A totally fantastic live set from Japanese drummer Yoichi Kobayashi – a musician who's played on the scene for decades, and who has a way of bringing forward all the strengths of those years to his music! The set features appearances from American all-stars, but more on them later – as the core group is great enough to win us over on the first half of the set, with an updated take on a Blue Note-styled groove, but with inventive rhythms that really open things up too – as the drummer works with Yutarao Suzuki on trumpet, Tomonori Sakurai on tenor, Heitetsu Rin on piano, and Koji Yasuda on bass – plus koto from Makiko Goda, who echoes some older jazz Japan styles in a great way. The second half of the set also brings in Eric Alexander on tenor and Vincent Herring on alto – both players who are as strongly soulful as you might expect – on titles that include "Uncle Eddie", "Akita Rap", "Yama", "Eddie Harris", "Peace", "The Gypsy", "Encounter", and "Safari". CD

Primo work by one of the greatest Brit jazz groups of the 50s – the legendary Jazz Couriers, and their smoking frontline of Tubby Hayes and Ronnie Scott on tenor sax! The pair have a way of coming together that's simply beautiful – not the kind of "battle" you might have gotten from American tenorists a few years before – and instead, a way of collaborating on long-spun, beautifully-blown tracks that really expand under the two voices of the tenors – in ways that other hardbop groups might with just a sax and trumpet. Part of the group's success is their great rhythm section too – Terry Shannon on piano, Jeff Clyne on bass, and Billy Eyden on drums – a trio who really kick things into gear wonderfully on this previously-unissued live date! The material was recorded at a restaurant gig – nice and intimate, but with very good sound – so much so that the record is very much on a par with the group's famous studio sides of the time. Tubby Hayes also plays a bit of vibes on the record – and titles include "For All We Know", "Embers", "Tippin", and "Cherokee/The Theme". CD

Never-heard music from one of the hippest groups ever led by flute man Herbie Mann – a killer lineup that includes Roy Ayers on vibes, Sonny Sharrock on guitar, and Steve Marcus on tenor! The tracks here are all previously unreleased – pulled from the same recordings that gave the world the Live At The Whiskey A Go Go album, but much more far-reaching overall – in a way that not only shows the full range of sounds the group could produce, but which also really brings out some individual moments of genius from each player! Roy's vibes are wonderful – with some very bold chromes, but his usual sense of warmth, too – which can make for a striking comparison with the edges in Sharrock's guitar and the soulfulness of Marcus' tenor. Linda Sharrock sings a bit on the record, but most of the album features long, extended jams from a group that also includes Miroslav Vitous on bass and Bruno Carr on drums – on titles that include "Untitled Jam", "Black Woman", "All Blues", "Portait Of Linda In Three Colors All Black", "Chain Of Fools", "Tangier/If I Were A Carpenter", "Scarborough Fair", "Philly Dog", and "Comin Home Baby/Battle Hymn Of The Republic". CD

Sweet funky blues from the team of Junior Parker and Jimmy McGriff – coming together here in a way that's even groovier than some of their previous work! Junior's got a sweet approach to the lyrics that grooves nicely with Jimmy's Hammond – and the set's got some full and soulful arrangements by Horace Ott that really tighten things up nicely – getting past any of the blues cliches that might ruin things, and instead going for that lean groove that McGriff was really hitting at the end of the 60s! There's more of a soul vibe than a blues one going on most of the time – and titles include "Workin", "Inner Light", "Losing Battle", "Drownin On Dry Land", and "It Ain't What'cha Got". CD

Three albums from reedman Arthur Blythe – served up in one nicely-priced set! Retroflection is a great showcase for the alto talents of Arthur Blythe – a set that's maybe a bit more stripped-down than some of his bigger label albums of the 80s, but in a way that really lets you focus on his strength of tone and phrasing! The group's a quartet, working in an open live setting – John Hicks on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Bobby Battle on drums – and while all players certainly know how to go inside, they keep things swinging and relatively straight at the core – while Blythe waxes beautifully on the alto, with these sharp edges that mix nicely with more lyrical moments. Titles include "Jana's Delight", "JB Blues", "Lenox Avenue Breakdown", "Faceless Woman", and "Peacemaker". Calling Card is a great little record from Arthur Blythe – mostly straight ahead, but pretty darn freewheeling too – thanks to a selection of long tracks that really let him open up on alto sax! The setting is a quartet – nicely put-together with John Hicks on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Bobby Battle on drums – a rhythm trio who do equally well on the album's spiritual tracks and its more soulful groovers. The performance was recorded live, but with a nice degree of intimacy, especially on Blythe's horn – and titles include "Hip Dripper", "Naima's Love Song", "As Of Yet", "Blue Blues", "Break Tune", and "Elaborations". On Hipmotism, there's a really hypnotic blend of sounds – the always-strong alto work of Arthur Blythe, whose solos are a key part of the strength of the set – matched with a super-strong lineup that includes Hamiet Bluiett on baritone sax, Kelvin Bell on guitar, Gust William Tsilis on vibes, Arto Tuncboyaci on percussion, and Famoudou Don Moye on drums! There's a slight crackle of electricity at times, but never in a way that dampens the soul, especially that of a leader – and while earlier efforts of this sort might have gotten mired in too much criss-crossing of modes, this set comes off perfectly – a fresh entry in Blythe's wonderfully storied career. Titles include "Miss Eugie", "Hipmotism", "My Son Ra", "Bush Baby", "Dear Dessa", "Cousin Sidney", "Shadows", and "Dance Benita Dance". CD

Four great albums from reedman Arthur Blythe – all together in one collection! First up is Lenox Avenue Breakdown – a stunning Columbia Records debut from Blythe! At the time of the date, Blythe had already spent years working in the jazz undergrounds on both coasts – developing a searing sound on alto sax that's perfect for the focused structure of this album – almost a tone poem of sorts, offering up a portrait of the Harlem scene that was a key part of Arthur's life at the time. The sounds are sharp, but also have a sense of energy that really holds them together – guiding the players through long readings of well-penned tunes by Blythe that are filled with loads of energy and life! Players include James Newton on flute, James Blood Ulmer on guitar, Bob Stewart on tuba, Cecil McBee on bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums, and Guillermo Franco on percussion – and titles include "Odessa", "Slidin Through", "Down San Diego Way", and "Lenox Avenue Breakdown". In The Tradition is a gem – as the set represents the modern musician taking on a host of older jazz currents, while carving things out with his own special sort of soul! Half the tunes are familiar favorites, the other half originals – and Blythe moves far past his avant roots, to showcase his deep understanding of so many different shades of jazz – blowing alto beautifully throughout, in a very hip quartet that features Stanley Cowell on piano, Fred Hopkins on bass, and Steve McCall on drums! Titles include great takes on "Naima", "Jitterbug Waltz", "Caravan", and "In A Sentimental Mood" – plus the originals "Break Tune" and "Hip Dipper". Illusions is maybe the boldest of Arthur Blythe's albums for Columbia Records – as the set bristles with newly creative energy right from the start, and provides a great showcase for some of the criss-crossings of styles and rhythms that were taking place on the New York scene at the time! The lineup alone announces something special – a cool combination of James Blood Ulmer on guitar, John Hicks on piano, Fred Hopkins on bass, Abdul Wadud on cello, Bob Stewart on tuba, and Steve McCall on drums – working together in some slight variations at times, often with these angular edges that are perfectly sharpened by Arthur's amazing work on alto sax. The music's never too free, but quite outside for a major label at the time – balanced out so that it's never overindulgent at all. Titles include "Bush Baby", "Miss Nancy", "My Son Ra", and "Carespin With Mamie". Blythe Spirit is a set that showcases the never-ending growth and imagination of reedman Arthur Blythe during this fruitful period of his career – and his ability to effortlessly blend together different elements in his music – especially sides of the New York loft jazz scene, and the Chicago-based AACM! The tunes are beautiful – mostly originals, and showing a richer spirituality than even a year before – while still working in that compellingly rhythmic mode that Arthur was hitting during these years – in a lineup that features Blythe on alto, Abdul Wadud on cello, Kelvyn Bell on guitar, Steve McCall and Bobby Battle on drums, John Hicks on piano, Amina Claudine Myers on organ, and Fred Hopkins on bass. The mix of electric and acoustic elements is fantastic – very fresh, even all these many years later – and titles include "Misty", "Spirits In The Field", "Just A Closer Walk With Thee", "Reverence", and "Contemplation". CD

A nice little record that lives up to the name of the group – a record that's maybe jazz at the core, but served up in very cinematic ways – very much the spirit of the dark, moody image pictured on the cover! This isn't chase, crime, or cop music – but instead maybe the sounds you'd hear on the journey home after the battle – slow funk in the rhythms, peppered with great work on vibes, piano, and mellotron from Pierre Chretien – who also wrote, arranged, and produced the whole record too! Most tunes have a nice light melody over heavier drums and percussion on the bottom – never too over the top, but well-paced in a way that really makes this one stand out from the pack. Titles include "Les Corbeaux", "Eveil De La Cite", "Aube Sur La Ville", "Fleurs De Bitume", "Le Petit Cimetiere", "Apres Le Deluge", and "Illusions Perdues". CD

Three albums from this great reedman! Gibraltar features a killer Dutch duo from the end of the 70s – tenorist Harry Verbeke, who's got a bold, clear sound – and pianist Rob Agerbeek, who's been making soulful sides from the 60s onwards! The pair get great accompaniment here from drummer Billy Higgins and bassist Herbie Lewis – the last of whom may be at his best here – with these well-placed, well-rounded lines that help the record groove right from the start – and which give the record a nice bounce, even in gentler moments – followed up strongly by Agerbeek and his strong sense of chord progressions. Most tunes are familiar, but get nice readings by the group – and titles include "Gibraltar, "Holy Land", "Soul Sister", "No Me Esqueca", and "No Problem". It's You Or No One is a gem, as Harry Verbeke's a tenor player we grow to love more and more over the years – especially as we discover more of his obscure Dutch recordings like this album from the 70s! Verbeke's a tenorist who's completely fully-formed and strong-voiced right from the very first note – maybe indicated by his choice of a Barney Wilen tune to lead off the set – as, like Wilen, Harry's one of these great under-discovered European talents who really helped move his instrument forward, but away from recognition on our side of the Atlantic. The rest of the group is top-shelf too – the great Irv Rochlin on piano, Harry Emmery on bass, and Max Bollerman on drums – on titles that include "Blue Bossa", "Prelude In Blue", "Mariette", "Sugar", and "Chelsea Bridge". As for Harry Verbeke Plays Romantic Ballads, the title's no lie, but it can't even begin to get at the very special sound of the record – as there's a lot more going on here than just a saxophonist taking on American standards! Harry Verbeke's got this sense of tone and phrasing that are very much his own – a quality that we love on his harder-swinging records from the 70s, but which opens up with even more individuality here – a raspy sort of charm that's hard to describe in words, but which makes the album very different than so many other tenor outings of this type. Another strong element is the use of organ instead of piano – an instrument played here by Carlo De Wijs, who mostly shades in things under Harry's lead, rather than try to challenge him to a sonic battle – as the core get gentle support from Hein Van De Geyn on bass and Arnoud Gerritse on drums. Titles include "Stella By Starlight", "A Child Is Born", "Chelsea Bridge", "Spring Fever", and "Everything Happens To Me". CD

Diego Rivera has a very classic look on the cover – and the record comes across with a very classic vibe as well – back to the days of Sonny Stitt or Hank Mobley, when a top-shelf saxophonist set up in a quartet was more than enough to make some really special magic on record! That's definitely the case here – as Rivera blows both tenor and soprano with a mixture of deeper tones and lighter colors, in a voice that's very much his own – mostly on shorter original tracks, save for one take on a John Coltrane number that stretches out nice and long. The compactness is key to the sound, as Diego packs a heck of a lot into the three to five minute space of most tracks – working with a great rhythm trio that features Art Hirihara on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums. Titles include the originals "Ganas", "Soul Purpose", "Anticipation", "Composure", "Simon", "La Malinche", and "Battle Fatigue" – plus a nice take on "Alabama". CD