Beautiful solo work from Mal Waldron – a tribute to Billie Holiday, the singer with whom Waldron worked during the vinyl years of her life! LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful album by Mal Waldron – recorded in 1960, after the passing of Billie Holiday, and a very loving tribute by Waldron, who was her accompanist for a number of years. The set moves way past the usual "Holiday songbook" mode, and features instead a dark batch of tracks, two written by Waldron – "Minor Pulsation" and "Cat Walk" – a third written by him and Holiday, the famous tune "Left Alone". Jackie McLean plays some fantastic alto sax on the version of "Left Alone", and the rest of the tracks are trio tracks played by Waldron, Julian Euell, and Al Dreares. The set also features one very strange track – "Mal Waldron: The Way He Remembers Billie Holiday" – which is an interview with Waldron about Billie! And sure, there were many cash-in records after Billie Holiday died, but this is one of the best, and it comes from a very legitimate source! LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful album by Mal Waldron – recorded in 1960, after the passing of Billie Holiday, and a very loving tribute by Waldron, who was her accompanist for a number of years. The set moves way past the usual "Holiday songbook" mode, and features instead a dark batch of tracks, two written by Waldron – "Minor Pulsation" and "Cat Walk" – a third written by him and Holiday, the famous tune "Left Alone". Jackie McLean plays some fantastic alto sax on the version of "Left Alone", and the rest of the tracks are trio tracks played by Waldron, Julian Euell, and Al Dreares. The set also features one very strange track – "Mal Waldron: The Way He Remembers Billie Holiday" – which is an interview with Waldron about Billie! And sure, there were many cash-in records after Billie Holiday died, but this is one of the best, and it comes from a very legitimate source! LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful album by Mal Waldron – recorded in 1960, after the passing of Billie Holiday, and a very loving tribute by Waldron, who was her accompanist for a number of years. The set moves way past the usual "Holiday songbook" mode, and features instead a dark batch of tracks, two written by Waldron – "Minor Pulsation" and "Cat Walk" – a third written by him and Holiday, the famous tune "Left Alone". Jackie McLean plays some fantastic alto sax on the CD's version of "Left Alone", and the rest of the tracks are trio tracks played by Waldron, Julian Euell, and Al Dreares. The set also features one very strange track – "Mal Waldron: The Way He Remembers Billie Holiday" – which is an interview with Waldron about Billie! And sure, there were many cash-in records after Billie Holiday died, but this is one of the best, and it comes from a very legitimate source! CD

A beautiful album by Mal Waldron – recorded in 1960, after the passing of Billie Holiday, and a very loving tribute by Waldron, who was her accompanist for a number of years. The set moves way past the usual "Holiday songbook" mode, and features instead a dark batch of tracks, two written by Waldron – "Minor Pulsation" and "Cat Walk" – a third written by him and Holiday, the famous tune "Left Alone". Jackie McLean plays some fantastic alto sax on the album's version of "Left Alone", and the rest of the tracks are trio tracks played by Waldron, Julian Euell, and Al Dreares. The set also features one very strange track – "Mal Waldron: The Way He Remembers Billie Holiday" – which is an interview with Waldron about Billie! And sure, there were many cash-in records after Billie Holiday died, but this is one of the best, and it comes from a very legitimate source! CD features 6 bonus tracks – the full stereo mix of the album! CD

One of the best records Mal Waldron ever made, and a blinding hard bop session featuring a tight quintet with knock-down-dead front horn lines! The record really follows strongly in the mode of some of Waldron's contributions to Prestige blowing sessions from the same period – but it's also got a much great focus and tightness – one that puts the record right up there with the best hardbop sides on Blue Note! Gigi Gryce plays some razor-sharp alto on the session, Idrees Sulieman is on trumpet, and Waldron's piano is unusually soulful – with slight modern changes that really keep things interesting. Tracks include "Shome", "Transfiguration", "Stablemates", and "Dee's Dilemma". CD

A stunningly powerful batch of hardbop tracks from Mal Waldron – one that's different both from his trio material of the time, and from some of the ways that he works on the Prestige blowing sessions of the period – as Waldron is clearly the leader here, and really works magic with a group of legendary players! The lineup features two different groups – both with John Coltrane on tenor, a key force on the record – one with Sahib Shihab on alto and Idrees Sulieman on trumpet, the other with Jackie McLean on alto and Bill Hardman on drums. Both feature the more obscure Julien Euell on bass, and the Sulieman set features Ed Thigpen on drums, the other Art Taylor on the kit. The groove is incredible, and the tracks scream with a sheer raw power that is sometimes missing from these late 50's Prestige sides – as Waldron takes all of his imagination from the looser "blowing" sessions for the label, and packs it into tight arrangements and compositions that bring out the best in all soloists! Titles include "Potpourri", "JM's Dream Doll", "One By One", "From This Moment On", and "Don't Explain". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the rarest Mal Waldron albums ever – issued on a tiny label, as part of its education series – but a great trio date with George Tucker on bass and Al Dreares on percussion! The music is quite unusual too – a host of compositions by Waldron, and very different than many things he'd recorded earlier – still quite short, but a bridge to some of his more freewheeling work of the second half of the 60s, recorded overseas. Titles include "Love Span", "Call To Arms", "Skippers Waltz", "Quiet Temple", "Lullaby Chant", "Modal Air", "Ollie's Caravan", and "Summerday". LP, Vinyl record album

Far-reaching and incredibly soulful work from Mal Waldron and Gary Peacock! Both players are at the height of their powers here, and have a warmth and sense of interplay that makes the session one of the best they did alone or together during the time. The group's a trio, with Hiroshi Murakami added in on bass – and the overall feel is similar to some of the best Japanese trio sessions of the early 70s, with great recording, long drawn-out introspective songs, and free unbridled playing that you don't always get on American sessions by the same players. Titles include "Walking Way", "What's That", "She Walks In Beauty", and "The Heart Of The Matter". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

(Note: This item is not for sale online until 7:00am on Sunday, April 21. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning of Saturday, April 20. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after 7:00am on April 21 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

Pivotal work from Waldron – stepping out of the blowing session mode, emerging as one of the 60s most striking moderinists. Like a lot of Waldron's records from the time, this set shows an amazing desire for new forms and modern ideas, and the mix of players – Eric Dolphy, Booker Ervin, Ron Carter, Joe Benjamin, and Charlie Persip – pulls the material in a number of different ways. Carter plays bowed cello, as he did on Dolphy's Out There session, and he gives the set a dark moody feel. Ervin's in his best modernist mode, and he ably trades lines with Dolphy and keeps the whole thing moving nicely. Waldron's writing and arranging is superb, and the tracks feature a lot of weird time structures and unusual modal patterns. Includes the tracks "Status Seeking", "Warm Canto", "Warp and Woof", and "Fire Waltz". CD

Really evocative work from pianist Mal Waldron – a rare Japanese session cut with trumpeter Terumasa Hino, and a hip group of players who really make the set sparkle! The album's easily one of the most spiritual that Mal ever cut – and features two side long tracks that build beautifully, with soaring, searching rhythms that are unlike anything else we've ever heard in another Waldron record. Other players include Takao Uematsu on tenor, Isao Suzuki on bass, and Motohiko Hino on drums – and the set also feature added percussion, which really adds to the spiritual quality of the music. Titles include "Reminiscent Suite" and "Black Forest". CD

Really evocative work from pianist Mal Waldron – a rare Japanese session cut with trumpeter Terumasa Hino, and a hip group of players who really make the set sparkle! The album's easily one of the most spiritual that Mal ever cut – and features two side long tracks that build beautifully, with soaring, searching rhythms that are unlike anything else we've ever heard in another Waldron record. Other players include Takao Uematsu on tenor, Isao Suzuki on bass, and Motohiko Hino on drums – and the set also feature added percussion, which really adds to the spiritual quality of the music. Titles include "Reminiscent Suite" and "Black Forest". LP, Vinyl record album

A haunting and unusual batch of tracks from bassist Ron Carter – working here with a group that includes spiritual modernists Eric Dolphy on reeds and Mal Waldron on piano – both players who really add a lot to the set! In a way, the album's more like Dolphy's own work as a leader from the time than the sort of music usually associated with Carter – and Ron really seems to let the reedman shape the overall sound of the set with his tremendous work on alto, flute, and bass clarinet. Carter plays a bit of cello in addition to his bass – giving the record a nicely eerie sound at points – and Waldron's piano, as always, is excellent during this point in his career. Titles include Randy Weston's "Where" and "Saucer Eyes", plus "Bass Duet", which features Carter dueting with George Duvivier, and a very nice version of "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise". LP, Vinyl record album

The duo of Archie Shepp and Mal Waldron come together beautifully here – in a mode that echoes some of the duets that pianist Waldron recorded with other reedmen in the 70s and 80s, but which has an especially wonderful contribution from Shepp! Archie blows both tenor and soprano sax – and the warmth of his horn in later years is really perfect here – especially as the album's sometime of an update of Waldron's earlier Left Alone classic, recorded after the death of Billie Holiday at the end of the 50s. As with that one, the tunes here include some numbers very strongly tied to Billie's legacy, but the vibe is very different, and very personal along the lines of the spirit of Shepp and Waldron. Titles include "Lady Sings The Blues", "Left Alone", "Easy Living", "Everything Happens To Me", "When Your Lover Has Gone", and "Blues For 52nd Street". CD

A rare Italian solo recording from Mal Waldron! Titles include "Three For Cicci", "Mosque Road", "Waltz Of The Oblivious", "All Alone", "Blue Summer", and "Due Torri" – all unusual titles! LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible early work from Mal Waldron – a trio session, but one with a lot of dark edges! The group features Addison Farmer on bass and Al Heath on drums – and the tracks are played with lots of shades of blue – and a nicely restrained modern edge that still has plenty of the soul Waldron was bringing to Prestige blowing sides of the late 50s, mixed with a sense of modernism that shows him advancing into territory of Randy Weston and Herbie Nichols! The record's a pivotal chapter in Waldron's career – definitely full of the sorts of impressions promised in the title – and tunes include the incredible "Champs Elysees", plus "Ciao", "All About Us", and "C'est Formidable". LP, Vinyl record album

Mal Waldron's first two records for Prestige – Mal One and Mal Two – are among some of the finest records that the label put out in the late 50's. They're also some of Waldron's most compelling work, and they have a sharpness that's often missing from his later stuff, which usually tends to be trio material. This cool 2 record set brings both of those albums together, and the set sparkles with energy and creativity that will have you coming back to the records again and again. Waldron's joined by Coltrane, Jackie McLean, Idrees Sulieman, Sahib Shihab, and Art Taylor – and there's never a dull moment! LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite albums ever from the great pianist Mal Waldron – a wonderfully sensitive session, originally done as a soundtrack for a film – but music that also stands alone very strongly on its own! The group here is wonderful, and a bit unusual – a lineup that includes George Coleman on alto, Charles Davis on tenor, Dave Burns on trumpet, Richard Davis on bass, and Alfred Dreares on drums – working beautifully together, in shifting formation – to interpret original Waldron tunes that include "Espresso Time", "Smokin", "Brindle's Place", "The Search", and "Candy's Ride". LP, Vinyl record album

Way more than just an album with Gene Ammons as a leader – and instead, a set that truly earns the "all stars" listed on the cover – thanks to a great array of supporting players, and a very loose, open-ended jam session style that lets everyone get in plenty of solo space! Ammons' tenor is tremendous, but he's also a great collaborator here, too – working with Idrees Suliman on trumpet, Pepper Adams on baritone, Mal Waldron on piano, Art Taylor on drums, Doug Watkins on bass, and Ray Barretto on conga – in a mode that's maybe slightly tighter than some of the blowing sessions Prestige was doing at the time, but which still has that key longform creative energy that made the hardbop generation so great. Titles include "Blue Gene", "Scamperin", "Blue Greens n Beans", and "Hip Tip" – and all tracks are long, with plenty of focus on solos! CD

Gene Ammons may be the leader, but the tenor giant is in great company here – stretching out over four long tracks, with help from Jackie McLean on alto, Art Farmer on trumpet, Kenny Burrell on guitar, and Mal Waldron on piano! The rhythm is kicked in nicely by Doug Watkins on bass and Art Taylor on drums – and titles include "Pint Size", "King Size", "Stella By Starlight", and "Funky". LP, Vinyl record album

Not to be confused with the Jammin' With Gene LP, this set was later reissued as The Twister. Classic blowing session material from Jug – with 4 long tracks that are all a superb example of how great Prestige could be when they wanted to! The group is filled with great players – Jackie McLean, Mal Waldron, Idrees Sulieman, and Kenny Burrell – and the band plays with a free easy groove that produces some beautiful solos, especially from Jug! Titles include "Cattin", "The Twister", "Four", and "Pennies From Heaven". CD

A great little vocal session on Bethlehem – and maybe the only record we've ever seen from singer Betty Blake! Blake's a great vocalist right from the start – one who balances swing and sophistication wonderfully – amidst some very hip jazz backings from a combo that features Zoot Sims and Roland Alexander on tenor, Marcus Belgrave on trumpet, Teddy Charles on vibes, Kenny Burrell on guitar, and Mal Waldron on piano! The set's got a bit more punch than some other Bethlehem vocal dates, but it also has a nice sense of spontaneity too – never over-arranged or too staid, in ways that really show off Blake's swinging side. Titles include "Moon and Sand", "I'll Be Around", "While We're Young", "Blue Fool", and "Trouble Is A Man". CD

A great meeting of tenor sax talents old and young – as the up-and-coming John Coltrane plays alongside Paul "Vice Pres" Quinichette – in a classic Prestige session of well-blown saxophone work! The rhythm section on the album features Mal Waldron on piano, Julian Euell on bass, and Ed Thigpen on drums – but the real focus here is on the tenor giants in the title – working together in warm spirit that's surprisingly well matched! Titles include "Sunday", "Cattin", "Anatomy", and "Vodka". CD

Classic early John Coltrane for Prestige – less a bold statement as a leader than a strong batch of blowing session-styled tracks that show how well Coltrane could hold his own with more established players! The groups on the set vary from track to track – and feature players that include Sahib Shihab, Mal Waldron, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Al Heath – plus underappreciated Philly trumpeter Johnnie Splawn. Trane's in great form here – even though the overall set's a bit less structured than some of his later albums – and his tone and solo approach are already stepping out from the rest of the pack with great vigor! Titles include "Bakai", "Time Was", "Straight Street", and "Chronic Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Searing live work from Eric Dolphy – part of a series of recordings that set a whole new standard for live jazz recording! The record features Dolphy going even farther out than on his studio sides from the time – as the record features very long tracks performed by a crack group that includes Booker Little on trumpet, Mal Waldron on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Ed Blackwell on drums. Despite the length of the tracks, Dolphy isn't as far out as on later European live recordings – but the performance is a great example of his inventiveness within a mainstream structure, and the modernist tendencies of both Waldron and Little shine very brightly in the set. The concert was one of Little's last (and greatest) recordings – sometimes billed as a "memorial", even though he was still alive when it was done – and titles on this volume include "Aggression" and "Like Someone In Love". CD

Searing live work from Eric Dolphy – part of a series of recordings that set a whole new standard for live jazz recording! The record features Dolphy going even farther out than on his studio sides from the time – as the record features very long tracks performed by a crack group that includes Booker Little on trumpet, Mal Waldron on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Ed Blackwell on drums. Despite the length of the tracks, Dolphy isn't as far out as on later European live recordings – but the performance is a great example of his inventiveness within a mainstream structure, and the modernist tendencies of both Waldron and Little shine very brightly in the set. The concert was one of Little's last (and greatest) recordings – sometimes billed as a "memorial", even though he was still alive when it was done – and titles on this volume include "Aggression" and "Like Someone In Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly nice little record – a set in which Prestige Records collected together a number of unissued Eric Dolphy tracks after his death – but still a strong full album – as the record features music that's even a bit more far-reaching than some of the studio albums on the label! Dolphy plays a solo bass clarinet version of "God Bless The Child"; he plays with Booker Little and Mal Waldron on "Status Seeking"; he's on flute in a quartet with Jaki Byard on "April Fool"; and he plays with a pickup Danish rhythm section on an alternate take of "Don't Blame Me". CD

Part 3 to the Five Spot recordings from Eric Dolphy – issued here as a "memorial" to Booker Little, even though Little was still alive for the recording! The album features especially searing work from Dolphy, and was part of a series of recordings that set a whole new standard for live jazz recording. The record features Dolphy going even farther out than on his studio sides from the time – as the record features very long tracks performed by a crack group that includes Booker Little on trumpet, Mal Waldron on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Ed Blackwell on drums. Despite the length of the tracks, Dolphy isn't as far out as on later European live recordings – but the performance is a great example of his inventiveness within a mainstream structure, and the modernist tendencies of both Waldron and Little shine very brightly in the set. The concert was one of Little's last (and greatest) recordings – and titles include "Number Eight" and "Booker's Waltz". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of classic early 60s modern jazz sets – back to back in this great 70s package! First up is the album Far Cry from Eric Dolphy – Eric Dolphy's first meeting in the studio with trumpeter Booker Little – a brilliant batch of modernism that's easily one of the hippest records Little ever worked on! The Dolphy heard here is Eric at his most inventive – sharp-edged and angular one minute, then spiritually lyrical the next – playing flute, bass clarinet, and alto sax equally well on the record – and somehow managing to get Little to share his inspiration perfectly on every number. Other players include Jaki Byard on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums – a rhythm team whose abilities are a big part of the success of the record – and titles include "Far Cry", "Mrs Parker Of KC", "Left Alone", "Ode To Charlie Parker", and "Miss Ann". Next is Where – a haunting and unusual batch of tracks from bassist Ron Carter – working here with a group that includes spiritual modernists Eric Dolphy on reeds and Mal Waldron on piano – both players who really add a lot to the set! In a way, the album's more like Dolphy's own work as a leader from the time than the sort of music usually associated with Carter – and Ron really seems to let the reedman shape the overall sound of the set with his tremendous work on alto, flute, and bass clarinet. Carter plays a bit of cello in addition to his bass – giving the record a nicely eerie sound at points – and Waldron's piano, as always, is excellent during this point in his career. Titles include Randy Weston's "Where" and "Saucer Eyes", plus "Bass Duet", which features Carter dueting with George Duvivier, and a very nice version of "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most jazz-based groups of the German prog scene of the early 70s – heard here on a rare outing that features Mal Waldron playing electric piano with the group! Despite Waldron's presence, though, the real keyboard star of the set is Jimi Jackson – who plays mellotron and organ on the record, and sounds especially wonderful on the side-long track "The Call" – a fantastic 17-minute track that arose out of collective improvisations by the group! Instrumentation on the whole set is great – and includes the keyboards, plus heavy bass, vibes, marimba, guitar, sax, and even a bit of electric violin! Titles include "Radio Marrakesch/Orient Express", "Dreaming Girls", and "The Call". CD

Two of the biggest singers who ever worked for Verve Records – captured perfectly at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1957! Ella Fitzgerald steps out with a strong, lively groove on the first half of the set – swinging things with a looser, more upbeat quality than on some of her mellower Verve studio sets of the late 50s – really grooving it up with small combo backing from the trio of pianist Don Abney! Billie Holiday also gets some small combo backing too – a hip trio with Mal Waldron on piano, Joe Benjamin on bass, and Jo Jones on drums – often a bit more laidback than the group on Ella's sides, but in a great way that helps Holiday hit a very intimate sound, even before this large audience. Ella sings "This Can't Be Love", "Body & Soul", "April In Paris", "I Got A Crush On You", and "Airmail Special" – and Billie sings "Nice Work If You Can Get It", "What A Little Moonlight Can Do", "My Man", "Willow Weep For Me", and "Lady Sings The Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A late 60s soundtrack by Serge Gainsbourg – but a record that's easily as great as any of his studio albums from the same time! The bulk of the album has a spare, punctuated groove that's somewhat funky – quite a bit like Melody Nelson in its sense of space and timing – and its sex-heavy groove that bubbles up nicely from the bottom of bassy backings and mod orchestrations. Serge sings a bit – as does Anna Karina and Jean-Claude Brialy, Gainsbourg's co-stars in the film – and the orchestrations on the record were handled by Michel Colombier, and easily rank as some of his greatest work ever! Titles include both vocal and instrumental versions of "Sous Le Soleil Exactement", "Pas Mal Pas Mal Du Tout", "Boomerang", "Un Jour Comme Un Autre", "Ne Dis Rien", "Roller Girl", "GI Jo", "Pistolet Jo", "Photographes Et Religieuses", "Rien Rien J'Disais Ca Comme Ca", and "Un Poison Violet C'Est CA L'Amour". CD

A trio of albums from one of our favorite trumpeters on the European scene! First up is Portrait – a set that stands as a tribute to trumpeter Dusko Goykovich's 70 years on this planet – and a record that features him in a variety of settings too! Other players include Ferdinand Povel on flute and tenor, Tony Lakatos on tenor, Steve Gut on trumpet, Isla Eckinger and Ray Drummond on basses, Abraham Burton on alto, and Kenny Barron and Tommy Flanagan on pianos – on titles that include "Recado Bossa Nova", "Balkan Blue", "Adriatica", "One For Klook", and "Inga". Next is Swinging Macedonia – a legendary German session from the 60s – and a record that really showcases the unusual criss-crossing of modes that was going on in the European scene at the time! There's a very strong MPS vibe here – as trumpeter Dusko Goykovich leads a swinging sextet that includes Nathan Davis on flute, soprano, and tenor – blowing some tremendously soulful reed lines – plus incredible rhythms from Mal Waldron on piano, Peter Trunk on bass, and Cees See on drums. The record's an attempt to bring traditional Macedonian rhythms into a jazz perspective – but with players like these, it swings in a way any Macedonian album never could – damn soulful, and with a great exotic vibe. Davis is especially great, and plays in a soaring modal vein that's similar to his work on his classic MPS sides, and on the records he cut in America in the early 70s. The album's a beautiful session that often get's overlooked because it blends it with the Enja catalog – but it's really more of a record that belongs in an MPS reissue series, and is a great lost groover that's waiting to be rediscovered by the Dusty Groove crowd. Titles include "Macedonia", "Old Fisherman's Daughter", "Jumbo Uganda", "Bem Basha", "Saga Se karame", and "The Nights Of Skopje". Brandenberg Concert features one of the greatest trumpeters on the European scene of the past few decades – heard here in a completely sublime setting! Dusko Goykovich has played in many styles and many ways, but hasn't ever done a date with full strings before – a long-overdue placement for his wonderful tone on trumpet – shimmering out front of a larger ensemble, in the manner of classic "with strings" dates by Dizzy Gillespie or Art Farmer! Altoist Peter King arranged the album – and titles are all originals by Dusko, some of which you might know from earlier records – reworked here beautifully for the new setting. King also solos on a handful of tracks too – a rich voice that provides a nice balance with Dusko's trumpet. Strings are never overdone, and the album's always got a nice swing from a core rhythm trio that features Renato Chicco on piano. Titles include "Good Old Days", "Handful O Soul", "Danca Comigo", "St Germain Des Pres", "Adriatica", "In My Dreams", and "I Miss You So". CD

18 tracks in all featuring appearances by Lester Young, Roy Eldridge, Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Gerry Mulligan, Mal Waldron, Milt Hinton and Osie Johnson. CD

An incredible album by one of our favorite Brazilian artists! This gem from 1972 is an album that we'd rank right up there with work by Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, or Lo Borges from the same time – with an underground singer/songwriter style, performed in a manner that mixes rock and jazz styles, but all with a rough edge and a very rootsy feel. Macale is an enormous talent that's always been woefully overlooked by listeners outside of Brazil – but he's one of the greatest talents of the 70s, and this may well be his best album! Titles include "Farinha Do Desprezo", "Mal Secreto", "Hotel Das Estrelas", "78 Rotacoes", and "Movimento Dos Barcos". LP, Vinyl record album

Long-blowing late 50s work from Jackie McLean – one of his standout sets as a leader from the pre-Blue Note years! The album features McLean in two different settings – really opening up on side one with a sextet that includes Curtis Fuller on trombone, Webster Young on trumpet, Gil Coggins on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums – in two long takes of "A Long Drink Of The Blues", which features Jackie on both alto and tenor! Side two is a bit tighter, with Jackie heading up a quartet that includes Mal Waldron on piano, Art Phipps on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – on tunes that include "I Cover The Waterfront", "These Foolish Things", and "Embraceable You". CD

Seminal early work from Charles Mingus – a session that really shows him beginning to work in tightly arranged, deeply resonant styles – pushing much more deeply towards the brilliance of the late 50s! The set's recorded with a great lineup that includes Mal Waldron, Max Roach, and the enigmatic George Barrow on tenor – and includes a fantastic reading of "Percussion Discussion", played here by Roach and Mingus as a drum and bass duet (as opposed to Roach solo, as on a later version.) Also features the brilliant "All The Things You C-Sharp", a pivotal track in the Mingus book, and one of our favorites ever by him – plus "Septemberly", "Work Song", and "Jump Monk". LP, Vinyl record album

A group with an enigmatic name, and one with a sound to match – as the quintet play together in ways that link late 50s modern jazz with later, more experimental moments – but all with a sense of cohesion that really makes for a hell of a record all the way through! Some tracks are long, some much shorter – and there's a mix of subtle feeling here that almost takes us back to the territory of Mal Waldron and Eric Dolphy – especially given the album's great use of bass clarinet at times, handled by Joel Stedman, who also plays flute. The rest of the combo features more flute and tenor from Matt Cliffe, piano from Hugh Vincent, bass from Elliot Roffe, and drums from Simon Henry – a wonderfully expressive group who have a superbly fresh sense of tone and timing. Titles include "Faith", "Lizard", "Sight", "Maya's Mood", "Miss B", "Summit", and "Diogenes Pot". LP, Vinyl record album