Early early work by Duke Pearson – and one of his few trio sessions ever! The album's a great way to hear Pearson's lyrical soulful style at work, as he's playing in an unfettered setting with Gene Taylor on bass and Lex Humphries on drums – really stretching out on piano, in a way that you don't often hear on some of his larger group albums – a much more intimate side of this great pianist, before he rose to become an important arranger and producer at Blue Note during the late 60s. The album features two of his own compositions "Gate City Bop" and "Two Mile Ride", plus versions of "Black Coffee", "Taboo", and "Witchcraft". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little record, and one that shows just why Blue Note chose to put "amazing" in the title of every Bud Powell album they released! The set's a live one, done at Birdland – and Bud's working here with a trio that features the young Sam Jones on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums – both musicians you might be more likely to hear over at Riverside Records, and who help give Powell a mighty solid formation here! There's a strong sense of cohesiveness to the trio, and we're always in love with Jones on bass – but it's also clear that Bud's the shining star of the date, as he amazes the world once again with his restless sense of imagination and creativity on the keys of the piano! Titles include "Marmalade", "Monopoly", "John's Abbey", "Dry Soul", "Time Waits", "Buster Rides Again", and two takes of "Sub City". LP, Vinyl record album

A whole new side of the talents of Sun Ra – especially if you only know the longer-style jams on some of his albums from the 60s and 70s! From the very start of his career, Ra was every bit as interested in issuing music on 45s as he was on albums – and in fact, at some of the more desperate times, the 7" single turned out to be a very affordable format to try out new ideas – including some great projects with other artists! The array of work presented here is stunning – as the set includes some very up-close and personal moments with Ra on record, plus some tight jazzy tracks from the Arkestra, surprising vocal group material designed to crack the R&B market, and some especially cool projects with other singers too. The package is put together with very detailed notes on all the singles – and while the bulk of this material comes from the key Arkestra years of the late 50s through the early 80s, there's also a few tracks from other dates too – including a handful of songs that were only issued as 45s in later years. This limited part 2 of the vinyl set features wonderful tracks from later years – including "The Blue Set", "Space Loneliness", "State Street", "Love In Outer Space", "Mayan Temple", "Quest", "Rough House Blues", "Journey To Saturn", "Blues On Planet Mars", "The Bridge", "Rocket #9", "The Perfect Man", "Outer Space Plateau", "Extensions", "Orbitration In Blue", "A Blue One", "Big City Blue", "I'm Gonna Unmask The Batman", "Saturn Moon", "Disco 2021", "Sometimes I'm Happy", "I Am The Instrument", "Cosmic Drama", "Nuclear War", "Hell #1", and "Cosmo-Extensions" – plus the tracks "Tell Her To Come On Home" and "I'm Making Believe" by Little Mack. LP, Vinyl record album

Funky funky funky! Lonnie plays live with a tight group that includes tenor, guitar, and some very heavy drumming – really wailing at a level that was surprising for funky organists of the time, and which really set the pace for a whole new generation! The players are more obscure than on the usual Blue Note sides – save for Ronnie Cuber, who played baritone with Mongo Santamaria, and is one of the most underrated 60s funky players. Recorded live at the Club Harlem in Atlantic City, and with a deep raw funky sound that must have blown the roof off the club! Titles include "Move Your Hand", "Layin' In the Cut", "Charlie Brown", and "Sunshine Superman". One of his best ever! LP, Vinyl record album

Landmark stuff – a killer session of funky guitar jazz, and the record that gave Ivan "Boogaloo" Joe Jones his nickname! The set's a full-on wailer that really blows away Joe's first two on Prestige – breaking out ouf the box with a killer lineup that includes Rusty Bryant on tenor, Bernard Purdie on drums, and Sonny Phillips on organ – all working with Joe's incredibly tight guitar lines to craft some wicked tunes that take soul jazz firmly into the sound of the 70s! Titles include "Boogaloo Joe", "People Are Talking", "Dream On Little Dreamer", and "Atlantic City Soul". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet funky Q for the 70s – easily one of the coolest albums ever from Quincy Jones! The album's got a very heavy electric vibe – one that's kind of a laidback take on the styles that Jones was forging in some of his 70s soundtrack work – served up with massive work on the keyboards from Dave Grusin and Bob James, the latter of whom brings some of his own CTI vibe strongly into play! The basslines are great too – often dipping, stepping, and turning wonderfully – keeping things laidback and mellow, but always making for some sort of a groove, even on the slower tracks too. There's just a bit of vocals on the record – handled by Valerie Simpson on two tracks, and Quincy on another – but the main focus here is on the instrumentation, which is completely sublime. Titles include Quincy's great remake of "Summer In The City", an oft-sought sample track – plus versions of "Superstition", "Daydreaming", and "You've Got It Bad Girl" – and the great originals "Chump Change", "Love Theme From The Getaway", "Eyes Of Love", and "Sanford & Son Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite Lee Morgan albums, and one of his least known – a set recorded in the crucial last five years of his life, and a sparkling mix of hard bop, soul jazz, and slight bits of modernism – that magical mix that Lee was hitting as he reached farther and farther with his music – an amazing legacy in jazz that has us loving every Morgan session from 1965 onward! Lee's playing in very comfortable territory, with a group that includes Bennie Maupin on tenor, Cedar Walton on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – but that doesn't mean that the proceedings are relaxed at all, because the interplay between the players is flawless, and they use their familiarity as a great springboard to soar off into rich new territory. Lee wrote all the tunes on the record – like "Caramba", "Suicide City", and "Soulita". An excellent record throughout, and one that we'd never part with! LP, Vinyl record album

A surprising jazz funk stunner from drummer Idris Muhammad – part of his great second chapter of work for CTI in the 70s! Idris is working here in a style that's very different than his heavy-footed funky work on Prestige and Blue Note – and while it's easy to criticize him for not keeping the same old breakbeat funk style, it's also important to give him a lot of credit for pushing his vision way past the simple stock style of the earlier days! The record's a very nice set of complicated jazzy grooves – some a bit clubby, but many very nice, and with the kind of sophisticated funk arrangements that were on the best Kudu records. No surprise that Dave Matthews is putting together most of the cuts, save for one excellent groove that's arranged by Tom Harrell. Players include Fred Wesley, Ronnie Cuber, Eric Gale, and Wilbur Bascomb – and titles include "Baia", "Sudan", "Hey Pocky A Way", "Theme For New York City", which is based on the same Chopin haunting tune as Serge Gainsbourg's "Jane B"! LP, Vinyl record album

A killer session from Horace Silver – a record that has the legendary Blue Note pianist working with his famous quintet that includes Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Junior Cook on tenor, Gene Taylor on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums! The album's one of the group's first, and really showcases their sublime blend of rootsy soul jazz rhythms and more exotic, sophisticated approaches to arranging – playing in a style that mixes harder grooves with more meditative compositions with incredible lyrical beauty! The album includes tracks that mix both of these styles – and titles include the classic "Sister Sadie", plus "Baghdad Blues", "Melancholy Mood", "Break City", "St Vitus Dance", and the lovely "Peace". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer session from Horace Silver – a record that has the legendary Blue Note pianist working with his famous quintet that includes Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Junior Cook on tenor, Gene Taylor on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums! The album's one of the group's first, and really showcases their sublime blend of rootsy soul jazz rhythms and more exotic, sophisticated approaches to arranging – playing in a style that mixes harder grooves with more meditative compositions with incredible lyrical beauty! The album includes tracks that mix both of these styles – and titles include the classic "Sister Sadie", plus "Baghdad Blues", "Melancholy Mood", "Break City", "St Vitus Dance", and the lovely "Peace". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost Chet Baker session from the late 70s! This one was recorded in Paris in 1978 – and it's a wonderfully laidback set that has Chet blowing with a group that features Phil Markowitz on piano, JF Jenny-Clarke on bass, and Jeff Brillinger on drums. The tone of the tracks is very even-keeled – and Chet's tone and phrasing are some of his best for the 70s, more open ended than on earlier sessions, in a lyrical contemplative way that's always fairly pleasing. Chet sings on one or two numbers – which is a bit chilling, given the deteriorated state of his palette at the time – and numbers include "Black Eyes", "Broken Wing", "How Deep Is The Ocean", and "Blue Gilles". LP, Vinyl record album

One of a handful of documents from the late 50s of an early incarnation of Ornette's group, that still featured piano, before he decided to pursue the more limitless possibilities of a keyless harmelodic group. Paul Bley joins Ornette, Don Cherry, Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins in this seminal recording, which offers an altogether different perspective on Coleman's formative years developing the free concept. 4 numbers in all: "Klactoveesedstene", "I Remember Harlem", "The Blessing" and "Free". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite albums ever by Kenny Dorham – and a really different session than his usual studio work! The album captures Kenny in a relaxed live setting, with a bit more dirt on his horn than usual – blowing with a tone that's much more open and a bit less poised – in the company of a really great group that features JR Monterose on tenor, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Bobby Timmons on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Arthur Edgehill on drums. The album features a really wonderful take on Dorham's boppish "Mexico City", plus other enigmatic compositions like "Monaco" and "Hill's Edge" – and versions of "Round Midnight" and "Autumn In New York". LP, Vinyl record album

A great snapshot of jazzy London in the years before the acid jazz explosion of the late 80s – and a surprisingly great soundtrack that's stood the test of time much more than the actual film! The music here represents a jazz-based undercurrent of the London scene that was already turning its ears back in time – to a pre-mod era of the late 50s, which is the setting for Colin MacInnes original novel used for the film – portrayed here in a pastiche of vocal and instrumental songs that often have a fair bit of classic touches! Gil Evans was brought in for most of the instrumentals, and turns out some really sparkling charts that have all the charm of his best work of the 50s – and other contemporary artists do a pretty great job themselves – at least on the more jazz-based numbers. Evans numbers include versions of Charles Mingus' "Boogie Stop Shuffle" and "Better Git It In Your Soul", plus his own "Va Va Vaoom" – and the better jazzy tunes includes the excellent "Killer Blow" by Sade, plus "Have You Ever Had It Blue" by The Style Council, "That's Motivation" and "Absolute Beginners" by David Bowie, "Rodrigo Bay" by Working Week, "Selling Out" by Slim Gaillard, and "Riot City" by Jerry Dammers. (Soundtracks, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent small group work from vibist Terry Gibbs – just the kind of set that shows why he was one of the best known players on his instrument in the 50s! Gibbs has a clear, clean style here that's never too laidback, nor too prone to over-done flourishes – a style that was born in swing, informed by bop, and carried off beautifully by a quartet on the date that includes Terry Pollard on piano, Herman Wright on bass, and Bert Dale (aka Nils Bertil Dahlander) on drums. The sound is nicely straight ahead – no gimmicks, no schtick, just nicely grooving work on vibes and piano – with tracks that include "Seven Come Eleven", "Lonely Dreams", "Dickie's Dream", "Imagination", "King City Stomp", "Pretty Face", "The Continental", "Bless My Soles", and "Nutty Notes". LP, Vinyl record album

An extremely striking sextet session from pianist Barry Harris – quite unlike most of his other work from the time! The group on the album features Pepper Adams on baritone, Junior Cook on tenor, and Slide Hampton on trombone – and that brace of three horns gives a really solid feel to the album – working with the rhythm trio of Harris, Bob Cranshaw, and Lenny McBrowne on tunes that swing with a jagged, almost modern style – but which have a lot of the soulfully arranged undertones of Slide Hampton's own work. Arrangements are by Harris, and they're great – really leading us to wonder why he didn't work more in this mode. Titles include "Luminescence", "Webb City", "Even Steven", and "Dance Of The Infidels". LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection of rare material by Hawk, put together by Henri Renaud for CBS France. The set features tracks recorded in a number of different settings – with The Chocolate DAndies, Red McKenzie's Mound City Blue Blowers, Benny Goodman, Jack Purvis Orchestra, Count Basie, and Hawkins' own orchestra. Titles include "Dark Clouds", "Hush My Mouth", "Ain't Cha Got Music", "9:20 Special", and "Feedin The Bean". LP, Vinyl record album

Spacey electric work from guitarist Pat Martino – a record that seems to be as concerned with sound overall as it is with the jazz stylings of Martino's guitar – and we mean that in a good way! The older modes of Martino's 60s soul jazz work are very far gone by now – but in their place is a new sense of space and tone, one that makes him a completely different player altogether! A few cuts get hard and funky – pairing Martino with the fierce keyboard work of Gil Goldstein – while others are mellower and atmospheric, with lots of moody sounds floating along. Titles include "Fall", "Nefertiti", "City Lights", "Blue Macaw", "Prelude", and "Masquerade". LP, Vinyl record album

A great meeting of two generations of jazz – and one that really blows the top off some of Dexter Gordon's other European sessions of the time! The setting here is definitely one that's more a Gordon-based date – long tracks with rhythm backing from a trio with Kenny Drew on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Alex Riel on drums. But unlike some of the other long-blown Gordon-heavy albums for the stretch, the presence of Jackie McLean really brings in a new sort of fire – the kind of soaring, soulful energy he brought to his own records in these immediate post-Blue Note years – almost a Coltrane influence, and a sense of spiritualism that really comes through on some of his solo moments – even in this relatively straight setting. Titles include Gordon's "All Clean", Sahib Shihab's "Rue De La Harpe", Drew's "Sunset", and a nice take of "On The Trail". LP, Vinyl record album

A monstrous bit of jazz funk from drummer Alphonse Mouzon – spacey tracks in a choppy style that reminds us a bit of some of the best European fusion albums from the period, but with a harder groove overall! Mini Moog and ARP trip out the sound throughout, but the underlying rhythms are nice and heavy. Lee Ritenour's on guitar, and he gets a lot of play on the record – but the main groove is Alphonse's heavy funky snakefoot! Al's drums and percussion are furiously frenetic, and he also plays a lot of keyboards – and other players include Tom Scott on tenor, Dave Grusin on clavinet, Victor Feldman on bongos and congas, and Charles Meeks on bass. A few tracks have vocals – by Marty McCall, Jackie Ward, and Caroline Willis – as well as Alphonse himself and the album's also got two very nice break-oriented tracks – "Snake Walk" and "New York City" – both with nice hard drums! Titles include a number of other good fusion groovers, like "Without A Reason", "Just Like the Sun", "Before You Leave", "Just Like The Sun", and "Mouzon Moves On". LP, Vinyl record album

With Philip Catherine on guitar, Ole Kock Hnasen on piano, and Billy Higgins on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet electric fusion from violinist Noel Pointer – a player so great, you'll forget that he's using an instrument you normally associate with sleepier music! Like others of the 70s generation, Pointer plays the violin in a way that's clearly heavily influenced by keyboards of the time – electric in amplification, and worked in a mode that uses the instrument to create waves of sound that flow out amongst the tighter fusion rhythms of the set. Dave Grusin arranged and produced the set – in his best lean soulful mode of the time – and other players include Earl Klugh, Ralph MacDonald, Steve Gadd, and Grusin himself. Titles include "Mirabella", "Night Song", "Living For The City", "Phantazia", and "Wafaring Stranger". (Soul, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little set by Sonny Stitt and Zoot Sims – recorded in Chicago after the two had played together at the Plugged Nickel in the Windy City! Backing is by the trio of pianist John Young – who gives the album a rolling bottom groove that shows off the Chicago sound of the early 60s quite nicely – and both Stitt and Sims respond with some strong solo work on their own part, opening up a bit more than on other sides at the time. Sonny plays both alto and tenor, and tracks include three originals by Stitt – "The Saber", "Katea", and "I Want To Go Home" – as well as "My Blue Heaven", "Fools Rush In", and "Look Down That Lonesome Road". LP, Vinyl record album

A 2LP set that features the core album Interaction by Stitt & Sims – plus a lot of additional material from other albums. The core set was recorded in Chicago after the two had played together at the Plugged Nickel in the Windy City! Backing is by the trio of John Young – who gives the album a rolling bottom groove that shows off the Chicago sound of the early 60s quite nicely – and both Stitt and Sims respond with some strong solo work on their own part, opening up a bit more than on other sides at the time. Tracks include three originals by Stitt – "The Saber", "Katea", and "I Want To Go Home" – as well as "My Blue Heaven", "Fools Rush In", and "Look Down That Lonesome Road". Added to that is some material from the Zoot Sims Quartet album on Argo from 1956 – featuring the tracks "That Old Feeling" and "Woody N You" – plus tracks from the 1960 Stitt set Burning – including the tracks "It's Hipper Than That" and "How High The Moon". LP, Vinyl record album

London's Total Refreshment Centre has been one of the world's hippest musical venues in recent years – a fantastic showcase for all the sorts of groundbreaking, genre-busting work that's been happening in the city – as well as host to some equally free-thinking artists from around the globe! There's not set styles here – music moves easily between jazz, soul, funk, hip hop, and some more cosmic styles at times – similar to the energy of the International Anthem label's more inventive projects – one of whom appear on the set. Many of these artists have not gotten the full exposure they're due, either releasing material on small labels or just online – and it's wonderful to have all this material pulled together in such a great statement on the forefront of jazz in the 2020s! Titles include "Closed Circle" by Byron Wallen, "Visions" by Soccer 96 with Kieron Boothe, "Crescent (city swamp dub)" by Jake Long, "Eloquence" by Matters Unknown with Miryam Solomon, "Isa"by Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange with Noah Slee, "Black" by Neu Grafik with Brother Portrait, and a nice reworking of the Stanley Cowell classic "Plight" by Resavoir. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest albums ever recorded by hardbop trombone legend Bennie Green – an all-star sextet session that cooks like a mofo! The group features the twin tenors of Billy Root and Gene Ammons (billed just as "Jug" on the session, because of contractual reasons) – and it crackles with electricity from a rhythm section that features Ike Isaacs on bass, Sonny Clark on piano, and Elvin Jones on drums. There's some fantastic tracks on here, including Babs Gonzales' "Lullaby of the Doomed", and a monster jam called "We Wanna Cook", which was once described to us as "all you ever need to have a house party" – to which we wholeheartedly agree! Other tracks include "Black Pearl", "BG Mambo", and "Soul Stirrin" – and the album's one of the heaviest duty Blue Notes from the time! LP, Vinyl record album

A very groovy album from pianist Les McCann – one that adds some great guitar work from Vincent Corrao to the usual trio – which features the great Paul Humphrey on drums and Victor Gaskin on bass! The guitar opens the tunes up a bit more than usual, and lets Les and crew move from hard and soulful, to mellow and bluesy with one easy sweep of the strings on the guitar. Titles include two vocal numbers – "The Great City" and "Green Green Rocky Road" – plus "The Grabber", "Les McNasty", "Beaux J Pooboo", "Bat Man", and "Send Me Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer piano jazz, and some of the greatest modernist work ever recorded by Blue Note! Herbie Nichols deserves every bit of the rare fame he ever got – and it's only the paucity of his recordings that has kept him from achieving the status of Thelonious Monk or Cecil Taylor as an avant garde forefather – which makes this album a really key piece of a too-small jazz puzzle! Nichols is amazing throughout – bristling with new ideas, and a fresh approach to modern jazz that also transforms the presence of the other two members of the trio – Art Blakey on drums and Al McKibbon on bass, both of whom are clearly following Herbie's lead here. All titles are original – Nichols was a hell of a writer – and titles include "Third World", "Step Tempest", "Dance Line", "Blue Chopsticks", "Shuffle Montgomery", "Brass Rings", "Crisp Day", and "Amoeba's Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the coolest album so far in the Red Hot series – even amidst the unique Sun Ra subgroup – as the album's the brainchild of Meshell Ndegeocello, and comes together with all the complex soulfulness of her own recent albums! Back in the 90s, Meshell was a great but more mainstream soul artist – and over the years, she's developed into a really fascinating talent – one able to reach out with a complex blend of jazz, funk, and soul elements – woven into patterns that are always very much her own – a musical legacy that the great Sun Ra might have appreciated! Ndegeocello leads a very diverse lineup here – playing bass and keyboards, and singing a bit – next to other players who include longtime Arkestra giant Marshall Allen on alto and EWI, plus Immanuel Wilkins on alto, Christopher Bruce on guitar, Darius Jones on saxes, Daniel Mintseris on keyboards, and Justin Hicks, Pink Siifu, Kenita Miller, Nio Levon, and Hanna Benn on vocals. The album channels Ra's spirit through territory that's very much Meshell's own – and titles include "Yet Differently Not Mars Hall", "El Soul The Companion Traveler", "The World Of Shadow", "Reproductive Manatees/Sunny Said Up", "Bedlam Blues", "#9 Venus The Living Myth", and "Departure Guide Of The 7 Sisters". LP, Vinyl record album

A Count Basie trio set – the second meeting of the Kansas City Three, a combo that features Ray Brown on bass an Louis Bellson on drums! Basie's really great here – out front, and moving with modes that are quite different than his fuller group sessions – surprisingly sensitive at points, even though still imbued with all of his trademark swing! Bellson's touch on the kit really helps – punctuating things, while never going too far at all – a nice punch, right when needed – and Ray Brown proves once again that he's just the right fit for just about any combo. Titles include "Racehorse", "Blues For Eric", "Draw", "Sandman", "If I Could Be With You For One Hour Tonight", and "I Surrender Dear". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the coolest album so far in the Red Hot series – even amidst the unique Sun Ra subgroup – as the album's the brainchild of Meshell Ndegeocello, and comes together with all the complex soulfulness of her own recent albums! Back in the 90s, Meshell was a great but more mainstream soul artist – and over the years, she's developed into a really fascinating talent – one able to reach out with a complex blend of jazz, funk, and soul elements – woven into patterns that are always very much her own – a musical legacy that the great Sun Ra might have appreciated! Ndegeocello leads a very diverse lineup here – playing bass and keyboards, and singing a bit – next to other players who include longtime Arkestra giant Marshall Allen on alto and EWI, plus Immanuel Wilkins on alto, Christopher Bruce on guitar, Darius Jones on saxes, Daniel Mintseris on keyboards, and Justin Hicks, Pink Siifu, Kenita Miller, Nio Levon, and Hanna Benn on vocals. The album channels Ra's spirit through territory that's very much Meshell's own – and titles include "Yet Differently Not Mars Hall", "El Soul The Companion Traveler", "The World Of Shadow", "Reproductive Manatees/Sunny Said Up", "Bedlam Blues", "#9 Venus The Living Myth", and "Departure Guide Of The 7 Sisters". LP, Vinyl record album

The second smoking Live Oblivion set from Brian Auger and crew – twice as long, and maybe even twice as funky as the first! The tunes on here all really push the ten minute mark – stretching out the original Auger conception on studio sides, and featuring plenty of room for really wicked solo work on organ and electric piano! The live setting seems to inspire the group to even greater new heights – and there's an intensity here that makes for some really great moments. Titles include the wonderful break-heavy version of "Compared To What" – plus "Second Wind", "Maiden Voyage", "Straight Ahead", "Freedom Jazz Dance", and "Inner City Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Genius work from Moody – and a larger session than usual – one that shows his strong talents with an expanded lineup! Moody's working here with players that have a definite Dizzy Gillespie Big Band bent – including trumpeter Dave Burns, trombonist William Shepherd, baritonist Pee Wee Moore, and pianist Jimmy Boyd – but they're working with Moody in a groove that's got equal parts modern alongside the bop, in a way that makes for some complicated arrangements that bristle with electricity. There's almost a bit of Gigi Gryce or Benny Golson in the spirit of the set – and Moody's work on alto is an especially good example of this on the record. Eddie Jefferson makes a great vocal appearance on "Disappointed" – and other tracks include "Little Ricky", "Big Ben", "Show Eyes", "Hard To Get", and "And You Called My Name". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty swinging batch of tracks that are very much in the same vein as Buddy Morrow's crime jazz LPs cut for RCA at the end of the 50s! The album features all TV themes from the time, most of them detective ones – like "Richard Diamond", "Perry Mason", "Naked City", "Sea Hunt", "Peter Gunn", and "Riff Blues" – plus a few others from westerns or other action shows. In all, the set's a very strong one in the style – with a blaring hard sound that must have been great to hear coming out of a tinny little speaker on an old black & white TV! (Now Sound, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

The sound of Gerry Mulligan in the early 60s – and one of the best records by his larger than usual Concert Jazz Band! Given Gerry's piano-less experiments of the 50s, it's surprising to actually have him as the pianist on this session – hitting the keys with a nice light touch, so that the larger horn section can take over most of the tunes – a beautifully-arranged ensemble who have a feel that's lighter than some of the groups of the 50s – such as the Kenton ensemble – yet one that's equally modern at times! The lineup is wonderful – with Clark Terry and Nick Travis on trumpets, Willie Dennis and Bob Brookmeyer on trombones, and Gene Quill, Gene Allen, and Eddie Caine on saxes – plus guitar from Jim Hall, bass from Bill Crow, and drums from Gus Johnson. Titles include "Big City Life", "Bridgehampton South", "My Kind Of Love", "Pretty Gypsy", "Bridgehampton Strut", and "Big City Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful beautiful early work from Dave Pike – a cascading array of vibes and piano – stretched out over some longer tracks that skip with a lyrical and modal groove throughout! Dave's working here with a group that includes Bill Evans on piano, Herbie Lewis on bass, and Walter Perkins on drums – and although his style is a bit more restrained than on his later funk albums, it also proves to be a wonderful match for the fluid colors of Evans' work on piano – as well as Perkins' light and playful work on the drum kit. There's a simplicity here that's really great – not as "over your head" as the Dave Pike Set of later years, and with a gentle grace that shows what a keenly mature player Pike was, even at this early age. Titles include "Why Not", "Vierd Blues", "Besame Mucho", and "Wild Is The Wind". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic from Jimmy Rushing – recorded at a time when he was really finding a new audience for his vocals! In a style that Columbia was using on a number of sides in the late 50s and early 60s, Jimmy and Buck do a bit of educatin' – and trace a progression of jazz styles from New Orleans, to Chicago, to Kansas City, and New York. The Odyssey's not really Jimmy's, so much as it is the jazz that was defined by the white liberal tastes that always were the main force between Columbia in the early years – but the set's still a nice one, like all of Jimmy's later work for Columbia, which features some of the best-recorded vocal work of his career. Titles include "New Orleans", "Doctor Blues", "Rosetta", "Piney Brown Blues", "Lullaby Of Broadway", and "Some Of These Days". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Really wonderful live material from tenor genius Archie Shepp – recorded in Paris, a city that always seemed to bring out the best in his music! Here, Shepp's blowing in a mode that's like some of his later Impulse Records from the early 70s – more spiritual overall, with a free-flowing blend of influences, and a slight nod to the straighter sounds that would emerge a bit more in the decade – served up with a very hip quintet that includes Siegfried Kessler on piano, Bob Reid on bass, Noel McGhie on drums, and Pablo Kino on percussion! The bottom-heavy sound of the group is wonderfully offset by Shepp's raspy, soulful tone on tenor – on titles that include a long take on "Things Have Got To Change" – plus "Blues For Donald Duck" and "Along Came Betty". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal early recording from one of our favorite reed players ever! In the late 1950s, the young Frank Strozier came up to Chicago from Memphis, along with his longtime friend, pianist Harold Mabern. The two of them both settled nicely in the city's MJT+3 combo, where they proceeded to record some incredible hardbop sessions for Vee Jay. During that same time, Strozier began to emerge as a strong soloist and a competent leader in his own right, and Vee Jay gave him a much-needed crack at this debut album. The session's a perfect showcase for Strozier's lyrical beauty, and given the quality of the work, it's a wonder he was never more famous. The group's a quintet, and Strozier's ably teamed with Booker Little, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb. Titles include "WK Blues", "Waltz Of The Demons", "Runnin", and "Off Shore". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly one of the most successful Japanese piano trio recordings of the 70s – a super-session performed by a group that includes Joe Sample on acoustic piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums! Given that Sample's best known during the era for his electric keys with the Crusaders (and on countless studio sessions), it's a real treat to hear him tickle the ivories in an acoustic way – and a genuine surprise to hear how strong his work is in such a format. Joe manages to swing the tunes with plenty of creative improvisation, but also keeps a strong focus on the groove too – making for an album that's got some of the rhythmic flourishes of the best work of the Oscar Peterson trio in later years, but with some of the added freedoms of the Japanese scene. Titles include "On Green Dolphin Street", "Round Midnight", "Funky Blues", "Manha Do Carnaval", "Yearnin", and "Satin Doll". LP, Vinyl record album

Very hip, never-issued work from this legendary jazz guitarist – tracks recorded at the same time as his classic Better Days album, but appearing on this set for the first time ever! The "behind" in the title is very apt – as the group here is the lean trio at the core of that bigger album – with fantastic electric bass from the legendary Carol Kaye, who's definitely at her most soulful here – and really brings something out of Joe than the sound of some of his other 70s albums. The great Paul Humphrey is on drums, too – another funky legend in the group – and titles include "Slick Cat", "In The City", "Love Is", "Bass Blues", "Flying Down To Baja", "The Preacher", and "Better Days (alternate)". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet RCA work by Bob Brookmeyer – with players who include Gene Quill on alto, Al Cohn on tenor, and Nick Travis on trumpet! Titles include "Big City Life", "Gone Latin", "Confusion Blues", and "Oh Jane Snavely". LP, Vinyl record album

Insanely wonderful early work from Charlie Mariano – some of the freshest, cleanest alto sax work of its time – blown with a tone and sense of soul that goes way beyond some of Mariano's contemporaries at the time! The album was recorded for Bethlehem Records, and is relatively straight – but Charlie already shows a sense of complexity in his presentation that hints at all the greatness to come – and which bursts out here with some refreshing energy that really makes the whole thing sparkle. Charlie's tone is impeccable – somewhere between Lee Konitz and Charlie Parker, with that back bay Boston blend of soul and modernism, making the city one of the best scenes for alto players in the 50s – and he gets some strong rhythm support from the trio of John Williams on piano, Max Bennett on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums. Titles include "Blues", "Floormat", "I Heard You Cried Last Night", "Johnny One Note", and "King For A Day". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe not the very beginning of James Moody's career – but definitely some tracks from the early years, recorded overseas in 1949 – with material done both in Paris and Zurich! Some tracks are under Moody's leadership, and some under the name of Max Roach – and Moody blows tenor on almost all numbers, save for two which have him dropping out in favor of Kenny Dorham's trumpet. Other players include Al Haig on piano, Trummie Young on trumpet, Red Allen on alto, and Tommy Potter on bass – and most numbers have that sharp-edged, slightly modern tinge that marked Moody's famous early years. Titles include "Moody & Soul", "Monday Blues", "Maximum", "Tomorrow", "Baby Sis", "Prince Albert", and "Just Moody". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare return to recording for alto player Buster Smith – captured here in a setting that's even sharper than before! Smith has roots that go back to the 30s bands of Bennie Moten and Andy Kirk – but he also was an early boss of Charlie Parker, who claimed to be strongly influenced by his alto – and you can definitely hear Buster take off in a few Bird-like flights during the set! The groove is mostly older swing-based jazz, yet there's a sharper edge too – and certainly an understanding of bop that informs the solos. Buster's tone is incredible throughout – deeply personal, and very soulful – and titles include "Late Late", "Organ Grinder's Swing", "King Alcohol", and "Kansas City Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Lew Tabackin looks a bit stiff on the cover of this one (who wouldn't, in a tan polyester suit?) – but the record's a surprisingly hip date, and a great chance to hear Lew away from his 70s big band with Toshiko Akioshi! As the title and cover imply, the album features Tabackin's "dual nature" on reeds – with one side of flute performances, and another of tenor – both of which are surprisingly soulful. The flute work is somewhat sensitive, and beautifully done – almost poetic at points, and played with a style that's quite different than Lew's big band work. Group members include Don Friedman on piano, Bob Daughtery on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums and waterphone – a rhythm section that really matches the sensitivity of Tabackin's groove on the titles "Euteurpe", "Yellow Is Mellow", and "Out Of This World". The tenor work is a bit more hard-edged, almost boppish, but with a slightly more laidback feel – and titles include "No Dues Blues", "My Ideal", and a great take on "Russian Lullaby". LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of Parisian sessions from Don Byas – tracks recorded in the city that gave Don his warmest welcome of the postwar years, and which provided him with wonderful players to work with! The first 6 numbers feature a quartet with Byas on tenor and Mary Lou Williams on piano – working here with Don in a surprisingly soulful, straight way – really adding a lot to the set with her own original tunes "OW", "Mary's Waltz", "NME", and "Why". The next 3 numbers feature Byas working with pianist Beryl Booker, who also sings a bit too – on a version of "I Should Care" – alongside instrumental versions of "Makin Whoopee" and "Bery Booker's Byas-ed Blues". Last up are 3 tracks by Don Byas Et Ses Rhythmes – a cool combo with the great Fats Sadi on vibes and Maurice Vander on piano – on titles that include "Jordu", "Anatole", and "Lover Come Back To Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Man, it's like a talent bomb exploded! This set's stuffed with work by some of the greatest jazz funk players of the early 70s – Johnny Hammond, Bob James, Deodato, George Benson, Joe Farrell, Stanley Turrentine, Freddie Hubbard, Grover Washington Jr, Hubert Laws, and others – all playing together at a massive live concert recorded in Hollywood in 1972! And although you might worry that the collection of so many great talents on one stage might just create confusion – don't! The quality of the work is excellent – almost better than the best of the CTI studio sides, with a lean, clean sound that's really really tight – never overblown, just sweet electric funk with loads of great space for solo work. This first volume of the 3 LP set includes takes of "First Light", "California Dreaming" and a medley of "Inner City Blues" and "What's Going On". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant album that follows on the trend that was begun by Sinatra and Tony Bennett – one that takes strong jazz backings from Count Basie to push a singer past the usual pop format! Sammy didn't always get backing this strong – and the album's got Quincy Jones handling the arrangements for Basie in the same mode the he used on the Sinatra/Basie sides for Reprise. Titles include "The Girl From Ipanema", "She's A Woman", "New York City Blues", "Work Song", and "Blues For Mr Charlie" – and the album even features Sammy doing a bit of tap dancing! (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Posthumously released live material from rare jam session recordings from the 40s – issued here to cash in on the huge amount of Birdophiles that were cropping up after Parker's early death. The album gives no real notes on personnel or location, except to say that the tracks were recorded in 40s New York. And although the recording quality isn't excellent, Bird's solos do come through with a ferocity that greatly captures his sheer raw power in any setting. Titles include "Hot House", "Cool Blues", "Orinthology", "Groovin High", and "Round Midnight". LP, Vinyl record album

A 70s issue of 2 seminal sides from George Russell, originally recorded in the 50s. The first, New York New York is a wonderful album from George Russell – and a refreshing change from his overly-academic modernist work! The session's an unusual one – a musical portrait of New York City, performed with an all-star cast that includes John Coltrane, Art Farmer, Bill Evans, Phil Woods, Benny Golson, Max Roach, and Hal McKusick – all working together to paint tones on the tunes that George has crafted to set up his scene of New York in the 50s. Most importantly, though, Jon Hendricks acts as the narrator of the album – talking and scatting in hipster mode, laying out a bit of beat rapportage about the Big Apple, all done in a very cool 50s style that's a bit different from his own vocal work. Titles include "Manhattan", "Big City Blues", "Manhattan-Rico", and "A Helluva Town". And don't let the title of the second, Jazz In The Space Age, mislead you into thinking it's a record of bachelor pad musi. The set's one of Russell's finest recordings of the 50s, and it features some wonderful work in odd tones and scales, executed by another awesome cast of players, including Bill Evans, Paul Bley, Hal McKusick, Bob Brookmeyer, and David Young. An essential chapter in Russell's career, and nice to have in any form. Titles include "Chromatic Universe (parts 1, 2, & 3)", "Dimensions", "Waltz From Outer Space", and "The Lydiot". LP, Vinyl record album

An import collection of recordings by Tony Williams' jazz rock Lifetime project featuring John McLaughlin and Larry Young. Jack Bruce's photo is featured prominently on the cover of this album, but he's only on half the tracks, which were pulled from the group's second LP Turn It Over, while the rest are from their debut, Emergency. The album pulses with raw power that cannot be denied – a ferocity that must have been incredibly fresh at the time, and which is still, today, one of the clearest visions of a jazz rock fusion that was soon muddied too quickly in the heady waters of 70s jazz. 8 tracks in all, including "One Word", "A Famous Blues", "Vashkar", "Emergency", "Two Worlds", "Spectrum", "Big Nick" and "Vuelta Abajo". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful beautiful early work from Dave Pike – a cascading array of vibes and piano – stretched out over some longer tracks that skip with a lyrical and modal groove throughout! Dave's working here with a group that includes Bill Evans on piano, Herbie Lewis on bass, and Walter Perkins on drums – and although his style is a bit more restrained than on his later funk albums, it also proves to be a wonderful match for the fluid colors of Evans' work on piano – as well as Perkins' light and playful work on the drum kit. There's a simplicity here that's really great – not as "over your head" as the Dave Pike Set of later years, and with a gentle grace that shows what a keenly mature player Pike was, even at this early age. Titles include "Why Not", "Vierd Blues", "Besame Mucho", and "Wild Is The Wind". LP, Vinyl record album