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

Beautiful 70s work from the great Frank Foster – material from that time when he'd split with the Count Basie group to go into a completely different direction – cutting spiritual records like this, and his better-known Loud Minority album for Mainstream records! The session was only ever issued in Japan – and it's got Foster really hitting new heights – picking up some of the spiritualism of his experience with Elvin Jones, but working his own sort of magic – with a personal charm that's echoed by the image on the cover. Frank blows saxes and arranged the set with a warmly angular group – in a larger group that also includes Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet, Thad Jones on flugelhorn, Jerry Dodgion on alto and flute, Walter Norris on piano, George Mraz on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums. Titles include "Shitsu Mon", "Tan Kyu", "Cecilia Is Love", and "Now That She's Away". CD

One of the coolest records we've ever heard from Japanese drummer Akira Ishikawa – even wilder than some of his famous funk sessions of the time! The set definitely lives up to its African Rock promise – as it features lots of sparely percussive tracks that build beautifully – clearly drawing from African inspiration, in the same way that other albums by Akira drew from American funk – then also adding in some cool production and hip effects that help further some of the "rock" side of the agenda! At points, the record almost feels like a solo percussion jam – but at others, the guitars really get heavy, with a jamming intensity that's simply mindblowing. There's lots of psychedelic overtones when the guitars come in – and they make for a wicked contrast with some of the more organic, percussion-oriented moments. All tunes are nice and long, and titles include the extended break cut "Pigmy", plus "Vita", "Na Tu Penda Sana", and "Wanyamana Mapambazuko". CD

Sweet funky 70s work from Herbie Mann – one of his best records of the time, and a set that's got a stretched-out and slightly cosmic feel! The album's clearly the brainchild of writer/arranger/producer Sylvester Levay – who also plays keyboards on the session, and creates a groove that's not that dissimilar from some of the Dave Matthews work on Kudu or CTI – despite the fact that Levay was best known for his work with Silver Convention! The overall sound is slick, but still has plenty of room for solo work – and there's some uptempo numbers that groove out, but without as much of the cheesy disco touches as some of Mann's other records. Titles include "Aria", "Bird In A Silver Cage", "The Piper", and "Birdwalk". LP, Vinyl record album

If there's one thing we know about funk legend Dennis Coffey, it's that we can never get enough of his early work – especially when he's working in his trio with the mighty Lyman Woodard on Hammond! The pair together are fantastic – and have this Detroit-bred version of jazz funk that's even grittier than anything coming out on Prestige Records in the 60s – a vibe that reflects the ties both musicians had to the local soul scene, and also hits at Coffey's great wave of records to come on Sussex in the 70s! But the groove here is even deeper and more open – captured live on long tracks that really take off – so that even if the trio is playing familiar songs, they come out completely unique in the hard-jamming style of the group. The mighty Melvin Davis is on drums – and tracks include very long takes on "Eleanor Rigby", "Cissy Strut", and the great Richard Evans' tune "Burning Spear" – plus "Groovin", "It's Your Thing/Union Station", "Big City Lights", "Mindbender", and "I'm A Midnight Mover" – all previously unreleased! (Soul, Jazz) CD

CTI Records meets that Brazilian fusion sound of the 70s – served up here on two classic albums! Fingers is one of Airto's greatest records ever – a really hard hitting batch of tracks that mix sharp-edged fusion lines with some earthier Brazilian percussion touches – all in a way that nicely steps off of Airto's first few American releases, and warms the groove up with a nice dose of California soul! Flora Purim joins in here on both vocals and percussion – and the rest of the group features Hugo Fattoruso on keyboards and harmonica, Jorgte Fattoruso on drums, and David Amaro on both electric and acoustic guitars – shifting nicely between both instruments in a way that further underscores the blended vibe of the record! Most of these tracks are Airto classics – like "Tombo in 7/4", "San Francisco River", "Romance Of Death", "Ringers", and "Wind Chant" – and the record has a very sweet CTI production style, but is still rough enough around the edges to keep things nice and real! Deodato In Concert is an excellent little live set from Deodato – hard to believe because the sound's just as tight and funky as his studio albums, and possibly even more interesting because he manages to pull it off equally well in a live setting! The record features percussion by Airto, guitar by John Tropea, and vocals by Flora Purim – and those are just the marquee names of a large and amazing grew of great musicians! All tracks are long and complicated, for very hynotic feel throughout. The funkiest number is "Tropea", which has a nice long 8 minute groove – and the set also features a cover of Steely Dan's "Do It Again", plus the tracks "Parana", "Branches", "Baubles, Bangles And Beads" and "Skyscraper". Amazing! (Brazil, Jazz) CD

A beautiful overview of some of the most legendary material in the catalog of both Miles Davis and John Coltrane – quintet collaborations for Prestige Records from the late 50s, presented here with all master and alternate takes, plus a full bonus CD of unreleased material! The original tracks were issued on a groundbreaking run of albums that include the classics Cookin, Relaxin, Steamin, and Workin With The Miles Davis Quintet – all with Davis on trumpet, Coltrane on tenor, and rhythm from the trio of Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. But in addition to the 32 tracks of studio material from the group – presented on the first 3 CDs in the set – the package also features 8 more live numbers, recorded for the Tonight Show in 1955, and live at the Blue Note in Philly in 1956 and at Cafe Bohemia in 1958! Original studio tunes include "Stablemates", "The Theme", "How Am I To Know", "Four", "Salt Peanuts", "Woody'n You", "Ahmad's Blues", "Well You Needn't", "Half Nelson", "Oleo", "Tune Up", and "Blues By Five". Unreleased live tunes include "Tune Up", "Walkin", "Max Is Making Wax", "Four", "Bye Bye Blackbird", and "Two Bass Hit". Added bonuses include 5 solo transcriptions, a 40 page booklet, and original cover art by Miles! CD

A fantastic mid 60s album from Grant Green – but one that never got its due originally, because it was unreleased at the time – and didn't come out until a Japanese version in the late 70s! Despite that oddly long gap, Matador is truly one Grant's best ever records – a really inventive session that goes way past his standard soul jazz roots – and which really shows the guitarist stretching out towards future styles of jazz! The session's a spare quartet date – with Green's guitar playing modal grooves over rhythm by by his incredible combo – with Bob Cranshaw on bass, Elvin Jones on drums and the incomparable McCoy Tyner on piano – blocking out bold changes that really drive the record strongly. Cuts are long, and there's a freewheeling quality to the material that's only ever matched by some of the Grant Green/Larry Young sessions from the same time – especially the Street Of Dreams Record. Titles include "Matador", "Bedouin", Green Jeans", and a killer version of "My Favorite Things", done in a very Coltrane-esque style. CD

Forget the "blues" in the title – because the set's as much a soul jazz cooker as any of Groove's classic records for Prestige! The format's a bit different than usual – in that Groove solos on Hammond over large arrangements by Onzy Matthews – in a sweet organ/big band mode that's got plenty of bounce! The tunes are mostly from R&B sources, but done here with a groovy 60s approach – and titles include "Organ Grinder", "Mean Old Frisco Blues", "Your Red Wagon", "In The Dark", and "I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town". CD

Fantastic French grooves from the end of the 60s – a killer set of jazz-based tracks recorded by trumpeter Ivan Jullien, with help from funky arranger Michel Colombier! Jullien recorded a fair bit of jazz and studio work around the time, and his playing here is razor-sharp – and supported by Colombier grooves that rival his best soundtrack material, his experiments with Pierre Henry, or his backings for singers like Serge Gainsbourg or Brigitte Bardot! Colombier also plays keyboards on the record, as does the great Maurice Vander – amidst a host of other great French jazzmen who include Pierre Gossez on sax, Roger Guerin on additional trumpet, and Eddie Louiss on organ. Drums are nice and funky on most cuts – and the whole thing kicks even more than most funky big band records on MPS! Includes the great break cut "I Remember Otis" – plus "Sonoro", "The Looser", "Talk", "An Oscar For Eddy", "Wake The Monster", "Edith", and "Crescendo". CD

A real treasure from the great tenorist Hank Mobley – and a record that shows him really opening up his sound in his later years at Blue Note! The album's got some key rhythmic elements that come both from the drumming of Billy Higgins and piano of Cedar Walton – both players who bring in a sense of lyricism that really opens up Hank's horn, and which also sets the trumpet of Donald Byrd free as well – in territory that really resonates with some of Donald's own excellent Blue Note material from the mid 60s! The album's one of those great Blue Note dates that was recorded in the 60s, but not issued until many years later – and really makes for a richer side of Mobley's catalog – a new great level amidst all those already wonderful records. Titles include "Bossa For Baby", "Soul Time", "No Argument", and "A Dab Of This & That". CD

Japanese trumpeter Shunzo Ohno gave us some great records in the 70s – and this later date for the Three Blind Mice label is equally great, but in a very different sort of way! Here, Ohno's working with a group of American players, in a nicely burning sort of way – work from a young Steve Wilson on alto, Renee Rosnes on piano, James Genus on bass, and Billy Drummond on drums – all musicians you'll know well if you dig American jazz from the period, and who will give you a great idea of the rock-solid approach of the set! Ray Spiegel adds in tablas on one track – and titles include "Stella By Starlight", "Maya", "On Going", "First Step", and "He Said So". CD

A legendary live performance, and one that's often billed as a high moment in the history of bebop – a special concert-only group that brings together five key bop heavyweights – Charlie Parker on alto, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all coming together in a unique one-off performance! The set was recorded up in Canada, and represents one of the first widely-circulated live recordings of a straight bop set – different than some of the mix of styles you'd get on a JATP record, with long tracks that really show the nonstop creative energy that shifts between the players. The original vinyl release broke the concert out into two records – and this is the quintet material, with titles that include "Perdido", "Salt Peanuts", "All The Things You Are", "Wee", and "Hot House". CD

The most spiritual session we've ever heard from Tenderlonious – a set that we always knew he had in him, given his playing on other folk's albums – yet one that still comes as a great surprise in comparison to some of his other records too! The set features compositions by Wayne Shorter, Stanley Cowell, Charles Tolliver, and Bill Lee – all nods to the generation that Tenderlonious evokes here on alto and flutes, working in a quartet that features Hamish Balfour on piano, Pete Martin on bass, and Tim Carnegie on drums – a group who are lean and work without any other trappings or structures – coming across maybe a bit like some Clifford Jordan quartet session for Strata East. Titles include long takes on "On The Nile", "Infant Eyes", "John Coltrane", "You Know I Care", "Poor Eric", and "Maimoun". CD

The most spiritual session we've ever heard from Tenderlonious – a set that we always knew he had in him, given his playing on other folk's albums – yet one that still comes as a great surprise in comparison to some of his other records too! The set features compositions by Wayne Shorter, Stanley Cowell, Charles Tolliver, and Bill Lee – all nods to the generation that Tenderlonious evokes here on alto and flutes, working in a quartet that features Hamish Balfour on piano, Pete Martin on bass, and Tim Carnegie on drums – a group who are lean and work without any other trappings or structures – coming across maybe a bit like some Clifford Jordan quartet session for Strata East. Titles include long takes on "On The Nile", "Infant Eyes", "John Coltrane", "You Know I Care", "Poor Eric", and "Maimoun". LP, Vinyl record album

The title may be a simple one, but the record really marks a key point in John Coltrane's development – an embrace of the newer freedoms allowed to him at Atlantic Records, but in a way that's a bit more subtle than some of his other work for the label! At one level, the record moves at the same groove as Trane's later Prestige years – with rhythm mostly from Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – carving out some sharp lines for Coltrane to cascade over on tenor sax. Yet there's also a new sense of darkness here too – one that moves into edgier territory, and which isn't nearly as settled in as before. These qualities sneak out of both original numbers like "Harmonique", "Fifth House", and "Like Sonny" – as well as standards like "My Shining Hour" and "Little Old Lady". And they really come to the forefront on the classic "Village Blues" – the one track that features the new Coltrane group of McCoy Tyner, Steve Davis, and Elvin Jones! CD features 2 bonus alternate takes too! CD

Oh how we love this one! This killer 2LP set takes one of Mingus' best-ever records, and makes it even better! The original Tijuana Moods album was recorded in 1957 but not released until 1962 – and the record features one of Mingus' strongest groups ever, with Shafi Hadi on alto and Clarence (aka Gene) Shaw on trumpet. If you've ever had any doubts about Mingus, this album will blow your mind! This great double set features original takes and alternate ones for every track on the album, including "Dizzy Moods", "Ysabel's Tabel Dance", and "Tijuana Gift Shop". 10 tracks in all – and one of the best bunches of Mingus you can buy! CD

An overlooked 60s gem from Oscar Peterson – one of his great sides for Limelight Records, and possibly the most soulful of the bunch! The group's a trio – with either Sam Jones or Ray Brown on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums – and they've got a really great feel, one that's a bit different than some of Oscar's earlier groups of the 60s. Hayes' work on drums is nicely sensitive, and almost takes backseat to Peterson's rhythmic piano lines at times – and Jones' work on bass is always a treat, and kicks some of the best tracks here into a really great groove! The record's got a few great original titles, too – like the midtempo groover "Bossa Beguine", and the groovy "L'Impossible", a cool little instrumental that sounds like it was from a soundtrack by Francis Lai or Michel Legrand, and the title track "Blues Etude". Other titles include "Let's Fall In Love", "Shelley's World", "I Know You Oh So Well", and "Stella By Starlight". CD

One of the most compelling records we've ever heard from UK reedman Tenderlonious – and that's saying a lot, because most of his other recordings have been pretty damn great as well! This set has Tenderlonious playing flute and soprano sax, stretching out on long improvised ragas with the group Jaubi – a trio who use tabla, sarangi, and guitar in modes that echo older currents of Indian music, but also move things towards a slightly more contemporary vibe – with unusual drone elements that enhance the acoustic instruments in a very subtle way – and which only seem to make the flute lines stand out even more by comparison! Titles include "Kirwani", "Impressions", "Azeem", "Shahla Bagh", and "Azadi". LP, Vinyl record album

Darkly beautiful work from singer June Christy – a lesser-remembered gem from the end of her years at Capitol Records! The mood here is very much in keeping with the "night people" setting of the title – a lonely space of empty streets, open windows, and late night saloons – first brought to record so beautifully by June on the Something Cool album, and wonderfully revisited in this fantastic set! Arrangements are by husband Bob Cooper, and although they're a bit less arch-modern than some of Christy's work with Pete Rugolo, they still really get at the boozy genius of June's vocals at their best. Titles include "I Had A Little Sorrow", "Night People", "Make Love To Me", "Shadow Woman", "My Ship", and "Kissing Bug". CD also features 5 bonus tracks from the Do Re Mi album – including "Make Someone Happy", "Asking For You", and "All You Need Is A Quarter". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD