Count Basie rewrites history – updating his older work for the Roulette Records years, in this hip collection that features lots of new arrangements from Frank Foster – and rich performances from his great group at the time! The recordings are all new, as are the conceptions of the tunes – so there seems to be even more syncopated swing in the rhythms than on any of the older takes on the material – that fresh sound that the group grew into with Neal Hefti – still going strong here in Foster's hands. So although the tunes are Basie classics – and classics from other bands of the 30s and 40s – the performances and solos are plenty fresh! Titles include "Swinging The Blues", "Out The Window", "Texas Shuffle", "Down For Double", "Lester Leaps In", "Topsy", "Taps Miller", "Shorty George", "Jive At Five", and "Dogging Around". CD

Frank Foster is one of our favorite talents in jazz – an excellent tenorist who spent some of his key years in the Count Basie orchestra, but a player who also had a very rich career on his own as well! This album features Frank's talents really coming to the forefront of the Basie group – in a set of all-original material penned and arranged by Foster – really fresh tunes that are a perfect fit for the soulful spirit of the reedman's collaborators in the group, and which definitely show off the growing talents of Foster as a composer. There's a lot more going on here than you might expect – some surprisingly complicated charts for the horns, yet still with that rock-solid swing you'd expect from Basie – and most tracks are longer than usual for a Roulette album, nicely open numbers that include "Brotherly Shove", "Easin It", "Blues For Daddy-O", "Four Five Six", and "Mama Dev". LP, Vinyl record album

Count Basie taken down a few notches – not in quality, but in terms of the size of the group – as Oscar really opens up some of the Count's standards in a whole new way, by playing them with a stripped-down quartet that features Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, and Buddy Rich on drums. Given that Rich is working with the Peterson trio, their sound has a bit more bottom than on some other Verve sides from the time – grooving things nicely in a true Basie way, on a set of tunes that includes "Blues For Basie", "Broadway", "Topsy", "One O'Clock Jump", and "Jive At Five". CD

Count Basie taken down a few notches – not in quality, but in terms of the size of the group – as Oscar really opens up some of the Count's standards in a whole new way, by playing them with a stripped-down quartet that features Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, and Buddy Rich on drums. Given that Rich is working with the Peterson trio, their sound has a bit more bottom than on some other Verve sides from the time – grooving things nicely in a true Basie way, on a set of tunes that includes "Blues For Basie", "Broadway", "Topsy", "One O'Clock Jump", and "Jive At Five". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic collection – five seminal years in the recording history of Lester Young – pulled from an assortment of rare 78s for a number of different labels. A huge amount of material – the first-ever clear, complete look at this period! CD

Music from Benny Goodman & His Orchestra, Teddy Wilson & his Orchestra, Billie Holiday & her Orchestra, Mildred Bailey & her Orchestra, Harry James & his Orchestra, Timme Rosenkrantz & his Barrelhouse Barons, the Kansas City Six, Glenn Hardman & his Hammond Five and more. CD

A smoking stormer from Basie's Verve years – filled with tight-grooving shorter tunes, played in a style that's a great update of the original approach of the group! Eddie Lockjaw Davis is actually working with the group on this set, making for some searing tenor moments that really stand out – and Al Hibbler makes a gues appearance on vocals on two numbers as well. Other players include Ernie Wilkins, Paul Quinichette, Freddie Green, and Charlie Shavers – and titles include "Tippin On The QT", "Blee Blop Blues", "Jive At Five", "Be My Guest", "No Name", "Blues For The Count & Oscar", and "Redhead". Great cover, too – with Basie on a scooter! LP, Vinyl record album

Features the tracks "One O Clock Jump", "Jive At Five", "Shorty George", "Basie Blues" and much much more! CD

A massive set of music recorded for RCA in 1955 – five classic albums, all featuring shifting lineups of players related to the Count Basie Band! The style here is often a bit more modern than most Basie work, but still also shows an undeniably strong sense of rhythm – one that comes into play wonderfully with the tighter RCA approach to hornwork of the 50s – which often brings out some of the sharper edges of the players. Although the material's been partially issued separately over the years, this complete Mosaic package is a real delight through and through – as it brings together all albums in one set, showing shared players and a very similar sensibility running through all the record. Albums include The Natural Seven, led by Al Cohn on tenor and featuring Joe Newman on trumpet and Freddie Green on guitar; Mr Rhythm, led by guitarist Green, and featuring Newman, Cohn, and trombonist Henry Coker; Lullaby Of Birdland, a leaderless date with Newman, Cohn, and Green, plus Frank Rehak on trombone and Ernie Wilkins on alto; I'm Still Swinging, led by newman with Cohn on tenor, Urbie Green on trombone, and Gene Quill on alto; and The Jazz Workshop Four Brass One Tenor – a set that has Cohn's tenor with trumpets from Newman, Thad Jones, Joe Wilder, Bernie Glow, Phil Sunkel, and Nick Travis – each playing in shifting lineups. The package features a whopping 61 tracks in all – and the usual thorough Mosaic notes! CD

Beautiful late work from Lee Morgan! The last five years of Lee's life saw him really stretching out to do some fantastic writing, playing, and leading – and this record stands today as one of the best examples of that period – a pure act of genius, with a sound that really takes off from Lee's earlier Blue Note albums. The styles are a unique blend of soulful hardbop and the more stretched-out spiritualism that would later emerge in the early 70s soul jazz scene – and players include the lesser-known Frank Mitchell on tenor, plus Jackie McLean on alto, Cedar Walton on piano, Victor Sproles on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – the last of whom provides an amazingly lyrical approach to rhythm, the sort that was key to some of Lee Morgan's best work of the time! Titles include "Afreaka", "Short Count", "The Cry Of My People", "Anti Climax", and "Psychedelic". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful late work from Lee Morgan! The last five years of Lee's life saw him really stretching out to do some fantastic writing, playing, and leading – and this record stands today as one of the best examples of that period – a pure act of genius, with a sound that really takes off from Lee's earlier Blue Note albums. The styles are a unique blend of soulful hardbop and the more stretched-out spiritualism that would later emerge in the early 70s soul jazz scene – and players include the lesser-known Frank Mitchell on tenor, plus Jackie McLean on alto, Cedar Walton on piano, Victor Sproles on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – the last of whom provides an amazingly lyrical approach to rhythm, the sort that was key to some of Lee Morgan's best work of the time! Titles include "Afreaka", "Short Count", "The Cry Of My People", "Anti Climax", and "Psychedelic". CD also features 3 bonus tracks too – "Extemporaneous", "Mickey's Tune", and "Leebop". CD

Beautiful late work from Lee Morgan! The last five years of Lee's life saw him really stretching out to do some fantastic writing, playing, and leading – and this record stands today as one of the best examples of that period – a pure act of genius, with a sound that really takes off from Lee's earlier Blue Note albums. The styles are a unique blend of soulful hardbop and the more stretched-out spiritualism that would later emerge in the early 70s soul jazz scene – and players include the lesser-known Frank Mitchell on tenor, plus Jackie McLean on alto, Cedar Walton on piano, Victor Sproles on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – the last of whom provides an amazingly lyrical approach to rhythm, the sort that was key to some of Lee Morgan's best work of the time! Titles include "Afreaka", "Short Count", "The Cry Of My People", "Anti Climax", and "Psychedelic". Plus, this CD reissue also features 3 unissued bonus cuts – "Extemporaneous", "Mickey's Tune", and "Leebop"! Very nice! CD

The title tells the tale on this one – as the session's a studio meeting of players all associated with Count Basie over the years – captured here in a style that's much more laidback and relaxed than the usual Basie set! Originally issued as 2 separate LPs a year apart, and both have the feel of Prestige's best work in the Swingville series. The set has an approach more in the blowing session mode, with long tracks on the album that really let each player step out in their own voice. Players include Paul Quinichette, Shad Collins, Buck Clayton, Jack Washington, Nat Pierce, Freddie Greene, Walter Page, Eddie Jones and Jo Jones. 10 numbers in all including "Rock-A-Bye Basie", "Texas Shuffle", "Out The Window", "Jive At Five", "Diggin' For Dex", "Blues I Love To Hear", "Love Jumped Out", "John's Idea", "Roseland Shuffle" and "Baby Don't Tell On Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Dave Brubeck's probably best known for the instrumental work by his classic quartet on Columbia Records, but during his years at the label, he also recorded some great work with singers too! Most of the tracks on the set are from the years 1960 and 1961 – a time of intense recording for the Brubeck group on Columbia, and a time when Dave's combo was paired with other artists on a variety of different sessions. The most famous of these tracks are probably the ones that feature Carmen McRae, and others are from The Real Ambassadors album – which included Louis Armstrong and Lambert Hendricks & Ross – and a great overlooked date with Jimmy Rushing, who was wrapping up Columbia work at the time. The core combo here features Paul Desmond on alto sax, Eugene Wright on bass, and Joe Morello on drums – and titles include "Take Five", "Travelin Blues", "In The Lurch", "Weep No More", and "My One Bad Habit" with Carmen McRae; "My Melancholy Baby", "Ain't Misbehavin", "There'll Be Some Changes Made", and "Blues In The Dark" with Jimmy Rushing; "Since Love Had Its Way" and "Summer Song" with Louis Armstrong; "The Real Ambassador" and "Cultural Exchange with Armstrong and Lambert Hendricks & Ross; "That Old Black Magic" with Tony Bennett; and the incredible "Autumn In Our Town" with Ranny Sinclair – issued here for the first time ever, and a marvelously dark tune that carries echoes of later work by Karin Krog and Monica Zetterlund! CD

A rare American release from British baritonist Ronnie Ross – working here in the sharp-edged company of drummer Allan Ganley! The group's got a really tight sound throughout – that best sharp-lead mode of the Brit scene of the 50s – but with a looser feel on the solos, which are handled especially well by Ross and tenorist Art Ellefson – a player we hardly know at all, but who cuts some really imaginative lines on the set. The overall feel's a bit like the Jazz Couriers work of Tubby Hayes and Ronnie Scott – or a bit like some of Don Rendell's best – and the rest of the group features Stan Jones on piano and Stan Wasser on bass. Tracks are mostly originals, and titles include "The Country Squire", "The Moonbather", "The Real Funky Blues", "Blues For The Five Of Us", "I Won't Fret If You Don't Get The Blues Anymore", and "Pitiful Pearl". LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overdue look at the mini-soul empire of Leo Gooden – an tiny little enclave in East St Louis that was making some mighty hip music in the early 60s! Gooden wore many hats at the time – politician, club owner, and local businessman – but he also put together his own band and record label, and worked in a very hip mix of R&B and 60s soul jazz modes! Through his nightclub, The Blue Note, Gooden came into contact with a variety of great musicians, both national and local – and he brought their inspiration to play on sessions recorded here for his LG family of labels – issued on a handful of singles and two rare LPs. Although rough-edged at times, these tracks have a really great sound – kind of a grittier take on the Prestige Records groove of the 60s – helped out by musicians who include Oliver Nelson and Hamiet Bluiett – and singers who include Albert King and Charles Drain. The package is a bit loose on discographical details, but definitely includes all the best moments from these mighty years on the East St Louis scene – and the full story in the notes more than helps to fill in the gaps in Gooden's compelling tale. The titles by Leo's Five – Gooden's group – are all hip jazz instrumentals, often with a strong mix of Hammond, guitar, and tenor – and these titles include "Hold It", "Sunrise Serenade", "Something You Got", "Tippin", "Johnnie Come Marching Home (Country Style)", "Minor Over Matter", "Mop Water", "Fredrick's Dream", and "Cookin With Chezie Mae". Other cuts include "COD" and "Worsome Baby" by Albert King, "So Glad" and "Stop & Think About It Baby" by Charles Drain, "Winkee Do" and "Ugly Ugly" by Leo Gooden, and "Let's Do The Cat" by Jamie Ross. CD

Guitarist Will Bernard is in a mighty sweet trio here – one that features lots of excellent work on Hammond organ from Sam Yahel, plus tight drums from Donald Edwards! The vibe is great – as Yahel's got a far-reaching sound on the instrument that really pushes things past the obvious – maybe Larry Young as a jumping-off point, but a voice that's all his own – echoed chromatically and matched at a solo level by Bernard's work on guitar! Edwards has a nice crackle to his drums, but he's never locked in tight either – and really matches the energy of the other two, on a set that's filled with original tunes by Will – titles that include "Dry Land Tourist", "Stone Valley", "Five Finger Discount", "Right As Rain", "Temescal", "Wake Up Call", and "Trilobite". CD

A really great entry into one of our favorite series ever – and a set that's overflowing with rare jukebox jazz from the 60s! These aren't the heady tracks of the Coltrane generation, but the kind of soulful stompers that were brewing underneath – circulating on 45s from lots of indie-labels – and often sitting in a sweet space between hardbop and R&B! Lots of tunes have a very mod feel – hence the title – either a strong tenor solo, or some sweet Hammond, or some skittish rhythms – and the set features lots of tracks that we'd never heard before, and a few more than we'd forgotten about too. Titles include "Bossa Baby" by Googie Rene, "Hen House" by Paul & Rick, "Another Child Lost" by Floyd White, "The Fat Man (part 1)" by The TKOs, "Bucket Full Of Soul" by Trudy Pitts, "Cooking In Grease" by Reuben Wilson, "Watermelon Walk" by The Five Counts, "Hard Working Girl" by Clarence Daniels & Obie Jessie, "You Were Wrong" by The Miles Grayson Trio, and "El Tacos" by Frenchy & The Chessmen. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) CD