... LP, Vinyl record album

An album of explosive power and imagination from Don Ellis – a set that shows him very firmly shaking off the more academic mode of earlier years, and heading into hipper, more youth-oriented directions! The group's still a bit band on most numbers – but it's one with a lean, well-crafted sound that's not really big band jazz, and which also features some elements of later soundtrack scoring. Players on the date are all great – and include Frank Strozier, John Klemmer, and Ira Schulman on saxes – plus Pete Robinson on clavinet, piano, and electric piano! The set begins with the beautiful extended "Variations For Trumpet" – a suite-type number that has plenty of great colors from Ellis, plus loads of other horn work too. Other titles include "Indian Lady", "Pussy Wiggle Stomp", "Scratt & Fluggs", and "Child Of Ecstasy". CD

An album of explosive power and imagination from Don Ellis – a set that shows him very firmly shaking off the more academic mode of earlier years, and heading into hipper, more youth-oriented directions! The group's still a bit band on most numbers – but it's one with a lean, well-crafted sound that's not really big band jazz, and which also features some elements of later soundtrack scoring. Players on the date are all great – and include Frank Strozier, John Klemmer, and Ira Schulman on saxes – plus Pete Robinson on clavinet, piano, and electric piano! The set begins with the beautiful extended "Variations For Trumpet" – a suite-type number that has plenty of great colors from Ellis, plus loads of other horn work too. Other titles include "Indian Lady", "Pussy Wiggle Stomp", "Scratt & Fluggs", and "Child Of Ecstasy". LP, Vinyl record album

Funky funky Don Ellis – a great set of electric groovers released at the same time that Don scored big with his soundtrack for The French Connection! As you'd guess from the title, the feel here is quite similar – funky electric big band jazz, with a very hip 70s action soundtrack feel – one that mixes acoustic sax and trumpet passages with some groovier keyboards and electronic bits – all wrapped up in production that's tight, but never too slick to be funky! The album features a great take on Don's excellent "Theme From The French Connection" – plus great electric jazz covers of "Alone Again Naturally", "Superstar", "I Feel The Earth Move", "Roundabout", and "Lean On Me" – as well as album originals "Chain Reaction" and "Train To Get There". LP, Vinyl record album

Funky madness at the legendary Fillmore Auditorium – and a searing set of tracks that rivals the best studio work from trumpeter Don Ellis! The feel here is really open, spontaneous, and inventive – and tunes are a lot more extended than on most of Don's studio sides from the time – with not only more room for solos, but also a seemingly greater focus on rhythms, which are often upbeat, firey, and very grooving on most numbers. There's a really great mix of trumpet and electronics on the record – including ring modulator and Fender Rhodes – and possibly inspired by the Fillmore setting, Don really opens up on all burners, spacing out with a really hip little groove. Titles include "Pussy Wiggle Stomp", "Salvatore Sam", "Rock Odyssey", "Final Analysis", "Excursion II", and "Antea". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty tasty little album from trumpeter Don Ellis – his first funky outing for Columbia Records, and a groundbreaking batch of funky big band material! The set's quite different from some of Don's earlier recordings – in that it's a bit less academic, and has a focus more on a strong and freewheeling groove. Plus, the use of electric instrumentation in the rhythm section creates the feel of a classic 70s soundtrack – quite different in style for the time, and sounding really fresh here – a mode that Ellis would inspire in so many other musicians to come! The group features Fender Rhodes from Mike Lang, sitar from Ray Neapolitan, congas from Chino Valdes, timbales and vibes from Mark Stevens, and a range of flutes and reeds – and titles include "Open Beauty", "Indian Lady", "Turkish Bath", "New Horizons", and "Alone". CD features single versions of "Turkish Bath" and "Indian Lady". CD

Bracingly modern work from trumpeter Don Ellis – recorded quite early in his career, long before he broke out with his funkier big band of the late 60s and early 70s! The Ellis heard here is a clear-headed, fresh-thinking player – one who's keenly aware of the changes going on in jazz at the time – and who's working here to carve out his own unique little space. Unusual timings, phrasing, and spacings are common on the set – and Ellis' own well-tuned trumpet sound is at the lead, supported by very inventive rhythm work from Paul Bley on piano, Gary Peacock on bass, and either Gene Stone or Nick Martinis on drums. Titles include the original numbers "Form", "Irony", "Slow Space", and "Ostinato" – plus a great version of Carla Bley's "Donkey". CD

Quite possibly the greatest record that Don Ellis ever recorded – and his hippest too! The trumpeter's playing here with a quartet that includes Jaki Byard on alto and piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Charlie Persip on drums – coming together perfectly in that arch-modern style that you'd find on the best Candid albums from the time. Ellis tone is skittish and fragile – and sounds here almost like he's working in a Mingus-y mode, quite possibly because Byard's influence on the session is pretty strong. Titles include "Waste", "A Simplex One", and "Sallie" – and an extended "Improvisational Suite #1". CD

Quite possibly the greatest record that Don Ellis ever recorded – and his hippest too! The trumpeter's playing here with a quartet that includes Jaki Byard on alto and piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Charlie Persip on drums – coming together perfectly in that arch-modern style that you'd find on the best Candid albums from the time. Ellis tone is skittish and fragile – and sounds here almost like he's working in a Mingus-y mode, quite possibly because Byard's influence on the session is pretty strong. Titles include "Waste", "A Simplex One", and "Sallie" – and side two features an extended "Improvisational Suite #1". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great little album recorded by trumpeter Don Ellis in his early years – done at a time before he started putting a bit more fusion in his mix! The record features an extended live performance by a larger group, caught in concert at the Monterey Jazz Fest in 1966 – opening up in a fresh, youthful, modern sound – never too out there, but with a sense of optimism that Ellis must have carried to the stage right from music school! The band has a lot of extremely cool elements in its composition – like organ by Dave Mackay, tenor by Ira Schulman, and some very heavy conga work by Chino Valdes – all of which help give the tunes some unusual flavors and tones – making them swing with a lot more character than you might expect. The overall feel is a mix of strange time changes, off-kilter arrangements, and (most importantly) a tight jazzy groove! Titles include "Passacaglia & Fugue", "New Nine", and "Concerto For Trumpet". CD

A great little set – way more than you might think from the cover! Ostensibly, this one's a cash-in album for the mid 70s Star Wars soundtrack craze – but since it's handled by trumpet genius Don Ellis, it's got a surprisingly funky feel – with many tracks that recall his own great soundtrack work of the time, especially the nice electric current in his grooves. In fact, the album only has two tracks from the Star Wars soundtrack – despite the fact that the logo for the movie is displayed largely on the cover – and all other tracks are originals by Ellis, handled with a sweet mix of electric funk and funky jazz soloing! Lots of nice keyboards, and titles include "Star Wars", "Orion's Sword", "Eros", "Lyra", "Ursa", "Vulcan", "Crypton" and "Arcturas". CD

Excellent pre-Columbia work from trumpeter Don Ellis – a live date recorded with Tom Scott on saxes and Dave Mackay on piano – presented here in its entirety for the first time ever! The groove here is every bit as hard as on Ellis' funky classics for Columbia – but more acoustic overall, and bottomed with some great Latin percussion from Alan Estes on timbales and Chino Valdes on congas. Many tracks have a slightly exotic feel – a mode that uses conventional jazz instrumentation with slightly Eastern phrasing, in a way that sounds really great alongside the modal rhythms of the tunes. Titles include Scott's "With Respect To Coltrane" and "Blues For Hari" – plus "Slippin N Slidin", "Bali Dancer", "Sadness Shouldn't Go To Sleep", "It's A Snap", "The Squeeze", and "Turk's Works". CD

A well-titled album from trumpeter Don Ellis – as the set soars to the skies from the very first note! The album's got a dynamic energy that almost beats Don's American work of the time – lots of funky rhythms, and a cool MPS groove that shows the label's strong 70s legacy of larger group jazz recordings! Like other MPS dates of the time, there's a nice mix of electric and acoustic instrumentation in the lineup – bass and guitar that kick the rhythms up strongly, plus keyboards and electrified strings that bring in their own unique sounds. Milcho Leviev handles the keys on the session – and titles are a fresh batch of numbers that include "Sidonie", "Image Of Maria", "Sladka Pitka", "Go Back Home", "Whiplash", "The Devil Made Me Write This Piece", and "Invincible". CD

Al Cohn is one of those players who continued to stay great, even as the years went on – still growing and developing his amazing skills on tenor, although often without all the flair and fanfare of his contemporaries! But when Cohn got the right setting to show his skills, he could really take off – as he does in this overlooked gem for Concord Records – an album that really lives up to the promise of its title! Al blows these long, creative solos that don't hit you over the head at first, but really continue to amaze as they move along – and he's got some very sympathetic backing on the set, from a trio that features Herb Ellis on guitar, Monty Budwig on bass, and Jimmie Smith on drums. Titles include "O Grande Amor", "Russian Lullaby", "When Your Lover Has Gone", "I Remember You", and "When Day Is Done". CD

Al Cohn is one of those players who continued to stay great, even as the years went on – still growing and developing his amazing skills on tenor, although often without all the flair and fanfare of his contemporaries! But when Cohn got the right setting to show his skills, he could really take off – as he does in this overlooked gem for Concord Records – an album that really lives up to the promise of its title! Al blows these long, creative solos that don't hit you over the head at first, but really continue to amaze as they move along – and he's got some very sympathetic backing on the set, from a trio that features Herb Ellis on guitar, Monty Budwig on bass, and Jimmie Smith on drums. Titles include "O Grande Amor", "Russian Lullaby", "When Your Lover Has Gone", "I Remember You", and "When Day Is Done". CD

One of Hank Crawford's first big records of the 70s – a really great set that helps him shake off some of his stock modes of the 60s and find a very different groove! A big part of the album is arranger Don Sebesky, who gives Hank a backdrop that's sophisticated and smooth, yet still pretty soulful in all the right places – a style that's almost a bit like mainstream soundtrack work of the time, but a bit more jazz focused overall. Hank's solos are right out front on most tracks – blown with that nicely pinched tone that made him a standout back in the day – and other players include Richard Tee on both organ and piano, as well as Idris Muhammad and Bernard Purdie on drums. Titles include "Uncle Funky", "Imagine", "The Sun Died", "Brian's Song", and "Ham", which was arranged by Pee Wee Ellis. LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most striking Eric Dolphy work we've ever heard – a set of live performances from the years 1962 and 1963 that feature Dolphy in a free-thinking mode that surpasses even the modernism of his classic studio sides! The recordings feature Dolphy amidst a variety of players – including a number of unlikely suspects like Barry Galbraith, Eddie Costa, and Jim Hall – and although some of the tracks have a moody and introspective third stream quality (3 of the numbers are written by Gunther Schuller), others are quite open, and almost have an ESP-like intensity. One longer title is a jam session take on Charlie Parker's "Donna Lee" – recorded with a lineup that includes Phil Woods, Nick Travis, Benny Golson, Don Ellis, and Lalo Schifrin! Other titles include "Iron Man", "Half Note Triplets", "Densities", and "Night Music". CD

Put aside your reservations about Maynard Ferguson, because this is a very hip little record – one of Maynard's excellent early sessions for Roulette Records, and like the rest, done with a group that's overflowing with top-shelf players! Ferguson's definitely got a great ear for putting together an ensemble – because players here include Don Ellis on trumpet, Slide Hampton and Don Sebesky on trombones, and Joe Zawinul on piano – all working strongly alongside some lesser-known talents who are equally great! And although the group is large, there's a definite modern edge to the set – strong writing, unusual timings, and some sharp-edged solos that really make some of the longer tracks bristle. Titles include versions of Benny Golson's "Starfire" and "Night Life", Marty Paich's "Lonely Time", and Slide Hampton's "The Mark Of Jazz" – plus "Oleo" and "Back In The Satellite Again", the latter of which was written by Willie Maiden, one of the tenor players on the date. LP, Vinyl record album

The first-ever album from pianist Robert Glasper – the start of a huge legacy in jazz, and an album that has him already finding his own voice as a musician! The sound is fantastic throughout – with a core trio that has Glasper able to carve out all those blocky moments that he does so well – almost like you can really hear him breaking down and rebuilding his own soulful conception of jazz – with help from Bob Hurst on bass and Damion Reid on drums – both well-matched players who really help the album sparkle! There's lots of surprises along the way, too – vocals from Bilal on two cuts, and occasional tenor, either from Marcus Strickland or John Ellis – although the sound of the trio is more than enough. Titles include a stunning reworking of "Maiden Voyage" – and the originals "In Passing", "LNK Blues", "Don't Close Your Eyes", "Lil Tipsy", and "Mood". CD

A Pablo Records release – but featuring material that was originally destined for Verve Records in the 50s – a rare performance in Japan by the Jazz At The Philharmonic! The double-length set is overflowing with goodness, all recorded in the open-ended, warm-hearted style that Norman Granz brought to these classic performances! The album starts with an extended set by the JATP All-Stars – a group that features Roy Eldridge and Charlie Shavers on trumpets, Willie Smith and Benny Carter on alto, Bill Harris on trombone, and Ben Webster and Flip Philips on tenors – with rhythm from the combo of Oscar Peterson on piano, Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, and JC Heard on drums. JATP titles include a "Ballad Medley", "Tokyo Blues", and "Cotton Tail". The set then features six more tracks by the Oscar Peterson Trio – including "Sushi Blues" and "Up" – and another four by the Gene Krupa Trio – including "Don't Be That Way", and "Cocktails For Two". The set then ends with a long set by Ella Fitzgerald with a quartet – on titles that include "Smooth Sailin", "How High The Moon", "Body & Soul", "Lady Be Good", and "My Funny Valentine" – plus a reading of "Perdido" with the whole JATP group. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic tribute to the legendary Karin Krog – one of our favorite jazz singers of all time – and maybe one of the most creative talents to emerge from the European jazz scene in the past 50 years! Karin's not just a regular singer – she's a hell of a collaborator, and a great experimentalist who's always willing to try out new sounds and styles – modes she's explored since her initial recordings of the 60s, and the wonderful legacy of music she's given us on record from that time onwards – which still results in fantastic new music in recent years too! This package goes way beyond any other Krog collection we've ever seen – not just because it offers up differing discs that look at her many musical "faces" – but also because it brings together recordings for a number of different labels across a great span of time – all to really show the full range of her music! Even if you've got as many of Karin's records as we do, there's plenty that's new here too – and the well-done package divides each disc up into a special theme – with standard material, key collaborations, vocal experiments, and more. The set includes work with John Surman, Steve Kuhn, Marty Paich, Georgie Fame, Don Ellis, Slide Hampton, Red Mitchell, Dexter Gordon, Kenny Drew, Bengt Hallberg, Archie Shepp, and others – and one CD features just spare duets with musicians, and another features some great bigger band material. 59 tracks in all – with loads of surprises! (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

A very groovy 70s set from the mighty Jack McDuff – one that has him taking a bit of a Charles Earland turn, as he adds in some other keyboards to his work on Hammond – including some nice bits on Fender Rhode and moog! George Benson plays a fair bit of guitar solos on the set, and the record also features Pee Wee Ellis on alto and tenor, and Ray Mantilla on congas and percussion! Titles include some great long groovers – including "Blue Monsoon", "A Long Goodie", and a nice cover of "Don't Mess With Mister T". LP, Vinyl record album

With Fred Wesley, Pee Wee Ellis, Don Pullen, Bootsy Collins, and others. (Soul, Jazz) CD

With Fred Wesley, Pee Wee Ellis, Don Pullen, Bootsy Collins, and others. (Soul, Jazz) CD

Angular modernism from George Russell – a record that's still strongly preoccupied with his interest in modes and tones, but which also manages to swing nicely as well! The group here is a sextet – with Eric Dolphy making a great appearance on alto and bass clarinet – alongside Dave Baker on trombone, Don Ellis on trumpet, Steve Swallow on bass, and Joe Hunt on drums. Although the leader, Russell never lets his piano dominate, but instead mostly punctuates – pointing the way forward to the horn players, who group together in tremendous formation – the slide off into separate space for their solos! Titles include Russell standards "Ezz-Thetic" and "Lydiot", plus great readings of "Nardis" and "Round Midnight". CD

George Russell was always committed to exploring new territory – as he proves well on this hard to find album cut for Riverside during the early 60s! Russell's surrounded himself here with some great younger and lesser-known players – including trumpeter Don Ellis, trombonist Garnett Brown, tenorist Paul Plummer, bassist Steve Swallow, and drummer Pete LaRoca – as well as vocalist Sheila Jordan, who joins the group on a strange extended version of "You Are My Sunshine". The set contains 2 other loopy originals by Russell – "The Outer View" and "DC Divertimento" – as well as versions of Carla Bley's "Zig Zag" and Charlie Parker's "Au Prive". CD

Maybe the greatest record we've heard so far from drummer Kendrick Scott – and that's saying a lot, given that we really liked his other albums! The set's got Kendrick forging a new way forward on Blue Note – working with an inventive, soulful style that's angular one minute, but warmly fluid the next – wrapped up in these great tones on piano and Fender Rhodes from Taylor Eigsti, who really grabs us with power we don't remember, and is a key member of the set! The album also features nice lines from John Ellis on saxes and bass clarinet, plus Joe Sanders on bass and Michael Moreno on guitar – both artists who shift between broad tonal colors and more rhythmic moments. Lizz Wright sings guest vocals on "This Song In Me" – and other instrumental tracks include "We Are The Drum", "Make Believe", "Synchrony", "Lotus", "Milton", "Touched By An Angel (for Maya)", and "The Long Shadow". CD

Probably the most classic of Stitt's sides for Verve – and certainly the one that gets rated time and time again by jazz collectors. We think it's pretty darn great – although we always wonder why folks don't give Stitt's other sides for Verve as much of a chance, because they're all pretty darn excellent! The record's a very laidback session, with 4 long tracks that feature plenty of room for Stitt to meander along on his solos. The group includes Roy Eldridge, Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, and Stan Levey – and titles include "The String", "BW Blues", and "Blues For Bags". CD

Four incredible albums from Hammond legend Brian Auger – a key link between jazz and the headier sounds of the UK scene at the end of the 60s! First up is Open – one of the amazing early albums from the team of Julie Driscoll and Brian Auger – kind of a next-generation to the Brit beat group sound of the mid 60s – one that moves beyond simple R&B modes, to bring in more sophisticated soul and jazz touches! Driscoll's vocals are amazing – some of the boldest belted out in the British scene at the time – and Auger's Hammond work really cooks throughout – at a level that easily makes him one of the best UK organists to hit the scene, amidst some very heady company in the 60s. There's a few bluesy moments, but our favorites are the funky ones – especially the group's reading of "Season Of The Witch", which is tremendous. Other cuts include "In & Out", "Black Cat", "Goodbye Jungle Telegraph", and "Break It Up". Definitely What is a landmark batch of funky organ work that made big waves in both the rock and jazz worlds at the time! Auger's really stretching out here – getting past the simple R&B of his roots, and going into a bubbling funky style that's clearly touched by chromatic inspirations from Wes Montgomery and Jimmy Smith – both of whom are referenced by some of the song structures on the set. The album's filled with killer organ-based instrumentals – some lean and stripped down, others full and rich – and all of them coming across with a richly soulful sound that you'd hardly expect from a member of the British rock scene! Titles include "Day In The Life", "Red Beans", "Definitely What!", and his classic "Bumpin' On Sunset". Streetwise is filled great funky grooves by the legendary Trinity group – featuring excellent keyboard work by Brian Auger, recorded during the period when he was really beginning to stretch out a bit, and hit a much more open-ended kind of sound. Julie Driscoll is still on vocals, singing in her raw sound, but Brian's Trinity group gets a fair number of nice instrumental moments on the set – which are greatly appreciated! Titles include the classic and sample laden "Light My Fire", "Czechoslovakia", "Finally Found You Out", "In Search Of The Sun", "Ellis Island", "I've Got Life", and "Save The Country". Befour is the third album from Brian Auger & The Trinity – and the first to feature the group recording without vocals from Julie Driscoll! The sound here is just as soulful as before – a tight take on American soul jazz and funky soul of the 60s – pushed along by Auger's mighty work on the Hammond organ, and featuring (this time around) some male lead vocals, which seem to give the album an even deeper feel than earlier work! Auger's included some great covers of American tunes like "I Want To Take You Higher", "Listen Here", and "Maiden Voyage" – all redone with some great Brit beat group touches – and the album also features a great take on Faure's "Pavane", and Auger's own "Just You Just Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A really really wonderful little record – one that's far more than you might guess from it's slightly gimmicky title! The session's clearly done in a mode to resonate with the Charlie Byrd or Stan Getz bossa work of the early 60s, but it's also got a slightly offbeat quality that makes it really unique – a sound that partly comes from the use of three guitars by three relatively different players, and from the way that the tunes themselves are put together. There's almost a jam session feel at times here – with the guitars coming together in a tension of different voices, hardly the sort of thing you'd hear in a regular bossa album. But equally great is the tenor sax work of Bob Enevoldsen – which comes in with a sharper edge and a bit more soul than his 50s sides – creating a deeper quality to the tunes that's really great. Percussion is by a trio that includes Milt Holland, Bob Neel, and Chico Guerrero – and Donn Trenner plays piano and Bob Bertaux is on bass. Titles include "I Told Ya I Love Ya Now Get Out", "Sweet Dreams", "Bossa Nova #2", "Bossa Nova Samba", and "Leave It To Me". CD

Side A features Ellis Marsalis in a quintet with sons Wynton and Brandon; Side B features Von and Chico Freeman on tenor fronting a group with Kenny Barron, Cecil McBee, and Jack DeJohnette! CD

Classic duets between Ella & Louis – done in a sweet mode that only could have been handled by Verve in the 50s! Backings are in a nice small combo mode, and Ella and Louis carry most of the set with their great vocal interplay – warm, personal, and pretty darn charming – in a mode that should be hokey, but comes across great! Oscar Peterson's group provides backing – with Ray Brown on bass and Herb Ellis on guitar – and titles include "Love Is Here To Stay", "I Won't Dance", "The Nearness Of You", "Cheek To Cheek", "Moonlight In Vermont", "Can't We Be Friends", and "A Foggy Day". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful large format recording from bassist Barry Guy – working here at the head of the Blue Shroud Band, an improvising ensemble that echoes some of his earlier work with the London Jazz Composers Orchestra! The extended work is an expansion of an earlier piece that Guy recorded with pianist Marilyn Crispell – her Three Poems For Cecil Taylor – stretched out here with a more embellished sense of imagination, but still using some of the core texts created by Crispell for the original work! The piece spans five long CDs – with sections broken down and notated to reflect the work of the many great improvisers in the set – a lineup that includes Michel Godard on serpent and tuba, Agusti Fernandez on piano, Torben Snekkestad on soprano and tenor, Jurg Wickihalder on soprano and alto, Percy Pursglove on trumpet, Julius Gabriel on baritone and soprano, Maya Homburger on violin, Fanny Paccoud on viola, Ben Dwyer on guitar, and both Ramon Lopez and Lucas Niggli on percussion. Savina Yannatou provides voice on the poetic passages, Guy plays bass and leads – and the whole thing is beautifully packaged! CD

An unusual large group recording from this legendary pianist from the Three Sounds – definitely done in a Basie mode, with Gene on piano – and other players who include Jon Faddis and Snooky Young on trumpets, Marshal Royal on alto, Bob Cooper on tenor, Jack Nimitz on baritone, Thurman Green and Garnett Brown on trombones, Herb Ellis on guitar, and Ray Brown on bass. CD

A wonderful meeting of two of the biggest 50s talents on the drums – and a session that's great not only for the expected firey percussion, but also for the horn work by other members on the set! Given the "drum battle" style of the record, the tracks are long and very open – done in a studio mode that recalls some of the Krupa/Rich meetings at JATP, and like the JATP sides, featuring plenty of space for players to take longer solos. Dizzy Gillespie, Illinois Jacquet, Flip Phillips, and Roy Eldridge get in some nice licks on the set – and other players include Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, and Ray Brown. Titles include "Gene's Blues", "Bernie's Tune", "Buddy's Blues", and "I Never Knew". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful meeting of two of the biggest 50s talents on the drums – and a session that's great not only for the expected firey percussion, but also for the horn work by other members on the set! Given the "drum battle" style of the record, the tracks are long and very open – done in a studio mode that recalls some of the Krupa/Rich meetings at JATP, and like the JATP sides, featuring plenty of space for players to take longer solos. Dizzy Gillespie, Illinois Jacquet, Flip Phillips, and Roy Eldridge get in some nice licks on the set – and other players include Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, and Ray Brown. Titles include "Gene's Blues", "Bernie's Tune", "Buddy's Blues", and "I Never Knew". CD also includes bonus tracks "Sunday" and "Monster". CD

Duets between pianist Donal Leonellis Fox and Oliver Lake on saxophone and flute. Tracks are all originals by the two musicians except for "Rhythm-a-ning" by Thelonious Monk. CD

A Columbia Records classic by the great Charles Mingus – his follow-up to the seminal Mingus Ah-Um, and a set that's got a very similar flavor! As with some of Mingus' best material for Columbia, the album has him working with a slightly larger ensemble, but still holding onto the intensity of his smaller groups from a few years before – a way of merging the voices of saxophonists like Booker Ervin, John Handy, Benny Goldson, and Jerome Richardson – yet still allowing them space to break out with moments of pride and power that really send the whole thing home! This mix of the individual and ensemble is key to the Mingus genius of the period – and is also heard in the work of Roland Hanna on piano, Donald Ellis on trumpet, Jimmy Knepper on trombone, and Theodore Cohen on vibes – all of whom work alongside Charles' key drummer of the time, the great Dannie Richmond. Titles include "Diane", "Song With Orange", "Gunslinging Bird", and "Far Wells Mill Valley" – and a haunting take on "Mood Indigo". LP, Vinyl record album

A Columbia Records classic by the great Charles Mingus – his follow-up to the seminal Mingus Ah-Um, and a set that's got a very similar flavor! As with some of Mingus' best material for Columbia, the album has him working with a slightly larger ensemble, but still holding onto the intensity of his smaller groups from a few years before – a way of merging the voices of saxophonists like Booker Ervin, John Handy, Benny Goldson, and Jerome Richardson – yet still allowing them space to break out with moments of pride and power that really send the whole thing home! This mix of the individual and ensemble is key to the Mingus genius of the period – and is also heard in the work of Roland Hanna on piano, Donald Ellis on trumpet, Jimmy Knepper on trombone, and Theodore Cohen on vibes – all of whom work alongside Charles' key drummer of the time, the great Dannie Richmond. Titles include "Diane", "Song With Orange", "Gunslinging Bird", and "Far Wells Mill Valley" – and a haunting take on "Mood Indigo". CD includes the bonus track "Strollin" and unedited versions of "Slop", "Song With Orange", "Gunslinging Bird", and "Things Ain't What They Used to Be" – all of which were originallly shaved down for release on the original album, now here in their proper form for the first time! CD

An unusual live date for Oscar Peterson – in that it wasn't actually officially recorded by Verve, but done by a fan and handed over to Norman Granz at a later date! Given that origin, though, the material is quite strong – recorded with an edge that's slightly earthier than usual for Verve at the time, but with a clarity that still beautifully displays Peterson's dynamic work on the keys – as well as the gentle guitar backing of Herb Ellis and the always-great bass tones of Ray Brown. Titles include "Daahoud", "Bluesology", "Budo", "Evrev", and "We'll Be Together Again". LP, Vinyl record album

Glenn Spearman on tenor saxophone and vocals, Lisle Ellis on bass, Chris Brown on piano, Larry Ochs on tenor and soprano saxophone, Donald Robinson and William Winant on drums and percussion. CD

Lisle Ellis on double bass, Donald Robinson on drums & Lawrence Ochs on tenor & soprano saxes. CD

A very cool criss-crossing of classic and contemporary jazz cuts – all put together by the same folks who've given us the excellent Jazz Room reissue label in recent years! The vibe here is expanded past the 70s and 80s material reissued by that label – and the right use of more recent cuts really does a lot to open up the music – expanding the palette in really wonderful ways, while still holding onto plenty of the classic jazz dance modes that first started taking over the UK clubs in the early years of Gilles Peterson and some of his contemporaries! Titles include "Niger Mambo" by Chieck Tidiane Seck, "African Flutes" by Clare Fischer, "Water No Get Enemy" by Daniel Crawford, "Sounds" by Eternal Buzz Brass Band, "Don't You Want Me" by Fast 3, "Golden Brown" by Take Vibe, "The Hipster" by Florian Pellissier, "Black & Decker" by Raul Monsalve Y Los Forajidos, "Jazz Carnival" by Cruisic, and "Rebel No 27 (7" edit)" by Chip Wickham. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

An overdue look at the great range of sounds that came from Inner City Records at the end of the 70s – a hip American indie with a strong specialty in soulful fusion, hip vocalists, and a range of other great styles too – all brought together here by London DJ Kev Beadle! Inner City's often a bit overlooked – as the label flourished most strongly in the years after some of the better-known soulful imprints of the 70s – and the label always had a great ear for new sounds, fresh ideas, and the kind of compelling global elements that often led them to license key tracks from overseas, and bring them to the US market. This collection's heavy on singers – the kind of cool, underground jazz vocalists that Inner City captured so well – and it's also got a nice mix of funky fusion, modal numbers, and spiritual currents – on titles that include "The Other World" by Judy Roberts, "Hunt Up Wind" by Hiroshi Fukumura, "Vera Cruz" by Helen Merrill, "Lucky Southern" by Tom Lellis, "Quickie Nirvana" by Kellis Ethridge, "Samba De La Cruz" by Terumasa Hino, "So High" by Janet Lawson, "The Samba" by Jeff Lorber, "Return Of The Prodigal Son" by Joe Lee Wilson, "Shenkansen" by Urszula Dudziak, "To An Elfin Princess" by Charlie Mariano, "Pandora" by Carlos Franzetti, and "Jennine" by Eddie Jefferson. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album