Early material from trumpet genius Chet Baker – mostly featuring his quartet with Russ Freeman on piano, Carson Smith on bass, and Larry Bunker on drums! CD

Buddy Collette's definitely a man of many parts here – and many talents too, considering the reedwork on the set! Buddy plays alto, tenor, clarinet, and flute – using the horns with wonderful invention that really showcases his unique style of the time – that mix of modern and playful modes you'd hear in the Chico Hamilton group when Collette was around! The album features a few different groups, too – with players who include Gerald Wilson on trumpet, Ernie Freeman or Gerald Wiggins on piano, Red Callender on bass, and Larry Bunker on drums. Titles include "Ruby", "Cycle", "Cheryl Ann", "Jazz City Blues", "Zan", and "Jungle Pipe". CD

Sonny Criss plays Cole Porter – and the results are way greater than the sum of the parts – even though those parts are already pretty darn great! Criss' alto sax has a superb tone at this time – razor-sharp, and nicely crisp – yet still filled with warmth that sets it apart from some of his more modern contemporaries – a beautiful balance that really illuminates these tunes, and has you thinking of them as fresh Criss compositions, not older Porter standards. The instrumentation is quite fresh, too – thanks to the addition of Larry Bunker on vibes, which is a really nice surprise – and piano by Sonny Clark and Jimmy Bunn. The great Lawrence Marable plays drums – and titles include "I Love You", "Easy To Love", "Night & Day", and "Love For Sale". CD

Great early work from trumpeter Jon Eardley – captured here at a point when he was a budding young modernist in the 50s! The album features 2 early 10" LPs – Jon Eardley in Hollywood and Hey There Jon Eardley – both recorded for Prestige within a few months in the mid 50s. The first date features Eardley's trumpet right out front in the mix – hard, spare, and a bit angular – with backing from the piano of Pete Jolly, as well as Red Mitchell on bass and Larry Bunker on drums. Titles include "Late Leader", "Indian Spring", "Black", and "Gloss". The second session is even more interesting, as it features Eardley's horn in tandem with tenor saxophonist JR Monterose, brimming with new ideas at this point in his career, and adding a real edge to the tracks. The remaining players include George Syran on piano, Teddy Kotick on bass, and Nick Stabulas on drums – and titles include "Hey There", "Sid's Delight", "Demanton", and "If You Could See Me Now". CD

A great west coast live date from Bill Evans – one that showed that his magic on the keys was equally at home in LA as it was in New York! The session's especially noteworthy for the presence of drummer Larry Bunker – a great player who worked on countless recordings, both jazz and non-jazz, but who hits a new level here with the Evans Trio – one that almost matches that of Paul Motian for his sensitivity and lyrical interplay with Evans' piano and the bass of Chuck Israels! Titles include "Blues In F", "Our Love Is Here To Stay", "The Boy Next Door", "Swedish Pastry", and "Round Midnight" and the bonus track "All The Things You Are". CD

Two slices of never-issued work from pianist Bill Evans – material recorded on two different dates in Denmark in 1964, both featuring work from his fantastic trio that featured Chuck Israels on bass and Larry Bunker on drums! Both players were key to helping Evans develop the sound that he would carry forth strongly into the 70s – Bunker with a very subtle, open touch on the drums – and Israels with a modern conception of basswork that followed strongly from some of the experiments that Scott LaFaro had begun with Evans a few years before. The set features one batch of tracks recorded for Danish Radio, another for TV in Copenhagen – and titles include "Give", "I Didn't Know What Time It Was", "Waltz For Debby", "Sweet & Lovely", "My Foolish Heart", and "How My Heart Sings". CD also features a bonus track – a 1969 Denmark recording of "Round Midnight", with Eddie Gomez on bass and Marty Morell on drums. CD

Fantastic Verve Records material from Bill Evans – a set that follows the no-nonsense trio style of his Riverside material, but which definitely shows the evolving Evans style of the 60s! The group here is a nicely mellow one – bassist Chuck Israels, whose sound is tremendous – and drummer Larry Bunker – a player you might know from percussion work on other albums, which seems to give him a very sensitive touch on the drum kit here! Both players have a dancing quality that goes far beyond strict rhythmic timekeeping – and this approach opens up Evans' solos in to a freer mode than on some of his early 60s sets. The result is a wonderful album that really transforms the tunes – as you'll hear on the set of tracks that include "Round Midnight", "Israel", "Elsa", and "How My Heart Sings". CD

A classic split album of bop piano from both coasts – kind of a double-header in jazz, and one that really packs a punch! Hamp Hawes represents the west coast – and unlike his cool jazz contemporaries, he's grooving hard in a quartet that includes Larry Bunker on vibes, Larry Marable on drums, and Clarence Jones on bass. Hawes' playing on the record is some of his best of the 50s – and titles include "Terrible T", "Move", "Fanfare", "Hamp's Paws", and "Buzzy". The east coast side of the set is laid down by Freddie Redd – grooving hard in a rare early set, with a trio that includes John Ore on bass and Ron Jefferson on drums. Redd's titles include "Reddy Freddie", "Lady J Blues", and "Debut". CD

Volume 2 of a classic live album by Gerry – expanded to include the entire concert recorded in December of 1954 in San Diego. The group's a great one – and features Zoot Sims, Bob Brookmeyer, Larry Bunker, Red Mitchell, and Jon Eardley – and this version is expanded a lot from the original album, with 14 titles that include "Nights At The Turntable", "Blues For Tiny", "Frenesi", "Limelight", "The Red Door", "Western Reunion", and "I Know Don't Know Why". CD

Gerry Mulligan on baritone sax and Chet Baker on trumpet joined by Bobby Whitlock, Carson Smith and Henry Grimes on bass, and Chico Hamilton, Larry Bunker, and Dave Bailey on drums. CD

A classic 50s album on Savoy – a set that's almost as memorable for its cartoony cover as it is for the great Art Pepper material on the record! Pepper's tone here is wonderful – that sharper-edged, more soulful approach that you often get in his smaller label 50s work – a nice contrast to some of the smoother sides of Art, and the part of his sound we really love. The album's got three different west coast groups working with Pepper – with players who include Russ Freeman or Hampton Hawes on piano, Jack Montrose on tenor, Joe Mondragon or Monte Budwig on bass, and Larry Bunker or Bobby White on drums. But Art's the main star of the set – blowing beautifully throughout, with both jaw-dropping precision and a tremendous sense of sound! Titles include "Tickle Toe", "Chili Pepper", "Susie The Poodle", "Brown Gold", "Holiday Flight", "Surf Ride", "Straight Life", "Cinnamon", and "Thyme Time". CD

Very unusual work from trumpeter Shorty Rogers – recorded in 1962 for the Navy Swings radio show, and done in a way that captures a different side than usual of Rogers' playing! As the title implies, a number of tunes feature vocalist Jeri Southern joining in the group – singing in a style that's nicely more jazzy than some of her other work, really surprising us with her ability to deliver a heartfelt ballad. But even more than the vocals on the CD, we love the instrumental numbers – as Rogers is playing here with 2 different groups that feature an assortment of unusually-matched LA players – including Harold Land on tenor, Gary Peacock on bass, Larry Bunker on drums, and either Mike Wofford or Amos Trice on piano. Rogers himself plays both trumpet and flugelhorn – and although the tracks are relatively short, there's some well-crafted interplay between the members of the group. The set features 13 tracks, 3 of which are vocal – "Down With Love", "Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year", and "I Hadn't Anyone Till You". Instrumental numbers include "Time Was", "Popo", "Morning Fun", "Martians Go Home", "Casa De Luz", and "Paul's Pal". CD

Seminal work from the man credited with the invention of bossa nova! Way back in the early 50s, Bud Shank cut some albums for Pacific Jazz in LA with guitarist Laurindo Almeida. These records mixed together Shank's flute and sax with lively guitar stylings by Almeida – and in many accounts, the recordings are quoted as being a seminal influence on the bossa scene in late 50s Brazil. No surprise, then, that when bossa broke in the US, Pacific Jazz took Shank back in the studio to cut more side in the same style – which is what you'll get on this excellent 2CD set! The work here ranges from 1962 to 1965 – and it features Shank playing in a number of groups: one with Clare Fisher piano, Larry Bunker vibes, and Milt Holland percussion; one with Fisher on piano and organ, Bunker on vibes, and Joe Pass on guitar; one with Joao Donato on piano and Rosinha De Valenca on guitar; and one with De Valenca on guitar and Sergio Mendes on piano. The 2CD set features 28 tracks in all – all pure stripped-down bossa jazz at its finest. Shank's a hell of a reed player – and the format gives him one of the best platforms to blow of his career. Titles include "Sambou Sambou", "Elizete", "Um Abraco No Bonfa", "Gostoso", "Joao", "Serenidade", "Silk Stop", "Sausalito", "Illusao", "Caminho De Casa", "Otem A Note", "Wistful Samba", "O Barquinho", and "Samba Guapo". CD

A sublime little set all the way through – an early 60s date from the west coast scene – and one that was almost as important to that side of the country as the Verve bossa records were to New York! Bud Shank's in the lead on alto sax – no flute at all this time around – blowing sharp and soulfully, in a way that's even more deft than most of his other albums! But the equal star here is the young Clare Fischer – who plays piano in the group, and also contributed a host of original tunes to the set – fresh numbers that are way different than the usual "bossa-ized" standards, or American remakes of Brazilian classics. Ralph Pena is a key member of the group on bass – and Larry Bunker plays some vibes as well. Titles include "Joao", "Pensativa", "Samba Guapo", "Samba Da Borboleta", and "Que Mais?". CD

A beautiful triangulation of horns from the Spectral Trio – working here on their second album, with a mighty nice lineup that features Larry Ochs on tenor and sopranino, Dave Rempis on alto and baritone, and Darren Johnston on trumpet! The sound here feels more focused on textures than before – as the players balance their expressions together to create these moody backdrops, which are then penetrated by individual moments of expression – often with a stark sound of delight that can be very powerful. Titles include "Brooklyn Took It", "Splash Zone", "Dirt Angels", "This Is Not Vermont", "Gravity Corridor", and "Bunker". CD

Nice stuff from Pat Williams! Although known for mostly groovy 60s stuff (ala his legendary Verve and soundtrack work), this album features Williams hitting more of a 70s jazz funk groove, with a nice electric edge. The tracks are long, and the solos are played by Tom Scott and Marvin Stamm (mostly) – and the rest of the group includes Mike Melvoin on keyboards, John Guerin on drums, and Larry Bunker on percussion. Cuts include "And on the Sixth Day", "The Witch", and "Mr. Smoke". CD

A great reissue that pairs together 2 obscure west coast sides from the 50s – both of them featuring some of the scene's best players, caught in a very different setting! The first 6 tracks on the set are from a 10" LP that originally appeared on the Skylark label under the leadership of drummer George Redman. Redman's playing and leadership are fine, but the real strength of the set is its work by Bob Gordon on tenor sax and Herbie Harper on trombone – coming together here beautifully in the deft style used often on the Nocturne recordings by both players. Titles include "Babette", "Sonny Boy", "Moer Blues", "Slow Mood", and "Just George". The remaining 5 tracks on the set are from Reflections In Jazz – an even hipper set led by Bob Enevoldsen on both valve trombone and tenor – and featuring Marty Paich on piano and accordion, Larry Bunker on vibes, and Red Mitchell on bass. Enevoldsen's work on the valve trombone is really great here – as well-spaced and timed as that of Bob Brookmeyer in the period – but also given some interesting inflections, due to the use of vibes and accordion, which seem to bring out even more harmonics in the session. Titles include "Topsy", "Loaded With Bass", "Iron Works", "Blues & Rhythm", and "Don't Be That Way". CD