couldn't guess from the title!) CD

With Pee Wee Russell on clarinet and tenor saxophone. CD

Solo work by Art Tatum, recorded with pretty high fidelity by Gene Norman at the Shrine Auditorium in LA! Despite the larger venue, there's a nice sense of intimacy here – both in the sound, and in Tatum's playing – which has a personal, speculative quality that's much more like hearing him in the wee hours at some small club. Titles include "The Man I Love", "Yesterdays", "Willow Weep For Me", "How High The Moon", "I Know That You Know", and "Tatum Pole Boogie". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful portrait of the later Jack Teagarden – that musician who'd matured wonderfully with age, and really brought the best of that experience to bear on his records like this! Jack sings on a handful of tracks, but really spends much of the record on trombone – blown with a style that's quite illuminating, if you only know his more famous earlier material – occasionally with modern currents, in a way that's a bit like Pee Wee Russell when he had his late-life revival too! The album's got a wonderfully understated feel on most numbers – never trying to oversell the listener on Teagarden's charms, even though they're quite abundant – and titles include "Portrait Of Mr T", "Just Friends", "In The Dark", "Handful Of Keys", "Keepin Out Of Mischief Now", and "I Can't Get Started". LP, Vinyl record album

A great mix of jazz and blues from Joe Turner – a set that seems to draw from his Kansas City roots, yet also inflect the sound with some of the blues changes of the 70s! Joe's got two key soloists here – Sonny Stitt on tenor and alto, and Pee Wee Crayton on guitar – and the vamping piano lines of JD Nicholson ensure some very timely rhythms for the record, maybe tipping things a bit more towards the blues side of the spectrum overall. Titles include a very long take on "Lucille", the nine-minute "Martin Luther King Southside", which is a laidback blues with plenty of solo room – and the cuts "Everyday I Have The Blues", "Shake Rattle & Roll", and "Piney Brown". LP, Vinyl record album

Recorded with a hip group that includes Lloyd Glenn on piano, Pee Wee Crayton on guitar, Joe Banks on trumpet, and Hollis Gilmore and Bill Clark on tenor. LP, Vinyl record album

Originally a Japanese-only session – and one of the best records ever by this legendary 70s jazz super-group – a real return to acoustic jazz roots, with a lineup that includes Herbie Hancock on piano, Wayne Shorter on tenor, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums! There's a lot of the sorts of energy that some of the players created when working with Miles Davis the decade before – but shaped with some of the soulfulness that Freddie Hubbard unleashed during his early CTI years – very welcome here, at a time when Hubbard was getting more electric touches on some of his albums. Herbie's great too – and the album ranks with his other great Japanese-only albums of the decade – really given a sense of creative freedom that didn't always happen with the more commercial drive that Columbia was pushing in the US. The whole thing's filled with lots of long modal numbers, strong soloing all around, and a top-shelf presentation of the material – on titles that include "Tear Drop", "Fragile", "One Of Another Kind", "Papa Oriente", "Domo", and "Pee Wee". CD

Ward performs with a stellar ensemble led by Bucky Pizzarelli, including Steve Jordan, Bernie Privin, Pee Wee Erwin, Ruby Braff, George Masso, Vic Dickenson, Phil Bodner, Al Cohn, Mickey Crane, Tony Monte, Warren Chiasson, Milt Hinton, Slam Stewart, Butch Miles, and Bobby Rosengarden. Titles include "I've Got The World On A String", "Pennies From Heaven", "Goody Goody", "Jeepers Creepers", "S Wonderful", "Sweet Georgia Brown" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The stuff of legends, and one of the best sides that Webster cut for Verve in the 50s, this reissue adds a whole 'nother set of quartet sides, recorded with almost the same group, minus Herbn Ellis and replacing Stan Levey with Ed Thigpen. On the original LP the group's a quintet – with the usual suspects (Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Stan Levey), and a rolling easy groove that's a perfect platform for Webster's gutsy tenor. Norman Granz's formula of easy swing sessions didn't always work for everyone, but in this case, it's a perfect format – as you'll hear on tracks like "Soulville", "Last Date", and "Ill Wind". 15 tracks in all, also including "When Your Lover Has Gone", "Bye Bye Blackbird", "In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning", "Lover Come Back To Me" and "This Can't Be Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautifully laidback blowing from the great Ben Webster – captured here in perfect late 50s formation, with wonderful rhythm support from the Oscar Peterson Trio! The tunes aren't super-long, but still have a relatively open feel – possibly improvised in the studio, with a mellow but deeply soulful sound throughout, thanks to Webster's massive tone on the tenor sax. Peterson's on piano, and other players include Ray Brown on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums – and titles include "The Touch Of Your Lips", "When Your Lover Has Gone", "Bye Bye Blackbird", "How Deep Is The Ocean", "In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning", "Sunday", and "This Can't Be Love". CD

Beautifully laidback blowing from the great Ben Webster – captured here in perfect late 50s formation, with wonderful rhythm support from the Oscar Peterson Trio! The tunes aren't super-long, but still have a relatively open feel – possibly improvised in the studio, with a mellow but deeply soulful sound throughout, thanks to Webster's massive tone on the tenor sax. Peterson's on piano, and other players include Ray Brown on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums – and titles include "The Touch Of Your Lips", "When Your Lover Has Gone", "Bye Bye Blackbird", "How Deep Is The Ocean", "In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning", "Sunday", and "This Can't Be Love". LP, Vinyl record album

The stuff of legends, and one of the best sides that Webster cut for Verve in the 50s, this reissue adds a whole 'nother set of quartet sides, recorded with almost the same group, minus Herbn Ellis and replacing Stan Levey with Ed Thigpen. On the original LP the group's a quintet – with the usual suspects (Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Stan Levey), and a rolling easy groove that's a perfect platform for Webster's gutsy tenor. Norman Granz's formula of easy swing sessions didn't always work for everyone, but in this case, it's a perfect format – as you'll hear on tracks like "Soulville", "Last Date", and "Ill Wind". 15 tracks in all, also including "When Your Lover Has Gone", "Bye Bye Blackbird", "In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning", "Lover Come Back To Me" and "This Can't Be Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Trad jazz tunes played by a group led by Newport Jazz Fest impresario George Wein, and featuring players that include Ruby Braff, Marshall Brown, Bud Freeman, Pee Wee Rusell, and Bill Takas. Titles include "The Bends Blues", "Ja-Da", "Keepin Out Of Mischief Now", and "Blue Turning Grey Over You". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare early material from singer Lee Wiley – pulled from a series of V-Disc recordings, with backing by the group of guitarist Eddie Condon! Players include Jack Teagarden on trombone, Bobby Hackett on trumpet, and Pee Wee Russell on clarinet. LP, Vinyl record album

A warm and soulful session from Japanese pianist Tsuyoshi Yamamoto – recorded in simple trio format, but handled with a real depth of feeling! Yamamoto's got the stretching, soaring quality that we love in the best of these Japanese piano sessions from the 70s – a bit of post-Coltrane searching, mixed with straighter 60s grooving – classic piano confidence, but set off with a newfound freedom that really makes the tracks sparkle! The trio features Tsutomu Okada on bass and Hiroshi Murakami on drums – and titles include "Alice In Wonderland", "Daahoud", "I Remember Clifford", "Alone Together", and "In The Wee Small Hours". CD

With Dick Hyman on piano, Bobby Rosengarden on drums, Barney Bigard on clarinet, Paul Madison on tenor sax, and Pee Wee Erwin on trumpet. LP, Vinyl record album

With Muggsy Spanier, Max Kaminsky, Joe Bushkin, Pee Wee Russell, Eddie Condon, Bob Haggart, and more! LP, Vinyl record album

First New Orleans, then Houston, now Baton Rouge – leave it to the folks at Tuff City to make any southern city funky funky funky! The album actually only features work by 4 artists – but all of them are pretty darn great, the kind of obscure funky acts that first put us in business years back! The groove is hard and heavy – quite a different slice of LA than the New Orleans groove – with lots more hard drums and rumbling bass, and an overall sound that's very much in the east coast indie funk sound of the early 70s. And honestly, this is one of the freshest and strongest compilations that Tuff City ever put out – filled with great tracks that include "Joy & Affection", "Funky Black Man", and "Hogwash" by Earnest Jackson; "I Never Found A Girl" by Underground Express; "That's Henry", "Mississippi Mud", and "Angela" by Black Blood & The Chocolate Pickles; and "Ooh Wee Baby I Love You", "What The Deal Is", and "Groove Making" by George Perkins. LP, Vinyl record album