A sweet 80s groover from the mighty Azymuth – a set that's early in their run of albums during the decade for Fantasy Records, and one that offers up a nice adaptation of the groove from their early Brazilian classics! Tracks are nice and lean, and acoustic percussion is blended with keyboard work at a level that really opens up the sound – and which makes Azymuth so different from so many other fusion outfits recording in the US during the time – as does the occasional use of wordless vocals, and that really special sense of rhythm that the group deliver so well! The set includes the classic ten minute "Last Summer In Rio" – a great Fender Rhodes number that was once a huge steppers cut in Chicago – plus the great tracks "The House I Lived In", "What Price Samba", and "May I Have This Dance". (Brazil, Jazz) CD

A key bit of jazz funk from trumpeter Tom Browne – still grooving strong here, with a sublime mix of modern soul, funky jazz, and some of the 80s groove touches that showed up on the best GRP titles from the time! The album's got a smooth compressed groove – kind of post-Donald Byrd, with Tom taking solos over the top of most tracks, and occasional vocals , wither from a backing group, or an assortment of different lead singers. Players on the set include Bernard Wright, Dave Grusin, Bobby Broom, and Marcus Miller – and tracks include "I Know", "Midnight Interlude", "Let's Dance", "Night Wind", "Making Plans", "Thighs Hihg", and "Magic". LP, Vinyl record album

Three slices of rare work by Duke Ellington – all recorded previously as semi-private recordings, and issued here in a short-lived 70s set! As you'd guess by the title, the tracks are all in "suite" form – that broader compositional style that dominated Ellington's later work, one in which he brought together complicated ideas with a very unified feel – often based around a single theme, but fleshed out beautifully with modes that were even more sophisticated than in his earlier work. Side one features "The Queen's Suite", recorded in 1959 with mostly full orchestra, but also a spare passage of just piano and bass – and side two features "The Goutelas Suite" from 1971, and "The Uwis Suite" from 1972. CD

Music from Tiny Grimes Quintet with Charlie Parker, the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Quintette, the Ike Quebec All Stars, the Erroll Garner Trio, Dexter Gordon, Don Byas, the Be Bop Boys, Serge Chaloff Sextette, Miles Davis All Stars, and more. CD

Includes 40 tracks on 2 CDs. (Soul, Jazz) CD

Joe Turner on vocals – with Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Eldridge, Harry "Sweets" Edison, and Clark Terry all on trumpet – plus Pee Wee Crayton on guitar, Jimmy Robins on piano, Charles Norris on bass, and Washington Rucker on drums. (Blues, Jazz) CD

A collection of recordings from the late 20s through early 40s, most sessions by Fats Waller & His Rhythm, with notable sidemen including Eddie Condon, Al Casey, Bunny Berigan, Tommy Dorsey, and Benny Carter. CD

Features Kevin Mahogany on vocals, Olu Dara on cornet, Nicholas Payton on trumpet, Don Byron on clarinet and tenor, James Carter on tenor, Jesse Davis on alto, and Russell Malone on guitar. CD

One of Basie's biggest albums – but still a work of pure genius! "April In Paris" is one of the darkest jazz standards ever written, and it never sounded better than in this original version, which features that great ending in which Basie and the band stop, then start, then stop – leaving you completely unresolved at the finish. The group's a strong one – with Frank Foster, Frank Wess, Freddie Green, Sonny Payne, Marshall Royal, Henry Coker, Joe Newman, and Thad Jones – and tracks include "Shiny Stockings", "Midgets", "Mambo Inn", "Sweety Cakes", and "Corner Pocket". CD