Classic work from the Steve Lacy Quintet – the formative group that featured Lacy on soprano sax, alongside Steve Potts on alto, Irene Aebi on violin and cello, Kent Carter on bass, and Oliver Johnson on drums! The record's got a very artful feel – and really has Lacy moving past some of the freer modes of a decade before – working with occasional vocals from Aebi, and a good sense of structure overall – one that has each group member contributing equally to the formation of the tunes. Tracks are longish, and titles include "Blues", "No Baby", "Troubles", and "The Whammies" LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty hip set of big band arrangements – very much along the lines of early 50s Stan Kenton, with a tight swing, but a nicely modern undercurrent as well! The arrangements, as the title indicates, are all by Gerry Mulligan – and in addition to the piano of Elliot Lawrence, players include Al Cohn and Hal McKusick on saxes, Nick Travis on trumpet, Eddie Bert and Paul Sheldon on trombones, Buddy Saunders on bass, and Don Lamond on drums – all players with a great ear for mixing up tightness on the heads, and a more laidback groove during the solo moments. Tracks are short and angularly arranged – and titles include "But Not For Me", "Happy Hooligan", "My Silent Love", "Mullenium", and "Bweebida Bwobbida". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare album as a leader from Teo Macero – one of the driving forces behind some of the key Miles Davis albums on Columbia Records – and other great jazz on that label too! Although Teo Macero is probably best known as Columbia's jazz producer during their successful early 60s run with Miles, he's also quite a composer in his own right, as you'll hear on this striking set of sides from the late 50s! Macero splits the album with Bob Prince – and each of these lesser-known modernists get a side apiece, and fairly free reign in coming up with some wild material. The sound has a little bit of that hip east coast chamber sound that you'd hear in Hal McKusick recordings – but there's also a bit more influences from 20th century modernism, as well as some of the larger Kenton-esque experiments of the early 50s. Macero's group includes John LaPorta, Eddie Bert, and George Barrow – and Prince is assisted by Jon Eardley, Phil Woods, and Frank Socolow. A great slice of lost avant playing, and one of the more striking jazz sides in the Columbia catalog! Titles include "Sounds Of May", "Ground Base", "Germination", "24+ 18+", and "Neally". LP, Vinyl record album

A definitely burning session from tenorist Don Menza – recorded with a hip big band that includes Bobby Shew, Don Rader, Jo Romano, Ray Reed, Frank Strazzeri, and other west coast luminaries from the time! The style shows the roots of all players in bigger groups, but has a nicely crafted sound of its own – a real respect for solo moments, and a quality that allows plenty of space into the arrangements – in that great post-Kenton mode that showed up on the west coast as the 60s moved on. Arrangements are bold, but not bombastic – and surprisingly soulful throughout – with titles include "New Spanish Boots", "Relaxin", "Tonawada Fats", "Dizzyland", and "Burnin". LP, Vinyl record album

The sound of Gerry Mulligan in the early 60s – and one of the best records by his larger than usual Concert Jazz Band! Given Gerry's piano-less experiments of the 50s, it's surprising to actually have him as the pianist on this session – hitting the keys with a nice light touch, so that the larger horn section can take over most of the tunes – a beautifully-arranged ensemble who have a feel that's lighter than some of the groups of the 50s – such as the Kenton ensemble – yet one that's equally modern at times! The lineup is wonderful – with Clark Terry and Nick Travis on trumpets, Willie Dennis and Bob Brookmeyer on trombones, and Gene Quill, Gene Allen, and Eddie Caine on saxes – plus guitar from Jim Hall, bass from Bill Crow, and drums from Gus Johnson. Titles include "Big City Life", "Bridgehampton South", "My Kind Of Love", "Pretty Gypsy", "Bridgehampton Strut", and "Big City Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A very nice little LA jazz session – not necessarily for Rosolino's trombone, which is still pretty nice, but really for the presence of Charlie Mariano, who gets a good chance to lay down some great solos in the session's small quintet with Walter Norris, Max Bennett, and Stan Levy. The tracks are tightly arranged – as you'd expect from an album like this in the "Kenton Presents" series – but Mariano always manages to get a bit of soul in, and has some very nice moments that are worth the price of the album. Titles include "Slan", "Kingfish", "The Missus", and "Now I Lay Me Down To Dream". LP, Vinyl record album

Prime modern work from the great Paul Bley – a pianist who was really expanding his sound at this time – to a level that would soon make him a legend around the globe! The European date is a great chance to hear Bley really opening things up – playing freely, with an amazing command of the keyboard – faster flurries of notes at times than you might hear on his 70s material, but with an equally sensitive ear for space and sound – all balanced by perfect work from Kent Carter on bass and Barry Altschul on drums! There's an instantly haunting quality to the music – which is all unique original material from Bley's scene – titles that include his own compositions Bley's "Pablo" and "Mazatlan", plus Annette Peacock's "Both" and "Cartoon", and Carla Bley's "Start". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Freddie Hubbard's wildest records ever – a really unique experiment with electronics, and a set that sounds way different than his other albums for Atlantic, Blue Note, or CTI! The key factor here is experimentalist Ilhan Mimaroglu – who adds lots of electronics and processed sounds to the set – blended with Freddie's more soulful lines on trumpet – to create a style that's almost a jazz version of musique concrete! In fact, at times, you forget that Hubbard's playing at all, as the wash of noise overtakes the force of some of his solos – and titles include "Threnody For Sharon Tate", "The Crowd", and "What A Good Time For Kent State". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest bandleaders of his generation, even if his group wasn't as famous as those of Basie or Kenton! Pierce was a bit like the former in the heavy swing of his group, but also a fair bit like the latter in that he had a great ear for finding young modernists – players who would work well within the tighter ensemble of the larger group, but also be willing to try out new ideas on their solos – even in a relatively short span on record! The Pierce style was always subtle, but extremely rewarding – especially when given a few repeat listenings. Players here include Joe Newman, Bill Harris, Hal McKusick, Freddie Green, Oscar Pettiford, and Nat Pierce. Includes "Old Rev", "Trip To Nathan's", "Maple Leaf Rag", "That's All", "Sioux City Sue", "Rojiserro", and "The Bearded One". LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool record! The album's sort of an American tribute to the emerging French sex goddess Brigitte Bardot – one that features a gatefold cover with a wraparound photo of Brigitte, and some nice images on the inside. Music on the set is by Pete Rugolo – the master arranger who'd worked with June Christy, Stan Kenton, and others – and although Bardot doesn't sing or even make an appearance on the set, Pete does more than enough of a good job of conjuring up her presence with a good selection of jazzy tunes. Players include Pete Candoli and Jack Sheldon on trumpets, Frank Rosolino on trombone, Paul Horn and Bud Shank on reeds, and Laurindo Almeida on guitar. Gloria Wood sings on one track – and titles include "Arsenic Blues", "Paris BB", "Jeff's Blues", "Mambo Bardot", "A T'Aimer", and "The Night Heaven Fell". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic live material from a very unique group – the instantly-legendary meeting of reedman Peter Brotzmann with the leading lights of the Chicago avant jazz scene in the 90s – brought together into a tremendous tentet that's maybe even better than the sum of its parts! The group features Brotzmann on tenor and clarinet, Ken Vandermark on tenor and bass clarinet, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Fred Lomberg-Holm on cello and violin, Michael Zerang and Hamid Drake on drums, Kent Kessler on bass – and "honorary Chicagoan" Mats Gustafsson on tenor and flutophone, plus Toshinori Kondo on trumpet and electronics, and William Parker on bass. Phew, that's one heck of a lineup – the kind that rivals some of the European or British improvising ensembles of decades past – but one that has its own very specific flavor, and a sound that's brimming over with youth – so much so that the non-Chicago guests really seem to gain inspiration from the core. This Okka disc set captures the band live at the 16th Victoriaville Festival in 1999. LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal album – a late 60s classic meeting of the brain trust of the avant garde jazz scene in New York, recorded for the young JCOA label – and put forth as one of their early attempts to prove that musicians could be in charge of the means of production! Michael Mantler provided the core composition, and directs the group – but the lineup is a who's who of forces who'd record for ESP, Impulse, and other labels – with bold solos from Don Cherry on cornet, Gato Barbieri on tenor, Larry Coryell on guitar, Roswell Rudd on trombone, Cecil Taylor on piano, and Pharoah Sanders on tenor – in a larger lineup of players who also include Steve Marcus, Andrew Cyrille, Reggie Workman, Alan Silva, Carla Bley, Beaver Harris, Charles Davis, Robert Northern, Kent Carter, and many other key avant musicians! Titles include "Communications 8", "Communications 9", "Communications 10", and "Communications 11".' LP, Vinyl record album

A killer album from Johnny Richards – possibly the best he ever cut! The album sparkles with all the intensity he brought to Stan Kenton's Cuban Fire album – with bits of Latin, jazz, and some of the modernist scoring that Kenton, Richards, and Pete Rugolo were using at the time. However, the main thing about this album is that it swings like a mo-fo – moving past any tricks and gags to hit a strong jazz mode, with excelelnt solo work by players like Frank Socolow, Gene Quill, and trumpeter Burt Collins. Willie Rodriguez brings some nice Latin percussion to the set – and titles include "Cimarron", "Eyes", "Nipigon", and "The Ballad Of Tappan Zee". LP, Vinyl record album

Mars Williams presents a great installment in this surprisingly long-running series – a really unusual mix of Christmas songs with the avant jazz inspiration of Albert Ayler – served up here in two different performances – one recorded in Chicago, the other in New York! As with the previous volumes, there's a stunning mix of sounds going on – some of the sentiment you might get in a Holiday tune, which seems to open up the more human corners of Ayler music – which includes snippets of "Spirits", "The Truth Is Marching In", "Omega", and "Change Has Come" – folded together with Christmas themes on these beautiful long improvisations! The Chicago group features Williams on saxes and toy instruments – plus Josh Berman on cornet, Jim Baker on piano and viola, Kent Kessler on bass, Brian Sandstrom on bass and guitar, and Steve Hunt on drums – and the New York group features Steve Swell on trombone, Hilliard Greene on bass, Chris Corsano on drums, Nels Cline on guitar, and Fred Lonberg Holm on cello. Vinyl version features two side-long tracks – two versions of "Noel Omega Change Has Come For The Three Kings Who Lit The Tiny Candles" – one by each group! (Holiday Music, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Here's a summer house we'd really like to visit on our next vacation – a legendary spot in Sweden, where Don Cherry created freely with some of the hippest players on the local scene in 1968! The tracks here were all recorded for later commercial release, which never ended up happening – and they represent a key bridge in Cherry's career between his important American work of the mid 60s, and his growing global consciousness to come – maybe a first chapter in the sound that would become the Organic Music Society! The set features work from an array of musicians that includes Cherry on pocket trumpet and flute, Bernt Rosengren on tenor and flute, Gunnar Lindqvist on reeds, Tommy Koverhult on tenor and a variety of flutes, Jacques Thollot and Leif Wennerstrom on drums, Torbjorn Hultcrantz and Kent Carter on bass, and percussion from Bulent Ates – plus other members of the group! There's no vocals, but there's a strong sense of rhythmic cohesion throughout – freewheeling jazz, but not entirely free either – and filled with a global inspiration that makes the whole thing come off with an organic sense of beauty. Titles include "The Machine Age", "Sir Charles Brackeen A", "Mao", "Samba", "Plotslight", and "Human". LP, Vinyl record album

A cooking little 10" session from the great west coast tenorist Bob Cooper – a great blend of modern and warmer west coast styles – served up with plenty of great work on tenor! Players here include Bud Shank on reeds, Howard Roberts on guitar, Shelly Manne on drums, and Claude Williamson on piano – working with Bob on 2 different sessions, both of them great. Tracks have that tightly arranged Cooper style, but also break out with some really great solos – especially from Bob and Bud – and titles include "Lisbon Lady", "Solo Plight", "The Way You Look Tonight", "She Didn't Say Yes", and "Excursion". LP, Vinyl record album

Genius, pure genius! If you've ever wondered why folks think Stan is so great, check out this landmark set of postwar modern swing tunes – some of the most groundbreaking work of its generation, and proof that there was still a lot of room to grow within the big band format. June Christy provides some icy vocals on a few numbers, and other strong players on the set include Vido Musso, Boots Mussulli, Kai Winding, Eddie Safranski, and Shelly Manne. Arrangements are by Pete Rugolo, Gene Roland, and Stan – and titles include "Artistry In Bass", "Artistry In Percussion", "Fantasy", "Come Back To Sorrento", "Soothe Me", "Opus In Pastels", and "Artistry In Bolero". LP, Vinyl record album

With featured soloists including Art Pepper, Shorty Rogers, Milt Bernhart, Ray Wetzel, Bob Cooper, Lennie Niehaus, Bill Holman, Lee Konitz, Kent Larsen, Bill Perkins, Jack Sheldon, Richie Kamuca, Jerry McKenzie, San Noto, Gabe Baltazar, Dick Hypde, Bud Shank, and John Lowe. LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of some of Kenton's early 50s hits. Most of the tracks that are included were arranged by Pete Rugolo and they include "Peg O' My Heart", "He's Funny That Way", "Capitol Punishment", "Painted Rhythm", "Lover", "Somnambulism", "Abstraction", and "Chorale For Brass, Piano & Bongo". Packaged in a very cool cover featuring a conductor standing amidst a odd Dali-esque landscape of hands and lines. LP, Vinyl record album

A great set by Stan Kenton – one that applies the dark tones of his style to a range of popular numbers that end up completely transformed! The album features some wonderful charts from arranger Lennie Niehaus – emerging here as one of the more complicated talents of the west coast scene of the time – and stepping off the strength of his 50s small group sessions, into a realm that really points the way towards his later soundtrack work. The sound is lush and filled with colors from the dark end of the spectrum – mostly carried by a mellophonium-heavy horn section, but also featuring some redemptive moments on breakout solos. Titles include "Darn That Dream", "Moonlight Becomes You", "How Do I Look In Blue", "Time After Time", "My One And Only Love", and "You Stepped Out Of A Dream". LP, Vinyl record album

Genius, pure genius! If you've ever wondered why folks think Stan is so great, check out this landmark set of postwar modern swing tunes – some of the most groundbreaking work of its generation, and proof that there was still a lot of room to grow within the big band format. June Christy provides some icy vocals on a few numbers, and other strong players on the set include Vido Musso, Boots Mussulli, Kai Winding, Eddie Safranski, and Shelly Manne. Arrangements are by Pete Rugolo, Gene Roland, and Stan – and titles include "Safranski (Artistry In Bass)", "Artistry In Percussion", "Fantasy", "Come Back To Sorrento", "Ain't No Misery In Me", "Opus In Pastels", "Willow Weep For Me" and "Artistry In Bolero". LP, Vinyl record album

Easily one of the best of the Kenton Presents series on Capitol – and one of the few albums to ever focus on the genius talents of saxophonist Boots Mussulli! We'd put Boots in the same camp as Charlie Mariano in the 50s – on one hand a clear modernist, with a crisp and fresh tone, and a keen ear for interesting arrangements – but on the other hand, a player with an incredible amount of soul, and a tone that's far more personal than academic! This quartet session features Boots playing in New York, with west coasters Shelly Manne on drums and Max Bennett on bass, as well as pianist Ray Santisi to round out the group. Titles include "El Morocco", "Mutt & Jeff", "Tico Tico", and "Rubber Boots". LP, Vinyl record album

Produced by featured guest Stanley Clarke, with sidemen that include Alphonso Johnson on bass, Todd Cochran on keyboards, Paul Jackson on guitar, Ndugu Chancler on drums, and Randy Kerber on keyboards and synths. LP, Vinyl record album

One of Kenton's greatest records, and the one in which he proves his dedication to Latin styles, by serving up a killer batch of Afro-Cuban tracks with an incredibly authentic feel. The great Johnny Richards handled the arrangements, and the tracks are long and drawn out, with plenty of solo space for the group. Titles include "Fuego Cubano", "Quien Sabe", and "La Quera Baila". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful stuff from one of the most overlooked arrangers of the 50s! Richards was Stan Kenton's right hand man at one time – and he's got a style that mixes jazz and modernism in the same style as Pete Rugolo, but with a bit more of a commitment to swinging. This rare 1958 set for Capitol is less experimental than the title might make you think – but the jazz is infused with plenty of freshness, and the whole thing's packaged in a really wonderful abstract cover! Players include Gene Quill, Ray Copeland, Frank Socolow, and Julius Watkins – and titles include "Terpischore", "Neolore", "This Time", and "Omo Ado". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the best work ever from one of the most under-acknowledged jazz composers and arrangers of the 50s! Johnny Richards is probably best known for his recordings with Stan Kenton in the early part of the decade – but when he moved out on his own, he developed a tremendous sound that was even richer, even more full of color and tone than Kenton's own – and which was often done without any arch-modern tones, yet still fresh and free of cliche. The album's one of Richards' first as a leader – and features a wonderful lineup filled with top-shelf players – including Charlie Mariano on alto, Richie Kamuca on tenor, Stu Williamson and Pete Candoli on trumpets, and Frank Rosolino and Milt Bernhardt on trombones – all players who really bring a bold sort of energy to Johnny's vibrant arrangements. The sax work alone is tremendous – cutting with a beautiful edge across the larger charts – and titles include "Waltz Anyone", "Turn Aboot", "Band Aide", "Dimples", and "Burrito Borracho". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent work by composer/leader Pete Rugolo – Stan Kenton's old partner in modernist jazz, and the force behind excellent work by June Christy, The Four Freshmen, and others. This album's got a great "crime jazz" sound – with an approach that sort of starts at the Peter Gunn level, but which gets much crazier as the record goes on. Titles include "The Teaser", "Richard Diamond Theme", "Who's Sam?", "All Star", and "Teen Age Rock". (Soundtracks, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A great solo set from Kentonite Claude Williamson. The west coast piano player takes on a number of standards, some in solo format, some with a trio including Max Bennett and Stan Levey. Nice fifties jazzy line drawing on the cover. Titles include "Spring Is Here", "Get Happy", "Yesterdays", "Like Someone In Love", and "My Heart Stood Still". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite compilations of all time – a smoking batch of soulful jazz from the 60s, with a slight bit of funk and blues thrown in as well! The set's exactly what's promised in the title – jazz cuts, but with an ultra-cool mod vibe – the kind of soulful sounds that played big with the younger London crowd digging American music in the mid 60s – and also the kind of music you'd be likely to find blasting out of a backroom jukebox on the west side of Chicago! There's loads of rare single mixes of LP tracks on the set, and a number of smoking 45s from artists you might know better from more mainstream work – really hitting hard here, alongside a few special numbers from the indie underground too. Tracks are cool enough for old school hipsters – but appealing enough to bring in a new listener too – and as proof of that, we've given this one away for many years as a Christmas present. The collection features 25 tracks in all – non-stop pleasure throughout – with titles that include "Soul Shoutin" by Shirley Scott, "Tengo Tango" by Cannonball Adderley Sextet, "Whip It On Me" by Billy Hawks, "Yeh Yeh" by Mongo Santamaria, "Black Talk" by Charles Earland, "I'm Ready" by Otis Spann, "Mama Rufus" by Merced Blue Notes, "Theme From NYPD" by Johnny Hammond, "Step Out & Get It" by The Nomos, "Why Don't You Do Right" by Mark Murphy, "Collard Greens" by Freddie McCoy, "Theme From The Carpetbaggers" by Jack McDuff, "Filthy McNasty" by Eddie Jefferson, "Evil Ways" by Cal Tjader, "Kenny's Theme" by Kenny Burrell, and "Games" by Ivan Boogaloo Joe Jones. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A funky party all the way through – and the one and only album we've ever seen from Johnny Otis main tenor player in the 60s! The set's got a vibe that's much funkier than some of Johnny's own records of previous years – and really shows that looser, more open style he was bringing to his ensemble at the time – and in addition to Preston's tenor, the set's also got work by a young Shuggie Otis – who's really wailing with some trippy licks on guitar! The overall feel is very much in the funky 45 mode – and most cuts are instrumentals, occasionally with a bluesy twist – and one number – "Cool Ade" – has a hip call-response vocal that's mighty nice! Other titles are equally sweet – and include "Hoe Cakes & Sorghum", "Cream Dream", "Neck Bones", "Chili Mac", and "Pot Likker". (Soul, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album