Lew Tabackin looks a bit stiff on the cover of this one (who wouldn't, in a tan polyester suit?) – but the record's a surprisingly hip date, and a great chance to hear Lew away from his 70s big band with Toshiko Akioshi! As the title and cover imply, the album features Tabackin's "dual nature" on reeds – with one side of flute performances, and another of tenor – both of which are surprisingly soulful. The flute work is somewhat sensitive, and beautifully done – almost poetic at points, and played with a style that's quite different than Lew's big band work. Group members include Don Friedman on piano, Bob Daughtery on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums and waterphone – a rhythm section that really matches the sensitivity of Tabackin's groove on the titles "Euteurpe", "Yellow Is Mellow", and "Out Of This World". The tenor work is a bit more hard-edged, almost boppish, but with a slightly more laidback feel – and titles include "No Dues Blues", "My Ideal", and a great take on "Russian Lullaby". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastically free session from the Japanese scene of the late 60s – a set that really points the way towards some of the more dramatic, dynamic guitar-based expression to come in later decades! The group's a trio, with guitarist Masayuki Takayanagi very firmly in the lead – playing his instrument in a range of compelling ways – bowing the strings one minute, plucking with Derek Bailey-like complexity the next – sometimes with heavy drums and bass, other times standing out in very free solo space. The whole album's got a very freely improvised feel, and stands as an early link between free jazz and experimental rock modes - with tracks that include "Piranha", "Herdsman's Pipe Of Spain", "The Galactic System", "Sick Sick Sickness My Aunt", and "Study No 3 Up & Down". LP, Vinyl record album

The last album in Leon Thomas' classic run of albums for the Flying Dutchman label – and one of the most unique as well! There's a tighter feel here than some of Thomas' more free-flowing spiritual jazz sessions – but the sound is hardly commercial at all, either – and still has loads of the righteous power that Leon brought to his music, plus some strong bluesy currents too! Arrangements are by Glen Osser, who goes for a sophisticated soul groove – but one that can be funky at all the right points – and the mighty Neal Creque adds in some sweet electric piano lines, which definitely keep things hip. Titles include the funky classic "It's My Life I'm Fighting For", the modal groover "Just In Time To See The Sun", and the tracks "Got To Be There", "I Wanna Be Where You Are", "Balance Of Life (Peace Of Mind)", and "What Are We Gonna Do?" (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Spacey fusion from guitarist Danny Toan – sometimes upbeat, sometimes laidback, and always pretty soulful! The record's got a feel that's a bit different than some of the better-known fusion artists of the time – almost more like an instrumental soul album in points, with Danny's guitar filling in for the vocals. Most tracks have keyboards – Fender Rhodes or Arp – which really set the mood nicely – and one track features some guest work from Alphonse Mouzon. Titles include "Killian", "Double Fault", "Flightus", "Kunta Kinte", and "Snapper City". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the grooviest albums we've ever seen on the Ranwood label – a set based around the keyboards talents of John Wood – who plays Fender Rhodes, Hammond, vibes, and both Yamaha and Baldwin organs on the set! The group's a trio mostly – and is really dominated by Wood's lines on keys, which often seem to be overdubbed. And unlike other pop-oriented sets on Ranwood, the sound here is deeper and more jazz oriented at points – although also nicely spacey and stretched out at others too. Titles include "A Ray Of Sunshine", "She Loves", "Maiden Voyage", "Rose Garden", "One Teardrop", "And I'll Come Back", and "Till Love Touches Your Life". LP, Vinyl record album

A major label set, but one that stays very true to the new ideals that James Blood Ulmer was trying to bring to jazz guitar at the time – a really revolutionary style that moves beyond simple genre conventions, and embraces a whole world of new ideas that would inspire others in the decade to come! Ulmer plays with a real frenzy at points – deep currents that reflect the bluesy touches of his early work in jazz organ combos, but given a skittish energy that reflects his association with the downtown crowd – and which was very fitting for his record with Rough Trade! The core group here features James, bassist Amin Ali, and drummer G Calvin Weston – and some tracks feature work from David Murray on tenor, Oliver Lake on alto, and Olu Dara on trumpet. Titles include "Timeless", "Pleasure Control", "Night Lover", "Happy Time", "Rush Hour", "Stand Up To Yourself", and "High Time". LP, Vinyl record album

An early jazzy soundtrack from the great Piero Umiliani – made even better by some key work from Chet Baker on trumpet and Helen Merrill on vocals! The set was done at a time when both artists were spending some time in Italy – shaping the scene with their presence, and really standing out on a handful of rare recordings like this one – quite different than their American material of a few years before! Baker is especially striking – with lead solos that have a great sense of compression, and a depth of soul that really move beyond the Pacific Jazz recordings. And Merrill is wonderful, too – with that special flavor she only ever seemed to open up when she went overseas – and got to move into more unusual settings. But the real star is Umiliani throughout – balancing modern impulses with late night jazz in a way that really points the way towards his later scores in the 60s – but which is already nearly perfect here! Titles include "Smog" (done in instrumental and vocal versions by Baker and Merrill), plus "Dawn", "Tensione", "Tops", "California In The Summer", "Hollywood Tonight", "Bowling", and "Twilight At Los Angeles". (Soundtracks, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic bit of space age funk – and maybe one of the greatest moments ever from Philly Soul maestro Dexter Wansel! The album goes way beyond any of Wansel's other work – and blends his warm soulful styles with some of the more keyboard-oriented funk that was coming out of the Herbie Hancock camp during the mid 70s – a vibe that's every bit as electric and spacey as you'd guess from the cover! Some cuts have a bit more of a soul focus, but others have loads of jazzy keyboards from Dexter – driven on by some great drums at points too. Titles include Wansel's legendary version of "Theme From the Planets" with the much sampled breakbeat at the beginning – plus the funky "Life On Mars", and the tracks "One Million Miles From The Ground", "You Can Be What You Wanna Be", "Prophet Named KG", "Rings Of Saturn", and "Stargazer". LP, Vinyl record album

Genius early work from a young Barney Wilen – an album issued in the US during a brief time when the French tenor star was turning a lot of heads on the American scene! The date's a great illustration of Wilen's amazingly deft talents on the tenor right from the start – a keen ear for the best changes of American jazzmen of the generation, but a depth of soul that really points the way towards some of Barney's more expressive modes in later years! Tracks are relatively short, but he gets a hell of a lot into such a small space – and the group features alto from Hubert Fol, piano from Nico Buninck, bass from Lloyd Thompson, and drums from Al Levitt. Titles are mostly originals, played with a sharp, crisp edge – and tunes include "Brainstorm", "Papiermento", "Blue Hubert", "The Office", and "Spracklin". LP, Vinyl record album

An intriguing little set from drummer Tony Williams – and a set that shows him still very much in command of his talents well into the 80s! Tony's playing here with all the bold, open energy of his classic recordings – and although he picks up a bit of electric percussion at points, he still plays it all "live" – and really seems to defer to the richer acoustic sounds of the group's great lineup – an all-star setting that includes Wallace Roney on trumpet, Donald Harrison on alto, Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Ron Carter on bass, and Mulgrew Miller on piano! The richness of the alto and trumpet are tremendous – and Hutcherson's vibes ring out beautifully, a perfect balance of tone and timing. Titles include "Foreign Intrigue", "My Michele", "Takin My Time", "Sister Cheryl", and "Arboretum". LP, Vinyl record album

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". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent album of funky electric jazz – and possibly the best one that Phil Woods cut with his European group! The quartet's a very hip group that's way hipper than its clunky name – with Gordon Beck on electric piano and organ, Daniel Humair on percussion and drums, and Henri Texier on bass, flute, and African percussion – all instrumentalists who dip heavily into the deep bag of their mighty talents for the date, helping to push Phil's music into some very cool new territory! The album cooks a lot harder than Woods' previous MGM date with the Rhythm Machine group in Europe – and has a really freewheeling vibe, and a sound that's almost outside at points. All tracks are long, with a modal electric approach that's very nice – and funky in the best parts – and titles include "Chromatic Banana", "Ultimate Choice", "The Last Page", and "The Day When The World". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderfully wide-ranging collection of work brought together in support of a long-running music festival in France – done here as a double-length set that offers up a "Past" disc of material recorded at the festival in previous years – and a "Future" disc that points the way towards new directions in European jazz! The set's worth it for the Past disc alone – as it offers up some never-heard recordings in jazz, Latin, and Brazilian modes – a nicely diverse array of tracks that have that open vibe of a really special live moment at a concert – similar to some of the best Montreux jazz recordings over the years! Titles include "Toda Menina Baiana" by Gilberto Gil, "Panamerica" by Lalo Schifrin with David Sanchez on tenor, "Chan Chan" by La Banda De Santiago De Cuba, "Delilah" by the Milt Jackson/Hank Jones Quartet, "Manalyuca" by McCoy Tyner with Gary Bartz & Ravi Coltrane, "I'll Stay" by Roy Hargrove & RH Factor, and "Soweto Sorrow" by the trio of Louis Sclavis on bass clarinet, Henri Texier on bass, and Aldo Romano on drums. The Future disc is great too – with new recordings in a range of jazzy styles, mostly by younger French artists – with titles that include "On Dimanch Maten" by Arnaud Dolmen, "Baby Rover" by Jasual Cazz, "Strength" by Emile Londonien, "Olioqui Valley" by Ishkero, "Soulful" by Leon Phal Quintet, and "Tryin Times" by Abraham Reunion. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album