Maybe the coolest album ever recorded by the great Babs Gonzales – singer, poet, and a key force on the scene during the early years of bebop! Babs has a style that's unlike anyone else – he does a bit of the vocalese soloing based on jazz instrumentation that you'll hear from Eddie Jefferson or King Pleasure, but he's also got a wit and raw energy that's maybe more in the Slim Gaillard vein – sophistication mixed with down to earth pleasure – served up here on material that's from a time when Babs was mostly recording on 45s and 78s! Gonzales had key friends and supporters on the modern jazz scene of the postwar years – and the lineup here includes tenor from Johnny Griffin and Charlie Rouse, piano from Horace Parlan, and very hip arrangements by Melba Liston. Titles include "Me Spelled ME Me", "Them Jive New Yorkers", "A Nite In Tunisia", "Movin' & Groovin'", "You've Changed", "Babs Mood For Love". and "Cool Cookin". CD

Really great stuff from Babs Gonzales – a whole host of rare singles, compiled into one excellent collection! CD

Texas tenors locked in hard formation! The set's a wonderfully stripped-down set that has James Clay and David Fathead Newman playing head-to-head in a rootsy Texas tenor style jazz session – one that's a bit more open-ended and earthy than some of the faker tones on Newman's early work for Atlantic! The setting is nicely relaxed – New York blowing session, taken down south – and rhythm is from a trio that includes Wynton Kelly on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Tracks are long, with lots of focus on the solos – and the set includes two hip compositions by Babs Gonzales – "Wide Open Spaces" and "Figger-ation" – plus the titles "Some Kinda Mean", "What's New", and "They Can't Take That Away From Me". CD

Insanely great work from Slim Gaillard, the self-styled LA hipster who rose to prominence in the wartime blues and jazz scene, and who continued to wow audiences for years with his unique blend of hipster jazz! This CD features some of Slim's best work – recorded for Verve in the 50s, and painfully unavailable for years. Slim sings in a voice that's all his own – mixing bluesy crooning with scatting and plenty of talking in his own language of "vout". Consider him a west coast version of Babs Gonzales, and you've got part of the picture – but you'll need this set to fill in all the spaces. Titles include "You Goofed", "Arabian Boogie", "Tip Light", "Serenade To A Poodle", "Babalu Orooney", "Laughing In Rhythm", "Chicken Rhythm", and the complete "Opera In Vout". CD

Tremendous work from saxophonist Paul Gonsalves – one of his rare UK sessions from the 60s, all of which show that he had a fantastic sound that went way beyond his more famous work with Duke Ellington! The style here is tight, hip, and very grooving – work by a quartet that features Gonsalves on tenor, plus Pat Smythe on piano, Kenny Napper on bass, and Ronnie Stevenson on drums – all hitting a soulful hardbop style that's very much like the best Tubby Hayes records from the time! Gonsalves' tone is incredible – with that raspy, almost flatted mode that he used with Ellington – and it really stretches out here with plenty of room for creativity, in a way that makes us wonder why nobody ever got this one issued over on our side of the Atlantic. Titles include "Boom Jackie Boom Chick", "Village Blues", "Poor Butterfly", "Blue PG", and "Taboo". Getting' Together is a great hard edged jazz album featuring Wynton Kelly, Jimmy Cobb, Nat Adderley, and Sam Jones lay down a nice soulful groove with a deep bottom, and Gonsalves plays with warmth and imagination throughout. The set includes two of Babs Gonzales' great compositions: "Low Gravy" and "Gettin' Together". CD

One of the greatest albums ever recorded by hardbop trombone legend Bennie Green – an all-star sextet session that cooks like a mofo! The group features the twin tenors of Billy Root and Gene Ammons (billed just as "Jug" on the session, because of contractual reasons) – and it crackles with electricity from a rhythm section that features Ike Isaacs on bass, Sonny Clark on piano, and Elvin Jones on drums. There's some fantastic tracks on here, including Babs Gonzales' "Lullaby of the Doomed", and a monster jam called "We Wanna Cook", which was once described to us as "all you ever need to have a house party" – to which we wholeheartedly agree! Other tracks include "Black Pearl", "BG Mambo", and "Soul Stirrin" – and the album's one of the heaviest duty Blue Notes from the time! Features a bonus mono take of "Soul Stirrin". CD

Midnite is right – as the session's a moody, mellow late nite one – just spare trio material by Wynton, played in a group that features Paul Chambers on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums! The titles are all nice and long – and really let Kelly stretch out on the keys – working in a mode that's lyrical and soulful – on a set of titles that include include Babs Gonzales' "Weird Lullaby", plus "Skatin", "Temperance", "On Stage", and "Pot Luck". CD

Midnight is right – as the session's a moody, mellow late nite one – just spare trio material by Wynton, played in a group that features Paul Chambers on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums! The titles are all nice and long – and really let Kelly stretch out on the keys – working in a mode that's lyrical and soulful – on a set of titles that include include Babs Gonzales' "Weird Lullaby", plus "Skatin", "Temperance", "On Stage", and "Pot Luck". CD

Midnite is right – as the session's a moody, mellow late nite one – just spare trio material by Wynton, played in a group that features Paul Chambers on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums! The titles are all nice and long – and really let Kelly stretch out on the keys – working in a mode that's lyrical and soulful – on a set of titles that include include Babs Gonzales' "Weird Lullaby", plus "Skatin", "Temperance", "On Stage", and "Pot Luck". CD

Proof that at his start, Jimmy Smith had a greatness that knew no bounds – as the album's one of a few that Blue Note recorded in the late 50s, but never issued until many years later – even though they had already released so many amazing records from this period! The set has Jimmy really cooking away – playing live at Small's Paradise, in a group that has Lou Donaldson's alto on just about every track, and tenor from Tina Brooks on most of the others too. Tunes are tighter and shorter than on the more jam session albums, which makes for a nice change – and titles include "Groovin At Smalls", "Dark Eyes", "Cool Blues", and "A Night In Tunisia" – which begins with an announcement from Babs Gonzales! CD

Proof that at his start, Jimmy Smith had a greatness that knew no bounds – as the album's one of a few that Blue Note recorded in the late 50s, but never issued until many years later – even though they had already released so many amazing records from this period! The set has Jimmy really cooking away – playing live at Small's Paradise, in a group that has Lou Donaldson's alto on just about every track, and tenor from Tina Brooks on most of the others too. Tunes are tighter and shorter than on the more jam session albums, which makes for a nice change – and titles include "Groovin At Smalls", "Dark Eyes", "Cool Blues", and "A Night In Tunisia" – which begins with an announcement from Babs Gonzales! CD

Proof that at his start, Jimmy Smith had a greatness that knew no bounds – as the album's one of a few that Blue Note recorded in the late 50s, but never issued until many years later – even though they had already released so many amazing records from this period! The set has Jimmy really cooking away – playing live at Small's Paradise, in a group that has Lou Donaldson's alto on just about every track, and tenor from Tina Brooks on most of the others too. Tunes are tighter and shorter than on the more jam session albums, which makes for a nice change – and titles include "Groovin At Smalls", "Dark Eyes", "Cool Blues", and "A Night In Tunisia" – which begins with an announcement from Babs Gonzales! 8 tracks in all – 4 more than on the 1980 album – with better sound than before as well! CD