One of the first American albums from Belgian guitarist and harmonica player Toots Thielemans – a sharp-edged session that brings a new level of jazz into his work! The title's hokey, but the sound is totally great – with Toots on both harmonica and guitar, usually more of the former – alongside a batch of players that includes Pepper Adams on baritone sax, Kenny Drew on piano, Wilbur Ware on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Given these players, there's a nice sense of late 50s tightness to the record – although all players seem to really defer to Toots' intentions, and shape the sound with a flair that's not unlike some of his few great European moments from the decade. Titles include "Fundamental Frequency", "Soul Station", "Struttin With Some Barbeque", and "East of The Sun". CD

One of those rare Blue Note sessions from tenorist Tina Brooks – originally recorded for the label in 1960, but never issued at the time – yet easily on a par with their more famous work of the period! Brooks' horn has a nice hard edge here – that sharp-edged modernism you'd hear with Jackie McLean, who makes a key appearance here on the album's famous "Street Singer" track. Jackie's not on the rest of the record, but that's fine with us – because other players are all equally great, and include Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Kenny Drew on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Apart from "Street Singer", other titles include "The Ruby & The Pearl", "Back To The Tracks", "For Heaven's Sake", and "The Blues & I". CD

A wonderful title for this rare fourth album from Tina Brooks – as the set was recorded by Blue Note in 1961, but had to wait for many decades to finally get reissued! Don't let that put you off, though, as the set's every bit as sublime as Tina's classic True Blue album for the label – an equally masterful session from a tenor talent whose every note seems to be very special and well-placed – working here in a quintet setting with Johnny Coles on trumpet, Kenny Drew on piano, Wilbur Ware on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums! This was the last year that Brooks would ever record, making the set one of his final testaments in jazz – before he lapsed into relative obscurity, and passed away in the mid 70s. Titles include "David The King", "Dhyana", "Talkin About", and "The Waiting Game". CD

Not west coast, but "best coast" jazz – a prime example of the way the Clifford Brown/Max Roach team helped to cook up the intensity of the LA scene of the 50s by infusing it with a bit of New York fire! The album takes off in the extended mode of Clifford's All Stars album – and like that one, features Max Roach on drums alongside a lineup of players that includes Herb Geller and Joe Maini on alto saxes, Walter Benton on tenor, Kenny Drew on piano, and Curtis Counce on bass – all jamming together in really extended, side-long tracks that have plenty of space for creative solo work and free-flowing improvisation! The format's a very unusual one for the 50s – and a great side-stream to the better-known Brown/Roach albums – with the 2 long tracks "Coronado" and "You Go To My Head". CD also features a shorter rehearsal take of "Coronado". CD

Gene Ammons' last session – not as funky as earlier work for Prestige, but still pretty darn nice! The group's got Gary Bartz on alto, Kenny Drew on piano, Sam Jones on bass, Louis Hayes on drums, and Nat Adderley on cornet – and they groove together well, in the kind of soul jazz/modal mode that you'd find on some of the better mid 70s sides for the Muse label. The album includes a nice remake of Duke Pearson's "Jeanine", plus the tracks "Out In The Sticks", "Alone Again Naturally", "It Don't Mean A Thing", and "Geru's Blues". CD

One of Chet Baker's most classic albums of the 50s – a record that features both vocals and strong trumpet solos – all from a time when Baker was one of the hottest things going in jazz! The album's different from records from previous years, in that it moves Baker from LA to New York – where he works with a great quartet that features Kenny Drew on piano, George Morrow or Sam Jones on bass, and Philly Joe Jones or Danny Richmond on drums – all players who have a slightly different approach than some of Baker's compatriots on Pacific Jazz sessions, which also seems to bring out a bit more bite in Chet too. Tracks are still shortish, with those breathy Baker vocals we love so much, balanced with really well-crafted trumpet solos – and titles include "It Could Happen To You", "Do It The Hard Way", "Old Devil Moon", "Dancing On The Ceiling", and "The More I See You". CD features 2 bonus tracks! CD

One of those rare Blue Note sessions from tenorist Tina Brooks – originally recorded for the label in 1960, but never issued at the time – yet easily on a par with their more famous work of the period! Brooks' horn has a nice hard edge here – that sharp-edged modernism you'd hear with Jackie McLean, who makes a key appearance here on the album's famous "Street Singer" track. Jackie's not on the rest of the record, but that's fine with us – because other players are all equally great, and include Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Kenny Drew on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Apart from "Street Singer", other titles include "The Ruby & The Pearl", "Back To The Tracks", "For Heaven's Sake", and "The Blues & I". CD

John Coltrane's classic – and only – recording as a leader for Blue Note! The album's no throwaway date, though – as it stands strongly with both Coltrane's other label work of the time, and with the best of the late 50s Blue Note scene – a time when the label was really cooking at full strength! The groove here is a bit harder, heavier, and hardbop-inflected than some of Trane's late 50s sides with Red Garland – thanks to a lineup that features Lee Morgan on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Kenny Drew on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. There's a crisp modern edge to the record that really holds up beautifully – even after years of play – and titles include "Blue Train, "Locomotion", "Moment's Notice", and "Lazy Bird". CD

John Coltrane's classic – and only – recording as a leader for Blue Note! The album's no throwaway date, though – as it stands strongly with both Coltrane's other label work of the time, and with the best of the late 50s Blue Note scene – a time when the label was really cooking at full strength! The groove here is a bit harder, heavier, and hardbop-inflected than some of Trane's late 50s sides with Red Garland – thanks to a lineup that features Lee Morgan on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Kenny Drew on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. There's a crisp modern edge to the record that really holds up beautifully – even after years of play – and titles include "Blue Train, "Locomotion", "Moment's Notice", and "Lazy Bird". This edition includes alternate takes of "Blue Train" and "Lazy Bird"! CD

Sylvie Courvoisier on piano, Wadada Leo Smith and Nate Wooley on trumpet, Drew Gress on bass, Kenny Wollesen on drums and vibes, and Christian Fennesz on guitar and electronics! CD

With Drew Gress on bass and Kenny Wollesen on drums. CD

An essential Art Farmer session from the mid 50s – and a magnificent batch of hardbop tracks that we'd rank with some of our favorite work on Blue Note! The group is incredibly strong – with Hank Mobley on tenor, Kenny Drew on piano, Addison Farmer on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – all coming together with a magical in-the-pocket groove that persists on nearly every track. Farmer's still at a formative stage here – and he's going for a much harder sound than usual, with an excellent tone and extremely well calculated solos throughout. Mobley's at his best from this period, and his playing puts this session more in the tightly executed Blue Note camp (ala some of the Horace Silver late 50s recordings), than it does the Prestige/New Jazz blowing session mode. The whole thing's great – and titles include "Ad-Dis-Un", "By Myself", "Farmer's Market", "With Prestige", and "Wailin' With Hank". CD

A standout 70s set from Dexter Gordon – one that's a bit tighter than some of his longer-blown dates from overseas – and which almost sparkles with the same power as his 60s albums on Blue Note! The group here is nice and tight – with Kenny Drew on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Albert Heath on drums – all grooving in a style that's sharply focused, and which really sets the stage for Dex's wonderful tone on the solos. Pedersen's bass is great too – sometimes stepping out with a presence not usually heard on a set like this – and titles include the Gordon originals "The Apartment", "Antabus", and "Candlelight Lady" – plus "Wee Dot" and "Old Folks". CD also features the bonus track "Stablemates" – from the same session, but previously unissued. CD

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

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

One of a trio of fantastic performances recorded by tenor giant Dexter Gordon at the Zurich Jazz Festival in 1975 – a set that has him blowing with all that late-life brilliance he brought to his best European recordings of the time! Yet also, possibly because of the festival setting, there's a sharpness here that's a bit different than some of Gordon's small club live dates of the period – this great sense of energy that comes through right away, and which also seems to come from the rest of the group too – a quartet lineup that includes Kenny Drew on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Alex Riel on drums. Titles on this second volume include "Wave", "Darn That Dream", "Rhythm A Ning", "There Is No Greater Love", and "Sticky Wicket". CD

Dexter Gordon in Tokyo, but working strongly with a lineup that helped him make some of his best 70s recordings in Europe – that wonderful quartet with Kenny Drew on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Albert Tootie Heath on drums! The format is familiar, and Dex is right on the money – spinning out those wonderfully strong, richly imaginative solos that make his Copenhagen material so strong over the years – that special Gordon way of taking a familiar tune, and opening it up completely in the space of his extended solo! Titles include Gordon's classic "Fried Bananas" – plus "Misty", "Days Of Wine & Roses", and "Jelly Jelly Jelly". CD features two bonus tracks – "Rhythm A Ning", recorded with the same group, but with Espen Rud on drums in 1973 – and "Old Folks", recorded with an unusual quartet that features Ronnie Mathews on piano, Stafford James on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums. CD

A tremendous European meeting of tenorist Dexter Gordon and trombonist Slide Hampton – brought together in this impeccable sextet session for MPS – a real standout in the label's straight jazz catalog over the years! By the time of the set, Gordon had been working heavily in Europe, especially Copenhagen – a locale where he was given ample freedom to stretch out and really explore his tone and phrasing. Hampton had also kicked around the continent a fair bit too, but in a tighter format, doing arrangements for others and working in bigger groups – and it's actually his careful touch that really helps shape the sound of the set – by bringing Gordon's groove into a focus more strongly than before, and reminding us that Dex was a great group player when he wanted to be! The frontline features Gordon's tenor, Hampton's trombone, and the trumpet of Dizzy Reece – often stating the heads in a fluidly soulful way, then breaking out nicely with individual voices – very much in the best Blue Note mode. Rhythm is by the trio of Kenny Drew on piano, Art Taylor on drums, and Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass – and titles include 3 excellent originals by Hampton – "A New Thing", "My Blues", and "A Day In Vienna" – plus a wicked almost-Lee Morgan-esque take on "What's New", and versions of "Shadow Of Your Smile" and "You Don't Know What Love Is". CD

A completely charming little set from trumpeter Dusko Goykovich – put together with just the sort of classic feel you'd expect from the title! The set was recorded in the same stretch as the Nathan Davis album on DIW, London By Night – and the lineup here is essentially the same as that one, minus Davis – a group with Dusko Goykovich on trumpet, Kenny Drew on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Al Levitt on drums! There's a great swing to the rhythm section, and Goykovich blows plenty of niceness over the top – those soulful, expressive lines that we love so much in his music over the years – often set here to original tunes that really help keep things fresh. Titles include "Inga", "Nella", "New Bop Theme", "Doboy", "Faros", "The Touch Of Your Lips", and "Recado Bossa Nova". CD

One of Jackie McLean's beautiful recordings for Steeplechase from the early 70's – a real return to basics that helped form the groundwork for his soulful playing of later years! This set features two long compositions by Billy Gault, the magical young pianist who graced some of McLean's best work – and although Billy's not actually playing on this session, his presence is more than felt on the excellent tunes "Mode For Jay Mac" and "Ghetto Lullaby". The set was recorded live, with backing by a European group that includes (then expat) Kenny Drew on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Alex Riel on drums – and other tracks include "Callin", "Jack's Tune", and "Where Is Love". CD

A great meeting of two generations of jazz – and one that really blows the top off some of Dexter Gordon's other European sessions of the time! The setting here is definitely one that's more a Gordon-based date – long tracks with rhythm backing from a trio with Kenny Drew on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Alex Riel on drums. But unlike some of the other long-blown Gordon-heavy albums for the stretch, the presence of Jackie McLean really brings in a new sort of fire – the kind of soaring, soulful energy he brought to his own records in these immediate post-Blue Note years – almost a Coltrane influence, and a sense of spiritualism that really comes through on some of his solo moments – even in this relatively straight setting. Titles include "Half Nelson", "I Can't Get Started", "Another Hair-Do", and "Dexter Digs In". CD

Rare European work, with a few different groups! "Oleo" and "Sonny's Blues" feature a quintet with Milt Jackson on vibes, Kenny Drew on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Art Blakey on drums. "Lover" features a trio with Jymie Merritt on bass and Max Roach on drums – and the record has a very long take on "Sonnymoon For Two", with Don Cherry on trumpet, Henry Grimes on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums! CD

Sonny Stitt with Gene Ammons, Art Blakey, Kenny Drew, Matthew Gee, Jo Jones, Duke Jordan, Earl May, Junior Mance, Billy Massey, Tommy Potter, Gene Wright, and others. CD

Lilian Terry on vocals – with Dizzy Gillespie, Kenny Drew, Isla Eckinger, and Ed Thigpen! CD

With Kenny Drew on piano, Jesper Lundgard on bass, Ed Thigpen on drums, and Richard Boone on vocals. CD

Great early work from one of the hippest bassists of his generation! Paul Chambers cut this obscure little album in LA, featuring a "jazz delegation from the east" that included Philly Joe Jones on drums and John Coltrane on tenor – plus pianist Kenny Drew, who had already been working on the west coast – all in a style that's much more relaxed and stretched-out than most other jazz recorded in LA at the time! The album is one of the earliest small group sessions with Coltrane, and it's a very spare batch of tracks that lead off with Chambers' amazing work on bass – but which also feature some incredible early work from Trane – very raw and loud in the mix, with a lot more bluesiness than you'd expect – and we mean that in a good way! Titles include "Dexterity", "Visitation", "John Paul Jones", and "Eastbound". Plus, the CD also seems to include a few bonus titles from an additional 1956 session with Coltrane! CD

John Coltrane's classic – and only – recording as a leader for Blue Note! The album's no throwaway date, though – as it stands strongly with both Coltrane's other label work of the time, and with the best of the late 50s Blue Note scene – a time when the label was really cooking at full strength! The groove here is a bit harder, heavier, and hardbop-inflected than some of Trane's late 50s sides with Red Garland – thanks to a lineup that features Lee Morgan on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Kenny Drew on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. There's a crisp modern edge to the record that really holds up beautifully – even after years of play – and titles include "Blue Train, "Locomotion", "Moment's Notice", and "Lazy Bird". CD

Overlooked genius from reedman Nathan Davis – a later session that's a bit more straight ahead than some of his 70s work, and a date that really gets back to some of the best soulful energy of his records from the 60s! Davis is recorded here in very sympathetic company – players who share some of the best energies he picked up on the expatriate scene during his famous time overseas – Dusko Goykovich on trumpet, Kenny Drew on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Al Leavitt on drums! There's an easygoing soul jazz groove to the whole set, with a slight touch of modernism – and in addition to tenor, Davis also plays some wonderful soprano sax – handling the horn with stretched-out soulfulness that makes him one of the undisputed masters of the instrument. Titles include "Noite Em Leblon", "Rio De Janeiro", "Dr Bu", "London By Night", and "Shades". CD

An essential Art Farmer session from the mid 50s – and a magnificent batch of hardbop tracks that we'd rank with some of our favorite work on Blue Note! The group is incredibly strong – with Hank Mobley on tenor, Kenny Drew on piano, Addison Farmer on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – all coming together with a magical in-the-pocket groove that persists on nearly every track. Farmer's still at a formative stage here – and he's going for a much harder sound than usual, with an excellent tone and extremely well calculated solos throughout. Mobley's at his best from this period, and his playing puts this session more in the tightly executed Blue Note camp (ala some of the Horace Silver late 50s recordings), than it does the Prestige/New Jazz blowing session mode. The whole thing's great – and titles include "Ad-Dis-Un", "By Myself", "Farmer's Market", "With Prestige", and "Wailin' With Hank". CD

Overlooked genius from Art Farmer – a less-remembered session from the early 80s, and one that features him in a hip quintet with the great Sahib Shihab! The feel here is as lyrical and laidback as some of Art's other work from the time, but the presence of Sahib on soprano and baritone brings a good sense of feeling to the record – one that almost sharper than usual for a Farmer session, and which seems to push the trumpeter more strongly than usual on the upbeat numbers. An added plus is the rhythm section – which features Kenny Drew on piano, Mads Vinding on bass, and Ed Thigpen on drums – all players who had plenty of time together on the Copehagen scene, and who work in an equally cohesive way here. Titles include "Arrival", "Blue Wail", "Context", "Back Door Beauty", and "Passport". CD

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

With Leroy Vinnegar on bass, Lawrence Marable & Stan Levey on drums, Kenny Drew & Lou Levy on piano, Dextor Gordon on tenor saxophone & Frank Rosolino on trombone. CD

Johnny Griffin on tenor saxophone, Kenny Drew on piano, Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Albert "Tootie" Heath on drums. CD

An astounding live set from Johnny Griffin – recorded at the famous Club Montmartre in Copenhagen, Dexter Gordon's famous home in the late 60s – but a place that was also a showcase for the new sort of energy that Griffin was bringing to his horn at the time! The record crackles with the kind of free energy of the best Montmartre sessions – long tracks and compelling solos, stretched-out versions of tunes you may recognize, but which are transformed nicely by Griff's great solo work – and by a rhythm section that features Kenny Drew on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Albert Heath on drums! Titles include "The Man I Love", "Blues For Harvey", "Sophisticated Lady", "Hush A Bye", and "Wee". CD

3CDs, and one DVD – a heck of a lot of music in one groovy little box set! The 3CDs each feature a different overseas performance by American tenor legend Johnny Griffin – working in very familiar territory of Copenhagen, in long, open-ended recordings that really show his inventive strengths on the tenor sax! CD 1 features a 1964 performance with Kenny Drew on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – on titles that include "Doctor's Blues", "Night In Tunisia", "Wee Dot", and "Body & Soul". CD 2 features a 1984 performance with Eddie Lockjaw Davis joining Griff in the frontline on additional tenor – with rhythm by Harry Pickens on piano, Curtis Lundy on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums – on titles that include "Funky Fluke", "Hey Lock", "Lester Leaps In", "Blues Up & Down", and "Oh Gee". CD 3 features a 1989 date, with Drew on piano again – on titles that include "Just Friends", "Isfahan", "Slukefter Blues", and "Hush A Bye". The set also features a DVD – with 3 tracks from a Village Vanguard performance by Griffin in 1981, with Ronnie Matthews on piano – on titles that include "A Monk's Dream", "56 & Closing", and "Opening/Blues For Gonzi". DVD also features 2 more 1985 tracks by Eddie Lockjaw Davis (without Griffin) – "S'Wonderful" and "Shiny Stockings" – both recorded in Copehagen. CD

A fantastic tribute to the legendary Karin Krog – one of our favorite jazz singers of all time – and maybe one of the most creative talents to emerge from the European jazz scene in the past 50 years! Karin's not just a regular singer – she's a hell of a collaborator, and a great experimentalist who's always willing to try out new sounds and styles – modes she's explored since her initial recordings of the 60s, and the wonderful legacy of music she's given us on record from that time onwards – which still results in fantastic new music in recent years too! This package goes way beyond any other Krog collection we've ever seen – not just because it offers up differing discs that look at her many musical "faces" – but also because it brings together recordings for a number of different labels across a great span of time – all to really show the full range of her music! Even if you've got as many of Karin's records as we do, there's plenty that's new here too – and the well-done package divides each disc up into a special theme – with standard material, key collaborations, vocal experiments, and more. The set includes work with John Surman, Steve Kuhn, Marty Paich, Georgie Fame, Don Ellis, Slide Hampton, Red Mitchell, Dexter Gordon, Kenny Drew, Bengt Hallberg, Archie Shepp, and others – and one CD features just spare duets with musicians, and another features some great bigger band material. 59 tracks in all – with loads of surprises! CD

A real classic by alto giant Jackie McLean – a record that's pulled from two different sessions, but which stands out with a strikingly unified feel! The album was cut during the height of Jackie's bop years for Blue Note – with material from one 1959 session that features Donald Byrd on trumpet and Sonny Clark on piano – and another from 1960 that has Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Kenny Drew on piano, and the great Tina Brooks on tenor! Brooks' appearance on the album is especially great, as the tracks which feature him and McLean together crackle with some of the first modernist energy to show up on one of Jackie's albums – really hitting hard on original compositions that include "A Ballad For Doll", "Appointment in Ghana", and "Isle of Java". One of McLean's best-ever – and filled with great original tracks! CD also features 3 bonus tracks from the Brooks session – "Medina", "Melonae's Dance", and "Street Singer". CD

A great meeting of two generations of jazz – and one that really blows the top off some of Dexter Gordon's other European sessions of the time! The setting here is definitely one that's more a Gordon-based date – long tracks with rhythm backing from a trio with Kenny Drew on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Alex Riel on drums. But unlike some of the other long-blown Gordon-heavy albums for the stretch, the presence of Jackie McLean really brings in a new sort of fire – the kind of soaring, soulful energy he brought to his own records in these immediate post-Blue Note years – almost a Coltrane influence, and a sense of spiritualism that really comes through on some of his solo moments – even in this relatively straight setting. Titles include Gordon's "All Clean", Sahib Shihab's "Rue De La Harpe", Drew's "Sunset", and a nice take of "On The Trail". CD

Features Randy Brecker on trumpet, Frank Lacy on trombone, Gary Smulyan on baritone sax, Craig Handy and Chris Potter on tenor sax, Kenny Drew on piano, and others. Includes the songs "Gunslinging Bird", "Reincarnation Of A Lovebird", "O.P. (Oscar Pettiford)", "Please Don't Come Back From The Moon (Pinky)", "Fables Of Faubus", "Jump Monk", "Noon Night/Celia Medley", "Hog Callin' Blues", and "Started Melody". CD

Features Randy Brecker on trumpet, Robin Eubanks on trombone, Gary Smulyan on baritone sax, Gary Bartz on alto, Kenny Drew and John Hicks on piano, and others! CD

Something of a family affair with Mondre Moffett, Charles Moffett Jr, Charles Moffett Sr, Cody Moffett, and Charisse Moffett – plus Kenny Garrett on alto, Kenny Drew on piano, and Stanley Jordan on midi guitar strings CD

With Kenny Drew Jr on piano, Stanley Jordan on guitar, and Charles Moffett on tenor. CD

The second set from this wonderful Kenny Clarke tribute group – a combo with a stunning lineup that includes Woody Shaw and Nat Adderley on trumpets, Joe Henderson and Nathan Davis on tenors, Grachan Moncur on trombone, Kenny Drew on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Idris Muhammad on drums! The tunes are mostly originals by the group members, done in the boppish mode of Clarke's classic years –but which also feature many of the soul jazz inflections of the players involved – on titles that include "For Klook" "Work Song", "The Man From Potter's Crossing", "Locksley", and "Jamaican Hot Nights". CD

An excellent document of an under-recorded part of Buddy Rich's career – a late 50s group that featured Sonny Criss on alto sax! The quintet is an especially sharp ensemble – graced not only with well-blown solos from Criss, done in the best sharp-edged mode of his Imperial years, but also with great piano from Kenny Drew, and trombone by Ole Hansen, a player we know little about, but who we've heard rumored to actually be Melba Liston! The set's got a similar feel to Sonny's album At The Crossroads – which was also recorded with Hansen – although this session is recorded live at Birdland, as part of a well-done radio broadcast in 1958. One track features a guest appearance by the Dave Lambert Singers on "Every Day" – and other tracks include "Four", "If I Were A Bell", "In A Prescribed Manner", "Our Delight", and "The Cinch". CD

Sonny Rollins on tenor saxophome with Art Blakey, Clifford Brown Ray Brown, Ray Bryant Paul Chambers, Kenny Clarke John Coltrane, Miles Davis. Kenny Drew, Kenny Dorham Tommy Flanagan, Red Garland Hampton Hawes, Percy Heath Milt Jackson, Philly Joe Jones Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne Thelonious Monk, George Morrow Oscar Pettiford, Max Roach Horace Silver, Arthur Taylor Leroy Vinnegar, Doug Watkins & oters. CD

Zoot Sims blows it nicely on this open-ended live set recorded in Copenhagen – a batch of tracks with the same sort of long, free space for solos as other dates done on that scene by American tenor stars! No surprise, Kenny Drew's backing Zoot up with some tremendous rhythm accompaniment – working here with a trio that includes Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums – just about the best backing a player like Sims could have hoped for on the date! All the tracks here move well past the 5 minute mark – with most approaching 10 – and Zoot's ability to solo strongly in an extended fashion is very firmly in place. Titles include "Groovin High", "Too Close For Comfort", "Blue Hodge", "Morning Fun", "All The Things You Are", "It's All Right With Me", and "In The Middle Of A Kiss". CD

Ernie Wilkins on tenor saxophone, leading a large group with Sahib Shihab on alto and soprano saxophone, Bent Jaedig on tenor saxophone and flute, Per Goldschmidt on baritone saxophone, Jesper Thilo on tenor and soprano saxophone, Erling Kroner and Richard Boone on trombone, Willie Cook on trumpet, Allan Botschinsky and Vagn Elsberg on trumpet and flugelhorn, Kenny Drew on piano, and Aage Tanggaard on drums. CD

Great rare material from Clifford Brown's legendary days at Emarcy – tracks recorded as part of the Dinah Jams vocal sessions, but done in a much more extended jam session mode! Washington sings a bit on 2 of the tracks, but the main focus here is on Brownie working with a jamming set of instrumentalists that really open up on extended solo work. The album features 2 groups – one with the great Walter Benton on tenor, Herb Geller and Joe Maini on altos, and Kenny Drew on piano – the other with Clark Terry on trumpet, Geller on alto, Harold Land on tenor, and Junior Mance on piano – great lineups on both sessions! Tracks are long, very much in the "jams" feeling of the title – and titles include "Coronado", "I'll Remember April", and "Crazy He Calls Me". CD

Herb Geller's one of those players that almost sounds hipper in the later part of his career – he's lost none of the sharpness of his earlier years, and really starts to open up even more on his solos – as you'll hear on this early 90s session with Kenny Drew on piano! The pair are working here in the studio, with bass from Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen and drums from Mark Taylor – all in a mode that's open and relaxed, but not as loose as some of the live dates that Drew was recording on the European scene. Geller plays alto throughout, with a wonderfully sharp tone – boppish one minute, a bit more fluid and open the next – and Pedersen's bass has a surprisingly strong role on some of the best numbers. Titles include "Birdland Stomp", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "Cheryl", "Autumn Nocturne", and an extended "Ellington & Strayhorn Medley". CD

One of the sharpest 50s sessions from Johnny Griffin – a hip quartet date for Riverside, done at the time when he was working heavily with Thelonious Monk! The album's definitely got an angular groove that shows Monk's influence, but it's also shows Griffin's Chicago's roots as well – with an approach to hardbop that's plenty tight, but never too much so to lose its sense of soul – that careful balance that players like Griffin, Clifford Jordan, or Von Freeman were bringing to tenor improvisation at the time. The rest of the group's perfectly suited to this mode – and features Kenny Drew on piano, Wilbur Ware on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Titles include "Little John", "Where's Your Overcoat Baby", "Hot Sausage", "Teri's Tune", and "Sunny Monday". CD

Features Vincent Herrin gon on alto, Mark Turner on tenor, Nicholas Payton on trumpet, Kenny Drew Jr. on piano, Christopher Thomas on bass, and Carl Allen on drums. Tracks include "Cherokee", "Autumn In New York", and "Lotus Blossom" – plus the originals "Theme For Dolores", "Feelin' Sanctified", and the title track, "Echoes Of Our Heroes". CD

Ben Webster and Ole Kongsted on tenor saxophone, John Darville on trombone, Arnvid Meyer on trumpet, Kenny Drew and Niels Jorgen Steen on piano, Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Alex Riel and Hans Nymand on drums. CD

Bud Powell, George Shearing, Thelonious Monk, Tommy Flanagan, McCoy Tyner, Bill Evans, Duke Jordan, Herbie Hancock, Sonny Clark, Chick Corea, and Kenny Drew CD