Some of the most beautiful work we've ever heard from this legendary pianist – and that's really saying a lot, given how many beautiful records Abdullah Ibrahim has given us over the years! The set expands from Ibrahim's solo performance for Gearbox Records, and takes things into a trio – but a different format than the usual piano trio mode – as bassist Noah Jackson also plays cello, and instead of drums the group's third member is Cleave Guyton Jr, who blows both flute and piccolo in very unique ways! The setup really changes the usual approach that you might know from Abdullah, in a way that shows just how fluid and open his ideas are even at this point in his career – a time when so many others would be content to just rehash the past. All material was recorded live at the Barbican in London – but the first half uses the wide expanse of the room without an audience present, and the second then presents different songs recorded live with a full concert setting. Titles include "Nisa", "The Wedding", "Mindif", "Water From An Ancient Well", "Blue Bolero", "Skippy", "Giant Steps", "Barakat", "Tsakwe", "Krotoa/Crystal Clear", and "Ishmael". LP, Vinyl record album

The title's a great one for this post-Coltrane cooker from Elvin Jones – as the set really has Elvin exploring some really fresh currents in jazz, with a range of complicated rhythms that really pull the whole session along strongly! Rhythm is really set free on the record – as Elvin works to unlock some tremendous new possibilities in jazz, but all at a level that's quite different than his previous work with his famous leader – a rich tapestry of new spiritual expression that's carried off wonderfully by Joe Farrell on flute, tenor, and English horn – plus George Coleman on tenor, Pepper Adams on baritone, and a bit more flute from Fred Tompkins. There's no piano on the album at all – and Wilbur Little plays some tremendous bass, with some occasional conga work from Candido as well. Titles are all originals by group members – or Mrs Jones – and titles include "Whew", "Agenda", "Agappe Love", "Mr Jones", and "Yes". LP, Vinyl record album

A record with a killer combination at the core – the tenor of Jonas Kullhammar and Hammond work of Steiner Nickelsen – both players who take this familiar pairing and really find a way to make something new! Yet that's also often the point of some of the best records on Kullhammar's Moserobie label – that sense of play with older modes and ear for newer ideas – qualities that are carried forth by the work of other quartet members Havard Stubo on guitar and Johan Holmegard on drums. This isn't your father's tenor/organ record to be sure – as you'll hear on titles that include "Paris", "The Wild East", "Stratos", "Domedagen", and "Cai Shen Calypso". LP, Vinyl record album

Great 80s work from guitarist Calvin Keys – material that's different than his earlier sides for the Black Jazz label – and which shows Calvin really changing up his sound for the following decade! There's a slightly more inside feel to the recording, but the set's still dripping with soul – warm rhythms that provide a perfect foil for Calvin's open lines on guitar, played with even more deftness than we remember. Other elements include keyboards, percussion, and vocals on one track from Maxayn Lewis, who also sings a bit of backup too – and titles include the smooth groovers "Dantu" and "Love In Your Eyes", plus "Full Court Press", "Growing Pains", and "Bus Scene". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderfully spiritual sounds from the great Rahsaan Roland Kirk – a rare, unissued live recording done for French radio at the start of the 70s – superbly recorded, and every bit as great as Kirk's Atlantic Records classics from the time! The tunes are long, and the setting is lean – with a style that echoes the brilliance of his Volunteered Slavery album, but with more of an edge – less of the humor that Rahsaan could bring to the stage, and lot more bite – both on his reeds, and the work of group members Dick Griffin on trombone, Ron Burton on piano, Vernon Martin on bass, Jerome Cooper on drums, and Joe Texidor on percussion. Kirk blows alto, tenor, soprano, flute, stritch, manzello, and clarinet – and titles include "Three For The Festival", "Sweet Fire", "Inflated Tear", "Volunteered Slavery", and "My Cherie Amour". LP, Vinyl record album

Don't be put off by the title, because this is hardly the sort of ballet you might see at the opera house – and instead features some of the best early modern jazz work from the great Krzysztof Komeda. The title track is the ultimate recording of one of the most ambitious works ever composed by Komeda – as the "Ballet Etudes" suite was originally composed for the 1962 Jazz Jamboree festival, but this later recording is even better than the original – a side-long piece that opens up with wonderful complexity, yet never fails to swing. The track's a wonderfully haunting work – sort of like some of Mingus' larger concept pieces of the late 50s, built around a specific project, a jazz ballet, but also working perfectly as a showcase for the rich solo talents of the members of the group – who include Allan Botschinsky on trumpet and Jan Wroblewski on tenor! Wroblewski returns on the second half – which features long readings of the Komeda originals "Alea" and "Crazy Girl" – the latter of which may get its best performance ever here, thanks to bold rhythms from Roman Dylag on bass and Rune Carlsson on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's noteworthy not just for the presence of alto saxophonist Lee Konitz, and for the leadership of baritonist Gerry Mulligan – but a record that also features the great Chet Baker on trumpet, working here as part of a trio of musicians who were really helping transform the sound of jazz in the early 50s! And maybe most noteworthy in the set is the lack of any piano at all – a strategy of Mulligan's at the time, but used in a way that also echoes some of Lee's sublime quartet sessions of the mid 50s too – and a nice setting for Chet, as he has plenty of space to open up and craft those magical notes of his youth! The rest of the group features Larry Bunker on drums, and either Carson Smith or Joe Mondragon on bass – and material was recorded partly live, and partly in the studio – with titles that include "Broadway", "Sextet", "Almost Like Being In Love", "Too Marvelous For Words", "Lover Man", "I'll Remember April", and "All The Things You Are". LP, Vinyl record album

The layers here come from the wonderful interplay between the guitar of Julian Lage and his trio members Jorge Roeder on bass and Dave King on drums – both musicians who lay back nicely, and find a way to resonate with those trademark chromatic notes that Lage seems to spin out effortlessly! The album's billed as a precursor to the previous View With A Room album – looser and more exploratory than that one, but also pretty darn great on its own. Titles include "The Layers", "Mantra", "Everything Helps", "This World", "Missing Voices", and "Double Southpaw". LP, Vinyl record album

Harold Land at his most spiritual – recording solo after a set of great albums with Bobby Hutcherson as a partner – but still very much in the same sort of unbridled energy! The tracks are soaring and open – and have Land's tenor really sounding nice and raw – amidst a lineup that includes Oscar Brashear on trumpet, Bill Henderson on piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Ndugu Chancler on drums and percussion! Henderson picks up Fender Rhodes at points – especially on the great funky cut "In The Back In The Corner In The Dark", which is one of the best-remembered tracks on the set. And Land also plays a bit of oboe on the cut "Pakistan", almost in a Yusef Lateef sort of style. Other cuts include "Chocolate Mess", "Damisi", and "Step Right Up To The Bottom" – all great too! LP, Vinyl record album

A tight batch of organ groovers with a raw R&B feel, recorded by the obscure St Louis organist Sam Lazar – with a very young Grant Green on guitar! The album's a bit different than Sam's other records for Argo – in that the tunes are all quite short, with a tight fast sound that's almost more R&B at times than jazz – a very unusual setting especially for Grant Green! The guitar is nice and loud – really racing to keep up with Lazar's fast work on the Hammond – and other members of the group include Willie Dixon on bass and Chauncey Williams on drums. Titles include "Mad Lad", "Space Flight", "Caramu", "Funky Blues", and "Big Willie". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most obscure albums issued on the Palm Records label of French jazz genius Jef Gilson – a large ensemble session that ties together both spiritual and avant styles of the early 70s, and which really demonstrates the overlooked power of the French scene at the time! The group's led by Chilean pianist Manuel Villarroel which might explain the title reference – and the lineup is filled with a range of excellent and obscure French musicians – including Jean Quarlier, Hugh Levick, Jef Sicard, and Gerard Coppere on reeds – plus Alain Brunet and JF Cannape on trumpets, Alphonse Leboucher and Josef Traindl on trombones, and Keno Speller, Claudio Bertoni, and Ana-Maria Villarroel on percussion. The tunes are as loose and open as the free jazz material recorded by BYG/Actuel a few years before – but also have more inherent structure and soul, and a really great balance between the contributions of the individual members as they space out the sound nicely. Titles include "Bolerito", "Leyendas De Nahuelbuta", and "Quetzalcoatl". LP, Vinyl record album

A great counterpart to the two famous Charles Mingus albums for the Candid label – really a third "lost" Candid album, recorded at the time of those sets, but never issued until many years later! As with those great dates, the work here is filled with righteous anger, unbridled emotion, and some of the most passionate jazz work of the 20th Century – directed by Mingus with unfailing energy on the bass, and featuring solo work from players who include Eric Dolphy on alto and bass clarinet, Booker Ervin on tenor, Charles McPherson on alto, Ted Curson and Lonnie Hillyer on trumpets, Jimmy Knepper on trombone, and Paul Bley on piano – all giants in their own right, most of whom gave the world some fantastic records under their own leadership too! Tracks are all nice and long, mostly from the November 11, 1960 date that featured two different groups – titles that include "Bugs", "R&R", "Reincarnation Of A Lovebird (2nd version)", "Body & Soul", and "All The Things You Are (all)". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal early work from Charles Mingus – a session that really shows him beginning to work in tightly arranged, deeply resonant styles – pushing much more deeply towards the brilliance of the late 50s! The set's recorded with a great lineup that includes Mal Waldron, Max Roach, and the enigmatic George Barrow on tenor – and includes a fantastic reading of "Percussion Discussion", played here by Roach and Mingus as a drum and bass duet (as opposed to Roach solo, as on a later version.) Also features the brilliant "All The Things You C-Sharp", a pivotal track in the Mingus book, and one of our favorites ever by him – plus "Septemberly", "Work Song", and "Jump Monk". LP, Vinyl record album

A great piano trio set from the start of the 60s – performed by a Japanese player we know little about! Hachidai Nakamura isn't a name that we remember from many other records, but on this beautifully-titled record he steps forth with a command of the keys that's really wonderful – a sound that's got a mix of soulfulness and sensitivity that reminds us a fair bit of Red Garland on Prestige, but which also seems to get a bit more kick here from the bolder lines of Hachiro Kurita on bass and Jimmy Takeuchi on drums. Titles are all in Japanese, but most seem to be originals – and Hachidai's got a sharp-edged way of stating his intentions on the tunes, then leaping into the groove with a freer sort of solo. CD presents the original album, beautifully remastered – with stereo and mono takes of all titles! LP, Vinyl record album

Natural Information Society have been a key force on the Chicago underground for a number of years – and here, they go back even further, to open the door to the legendary saxophonist Ari Brown – who joins the group on tenor! You might know Brown's music as a member of 70s spiritual group The Awakening, or his later solo albums – and his time-schooled spirit is a perfect match for the ensemble led by bassist Joshua Abrams, who also plays some guimbri on the set. Other players include Ben Lamar Gay and Josh Berman on cornets, Jason Stein on bass clarinet, Lisa Alvarado on harmonium, Kara Bershad on harp, Nick Mazzarella on alto, and Hamid Drake on congas and tablas – a group who work together with the richly organic vibe we always love in projects from Abrams. Titles include "Moontide Chorus", "Is", "Murmuration", "Wane", "Wax", "Immemorial", and "Stigmergy". LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of early 70s LPs from Klaus Weiss & Niagara – in a massive 3LP wood box set! First up is the 1971 self-titled debut – a pretty astonishing set of heavy, hypnotic drums and percussion. It features just 2 long jams, "Sangandongo" and "Malanga" and it's pretty much an all percussion affair! Sub is a legendary bit of heavy funk. The lineup here includes fuzzy guitar, electric piano, and of course, lots of heavy percussion – all served up in a way that's jamming, but a lot more straightforwardly funky than some of the group's contemporaries on the European scene! Ack Van Rooyen plays trumpet, Ferdinand Povel plays tenor and flute, and the production is often very tripped-out – abstracting the jazz roots a bit with some really cool touches. A great bridge between the MPS scene and the more progressive German groups – with titles that include "SUB", "Bones", "Niagara", "Terra Incognita", "Gibili", and "Kikiriti". Afire is another seminal percussion effort – and an album with a very strong focus on the rhythms – but the groove is still somewhat melodic too, thanks to inventive use of some of the smaller, more tuned percussion instruments by other members of the group. There's almost a funky batucada groove going on here – a rich, round sound that comes from a very tight small combo! Titles include "City Walk", "What For", "Terpischore", "Carnival", "Rhythm Go", "Dance In Seven", "Rolling", "Malanga Two", and "The Third One". LP, Vinyl record album

Really haunting solo work from pianist Roberto Olzer – a player who's already got this incredibly sensitive command of the keyboard on his trio records, which only comes through even more strongly here! Olzer seems trained in the best modes of the romantic composers, especially Chopin – yet he's also a jazz musician too – and blends a sense of improvisation with an impeccable understanding of the piano, with a balance of notes, sounds, and silence that's completely sublime! The set does reference another world in its use of a few compositions by Puccini, mixed with others by Pat Metheny, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and Bill Evans – in a set list that includes "We Will Meet Again", "Pezzo In La", "Luiza", "In Her Family", "Straight To Dream", "Torre Del Lago", "Remembering Pramila", and "Coro A Bocca Chiusa". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest albums ever on the legendary Strata East label – and that's saying a hell of a lot! Drummer Billy Parker is a player that we don't know much, but he'll always be well-remembered for this album's sublime blend of spiritual jazz styles! The lineup is wonderful – a hip quintet with Ron Bridgewater on tenor and Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet – plus sister Dee Dee on additional vocals at a few points too! Donald Smith also plays piano, and sings a bit – with his warmly soulful style that makes the album's leadoff track a killer classic – and the rest of the group is rounded out by Cecil McBee on bass and Parker on drums. Tracks have those perfect blends of searching, soaring elements that virtually define the Strata East vision in the 70s – and titles include the sublime "Dance of The Little Children", plus "Gemini's Lullaby", "Home", "Get With It", and "Freedom Of Speech". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal record in the growth of Jeff Parker as a musician – a set done when Parker was a key member of Tortoise, and issued on the same label as that group – but a record that really shows the richness of Jeff's guitar talents that would explode in years to come! The set is definitely a jazz record, and maybe does hold some slight sonic semblance to some of Parker's other projects of the period – and the whole thing is a wonderful showcase for his creative phrasing on guitar, and a sense of tone and timing learned in his other collaborations, brought back to jazz in a really great way! The set features sublime drums from Chad Taylor, plus Sam Barshehet on Fender Rhodes and Wurlitzer electric, and Chris Lopes on bass, guitars, and flute as well – on titles that include a sublime remake of Marvin Gaye's "When Did You Stop Loving Me When Did I Stop Loving You", which the group turns into more of an after hours sweet spot than a mournful soul lament – plus "Istanbul", "Mannerisms", "Sea Change", "Beanstalk", "Toyboat" and "Rang (For Michael Zerang)". LP, Vinyl record album

Landmark work from Sun Ra – a rare 1964 performance that features some very early work from Pharoah Sanders, a good deal of which is appearing here for the first time ever! The material was recorded at Judson Hall – and marks a great large venue performance by the Arkestra on the New York scene. Ra and the group recorded the set on New Year's Eve, 1964 – at a time when John Gilmore had left the Arkestra to work with Art Blakey – leaving Pharoah Sanders to come and take his place on tenor. Also noteworthy is the presence of Black Harold (Harold Murray) on flute – blowing with a dark edge alongside other group members who include Al Evans on trumpet, Teddy Nance on trombone, Marshal Allen on alto sax, Pat Patrick on baritone sax, and both Alan Silva and Ronnie Boykins on bass. The performance starts with a relatively fierce sound, but then moves into some beautifully lyrical moments – and titles include "Gods On A Safari", "The World Shadow", "Rocket Number Nine", "The Voice Of Pan", "Dawn Over Israel", and "Space Mates". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent lost classic from Detroit soul jazz powerhouse Phil Ranelin – now a legendary figure, but recording here back at the start of his career in the Motor City! Trombonist Ranelin was one of the key figures in the city's Tribe Records scene – and this album is one of the greatest that the label ever issued – a perfect blend of the spiritual currents that were bubbling under in the scene, and some of the funky touches that helped make Ranelin and the label legendary over the years. The set features Ranelin on trombone, Marcus Belgrave on trumpet, Kenny Cox on electric piano, and Harold McKinney on piano – plus other luminaries from the incredibly strong Detroit scene of the time – and titles include the funky classic "Sounds From The Village", the slow spacey breakbeat number "Vibes From The Tribe", and the jazzy groover "For The Children". Also includes "He The One We All Knew", an extended piece that features members of The Griot Galaxy that takes up all of side two! LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal set from Max Roach – the start of his more righteous stretch in jazz, as you might guess from the title of the album! At some level, the record's got a bit of the feel of the post-Clifford Brown Mercury years from Roach – but at another, it's stretching out towards the directions Max would explore fully on the Candid, Impulse, and Fantasy labels in the 60s – an approach to hardbop that often really pushes its limits – not content to simply set up solos for the players, and instead moving with a much more forceful energy overall! Group members include Booker Little on trumpet, George Coleman on tenor, Ray Draper on tuba, and Art Davis on bass – and the lack of a piano makes for a very exciting sound! The album's got 2 great originals by Bill Lee – "Jodie's Cha-Cha" and "Deeds Not Words" – plus Draper's classic "Filide", and the groundbreaking "Conversation" – a very cool solo by Roach on the drums! LP, Vinyl record album

The music of vibist Joel Ross just keeps getting better and better with each new release – and on this set, he showcases a strong balance of sounds – really able to push the edges at some points, while also managing a soulful swing at others too! There's some key work on the album from labelmate Immanuel Wilkins, whose alto sax has a sharpness that's a great counterpart to the warmer, more chromatic elements from Ross' vibes – and other members of the core group include Kanoa Mendenhall on bass, Jeremy Corren on piano, and Jeremy Dutton on drums – mostly working together throughout, although joined by the flute of Gabrielle Garo on a few tracks too. Titles include great remakes of the Coltrane tunes "Equinox" and "Central Park West", plus the originals "Early", "Nublues", "Mellowdee", "Chant", "Ya Know", and "What Am I Waiting For". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly the best-remembered album from Pharoah Sanders' legendary run at Impulse Records – a set that crossed over big, and sold to countless folks who might not have bought a jazz album this hip otherwise! The record was Sanders' first in the wake of Coltrane's passing – and it's a beautiful extended suite of tracks that flows with a sense of grace, power, and majesty that's simply breathtaking – a new level of expression in spiritual jazz – and virtually the blueprint for an entire generation to come! The album features the classic track "The Creator Has a Master Plan" – spanning a tremendous amount of space and time – and featuring Leon Thomas' classic vocals on the lyrics! Thomas also returns on the cut "Colors", which is a bit more outside, and quite free overall – and other players on the date include Lonnie Liston Smith on piano, James Spaulding on flute, Julius Watkins on French horn, Ron Carter and Richard Davis on bass, and Freddie Waits and Billy Hart on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

A contemporary album on the legendary South African jazz label As Shams, and one that really continues the strong legacy of sounds it began in the 70s! The tracks have this long, building approach – strong rhythms at the core headed by pianist Kyle Shepherd, which are topped with work on saxes from Marc Stucki and trombone from Andreas Tschopp – both European players, who bring in some nicely modern inflections to the music, and maybe a slight touch of improvisation! Other group members include Shane Cooper on bass and Jonno Sweetman on drums – and titles include "Future Past", "The Storm That Guides You", "Porcupine", "Like A Leafe On A Tree", "All The Flame", "Radha III", "Kudu Chant", and "Method Of Moments". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the key classics from the Jimmy Smith years at Blue Note Records – a really groundbreaking time for the Hammond organ in jazz, as Jimmy helped take it from backrooms in bars to center stage of jazz with a record like this! The album's about as iconic as you can get for Jimmy at the label – from the fantastic cover image, to the well-crafted tunes – many of which are shorter than some of Smith's earlier jam session-styled work, and help forge a bridge between soul jazz and the emerging soul instrumental sound of the early 60s. The album features some excellent work from the obscure Percy France on tenor on most of the tracks – a player we only know from a handful of dates – next to other quartet members who include Kenny Burrell on guitar and Donald Bailey on drums. Titles include "Sugar Hill", "I Got A Woman", "Motoring Along", "Gracie", and "Messin Around". LP, Vinyl record album