A very unusual set – as Chet Baker plays with larger arrangements from Jerry Styner, which include work from members of the wrecking crew! There's a melancholy feel that really lives up to the image and title of the record – and while most tunes feature just Chet's trumpet in the lead, he also sings on an incredible version of "Come Saturday Morning" – maybe one of the saddest takes on the tune ever, completely heartbreaking! Titles include "Evil Ways", "You've Made Me So Very Happy", "Something", "Spinning Wheel", and "Vehicle". LP, Vinyl record album

Really heady work from this Baltimore trio – a group who mix free jazz improvisation and live electronics, but at a level that's a lot more intense than most other combos who've worked in similar territory! Drummer Bashi Rose provides key energy at the core – and the rest of the group features Show Azar on synthesizer and Jamal Moore on alto, trombone, percussion, and a range of electronics too – working with Azar to make the trio lineup equally balanced between acoustic sounds and electric ones! The electronics get quite intense at times, and are matched by equal intensity in the horn work – as Rose measures his contributions on drums in just the right way. Titles include "George Jackson", "Illegitimate Law", "Dog Star Warrior", "Spirit Realm", and "Revolution Should Be Love Inspired". LP, Vinyl record album

Righteous poetry and jazz from Eugene Redmond – aka Illu Gan Gan – a very spiritual figure from the early 70s Bay Area scene! The album was recorded live in the studio, in a style that has Redmond introducing his work, then moving into dramatic recitations backed up by small combo jazz instrumentation that includes guitar, percussion, and soprano sax. The feel is open and free, almost an African-American take on the beat poetry style of late 50s San Francisco – but with themes that are more righteous, and a bad-talking style that puts the record in the same sphere as contemporaneous work by Camille Yarbrough, Jayne Cortez, Wanda Robinson, and even Iceberg Slim. Titles include "Hummin Hookin & Cookin", "Sun Ritual", "Epigrams For My Father", "River Of Bones & Flesh & Blood", "The Edge Of Myself", and "All Athighed In Black". (Spoken Word, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Ulmer on Blue Note – who'd a thunk it? And oddly, although the album's on one of the most jazz-based labels at the time, it's also one of Ulmer's most rock-oriented – with strong lead vocals on nearly every track, and an overall style that's as bluesy as it is experimentally jazzy. Ulmer's clearly emerged as a star in his own right (or own mind) by the time of the album – and there's less of the shared group dynamic of the harmelodic years, and more of a style that's set up to support his lead presence. Players include Bill Laswell, Ronald Shannon Jackson, and Nicky Skopelitis – and titles include "I Belong In The USA", "Lady Blue", "After Dark", "Black Sheep", and "Show Me Your Love America". LP, Vinyl record album

A major label set, but one that stays very true to the new ideals that James Blood Ulmer was trying to bring to jazz guitar at the time – a really revolutionary style that moves beyond simple genre conventions, and embraces a whole world of new ideas that would inspire others in the decade to come! Ulmer plays with a real frenzy at points – deep currents that reflect the bluesy touches of his early work in jazz organ combos, but given a skittish energy that reflects his association with the downtown crowd – and which was very fitting for his record with Rough Trade! The core group here features James, bassist Amin Ali, and drummer G Calvin Weston – and some tracks feature work from David Murray on tenor, Oliver Lake on alto, and Olu Dara on trumpet. Titles include "Timeless", "Pleasure Control", "Night Lover", "Happy Time", "Rush Hour", "Stand Up To Yourself", and "High Time". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite Ulmer records, probably because there's a nice groove running underneath most of the numbers, in a sort of post-Prime Time 80s out-funk sort of way. It never drops into a flat out back beat, but there's always some sense of time, while Ulmer's guitar and Charles Burnham's violin venture to and fro. The group is just a trio, and there's not too much of Blood's vocalizing going on on the eight pieces, which include "Little Red House", "Are you Glad To Be In America", "Election" and "Odyssey". LP, Vinyl record album

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

With a record like this, it's hard to believe that Christian Scott started out in more standard jazz – as Chief Xian Atunde Adjuah is a very different artist altogether, one who wraps together worlds and eras of musical heritage – working here in a set that's very heavy on percussion, vocal refrains, and other elements you never would have heard in his earlier music! The leader works a whole host of percussion along with other members of the group, but also adds in some larger production elements too – always in a way that's nicely subtle, and preserves the acoustic energy at the core – yet which really enriches the proceedings too! The album's overflowing with righteous power – and titles include "On To New Orleans", "Bark Out Thunder Roar Out Lighting", "Xodokan Iko Hu Na Ney", "Trouble That Mornin", "Blood Calls Blood", "Ashe Chief Donald", "Golden Crown", and "Shallow Water". LP, Vinyl record album

Ayler's last album ever – and an incredibly strange batch of tracks that shows perfectly the kind of stylistic and emotional struggle he was going through in the final years of his life. Like the albums New Grass and Love Cry, this one shows Ayler toying with influences from other genres – like rock and soul – in order to better communicate his message to the masses. And while there's some strange odd moments that don't really work, there's others that have a gutsiness that's stunning – especially from the otherwise serious (by this point) NY underground. Players include Bobby Few, Muhammad Ali, and Stafford James – and tracks include "Untitled Duet", "Again Comes The Rising Of The Sun", "Toiling", "Birth Of Mirth", and "Desert Blood". LP, Vinyl record album

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". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning Columbia Records debut from Arthur Blythe – recorded at a time when the label was really sinking its teeth back into quality jazz, and helping artists like Arthur get some great new exposure! 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". LP, Vinyl record album

A real hard-burner from Kenny Burrell – a set that was recorded for Blue Note in the guitarist's early career, but not issued by the label until the 70s – and even then only in Japan! Kenny's got the sharp edge and strong sense of leadership you'll hear on his classic Midnight Blue – and the lineup features strong tenor work from Hank Mobley, who seems to underscore the best elements in Burrell's tone – plus work from Horace Silver on piano – who plays with lots of soulful undercurrents, alongside Doug Watkins on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums! The record's got some slightly raspy edges, which may be why Blue Note originally held it back – but it's a real treasure for the deeper side of Kenny's tones – and titles include "Out For Blood", "Nica's Dream", "KB Blues", and "DB Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A real hard-burner from Kenny Burrell – a set that was recorded for Blue Note in the guitarist's early career, but not issued by the label until the 70s – and even then only in Japan! Kenny's got the sharp edge and strong sense of leadership you'll hear on his classic Midnight Blue – and the lineup features strong tenor work from Hank Mobley, who seems to underscore the best elements in Burrell's tone – plus work from Horace Silver on piano – who plays with lots of soulful undercurrents, alongside Doug Watkins on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums! The record's got some slightly raspy edges, which may be why Blue Note originally held it back – but it's a real treasure for the deeper side of Kenny's tones – and titles include "Out For Blood", "Nica's Dream", "KB Blues", and "DB Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Ornette's great albums for the obscure Artists House label, and different from the one that he recorded with James Blood Ulmer, which was more of a straight-on Harmelodic work. This one's got him playing a set of tender sensitive duets with bassist and longtime accompanyist Charlie Haden. The set's far from mellow, though, and the two of them work through a great set of material that includes "Sex Spy", "Soap Suds", and the theme to "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman"! LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic blend of spiritual jazz styles and electronic elements – served up here by the trio of drummer Betamax, keyboardist Danalogue, and saxophonist King Shabaka – the last of whom you might recognize as Shabaka Hutchings from a host of other hip projects on the contemporary London scene! Shabaka's work on tenor and bass clarinet really gives the record an earthy, organic core – which seems to let the keyboards really soar off into space, often with the sort of vibe that you'd guess from the group's name and the cover image on the record – in a wide flurry of live and amplified performance elements! At some level, the trio is almost London's answer to some of the jazz-meets-studio work from Chicago's International Anthem label – and like some of the groups who record for that imprint, these guys are all strong jazz musicians at the core – but performing at a level that's very beyond the ordinary. Titles include "Birth Of Creation", "Summon The Fire", "Blood Of The Past", "Astral Flying", "Super Zodiac", "The Universe Wakes Up", and "Timewave Zero". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic blend of spiritual jazz styles and electronic elements – served up here by the trio of drummer Betamax, keyboardist Danalogue, and saxophonist King Shabaka – the last of whom you might recognize as Shabaka Hutchings from a host of other hip projects on the contemporary London scene! Shabaka's work on tenor and bass clarinet really gives the record an earthy, organic core – which seems to let the keyboards really soar off into space, often with the sort of vibe that you'd guess from the group's name and the cover image on the record – in a wide flurry of live and amplified performance elements! At some level, the trio is almost London's answer to some of the jazz-meets-studio work from Chicago's International Anthem label – and like some of the groups who record for that imprint, these guys are all strong jazz musicians at the core – but performing at a level that's very beyond the ordinary. Titles include "Birth Of Creation", "Summon The Fire", "Blood Of The Past", "Astral Flying", "Super Zodiac", "The Universe Wakes Up", and "Timewave Zero". LP, Vinyl record album

A nicely understated session that was recorded in honor of Billy Strayhorn – who'd passed away a few months before the recording. The set features all classic Strayhorn compositions – played in new versions by Duke and a group that includes Clark Terry, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Aaron Bell, and Jimmy Hamilton. The recording quality is great, and the sound of the album really makes old classics sparkle nicely once again! Titles include "UMMG", "Blood Count", "Boo Dah", "Rain Check", "Day Dream", "All Day Long", and "Lotus Blossom", done in a haunting solo piano version by Duke! LP, Vinyl record album

A great solo set from tenorist Binker Golding – an artist we usually hear on the Gearbox label as part of the Binker & Moses combo, but who maybe sounds even bolder and stronger here in the lead on his own! The set's a quartet date, with a relatively straight group – but the sound is wonderful – overflowing with new ideas, and this sense of voice from the leader that gets fantastic support from Joe Armon-Jones on piano, Daniel Casimir on bass, and Sam Jones on drums! Nobody's pushing too hard, or trying any tricks – yet there's a freshness and individual spirit to the record right from the very first note – unusual rhythms from the trio, and more confidence in Golding's sound than we've ever heard before. Titles include "Skinned Alive Tasting Blood", "Fluorescent Black", "You That Place That Time", "And I Like Your Feathers", and "Exquisite She Green". LP, Vinyl record album

Jiro Inagaki's definitely in the groove here – hitting hard with a sweet electric vibe, on a set that's easily one of his funkiest albums ever! The set's got a wicked mix of jazz and funk that's right up there with the best on 70s CTI or Kudu – but maybe even leaner overall, given the focused nature of the tunes – and their strongly rhythmic approach! Jiro's on both tenor and soprano sax, and also handles arrangements with Norio Maeda – and the set's especially heavy on Fender Rhodes and electric bass, carved up nicely by sweet guitar lines that almost have a Joe Beck sort of sound. Many tracks are originals, and all are definitely in a tight 70s mode – really stepping forward from some of the more formative funky years of Jiro's previous albums. Titles include "Joie De Vivre", "Crazy Medicine", "That's How I Feel", "Blue Blood", "Raven Speaks", and "Samba Chimba". LP, Vinyl record album

Forget the hokey pun in the title, as the album's a sharp-edged set that has way more going on than that bad wit might imply – a brilliant record that has the same sort of post-loft vibe as some of the best Black Saint/Soul Note sessions from the time! The group here features players who worked on many of those records too – the mighty Billy Bang on violin, sounding incredible, and so different than generations of others touching that instrument in jazz – sharp, soulful, and almost "blown" more like a saxophone! Frank Lowe's tenor follows with a similarly bold voice – and the group features very urgent work on bass from Rafael Garrett and drums from Dennis Charles. Titles include great readings of Jackie McLean's "Little Melonae" and Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman" – plus the tracks "Loweology", "Ballad With One L", and "Blood On The Cross". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful modernist work from Kenton – one of the first albums to cull his genius together as a whole, filled with the kind of tracks that perfectly sum up his unique approach at the time! If you've ever wondered what makes Kenton so great, this is the album to begin with – as it's filled with fantastic original tunes that provide a shimmering solo showcase for work of players like Lee Konitz, Frank Rosolino, and Bill Holman. Titles include "23 N - 82 W", "Young Blood", "Improvisation", and the haunting "Invention For Guitar And Trumpet", which features Sal Salvador and a young Maynard Ferguson. LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent work by John Klemmer – filled with the kind of fire and emotion that you don't get on many of his other records! The set was recorded live at two different venues – and it's a choppy slightly-funky batch of modal soul jazz tunes, with an approach that makes it feel like a lost album on Strata East. On side one, Mike Nock is on Fender Rhodes, Wilton Felder plays bass, and Eddie Marshall is on drums. Titles on that set include "Blood Of The Sun" and "How Cum Ya Got Ta Rip Off Your Brothers?". Side two was recorded live at Montreux, and features more Fender Rhodes, plus backing by Cecil McBee and Alphonze Mouzon. Klemmer plays tenor with echoplex processing, and titles include "Free Love" and "Tree Of Forbidden Fruit". LP, Vinyl record album

A sonically sensitive session from Oliver Lake – recorded in the mid 70s, in very relaxed quartet formation! Lake plays a range of reeds here – alto, soprano sax, and flute – and the group features lots of musings on guitar from Michael G Jackson, a player we don't know at all, but one who seems to have a harmelodic bent at some points, and a much more mellow one at others. Jackson's presence on the record really has a big impact on the sound – putting it somewhere in a space between James Blood Ulmer and Sonny Greenwich – and remaining rhythms are handled by Fred Hopkins on bass and Paul Maddox on drums and percussion. Titles include "Trailway Shake/Sad Lo-uis", "Usta B", "Ballad", "Machine Wing", and "Holding Together". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic early 80s material by this legendary group of New York heavies that featured James Blood Ulmer, David Murray, Amin Ali, and Ronald Shannon Jackson. The prototype for the Vernon Reid/Melvin Gibbs Black Rock sound gets laid by these jazzy dudes fusing free loft style east coast blowing with extroverted rock influenced rhythms, funky vamping and skittering rhythms that collide in a way that supports the title of this album. 4 relatively long tracks: "Time Table", "Big Tree", "Baby Talk", and "Sound Check". LP, Vinyl record album

A hell of a trumpeter – making his debut here on one of the grooviest albums on the legendary Latin Percussion label! The session's a bit fuller than some of the other LP albums – a crackling blend of jazz, funk, and Latin rhythms – warm, but with some pretty complicated moments, very much in the best spirit of the second wave of NuYorica grooves! There's still lots of the tight percussion that makes Latin Percussion sessions so great – but the record also features fuller instrumentation too – in ways that really make things soar. Players include Eddie Martinez on Fender Rhodes, Jon Faddis and Randy Brecker on additional trumpets, Steve Khan on guitar, and Carlos Patato Valdez on congas – and Ruben Blades even plays a bit of acoustic guitar on the record. The overall feel's a bit like some of the great Fania/Columbia co-productions – but a bit rawer at points – and titles include "Diana", "Genesis", "Nice & Warm", "Viva Martinez", "I Know", "Hot Blood", and "Perico" – most of which are separated by short percussion interludes! (Latin, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

The last-ever recording of drumming great Buddy Rich – and a set that we'd put right up there next to his best records of the previous two decades! Buddy's in familiar formation here, but the sound is wonderful – recorded live at Ronnie Scott's nightclub in London, with this mixture of band tightness and solo freedoms that's really striking – all driven by the kind of energy that always made Buddy one of the few folks who could help a larger ensemble continue with vitality into later years! The formation of the whole group is great – that bold, brash, Buddy Rich sound – and soloists include Steve Marcus on tenor, Bob Bowlby on alto, Tom Garling on trombone, Greg Gisbert on trumpet, and Matt Harris on piano – each of whom get some key solo moments on the set. Titles include "Wind Machine", "Night Blood", "Ready Mix", "Winding Way", "Love For Sale", "Just In Time", and "Harco Shuffle". 3LP version features a 31 minute long take of "Good News" – with a very long tenor solo from Steve Marcus! LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime guitar work from the great Johnny Smith – a musician who was years ahead of his time, and influenced a generation with his clean, clear tone on the instrument! Smith's in a perfect setting here – a Roost label quartet date that includes Bob Pancost on piano, George Roumanis on bass, and Mousie Alexander on drums – a very understated group that really lets Johnny's wonderful tones and colors stand strongly out front! Titles include "0500 Blues", "Old Girl", "Tired Blood", "Un Poco Loco", and "More Bass". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderfully raw keyboard trio session from the Norwegian scene of the early 70s – served up by a group led by Christian Reim, who you may know from more modern jazz-styled material, but who's in a killer funky group here! Reim plays Fender Rhodes and organ next to the guitar of Rickard Rolf – a player who's got plenty of rock chops, and really knows how to bring out a bolder solo next to the grooves of Reim and drummer Tom Karlsen – as they step out on long tracks that also have a similar soulful vibe to some of the Webster Lewis famous recordings at Club 7! Titles include long takes on "Them Changes", "Anything", "Bloodthirst", "Dance Of The Maya", and "Sometime Ago". LP, Vinyl record album

Two nice Prestige blowing sessions from the 50s – featuring Donald Byrd right up front. The first LP of the set was issued as Two Trumpets with Art Farmer joining Byrd, set in a sextet with Jackie McLean, Doug Watkins, Barry Harris, and Art Taylor. The harder sound of Byrd is a nice mix with the lyricism of Farmer, and the open-ended nature of the set lets them get a bit more open in their solos than usual. 5 numbers are included: "Contour", "Round Midnight", "The Third", "When Your Lover Has Gone" and "Dig". The second set was issued as The Young Bloods, with Byrd accompanied by sidemen he's not often heard with, Phil Woods, Al Haig, Teddy Kotick and Charlie Persip. Like the first side, it's a rousing set of bop, played with a great deal of fire. 6 numbers make up that set, including "Dewey Square", "Dupeltook", "Once Moore", "House Of Chain", "In Walked George" and "Lover Man". LP, Vinyl record album

Great small combo work from Jon Faddis – with Kenny Barron on piano, George Mraz on bass, and Mickey Roker on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

An unexpected treasure – like so many of Art Farmer's later albums! The record is ostensibly a tribute to the music of Billy Strayhorn – which might make us expect some soporific Ellington cliches – but the session's really just a small group one, played by Art with a quintet that includes Clifford Jordan, James Williams, Rufus Reid, and Marvin Smitty Smith – all coming together in a fluidly soulful style that's really great. Farmer's work on flugelhorn seems even more inventive than ever – and titles include "Bloodcount", "Johnny Come Lately", "Isfahan", "Raincheck", and "Upper Manhattan Medical Group". LP, Vinyl record album

With AD on guitar, bass, and vocals, Beth Youngblood on violin and vocals, Perry Hines on percussion, Howard Hanger on piano, Neil Taylor on trumpet, and Lynn Neighbors on vocals. LP, Vinyl record album

More great grooves by this incredible band with a real talent for mixing jazz funk organ with a much freer sensibility – hitting a range of influences that run the gamut from Jimmy Smith to Larry Young, and blending them into something all their own. Titles include "Spy Kiss", "Night Marchers", "Kenny", "Lifeblood", "Henduck", "Think", and "Dracula". LP, Vinyl record album

A driver it is – one of Buddy's best jazz records from the 60s, with a straight lineup that includes Seldon Powell on tenor and Mike Mainieri on vibes – both of whom give the set a cool feel that's somewhere in between Buddy's swinging work of the 50s, and his groovier late 60s sides. There's loads of nice little tracks on the record – many written by Ernie Wilkins, who also arranged the set – and titles include "Brainwashed", "Big Leg Mary", "Bloody Mary", and "Miss Bessie's Cookin". LP, Vinyl record album

Michal Urbaniak's third Fusion set for Columbia – very fittingly titled, considering what a huge influence his playing had on the genre! The album's a very tight batch of groovers – soaring and spacious, but never overindulgent – sometimes featuring scatting vocals by wife Urszula Dudziak, and also sporting strong rhythms from drummers Gerald Brown and Steve Gadd – both of whom really bring a nice solid bottom to the set, and help keep things focused! Yet then again, Urbaniak's always been one of the more focused players of his generation – especially on American recordings like this. There's lots of keyboards and electric grooving in the mix – and titles include "Chinatown", "Bloody Kishka", "Cameo", "Stretch", "Metroliner", "Roskana", and "Kuyaviak Goes Funky". LP, Vinyl record album