One of the most jazz-based groups of the German prog scene of the early 70s – heard here on a rare outing that features Mal Waldron playing electric piano with the group! Despite Waldron's presence, though, the real keyboard star of the set is Jimi Jackson – who plays mellotron and organ on the record, and sounds especially wonderful on the side-long track "The Call" – a fantastic 17-minute track that arose out of collective improvisations by the group! Instrumentation on the whole set is great – and includes the keyboards, plus heavy bass, vibes, marimba, guitar, sax, and even a bit of electric violin! Titles include "Radio Marrakesch/Orient Express", "Dreaming Girls", and "The Call". CD

Ever-adventurous composer, arranger and coronet player Rob Mazurek teams up with similarly creative wanderer Emmett Kelly (Cairo Gang, Josh Abrams Natural Information Society and more)! Alien Flower Sutra finds the duo and their guest players crafting a pretty awesome mix of interstellar psych-jazz-folk with vocals and guitar – with lots of fuzzier, jazzier instrumental passages. Very cool stuff on International Anthem, which has quickly become one of Chicago's best indie labels for free thinking creative output! Mazurek handles the electronic treatments, synths and coronet, with Kelly's lyrics, voice and guitars, and accompanied by Guilherme Granado, Carlos Issam Thomas Rohrer and Brittany Mazurek. Includes "Back To The Ocean, Back To The Sea", "Android Love Cry", "Blackout", "Bright Nights Havoc", "I Untied My Wrists", "Of Time Wasted", "Remember Nothing", "Embryo Genesis", "We Are One" and "Overture Towards The Beginning Of The End Of Time". CD

Very cool work from Psi – a hip 70s German group who were partly fusion, partly prog – in that special sort of blend shared by a rare few contemporaries – such as Embryo, Perigeo, or Zzebra! As with all three of those groups, the musicians here are clearly schooled in jazz, but also really want to open up in some of the freedoms explored by the long-haired younger generation – not in an avant way, but in a style that mixes some funky currents in the rhythms with more freewheeling solos and the occasional jamming passage – served up by a quintet lineup that includes loads of wonderful keyboards, plus tenor, guitar, bass, drums, and percussion! There's no vocals at all on the record – no need, as the instruments speak volumes – and titles include "Elektrische Kall Heinzje", "Horizonte", "Under Der Schurze Liegt Die Wurze", and "Bettgerausche". CD

A sweet set from that surprisingly straight moment in the career of pianist Burton Greene – a time when he was working in more conventional jazz formations on some records, yet still keeping the edge that always set him apart from the rest! There's definitely tracks on here that swing – although maybe in a Monk/modern way – mixed with others that have a more elliptical rhythmic pattern, and feature all this cool interplay between Burton's piano and the reeds of Fred Leeflang – who blows flute, tenor, soprano, and alto on the record – in a group that also includes Mark Miller on bass and Max Bolleman on drums. Titles include "Na Calm", "Biedronka Tanz", "Embryonic Change", and "Renephanie". CD