One of the most hard-hitting sessions ever recorded for the Bethlehem label – and a rare date for the imprint by the team of trumpeter Donald Byrd and saxophonist Pepper Adams! The style here is similar to work the pair recorded for Riverside and Blue Note at the same time – razor-sharp hardbop, played with a strong sense of imagination, and plenty of room for drawn-out, creatively-blown solos. Adams is especially great – playing the baritone here with the leanness of a tenor sax – but Byrd is wonderful too, and really starts to break out of some of the more staid modes of his work from a few years back. The group's a sextet that includes guitarist Kenny Burrell, pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer "Hey" Lewis (pseudonym for Lewis Hayes) – on titles that include "Trio", "Philson", "Libeccio", and "Bitty Ditty". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best 50s albums from trumpeter Conte Candoli – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given how often Conte recorded during the decade! The set's got an edge you don't always find on other Candoli sessions – especially some of the large group material – and the group's nice and small, and very tight – with Bill Holman on tenor, Lou Levy on piano, Larry Marable on drums, and Leroy Vinnegar on bass. The quintet cooks wonderfully – with very sharp, soulful solos from both Holman and Candoli – at a level that's got more of the Mode Records bite than some other Bethlehem sides from the west coast at the time. Obviously, the rhythm section's a great one – and really helps the record cook – on titles that include "Full Count", "Four", "Groovin Higher", and "Jazz City Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice selection of recordings done by John Coltrane for Bethlehem Records – mostly cut during December of 1957, and issued on the albums The Winner's Circle and Art Blakey Big Band! The music's a bit atypical for Trane, but is more than just a curiosity, with Trane fitting nicely into the poll winner's type setting of the first session and heavier large lineup of the latter nicely. 7 numbers in all, including "Pristine", "If I'm Lucky (I'll Be The One)", "Tippin'", "Midriff", "Turtle Walk", "Love & The Weather" and "The Outer World". LP, Vinyl record album

A very interesting date as a leader from tenorist Bud Freeman – partly because it's a rare date for the Bethlehem label, and partly because it's got Freeman stretching out in a different vibe than usual! The sound isn't nearly as trad as you might expect – and instead, the record's got a feel that's almost like some of the Verve Records swing sessions of the 50s – an evolved version of older modes, taken into a small combo setting that really allows some great space for personal and individual solos! In addition to Freeman's tenor, the record features some mighty nice work from Ruby Braff on trumpet – plus Al Hall on bass, George Wettling on drums, and either Ken Kersey or Dave Bowman on piano. Titles include "Hanid", "Newport News", "Stop Look & Listen", "Perdido", and "Dave's Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite an unusual record from Art Blakey – a rare big band session, recorded with a lineup that's quite different than the usual Jazz Messengers! Turns out, Blakey's quite good in this setting – and has the same firey energy to direct a larger ensemble that he has when working with a smaller quintet. The added players here really help him express some new musical ideas with greater depth – almost like the added percussionists on some of his drum-heavy Blue Note dates of the late 50s. Members of the group include John Coltrane and Al Cohn on tenor, Sahib Shihab on alto, Donald Byrd and Idrees Sulieman on trumpet, Melba Liston on trombone, and Walter Bishop on piano – and titles include "Last Date", "The Outer World", "Midriff", "Tippin", and "Pristine". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite an unusual record from Art Blakey – a rare big band session, recorded with a lineup that's quite different than the usual Jazz Messengers! Turns out, Blakey's quite good in this setting – and has the same firey energy to direct a larger ensemble that he has when working with a smaller quintet. The added players here really help him express some new musical ideas with greater depth – almost like the added percussionists on some of his drum-heavy Blue Note dates of the late 50s. Members of the group include John Coltrane and Al Cohn on tenor, Sahib Shihab on alto, Donald Byrd and Idrees Sulieman on trumpet, Melba Liston on trombone, and Walter Bishop on piano – and titles include "Last Date", "The Outer World", "Midriff", "Tippin", and "Pristine". LP, Vinyl record album

A well-titled set from Art Blakey – considering the hard-driving sound of the group! The album's one of the best from that unusual year of 1957 – almost a "lost" year for Art, when he was working away from Blue Note with a very different lineup of the Jazz Messengers than on his famous sessions for that label! The players here are all great – and include Johnny Griffin on tenor, Bill Hardman on trumpet, Junior Mance on piano, and Spanky DeBrest on bass – all working with a style that's a bit loose and open, allowing plenty of space for solos! Griffin's horn has all the sharp edges you'd expect, and Hardman's great too – and Blakey himself seems to sit back a bit more than usual in his chair, letting the soloists lead the tracks, instead of kicking things into gear from the drums. Titles include "Deo X", "Sweet Sakeena", "Late Spring", "Krafty", and "For Miles & Miles". LP, Vinyl record album

A great Bethlehem Records date from vibes man Teddy Charles – stepping out here in a set that's one of his most openly swinging of the time! The record still has some of the modern currents of Teddy's other work, but also makes great use of Zoot Sims on tenor – really pushing him out front for some bold solos on most numbers – in a great group that also includes Jimmy Raney on guitar, Sam Most on flute, and Dave McKenna on piano. There's a bit of audience noise at times, but we can't tell for sure if this is an actual live album – given the clarity of the performances throughout. Titles include "Nigerian Walk", "Rifftide", "Yesterdays", "That Old Black Magic", and "Yale Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare material from John Coltrane – tracks that were done for Bethlehem Records at a time when he was just rising up as a leader, and still contributed work as a sideman! The album features Trane playing tenor on only four of the album's eight tracks – making it kind of surprising that they used his name in the title – but the album is a lesser-known batch of large group recordings that offer an interesting early chapter in his career! The main force behind the album is arranger Harry Tubbs – possibly not a name that's as sexy as John Coltrane, hence the billing – but a worthy leader for the date, given the quality of the music. Many of the other players here are small combo heroes who can also shine brightly in bigger groups – such as Donald Byrd and Art Farmer on trumpets, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Al Cohn on baritone sax, Eddie Costa on piano and vibes, and Oscar Pettiford on bass – plus Rolf Kuhn, making an early American appearance on clarinet. Coltrane gets in some nice, but short moments on the date – but the bigger charm is the full ensemble work – on titles that include "She Didn't Say Yes", "Turtle Walk", "At Home With The Blues", "Seabreeze", and "Love & The Weather". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest vocal jazz albums ever recorded for Bethlehem Records – a set that's got a lot more energy than some of the moodier, mellow vocal sets on the label – thanks to dynamic backings from the great Russ Garcia! Garcia's working here with his hip Wigville band – which features Charlie Mariano on alto, Jimmy Giuffre on baritone, Bill Holman on tenor, and both Pete Candoli and Stu Williamson on trumpets – all horn players who work real magic with Garcia's charts – and craft these soulful, seductive lines next to Peggy's lyrics! Connelly's got all the modern sex and slink you'd guess from her image on the cover – and titles include "Gentleman Friend", "Alone Together", "That Old Black Magic", "Why Shouldn't I", and "Trav'lin Light". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent LP that brings together a dozen tracks from some of Chris' lesser-known recordings for the Bethlehem label – originally released as eps and early 10" LPs. Backing on the set is by The Ellis Larkins Trio, The Vinnie Burke Quartet, The Ralph Sharon combo, and Sy Oliver's orchestra – and the set features tracks that include "All About Ronnie", "In Other Words", "A Good Man Is A Seldom Thing", "I Hear Music", "Out Of This World", and "Lush Life". LP, Vinyl record album

A great set of tracks that represents some of Chris Connor's first recordings as a solo act – culled from earlier ep and 10" releases, and issued here on a full LP with a total of 14 tracks. Backing is by three groups – the Ellis Larkin Trio, Vinnie Burke's Quartet, and Sy Oliver's Orchestra – and Chris is in fine fine form, vocalizing with that icy tone we love so much, a bit sad, and a bit mellow, but always heartfelt, without the forced emotion of other singers of her generation. Titles include "Stella By Starlight", "Goodbye", "Spring Is Here", "Ask Me", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "Try A Little Tenderness", and "He's Coming Home". LP, Vinyl record album

A tasty little 2LP set – one that collects the excellent late 50s vocal work cut for the Bethlehem label by Chris Connor! At the time, Chris had a sound that she virtually invented – icy vocals backed by small combo jazz, in a very spare and subtle setting – and the sound was, and is, tremendous – filled with sadness, longing, and booze-soaked sorrow. Instrumentation on the set is by the groups of Ellis Larkins, Vinnie Burke, and Ralph Sharon – and titles include "Trouble Is A Man", "Lush Life", "Out Of This World", "I Hear Music", "All About Ronnie", "Lullaby Of Birdland", and "The Thrill Is Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

A good collection of Chris' early work for Bethlehem records – not exactly the "rich sound" implied in the title, but as good as it gets for icy cool jazz vocals! The album features tracks that include backing by the Ralph Sharon combo, the Ellis Larkins trio, and the Vinnie Burke quartet – and the set features 12 tracks that run from mellow to swinging, with titles that include "A Good Man Is A Seldom Thing", "In Other Words", "Lush Life", "Come Back To Sorrento", "All About Ronnie", "Miser's Serenade", and "All About Ronnie". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent early sides originally cut for King by Lockjaw, working in tight small group formats with Shirley Scott and Doc Bagby. Some of the trios are augmented with conga by Ray Baretto, but all the tracks pop nicely, and since these were originally cut for issue on 45s, there's an economy to the playing to get everything said in a short span of time. A dozen numbers in all, including "Eddie's Function", "People Will Say We're In Love", "I Wanna Be Loved", "Satin Doll", "You Are Too Beautiful", "Lady Bird", "Scotty Boo", "Ebb Tide", "Tiajuana", "Out Of Nowhere", "All Of You" and "All The Things You Are". LP, Vinyl record album

A mid 70s repackaging of one of the best vocal jazz albums that Bethlehem ever produced, and a landmark recording in the vocalese tradition! The first record ever from a young Bob Dorough – and easily one of his most swinging sessions! The style here is a bit straighter jazz than on some of Bob's later work – vocalese inspired by Jon Hendricks, King Pleasure, Eddie Jefferson, and others – recorded with a small combo that includes Jack Hitchcock on vibes, Warren Fitzgerald on trumpet, Jerry Segal on drums, and Bob's longtime partner Bill Takas on bass. Many of the tunes are vocalized versions of bop numbers – done with a nicely quirky style that shows that the mad Dorough touch was already in place during these early years – on titles that include "It Could Happen To You", "Polka Dots & Moonbeams", "Baltimore Oriole", "Yardbird Suite", "Devil May Care", and "Ow" – plus his great original "You're The Dangerous Type"! LP, Vinyl record album

The album's a bit less "historical" than you might guess from the title – at least at the time it was issued in the mid 50s! The material is from Chicago sessions recorded in 1956 – unusual non-Columbia material for the period, featuring the Ellington group working in a slightly older-styled mode. Much of the material is from the earlier songbook of the orchestra – but it's done here with some slight modern touches that show the 50s impulses of the group firmly in place. Players include Cat Anderson and Clark Terry on trumpet, Johnny Hodges on alto, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, and Harry Carney on baritone sax – and titles include "Midriff", "Ko Ko", "Lonesome Lullaby", "Upper Manhattan Medical Group", "Jack The Bear", "Stompy Jones", and "Creole Love Call". LP, Vinyl record album

The album's a bit less "historical" than you might guess from the title – at least at the time it was issued in the mid 50s! The material is from Chicago sessions recorded in 1956 – unusual non-Columbia material for the period, featuring the Ellington group working in a slightly older-styled mode. Much of the material is from the earlier songbook of the orchestra – but it's done here with some slight modern touches that show the 50s impulses of the group firmly in place. Players include Cat Anderson and Clark Terry on trumpet, Johnny Hodges on alto, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, and Harry Carney on baritone sax – and titles include "Midriff", "Ko Ko", "Lonesome Lullaby", "Upper Manhattan Medical Group", "Jack The Bear", "Stompy Jones", and "Creole Love Call". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice small group material – with Bud on tenor, Ruby Braff on trumpet, and either Ken Kersey or Dave Bowman on piano. LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from the godlike hands of Russ Garcia – one of the most underrated arrangers of the 50s, and a talent who really helped make the sound of Bethlehem Records great at the time! Garcia's leading a four-trombone frontline that includes Frank Rosolino, Herbie Harper, Tommy Pederson, and Maynard Ferguson – players who have this great west coast way of coming together in a cool, compressed tone – never too overdone or hokey, and set up perfectly with Garcia's arrangements! The backing is by a small rhythm group that includes Marty Paich on piano, Red Mitchell on bass, and Stan Levy on drums – and the main focus is on this post-JJ & Kai style of bringing trombones together, then letting really complicated, magical things happen with their sounds. Titles include "I'll Never Forget What's Her Name", "Zigeuner", "Limehouse Blues", "Lush Life", "Ramona", and "What Is This Thing Called Love". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the more loosely-constructed sides on the Bethlehem label – an imprint that's normally known for keeping the reigns in pretty tightly! The album features 3 longish tracks played by 3 different groups: "I'm Glad There Is You", played by a group led by Russ Garcia, and including Don Fagerquist on trumpet and Howard Roberts on guitar, backed by a small string section; "It Had To Be You" played by a small combo led by trombonist Frank Rosolino, and featuring some great alto work by Charlie Mariano; and "Lady Be Good", played in a 17 minute version by Herbie Harper and "The Swingers", a group that includes Fagerquist, plus Herb Geller on alto, Bill Perkins on tenor, Pepper Adams on baritone, and Clora Bryant on trumpet. A nicely loosened up west coast moment! LP, Vinyl record album

One of Dexter Gordon's proudest moments of the 50s – a rock-solid session for Bethlehem – easily one of the best-remembered hardbop sides from the label's California years! The album's got a relaxed, free-blown sound that's quite nice – with Dex in the lead on tenor, supported by the trio of Kenny Drew on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Lawrence Marable on drums. Gordon's perhaps not as fully imaginative as he would become in the 60s, but his sound and control is still great throughout – and the rhythm section really helps knock this one out of the park. Titles include versions of "Darn That Dream", "Autumn In New York", "You Can Depend On Me", and "Confirmation", plus two originals "Number Four" and "Daddy Plays The Horn". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little album from Johnny Hartman – recorded back in the mid 50s for Bethlehem, in the years before he recorded his more famous dates for the Impulse label! The set has Johnny singing nice and mellow – with backing by a group led by pianist Ralph Sharon, one of Tony Bennett's longtime accompanists, with added trumpet by Howard McGhee – which creates some nicely moody interplay in the relatively spare setting of the session. Hartman's vocals are a dream, as always – and tracks include "What Is There To Say", "Moonlight In Vermont", "I'll Remember April", "Down In The Depths", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", and "We'll Be Together Again". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from one of the most compelling trombonists of the 50s! Jimmy Knepper is probably best known for his excellent work on some of Charles Mingus' best records – but this set from 1957 shows that Knepper was also an extremely capable (if under-recorded) leader in his own right! The album is one of the rarest Bethlehem sides – and it features Knepper leading a crack group that includes Bill Evans, Gene Quill and drummer Dannie Richmond, making a rare non-Mingus appearance here! The tracks are shortish, and a number of them are standards, but the group swings nicely, and Knepper's tone is nice and edgey on most tracks. Titles include "Avid Admirer", "Close As Pages In A Book", "Ogling Ogre", and "Idol Of The Flies". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent set of 50s west coast chamber jazz – featuring a quintet that includes Harry Babasin on cello, Terry Gibbs on vibes, Demsey Wright on guitar, Ben Tucker on bass, and Bill Douglass on drums. The pairing of cello and vibes in the frontline is really great – and with additional support from guitar, the instruments really swing nicely on the set. The album's the sort that you might miss, because the Premier label was sort of a budget operation – but it's a really nice little side that grooves with a keen late 50s approach that's very much in the manner of similar albums on Dawn or Bethlehem – but arguably better, as it's recorded with an open feel, and some really great sound. Titles include "Hoppy", "De Ge", "On Bear Hill", "Pee Wee", and "Wingo". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the great, slightly twisted slices of pop meets country meets psychedelia meets easy moog grooves from Blanchard & Morgan! We know that's a lot of meeting going on, but this fab guy/girl partnership pushed the boundaries of country & pop conventions in the 60s & 70s like no other! Jack & Misty somehow make moogs and steel guitars make sense on the same record – just as well as they with surreal psych era lyricism paired with plaintive tales of working class woes. And they do it all without it ever dipping into hokum. This album features a dozen great tracks in all, including "Tennessee Bird Walk", "Big Black Bird (Spirit Of My Love)", "Chapel Hill", "The Dum Song", "Bethlehem Steel", "Poor Jody", "Humphrey The Camel", "Yellow Bellied Sap Sucker", "Changin' Times", "The Clock Of St James", "You've Got Your troubles (I've Got Mine)", and "With Pen In Hand". LP, Vinyl record album

No holiday for Ruby Braff – not when he's working so hard to make a record like this sound so great! The session's an overlooked gem recorded for Bethlehem in the 50s – and it's got Ruby's trumpet stepping out strongly with a larger group arranged by Bob Wilber – in a great mix of 50s styles and older modes that really help Braff show off his wide range of phrasing! There's none of the hoke here that you might hear on other Ruby albums of this vintage – and the trumpet solos have this surprisingly hard edge at times, even when trying to sound sweet. Titles include "When You're Smiling", "Easy Living", "I'll Be Around", "Pullin Through", and "You're A Lucky Guy". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few albums ever cut as a leader by bassist Vinnie Burke – and truly an all-star session, as the record boasts a lineup that includes Jimmy Raney on guitar, Al Cohn on tenor, Urbie Green on trombone, Eddie Costa on piano, and Joe Morello on drums! The sound is in keeping with Burke's album for Bethlehem, but fleshed out a bit more with the extra horn players – kind of a loosely swinging take on the chamber jazz sound of the mid 50s, with room for plenty of gentle solos from the key players in the set. The sound excellent – recorded with that crispness and focus that made the best mid 50s ABC jazz sides so great – and titles include "Blue Jeans", "Unison Blues", "Jordu", "Vin Tin Tin", and "Lulu's Back In Town". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost west coast gem from the 50s – a unique quintet session for Atlantic Records, cut by a group co-led by trumpeter Conte Candoli and pianist Lou Levy! There's a bit more fire here than in some of the other sides from the time by the players – especially Levy – and in a way, the record goes a bit farther past the limits of Candoli's Bethlehem sessions, showcasing an especially searing sound in his horn! Other players here include the great Bill Holman on tenor, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Lawrence Marable on drums – and titles are all hard and short, and include "Marcia Lee", "Pete's Alibi", "Jordu", "Cheremoya", and "Comes Love". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most obscure 50s releases from Blue Note Records – part of a pair of 10" albums recorded on the west coast – which was quite a change from the label's usual east coast home! The album's originally came with no full artist information, and were released as a "blindfold test" under the supervision of Leonard Feather – in which the listener was supposed to guess the players! The musicians on the original record were not named – probably because of contractual reasons – but artists include the cream of the LA scene of the time – Conte Candoli on trumpet, Jimmy Giuffre and Charlie Mariano on reeds, Howard Roberts on guitar, and Marty Paich on piano – all coming together with a fresh, clean sound that's more like the classic 50s sessions on the Mode or Bethlehem labels instead of Blue Note. Titles on volume 1 include "Santa Anita", "Culver City", "Santa Monica", and "Blindfold Test No 1". LP, Vinyl record album

Al Cohn on the saxophone – blowing in that lean, clean style he first perfected in larger groups - then really used to perfection when he could open up in a smaller combo setting like this! The album's a nice change from some of Cohn's more tightly arranged records of the 50s – and features his strong tenor right out front – in a group that also features Frank Rehak on trombone, Hank Jones on piano, Milt Hinton on bass, and Osie Johnson on drums. There's a nice swing and tight solos on the set – which almost has a 50s Bethlehem Records vibe – and Cohn contributes the original tunes "Be Loose", "Good Ol Blues", and "Abstract Of You" – and the rest of the tracks include "We Three", "Idaho", "When Day Is Done", and "Blue Lou". LP, Vinyl record album

The first album in a legendary run of vocal jazz classics on Atlantic Records – and a set that really helped Chris Connor move to a new level of expression in her music! The sound here is much richer than Connor's previous recordings for Bethlehem – and the small combo jazz backings have been replaced by fuller orchestrations by Ralph Burns – done in a cool, edgey sort of way that really pushes Chris into newly sophisticated territory! The sound's on a par with the best June Christy/Pete Rugolo collaborations on Capitol – and the group's filled with some great jazz players, including Zoot Sims, John Lewis, Milt Hinton, and Oscar Pettiford. Titles include "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "My April Heart", "He Was Good to Me", "Where Are You", and "Get Out Of Town". LP, Vinyl record album

Chris' Craft is a great one here – beautifully simple and straightforward jazz vocals, served up at a level that few other singers can match! The album's one of our favorites from Connor's classic years with Atlantic – as it's got a mellow, moody approach that's filled with the darker tones that first caught our ears on Chris' earliest recordings for Bethlehem. Instrumentation here is mostly small combo – arranged by Stan Free, and featuring Free on piano, Bobby Jaspar on flute, Mundell Lowe on guitar, George Duvivier on bass, and Ed Shaughnessy on drums. Titles include "Be A Clown", "Be My All", "Good For Nothin", "Moonlight In Vermont", "The Night We Called It A Day", "Lover Man", and "On The First Warm Day". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little live set from Chris – recorded at the Village Vanguard with a group that includes Kenny Burrell on guitar, Eddie De Haas on bass, Bill Rubenstein on piano, and Lex Humphries on drums. The setting of the album is similar to some of Chris' work at Bethlehem – very small combo and jazzy, save for the fact that there's a bit more "room" in the recording than on the very close-miked Bethlehem sessions. The approach is a great one to open up another new side of Connor's talents – and the album has a bit tighter feel than Chris' other live album from the same period. Titles include "Round Midnight", "All About Ronnie", "Fine & Dandy", "Misty", "Senor Blues", and "Angel Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album

A lovely side by Chris Connor for Atlantic, recorded not too long after her stint at Bethlehem – where she'd perfected an icy cool style of singing that's still to be matched to this day! The album features larger arrangements by Richard Wess – but still has a light jazzy feel, intimate in approach, despite the larger musical backings. Chris' voice is at once personal and removed – a razor's edge of emotion, repressing some impulses, and opening up surprisingly at other moments. Titles include "Skyscraper Blues", "The Lady Sings The Blues", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "When Sunny Gets Blue", "Just In Time", "Baltimore Oriole", and "How Little We Know". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Duke's most popular albums of the 50s – but we won't hold that against him! The session's one of a number of 50s outings that revisit older classics with the new level of quality offered in the studio – and it's got a similar feel to some of Duke's work for Bethlehem around the same time, which was also done by producer Gus Wildi – tight, but never too facile – and a perfect demonstration of the great balance the Ellington orchestra had at the time. The group includes key players Ray Nance, Cat Anderson, Clark Terry, Juan Tizol, Harry Carney, Paul Gonsalves, and Jimmy Hamilton – and titles include "Black & Tan Fantasy", "Rockin In Rhythm", "Flying Home", "Happy Go Lucky Local", and "In The Mood". LP, Vinyl record album

Inez was an obscure west coast singer – but she's got a nice soulful approach that reminds us of some of the warmer singers on the Bethlehem label from the same time. This session (perhaps her only one) features small group backing by Oscar Moore, Carl Perkins, Curtis Counce, and Bill Douglass. 2 tracks feature Moore soloing instrumentally on guitar – "Tangerine" and "There's A Small Hotel" – and the other tracks include "Where Or When", "Moonlight In Vermont", "Happy", "Don't Take Your Love From Me", and "Since I Fell For You". Nice stuff, with that mix of jazz and bluesy singing that graced the postwar work of LA vocalists like Charles Brown or Nat Cole. LP, Vinyl record album

A cool condensed version of the larger 4LP box set of work from the legendary Laraaji – a set that features passages from both his debut album and parts of six more extended tracks that were never issued at the time! That debut album is his legendary Celestial Vibrations – a beautifully trippy set of tracks from Edward Larry Gordon – an artist who's probably better known for his later Laraaji album recorded with Brian Eno, but one who sounds even better here on this debut set! The sound is very spiritual and meditative – long, drawn-out, side-long tracks that feature Gordon playing a weird, electrified zither – an instrument that's hardly the hokey, European-sounding one from mid-century – and instead a very tripped-out, abstracted one here – very spacey, with some great phase shifting employed in the studio, which creates an almost electronic pulse out of the acoustic instrumentation. The album features parts of two very long tracks – "All Pervading" and "Bethlehem" – done in a way that would make Alice Coltrane proud! Added to those cuts are parts of six other titles – all originally pressed only as acetates, and recorded around the same time – "Kalimba", "Ocean", "Koto", "Segue To Infinity", "Kalimba 2", and "Kalimba 4". LP, Vinyl record album

A cool condensed version of the larger 4LP box set of work from the legendary Laraaji – a set that features passages from both his debut album and parts of six more extended tracks that were never issued at the time! That debut album is his legendary Celestial Vibrations – a beautifully trippy set of tracks from Edward Larry Gordon – an artist who's probably better known for his later Laraaji album recorded with Brian Eno, but one who sounds even better here on this debut set! The sound is very spiritual and meditative – long, drawn-out, side-long tracks that feature Gordon playing a weird, electrified zither – an instrument that's hardly the hokey, European-sounding one from mid-century – and instead a very tripped-out, abstracted one here – very spacey, with some great phase shifting employed in the studio, which creates an almost electronic pulse out of the acoustic instrumentation. The album features parts of two very long tracks – "All Pervading" and "Bethlehem" – done in a way that would make Alice Coltrane proud! Added to those cuts are parts of six other titles – all originally pressed only as acetates, and recorded around the same time – "Kalimba", "Ocean", "Koto", "Segue To Infinity", "Kalimba 2", and "Kalimba 4". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful tribute to the spiritual genius of Laraaji – a set that features both his debut album and six more extended tracks that were never issued at the time! That debut album is his legendary Celestial Vibrations – a beautifully trippy set of tracks from Edward Larry Gordon – an artist who's probably better known for his later Laraaji album recorded with Brian Eno, but one who sounds even better here on this debut set! The sound is very spiritual and meditative – long, drawn-out, side-long tracks that feature Gordon playing a weird, electrified zither – an instrument that's hardly the hokey, European-sounding one from mid-century – and instead a very tripped-out, abstracted one here – very spacey, with some great phase shifting employed in the studio, which creates an almost electronic pulse out of the acoustic instrumentation. The album features two very long tracks – "All Pervading" and "Bethlehem" – done in a way that would make Alice Coltrane proud! Added to that record are six side-long titles on the other three records in the set – all originally pressed only as acetates, and recorded around the same time – making for a hugely expanded set of early work from Laraaji. Titles include "Kalimba", "Ocean", "Koto", "Segue To Infinity", "Kalimba 2", and "Kalimba 4" – and the set also features a big booklet of notes, with dozens of rare photos. LP, Vinyl record album

A really dark little album of vocal jazz from 50s singer Barbara Lea – recorded here with small combo backing, and a strange sound that's a fair bit different than most other efforts of this type from the time! At one level, there's definitely a leaner 50s vocal jazz approach going on – similar to work on Bethlehem – but Barbara also serves things up with some odd notes of nostalgia and sentimentality, echoing earlier eras not in the style of the music, but almost in a sense of sadness and wistfulness that comes through in her vocals. The style's quite a change from the iciness of other postwar chanteuses – but it's also not as overly emotional as those from other eras either. Players in the groups include Dick Cary on piano, Jimmy Raney on guitar, Johnny Windhurst on trumpet, and Jimmy Lyons on piano. Titles include "Will I Find My Love Today", "Sleep Peaceful Mr Used To Be", "Am I In Love", "Autumn Leaves", "We Could Make Such Beautiful Music Together", and "More Than You Know". LP, Vinyl record album

This album was the 7th in the Contemporary series of "Shelly Manne & His Men", but it's also easily the best, and features some of the most exciting playing of any of Manne's groups. The success of the whole album comes down to Charlie Mariano, who wrote a large number of the tracks, and who's at the height of his powers on alto here – hitting a beautiful mix of icy modernism and Boston soul, in the tradition of some of his best Bethlehem recordings. Side one features an extended work called "The Gambit", which has a nice blend of far-reaching soloing and tight jazzy rhythm. Other titles include "Blue Gnu", "Hugo Hurwhey", and "Tom Brown's Buddy" – and players include Stu Williamson and Russ Freeman. LP, Vinyl record album

Bethlehem material that Mingus recorded earlier in the 50s with his pivotal group that included the great John La Porta on alto and clarinet, plus Teo Macero on tenor, Thad Jones on trumpet, and Clem DeRosa on drums. The tracks show Mingus' early experiments with modernist arrangements – and have the kind of raw power and emotion that made all of the experiments from this time work so well, no matter what direction Mingus wanted to take them. Titles include "Four Hands", "Spur Of The Moment", "Minor Intrusion", and "Thrice Upon A Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Charles Mingus' true classics – and an essential album in any jazz collection! This 1959 gem was recorded by Mingus at a key point in his career – when he was rising from the jazz underground into the ranks of America's elite jazzmen, penning some of the most challenging work of his career, and working with incredible younger players that interpreted his work with a great deal of fire! The tracks are a bit more tightly arranged than work on some of Mingus' previous work for labels like Atlantic and Bethlehem, but that also gives them a razor-sharp emotional edge that's carried off perfectly by players who include John Handy and Shafi Hadi on alto saxes, Booker Ervin on tenor, Willie Dennis and Jimmy Knepper on trombones, Horace Parlan on piano, and Dannie Richmond on drums. The album is filled with key Mingus classics – like "Better Git It In Your Soul", "Boogie Stop Shuffle", "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat", and "Fables of Faubus" – plus "Self Portrait In Three Colors", "Open Letter To Duke", and "Bird Call". LP, Vinyl record album