Some of the best early work by Prez – all recorded in small combo sessions for Aladdin Records during the years 1945 through 1948. The album's one of the few chances you can get to hear Prez blowing clear and free from the time, in that amazing tone which inspired generations of players, which works perfectly in groupings with players that include Dodo Marmarosa, Willie Smith, Curtis Counce, Chico Hamilton, Irving Ashby, and Roy Haynes. Titles include "No Eyes Blues", "DB Blues", "Jumpin At Mesners", "Lester's Be Bop", "Lester Leaps In", "East Of The Sun", "Just Cooling", and "Lester Smooths It Out". LP, Vinyl record album

A great 2CD set – one that contains every track Lester recorded for Aladdin – including the rare 1942 trio session with Nat Cole and a 1946 date with Helen Humes! 40 tracks total. CD

Given that Pepper was on and off the LA scene a fair bit in the 50s – due to personal trouble and legal battles – this album's not so much "the return", as it is one of Pepper's many strong steps back into the studio, a place in which he demonstrated an uncanny ability to craft brilliant work, despite the turmoil going on around him. The set's as classic as you can get for Pepper – right down to the classic William Claxton photo on the cover (which has a chilling story that you'll find in Art's autobiography). Players include Jack Sheldon, Russ Freeman, Leroy Vinnegar, and Shelly Manne – and titles include "Pepper Returns", "Funny Blues", "Angel Wings", "Walkin Out Blues", "Five More", "Minority", and "Mambo De La Pinta". CD

Given that Pepper was on and off the LA scene a fair bit in the 50s – due to personal trouble and legal battles – this album's not so much "the return", as it is one of Pepper's many strong steps back into the studio, a place in which he demonstrated an uncanny ability to craft brilliant work, despite the turmoil going on around him. The set's as classic as you can get for Pepper – right down to the classic William Claxton photo on the cover (which has a chilling story that you'll find in Art's autobiography). Players include Jack Sheldon, Russ Freeman, Leroy Vinnegar, and Shelly Manne – and titles include "Pepper Returns", "Funny Blues", "Angel Wings", "Walkin Out Blues", "Five More", "Minority", and "Mambo De La Pinta". CD

A great 2CD set – one that contains every track Lester recorded for Aladdin – including the rare 1942 trio session with Nat Cole and a 1946 date Helen Humes. CD

Great early work from Lester Young – an Imperial Records collection of early material from the 78rpm days of Aladdin Records! The work is a great bridge between swing and pop – and Lester Young's tone is superb throughout – on titles that include "One O'Clock Jump", "Easy Does It", "East Of The Sun", "No Eyes Blues", "The Sheik Of Araby", "Confessin' That I Love You", "Something To Remember You By", "On The Sunny Side Of The Street", "Jumpin' At Mesners", "It's Only A Paper Moon", "Lover Come Back To Me" and "Jumpin' With Symphony Sid". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the best early work by Prez – all recorded in small combo sessions for Aladdin Records during the years 1947 through 1948. The album's one of the few chances you can get to hear Prez blowing clear and free from the time, in that amazing tone which inspired generations of players, which works perfectly in groupings with players that include Roy Haynes, Fred Lacey, Shorty McConnell, Curley Russell, and Tiny Kahn. Titles include "Sunday", "Jumpin With Symphony Sid", "No Eyes Blues", "OnThe Sunny Side Of The Street", "Jumpin' At The Woodside", "One O'Clock Jump", "Easy Does It", "Confessin'", "Sax O Be Bop", "East Of The Sun, West Of The Moon", "Sheik Of Araby", "Something To Remember You By" and "Just Cooling". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful work from tenor giant Lynn Hope – a genius of the generation that included Ben Webster, Illinois Jacquet, and Johnny Hodges, with traces of all three in his playing, plus a bit more of a bluesy twist. The tracks are all small group numbers recorded for Aladdin between 1951 and 1955 – and titles include "The Scrunch", "Tenderly", "Hope, Skip, & Jump", "Eleven Til Two", "Miserlou", "Blow Lynn Blow", "Move it", and "Summertime". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent album of hard-rolling piano – part R&B, part blues, and part jazz, some of the incredible work of pianist Lloyd Glenn, a heavy handed groover from the 50s. We're not sure, but we think the album may include work that Glenn recorded for Aladdin, issued here under an Imperial label. The tracks are all short, with a rolling piano groove that's part Texas, part New Orleans. Titles include "Glenn's Guide", "Shadow Land", "Chocolate Drop", "Chica Boo", "Tiddley Winks", "Nite Flite", and "Still Water". CD

A full LP that appears to collect earlier sides recorded by saxophone genius Lynn Hope – presumably for the Aladdin label, and all featuring that lusty tenor sound that was his trademark during the 50s. Hope's tone alone is reason enough to purchase the record – as the album's 12 late nite dreamers are all lovely little tunes that will have you putting the disc at the top of your "after midnite" tenor play pile. Production is nice and echoey, and the whole thing's very moody. Titles include "Summertime", "Tenderly", "Blues For Anna Bacoa", "Blue Moon", "September Song", "Blow Lynn Blow", "Driftin", and "Move It". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic work from the west coast scene – including one CD of King Cole Trio material, plus almost a full CD of Charles Brown material for Aladdin, a few more tracks by Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, and another 18 tracks by Floyd Dixon! CD

A collection of rare early work by Miles Davis – all recorded in New York during the years 1947 to 1950 – most of them studio sides, but also featuring a few tracks recorded at the Royal Roost! The assortment of players varies from grouping to grouping, and although Miles' trumpet is in the groups, there's also a stronger focus on the ensemble work on a number of the tunes. Other players include JJ Johnson, Sahib Shihab, Kai Winding, Cecil Payne, Tadd Dameron, Fats Navarro, Stan Getz, and Art Blakey – and the CD features 23 titles that include "Good Bait", "Woody N You", "Bean A Re Bop", "John's Delight", "What's New", "Heaven's Doors Are Open", "Focus", "Phantomesque", "For Europeans Only", and "Big Dog". Some of the material was issued under Dameron's name originally, and a few other tracks are Illinois Jacquet big band titles recorded for Aladdin. CD

Evans, Evans and Krasno continue their groovy update of the classic B-3 organ trio lineup of drums, guitar and organ with another dose of tasty fat jazzy flavors, recorded live on tour. With all the raw energy and deep soulful funk you'd expect from a Soulive show, this set cooks nicely from start to finish, whether it's the hard funk of "Aladdin", bubbling wah wah grooves of "El Ron", jazzy swing of "Turn It Out" or the slow burning blues of "Lenny". 9 nicely stretched out tracks in all! (Deep Funk, Jazz) CD

A deep dive into the catalog of the legendary Soul Note label – the Italian imprint that became a huge host to American jazz musicians in the late 70s onwards – a company that helped to evolve both spiritual and loft jazz modes, and continue the legacy of free-thinking expression that was begun in the shadow of John Coltrane! The choice of cuts here is great – tracks that go past some of the obvious classics of the label, but which also resonate with those moments too – a well-chosen array of tracks that often focus on more rhythmic moments of the label, with strong spiritual and modal currents throughout. Titles include "Rain Shout" by Hamiet Bluiett, "Olduvai George" by Dannie Richmond, "Mwalimu" by Max Roach, "Ondas" by Nana Vasconcelos & Antonello Salis, "Aladdin's Castle" by Beaver Harris, "Hide & Go Seek" by Paul Motian, "Spirits Return" by Tony Scott, "Tribute To Bu (take 1)" by Andrew Cyrille, "Bouka" by Hamiet Bluiett, "Nagual Julian" by Billy Bang, "The Earth Spins" by Adam Rudolph, "Cubano Be Cubano Bop" by George Russell, and "Nu Tune" by Hamiet Bluiett. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album