Early 50s material recorded by the late Clifford Brown – issued here in a classic "memorial" package slightly after his death in 1956! And while Brown never recorded much for Prestige – and never really as a leader – these sides are still a great example of his completely unique touch on the trumpet! The first half of material was recorded in 1953 – and features Brown soloing with Tadd Dameron's group on the tracks "Philly JJ", "Chose Now", and "Dial B For Beauty". The other set features Brown and Art Farmer as the lead soloists with the Swedish All Stars, a group led by Quincy Jones – and tracks on that session include "Stockholm Sweetnin", "Scuse These Blues", and "Lover Come Back To Me". CD

A great early trio session from Ray Bryant – the kind of record that instantly shows why he caught such fire on the scene! There's a simplicity here that's almost invisible – a command of the keys that's strong, but not nearly as show-offy as some of Bryant's contemporaries. And given that Ray always managed to kick up a groove on the left side of the keyboard with his firm approach to rhythm, he's definitely a group player in the trio on the set – an excellent combo that features the wonderful Ike Issacs on bass and Specs Wright on drums. Titles include "Splittin", "Golden Earrings", "Sonar", "Blues Changes", and "Daahoud". CD

Tracks include "Montono Blues", "I Never Knew", "Boo-Lu", "Minor Mishap", "All Day Long", and "It's A Wonderful World". 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

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

Early moments of genius from the young John Coltrane – completely sublime, and served up here on 16 CDs with loads of unusual sessions and bonus material too! CD

A sublime early set from John Coltrane – and one of Tadd Dameron's greatest moments on record ever! The session's a laidback quartet one – with John Simmons on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums, completing the group with Dameron on piano and Trane on tenor – all coming together in a style that's loose, but still quite sharp overall – especially given Coltrane's tremendous tone, which really helps take the record to the next level from the very first moment it comes into the mix! Dameron's piano is strong, but subtle – and his compositions are what really make the record great – tunes that include "Soultrane", "Mating Call", "Romas", "Super Jet", and "On A Misty Night". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful tribute to one of the first great pairings of Hammond and tenor – the saxophone of Eddie Lockjaw Davis and the organ of Shirley Scott – presented here in four classic albums that would forever change the face of jazz! The "cookbook" in the title is a reference to the name of the first three records in the set – The Eddie Lockjaw Davis Cookbook records, volumes 1 to 3 – and the set is completed with the great album Smokin, which also pairs Scott and Davis together! The records were key dates for both players – for Davis, a way to firmly move into the world of jazz after roots in more R&B-styled recordings – on long tracks that really showed the world what a tremendous soloist he could be when he had the chance to stretch out. And for Scott, a way to showcase her budding talents on the Hammond – in ways that have a lot more bite than her later trio sides, and which also mark her as a different organ jazz stylist from contemporary Jimmy Smith. All four records here are presented with a new set of notes, and in a really wonderful package overall – finally together after all these years! CD

An album that compiles early Miles Davis sides from two different Prestige sessions of the early 50s. One features Miles with a sextet that includes Sonny Rollins, Bennie Green, John Lewis, Percy Heath, and Roy Haynes – on the tracks "Morpheus", "Down", "Blue Room", and "Whispering". The other session features a septet, with Lewis, Kenny Clarke, Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, Leonard Gaskin, and Sonny Truitt. Titles include "Tasty Pudding", "Floppy", "Willie The Wailer", and "For Adults Only". LP, Vinyl record album

Lots of classic early material – including "If I Were A Bell" recorded with John Coltrane on tenor and Red Garland on piano, "Conception" with Sonny Rollins on tenor and Jackie McLean on alto, "Bag's Groove" with Milt Jackson on vibes, "Solar" with Horace Silver on piano, and "Walkin" with JJ Johnson on trombone, Horace Silver on piano, and Lucky Thompson on tenor! LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful overview of some of the most legendary material in the catalog of both Miles Davis and John Coltrane – quintet collaborations for Prestige Records from the late 50s, presented here with all master and alternate takes, plus a full bonus CD of unreleased material! The original tracks were issued on a groundbreaking run of albums that include the classics Cookin, Relaxin, Steamin, and Workin With The Miles Davis Quintet – all with Davis on trumpet, Coltrane on tenor, and rhythm from the trio of Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. But in addition to the 32 tracks of studio material from the group – presented on the first 3 CDs in the set – the package also features 8 more live numbers, recorded for the Tonight Show in 1955, and live at the Blue Note in Philly in 1956 and at Cafe Bohemia in 1958! Original studio tunes include "Stablemates", "The Theme", "How Am I To Know", "Four", "Salt Peanuts", "Woody'n You", "Ahmad's Blues", "Well You Needn't", "Half Nelson", "Oleo", "Tune Up", and "Blues By Five". Unreleased live tunes include "Tune Up", "Walkin", "Max Is Making Wax", "Four", "Bye Bye Blackbird", and "Two Bass Hit". Added bonuses include 5 solo transcriptions, a 40 page booklet, and original cover art by Miles! CD

A collection of numbers that Miles Davis recorded for Prestige in the 50s – both dates that were too short to be issued as 33 rpm LP albums by themselves, combined here into one full length record! The first two batches of material are from 1953 – one featuring Davis working in a sextet with Sonny Rollins and Charlie Parker, a nd the second with a quartet featuring Miles as the only horn– in a mode that steps off a bit from the boppishness of Davis' Blue Note recordings. Titles include 2 takes of "Serpent's Tooth", plus "Round Midnight", "Tune Up", "When Lights Are Low", "Smooch", "Miles Ahead" and "Compulsion". The rest of the set is another quartet side, with Horace Silver, Percy Heath and Art blakey, and numbers include "Four", "That Old Devil Moon" and "Blue Haze". LP, Vinyl record album

Miles joined by John Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, Philly Joe Jones, John Lewis, Kenny Clarke, Sonny Rollins, Horace Silver, JJ Johnson, Max Roach, and others. CD

A huge collection of genius from this legendary reedman – all his classic albums for Prestige, plus the landmark Five Spot sessions with Booker Little, and more! CD

A stunning session, and proof that Dizzy never slept on his playing – even in the 70s! Originally released as 2 separate LPs in France on the America label, the record is a crack small group set recorded in Paris, and featuring very long tracks that let Dizzy really stretch out on his solos. Kenny Clarke is on drums, and he does some amazing work on the LP's version of "Manteca", which has a great breakbeat at the intro, then grooves along funkily for 13 minutes! The whole set's beautiful, and the other titles include "Brother K", "Wheatleigh Hall", and "Alone Together". The group also features a Brazilian percussionist on a few tracks – most notably the tight groover "Fiesta Mo Jo", a killer track with great solos and a rhythmic conception that shows that Dizzy's still got the Latin beat down nicely. Other titles include "Girl Of My Dreams", "Stella By Starlight", and "I Waited For You". LP, Vinyl record album

Collects tracks from the Dizzy Gillespie Sextet, Bennie Green & His Band, the Red Rodney Quintet, and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis. Includes the previously unissued track "I'm Gonna Eat You With A Spoon". CD

Nice mixture of boppish and swing-based material, and an excellent soulful session that has Illinois Jacquet playing in a stripped-down setting with Ben Tucker on bass, Alan Dawson on drums, and Barry Harris on piano, who adds a nice warm dimension to the set. Jacquet's tone is fantastic as always, and it's a real treat to hear him work his way around the tracks in a relatively free environment. Titles include "Sassy", "Bottoms Up", "Jivin With Jack The Bellboy", and his classic "Port Of Rico". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice mixture of boppish and swing-based material, and an excellent soulful session that has Illinois Jacquet playing in a stripped-down setting with Ben Tucker on bass, Alan Dawson on drums, and Barry Harris on piano, who adds a nice warm dimension to the set. Jacquet's tone is fantastic as always, and it's a real treat to hear him work his way around the tracks in a relatively free environment. Titles include "Sassy", "Bottoms Up", "Jivin With Jack The Bellboy", and his classic "Port Of Rico". CD

A strange and tasty little album that Roland Kirk made with organist Jack McDuff in the early 60s – one of his few outings in such a format, and a smoking little session that almost makes us wish he'd cut more of them! The format is relatively simple – with lots of interplay between McDuff's organ and Kirk's range of reeds (tenor, manzello, stritch, flute, and siren on this record!) And given that both players have a good sense of whimsy that still always manages to swing nicely, the pairing is a strong one – and makes for a record that's slightly different for both artists. Titles include "Makin Whoopie", "Funk Underneath", "Kirk's Work", "Three for Dizzy", and "Doin' the Sixty-Eight". LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection that brings together early 50s work in the "birth of the cool" mode! Side one features Lee Konitz and Miles Davis – in a group with Sal Mosca, Max Roach, and Billy Bauer, on very "birth of the cool" like tracks that include "Odjenar", "Hi Beck", "Yesterdays", and "Ezz Thetic". The flipside features several takes of "All The Things You Are", "I'll Remember April", and "These Foolish Things", plus "You'd Be So Nice To Come To" with Jimmy Gourley on guitar, Henry Renaud on piano, Don Bagley on bass, and Stan Levey on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Late 60s greatness from Pepper Adams – an overlooked session that's easily one of his most standout sides of the decade! There's an easygoing swing to the record that's simply wonderful – a well-blown sound that's never too overthought or academic – just pure proof of the sort of inroads that Pepper Adams made with the baritone sax back in the 50s, as he liberated the instrument from its work in the chorus to a fully-voiced solo instrument of its own! The other players certainly help contribute to the magic of the date – and in addition to a rhythm section that includes Tommy Flanagan on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums, the set also features Zoot Sims on tenor, blowing with a tone that's almost as deep as Adams! Titles include "Cindy's Tune", "I've Just Seen Her", "Serenity", "Inanout", "Punjab", "Elusive", and "Verdandi". CD

One of the few albums ever cut by this incredible tenor sax player – a wonderful talent that we only know from a handful of records – all of which we love! This date's got a bold sound that very much lives up to its cover, and Alexander's placement on Prestige's New Jazz label – a vibrant sound that's got elements of the 60s underground of Eric Dolphy or Ken McIntyre, but which also has a more flowing, soulful vibe as well – almost a precursor to later spiritual jazz elements of the 70s. No surprise, the great Marcus Belgrave is in the quintet on trumpet – as is Ronnie Mathews on piano, with rhythm support from Gene Taylor on bass and Clarence Stroman on drums. Almost all tracks are originals – and titles include "I'll Be Around", "Dorman Road", "Lil's Blues", and "Orders To Take Out". LP, Vinyl record album

Mose Allison's last album for Prestige Records – before moving onto even bigger fame at Columbia and Atlantic during the 60s! Unlike Allison's later sets, this one is mostly instrumental – but there are a few sweet vocal tracks that bring out the hip, rootsy lyrical modes that would make Mose a big hit with the mod scene overseas – including the classic "Eyesight To The Blind", plus "That's All Right" and "Do Nothing Till You Here From Me". The remaining piano trio sides have a great rollicking groove – rootsy, yet slightly modern too – with bass by Addison Farmer and drums from Ronnie Free – on titles that include "Promenade", "It's Crazy", "Strange", "Autumn Song", and "Groovin High". CD

Like many other 70s reissues in the Prestige/Milestone/fantasy family, this set compiles 2 early albums by Mose. Unlike a lot of his later material, this set's mostly instrumental, though he does get in some vocals on about a third of the tracks. The album features some great work by Allison's trio of the time – Addison Farmer on bass and Ronnie Free or Nick Stabulas on drums – simple piano-driven groovers, performed with a slight gutbuckety approach, and lots of sweet down home soul. 20 tracks in all, including "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", "How Long Has This Been Going On", "Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand", "Stroll", "I Hadn't Anyone Till You", "Seventh Son", "If You Live", "Mule", "If I Didn't Care", "Moon & Cypress", and "Creek Bank". CD

An all-instrumental set from Mose Allison – one that drops out his familiar jazz vocals, and really brings a nice focus to his energy on the keys of the piano! Given that Mose really got his start as a sideman in other combos during the 50s, the selection's no surprise – and if you've only heard Allison's better-known numbers with singing, you'll really be floored here at his skills as an instrumentalist – particularly in the way he manages to play the piano with deep-down roots, yet also hit some stunningly modern tones as well! Accompaniment is by Addison Farmer on bass, plus either Ronnie Free or Nick Stabulas on drums – and titles include "Dinner On The Ground", "Crepuscular Air", "Mule", "Creek Bank", "Town", "Devil In The Cane Field", "The Minstrels", "Moon & Cypress", "Carnival", and "Mojo Woman". CD

Great early classics – including "Seventh Son", "Eyesight To The Blind", "Parchman Farm", and lots more! CD

One of the records that really helped establish the legend of Mose Allison as one of the most unique talents in jazz – an early effort that still has Mose working mostly as a pianist, but which also features key vocal performances of "Parchman Farm" and "Lost Mind" – and a spot of trumpet on "Trouble In Mind"! Allison is joined by Addison Farmer on bass, and Nick Stabulas on drums – and the instrumental sides include "Crepuscular Air", "Mojo Woman", "I'll Never Be Free" and "Ain't You A Mess". LP, Vinyl record album

A hipster vocal jazz classic – a full length Prestige album that brings together all of Mose Allison's vocal numbers from his initial run a the label! Mose started out as a pianist, but quickly won even greater attention with his down home, New Orleans-influenced way of singing – a mode that would be copped by many other singers in both rock and soul for years to come – but which still sounds best, here at the source! The recordings feature Mose on piano alongside his vocals – with only bass and drum accompaniment on all numbers – and titles include the mod classics "Parchman Farm" and "Seventh Son", plus "I've Got A Right To Cry", "Young Man's Blues", "Eyesight To The Blind", "If You Live", "One Room Country Shack", and "That's Alright". LP, Vinyl record album

Two later album's from Allison's stay at Prestige, Ramblin' With Mose and Autumn Song – before he moved over to Atlantic to go on to greater success – collected in one package. Unlike his later, more well-known sets, this is mostly instrumental, but there are a couple of nice vocal tracks, with the roots to his bluesy hipster approach in evidence: "I Got A Right To Cry", "Eyesight To The Blind", "That's All Right" and "Do Nothing Till You Here From Me". The remaining piano trio sides have a great rollicking almost boogie feel to them, with Addison Farmer and Ronnie Free rounding out the group, and include "Old Devil Moon", "Stranger In Paradise", "Kissin' Bug", "Ramble", "Old Man John", "Ingenue", "Promenade", "It's Crazy", "Strange", "Autumn Song" and "Groovin High". LP, Vinyl record album

A stone classic from Gene Ammons – and a record that introduced his talents to a whole new audience in the 60s! The album's a more laidback one than some of Jug's more hard-blown honkers – as you might guess from his hit rendition of the ballad in the title – and the instrumentation here varies between organ from Johnny Hammond Smith and piano from Mal Waldron – making for a nice tapestry of dark-tinged, late nite moods. Other players include Frank Wess on tenor and flute, and Art Taylor or Ed Thigpen on drums. Titles include the classic "Angel Eyes", plus "You Go To My Head" and "It's The Talk Of The Town" – and slightly more groovin numbers like "Getting Around" and "Water Jug". CD

A stone classic from Gene Ammons – and a record that introduced his talents to a whole new audience in the 60s! The album's a more laidback one than some of Jug's more hard-blown honkers – as you might guess from his hit rendition of the ballad in the title – and the instrumentation here varies between organ from Johnny Hammond Smith and piano from Mal Waldron – making for a nice tapestry of dark-tinged, late nite moods. Other players include Frank Wess on tenor and flute, and Art Taylor or Ed Thigpen on drums. Titles include the classic "Angel Eyes", plus "You Go To My Head" and "It's The Talk Of The Town" – and slightly more groovin numbers like "Getting Around" and "Water Jug". LP, Vinyl record album

Bad Bossa Nova is right – as Gene Ammons really hits a great groove here – one that's not exactly bossa, but which has lots of Latin and tropical touches! The session makes great use of 2 guitars at the same time – using that of Kenny Burrell for soulful rhythm, but also adding in Bucky Pizzarelli for some nice acoustic embellishments – in a mode that's similar to the soul jazz-com-bossa style used on records like Ike Quebec's Soul Samba or Charlie Rouse's Bossa Nova Bacchanal. The overall rhythms are a bit more complicated, and a bit more soul jazz based than those sets – with Hank Jones on piano, Oliver Jackson on percussion, and Al Hayes adding in some sweet extra bongo! Titles include the classic "Ca'Purange" – plus "Anna", "Yellow Bird", "Cae Cae", and "Moito Mato Grosso". Also issued under the title Jungle Soul! (Ca' Purange). LP, Vinyl record album

Jug's big and bad here in tone – and the style is nicely complicated at times – a bit more open-ended and electric than before, with a sound that's almost like the shift that Stanley Turrentine was making during his years at CTI! There's still a bit of the previous Prestige funk in the mix – thanks to drums from Billy Cobham, and organ from Sonny Phillips – but the group also includes up-and-comer Maynard Parker on guitar, who gets in some nicely snakey lines at times – slinking through the tunes with a warmly chromatic edge that's mighty nice, and which sets the tune for some of Ammons' more laidback solo moments. His tenor's still as strong as ever, though – blown with a beautiful sense of tone, on tracks that include "Lady Mama", "Big Bad Jug", "Lucille", "Fly Me", and "Fuzz" – plus a nice version of "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" with a sweetly gentle break! LP, Vinyl record album

A nice 2LP set that collects material recorded on January 3, 1958 – originally issued as 2 separate LPs, The Big Sound and Groove Blues, but collected here together in its entirety, along with a good set of notes! The album's classic Ammons, playing in a laidback open-ended blowing session, with other strong Prestige players – like Coltrane, Jerome Richardson, Paul Quinichette, Art Taylor, and Mal Waldron, who always seems to be the driving force between most Prestige sides like this. Titles include "Groove Blues", "Jug Handle", "Cheek To Cheek", "Blue Hymn", "The Real McCoy", and "That's All". LP, Vinyl record album

Features the tracks "Jammin With Gene", "Funky", "Blue Hymn", "Blue Gene", "Seed Sack" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the great funky albums that Gene Ammons cut for Prestige at the start of the 70s – quite different than his earlier work for the label, and a very different showcase for his tenor genius! The whole lineup here is amazing – a quintet that features heavy drums from Idris Muhammad, piano and Fender Rhodes from Harold Mabern, bass from Ron Carter, and some tremendously smoking guitar from the great George Freeman! Freeman goes nuts on the funky cut "The Black Cat" – and other tracks include "Jug Eyes", "Hi Ruth", "Something", and "Piece To Keep Away Evil Spirits". 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

Way more than just an album with Gene Ammons as a leader – and instead, a set with 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! LP, Vinyl record album

A great meeting of tenor talents – a collection of some fantastic early material recorded by Jug for Prestige. This collection of great sides, originally issued as 78s, features Ammons and Stitt locking horns on "Blues Up And Down", "You Can Depend On Me", "Easy Glide", "Walkin", "Touch Of The Blues", "Who Threw The Sleeping Pills In Rip Van Winkle's Coffee?" and "Chabootie", with sidemen that include Duke Jordan, Bill Massey, Tommy Potter, Gene Wright, Jo Jones, Art Blakey and Wesley Landers. Classic blowing material! LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet double-length set – one that features two classic Prestige albums from Gene Ammons! Boss Is Back is a great comeback for tenor legend Gene Ammons – not just in a musical sense, but also because Jug had spent most of the past few years in prison – as part of the usual trumped-up drug charges that were filed against musicians at the time! At the time of this album, Ammons had not recorded since a very successful flurry of sides recorded in 1961, done for a number of labels, and issued slowly during his time off the recording market – a precursor to this fantastic return to form, which has Gene hitting more of a jazz funk mode, in the best Prestige style at the end of the 60s! Case in point is the presence of Bernard Purdie on drums on a number of cuts – in a lineup that also features some organ from Sonny Phillips, piano from Junior Mance, and electric bass from Bob Bushnell – plus congas from Candido for a nice extra kick! Titles include the funky cuts "Tastin' the Jug" and "Jungle Boss" – plus "Madame Queen" and "Feeling Good". Brother Jug is a great bit of jazz funk from tenor genius Gene Ammons – really reinventing himself here after some time off the scene in the 60s! The set has Gene picking up a great groove with help from Billy Butler on guitar and Sonny Phillips on organ – and the great Bernard Pretty Purdie is also on drums, and kicks it nice and lean on the great groover "Jungle Strut"! The album also features a nice version of "Son of A Preacher Man", plus "Ger-ru", which features Junior Mance on piano. CD