One of the most hard-hitting sessions ever recorded for the Bethlehem label – and a rare date for the imprint by the team of trumpeter Donald Byrd and saxophonist Pepper Adams! The style here is similar to work the pair recorded for Riverside and Blue Note at the same time – razor-sharp hardbop, played with a strong sense of imagination, and plenty of room for drawn-out, creatively-blown solos. Adams is especially great – playing the baritone here with the leanness of a tenor sax – but Byrd is wonderful too, and really starts to break out of some of the more staid modes of his work from a few years back. The group's a sextet that includes guitarist Kenny Burrell, pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer "Hey" Lewis (pseudonym for Lewis Hayes) – on titles that include "Trio", "Philson", "Libeccio", and "Bitty Ditty". LP, Vinyl record album

Ruby Braff has a ball on this rare date for Bethlehem Records – a set that's got a live, loose feel that's quite different than some of Ruby's other records! The date was recorded on New Years Eve, at the end of 1954 – and it features Braff stepping out with these surprisingly human, almost fragile solos in the company of a small group that features Eddie Hubble on trombone, Dick Katz on piano, Sam Margolis on tenor, Gene Ramey on bass, and Izzy Sklar on drums. The liveness really makes for a different record than the usual Braff date – and titles include "Rosettana", "You Can Depend On Me", "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down & Write Myself A Letter", and "Sometimes I'm Happy". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best 50s albums from trumpeter Conte Candoli – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given how often Conte recorded during the decade! The set's got an edge you don't always find on other Candoli sessions – especially some of the large group material – and the group's nice and small, and very tight – with Bill Holman on tenor, Lou Levy on piano, Larry Marable on drums, and Leroy Vinnegar on bass. The quintet cooks wonderfully – with very sharp, soulful solos from both Holman and Candoli – at a level that's got more of the Mode Records bite than some other Bethlehem sides from the west coast at the time. Obviously, the rhythm section's a great one – and really helps the record cook – on titles that include "Full Count", "Four", "Groovin Higher", and "Jazz City Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice selection of recordings done by John Coltrane for Bethlehem Records – mostly cut during December of 1957, and issued on the albums The Winner's Circle and Art Blakey Big Band! The music's a bit atypical for Trane, but is more than just a curiosity, with Trane fitting nicely into the poll winner's type setting of the first session and heavier large lineup of the latter nicely. 7 numbers in all, including "Pristine", "If I'm Lucky (I'll Be The One)", "Tippin'", "Midriff", "Turtle Walk", "Love & The Weather" and "The Outer World". LP, Vinyl record album

The album's a bit less "historical" than you might guess from the title – at least at the time it was issued in the mid 50s! The material is from Chicago sessions recorded in 1956 – unusual non-Columbia material for the period, featuring the Ellington group working in a slightly older-styled mode. Much of the material is from the earlier songbook of the orchestra – but it's done here with some slight modern touches that show the 50s impulses of the group firmly in place. Players include Cat Anderson and Clark Terry on trumpet, Johnny Hodges on alto, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, and Harry Carney on baritone sax – and titles include "Midriff", "Ko Ko", "Lonesome Lullaby", "Upper Manhattan Medical Group", "Jack The Bear", "Stompy Jones", and "Creole Love Call". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few albums ever recorded by pianist Herbie Nichols – an incredible player with a sound and sense of modern expression that rivaled the best 50s work of Thelonious Monk and Elmo Hope! This session is Herbie's only one for the Bethlehem label – but it stands nicely next to his better-known sides for Blue Note – with a stark, sharp modernist approach that grabs you from the very first note! Nichols has a sharp and edgey sound throughout – and an incredible sense of invention that never fails to delight us, no matter how many times we return to the record! Titles include "Every Cloud", "S'Crazy Pad", "45 Degree Angle", "Beyond Recall", "Portrait of Ucha", and the beautiful title track "Love Gloom Cash Love". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest records ever from this unique 50s group – not just for the presence of drummer Osie Johnson, who's the "plus one" in the title – but also for the range of interesting material in the set! Side one features the extended "Jazz In D Minor" suite – penned by Bill Holman, and a great showcase for the group's creative reed work from Dick Healey and Errol Buddle – the latter of whom plays some bassoon at a level that's a lot more swinging than you might expect. And as on other albums, the real highligh comes from the enigmatic piano of Bryce Rhode and vibes of Jack Brokensha – who shade things in wonderfully, and create a sense of color that's hard to match. In addition to the large suite on side one, other tracks include "Cubano Chant", "Star Eyes", and "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite an unusual record from Art Blakey – a rare big band session, recorded with a lineup that's quite different than the usual Jazz Messengers! Turns out, Blakey's quite good in this setting – and has the same firey energy to direct a larger ensemble that he has when working with a smaller quintet. The added players here really help him express some new musical ideas with greater depth – almost like the added percussionists on some of his drum-heavy Blue Note dates of the late 50s. Members of the group include John Coltrane and Al Cohn on tenor, Sahib Shihab on alto, Donald Byrd and Idrees Sulieman on trumpet, Melba Liston on trombone, and Walter Bishop on piano – and titles include "Last Date", "The Outer World", "Midriff", "Tippin", and "Pristine". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite an unusual record from Art Blakey – a rare big band session, recorded with a lineup that's quite different than the usual Jazz Messengers! Turns out, Blakey's quite good in this setting – and has the same firey energy to direct a larger ensemble that he has when working with a smaller quintet. The added players here really help him express some new musical ideas with greater depth – almost like the added percussionists on some of his drum-heavy Blue Note dates of the late 50s. Members of the group include John Coltrane and Al Cohn on tenor, Sahib Shihab on alto, Donald Byrd and Idrees Sulieman on trumpet, Melba Liston on trombone, and Walter Bishop on piano – and titles include "Last Date", "The Outer World", "Midriff", "Tippin", and "Pristine". LP, Vinyl record album

A well-titled set from Art Blakey – considering the hard-driving sound of the group! The album's one of the best from that unusual year of 1957 – almost a "lost" year for Art, when he was working away from Blue Note with a very different lineup of the Jazz Messengers than on his famous sessions for that label! The players here are all great – and include Johnny Griffin on tenor, Bill Hardman on trumpet, Junior Mance on piano, and Spanky DeBrest on bass – all working with a style that's a bit loose and open, allowing plenty of space for solos! Griffin's horn has all the sharp edges you'd expect, and Hardman's great too – and Blakey himself seems to sit back a bit more than usual in his chair, letting the soloists lead the tracks, instead of kicking things into gear from the drums. Titles include "Deo X", "Sweet Sakeena", "Late Spring", "Krafty", and "For Miles & Miles". LP, Vinyl record album

A well-titled set from Art Blakey – considering the hard-driving sound of the group! The album's one of the best from that unusual year of 1957 – almost a "lost" year for Art, when he was working away from Blue Note with a very different lineup of the Jazz Messengers than on his famous sessions for that label! The players here are all great – and include Johnny Griffin on tenor, Bill Hardman on trumpet, Junior Mance on piano, and Spanky DeBrest on bass – all working with a style that's a bit loose and open, allowing plenty of space for solos! Griffin's horn has all the sharp edges you'd expect, and Hardman's great too – and Blakey himself seems to sit back a bit more than usual in his chair, letting the soloists lead the tracks, instead of kicking things into gear from the drums. Titles include "Deo X", "Sweet Sakeena", "Late Spring", "Krafty", and "For Miles & Miles". LP, Vinyl record album

No holiday for Ruby Braff – not when he's working so hard to make a record like this sound so great! The session's an overlooked gem recorded for Bethlehem in the 50s – and it's got Ruby's trumpet stepping out strongly with a larger group arranged by Bob Wilber – in a great mix of 50s styles and older modes that really help Braff show off his wide range of phrasing! There's none of the hoke here that you might hear on other Ruby albums of this vintage – and the trumpet solos have this surprisingly hard edge at times, even when trying to sound sweet. Titles include "When You're Smiling", "Easy Living", "I'll Be Around", "Pullin Through", and "You're A Lucky Guy". LP, Vinyl record album

They're not kidding about the title – because the album's one of Ruby Braff's most swingin from the time – a sharp-edged quartet session that's filled with well-blown notes! Ruby's in the lead on all numbers on trumpet – getting support from Johnny Guarnieri on piano, Walter Page on bass, and Bobby Donaldson on drums – and the sound is a bit more rough than some of Braff's other albums of the time – not so sweetly-trilling, and we mean that in a good way! The vibe is still slightly traddish, but with a really nice edge – and titles include "Ellie", "Mean To Me", "This Can't Be Love", and "Blue & Sentimental". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare material from John Coltrane – tracks that were done for Bethlehem Records at a time when he was just rising up as a leader, and still contributed work as a sideman! The album features Trane playing tenor on only four of the album's eight tracks – making it kind of surprising that they used his name in the title – but the album is a lesser-known batch of large group recordings that offer an interesting early chapter in his career! The main force behind the album is arranger Harry Tubbs – possibly not a name that's as sexy as John Coltrane, hence the billing – but a worthy leader for the date, given the quality of the music. Many of the other players here are small combo heroes who can also shine brightly in bigger groups – such as Donald Byrd and Art Farmer on trumpets, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Al Cohn on baritone sax, Eddie Costa on piano and vibes, and Oscar Pettiford on bass – plus Rolf Kuhn, making an early American appearance on clarinet. Coltrane gets in some nice, but short moments on the date – but the bigger charm is the full ensemble work – on titles that include "She Didn't Say Yes", "Turtle Walk", "At Home With The Blues", "Seabreeze", and "Love & The Weather". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest vocal jazz albums ever recorded for Bethlehem Records – a set that's got a lot more energy than some of the moodier, mellow vocal sets on the label – thanks to dynamic backings from the great Russ Garcia! Garcia's working here with his hip Wigville band – which features Charlie Mariano on alto, Jimmy Giuffre on baritone, Bill Holman on tenor, and both Pete Candoli and Stu Williamson on trumpets – all horn players who work real magic with Garcia's charts – and craft these soulful, seductive lines next to Peggy's lyrics! Connelly's got all the modern sex and slink you'd guess from her image on the cover – and titles include "Gentleman Friend", "Alone Together", "That Old Black Magic", "Why Shouldn't I", and "Trav'lin Light". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent LP that brings together a dozen tracks from some of Chris' lesser-known recordings for the Bethlehem label – originally released as eps and early 10" LPs. Backing on the set is by The Ellis Larkins Trio, The Vinnie Burke Quartet, The Ralph Sharon combo, and Sy Oliver's orchestra – and the set features tracks that include "All About Ronnie", "In Other Words", "A Good Man Is A Seldom Thing", "I Hear Music", "Out Of This World", and "Lush Life". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A great set of tracks that represents some of Chris Connor's first recordings as a solo act – culled from earlier ep and 10" releases, and issued here on a full LP with a total of 14 tracks. Backing is by three groups – the Ellis Larkin Trio, Vinnie Burke's Quartet, and Sy Oliver's Orchestra – and Chris is in fine fine form, vocalizing with that icy tone we love so much, a bit sad, and a bit mellow, but always heartfelt, without the forced emotion of other singers of her generation. Titles include "Stella By Starlight", "Goodbye", "Spring Is Here", "Ask Me", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "Try A Little Tenderness", and "He's Coming Home". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

The album's a bit less "historical" than you might guess from the title – at least at the time it was issued in the mid 50s! The material is from Chicago sessions recorded in 1956 – unusual non-Columbia material for the period, featuring the Ellington group working in a slightly older-styled mode. Much of the material is from the earlier songbook of the orchestra – but it's done here with some slight modern touches that show the 50s impulses of the group firmly in place. Players include Cat Anderson and Clark Terry on trumpet, Johnny Hodges on alto, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, and Harry Carney on baritone sax – and titles include "Midriff", "Ko Ko", "Lonesome Lullaby", "Upper Manhattan Medical Group", "Jack The Bear", "Stompy Jones", and "Creole Love Call". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest albums on the Bethlehem label – and one of the first albums as a leader by the legendary Booker Ervin! At the time of the set, Ervin had come off a great stint with the Charles Mingus group – one that inflected his rootsy Texas tenor tones with a sharper modern edge – heard to perfection on this great little session, which is equal parts hard swinging soul jazz and dark-tinged early 60s modern! Zoot Sims joins Booker in the front line, and the two of them trade tenor solos throughout on the album's long compositions – grooving with a great sextet that includes Tommy Turrentine on trumpet, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and Mingus' drummer Dannie Richmond on the kit! Cuts include "Largo", "The Book Cooks", "The Blue Book", and "Git It". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice small group material – with Bud on tenor, Ruby Braff on trumpet, and either Ken Kersey or Dave Bowman on piano. LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little album from Johnny Hartman – recorded back in the mid 50s for Bethlehem, in the years before he recorded his more famous dates for the Impulse label! The set has Johnny singing nice and mellow – with backing by a group led by pianist Ralph Sharon, one of Tony Bennett's longtime accompanists, with added trumpet by Howard McGhee – which creates some nicely moody interplay in the relatively spare setting of the session. Hartman's vocals are a dream, as always – and tracks include "What Is There To Say", "Moonlight In Vermont", "I'll Remember April", "Down In The Depths", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", and "We'll Be Together Again". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from one of the most compelling trombonists of the 50s! Jimmy Knepper is probably best known for his excellent work on some of Charles Mingus' best records – but this set from 1957 shows that Knepper was also an extremely capable (if under-recorded) leader in his own right! The album is one of the rarest Bethlehem sides – and it features Knepper leading a crack group that includes Bill Evans, Gene Quill and drummer Dannie Richmond, making a rare non-Mingus appearance here! The tracks are shortish, and a number of them are standards, but the group swings nicely, and Knepper's tone is nice and edgey on most tracks. Titles include "Avid Admirer", "Close As Pages In A Book", "Ogling Ogre", "Irresistable You", "How High The Moon", "Love Letters" and "Idol Of The Flies". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic sextet session recorded in 1961, shortly before Booker Little's death – and filled with all the promise and power he ever packed into his playing! There's a sharp, angular groove to many of the numbers here – that mix of modern and hardbop that was cresting best in the early 60s Blue Note generation – and which echoes some of the work that Little had done with Max Roach in the years before this date. The lineup's filled with great players to help Book realize his strongest musical vision – Julian Priester on trombone, George Coleman on tenor, Don Friedman on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Pete LaRoca on drums – and although the set's issued on the sometimes-staid Bethlehem label, it's got all the sharper edges of an early 60s date on a label like Impulse or Candid! Titles include "Matilde", "Booker's Blues", "Forward Flight", and "Victory and Sorrow". LP, Vinyl record album

Surprisingly nice early work by Herbie Mann – featuring a chamber-oriented sound, played by a quartet that features guitar, bass, and drums next to Herbie's flute. The overall feel is similar to some of the Paul Horn/Fred Katz work with Chico Hamilton – and tracks include "After Work", "The Purple Grotto", "Chicken Little", and "Spring Morning". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic stuff all around – and an early treasure from Herbie Mann! From the outside, the record appears to be a mellow album of easy listening tunes – but on the inside, it's a darkly tuned session – one that's filled with sorrow and haunting emotions that you'd never find in any other Herbie Mann album! Herbie's the main soloist – playing flute in front of orchestrations by Ralph Burns and Frank Hunter, both of whom do an incredible job with the record – filling it with strange off-kilter string parts that totally underpin any of the mellow side of Herbie's playing. Burns' work is especially great, and rivals some of his best material of this sort for Verve. Titles include "Love & The Weather", "Ill Wind", "Moon Love", "High On A Windy Hill", and "The Morning Side Of The Mountain". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best of the early 60s comeback albums by the legendary bop trumpeter Howard McGhee – and a record that really has the player finding a whole new groove in his music! At this point, Maggie's got a fantastic tone that was missing from his earlier records, filled with pain and raw emotion – but also measured with a maturity that gives his solos an incredible sense of economy that delivers a whole hell of a lot with just a few simple notes – a balance that comes through beautifully here, maybe even more so than on any other record by Howard from the time! He's playing here in a great group that includes Roland Alexander on tenor, Bennie Green on trombone, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and Pepper Adams on baritone – and tracks include "Dusty Blue", "Groovin High", "Cottage For Sale", "Flyin Colors", and "With Malice Towards None". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent set of 50s west coast chamber jazz – featuring a quintet that includes Harry Babasin on cello, Terry Gibbs on vibes, Demsey Wright on guitar, Ben Tucker on bass, and Bill Douglass on drums. The pairing of cello and vibes in the frontline is really great – and with additional support from guitar, the instruments really swing nicely on the set. The album's the sort that you might miss, because the Premier label was sort of a budget operation – but it's a really nice little side that grooves with a keen late 50s approach that's very much in the manner of similar albums on Dawn or Bethlehem – but arguably better, as it's recorded with an open feel, and some really great sound. Titles include "Hoppy", "De Ge", "On Bear Hill", "Pee Wee", and "Wingo". LP, Vinyl record album

A warm set of solo tracks from pianist Dave Brubeck – a record that's a fair bit different than the early material you might know from the jazz legend, with a very personal, intimate quality that really fits the spirit of the season! Dave's work on the keys isn't nearly as modern as in the early days – and there's a nice dose of sentiment that really matches the right Holiday flavor for the material – a set list that includes "Away In A Manger", "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", "To Us Is Given", "Run Run Run To Bethlehem", "Jingle Bells", "The Christmas Song", and "What Child Is This". (Holiday Music, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few albums ever cut as a leader by bassist Vinnie Burke – and truly an all-star session, as the record boasts a lineup that includes Jimmy Raney on guitar, Al Cohn on tenor, Urbie Green on trombone, Eddie Costa on piano, and Joe Morello on drums! The sound is in keeping with Burke's album for Bethlehem, but fleshed out a bit more with the extra horn players – kind of a loosely swinging take on the chamber jazz sound of the mid 50s, with room for plenty of gentle solos from the key players in the set. The sound excellent – recorded with that crispness and focus that made the best mid 50s ABC jazz sides so great – and titles include "Blue Jeans", "Unison Blues", "Jordu", "Vin Tin Tin", and "Lulu's Back In Town". LP, Vinyl record album

Al Cohn on the saxophone – blowing in that lean, clean style he first perfected in larger groups - then really used to perfection when he could open up in a smaller combo setting like this! The album's a nice change from some of Cohn's more tightly arranged records of the 50s – and features his strong tenor right out front – in a group that also features Frank Rehak on trombone, Hank Jones on piano, Milt Hinton on bass, and Osie Johnson on drums. There's a nice swing and tight solos on the set – which almost has a 50s Bethlehem Records vibe – and Cohn contributes the original tunes "Be Loose", "Good Ol Blues", and "Abstract Of You" – and the rest of the tracks include "We Three", "Idaho", "When Day Is Done", and "Blue Lou". LP, Vinyl record album

Chris' Craft is a great one here – beautifully simple and straightforward jazz vocals, served up at a level that few other singers can match! The album's one of our favorites from Connor's classic years with Atlantic – as it's got a mellow, moody approach that's filled with the darker tones that first caught our ears on Chris' earliest recordings for Bethlehem. Instrumentation here is mostly small combo – arranged by Stan Free, and featuring Free on piano, Bobby Jaspar on flute, Mundell Lowe on guitar, George Duvivier on bass, and Ed Shaughnessy on drums. Titles include "Be A Clown", "Be My All", "Good For Nothin", "Moonlight In Vermont", "The Night We Called It A Day", "Lover Man", and "On The First Warm Day". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A lovely side by Chris Connor for Atlantic, recorded not too long after her stint at Bethlehem – where she'd perfected an icy cool style of singing that's still to be matched to this day! The album features larger arrangements by Richard Wess – but still has a light jazzy feel, intimate in approach, despite the larger musical backings. Chris' voice is at once personal and removed – a razor's edge of emotion, repressing some impulses, and opening up surprisingly at other moments. Titles include "Skyscraper Blues", "The Lady Sings The Blues", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "When Sunny Gets Blue", "Just In Time", "Baltimore Oriole", and "How Little We Know". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

One of Duke's most popular albums of the 50s – but we won't hold that against him! The session's one of a number of 50s outings that revisit older classics with the new level of quality offered in the studio – and it's got a similar feel to some of Duke's work for Bethlehem around the same time, which was also done by producer Gus Wildi – tight, but never too facile – and a perfect demonstration of the great balance the Ellington orchestra had at the time. The group includes key players Ray Nance, Cat Anderson, Clark Terry, Juan Tizol, Harry Carney, Paul Gonsalves, and Jimmy Hamilton – and titles include "Black & Tan Fantasy", "Rockin In Rhythm", "Flying Home", "Happy Go Lucky Local", and "In The Mood". LP, Vinyl record album

A cool condensed version of the larger 4LP box set of work from the legendary Laraaji – a set that features passages from both his debut album and parts of six more extended tracks that were never issued at the time! That debut album is his legendary Celestial Vibrations – a beautifully trippy set of tracks from Edward Larry Gordon – an artist who's probably better known for his later Laraaji album recorded with Brian Eno, but one who sounds even better here on this debut set! The sound is very spiritual and meditative – long, drawn-out, side-long tracks that feature Gordon playing a weird, electrified zither – an instrument that's hardly the hokey, European-sounding one from mid-century – and instead a very tripped-out, abstracted one here – very spacey, with some great phase shifting employed in the studio, which creates an almost electronic pulse out of the acoustic instrumentation. The album features parts of two very long tracks – "All Pervading" and "Bethlehem" – done in a way that would make Alice Coltrane proud! Added to those cuts are parts of six other titles – all originally pressed only as acetates, and recorded around the same time – "Kalimba", "Ocean", "Koto", "Segue To Infinity", "Kalimba 2", and "Kalimba 4". (New Age, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful tribute to the spiritual genius of Laraaji – a set that features both his debut album and six more extended tracks that were never issued at the time! That debut album is his legendary Celestial Vibrations – a beautifully trippy set of tracks from Edward Larry Gordon – an artist who's probably better known for his later Laraaji album recorded with Brian Eno, but one who sounds even better here on this debut set! The sound is very spiritual and meditative – long, drawn-out, side-long tracks that feature Gordon playing a weird, electrified zither – an instrument that's hardly the hokey, European-sounding one from mid-century – and instead a very tripped-out, abstracted one here – very spacey, with some great phase shifting employed in the studio, which creates an almost electronic pulse out of the acoustic instrumentation. The album features two very long tracks – "All Pervading" and "Bethlehem" – done in a way that would make Alice Coltrane proud! Added to that record are six side-long titles on the other three records in the set – all originally pressed only as acetates, and recorded around the same time – making for a hugely expanded set of early work from Laraaji. Titles include "Kalimba", "Ocean", "Koto", "Segue To Infinity", "Kalimba 2", and "Kalimba 4" – and the set also features a big booklet of notes, with dozens of rare photos. (New Age, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A really dark little album of vocal jazz from 50s singer Barbara Lea – recorded here with small combo backing, and a strange sound that's a fair bit different than most other efforts of this type from the time! At one level, there's definitely a leaner 50s vocal jazz approach going on – similar to work on Bethlehem – but Barbara also serves things up with some odd notes of nostalgia and sentimentality, echoing earlier eras not in the style of the music, but almost in a sense of sadness and wistfulness that comes through in her vocals. The style's quite a change from the iciness of other postwar chanteuses – but it's also not as overly emotional as those from other eras either. Players in the groups include Dick Cary on piano, Jimmy Raney on guitar, Johnny Windhurst on trumpet, and Jimmy Lyons on piano. Titles include "Will I Find My Love Today", "Sleep Peaceful Mr Used To Be", "Am I In Love", "Autumn Leaves", "We Could Make Such Beautiful Music Together", and "More Than You Know". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderfully spare early jazz sides by Peggy, and the kind of material that's not easy to find amidst the bulk of her pop-oriented work. The album's a moving set of ballads and torchy numbers, recorded in small-combo fashion, in a style that's similar to some of Chris Connor's later Bethlehem work. The combo includes Cootie Chesterfield on trumpet, Jimmy Rowles on piano, Max Wayne on bass, and Ed Shaughnessy on drums. A real treasure – with titles like "A Woman Alone With The Blues", "Love Me Or Leave Me", "Easy Living", and "Black Coffee". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Bethlehem material that Mingus recorded earlier in the 50s with his pivotal group that included the great John La Porta on alto and clarinet, plus Teo Macero on tenor, Thad Jones on trumpet, and Clem DeRosa on drums. The tracks show Mingus' early experiments with modernist arrangements – and have the kind of raw power and emotion that made all of the experiments from this time work so well, no matter what direction Mingus wanted to take them. Titles include "Four Hands", "Spur Of The Moment", "Minor Intrusion", and "Thrice Upon A Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Charles Mingus' true classics – and an essential album in any jazz collection! This 1959 gem was recorded by Mingus at a key point in his career – when he was rising from the jazz underground into the ranks of America's elite jazzmen, penning some of the most challenging work of his career, and working with incredible younger players that interpreted his work with a great deal of fire! The tracks are a bit more tightly arranged than work on some of Mingus' previous work for labels like Atlantic and Bethlehem, but that also gives them a razor-sharp emotional edge that's carried off perfectly by players who include John Handy and Shafi Hadi on alto saxes, Booker Ervin on tenor, Willie Dennis and Jimmy Knepper on trombones, Horace Parlan on piano, and Dannie Richmond on drums. The album is filled with key Mingus classics – like "Better Git It In Your Soul", "Boogie Stop Shuffle", "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat", and "Fables of Faubus" – plus "Self Portrait In Three Colors", "Open Letter To Duke", and "Bird Call". LP, Vinyl record album

The pair of great pianists don't play together – but are featured on a side apiece of the record, pulled from their Savoy recordings of the 50s. The album's most notable for the work of Nichols – some of the few sides he ever cut, and along with his two Blue Note LPs, and one for Bethlehem, a key to understanding his rare and short-lived talent for modern improvisation. The Nichols sides feature Chocolate Williams on bass, plus a bit of vocals, Shadow Wilson on drums, and (possibly) Danny Barker on guitar. Titles by Herbie include "Who's Blues", "Nichols & Dimes", "My Lady Gingersnap", and "Good Story Blues". The Monk sides are cut with the Gigi Gryce Quartet – and include "Shuffle Boil", "Brake's Sake", and "Nica's Tempo". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the first albums ever cut as a leader by trombonist Frank Rosolino – a hip set issued under the Stan Kenton Presents banner for Capitol in the mid 50s – but done in a smaller combo mode than you'd hear with Stan! The setting provides a great showcase for the emerging solo talents of Rosolino on trombone – a player with a soulful swing that get way past his goofy image on the cover – and which is set up here in the company of some great collaborators who include Charlie Mariano on alto sax – playing so strongly, the album might well include him as a co-leader – plus piano from either Claud Williamson or Pete Jolly, trumpet from Sam Noto, bass from Max Bennett or Curtis Counce, and drums from Mel Lewis or Stan Levey. There's not only a lot of Kenton influence in the players, but a lot of Bethlehem Records styles as well – a reference that definitely shapes the sound of this set, and makes it a strong one for any fan of 50s work on that label – or Mode Records as well. Titles are a mix of standards and originals – and include "Ragamuffin", "Linda", "Carioca", "Besame Mucho", "Yo Yo", and "Freckles". LP, Vinyl record album

The very first recording of Mel's classic California Suite – not the better-known version that came out on Bethlehem, but the initial 1949 Capitol Records version – much more obscure, and with some differences in the lyrics and presentation! Hal Mooney conducted, Peggy Lee handles the female vocal parts, and titles include "Miami Waltz", "They Go To San Diego", "The Golden West", "Coney Island", "Got The Gate On The Golden Gate", "Poor Little Extra Girl", and "We Think The West Coast Is The Best Coast". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite-ever albums from Mel Torme – a set that sparkles with the same smooth swing as his best late 50s dates for Bethlehem records! Like those sets, this one features Torme's voice really taking off over some tight jazzy charts – arranged by Johnny Williams, Shorty Rogers, and Dick Hazard – all in styles close to those used previously by Marty Paich. But almost even better is the New York theme of the record – surprising, given the anti-NYC vibe of Torme's classic "California Suite" – but perfect, too, as it really ties the whole thing together wonderfully – creating this beautiful picture of the Big Apple in the postwar years. Titles include the greatest version of "Sunday In New York" you'll ever hear – plus "Let Me Off Uptown", "Autumn In New York", "New York New York", "Manhattan", and "My Time Of Day". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album