Brilliant modern jazz from German trombonist Albert Mangelsdorff – recording here in 1964, but sounding years ahead of his time, with an amazing a blend of jazz and Asian styles! The album's one of Mangelsdorff's best ever – a set of rhythmic tunes that seem clearly informed by the work of Ornette and Joe Harriott, but also based along eastern themes picked up by the group on a tour of the Orient – and performed by a sharp-edged quintet that includes Heinz Sauer on tenor and soprano sax, Gunter Kronberg on alto, Gunter Lenz on bass, and Ralph Hubner on drums. There's some nice traces of MPS/Saba modal and Jazz Meets the World styles – and overall, the rhythmic pulse keeps things from getting as free and out as on Mangelsdorff's 70s sides – really soaring, but never too far out – and always with a cool exotic groove. The whole thing's great – instantly striking, and always a treasure – and titles include "Sakura Waltz", "Now Jazz Ramwong", "Raknash", "Theme From Vietnam", and "Burungkaka". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last albums that Albert Ayler ever recorded before his strange and mysterious early death – and one of his most memorable records as well! The record shows Ayler at the crossroads, filled with emotion and meaning, struggling to convey his message to a lager audience. At times, he takes a strange soul/jazz format to do so, and has tracks featuring backing by "the Soul Singers" – at others, he plays solo, with some of the most plaintive tones he ever laid down on wax! The record features an incredibly haunting "Message From Albert", plus the tracks "New Generation", "Sun Watcher", "New Ghosts", and "Free At Last". Completely fascinating, and a record that really makes you wonder what would have happened had he not left the planet so early! LP, Vinyl record album

Pre-ESP Records work from the legendary Albert Ayler – and a really special set that definitely shows his strong ties to a previous legacy of African-American music! Ayler always clamed blues and other roots in his sound, but didn't always show them as clearly – given his free-thinking, forward-moving approach – yet this set has Albert really reworking an older influence, by taking older songs from gospel and secular sources, and using them as a completely compelling springboard for his new ideas on tenor and soprano sax! The album's the sort that David Murray might have cut in the mid 80s – but conceived by Ayler two decades before – and sadly unissued for years after its recording, possibly because it's a very sensitive, soulful set that's different than the frenetic power of later albums on ESP. A real treasure throughout – with work from Call Cobbs Jr on piano, Henry Grimes on bass, and Sonny Murray on drums – on titles that include "Swing Low Sweet Chariot", "Deep River", "Goin Home", "Ol Man River", "Down By The Riverside", and "Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark recording – Albert Ayler's first album for the ESP label, and a record that hit the jazz world like a bullet! Spiritual Unity sets the stage for a format that would become huge in the European avant scene of the 70s, 80s, 90s, and even today – the sax-driven power-trio, tenor against bass and drums, working freely with less rhythmic constraints than before, searching for new sounds and new modes of expression, working through changes in a style first proposed by Sonny Rollins, but taken to new intensity by the New York underground of the 60s. That sound is summed up here perfectly by Ayler, Gary Peacock, and Sunny Murray – working together with an edgey brilliance, on classic tracks that include "Ghosts: First Variation", "Ghosts: Second Variation", "The Wizard", and "Spirits". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible early work from one of Germany's greatest modernists – one of the key records that showed the world that German jazz was way more than just a rehashing of American modes in the postwar years! This rare 1963 recording features the quintet of trombonist Albert Mangelsdorff – a groundbreaking unit that includes tenorist Heinz Sauer, altoist Gunter Kronberg, bassist Gunter Lenz, and drummer Ralf Hubner – a fantastic combo that comes together in a stark modernist groove that's right up there with the best work of Ornette Coleman or Joe Harriott from the time – very rhythmic, in ways that offset the freedom of the horn solos beautifully – letting the saxes and trombones soar, while the bass and drums lock into a tight groove. The no-piano, three-horn frontline is incredibly strong – bracing and powerful, but never in a way that's too cold or modern, thanks to an inherent sense of soul in allt he players. Titles include "Varie", "Ballade Fur Jessica Rose", "Club Trois", "Set Em Up", and "Tension". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the first big moments of Albert Ayler's work in the jazz mainstream – and a record that doesn't dim his greatness at all from the earlier sides recorded for ESP! The album's got a sharply angular sound that more than lives up to its vibrant cover image – a well-honed approach to improvisation, showcased by Ayler in a set of recordings done upon his return from work on the European scene. The material was recorded on two different dates – featuring two different groups: one with Alan Silva, Beaver Harris, and Joel Friedman; the other with Donald Ayler, Henry Grimes, and Michel Sampson. Titles are long, with the searing emotional sound that Ayler was peaking at during this time – and titles include "For John Coltrane", "Change Has Come", and "Truth is Marching On". LP, Vinyl record album

An ultra-rare performance from Dexter Gordon – one at a high school in Denmark at the same time he was really beginning to take off at the Club Montmartre in Copenhagen! The group here is similar to one that was working with Dex in the club – Kenny Drew on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Albert Tootie Heath on drums – a rollicking rhythm section that really takes off on the title track – a searing rendition of "Soy Califa", which is one of our favorite Dexter Gordon tunes from the Blue Note years. The set then slides into a laidback reading of "Shadow Of Your Smile", with Dex blowing soulfully and deep – and the record concludes with a tight boppish version of "Blues Up & Down", with lots of room for long tenor and piano solos! The playing is great, but we should say that the recording quality seems to have the bass more upfront than both the piano and tenor – so the mix is a bit unusual. LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary early set from percussionist Francisco Mora Catlett – and a really sublime blend of spiritual jazz and Latin rhythms! Mora's percussion is definitely at the core – but the set also features wonderful contributions from Vincent Bowens on tenor and soprano sax, Jerome LeDuff on berimbau, Alberto Nacif on quinto, and Detroit jazz legend Kenny Cox on piano! There's a balance here that really matches the best Strata East energy of the 70s – an open, flowing approach that's completely sublime, and very righteous too – even more so than anything Mora's done since the 70s – making this record one of his greatest achievements ever. Tersa Mora sings a bit of vocals at times – and titles include "Afra Jum", "Five AM", "Rumba Morena", "Samba De Amor", and "Cultural Warrior". 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

Warm and wonderful work from saxophonist Jimmy Heath – still sounding great here in the 90s, and working in an excellent format that places his tenor and soprano next to guitar, bass, and drums. The lack of piano is quite striking – and the guitar work of Tony Perrone freely steps around Heath's horn with a quality that's really nice – teaming up in a frontline style, as if he were a trumpet player in the group – but also letting back for a more rhythmic approach that also has him shading in certain aspects of the tunes. Drums are by Heath's brother and longtime partner Albert "Tootie" – and titles include "Prince Albert", "Basic Birks", "Sleeves", and "Soul Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album

A double-length set – and one that's got plenty of space for wide-ranging power from guitarist Volker Kriegel! The set builds beautifully off the energy that Volker had in the Dave Pike Set – with a similar blend of funk and psychedelic influences, all filtered down beautifully in wicked MPS vibe – lots of space between the notes, and a balance that never gets too jamming or rocking – which is plenty pleasing to our ears! Volker's got an amazing tone on some of these tunes – and other hip players include John Taylor on electric piano, Cees See on flute and percussion, soprano and tenor sax from Alan Skidmore, tenor from Heinz Sauer, trombone from Albert Mangelsdorff, and bass from Eberhard Weber. Tunes really run a nice range of styles – some getting trippy, some a bit exotic, and plenty nice and funky, too! Titles include "Slums On Wheels", "The E Again", "Zanzibar", "Missing Link", and "Lastic Plemon". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most soulful sounds we've ever heard from tenorist James Brandon Lewis a reworking of themes from the music of Mahalia Jackson into jazz – all at a level that keeps all the spirit of the originals, while unlocking the songs as vehicles for freer improvisation! Given the mix of freedom and spirit here, there's almost a vibe that takes us back to the brilliance of Albert Ayler at the start – served up through the intertwining magic of Lewis' tenor, the cornet of Kirk Knuffke, cello of Chris Hoffman, bass of William Parker, and drums of Chad Taylor – all tremendous players, but resonating even more strongly in the presence of this project! James has been getting plenty of attention in recent years, but this could be the album that catapults him into the canon of contemporary jazz – thanks to amazing takes of "Elijah Rock", "Were You There", "Go Down Moses", "Precious Lord", "Deep River", "Wade In The Water", "Swing Low", and "Sparrow". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most ambitious albums ever recorded from Clifford Jordan – a totally righteous little effort that was the first installment in the legendary Dolphy Series on the Strata East label! The set has Jordan working with a larger group than usual – an all-star array of players that includes Kenny Dorham and Don Cherry on trumpets, Julian Priester on trombone, Wynton Kelly on piano, Wilbur Ware and Richard Davis on bass, and drums from Roy Haynes, Ed Blackwell, and Albert Heath. The titles are originals by Jordan – long numbers that flow out slowly as they build up new musical ideas – all in a style that's somewhat laidback and spacious, very organic, and a bit like some of the best early 70s Impulse material by Archie Shepp. Album features 4 long tracks – "872", "Vienna", "Doug's Prelude", and "Ouagoudougou". LP, Vinyl record album

A compelling chapter in the long and wonderful career of reedman Per Texas Johansson – a set that features a larger ensemble interpreting his ideas, and working with a really incredible combination of horns! The group perform three longer compositions under the direction of Johan Siberg, and there's an insane criss-crossing of instruments throughout – a variety of clarinets from Per, plus other reeds from Johan Horlen, Astrid Le Clercq, Fredrik Ljungkvist, Alberto Pinton, and Linus Lindblom – plus trumpets from Joakim Agnas, Emil Strandberg, and Karl Olandersson – and trombones from Mats Aleklint, Mats Agelid, and Lisa Bodelius! The horns really shape the sound here, but there are some other elements in the mix – vibes from Mattias Stahl, bass from Par Ola Landin, piano from Rasmus Borg, and drums from Konrad Agnas – but all elements that really step back at many points and let the woodwinds and brass direct the music. Titles include "Livet I Tre Delar", "Klarinet", and "Orosmoln". LP, Vinyl record album