A host of great guitarists, all coming together to pay tribute to one of their own – the mighty Pat Martino, an artist on the strings from his early years in the 60s in organ combos, through his very creative 70s material, into a great run of albums in later years too! Pat's memory is in ... read moreCD
A beautifully poetic take on the transplantation of African sounds in the US scene – played on a variety of different instruments by Bilal Abdurahman! The tracks are mostly short, percussive ones – with the strongest focus on instrumentation, but with occasional vocal refrains from ... (Global Grooves, Jazz)read moreCD
(Special limited CD – pressed up for us by the Smithsonian Folkways label. Comes with original cover artwork, and the CD also features a PDF file with the original liner notes and other materials from the original record release.)
Nicki Adams & Michael Eaton —
Paraphrase ... CD Steeplechase (Denmark), 2022. New Copy ...
$16.9919.99
Piano, tenor, and nothing else at all – the former played by Nicki Adams, the latter by Michael Eaton – at a level that's very different than any sort of old school duets of this nature! Neither player is pulling back at all – there's less of the sense of "you go first, then ... read moreCD
A stone classic from Cannonball Adderley – and a pivotal set that has him continuing the live recording setting of some of his best 60s albums, while also stretching forward to some of the more inventive ideas of the latter part of the decade! David Axelrod produced, and the album's ... read moreCD
Cannonball Adderley —
Accent On Africa ... CD Capitol/Universal (Japan), 1968. New Copy ...
$13.99
Wickedly hip work from Cannonball Adderley – and one of his real standout sessions for Capitol Records in the 60s! The set lives up to its "Africa" promise right from the very first note – and features a set of loud, proud tunes that really bring out the righteous sounds of ... read moreCD
Cannonball Adderley with David Axelrod production – a combination that couldn't miss back in the 60s! In keeping with the success of the Mercy Mercy Mercy album done with Axelrod, Capitol did everything they could to catch Cannonball in a live setting – a great move, given the open, ... read moreCD
Rare concert work by Cannonball Adderley – recorded live in Europe in the early 60s, only ever issued there until a much later release in the US, but every bit as essential as any of the Adderley live combo albums from the early 60s – including their classics at the Lighthouse and in ... read moreCD
Great live work from the Cannonball Adderley Quintet – recorded during a time when the group's star was really rising on Capitol Records, but at a level that's got the more open-ended, freely-blown style of their classic concert dates for Riverside! The material here was all recorded for ... read moreCD
(Excellent package – with great mastering, and a 28 page booklet of notes!)
Cannonball Adderley with Nancy Wilson & Lou Rawls —
In Person ... CD Capitol/Universal (Japan), 1968. New Copy ...
$13.99
Almost everything soulful at Capitol Records in the mid 60s – packed together in one sweet little place! The set's a winner in a great line of Cannonball Adderley live dates from the time – produced by David Axelrod, and done with that great mix of angular, slightly electric groove the ... read moreCD
A massive set of work from Affinity – a group who only gave the world one classic album, but have a heck of a lot more to offer too! The set begins with the self-titled album from Affinity – a British rock combo, but one with a distinctly jazzy feel – one that's often quite funky ... (Rock, Jazz)read moreCD
One of the best albums ever by this legendary Chicago trio – a great example of the way that records on the Nessa label can really get to the heart of artists' intentions! The trio of Henry Threadgill on reeds, Fred Hopkins on bass, and Steve McCall on percussion have never sounded better ... read moreCD
Noel Akchote/Mary Halvorson/Bill Frisell —
Loving Highsmith ... CD Ayler (Sweden), 2022. New Copy ...
$25.9928.99
A pair of duets, greatly expanded here – and taken way past their initial use as music for a really lovely film about the author Patricia Highsmith! There's nothing really soundtrack-like about the music – although the setting has given all the artists involved a chance to work on some ... read moreCD
One of the few recorded meetings of alto saxophonist Charlie Mariano and pianist Toshiko Akioshi in the studio – quite strange given that they were a couple at the time! The session's easily one of the last great American sessions by either player – a work that shows Mariano's alto ... read moreCD
A great portrait of an under-recorded artist – Joe Albany's last album ever, recorded for Elektra records during their early 80s run of straight jazz sides! The record's got a spare, personal quality that's similar to Albany's other late work – but it's a bit more professionally put ... read moreCD
A cool collection of very unusual grooves from Argentine composer/guitarist Rodolfo Alchourron – part of a generation of groundbreaking musicians in his homeland that also included Lalo Schifrin and Gato Barbieri – yet unlike those artists, a talent that never achieved greater global ... read moreCD
Aldorande —
Deux ... CD Favorite (France), 2021. New Copy ...
$18.9919.99
A really fantastic second album from this keyboard-heavy combo from France – a set that's even more cosmic and spacey than their first album, as you might guess from the cover – thanks in large part to all sorts of great work from Florian Pellissier, on a host of keys that includes ... (Deep Funk, Jazz)read moreCD
A great installment in this long-running series from tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander – a player who also picks up a bit of alto on the record too! As with the previous volumes, this is way more than just a set of sleepy ballads – as the presentation is way more than "gentle" ... read moreCD
Beautifully bold work from drummer Taru Alexander – a musician who was maybe getting some initial attention as the son of saxophonist Roland Alexander, but a player who really comes into his own with this fantastic record! The mighty Antoine Roney is in the group, sounding stronger than we've ... read moreCD
Kamal Abdul Alim & The Brothers —
Dance ... CD Stash/Soul Brother (UK), 1988. New Copy ...
$16.9919.99
A really fantastic little record – a set that shows a strong evolution of spiritual jazz styles into the 80s! The set was recorded at a time when the jazz underground was really getting a lot of exposure, and was bursting forward with a new sense of hope – a quality that you can really ... read moreCD
Mike Allemana —
Vonology ... CD Ears & Eyes, 2022. New Copy ...
$9.9912.99
A wonderfully surprising effort from guitarist Mike Allemana – a secret hero of ours in the Chicago jazz scene for many years – as a player who first worked with tenor giant Von Freeman, and later with guitarist George Freeman – and who's gone on to be both a supporter of and ... read moreCD
A really powerful solo album from JD Allen – maybe the first we've ever heard from the tenor saxophonist, and a set that's got a very different vibe than some of his recent outings with groups! Allen recorded the music during the height of lockdown in 2020, at a time when he'd had to step ... read moreCD
Guitarist Laurindo Almeida returns to a bit of his roots here – but he also shows off a lot of the jazz experience he's picked up along the way! The album features Almeida working solo on acoustic guitar – although possibly overdubbed alongside himself at times – and while the ... read moreCD
Tenorist Rodrigo Amado is at the head of a really great group here – a quartet that can come on fierce when needed, but also really work together to build up their sound slowly – improvising in ways that are open, yet feel structured too – especially on the moments that let the ... read moreCD
Rodrigo Amado & Chris Corsano —
No Place To Fall ... CD Astral Spirits, 2019. New Copy ...
$8.99
Searing sounds from this excellent duo – Rodrigo Amado on tenor and Chris Corsano on drums – both musicians that have such a clear, tight understanding of each other that they're able to improvised freely in fantastic ways – whether moving at top speed as a duo, or stepping ... read moreCD
Reed player Zoh Amba is in some fantastic company here – every bit as great as you'd guess in a trio setting with William Parker on bass and Francisco Mela on drums! Yet even amidst these giants, Amba more than holds her own – especially on tenor, which she blows in this raw, raspy ... read moreCD
One of the best records ever recorded by the Ambiance II Fusion Ensemble – a group led by sax player Daoud Abubakar Balewa – and grooving here in a mix of soul jazz and electric fusion that sounds pretty darn sweet overall! Daoud's got a pinched style to his reed work, creating a tone ... read moreCD
Franco Ambrosetti —
Heart Bop ... CD Enja/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1981. New Copy ...
$13.99
That's "heart bop", not "hardbop" – a title that really gets at the warm feeling and sense of soul on this overlooked date! The album's an early 80s gem from Enja – cut at a time when the label was really finding its own, and doing an especially great job of giving ... read moreCD
(Part of the Enja 50th Anniversary Campaign!)
American-Dutch All Stars —
For All We Know ... CD Blue Jack Jazz/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 2003. New Copy ...
$9.99
A tight, old school set of jazz from the Dutch American All Stars – a group that features trumpeter John Marshall, pianist Hod O'Brien, bassist Jacques Schols, and drummer Peter Ypma – all playing here in very relaxed, familiar company! There's nothing too fancy or overdone with these ... read moreCD
(Part of the "Jazz Premium Seats – Rare Jazz – Live & Sessions" series!)
An early 80s look at Latin jazz from David Amram – with a who's who of Latin jazz players and stellar jazz musicians of other realms – including Paquito D'Riveria, Candido, Machito & Machito Jr, Brazilian percussion guru Duduca Fonseca, David Fathead Newman, Jimmy Knepper, Pepper ... read moreCD
Apostolis Anthimos with Erik Truffaz —
50 – Live In NOSPR ... CD GAD (Poland), 2021. New Copy 2CD ...
$22.9924.99
Contemporary fusion from Polish guitarist Apostolis Anthimos, and a set with some nicely dark qualities at times – kind of a mix of straightforward grooves and a few more outside moments that change things up over the course of the double-length set! The core quartet features Piotr Matusik ... read moreCD
One of the coolest albums ever from this hip Brazilian organist – a set that just features a small combo behind his lead work on the keys – in a mode that ties the album more strongly to the world of samba and bossa jazz than any of his other records of the decade! There's still lots ... (Brazil, Jazz)read moreCD
Horacee Arnold —
Tribe ... CD Columbia/Wounded Bird, 1973. New Copy ...
$6.9911.98
A very soulful batch of fusion tracks from drummer Horacee Arnold – here leading a group that includes reed talents Billy Harper and Joe Farrell, percussionist Ralph McDonald, guitarist Ralph Towner, and Dave Friedman on vibes and percussion. Tracks are long and spiralling, with a spiritual ... read moreCD
A tremendous recording from the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – done during the same Paris stretch as their Great Black Music classics on the BYG/Actuel label – and a set that easily matches, if not tops, those classics! You can really hear the group finding their own space here – ... read moreCD
One of the most hard-hitting albums ever cut by pianist Georges Arvanitas – an early effort that's all soul jazz all the way through! Although Arvanitas is best known as a committed modernist, especially in later years, this sweet early 60s session is a stone cooker in the best mode of Blue ... read moreCD
Okyerema Asante —
Drum Message ... CD Black Fire/Strut (UK), 1977. New Copy ...
$13.9914.99
A legendary album on the Black Fire label from the 70s – a set that features Ghanaian percussionist Oykerama Asante working in the same American mix of funk and spiritual jazz as his labelmates Oneness Of Juju! The set was recorded in the same stretch as the best work from that legendary ... (Global Grooves, Jazz)read moreCD
Ashbury Stabbins Duo (Roy Ashbury/Larry Stabbins) —
Fire Without Bricks ... CD Bead/Corbett vs. Dempsey, 1977. New Copy ...
$12.9915.00
An overlooked gem from the British free jazz scene of the 70s – a set issued on the Bead Records label, and one that got very little circulation at the time – but which is equally as mindblowing as work from the period on labels like Ictus and Ogun! The duo here features Roy Ashbury on ... read moreCD
Tremendous work by a jazz group we've not seen on any other records – working here in a set of live improvisations recorded in Austria in 1978! The sound is loose, but never entirely free jazz – as there's a good sense of rhythm to the group, hanging sometimes together in less-tradition ... read moreCD
Atmospheres with Clive Stevens —
Voyage To Uranus ... CD Capitol/Made In Germany (Germany), 1974. New Copy ...
$16.9918.99
A funky fusion classic from the 70s – a set put together by reedman Clive Stevens, but played by a combo that's almost an electric jazz supergroup – given that the lineup features Michael Carvin on drums, David Earl Johnson on percussion, Stu Woods on bass, John Abercrombie on guitars, ... read moreCD
A brilliant pairing of free jazz forces – the Chicago-based School Days group of Ken Vandermark, and the groundbreaking Atomic combo from the Nordic jazz underground! The players here are all very like-minded, and fold together beautifully – in an octet lineup that features reeds from ... read moreCD
Roy Ayers —
Perfection ... CD Aim (Australia), 2001. New Copy ...
$9.9915.98
A recent bit of work from Roy Ayers – but still plenty darn great, and proof that the vibes master hasn't faltered at all over the years! The set was initially released briefly by Roy in 2001, but is getting its proper debut here – and has Ayers working in a mostly instrumental mode ... (Soul, Jazz)read moreCD
An incredible little record – and the set where it really all comes together for this legendary funky jazz group! Azymuth were already great on their debut, although maybe a little experimental at times – but here, they really find the soulful groove that later got them big fame on the ... (Brazil, Jazz)read moreCD
An obscure trio from the early 60s, but one who play with plenty of soul jazz in their sound – thanks to some mighty heavy work on the key of the piano from leader Red Bahnik! Red's got this sharp attack and inherently rhythmic sound that would have been right at home on early 60s Prestige ... read moreCD
Benny Bailey —
Big Brass ... CD Candid/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1960. New Copy ...
$13.9914.99
One of the few early albums as a leader cut by trumpeter Benny Bailey – a tremendous talent, finally getting his due! Bailey is one of the great unsung talents of jazz, and he's always made top-shelf work – from his early days with Quincy Jones, to his later years as an American ... read moreCD
An essential batch of music – four overlooked gems from the German Ego label of the late 70s – one of which is a stone classic that we've treasured for decades! All albums here are incredible – but our absolute favorite is Benny Bailey's Serenade To A Planet – a set that we ... read moreCD
Chet Baker —
Albert's House ... CD Beverly Hills/Liberation Hall, 1973. New Copy ...
$12.9914.99
A lost little gem from Chet Baker – recorded with a gentle, homey feel that we really like! The album's not one of the standouts in Chet's catalog, but it's got a personal, almost intimate quality that we find really compelling – almost a broken soul sense of playing, with Chet ... read moreCD
One of the last albums that Chet Baker recorded – and a set that changes things up a bit from the smaller combo setting of most of his final decade! The set features some small group work, but also brings in larger orchestrations on a number of tracks – balancing the fragility of Baker' ... read moreCD
Chet Baker in the 80s was a really wonderful thing – hardly the sound of an aging musician stumbling towards the end of his life, as so many others tend to paint this time – and instead, a continually-creative individual who was really finding ways to get around his losses and make some ... read moreCD
Material from the last concert Chet Baker ever recorded – a surprisingly tight session that has the trumpeter blowing solos in front of the NDR Big Band. The setting is relatively relaxed – not a blasting big band session, but one that colors in the space between Baker's notes with ... read moreCD
That's a young Chet Baker on the cover of the record, and the set's a really beautiful experiment based on the music that Chet recorded back in the 50s – a reworking of some of the songs he sung and made his own, turned into versions with lyrics in Norwegian, and instrumentation that nicely ... read moreCD
Ballister (Dave Rempis/Fred Lonberg Holm/Paal Nilssen Love) —
Chrysopoeia ... CD Not Two (Poland), 2022. New Copy ...
$14.9916.99
Two searing long, live improvisations that really sum up the intensity of the Ballister trio at its best – the kind of special sonic resonance that occurs between the saxes of Dave Rempis, drums of Paal Nilssen Love, and cello and electronics of Fred Lonberg-Holm! All three players are ... read moreCD
Ballister (Nilssen-Love/Rempis/Lonberg-Holm) —
Znachki Stilyag ... CD Aerophonic, 2020. New Copy ...
$8.99
Dave Rempis is one of the most consistently deft saxophonists we've ever heard – able to stop on a dime, take a turn, change back again, all while always coming up with new musical ideas – which he does beautifully here, in a series of long improvisations with the Ballister trio of Paal ... read moreCD
Guitarist Craig Bann has a wonderfully rich tone – one that leaps from the record at the very first note, and continues to charm throughout the session – on both upbeat tunes and mellow moments too! Brann handles his chords with a sense of color that's as strong as the masters of the ... read moreCD
Two players we don't really know at all, but coming together here in a sublime set of reed-based creations – Alaeddin Adlernest on bassoon and Haru Ghulam Barrabas on alto sax – four long tunes that each have some sort of structure, but also balance things nicely with a sense of freedom ... read moreCD
Drummer Chad Taylor is one of the most versatile performers we know – a drummer who can move easily between a variety of different settings, always finding the right touch for the right moment! Yet here, Taylor may be in one of his most unique settings to date – improvising on two long ... read moreCD
Laurent Bardianne & Tigre D'Eau Douce —
Hymne Au Soleil ... CD Heavenly Sweetness (France), 2022. New Copy ...
$14.9919.99
A beautiful hymn to the sun from saxophonist Laurent Bardianne – an artist who's not afraid to play with the rhythms a bit, while still offering up some jazz-based material at the core! Bardianne plays tenor in a quintet that also has lots of great Hammond organ from Arnaud Roulin – ... read moreCD
Saxophonist Gary Bartz joins the duo of Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad – bringing a warm sense of soul to their soulful backings – which range from funky to spacey, and do a nice job of capturing the mid 70s feel of Gary on record! The sound isn't the Larry Mizell or Ntu Group ... (Deep Funk, Jazz)read moreCD
A fantastic live set from reedman Gary Bartz – captured here with his ultra-hip NTU group – who you might know from their classic albums on Milestone in the 70s! Gary's soaring out with a hell of a lot of pride and power right from the start – effortlessly spinning these long ... read moreCD
Early soul jazz brilliance from a young Gary Bartz – music that pre-dates his Ntu Troup, and his work with Larry Mizell! Libra is fantastic early work from Gary – and probably his rarest record ever! The album was cut at a time when the young Bartz was first coming to prominence in ... read moreCD
Count Basie —
Basic Basie ... CD MPS (Germany), 1969. New Copy ...
$13.9914.99
Nothing basic about this album by Count Basie – as the album has the legend working for the MPS label – whose own big band scene he really helped inspire! The band here is really dynamic – working with great arrangements from Chico O'Farrill, who's inherent sense of groove really ... read moreCD
The music of the Coltranes – both John and Alice – taken into wonderful directions by saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin – a younger player who clearly feels the influence of the Great One in a very deep way, but isn't about to just offer up a straight copy of the family spiritual ... read moreCD
Sathima Bea Benjamin —
Southern Touch ... CD Enja/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1989. New Copy ...
$16.99
A set that's maybe a bit more of a straight jazz vocal record than some of Sathima Bea Benjamin's earlier material – but that might also be because the great Kenny Barron is part of the group on piano – supporting Sathima's great voice with the help of Buster Williams on bass and Billy ... (Vocalists, Jazz)read moreCD
A really heady record from British drummer Brian Bennett – an artist known for both jazz and funky sound library work – here stretching out in a mode that really fits the image on the cover! The tunes are longer than some of Bennett's earlier sound library material – almost a mix ... (Sound Library, Jazz)read moreCD
Jose Roberto Bertrami —
Jose Roberto Trio ... CD Farroupilha/Far Out (UK), 1966. New Copy ...
$14.9916.99
Very early work from Jose Roberto Bertrami – the keyboardist who rose to fame with Azymuth in the 70s, but who's working here in an all-acoustic bossa mode! In keeping with Bertrami's later talent for an unusual groove, the album's got a feel that's slightly different than the other bossa ... (Brazil, Jazz)read moreCD
A really unusual slice of work from pianist Elsie Bianchi – not just because the tracks here have never been heard before, but also because they feature Elsie playing some Hammond, in addition to her usual piano – and the recording was also made in Atlanta, and not some of the European ... (Vocalists, Jazz)read moreCD
A really sweet take on the music of Stevie Wonder – one that takes the tunes in all sorts of directions we didn't expect! Part of the vibe is in line with the organ work of Pat Bianchi – more of a 60s soul jazz mode, of the sort that was big in the years before Stevie penned most of ... read moreCD
Gary Bias —
East 101 ... CD Nimbus, 1981. New Copy ...
$9.99
A dream of a record from the LA spiritual underground of the 70s – and one of the only records we've ever seen from reedman Gary Bias! The date's got a soulful depth that makes it one of the most compelling albums on the legendary Nimbus label – a rhythmic pulse that's often modal, and ... read moreCD
David Binney is one of those generous saxophonists who seem to often let the role of the rest of the group shape their records as much as the vision and solos of the leader – and that's definitely the case here, on a wonderful date that draws a lot from the presence of pianist Craig Taborn in ... read moreCD
A hell of a trio from the Chicago scene of the 90s – and one of the best showcases we can think of for the mighty skills of trombonist Jeb Bishop! Bishop emerged as one of the freshest voices on his instrument in years – a player who grew up during the full exposure of the free jazz ... read moreCD
Walter Bishop Jr —
Coral Keys ... CD Black Jazz/Real Gone, 1971. New Copy ...
$12.9913.99
The keys are coral, and the sound is sublime – one of the greatest albums ever from pianist Walter Bishop Jr, and proof that he can really stretch out, given the right setting! The piano here is all acoustic, but there's an almost-electric vibe to the date – long, open tracks that sway ... read moreCD
Walter Bishop, Jr. —
Keeper Of My Soul ... CD Black Jazz/Real Gone, 1973. New Copy ...
$12.9913.99
One of Walter Bishop's greatest records – an amazing session that's as funky as it is spiritual – and quite different than most of Bishop's other work! The vibe here is wonderful – as Bish plays a host of keyboards, not just piano – and works in the company of other players ... read moreCD
2 incredible albums from The Blackbyrds – back to back on a single CD! First up is the self-titled Blackbyrds record – a funky jazz treasure, and the band's landmark first album! The Blackbyrds were a legendary 70s combo that were discovered by Donald Byrd while he was teaching at ... (Soul, Jazz)read moreCD
2 classics from The Blackbyrds – back to back on a single CD! City Life is a fantastic album from the legendary jazz funk combo – a bit smoother than their first, but that's the great thing about it! The record has the band getting even tighter than before – coming up with an ... (Soul, Jazz)read moreCD
Ran Blake —
Film Noir ... CD Novus/International Phonograph, 1980. New Copy Gatefold ...
$12.9921.98
One of the most evocative albums we've ever heard from pianist Ran Blake – a set that's got all the sharp edges of some of his most adventurous solo work, but one that also has Ran working in a few different settings, often with a very poetic feel! The set's not a hokey retro-crime record ... read moreCD
(Great gatefold LP-styled sleeve!)
Art Blakey —
Africaine ... CD Blue Note (Japan), 1959. New Copy ...
$13.9914.99
Killer work from the classic late 50s years of the Jazz Messengers – and an album that Blue Note didn't choose to release until the end of the 70s! The record's a historic one – as it mark's Wayne Shorter's first session with the group, and the first time that they recorded his great ... read moreCD
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 ... read moreCD
A nice collection of overlooked work from Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers – not the oft-reissued material from the group's years at Blue Note, but instead some slightly more obscure sides recorded for Columbia and RCA! The work here also represents a time when Blakey was experimenting a ... read moreCD
Hardbop godfather Art Blakey cut some fantastic work in the studio with his Jazz Messengers group – but in a live setting, the group sometimes sound even more amazing than on record – and that's definitely the case with this unreleased live date from the early 60s! Art has a really ... read moreCD
(Comes with a huge booklet of notes – over 50 pages, and filled with great images too!)
Live work from the great Art Blakey – a set that features two different performances from two really great groups! The first two cuts are from 1980 – from a time when the Jazz Messengers features up and coming 80s giants Bobby Watson on alto, Valery Ponomarev on trumpet, Billy Pierce ... read moreCD
(Part of the "Jazz Premium Seats – Rare Jazz – Live & Sessions" series!)
Angular Monk meets hard-driving Art Blakey – in a session that's quite unique, and which has gone onto become one of the best-remembered Atlantic jazz sessions of the late 50s! The album features Blakey in that key non-Blue Note year of 1957 – a time when he was working with a variety ... read moreCD
(Features new mastering from the mono master tapes – plus new notes, and rare photos and ephemera!)
Prime modern work from the great Paul Bley – a pianist who was really expanding his sound at this time – to a level that would soon make him a legend around the globe! The European date is a great chance to hear Bley really opening things up – playing freely, with an amazing ... read moreCD
(Part of the "Freedom Paper Sleeve Collection" series!)
A record that's nicely lean and focused compared to some of the darker, moodier records from this Polish group – almost as if they've shaken out a few layers in the mix, and focused a bit more on some of the acoustic elements in their lineup! There's still plenty of the deep bass guitar ... read moreCD
Bloto —
Kwiatostan ... CD Astigmatic (Poland), 2020. New Copy ...
$13.9916.99
There's a lot of sonic intensity to this record from Polish quartet Bloto – a sound that's got maybe the same mix of jazz, electronics, and deep bottom sounds as some of the famous Bill Laswell projects from years back! Yet these guys are also very much in territory of their own – ... read moreCD
The first full length set from London duo Blue Lab Beats – a pair who are very well-placed on Blue Note Records, but more as ambassadors of some of the more soul-styled work the label has done in recent years! There's a very collaborative vibe going on here – as the core producers open ... (Neo Soul, Jazz)read moreCD
The moods here are anything but blue – as the group's got an upbeat, positive way of laying into a tune right from the start – as they take on a range of compositions by Charles Mingus, but all served up in a lean quartet formation that really helps transform the songs! Diego Rivera is ... read moreCD
A beautiful record – although one that's tinged with a touch of sadness, given the setting. In what was becoming an unfortunate tradition in their later years, the remaining members of the legendary South African jazz group The Blue Notes join together to mourn the passing of one of their ... read moreCD
Seminal live work from this legendary group – a late 70s concert recorded in London, and one that shows just how much the Blue Notes had grown after leaving behind their South African scene! The combo is a quartet here – the mighty Chris McGregor on piano, Dudu Pukwana on alto, Johnny ... read moreCD
A much-needed look at the early sound of The Blue Notes – a performance right before they left South Africa, and with a nicely different sound than some of their later London performances issued on the Ogun label! The group here are already very much in their own sound and spirit, but with ... read moreCD
A great set from saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett – almost back to his roots in the St Louis underground scene, as the album's a live recording of long spiritual jazz tracks, arguably a lot more compelling than most of Bluiett's studio work from the time! The album was recorded at Sweet Basil in ... read moreCD
Hamiet Bluiett —
Live At Carlos I ... CD Just A Memory/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1996. New Copy ...
$16.9919.99
A really hard-burning live session – recorded in the 90s, but with all the bite and fire of some of the best Hamiet Bluiett sessions from the previous decade! There's a long-spun, spiritual vibe going on here – tracks that use familiar instrumentation, but really find a way to soar ... read moreCD
Gabor Bolla —
On The Move ... CD Stunt (Denmark), 2021. New Copy ...
$16.9919.99
Saxophonist Gabor Bolla really comes on strong here – blowing both tenor and soprano sax alongside frequent musical partner Robert Lakatos on piano, a player who almost feels like the co-leader of the set, given the contributions he makes to the record! Many tunes are originals by Bolla ... read moreCD
Way more than just a James Bond cash-in record – and instead an ultra-hip jazz session from the west coast scene of the 60s! The James Bond at the helm of the record is actually Jimmy Bond – the great bassist who worked on some key sessions of the late 50s and early 60s as a sideman, ... read moreCD
Some of the earliest work ever recorded by Lester Bowie as a leader – and a set that stands in importance right next to the early Delmark AACM sides by Anthony Braxton and Roscoe Mitchell! Plus, the album's almost an early Art Ensemble of Chicago effort, given the lineup – which ... read moreCD
The wisdom and knowledge of Sun Ra – read by saxophonist David Boykin, an artist who is definitely carrying on the spiritual legacy that Ra began on the Chicago scene! The album is all spoken word – no music at all, but instead these really well-done readings by Boykin – who ... read moreCD
(CDR release – direct from the artist!)
David Boykin —
Progenitor ... CD Sonic Healing Ministries, 2021. New Copy ...
$6.99
Fiercely spiritual music from the great David Boykin – exactly the kind of record that puts him in a special sort of legacy that goes back to the glory days of the 70s! Boykin's always had this sort of quality in his music, but it feels as if in recent years, he's gotten even more righteous ... read moreCD
(CDR release – direct from the artist!)
David Boykin —
Sublimation ... CD Sonic Healing Ministries, 2021. New Copy ...
$6.99
Given the energy going on here, we can say that saxophonist David Boykin isn't sublimating any of his thoughts – as the record's got a wonderfully explosive vibe right from the start, then continues to soar in a mighty nice way! The format's a trio – Boykin's tenor next to the bass of ... read moreCD
(CDR release – direct from the artist!)
David Boykin —
Transolo ... CD Sonic Healing Ministries, 2021. New Copy ...
$6.99
The cover and title here hint at the music within – as David Boykin plays solo, and moves between work on bass clarinet and drums – both instruments we're not used to hearing him handle, and which open up very different sides of his style! The drums are maybe the biggest surprise ... read moreCD
A great reworking of the extended Solar Suite by Chicago saxophonist David Boykin – issued many years back in a studio version, and presented here in a bold new take done at the same 63rd Street Beach House that used to host performances by Phil Cohran & The Artistic Heritage Ensemble! ... read moreCD
David Boykin works here in a very different guise than his usual role as a saxophonist – stepping out here with a range of different singers, in a set of tracks that showcase a whole new side of his talents! The music is a mix of modern jazz vocals and contemporary soul modes – ... read moreCD
Hardly the sex tape you might expect from the title – and instead a really great ensemble performance from David Boykin – one that almost has him rising up to take on the Sun Ra legacy on the Chicago scene! The group here is full of wonderful sounds – not just tenor from Boykin, ... read moreCD
(CDR release – direct from the artist!)
David Boykin Expanse —
Solar Suite ... CD Sonic Healing Ministries, 2006. New Copy ...
$6.99
A set recorded many years back by Chicago spiritualist David Boykin – but one that's finally getting its debut on record, as part of the ever-evolving rich tapestry of sounds that Boykin's been giving us since the 90s! The set here captures David at a key moment – when he was maybe ... read moreCD