The bands of Bobby Byrne and Kai Winding playing four tunes each in their own style – "Perdido", "That's A Plenty", "Get Happy", and "Hot & Cool Blues" – with Byrne playing with Yank Lawson, Arrtie Baker, Jack Lesberg, and more, and Winding with Howard McGhee, John Lewis, Percy Heath, and Kenny Clarke! LP, Vinyl record album

Musicians include 'Kid Shots' Madison, John Marrero, Abby Foster, Paul Barnes, Earl Pierson, Ricard Alexis, Guy Kelly and Narvin Kimball on Oscar Celestin's recordings. Sam Morgan's band features Jim Robinson, and Earl Fouche – 24 tracks in all! CD

Musicians include Steve Roberts on guitar, Bobby Schiff on piano, Art Davis on trumpet, and Joel Spencer on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic session from the early days of the Clarke-Boland Big Band! The record was cut in 1961, under the aegis of Gigi Campi – and it features a core group that would later grow into the much-respected CBBB unit during the MPS years – working here as a smaller combo on a rare date for Blue Note. Players include Jimmy Woode on bass, Derek Humble on alto, Karl Drewo on tenor, and the fantastic Dusko Goykovich on trumpet – all very unusual musicians to be working on a Blue Note date, and some of the best European soloists at the time. Tracks are shorter than on later albums by the ensemble – but no less filled with fire and imagination – and the solos are all totally wonderful! Titles include "Strange Me", "Basse Cuite", "Dorian 043", "La Campimania", and "High Notes". CD

A large group in a small club – the legendary Clarke Boland Big Band, playing at the home turf of one of their key members – tenorist Ronnie Scott! The set features a very legendary performance by the ensemble – a crack lineup that's easily one of the best ever sported by the CBBB – perfectly mixing American rhythms, and a trans-Atlantic lineup of soloists – all tied together with just the sort of rich arrangements that make the group so great! Things groove right from the get-go – thanks to a rhythm lineup that features Kenny Clarke on drums, and Francy Boland on piano – plus bassist Ron Matthewson, sitting in for the usual Jimmy Woode. The horn players really send things off, though – tight trumpets from Benny Bailey, Idrees Sulieman, and Dusko Goykovich; bold trombones from Ake Persson and Nat Peck; and some searing reed lines from Johnny Griffin and Ronnie Scott on tenor, Derek Humble on alto, Sahib Shihab on baritone, and Tony Coe on both tenor and clarinet. This CD features both the first and second sets at Scotts by the group – albums titled Volcano and Rue Chaptal – with titles that include "Volcano", "Griff's Groove", "Now Hear My Meanin", "Box 703 Washington DC", "Thence We Issued Out Again to See the Stars", "Rue Chaptal", "I Don't Want Nothin From Nobody & I Ain't Giving Nothin Away", "Sax No End", "Minor Blues", and "The Girl & The Turk". CD

One of the most striking albums ever recorded by the legendary Clarke-Boland Big Band – a suite of tracks composed by leader Francy Boland, swinging with a style that stands with the best MPS work of the time! Boland's clearly taking his cue from the sophisticated later work by Duke Ellington – but he's also inspired by the groovier soundtrack styles bubbling in Europe during the 60s, as well as the other incredible genre-blurring work on MPS at the time. The tracks are all nice and long, and swing with an exotic groove that keeps very much with the Fellini title – offering plenty of space for a range of great soloists that include Tony Coe, Sahib Shihab, Benny Bailey, and Idrees Sulieman. Brilliant throughout – an under-discovered jazz classic – with a suite of 3 movements that include "Rosati At Popolo Square", "Tween Dusk & Dawn In Via Urbana", and "Villa Radieuse". CD

A large group in a small club – the legendary Clarke Boland Big Band, playing at the home turf of one of their key members – tenorist Ronnie Scott! The set features a very legendary performance by the ensemble – a crack lineup that's easily one of the best ever sported by the CBBB – perfectly mixing American rhythms, and a trans-Atlantic lineup of soloists – all tied together with just the sort of rich arrangements that make the group so great! Things groove right from the get-go – thanks to a rhythm lineup that features Kenny Clarke on drums, and Francy Boland on piano – plus bassist Ron Matthewson, sitting in for the usual Jimmy Woode. The horn players really send things off, though – tight trumpets from Benny Bailey, Idrees Sulieman, and Dusko Goykovich; bold trombones from Ake Persson and Nat Peck; and some searing reed lines from Johnny Griffin and Ronnie Scott on tenor, Derek Humble on alto, Sahib Shihab on baritone, and Tony Coe on both tenor and clarinet. This album features the full "first set" at Scotts by the group – with titles that include "Volcano", "Griff's Groove", "Now Hear My Meanin", "Box 703 Washington DC", and "Thence We Issued Out Again to See the Stars". LP, Vinyl record album

A large group in a small club – the legendary Clarke Boland Big Band, playing at the home turf of one of their key members – tenorist Ronnie Scott! The set features a very legendary performance by the ensemble – a crack lineup that's easily one of the best ever sported by the CBBB – perfectly mixing American rhythms, and a trans-Atlantic lineup of soloists – all tied together with just the sort of rich arrangements that make the group so great! Things groove right from the get-go – thanks to a rhythm lineup that features Kenny Clarke on drums, and Francy Boland on piano – plus bassist Ron Matthewson, sitting in for the usual Jimmy Woode. The horn players really send things off, though – tight trumpets from Benny Bailey, Idrees Sulieman, and Dusko Goykovich; bold trombones from Ake Persson and Nat Peck; and some searing reed lines from Johnny Griffin and Ronnie Scott on tenor, Derek Humble on alto, Sahib Shihab on baritone, and Tony Coe on both tenor and clarinet. This album features the full "second set" at Scotts by the group – with titles that include "Rue Chaptal", "I Don't Want Nothin", "Sax No End", and "The Girl & The Turk". LP, Vinyl record album

Early work by Alice Coltrane – somewhat under the shadow of her late husband, as you'd guess from the use of his name on the front cover – but really stepping out here with a voice of her own! The Monastic Trio of the set features Alice on harp and piano – alongside bass from Jimmy Garrison and drums by either Ben Riley or Rashied Ali – both really fluid players who open up nicely in this way that's never to far out, at least in the way that John Coltrane was using rhythms at the time – but which allow Alice to really take the lead as a bold musical visionary of her own! Perhaps most exciting, Pharoah Sanders sits in on one of the album's longest tracks – blowing tenor with a force that's enough to bring back The Great One – but the real charm of the set is Alice's piano work, bubbling out here with a sensitivity that we never would have expected from the harder-edge sessions cut with Coltrane – that new level of spirituality she instantly brought to her own solo sessions. Titles include "Ohnedaruth", "Lovely Sky Boat", and "Atomic Peace". LP, Vinyl record album

Early work by Alice Coltrane – somewhat under the shadow of her late husband, as you'd guess from the use of his name on the front cover – but really stepping out here with a voice of her own! The Monastic Trio of the set features Alice on harp and piano – alongside bass from Jimmy Garrison and drums by either Ben Riley or Rashied Ali – both really fluid players who open up nicely in this way that's never to far out, at least in the way that John Coltrane was using rhythms at the time – but which allow Alice to really take the lead as a bold musical visionary of her own! Perhaps most exciting, Pharoah Sanders sits in on one of the album's longest tracks – blowing tenor with a force that's enough to bring back The Great One – but the real charm of the set is Alice's piano work, bubbling out here with a sensitivity that we never would have expected from the harder-edge sessions cut with Coltrane – that new level of spirituality she instantly brought to her own solo sessions. Titles include "Ohnedaruth", "Lovely Sky Boat", and "Atomic Peace". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite a different album than usual for John Coltrane, but a classic one too – and a set that has the great one exploring his ideas in a set of longer tracks recorded with an expanded jazz orchestra! The format's hardly the mainstream big band of the time – as Coltrane's filled the group with very hip players – including Booker Little, Freddie Hubbard, Julian Priester, and Eric Dolphy – in addition to usual compatriots who include McCoy Tyner, Reggie Workman, and Elvin Jones. The tunes have a soaring, modal sort of pulse – one that's filled with color and light from the addition of the other horn players, but which still has plenty of space for extended, exploratory solos. Coltrane plays both tenor and soprano sax – and titles include the legendary 16 minute track "Africa", a classic reading of "Greensleeves", redone here as a modal searching spiritual track, and "Blues Minor". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite a different album than usual for John Coltrane, but a classic one too – and a set that has the great one exploring his ideas in a set of longer tracks recorded with an expanded jazz orchestra! The format's hardly the mainstream big band of the time – as Coltrane's filled the group with very hip players – including Booker Little, Freddie Hubbard, Julian Priester, and Eric Dolphy – in addition to usual compatriots who include McCoy Tyner, Reggie Workman, and Elvin Jones. The tunes have a soaring, modal sort of pulse – one that's filled with color and light from the addition of the other horn players, but which still has plenty of space for extended, exploratory solos. Coltrane plays both tenor and soprano sax – and titles include the legendary 16 minute track "Africa", a classic reading of "Greensleeves", redone here as a modal searching spiritual track, and "Blues Minor". With Vol 2 the tracks feature Trane leading a group young modernists through a set of larger arranged charts, woven tightly together in a soulful spiritual groove that's similar to some of Max Roach's projects like this from the same time. Players include Booker Little, Eric Dolphy, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Reggie Workman, and Julius Watkins – and the album includes an alternate version of "Africa", plus "Greensleeves" and "Song Of The Underground Railroad". CD

Quite a different album than usual for John Coltrane, but a classic one too – and a set that has the great one exploring his ideas in a set of longer tracks recorded with an expanded jazz orchestra! The format's hardly the mainstream big band of the time – as Coltrane's filled the group with very hip players – including Booker Little, Freddie Hubbard, Julian Priester, and Eric Dolphy – in addition to usual compatriots who include McCoy Tyner, Reggie Workman, and Elvin Jones. The tunes have a soaring, modal sort of pulse – one that's filled with color and light from the addition of the other horn players, but which still has plenty of space for extended, exploratory solos. Coltrane plays both tenor and soprano sax – and titles include the legendary 16 minute track "Africa", a classic reading of "Greensleeves", redone here as a modal searching spiritual track, and "Blues Minor". CD

Music from Chick Corea, Blue Mitchell, Return To Forever, Circle, The Chick Corea Elektric Band, Chick Corea Akoustic Band, The Chick Corea Elektric Band II, Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea, Chick Corea and John McLaughlin, Gary Burton and Chick Corea, Bobby McFerrin and Chick Corea, Miles Davis, and the Chick Corea Quartet. CD

Highlights from a three week stand at the Blue Note in New York City – including collaborations with Bobby McFerrin, Gary Burton, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Roy Haynes and Miroslav Vitous, Michael Brecker, and Corea's own Akoustic Band. CD

Stellar early 70s work from John Dankwork – in a 2CD set! Full Circle is simply one of the greatest albums we've ever heard from the Brit maestro – a big band album as in earlier years, but one done with lots of hip 70s touches! The feel here is halfway between that of sound library grooving and some of the larger group 70s sessions on MPS – often funky at times, but with freshly modern solo work that breaks out from the larger ensemble nicely to accentuate the mood of the tunes. Players include Alan Branscombe on vibes, John Taylor on piano, Joe Moretti on guitar, and Kenny Wheeler on trumpet – and tunes include Mike Vickers' "Eleven Plus", Mike Gibbs' "A Family Joy" and "Triple Portrait", Keith Jarrett's "Grow Your Own", and Dankworth's "Academy One" and "Earthman". Also features a nice bass-y take on "You Are Too Beautiful". Lifeline is another great one – also reminding us of some of the larger MPS projects of the same time. The tracks have a bit of an electric glow in the basswork and production, but the main focus is on acoustic big band grooving – with breakout solos, and some tighter ensemble passages. Includes the sweet suite "Lifeline", which has a few funky moments – plus"Tomorrow's World", "WRVR", and "Fighting The Flab". Players include Don Rendell, Tony Hymas, Ken Gibson, and Dankworth himself. CD

A smoking twin-tenor session for MPS – one that reunites the mighty talents of Johnny Griffin and Eddie Lockjaw Davis! The album was done as an offshoot of both players' work for the Clarke Boland Big Band at the time – and the set was not only produced by CBBB impresario Gigi Campi, but also features a core rhythm trio from that ensemble – Francy Boland on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums! Tracks are nice and long, and have a sound that really shows the evolution of both players since their famous recordings of the early 60s – tones that are even more modern and edgey at points, served up with a fire that hasn't died at all – and set loose on rhythms that move past the usual grooves you might have expected from their American sessions together. Titles include "Tin Tin Deo", "Jim Dawg", "Gigi", "When We Were One", and "Again N Again". CD

A smoking twin-tenor session for MPS – one that reunites the mighty talents of Johnny Griffin and Eddie Lockjaw Davis! The album was done as an offshoot of both players' work for the Clarke Boland Big Band at the time – and the set was not only produced by CBBB impresario Gigi Campi, but also features a core rhythm trio from that ensemble – Francy Boland on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums! Tracks are nice and long, and have a sound that really shows the evolution of both players since their famous recordings of the early 60s – tones that are even more modern and edgey at points, served up with a fire that hasn't died at all – and set loose on rhythms that move past the usual grooves you might have expected from their American sessions together. Titles include "Tin Tin Deo", "Jim Dawg", "Gigi", "When We Were One", and "Again N Again". LP, Vinyl record album

A smoking twin-tenor session for MPS – one that reunites the mighty talents of Johnny Griffin and Eddie Lockjaw Davis! The album was done as an offshoot of both players' work for the Clarke Boland Big Band at the time – and the set was not only produced by CBBB impresario Gigi Campi, but also features a core rhythm trio from that ensemble – Francy Boland on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums! Tracks are nice and long, and have a sound that really shows the evolution of both players since their famous recordings of the early 60s – tones that are even more modern and edgey at points, served up with a fire that hasn't died at all – and set loose on rhythms that move past the usual grooves you might have expected from their American sessions together. Titles include "Tin Tin Deo", "Jim Dawg", "Gigi", "When We Were One", and "Again N Again". CD

A tight small combo set that celebrates that classic moment when tenorist Illinois Jacquet was part of the band of vibist Lionel Hampton – served up here by a quartet that features the great Danny Doriz on vibes and Michel Pastre on tenor – offering up a nicely lean take on the Hampton/Jacquet sound! The combo is rounded out by some great work from Cesar Pastre on Hammond organ and drums from Didier Dorise – keeping up the father/son theme of the record – on titles that include "The Chase", "Stolen Sweets", "Whirly Bird", "Robbin's Nest", "Bottoms Up", "Seven Come Elven", "Tempo's Birthday", "Nuages", and even a version of "Isn't She Lovely" taken in an old school mode. CD

A fantastic document of a very cool group – one that we're not sure recorded any albums at the time, but who played on Dutch radio, with a lineup that featured some of the hippest cats on the scene at the time! The vibe is a bit like the work of Ruud Bos or Boy's Big Band – a very modern take on large ensemble material – full of life, color, and inventive phrasing – carried off by key soloists who include Ferdinand Povel on tenor, Frans Elsen on piano, Piet Noordijk on alto, Eddie Engels on trumpet, Frans Elsen on guitar, and Herman Schoonderwalt on alto and clarinet! The work is superbly recorded, and the set resonates strongly with the hippest large group material on Saba/MPS at the end of the 60s – very different than the sound of such a group just a few years before, with original material throughout, penned by members of the ensemble. Titles include "Last Moment", "Bluesy Joe", "Hobby Music", "Our Time", "Perka", "Bright Moment", "The Challenger", and "Twenty Four & More". CD

Franz Von Klenck on alto sax, Helmut Rheinhardt on alto and baritone sax, Johnny Feigl on baritone sax, Werner Schulze on bass, Bobby Schmidt on drums, Mary Lou Williams and Werner Drexler on piano, Kurt "Bubi" Aderhold and Paul Martin on tenor sax, Helmut Hauck, Otto Bredl and Werner Betz on trombone, Heinz Herrmannsdorfer on lead trombone, Klaus Mitschele, Rolf Schneebiegl and Siegfried Achhammer on trumpet, Gottfried "Hanne" Wilfert on lead trumpet, and Caterina Valente on vocals. CD

A massive selection of songs from the same period as Ellington's album of the same name. With a whole bunch of his classic players, including Billy Strayhorn, Johnny Hodges, Ray Nance, Al Hibbler, Oscar Pettiford, and many more. Tracks include "Work Song", "Come Sundday", "The Blues", "Three Dancers", "I Ain't Got Nothin But The Blues", "I'm Beginning To See The Light", "I Didn't Know About You", "Mood To Be Woo'd", "Prelude To A Kiss", "Caravan", "Everything But You", "Mood Indigo", "Sophisticated Lady", "Solitude", "Black Beauty", "Balcony Serenade", "Tell Ya What I'm Gonna Do", "Come To Baby, Do!", "I'm Just A Lucky So-And-So", "Suddenly It Jumped", "A Gathering In A Clearing", "You Don't Love Me No More", "Back Home Again In Indiana", "Just You, Just Me", "Beale Street blues", "Transblucency", "My Honey's Lovin Arms", "Memphis Blues", "St Louis Blues", "Midriff", and "I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You". CD

On Golden Hair Gil Evans on piano and electric piano, Laurent Cugny on keyboards, Philippe Sellam on alto saxophone, Pierre-Olivier Govin on alto saxophone and flute, Denis Barbier on flute, alto flute and piccolo flute, Bernard Francois on French horn, Bobby Rangell on alto and soprano saxophone and flute, Andy Sheppard and Charles Schneider on tenor saxophone, Gilles Salommez on trombone, Christian Martinez, Francois Chassagnite, and Stephane Belmondo on trumpet, Didier Havet and Philippe Legris on tuba, Lionel Benhamou on guitar, Benoit De Mesmay on keyboards, Dominique Di Piazza on electric bass, Stephane Huchard on drums, and Stephane HuchardMarilyn Mazur and Xavier Desandre Navarre on percussion. CD

A fantastic rare album cut by Stan Getz in Europe! The session features Getz as the main soloist with the Clarke-Boland Big Band, and the overall sound is an incredible chapter in both the career of Getz and the CBBB. Given that most of the CBBB's soloists had a sharp angular sound, Getz's softer tenor approach is a real change for the group, and it's wonderful to hear the way that he floats around their driving arrangements – never getting lost in the mix, and instead adding whole new ranges of tones and color to their trademark sound. The set features 6 original compositions – including "Extravagances", "Escarmouches", "Provocations", and "Touchstone" – and it's packaged in a very nice fold-out cover! CD

A fantastic rare album cut by Stan Getz in Europe! The session features Getz as the main soloist with the Clarke-Boland Big Band, and the overall sound is an incredible chapter in both the career of Getz and the CBBB. Given that most of the CBBB's soloists had a sharp angular sound, Getz's softer tenor approach is a real change for the group, and it's wonderful to hear the way that he floats around their driving arrangements – never getting lost in the mix, and instead adding whole new ranges of tones and color to their trademark sound. The set features 6 original compositions – including "Extravagances", "Escarmouches", "Provocations", and "Touchstone". LP, Vinyl record album

Terry's vibes lead a group that fetaures Conte Candoli and Stu Williamson on trumpet, Bob Enevoldsen on trombone, Jack Schwartz on baritone, Bill Holman on tenor, and Joe Maini on alto! CD

A large group session – tracks include "Song Is You", "Dancing In The Dark", "Blue Lou", "Fat Man", and "My Reverie". CD

A previously-unreleased live date from the late 50s! Featuring Al Porcino and Conte Candoli on trumpet, Bob Enevoldsen and Joe Cadena on trombone, Jack Schwartz on baritone sax, Bill Perkins and Bill Holman on tenor sax, Joe Maini and Charlie Kennedy on alto sax, Pete Jolly and Lou Levy on piano, Max Bennett and Buddy Clark on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums. Tracks include "The Fuzz", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", "Sometimes I'm Happy", and "Moonlight In Vermont". CD

A live performance with Pete Jolly on piano, Conte Candoli on trumpet, Bill Perkins on tenor, Mel Lewis on drums, and others! CD

Unreleased work from the BBC Archives of the 70s – a stunning large group session with a very groovy vibe! Dave Gold isn't as much of a giant as some of the other British leaders of the time – but he's got a wonderful way with the group here, and makes the music move with some of the funky currents that he brought to his work for the KPM Sound Library – where you might know Dave from some key albums! Gold was also working as the leader of the jazzy group on a production of Jesus Christ Superstar – and he has the lineup here take off on a soaring funky version of that show's "Heaven On Their Minds" – a great cut that's worth the price of admission alone, served up with a mix of tenor and flute from Brian Ashe, baritone from Ronnie Ross, electric piano from Cliff Hall, and guitar from John Girvan – amidst a larger group of trumpets, trombones, and alto saxes. Other cuts include the gold originals "O'Connell Street" and "Nostalgia" – both groovy tracks with an MPS big band vibe – plus a version of the Jimmy Webb tune "Pocketful Of Keys". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Jerry Gonzalez on trumpet and congas, John Stubblefield on tenor, Joe Ford on alto and soprano sax, Larry Willis on piano, Andy Gonzalez on bass, and Steve Berrios on drums, bells and percussion. CD

Trumpeter Jerry Gonzalez cooks away nicely with his Fort Apache band – swinging in that hip mix of Latin and jazz that's always made the combo so great! This sweet set was recorded live, which gives the band lots of long, open-ended tunes on which to really open up and do their thing – rhythms cooked up beautifully by the trio of Larry Willis on piano, Andy Gonzalez on bass, and Steve Berrios on drums and percussion – topped with magnificent hork work from Jerry on trumpet, John Stubblefield on tenor, and Joe Ford on alto and soprano sax. The live setting gives the production a really classic no-nonsense feel – and titles include "Isabel The Liberator", "Today's Nights", "Elegua", "Ugly Beauty", and "Verdad Amarga". CD

An 80s classic from one of the hippest Latin jazz ensembles of its time – the wonderful Fort Apache band of trumpeter/percussionist Jerry Gonzalez! As with other albums from the group, the key strength here is Jerry's choice of compadres – a great lineup of jazzmen who understand both Latin rhythms and more open, expressive soloing – which really allows them to stretch way way past any sort of obvious cliches for their genre. Some of the tunes get quite modern at points – and players include John Stubblfield on tenor, Angel Papo Vasquez on trombone, Larry Willis on piano, Edgardo Miranda on guitar, and Steve Berrios, Nicky Marrero, and Milton Cardona on percussion. Titles include "Nefertiti", "Eighty One", "Siempre Junto A Ti", "Evidence", and "Jackie-ing". CD

Really wonderful work from trombonist Al Grey – sounding hipper here than at any other point in his career! One of the great reason for Al's sound here is the presence of tenorist Billy Mitchell – a partner with Al in the Basie band, and a great player who gives just about any session a deeply soulful finish. The rest of the group is equally nice too – with work by Dave Burns and Donald Byrd on trumpet, Floyd Morris and Herbie Hancock on piano, and Bobby Hutcherson on vibes. The use of vibes is especially striking for a set like this, and really gives the proceedings a different feel than you might think. Titles include "R.B.Q.", "Minor On Top", "African Lady", and "Hi Fly". CD

Really wonderful work from trombonist Al Grey – sounding hipper here than at any other point in his career! One of the great reason for Al's sound here is the presence of tenorist Billy Mitchell – a partner with Al in the Basie band, and a great player who gives just about any session a deeply soulful finish. The rest of the group is equally nice too – with work by Dave Burns and Donald Byrd on trumpet, Floyd Morris and Herbie Hancock on piano, and Bobby Hutcherson on vibes. The use of vibes is especially striking for a set like this, and really gives the proceedings a different feel than you might think. Titles include "R.B.Q.", "Minor On Top", "African Lady", and "Hi Fly". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet little album from Johnny – quite different than most of his other sessions at the time, as this one features a big band – a "Big Soul Band", as the title says – filled with some strong Chicago and soul jazz players, and featuring killer arrangements by the great Norman Simmons! Simmons' was just bubbling up at the time – and he had a sock soul jazz sound that was part of his time on the Chicago scene, and which, unfortunately, rarely achieved as strong of recorded expression as it did on this album. Griffin's a heck of a great player, even at this age, and the strength of his horn sits nicely in the front of a great ensemble that also includes Pat Patrick, Matthew Gee, Julian Priester, Frank Strozier, Bobby Timmons, Harold Mabern, Vic Sproles, and Charlie Persip. Titles include a number of Simmons originals – like "Meditation", "Panic Room Blues", and "Holla" – plus a great reading of Timmons' "So Tired", and traditionals like "Deep River", "Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen" and "Wade In The Water" and Junior Mance's "Jubilation". Inclues the bonus track "Wade In The Water (alternate take)". CD

One of the rarest Johnny Griffin albums ever – a set recorded as a side project when Griff was working with the Clarke Boland Big Band – in a lineup that features some of the best members from that great ensemble! The style's a bit more laidback and soulful than other CBBB projects – more in the mode of Johnny's roots in Chicago during the 50s, but still inflected with some of the sharper touches he picked up during his 60s years in Europe. Other players here are all wonderful – and include Benny Bailey on trumpet, Sahib Shihab on baritone sax, Ake Persson on trombone, Francy Boland on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and both Kenny Clarke and Kenny Clare on drums – seemingly playing together on some tracks, which creates a nicely skittish rhythm in the set! Titles include "The Turk's Bolero", "Deep Eight", "A Handful Of Soul", "Foot Patting", and "Lady Heavy Bottom's Waltz". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare European gem from Johnny Griffin – recorded in quartet formation with backing from the rhythm trio of the Clarke Boland Big Band! Johnny was working with the trio in the bigger group at the time, but he gets plenty of space to state his case here – stretching out on hard-bitten, almost-modern solos that are some of his most adventurous to date on record – supported strongly on the album's longish tracks by Francy Boland on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums! There's a quality to Griffin's tone that's incredible – urgent, edgey, but never too far out – completely in command of itself, and able to run free, but without wasting at note at all – unlike some of his over-stretched European solos of later years. The set features beautiful long readings of Boland's "Night Lady" and "Old Stuff", plus Griffin's "Scrabble", and versions of "Summertime", "All The Things You Are", and "Little Man You've Had A Busy Day". CD

Includes lots of Brunswick, Commodore, and Melrose big band material – plus a trio version of "The Man I Love" – just trumpet, piano, and drums – recorded for V-Disc. CD

One of Slide Hampton's first albums – and a massively hard-wailing set that will make any doubters sit up and take notice! The set really packs a punch – as Slide leads a hip group that features Freddie Hubbard, Richard Williams, Bernard McKinney, and George Coleman through some tightly woven arrangements that manage to swing with the grace of small combo work, yet wail with the intensity of a big band. Great solos pop out all over the set – and there's a soul jazz groove that makes the album sound like a classic Prestige session. Titles include "Asseveration", "Hi Fly", "Sister Salvation", and "A Little Night Music". CD

One of Slide Hampton's first albums – and a massively hard-wailing set that will make any doubters sit up and take notice! The set really packs a punch – as Slide leads a hip group that features Freddie Hubbard, Richard Williams, Bernard McKinney, and George Coleman through some tightly woven arrangements that manage to swing with the grace of small combo work, yet wail with the intensity of a big band. Great solos pop out all over the set – and there's a soul jazz groove that makes the album sound like a classic Prestige session. Titles include "Asseveration", "Hi Fly", "Sister Salvation", and "A Little Night Music". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent 1959 session that was Slides first as a leader, and which featured Freddie Hubbard, Booker Little, and George Coleman on horns – as well as Pete LaRoca on drums! The format is in that tightly-controlled early Hampton mode – not really big band, but a small combo take on the style – with wonderful breakout solos, and a real flair for soulful arranging that brings out the best in the group – even on the more straight ahead tunes! Titles include "Althea", "Jazz Corner", "Go East Young Man", and "Newport". LP, Vinyl record album

Though there are a number of different LPs using the VSOP title in a few different ways, this was the first, a double album recorded live at the Newport Jazz Festival, featuring Herbie leading groups that represented a number of different points in his career. The first lineup later recorded under the name VSOP, and was a re-grouping of the classic Miles quintet, with Freddie Hubbard in Miles' place, in fine form here, the group playing nice expansive lines as they stretch out. They take on "Maiden Voyage" and "Nefertiti" and really stretch out on "Eye Of The Hurricane". Sides 3 and 4 are the real treat, with Herbie's early electric band that had recorded the spacey Warner's LPs playing "Toys" and "You'll Know When You Get There", and then the funk band that was contemporanious with the release of the LP, featuring Headhunters Paul Jackson & Bennie Maupin, and some heavy wah wah funk from Wah Wah Watson, on "Hang Up Your Hang Ups" & "Spider". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unusual moment from the young tenor Tubby Hayes – a live date recorded at the familiar Flamingo nightclub, a spot Tubby played often in London – but featuring a group who appear here on record in contrast to some of the smaller combo work that Hayes was recording in the studio! The lineup is large – not a big band, but not a quartet either – and Tubby turns out to be a master as a leader, working together different contributions from players who include Ronnie Scott, Terry Shannon, Jeff Clyne, Stuart Hamer, and Alan Branscombe – coming together in sharp ensemble formation, but breaking out into great individual solos too. The material shows the sharply modern voice that Hayes would soon bring to British jazz on his 60s recordings for Fontana – on titles that include "But Not For Me", "Ow", "Treble Gold", "Sonny Sounds", "Tour De Force", "Design For Drums", and "Lifeline". CD

A beautiful set of solos, finely crafted by Hemphill with a great deal of soul and emotion. Hemphill put together the whole album himself, and he claims that it is "dimensional solo music postured from the expressive blues idiom". Sounds about right to us, and album's one of our favorites by him from the time. Titles include "Hotend", "Countryside", "OK Rubberband", "Dirty Row", and "Antecedent". 2CDs strong. CD

Features Jon Faddis, Lew Soloff, Freddie Hubbard, and Nicholas Payton on trumpets – plus Chick Corea on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Al Foster, Joe Chambers and Lewis Nash on drums. CD

Notable sidemen include Shorty Rogers, Stan Getz, and Terry Gibbs – plus vocals by Marry Anne McCall. CD

A real standout in the early career of trumpeter Freddie Hubbard – a very unique session that has him working with some larger arrangements in the background – blowing these magical solos over the top, while still hitting a great edge with the rest of the musicians as well! There's a sound here that's unlike anything else we can think of – including other big band trumpet dates of the time – partly because the set features a fair bit of arrangements by Wayne Shorter – a very rare side of his talents, but one that's equally as soulful as his sublime small group albums of the time. The record has an undeniable depth right from the start – magical, mystical, and very soulful – with a group that includes Eric Dolphy and Wayne Shorter on saxes, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Cedar Walton on piano, and Reggie Workman on bass. Tracks include "Chocolate Shake", "Thermo", "Clarence's Place", and "Aries". CD

A real standout in the early career of trumpeter Freddie Hubbard – a very unique session that has him working with some larger arrangements in the background – blowing these magical solos over the top, while still hitting a great edge with the rest of the musicians as well! There's a sound here that's unlike anything else we can think of – including other big band trumpet dates of the time – partly because the set features a fair bit of arrangements by Wayne Shorter – a very rare side of his talents, but one that's equally as soulful as his sublime small group albums of the time. The record has an undeniable depth right from the start – magical, mystical, and very soulful – with a group that includes Eric Dolphy and Wayne Shorter on saxes, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Cedar Walton on piano, and Reggie Workman on bass. Tracks include "Chocolate Shake", "Thermo", "Clarence's Place", and "Aries". CD

A real standout in the early career of trumpeter Freddie Hubbard – a very unique session that has him working with some larger arrangements in the background – blowing these magical solos over the top, while still hitting a great edge with the rest of the musicians as well! There's a sound here that's unlike anything else we can think of – including other big band trumpet dates of the time – partly because the set features a fair bit of arrangements by Wayne Shorter – a very rare side of his talents, but one that's equally as soulful as his sublime small group albums of the time. The record has an undeniable depth right from the start – magical, mystical, and very soulful – with a group that includes Eric Dolphy and Wayne Shorter on saxes, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Cedar Walton on piano, and Reggie Workman on bass. Tracks include "Chocolate Shake", "Thermo", "Clarence's Place", and "Aries". LP, Vinyl record album

With his sextet from 1947 with Conte Candoli on trumpet, Emmett Carls on tenor, Tony Aless on piano, Billy Bauer on guitar, and Mel Zelnick on drums; and with big band in 1950 with Howard McGhee, Al Porcino, and Don Ferrara on trumpet; JJ Johnson and Kai Winding on tronbone; Zoot Sims and Georgie Auld on tenor; Charlie Kennedy on alto; Gerry Mulligan on baritone; Tony Aless on piano; and Don Lamond on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Notable sidemen include Arnett Cobb, Frank Rosolino, and Nat Adderley. CD

With Butch Miles on drums, Freddie Green on guitar, John Clayton on bass; Danny Turner, Bobby Plater, Eric Dixon, Charlie Fowlkes, and Kenny Hing on saxophone; Wayman Reed, Lyn Biviano, Sonny Cohn, and Pete Minger on trumpets; and Bill Hughes, Mel Wanzo, Fred Wesley, and Dennis Wilson on trombones. Titles include "9:20 Special", "Sunny Side Of The Street", "Lena & Lenny", "Easy Does It", "Every Tub", and "Blues For Me". LP, Vinyl record album

An all-tenor set from Bobby Jaspar – material recorded in Paris in 1953 and 1954, played with a variety of different groups! Jaspar's tenor has a really great sound here – kind of a Lester Young rasp that marks him as a very Getz-like musician at this point – but with a slightly more upbeat edge as well – working nicely alongside players who include Jimmy Gourley on guitar, Fats Sadi on vibes, Roger Guerin on trumpet, Henri Renaud on piano, and Nat Peck on trombone. Titles include "Black Horse", "Kaba Soutra", "Strike Up The Band", "Up In Quincy's Room", "Capri", "Early Wake", "Jeux De Quartes", "Schabooz", and "Struttin With Some Barbecue". LP, Vinyl record album

Call it a love of dancers or just plain Quincy Jones groove – this album's filled with tight tracks that are a perfect showcase for the ways in which Quincy had such a huge influence on jazz in the 60s! The tunes are often old standards, but done here in a style that's nicely syncopated – taking on that Jones love of space and sound, and working it through some big band tracks at a level that creates grooves that are a lot hipper than you'd hear on albums like this from most of his contemporaries! Players are all top-notch – and include Benny Bailey and Freddie Hubbard on trumpets, Melba Liston and Curtis Fuller on trombones, Jerome Richardson and Oliver Nelson on tenor, Sahib Shihab on baritone sax, Patti Brown on piano, and Les Spann on guitar and flute. Heck, even liner notes from Dorothy Kilgallen can't keep this one from being nice – and titles include "Chinese Checkers", "Tone Poem", "G'Wan Train", "Pleasingly Plump", and "A Sunday Kind Of Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A very soulful set of big band material from Quincy Jones – recorded during that tight early 60s period when his arrangements just couldn't fail! The album's his only session for Impulse, and it's got a slightly deeper style than his work from the time for Mercury – a bit more sophisticated, with nice modern touches that take the tunes in surprising directions. Part of the greatness of the set lies in the players – as the album features work by Curtis Fuller, Thad Jones, Stu Martin, Freddie Hubbard, Patty Brown, Phil Woods, and Jerome Richardson – and titles include "Robot Portrait", "Hard Sock Dance", "The Twitch", and "For Lena & Lennie". CD

A very soulful set of big band material from Quincy Jones – recorded during that tight early 60s period when his arrangements just couldn't fail! The album's his only session for Impulse, and it's got a slightly deeper style than his work from the time for Mercury – a bit more sophisticated, with nice modern touches that take the tunes in surprising directions. Part of the greatness of the set lies in the players – as the album features work by Curtis Fuller, Thad Jones, Stu Martin, Freddie Hubbard, Patty Brown, Phil Woods, and Jerome Richardson – and titles include "Robot Portrait", "Hard Sock Dance", "The Twitch", and "For Lena & Lennie". LP, Vinyl record album

The birth of genius – 2 key mid 60s albums from swinging Brit jazzer Johnny Keating – both of which showcase his tightly rhythmic "Keating Sound" approach! Keating had originally worked as an arranger in the 50s group of Ted Heath, but after stepping out on his own in the 60s, he came up with a really fresh approach to big band grooving – one that was highly syncopated, in a choppier style of rhythm than many other groups were using at the time, and which was very much in the snapping mode of the best 60s pop work of the time. This new sound meant that Keating could take just about any tune and swing it on its ear – cutting up the basic structure of the song, and rebuilding it in sharper, tighter blocks of sound. The result is a style that's quite different from the usual big band groove – one that makes for some extremely playful instrumentation, but which manages to still keep moving strongly ahead without resorting to too many tricks or gimmicks. For both albums, Keating's working with some great British talents that include Shake Keane on trumpet, Tubby Hayes on saxes, David Snell on harp, and Jim Sullivan on guitar. The CD features a total of 24 tracks that are a wonderful introduction to the Keating Sound of the 60s – with titles that inlcude "Paris", "Brave New World", "Serenata", "Speak Low", "Listen", "The Preacher", "Hey Girl", "Bee Bom", "My Kind Of Girl", and "The Chihuahua". CD

We love this Jazz Liisa series from Finland – as it features unreleased work from the 70s, but which matches the quality of some of our favorite German and Japanese jazz records of the time! The first half of the set was recorded for Finnish radio, and features a group that really shows the power of that scene at the time! The lineup features trumpeter Mike Koskinen at the helm – blowing in a much more outside way than some of his later studio albums, with a cascading array of tones and soundshapes that recall some of the hipper British work of the end of the 60s – such as records like Mike Westbrook or Michael Gibbs – both of whom would be good comparisons here, especially in the tension between the idea of the group, and the strong solos of the individual members. Other players include Juhani Aaltonen on tenor and flute, Mircea Stan on trombone, Kaj Backlund on trumpet, Pekka Poyry on flute and soprano sax, Olli Ahvenlahti on piano and Fender Rhodes, and Edward Vesala on drums – and titles include "PS DC", "Murusia 2", "Numero Puolitoista", "Song For Sally", and "Peretelmia". On the second half, Otto Dorner's just the conductor on the set – but it's also clear that he's a very musically-minded fellow, as the action he gets from the group on the session is really wonderful! The players are all sharp-edged instrumentalists who represent the cream of the Finnish jazz scene of the time – Juhani Aaltonen on tenor and flute, Markku Johansson on trumpet, Seppo Paakkunainen on baritone, and Christer Boustedt on alto – all musicians who really bring a lot of their individual voices to the performance, and are given great space to solo by Donner – in a way that reminds us of some of the more open-ended bigger band performances from the MPS Records releases of the early 70s. Titles include "Och Tusen Tusen Strala Ock", "For Her", and "Saxballad". CD

A wonderful batch of Latin Jazz grooves – played by a group who more than deserved the right to call themselves the Latin Jazz Quintet! The core sound features vibes and piano jamming away nicely, really hitting some great modal rhythms – but this album's also got an added bonus in the presence of alto player Bobby Capers, an old bandmate of Mongo Santamaria, and a real killer of a player on a hard Latin groove! Capers really makes this album shine – cutting in some hard-edged sax solos amidst the warmer pulse of the vibes and piano – and titles include some hard grooving classics like "Rip a Dip", "Dilly Dali", "Blues Waltz", "Milestones", "Red Top", and "Sunday Go Meetin'". (Latin, Jazz) CD

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

Raw early blues material – with Bobby Leecan on guitar and Robert Cooksey on vocals – including tracks with the Dixie Jazzers Washboard Band! (Blues, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent solo set as a leader from drummer Mel Lewis – one that reminds us that he can still cook very strongly away from his big band with trumpeter Thad Jones! The set has Lewis in different groupings with an excellent set of the friends mentioned in the title – a top-shelf lineup that includes Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Michael Brecker on tenor, Gregory Herbert on alto, Hank Jones on piano, and Ron Carter on bass – working their way through a mix of different material that really takes on some great new energy in Lewis' hands – that mix of swing and complexity he forged in the group with Jones, but maybe even more compelling here in a smaller combo format. Titles include "Windflower", "De Samba", "Ain't Nothin Nu", "A Child Is Born", and "Sho Nuff Did". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic pairing of the vocals of Abbey Lincoln and the tenor sax of Stan Getz – one that's captured here for the very first time on record, at a point that's just a few months shy of Stan's too-early death! Both players had really grown a lot during the 80s – and the match here is wonderful – the maturing tones of Stan's tenor, and Abbey's way of doing more with less than ever before – a special sort of magic that works equally well on familiar and unfamiliar tunes! The rest of the group here is equally great – Hank Jones on piano, Charlie Haden on bass, Mark Johnson on drums, and Maxine Roach guesting on viola on two tracks too. Arrangements are by Abbey – and titles include "When I'm Called Home", "And How I Hoped For Your Love", "Time For Love", "Summer Wishes Winter Dreams", "You Made Me Funny", and "Bird Alone". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

One of percussionist Ralph MacDonald's best albums of the late 70s – and one of the few on his own, given how many other records he played on! The set's a complicated mix of jazz, soul, and a variety of rootsier elements – and MacDonald shows a lot of sides of his personality here – stretching out in the ambitious "The Path" suite, which takes up all of side one, then hitting some more laidback jazz funk on the shorter tracks on side two. "The Path" traces a wide development of percussion – from African styled drumming on the intro, to some tighter clubbier jazz funk by the Bamboo Steel Band on later passages. Side two features a great percussive jammer called "It Feels So Good" – done with almost a Latin Jazz feel, and some sweet electric piano – plus the tracks "Smoke Rings & Wine", "I Cross My Heart", and "If I'm Still Around Tomorrow". (Soul, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant early work from Charlie Mariano – key proof of his genius, and one of the main albums we'd recommend by him! The album has Charlie coming of his years in the Boston scene – boppish at some level, but blowing with a raspy soulfulness that really opens up his horn into new territory – not Charlie Parker, not Lee Konitz, but a whole new space and sound of expression for the alto sax! There's a deftness here that's undeniable – but the album also has a sense of soul and personality that goes way deeper than simply sharp soloing – a quality that easily puts Charlie up there next to Lou Donaldson and Sonny Stitt in the 50s! The CD features work from dates recorded in Hollywood in 1953 and 1955 – all for Bethlehem (under the titles Charlie Mariano Plays and Sapphire, by Stu Williamson) – with 5 tracks that feature a core group with Stu Williamson on trumpet, Claude Williamson on piano, Frank Rosolino on trombone, Max Bennett on bass, and Stan Levey on drums – then 13 more that drop out either Rosolino or Stu for quintet formation. Titles include "Green Walls", "Chloe", "S'Nice", "You Go To My Head", "Slugger", "Just Max", "TK", "Rubberneck", "Jeepers Creepers", and "Strike Up The Band". CD

A great smooth soul session from Carmen McRae – an album that's not nearly as well known as her American sides of the 70s, but which is possibly even better overall! The record features a great batch of smooth soul arrangements by Mario Sprouse – a blend of jazz and contemporary soul modes that's almost in the same space as Marlena Shaw – and the band backing up Carmen is filled with superstar players who include Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Hubert Laws on flute, and Grover Washington on sax. The whole thing's got that well-crafted feel you'd expect from a Japanese session at the time – and it includes many nice moments, like a cover of "Mister Magic" with some nice breaks – plus "New York State Of Mind", "Sweet Alibis", "Come In From The Rain", "This Masquerade", and "I'd Rather Leave While I'm In Love". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A great smooth soul session from Carmen McRae – an album that's not nearly as well known as her American sides of the 70s, but which is possibly even better overall! The record features a great batch of smooth soul arrangements by Mario Sprouse – a blend of jazz and contemporary soul modes that's almost in the same space as Marlena Shaw – and the band backing up Carmen is filled with superstar players who include Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Hubert Laws on flute, and Grover Washington on sax. The whole thing's got that well-crafted feel you'd expect from a Japanese session at the time – and it includes many nice moments, like a cover of "Mister Magic" with some nice breaks – plus "New York State Of Mind", "Sweet Alibis", "Come In From The Rain", "This Masquerade", and "I'd Rather Leave While I'm In Love". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A double-length set of work from this classic ensemble – served up here in a great Robert Crumb cover image too! The set's one of the richest collections done by Yazoo during their crucial reissue period – and features late 20s material from the group that often (but not always) featured jug work in the rhythm, plus bluesy vocals from Will Shade, Minnie Wallace, Charlie Nickerson, Hattie Hart, and others – as well as guitar, harmonica, and kazoo. The lineup changes from track to track, documented well in the notes – and titles include "Memphis Yo Yo Blues", "Gator Wobble", "I'll See You In The Spring When The Birds Begin To Sing", "Insane Crazy Blues", "On The Road Again", and "Fourth Street Mess Around". (Blues, Jazz) CD

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

A nice early 70s session from Charles Mingus – and in interesting one, to boot – finding the legendary bassist in Japan leading his own group and Toshiyuki Miyama and his New Herd Orchestra! Mingus's American players included Bobbie Jones on tenor and clarinet, Eddie Preston on trumpet. The New Herd featured Masahiko Sato on a prominent piano, and Shigeo Suzuki on alto. Jaki Byard arranged. The epic side "The Man Who Never Sleeps" runs over 16 minutes, and finds group in a restrained combo groove, a very subtle and wonderful tune. The remaining numbers "OP" and "Portrait" are done in a more straight-forward big band mode, but still with a relaxed feel. CD

Features Randy Brecker, Bobby Watson, Conrad Herwig, John Hicks, and others. Tracks include "It Was A Lonely Day In Selma, Alabama", "Haitian Fight Song", "Don't Let It Happen Here", and "Meditations For A Pair Of Wire-Cutters". CD

Monk doing his thing at the '64 Monterey Jazz Festival – backed by his core group of Charlie Rouse on tenor, Steve Swallow on bass and Ben Riley on drums – plus additional backing by the Monterey Workshop crew on a couple – a recording released now for the first time ever! Monk's playing here with space and nuance, but still kicks up the energy in spots – incorporating the accompanying players on the closing 2 tracks – which included Buddy Collette on sax & flute, Lou Blackburn on trombone, Jack Nimitz on baritone, and Bobby Bryant & Melvin more on trumpets. The takes all run north of 8 minutes, and titles include "Blue Monk", "Evidence", "Bright Mississippi", "Rhythm-A-Ning", plus "Think Of One" and the immortal "Straight No Chaser" – fleshed out with the bigger band! CD

5 albums from Lee Morgan – one of the coolest cats to ever handle a trumpet for Blue Note! First up is Delightfulee – really unique album from the great Lee Morgan – a set that features the trumpeter in two different settings, but in a way that really works well together! Most of the album has Lee blowing in a very cool quintet – with Joe Henderson on tenor, McCoy Tyner on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – a group who maybe bring out a slightly hipper vibe that really points the way to the rest of Morgan's direction in the late 60s, when he was really letting some more spiritual currents loose. The other two tracks on the record feature a hip larger band directed by Oliver Nelson – swinging hard in a really soulful style! Nelson's arrangements on these two tracks are great – quite progressive, with a soul jazz big band style that seems to point the way towards the 70s – and the band provides a raging backdrop that lets Lee's trumpet soar over the top in beautiful crystal clear solos. Titles include "Nite Flite", "Delightful Deggie", "Ca-Lee-So", and "Zambia". Also features a few bonus tracks. The Cooker is a very appropriate title for a very cooking little album – one of Lee Morgan's first efforts as a leader, cut back during his first years of late 50s fame! The style here is a bit less Morgan-esque than some of Lee's later 60s classics – but the record is rock-solid throughout, and proof that Morgan was every bit as great a leader in a hardbop session as Hank Mobley or some of the other emerging heavyweights at Blue Note! The strength of the group really helps keep the fire stoked on the set – and Bobby Timmons turns in some amazing piano work alongside a lineup that includes Pepper Adams on baritone sax, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. The Adams presence gives the record a bit of the feel of some of Pepper's sessions with Donald Byrd – but the sparkling, soaring sound of Morgan makes the record way more than just a copycat set. Titles include "New-Ma", "Night In Tunisia", "Lover Man", "Just One Of Those Things", and "Heavy Dipper". Lee Way is an undisputed masterpiece by Lee Morgan – and one of the first records in which he shed his straight bop sensibility, and began evolving into a soulful genius for the 60s! The album's got 4 long tracks that all build beautifully – really extended numbers that break the format of some of Lee's earlier work, and hint a bit at some of the more complicated touches he'd use on later sessions. All players are great – and include fellow Jazz Messengers Bobby Timmons on piano and Art Blakey on drums, plus Jackie McLean on alto and Paul Chambers on bass. Titles include the sublime "These Are Soulful Days" – a perfect model of soulful lyricism – plus "Midtown Blues", "Nakatini Suite", and "The Lion & The Wolff". Rumproller often gets too easily lumped next to The Sidewinder – because of an obvious title and cover similarity to that hit record – but like that one, the album's far more than jazz cliche – and shows Lee Morgan to be one of the greatest jazz musicians of the 60s. The set starts off with the title cut, "The Rumproller" – hard-wailing soul bop, in the manner of Lee's most popular work – but then it easily flows into more sensitive material that has a freer, lyrical feel – like the great original tune "Eclipso" and Wayne Shorter's "Edda" – both of which are superb. Lee is astounding, as always, on trumpet – and the rest of the group includes the great Ronnie Matthews on piano, plus Joe Henderson, Victor Sproles, and Billy Higgins. Search For The New Land is a brilliant album that proves that even at the height of his success, Lee Morgan was one of the freest thinkers on Blue Note – always coming up with fresh ideas that continued to grow his talents! The first cut on the album is keen poof of that fact – the title track "Search For The New Land" – a beautiful 16 minute exploration of modal jazz themes, with an unusual stop/start device as a means of ushering solos by different bandmates – including Wayne Shorter on tenor, Grant Green on guitar, and Herbie Hancock on piano! The approach is unlike anything that Morgan ever did before – and unlike most of other Blue Note as well – and it also benefits from great rhythmic help from Reggie Workman on bass and Billy Higgins on drums. Other tunes are a bit more conventional, but still pretty special – like some of Morgan's inventive work on the Rajah albums – with titles that include "The Joker", "Melancholee", "Mr. Kenyatta" and "Morgan The Pirate". CD

Great large group material from Gerry Mulligan – and a record that definitely defines the sound of his famous Concert Jazz Band of the early 60s! The group features a four part sax section – headed by Mulligan, with other players that include Zoot Sims on tenor, Gene Allen on baritone, Gene Quill on alto, and Dick Meldonian on alto – and the set also features work by Nick Travis and Conte Candoli on trumpets, and Bob Brookmeyer on valve trombone and trombone – shading in some nice colors to the group's tone-heavy approach! Titles include "Out Of This World", "Sweet & Slow", "Bweebida Bobbida", and "Manoir Des Mes Reves". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare work from a very unique chapter in the career of baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan – his larger Concert Jazz Band – an ensemble that really helped flesh out some of the ideas he'd explored previously with smaller combos! The group recorded a few albums for Verve in the early 60s, but this 3CD package presents never-heard performances recorded in Paris during the same time – very fitting, given that the "concert" in the group's name was a reference to their ability to improvise amidst structure – of which you'll hear plenty here, with a lineup that includes Zoot Sims on tenor and Bob Brookmeyer on valve trombone. The tracks are very well-recorded, and many are quite long – with titles that include "Blueport", "Utter Chaos", "Spring Is Sprung", "Five Brothers", "Black Nightgown", "Eighteen Carrots For Rabbit", "Out Of This World", "I'm Gonna Go Fishin", "Apple Core", and "Barbara's Theme". CD

David Murray on tenor saxophone and bass clarinet, Patience Higgins on tenor and soprano saxophone, John Purcell on alto saxophone, James Spaulding on alto saxophone and flute, Don Byron on baritone saxophone and clarinet, Graham Haynes on cornet, Kahlil Henry on flute, Vincent Chancey on French horn, Al Patterson, Craig Harris, and Frank Lacy on trombone, Hugh Ragin, James Zollar, and Rasul Siddik on trumpet, Sonelious Smith on piano, Fred Hopkins on bass, and Tani Tabbal on drums, with Larry McDonald on percussion. CD

Dang! Does David Murray ever stop re-inventing himself? We think not – and this album is great proof of that fact! The set's a really tasty batch of Latin Jazz numbers – played to perfection by Murray and a host of excellent New York musicians, working together in large group format with a sound and style that's at the peak of perfection for this sort of recording. Murray wrote all the tunes, so the album goes way past the cliches of Latin-ized standards that you're probably sick of hearing anyway – and it's steeped in a soulful approach to the genre that really grabbed our ears from the first note! Titles include "Giovanni's Mission", "Sad Kind Of Love", "Mambo Dominica", "Break Out", and "Aerol's Change". CD