Includes 37 tracks on 2 CD – and not just the later Columbia sides, but lots of early material too! CD

Includes 34 tracks on 3 CDs. Notable sidemen include Frank Wess, Thad Jones, Al Grey, Frank Foster, and Freddie Green CD

Tracks include "Oh, Lady Be Good", "Live & Love Tonight", "Rock-A-Bye Basie", "Taxi War Dance", "Miss Thing (parts 1 & 2)", "Nobody Know", and "Pound Cake" – 16 tracks total. CD

Essential is right – as the tracks here are all Vocalion and Columbia 78rpm releases – from a time when Lester Young was in the group on tenor, and Buck Clayton on trumpet! CD

Titles include "The World Is Mad (Part 1)", "Moten Swing", "Broadway", "The Jitters", "9:20 Special", and "Stampede In G Minor" – 16 tracks total. CD

An organ trio, nice and spare – with the sort of style that always seems to make the Hammond sound great in funk! The group have a lean approach – funky drums, guitar, and organ – and there's no vocals or other elements in the mix – yet the rhythms also change up nicely from standard soul jazz modes too – so that there might be some grooves that are slightly different than you might hear in a Meters-inspired group, mixed with some of the chunkier funk cuts that still hold the whole thing tightly in place! The production is great too – never too clean, but with a few spacious moments that keep things fresh – on titles that include "Outro Lugar", "More Space", "Dr Kiffi", "Not Yet", "Let's Talk", "One Way", "Sector 3", and "Lost Avenue". (Deep Funk, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Includes 31 tracks, mostly from Brubeck's classic Columbia recordings with Paul Desmond, Eugene Wright, and Joe Morello. CD

Just about as essential as it gets – RVG Editions of Cookin', Relaxin', Workin', and Steamin' – all in one nice set! CD

Includes the songs "Now's The Time", "Jeru", "Compulsion", "Tempus Fugit", "Walkin'", "'Round Midnight", "Bye Bye Blackbird", "New Rhumba", "Generique", "Summertime", "So What", "The Pan Piper", "Someday My Prince Will Come", "My Funny Valentine", "E.S.P.", "Nefertiti", "Petits Machins (Little Stuff)", "Miles Runs The Voodoo Down", "Little Church", "Black Satin", "Jean Pierre", "Time After Time", and "Portia" CD

Collects music from the Vic Dickenson Showcase, Vols 1 & 2. CD

A great collection of seminal 40s work from trumpeter Roy Eldridge and some of his contemporaries – all vintage material done for the Keynote label! CD

A really nice set – arranged chronologically – with one disc devoted to Ellington's pre-war 78 rpm recordings, and two discs pulled from his classic Columbia LPs. 66 tracks total, plus a great booklet with detailed notes on each track. CD

With 14 tracks including "Body & Soul", "Serenade In Blue", "Detour Ahead", "It Never Entered My Mind", "Corcovado", "Moonlight In Vermont", and "Girl From Ipanema". CD

Titles include "The Champ", "Exactly Like You", "Jessica's Day", "It Don't Mean A Thing", "Sometimes I'm Happy", "Birk's Works", "I Know That You Know", and "Night In Tunisia". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the tracks "Watermelon Man", "'Round Midnight", "Cantaloupe Island", "Maiden Voyage", "Circle", "The Sorcerer", "Tell Me A Bedtime Story", "Hidden Shadows", "Chameleon", "Joanna's Theme", "Butterfly", "People Music", "Milestones", "4 A.M.", "Come Running To Me", "Finger Painting", "Stars In Your Eyes", "Rockit", "St. Louis Blues", and "Manhattan". CD

A very unusual concert from Billie Holiday – one that features narration by Gilbert Millstein, telling the story of Billie's life! The format is quite unusual – almost a live documentary, with the subject of the documentary there in person herself! Millstein narrates from the start, and Billie emerges with songs throughout – using Millstein's narration to bracket portions of her career, then delivering the tunes associated with that portion. Backing is by an all-hip group that includes Coleman Hawkins, Kenny Burrell, Chico Hamilton, Roy Eldridge, and Buck Clayton – and titles include "I Cried For You", "My Man", "Don't Explain", "Lady Sings The Blues", "Body & Soul", "I Love My Man", and "Yesterdays". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

... CD

(Comedy, Jazz) CD

Music from Dave Lambert And Buddy Stewart With Red Rodney's Be-Boppers, Frances Wayne with Neal Hefti And His Orchestra, Neal Hefti And His Orchestra, and Red Rodney's Be-Boppers. CD

Includes 36 tracks on 2 CDs. (Blues, Jazz) CD

A 2CD set of beautiful vintage material, not discovered until the 70s! Players include Edmund Hall on clarinet, Trummy Young on trombone, and Billy Kyle on piano – and Velma Middleton sings on several tracks too! CD

Early material from trumpet genius Chet Baker – mostly featuring his quartet with Russ Freeman on piano, Carson Smith on bass, and Larry Bunker on drums! CD

Tremendous work from one of the greatest pairings in 50s jazz – the crack later group of Count Basie and the amazing arranging talents of the great Neal Hefti! Hefti later went onto greater fame as a 60s soundtrack composer, but back in the day him and Basie were an incredible team together – as Hefti's talent for quirky, witty, whimsical horn passages really opened up the Basie sound of earlier years – and took the band far past any Kansas City cliches, into a groove that was much more suited for a modern audience! This album's one of the best the two ever cut together – and it's overflowing with Hefti gems that include "Cute", "Pensive Miss", "Sloo Foot", "Scoot", "A Little Tempo Please", "Count Down", and "Pony Tail". CD

Long tracks, with some great alto from Paul Desmond! Titles include "Bru's Blues", "These Foolish Things", and "One Moment Worth Years". CD reissue adds two tracks recorded at a separate session in 1954. CD

Two classic Capitol albums by Serge Chaloff on one CD – both of them great together! Blue Serge is a classic Capitol jazz session, and one that pairs Boston baritone player Serge Chaloff with an LA rhythm section that has Sonny Clark on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. The album's a perfect example of Chaloff's legendary (and short-lived) talents on the baritone – and listening to it, you'll hear how Chaloff was one of the few players ever to get such a rich tone and fluid style out of the instrument. Titles include "How About You?", "Handful Of Stars", "The Goof & I", "Susie's Blues", and "All The Things You Are". Boston Blow Up is one of a number produced by Stan Kenton for Capitol at the time, but it's far from the cooler jazz outings of other "Kenton Presents" sessions – a real Boston Blow up that has Serge standing starkly out front on the baritone, hitting some tremendous notes that show a command and dexterity on his instrument that few other players could match! Also noteworthy is the presence of the great Boots Mussulli on alto sax – a sharp-edge player with a lot of Charlie Mariano touches, and an artist who's rarely heard in a setting so stripped-down as this. Other artists include Herb Pomeroy on trumpet, Ray Santisi on piano, and Jimmy Zitano on drums – and titles include the original numbers "Kip", "Unison", "Bob The Robin", and "Sergical" – plus versions of "What's New", "Yesterday's Gardenias", and Jaki Byard's "Diane's Melody". CD

A classic set of interlocking tenor work from 3 giants who made up the best part of Woody Herman's classic 4 horn lineup – Al Cohn, Bill Perkins, and Richie Kamuca – all coming together here in small group formation! The album's a wonderful example of the way that the hornplay of the larger Herman group had an influence on the smaller combos of the west coast scene – and Perkins and Kamuca are especially great here, working with a strong sense of precision, but also some nice humanity in their tone. Other group members include either Jimmy Raney or Barry Galbraith on guitar, Hank Jones on piano, John Beal on bass, and Chuck Flores on drums – and titles include "Cap Snapper", "Pro Ex", "Hags", "Gay Blade", and "The Walrus". CD

With Red Garland, Bill Evans and Wynton Kelly on piano. CD

Searing live work from Eric Dolphy – originally issued across three LPs that set a whole new standard for live jazz recording! The performances feature Dolphy going even farther out than on his studio sides from the time – as the record features very long tracks performed by a crack group that includes Booker Little on trumpet, Mal Waldron on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Ed Blackwell on drums. Despite the length of the tracks, Dolphy isn't as far out as on later European live recordings – but the performance is a great example of his inventiveness within a mainstream structure, and the modernist tendencies of both Waldron and Little shine very brightly in the set. Titles include "Fire Waltz", "Like Someone In Love", "Aggression", "Number Eight", "Booker's Waltz", and "The Prophet". CD

Ella gets some great jazzy backings from Marty Paich – on titles that include "Little White Lies", "You Hit The Spot", "Little Jazz", "720 In the Books", "Knock Me A Kiss", and "My Kinda Love". CD adds 8 bonus tracks. (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Ella's performing songs written by or associated with Duke–what could be better? Here she's backed by two different Ellington groups–-one a big band, the other a small group, whose members included Stuff Smith, Barney Kessel, and Ben Webster. Titles include "Rockin' In Rhythm", "Caravan", "Take The A Train", "Clementine", and "Perdido", all performed with the with the big band, and "Satin Doll", "It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)", "Cottontail", and "Do Nothing Till You Here From Me", backed by the small group. Sublime! (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

A portrait of Duke, done by Dizzy – and one that's got a whole different feel than you might think! Gillespie's working here with arrangements by a young Clare Fischer – who takes Ellington's themes and recasts them with an even deeper sense of color and tone – one that pushes the already-modern themes of the numbers into a whole new realm of sound, and uses the horn passages to carve things out a lot differently than Duke might have done! The result is a wonderfully striking session – one with familiar melodies that unfold in a whole new way – and which showcases some great phrasing from Dizzy, over rhythms by a combo that features Hank Jones, George Duvivier, and Charlie Persip – playing alongside a group of larger horns. Titles include "Perdido", "Caravan", "Upper Manhattan Medical Group", and "Chelsea Bridge". Essential Jazz release adds 4 bonus tracks recorded at the Newport Jazz Festival. CD

Duke Jordan on piano joined by Gene Ramey, Percy Heath, Eddie Kahn and Reggie Workman on bass and Lee Abrams, Art Blakey and Art Taylor on drums. CD

With Bob Magnusson on bass and Nick Ceroli on drums. CD

An early session as a leader from trumpeter Blue Mitchell – recorded during his glory years with Horace Silver! Unlike his other records, which usually have him in the company of another horn player, this set's got him carrying the full horn solo load by himself – working in a quartet, and playing in a vein that reminds us of similar Art Farmer quartet sessions from the time. Wynton Kelly's backing him up on piano – in a group that also includes Sam Jones on bass and Roy Brooks on drums. Some of the titles are quite unique too – and include "Avars", "Kinda Vague", "Sir John", and "Sweet Pumpkin". CD

Two complete albums – plus bonus tracks! CD

Nothing too quiet here – as the album's one of Max Roach's key classics from the Mercury years – recorded with one of the hippest groups he ever led! Players here are all wonderful – Julian Priester on trombone, Stanley Turrentine on tenor, Tommy Turrentine on trumpet, Bob Boswell on bass, and Max on drums – all working together in a very hip groove – no piano at all in the mix, which makes for even more interplay between the horns as they dance around tightly at the heads on each tune, always with sharp modern tones – then break apart beautifully for richly expressive solos! The arrangements are wonderful – proof that Roach was really moving past straight hardbop modes by this point in his career – and titles include "Quiet As It's Kept", "To Lady", "Lotus Blossom", "As Long As You're Living", "Juliano", and "The More I See You". Parisian Sketches features the same great piano-less lineup and a fantastic groove – more soul jazz than most of Roach's work, but also with angular touches of modernism that make the album have a very edgey quality – a perfect blending of the two best Modes that Max explored in the years after Clifford Brown's death. Stan and Tommy never sounded so great – and titles include "Nica", "Petit Dejuner", "Liberte", and the extended "Parisian Sketches" suite. CD

2 classic Prestige sides from Sonny Rollins – back to back on one CD! First up is Saxophone Colossus, quite possibly THE greatest Sonny Rollins album of the early years – or at least the one that has received the most accolades over the years! The record is a brilliant batch of quartet tracks that reinvents bop through Sonny's complicated, yet seemingly automatic solos – an excellent showcase for his razor-sharp talents for improvisation and invention, played with effortless ease, yet still one of the great bar-setting performances of 50s jazz. The group features Tommy Flanagan, Max Roach, and Doug Watkins – and tunes include an original reading of the perennial Rollins' standard "St Thomas", plus a great version of "Moritat (Mack The Knife)", and the cuts "Strode Rode" and "Blue 7". Next up is the equally great Worktime – a record that perfectly illustrates why Rollins was one of the greatest players on his horn for many decades running! There's a depth of tone on the record that rivals Coleman Hawkins or Lester Young – but a quickness of pace and imagination that shows a clear influence from Charlie Parker, and a deftness that few were bringing to the tenor at the time. The rhythm section here is super tight – and features Ray Bryant on piano, George Morrow on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all supporting Rollins' bold lead with lines that bristle with electricity, but still often fall back to let the sound of the tenor envelop the whole group. Tracks are longish, and titles include "Raincheck", "There Are Such Things", "Paradox", and "It's All Right With Me". CD

Midnight Special is a perennial favorite in the Jimmy Smith catalog for Blue Note – and a smoking little set that has Jimmy's Hammond grooving nicely alongside tenor from Stanley Turrentine and guitar from Kenny Burrell! Only Donald Bailey's drums remain from Jimmy's regular trio, but that shift is fine, given the strength of the other players here – especially Turrentine, whose sharp-edged tenor is always a welcome sound on any date at this point in his career! The tunes are a fair bit more focused than some of Jimmy's Blue Note work of a few years before, but that focus is what makes it a classic – and the tracks are still nice and long, with titles that include "A Subtle One", "Jumpin The Blues", "Midnight Special", "One O'Clock Jump", and "Why Was I Born". Back At The Chicken Shack is a partner album of sorts to Jimmy Smith's classic Midnight Special album – recorded during the same sessions as that one, and also featuring Stanley Turrentine on tenor and Kenny Burrell on guitar! The sound here is almost even more open and stretched out – with only 4 long tracks on the album, 2 on each side – all offering up plenty of room for Jimmy to hit the Hammond with that keenly imaginative approach to a solo he was showing at this time – a style that proved that the instrument could do a lot more than just make weird noises or pump up the rhythm. Turrentine's tenor more than matches Jimmy's solos for imagination – and titles include "When I Grow Too Old To Dream", "Messy Bessie", "Minor Chant", and "Back At The Chicken Shack". CD

A historic meeting between pianist Art Tatum and tenor sax giant Ben Webster – recorded in 1956, but only first issued by Pablo Records in the 70s! At some level, it's clear that Tatum's the star of the sessions – as most tracks start out with that introspective and often complicated approach to the keys that marks his trio and solo work – but Webster always slides in just in time to keep the record from being a standard Tatum outing – blowing with a crisp tone that's beautifully recorded here, and hardly concerned at all with the presence of Red Callender on bass and Bill Douglass on drums – who are much lower in the mix. Titles include "Night & Day", "Where Or When", "My Ideal", "Gone With The Wind", and "All The Things You Are". CD features 5 bonus tracks – all solo piano numbers by Tatum, recorded in LA in December of 1953. Titles include "Night & Day", "Where Or When", "Have You Met Miss Jones", "Gone With The Wind", and "All The Things You Are". CD

A wonderful combination of talents – and a great idea for an album! The great LA pianist Jack Wilson is working here with his group that includes Roy Ayers on vibes – and they've got some extra backing from Brazilian players Chico Batera and Sebastiao Neto on percussion, plus "Tony Brazil" on guitar – a name that we're guessing might stand in for a much more famous player! The tunes have that wonderful lyrical vibe that Wilson and Ayers created together – but set to the magic of Henry Mancini – whose tunes are not just a perfect fit for Wilson's ideas on the keys, but which also really take off here in some very different ways. The set's got a completely sublime version of "Sally's Tomato" – and other titles include "Dear Heart", "Blue Satin", "Days Of Wine & Roses", "Night Flower", "Lujon", "Mr Lucky", and "Softly". CD

Rare concert work by Cannonball Adderley – recorded live in Europe in the early 60s, only ever issued there until a much later release in the US, but every bit as essential as any of the Adderley live combo albums from the early 60s – including their classics at the Lighthouse and in San Francisco! The group here is every bit as wonderful as the combos on those sets – a young Yusef Lateef on reeds, really hitting his stride in the mix of soulful and exotic grooves in the set – working with Nat Adderley on cornet, Joe Zawinul on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums. The tunes are a good mix of modal numbers and more straightforward hardbop – and titles include "P Bouk", "Gemini", "Work Song", "Trouble In Mind", and "Dizzy's Business". LP, Vinyl record album

The AACM torch is still held proud and firm in this great recording by Air from 1980. Mssrs. Threadgill, Hopkins, and McCall play in a manner that blends freeness with soulfulness and a nice dash of creative humor – which results in a trio of tracks that are essential listening for fans of the group. Titles include "BK", which features some great flute work by Threadgill, plus "RB" and "CT, JL". CD

A great 2CD set that captures the genius of Fred Anderson during his prime years as a spokesperson for Chicago's AACM! Anderson's style has changed quite a bit since these rare recordings – making them important for understanding his progression as a musician, not to mention essential if you're a fan of his work, or the spiritual strands of the AACM during the 70s. The group on both records features Anderson on tenor, Billy Brimfield on trumpet, Steven Palmore on bass, and Hamid Drake on drums and tablas. The first disc features the Dark Day album, issued briefly by Message records in Europe in 1979, and the second disc features a previously unissued live set, recorded in Verona in 1979, featuring material that complements the Dark Day set very nicely! Titles include "Saxoon", "Dark Day", "Three On Two", "The Prayer", and "The Bull". CD

A blinding reissue of Roy's early jazz work for Atlantic! Both records are great, and feature super-hip lineups that include players like Herbie Hancock, Sonny Sharrock, Joe Henderson, Reggie Workman, Charles Tolliver, and Ron Carter. Despite the early placement of the material in Roy's career, his conception on the vibes is extremely mature, and both records represent a haunting new conception of the instrument that was to later emerge in full force on Roy's jazz funk albums for Polygram a few years later. These Atlantic sides are essential listening for Roy, and they're amazing little records that show a previously under-recognized side of his career. They're filled with great original tracks like "Ayerloom", "Virgo Vibes", "Glow Flower", "Shadows", and "Daddy Bug" – and the sound and package is excellent! CD

Essential stuff! This 2 CD set includes the entirety of Albert Ayler's Live In Greenwich Village album – plus a huge amount of previously unreleased live material, played by the Ayler group in New York, during 1966 and 1967. Ayler's brother Don is on trumpet, and other players include Joel Freedman, George Steele, Bill Fowell, Beaver Harris, Sunny Murray, Alan Silva, and Henry Grimes. The tracks have the same intensity of Ayler's ESP work – and many tunes are quite long, very free and open. Titles include "Light In Darkness", "Divine Peacemaker", "Angels", "Omega Is The Alpha", "Universal Thoughts", "Change Has Come", "Infinite Spirit", and "Spiritual Rebirth". 14 tracks in all – and one of the most important slices of Ayler's career! CD

Classic early material by Albert Ayler, recorded in New York in 1964, but originally issued only in Europe! The session features Ayler with the obscure trumpeter Norman Howard, plus Henry Grimes on bass and Sonny Murray on drums – and has all the crackle and imagination of Ayler's ESP recordings. In fact, the album stands as a key record that's as essential as Spiritual Unity or Spirits Rejoice – and has a very similar feel to both of those sets. Titles include "Spirits", "Witches & Devils", "Holy, Holy", and "Saints". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic early material by Albert Ayler, recorded in New York in 1964, but originally issued only in Europe! The session features Ayler with the obscure trumpeter Norman Howard, plus Henry Grimes on bass and Sonny Murray on drums – and has all the crackle and imagination of Ayler's ESP recordings. In fact, the album stands as a key record that's as essential as Spiritual Unity or Spirits Rejoice – and has a very similar feel to both of those sets. Titles include "Spirits", "Witches & Devils", "Holy, Holy", and "Saints". CD

There's never been another pianist like Kenny Barron – and after all these years, he's still one of the few players who can grab our ears right away with each new album – and remind us again why each of his records seems so essential! Barron comes on strong and soulfully right from the start here – bursting with lyrical energy and life, but also hitting an inherently rhythmic vibe too – that sort of special pulse that seems to always flow through his music – and which, if anything, has only gotten stronger as the years go by! The trio here is a well-matched lineup with Kiyoshi Kitagawa on bass and Johnathan Blake on drums – both players, especially Kitagawa, who know how to dip and move with Barron's notes in a wonderful way. Titles include Kenny Barron originals "Prayer", "Lunacy", "Dreams", "Bud Like", "Cook's Bay", and "Magic Dance". CD

An essential record from Gary Bartz – one of two albums he cut with Andy Bey, and the killer group he was calling his NTU Troup! Andy's vocals are incredible – light years ahead of anything he did with his sisters, and similar to those he laid down on his own solo album for Atlantic, and on Blue Note sides with Horace Silver – a righteous mix of jazz and soul, with a burning intensity that makes the political themes of the tracks come out strongly. The album includes one of Andy's all time classics – the original 7 minute version of "Celestial Blues", plus the fantastically grooving "Uhuru Sasa" – as well as the cuts "The Planets", and "Blue (A Folk Tale)". And Gary Bartz is pretty great too – dropping in these angular reed lines that really give the record an edge, and which sound totally great next to Bey's vocals! LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous achievement in jazz from Daniel Bingert – the kind of record that would be in everyone's collection, had it been issued back in 1959 – but a set that's every bit as essential all these decades later! Binger's the composer, and has kind of a postwar modern sensibility about his music – that mix of core elements and individual voices that made Mingus so great when he was at his best – except Daniel's also got more of an ear for modal rhythms, of the sort that remind us a bit of the inspirations on the European scene during the Saba/MPS generation, taken forward with some of the fresher, completely visionary ideas that we've always loved from the Moserobie label! The group's a sextet with some key Moserobie members in the line up – Jonas Kullhammar on alto, Karl Olandersson on trumpet, Per Texas Johansson on tenor, Charlie Malmberg on piano, Moussa Fadera on drums, and the mighty Torbjorn Zetterberg on bass – whose energy alone is enough to guide the album. Titles include "City Sirens", "Cinco De Mayo", "Henry & Bernard", "Notredame", "Lost Keys", "Gil Bill", and "Kaya Boca". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic double-length set – two full albums of music, essential for any fan of Brazilian jazz – or even jazz in general! First up is Esperanto – an incredible album from one of Brazil's greatest reed players of the 70s – the mighty Victor Assis Brasil – a free-thinking spirit who really took Brazilian jazz in bold new directions at the time! The record shows Victor absorbing a lot of post-Coltrane influences, and blending them with a tight approach to rhythm – laid down here by Dom Salvador on piano (and organ), Edison Lobo on bass, and Edson Machando on drums. The group is completed by Helio Delmiro on guitar, and Claudio Roditi plays trumpet on one track – but the real highlight is the amazing reed work by Brasil, which is filled with soul and warmth, plus a deep sense of exploration. The whole session was put together by Roberto Quartin in 1970 – and it's still extremely fresh today. Titles include "Children", "Gingerbread Boy", "Senegal", and "Marilia". Next is Toca Antonio Carlos Jobim – a fantastic album from this legendary Brazilian saxophonist – and one that's way different than the usual instrumental reading of the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim! The setting is less of a bossa-inspired one than a post-Coltrane mode – as Victor Assis Brasil blows alto sax, and a bit of soprano – on long, stretched out versions of Jobim compositions – often given a bit of modal energy, thanks to the group's strong piano and organ performances by Dom Salvador. The rest of the players are all great, too – Helio Delmiro on guitar, Edson Lobo on bass, and Edison Machado on drums – all players who grew up in the bossa jazz years of the 60s, but who here are set free to explore new territory by producer Roberto Quartin. The whole thing's wonderful – and titles include "Bonita", "Wave", "So Tinha De Ser Come Voce", and "Dindi". CD also features two bonus tracks – alternate takes of "Ao Amigo Quartin" and "Marilla". (Brazil, Jazz) CD

Very rare, very obscure material from this important free jazz trio of the German scene in the 70s – a set that features one long performance originally issued on the JG label, despite the FMP-like image on the cover – plus two more tracks from the same year that appear here for the first time ever! "Just For Altena" offers up the power trio at their best – very freewheeling piano from Fred Van Hove, drums from Han Bennink, and tenor from Peter Brotzmann – with intensity that may well surpass the Machine Gun years, and an understanding of each players strengths that means that there's almost no tentative moments at all in the improvisation! "Filet Americain" and "ICP No 17" are from earlier in 1971 – and showcase a different, more sonic side of the trio – some tones that are at the farther end of hearing, which ruminate then blossom into bolder statements, but still often with a very abstracted approach to each instrument. Great stuff – and every bit as essential as any of the better-known Brotzman recordings of the time! CD

An essential bit of 70s jazz funk – one of the key Blue Note collaborations between trumpeter Donald Byrd and producer/arranger Larry Mizell – the man who helped set a whole new standard for soulful sounds at the time! The approach here is quite similar to the pair's work on Places & Spaces – tight, but loose at the same time – with Donald delivering solos that are very different than his work from the 60s, while Mizell finds this way to mix together all sorts of instruments, at so many different levels – but with a clarity that's mindblowing. Most tracks have a nice groove, a few points feature a touch of vocals – and titles include the classic, and oft-sampled "Think Twice" – plus "We're Together", "Makin It", "Rock & Roll Again", "I Love The Girl", and "You Are The World". CD

An essential bit of 70s jazz funk – one of the key Blue Note collaborations between trumpeter Donald Byrd and producer/arranger Larry Mizell – the man who helped set a whole new standard for soulful sounds at the time! The approach here is quite similar to the pair's work on Places & Spaces – tight, but loose at the same time – with Donald delivering solos that are very different than his work from the 60s, while Mizell finds this way to mix together all sorts of instruments, at so many different levels – but with a clarity that's mindblowing. Most tracks have a nice groove, a few points feature a touch of vocals – and titles include the classic, and oft-sampled "Think Twice" – plus "We're Together", "Makin It", "Rock & Roll Again", "I Love The Girl", and "You Are The World". LP, Vinyl record album

An essential 2LP set that's just about the only vinyl release you can find that documents the work of the legendary (and short-lived) Circle group – an important avant jazz combo that featured Anthony Braxton, Chick Corea, Dave Holland, and Barry Altschul. The record captures a Parisian concert from 1971, and the band runs through a great reading of Wayne Shorter's "Nefertitti", plus original material like "Duet", "Toy Room – Q&A", "Song For The Newborn", and "Lookout Farm". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite albums of all time from the legendary saxophonist Ornette Coleman – an essential showcase for his early harmelodic concepts, but with a vibe that's maybe more pulsatingly rhythmic than on other albums from the time! Ornette plays his incredible plastic alto sax, which has a bracing sound that really gives the record a sense of urgency – and the rest of the quartet features Don Cherry on pocket trumpet, Charlie Haden on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – working here with a lively dancing sound on the kit, one that works perfectly for Ornette's jaunty compositions. The chopped-up modal groove is in full effect here – making the record a treasure trove of angular, highly rhythmic numbers that are easily some of Coleman's best-remembered tunes! Titles include the surprisingly modal classics "Ramblin" and "Una Muy Bonita" – performed in original early versions – plus "Free", "The Face Of The Bass", "Bird Food", and "Change Of The Century". CD

One of our favorite albums of all time from the legendary saxophonist Ornette Coleman – an essential showcase for his early harmelodic concepts, but with a vibe that's maybe more pulsatingly rhythmic than on other albums from the time! Ornette plays his incredible plastic alto sax, which has a bracing sound that really gives the record a sense of urgency – and the rest of the quartet features Don Cherry on pocket trumpet, Charlie Haden on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – working here with a lively dancing sound on the kit, one that works perfectly for Ornette's jaunty compositions. The chopped-up modal groove is in full effect here – making the record a treasure trove of angular, highly rhythmic numbers that are easily some of Coleman's best-remembered tunes! Titles include the surprisingly modal classics "Ramblin" and "Una Muy Bonita" – performed in original early versions – plus "Free", "The Face Of The Bass", "Bird Food", and "Change Of The Century". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Coltrane's best early albums for Impulse – a warm set of modally grooving tracks, picking up where My Favorite Things left off! The group here features McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones – perfectly fitting with Coltrane's tenor and soprano sax, and transforming familiar tunes with amazing ease. The album includes sublime readings of "The Inch Worm" and "Out Of This World" – plus the tracks "Soul Eyes", "Tunji", and "Miles' Mode". Great stuff – and an essential album for any jazz collection! Plus, this expanded CD contains a bonus CD with 10 extra tracks – including the previously unissued "Not Yet", alternates of "Tunji" and "Miles Mode" – and new versions of "Impressions", "Big Nick", and "Up Gainst The Wall". CD

One of John Coltrane's best early albums for Impulse – a warm set of modally grooving tracks, and one that picks up where My Favorite Things left off! The group here features McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – a really magical rhythm section that pulsates with life throughout, and propels Coltrane with a lot more soaring energy than he was getting on records a few years before! Coltrane plays both tenor and soprano sax – the latter of which is especially great, again in ways that have a My Favorite Things sort of feel – edgey, almost exotic at times, with a snakey sublime quality. The album includes wonderful readings of "The Inch Worm" and "Out Of This World" – plus the tracks "Soul Eyes", "Tunji", and "Miles' Mode". Great stuff – and an essential album for any jazz collection! LP, Vinyl record album

One of John Coltrane's best early albums for Impulse – a warm set of modally grooving tracks, and one that picks up where My Favorite Things left off! The group here features McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – a really magical rhythm section that pulsates with life throughout, and propels Coltrane with a lot more soaring energy than he was getting on records a few years before! Coltrane plays both tenor and soprano sax – the latter of which is especially great, again in ways that have a My Favorite Things sort of feel – edgey, almost exotic at times, with a snakey sublime quality. The album includes wonderful readings of "The Inch Worm" and "Out Of This World" – plus the tracks "Soul Eyes", "Tunji", and "Miles' Mode". Great stuff – and an essential album for any jazz collection! CD