The 4th collaboration between electronics maestro Kieran Hebden & free jazz drum titan Steve Reid – a duo that might have seemed an odd fit at first, but actually makes a lot of sense given their adventurous sensibilities – and their joint body of work keeps growing in surprising ways! NYC is, you guessed it, and ode to the great city – with a pretty diverse approach that builds throughout the six longish tracks. Some find Reid hitting pretty hard and heavy while others are more dexterous and complicated in the rhythms, while Hebden works in both a groove based mode and in artier, Eno-esque experimentation. Truly inspired work from a duo we hope work together for years to come. Titles include "Lyman Place", "1st & 1st" & "25th Street" (both of which work in some avant garde funk), "Arrival", "Between B & C" and "Departure". CD

An album that captures a live radio performance from the legendary drummer Steve Reid – but one that's every bit as important to his legacy as his studio work of the time! If anything, there might be an even more powerfully spontaneous vibe to this record than the rest – with just about every element of the music coming together in rhythmic frenzy – as Reid's percussion is mixed with work from Charles Tyler and Arthur Blythe on alto, and Ahmed Abdulla on trumpet – all woven together with amazing basslines from the great David Wertman! Percussionist Mohammad Abdullah adds in plenty of other great touches to the record too – and the whole thing is maybe one of the most spiritual expressions of the loft jazz generation of the 70s – on titles that include "Ginsamseng", "Odyssey Theme", "Deacon's Son", and the long "Odyssey Sweet". LP, Vinyl record album

An album that captures a live radio performance from the legendary drummer Steve Reid – but one that's every bit as important to his legacy as his studio work of the time! If anything, there might be an even more powerfully spontaneous vibe to this record than the rest – with just about every element of the music coming together in rhythmic frenzy – as Reid's percussion is mixed with work from Charles Tyler and Arthur Blythe on alto, and Ahmed Abdulla on trumpet – all woven together with amazing basslines from the great David Wertman! Percussionist Mohammad Abdullah adds in plenty of other great touches to the record too – and the whole thing is maybe one of the most spiritual expressions of the loft jazz generation of the 70s – on titles that include "Ginsamseng", "Odyssey Theme", "Deacon's Son", and the long "Odyssey Sweet". LP, Vinyl record album

An underground soul jazz classic – massive grooves from drummer Steve Reid, and exactly the kind of set that's gotten him so much attention in recent years! There's a mixture of freedom and tightness here that's really wonderful – some of the looser elements of the loft jazz generation, mixed with an inherent sense of rhythm that always set Reid's records apart from the rest – a groove that comes not just from his own pulsations on the drum kit, but also from the elliptical basslines of Richard Williams on electric and Luis Angel Falcon on acoustic, and the mixed organ and piano lines of keyboardist Les Walker. Joe Rigby brings some really sharp-edged sax work to the record, alongside the trumpet of Ahmed Abdullah, who really sounds wonderful here – bringing a spirituality to the album that's clearly borrowed from his time with Sun Ra. The album includes the great groover "Lions of Judah" – which has a very Ra-like quality – plus other great cuts "Long Time Black", "Sixth House", "Nova", and "Free Spirits Unknown". CD

A great lost record from Clarence Reid – one of the most multi-talented artists on his scene, stepping out here with the depth and sensitivity of some of his best southern soul contemporaries of the 70s! Despite the fact that at the time of the record, Reid was simultaneously recording as the goofy raunch-soul act Blowfly, the cover of this set features him sitting alone at a grand piano, looking all sensitive and serious – like he's Billy Joel or somebody! The style of the album, fortunately, doesn't match the cheesy singer/songwriter presentation – and it's a strong batch of Miami soul tracks that roll along with the classic TK groove of the mid 70s, yet without any of the too-pop or disco modes that were holding back some other artists. Reid's vocals are more heartfelt than ever – really soaring out at a level that almost matches Latimore – and all tunes were written by him, with a bit of help from Steve Alaimo, who also produces the record. Tracks include "The Best Part Of A Man", "The Only Time She Loves Me", "Caution! Love Ahead", "Down Where The Love Is", "Nappy-Haired Cowboy", and "Sleep With Me". Hmmm...kind of sounds like a Blowfly album after all! CD

Rufus Reid's one of those players we can always count on for something interesting – and this album's no exception! The album's a trio date – lead by Reid's bass with those wonderfully full, round, soulful tones of his – an approach to his instrument that always grabs us right away, and which definitely lets you know it's the bassist at the lead of the record, and not the piano. Although we've also got to admit, pianist Steve Allee has plenty to add to the date – a romping groove that catches fire easily from Rufus' bass – quite easy to do when the group's also got Duduka Da Fonseca on drums! Titles include "Dry Land", "Ebony", "Reminiscing", "Glory", "Dona Maria", "The Rise Of The Row", and "The Crying Blues". CD

An early gem from Clarence Reid – a set recorded early in the big wave of Miami soul from the 70s – with all the best southern soul modes fully intact! Reid's nicely balanced here between deep soul and funk – shifting easily between the styles with care and class that you'd never expect to find in his Blowfly records – a lot more mature, and totally well put-together – no surprise, since he was one of the better talents working in Miami at the time! Production is by Willie Clarke and Steve Alaimo – and titles include "Living Together Is Keeping Us Apart", "The Truth", "New York City", "Ruby", "Please Accept My Call", "Like Running Water", and "Love Who You Can". CD

A tremendous step forward for the young Muhal Richard Abrams – a set that still shows his early roots in the AACM, but which also blossoms with some of his more serious compositional efforts to come! There's a sensitivity here that really stands out – even among Abrams' contemporaries – a striving for a wider range of expression – some as bold as before, some much more deeply personal and intimate. The tracks feature a shifting array of players – working alongside Abrams piano, and building up the sound in a number of different ways. Players include Wallace McMillan on flute and sax, Edwin Daugherty on sax, Richard Brown on sax, Emanuel Cranshaw on vibes, Rufus Reid on bass, and Steve McCall and Wilbur Campbell on drums. Ella Jackson provides vocals on "How Are You?" – and other titles include "Ballad For New Souls", "Things To Come From Those Now Gone", "In Retrospect", "Ballad For Old Souls", "1 & 4 Plus 2 & 7", and "March Of The Transients". CD

No Mirage here – as the album's got a presence that's impossible to deny – a solid, soulful uttering from this key Chicago combo of the 70s! The group's led by reedman Ari Brown – better known for his later avant work – and they've got a wicked blend of keyboards and horns with lots of complicated touches, played out over funky rhythms that are completely mindblowing! The great Ken Chaney plays keyboards, and in addition to Brown's reeds, the set also features trumpet from Frank Gordon, trombone from Steve Galloway, and bass from Rufus Reid – plus cool percussion from Arlington Davis and Drasheer Khalid. Most cuts are instrumental, and recorded beautifully – but one number, "The Ultimate Frontier", also features vocals from Anita Jefferies. Other cuts include "Slinky", "Mirage", "Just a Little Peace", and "March On". CD

No Mirage here – as the album's got a presence that's impossible to deny – a solid, soulful uttering from this key Chicago combo of the 70s! The group's led by reedman Ari Brown – better known for his later avant work – and they've got a wicked blend of keyboards and horns with lots of complicated touches, played out over funky rhythms that are completely mindblowing! The great Ken Chaney plays keyboards, and in addition to Brown's reeds, the set also features trumpet from Frank Gordon, trombone from Steve Galloway, and bass from Rufus Reid – plus cool percussion from Arlington Davis and Drasheer Khalid. Most cuts are instrumental, and recorded beautifully – but one number, "The Ultimate Frontier", also features vocals from Anita Jefferies. Other cuts include "Slinky", "Mirage", "Just a Little Peace", and "March On". LP, Vinyl record album

Taylor Ho Bynum on cornet, Jim Hobbs on alto saxophone, Ingrid Laubrock on soprano and tenor saxophone, Matt Bauder on tenor and baritone saxophone, Steve Swell on tromobone, Bill Lowe on bass trombone and tuba, Vincent Chancey on French horn, Nate Wooley and Stephanie Richards on trumpet, Tomeka Reid on cello, Mary Halvorson on guitar, Jay Hoggard on vibraphone, Jason Hwang on violin and viola, Ken Filiano on bass, and Tomas Fujiwara on drums. CD

A tremendous 70s album from Charles Tyler – one recorded with a rich, raw tone that's simply mindblowing! Tyler here has all of the deep soul we first came to love during his ESP years, but also a sound that's a bit more focused too – one that's extremely powerful, and boldly righteous – not exactly spiritual jazz, but also not loft jazz either. The sound is wonderful – Tyler's sharp-edged alto out front, in a group with trumpeter Earl Cross – a player who's a really great match in spirit and tone. Other group members include Steve Reid on drums, and bassist Ronnie Boykins and John Ore – players who each play in a different channel of the record! The set is billed as "a polyphonic sonic drama performed live by the Charles Tyler Ensemble" – which is a wonderful summation of the music. CD

One of a few rare gems issued on the 70s Mustevic label run by drummer Steve Reid – a player on the session here, but as a sideman working under the leadership of bassist David Wertman – who really delivers this amazing blend of larger concept and freewheeling improvisations from all the members of the group! The great Charles Tyler blows alto alongside searing tenor and soprano from Ken Simon – a player we don't know much at all, but who really stands out here – and the group also features French horn work from Richard Schatzberg, who provides a good balance in the sound. Most tracks have a wonderful vibe that starts out rhythmic, then gets free, then comes back to a stronger pulse – and the album features four long tracks, "Sharatarr", "Devotion", "Sunshine", and "Kara". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic of 70s avant spiritual jazz – issued on the tiny Sweet Earth label, which was also home to some very special records from Sun Ra and Marion Brown! Bassist David Wertman is a lot more obscure than those bigger names, but he was part of the New York loft jazz scene in those crucial mid 70s years – and had associations with Arthur Blythe, Billy Bang, Steve Reid, and other key members of the group – all heavyweights that Wertman can easily stand next to with the strength of the material on this set! The sounds here are a fantastic combination of larger ideas and more spontaneous creation – almost in an AACM mode, but a bit more spiritual overall – with David's bass at the helm of a group that includes David Swerdlove on alto and soprano sax, John Hagen on tenor and soprano, John Sprague on flutes, Greg Wall on baritone, and John Zieman on keyboards. Drummer Jay Conway really provides some great energy to keep things lively and moving – and titles include "Oh John Love Trane", "Clear Air Dancer", "Earthly Delights", and "Relations". LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Jerry Butler, Don Covay, Steve Cropper, Lani Groves, Delbert McClinton, Vernon Reid, David Sanborn, Angela Strehli, Bunny Wailer, Kim Wilson & more. Cassette

A tremendous entry in this wonderful series – a set that proudly proclaims its contents with the "NOW" on the cover! Back when the Spiritual Jazz series first started on the Jazzman label, the music was mostly relegated to material of the John Coltrane generation and the generation that followed – but in the past decade or so, there's been a huge explosion in new artists that explore the deeper, more righteous currents of jazz – music that's pulled in from the farther reaches of free improvisation, to righteous, message-oriented styles that often mix modal rhythms with more exploratory solo passages. Yet this new generation is hardly slavish to the sounds of Impulse Records – as they've really moved beyond, and have used a globe's worth of influences and new 21st Century concepts to bring fresh spirit to the music – opening things up in ways that have made this new movement one of our greatest sources of inspiration in recent years. This double-length entry is a fantastic overview of the sounds that are currently reshaping the planet – and titles on volume 2 include "Flute Song" by Wildflower, "Slow Sweet Burn" by Abeeku, "Palms To Heaven" by The Cosmic Range, "Nova" by Menagerie, "Avo's Tune" by Teemu Akerblom Quartet, "Paris" by Jonas Kullhammar, "Vessels" by The Jamie Saft Quartet, "What Do I Tell My Children Who Are Black "by Angel Bat Dawid, "Trane's Groove" by Carla Marciano, "For Coltrane" by Steve Reid Foundation, "Empty Streets" by Vibration Black Finger, and "Memory Ritual" by The Pyramids. LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary compilation from the Soul Jazz label – one of their early important records that helped give new exposure to a whole generation of spiritual jazz from the American scene! Titles include "Space 1" by David Durrah, "Space Is The Place" by Sun Ra, "Theme De Yo Yo" by Art Ensemble Of Chicago, "Lions Of Judah" by Steve Reid, "Space Odyssey" by Marcus Belgrave, "Kitty Bey" by Byron Morris & Unity, "Empty Streets" by New Life Trio, and "Astral Travelling" by Pharoah Sanders. LP, Vinyl record album

No Mirage here – as the album's got a presence that's impossible to deny – a solid, soulful uttering from this key Chicago combo of the 70s! The group's led by reedman Ari Brown – better known for his later avant work – and they've got a wicked blend of keyboards and horns with lots of complicated touches, played out over funky rhythms that are completely mindblowing! The great Ken Chaney plays keyboards, and in addition to Brown's reeds, the set also features trumpet from Frank Gordon, trombone from Steve Galloway, and bass from Rufus Reid – plus cool percussion from Arlington Davis and Drasheer Khalid. Most cuts are instrumental, and recorded beautifully – but one number, "The Ultimate Frontier", also features vocals from Anita Jefferies. Other cuts include "Slinky", "Mirage", "Just a Little Peace", and "March On". CD

An incredible feather in the already-large hat of Rob Mazurek – work that more than lives up to some of his boldest visions on previous recordings, but does so in a completely new direction! The album features a set of larger-form compositions all put together by Rob – in ways that show a remarkable ear for mature colors and concepts – handled by players who are both from the third coast of the Chicago scene, and from Brest in France – where all the music here came together! Even if you already know and love Mazurek's other music, there's something very different and special here – as Rob's cornet and direction shape the sound of a lineup that features incredible performances from Nicole Mitchell on flutes, Christiphe Rocher on clarinets, Jeff Parker on guitar, Lou Malozzi on electronics, Steve Berry on trombone, Christofer Bjurstrom on piano, Philippe Champion on trumpet, Tomeka Reid on cello, Nicolas Peoc'H on alto and soprano sax, Irvin Pierce on tenor, and Avreeayl Ra on drums. There's also some beautiful texts penned by Alexandre Pierrepont and background voice from Yannick Leblay – and while the idea of such trans-Atlantic avant jazz collaboration is nothing new, there's a very special, very unique quality to this set – almost as if the players had been working together for many years to realize Rob's vision. Titles include "Under The Hearts Snow", "The Game Circle", "Wild Gale", "On The Trapeze Of Minds Ferns", "Cobalt Of Chance", "This Is The Atoll", and "Drinkable Gold With Shadows' Liquor". CD

A tremendous 70s album from Charles Tyler – one recorded with a rich, raw tone that's simply mindblowing! Tyler here has all of the deep soul we first came to love during his ESP years, but also a sound that's a bit more focused too – one that's extremely powerful, and boldly righteous – not exactly spiritual jazz, but also not loft jazz either. The sound is wonderful – Tyler's sharp-edged alto out front, in a group with trumpeter Earl Cross – a player who's a really great match in spirit and tone. Other group members include Steve Reid on drums, and bassist Ronnie Boykins and John Ore – players who each play in a different channel of the record! The set is billed as "a polyphonic sonic drama performed live by the Charles Tyler Ensemble" – which is a wonderful summation of the music. CD

Fantastic 70s material from trumpeter Ted Daniel – a hell of an artist in his own right, and one whose participation in the New York scene is finally given some documentation with releases like this! The set has Daniel working with some of his most important contemporaries, in two different groups – one a lineup that's heavy on saxophone work – from players who include David Murray, Charles Tyler, Arthur Blythe, Hassan Dawkins, Oliver Lake, and Kappu Umezu; the other a group with a slightly different lineup, which still includes Tyler and Dawkins, but also adds in trumpet from Ahmed Abdullah, trombone from Cahrles Stephens, and drums from Steve Reid! Both groups feature guitar from Melvin Smith and percussion from Tatsuya Nakamura – and compositions are by Lake, Blythe, Tyler, and Daniel – but all given that sense of bold, majestic energy that we usually find in Ted's performances of the time. Titles include "Hassan", "Illusions", "Folley", and "Greeting". CD

A late 60s southern soul gem from then 14-year-old belter Betty Wright – her early singles for the Alston label that eventually became her debut album for Atlantic! Clarence Reid wrote most of the tracks, with arrangements and production handled by Steve Alaimo's Marlin Productions. It's done in the raw southern soul style which made that organization's name at the time – and Betty carries that groove incredibly well – as well as a woman of any age group! Essential! Cuts include "I'm Thankful", "The Best Girls Can't Always Win", "Girls Can't Do What the Guys Do", "I'm Going To Hate Myself In The Morning", "I Can't Stop My Heart", He's Bad, Bad, Bad", "Funny How Love Grows Cold", the incredible "Cry Like a Baby", "Circle Of Heartbreak", "Just You" and more! CD

No Mirage here – as the album's got a presence that's impossible to deny – a solid, soulful uttering from this key Chicago combo of the 70s! The group's led by reedman Ari Brown – better known for his later avant work – and they've got a wicked blend of keyboards and horns with lots of complicated touches, played out over funky rhythms that are completely mindblowing! The great Ken Chaney plays keyboards, and in addition to Brown's reeds, the set also features trumpet from Frank Gordon, trombone from Steve Galloway, and bass from Rufus Reid – plus cool percussion from Arlington Davis and Drasheer Khalid. Most cuts are instrumental, and recorded beautifully – but one number, "The Ultimate Frontier", also features vocals from Anita Jefferies. Other cuts include "Slinky", "Mirage", "Just a Little Peace", and "March On". CD

Fantastic lost work from the great Frank Lowe – a crucial saxophonist in the generation between the 60s ESP Records scene and the 70s loft jazz generation – and a player whose best legacy is often found in overlooked material like this! The set features both studio and live material by an incredible group – originally intended by Lowe as an album titled Logical Extensions, but never issued at the time. All material was recorded in the Survival and Rivbea studios on the lower east side – and the group features a young Joseph Bowie on trombone, William Parker on bass, and Steve Reid on drums – all sounding about as great as you could ever imagine from this point in their careers. Lowe blows tenor, soprano, flute, harmonica, and handles a variety of other instruments – and if there's another record that stands as strongly as a testament to his explosive creative genius at the time, we're not sure what it might be! LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful entry in this surprisingly long-running series – a mad mix of music that happens every December, when reedman Mars Williams combines themes from Albert Ayler tunes with other snippets of festive holiday songs! But lest you think this is a standard Christmas record, think again – as the music is very freely improvised, and is much more like an album of free jazz than something you'd be likely to play around the fire with your family – unless your family happens to all be fans of improvised music! Given that Ayler was always hoping his music had the power to reach other audiences, we're thinking he'd be pleased with the project – at least as much as we are. In addition to Mars' own work on saxes, suona, and toy instruments – the group also features Josh Berman on cornet, Jim Baker on piano and viola, Peter Maunu on violin, Steve Hunt on drums, Kent Kessler on bass, and Brian Sandstrom on bass, guitar, and trumpet – on tunes that include "The Divine Peacemaker Plays Dreidel In Frightful Weather", "The Angels Sing With The Old & New Ghosts In The Manger", and "Did You Hear They Found Light In Darkness". CD

With Yamashta on percussion and piano, Steve Winwood on vocals and keyboards, Michael Shrieve on drums, Klaus Schulze on synthesizers, Al Di Meola on solo guitar, Jerome Rimson on bass, Pat Thrall on guitar, Brother James on congos, and Karen Freidman on vocals. LP, Vinyl record album

Sure it's not the Blue Note years, but this is an excellent late set by Byrd that shows he was still one hell of a leader! Byrd's at the head of a strong group that includes Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Joe Henderson on tenor, Donald Brown on piano, and Rufus Reid on bass – and the tracks are a blend of modal and soul jazz styles, awash with color and warmth, really stretching past earlier work by Byrd. Lorice Stevens sings soprano vocals on two tracks – "A City Called Heaven" and "Remember Me" – and the other tracks include "Del Valle", "King Arthur", "Not Necessarily The Blues", and "Buck Down In Lu Easy Anna". CD