Includes tracks recorded with Clarence Williams – and material with vocals by Hociel Thomas, Eva Taylor, Sippie Wallace, and Virginia Liston! LP, Vinyl record album

Arguably the best solo record that Joe Zawinul ever cut – and one of the few to really show him working in the soulful style that he had with Cannonball Adderley's famous 60s combo! The record features Joe on piano – stepping out on cuts that still have all the soul jazz currents that he brought to his work with Cannon – those rolling lines and heavy left-hand grooves that made a Zawinul groove instantly infectious! The lineups shift a bit here, but include heavyweight players throughout – including Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Clifford Jordan or Joe Henderson on tenor, Pepper Adams on baritone, Sam Jones on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums! The presence of those giants puts the whole thing in Blue Note or Prestige Records 60s territory – and titles include "Money In The Pocket", "If", "Midnight Mood", "Some More Of Dat", "Sharon's Waltz", and "Del Sasser". LP, Vinyl record album

The group billed as "The Mitchells" is an unusual "family" projects put together by Leonard Feather – featuring Whitey Mitchell on bass, Blue Mitchell on trumpet, and Red Mitchell on both bass and piano – none of them related, but coming together here because they all share a last name! Whitey directs the music on the record, and is really the boss of the set – and other players include Frank Rehak on trombone, Pepper Adams on baritone sax, and Andre Previn on piano – working together in a tightly-focused way that carries some of the hallmarks of some of Adams' other albums of the period. Titles include the originals "Three Cheers", "Blues For Brian", "Get Those Elephants Outta Here", and "Monster Rally". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastically bold breath of life from the contemporary Polish jazz scene – a record that begins with a sublime tribute to the great Billy Harper, then takes off into even more mindblowing territory as things move on! The group's led by trumpeter Piotr Damasiewicz, who created the record as a tribute to some of the best Polish modern jazz giants of decades past – but with a voice that's completely fresh, and very much his own – served up by a killer ensemble that features soaring horns, bold solo moments, and two different bassists holding down the core! The tunes instantly explode with color and life – hitting a rich spirit that marks Piotr as a musician we're going to keep our eye on in coming years – with other musicians who include Maciej Obara on alto, Adam Pindur on soprano, Pawel Niewiadomski on trombone, Gerard Lebik on tenor, and Dominik Wania on piano. Titles include "Billy", "Psalm For William Parker", "Polska I", and "Kleofas". CD

with Pepper Adams, Art Blakey, Donald Byrd, Paul Chambers, John Coltrane, Johnny Griffin, Coleman Hawkins, Roy Haynes, Billy Higgins, Philly Joe Jones, Sam Jones, Thad Jones, Harold Land, Gerry Mulligan, Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, Charlie Rouse, and others. CD

One of the few 70s albums as a leader from reedman Ronnie Cuber – a player who'd already been making some great appearances on studio sessions with giants like George Benson, Mongo Santamria, and Lonnie Smith – as well as even a few Steely Dan records! But despite that ability to sound tight in the studio, Ronnie really shows a completely different side of his talents here – a hard-burning approach to baritone sax, with a deftness that rivals Pepper Adams in a similar setting – a quality that almost feels like a tenor at times, given Cuber's dexterity and speed of improvisation. The rest of the group's great, too – and includes Barry Harris on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Albert Heath on drums – who really provide the right amount of soulful hardbop to keep things crackling. Titles include "Star Eyes", "Rifftide", "Tin Tin Deo", "Samba D'Orfeo", "Misty", "Sudwest Funk", and "Prince Albert". CD

One of the few 70s albums as a leader from reedman Ronnie Cuber – a player who'd already been making some great appearances on studio sessions with giants like George Benson, Mongo Santamria, and Lonnie Smith – as well as even a few Steely Dan records! But despite that ability to sound tight in the studio, Ronnie really shows a completely different side of his talents here – a hard-burning approach to baritone sax, with a deftness that rivals Pepper Adams in a similar setting – a quality that almost feels like a tenor at times, given Cuber's dexterity and speed of improvisation. The rest of the group's great, too – and includes Barry Harris on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Albert Heath on drums – who really provide the right amount of soulful hardbop to keep things crackling. Titles include "Star Eyes", "Rifftide", "Tin Tin Deo", "Samba D'Orfeo", "Misty", "Sudwest Funk", and "Prince Albert". LP, Vinyl record album

An RCA classic from Shorty – one that features an expanded version of his Giants group, running through some of the best compositions of Richard Rogers! The gimmick of the twin Rogers in the title notwithstanding, the album's a pretty tight little set – as Shorty's leading an all-star group that includes Pete & Conte Candoli, Frank Rosolino, Jack Montrose, Bill Holman, Pete Jolly, and Pepper Adams – all of whom are great company in this session of tight arrangements. Shorty still gives the best players enough solo space to keep things interesting – and the real charm of the record is the way that familiar tunes are transformed by the swinging arrangements and surprisingly nice solo moments. Titles include "I've Got Five Dollars", "A Ship Without A Sail", "Mimi", "Ten Cents A Dance", "The Girl Friend", "On A Desert Island With Thee", and "I Could Write A Book". LP, Vinyl record album