A sweet little set from Houston Person – a record that's a nice return to basics, much needed after some of his overproduced sessions of the mid 70s! The group here features a number of old Prestige stalwarts, helping Houston to hit a laidback soul jazz vibe – players who include Jimmy Ponder on guitar, Sonny Phillips on organ, and Idris Muhammad as drums – as well as Bill Hardman on trumpet, whose clean blowing in the front brings Houston back up to speed. Larry Killian plays added percussion on the set – and tracks include "Dameron", "Preachin & Teachin", "My Romance", and "Wildflower". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the greatest music we've heard so far from Nostalgia 77 – a group who started many years back as a jazz-referenced project – but one who here are definitely a fully-fledged combo with a very spiritual vibe! As before, producer Benedic Lamdin is at the helm of the lineup – yet the production is minimal, and instead the whole thing has this instrumental flowering of group members in ways that really fit the spirit of music by Dollar Brand, Chris McGregor, and Sun Ra – who are all covered on the set alongside the group's own original compositions too! The horn work is especially wonderful – a blend of flute from Gareth Lockrane, tenor from James Allsop, and trumpet from Alex Bonney – held down by bass from longtime 77 stalwart Riaan Vosloo on bass, plus Tim Giles on drums, and Ross Stanley on piano and organ. Titles include "Dakar", "Ishmael", "The Sun Is Big", "Love In Outer Space", "Flower", and "The Hooper". CD

Maybe the greatest music we've heard so far from Nostalgia 77 – a group who started many years back as a jazz-referenced project – but one who here are definitely a fully-fledged combo with a very spiritual vibe! As before, producer Benedic Lamdin is at the helm of the lineup – yet the production is minimal, and instead the whole thing has this instrumental flowering of group members in ways that really fit the spirit of music by Dollar Brand, Chris McGregor, and Sun Ra – who are all covered on the set alongside the group's own original compositions too! The horn work is especially wonderful – a blend of flute from Gareth Lockrane, tenor from James Allsop, and trumpet from Alex Bonney – held down by bass from longtime 77 stalwart Riaan Vosloo on bass, plus Tim Giles on drums, and Ross Stanley on piano and organ. Titles include "Dakar", "Ishmael", "The Sun Is Big", "Love In Outer Space", "Flower", and "The Hooper". LP, Vinyl record album

We love the vibes-heavy music of Chien Chien Lu, and love it in an even different way here, as she collaborates with bassist Richie Goods – an artist who really helps deepen the sound of her music, and creates this great balance between bass and vibes that's completely amazing! You might not be likely to put the two instruments together right away, but they sounds fantastic here – as Goods has this melodic way of handling his instrument that stems from some of the best electric bass advances in 70s jazz, yet leaned out with a more contemporary vibe – and given these gentle funky elements in the backings that are mighty nice. All those touches make for a perfect setting for Chien's vibes – every bit as spacious, soulful, and seductive as before. The set features guest vocals from Sy Smith and Jamison Ross, plus keyboards from Big Yuki – and titles include "Rain", "Water", "Dull Ice Flower", "Embrace The Now", and a great remake of the Donny Hathaway tune "Someday We'll All Be Free" – plus a bonus radio edit of "Someday We'll All Be Free"! CD

The New Herd group of Toshiyuki Miyama was one of the most creative larger ensembles in Japan during the 70s – a group that was neither slavish to the sort of older modes you might guess from the "herd" reference to Woody Herman's band, nor tied up in some of the more commercial directions that some of the other big bands were taking at the time! Instead, they had an ear for the new developments in color, tone, and phrasing that opened up in groups like this in the post-Kenton generation – but managed to swing a bit more too – never too bogged down in their own sense of perfection to loosen up at all the right times. You'll hear the group at their best here on this late 70s album – on titles that include "Grand Guignol", "Fancy Ball", "A Falling Star", "Art Gallery", "Flower Arrangement", and "Blue Sail". CD

The cover looks anime, but the music is anything but – and instead offers up some very live-action interplay between drummer Takeo Moriyama and pianist Fumio Itabashi! Itabashi's music is full of beautifully lyrical colors and tones, which get plenty of space to flow and flower on the album – on live tracks that sometimes have the drums in the lead, with piano responding strongly – sometimes with more emphasis on piano tones, slightly augmented by the drums. The combination is beautiful, and makes for a wonderfully deep record that's neither free jazz improv, nor too-familiar standards. The tunes are as poetic as their titles – which include "A School Of Fish", "Scolded", "Plovers On The Shore", "The Sea Watarase", "Red Dragonflies", and "The Paper Doll In Bridal Kimono". CD

Features George Mraz on bass, Richie Beirach on piano, and Billy Hart on drums. Tracks include "Alice In Wonderland", "Icicles", "Blue In Green", "Haunted Heart", and "Passion Flower". CD

Solo piano interpretations of "Caravan", "Lush Life", "Hidden Joy", "Satin Doll", "African Flower", and "On Night In The Hotel". 9 tracks total. CD

An album of incredible beauty – and one of the key early sides that Shorter cut for Blue Note! It's nearly impossible to describe the genius of these records without playing them – and upon playing, all words disappear in the brilliance of Shorter's incredible tone, solo imagination, and writing! There's a nascent soulfulness here that would emerge quite strongly across the field of jazz in the late 60s and early 70s – bubbling forth here on the session, with a sound that we could only call Shorter-archetypal – and return to again and again over the years, as proof that few players ever measured up as greatly at such a young age! The group's a quintet with Herbie Hancock on piano, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Ron Carter on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – and the set list includes "Speak No Evil", "Infant Eyes", "Witch Hunt", and "Wild Flower". CD features a bonus alternate take of "Dance Cadaverous". CD

An album of incredible beauty – and one of the key early sides that Shorter cut for Blue Note! It's nearly impossible to describe the genius of these records without playing them – and upon playing, all words disappear in the brilliance of Shorter's incredible tone, solo imagination, and writing! There's a nascent soulfulness here that would emerge quite strongly across the field of jazz in the late 60s and early 70s – bubbling forth here on the session, with a sound that we could only call Shorter-archetypal – and return to again and again over the years, as proof that few players ever measured up as greatly at such a young age! The group's a quintet with Herbie Hancock on piano, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Ron Carter on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – and the set list includes "Speak No Evil", "Infant Eyes", "Witch Hunt", and "Wild Flower". CD

Wonderful work from Zoot Sims – recorded live in Las Vegas in the mid 70s, and captured with an open-ended feel that features plenty of room for solos! Sims really dominates the record – stepping out front of the rhythm section and blowing some incredibly imaginative lines that get past the shorter mode of his studio sessions. There's a feel here that almost reminds us of Sonny Stitt at his best – Zoot blowing in a relaxedly creative mode that flows out with near-perfect choices in tone and phrasing throughout. Most tracks push the 10 minute mark, and the performance features 6 well-recorded numbers that include Zoot on soprano sax on "Flower Waltz", and back on tenor for the tracks "It Had To Be You", "Thumbs Up", "Emily", "I'll Remember April", and "If I Should Lose You". CD

A rare set of Billy Strayhorn tracks recorded in Paris by Alan Douglas. The tracks are incredibly haunting, and mostly feature Strayhorn's solo piano with spare backing by Parisian bassist Michel Goudret. There are a a few short moments on the record that add backing voices or strings – but even in those moments, Strayhorn's tender tentative piano is right up front in the mix. The whole thing's a treasure, and a rare peek at the solo talent that made Ellington's band one of the best. Titles include "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing", "Lush Life", "Strange Feeling", and "Chelsea Bridge". LP, Vinyl record album

Drummer Shinnosuke Takahashi has a hell of a combo here – a group who can swing one minute, step outside the next, and then hit more sensitive spare passages too – maybe no surprise, given that one of the key members of the group is the legendary pianist Yosuke Yamashita, who has a few really standout moments in the set! The group also features nicely sharp-edged work on alto from Atsushi Ikeda, and bass from Kengo Nakamura – the last of whom is a player we don't know much, but who can be bold or sensitive, depending on the moment. Titles include a great take on Ornette's "Ramblin" – plus "Bird Food", "African Flower", "Big Nick", "Straight Up & Down", and "Blues 4 Us". CD

An uptown sound, recorded downtown at the Blue Note – a bold large ensemble outing from McCoy Tyner, and one that reminds us of that great group he was getting in the 70s! The players here are all super-hip – showing that key Tyner ear for picking sidemen – and the lineup includes Virgil Jones and Kamau Adilfu on trumpets, Steve Turre on trombone, Joe Ford and Doug Harris on alto and flute, Ricky Ford and Junior Cook on tenors, and Louis Hayes on drums – all moving with tight formation, over the sort of soaring Tyner numbers that always win our heart! Titles include "Lotus Flower", "Genesis", "Three Flowers", "Blues For Basie", and "Love Surrounds Us". CD

From the end of the 70s onward, the Italian Black Saint record label offered up some of the most high quality spiritual and avant jazz of the time – really taking over where American record companies had dropped the ball, and allowing a huge wave of new energy from both older musicians and a younger generation who might never have gotten the right level of exposure, had Black Saint (and related Soul Note imprint) stepped into the scene! This package offers up some of the coolest cuts from Black Saint – and has an especially strong focus on the work that the label did to carry forward older spiritual sounds, especially those first unlocked on Impulse Records – a legacy that really comes through strongly here. Titles include "Love On A Far Away Planet" and "Mayan Temples" by Sun Ra, "Song For Mozambique/Sea Of Faces" by Archie Shepp, "Guitar Vibes" by Karl Berger, "Tap Dancer" by Oliver Lake, "Ode To The Flower Maiden" by John Carter, "Mama Marimba" by Joseph Jarman and Donh Moye, "Sixth Sense" by Don Pullen, "Hattie Wall" by World Saxophone Quartet, "Laja" by Muhal Richard Abrams, and "Metamusician's Stomp" by Andrew Cyrille & Maono. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A great set from the always-soulful Kenny Barron – stepping out here with a sense of soulful interplay that recalls his best recordings of the 70s! The group on the album's a quintet, graced by some extremely strong work on vibes by Stefon Harris – who brings an almost Bobby Hutcherson-like feel to the album, working in rich tones and colors next to Barron's keys, edged in by some sharper flute and alto work by Anne Drummond. The set's awash in great originals, plus a few well-chosen covers – and titles include "Song For Abdullah", "Images", "Miss Missy", "Inside Out", "Jasmine Flower", "The Lost Ones", "So It Seems", and "Footprints". CD

Richly complicated work from reedman John Carter – working here at a level that's a great change from his smaller combo work of the early years! Carter plays clarinet throughout – at the head of an octet with a very cerebral feel – a group who almost bring more of a serious music sort of style into play at times, yet still have enough jazz-based energy in their work too. The approach is a bit like that of Muhal Richard Abrams or Henry Threadgill – but the set also has a definite LA underground bent too, thanks to work by Bobby Bradford on cornet, Red Callender on tuba, James Newton on flutes, Charles Owen on soprano sax, Roberto Miranda on bass, William Jeffrey on drums, and Luis Peralta on waterphone and percussion. Titles include "Dauwhe", "Enter From The East", "Soft Dance", "The Mating Ritual", and "Ode To The Flower Maiden". CD

A completely unique little session – and a record that's every bit as musically striking as you might guess from its title and cover! The date's a rare Latin-tinged one for trumpeter Kenny Dorham – a record that takes his usually smooth sound and sets it up against octet backings with horns from JJ Johnson on trombone, Cecil Payne on baritone sax, and Hank Mobley on tenor – plus piano from Horace Silver, bass from Oscar Pettiford, and drums from Art Blakey – plus added congas from Patato Valdes! The expanded group plays with a great sense of power – really pushing Kenny's sound tremendously – and although the album also features a few tracks by a smaller group with less percussion, these also have a bit of a Latin/exotic tinge too. Titles include "Basheer's Dream", "Lotus Flower", "KD's Motion", "Venita's Dance", "Minor's Holiday", "La Villa", and "Afrodisia". CD features 2 bonus tracks too – "Echo Of Spring (aka KD's Cab Ride)" and "Minor's Holiday (alt take)". CD

Hard to believe that given Duke Ellington's presence at the start of the 60s, there would be an unknown session from the time – but the discovery of this material in the 70s made for another great chapter in the Duke's career during the classic Columbia years! The material here is played by a sweet small group that includes Ray Nance on coronet, Lawrence Brown on Trombone, Johnny Hodges on alto sax, Harry Carney on baritone, Aaron Bell on bass, and Sam Woodward on drums – all working in a format that almost feels a bit more relaxed and intimate than other Columbia sessions – although not with the rough edges you might expect from a lost date. Tracks include "Everything But You", "Black Beauty", "Something To Live For" "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing", "Mighty Like The Blues", and "Dual Highway". LP, Vinyl record album

A nicely spare session from this bop legend – just Al Haig on piano, and Jamil Nasser on bass – on titles that include "Star Eyes", "Warm Valley", "Passion Flower"," Milestones", "Prelude To A Kiss", and "All The Things You Are". CD

Quite possibly the best album to feature the talents of Chico Hamilton and Eric Dolphy – a set recorded at a time when Dolphy was an up-and-coming player on the west coast scene! Although Chico Hamilton had recorded with unusual reed players before, Dolphy brings a depth of soul and spirit to this album that's missing from a lot of Chico's earlier work at the time – a style that still holds onto some of the measured qualities of the Pacific Jazz work by the Hamilton group, yet which also opens up into some of the darker corners that Dolphy would explore more on his own recordings of the 60s. The group also features some great guitar by Dennis Budimir and cello by Nathan Gershman – but the real standout aspects of the set come from Dolphy's work on flute, alto, and bass clarinet. Titles include "Where I Live", "Passion Flower", "Tuesday At Two", "Nature by Emerson", "Far East", and "Good Grief, Dennis". LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of later gems from this legendary South African pianist! Mindif is a great set that features Abdullah Ibrahim's soundtrack music for the 1988 Clair Denis film Chocolat – some of his best group recordings of the 80s! The feel here is a bit more African-styled than usual – even for Ibrahim – with strong use of reeds to inflect the tunes with the right degree of color and tone for their use in the film. The ensemble on the record features Ricky Ford on tenor and soprano, Craig Handy on flute and tenor, Benny Powell on trombone, David Williams on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – and the tracks have a languid groove that recalls some of Dollar Brand's best South African recordings with Kippie Moketsie. Titles include "Earth Bird", "African Market", "Pule", "Star Dance", and "Serenity". African River is one of the great larger group recordings that pianist Abdullah Ibrahim gave us in the 80s – from a moment when he was able to use added horns to really expand that amazing sense of color and rhythm he'd brought to his music on earlier trio recordings! There's a sense of musical vision here that really lives up to Abdullah's majestic look on the cover – a fantastic merging of flute and tenor from John Stubblefield, soprano and alto from Horace Alexander Young, tuba and baritone from Howard Johnson, and trombone from Robin Eubanks – all vibrant horn players who seem to have just about every tone and mood covered with their horns – given this wonderfully warm support from Buster Williams on bass, and Brian Adams on drums. All titles are originals by the leader – and tunes include "Chisa", "Sweet Samba", "Duke 88", "The Wedding", and "Joan Capetown Flower". Yarona is a beautifully sensitive set from Abdullah Ibrahim – recorded live at the Village Vanguard, and with an open, lyrical sound that almost seems to recall some of Bill Evans' magical moments in the venue! Ibrahim's quite a different player, of course – but there's an open, exploratory quality to his music that's a bit unusual here – maybe not as rhythmically based as it is balanced between sound and silence – given very respectful company in the bass of Marcus McLaurine and drums of George Johnson. Titles include "Cherry/Mannenberg", "Duke 88", "African River", "Stardance", "Tuang Guru", "Tintinyana", and "African Marketplace". CD

A beautiful trio set – one that seems to resonate as strongly with the bass work of George Mraz as it does with the lyrical genius of the great Hank Jones! The recording quality is superb, and all the elements of the group's performance seem to hang in air at a level that's even more breathtaking than if you were able to hear the whole thing in person – and along with Mraz and Jones, the great Kenny Washington is superb on drums – really at that point in his career when his special talent in a group like this was starting to hit its stride. Titles include "Interlude", "Wind Flower", "Recorda Me", Blue Monk", "Round Midnight", "I'll Remember April", "Interface", and "A Child Is Born". CD

A never-issued live set from spiritual reed genius Yusef Lateef – one that was recorded during the years he was recording for Atlantic Records, but with a nicely different vibe! The tracks are all long, loose, and very open – Yusef blowing tenor, soprano sax, and flute – shifting the moods and tones has he can do so well, with some gentle modal and spiritual currents – qualities that are really emphasized by the piano of Kenny Barron, who's a key member of the group here – and also gets plenty of space to stretch out on solos on the very long tracks. Albert Tootie Heath is in the group on drums – although on one track, he blows Indian flute, in just a duet with bassist Bob Cunningham, who's the fourth member of the group. Barron duets with Yusef on flute on the title "A Flower", and the Cunningham/Heath duet is titled "Lowland Lullaby" – while all others are quartet numbers, and include "The Untitled", "Eboness", "Yusef's Mood", "Inside Atlantis", and "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You". LP, Vinyl record album

The genius of Eddie Palmieri never seems to dim at all as the years go on – and, if anything, the genius only seems to flower even more – finding new ways of expression that maybe even blow away some of Eddie's classic work from the 60s and 70s! This set is amazing – a fantastically modern refiguring of Latin roots – with elements that stretch back to Palmieri's earliest charanga years and his Latin jazz rebirth, but used in ways that are very different – and very striking throughout! The lineup remains relatively small on most numbers – with very heavy focus on piano, percussion, and bass – but Eddie also makes great use of key guests who include Alfredo De La Fe on violin, Donald Harrison on alto, Ronnie Cuber on baritone, and Joe Locke on vibes. Titles include "Locked On", "Cuervas Y Tumbao", "Wise Bata Blues", "La Cancha", "Augustine Parish", "Life", "Samba Do Sueno", and "Jibarita Y Su Son". (Latin, Jazz) CD

A heady blend of jazz and larger elements – served up by Austin Peralta in a style that's a bit ahead of its time! The music here recalls recent sounds from the London scene, or some of the post-jazz experiments of International Anthem – but Peralta also takes things back to earlier spiritual expressions too – recalling Max Roach with strings, the work of Chris Bowden, and some other favorite spots along the way. The set features some especially great reed work – by Zane Musa on alto and Ben Wendel on tenor and soprano – and there's some nice reworking of core sounds by Strangeloop, and even a guest appearance by the Cinematic Orchestra too! Titles include "The Underwater Mountain Odyssey", "Capricornus", "Lotus Flower", "Ode To Loev", and "Algiers". 2LP version includes four bonus tracks from a BBC session! LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith – an early 80s session, but one that we'd rank with some of his most-together work ever! The album's a mixture of spare modes and some surprising group elements – a set that often has Smith blowing beautifully on trumpet or flugelhorn, alongside the vibes of Bobby Naughton and percussion of Kahil El Zabar – the latter of whom makes a strong, spiritual appearance here – really helping to shade in some strong sounds to Leo's music. Naughton's vibes are great too – very angular and chromatic, with the sharpness of Bobby Hutcherson's avant work of the mid 60s – and one track features John Powell on tenor, and two more have Louis Myers on guitar – bringing in these weird harmelodic bluesy tones which then accompany vocals from Smith! Titles include "Nuru Light", "The Flower That Seeds The Earth", "Jah Jah Is The Perfect Love", "Procession Of The Great Ancestry", and "Third World Grainery Of Pure Earth". CD

The only album as a leader from this tremendous tenor saxophonist – a player with a very rich tone, and a deeply spiritual vibe – flowing out effortlessly here on a session that really makes us wish he'd given us more record! There's a strong modal sensibility to the record – much more early 70s than you'd guess from the date – and there's a soulful quality to the album that's up there with some of the best Clifford Jordan or Johnny Griffin material as well. Ryusei clearly knows where the boundaries are, and plays right up to them – but also never fails to have a strong sense of rhythm too – on titles that include "Kirisame", "Movement", "Step Up Step Up", "Stoned Flower", and "Merabi Samba". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal work from one of the hippest big bands of the 70s – the legendary ensemble led by pianist Toshiko Akioshi and reedman Lew Tabackin! The group marks a huge shift for Akiyoshi – a move away from the more bop-inflected small combo work of earlier years, into a rich new role as a composer and arranger – one who comes up with fantastic charts for the ensemble, filled with color, tone, and a great sense of swing! Tabackin's reeds are great too – always handled with bold lines, and a strongly visionary sound – and other players on the dates include Bill Perkins and Gary Foster on saxes, Bobby Shew and Ron Raider on trumpets, Britt Woodman and Charlie Loper on trombones, Don Baldwin on bass, and Peter Donald on drums. The 3CD set features 5 albums in all – Kogun, Long Yellow Road, Tales Of A Courtesan, Insights, and March Of The Tadpoles – and titles include "Elegy", "American Ballad", "Henpecked Old Man", "Opus Number Zero", "Since Perry/Yet Another Tear", "Strive For Jive", "Village", "Studio J", "Mobile", "Deracinated Flower", and "Notorious Tourist From The East". CD

Brilliant late work from spiritual saxophone genius Albert Ayler – one of his last truly great albums! The session has none of the jazz-meets-other music feel of some of the other Impulse albums – and is more in the straight expressive style of the ESP recordings. Tracks are more reined in here – with some short themes that are almost a distillation of the freedom Ayler had been expressing for a few years, summed up beautifully in tunes that have a plaintive cry, filled with as much soul and love as Ayler could muster into his horn! Players include Donald Ayler on trumpet, Cal Cobbs on harpsichord, Alan Silva on bass, and Milford Graves on drums – and titles include "Zion Hill", "Love Flower", "Love Cry", "Ghosts", "Omega", and "Dancing Flowers". CD also includes some extra bonus material! CD

One of the best solo albums ever recorded by the great Kenny Barron – a set with so much life, so much cover, you really don't need any other instruments at all! Kenny's at a key point in his career here – really stretching out as an individual talent, and getting plenty of room to work on this beautifully-recorded grand piano – whose tones ring out with this soulful, majestic quality that seems to only amplify the genius that Barron brings to the keys! And while there's certainly been other Kenny Barron solo albums over the years – including some great dates from overseas – there's a power and confidence here that's somewhat missing from the rest – this righteous, commanding style that's almost like Stanley Cowell in a similar setting, but more lyrical too. Titles include "Bud-Like", "Calypso", "Body & Soul", "Enchanted Flower", "Star Crossed Lovers", and "Misterioso". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the deepest albums that Count Basie ever recorded – thanks to some great arrangements and backings by Oliver Nelson! Nelson's working in the same groovy mode he used with Jimmy Smith's excellent Verve sessions – and although the record doesn't have the same sort of star soloist in the lead, the Basie band members do a great job of trading off solos over the enigmatic backings crafted by Nelson. A number of the tracks have a Latin flair – and work on electric bass grooves that push the set farther than the usual Basie outing of the time – with a flavor that's right up there with the hippest Nelson sessions for Flying Dutchman, and maybe even a bit like spiritual ensemble material too. Titles include versions of Albert Ayler's "Love Flower" and Pharoah Sanders' "Japan", plus originals by Nelson like "Afrique", "Kilimanjaro", and "African Sunrise". CD

One of the deepest albums that Count Basie ever recorded – thanks to some great arrangements and backings by Oliver Nelson! Nelson's working in the same groovy mode he used with Jimmy Smith's excellent Verve sessions – and although the record doesn't have the same sort of star soloist in the lead, the Basie band members do a great job of trading off solos over the enigmatic backings crafted by Nelson. A number of the tracks have a Latin flair – and work on electric bass grooves that push the set farther than the usual Basie outing of the time – with a flavor that's right up there with the hippest Nelson sessions for Flying Dutchman, and maybe even a bit like spiritual ensemble material too. Titles include versions of Albert Ayler's "Love Flower" and Pharoah Sanders' "Japan", plus originals by Nelson like "Afrique", "Kilimanjaro", and "African Sunrise". CD

The alto and tenor of Peter Brotzmann get some fantastic accompaniment here – work from Heather Leigh on pedal steel and Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello – two instruments that really create this amazing sonic space next to the saxophones! Although Brotzmann recorded these performances as part of a series of 80th birthday concerts, he's got an incredibly powerful, youthful sound throughout – really barreling past the more spacious sounds of the other two instruments – not in a way that shrugs them aside, but which instead seems to use them for sonic springboards as new inspiration. Titles include the very long title track, "Naked Nudes" – plus "Flower Flaps" and "Johnny Anaconda". CD

A beautifully laidback set from Marion Brown – recorded in Japan in 1979, with Dave Burrell on piano, and additional backing on bass and drums. The tracks are very spare, and Burrell's piano gets a lot of focus in the slowly-turning tunes. Brown's alto is in that deeply soulful mode that we really love – and tracks include "Hurry Sundown", "La Placita", "November Cotton Flower", and "Sunshine Road". CD

A landmark album for Donald Byrd – one that marks a key departure in his sound! Donald's really opening up on this one – picking up more of the soulful and the spiritual side of jazz, and moving from the hardbop and modern jazz of his late 50s years – no surprise, since he's surrounded by an incredibly hip group – with Wayne Shorter on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Butch Warren on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. The tracks are longish and lyrical, with wonderfully-crafted solos, and some fresh writing from both Hancock and Byrd that really mark the album as one of the most inventive Blue Notes of the time! Titles include a great instrumental version of "Pentacostal Feelin", plus the cuts "Nai Nai", "Night Flower", and "French Spice" – all of which were written by Byrd. Plus, this CD also features the bonus cut "Three Wishes", written by Hancock! CD

A landmark album for Donald Byrd – one that marks a key departure in his sound! Donald's really opening up on this one – picking up more of the soulful and the spiritual side of jazz, and moving from the hardbop and modern jazz of his late 50s years – no surprise, since he's surrounded by an incredibly hip group – with Wayne Shorter on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Butch Warren on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. The tracks are longish and lyrical, with wonderfully-crafted solos, and some fresh writing from both Hancock and Byrd that really mark the album as one of the most inventive Blue Notes of the time! Titles include a great instrumental version of "Pentacostal Feelin", plus the cuts "Nai Nai", "Night Flower", and "French Spice" – all of which were written by Byrd. Plus, this CD also features the bonus cut "Three Wishes", written by Hancock! CD

Imagine gaining entry to a treasure trove of vintage keyboards and electronic music sources – then getting the chance to spend days improvising with them, and making new sounds of your own! That's exactly what happened to Jeremiah Chu, as he was set loose inside the Vintage Synthesizer Museum in Los Angeles – where he handled dozens of amazing instruments, improvising throughout, and capturing most of his experiments live on tape! The result is a record that's maybe a bit more warm and organic than the sorts of older analog electronic albums, especially the more academic type – as Chiu creates these really beautiful progressions of sounds that flower and glisten with a very human sensibility – not electronic music for robots, but instead an embrace of electronic possibilities for altering contemporary living! Titles include "Rococco Rondo", "For Voices", "Seawater Swell", "Rhythm Bell", "Static Stone Railway", "Transparent Spheres", and "Echo Arp Hold". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic stuff, and proof that Rosemary Clooney was always one heck of a great singer – with strengths in jazz that you didn't always hear in her pop work! As you'd guess from the cover, Duke Ellington's leading the group on the album – and most of the tracks here are older Ellington standards, reworked with bold vocal lines from Clooney – in a way that's right up there with any of the usual singers with Ellington's band! Players include Clark Terry, Cat Anderson, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, and Harry Carney – and titles include "I'm Checkin Out", "Mood Indigo", "Blue Rose", "Grievin", "Hey Baby", and "Passion Flower". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A masterful meeting of two 50s modern jazz talents – the trumpet of Miles Davis balanced with the arrangements of Gil Evans – with results that have made the album one of Miles' greatest ever! The sound here is completely sublime – as Davis gets all chromatic and spooky over Evans' edgey arrangements – shimmering nicely in a perfect blend of modernism and lighter, more lyrical touches. The record's filled with loads of the kind of solos that Miles brought to his smaller group records – but they almost flower even more amazingly here in the larger setting. Titles include "Springsville", "Blues For Pablo", "New Rhumba", "Lament", and "Miles Ahead". This is the record that your dad bought to prove that he was cool – so buy it from us and keep up the family tradition! CD

A masterful meeting of two 50s modern jazz talents – the trumpet of Miles Davis balanced with the arrangements of Gil Evans – with results that have made the album one of Miles' greatest ever! The sound here is completely sublime – as Davis gets all chromatic and spooky over Evans' edgey arrangements – shimmering nicely in a perfect blend of modernism and lighter, more lyrical touches. The record's filled with loads of the kind of solos that Miles brought to his smaller group records – but they almost flower even more amazingly here in the larger setting. Titles include "Springsville", "Blues For Pablo", "New Rhumba", "Lament", and "Miles Ahead". This is the record that your dad bought to prove that he was cool – so buy it from us and keep up the family tradition! CD

A completely unique little session – and a record that's every bit as musically striking as you might guess from its title and cover! The date's a rare Latin-tinged one for trumpeter Kenny Dorham – a record that takes his usually smooth sound and sets it up against octet backings with horns from JJ Johnson on trombone, Cecil Payne on baritone sax, and Hank Mobley on tenor – plus piano from Horace Silver, bass from Oscar Pettiford, and drums from Art Blakey – plus added congas from Patato Valdes! The expanded group plays with a great sense of power – really pushing Kenny's sound tremendously – and although the album also features a few tracks by a smaller group with less percussion, these also have a bit of a Latin/exotic tinge too. Titles include "Basheer's Dream", "Lotus Flower", "KD's Motion", "Venita's Dance", "Minor's Holiday", "La Villa", and "Afrodisia". CD features 2 bonus tracks too – "Echo Of Spring (aka KD's Cab Ride)" and "Minor's Holiday (alt take)". CD

An extremely righteous bit of soul jazz – originally issued in a very small pressing by Folkway Records, at a time when the label was doing some great underground recordings! The sound is loose and free – spiritually building in a manner that recalls the work of Ahmed Abdul Malik, Phil Cohran, and some of the AACM – and the album has a style that's exploratory, but never goes too far out, or loses its sense of rhythm and swing. Tracks are longish, and the core group features soprano sax and Korean reeds by Bilal Abdurahman and vibes by Ameen Nuraldeen – plus guest work on bass by James Smith, and appearances by a lot of different world percussion players. There's a nice Eastern feel to some of the tracks, and titles include "Mevlana", "Ti Ti", "Sun Flower", and "Bent El Jerusalem". (Global Grooves, Jazz) CD

A real treasure trove of music from the legendary Bill Evans – the complete recordings the pianist made for Verve Records in the 60s, including trio sessions, solo material, and interesting larger projects as well – plus alternate takes, unissued material, and lots more gems! Evans hit Verve at the height of his powers – already coming off important early records for the Riverside label, and working with Verve with superb recording quality, and great care for Evans as an artist – which allowed Bill to further flower in his familiar trio setting, and also try out solo recordings, and work with other co-leaders who include arranger Gary McFarland, tenorist Stan Getz, guitarist Jim Hall, and singer Monica Zetterlund – all of whom work closely with Evans on a session. The box features remastering for all sides, and includes over 250 tracks in a really overstuffed package! CD

One of the most open-ended sessions ever recorded by the Great Jazz Trio of Hank Hones, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – a live set from the Village Vanguard, and one that features them really stretching out on 4 longer tracks! Jones' work on piano is an especially nice treat here – as he's still got the poise that we know from his more restrained studio sessions, yet also seems to really loosen up with the warm rhythm accompaniment of Carter and Williams. The session features a great obscure gentle groover titled "Wind Flower", plus a really introspective take on Miles Davis' "Nardis", and the tunes "Lawra" and "Confirmation". CD

An all-star set for Hawk – one that has him blowing with backing from the Oscar Peterson Trio, plus some additional work by Hank Jones, and guest trumpet from Roy Eldridge, and even a bit of additional tenor from Ben Webster! Phew, with all those players on the set, you might expect the album to feature a lot of head-butting – but it's actually one of Hawk's best later sides, and was recorded in a nicely open-ended mode that lets most of the players get in some good moments without having to bump elbows. Titles include "Nabob", "Honey Flower", "Maria", and "Hanid". CD features two bonus tracks "Cocktails For Two" & "Honey Flower (alternate)". CD

Great work by The Heath Brothers – a lot slicker and smoother than their earlier album for Strata East, but still filled with a soulful jazzy approach that befits their rich talents! By the point of this set, Jimmy Heath, once a rougher talent on the tenor, had emerged as one of the smooth soul maestros on the instrument – ranking next to Grover Washington Jr and Stanley Turrentine for a mellifluous sound and well-timed approach to the solo. Heath's written some great tracks here that are underpinned nicely by brother Percy's strong work on bass – still acoustic amidst some added electric instrumentation on some of the tracks. Titles include "Passion Flower", "Move to The Groove", "Feelin Dealin", "Project S", "The Voice Of The American Saxophone (from Afro American Suite of Evolution)", and "A Time & A Place (There's)". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the songs "Skunk Hollow Blues", "I Know What You Do", "Your Love Has Faded ", "Tired Socks", "Day Dream", "Good Queen Bess", "That's The Blues, Old Man", "Junior Hop", "Squatty Roo", "Passion Flower", "Things Ain't What They Used To Be", "Goin' Out The Back Way", "You're Driving Me Crazy", "Who Struck John?", "It Shouldn't Happen To A Dream", "June's Jumpin'", "Violet Blue", "A Flower Is A Lonesome Thing", "Frisky", "Longhorn Blues", "Far Away Blues", "Searsy's Blues", "A Little Taste", "Charlotte Russe (Lotus Blossom)", and "Let The Zoomers Drool". CD

A great little record from the Japanese scene of the 70s – a set that not only shows the great blend of acoustic and electric styles that was happening at the time, but which also really illustrates the inventive approach of the Three Blind Mice label at their best! The vibe here is very different than the usual Japanese fusion album of the time – a bit more relaxed and open-ended, and really free to play around with different rhythms and tonal changes – yet all while still moving forward, and avoiding some of the proggy, jamming modes of the European scene. Tracks all push past the ten minute mark – and in addition to both piano and electric piano from Masaru Imada, the set also features guitar from Kazumi Watanabi, bass from Osoo Fukui, drums from Tetsujiro Obara, and percussion from Yuji Imamura. Titles include "A Green Caterpillar", "Straight Flash", "Blue Impulse", and "Spanish Flower". CD

Ahmad Jamal on piano, Ephraim Wolfolk on bass, and Arti Dixson drums. Tracks include "Prelude To A Kiss", "I Got It Bad", "My Flower", "Chelsea Bridge" and "Never Let Me Go". CD

Sweet breezy work from pianist Horst Jankowski – best known for his easy hits of the 60s, but a heck of a great jazz player as well! This rare MPS session has Horst grooving it up nicely in small combo format – working with guitar, bass, and drums to craft some tunes that are a perfect example of the freely swinging rhythms of MPS at its best, a real departure from American albums of the same style! The whole album's got a bright sunny finish that we really love, and it includes the great groover "Speech Craft", written by the group's guitarist Hans Wenzel – plus the tracks "Black Flower", "Zeroccasion", "Out N Ground", and "Lady Eva" – all pretty darn nice! LP, Vinyl record album

The title says it all – as Yusef Lateef works here in that wonderful mixture of hardbop, soul jazz, and Eastern stylings that he brought to all of his best early sessions as a leader! Lateef himself is playing tenor, flute, and oboe – which he uses to craft these eerie snakecharmer lines that work perfectly with the modal grooves of the tracks – very unusual rhythms for the time, and a real precursor to some of the world jazz experiments to come from overseas. The rest of the group features pianist Barry Harris, drummer Lex Humphries, and bassist Ernie Farrow, who also plays a strange instrument called a rabat – which further adds to the charm of the record. Titles include "Plum Blossom", "Purple Flower", "Three Faces Of Balal", and "Chinq Miau". CD

2 of Sunny Murray's classic sides for the BYG label, on one CD! Sunshine is one of Sunny's rarest from the time – and a full-on session that features Lester Bowie, Arthur Jones, Roscoe Mitchell, Archie Shepp, Kenneth Terroade, Dave Burrell, and Malachi Favors. The large group wails mightily, with a spiritual edge that's a bridge between Murray's New York avant roots and some of the late 60s work of the AACM. Side one features the extended "Flower Trane", and side two contains "Real" and "Red Cross". Even Break is one of the best-ever BYG/Actuel sessions, and one that has the unlikely pairing of east coast avant players Sonny Murray and Byard Lancaster, with Art Ensemble Of Chicago bassist Malachi Favors! Murray plays drums, and reads a bit of poetry, while the band wails behind him in powerful turgid lines of hard free jazz that represent all there is to say about the freedom of the Paris jazz scene in 1969. 4 long tracks – "Invisible Blues", "Complete Affection", "Giblets – Part 12", and "An Even Break". CD

A record that's as political as you might expect from its title, and a great collaboration between bassist William Parker and spoken word artist Patricia Nicholson! Make no mistake, the set's a jazz record first, with Nicholson's words added in over the top – as the rest of the group features superb contributions from James Brandon Lewis on tenor, Davin Brahja Waldman on alto, and either Gerald Cleaver or Francesco Mela on drums – a core combo that would be great enough on its own! Melanie Dyer adds in some stunning viola lines to the record in a few spots – and titles include "Little Black Kid With The Swollen Stomach", "Struggle", "Wilted Light As Flower", "No Joke", and "Flare Up". CD

It's easy to give the great Freddie Redd due respect – especially when the pianist sounds every bit as wonderful here as he did on his classic Blue Note albums from decades back! Freddie's a hell of a pianist, with a very unique vibe – able to be modern in conception, but lyrical in execution – sharp edges and angles warmed with a sense of humanity that always has Redd's music making this beautifully inherent sense, and drawing us right in, right away! The same seems to also be the case for his sidemen – who really flower in the setting – a lineup that includes John Mosca on trombone, Chris Byars on alto and flute, and Stefano Doglioni on bass clarinet. Mosca's trombone is especially nice – a real treat to hear in Redd's music – and titles include "A Night In Nalen", "Reminiscing", "Blue Hue", "I'm Gonna Be Happy", "OD", "Ole", "Lady J Blues", and "Melanie". CD

An album of incredible beauty – and one of the key early sides that Shorter cut for Blue Note! It's nearly impossible to describe the genius of these records without playing them – and upon playing, all words disappear in the brilliance of Shorter's incredible tone, solo imagination, and writing! There's a nascent soulfulness here that would emerge quite strongly across the field of jazz in the late 60s and early 70s – bubbling forth here on the session, with a sound that we could only call Shorter-archetypal – and return to again and again over the years, as proof that few players ever measured up as greatly at such a young age! The group's a quintet with Herbie Hancock on piano, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Ron Carter on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – and the set list includes "Speak No Evil", "Infant Eyes", "Witch Hunt", and "Wild Flower". LP, Vinyl record album

An album of incredible beauty – and one of the key early sides that Shorter cut for Blue Note! It's nearly impossible to describe the genius of these records without playing them – and upon playing, all words disappear in the brilliance of Shorter's incredible tone, solo imagination, and writing! There's a nascent soulfulness here that would emerge quite strongly across the field of jazz in the late 60s and early 70s – bubbling forth here on the session, with a sound that we could only call Shorter-archetypal – and return to again and again over the years, as proof that few players ever measured up as greatly at such a young age! The group's a quintet with Herbie Hancock on piano, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Ron Carter on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – and the set list includes "Speak No Evil", "Infant Eyes", "Witch Hunt", and "Wild Flower". Plus, the CD includes a bonus alternate take of the track "Dance Cadaverous". CD

Less of a standard Duke Ellington tribute than you might expect – as trumpeter Clark Terry works here in some wonderfully loose formation – on tunes that are more of an extrapolation of Ellington ideals than simple copycat versions! The lineup features some especially great piano from Jack Wilson and guitar from Joe Pass – both players who work with a relatively airy tone here, which suits Terry's muted horn well. Other players include Ray Brown on bass and Frank Severino on drums – and titles include "Echoes Of Harlem", "Passion Flower", "Sophisticated Lady", "I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart", and "Come Sunday". CD

Heavy Latin grooves from pianist Elio Villafranca – working here with a great large lineup that's filled to the brim with heavyweight players! The session's the kind that you'll find at the best Club Coca Cola presentations – one of those rare moments where big money allows a special sort of performance, but the kind that never dampens its edge for the mainstream – and instead chooses that moment to unleash something really special! Villafranca composed and arranged all the tunes – and even produced the setting – and he makes great use of players who include Sean Jones and Terrell Stafford on trumpet, Vincent Herring on alto, Greg Tardy on tenor, and both Willie Jones III and Lewis Nash on drums. The set's also got a fair bit of added percussion – which really intensifies the sound promised in the title – and tracks include "Caribbean Tinge", "Flower By The Dry River", "Mambo Vivo", "Two To Tango", and "Last Train To Paris". CD

Pure dark magic from Grover Washington – a record that was a megahit back in the 70s, but which still sounds amazing many decades later! There's a sound here that's completely sublime – and the album is to Grover's career what the first 2 CTI sets by Bob James were to his – a stretched-out, masterpiece of sublime jazzy energy – served up with a really spacious sound overall! Grover's sharp-edged sax is at the lead of the set – but the album's also awash in electric piano work from Bob James – and backings that are as lean, clean, and soulful as the best on CTI from the time. Titles include the killer "Black Frost" – a track that we never tire of – plus the hit "Mister Magic", and the cuts "Earth Tones" and "Passion Flower". CD