An overlooked 70s gem from the legendary saxophonist Sonny Stitt – recorded in Chicago, and with a hip vibe that ties things very much to the best spirit of the Chess/Cadet world of the time! There's two different approaches used on the record – and on the first four, the group is a bit on the larger side – with Chess/Cadet touches from Richard Evans on bass, Morris Jennings on drums, Tennyson Stephens on piano, a bit of strings, and vocalizing by "Kitty Hayward" – who is likely Kitty Heywood, of Kitty & The Heywoods! The remaining tracks are done in a smaller setting – and they feature a rare appearance by AACM avant legend Muhal Richard Abrams on piano, who plays straight ahead here – in a quartet with Wilbur Campell on drums and Cleveland Eaton on bass. Titles include "Got To Get Over", "Soul Girl", "Jeep Blues", and "I Know That You Know" with the larger group – plus the quartet pieces "I Should Care", "Eight Track Blues",and "Gone With The Wind". CD

A lost little cooker from Stitt and Green – recorded at a time when they were working together briefly, with backing by a Chicago organ trio that includes Bobby Buster on Hammond, Jo Diorio on guitar, and Dorel Anderson on drums. Tracks are short and fierce, but it's clear that Stitt can groove in a "blow the jukebox out" kind of way when he's in the right company – but still show enough of the impeccable care that he did with his straighter jazz albums on Roost and Verve. Titles include "Let's Play Chess", "Double Dip", "My Main Man", and "Broilin". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic album from trumpeter Clark Terry – a small group date that features superb tenor from Paul Gonsalves, in a mode that's very similar to the work that both he and Terry recorded for Chess/Argo Records in the late 50s! This set's a French date, and features both horn players in a hip quintet with Raymond Fol on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and GT Hogan on drums – playing in a mode that's laidback, open, and which really has Terry showing off the most soulful side of his phrasing! Gonsalves is fantastic too – very different in a setting like this than in his larger group performances with Ellington – and the pair together are really at their best, with very expressive tones. Titles include "Blues For The Champ Of The Champs", "Clark Bars", "Lonely One", "Pannonica Ou Les Liaisons Dangereuses 1960 No 2", and "Serenade To A Bus Seat". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest records ever cut by pianist Enrique Villegas – very different than his early material, and a set that's got this strong, stretched-out, and highly spiritual vibe – thanks in very large part to his musical partner on the date, saxophonist Ara Tokatlian! In many ways, the record is clearly Ara's own – as he blows tenor, soprano sax, flute, and bandura – sometimes with processing and effects that are almost in the early mode of John Klemmer on Chess/Cadet, but with a more searing tone that's like his countryman Gato Barbieri on early Impulse records sides – sounding incredible in a lean setting that has the pair getting just a bit of additional percussion and bass from Guillermo Bordarampe. Tunes are long, soaring, and very spiritual – and titles include "Maritimaria", "A La Sombra De Los Dorados", "Camino A Samarkanda", and "En La Ola De Tus Ojos". CD

One of the hippest records ever cut by pianist Enrique Villegas – very different than his early material, and a set that's got this strong, stretched-out, and highly spiritual vibe – thanks in very large part to his musical partner on the date, saxophonist Ara Tokatlian! In many ways, the record is clearly Ara's own – as he blows tenor, soprano sax, flute, and bandura – sometimes with processing and effects that are almost in the early mode of John Klemmer on Chess/Cadet, but with a more searing tone that's like his countryman Gato Barbieri on early Impulse records sides – sounding incredible in a lean setting that has the pair getting just a bit of additional percussion and bass from Guillermo Bordarampe. Tunes are long, soaring, and very spiritual – and titles include "Maritimaria", "A La Sombra De Los Dorados", "Camino A Samarkanda", and "En La Ola De Tus Ojos". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest moments ever from guitarist Phil Upchurch – and one of the best from legendary arranger Charles Stepney too – a set that uses Upchurch's guitar in the same way that Stepney was using the piano of Ramsey Lewis in the late 60s! The record has full arrangements that are in the best late 60s Chess/Cadet style – rich, but never sleepy – with undercurrents of funk down at the bottom, and sweet backing vocals from a small group that includes Cash McCall and Kitty Haywood. But the real difference is Phil's guitar – which has some fuzzier, trippier elements – which make for a nice contrast with the smoothness of the Stepney backings, at a level that creates one of the most compelling Chess albums of the time! Titles include "Elektrik Head", "Peter Peter", "Way I Feel", "Bacn' Chips", and "You Don't Have To Know". (Soul, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

An instrumental classic from early 60s Chicago – and one of the best-selling records by young guitarist Phil Upchurch! Although Phil went onto tremendous fame doing studio and session work over the next few decades – including many key dates for Chess and Atlantic Records – this set has him firmly in the lead, playing with a raw-edged style that's halfway between instrumental soul and earlier R&B! The group here is a small combo with organ, tenor, and trumpet grooving alongside Phil's twangy guitar – and all tracks are instrumentals, cooked up with a tight little pre-funk sound! Titles include "Pogo", "Honest Injun", "You Can't Sit Down (parts 1 & 2)", "Running Bear", "Straw Hat", "Evad", "Nothing But The Soul", and "Organ Boogie". (Soul, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A really great look at some of the coolest material issued by Motown in the early days of the label – tracks from a brief foray into jazz, from a time when the company was testing the waters with some very hip material from the Detroit scene! The cuts here have a nice sort of grit – very much in the best soul jazz styles that bigger labels that Prestige or Argo/Chess were doing at the time – and the tracks also include some great work by artists caught in the very early days of their careers. Titles include "See You Later" and "I Did" by Johnny Griffith, "El Rig" and "Bobbie" by George Bohannon, "I Did" and "Falling In Love With Love" by Paula Greer, "Exodus" and "I Remember You" by Hank & Carol Diamond, "Opus No 3" and "March Lightly" by Earl Washington, and "Late Freight" and "Mellow In Cali" by Dave Hamilton. LP, Vinyl record album