A great later date from CTI – proof that the label still had its magic going on well into the 80s! The session's a larger group effort headed up by Don Sebesky, and featuring key solos by Chet Baker, Jim Hall, and Hubert Laws – all of whom get plenty of room to do their thing on the album's longer tracks! Other players include Kenny Barron, Jack Wilkins, Jorge Dalto, George Mraz, and Steve Gadd – plus bit of added percussion – and although the group is large, the overall sound is relatively lean – spacious and airy, in keeping with Baker's best moments on records like these, and always sensitive enough to let Hall's gentle work on the strings of his guitar shine through nicely! Titles include "Malaguena", "Django", "Swan Lake", and "All Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

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With Anthony Davis on piano, James Newton on flute, Rick Rozie on bass, George Lewis on trombone, and Pheeroan AkLaff on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

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A wonderful album from guitarist Jim Hall – different than some of his other work, and with a slightly harder edge! The unique session has him playing in an MPS 60s mode – more straight-on than some of his more airy moments – with a sound and tone that still recalls his work with Paul Desmond or Art Farmer, but a more direct approach, and an occasional groove as well! The trio's as unique as the record – the great Jimmy Woode on bass and drums from Daniel Humair – and titles include "Blue Joe", "Romaine", "Young One For Debra", "Body & Soul", and a great version of "Up Up & Away", which soars to the sky in a way you'd never expect from Jim! LP, Vinyl record album

Sharp sounds from guitarist Jim Hall – a record that's filled with all the cool, complicated lines the musician could muster on his instrument – yet a record that also manages to swing a bit too! The sound here is a great evolution from the sound of Hall's music in the 50s – even more modern at most moments, with unique phrasing that shows just how much Jim continued to grow over the decades – delivered at a level that's very fresh, and without a debt to any other guitarist on the planet! Part of the album's unique feel comes from the large amount of original Hall compositions – interpreted by Jim with a trio that also features Don Thompson on piano and bass and Terry Clarke on drums – on titles that include "Kyoto Bells", "Echo", "Without Words", "Light", "Something For Now", and "Two Special People". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest albums we've ever heard from guitarist Jim Hall – a set of free-thinking, open-ended tracks that show him really expanding his horizons at the end of the 60s! The album's drenched in Jim's warm, chromatic tones – whether gently played on a few mellow numbers, or falling over themselves like cascading water on the more upbeat tunes. The record's got some great drums and percussion from Airto, plus piano by Benny Aronov, who also plays electric on a few tracks as well. Titles include a great version of "Vera Cruz", plus "Minotaur", "Simple Samba", "Careful", "Wehre Would I Be", and "Goodbye My Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A really fantastic record – a righteous blend of jazz and spoken word, served up at a level that rivals some of the famous collaborations between Langston Hughes and Charles Mingus! The tunes have a similar introspective quality to that work, but are delivered with a style that's maybe more 70s spiritual jazz overall – instrumentation by a quartet that features Jim Work on acoustic and electric piano, next to bass, drums, percussion, and some very cool effects! Words were all penned and spoken by Jim Marks – who also wrote the music, even though he doesn't play any of the instruments – on beautiful tracks that include "Jazz Is Ourselves", "On Black", "Eulogy For Dewey", "I Out To Watch That Ego", and "It's Time To Become". LP, Vinyl record album

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Duo piano and guitar recordings with titles that include "Street Of Dreams", "To Antonio Carlos Jobim", "Careful", "I See Nothing To Laugh About", "Without Words", "I Hear A Rhapsody", "To Tommy Flanagan", and "Emily". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice mid 60's session that stands as one of Raney's strongest from the decade, and a tight quintet performance by a group that includes Jim Hall on second guitar, Zoot Sims on tenor, Steve Swallow on bass, and Osie Johnson on drums. The tracks are fairly standard, but there's a lot of nice Brazilian titles like "A Primera Vez", "Presente De Natal", "Este Seu Olhar", and "Coisa Mais Linda". Raney's tone is nice and deep, as always, with a good heavy sound on the lower strings. LP, Vinyl record album

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One of the most sensitive 70s albums from guitarist Jan Akkerman – a set recorded with larger backings from Claus Ogerman, who really helps Jan find a newly mellow side of his sound! Gone are some of the too-jamming, rock-inspired modes of Akkerman's other records – and in their place are open, flowing lines on guitar – played with a sensitivity that reminds us a bit of some of Jim Hall's more ambitious albums of the same period – although even a bit more classically-oriented overall. Ogerman's arrangements are wonderful – full and lush, but never too sleepy – and titles include "Nightwings", "Modinha", "Espanoleta", "Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte", "Love Remembered", and "The Seed Of God". LP, Vinyl record album

Like some of the other issues on Trip, this set brings together some great sides that sort of fell between the cracks in an artist's career. These nice rarer sides by Gene Ammons seem to be recorded by Jug during the early 60's, when he was jumping around his contractual agreements with a number of labels, and recording sessions for just about everybody. The first LP features Jug in the studio with Howard McGhee (the set was briefly issued under his name, on Argo) and a guitarist we're pretty certain is Jake Fisher (from other issues of this material), for a cool laidback soul jazz session that's probably one of Jug's most open-ended from the time. The tracks are all long, with a lot of room for solo space, and a round mellow tone. Titles include "Housewarmin", "Nothin' But Soul", "Jivin Around" and "Jug & McGhee". The second set's a hard-hitting blowing session, cut very much in the mode of Gene's late 50s sides for Prestige – and with a very accomplished group of soul jazzers that includes Nat Adderley, Frank Foster, Bennie Green, and Frank Wess. The groove has a nice raw late night sound – and tracks are pretty long and open-ended. Titles include "Litty Ditty", "Sermonette", "Juggin Around", and "Jim Dog". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice collection of Gene Ammons' work that doesn't always get as well remembered as his sides for Prestige or Chess – a 1947 bop session for Savoy with Howard McGhee on trumpet, Leo Parker on baritone, Junior Mance on piano, Gene Wright on bass, and Chuck Williams on drums; and early 50s sesssions with Johnny Coles on trumpet, Lino Murray on trombone, Mack Easton on tenor and baritone, John Houston on piano, Ben Stuberville on bass, and George Brown on drums; done in a wonderfully full-voiced tone! The set features Gene's classic "Red Top", plus the great two part "Big Slam", and the titles "Chips", "Goodtime Blues", "Fuzzy", "Jim Dawgs", and "Street Of Dreams". LP, Vinyl record album

Late great work from Ammons – an album done at the time of his funk sides for Prestige, but recorded in the style of his earlier years in Chicago! The session's a laidback set of soulful solo-heavy work – recorded as part of a hip series of shows at the North Park Hotel, with a local rhythm trio that includes Jodie Christian on piano, Cleveland Eaton on bass, and Marshall Thompson on drums. James Moody joins Ammons in the frontline, and the set's got the best electric feel that you'd hear if you were lucky enough to catch either player in a small club date in the early 60s. Loads of very imaginative solo work in the best Chicago tenor tradition – with titles that include "Work Song", "Jim Jam Jug", "Have You Met Miss Jones", and "C Jam Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Duke Ellington's drummer from the 50's leads a thunderous octet that includes Harry Edison on trumpet, Sam Most on alto, and Jim Cook on tenor. Bellson's drums are out front, and he kicks the group nice and hard through tracks like "Thunderbird", "Nails", "No More Blues", and "Back On The Scene". Like Bellson's recordings from the 50's, this one sparkles with tightness and a good sense of play between the musicians. LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection of Maybelle's big early hits for Savoy – all featuring backings directed by Ernie Wilkins, with a nice jazzy undercurrent. Maybelle's got a robust voice that was one of the first key attempts to bridge gospel, R&B, and jazz – and the album features 10 tracks that include "Rock House", "I Don't Want To Cry", "Jim", "All Of Me", and "It's A Sin To Tell A Lie". LP, Vinyl record album

There's a nicely narrative photo on the cover, and Antoine Bourachot seems to follow up that inspiration with some cinematic-styled jazz funk throughout – on a record that's even got a set of song titles that conjure up an imagined story as well! A few tracks here have vocals that bring a nice current of soul to the music – fleshing things out with contributions on three different tracks from Jim Grandcamp, Giacomo Lecchi D'Alessandro, and Irfane – who each have their own soulful shapes next to the overall vibe of the music, which is nicely unified, and heavy on warm keyboards, guitar lines, and larger arrangements. Shoko Igarashi plays soprano sax and flute on the record – and titles include "Resolution", "Action", "Miracle", "Fortune", "Bullet", and "Serenade". LP, Vinyl record album

A great modern moment from trombone genius Bob Brookmeyer – and hardly the traditional album you might expect from the title – as Bob blows both valve trombone and plays piano, in a really cool combo with Jim Hall on guitar, and the great Jimmy Giuffre on baritone, tenor, and clarinet! The mix of the two horns and guitar is completely sublime – with all the sense of tone and spacing that Bob and Jimmy were bringing to their other late 50s work – and the tracks are longer extrapolations on familiar themes, but taken into fresh territory with the help of Dave Bailey on drums, and either Joe Benjamin or Ralph Pena on bass. Titles include "Truckin", "Some Sweet Day", "Jada", and "Louisiana". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that's way more than just "again" – that is, a recap of the first Buffalo Springfield classic – as the set not only has the group really exploding forward, but also the individual members taking these strong steps on their own that really point towards their big legacies to follow! Neil Young grabs us with darkness on the first tune, Richie Furay warms us with some country strains on the next, and Stephen Stills moves into a space that's very much his own on the next – yet throughout it all, the record has this sense of unity that really holds up over the years – giving us depth that makes the whole thing an amazing listen time and time again. There's some key help along the way – a bit of piano from Don Randi, electric piano from Jack Nitzsche, and even some recording help from Jim Messina – all furthering the warmth of the group's approach. Titles include "Mr Soul", "Sad Memory", "Hung Upside Down", "Good Time Boy", "Rock & Roll Woman", "Broken Arrow", "A Child's Claim To Fame", and "Expecting To Fly". LP, Vinyl record album

With guests Pete Townshend, Ronnie Wood, Rick Grech, Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Jimmy Karstein, and Rebop. LP, Vinyl record album

A strange little record from the days when the music industry had so much money to throw around, they could make sessions like these! The record is sort of a space rock opera – featuring a huge cast of stars like Cooper, Moon, Hopkins, John Entwistle, Jim Dandy, Eddie Jobson, Elkie Brooks, Justin Hayward, Bill Bruford, and others. The overall feel of the work is a bit like the Rocky Horror Show – a high camp, heavy rock parody of a vintage artform (in this case, the radio space opera.) The musicianship is actually pretty darn strong, even if the overall concept is a bit silly. Tracks include "I'm Flash", "Country Cooking", "What's Happening", "Space Pirates", and "Blast Off". Also includes the great funky break track "Trapped" by Elkie Brooks, which we think was sampled by DJ Shadow! LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe one of our favorite Doors records of all time – if only for the long Fender Rhodes solo by Ray Manzarek on the album's final track, "Riders On The Storm"! Yet the whole album is pretty darn great, too – the last to feature Jim Morrison, who would leave the planet shortly after the album was released! There's a looser, more mature feel to the whole record – still lots of the territory the group had explored on previous albums, but also maybe more relaxed in the studio – knowing when to go for a hook when needed, but also letting some of the tunes really find themselves too. Titles include the hits "Riders On The Storm", "LA Woman", and "Love Her Madly" – plus "The Changeling", "Been Down So Long", "Cars Hiss By My Window", "The WASP", "L'America", and "Hyacinth House". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic early work from The Dramatics – an amazing blend of sweet soul harmony vocals, Memphis soul production, and some other-worldly songwriting that far surpasses later work of the group. This album's one of the band's most righteous, with a mixture of Curtom-type message cuts and sweeter love songs – and it includes the cuts "The Devil is Dope", "Beware of the Man (With The Candy In His Hand)", "Jim, What's Wrong With Him?", and "Hey You! Get Off My Mountain". Stellar soul sound, with a vibe that's unlike a lot of other stuff on the Stax/Volt label! LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful work from the legendary Art Farmer – sounds from a time when the trumpeter was really coming into his own, and finding a way to carve out a special space for himself in modern jazz! The sounds here are fresh, but never overstated – blown with that compact mode that makes Farmer's phrasing so distinct, and set up here with a perfect quartet that features Jim Hall on guitar, Steve Swallow on bass, and Walter Perkins on drums. All players are masters of understatement – and the band is sort of a perfect extension of some of Jimmy Guiffre's earlier work on Atlantic with Hall – as they've perfected a simple style that leaves the instrumental solos floating in air, interacting with each other in subtle complex ways that never cease to amaze. Tracks are longer than on some of the studio albums by the group – and titles include "Swing Spring", "I Want To Be Happy", and "What's New". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing record! By all rights, this shouldn't be so good – but it's an incredible album of haunting tracks that really has us coming back again and again over the years. The formula is simple: Jose plays late 60s pop tunes on acoustic guitar, and sings them in his spacey soulful voice. Backings are by George Tipton, plus a jazz combo made up of Jim Horn, Ray Brown, and Milt Holland – but it's Jose that really makes the whole thing amazing! His style of presentation is like anything else we can describe – filled with sadness and soul, but enough joy to keep moving forward. He takes tracks like "Light My Fire", "In My Life", "Sunny", and "California Dreamin", and transforms them into an amazing document of the darkness hidden behind the sun of southern California. "California Dreamin" is especially amazing – and Jose's version is one of the best soul songs of all time! LP, Vinyl record album

An early hummer from one of the hardest male/female soul acts next to Ike & Tina Turner, but listed here under Inez's name. Inez & Charlie scored super big with their hit "Mockingbird" – the tune that kicks off this LP for a subsidiary of the Sue label – but they also had a style that could get them through a wide variety of material, grooving long past their hits, with great vocals up front, and plenty of hot guitar licks to keep the grooves rough! A dozen great numbers hee, including the title track and "Sitting Here", "Jaybirds", "The Ball Game", "Tom & Jim", "I See You My Love", "The Angels Got Together", "Broken Hearted Fool", "The Angels Got Together", "Searching For My CC", "Love Me Today" and "Talk With Me". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Chico's earliest albums for Pacific Jazz – a set of tightly arranged tracks with a cool chamber feel to them – featuring a lineup that includes Buddy Collette on reeds, Fred Katz on cello, Jim Hall on guitar, and Carson Smith on bass. Collette, Katz, and Hall are at the height of their powers here – a bit restricted, perhaps, but in the way that Hamilton was using to craft some of the more creative sounds of the 50s LA jazz scene – perfectly shaped and formed throughout! Just about every band member contributed a song and an arrangement to the album – and titles include "The Ghost", "Chrissie", "Jonalah", "Sleepy Slept Here", "Drums West", "The Squimp", and "Sleep". LP, Vinyl record album

Forget the Ellington in the title, because this is more a moody album of west coast chamber jazz, in the best tradition of the Chico Hamilton group! This album features the version of Chico's group with Paul Horn on flute and alto sax – plus Jim Hall guitar, Fred Katz cello, and Buddy Collette on tenor and alto sax. The sound differs a bit from the version you may know from the CD reissue – as that one features Dolphy in the group – but it's still great, with titles that include "Azure", "In A Mellotone", "Day Dream", "I'm Beginning To See The Light", and "I'm Just A Lucky So & So". LP, Vinyl record album

A noteworthy session from pianist Hampton Hawes – a rare quartet session from the 50s (at a time when Hawes was mostly working in trios) – and also a three volume set of releases, all recorded in the space of a single night! The album is truly an All Night Session – as the material here was recorded during the night of November 12 and early morning hours of November 13, 1956 – with an unusual group that features Hawes on piano, Red Mitchell on bass, Bruz Freeman on drums, and Jim Hall on guitar! Hall's ringing tones are a perfect partner for Hawes' light approach to the keys – and the relaxed, extended nature of the recording has both players really opening up on some of the album's longish tracks. Titles on this volume include "Blues #4", "Blues #3", and "Do Nothin Till You Hear From Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the earliest work you'll ever hear from the young Jim Osterberg – material that features the famous Stooges frontman playing drums, and doing a slight bit of singing! The group sound a fair bit like you might expect from the cover – a tight, sharp, local combo who do a great job both with their own material, and some of the well-chosen covers they recorded – the kind of stomping garagey material that would have been a hit in the small Michigan clubs at the time! Most vocals are by guitarists Nick Kolokithas and Jim McLaughlin, the latter of whom formed the group with Iggy – and Osterberg does sing lead on a pretty great version of "California Sun", and also contributed the original composition "Again & Again" – a tune that definitely points the way towards The Stooges, and is one of the creepiest things on here. Other titles include "Mona", "I Don't Know Why", "Slow Down", "Walk Don't Run", "Out Of Limits", "Surfin Bird", "Things We Said Today", and "Wild Weekend". Collection features a great range of material – even some early 1963 demos, when the group with just a trio! LP, Vinyl record album