A beautiful piece of music, and one that features Mats Gustafsson working as both an instrumentalist and conductor – contributing work on baritone, flute, and the unusual spilapipa throughout the course of the album's single extended performance! As with Mats' instrumentation, the rest of the ensemble brings in some unusual sounds as well – including work on organ, prepared piano, hardanger fiddle, and clavichord – used in these ways that build beautifully as the set moves on – clearly improvised, but held together with a sense of unity, and delivered in this spacious way that really allows resonance of the individual components of the music. Maniucha Bikont provides some unusual vocalizations at points – and the piece "EE Opus One" runs for 48 minutes in length. CD

One of our favorite albums of all time – and a record that just gets better and better the more we listen to it – and we've listened to it for years! Johnny "Hammond" Smith began his career as a simple soul jazz organist – but by the time of this album, he'd teamed up with the mighty Larry Mizell, the genius arranger/producer who'd breathed new life into the careers of Donald Byrd and Bobbi Humphrey. Mizell works with Hammond in the same way he does with other jazz artists – by taking a groove that works best with their solo style, and slowly layering other instrumentation and effects on top of it, so that when the solo kicks in, it's supported on waves and waves of funky sounds and soulful grooves. Mizell and his brother Fonce both play keyboards on the record, and the rest of the group includes monster fusion players like Harvey Mason, Roger Glenn, Hadley Caliman, and Jerry Peters. The real treat is Johnny, though – as his solos are heavenly, the best of his 70s work, stripped mean and lean, laid in at just the right points. Includes the breakbeat classic "Shifting Gears", the house classic "Los Conquistadores Chocolates", and funky numbers "Fantasy" and "Tell Me What To Do". This stunning version adds in some killer bonus tracks – 6 never-heard cuts from the Milestone vaults, including "Song For My Family", "Funky Native", "Detroit Rainbow", "Can't We Smile (alt)", and slow and fast versions of "A Child's Love". CD

A nice late Blue Note change from Herbie Hancock – a very different album than his previous sets for the label – in that it features a slightly larger group, and a sound that really points the way towards his directions in the 70s! There's a slightly ambitious feel to some of these cuts – not in a way that's over-arranged, but just a new sort of thinking for Herbie's kind of groove – a mode that's partially informed by the seriousness of 60s jazz soundtracks, but which also has the beginnings of some more righteous modes of expression too. Players are all great – and include Joe Henderson on tenor and flute, Johnny Coles on flugelhorn, Garnett Brown on trombone, Hubert Laws on flute, Jerome Richardson on bass clarinet, Buster Williams on bass, and Tootie Heath on drums. Herbie plays both acoustic and electric piano – using the latter here in one of his first recordings on the instrument – and titles include "Firewater", "I Have A Dream", "The Prisoner", and "He Who Lives In Fear". CD

Great drums from the legendary Roy Haynes – a player who was really coming into his own again at the time of this mid 90s set! The recording's a live one, done for Danish Broadcasting with a good sense of clarity – and the group is mostly European, with Tomas Franck on tenor, Thomas Clausen on piano, and Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass. Haynes' touch on the kit is quite heavy at some points, but light and sensitive at others– and the set's got a well-rounded groove that's great proof of Roy's vision as a leader during this time, especially in the way he uses Franck's strong tenor lines. Titles include "All Blues", "My Shining Hour", "Bessie's Blues", "A La Blues", "Bright", and "I Fall In Love Too Easily". CD

Great work from a contemporary hardbop genius – Finnish drummer Aleksi Heinola, a musician who's got the same sense of leadership as the great Art Blakey! Not that Heinola's any sort of Blakey imitation – just that he's got a way of picking all the best elements for a group, putting them together the right way – and really letting them take off and do their own thing! We loved the efforts of his quintet release from a few years back, and the music here follows in a similar spirit, with a mostly different lineup – superb work from deep-voiced tenorist Gabor Bolla, rock-solid bass from Daniel Franck, and soulful piano lines from Jukkis Uotila, a player who can hang on just the right modern modes at the right time, in order to bring a real sharpness to the set. Titles include "Big Push", "Peace", "Bolivia", "New Vibes", "Vananta Land", "10 Points", "Pronto", "Think Of One", "Tetragon", and "Rio". CD

An obscure set of solo tunes from modernist Andrew Hill – originally recorded for the Japanese East West label in 1975, and a very different side of Andrew's music than his Blue Note work of the 60s – but one that's equally great!. Hill's playing a grand piano – with a complex approach to chords that's really compelling – this sense of flow and majesty that we really love, as Andrew tries out some sharp edges at points – but still retains some of that soulfulness he rediscovered as the 70s approached. There's a darkness to the material that we didn't always hear in Hill's other sides – and the intimacy of the recording shows that his talents are still extremely rich at this point in his career. Titles include "Naked Spirit", "Rambling", "Vision", "Clayton Gone", and "Insanity Riff". CD

Shirley Horn's definitely swinging here – in a set of tracks that features groovy numbers from two different points in her career! Some of the work on the set is from her early 60s years on Mercury and ABC Records – and the other half's from that great stretch in the 90s when her career had really been revived, thanks to a host of excellent recordings for Verve! The mix of material is really great, and shows a wider range of Horn's talents than you'll normally find on other collections – mixing 60s swingers in with some more mature numbers from the later years. Titles include "Big City", "The Great City", "Mack The Knife", "That's No Joke", "I Got Plenty O Nuttin", "Hard Hearted Hannah", "Peel Me A Grape", "How Am I To Know", "Come Dance With Me", and "The Best Is Yet To Come". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Previously-unheard material from Freddie Hubbard – great live sides recorded in Europe during 1969, all with a stretched-out sound that really points the way to some of Freddie's growth in the 70s! The feel here is a bit like Hubbard's excellent Hub Of Hubbard album recorded for MPS around the same time – tracks that have a very spacious sound, much more so than some of his late 60s studio work – but which also are free of the electric modes that Freddie would begin to use at CTI. The balance is almost a bit like that of Hubbard's excellent post-electric sides of the early 80s, but with even more bite at times – played by a killer quartet that features Roland Hanna on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums. Titles include "Space Track", "Without A Song", "Hub Tones", "The Things We Did Last Summer", "Body & Soul", and "Blues By Five". CD

A really heady set of tracks from vibist Bobby Hutcherson – a record that has him stepping away from the harder sounds of his early modern years – and moving into the sublime mix of soulful and modal styles that would really grow strongly by the end of the 60s! The album's a treasure through and through – warm, subtle interpretations of the music by a group that features Hutcherson on vibes, James Spaulding on alto and flute, Stanley Cowell on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – all working together in modes that are quite like Hutcherson's music with Harold Land – but slightly looser and freer at points too. The album includes a fantastic version of Cowell's "Effi", which was later recorded by Charles Tolliver a few times, plus other beautiful compositions by Joe Chambers – including "Patterns", "Ankana", "Irina", and "Nocturnal". Also features a bonus alternate of the title track! CD

Long, live, improvised duets between drummer Kim Dae Hwan and trumpeter Choi Sun Bae – the latter of whom also blows a bit of harmonica on the set! Yet mostly, Bae is blowing trumpet – and he's got this earthy, raspy tone that's great – very mouthy at points, then shifted into bolder, more distinct phrasing – a balance that's really great for the work of Hwan on drums – which is sometimes tentative and spacious, sometimes very full on and dynamic! The set features three selections, each of differing lengths – and the recording quality is wonderful, with a great sense of "room" that seems to recreate the spontaneous interaction between the players. CD

One of those really special piano albums from the Japanese jazz scene of the 70s – a record that's overflowing with new ideas and imagination, all captured with a really wonderful ear for sound as well! Masaru Imada plays a Bosendorfer grand, which has a really resonant quality, even when he's swinging hard – which he definitely does at many points, thanks to work from Kunimitsu on bass, Tetsujiro Obara on drums, and Yuji Imamura on percussion – which really adds a lot at some of the best moments! The tunes are all originals by Imada – filled with feeling, but never in a hokey way at all – and titles include the 17 minute "Sea's Pasture", plus "Blue Road", "Planets", "Epilogue", and "A Marionette". CD

A later date from Dutch drummer Eric Ineke, but one that maybe burns with even more fire than some of his earlier albums – thanks to the work of some great musicians in the quintet! At some points, the group takes off in strongly soulful hardbop formation – but at others, they can equally slide into a slightly modern mode, but all without losing their swing at all – a performance that's given plenty of focus from Ineke's drumming, and topped with these warmly lyrical piano lines from Rob Van Bavel, plus trumpet from Rik Mol, tenor and bass clarinet from Sjoerd Dijkhuizen, and bass from Marius Beets. Titles include "Oak City", "When We Were One", "Just A Tune For You", "What Is This", "Cruising", and "Seven On The Richter Scale". CD

A compelling chapter in the long and wonderful career of reedman Per Texas Johansson – a set that features a larger ensemble interpreting his ideas, and working with a really incredible combination of horns! The group perform three longer compositions under the direction of Johan Siberg, and there's an insane criss-crossing of instruments throughout – a variety of clarinets from Per, plus other reeds from Johan Horlen, Astrid Le Clercq, Fredrik Ljungkvist, Alberto Pinton, and Linus Lindblom – plus trumpets from Joakim Agnas, Emil Strandberg, and Karl Olandersson – and trombones from Mats Aleklint, Mats Agelid, and Lisa Bodelius! The horns really shape the sound here, but there are some other elements in the mix – vibes from Mattias Stahl, bass from Par Ola Landin, piano from Rasmus Borg, and drums from Konrad Agnas – but all elements that really step back at many points and let the woodwinds and brass direct the music. Titles include "Livet I Tre Delar", "Klarinet", and "Orosmoln". CD

Clifford Jordan certainly leaves us Spellbound with this set – playing with an amazing tone that's arguably one of his deepest on record from the early days! The set's got a relaxed, open feel that really points the way towards the growth Jordan would experience in the 70s – and his solos, while bold and soulful in the Chicago school mode, also show a sensitivity that's even more amazing – a sense of voice, balance, and presence that rivals that of John Coltrane at the same point in his career – yet in ways that aren't Trane-like at all. The group's a quartet, with later frequent partner Cedar Walton on piano – probably a big part of the sensitivity here – plus Spanky DeBrest on bass and Albert Heath on drums. Titles include "Spellbound", "Toyu", "Moon-a-tic", "Last Night When We Were Young", and "Hot Water". CD

A set that definitely lives up to the poetry promised in its title – with none of the too-clean sounds you might guess from its hand-washing reference either! The album's one of the freest, most organic sessions we've heard from pianist Masabumi Kikuchi – almost improvised at points, but with a poetic cohesion in the piano lines that's really great – kind of an offbeat sense of lyricism that points in the same directions that Steve Kuhn or Keith Jarrett were heading in the late 60s. Drummer Masahiko Togashi plays lots of cool percussion and even a bit of gong – and Gary Peacock's bass here is as great as on any of his other excellent Japanese recordings. Titles include "Dreams", "The Trap", "The Milky Way", "Apple", "Get Magic Again", and "End". CD

Tremendous solo work from the great Joe McPhee – recorded alone at home during 2020, as you might guess from the title – but a set that has Joe being wonderfully expressive, in the very personal way that you'd know if you've ever seen him live in performance! McPhee mostly blows tenor, but he also speaks at points – even quoting some lines from Black Panther – and brings in some field recordings, and even makes sounds on water and a pie tin too – all with this mandate to be as fully expressive as possible, even in a situation of isolation – a beautiful testament to the artistic fire that has kept McPhee going as one of the most important improvisers in jazz over the decades! Titles include "Cuernavaca 79", "Goodbye Porky Pig Hat", "Self Portrait In Three Colors – Red, Black, & Green", "Reflection On Ida Lupino", and "Do You Still Love Me". CD

A hip session from Blue – one that points the way towards some of his later work on Blue Note, and which features a larger than usual group arranged by Jimmy Heath. As on some of Heath's other projects from the time, the groove is tight and soulful, but never so dominant as to overwhelm the soloists. Mitchell's the main player, of course – but the rest of the group features work by Heath, Pat Patrick, Jerome Richardson, and Wynton Kelly. Tracks include "A Sure Thing", "West Coast Blues", "Hootie Blues", and "Hip To It". CD

A really unique album from the great Lee Morgan – a set that features the trumpeter in two different settings, but in a way that really works well together! Most of the album has Lee blowing in a very cool quintet – with Joe Henderson on tenor, McCoy Tyner on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – a group who maybe bring out a slightly hipper vibe that really points the way to the rest of Morgan's direction in the late 60s, when he was really letting some more spiritual currents loose. The other two tracks on the record feature a hip larger band directed by Oliver Nelson – swinging hard in a really soulful style! Nelson's arrangements on these two tracks are great – quite progressive, with a soul jazz big band style that seems to point the way towards the 70s – and the band provides a raging backdrop that lets Lee's trumpet soar over the top in beautiful crystal clear solos. Titles include "Nite Flite", "Delightful Deggie", "Ca-Lee-So", and "Zambia". CD also features 4 bonus tracks – "Need It", "Filet Of Soul", "Zambia (big band version)", and "Delightful Deggie (big band version)". CD

That's Antonio Neves wielding a trombone on the cover – but the set's got elements that move way past his great work on that horn – drawn from very collaborative contributions from different members of the contemporary scene in Rio! The record's got a jazz basis at the core, but quickly explodes into a real style-shifting approach – that legacy of easily mixing modes that has been the hallmark of some of the most creative work from Brazil in recent decades – guided perfectly here by Neves on drums as well as trombone! Antonio sings on one track, and the record also features vocals at points from Leda, Alice Caymmi, Ana Frango Eletrico, and Marcos Esgulera – amidst a whole host of guest musicians too, including Edu Neves on flute, Leo Gandelman on alto, and Hamilton De Holanda on mandolin. Titles include "Lamento De Um Perplexo", "Forte Apache", "Simba", "A Pegada Agora E Essa", "Noite De Temporal", and "Jongo No Feudo". (Brazil, Jazz) CD

An aggressive bit of funky fusion – a set that matches the talents of Japanese trumpeter Shunzoh Ohno with some hip American grooves from Reggie Lucas on guitar, Cedric Lawson on keyboards, Don Pate on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums! The sound is very full-on – in a mid 70s Miles Davis electric mode, but with perhaps a bit more of a funk touch on the best cuts – almost a refinement of the groove that Miles hit in Japan, fusing the energy into some great tunes that really pack a sharp punch! Haynes' drums are surprisingly heavy at points – and titles include "You Dig That?", "But It's Not So", and "I Remember That It Happened". CD

Heavenly grooves from Hiroshi Okazaki & His Star Gazers – a group who harmonize wonderfully on this set! Despite their Japanese origin, the Star Gazers sing in English – clearly drawing from a legacy that includes The Four Freshmen and Hi-Los – but they also scat wordlessly at points too, in ways that really transform the sound of the tunes! There's a wonderfully sparkling feel to the whole record – of the sort you'd find in the hippest 60s European soundtracks or Brazilian bossa albums – and although the group hardly cracked the market outside their native Japan, a session like this has strong global appeal all these many years later. Titles include "What Can I Do Dear", "Agua De Beber", "I Can't Find The Words", "Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars", "This Guy's In Love With You", and "The Last Waltz". CD

A fantastic record from the contemporary Chicago scene – one that both gives bassist Junius Paul his first showcase as a leader, and underscores the richly collaborative energy in which the musician works! The set was recorded at various points in the Windy City underground – with Paul at the help of a shifting lineup that includes Makaya McCraven on drums, Corey Wilkes on trumpet, Justin Dillard on piano and keyboards, Jim Baker on piano and Arp, Isaiah Spencer on drums, Marquis Hill on trumpet, and Tomeika Reid on cello – with most musicians also handling other instruments too, in a continuation of an AACM legacy – on a record that's then edited by Makaya McCraven, in the best International Anthem mode! The music is jazz, but of the most forward-thinking type – and titles include "Ma & Dad", "Fred Anderson & A Half", "Twelve Eighteen West", "Georgia", "Spocky Chainsey Has Re-Emerged", "The One Who Endures", "Baker's Dozen", "View From The Moon", "You Are Free To Choose", "Paris", "Collant Denier", and "Sprouts". CD

Art's blowing with a quiet intensity here – not as far out as you might expect from the title, but with that crisp genius that still graced all of his records from the time! The album features a quartet with Dolo Coker on piano, Jimmy Bond on bass, and Frank Butler on drums – working in a format that gives Art center stage, blowing with a slightly raspy tone that still always sends chills up our spine! There's a maturity here that we really like – that later Contemporary mode that has Pepper breaking things down a bit more than usual, and showing a bit more humanity in his horn. Titles include "Too Close For Comfort", "Gone With The Wind", "Long Ago & Far Away", and "I Love You". CD also features the bonus track "Five Points". CD

A very cool little album from Placebo – arguably the group's most soulful session ever, and one that draws heavily from American funky jazz at the start of the 70s! The grooves are nice and tight, and keyboards are focused on the most soulful sort of riffs – not nearly as tripped out as in later years, and really doing a great job of sending home the funky rhythms – almost in a way that's sort of early CTI at the best points! Marc Moulin's genius is already firmly in place – and he handles all arrangements, plus plays Fender Rhodes, electric harpsichord, and even what sounds like a bit of moog! Titles include "Humpty Dumpty", "Aria", "Showbiz Suite", "Ball Of Eyes", "You Got Me Hummin", and "Inner City Blues". CD

Seminal sounds from Placebo – one of the hippest electric groups going on the European scene of the early 70s, thanks to some great keyboards and electronics from the legendary Marc Moulin! Placebo's sound here is a unique approach to funky jazz – one that certainly draws from the electric modes of the American scene, and without any of the jamming elements of other Euro fusion groups – but there's also a touch of rockish inflection at points too – especially in the way the rhythms have a tightly pulsating groove. There's none of the indulgence of prog, but there's definitely a lineage going on somewhere in the mix too – and in addition to Moulin's keyboards, the group also features great horns from Nick Fissette, Alex Socrier, and Richard Rousselet. Titles include "Bolkwush", "Temse", "Balek", "Phalene", "Re-Union", and "Only Nineteen". CD

Key Sun Ra albums for ESP records – the Heliocentrics World trifecta – in a 3CD set! The work here is a bit more intense than usual – almost cerebral at times, with very contemplative passages on percussion and reeds, offset by strong piano lines from Ra – all in a mode that marks a sharp break from earlier Saturn albums. Volume One finds the group working in an interstellar formation that holds up strongly with the Saturn sides – John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto, Teddy Nance on trombone, Chris Capers on trumpet, Danny Davis on flute and alto, and Ra on piano, bass marimba, and some especially nice electronic celeste! Things get quite out at points – freer almost than other Arkestra sides of the time – and titles include "Outer Nothingness", "Other Worlds", "Nebulae", "Dancing In the Sun", "The Cosmos", and "Of Heavenly Things". Volume Two has a freer feel than the first volume, and a bit more avant-oriented work overall. Ra and the group play a lot of percussion – and Ra himself is on tuned bongos, piano, and clavioline, which has a very nice spooky sound! The reed work on the album is by Robert Cummings, John Gilmore, Pat Patrick, and Marshall Allen – with bass by Ronnie Boykin and percussion by Roger Blank. Tracks include "Cosmic Chaos", "House of Beauty", and "The Sun Myth". Volume Three features tracks recorded during the sessions for Volume Two, but it was lost to the sands of time for nearly 40 years! Like that previous album, this one features a smaller version of the Arkestra than usual – an octet that has Ra working with core hornmen Pat Patrick, John Gilmore, Marshall Allen, Walter Miller, and Robert Cummings – supported by a rhythm section that includes Ronnie Boykins on bass and Roger Blank on percussion. Apart from a lot of added percussion by various members of the group, the instrumentation overall is relatively straightforward – even if Ra's compositions are not. The set kicks off with the 17 minute "Intercosmosis" – a relatively free, stretched-out tune – then is followed by shorter numbers that travel along darker, more introspective pathways. These titles include "World Worlds", "Interplanetary Travelers", "Mythology Metamorphosis", and "Heliocentric Worlds". CD

One of Sun Ra's best non-Saturn live sets of the 70s – a nice little record that shows the group mixing it up with equal parts avant garde and straight ahead jazz, all handled in that ever-growing large group style that made them a real force to be reckoned with in a concert setting! The album was recorded during the 1976 Montreux Jazz Festival, and has a bit more focus and polish than some of the other Arkestra live material from the time – a mature, coherent sound that almost points the way towards some of their work to come in the 80s – when Ra and the group were finally reaching the wider audience they deserved. The set's a double-length one, and features players who include John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen and Danny Davis on alto and flute, Pat Patrick on baritone, Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet, Craig Harris on trombone, and James Jackson on Ancient Egyptian Infinity drum – which is always a treat. Ra plays solar organ and moog, as well as piano – and titles include "Of The Other Tomorrow", "On Sound Infinity Spheres", "El Is The Sound Of Joy", "Gods Of The Thunder Realm", "Gods Of A Thunder Realm", "The House Of Eternal Being", and "Lights On a Satellite". CD

Sun Ra's made the move here from Egyptian pyramids to Mayan temples – but the sound is every bit as cosmic and compelling as ever! The album's one of Ra's last – a studio set recorded in Italy in 1990, and one that draws strongly from the tightening of tradition the Arkestra experienced in the 80s – working at a time of some of their greatest acceptance by jazz audiences worldwide, and able to express themselves fully in a range of different modes! The sense of tone and timing here is beautiful – almost Ellington-like at points, but still with a decidedly Sun Ra-like quality – and players on the date include Michael Ray and Ahmed Abdullah on trumpets, John Gilmore on tenor, Noel Scott and Marshall Allen on alto sax, and Tyrone Hill on trombone – and June Tyson also sings just a bit on the set. Ra plays both piano and synth, and titles include "Alone Together", "Discipline 1", "Sunset On The River Nile", "El Is The Sound Of Joy", "I'll Never Be The Same", "Theme On The Stargazers", and "Opus In Springtime". A double-length set too – nearly 80 minutes of music! CD

A really great record, and one that was recorded by a smaller version of the Arkestra than usual – done in this spiritual style that's almost a bit like some of the Horo Records material that Sun Ra had recorded just a short time before! There's an intimacy here that's wonderful – and the group features Ra on piano, John Gilmore on tenor, Hayes Burnette on bass, and Samarai Celestial on drums – and one track also features added work from Charles Davis on baritone and Michael Ray on trumpet. The album's a lot more inside than some of the freer work by Ra during the 70s – and we mean that in a great way – and there's also less of the full ensemble chanting that you'd hear on some of the other spiritual sessions from the 70s by the Arkestra. All of these aspects add up to make for a wonderfully special set from Ra and some of his key players – served up on titles that include "The Place Of Five Points", "Omniverse", "Visitant Of The Ninth Ultimate", and "Dark Lights In A White Forest". CD features two bonus tracks – a 1979 solo piano version of "Over The Rainbow", recorded at the Moers Festival – and a 1977 live take of "The Sound Mirror". CD

Really unique material from Sun Ra – a pair of recordings that were initially circulated much more strongly than some of his Saturn Records material, thanks to the power of the BYG/Actuel label in the early 70s – but tracks that actually come from a variety of different sessions that Ra himself did with the Arkestra in the late 60s! Tracks are shortish, but very inventive – a well-chosen snapshot of all the new ideas that the group were cooking up during the end of the 60s in New York, with an increased mission to explore the outer reaches of space, and use more electronics than ever before! Ra plays some killer keyboards – moog, spacemaster, and acoustic piano – often with these really eerie tones – and other players include Kwame Hadi on trumpet, Akh Tal Ebah on space dimension mellophone, Ali Hassan on trombone, Marshal Allen and Danny Davis on alto and flute, John Gilmore on tenor, and Pat Patrick on baritone – and the whole group vocalizes at points, joined by other singers who include June Tyson and Art Jenkins. There's also some great use of "strange strings" on the sessions, not to mention a bit of reverb – and tracks on this second volume include "The Utter Nots", "Outer Spaceways Inc", "Scene 1 Take 1", "Strange Worlds", "Ancient Ethiopia", "Pyramids", and "Interpretation". CD

Really unique material from Sun Ra – a pair of recordings that were initially circulated much more strongly than some of his Saturn Records material, thanks to the power of the BYG/Actuel label in the early 70s – but tracks that actually come from a variety of different sessions that Ra himself did with the Arkestra in the late 60s! Tracks are shortish, but very inventive – a well-chosen snapshot of all the new ideas that the group were cooking up during the end of the 60s in New York, with an increased mission to explore the outer reaches of space, and use more electronics than ever before! Ra plays some killer keyboards – moog, spacemaster, and acoustic piano – often with these really eerie tones – and other players include Kwame Hadi on trumpet, Akh Tal Ebah on space dimension mellophone, Ali Hassan on trombone, Marshal Allen and Danny Davis on alto and flute, John Gilmore on tenor, and Pat Patrick on baritone – and the whole group vocalizes at points, joined by other singers who include June Tyson and Art Jenkins. There's also some great use of "strange strings" on the sessions, not to mention a bit of reverb – and tracks titles include "Spectrum", "The Satellites Are Spinning", "Seen III Took 4", "Adventures Of Bugs Hunter", "Legend", "The Realm Of Lightning", "The Utter Nots", "Outer Spaceways Inc", "Scene 1 Take 1", "Strange Worlds", "Ancient Ethiopia", "Pyramids", and "Interpretation". CD

Really unique material from Sun Ra – a pair of recordings that were initially circulated much more strongly than some of his Saturn Records material, thanks to the power of the BYG/Actuel label in the early 70s – but tracks that actually come from a variety of different sessions that Ra himself did with the Arkestra in the late 60s! Tracks are shortish, but very inventive – a well-chosen snapshot of all the new ideas that the group were cooking up during the end of the 60s in New York, with an increased mission to explore the outer reaches of space, and use more electronics than ever before! Ra plays some killer keyboards – moog, spacemaster, and acoustic piano – often with these really eerie tones – and other players include Kwame Hadi on trumpet, Akh Tal Ebah on space dimension mellophone, Ali Hassan on trombone, Marshal Allen and Danny Davis on alto and flute, John Gilmore on tenor, and Pat Patrick on baritone – and the whole group vocalizes at points, joined by other singers who include June Tyson and Art Jenkins. There's also some great use of "strange strings" on the sessions, not to mention a bit of reverb – and tracks titles include "Spectrum", "The Satellites Are Spinning", "Seen III Took 4", "Adventures Of Bugs Hunter", "Legend", "The Realm Of Lightning", "The Utter Nots", "Outer Spaceways Inc", "Scene 1 Take 1", "Strange Worlds", "Ancient Ethiopia", "Pyramids", and "Interpretation". CD

Really unique material from Sun Ra – a pair of recordings that were initially circulated much more strongly than some of his Saturn Records material, thanks to the power of the BYG/Actuel label in the early 70s – but tracks that actually come from a variety of different sessions that Ra himself did with the Arkestra in the late 60s! Tracks are shortish, but very inventive – a well-chosen snapshot of all the new ideas that the group were cooking up during the end of the 60s in New York, with an increased mission to explore the outer reaches of space, and use more electronics than ever before! Ra plays some killer keyboards – moog, spacemaster, and acoustic piano – often with these really eerie tones – and other players include Kwame Hadi on trumpet, Akh Tal Ebah on space dimension mellophone, Ali Hassan on trombone, Marshal Allen and Danny Davis on alto and flute, John Gilmore on tenor, and Pat Patrick on baritone – and the whole group vocalizes at points, joined by other singers who include June Tyson and Art Jenkins. There's also some great use of "strange strings" on the sessions, not to mention a bit of reverb – and tracks titles include "Spectrum", "The Satellites Are Spinning", "Seen III Took 4", "Adventures Of Bugs Hunter", "Legend", "The Realm Of Lightning", "The Utter Nots", "Outer Spaceways Inc", "Scene 1 Take 1", "Strange Worlds", "Ancient Ethiopia", "Pyramids", and "Interpretation". CD

Some of the coolest music we've ever heard from Tomeka Reid – a soundtrack for a film based on the Chicago school of imagist painting in the 60s – nicely scored with music from the windy city itself! Reid composed the different selections on the soundtrack – most of which are different themes for Hairy Who artists, such as Ed Paschke, Ray Yoshida, Jim Nutt, and others – and the music features Reid's cello and the percussion of Adam Vida, plus some slight vocalizations at a few haunting moments! The music is surprisingly tuneful at most points – and quite beautiful as well – and titles include "Jizz & Jazz", "Hairy Shoes", "Tin Eared Tenor", "Dappled Pleasure Dress", "O Number I", "The Design & The Dilemma", and "Snooper Trooper". CD

Rich-voiced tenor work from Diego Rivera, a player who just seems to get better and better with each new album as a leader! The set follows strongly on Diego's previous – and as with that one, features that top-shelf Posi-tone presentation – with a focus on original material, a strong group of sidemen, and a nicely unified vibe! Other players include Art Hirihara on piano, Luques Curtis on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums – plus Pete Rodriguez on trumpet, also adding in some percussion at points that have a slightly Latin vibe. Titles include the originals "With Just A Word", "Tinte Latino", "Machete", and "Dignified Response". CD

Darkly expressive work from Wallace Roney – one of those key albums that seems to push his original Muse Records sound even further with a range of more expansive elements! Roney's still got that brooding post-Miles sound in his horn – but here, it's used in some more complicated soundscapes at points – still mostly jazz, but almost with a soundtrack element too – especially in the way the keyboards drift in and out of the mix. Other players include Antoine Roney and Steve Hall on saxes, Geri Allen on Fender Rhodes and piano, Adam Holzman on organ, Buster Williams on bass, and Lenny White on drums – plus a fair bit of samples dropped into the mix by Val Gelder Jeanty. Titles include "NeuBeings", "Cygroove", "Metropolis", "Straight To Nothing", "No Room For Argument", and "Midnight Blue". CD

Fantastic stuff – easily one of Archie Shepp's greatest albums, and certainly one of the pivotal points of 60s avant garde jazz! The album features Shepp leading a crack "new thing" line up that includes Ted Curson on trumpet, Marion Brown on alto, Joe Chambers on drums, Reggie Johnson on bass, and the lesser-known Joseph Orange on trombone – all playing in a beautifully poised manner, never too far out and free, but with all the dynamic energy of the best jazz changes of the 60s! There's a vibe here that's similar to some of the Blue Note "new thing" work by players like Grachan Moncur, Jackie McLean, and Tony Williams from the time – but there's a vision that's also wider and deeper, too, given the size of the group and the way they interact. Titles include "Hambone", "Los Olvidados", "Malcolm Malcolm–Semper Malcolm", and an insane cover of "Girl From Ipanema". You can't go wrong with this one – trust us! CD also features a bonus live version of "Hambone"! CD

Mindblowing duets between trombonist Steve Swell and pianist Matthew Shipp – both incredible players on their own, but musicians who really seem to unlock something special here together! The improvisations have a way of mixing boldness with personal expressions of humanity – at a level that gives us both some of the most striking sounds we've heard from Swell in recent years, alongside some surprisingly warm moments from Shipp on piano – even at points when he's playing relatively free! The whole thing is definitely one of those special records that perfectly illustrates the strengths of free improvisation, while also moving the format forward – and titles include "Dark Matter", "String Theory", "Space Hammer", "The Dumb Abyss", "Space Cube Jazz", "Ice & Water", and "Firmament". CD

Warm, soulful fusion from Steve Swallow – one of his most full-realized albums for ECM in years! There's no tricks or gimmicks here, no too-surprising turns – and instead, Swallow works in a mode that's surprisingly soul-based at most points – yet handled in ways that are quite far from the too-smooth fusion modes that were hitting the mainstream at the time! Instead, the record's almost a throwback to the most laidback electric modes of the 70s – flowing easily, and opening up in these gentle grooves that are mighty nice – thanks to help from a lineup that includes Steve Kuhn on piano, Carla Bley on organ, Karen Mantler on keyboards, Hiram Bullock on guitar, Gary Burton on vibes, and John Scofield on guitar – all players hip enough to keep things from ever sounding cloying. Titles include "Soca Symphony", "Slender Thread", "Thrills & Spills", "Playing With Water", "Thirty Five", and "William & Mary". CD

A very successful album for Blue Note – and one that took the searing tenor sax of Stanley Turrentine and backed it with some boldly soulful arrangements from Oliver Nelson! Nelson was perfect at this sort of session – able to provide full backings that infused the record with energy, yet never dominated the space of the soloist – and Turrentine really rises to the occasion here, and matches the quality heard in similar Nelson sessions with Jimmy Smith, Lou Donaldson, and Cannonball Adderley! Other players in the core group here include Kenny Burrell and Herbie Hancock – but Stan's the main star of the set with his gutsy tenor lines, all blown beautifully in a way that points towards his later experiments in this mode. Titles include "Bayou", "Mattie T", "Little Sheri", and "River's Invitation" – and the CD features the bonus tracks "Gravy Train" and "A Kettle Of Fish". CD

A Parisian player gives a strong tip of the hat to the great Bud Powell – the American bop genius whose work and presence were an undeniable force on the French jazz scene of the 50s and 60s! Rene Urtreger does a wonderful job of catching some of Bud's fire here – working through a host of tracks that includes some of Powell's most famous compositions, played with plenty of dexterity, but also a slightly different vibe as well – some more sensitive elements at points, and a bit harder swing at others. Trio members include Benoit Quersin on bass and Jean-Louis Viale on drums – and titles include "Budo", "Dance of The Infidels", "A La Bud", "Celia", and "Parisian Thoroughfare". CD

One of the most badass records ever issued by funky guitarist David T Walker – a set that's got a looser, freer vibe than some of his other albums – and which puts Walker in territory next to Shuggie Otis and Phil Upchurch from the same time in their careers! The set's equal parts jazz, funk, and soul – although is instrumental throughout, with Walker's great guitar work providing the only "voice" on the set! Instrumentation is nice and lean – with some electric piano at points, but mostly a strong focus on the guitar – all recorded in the manner of a blues album in terms of the grit, but nice and funky overall. Titles include "Doo Doo", "Plum Happy", "Love Vibrations", "Listen to The Sun", and "Come Together". Lots of stoned-out guitar funk! (Soul, Jazz) CD

A rare and unusual chapter in mid 60s Blue Note – the debut of tenorist Tyrone Washington, an up-and-coming talent from the hip New Jersey scene of the time! Washington's name may not have lasted long in the jazz annals, but at this important point in his career, he's working with a young Woody Shaw – also part of the Jersey scene – and together, the pair really make the album cook – stretching out with a soulful, spiritual sound that really points the way towards the indie scene of the 70s! Shaw's voice is a big part of the record, but Tyrone's still definitely in command – blowing his tenor with these quick flurries of notes that are somewhere in the Coltrane school, yet arguably moving already past him too – kind of a post-Coltrane vibe in the year before the great one passed away. Washington also wrote all of the album's 6 tracks – really fresh numbers that burn with intensity, and make the album as creatively inventive as some of the best Jackie McLean Blue Note sides from the time. In addition to Woody Shaw's trumpet, other players include James Spaulding on alto and flute, Kenny Barron on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – a very hip lineup who really make magic on cuts that include "Yearning For Love", "Ethos", "Soul Dance", "Positive Path", and "Song Of Peace". CD

A rare and unusual chapter in mid 60s Blue Note – the debut of tenorist Tyrone Washington, an up-and-coming talent from the hip New Jersey scene of the time! Washington's name may not have lasted long in the jazz annals, but at this important point in his career, he's working with a young Woody Shaw – also part of the Jersey scene – and together, the pair really make the album cook – stretching out with a soulful, spiritual sound that really points the way towards the indie scene of the 70s! Shaw's voice is a big part of the record, but Tyrone's still definitely in command – blowing his tenor with these quick flurries of notes that are somewhere in the Coltrane school, yet arguably moving already past him too – kind of a post-Coltrane vibe in the year before the great one passed away. Washington also wrote all of the album's 6 tracks – really fresh numbers that burn with intensity, and make the album as creatively inventive as some of the best Jackie McLean Blue Note sides from the time. In addition to Woody Shaw's trumpet, other players include James Spaulding on alto and flute, Kenny Barron on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – a very hip lineup who really make magic on cuts that include "Yearning For Love", "Ethos", "Soul Dance", "Positive Path", and "Song Of Peace". CD

One of the most wonderful records we've ever heard from trumpeter Corey Wilkes – a set that seems to unlock new territory in his music, and has him working in a really unbridled setting overseas! The album just features one single track – "Oysters For The Masters" – improvised at points, but always grooving – with this sublime blend of free jazz, funk, and touches of soul – especially at points when the organist Justin Dillard delivers this righteous spoken passage that's totally great! Wilkes plays some electronics and percussion as well – shifting effortlessly between instruments – alongside co-leader Quentin Biardeau, who blows tenor and handles more electronics – in a group that also features Etienn Ziemniak on drums. There also seems to be some vibes in the mix too – and the shift of instrumentation and modes over the course of the nearly 50 minute performance is totally great! CD

Maybe one of the most striking examples of the genius of reedman Mars Williams we've ever heard – a set of live improvisations with drummer Hamid Drake – done in this really open, unadorned style that also has Drake really moving at the height of his power too! Williams effortlessly moves between sonic intensity and tunefulness, shifting instruments throughout the set – while Hamid delivers some of his more sensitive work on the kit at just a few points, but mostly responds to the raw energy of Mars by really letting loose in a way you don't always hear! The whole set was recorded in very friendly Chicago territory – and titles include "The Worm", "But What Am I", "I Know", and "You Are". CD

An excellent album by Mary Lou Williams – a set recorded during the 70s period when she was mixing in a bit of funk with her jazz! The sound here is wonderful – quite different than other work you might know from Williams, and much more in the sort of groove you'd expect from Junior Mance, Ray Bryant, Ramsey Lewis, or other soul jazz-oriented pianists! Williams plays acoustic piano in a very hip trio with Mickey Roker on drums and Bob Cranshaw on electric bass – the latter of whom brings in this well-rounded, soul-drenched tone that's a lot like the bass work on some of Monty Alexander's own best albums from the 70s. And Williams herself is totally great too – playing with some slightly exotic tones at points, and with a really in-the-pocket groove at others. Funky tracks include "Intermission" and "Rosa Mae" – and other titles include "Ghost Of Love", "Medi II", "Zoning Fungus", and a great version of Dizzy Gillespie's "Olinga". CD also features 2 previously unreleased tracks – "Syl-O-Gism" and an alternate of "Gloria". CD

Really wonderful work from the legendary Tony Williams – a set that has the drummer hitting a whole new sound at the start of the 90s – a groove that's rich and soulful, yet still every bit as sharp as before! The set's straight ahead, and graced with some very youthful energy by a new-generation lineup that includes Wallace Roney on trumpet, Bill Pierce on tenor and soprano sax, Mulgrew Miller on piano, and Robert Hurst on bass – all players who bristle with excitement from the very first notes, expressing a sense of confidence and vision of a new jazz generation that no longer has to battle between its inside and outside impulses. Williams' drumming is superb, and nicely understated at many points – and titles include "Native Heart", "City Of Lights", "Extreme Measures", "Liberty", and "Two Worlds". CD

A really unique pairing of talents – Japanese singer Miki Yamaoka, and American tenor legend Benny Golson – who also produced and arranged the set! Miki's got a voice that's surprisingly deep and dusky at points, which makes here a great match for Golson's tenor solos on the record – blown in this easygoing, soulful style that matches the pace of the rhythms nicely – served up by the trio of Soichi Moriki on piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Carl Allen on drums! Yamaoka's definitely got a different vibe than some of the other female Japanese jazz singers on the market – and titles include "One Day Forever", "Feeling Good", "I Remember Clifford", "Whisper Not", "Autumn In New York", "I Love You", and "Fly Me To The Moon" – which just features Miki's vocals and Buster's bass! (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

A brilliant set of straight jazz material from Roy Ayers – a set recorded for Atlantic at a time when he was working for the label in Herbie Mann's group – but done in a much more righteous groove that really points the way towards Roy's growth in the 70s! The lineup changes a bit throughout the set – but all cuts feature Herbie Hancock on piano, who helps give the record a solid modal groove that works great with the sound of Roy's vibes – and other players include Buster Williams and Ron Carter on bass, Sonny Sharrock on guitar, and Freddy Waits and Bruno Carr on drums. There's a bit of added strings and woodwinds at points – already showing Ayers' ear for larger, more ambitious sounds – and the whole record's arranged by the ultra-hip William Fischer. Titles include the classic "Daddy Bug", plus "Bonita", "I Love You Michelle", "Emmie", "Shadows", "It Could Only Happen With You", and "Look To The Sky". CD

A really unique album from pianist Jon Batiste – a set that's straight jazz at some points, a bit Crescent City at others, but always with a feel that's very individual – and one of the freshest new styles we've heard in years! Jon's instrumental tracks are wonderful – full of rich feeling and color that comes not just from his own work on piano and other keyboards, but also from the quintet's instrumentation – which occasionally features tuba used in this unusual bassy-bottom mode – alongside great alto from Eddie Barbash. Some numbers are vocal tracks – with lyrics that are personal, and surprisingly powerful – usually relatively simple, but integrated with the instrumentation at a level that's very different than the usual jazz vocal mode. Titles include "It's Alright", "Lonely Cry In Manhattan", "D Sharp Movement 1", "The Spirit Is With Us", "Express Yourself", "Let God Lead", "San Spirito", and "Naima's Love Song". CD

A set with all sorts of sharp angles and bold changes from a killer quartet that includes Rob Brown on alto and flute, Steve Swell on trombone, Chris Lightcap on bass, and Chad Taylor on drums – all very fluid, adaptive players who really make the most of this special setting! Pairing Brown and Swell is genius – and the latter almost seems to bring a boldness to the record at points that allows Rob to get slightly more sensitive, especially when he uses the flute. Taylor is really great too – with that magical sense of rhythm that often keeps things moving forward, while also circling around the edges to round up the posse too – an approach that's crucial to some of the more lively moments here. Titles include "Oblongata", "Piling On", "Stills", "Interjection", "Roxanne", "501 Memo", and "Steepening Curve". CD

Our favorite-ever album by Alice Coltrane – a masterpiece of spirit and soul, recorded in a wonderfully open-handed style – and with a vibe that's maybe a bit different than some of her other records, especially the ones with larger groups! The album's mostly a spare batch of tracks cut by Alice and her trio with Ron Carter on bass and Ben Riley on drums – a group who are already wonderful, and maybe a bit more introspective than Coltrane in other settings – and they're joined at a few points by guest tenor from both Joe Henderson and Pharoah Sanders – both at key parts of their career, and really adding a lot to the album! Pharoah and Joe blow with beautiful post-Coltrane spirituality on the tracks "Ptah The El Daoud" and "Mantra" – but equally great is the beautiful spare piano cut "Turiya & Ramakrishna" – an incredible tune that has Alice playing with a soulfulness you'd hardly expect! A real treasure all the way through – and the kind of album that ranks with the best in the Impulse catalog! CD

A smoking twin-tenor session for MPS – one that reunites the mighty talents of Johnny Griffin and Eddie Lockjaw Davis! The album was done as an offshoot of both players' work for the Clarke Boland Big Band at the time – and the set was not only produced by CBBB impresario Gigi Campi, but also features a core rhythm trio from that ensemble – Francy Boland on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums! Tracks are nice and long, and have a sound that really shows the evolution of both players since their famous recordings of the early 60s – tones that are even more modern and edgey at points, served up with a fire that hasn't died at all – and set loose on rhythms that move past the usual grooves you might have expected from their American sessions together. Titles include "Tin Tin Deo", "Jim Dawg", "Gigi", "When We Were One", and "Again N Again". CD

Miles Davis makes the electric transition – in this groundbreaking set from the late 60s! The classic mid 60s quintet is still in place here – Wayne Shorter on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums – but the sound is looser, freer, and more spacious – often echoing some of the rhythmic concerns that would dominate Miles' music in a few more years, but without as much of a bombastic sound. Williams' drums are amazing – fierce one minute, then fading the next – and Herbie Hancock's use of both electric and acoustic piano really points at his own directions in coming years. George Benson plays one one track – "Paraphernalia" – introducing electric guitar to the Miles Davis sound – and other long tracks on the set include "Stuff", "Black Comedy", and "Country Son". CD features 2 bonus alternate takes of "Black Comedy" and "Country Son". CD

One of the last records that Booker Ervin ever recorded, and one of the best! There's a depth of tone and conception here that goes far beyond even Ervin's already-great albums for Prestige – a mix of modernism and soulful expression that really points the way towards jazz expression in the 70s – although sadly, Booker was to leave the planet before getting a chance to stretch out in that era. All 6 tracks on the album are originals – and they sparkle with the imagination found on some of the most top-shelf Blue Notes of the time – work by Lee Morgan, Hank Mobley, or Wayne Shorter – played by a group that includes the amazing Richard Williams on trumpet (almost worth the price of the record alone), Bobby Few on piano, Lenny McBrowne on drums, and the little-known Cevera Jefferies on bass. Loads of dark edges, searing solos, and plenty of free flights into the sky – on titles that include "The In Between", "Tyra", "The Muse", "Mour", "Sweet Pea", and "Largo". CD

One of Joe Farrell's first LPs as a leader – and a stellar session that's easily one of the early high points for the legendary CTI label! Farrell had been making some great noise in the underground during the late 60s – but here, he bursts forth as one heck of a soulful cat – working on these great modal grooves that slide out wonderfully and really have a sense of flow – a style that's different than Joe's later material, but equally powerful! Part of the strength of the record comes from the lineup – a key quintet of like-mined up-and-comers that includes Chick Corea on keyboards, John McLaughlin on guitar, Dave Holland on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – players who definitely know the farther reaches of jazz, yet hang just on the inside here with Joe – providing some amazing accompaniment for his lines on soprano, tenor, and flute. Titles include "Molten Glass", "Song Of The Wind", "Motion", "Follow Your Heart", and "Circle In The Square". CD

Quite possibly our favorite album ever from Chico Freeman – a beautiful set that was originally issued only in Japan, and which has Chico hitting some of his strongest, most spiritual modes on record! The album features Freeman's reeds in the company of other Chicagoans – AACM players who include Henry Threadgill on saxes, Muhal Richard Abrams on piano, and Steve McCall on percussion – plus added work from Cecil McBee on bass and Ben Montgomery on drums – both players who round out the group with a very solid rhythmic focus. There's a bold sense of direction to this record that you don't always get in other work from Chico – a sound that's almost more Strata East at points, and which serves to bring the AACM players into sharp formation, and a strongly rhythmic orientation at times. The whole thing's wonderful – very well-crafted, and filled with spirit and soul – and titles include "The In Between", "Like The Kind Of Peace It Is", "Morning Prayer", "Pepe's Samba", and "Conversations". CD also features a bonus 19 minute version of "Pepe's Samba". CD

Subtle genius from pianist Barry Harris – an overlooked 60s set that showcases both Barry's tighter bop leanings and his even more wonderful lyrical side! The session's recorded with a relaxed energy that points the way towards freer Harris sides in years to come – but also still has the focus of his other best trio work from the early years – and rhythm support here is by Ron Carter on bass and Leroy Williams on drums. Titles include "Ah Leu Cha", "Bean & The Boys", "Dexterity", "Sun Dance", and "Rouge". CD

A lovely little trio session from John Hicks – recorded in the mid 80s in Japan, as one of the first in a line of DIW albums of a similar nature! This early set's still one of the best, though, and it captures Hicks in a fluid brilliance that points the way toward years of future recordings – done in an easygoing trio formation with Walter Booker on bass and Idris Muhammad on drums – and filled with the warm tones and bright colors that have always made Hicks' playing some of our favorite. The set features trio readings of some great Hicks originals – "Bookie Please", "Inc 1", and "Avocja" – plus a great take on Booker's "Book's Bossa", a tune that we've loved since its initial recordings in the 60s! CD

Steve Lacy's legendary Argentinean recording – one of his boldest moments of the early years, and the start of a long history of superb work away from the American scene! The group here is quite unusual – as players include Enrico Rava on trumpet, Johnny Dyani on bass, and Louis Moholo on drums – one budding European improviser, and two key members of the Blue Notes – who'd left South Africa for the UK by the time of this release. The live performance features only two long tracks – "Forest" and "Zoo" – both played with a sense of freedom not heard before in Lacy's music, at a level that really points the way towards his explosive presence in the French and Italian scenes in years to come! CD

Guitarist Julian Lage is working here with a slightly expanded group, yet still comes across with a sound that's as warm and intimate as some of his previous material! The core trio with Jorge Roeder on bass and Dave Kings on drums is expanded with the addition of Levon Henry on saxes, Patrick Warren on keyboards, and Kris Davis on piano – elements that are often used in loose, spare ways – so that Lage's work on the strings is always center stage, and maybe captured with a moody vibe that's partly ECM, but with some of the Americanist leanings of projects from Bill Frisell in the phrasing. Titles include "Myself Around You", "Northern Shuffle", "Omission", "South Mountain", "Speak To Me", "Two & One", "Vanishing Points", "As It Were", "76", and "Nothing Happens Here". CD

A set that shows the strong relation Joe McPhee has had with the Chicago scene in the past decade or so – a live date recorded in Italy, but featuring Joe in the company of Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello and Michael Zerang on percussion! The recording has a very loose, open feel – very much concerned with sound, and not just from McPhee's tenor sax and pocket trumpet, but also from the instruments of Lonberg-Holm and Zerang, which are recorded here with a really tremendous sound. The percussion is especially clear – coming through with a great sense of texture that really grounds the record, and lets Joe get a bit free at points. Titles include "Variations On Nation Time", "Variations On Remembrance", "Variations On Harriett", and "Feather Exchange". CD

A really special live performance from Thelonious Monk – one that features his killer quartet of the 60s, but also opens the door to some surprise guest appearances too – all of which makes for a recording that's nicely different than much of the Monk live material of the period! The core group is already great enough – the tremendous Charlie Rouse on tenor, and superb rhythm work from Larry Gales on bass and Ben Riley on drums – and they're joined by other players at points, including Clark Terry and Ray Copeland on trumpets, Johnny Griffin on tenor, Phil Woods on alto, and Jimmy Cleveland on trombone – whose presence on the record echoes some of the larger charts that Monk cooked up during the late 50s for a few key albums. The tracks with the added players are especially long – and titles include "Hackensack", "We See", "Epistrophy", "Evidence/Epistrophy", "Don't Blame Me", "Blue Monk", and "Oska T/Epistrophy". CD

Freewheeling duets between David Murray and Milford Graves – the former on tenor and bass clarinet, the latter on a nice range of percussion! There's an open, flowing feel to the record that really takes us back to Murray's initial moments of the 70s – an almost loft jazz looseness to the session that's quite a change from other Murray dates for DIW. Things get somewhat free at points, but both players have an inherently rhythmic structure that holds the work together – and titles include "Stated With Peace", "The Third Day", "Moving About", "Under & Over", "Essential Soul", and "Continuity". CD

The music of vibist Joel Ross just keeps getting better and better with each new release – and on this set, he showcases a strong balance of sounds – really able to push the edges at some points, while also managing a soulful swing at others too! There's some key work on the album from labelmate Immanuel Wilkins, whose alto sax has a sharpness that's a great counterpart to the warmer, more chromatic elements from Ross' vibes – and other members of the core group include Kanoa Mendenhall on bass, Jeremy Corren on piano, and Jeremy Dutton on drums – mostly working together throughout, although joined by the flute of Gabrielle Garo on a few tracks too. Titles include great remakes of the Coltrane tunes "Equinox" and "Central Park West", plus the originals "Early", "Nublues", "Mellowdee", "Chant", "Ya Know", and "What Am I Waiting For". CD

A mindblowing collaboration – one that brings the soulful vocals of Nenah Cherry into play with the avant jazz sounds of The Thing – but all in a mode that's unlike anything either artist has recorded before! The mix of talents is no surprise – given that Nenah's dad is Don Cherry, whose own European work helped to set the tone for a generation – and also given that group members Mats Gustafsson, Paal Nilssen Love, and Ingebrigt Haker Flaten all have ears for styles that go way beyond jazz – including a surprisingly great taste for offbeat funk, which really comes to the forefront on this unusual set! Make no mistake, there's still plenty of jazz-based instrumentation – sharp reeds from Mats, heavy drums from Paal, and those magical moody basslines that we love so much from Ingebrigt – but they often get a bit more directed, and are augmented with slight added instrumentation at points – to provide a perfect foil for Cherry's righteous vocals – all with results that easily make the album one of the most unusual soul projects we've heard in years – on a par with equally creative efforts from artists like Meshell Ndegeocello, Erykah Badu, or Georgia Anne Muldrow. Titles include "Cashback", "Dream Baby Dream", "Too Tough To Die", "What Reason Could I Give", "Dirt", "Accordion", and "Sudden Moment". CD

A Parisian player gives a strong tip of the hat to the great Bud Powell – the American bop genius whose work and presence were an undeniable force on the French jazz scene of the 50s and 60s! Rene Urtreger does a wonderful job of catching some of Bud's fire here – working through a host of tracks that includes some of Powell's most famous compositions, played with plenty of dexterity, but also a slightly different vibe as well – some more sensitive elements at points, and a bit harder swing at others. Trio members include Benoit Quersin on bass and Jean-Louis Viale on drums – and titles include "Budo", "Dance of The Infidels", "A La Bud", "Celia", and "Parisian Thoroughfare". CD

A trio of excellent albums from master drummer Tony Williams – all brought together in a single package! Believe It is crackling funky fusion from Tony Williams' "new" version of his classic Lifetime group – a quartet that featured some smoking guitar work by jazz rock legend Allan Holdsworth! The sound on the set is very full-on and jamming – fuzzed-out guitars taking over most of the tracks, and Tony jumping into the fray with some really frenetic work on drums – miles away from his earlier jazz work in the 60s, and really taking off with the best sort of rock/jazz fusion energy! Titles include "Snake Oil", "Fred", "Proto Cosmos", "Red Alert", and "Mr Spock". On Million Dollar Legs, Tony Williams is a million miles from his work with the Miles Davis Quintet on this record – grooving in a heavy rock/fusion mode with his New Lifetime group that includes Allan Holdsworth on guitar, Tony Newton on bass and vocals, and Alan Pasqua on keyboards! The tracks have a post Jeff Beck kind of approach – lots of heavy riffing in a way that does create a bit of funk at the right moments, almost in the Alphonze Mouzon/Tommy Bolin mode – and Williams' drums are right at home in the setting, and somehow filled with as much imagination and creativity as before! Titles include "Sweet Revenge", "Inspirations Of Love", "Lady Jade", "What You Do To Me", and "Joy Filled Summer". Joy Of Flying is a key record in the evolution of Tony Williams as a drummer – and kind of a powerful summation of all the changes he'd made in the 70s – before a return to straighter jazz in the next decade! Williams' drumming here is incredibly fierce at points – almost at a Billy Cobham level – but he also shows the sensitivity to deeper sounds that he first brought into play during the 60s – and manages to mix an ear for fusion modes with some freer elements too – thanks to help from a lineup of players that includes Herbie Hancock and Brian Auger on keyboards, Cecil Taylor on piano, Jan Hammer on Fender Rhodes, Stanley Clarke on bass, Ton Scott on lyricon, and Ronnie Montrose on guitar. Titles include "Tony", "Coming Back Home", "Morgan's Motion", "Eris", "Open Fire", and "Hittin On 6". Great CD reissue – full notes, and a 20 page booklet with the usual Reel Music attention to detail! CD

An all-star set from Cannonball Adderley – a hip standout in his pre-Capitol years for Riverside! The "plus" in the title is pianist Wynton Kelly – who works with the group wonderfully on 4 of the album's 6 tracks – bringing in a slightly different feel on the keys than you might get from some of Cannon's other albums – slightly lyrical at points, in a really great way. Rhythm is from the rock-solid team of Sam Jones on bass and Louis Hayes on drums – and of course Nat Adderley's also in the group on cornet, and Victor Feldman rounds out the ensemble on vibes, but also plays piano on the tracks that don't feature Kelly. There's a strong undercurrent of Adderley's Riverside soul jazz vibe on the set – and titles include "Arriving Soon", "New Delhi", "Winetone", "Well You Needn't", "Star Eyes", and "Lisa". CD

A beautifully packaged reissue of this rare set from 1964 – an early example of the genius of Albert Ayler, recorded in The Netherlands for a small audience in a Dutch radio studio! The setting is a wonderful one – a mix of the live freedoms that would really let Ayler stretch out – especially when playing overseas – but recorded with the clarity of some of his studio albums for ESP – that sharp-edged sound that really highlights the groundbreaking style of his playing! The rest of the group here is equally great – and the quartet features Don Cherry on cornet, Gary Peacock on bass, and Sunny Murray on drums – the latter of whom is almost completely freed up from rhythm at some points. Titles include "Angels", "CAC", "Infant Happiness", and "No Name". Also includes a bonus fold-out poster with a painting of Ayler! CD

A later-looking package, but one that features a rare set from 1964 – an early example of the genius of Albert Ayler, recorded in The Netherlands for a small audience in a Dutch radio studio! The setting is a wonderful one – a mix of the live freedoms that would really let Ayler stretch out – especially when playing overseas – but recorded with the clarity of some of his studio albums for ESP – that sharp-edged sound that really highlights the groundbreaking style of his playing! The rest of the group here is equally great – and the quartet features Don Cherry on cornet, Gary Peacock on bass, and Sunny Murray on drums – the latter of whom is almost completely freed up from rhythm at some points. Titles include "Angels", "CAC", "Infant Happiness", and "No Name". CD

A huge 2CD set – one that features important European work that saxophonist Albert Ayler recorded with trumpeter Don Cherry! CD1 brings together six tracks from Albert Ayler's Hilversum Radio sessions from 1964 – plus an additional three tracks recorded in Denmark a few months earlier! The first six titles are a famous performance by a famous group set loose on a European tour in 1964 – Ayler on tenor, Don Cherry on cornet, Gary Peacock on bass, and Sunny Murry on drums – recorded in The Netherlands for a small audience in a Dutch radio studio! The setting is a wonderful one – a mix of the live freedoms that would really let Ayler stretch out – especially when playing overseas – but recorded with the clarity of some of his studio albums for ESP – that sharp-edged sound that really highlights the groundbreaking style of his playing! The rest of the group here is equally great, and Murray is completely freed up from rhythm at points, to fly beautifully with the rest – on titles that include "Angels", "CAC", "Infant Happiness", "Ghosts", and "No Name". The same group performs on the final three tracks – recorded in Copenhagen for Danish Radio, with an equally great level of clarity – on "Saints", "Spirits", and "Vibrations". The interplay between Ayler and Cherry is especially great – echoing the latter's material with Ornette Coleman, but with a different sort of edge! CD2 features amazing live material from 1964 – work that was recorded at the Club Montmartre in Copenhagen, right around the same time that Albert Ayler recorded his album for Debut Records – and a set that has his quartet in even more firey formation overall! The tracks are long, and Ayler is completely unbridled – at a level that really shows not only how much of a leader he was to the American avant underground, but what an inspiration he was to the European free scene too – who could only help but take a big cue from his work here on tenor! The group also features equally wonderful work from Don Cherry on cornet – sounding quite different than when with Ornette Coleman – plus bass from Gary Peacock, whose dark tones really set the mood – and drums from Sunny Murray, who is also at an explosive point in his career. The material is remastered wonderfully, with permission from Albert Ayler's estate – and titles include "Mothers", "Saints", "Vibrations", Spirits", "Children", and a shorter "Spirits". CD

A huge 2CD set – one that features important European work that saxophonist Albert Ayler recorded with trumpeter Don Cherry! CD1 brings together six tracks from Albert Ayler's Hilversum Radio sessions from 1964 – plus an additional three tracks recorded in Denmark a few months earlier! The first six titles are a famous performance by a famous group set loose on a European tour in 1964 – Ayler on tenor, Don Cherry on cornet, Gary Peacock on bass, and Sunny Murry on drums – recorded in The Netherlands for a small audience in a Dutch radio studio! The setting is a wonderful one – a mix of the live freedoms that would really let Ayler stretch out – especially when playing overseas – but recorded with the clarity of some of his studio albums for ESP – that sharp-edged sound that really highlights the groundbreaking style of his playing! The rest of the group here is equally great, and Murray is completely freed up from rhythm at points, to fly beautifully with the rest – on titles that include "Angels", "CAC", "Infant Happiness", "Ghosts", and "No Name". The same group performs on the final three tracks – recorded in Copenhagen for Danish Radio, with an equally great level of clarity – on "Saints", "Spirits", and "Vibrations". The interplay between Ayler and Cherry is especially great – echoing the latter's material with Ornette Coleman, but with a different sort of edge! CD2 features amazing live material from 1964 – work that was recorded at the Club Montmartre in Copenhagen, right around the same time that Albert Ayler recorded his album for Debut Records – and a set that has his quartet in even more firey formation overall! The tracks are long, and Ayler is completely unbridled – at a level that really shows not only how much of a leader he was to the American avant underground, but what an inspiration he was to the European free scene too – who could only help but take a big cue from his work here on tenor! The group also features equally wonderful work from Don Cherry on cornet – sounding quite different than when with Ornette Coleman – plus bass from Gary Peacock, whose dark tones really set the mood – and drums from Sunny Murray, who is also at an explosive point in his career. The material is remastered wonderfully, with permission from Albert Ayler's estate – and titles include "Mothers", "Saints", "Vibrations", Spirits", "Children", and a shorter "Spirits". 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

A different groove than usual for Jose Roberto Bertrami – and a record that definitely lives up to the promise of its title! Bertrami's really broken free from the regular Azymuth groove on this set – much more so than on some of his recent solo albums – playing here with a vibe that's very jazzy at times, with a range of different modes – mod one minute, funky the next, and sweetly straight at other points! Jose Roberto handles his familiar Fender Rhodes on most tracks – but also plays a bit of organ and acoustic piano as well – and other instrumentation includes guitar, bass, and drums – plus added horns on some of the fuller, funkier tracks. A few tunes feature some great wordless vocals from Bertrami – scatting along with his keyboards in a warm and breezy way – and production on the set is great, thanks to the Far Out touch – never too smooth, and quite different from any of Bertrami's albums recorded in the US. Titles include "Laranjeiras", "Choro", "No Tempo Da Bossa", "O Pescador", "Ecstatic 70", "Brilliante", "Eighties Times", "Aventura", and "Maixa". (Brazil, Jazz) CD