One of the all-time great 60s albums from Blue Note – a seminal session from tenor legend Ike Quebec, cut in a warm, mellow style that's simply wonderful! Ike's working here with a quartet that includes organist Freddie Roach – a perfect match for the Quebec tone of the time – with a lean and soulful bottom sound on the Hammond that lets Ike soar on his solos over the top! The group plays a set of mellow standards, plus a few originals – all in the warm soulful vein that was Quebec's virtual domain at the time. Titles include "Lover Man", "A Light Reprieve", and "Easy – Don't Hurt". An incredible Blue Note release, and rare, too (we almost never see a vinyl copy) – reissued here with beautiful remastering! CD

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Startling! This album is one of two that a young Tony Williams cut for Blue Note, back when he was just hitting the age of 20, and when he was already blowing the minds of masters like Jackie McLean (who first hired him) and Miles Davis (who stole him from Jackie for his own group!) with an approach to drumming that was freed from usual time constraints. Williams conception was so unique, other young modernists – like the album's Wayne Shorter and Sam Rivers on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, and Gary Peacock on bass – quickly benefited from his presence, as you'll hear in this amazing session that sounds very little like any other Blue Note release. Williams wrote all of the tracks, but the style is much freer than any sense of composition might imply – and the group is shaken up differently from track to track. Titles include "From Before", "Echo", and "Extras". CD

Bill Carrothers on piano, Drew Gress on bass, and Bill Stewart on drums. CD

Organic atmospherics from Chari Chari – work done in a style that seems to make it rise from the earth of its own accord! The "bottom" of the record is more pronounced than in other Chari Chari work – slightly more beat-conscious, but still in a way that's mostly concerned with the feeling of the "top" – the magical, mystical sounds that float and simmer around the record – emerging from the mist with a feel that's both moody and spacey. Titles include "Across The Universe", "Ti Burung", "Solar Pass", "Spring Ocean", "Flow Dub Outta Borneo", "Enter The Metal Circle", and "Life In Flow Motion". CD

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Two fantastic albums – the amazing Dolphin, with Lou Levy on piano – plus Spring Is Here, also with Levy – plus Monty Budwig on bass and Victor Lewis on drums! CD

One of the few albums ever cut by reedman Rudolph Johnson – a hell of a saxophonist, and one with a great ability to combine the spiritual with the searing – a bit like Joe Farrell at his CTI best, but not as freewheeling – nicely focused, and a little bit funky in all the right parts – in ways that make this album one of the real standouts on the legendary Black Jazz label! The groove is nice and hard, and plenty dark – with lots of sharp edges around the offbeat rhythms, and a "bite" that makes the album one of the heaviest titles on the label. Other players include John Barnes on piano, Reggie Johnson on bass, and Ray Pounds on drums – and titles include the great "Diswa", which has sort of of a tight jazzy hip hop sample feel to it, plus "Mr TJ", "Little Daphne", and "Spring Rain". CD

A groundbreaking record from flautist Hubert Laws – a mixture of classical themes and jazz, handled with an airy CTI approach – and set to arrangements by Don Sebesky that are simply mindblowing! The album's a wonderful example of the way that CTI really pushed the boundaries of instrumental expression in the 70s – taking Laws wonderfully breathy work on flute, and mixing it with some well-crafted backings that also feature electric piano by Bob James, bass by Ron Carter, and percussion by Airto and Jack DeJohnette. The larger group is handled by Sebesky, who really brings some magic to the record – a sense of sound, space, and timing that's still a heck of a lot more mature and sophisticated than most instrumental recordings coming out today! Titles include "Syrinx", "Rite Of Spring", "Brandenburg Concerto No 3", and "Pavane". CD

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A gem by Joe Pass – recorded "live" in the studio a few months before his legendary For Django album, but never issued until the 70s! The set's got a freeness that you don't always hear in some of Pass' other more restrained work – and working with a quartet that includes Mike Wofford on piano, Pass crafts some long and beautiful versions of tracks that include "Joy Spring", "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes", "Relaxin At Camarillo", and "Some Time Ago". CD

One of the all-time great 60s albums from Blue Note – a seminal session from tenor legend Ike Quebec, cut in a warm, mellow style that's simply wonderful! Ike's working here with a quartet that includes organist Freddie Roach – a perfect match for the Quebec tone of the time – with a lean and soulful bottom sound on the Hammond that lets Ike soar on his solos over the top! The group plays a set of mellow standards, plus a few originals – all in the warm soulful vein that was Quebec's virtual domain at the time. Titles include "Lover Man", "A Light Reprieve", and "Easy – Don't Hurt". An incredible Blue Note release, and rare, too (we almost never see a vinyl copy) – reissued here with beautiful remastering! CD

A pivotal album for Talk Talk – still a bit in their mid 80s Brit pop mode here, but also shifting towards the spacier tracks that have kept us coming back to their work again and again over the years. Titles include "Living In Another World", "Chameleon Day", "Time It's Time", "Happiness Is Easy", "I Don't Believe In You", and "Life's What You Make It". CD

A tremendous collection of 70s soul – one of our favorite-ever compilations from the UK Kent label! The set focuses on the lesser-known gems of the Spring and Event labels – companies who were well-known for bigger hits by Joe Simon, Millie Jackson, and others – but who also cut some sublime singles in a modern soul mode, many of which were new discoveries to our ears before this CD! The package is really incredible – filled with 23 cuts that really opened our ears to the labels, and which do a fantastic job of blending mellow, sophisticated, and bits of southern soul in the 70s! Titles include "What Did I Do Wrong" by The Mayberry Movement, "You Didn't Love Me Anyhow" by Act One, "I Can't Believe You Love Me" by Lou Jackson, "House For Sale" by Millie Jackson, "Alakazam" by Sonny Ross, Time" by Don Williams & The Exchange, "There's Another In My Life" by Phillip Mitchell, "Can I Get A Witness" by Jackie Verdell, "C'Mon & Give It Up" by Clare Bathe, "Please Come Home" by Garland Green, "I'm The Other Half Of You" by Ray Godfrey, and "Lead Me On" by The Internationals. CD

A great little follow-up to one of our favorite compilations ever from Kent Records – a motherlode of under-discovered soul from 70s powerhouse Spring Records! Spring is best known for its big hits with Joe Simon during the decade – but at the same time, the label also issued countless great singles by lesser-known artists – great little gems that run the gamut from southern soul to heavy funk, harmony soul, and disco – all with a quality level that matches or beats most of the other indies of the time! This wonderful set brings together some of the best from those years – and includes work issued not only on Spring, but also on the related Event and Posse labels – served up here as a whopping 24-track package that's supported by great notes on all the music. Titles include "It's So Good To Know" by Mayberry Movement, "I'm A Lover" by Vernon Brown, "You & I Go Good Together" by Garland Green, "Turn Yourself Around" by Clare Bathe, "Walk All Over God's Heaven" by Jackie Verdell, "Baby There's Nothing You Can Do" by The Joneses, "I'm On My Way" by Winfield Parker, "Ain't It Amazing" by Prince Harold, "Dry Bones In The Valley" by The Internationals, "Mr Everything" by Little Eva Harris, "It Takes Both Of Us" by Act One, "I'll See You In Hell First" by Phillip Mitchell, "Sherry Washington" by Ray Godfrey, and "Just Can't Say Hello" by Ronnie Walker. CD

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With Nick Brignola on baritone saxophone, Roger Kellaway on piano, John Lockwood on accoustic bass, and Adam Nussbaum on drums. CD

A great slice of work from the New York underground of the post-disco years – served up by a family of labels that had been making things happen through most of the 70s! The set focuses strongly on the singles issued by the Posse and Spring Records labels – the former a new offshoot of the latter, especially geared towards 12" singles that were strongly focused on both the new sounds of the clubs and the streets – including lots of electro, bass-heavy funk, hip hop-inspired grooves, and mabye even some elements that would soon point the way towards house music to come! This side of the Spring Records label has never been covered in detail like this before – and the choice of cuts is as great as the notes on the music – which finally gives the Posse singles their due in the scene from back in the day. Titles include "We Come To Jam" by Blaze, "Sing A Song" by Lonnie Youngblood, "Have Your Cake" by Body, "Wired For Games (long version)" by C Brand, "Workin Out" by Ritz, "Live It Up (short vocal)" by Fonda Rae, "Get Up An Dance" by Mynk, "Spread Love" by Fatback, "Let's Get Nice (7" vocal)" by Glory, and "Got To Have Your Lovin (short vocal)" by Feel. CD

A fantastic look at the Spring Records label in New York – a company that had a few big crossover hits in the 70s, but also issued a lot more rare and obscure material over the years – with a long legacy that even hit the early years of the old school scene! One of Spring's great contributions was finding a way for fast funk groups to shift into a disco mode when the earliest years of the clubs got going – but there's also a lot more going on here too – including some great deep soul ballads, warm midtempo steppers, and cuts that point the way towards the modern soul generation on the rise. The package also features six never-issued cuts, alongside some well-chosen and overlooked Spring Records gems – all put together with the usual strong notes and excellent sound we love from Ace/Kent! Titles include "If We Get Caught I Don't Know You" by Prince Philip Mitchell, "Falling In Love" by Victor Tavares, "Save The Best For Me" by The Determinations, "Do You Feel Me" by Act I, "I'm The Other Half Of You" by Maxine Weldon, "If You Could Turn Into Me" by The Fatback Band, "Magic's In The Air" by Ronnie Walker, "Hold On" by Ray Godfrey, "If You Say You Love Me" by Us, "The Storm Is Passing Over" by Jackie Verdell, "Beauty" by The Joneses, "Kill The Monster" by Flower Shoppe, "I Ride Alone" by The Internationals, "Get Right" by Richard Barbary, "Daddy's Coming Home" by Prince Harold, and "Of Your Life" by Vernon Brown. CD

A great set of tracks that shows an oft-hidden side of The Fatback Band – their talent for smooth, mellow numbers! Despite the fame of the group as a funky act and as dancefloor favorites, they could kick back and lay out a good ballad or a love song when they wanted to – something they did once or twice an album on their sides for the Spring label, from which the 10 tracks on the CD are pulled. The approach is a great one – as the group have a sweet sound that's perfect for mellow harmonies, drifting as effortlessly here as the band grooves on their funkier numbers. Titles include "Oh Girl", "She's My Shining Star", "I'm So In Love", "Please Stay", "I Found Lovin", "Sunshine Lady", "At Last", "Can't You See", "Is This The Future", and "Do It To Me Now". CD

A key 70s session from Tommy Flanagan – a record that showed that he was still one of the most fluid and soulful players of his generation! The album has Flanagan working only with the bass of George Mraz – in a drum-less format with even less structure than usual, a perfect setting for Tommy to stretch out, open up, and do his thing on the keys of the piano. There's still always a gentle swing and good focus to most tracks here – and Flanagan never gets too indulgent with the setting, even on the longer numbers. Titles include "Blue Twenty", "With Malice Towards None", "Blues For Sarka", "Star Eyes", and "They Say It's Spring". CD

One of those really great records from a time on the UK scene when some groups were effortlessly mixing jazz and rock elements up in the mix – but in ways that are very different than some of the more familiar jazz rock modes of the mainstream! Gaillard have plenty of strong horn solos on this set – not in a brassy bigger lineup, but as a way of bringing in tenor, trumpet, or other instruments where you might normally have a guitar solo – also blown with qualities that show that the musicians in the group are doing a lot more than just flavoring in the tunes! Players include Tony Roberts on tenor and flute, Lyle Jenkins on tenor and baritone, Dave Caswell on trumpet, and even the great jazz musician Harry Beckett on flugelhorn – and the record also sports some nice sitar, Hammond, and electric piano as well. Geoff Brown and Andy Abbott handle vocals – and titles include "Open Up Your Mind", "Something's Going On", "Premonition", "In Your Minds Eye", "Winter Spring Summer", "Ask For Nothing", and "New Dawn Breaking". CD

A lovely later recording from Stan Getz – very spare and spacious, and recorded with a casual approach that's quite striking, and really fresh! The album features Stan playing alongside pianist Albert Dailey – with no other rhythm accompaniment, just piano and tenor sax. The tunes are mostly familiar numbers, played in a relaxed, improvised mode that makes the whole thing feel like you're getting a lucky glimpse of Stan and Albert playing together in an after hours session or rehearsal. There's a bit of roughness in the recording, but given the depth of soul and color from both players, that quality also emerges as an honest humanity that only serves to make the recording more compelling! Titles include "Tune Up", "A Child Is Born", "Confirmation", "Round Midnight", and "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most". CD

Tracks include "Prophet Jennings", "The Core", "Up Jumped Spring", "Karioka", "Melting Pot", "Lament For Booker", and "Bridlike". CD

A lost set of work from the team of Bobby Hutcherson and Harold Land – recorded right around the same time as their famous San Francisco album! The album's overflowing with the soulful, righteous tones the pair could create together – sublime vibes from Hutcherson, both tenor and flute from Land – and a top-shelf supporting cast that includes Stanley Cowell on piano, Reggie Johnson on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums! Like others of this nature, Blue Note never issued the material at the time – but wisely released it as an album at the start of the 80s – a great contribution to Hutcherson's catalog for the label – of which we can never get enough! Titles include "Ungano", "Avis", "Comes Spring", and "Orientale". CD

Spacey sounds from the enigmatic Iasos – a legendary figure in the 70s underground – and an artist with a heck of a great ear for organic electronics and unusual recording techniques! This cool collection of Iasos' music was put together by Carlos Nino with the guys at Numero – and as such, it's got a really sensitive feel – a way of bringing together the sounds and stories that really get at the subtle genius of Iasos – packaged in a lavish set that also features lots of vintage photos too. The style is often quite personal, and almost naive – as Iasos works on guitar, keyboards, amplified flute, and other odd tape and studio effects – all flowing out with a style that's often a bit cosmic, and pretty darn compelling. Titles include "Crystal Petals", "Procession On The Horizon", "Cloud Prayer", "Rainbow Canyon", "I Passion You A Leap Of Love Flame", and "Spring Temple Forest". CD

A sublime solo set from pianist Masaru Imada – one that really opens up with the kind of warm, spacious approach to jazz that he showcased on his famous albums for the Three Blind Mice label! Imada's got a completely captivating sound here – really bringing us in with a personal approach, but one that's never too easygoing to be casual either – graced with an understanding of just the right touch on the keys and timing of the groove and resonating with a really great sound throughout! Titles include "Menina Moca", "Pico", "Sometime Ago", "Little Blue", "Spring March", "I Thought About You", and "3 x 3 Steps". CD

A flawless batch of classics from Millie Jackson in the heart of her early years on Spring Records – maybe sounding better than ever here! Millie's raunchier style would come later on, but here she's working in styles that are a perfect mix of gritty and sweet – arrangements tailored perfectly to those characteristics in her sultry, smoky voice – and equally at home in sessions in Muscle Shoals, Philly or NYC. Covers the bases from moody southern soul, to tender ballads, to lightly soaring strings – and the mixes by Steve Levine really bring out the vibe of the original sessions, as closely as possible to the spirit and vision of the original recordings – a restoration as opposed to a revision. Includes "Sweet Music, Soft Lights & You" featuring Isaac Hayes, "House For Sale", "I'll Continue To Love You", "My Man, A Sweet Man", "I Cry", "If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don't Wanna Be Right)" and "It Hurts So Good" – plus "Kiss You All Over", "Bad Risk", "Never Change Lovers In The Middle Of The Night" and more. 12 tracks on the CD. CD

Powerful live document of Janis with Big Brother live at Winterland in the spring of '68 – with recordings of their biggest and best-remembered numbers, and ones that didn't get nearly as much play over the years! Truly awesome work, with Janis and the band working their inimitable magic – all the more incredible given the potent period in late 60s San Francisco. "Down On Me", "Flower In The Sun", "I Need A Man To Love", "Easy Rider", "Combination Of The Two", "Farewell Song", "Piece Of My Heart", "Catch Me Daddy", "Magic Of Love", "Summertime", "Light Is Faster Than Sound", "Ball And Chain" and "Down On Me". CD

Beautiful ballads from Dutch singer Greetje Kauffeld – a host of rare recordings from the 60s, 70s, and 80s – all pulled together in one nicely unified set! Kauffeld sings in English throughout, with a lush style that's very much on par with the most mature American vocalists of the time – a mode that's a great later extension of older jazz torch modes – but with a refined, sophisticated style that's pretty darn compelling! Arrangements are by Rob Pronk, Jerry Van Rooyen, Addy Flor, and Rogier Van Otterloo – but tunes work together with a very similar feel – almost making the whole thing sound more like a well-conceived album than just a compilation. Titles include "Vincent", "Andorinha", "Spring Is Here", "You Must Believe In Spring", "The Way You Look Tonight", "Dear Death", "Miss Otis Regrets", and a haunting wordless version of "The Way We Were". CD

The rarest of three albums that King Pleasure ever recorded – and pretty darn hard to find, too. The set was recorded after King's earlier sides for the Prestige and HiFi jazz labels, but it's in a very similar style, with some wonderful vocalese-ing done in Pleasure's landmark style. He's really one of the greatest jazz singers of the 20th century, and it's unfortunate that apart from the big hit fame of "Moody's Mood For Love" (recorded here once again), King never got strong recognition as a richly talented singer. A number of cuts on here are re-recordings of earlier work – like "Don't Get Scared" and "Sometimes I'm Happy" – and other tracks include "It Might As Well Be Spring" and "Old Black Magic". Plus, this CD reissue also expands the original album with a lot of bonus cuts, including some great unreleased numbers – a total of 18 tracks in all, and a treasure trove of work by King Pleasure! CD

Amazing sounds from one of the all-time greats – the legendary Little Willie John – not only a key inspiration to James Brown, but one of the formative forces in soul music at the start of the 60s! The material here was cut by King Records at the height of its R&B years, but it also stretches forth towards something new, too – a deeper, more expressive sound that really blows us out of the water, even all these decades later – vocals that are incredible, and virtually a blueprint for the style that would come to be known as deep soul in later years. The package brings together all of Little Willie John's hit singles for King, but also features the much more obscure b-sides too – making it an essential document of these legendary years – with a whopping 32 tracks that include "Now You Know", "Flamingo", "Spring Fever", "I'm Sorry", "My Nerves", "Do Something For Me", "Leave My Kitten Alone", "Let Nobody Love You", "Fever", "Tell It Like It Is", "Letter From My Darling", "Don't Leave Me Dear", "Right There", and "All Around The World". CD

Tracks include "Inaki's Decision", "Dali", "Braggin' In Brass", "Limbo Jazz", "Symphony In Riffs", and "Spring Yaounde". 16 tracks total. CD

A tremendous look at the early years of the legendary Joe McPhee – a set that's based around his classic Nation Time album, and which features other live material from the same time – including a Hat Hut album, and two CDs' worth of previously unissued work! The core album is legendary – a gritty set that features a mighty funky drummer, and some of the most soulful work that Joe ever recorded. Joe plays tenor and trumpet in sweet lineup that features bubbling organ, vamping rhythms, and some sweet modal elements mixed together in percussion, guitar, and Fender Rhodes. Titles include the hard wailing "Nation Time" – plus "Shakey Jake", an excellent 13 minute funk number – and the moodier "Scorpio's Dance". Next is the searing Black Magic Man album – an early release on the Hat Hut label, but recorded during the same December 1970 performance as Nation Time – almost showing the bolder, freer sound of the group – but still coming across with some surprising soulful elements too. The original album is expanded by the addition of the unreleased "Song For Lauren" alternate takes – and the core record includes "Black Magic Man", "Hymn Of The Dragon Kings", and "Song For Lauren". The next two CDs feature material recorded in 1969 and 1970 – at Vassar and in Poughkeepsie – with Joe and group working through some similar spiritual and soul jazz territory as on the Vassar CD issue from the same label. The music is heavy on elements you'd hear from the Nation Time album – Hammond, guitar, and even some electric bass and vibes – used in styles that run from soul jazz, to modal, to more experimental – all on very long tracks that have McPhee really stretching out on tenor and trumpet! Titles include "Cold Sweat", "Breakaway Theme", "Untitled", "Nation Time", "Sunshower", "Spring Street", and "Contemplation". All 4CDs come in very cool LP sleeves, in a slipcover box, a 60 page booklet of notes, photos, and information on the music! CD

A fitting title for this scorching set tracks led by the incomparable Lee Morgan – captured over several dates throughout 1960 at the legendary Birdland club – and backed up by Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengers! Nothing but legends on the stage here – with Morgan's trumpet out front of Blakey on the kit, Bobby Timmons on piano, Wayne Shorter on tenor, and Jymie Merrit on bass. The tracks on the first disc were recorded on three dates in the spring and summer of '60, and they include "The Chess Players", "This Here", "The Midget", "Nelly Bly", "Dat Dere", "Justice", Night In Tunisia" and more. Disc two features numbers recorded in the summer and fall of the same year, and it includes "Lester Left Town" with Lester Young sitting in on piano, "It's Only A Paper Moon", "This Here", Sakeena's Vision", "Koko's Waltz" and more. CD

A heavy heavy set from the legendary Alphonse Mouzon – one of his drum-heavy funk records for Blue Note! Alphonse has a style that's a bit different than some of his other work here – very direct, with plenty of soul undercurrents – although definitely some of the rockish elements that also made Mouzon a key crossover player in the fusion years! The album was Mouzon's first, and in some ways may be one of his best – and has a strong jazz component, thanks to work from sidemen who include Sonny Fortune and Buddy Terry on reeds, and the great Larry Willis on acoustic and electric piano. Alphonze wrote, arranged, and conducted all the tracks – and titles include "Crying Angels", "Funky Finger", "Spring Water", and "Sunflower". CD

Rare work from a very unique chapter in the career of baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan – his larger Concert Jazz Band – an ensemble that really helped flesh out some of the ideas he'd explored previously with smaller combos! The group recorded a few albums for Verve in the early 60s, but this 3CD package presents never-heard performances recorded in Paris during the same time – very fitting, given that the "concert" in the group's name was a reference to their ability to improvise amidst structure – of which you'll hear plenty here, with a lineup that includes Zoot Sims on tenor and Bob Brookmeyer on valve trombone. The tracks are very well-recorded, and many are quite long – with titles that include "Blueport", "Utter Chaos", "Spring Is Sprung", "Five Brothers", "Black Nightgown", "Eighteen Carrots For Rabbit", "Out Of This World", "I'm Gonna Go Fishin", "Apple Core", and "Barbara's Theme". CD

2 great Paris live sets from Gerry Mulligan – with his Concert Jazz Band at L'Olympia in 1960 – followed by a 1962 quartet set at the same venue serving as bonus tracks! The 11 titles on the first CD and the first titles on the second CD are culled from the 1960 set – a tight affair with great solo work from a larger group of players – which includes Don Ferrara and Conte Candoli on trumpet, Bob Brookmeyer on valve trombone, Willie Dennis and Alan Raph on trombone, Bob Donovan and Gene Quill on alto, Jim Reider and Zoot Sims on tenor, Buddy Clark on bass and Mel Lewis on drums. A real triumph! Titles include "You Took Advantage Of Me", "Black Nightgown", "Body And Soul", "Barbara's Theme", "Apple Core", "Out Of This World", "Go Home", "I'm Gonna Go Fishing", "Blueport" and more! The second CD is closed out by a 1962 set by the the Gerry Mulligan Quartet – originally released as the LP Gerry Mulligan & His Quartet Live At The Olympia Theatre 1962! The tracks are long, and the setting fluid – as Gerry plays baritone on most tracks, but piano on a couple; and Bob Brookmeyer does the same, taking a break from valve trombone to play piano for one track as well. Rhythm is by the team of Bill Crow on bass and Gus Johnson on drums – and titles include "Spring Is Sprung", "Five Brothers", "Subterranean Blues", "Blue Port", and "Utter Chaos". More than 2 1/2 hours of music on 2CDs! CD

Never-issued live work from one of our favorite groups ever headed by baritone modernist Gerry Mulligan – his wonderful quartet with Art Farmer on trumpet! The mix of Farmer and Mulligan is fantastic here – on long tunes that stretch out even more than their studio performances of the period – and, like those, given great piano-less accompaniment from the great team of Bill Crow on bass and Dave Bailey on drums! Farmer is wonderful throughout – young and a bit more raspy than later years, maybe in part because he's on trumpet instead of flugelhorn – and his pairing really brings out a more relaxed, almost soulful side of Gerry at times. On two tracks, Mulligan switches his horn for a piano – equally great on versions of "Spring Is Sprung" and "I Can't Get Started" – next to other long tracks that include "Blueport", "What Is There To Say", "Just In Time", and "News From Blueport". CD

Mellow ballad material from Mark Murphy – as you might expect from the title – a sad-tinged session that almost hints at the style of his recent work in Verve – showing a real maturity for Murphy's music at the time! There's a bit of electricity in the instrumentation – some keyboards and guitar – but the record's got a warm, mellow tone that mostly focuses on Mark's wonderful vocals – gently making their way through a well-chosen set of tunes that includes "September Fifteenth", "Night Life", "Sack Full Of Dreams", "Crystal Silence", "Sausalito", "Para Nada", "Spring Is Where You Are", "I Never Went Away", and "When She Is Mine". Art Farmer also plays some sweet solos on three of the album's tracks! CD

There's a pile of vinyl on the cover of this album from Japanese trio Nautilus – and that's maybe a good way to get at the sound of their style – as the group work heavily from an old school mode, while still pushing things into some more contemporary rhythmic territory too! The approach is somewhere between old school jazz trio work and some of the choppier styles of the young generation of Japanese trios – yet still with a lot more focus on the solo side of things, which some of those other groups are lacking! Much of the energy of the record comes from the piano and keyboard work of Mariko Nakabayashi, next to the bass of Shigeki Umezawa and drums of Toshiyuki Sasaki – on titles that include vocal appearances from Hanah Spring on "I Want You" and "It's A Shame", Ayaca on "Part Time Lover", and Kei Owada on "Empty Faces" – plus a nice take on the classic "Little B's Poem", and the cuts "The Eye Of The Hurricane", "Sweet Love Of Mine", and "Nebulosa". CD

Pretty obscure stuff from Don Nelson – a hip swinging jazz vocalist who we only know from this one album on Mode! Like some of the best obscure titles on Mode, this one takes a under-documented player from the LA scene of the 50s pairs him with a nice backing combo, and cuts a few respectable sides that will stand as the artist's only real legacy. Nelson mostly sings – in kind of a Bobby Troup-ish way – but he also plays a bit of recorder, which sounds nice and spooky! He's backed by a trio that includes Jimmy Rowles on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Stan Levey on drums – and titles include "The Wind", "Taking A Chance On Love", "It Happened Once Before", "Nobody's Heart", and "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most". CD

Even these many years into his career, pianist Mike Nock is still one of the most dynamic, rhythmic players we can think of – a really bold voice on the acoustic keys, and one who never fails to delight our ears! This recent album is simple and elegant, yet steps forth with the same sense of power that first made Nock a talent to watch back in the 60s – a way of playing the piano that almost challenges the bass and drums for rhythmic supremacy, participating equally in the warmly flowing groove of the tunes. Members of Nock's trio here include Toby Hall on drums and Brett Hirst on bass – and the session's filled with great original numbers that include "Communion", "Three Dee", "Drowning Joyfully", "Gravity Adjustment", "Acceptance", and "Changing Seasons Winter To Spring" – as well as a great version of Wayne Shorter's "ESP". CD