Featuring special material by all-star groups that feature Al Sears, Coleman Hawkins, and Buddy Tate on tenor – plus Hilton Jefferson on alto, Jimmy Hamilton and Pee Wee Russell on clarinet, Tiny Grimes on guitar, and Joe Newman on trumpet! LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite singers and one of our favorite composers – brought together in a dream of a vocal jazz album! We've always loved the tunes that Michel Legrand penned for films of the 60s and 70s – as they've got a depth, sincerity, and jazziness that goes beyond most of his contemporaries – but they've also never sounded better than in the hands of vocalist Karin Krog and arranger Palle Mikkelborg, who both really deliver a unique twist on the Legrand sound! Mikkelborg's arrangements for the set are extremely beautiful – sometimes using funky backings, sometimes softer strings – but always getting the right balance between emotion and grooviness that Legrand brought to his original recordings of the work. And guitarist Philip Catherine plays some nicely complicated lines that electrify the tunes with a weird, moody feel – often "singing" alongside Karin's deeply icy vocals in a really wonderful way. The tracks are all taken at slightly longer readings than you might expect, which makes for even more room for creative invention – and titles include "Watch What Happens", "Ask Yourself Why", "I Will Wait For You", "Once Upon A Summertime", and "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life". LP, Vinyl record album

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". LP, Vinyl record album

A serious later session from Don Sebesky – one that shows that he's still capable of plenty of darkness in his music, even after scoring some smoother sets in the 70s! The album's definitely got something of a "jazz orchestra" feel – with a full orchestra that initiates the proceedings, and sets the scene with a low-toned, rumbling sort of style – before the album then opens up into some much more jazz solo-based work that has a much more redemptive feel! Players include Alex Foster on tenor, Jon Faddis on trumpet, Gordon Beck on piano, Richard Davis on guitar, and Joe Beck on guitar – all of whom get some nice space to state their cases as the album rolls on – on three long tracks that include "Bird & Bela In B", "Rite Of Spring", and "Sebastian's Tune". LP, Vinyl record album

A great solo set from Kentonite Claude Williamson. The west coast piano player takes on a number of standards, some in solo format, some with a trio including Max Bennett and Stan Levey. Nice fifties jazzy line drawing on the cover. Titles include "Spring Is Here", "Get Happy", "Yesterdays", "Like Someone In Love", and "My Heart Stood Still". LP, Vinyl record album

Modal jazz galore – a collection of rare Italian tunes that move with a loping, soaring sense of energy – often very classic in their sound and style, but mostly pulled from a range of more obscure recent sources! Most of the tracks here were never issued outside of Italy – and even then, only on small labels that never achieved wider distribution – making almost the whole collection a new discovery in jazz to our ears, and one that's filled with countless delights throughout! As you'd guess from the title, the rhythms here are well-paced and lively – soaking up a lot of influences from the Coltrane generation, but also coming across with the tightness of a classic Blue Note or Prestige session. Most groups here are quartets, quintets, or sextets – and the longer than usual tracks offer plenty of room for solos on tenor, trumpet, trombone, and piano. Titles include "Spagna" by Piana Valdambrini Sextet, "Babir" by Alliance, "Proof Of The Pudding" by Michael Cochrane, "Calypso" by Dino & Franco Piana, "Naima" by Antonio Farao, "Tutankhamon Dance" by Nuevo Sestetto Italiano, "Woody" by Flavio Boltro, "Spring" by Antonio Farao, "La Stalla Di Pegaso" by Abbate Nicola Fontana Albano, and "New Born" by Idea 6. LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant work by the team of Clifford Brown and Max Roach – a seminal hardbop album that was one of the few to bridge the east and west coast scenes! The set was recorded in LA under the joint leadership of Brown and Roach – and features the classic quintet lineup that included Harold Land on tenor, Richie Powell (Bud's brother!) on piano, and George Morrow on bass. The mix of Roach's heavy full-on drumming and Brown's lyrical beauty is beyond compare – and Land's angular and sensitive tenor lines provide a perfect link between the two. 5 tracks in all, including classics like "Parisian Thoroughfare", "Delilah", "Daahoud", "Jordu", and "Joy Spring". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic set to feature the Bill Evans Trio with the great Scott Lafaro on bass and Paul Motian on drums! Listening to the set we're reminded of what always brings us back to Evans' playing – a quality that's often described as moody, but which is really is quite spry and lively throughout this set, without ever giving up its lyrical approach. Titles are mostly standards – but really transformed by the touch of the trio – and tunes include "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "Autumn Leaves", "Witchcraft", "When I Fall In Love", "Peri's Scope", "What Is This Thing Called Love", "Spring Is Here", "Some Day My Prince Will Come", and "Blue In Green". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic vocal set from Ella – filled with standards from the Rodgers & Hart songbook – including "Isn't It Romantic", "My Romance", "Spring Is Here", "Thou Swell", "Bewitched", "Blue Moon", "A Ship Without A Sail", "I Could Write A Book", and "Where Or When". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic late 60s set from John Lee Hooker – one that has the legend working in a mode that echoes some of the funkier soul styles of the time, but with a vibe that's still very much in the best spirit of his classic work! The groove is slightly amped up by the electric bass of Eddie Taylor and tight drums of Al Duncan, but the session just features a quartet – with the mighty Phil Upchurch on second guitar next to John's lead – and Hooker delivering some fantastic vocals throughout! Titles include "Hot Spring Water (parts 1 & 2)", "Backbiters & Syndicaters", "Mr Lucky", "Cry Before I Go", "I'm Standing In Line", "The Motor City Is Burning", "Want Ad Blues", and "I Can't Stand To Leave You". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful work from Jamal's early Chicago years – and a perfectly titled set that really gets at the differences he made in modern jazz! The tunes are wonderfully fluid, soulful, and swinging – but not in the gutbuckety style of other trios of the time, more in a lightly modern style that features almost equal interplay between Jamal's piano, the bass of Israel Crosby, and the guitar of the wonderful Ray Crawford – who really ads an amazing touch to the record. Tracks include the great original "New Rhumba", plus cool versions of "Jeff", "Darn That Dream", "Spring Is Here", and "All Of You". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "We Are Ships", "Sailing Ship", "Jamaica", "Diamond Lil", "Every Day II", "Burgundy Wine", and "The Lover In Winter Plaineth For The Spring". LP, Vinyl record album

Mid 70s magic from vocalist Irene Kral – one of a handful of albums that really had Kral setting herself apart from most other jazz vocal contemporaries! The approach here is very simple – just Irene's voice and piano backing from Alan Broadbent – but a hell of a lot goes on in the spare space, thanks to subtly expressive vocals from Kral – never too overdone, yet filled with a mature sophistication that's wonderful – almost conversational at points, yet always with a soft swing that reminds us that she's a jazz singer at heart. Titles include "Love Came On Stealthy Fingers", "I Like You You're Nice", "When I Look In Your Eyes", "A Time For Love/Small World", "Never Let Me Go", "Lucky To Be Me/Some Other Time", "Don't Look Back", and "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most". LP, Vinyl record album

A great second pairing of this hip team – further proof that Tony Bennett was a hell of a jazz singer when he wanted to be! Titles include "You're Nearer", "Lonely Girl", "You Must Believe In Spring", "Two Lonely People", and "The Bad & The Beautiful". LP, Vinyl record album

A well-titled set from Art Blakey – considering the hard-driving sound of the group! The album's one of the best from that unusual year of 1957 – almost a "lost" year for Art, when he was working away from Blue Note with a very different lineup of the Jazz Messengers than on his famous sessions for that label! The players here are all great – and include Johnny Griffin on tenor, Bill Hardman on trumpet, Junior Mance on piano, and Spanky DeBrest on bass – all working with a style that's a bit loose and open, allowing plenty of space for solos! Griffin's horn has all the sharp edges you'd expect, and Hardman's great too – and Blakey himself seems to sit back a bit more than usual in his chair, letting the soloists lead the tracks, instead of kicking things into gear from the drums. Titles include "Deo X", "Sweet Sakeena", "Late Spring", "Krafty", and "For Miles & Miles". LP, Vinyl record album

Great Blue Note 2-fer that brings together a bunch of previously unreleased live sessions from Art Blakey and different incarnations of the Jazz Messengers! Sides 1 through 3 feature a stellar set of tracks recorded in 1961 and 1962 with the sextet lineup that included Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, and Curtis Fuller, with the titles "Promised Land", "Arabia", "Mosaic", "Ping Pong", and "Up Jumped Spring". Side 4 has some older material, from 1954 – by the first incarnation of the group that included Lou Donaldson, Clifford Brown, and Horace Silver – and the titles "Wee Dot", "Blues", and "The Way You Look Tonight". Nice notes, and as usual, the Messengers shine in a good live setting. LP, Vinyl record album

Smooth funky jazz from Tom Browne – caught here during his best early years! The record's his second best next to Love Approach, but it's got almost the same sort of feel, with tight late 70s studio jazz jamming – and a buttery smooth sound from Browne's post-Donald Byrd trumpet licks. Includes the great break cut "I Never Was A Cowboy", plus "Herbal Scent", "Throw Down", "What's Going On", and "Promises For Spring". LP, Vinyl record album

Byrd's trio gets some great help here from Clark Terry on trumpet and Seldon Powell on tenor – in tracks that include "More", "Ela Me Deixou", "Broadway", "Some Other Spring", and "Shiny Stockings". LP, Vinyl record album

Felix Cavaliere may be best known to some for his work in the Rascals – but years later, he stepped out as a solo act on his own – with a sound that nicely drew from all of his early work on Atlantic Records! The sound here is kind of a late 70s update of the blue-eyed mode that Felix had with his earlier group – given a bit more of an AOR spin in the production, through use of a top-shelf array of jazz fusion players in the backings. Despite the pianos on the cover, Cavaliere mostly plays Fender Rhodes and organ next to his vocals – on titles that include "Only A Lonely Heart Sees", "All Or Nothing", "People Got To Be Free", "Outside Your Window", "Love Is The First Day Of Spring", "You Turned Me Around", and "Good To Have Love Back". LP, Vinyl record album

The title may say "standard", but with Coltrane at the helm, the record is anything but! Sure, the tunes are all familiar ones, but the presentation here is a far cry from mainstream piano jazz of the 50s – as John's working in a group with the Red Garland trio for rhythm, as well as trumpeter Wilbur Harden, the slightly off-kilter player who made some great Savoy records with Coltrane. Tracks are all quite long, and really open up with a fair bit of invention – and even when Coltrane's straight ahead, he's still compellingly creative. Tracks include "Don't Take Your Love From Me", "I'll Get By", "Spring Is Here", and "Invitation". LP, Vinyl record album

Twin guitars, with no other instrumentation – on titles that include "Gerri's Blues", "Joy Spring", "Arubian Nights", and "How Insensitive". LP, Vinyl record album

A real standout in Blossom Dearie's run of albums for Daffodil Records – thanks to a lot of electric piano in the mix, and an expanded musical lineup that includes Hubert Laws on flute, Jay Berliner on guitar, Grady Tate on drums, and Toots Thielemans on harmonica! The style here is tighter and more studio-oriented than some of Blossom's other records from the time – but the overall approach is still mostly gentle, in the Daffodil spirit – with Dearie's own vocals and electric piano work dominating the tunes, and other players only coming in to flesh out the tunes where needed. The electric piano is especially nice – used in sparely, blocky modes that echo out behind the vocals – creating waves of sound that buoy Blossom's vocals up beautifully. A number of tracks are familiar numbers, but redone here in unique versions – and titles include "A Paris", "Spring In Manhattan", "Killing Me Softly", "You'll Never Lose The Love You Gave To Me", "Smiling Feet", "My New Celebrity Is You", "Unless It's You", "The Pro Musica Antiqua", "Long Daddy Green", "A Song For You", and "Inside A Silent Tear". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer work from Freddie Hubbard – some key transitional sides for Atlantic Records, and easily some of his most soulful work ever! Freddie started out as a bopper on Blue Note, but then made a great shift at Atlantic – exploring space and sound in a really wonderful way, and opening up towards some of the killer modes you'd know from his classics on CTI. There's just a bit of electricity in the mix here, as most cuts are acoustic – but they already stretch out in some hip, spiritual styles that are really great. Titles include "For BP", "Lonely Soul", "High Blues Pressure", "Midnite Soul", "Black Soldier", Interlude I", "Echoes Of Blue", "Threnody For Sharon Tate Comment", "Spacetrack", "Leap Frog", "Up Jumped Spring", "Latina", and "On The Quee Tee". LP, Vinyl record album

These guys never miss! For years, we'd always passed up the later work of Jackie & Roy – thinking, in our elitist minds, that only their early work was worth merit. But this session from 1982 proves how wrong we were – as it's a stellar batch of small group tracks – sung in the same sweet mode as their best 50s work! The group's a nice one – with some great vibes by Paul Johnson – and the style has Jackie singing some songs in the lead, others in duet with Roy, and still others in a wonderful wordless mode that we really love. Titles include "Loving You", "I Watch You Sleep", "Too Marvelous For Words", "Am I Blue", "Bidin My Time", "Mine", and "Joy Spring". LP, Vinyl record album

A 70s 2-fer that collects 2 live sides originally issued by Argo, then subsequently by Chess under the Cadet label. Classic Chicago piano jazz – featuring the very popular pianist Ahmad Jamal, recorded at the legendary Pershing Lounge, down at 63rd and Cottage Grove and at the equally legendary Blackhawk Lounge in San Francisco. For many years we didn't get these earlier sides by Jamal, prefering the later electric stuff, but you can see the blueprint of both those later sounds and the piano style that had such a huge impact on Miles here, in sets that cover lots jazz standards, including 'But Not For Me", "Moonlight In Vermont", "poinciana", "Woody'N You", "All The Things You Are", "Cherokee", "It Might As Well Be Spring" and quite a few more. LP, Vinyl record album

Keith Jarrett and Charlie Haden have been playing together for many decades – growing together in each other's musical lives, and continuing to find rich new ways of expression – even on more subtle sessions like this! The duo take on some of the standards territory that Keith's explored often with a trio – but work together wonderfully without any drums in the mix – as Charlie's bass blocks out these spare, solid spaces that Keith quickly fills with really lovely, lyrical lines on piano! There's not a huge amount of surprises in the record – but that's also what makes the whole thing so strong – as both players could really show off in such an unfettered setting, but instead choose to maturely show their strengths in such a subtle, but really effective way. Titles include "My Ship", "Round Midnight", "It Might As Well Be Spring", "Godobye", "Everything Happens To Me", and "My Old Flame". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most darkly beautiful sessions ever recorded by vocalist Karin Krog – a batch of spare duets done with pianist Bengt Hallberg – in a way that offers both artists plenty of space to stretch out and do their thing! Karin's vocals are recorded with an echoey quality that only seems to further underscore the edge and emotion in her singing – and in addition to some very fluid acoustic piano, Hallberg also plays some electric keys on the set as well – often in a much more laidback, spacious sort of groove – one that creates a nice degree of juxtaposition as the tunes roll on. As usual with Krog at this point, there's a fair number of lesser-known tunes that really make the set great – including the John Surman compositions "Like That" and "The End Of The Day Song". Other titles include "Dear Bix", "You Must Believe In Spring", "Love Walked In", "Spring In Manhattan", and "I Ain't Here". CD features 2 previously unissued bonus tracks – "A Child Is Born" and "Cabin In The Sky". LP, Vinyl record album

A lesser-known follow-up to Julie London's classic Julie Is Her Name album – one that actually features Julie wearing clothes on the cover, but which still comes across with a very sexy sound! The approach here is similar to the first set – with Howard Roberts backing up Julie's vocals, in a style that's quite similar to that used by Barney Kessel the first time around. Red Mitchell's bass is really the only other instrumentation – and the spareness of the set is stunning – with a nakedness that gets past even Julie's heavy turtleneck on the cover! Titles include "If I'm Lucky", "Little White Lies", "Hot Toddy", "Blue Moon", "Goody Goody", and "Spring Is Here". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from Carmen – one of her few albums for Columbia from the 60s, and a wonderfully swinging small group session that's got a much more relaxed feel than some of her earlier sets! The album's ostensibly a tribute to Billie Holiday – but it's taken in a way that's completely unlike Holiday's own work – filled with life, joy, and a swinging sensibility that's carried off perfectly by arranger Norman Simmons – who heads up a small combo on piano, working with Walter Perkins on drums, Bob Cranshaw on bass, Nat Adderley on cornet, Eddie Lockjaw Davis on tenor, and Mundell Lowe on guitar. Carmen's vocals are wonderfully groovy – and tunes include "I Cried For You", "Them There Eyes", "My Man", "Strange Fruit", "Miss Brown To You", and "Some Other Spring". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Frank Sinatra's last great ballad albums for Capitol – a sad and dreamy batch of tunes that kicks off with the incredible "Only The Lonely" – one of those Sinatra torch songs that's so great, so sad, nobody else has ever been able to record a better version, nor have they really tried! The rest of the album's great, too – with arrangements by Nelson Riddle that are very much in the Wee Small Hours mode – expressive, but subtle and sophisticated – at that level that set Sinatra so far apart from most other male singers of the 50s. Despite the creepy cover, there's a mature, adult approach to the whole thing – a new level of emotion that most other singers wouldn't find for a decade. Titles include "Only The Lonely", "Angel Eyes", "What's New", "Ebb Tide", "Spring Is Here", "Goodbye", and the sublime "One For My Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

Donna Summer also covers spring, autumn and winter here – on an incredibly groovy disco concept album – gorgeously sung by Donna Summer and produced to perfection by Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte! It's got 4 long, seasonally-titled tunes and a reprise – with "Spring Affair", "Summer Fever", "Autumn Changes" and "Winter Melody" – and the numbers groove appropriately! The spring groover is breezy, summer's is nice and steamy, the dancefloor grooves shift and phase for autumn, and winter is cool and delicate. One of the finer album-oriented disco releases of the period! LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime mellow work from Cal Tjader – vibes mixed with strings mixed with Latin percussion – a nicely laidback take on his classic 50s sound! The core group is still one of Cal's Latin best – with Mongo Santamaria and Willie Bobo on percussion – and many tracks have some great flute work by Paul Horn, snaking through the mellower grooves with a sound that's sad and soulful. Titles include "Stella By Starlight", "Ode For Margo", "Martha", "Spring Is Here", and "Star Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album

The "pair" here is Phil Woods and Gene Quill – both blowing beautifully on alto sax, with that sharp edge and deep tone that made both players a real standout in the 50s scene! The Woods/Quill mix has been documented elsewhere, but the sound here is rawer than some of those other dates – a bit less formal, with a nice blowing session sort of groove. There's also a pair of trumpets, too – Donald Byrd and Kenny Dorham – and rhythm is from the trio of Tommy Flanagan on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. All tracks are quite long – and the album features 4 titles that include "The Stanley Stomper", "Cool Aid", "Suddenly It's Spring", and "Pairing Off". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unusual live set from the great Art Blakey – his only album for the United Artists label, but one that continues the tradition of the expanded group style he was starting to use at Blue Note! The lineup here is a sextet, one that's got even more power than the Jazz Messengers as a quintet – a group that bridges generations with older Messengers Wayne Shorter on tenor and Jymie Merritt on bass – alongside rising talents Curtis Fuller on trombone, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, and Cedar Walton on piano – the last of whom leaves a key mark on the group's sound, through his mix of soulful groove and lyrical inflections! There's maybe even more searing energy here than on the previous live Blue Note albums from Blakey – and titles include "Plexis", "Up Jumped Spring", "That Old Feeling", and "Three Blind Mice". LP, Vinyl record album

Hard to get work by Clifford Brown – 1953 recordings originally done in Europe for the Vogue label! Brown's working here in front of a Parisian trio that features Henri Renaud on piano, Pierre Michelot on bass, and Benny Bennett on drums. There's 12 tracks in all, with multiple takes of "I Can Dream, Can't I?", "The Song Is You", "You're A Lucky Guy" and "Come Rain Or Come Shine" plus "It might As Well Be Spring" and "Blue & Brown". LP, Vinyl record album

First volume pulled together in the early 80s of Brownie's remarkable work with a smoking quintet that would record some of the finest bop sides issued on the Emarcy label. He's working here with Max Roach, George Morrow and Richie Powell and Harold Land as Brown's foil in the front line. 14 tracks in all: "Delilah", "Parisian Thoroughfare", "Jordu", "Sweet Clifford", "Ghost Of A Chance", "Stompin' At The Savoy", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "Joy Spring", "Mildama", "Daahoud", "Gerkin For Perkin", "Take The A Train", "Lands End" and "Swingin'". LP, Vinyl record album

A hell of a jam session record from Emarcy Records – a set that almost seems as if they jazz label were trying to beat Verve Records at their own game! The style here is a bit more unusual than some Verve dates, though – maybe even more in the spontaneous spirit of a real jam session – with a lineup of all-stars that includes Clifford Brown, Clark Terry, and Maynard Ferguson on trumpets – plus Herb Geller on alto, Harold Land on tenor, Max Roach on drums, and either Richie Powell or Junior Mance on piano! There's a definite tie here to the Brown/Roach recordings for Emarcy – augmented by the presence of Powell and Land – but the others clearly change things up, and Dinah Washington even makes a vocal appearance on one track too. Titles include "What Is This Thing Called Love", "Darn That Dream", "Move", and a medley of "My Funny Valentine/Don't Worry Bout Me/Bess You Is My Woman/It Might As Well Be Spring". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing small group work from Ralph Burns – a real standout, given the amount of his larger ensemble sessions in the 50s! The album features Burns on piano – overdubbed on some tracks – working with a combo that includes Jimmy Raney on guitar, Clyde Lombardi on bass, and Osie Johnson on drums – all gently modern players who fit perfectly with Ralph's vision for the record. Things aren't as dark or as arch as on some of Burns' bigger dates of the decade – almost a bit warm at times, especially thanks to Ralph's piano lines. Titles include "Autobahn Blues", "Echo Of Spring", "Spring Sequence", "Spring", "Spring Is Here", and "Gina". LP, Vinyl record album

The greatest entertainer ever? We think so – and this 2LP set offers Sammy D in the best possible way to get him: live, and in the very familiar turf of the Sands Hotel. This live album, and it's counterpart (At The Cocoanut Grove, also on Reprise) are, in our opinion, Sammy's best recordings – because they feature him ripping through a bunch of material, doing lots of great impressions and medleys, and really swinging with a tight little combo led by Michael Silva, the drummer. The groove is really jazzy – way jazzier than on some of Sammy's studio LPs from the time – and he runs through a range of material from pop tunes to standards, done in a style that's far different than you'd expect for the titles. The vocals are tight, heartfelt, but also given a professional little finesse that really makes them sparkle. Titles include "Ain't I", "Another Spring", "On A Clear Day", "As Long As She Needs Me", "Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home", "The Lady Is A Tramp", and 2 fantastic medleys with lots of jazzy songs. Heck, Dean Martin never got a chance to cut a double live album – and Frank really ever did one – so given that Sammy got a chance to do two of them, you've gotta figure the format really worked for him! This is the real Mr. Entertainment, and you owe it to yourself to hear him as he really was. LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing early work from Blossom Dearie – quite possibly her best album for Verve, recorded in the mid 50s right after her return from work on the Paris scene! The style here is sprightly and whimsical, yet also fragile and human – a blend that few other singers can pull off as well as Dearie – a trademark sound right from the get-go, and this album's probably the best place to start with Blossom's solo career! Backing is by a small combo that features Ray Brown on bass, Herb Ellis on guitar, and Jo Jones on drums – and Blossom herself plays piano. Titles include "Deed I Do", "You For Me", "Tout Doucement", "Everything I've Got", "Wait Till You See Her", and "A Fine Spring Morning". LP, Vinyl record album

Lots of unusual songs on this later recording from the great Blossom Dearie – titles that include "Round About", "The Both Of Us", "I Wish It Weren't Spring", "A Small Love Song", "Sad Song Lady", "Good Morning Darling What's Your Name" – and duets with Mark Murphy on "Love Dance" and "Just Being Here". LP, Vinyl record album

A great reunion of Buddy DeFranco and Oscar Peterson – two players who recorded together famously for Verve in the 50s, working here on an 80s date under the supervision of old Verve head Norman Granz! The setting here is even more loose and laidback than in the 50s – that mellow Pablo Records mode that seems to bring in a lot more feeling to the players than some of their dates for other labels at the time – and Buddy's lost none of the charm in his tone, playing the clarinet with a soulful swing that's almost more like an alto sax at times! Other players include Joe Pass on guitar, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Martin Drew on drums – and titles include "Summer Me Winter You", "Llovisna", "By Myself", "Joy Spring", "All Too Soon", and "Hark". LP, Vinyl record album

Kenny may be quiet, but he's never muted – and the record is far from the sleepy session you might guess from the title! The album's a real standout in the Dorham catalog – a set that let's Kenny's trumpet sparkle beautifully in a quartet that includes piano from Tommy Flanagan, bass from Paul Chambers, and drums from Art Taylor – all bringing their own spirit to the record, but really hanging back in the space to let Dorham's sound dominate the record. Kenny's notes are beautifully shaped throughout – in a mode that has echoes of Clifford Brown's sweetness, but which also speaks with a raspier, earthier tone overall! Titles include 2 key Dorham classics – "Lotus Blossom" and "Blue Spring" – plus "Mack The Knife", "My Ideal", "Blue Friday", and "Old Folks". LP, Vinyl record album

Great early work from trumpeter Jon Eardley – captured here at a point when he was a budding young modernist in the 50s! The date features Eardley's trumpet right out front in the mix – hard, spare, and a bit angular – with backing from the piano of Pete Jolly, as well as Red Mitchell on bass and Larry Bunker on drums. Titles include "Late Leader", "Indian Spring", "Black", and "Gloss". LP, Vinyl record album

A 2LP set that pulls together Riverside recordings initially issued on the albums Moonbeams and How My Heart Sings – both of which feature Bill Evans working his second trio that includes Chuck Israels on bass and Paul Motian on drums. The approach is in his signature style: spare, moody – and we mean that in a good way – interpretations of standards and a few original numbers, including "Re: Person I Knew", "Very Early", "In Love In Vain", "Stairway To The Stars", "I FallIn Love Too Easily", "If You Could See Me Now","It Might As Well Be Spring", "Walking Up", "How My Heart Sings", "34 Skidoo", and "Polka Dots & Moonbeams". LP, Vinyl record album

We're not sure if the match is perfect, but it's still pretty darn nice – a live performance that has Ella Fitzgerald singing in front of the Count Basie Band – all recorded before a very enthusiastic audience at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1979! The set's a nice capper to one of Ella's biggest decades as a star – and she steps out here with a well-earned confidence that allows her to match the energy of the Basie group and take new inspiration from their fire. Titles include "Make Me Rainbows", "Round Midnight", "Basella", "You've Changed", "Fine & Mellow", "Some Other Spring", and "After You've Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime early work from Stan Getz – a lyrical genius even at this early point in his career! The album features a group that includes a very young Bob Brookmeyer on valve trombone, plus rhythm by Teddy Kotick, John Williams, and Frank Isola. Tracks are longish and easily swinging – and Getz's tone, as always, makes the whole thing come together like magic! Titles include "Pot Luck", "Love & the Weather", "Spring Is Here", and "Crazy Rhythm". LP, Vinyl record album

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". LP, Vinyl record album