Titles include "Blues For Astor", "Naranjo En Flor", "Lorena", "Maria Ciudad", "Blue In Green", and "Cuando Yo No Este". CD

One of Donald Byrd's first albums on Blue Note – tight, soulful, and a firm statement of hardbop truth – a record that showed that Byrd was firmly on the map! The ensemble features Jackie McLean on alto, and the rhythm section includes Duke Pearson, Doug Watkins, and Lex Humphries – all of whom bring in a sense of lyrical interplay that really shows off a newer side of Byrd's trumpet that didn't emerge in earlier 50s recordings – one that opens up in the individuality of the Blue Note mode, and shakes off some of the more academic trappings of his early work with Gigi Gryce. All tunes are proud originals by Byrd himself – written with a real sense of color, tone, and timing – and titles include "Bup A Loup", "Funky Mama", "Lament", and "Amen". CD

Oregon open the door for a few friends to appear on the album – and in doing so, they also open themselves up as well – in a shifting set of tracks that sometimes features different groupings of the core musicians! The guests here are Bennie Wallace on tenor, Larry Karush on piano, and David Earl Johnson on congas and timbales – and the tracks move from longer to shorter, quintet to duo performances – all showing different aspects of the guitars of Ralph Towner, reeds of Paul McCandless, bass of Glen Moore, and sitar and percussion of Collin Walcott. Karush and Moore duet on piano on the beautiful "Love Over Time", Wallace and Walcott mix sitar and tenor on "First Thing In The Morning" – and other titles include "Time Remembered", "Interstate", "Timeless", "Love Over Time", and "Grazing Dreams". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Glen Moore on bass and Ralph Towner on guitar and flugelhorn. LP, Vinyl record album

Rich-voiced tenor work from Diego Rivera, a player who just seems to get better and better with each new album as a leader! The set follows strongly on Diego's previous – and as with that one, features that top-shelf Posi-tone presentation – with a focus on original material, a strong group of sidemen, and a nicely unified vibe! Other players include Art Hirihara on piano, Luques Curtis on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums – plus Pete Rodriguez on trumpet, also adding in some percussion at points that have a slightly Latin vibe. Titles include the originals "With Just A Word", "Tinte Latino", "Machete", and "Dignified Response". CD

There's way more than sufficient grace going on here – and a strongly soulful swing that really has the whole album coming together, right on the money! Maybe that's no surprise, though, given that the set's issued on the excellent WJ3 label from Willie Jones III, who plays drums at the core of the record, next to the bass of Sean Conly – while Tardy carves out all these wonderfully fluid, feeling lines next to the trumpet of Marcus Printup – who himself sounds better than usual, and makes for a perfect fit for Tardy. Keith Brown handles piano on the quintet session, all tunes are Tardy originals, and titles include "Tree & Its Fruit", "I Choose You", "For Deacon Rock", "The Omnipresent Cardiologist", "Janel's Love Song", and "Nick Hoot". CD

Diego Barber on guitar, Mark Turner and Seamus Blake on saxophone, Johannes Weidenmueller and Larry Grenadier on double bass, and Ari Hoenig on drums. CD

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Guillermo Gregorio on clarinet, Eric Pakula and Guillermo Gregorio on alto saxophone, Eric Pakula on tenor saxophone, John Lockwood on bass, Pandelis Karayorgis on piano, and Mat Maneri on violin. CD

Massively mellow funk – played by a cool Chicago trio that's heavy on the electric keys! The group's led by the team of keyboardist Gregory Bibb and guitarist James Norris – with the former working through a set of tasty keys that include Fender Rhodes, clavinet, and farfisa! Rhythms are lean, laidback, and nicely stripped-down – funky, but chilled out – in a kind of a groove that was years ahead of its time, and which is now only finally getting its due. There's some really heavy drums on the best cuts – hard, but with rhythms that are slightly off-kilter, in a way that makes for a really refreshing groove, even when the group's covering work by other artists. The whole thing's instrumental – with the original tracks "Brother Marcus" and "Changing Things" – plus great covers of "Love & Happiness", "Shaft", and a great version of "Ain't No Sunshine". Nice laidback funk, with a super-dope sound that's as a hip as the cover! CD

The great Harold Mabern kicks it hard with a key core group – then finds a way to open up with some surprise guest artists as well – including singers Gregory Porter, Kurt Elling, Jane Monheit, and Norah Jones! The core of the album features Mabern's piano rocketing out with rhythm from John Webber on bass and Joe Farnsworth on drums – and getting some strong tenor work from the mighty Eric Alexander – and as the set goes on, the group also brings in Jeremy Pelt on trumpet, Peter Bernstein on guitar, and Steve Turre on trombone. But the key force here is the singers – especially Porter and Elling, who seem to find an old school space with the group that really takes them back to their roots. Elling sings on "You Needed Me", "Portrait Of Jennie", and "Billie's Bounce"'; Porter sings on "Afro Blue" and "The Man From Hyde Park"; Monheit sings on "I'll Take Romance" and "My One & Only Love"; and Norah Jones sings on "Don't Misunderstand" and "Fools Rush In". CD also features Alexis Cole on "Such Is Life" – and the instrumental tracks "The Chief", "Mozzin", and "Bobby Benny Jymie Lee Bu". CD

In the early 70s, pianist Chris McGregor was one of the leading lights of the British jazz scene – an expatriot South African living in London, whose work with the legendary group The Blue Notes was steeped in an African rhythmic traditions! This seminal work from 1971 shows how much McGregor's style evolved in the late 60's, and how fiercely it had become intertwined with the British avant styles of the time – in a groove that comes across here with an earthy, rootsy bottom – but also features plenty of far-reaching solos that go out, yet never too far – the best balance of modes from players that include fellow Blue Notes Mongezi Feza, Dudu Pukwana, and Louis Moholo – as well as British jazz luminaries who include Harry Beckett, Alan Skidmore, and John Surman. Titles include "Andromeda", "Union Special", "Night Poem", "MRA", "The Bride", and "Davashe's Dream". CD

A double-length live set from Oregon – one that acts as a nice bracket to their 70s work for the Vanguard label, and which maybe points the way towards the direction they'd soon take at ECM! As some of their contemporaries were maybe getting even more electric, the group deliver a fantastic acoustic set throughout – guitars from Ralph Towner, who also plays piano and a bit of French horn – plus sitar and tabla from Collin Walcott, bass and violin from Glen Moore, and a mix of saxes, flute, and other reeds from Paul McCandless! The sound is nice and open – maybe more spacious and patient than the group's earlier work – really opening up on the longer live tracks on the set. Titles include "Arion", "Waterwheel", "Buzzbox", "Along The Way", "Wanderlust", "Icarus", "Free Piece", and "Deer Path". CD

Diego Rivera has a very classic look on the cover – and the record comes across with a very classic vibe as well – back to the days of Sonny Stitt or Hank Mobley, when a top-shelf saxophonist set up in a quartet was more than enough to make some really special magic on record! That's definitely the case here – as Rivera blows both tenor and soprano with a mixture of deeper tones and lighter colors, in a voice that's very much his own – mostly on shorter original tracks, save for one take on a John Coltrane number that stretches out nice and long. The compactness is key to the sound, as Diego packs a heck of a lot into the three to five minute space of most tracks – working with a great rhythm trio that features Art Hirihara on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums. Titles include the originals "Ganas", "Soul Purpose", "Anticipation", "Composure", "Simon", "La Malinche", and "Battle Fatigue" – plus a nice take on "Alabama". CD

Adam Rogers on guitar, Chris Potter on tenor, Edward Simon on piano, Scott Colley on bass, and Clarence Penn on drums. Titles are all originals and include "Orpheus", "Angel Of Repose", "Phyrigia", "Red Leaves", and "Cleveland". CD

An album that has reedman Gregory Tardy opening up a whole new chapter in his music – blowing clarinet throughout the record, but with all the soulful depth of his work on tenor! In some ways, Tardy's using the instrument a bit like John Coltrane when he moved to soprano sax – a leaner, more fluid way of expressing himself – often over rhythms that have some modal currents that really let the instrument weave out these beautifully colorful lines! The rest of the group features Taber Gable on piano – a hell of a force who really grounds the proceedings and sets up the groove – plus Regina Carter on violin, Matthew Parrish on bass, and Alvester Garnett on drums. Titles include "The Roman Road", "Cloud Dance", "In His Timing", "Squatty Roo", "The Sign Of Jonah", and "The Tree Of Life". CD

37 songs over two CDs. CD

Guillermo Gregorio on alto and tenor saxophone and clarinet, Gene Coleman on bass clarinet, Jim O'Rourke on acoustic guitar and accordion, Carrie Biolo on vibes, and Michael Cameron on acoustic bass. CD

With Jharis Yokley on drums. CD

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Amazing music from Chris McGregor and his legendary Brotherhood Of Breath ensemble – easily one of the most exciting forces in British jazz in the 70s, and one fo the few who was still sounding their best in the latter half of the decade! McGregor's got as much bite and burn here as with his famous earlier combo, The Blue Notes – and the lineup here boasts ex-members of that group – Dudu Pukwana on alto, Johnny Dyani on bass, and Louis Moholo on drums – all joining together perfectly with McGregor's long-spun piano lines. The ensemble also features other key British players – Mike Osborne on alto, Evan Parker on tenor, Harry Beckett and Mark Charig on trumpets, and Radu Malfatti on trombone – creating this bold horn section that stretches to the skies on waves of soul! Two lengthy pieces "Sunrise On The Sun" and "Kwaholo" bookend the shorter piece "Sonia". CD features three more tracks not on the original album – "TBS", "Andromeda", and "You Ain't Gonna Know Me Cos You Think You Know Me". CD

Titles include "June Bug", "Vessel", "Sierra Leone", "Ogden Road", "House Of Wax", "Hungry Heart", "Orrington's Escape", "Roots In The Sky", and "Longing So Long". LP, Vinyl record album

Diego Rivera has a very classic look on the cover – and the record comes across with a very classic vibe as well – back to the days of Sonny Stitt or Hank Mobley, when a top-shelf saxophonist set up in a quartet was more than enough to make some really special magic on record! That's definitely the case here – as Rivera blows both tenor and soprano with a mixture of deeper tones and lighter colors, in a voice that's very much his own – mostly on shorter original tracks, save for one take on a John Coltrane number that stretches out nice and long. The compactness is key to the sound, as Diego packs a heck of a lot into the three to five minute space of most tracks – working with a great rhythm trio that features Art Hirihara on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums. Titles include the originals "Ganas", "Soul Purpose", "Anticipation", "Composure", "Simon", "La Malinche", and "Battle Fatigue" – plus a nice take on "Alabama". CD

Featuring Rolf Romer on saxophone. CD

Hammond player Jim Alfredson works here in a setting that's nicely full and rich – one that mixes his sharp work on the organ with just the right sort of horn contributions – in a mode that's got some of the best energy of the Lonnie Smith or Lou Donaldson late 60s organ years on Blue Note! Part of the record's strength comes from the wonderfully snapping drums of EJ Strickland, sounding even funkier than usual – and really providing the right sort of crackle to push lean and groovy performances from the trombone of Michael Dease, trumpet of Alex Sipiagin, and tenor of Diego Rivera – all players we're not used to hearing in such a setting! The group also features guitar from Will Bernard and percussion from Kevin Jones – on original titles that include "Foster Blues", "The Side Eye", "Reo Town", "Strange Matter", "For Miles", and "Verna". CD

Wonderful work from guitarist Oren Ambarchi – a little more expansive than his preceding effort on Drag City, thanks to larger group and a wider range of instrumentation, while building on what loved about it! The style is tough to pin down in the best kind of way, with strains of improvisational jazz and hypnotic minimalism, but a unique melodic drive that's as compelling as it is tough to cleanly categorize. Collaborators this time include returning Swedish jazz bassist Johan Berthling, drummer Joe Talia, a second guitarist in Julia Reidy, Sam Dunscombe on bass clarinet – and for extra otherworldly, yet melodic atmosphere is some synth by Jim O'Rourke and pedal steel by BJ Cole on a couple of tracks. The whole Shebang is a 4 part set – each track running long, to give it a nice amount of space to build up, settle down, and flow into the next – and numbered 1 to 4. CD

A stunning surprise from Andre 3000 – at least if you only know him as part of Outkast – and a record that finally gives us an audio document of the sounds that Andre has really been involved with in recent years – a beautiful blend of spiritual jazz with mellower currents, aided here by some members of the contemporary LA scene! There's a resonance here with some of the more laidback projects on the International Anthem label, and with the work of Carlos Nino – and no surprise, Nino is on board to deliver great production work throughout, and co-produced the album with Andre too. Andre delivers a lot of work on flute, as hinted at by the cover – and also serves up beautiful sounds on wind controller too – as the set moves between contributions from other artists who include Nate Mercereau on guitars, and Diego Gaeta and Surya Botofasina on keyboards – as well as guest vocals from Mia Doi Todd on two tracks, and shakuhachi from Shabaka Hutchings on one more. Titles include "That Night In Hawaii When I Turned Into A Panther & Started Making These Low Register Purring Tones That I Couldn't Control", "Ninety Three Til Infinity & Beyonce", "Dreams Once Buried Beneath The Dungeon Floor Slowly Sprout Into Undying Gardens", "Ants To You Gods To Who", and "I Swear I Really Wanted To Make A Rap Album But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me". CD

A stunning surprise from Andre 3000 – at least if you only know him as part of Outkast – and a record that finally gives us an audio document of the sounds that Andre has really been involved with in recent years – a beautiful blend of spiritual jazz with mellower currents, aided here by some members of the contemporary LA scene! There's a resonance here with some of the more laidback projects on the International Anthem label, and with the work of Carlos Nino – and no surprise, Nino is on board to deliver great production work throughout, and co-produced the album with Andre too. Andre delivers a lot of work on flute, as hinted at by the cover – and also serves up beautiful sounds on wind controller too – as the set moves between contributions from other artists who include Nate Mercereau on guitars, and Diego Gaeta and Surya Botofasina on keyboards – as well as guest vocals from Mia Doi Todd on two tracks, and shakuhachi from Shabaka Hutchings on one more. Titles include "That Night In Hawaii When I Turned Into A Panther & Started Making These Low Register Purring Tones That I Couldn't Control", "Ninety Three Til Infinity & Beyonce", "Dreams Once Buried Beneath The Dungeon Floor Slowly Sprout Into Undying Gardens", "Ants To You Gods To Who", and "I Swear I Really Wanted To Make A Rap Album But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A jazz trio, but one who bring something else to the mix as well – as they blend in lots of other elements with their core energy on drums, bass, and keyboards! The keyboards themselves range nicely – acoustic and electric piano, plus other electronics too – and there's a bit of alto and tenor on the set, guest guitar, and use of vocals in Portuguese that almost give the record the vibe of Brazilian music at points – while at other times, the music moves farther from jazz with more of a focus on the groove, then swings back nicely on the next track. Titles include "Black Mica", "Tilia", "Pedra Mae", "Punctum No 2", "Ressonancia", and "Giesta". (New Grooves, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A completely righteous mix of jazz and African percussion – put together by drummer Art Blakey at a time when he was riding high with the Jazz Messengers, but also was willing to work on great experiments like this! The album's years ahead of its time – and arguably opens the door for countless spiritual jazz projects like this in the 70s, more proof that Blakey was a groundbreaking artist who was always opening doors for others! Blakey's own work on drums is joined by percussion from Montego Joe, Chief Bey, Garvin Masseux, James Ola, Folami, Robert Crowder, and Solomon Ilori – the last of whom would record his own record for Blue Note – and the rest of the group features Yusef Lateef on flute and tenor, Curtis Fuller on trombone, and the great Ahmed Abdul-Malik on bass – a great choice for the record, given that he was mixing together similar modes on his own records of the time. Titles include "Tobi Ilu", "Love, The Mystery Of", and "Obirin African". CD

Maybe one of the most hard-burning performances ever recorded by this legendary South African jazz combo – a set dedicated to trumpeter Mongezi Feza, a key member of the group who'd passed away just a short time before the recording! The session was done in London, right after all four remaining members had come together for a memorial for Mongezi – and throughout the set, you can feel the raw emotion that's driving the performance – bold, freewheeling and very expressive sounds from the lineup of Dudu Pukwana on alto sax, Chris McGregor on piano, Johnny Dyani on bass, and Louis Moholo on drums – all players who pick up extra percussion and vocalize at points – almost in the tradition of the AACM, but more emotive too. The set features a double-length performance, titled "Blue Notes For Mongezi" – divided into four movements. LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful chapter in the evolution of these three key artists on the European scene – and a record that has some warmth and wit that nobody might have expected in their music a few years before! All three are still very much in exploration of the kinds of tones and sounds they could reach when playing their heads off – but they also allow for some warmer interplay that almost hints at a slight influence from Misha Mengelberg, whose spirit almost seems to be lurking around the corners of the recording! Peter Brotzman blows Brotzophon, alto, tenor, and clarinet – with Fred Van Hove on piano, and Han Bennink on drums, clarinet, homemade junk, "everything", and "anything" – on titles that include "Das Ist Doch Einfach Genung", "Schoner Geht's Nimmer", and "Ende Mit Brotzophon". LP, Vinyl record album

A key record in the evolution of the free jazz spirit on the German scene – one that not only has the Machine Gun generation allowing for a bit of extra space and moments of contemplation in their music, but which also opens itself up to work from a slightly older member of the scene as well! The group is great – with Peter Brotzmann on clarinet, alto, tenor, and baritone – plus Fred Van Hove on piano, and Han Bennink on drums, self-made clarinet, and "homemade junk" – joined by trombonist Albert Mangelsdorff, who almost feels as if he's been waiting for the chance to really open up and experiment with the other improvisers – showing sounds that are maybe even more mindblowing than on his own records of the time! Titles include "Serienze Serie", "Boogie Fur Fred", and "Der Spaziegang". LP, Vinyl record album

With Benny Green on piano, Gregory Hutchinson on drums, and Ulf Wakenius on guitar. CD

A killer record from bassist Paul Brusger – a set that features plenty of great work from Eric Alexander on tenor and alto – the latter an instrument that he's really begun to embrace in recent years! The rest of the group is wonderful too – Steve Davis on trombone, Rick Germanson on piano, and Willie Jones III on drums – a combo with a hard-swinging energy, and lots of individual identity in the way each member expresses themselves within the group – no egos getting in the way of the groove, even though the musicians themselves are an all-star group! Yet credit should really be given to Brusger for not only pulling the whole thing together, but also composing most of the material for the set – really great tunes that bristle with fresh life and vision, on selections that include "A Slice Of Gryce", "Just A Tadd More Please", "Do Dreams Really Matter", "The Sugar Glider", and "Blues For Another Time". CD

Beautiful work from Adegoke Steve Colson – a warmly grooving set cut with vocalist Iqua Colson – possibly one of Steve's straightest records ever, but one of his most soulful, too! Iqua's got a fluid vocal approach that's mighty nice – and the Colson combo swings in a mix of modal moments and soul jazz roots – with work from TK Blue on soprano and alto sax, Andy McCloud on bass, and Reggie Nicholson on drums. Most titles are originals, with a really fresh feel – the kind of hopeful, optimistic spirit of jazz vocals, if you still no where to look – and titles include "Hope For Love", "At The Church Steps", "Picante", "Regina's Lament", "South Of The Border Serenade", and "After Revelation's Ease". CD

One of the true soul jazz classics of the 90s! Although Andrew Cyrille is better known for some of his more "out" material, we totally dig this 1992 album – because it's got a sweeping spiritual feel, and a very soulful groove that recalls 70s work by players like Billy Harper or Marvin Hannibal Peterson! Tracks are long and very open-ended, but never go too far out – just progress along with a great sense of vision, courtesy of a group of players that includes Hannibal on trumpet, Oliver Lake on soprano and alto sax, Adegoke Steve Colson on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Cyrille on drums. The group is impeccably tight, and the whole thing sounds like a lost session from Strata East – with just the right mix of outside soloing and inside grooving – and titles include "Soul Brother", "The Prophet", "Shell", "Tap Dancer", "South Of The Border Serenade", and "Where's Nine". CD

Very groovy organ work from the amazing Mike Dogliotti – a player with a wonderful sense of whimsy and rhythm, heard here in a key collection of jazzy groovers – tracks that are almost the Argentine answer to Walter Wanderley's classic bossa sides from the 60s! The styles here are all quite lively – with a fair bit of heavy percussion underneath Mike's lightning-fast work on the keys – organ lines that move way faster even than Wanderley's best, and which show a similarly fluid approach! And in case you're worried that you've never heard of Dogliotti before, don't worry – because the package features a whopping 27 tracks in all, including 2 complete albums' worth of music, plus bonus tracks – more than enough to help you catch up on listening! Titles include "Don Pascual", "Candela", "Dona Gregoria", "Las Mazanas", "Siga El Baile", "Tierra", "Biricunyamba", "Ahi Va La Camparsa", "Chiquilada", "Biafra", "El Candomble", and "Palo Y Tamboril". CD

Wayne Escoffery has some great guests on this record – but honestly, the work at the core is more than great enough on its own – as Escoffery has a way of blowing beautifully alongside the piano and Rhodes of David Kikoski, bass of Ugonna Okegwo, and drums of Mark Whitfield Jr – a wonderfully soulful group who seem to push his tenor into these bold, snakey lines that are completely seductive! Then, on key tracks the group's joined by guests – the vocals of Gregory Porter on a great version of "Rivers Of Babylon" and the track "My Truth", and appearances at other points from Tom Harrell on trumpet and Mike Moreno on guitar. Other titles include "Nostalgia In Times Square", "Sincerely Yours", "Dear John", and "Song Of Serenity". CD

One of Chico's classic recordings for Impulse, and a weird batch of tracks that have an off-beat sound to them that's hard to categorize. The group includes Ernie Hayes on organ, Arnie Lawrence on alto, Larry Coryell on guitar, and a guest appearance by Archie Shepp on piano. Tracks include "For Mods Only", "A Trip", "Baby, You Know", and "Larry Of Arabia". Very groovy, and with a wonderful array of offbeat influences running through the groove! LP, Vinyl record album

Drummer Emanuel Harrold is way more than just a musician on the set – and the record is way more than jazz as well – as Emanuel works with some great guests throughout, and turns the whole thing into a record that's more like some soul-styled soundsystem overall! There's definitely plenty of jazzy moments on the set – nice work on flute, alto, Fender Rhodes, and guitar – but the singers who appear on different cuts really help shape the sound of the record in great ways – given a lot of freedom by Harrold to do their things, at a level that's very different than just a vocalist joining in on a jazz session. Gregory Porter gives us one of his best songs in years – the wonderful "I Think" – and singers on other cuts include Shareef Keyes on "See", Crystal Ransom on "Brighter Day", Saunders Sermons on "Good Word", and Malcolm Jamal Warner on "We Da People" – and other cuts include "Shine Light" and "Fight Harder" – the last of which features trumpet from Keyon Harrold. CD

Drummer Emanuel Harrold is way more than just a musician on the set – and the record is way more than jazz as well – as Emanuel works with some great guests throughout, and turns the whole thing into a record that's more like some soul-styled soundsystem overall! There's definitely plenty of jazzy moments on the set – nice work on flute, alto, Fender Rhodes, and guitar – but the singers who appear on different cuts really help shape the sound of the record in great ways – given a lot of freedom by Harrold to do their things, at a level that's very different than just a vocalist joining in on a jazz session. Gregory Porter gives us one of his best songs in years – the wonderful "I Think" – and singers on other cuts include Shareef Keyes on "See", Crystal Ransom on "Brighter Day", Saunders Sermons on "Good Word", and Malcolm Jamal Warner on "We Da People" – and other cuts include "Shine Light" and "Fight Harder" – the last of which features trumpet from Keyon Harrold. LP, Vinyl record album

The last album that Jimmy Heath ever gave the world – and a record that makes us miss him even more – as the whole thing takes Heath back to that spectacular mix of solo expressionist, thoughtful composer, and sensitive arranger territory of his best early years! And if you want proof of Jimmy's warm, open spirit – the set begins with a one minute bowed bass solo before Heath's horn even comes into play – then works sublime magic on a number of original numbers, and a few well-chosen classics – all put together by Jimmy as a "ballads" album, but in a way that's hugely different from some of the more facile songbook sessions of over-recorded standards. Instead, the Heath arrangements throughout are wonderfully fresh, and have a soulful quality that really blows us away – more than even on some of his other late records, which is what makes this final session so bittersweet. The core group features Kenny Barron on piano, Monte Croft on vibes, Russell Malone on guitar, and Lewis Nash on drums – and the set features vocals from Gregory Porter on one track, and Cecile McLorin Salvant on another – and Wynton Marsalis blows a trumpet solo on a third track. Titles include "Ballad From Upper Neighbors Suiter", "Left Alone", "Inside Your Heart", "La Mesha", "Con Alma", "Fasion Or Passion", and "Don't Explain". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing sounds from Joe Henderson's later years – a completely sublime take on the music of Billy Strayhorn, and a wonderful demonstration of Henderson's mature talents on the tenor! There's a fantastic balance here between darkness and light, grit and clarity, heard in Joe's very first notes on the set – and holding on strong through some of the bolder moments in the set – with work by a shifting lineup, from solo to quintet, that features Wynton Marsalis on trumpet, Stephen Scott on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Gregory Hutchinson on drums. Yet although Marsalis might be a draw for some folks, we really love it best when Henderson gets to do his own thing – stretching out in these marvelous laidback solos that are heavy on those rich tones he developed in his early years, yet turned towards Strayhorn's brilliant ear for space between the sounds. Titles include "Blood Count", "Isfahan", "Rain Check", "Lotus Blossom", "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing", and "Upper Manhattan Medical Group". CD

A group with vibes in the lead – which might already have been enough to win us over – save for the fact that everything else about the record is great, too – including its production by Wayne Shorter! Forget all about Shorter, though – because although he champions the group, they hardly need his help at all – as they're a wonderfully strong, very soulful ensemble who are very much headed in the right direction – with that kind of fresh, young voice in jazz that we maybe heard years ago when Black/Note first appeared on the scene – although these guys have a vision that's all their own, and a sound that gets nicely spiritual at times too. The group features vibes from Diego Urbano, alto from Josh Johnson, trumpet from Mike Cottone, trombone from Eric Miller, piano from Miro Sprague, bass from Dave Robaire, and drums from Jonathan Pinson – a big group, but one with a razor-sharp focus throughout – on songs that include "Santa Ynez", "Choose Your Adventure", "Three Song", "Pioneer", "Dream Space", "Light Magnet", "E Force 3", and "Invisible Cities". CD

Elvin Jones rose to fame in the company of one of the greatest saxophone players ever – the mighty John Coltrane – and his post-Coltrane work like this really continues a keen respect for the role of the reeds in jazz – and really does a lot to push it forward as well! There's a compelling edge to the record that's light years from Elvin's work with Coltrane – a completely new sensibility that can be spacious one minute, extremely powerful the next – and quite possibly realized to its fullest potential here, thanks to the mindblowing contributions of Dave Liebman on tenor and soprano sax, Frank Foster on tenor and flute, and Joe Farrell on alto and soprano sax. All three players work together on each track – and all shift reeds throughout the session – opening up majestically with inspiration from Elvin's drums, and some wonderful work from Gene Perla on bass. The sound is beyond easy categorization or simple style – and the record's filled with wonderful titles that include "PP Phoenix", "For All The Other Times", "Three Card Monty", and "Cecilia Is Love". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the wildest sets ever recorded by Japanese guitarist Ryo Kawasaki – and that's saying a lot, given some of his other work! The vibe here is fusion, but with a definite 80s spacey twist that's hinted at by the cover – as Kawasaki handles most of the instruments himself, mixing his cool guitar lines with keyboards, rhythm patterns, and other elements – all in a wonderful wave of sound, almost similar to some of the Japanese electronic instrumental work of the time, but still very jazz-oriented overall! Titles include a nice reading of "Concierto De Aranjuez" – plus "Cancion Del Fuego Fatuo", "Introduction From Schelomo", "A Felicidade", "Marilyn", "Mercy Of The Dragon", "Hawaiian Caravan", and "Twilight Song". LP, Vinyl record album

With Tomasz Grzegorski on reeds. CD

Pianist Robert Lakatos is in great form here – able to improvise freely like a contemporary musician at some points, swing with bop at other moments, while also coming across with gentler, more introspective modes at different – all with really well-balanced accompaniment from Christian Lakatos on bass and Gregory Hutchinson on drums! The album has the well-recorded sense of sound that we love in many of the Sawano piano trio projects – a great extension of older Japanese and French piano modes – and titles include the two improvised tracks "Shining" and "B In B" – plus "The Good Life", "It's All Right With Me", "The Past", "Sepia", and "Scrapple From The Apple". LP, Vinyl record album

Pat Metheny on guitar with Steve Rodby on bass, Antonio Sanchez on drums, Richard Bona on guitar and percussion, Gregoire Maret on harmonica, David Samuels on percussion, Lyle Mays on piano and xylophone, and Cuong Vu on whistle and trumpet. CD

The headier side of the great Roscoe Mitchell – a project that has some of the reedman's compositions transcribed for larger orchestra performance – but at a level that seems to be a natural evolution of the notion of "black classical music" that Mitchell first helped pioneer with the AACM! Make no mistake with that term – this isn't classical music at all – instead, the larger group works here to realize this beautiful balance between improvisation and composition, almost working as a whole to embody the ideas that Mitchell has brought to his music in much smaller settings, carved out of a large group of woodwinds, a touch of brass, and a bit of strings. Gregory Oh conducts the group, and titles include "They Rode For Them", "Splatter", "Nonaah", "Shards & Lemons", and "Ride The Wind". CD

Randy Napoleon on guitar, Etienne Charles on trumpet, Rodney Whitaker on bass, and Gregory Hutchinson on drums. CD

David Newman on flute and tenor and alto saxophone, Benny Powell on trombone, Winston Byrd on flugelhorn and trumpet, Howard Johnson on baritone saxophone, David Leonhardt on piano, John Menegon on bass, and Yoron Israel on drums. CD

Early genius from British saxophonist Mike Osborne – his first session as a leader, recorded in the company of some of the greatest players on his scene! Osborne's got a strong vision here that's apparent from the first note of the set – a mixture of freedom and cohesive energy that resonates with the best modes of the ESP albums cut a few years before this one – stretching out with the new imagination that was setting the London jazz scene on fire at the start of the 70s. Osborne's alto is at the lead of a quintet that also includes Harry Beckett on trumpet, Chris McGregor on piano, Harry Miller on bass, and Louis Moholo on drums – and the sound is a mixture of some of the post-Blue Notes work of McGregor with bolder-blown trumpet/sax lines from Beckett and Osborne. The album features 2 long tracks – the stark, angular "So It Is", and the slower-building "Outback", which features some especially nice solos from Beckett. LP, Vinyl record album

A beautifully rich session from bassist Gary Peacock – one that draws equal energy from his three associates on the date – all of whom did some great ECM Records work on their own! Peacock composed the tunes, and his spacious notes on bass provide the core setting – but the album really sparkles with sharp-edged tenor and soprano sax lines from Jan Garbarek, some moody trumpet tones from Tomasz Stanko, and unbridled work on drums from Jack DeJohnette, who almost seems much more free of structure than Peacock on bass. Titles include "Allegory", "Paradigm", "Moor", "Legends", "Voice From The Past", and "Ode For Tomten". LP, Vinyl record album

Dan Pratt on tenor and alto sax, Mike Eckroth on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Gregory Hutchinson on drums. CD

2 funky classics from the legendary Pretty Purdie! Purdie Good is Bernard Purdie's first album as a leader for Prestige – cut right after he'd hipped up plenty of other sessions for the label with his famous funky drums! The groove here is very much in the best Prestige jazz funk mode of the early 70s – tightly vamping rhythms that draw heavily from Purdie's monstrous drums – and which also offer solo showcase space for Harold Wheeler on electric piano, Ted Dunbar on guitar, Tippy Larkin on trumpet, and Charlie Brown and Warren Daniels on tenor. Rhythm is augmented by Gordon Edwards on Fender bass and Norman Pride on congas – and the grooves hit a variety of modes that show that Purdie could sometimes be a more open-thinking rhythmatist than his funky contemporary Idris Muhammad. Titles include great instrumental versions of "Cold Sweat" and "Montego Bay", plus the originals "Wasteland", "You Turn Me On", and "Purdie Good". Shaft is a full funky session from master drummer Bernard Purdie – a set that expands out his previous Prestige vibe, and almost goes for a soundtrack scope to match the record's Shaft title! The set leads off with a great take on the Isaac Hayes hit – one that follows in the same fully-flowing, slow-building mode as Ike's – but which comes across here as an instrumental with some great solo work from Houston Person – playing here almost in a Stanley Turrentine sort of mode! Other tracks continue the hip mix of jazz and larger backings – and feature a lineup of players that includes Neal Creque on electric piano, Gerry Thomas and Danny Moore on trumpets, Willie Bridges and Houston Person on tenors, Billy Nichols and Lloyd Davis on guitars, Gordon Edwards on Fender bass, and Norman Pride on congas. The sound is warm without ever sounding too smooth – and Purdie's funky drums at the bottom ensure that most tunes are nicely lively. Titles include "Shaft", "Butterfingers", "Summer Melody", "Changes", "Way Back Home", and "Attica". CD

Bernard Purdie's first album as a leader for Prestige – cut right after he'd hipped up plenty of other sessions for the label with his famous funky drums! The groove here is very much in the best Prestige jazz funk mode of the early 70s – tightly vamping rhythms that draw heavily from Purdie's monstrous drums – and which also offer solo showcase space for Harold Wheeler on electric piano, Ted Dunbar on guitar, Tippy Larkin on trumpet, and Charlie Brown and Warren Daniels on tenor. Rhythm is augmented by Gordon Edwards on Fender bass and Norman Pride on congas – and the grooves hit a variety of modes that show that Purdie could sometimes be a more open-thinking rhythmatist than his funky contemporary Idris Muhammad. Titles include great instrumental versions of "Cold Sweat" and "Montego Bay", plus the originals "Wasteland", "You Turn Me On", and "Purdie Good". LP, Vinyl record album

2 funky classics from the legendary Pretty Purdie! Purdie Good is Bernard Purdie's first album as a leader for Prestige – cut right after he'd hipped up plenty of other sessions for the label with his famous funky drums! The groove here is very much in the best Prestige jazz funk mode of the early 70s – tightly vamping rhythms that draw heavily from Purdie's monstrous drums – and which also offer solo showcase space for Harold Wheeler on electric piano, Ted Dunbar on guitar, Tippy Larkin on trumpet, and Charlie Brown and Warren Daniels on tenor. Rhythm is augmented by Gordon Edwards on Fender bass and Norman Pride on congas – and the grooves hit a variety of modes that show that Purdie could sometimes be a more open-thinking rhythmatist than his funky contemporary Idris Muhammad. Titles include great instrumental versions of "Cold Sweat" and "Montego Bay", plus the originals "Wasteland", "You Turn Me On", and "Purdie Good". Shaft is a full funky session from master drummer Bernard Purdie – a set that expands out his previous Prestige vibe, and almost goes for a soundtrack scope to match the record's Shaft title! The set leads off with a great take on the Isaac Hayes hit – one that follows in the same fully-flowing, slow-building mode as Ike's – but which comes across here as an instrumental with some great solo work from Houston Person – playing here almost in a Stanley Turrentine sort of mode! Other tracks continue the hip mix of jazz and larger backings – and feature a lineup of players that includes Neal Creque on electric piano, Gerry Thomas and Danny Moore on trumpets, Willie Bridges and Houston Person on tenors, Billy Nichols and Lloyd Davis on guitars, Gordon Edwards on Fender bass, and Norman Pride on congas. The sound is warm without ever sounding too smooth – and Purdie's funky drums at the bottom ensure that most tunes are nicely lively. Titles include "Shaft", "Butterfingers", "Summer Melody", "Changes", "Way Back Home", and "Attica". CD

Phillip Frazier on tuba, Keith Frazier on bass drums, Derrick Tabb on snare drum, Stafford Agee and Gregory Veals on trombone, Derrick Shezbie and Chadwick Honore on trumpet, and Vincent Broussard on saxophone. CD