Mindblowing work from a tenorist we only just discovered with this amazing debut album – a deeply spiritual player who comes off beautifully on this set of original compositions! Nat Birchall blows with a range of feeling that takes us back to the 70s best of Pharoah Sanders, Billy Harper, and Clifford Jordan – and he puts his tunes together with a similar feel too – letting them build organically, often with the group just finding the rhythm at the start – then hitting a groove that lets Birchall's horn blossom wonderfully in sound – reaching forth with rich tones that are simply wonderful – over piano, bass, drums – and some guest trumpet by Matthew Halsall on one track (by the way, check out Halsall's album on the same label – it's another gem!) Titles include "Akhenaten", "Many Blessings", "Nica's Dance", and "A Prayer For". CD

A really landmark album in soulful jazz for the 60s – a set that takes the already-great energy of the young trumpeter Donald Byrd, and mixes it with some voices borrowed from gospel music bur turned towards modern jazz – all in a style that's very similar to some of the Max Roach experiments from the time! The core group is really great – with tenor from Hank Mobley, guitar from Kenny Burrell, and piano from Herbie Hancock – plus vibes from the obscure Donald Best, an instrument that you don't always hear on Donald Byrd's albums! Added to this group are voices directed by Coleridge Perkinson, a very hip cat who takes the voices far away from cliched modes of earlier years – and into some very righteous territory that makes the record one of Donald Byrd's first really powerful statements as a leader. Duke Pearson handled the arrangements, and the sound is beautiful and spiritual, with a sound that mixes Blue Note hardbop with a style that would later show up on labels like Strata East, or in the experiments of Max Roach and Billy Harper. The tracks are long and moody, and the vocal group never gets in the way, but instead backs Byrd in a way that lets him hit new heights, and which gives him a stronger sense of voice. Titles include the classic "Christo Redentor", plus "Chant", "The Black Disciple", and "Elijah". LP, Vinyl record album

A great record – and on that hardly ever shows up on the radar screen of Gil's career! The session was recorded with a very hip group that includes Billy Harper on tenor and flute, Elvin Jones and Alphonze Mouzon on drums, Joe Beck on electric guitar, and Herb Bushler on Fender bass. The sound is a bit electric, but is touched with Evans' far-reaching arranging style, so that it lapses into none of the cliches you might expect. Harper is a treat, as always, and he offers up the original composition "Thoroughbred", one of the nicest on the record. "Blues In Orbit", "Variation On The Misery", "Proclamation", and "Spaced". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant work throughout – the last studio album ever cut by Lee Morgan, and a mindblowing session that always leaves us wondering how massive he would have become if he hadn't been tragically murdered shortly after it was recorded! The album's a huge change from Morgan's already-great work of the 60s – and features some very extended numbers, most a side long and these free-flowing numbers that are played by a larger group than usual – but with all the intensity and focus of a small group date from Lee! The set features key work from a young Billy Harper on tenor – especially on his own fantastic compositions "Capra Black" and "Croquet Ballet" – and for many folks, the record was a key introduction to Harper's genius. But the whole lineup is wonderful too – especially Harold Mabern on piano – and other titles include "In What Direction Are You Heading", "Angela", and "Inner Passions Out". CD

One of the most ambitious works ever by Marvin Hannibal Peterson – a larger work dedicated to the 20 African-American children murdered by a serial killer in Atlanta, performed here with a mix of choral voices and jazz instrumentation! The piece follows strongly in a legacy of that format started by Max Roach and continued by Billy Harper – and Peterson works here with players that include George Adams on tenor, Kenny Barron on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Dierde Murray on cello – plus the voices of The Harlem Boys Choir, and lead vocals by Pat Peterson. The whole thing's wonderful – soaring and spiritual without sounding hokey at all – and titles include "The Angels Of Atlanta", "The Story Teller", "The Inner Voice", "Mothers Land", and "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child". CD

A beautiful blend of jazz, voices, and soul – a landmark record in Max Roach's vocal experimental tradition, and a fitting companion piece to Billy Harper's classic Capra Black album – an equally soulful blend of styles! Like Capra Black, this set features Harper's sharp and soulful tenor up against a choir of voices – blowing on hard-hitting soul jazz arrangements handled by Max Roach, of the style he used on some of his classic early 60s sides for Impulse and Candid. The tracks are long, Harper's in top form, and the group also includes Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet and George Cables on piano – ultra hip cats, always! Cuts include "Motherless Child", "Let Thy People Go", and "Troubled Waters. CD

A beautiful blend of jazz, voices, and soul – a landmark record in Max Roach's vocal experimental tradition, and a fitting companion piece to Billy Harper's classic Capra Black album – an equally soulful blend of styles! Like Capra Black, this set features Harper's sharp and soulful tenor up against a choir of voices – blowing on hard-hitting soul jazz arrangements handled by Max Roach, of the style he used on some of his classic early 60s sides for Impulse and Candid. The tracks are long, Harper's in top form, and the group also includes Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet and George Cables on piano – ultra hip cats, always! Cuts include "Motherless Child", "Let Thy People Go", and "Troubled Waters. CD

Beautiful sounds from the ultra-hip Max Roach Quartet of the mid 70s – a lineup that features Billy Harper on tenor, Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet, and Reggie Workman on bass! Tracks are long – very much in the Harper style of the time – and titles include "Mr Papa Jo" and "Scott Free (parts 1 & 2)". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked funky classic! Although it's easy to pass off this album as a cheapo follow-up record to Roundtree's fame in the Shaft movies – it's actually a pretty groovy soul record, with production by Eugene McDaniels, and arrangements by Leon Pendarvis and McDaniels – with an overall feel that's similar to some of McDaniels' off-beat soul work of the same time. Includes the cool cut "Street Brother", plus other nice ones like "Sagittarian Lady", "Gets Hard Sometimes", "Peace In the Morning", and "Tree Of Life". And sure, Roundtree's not the best singer – but with great writing and production – and players like Billy Harper, Sonny Fortune, and Hubert Laws – who cares how he sings? LP, Vinyl record album

2 of Woody Shaw's greatest albums – recorded 10 years apart, and forming a fantastic CD collection! Cassandranite features fantastic early work by Woody Shaw – an album originally recorded in 1965, when Shaw was part of a core soul jazz underground that was slowly forming an answer to the "new thing" movement of the mid 60s. The session was self-produced – and not only features some killer playing by Shaw, but contains a number of other wonderful touches. Larry Young plays piano (not organ) on two tracks; Herbie Hancock is on another 3; George Cables plays electric on the last track, which also includes Harold Vick; Joe Henderson plays tenor throughout; and the great Joe Chambers is on drums. The set is filled with fantastic modal originals, all along the lines of Shaw's "Moontrane" composition – and titles include "Baloo Baloo", "Three Muses", "Tetragon", and "Cassandranite". Love Dance is equally great – spiritual, soulful, and filled with some nice modal grooving! The group's one of the best he ever worked with on Muse – with Billy Harper on tenor, plus Rene McLean, Steve Turre, Joe Bonner, and Cecil McBee – and the approach reminds us of some of the work on Strata East from the same time. The highlight of the record is the cut "Sunbath", which was done in a more famous jazz dance version by singer Joyce Hurley – but Shaw's version has a very similar groove. Harper makes many of the other tracks shine brilliantly, and titles include "Love Dance", "Obsequious", and Harper's own beautiful composition "Soulfully I Love You". CD

Malachi Thompson always has a great ear for the saxophonist in his groups – and that's definitely the case here, as the record sparkles as much from the tenor of Carter Jefferson and alto of Joe Ford, as it does from Malachi's trumpet! The three horns rise together wonderfully – Ford plays a bit of soprano, as well – and the session has a vibe that's very different than others recorded at the time – maybe more in the soulful blend of styles you would have found on a 70s session for a label like Muse. The rest of the group features Kirk Brown on piano, Harrison Bankhead on bass, Nasar Abadey on drums, and Richard Lawrence on congas – and titles include a great reading of the Billy Harper gem "Croquet Ballet", plus "In Walked John", "Lucky Seven", "Drown In My Own Tears", and "Mystic Trumpet Man". CD

With Joe Ford on alto saxophone, Doug Harris on flute and alto saxophone, Avery Sharpe on bass, Aaron Scott on drums, John Clark on french horn, Jerry Gonzalez on trumpet and percussion, Billy Harper and John Stubblefield on tenor saxophones, Frank Lucy and Steve Turre on trombones, Earl Gardner, Eddie Henderson and Virgil Jones on trumpets, and Tony Underwood on tuba. CD

Just the right sort of setting to unlock all the majestic power of David S Ware at his best – that tremendously soulful tone on tenor, and one that rivals Billy Harper when operating at a level of this nature! The performance is a live one, and features Ware in the company of guitarist Joe Morris, drummer Warren Smith, and bassist William Parker – the last of whom provides that trademark pulse that always seems to set Ware on fire – an inspiring sort of rhythm that really pushes his horn to searing, searching new heights! Tracks are all quite long, with a spiritual feel – and Ware also plays a bit of kalimba on the record, which is always a nice touch. Titles include "Nataraj", "Reflection", "Namah", "Crossing Samsara", "Shakti", and "Antidromic". CD

An unusual record for Randy Weston – a freewheeling live set recorded at Montreux in 1974, with Billy Harper joining Weston's group on tenor and flute, playing long spiritual solos that work wonderfully next to Weston's spiralling piano lines! Harper's searching quality really opens up the set, and Weston's rhythmic pulse keeps him from overly blowing, as on some of his own albums from the time – and the rough edges of the group give the session a nice degree of bite! The rest of the group features William Allen on bass, Don Moye on drums, and Steve Berrios on percussion and tracks include "Mystery Of Love", "Tribute To Duke Ellington", and "Carnival". CD

A very soulful batch of fusion tracks from drummer Horacee Arnold – here leading a group that includes reed talents Billy Harper and Joe Farrell, percussionist Ralph McDonald, guitarist Ralph Towner, and Dave Friedman on vibes and percussion. Tracks are long and spiralling, with a spiritual approach that goes quite out at times, but which also returns to a modal groove at others. Thanks to great playing by Harper and Farrell, the album's got a lot more soul than some others of the type at the time. Tracks include "The Actor", "Professor Moriarty", "Orchards of Engedi", "Tribe", and "Banyan Dance". CD

Mindblowing work from a tenorist we only just discovered with this amazing debut album – a deeply spiritual player who comes off beautifully on this set of original compositions! Nat Birchall blows with a range of feeling that takes us back to the 70s best of Pharoah Sanders, Billy Harper, and Clifford Jordan – and he puts his tunes together with a similar feel too – letting them build organically, often with the group just finding the rhythm at the start – then hitting a groove that lets Birchall's horn blossom wonderfully in sound – reaching forth with rich tones that are simply wonderful – over piano, bass, drums – and some guest trumpet by Matthew Halsall on one track (by the way, check out Halsall's album on the same label – it's another gem!) Titles include "Akhenaten", "Many Blessings", "Nica's Dance", and "A Prayer For". CD

Mindblowing work from a tenorist we only just discovered with this amazing debut album – a deeply spiritual player who comes off beautifully on this set of original compositions! Nat Birchall blows with a range of feeling that takes us back to the 70s best of Pharoah Sanders, Billy Harper, and Clifford Jordan – and he puts his tunes together with a similar feel too – letting them build organically, often with the group just finding the rhythm at the start – then hitting a groove that lets Birchall's horn blossom wonderfully in sound – reaching forth with rich tones that are simply wonderful – over piano, bass, drums – and some guest trumpet by Matthew Halsall on one track (by the way, check out Halsall's album on the same label – it's another gem!) Titles include "Akhenaten", "Many Blessings", "Nica's Dance", and "A Prayer For". LP, Vinyl record album

With Billy Harper on tenor, Leroy Jenkins on violin, Juni Booth on bass, and Jimmy Hopps on drums – plus a bit of vocals from Linda Sharrock. LP, Vinyl record album

A really landmark album in soulful jazz for the 60s – a set that takes the already-great energy of the young trumpeter Donald Byrd, and mixes it with some voices borrowed from gospel music bur turned towards modern jazz – all in a style that's very similar to some of the Max Roach experiments from the time! The core group is really great – with tenor from Hank Mobley, guitar from Kenny Burrell, and piano from Herbie Hancock – plus vibes from the obscure Donald Best, an instrument that you don't always hear on Donald Byrd's albums! Added to this group are voices directed by Coleridge Perkinson, a very hip cat who takes the voices far away from cliched modes of earlier years – and into some very righteous territory that makes the record one of Donald Byrd's first really powerful statements as a leader. Duke Pearson handled the arrangements, and the sound is beautiful and spiritual, with a sound that mixes Blue Note hardbop with a style that would later show up on labels like Strata East, or in the experiments of Max Roach and Billy Harper. The tracks are long and moody, and the vocal group never gets in the way, but instead backs Byrd in a way that lets him hit new heights, and which gives him a stronger sense of voice. Titles include the classic "Christo Redentor", plus "Chant", "The Black Disciple", and "Elijah". CD

One of the greatest groups going in recent years – a strong revival of key soulful jazz talents from previous years, all working under the leadership of trumpeter David Weiss – who's really helped them come together and find a whole new sort of energy! The lineup features tremendous tenor from Billy Harper – sounding at his classic best with The Cookers – especially when the rhythms spin out majestically from George Cables on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Billy Hart on drums – often with these dark undercurrents that make the music wonderfully powerful! And in addition to Weiss on trumpet, the frontline also includes Eddie Henderson's trumpet as well, plus the alto of Donald Harrison – and the horns have a great way of folding together and interweaving, before breaking out in these very personal solos. Titles include tracks by almost all members of the group – and tunes include "Slippin & Slidin", "Renada", "Sir Galahad", "Time & Time Again", "Dance Of The Invisible Nymph", "Dance Eternal Spirits Dance", and "Three Fall". CD

With Lester Bowie, Craig Handy, Philip Harper, Billy Higgins, Steve Kroon, Cedar Walton, Peter Washington, and Bobby Watson. CD

A wonderfully-named session – as Charles Earland plays here with an intensity that's undeniable! The album marks a key shift for Earland – one away from the more standard soul jazz mode, into a realm of looser, freer rhythms that really take off from the start – knowing no end on the longer tunes, and really letting Charles run to the skies on the keys of the Hammond! The group on the set is a larger than usual one – with a trumpet section that includes Lee Morgan and Virgil Jones; reed players that include Billy Harper and Hubert Laws; and a double-edged rhythm line forged through the drums of Billy Cobham and the conga of Sonny Morgan – often working alongside each other to really widen the groove! The sound is remarkable – tight, but never slick – and in a sophisticated groove that could hardly be hinted at from Earland's earlier work. All tracks are long, and titles include "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow", "Morgan", "Cause I Love Her", and "Happy Cause I'm Going Home". CD also brings in 2 more bonus tracks – both in a similar mode, from the album Charles III – "Lowdown" and "Speedball". CD

Gil Evans never stopped growing as the years went on – a leader who was always open to new ideas and new modes of expression – which he reached for strongly, even as his older "modern" contemporaries started to sound out of date! This excellent late 70s session is a key illustration of Evans' continual drive – as he works in modes that equally embrace acoustic and electric elements, but never like a funky big band record, or some of the electrification added to older groups – instead with this richly visionary way that brings all the elements together at a level that's completely sublime! The lineup features Gil on piano, alongside almost equal use of keyboards from Pete Levin – and other players include Arthur Blythe and David Sanborn on alto, George Adams on tenor, Marvin Hannibal Peterson and Ernie Royal on trumpet, Jimmy Knepper on trombone, and Keith Loving on guitar – an extremely varied group that comes together beautifully under the leadership of Evans. Side one features a brilliant reworking of the Billy Harper tune "Priestess", which runs for almost 20 minutes in length – and side two features Charles Mingus' "Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress Then Silk Blue" – plus "Lunar Eclipse" and "Short Visit". LP, Vinyl record album

A great example of the way that Gil Evans really opened up his groove in the 70s – moving here way way past the cool jazz and third stream of earlier years – into a soulful style that's far groovier than might be expected! Part of the strength of the set is because of the players – as Gil's working with a group of younger soul jazz and spiritual soloists that include Ted Dunbar, Billy Harper, and Hannibal Marvin Peterson – as well as the older soul modernist Richard Williams. But there's also some other specifically Evans-like touches to the record that stand out – like Gil's stark notes on acoustic piano and his lighter work on the electric keys – plus a bit of inventive synthesizer from David Horowitz, who makes a few tracks really crackle with energy. Tracks include "Zee Zee", "Blues In Orbit", "Cry Of Hunger", and "Thoroughbred" – the latter two of which are lovely compositions by Billy Harper! CD

A pretty great 70s album from Gil Evans – a set that's got some great use of electric instrumentation, and a mighty groove on the best cuts! The overall approach is different than the early modernist sound of Gil Evans, but still very striking – a 70s equivalent to Gil's famous 60s work – and as always with Evans, the players in the ensemble are impeccably well-chosen – as the lineup includes Hannibal Marvin Peterson on trumpet, Billy Harper on tenor, Ryo Kawasaki on guitar, and a young Dave Sanborn handling the solos. Includes the odd spacey Tony Williams number "There Comes A Time", plus a cover of Hendrix's "Little Wing" – both of which have vocals by Peterson. Other tracks include "Aftermath Of The Fourth Movement Children Of The Fire", "Anita's Dance", and "Makes Her Move". CD

An excellent set that was recorded in 1971, but not issued until ten years later – by the small Artists House label, home to groundbreaking work by Ornette Coleman and James Blood Ulmer! Gil Evans works here with one of his hippest groups – a soaring lineup that features key work from the great Billy Harper on tenor – plus Johnny Coles on trumpet, Joe Beck on guitar, and the duo of Airto and Flora Purim on both percussion and vocals. Evans plays electric piano – which is always a treat – and Don Preston adds in moog on two tracks too – on titles that include "Zee Zee", "Where Flamingos Fly", "Nana", and "El Matador". CD

A rare and beautiful Andrew Hill session, and one of the classic Blue Note entries into the "jazz and voices" sound that the label pioneered with Donald Byrd and Eddie Gale. Hill leads a core jazz group that includes Woody Shaw on trumpet, Carlos Garnett on tenor, Richard Davis on bass, and Freddie Waits on drums – and the group is backed by a vocal ensemble with a very spiritual vibe – a chorus who soar out soulfully, and really augment the jazz instrumentation of the album! The sound is a lot more hip than the Donald Byrd & Voices albums, and the playing of the core jazz group is very very soulful – along the lines of Hill's Grass Roots album, which was also from the same period. The record's similar to the Max Roach/Billy Harper vocal work around the same time, and titles include "Ghetto Lights", "Hey Hey", "Two Lullabies", and "Love Chant". LP, Vinyl record album

A bold statement by one of the best underground jazz players of the 70s! Carter Jefferson cut his chops with Art Blakey in the years after Blakey had Billy Harper in the group – and seemed to follow Harper into some of the same highly spiritual, soulful territory at the time! Jefferson's a bit more inside, but equally searching in his style – and this key album as a leader is quite possibly one of the best-ever demonstrations of his talents. Carter's recorded here on tenor and soprano sax, in two different groups – one with Terumasa Hino on trumpet, and one with Shunzo Ono on trumpet – with a great lineup that includes Harry Whitaker on piano, Clint Houston on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums! Lani Groves sings on one track – and titles include "Why", "Rise Of Atlantis", "Blues For Wood", and "Changing Trains". LP, Vinyl record album

A major label effort from Max, but a record that's as hip as any he was recording at the time! The set feautres Max's quartet with Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet, Odeon Pope on saxes, and Calvin Hill on bass – plus a very small bit of additional piano by Walter Bishop Jr – and it's got an approach that mixes soul jazz with some experimental touches, and the occasional freewheeling percussion part by Max. Pope's work on tenor sax is especially nice, an edgey sound that recalls some of Billy Harper's work with Roach in earlier years. Titles include "Red River Road", "Lonesome Lover", "Wefe", "Reach For It", "The Dream/It's Time", and "Giant Steps". LP, Vinyl record album

Max Roach continues the fine line of work with his fresh-voiced quartet of the early 80s – a very hip group that features a young Odeon Pope on tenor, plus Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet and Calvin Hill on bass! The work's similar to Roach's quartet sessions of the late 70s, although perhaps a bit more introspective – not as bouncing and joyous as when Billy Harper was with the group, but still freshly modern, and a good indication that Max continued to grow strongly as a player during the time – never content to just rest on his good name from the old days, and always forging forward into fresh jazz territory. Titles include "In The Light", "Good Bait", "Tricotism", "Henry Street Blues", and "Ruby My Dear". CD

Max Roach continues the fine line of work with his fresh-voiced quartet of the early 80s – a very hip group that features a young Odeon Pope on tenor, plus Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet and Calvin Hill on bass! The work's similar to Roach's quartet sessions of the late 70s, although perhaps a bit more introspective – not as bouncing and joyous as when Billy Harper was with the group, but still freshly modern, and a good indication that Max continued to grow strongly as a player during the time – never content to just rest on his good name from the old days, and always forging forward into fresh jazz territory. Titles include "In The Light", "Good Bait", "Tricotism", "Henry Street Blues", and "Ruby My Dear". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful sounds from the ultra-hip Max Roach Quartet of the mid 70s – a lineup that features Billy Harper on tenor, Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet, and Reggie Workman on bass! Tracks are long – very much in the Harper style of the time – and titles include "It's Time", "Calvary", and "Round Midnight". LP, Vinyl record album

We'll be the first to admit that David S. Ware has made some clunky records over the years – but we love this album from 1992, and think it's one of the best that he ever made! The record is tighter than most, and Ware is nicely restrained, and locked into a spiritual groove that links him in a tradition with players like Billy Harper and Pharoah Sanders. He's also playing with his excellent quartet that includes Matthew Shipp, William Parker, and Marc Edwards. Shipp and Parker lay down these amazing modal grooves, and Ware dips in, searches around, and blows out incredibly soulful solos – filled with a lot more emotion and meaning than some of his other work from the mid 90s. Titles include "Aquarian Sound", "Yesterdays", "Infi-Rhythms #1", and "Sad Eyes". CD

Tracks by Billy Harper, Andrew Hill, Don Cherry, Max Roach, Anthony Braxton, Roswell Rudd, Muhal Richard Abrams, George Adams, David Murray and more. CD

A really landmark album in soulful jazz for the 60s – a set that takes the already-great energy of the young trumpeter Donald Byrd, and mixes it with some voices borrowed from gospel music bur turned towards modern jazz – all in a style that's very similar to some of the Max Roach experiments from the time! The core group is really great – with tenor from Hank Mobley, guitar from Kenny Burrell, and piano from Herbie Hancock – plus vibes from the obscure Donald Best, an instrument that you don't always hear on Donald Byrd's albums! Added to this group are voices directed by Coleridge Perkinson, a very hip cat who takes the voices far away from cliched modes of earlier years – and into some very righteous territory that makes the record one of Donald Byrd's first really powerful statements as a leader. Duke Pearson handled the arrangements, and the sound is beautiful and spiritual, with a sound that mixes Blue Note hardbop with a style that would later show up on labels like Strata East, or in the experiments of Max Roach and Billy Harper. The tracks are long and moody, and the vocal group never gets in the way, but instead backs Byrd in a way that lets him hit new heights, and which gives him a stronger sense of voice. Titles include the classic "Christo Redentor", plus "Chant", "The Black Disciple", and "Elijah". CD

One of the few sessions ever cut as a leader by soul jazz trumpeter Charles Sullivan – a brilliant talent who shone brightly in the mid 70s, working in hip small groups that were very much in the Strata East mode. This rare, previously Japanese-only release has Sullivan working with Rene McLean, Kenny Barron, Buster Williams, and Billy Hart – on a tightly crafted set of tunes that share the same lyrical searching quality as some of McLean or Barron's own work from the time. The compositions are incredibly soulful – very much in the mode of some of Billy Harper's genius Japanese recordings – and titles include "Re Entry",take on "Body & Soul", "Carefree", "Mabe's Way", and "Waltz For Cricket". CD also includes 2 bonus tracks – longer takes of the beautiful "Body & Soul" and "Carefree". Outstanding! CD

A well-selected set of tracks by the legendary vocalist Leon Thomas – one that focuses squarely on his recordings for the Flying Dutchman label – with standouts from his own records, a crucial collaboration with Johnny Hodges, and a previously unreleased tune as well! The collection features a really wonderful range of music – some tunes with the righteous feel of Thomas' singing with Pharoah Sanders, some others with a tighter soul feel, and even a few more with a classic jazz approach that's mighty nice! The albums under Thomas' name often feature some great small group backings – with players who include Billy Harper on tenor, and Roy Haynes or Bernard Purdie on drums – and some of the larger backings feature excellent arrangements from Oliver Nelson and Pee Wee Ellis. Titles include "Shape Your Mind To Die", "Just In Time To See The Sun", "It's My Life I'm Fighting For", "The Creator Has A Master Plan", "Let The Rain Fall On Me", "China Doll", "Bags' Groove", "One", "Come Along", "Let's Go Down To Lucy's", "Love Each Other", "Balance Of Life (Peace Of Mind)", "Umbo Weti", "Welcome To New York", and a previously unreleased version of "Um Um Um". CD

Features great work from Gary Bartz and Billy Harper! CD

Two different slices of Art Blakey – served up here in a 3CD set! Moanin isn't the Blue Note album of the same name, but a fantastic live set from 1968 – recorded after Blakey's classic Blue Note years, but with a group of fantastic players that includes a young Billy Harper on tenor, Ronnie Matthews on piano, and Julian Priester on trombone. Harper alone is worth the price of the CD – as his firey solos are great, and the whole album's an excellent peek at his early career! There's a sense of open freedom here that's quite different than the earlier Jazz Messengers groove – and this European date is a great complement to the better-known US live recording with the same group from the time. The set features a number of nice long tracks – like Slide Hampton's "Slide's Delight", Billy Harper's "Blues For Eros", Bobby Timmons' "Moanin", and the Jazz Messengers' standard "You Don't Know What Love Is". Sesjun Radio Shows 1 is fantastic radio performances from one of our favorite stretches of the legendary Jazz Messengers group – a time when the lineup featured a young Bobby Watson on alto and Valery Ponomarev on trumpet – two players who'd grow into fantastic leaders on their own, but who here help bring a lot of new life to the group! Watson is especially wonderful – contributing a few key compositions, and that soaring spirit in his horn, which really helped usher in a whole new generation for Blakey's group. James Williams is on piano too, and we actually love his work in this group more than on his later sets as a leader – and remaining players include David Schnitter on tenor on the first six tracks, and Billy Pierce on the horn on the remaining two – and either Dennis Irwin or Charles Fambrough on bass. Art's still the rock-solid core of the group – a tremendous leader who always gets fantastic performances out of young players – and titles include "ETA", "Dr J", "Free For All", "Along Came Betty", "ETA", and "Evaline". Sesjun Radio Shows 2 is live work from the great Art Blakey – a set that features two different performances from two really great groups! The first two cuts are from 1980 – from a time when the Jazz Messengers features up and coming 80s giants Bobby Watson on alto, Valery Ponomarev on trumpet, Billy Pierce on tenor, James Williams on piano, and Charles Fambrough on bass – all young musicians who'd evolve into leaders on their own in a few short years after these recordings, but who really sparkle here under Blakey's leadership! The cuts feature a great take on the Williams tune "1977 AD", and a long version of the Jazz Messengers standard "Blues March". The last four tracks feature a slightly later group – still with Fambrough on bass, but including wonderful tenor and soprano sax work from Jean Toussaint, plus trumpet from Terence Blanchard, alto from Donald Harrison, and piano from Johnny O'Neal – an equally great lineup, but in a completely different way. Titles include a great take on the Fambrough tune "Little Man" – plus "Polka Dots & Moonbeams" and "Moanin". CD