Funky mid 70s Herbie Hancock – one his funkiest albums of the era! Herbie plays a host of cool keyboards – like Fender Rhodes, Arp, and clavinet – and he's joined by a group that includes just about all of the Headhunters – including Paul Jackson on bass and Mike Clarke on drums – plus help from a great array of other excellent guests – including Bennie Maupin and Wayne Shorter on reeds, Harvey Mason on drums, and even some guest keyboards from Stevie Wonder! The album's great – maybe a bit understated than Thrust, but still equally wonderful – and the whole thing's worth it alone for the classic uptempo cut "Hang Up Your Hang Ups" – alongside other cuts that include "Bubbles", "Heartbeat", and "Sun Touch". CD

Essential set that brings together all of Herbie's key transitional recordings for Warner Brothers! Herbie started his years for the label playing in a more straight-ahead funky style – with perennial sample fave recordings like "Wiggle Waggle", "Fat Mama", and "Tell Me A Bedtime Story". Soon, however, he moved into more spacey territory – of the sort that he would later examine fully on his Columbia recordings of the early 70s. Tracks in this vein include "Sleeping Giant", "Water Torture", and "Wandering Spirit Song". The whole set features 3 full albums – Fat Mama, Crossings, and Mwandishi – and it's a great 2CD set filled with hard to find jazz funk classics! CD

A record that some saw as a bit of a jolt in the career of Herbie Hancock when it was released – but a set that's actually gone on to become one of the classics in his catalog, thanks to the mix of material and the players on the date! The "new standard" in the title is a reference to many of the songs in the collection – taken from more (then) recent rock and pop, but then turned into jazz instrumental tapestries with Herbie on acoustic piano, Michael Brecker on tenor and soprano, John Scofield on guitars, Dave Holland on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums. Titles include versions of "You've Got It Bad Girl", "Thieves In The Temple", "Your Gold Teeth II", "All Apologies", "Love Is Stronger Than Pride", "Mercy Street", and "Scarborough Fair".. CD

A rare one from Herbie Hancock – with a very unique sound for the time! The set was recorded in Tokyo, and only issued for the Japanese market – and it features Herbie playing solo acoustic piano, working in a very warm intimate setting that's quite different from his more electric American sides of the time. The sound is great, and surprisingly full – and despite the fact that there's no electronics or other players on the set, Herbie really brings a lot of creativity to the album! Titles include "Blue Otani", "Manhattan Island", "Harvest Time", and "On Green Dolphin Street". CD

A rare one from Herbie Hancock – with a very unique sound for the time! The set was recorded in Tokyo, and only issued for the Japanese market – and it features Herbie playing solo acoustic piano, working in a very warm intimate setting that's quite different from his more electric American sides of the time. The sound is great, and surprisingly full – and despite the fact that there's no electronics or other players on the set, Herbie really brings a lot of creativity to the album! Titles include "Blue Otani", "Manhattan Island", "Harvest Time", and "On Green Dolphin Street". CD features 4 bonus alternate takes, too! CD

A nice late Blue Note change from Herbie Hancock – a very different album than his previous sets for the label – in that it features a slightly larger group, and a sound that really points the way towards his directions in the 70s! There's a slightly ambitious feel to some of these cuts – not in a way that's over-arranged, but just a new sort of thinking for Herbie's kind of groove – a mode that's partially informed by the seriousness of 60s jazz soundtracks, but which also has the beginnings of some more righteous modes of expression too. Players are all great – and include Joe Henderson on tenor and flute, Johnny Coles on flugelhorn, Garnett Brown on trombone, Hubert Laws on flute, Jerome Richardson on bass clarinet, Buster Williams on bass, and Tootie Heath on drums. Herbie plays both acoustic and electric piano – using the latter here in one of his first recordings on the instrument – and titles include "Firewater", "I Have A Dream", "The Prisoner", and "He Who Lives In Fear". CD

A lost treasure! This nice Japanese CD brings together 7 tracks recorded during Herbie's years at Blue Note – all recorded in great company, but never issued at the time. The material ranges from 3 different periods – 1963, 1968, and 1969 – and it's all got Herbie's sweet funky soul jazz style firmly in place. There's 2 alternate takes of "Riot", plus alternates of "Blind Man, Blind Man", "Mimosa", "Goodbye To Childhood", "The Prisoner", and "Firewater". Nice slices from Herbie's classic years! CD

Features Wayne Shorter on saxophone and Dave Holland on bass – plus vocals from Leonard Cohen, Norah Jones, Tina Turner, Luciana Souza, Corinne Bailey Rae, and Joni Mitchell herself! CD

An incredible record – and virtually the blueprint for countless other keyboard records to come! At the height of his 70s powers, Herbie really takes off into space with this set – moving away from more commercial music, and hitting a groove that's totally righteous, totally electric, and completely mindblowing! The album's got a bit of a Headhunters vibe, but it also veers off into some very wild analogue electronics too – a mix of Fender Rhodes, clavinet, melotron, and echoplex processing – augmented by additional work on Arp from Patrick Gleeson. Other players on the set include Bennie Maupin on reeds, Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Julian Priester on trombone, Buster Williams on bass, and Billy Hart on drums – and the great Buck Clarke rounds out the combo on percussion. The album only features three long tracks – "Rain Dance", "Hidden Shadows", and "Hornets" – but all of them are killers! CD

An incredible record – and virtually the blueprint for countless other keyboard records to come! At the height of his 70s powers, Herbie really takes off into space with this set – moving away from more commercial music, and hitting a groove that's totally righteous, totally electric, and completely mindblowing! The album's got a bit of a Headhunters vibe, but it also veers off into some very wild analogue electronics too – a mix of Fender Rhodes, clavinet, melotron, and echoplex processing – augmented by additional work on Arp from Patrick Gleeson. Other players on the set include Bennie Maupin on reeds, Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Julian Priester on trombone, Buster Williams on bass, and Billy Hart on drums – and the great Buck Clarke rounds out the combo on percussion. The album only features three long tracks – "Rain Dance", "Hidden Shadows", and "Hornets" – but all of them are killers! CD

An incredible record – and virtually the blueprint for countless other keyboard records to come! At the height of his 70s powers, Herbie really takes off into space with this set – moving away from more commercial music, and hitting a groove that's totally righteous, totally electric, and completely mindblowing! The album's got a bit of a Headhunters vibe, but it also veers off into some very wild analogue electronics too – a mix of Fender Rhodes, clavinet, melotron, and echoplex processing – augmented by additional work on Arp from Patrick Gleeson. Other players on the set include Bennie Maupin on reeds, Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Julian Priester on trombone, Buster Williams on bass, and Billy Hart on drums – and the great Buck Clarke rounds out the combo on percussion. The album only features three long tracks – "Rain Dance", "Hidden Shadows", and "Hornets" – but all of them are killers! CD

A wonderful Herbie Hancock session from the 60s – a Blue Note album that's sometimes overlooked, but which really shows Herbie taking off – as he adds a nice dose of lyricism into his usual soul jazz approach from the 60s! The sound's a bit farther-reaching than on some of Hancock's smaller group sessions – and the record features a sextet that includes Jerry Dodgion on flute, Thad Jones on flugelhorn, and Peter Phillips on bass trombone – an instrument that combines wonderfully with Thad's horn, to create all these cool, compressed elements. Herbie plays piano alongside Ron Carter on bass and the great Mickey Roker on drums. The harder-hitting soul jazz riffs and hooks of Herbie's first few records are nicely replaced by more thoughtful lines that get a bit deeper, soulfully – and nearly all tracks on the set are originals by Hancock! The album's filled with great moments – and tracks include "The Sorcerer", "Riot", and "Goodbye To Childhood". CD

A wonderful Herbie Hancock session from the 60s – a Blue Note album that's sometimes overlooked, but which really shows Herbie taking off – as he adds a nice dose of lyricism into his usual soul jazz approach from the 60s! The sound's a bit farther-reaching than on some of Hancock's smaller group sessions – and the record features a sextet that includes Jerry Dodgion on flute, Thad Jones on flugelhorn, and Peter Phillips on bass trombone – an instrument that combines wonderfully with Thad's horn, to create all these cool, compressed elements. Herbie plays piano alongside Ron Carter on bass and the great Mickey Roker on drums. The harder-hitting soul jazz riffs and hooks of Herbie's first few records are nicely replaced by more thoughtful lines that get a bit deeper, soulfully – and nearly all tracks on the set are originals by Hancock! The album's filled with great moments – and tracks include "The Sorcerer", "Riot", and "Goodbye To Childhood". CD features 3 bonus alternate takes! CD

A wonderful Herbie Hancock session from the 60s – a Blue Note album that's sometimes overlooked, but which really shows Herbie taking off – as he adds a nice dose of lyricism into his usual soul jazz approach from the 60s! The sound's a bit farther-reaching than on some of Hancock's smaller group sessions – and the record features a sextet that includes Jerry Dodgion on flute, Thad Jones on flugelhorn, and Peter Phillips on bass trombone – an instrument that combines wonderfully with Thad's horn, to create all these cool, compressed elements. Herbie plays piano alongside Ron Carter on bass and the great Mickey Roker on drums. The harder-hitting soul jazz riffs and hooks of Herbie's first few records are nicely replaced by more thoughtful lines that get a bit deeper, soulfully – and nearly all tracks on the set are originals by Hancock! The album's filled with great moments – and tracks include "The Sorcerer", "Riot", and "Goodbye To Childhood". Features bonus tracks – two takes of "Riot", and an alternate of "Goodbye To Childhood". CD

Herbie Hancock is certainly Takin Off at this point in his career – stepping into the limelight with an excellent batch of soul jazz tunes, including the first recording of his classic "Watermelon Man", the one track that probably put all his kids through school! Although that one went on to become a standard within a few short years in 60s jazz, it still sounds great here in the original – a very fresh take on the sound of soul jazz in the 60s – offered up here in a 7 minute version that has more sharp soloing than most other takes on the tune! The group here is great too – with Dexter Gordon on tenor, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Butch Warren on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – and the tracks are all also originals by a young Herbie – including "Watermelon Man", "The Maze", "Driftin", "Three Bags Full", "Alone & I", and "Empty Pockets". CD

Herbie Hancock is certainly Takin Off at this point in his career – stepping into the limelight with an excellent batch of soul jazz tunes, including the first recording of his classic "Watermelon Man", the one track that probably put all his kids through school! Although that one went on to become a standard within a few short years in 60s jazz, it still sounds great here in the original – a very fresh take on the sound of soul jazz in the 60s – offered up here in a 7 minute version that has more sharp soloing than most other takes on the tune! The group here is great too – with Dexter Gordon on tenor, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Butch Warren on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – and the tracks are all also originals by a young Herbie – including "Watermelon Man", "The Maze", "Driftin", "Three Bags Full", "Alone & I", and "Empty Pockets". Plus, this CD reissue features bonus alternate takes of 3 tracks on the album! CD

Herbie Hancock is certainly Takin Off at this point in his career – stepping into the limelight with an excellent batch of soul jazz tunes, including the first recording of his classic "Watermelon Man", the one track that probably put all his kids through school! Although that one went on to become a standard within a few short years in 60s jazz, it still sounds great here in the original – a very fresh take on the sound of soul jazz in the 60s – offered up here in a 7 minute version that has more sharp soloing than most other takes on the tune! The group here is great too – with Dexter Gordon on tenor, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Butch Warren on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – and the tracks are all also originals by a young Herbie – including "Watermelon Man", "The Maze", "Driftin", "Three Bags Full", "Alone & I", and "Empty Pockets". CD also includes the Freddie Hubbard album Hub-Tones. CD

Herbie Hancock is certainly Takin Off at this point in his career – stepping into the limelight with an excellent batch of soul jazz tunes, including the first recording of his classic "Watermelon Man", the one track that probably put all his kids through school! Although that one went on to become a standard within a few short years in 60s jazz, it still sounds great here in the original – a very fresh take on the sound of soul jazz in the 60s – offered up here in a 7 minute version that has more sharp soloing than most other takes on the tune! The group here is great too – with Dexter Gordon on tenor, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Butch Warren on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – and the tracks are all also originals by a young Herbie – including "Watermelon Man", "The Maze", "Driftin", "Three Bags Full", "Alone & I", and "Empty Pockets". CD also features 3 bonus alternate takes of tunes from the album! CD

Herbie Hancock is certainly Takin Off at this point in his career – stepping into the limelight with an excellent batch of soul jazz tunes, including the first recording of his classic "Watermelon Man", the one track that probably put all his kids through school! Although that one went on to become a standard within a few short years in 60s jazz, it still sounds great here in the original – a very fresh take on the sound of soul jazz in the 60s – offered up here in a 7 minute version that has more sharp soloing than most other takes on the tune! The group here is great too – with Dexter Gordon on tenor, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Butch Warren on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – and the tracks are all also originals by a young Herbie – including "Watermelon Man", "The Maze", "Driftin", "Three Bags Full", "Alone & I", and "Empty Pockets". CD features three bonus alternate takes! CD

Killer electric work from Herbie Hancock – right on par with his groundbreaking Headhunters set, but a bit spacier too! The album features a Headhunters-solid lineup – with Bennie Maupin on saxes, Paul Jackson on bass, Mike Clark on drums, and Bill Summers on percussion – all grooving wonderfully with Herbie on a set of super-long tracks! Hancock himself handles a host of incredible keyboards – Fender Rhodes, clavinet, Arp, and lots more – all in a lean electric style that still sounds as fresh today as it did way back in the mid 70s – perhaps even more so, given the return to this sort of basic groove that has happened in recent years! Tracks are long, tight, and super funky – and titles include "Actual Proof", "Palm Grease", "Spank-A-Lee", and "Butterfly". CD

Killer electric work from Herbie Hancock – right on par with his groundbreaking Headhunters set, but a bit spacier too! The album features a Headhunters-solid lineup – with Bennie Maupin on saxes, Paul Jackson on bass, Mike Clark on drums, and Bill Summers on percussion – all grooving wonderfully with Herbie on a set of super-long tracks! Hancock himself handles a host of incredible keyboards – Fender Rhodes, clavinet, Arp, and lots more – all in a lean electric style that still sounds as fresh today as it did way back in the mid 70s – perhaps even more so, given the return to this sort of basic groove that has happened in recent years! Tracks are long, tight, and super funky – and titles include "Actual Proof", "Palm Grease", "Spank-A-Lee", and "Butterfly". CD

Seminal sides from Herbie Hancock – amazing material recorded for Warner Brothers in the years between his time at Blue Note and his big fame at Columbia Records – all sides that definitely show Hancock as one mighty righteous cat! Herbie's really stretching past his more conventional jazz of earlier years here – working both with a bit more electricity in his keys, and some larger arrangements that have a wonderful sense of flow and funk – a groove that definitely puts Hancock on a par with Quincy Jones at his funky best during the early 70s! The album's filled with great grooves pulled from the Warner Brothers albums by Hancock – including some quite long numbers – titles that include the funky nuggets "Wiggle Waggle", "Lil Brother", and "Tell Me A Bedtime Story" – plus "Sleeping Giant", "Crossings", "Quazar", "Ostinato", and "You'll Know When You Get There". CD

Herbie Hancock on piano and Wayne Shorter on soprano saxophone. CD

A landmark concert from the mid 80s – one held to honor the resurrection of the Blue Note label, featuring a wealth of some of the best players for the label – from the 80s back to the 50s bebop years. This first volume in the 4 LP series features centered around Herbie Hancock and Bobby Hutcherson, with appearances by Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Ron Carter, Tony Williams and James Newton. Side one features the group nicely stretching out on a quintet take of "Canteloupe Island" and a sextet reading of "Record A Me", and side two has a quintet take of "Little B's Poem", a trio take of "Bouquet" and a quartet take of "Hat & Beard". CD

Lots of small combo work with Herbie on piano, Dex on tenor, Pierre Michelot or Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams or Billy Higgins on drums. Titles include "Still Time", "Minuit Aux Champs Elysees", "Chan's Song", "Fair Weather", "The Peacocks", and "Body & Soul". CD

A reunion of Miles' legendary sidemen after his death in 1991, including live renditions of "So What" and "All Blues", plus "RJ", "Little One", "Pinocchio", "Elegy" and "Eighty One". CD

A legendary pairing of talents – as Japanese jazz singer Kimiko Kasai works alongside Herbie Hancock – in a setting that's very much on the soul side of the spectrum! Both Herbie and Kimiko started out with a straighter jazz sound in their early years – but by the end of the 70s, they'd both picked up plenty of influences from R&B – although Kasai's work was largely unknown to American audiences. This set is one of those rare Japanese-only sessions by Herbie at the time – a few of which have gotten released overseas as the decades have gone on – and Hancock is in his best keyboard groove, and also gets additional help on the keys from Webster Lewis – who no doubt brings a strong soul current to the music too. Other musicians include Bennie Maupin on soprano and tenor sax, Paul Jackson on bass, Ray Obeido on guitar, Alphonse Mouzon on drums, and Bill Summers on percussion – in a groove that's like a tighter take on the sound of The Headhunters. Kimiko sings in English – and titles include some great versions of Herbie Hancock tunes – including "Maiden Voyage", "Sunlight", "Butterfly", "Tell Me A Bedtime Story", and "Harvest Time" – plus a great take on Stevie Wonder's "As", the cut "Head In The Clouds", and the funk-steeped opener "I Thought It Was You". CD

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

A classic album of soulful hardbop from the mid 70s – one that features the classic VSOP group with Herbie Hancock on piano, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums – all nicely returned to the acoustic splendor of their early years! After the excesses of some of the more fusion-based jazz supergroups of the time, VSOP are a real breath of fresh air – proving that straight, strong work in a classic Blue Note mode could still be as captivating as ever – even in the highly electric decade of the 70s! Tracks were recorded live in Berkeley and San Diego – and titles include "One Of A Kind", "Jessica", "Little Waltz", "Byrdlike", "Dolores", and "Third Plane". CD

A definite tempest from the start to the finish – and a brilliant live demonstration of the mighty powers of the VSOP group! The ensemble features soaring acoustic sounds from the quintet lineup of Wayne Shorter on tenor and soprano sax, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums – all musicians who were experimenting with a lot of different styles at the time, especially electric ones – but come together here in an all-acoustic mode that's filled with wonderful solos throughout. You can definitely hear some of the inspiration the players each took from their own projects – but it's also focused back into a more solid, soulful style here – really opening up on long tracks that include "Eye of The Hurricane", "Maiden Voyage", "Lawra", and "Red Clay". CD

Donald Byrd's second foray into the "with voices" genre – done in the same style as his groundbreaking New Perspective album – and with similar choral work from lyrical modernist Coleridge Perkinson! The vibe here is slightly different than the previous record – in that there's Hammond from the great Freddie Roach on a few cuts, and piano from Herbie Hancock throughout – in a stunning lineup that also includes Stanley Turrentine on tenor and Grant Green on guitar – both great players in a larger lineup like this. As before, Byrd's solos are wonderfully – soaring out over the vocals and instrumentation – with a soulful vibe that really works well with the rhythms at the core. Donald Byrd and Duke Pearson wrote all of the tunes – all really great numbers – and titles include "Pearly Gates", "March Children", "Brother Isaac", and "I'm Tryin' To Get Home". CD

Donald Byrd's second foray into the "with voices" genre – done in the same style as his groundbreaking New Perspective album – and with similar choral work from lyrical modernist Coleridge Perkinson! The vibe here is slightly different than the previous record – in that there's Hammond from the great Freddie Roach on a few cuts, and piano from Herbie Hancock throughout – in a stunning lineup that also includes Stanley Turrentine on tenor and Grant Green on guitar – both great players in a larger lineup like this. As before, Byrd's solos are wonderfully – soaring out over the vocals and instrumentation – with a soulful vibe that really works well with the rhythms at the core. Donald Byrd and Duke Pearson wrote all of the tunes – all really great numbers – and titles include "Pearly Gates", "March Children", "Brother Isaac", and "I'm Tryin' To Get Home". 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 seminal sides cut by Donald Byrd in his partnership with Pepper Adams – a high-up, low-down set that's a smoker all the way through! Byrd's brightness on trumpet is nicely matched by Adams' fluid work on baritone sax – and the pair are wonderfully supported by a rhythm trio that includes Herbie Hancock on piano, Butch Warren on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – all players who can hit a sock-hard groove one minute, then let loose with a lyrical flourish the next. The approach of the record is tightly soulful, with loads of great changes – and some surprising dark edges that really add in a whole new dimension to the Donald Byrd sound of the time. Titles include "Shangri-La", "Jorgies", "Hush", "6 M's", and the moody "Requiem"! CD

Some of the best recordings that Donald Byrd and Pepper Adams ever did together! The material here was recorded for the short-lived Warwick label in the early 60s – with a tight tight rhythm section that includes Jimmy Cobb on drums, Laymon Jackson on bass, and a very young Herbie Hancock on piano. Herbie kicks ass on his solos – and Byrd and Adams are very tight, with none of the clunkiness that sometimes mars their other work. The set includes a killer version of "Mr LuckyTheme", plus the tracks "Out Of This World", "Bird House", "It's A Beautiful Evening", and "Curro's". CD

Caixa Cubo are a Brazilian trio with a very keyboard-heavy sound – a mode that's rooted in cosmic energy of 70s greats like Herbie Hancock or Lonnie Liston Smith, yet which is also taken into strong vocal territory here – thanks to the appearance of a great range of different singers! Many tunes have a soulful flow that's great, and the use of keyboards and Brazilian-influenced rhythms is like an updated take on the music of Azymuth – but again with a nicely different vibe that comes from the work of vocalists who include Xenia Franca, Ze Leonidas, Matthias Schriefl, and Eric Owusu. Titles include "Agora", "Caio & Eric", "Carrossel", "Sabado", "Dreams", "Kismeti", and "Asase". CD

With Gerald Clayton on piano and Rhodes, Antonio Hart on flute, and Christian McBride on bass – plus special guests Clark Terry on trumpet, Lizz Wright on vocals, and Herbie Hancock as the "voice of Duke Ellington"! CD

A beautiful album by Ron Carter – and quite rare, too! The record features a group that's got a nice 70s modal soul jazz sound – with players that include Herbie Hancock on acoustic and electric piano, Hubert Laws on flute, Sam Brown on guitar, and both Billy Cobham and Grady Tate on drums – all working in sweet small group mode alongside Carter's excellent work on acoustic and Fender bass. The sound is sometimes spacey, sometimes groovy – and marks a key chapter in Carter's career, one that has him stepping out of the background into a great role as a leader – setting the stage for many more albums to come in the 70s! Titles include the very funky "Uptown Conversation", plus the tracks "Half A Row", "Doom", "Little Waltz", "Ten Strings" and "Einbahnstrasse". Very soulful, with a stone mellow moody groove! CD

A beautiful album by Ron Carter – and quite rare, too! The record features a group that's got a nice 70s modal soul jazz sound – with players that include Herbie Hancock on acoustic and electric piano, Hubert Laws on flute, Sam Brown on guitar, and both Billy Cobham and Grady Tate on drums – all working in sweet small group mode alongside Carter's excellent work on acoustic and Fender bass. The sound is sometimes spacey, sometimes groovy – and marks a key chapter in Carter's career, one that has him stepping out of the background into a great role as a leader – setting the stage for many more albums to come in the 70s! Titles include the very funky "Uptown Conversation", plus the tracks "Half A Row", "Doom", and "Einbahnstrasse". Very soulful, with a stone mellow moody groove! CD

A trio of funky electric albums from Stanley Clarke's mid 80s R&B years – 1984's Time Exposure, ''85's Find Out and '86's Hideaway – in a 2CD set! Time Exposure has a lot of 80s electro funk in the mix, particularly Clarke's impeccable bass lines, which are heavy throughout. Titles include "Play The Bass '10", "Heaven Sent You", "Speedball", "Future Shock" and the great title track. Find Out follows somewhat similar territory, an 80s synth funky set with a few surprising twists – including an electro/funk/old school rap cover of "Born In The USA"! Other tracks include "Find Out", "The Sky's The Limit", "Stereotypica" and "Psychedelic". Hideaway makes a move towards more delicate synth soul for Clarke – who assembles an impressive guest list that includes Stanley Jordan, Herbie Hancock and Stewart Copeland. Titles include a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed", plus "My Love, Her Inspiration", "Where Do We Go", "Old Friends" and "When It's Cold Outside". CD

Fender Rhodes, funky flute, and soulful trumpet – topped off by great vocals on most tracks, and wrapped up in a really classic production style! Bryan Corbett's a perfect labelmate to Woodland's Perry Hemus – and like Hemus, he's working here in a modern update of older Fender Rhodes-driven grooves – a style that builds off of older electric jazz of the 70s, but pushes the work a bit more strongly into the territory of recent London soul! Corbett plays trumpet, Rhodes, and flute throughout – and most tracks feature vocals by singers Lupa, Lizzy Parks, or Sophie Perks – all of whom match the Herbie Hancock and Miles Davis inspired soul of the set pretty nicely. Titles include "Corbenova", "Off The Rails (Woodland mix)", "Deja Vu", "Movin In", "Metamorphik", "Nardo", "Tokyology", and "Roma". CD

A goofy cover, and a tribute to Alice In Wonderland, but a nice little record – one that has Chick Corea playing a wide variety of keyboards next to acoustic piano – coming up with a sound that's sometimes cosmic, sometimes spacious, but always a lot more creative than most of his contemporaries! The album's got a bit of a high concept feel – as strings and larger arrangements sometimes slide into the mix – and all compositions, arrangements, and production were handled by Chick. And just when things seem as if they might get a bit too arty, tunes slide back into a more straightforward jazzy mode – keeping some of the best Corea elements in place over the course of the record. Other players include Herbie Hancock, John Thomas, Harvey Mason, and Joe Farrell – and Gayle Moran sings a bit on the record. Titles include "Dear Alice", "The Woods", "Rhapsody", "The Mad Hatter", "Falling Alice", and "Humpty Dumpty". CD

Music from Chick Corea, Blue Mitchell, Return To Forever, Circle, The Chick Corea Elektric Band, Chick Corea Akoustic Band, The Chick Corea Elektric Band II, Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea, Chick Corea and John McLaughlin, Gary Burton and Chick Corea, Bobby McFerrin and Chick Corea, Miles Davis, and the Chick Corea Quartet. CD

A rare set from bassist Art Davis as a leader – with Herbie Hancock on piano, Ravi Coltrane on tenor and soprano, and Marvin Smitty Smith on drums. Titles include "Evidence", "Everybody's Doing It", "Art's Boogie", and "Driftin". CD

The final album from Betty Davis – and a killer cap to her stunning run of female funk classics in the 70s! The album was recorded at the end of the decade, but has a sharpness that's every bit as great as her earlier work for the Island and Just Sunshine labels – grooves that are more than sharp enough to match that raspy edge in Betty's vocals – given support with instrumentation that's a lot more mid 70s funk than some of the more disco-oriented productions in mainstream soul at the time! There's a fullness to the record that sometimes recalls Labelle at their best, or maybe even solo work from Nona Hendryx – but as always, Betty is very much her own woman, and opens up some new doors on a few mellow cuts or jazzier moments that come as a nice surprise, and which balance out the album in a great way. The set features work from Herbie Hancock on keyboards and Alphonse Mouzon on drums – and titles include "Quintessence Of Hip", "She's A Woman", "I've Danced Before", "I Need A Whole Lot Of Love", "Hangin Out In Hollywood", "Crashin From Passion", "You Take Me For Granted", and "No Good At Falling In Love". CD

Top shelf jazz trio from pianist Jon Davis – an artist who might look pretty laidback, sipping wine on the cover – but who serves up some great original material as well as key takes on some classics! Working with bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer Mark Ferber on this one, Davis earnestly sets out to pay homage to the 60s modern piano jazz genius of his five favorite players – and also manages to really show some of his own best work – a really impressive feat! The originals shine brightly – including "Happy Juice", "Slant Six", "As We Know", "Bred On Read" and "Mostly Minor" – and fit in seamlessly with the nods to classics by Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, McCoy Tyner and Keith Jarrett – including "The Two Lonely People", "Tones For Joans Bones", "Speak Like A Child", "Search For People" and "Rainbow". Wonderful stuff! CD

With Ron Carter on bass, Tony Williams on drums, Herbie Hancock on piano & Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone. CD

An excellent set that spans the gamut of Miles' work on Columbia – from his early hardbop sides to his later experimental ones! All of the material on the 2LP set was unreleased until the time of this release in 1979 – and the album features Miles in the company of a wide variety of players that include George Benson, Cannonball Adderley, Bennie Maupin, Hank Mobley, Joe Zawinul, Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, Red Garland, and Joe Beck. Titles include "Teo's Bag", "Side Car (1 & 2)", "Sanctuary", "Guinnevere", "Circle In The Round", and "Two Bass Hit". CD

A massively expanded version of a landmark album – and fantastic glimpse of recordings that went on to form the legendary 2LP record that opened up a whole new electric world for Miles Davis – and which also yielded a huge amount of wonderful tracks that never made it onto the original release! The lineup here is the stuff of legends – Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and Joe Zawinul on keyboards – plus Wayne Shorter on saxes, Ron Carter and Dave Holland on basses, John McLaughlin on guitar, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – all working with Miles in some very new directions in jazz! CD

A massively expanded version of a landmark album – and fantastic glimpse of recordings that went on to form the legendary 2LP record that opened up a whole new electric world for Miles Davis – and which also yielded a huge amount of wonderful tracks that never made it onto the original release! The lineup here is the stuff of legends – Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and Joe Zawinul on keyboards – plus Wayne Shorter on saxes, Ron Carter and Dave Holland on basses, John McLaughlin on guitar, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – all working with Miles in some very new directions in jazz! CD

One of the most formative periods of Miles Davis' career, with lots of new ideas taking shape – including Fender Rhodes from Herbie Hancock, guitar from George Benson and Joe Beck, and plenty of great tenor from Wayne Shorter, bass from Ron Carter, and drums from Tony Williams! Includes material that appeared on the albums Miles Smiles, ESP, Sorcerer, Nefertiti, Water Babies, Miles In The Sky, and Filles De Kilimanjaro – as well as unreleased tracks, alternates, and material that showed up on Directions and Circle In The Round. CD

One of the most formative periods of Miles Davis' career, with lots of new ideas taking shape – including Fender Rhodes from Herbie Hancock, guitar from George Benson and Joe Beck, and plenty of great tenor from Wayne Shorter, bass from Ron Carter, and drums from Tony Williams! Includes material that appeared on the albums Miles Smiles, ESP, Sorcerer, Nefertiti, Water Babies, Miles In The Sky, and Filles De Kilimanjaro – as well as unreleased tracks, alternates, and material that showed up on Directions and Circle In The Round. CD

One of those key cases where Miles Davis took a familiar song and made it his own! The set's a live one, and features a famous 15 minute version of "My Funny Valentine" – played by Davis in a spacious, open sort of way – and one that has key hints of the modernism to come in his music, yet still rings out with some of his more easygoing late 50s appeal. The group here features George Coleman on tenor alongside the rhythm section of Herbie Hancock piano, Ron Carter bass, and Tony Williams on drums – all three of whom help Davis edge into darker territory, even when things are ostensibly sweet! Apart from the version of "My Funny Valentine", other titles include "All Blues", "All Of You", "I Thought About You", and "Stella By Starlight". Four & More is breakneck live work from Miles Davis – and proof that his famous 60s quintet wasn't only just about mellow and spacious sounds! The set was recorded at the same concert as the album My Funny Valentine – and while that one's mostly ballads, this one's mostly high tempo numbers that skip along with incredible ease – crackling with modern touches on the rhythm from Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – and featuring some really excellent work by George Coleman on tenor sax! Titles include "Four", "So What", "Joshua", and "Seven Steps To Heaven". CD

An expanded take on the album that gave the world the start of the electric Miles Davis generation – with a lineup that includes Herbie Hancock, Joe Zawinul, and Chick Corea on keyboards – with John McLaughtlin on guitar, Dave Holland on bass, Tony Williams and Jack Dejohnette on drums, and Wayne Shorter on tenor and soprano sax. Loads of long tracks, non-album material, and alternates. CD

This stunning live set has been hailed by many as one of the finest moments of Miles' mid 60s career – music played with a frenetic energy that even blows away the famous studio sessions of the time! The group here is a landmark lineup – young modernists Wayne Shorter on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, and Tony Williams on drums – all reaching out to really increase their craft, and work through new ideas alongside Miles' trumpet. CD

This stunning live set has been hailed by many as one of the finest moments of Miles' mid 60s career – music played with a frenetic energy that even blows away the famous studio sessions of the time! The group here is a landmark lineup – young modernists Wayne Shorter on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, and Tony Williams on drums – all reaching out to really increase their craft, and work through new ideas alongside Miles' trumpet. CD

Right On! Quite possibly the heaviest, baddest music ever laid to tape, this set offers up over 6 hours of some of the deepest, darkest free jazz, afro funk, fist in the air post-modern musique concrete to sprout from Miles' horn and crew! This box closes the door on the studio side of what may be the most influential studio jams wrought at the turn of the 70s, issuing the unedited original takes of the material that Miles and Teo Macero would parse down and edit into On The Corner and Big Fun, plus some material that made it out on various compilations later issued on Columbia, and best of all, a dozen never before released tracks! The core group here is Miles, Michael Henderson, Mtume, Al Foster and Reggie Lucas, but Dave Liebman, Carlos Garnett, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Jack Dejohnette, Pete Cosey, Badal Roy, Bennie Maupin and John McLaughlin, as well as a number of other players, are all featured, which isn't surprising when you consider the ground covered here! The groove here is unstoppable funk, as on the nearly 20 minute jam that is the unedited full take of "On The Corner" and drawn out renditions of "Mtume", "Turnaround", "Ife" and "Helen Butte/Mr Freedom X", but the vibe veers in other directions too, as with the breezy "Maiysha", the multilayered "Calypso Frelimo" and the spacious "He Loved Him Madly". There's 31 tracks spread out over the 6 discs, ther unissued gems include "Hip-Skip", "Chieftain", "What They Do", "Peace" and "Mr Foster", and as you'd expect, the box is extra deluxe, with a thick booklet full of notes and some great quotes from the band, and a sweet metallic box to hold it all together! Vote Miles! CD

A surprisingly nice set of tracks that were recorded for Columbia during the 60s, but not issued until the time of this 1981 compilation. Tunes run the gamut from early modal to freer electric – and Miles works with players that include Joe Zawinul, Tony Williams, Airto, Hank Mobley, Bennie Maupin, Dave Holland, Steve Grossman, Herbie Hancock, Gil Evans, and Chick Corea. Tracks include "Ascent", "Willie Nelson", "Konda", "Duran", "Fun", "Directions 1 & 2", "Limbo", "So Near, So Far", and "Song Of Our Country". CD

An album of dark and subtle beauty – and still one of our favorite Miles Davis albums of all time! The set's not as earth-shattering as some of Davis' other work of the 60s, but that's why we like it so much – because the emerging genius of the group with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Tony Williams is held in a really special place here – one that ruminates quietly on space and soul, while Davis majestically directs tones and colors that he'd never gotten in a small group format before! Titles include the amazing "Iris", one of Miles' most haunting themes – plus "Little One", "RJ", "ESP", "Mood", and "Agitation". CD

An album of dark and subtle beauty – and still one of our favorite Miles Davis albums of all time! The set's not as earth-shattering as some of Davis' other work of the 60s, but that's why we like it so much – because the emerging genius of the group with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Tony Williams is held in a really special place here – one that ruminates quietly on space and soul, while Davis majestically directs tones and colors that he'd never gotten in a small group format before! Titles include the amazing "Iris", one of Miles' most haunting themes – plus "Little One", "RJ", "ESP", "Mood", and "Agitation". CD