The long-overdue reissue of some of Ahmad Jamal's first recordings – early sides for the Okeh and Columbia labels, all tunes that would go on to have a huge influence on the use of the piano in jazz! All tracks on the set were recorded in the early 50s with Jamal's great drumless trio that featured Ray Crawford on guitar and either Eddie Calhoun or Israel Crosby on bass – the latter of whom is tremendous here, working as a player who really helped set his instrument free from its traditional role in jazz. The trio's blend of guitar, bass, and piano is completely unique – extremely inventive at both a rhythmic and melodic level, as each instrument often fills both roles equally well – dancing around with an internal groove that emerges outwardly as an especially fluid approach to the tune. If you've never heard Jamal at his early best like this, the CD's gotta be one of the best places we can think of to start – as it features 21 titles in all, all beautifully remastered with impeccable sound that goes far beyond even our original albums! Titles include "Poinciana", "Black Beauty", "Something To Remember You By", "Pavanne", "Perfida", "Rica Pulpa", "Old Devil Moon", "Autumn Leaves", "Ahmad's Blues", and "Aki & Ukthay". CD

The first full album from the great Ray Bryant – recorded shortly after his famous Epic Records session with Betty Carter! The album's got Ray grooving in a hard early soul jazz mode – working in a trio with either Kenny Clarke or Osie Johnson on drums, and Wyatt Reuther on bass – at a level that still shows some influence from other pianists, but already with that unique hard-left style that would make Bryant a big favorite in short years to come. Candido joins in on congas on 2 of the album's best tracks – a hard grooving take on "Night In Tunisia", plus Ray's classic "Cubano Chant", a dancing Latin groover that went onto become an oft-recorded Latin Jazz standard – and other titles include "Pawn Ticket", "Philadelphia Bound", and "Off Shore". CD

A modern day spiritual jazz treasure – completely wonderful all the way through, and a set you might well file proudly next to your classics from John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders! The record's as epic as it promises in the title – a three volume journey in jazz, headed by tenorist Kamai Washington, who emerges here as a tremendous leader, a hell of a writer, and a rich jazz talent in every sense of the word – carefully steering a group of musicians through work that's searing, searching, and driven with a very cosmic vibe! Tunes are often modal, and never step too far outside, but always push the boundaries – and the instrumentation is a shifting mix of keyboards, piano, trombone, trumpet, bass, drums, and percussion – plus some vocal performances from Dwight Trible and Patrice Quinn. You might know Kamasi from his work with Flying Lotus and Thundercat – the latter of whom plays bass on this set – but the album's very much his own, and very much jazz all the way through. The kind of record we're mighty proud to be offering – with tracks that include "Askim", "The Next Step", "Rhythm Changes", "Miss Understanding", "Leroy & Lanisha", "Re Run", "Seven Prayers", "Malcolm's Theme", and "The Message". CD

Bossa with a great American twist! Nancy Ames was an American pop singer of the 60s – one who did mostly folksy tunes with a light California feel, and who here is coming up with some great bossa nova numbers, set to arrangements by Stu Phillips! The package has all the sunniness of a summer LA afternoon at the beach – with the driving groove of a pop bossa session from Rio. The album's perennial favorite is Nancy's remake of "Mas Que Nada" (done here as "Pow Pow Pow") – but there's loads of other wonderful numbers, and the whole album's great! Titles include "Laia La Daia", "Love's Like Wine", "So Nice", and "A Man & A Woman". As the song says – Pow Pow Pow! Her greatest LP by a mile, too! (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning surprise from Andre 3000 – at least if you only know him as part of Outkast – and a record that finally gives us an audio document of the sounds that Andre has really been involved with in recent years – a beautiful blend of spiritual jazz with mellower currents, aided here by some members of the contemporary LA scene! There's a resonance here with some of the more laidback projects on the International Anthem label, and with the work of Carlos Nino – and no surprise, Nino is on board to deliver great production work throughout, and co-produced the album with Andre too. Andre delivers a lot of work on flute, as hinted at by the cover – and also serves up beautiful sounds on wind controller too – as the set moves between contributions from other artists who include Nate Mercereau on guitars, and Diego Gaeta and Surya Botofasina on keyboards – as well as guest vocals from Mia Doi Todd on two tracks, and shakuhachi from Shabaka Hutchings on one more. Titles include "That Night In Hawaii When I Turned Into A Panther & Started Making These Low Register Purring Tones That I Couldn't Control", "Ninety Three Til Infinity & Beyonce", "Dreams Once Buried Beneath The Dungeon Floor Slowly Sprout Into Undying Gardens", "Ants To You Gods To Who", and "I Swear I Really Wanted To Make A Rap Album But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me". CD

A stunning surprise from Andre 3000 – at least if you only know him as part of Outkast – and a record that finally gives us an audio document of the sounds that Andre has really been involved with in recent years – a beautiful blend of spiritual jazz with mellower currents, aided here by some members of the contemporary LA scene! There's a resonance here with some of the more laidback projects on the International Anthem label, and with the work of Carlos Nino – and no surprise, Nino is on board to deliver great production work throughout, and co-produced the album with Andre too. Andre delivers a lot of work on flute, as hinted at by the cover – and also serves up beautiful sounds on wind controller too – as the set moves between contributions from other artists who include Nate Mercereau on guitars, and Diego Gaeta and Surya Botofasina on keyboards – as well as guest vocals from Mia Doi Todd on two tracks, and shakuhachi from Shabaka Hutchings on one more. Titles include "That Night In Hawaii When I Turned Into A Panther & Started Making These Low Register Purring Tones That I Couldn't Control", "Ninety Three Til Infinity & Beyonce", "Dreams Once Buried Beneath The Dungeon Floor Slowly Sprout Into Undying Gardens", "Ants To You Gods To Who", and "I Swear I Really Wanted To Make A Rap Album But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Hardbop albums don't get any better than this – and although drummer Dave Bailey only recorded for a brief stretch as a leader, this session's one that shows that he was a heck of a force to contend with! The record's got an intensity that easily rivals the best by Art Blakey over at Blue Note during the early 60s – but Dave's also got a slightly looser groove too – a bit more sense of humanity, and one that allows for really organic interplay between the players. There's a slight soul jazz undercurrent – especially in the piano lines of Billy Gardner – and other players in the quintet include Bill Hardman on trumpet, Frank Haynes on tenor, and Ben Tucker on bass. The group wails on an early version of Tucker's classic "Comin' Home Baby", plus other great originals like "Coffee Walk", "Lady Iris B", and "Two Feet In the Gutter". A old favorite on the south side of Chicago! LP, Vinyl record album

Hardbop albums don't get any better than this – and although drummer Dave Bailey only recorded for a brief stretch as a leader, this session's one that shows that he was a heck of a force to contend with! The record's got an intensity that easily rivals the best by Art Blakey over at Blue Note during the early 60s – but Dave's also got a slightly looser groove too – a bit more sense of humanity, and one that allows for really organic interplay between the players. There's a slight soul jazz undercurrent – especially in the piano lines of Billy Gardner – and other players in the quintet include Bill Hardman on trumpet, Frank Haynes on tenor, and Ben Tucker on bass. The group wails on an early version of Tucker's classic "Comin' Home Baby", plus other great originals like "Coffee Walk", "Lady Iris B", and "Two Feet In the Gutter". A old favorite on the south side of Chicago! LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of Basie work from the year 1941 – featuring a lineup that includes Dickey Wells, Tab Smith, Buddy Tate, Don Byas, Freddie Green, and Buck Clayton. Tracks include "Down For Double", "Diggin For Dex", "Jump The Blues Away", "The Jitters", "Tuesday At Ten", "Tune Town Shuffle", "Basie Boogie", and "Fiesta In Blue". Great 50s cover, with some cool geometric cat designs! LP, Vinyl record album

Killer work from Stanley Clarke – a set to start off the 80s, but still very much in that unique blend of jazz, rock, and soul he forged so well in the 70s! The set begins with really heavy drums and bass – nicely propelled, but never too strong or too jamming – a great balance that really sets the pace well for the record as Clarke and the combo pulsate through a range of nice little numbers – often linked with a cool motorcycle sound effect! There's a few 80s touches, mostly in the keyboards, but these are never too modern – and all used very nicely. Titles include the extended "Story Of A Man & A Woman" suite – plus "Danger Street", "All Hell Broke Loose", "Rocks Pebbles & Sand", and "Underestimation". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice funky electric groover from Stanley Clarke's mid 80s R&B years! Time Exposure has a lot of period electro funk in the mix, particularly Clarke's impeccable bass lines, which are heavy throughout! A brilliant mix of 80s fusiony future funk with jazz precision – definitely a funky highlight from this period in Clarke's career – and those bass lines are just unreal! A pretty eclectic roster of guest musicians play on this one, including tenor sax player Ernie Watts, fellow bassist Louis Johnson of Brothers Johnson, singer Howard Hewitt and rock guitar guru Jeff Beck. Titles include "Play The Bass 10", "Are You Ready (For The Future)", "Heaven Sent You", "Time Exposure", "Speedball", "Future Shock", "Spacerunner", "I Know Just How You Feel" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Al Cohn leads a host of great sax players like Gene Quill, Sol Schlinger, Phil Bodner, and Zoot Sims through a set of tight arrangements that have nice little openings for searing solos by the stars. There's a lot of tracks (including "Shazam", "Shutout", "Villa Rowboats", and "Solsville"), and the group plays fast and hard to get them all in. LP, Vinyl record album

An underappreciated soul set from George Duke for Epic – his Rendezvous from '84 – an engagement worth keeping! Given the mid 80s release date, you might be expecting a whole lot of programming and drum machine action – there's a bit of it, but this is a really lively set with some great musicianship across the board – and the songs are pretty strong, too. Duke produced, sings and handles an array of instrumentation from keys to synths and programming, with Stanley Clarke, Paulinho Da Costa, Ernie Watts, Oscar Castro Neves and other great players in the mix. Titles include "Got To Get Back To Love", "Take It On", "She Can Wait Forever", "Stay Awhile", "Thinking Of You" (with some nice extended string arrangements), "Secret Rendezvous", and "Ipanema Lady" LP, Vinyl record album

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A surprisingly wonderful 70s meeting between Gerry Mulligan & Chet Baker – recorded live, with sweet electric touches from CTI – in a style that shouldn't work so well, but which really comes off great! The approach is simple – Mulligan and Baker solo in a manner that's a bit like their 50s work, but which also unfolds more than usual with backing from a group that includes Bob James on electric piano, Ron Carter on bass, John Scofield on guitar, and Harvey Mason on drums. Tracks are long, with lots of space – hanging in a beautiful balance between electric and acoustic sounds. Titles include "Line For Lyons", "Song For An Unfinished Woman", "Song For Strayhorn", "It's Sandy At The Beach", "Bernie's Tune", and "K 4 Pacific". Both volumes on one CD! CD

This is the one that really nailed it for Jaco Pastorious – a brilliant showcase for all his many talents on the bass, and a key illustration of the way that he influenced an entire generation! Sure, Jaco in Weather Report was already pretty darn great – but here, on his own, he really gets to sparkle – jamming hard with heavyweights on some funky numbers, sliding out in spacey territory on mellow cuts, and even trying out a few more experimental moments that are far beyond what most other bassists might imagine for a debut of this nature. Players on the date include Herbie Hancock on keyboards, Don Alias on percussion, Lenny White on drums, Hubert Laws on flute, and Randy Brecker on trumpet – and titles include "Portrait Of Tracy", "Donna Lee", "Continuum", "Okonkole Y Trompa", "Kuru/Speak Like a Child", "Opus Pocus", and "Come On Come Over". LP, Vinyl record album

This is the one that really nailed it for Jaco Pastorious – a brilliant showcase for all his many talents on the bass, and a key illustration of the way that he influenced an entire generation! Sure, Jaco in Weather Report was already pretty darn great – but here, on his own, he really gets to sparkle – jamming hard with heavyweights on some funky numbers, sliding out in spacey territory on mellow cuts, and even trying out a few more experimental moments that are far beyond what most other bassists might imagine for a debut of this nature. Players on the date include Herbie Hancock on keyboards, Don Alias on percussion, Lenny White on drums, Hubert Laws on flute, and Randy Brecker on trumpet – and titles include "Portrait Of Tracy", "Donna Lee", "Continuum", "Okonkole Y Trompa", "Kuru/Speak Like a Child", "Opus Pocus", and "Come On Come Over". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "Used To Be A Cha Cha" and "6/4 Jam". CD

A beautiful collection of early important work from Jack Teagarden – and one of the best vinyl portrayals of his genius from these key years! Teagarden's trombone work is amazing – the sort that set the tone for countless players to come – and there's also a lot of warmth and wit in the recordings as well. 48 tracks in all – with notes, and a lot better sound than some scratchy ol' 78s! LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent collection of obscure jazz and R&B instrumental sides from the great Okeh label of the 50s – including some excellent stormers from Chicago! Little Johnny Griffin checks in with "For Dancers Only", "Flyin Home", and "Chicago Riffin", and the first two cuts feature vocals by Babs Gonzales! Other tracks include "Money Is Honey" and "I Want A Big Butter & Egg Man" by Mary Ann McCall; "Dig This Menu Please" and "Red's Mambo", two fantastic R&B tunes from trumpeter Red Rodney; and "Smooth Sailin", "Walkin Home", and "Whispering", all by Arnett Cobb, and included here with some other nice tunes that rank with some of Cobb's best work. LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by Frank Froeba & His Swing Band, Louis Prima & His New Orleans Gang, Frankie Newton & His Uptown Serenaders, The Three Peppers, Fats Waller, Art Tatum, Teddy Wilson, Clarence Profit Trio, and Bunny Berigan & His Boys. LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by Joe Marsala & His Chicagoans, Midge Williams & Her Jazz Jesters, Maxine Sullivan & Her Orchestra, John Kirby & His Orchestra, Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra, Red Norvo & His Swing Septet, Midlred Bailey & Her Swing Band, Slim & Slam, Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogie Boys, Bud Freeman & His Famous Chicagoans, and Bobby Hackett & His Orchestra. LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by Billie Holiday, Pete Johnson & His Boogie Woogie Boys, Will Bradley, Count Basie, Hot Lips Page, Roy Eldridge, Coleman Hawkins, Noble Sissle Swingsters, and Dizzy Gillespie. LP, Vinyl record album

A long overdue testament to the live genius of the mighty John Coltrane Quartet – captured at the legendary Half Note club in NYC – disc 1 recorded on a date in March 1965 and disc 2 on a date in early May of the same year! The set finds Coltrane plus McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass and Elvin Jones on the kit working in a far more adventurous guise than many of the 60s studio sessions – stretching out incredibly on the half hour epic workout "One Up, One Down" and a beautifully loose run of "Afro Blue". The stylistic themes are carried through similarly on the second disc's long grooving "Song Of Praise" and an amazing "My Favorite Things", but stretching near or past the 20 minute mark. These long bootlegged recordings are now available on CD officially for the first time ever – complete with the original radio introductions and announcements! CD

Miles Davis' last studio session before a few years of seclusion – and a really monumental effort, probably the baddest of the electric period! The album does a great job of capturing the energy of the frenzied live sets from that time, and matching it with Teo Macero's cut and paste editing, and wizardry at the mixing console. The side long piece "He Loved Him Madly" is a minimalist epic, while "Calypso Frelimo" alternates between mad afro-percussion driven jams and spacey wah-wah trumpet interludes. The rest of the album is divided up into more succinct shorter funky pieces, like classic "Rated X", with Miles basically just leaning on an electric organ over a hyper funk beat, and the bluesy "Honky Tonk" which opens with an incredibly funky burping electric piano break! CD

A masterful tribute from one bad cat to another – and easily one of Miles Davis' greatest electric albums ever! The album's got a powerful, epic sort of feel – a renewed focus after the looser style of Bitches Brew, and the 70s live albums – and one that mixes a deeper funky sound with the raw, exploratory style Davis had let loose a few years before. Michael Henderson's bass is a big part of the power of the record, and John McLaughlin's guitar has never sounded better, or sharper. Teo Macero made the whole thing magic in the studio, and titles include two sidelong funkdafied jams – "Right Off" and "Yesternow". LP, Vinyl record album

A different version of the album Bash – recorded for the Jazztime label in 1961, with leadership by Dave Bailey – a set that's filled with fire, soul, and imagination – recorded as part of the drummer's amazing (and amazingly short) early 60s run as a leader! The date smokes with the same sort of energy as Dave's great "Gutter" albums for Epic – a groove that's part Blue Note, part Prestige, and carried off with so much precision, we wonder why Bailey never recorded more as a leader. Players are all wonderful – Kenny Dorham's on trumpet, Curtis Fuller's on trombone, Frank Haynes is on tenor, and Tommy Flanagan's on piano. Ben Tucker provides excellent basswork, and proves that him and Bailey were one of the best hardbop rhythm teams ever! Cuts include "Grand Street", "Osmosis", "Soul Support", and "An Oscar For Oscar". CD features 7 tracks in all – including some that haven't been on other versions of this session. Other titles include "Just Friends", "Like Someone In Love", and "BMT Express". CD

A way different album than usual for both tenor giant Coleman Hawkins, and up-and-coming trumpet talent Clark Terry – a very soulful set that falls much more into the spirit of the few soul jazz gems on early 60s Epic/Columbia Records! This could be because Dave Bailey's holding down the drum chores, and the record sounds a bit like his great recordings from the early 60 – a tight, soulful groove that's also got support from Tommy Flanagan on piano and Major Holley on bass! All tracks are nice and long, with strong solos from Hawkins and Terry – and there's a fantastic cut called "Tune For The Tutor", which was written by Pat Patrick, and which really grooves! Other nice ones include "Feedin' The Bean" and "Squeeze Me" – plus "Don't Worry Bout Me", and "Michelle". LP, Vinyl record album

JJ Johnson's greatest album – without a doubt! This gem of a session was recorded in 1960 in New York, with an incredibly hip sextet that includes Cedar Walton, Clifford Jordan, and Freddie Hubbard. The tracks are all long, hip, and very much in a Blue Note soul jazz mode – very unusual not only for Johnson, but for Columbia records as well. The album feels like it should have been issued on Epic, with those killer Dave Bailey sides from 1961 – which might be why it has frequently gotten lost in Johnson's career, hidden amidst some of the sleepier material that seems to see the light of day more often than this one. The album's a stone winner all the way through – and features Johnson playing some of his gutsiest solos ever. Tracks include "Minor Mist", "In Walked Horace", "Fatback", "Aquarius", and "Shutterbug". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliantly evocative album from Pat Metheny – one that's got a quietly epic feel, as Pat and group soar out across the American landscape in a set of tunes that subtly explore space and sound while still remaining wonderfully fluid. There's nothing forced here, and nothing too slick – just a magical blend of acoustic and electric sounds, touched with those mystical notes that seem to flow effortlessly from the hands of keyboardist Lyle Mays. Titles include "The Epic", "American Garage", "Cross The Heartland", "Airstream", and "The Search". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice early 70s session from Charles Mingus – and in interesting one, to boot – finding the legendary bassist in Japan leading his own group and Toshiyuki Miyama and his New Herd Orchestra! Mingus's American players included Bobbie Jones on tenor and clarinet, Eddie Preston on trumpet. The New Herd featured Masahiko Sato on a prominent piano, and Shigeo Suzuki on alto. Jaki Byard arranged. The epic side "The Man Who Never Sleeps" runs over 16 minutes, and finds group in a restrained combo groove, a very subtle and wonderful tune. The remaining numbers "OP" and "Portrait" are done in a more straight-forward big band mode, but still with a relaxed feel. CD

A second unearthed gem from pianist Horace Tapscott at the Lighthouse club in 1979 – very sharp stuff featuring a solid group of Nimbus players! Volume 2 was recorded on October 11, appropriately the night after the set featured on Lighthouse 79 Vol 1, with Tapscott leading the way, and setting up a groove with on the piano, while the group pounces when ready The players are Reggie Bullen on trumpet, Gary Bias on alto, Roberto Miranda and David Bryant on bass, and George Goldsmith on drums. It's an impeccable balance of subtle, slow building melodicism and sharp, emphatic group play & soloing! Totally great stuff, and absolutely worth a second helping. Titles include "Acirfa", "Niger's Theme", the epic "Stella By Starlight", "Lush Life" (at 6+ minutes, the only number in the set that runs less than 10 minutes) and "Inspiration Of Silence". CD

The genius of Phil Woods emerges fully on this rare album from 1957 – an unusually-titled session, and one of the few to really set Phil up in a looser, more intimate setting! The approach is a bit like Woods sublime work for Epic Records, but more soulful too – and very different than some of his chamber jazz work on RCA, or the more blowing-session styled records on Prestige. Here, everything falls into place beautifully – as Phil's razor-sharp tones sparkle strongly on some well-conceived tracks that also feature trumpet work by Ray Copeland – and rhythm from the trio of Red Garland on piano, Teddy Kotick on bass, and Nick Stabulas on drums. The tunes are bop-oriented, but Woods already stretches out way past any cliches – really finding his voice and showing a tremendous amount of growth in just a few years. Titles include "Steeplechase", "Au Prive", "Last Fling", "Sugan", and "Green Pines". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare material from Dave Bailey – a set that's filled with fire, soul, and imagination – recorded as part of the drummer's amazing (and amazingly short) early 60s run as a leader! The date smokes with the same sort of energy as Dave's great "Gutter" albums for Epic – a groove that's part Blue Note, part Prestige, and carried off with so much precision, we wonder why Bailey never recorded more as a leader. Players are all wonderful – Kenny Dorham's on trumpet, Curtis Fuller's on trombone, Frank Haynes is on tenor, and Tommy Flanagan's on piano. Ben Tucker provides excellent basswork, and proves that him and Bailey were one of the best hardbop rhythm teams ever! Cuts include "Grand Street", "Osmosis", "Soul Support", and "An Oscar For Oscar". CD features 5 bonus tracks – alternates of "Grand Street", "Osmosis", "Like Someone In Love", "BMT Express", and "Soul Support". CD

An incredible album from drummer Dave Bailey – a set that's almost better than his classic early 60s sets for Epic! Like those records, this one's a rock-solid session that's right up there with the best Blue Note work of the time – perfectly put together, with a sense of poise, balance, and soul that's even more amazing, given that the album was only issued on the short-lived Jazztime label. The lineup is killer too – with Frank Haynes on tenor, Grant Green on guitar, Ben Tucker on bass, and Billy Gardner on piano – and the presence of Green, Gardner, and Tucker really give the set a tight soul jazz groove. Green is great, and the album's equally noteworthy for his presence – and has actually been issued under his name over the years as well. Tracks include "One For Elena", "Reaching Out", "Our Miss Brooks", and "Baby, You Should Know It". Great stuff, and an album that will become one of your favorites! CD features 3 bonus alternate takes too. CD

One of the key records from the Detroit Tribe Records scene of the 70s – a masterful blend of spiritual jazz and deeper ideas, and maybe the greatest record ever cut by trumpeter Marcus Belgrave! The set was originally issued on the Gem Eye label in 1974, in a pressing of only 1000, the record's done nothing but increase in legend since – and for good reason too, given that the Tribe pressing got wider circulation, and other reissues have really helped establish the legend of the music! The groove picks up in the same domain as the better Art Ensemble Of Chicago records of the late 60s and early 70s – with the rubbery funk electric bass lines and celestial groove of the funkier moments, but deeper sounds of more spiritual points too. Trumpeter Marcus Belgrave plays in a beautiful ensemble, packed with Tribe labelmates – Wendell Harrison on tenor sax & percussion, Phil Ranelin on trombone, and Harold McKinney on electric piano. Roy Brooks and Billy Turner are on drums and percussion, and the expansive vibe is fleshed out with the help of Lorenzo Brown on bongos and Daryl Dybka on mini Moog. The record includes Belgrave's beautiful epic "Space Odyssey", which has a long flowing cosmic groove, nice electronics, and haunting trumpet solos. Other cuts include "Gemini II", "Marcia's Opal", "Glue Fingers (Parts I & II)", and "Odoms Cave". CD

Miles Davis' last studio session before a few years of seclusion – and a really monumental effort, probably the baddest of the electric period! The album does a great job of capturing the energy of the frenzied live sets from that time, and matching it with Teo Macero's cut and paste editing, and wizardry at the mixing console. The side long piece "He Loved Him Madly" is a minimalist epic, while "Calypso Frelimo" alternates between mad afro-percussion driven jams and spacey wah-wah trumpet interludes. The rest of the album is divided up into more succinct shorter funky pieces, like classic "Rated X", with Miles basically just leaning on an electric organ over a hyper funk beat, and the bluesy "Honky Tonk" which opens with an incredibly funky burping electric piano break! LP, Vinyl record album

A masterful tribute from one bad cat to another – and easily one of Miles Davis' greatest electric albums ever! The album's got a powerful, epic sort of feel – a renewed focus after the looser style of Bitches Brew, and the 70s live albums – and one that mixes a deeper funky sound with the raw, exploratory style Davis had let loose a few years before. Michael Henderson's bass is a big part of the power of the record, and John McLaughlin's guitar has never sounded better, or sharper. Teo Macero made the whole thing magic in the studio, and titles include two sidelong funkdafied jams – "Right Off" and "Yesternow". CD

Dave Kikoski on piano, Essiet Essiet on bass, and Al Foster on drums. CD

A brilliantly evocative album from Pat Metheny – one that's got a quietly epic feel, as Pat and group soar out across the American landscape in a set of tunes that subtly explore space and sound while still remaining wonderfully fluid. There's nothing forced here, and nothing too slick – just a magical blend of acoustic and electric sounds, touched with those mystical notes that seem to flow effortlessly from the hands of keyboardist Lyle Mays. Titles include "The Epic", "American Garage", "Cross The Heartland", "Airstream", and "The Search". CD

One of the key records from the Detroit Tribe Records scene of the 70s – a masterful blend of spiritual jazz and deeper ideas, and maybe the greatest record ever cut by trumpeter Marcus Belgrave! The set was originally issued on the Gem Eye label in 1974, in a pressing of only 1000, the record's done nothing but increase in legend since – and for good reason too, given that the Tribe pressing got wider circulation, and other reissues have really helped establish the legend of the music! The groove picks up in the same domain as the better Art Ensemble Of Chicago records of the late 60s and early 70s – with the rubbery funk electric bass lines and celestial groove of the funkier moments, but deeper sounds of more spiritual points too. Trumpeter Marcus Belgrave plays in a beautiful ensemble, packed with Tribe labelmates – Wendell Harrison on tenor sax & percussion, Phil Ranelin on trombone, and Harold McKinney on electric piano. Roy Brooks and Billy Turner are on drums and percussion, and the expansive vibe is fleshed out with the help of Lorenzo Brown on bongos and Daryl Dybka on mini Moog. The record includes Belgrave's beautiful epic "Space Odyssey", which has a long flowing cosmic groove, nice electronics, and haunting trumpet solos. Other cuts include "Gemini II", "Marcia's Opal", "Glue Fingers (Parts I & II)", and "Odoms Cave". CD

Miles Davis' last studio session before a few years of seclusion – and a really monumental effort, probably the baddest of the electric period! The album does a great job of capturing the energy of the frenzied live sets from that time, and matching it with Teo Macero's cut and paste editing, and wizardry at the mixing console. The side long piece "He Loved Him Madly" is a minimalist epic, while "Calypso Frelimo" alternates between mad afro-percussion driven jams and spacey wah-wah trumpet interludes. The rest of the album is divided up into more succinct shorter funky pieces, like classic "Rated X", with Miles basically just leaning on an electric organ over a hyper funk beat, and the bluesy "Honky Tonk" which opens with an incredibly funky burping electric piano break! CD

One of George Duke's best albums for the MPS label – and a set that has a sound that's a little bit more soul than before! The album uses a fair bit of vocals alongside Duke's funky keyboards – but in a way that's not nearly as smooth as some of his albums for Epic, and which still retains all the best spacey and cosmic bits of his roots! The record's got a strong west coast soul feel – with elements of some of the jazzy funk of the Fantasy Records/Bay Area scene, and elements of the electric funk that was starting to come out of LA at the time – and there's a huge host of guest stars on the record, including Johnny Guitar Watson (who sings on one track), Emil Richards (who plays marimba), and Flora Purim (who does her usual thing!) Titles include "Chariot", "Someday", "That's What She Said", "Sister Serene", "Prepare Yourself", "Rokkinrowl", and "Look Into Her Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album