For years, AACM tenorist Fred Anderson labored in obscurity – playing the better part of the 70s and 80s with little or no recognition of his strong inventive talent, and of his never-ending committment to expanding his horizons as a musician. Fortunately, Anderson's been greatly rediscovered in the past decade – and the past few years has seen the reissue and first-issue of material that was recorded during Anderson's "lost years", but never properly handled before. This session is one of those "first issue" sets – as it was recorded in Milwaukee in 1980, yet lay in the can for years, due to lack of interest. The set's fantastic – and features Anderson playing in a quartet with trumpeter Billy Brimfield, bassist Larry Hayrod, and drummer Hamid Drake. What's most notable about the material is that it has kind of a mellow spiritual quality to it – showing the more soulful sound of the AACM, one that didn't always make an appearance on Anderson's other recordings. The strongest case of this is the fantastic track "Bombay", which features tablas by Drake, and some wonderful extended soloing by Brimfield and Anderson. All tracks are great, though – and titles include "Black Woman", "Ballad For Rita", and "The Bull". CD

A beautiful record – although one that's tinged with a touch of sadness, given the setting. In what was becoming an unfortunate tradition in their later years, the remaining members of the legendary South African jazz group The Blue Notes join together to mourn the passing of one of their original bandmembers – the great bassist Johnny Dyani, a player whose sound had a key influence on both African and European jazz scenes of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. The group for this session is reduced to Chris McGregor on piano, Louis Moholo on bass, and Dudu Pukwana on alto and soprano saxes – working together in a beautiful session of tunes that hearken back to the rhythms of the group's roots – while still allowing some of the freer interplay that they discovered in later years. McGregor's piano is especially nice – tinged with sadness and appropriate blue notes – providing a nice undercurrent to the solo work of Pukwana. Titles include "Funk Dem Dudu", "Eyomzi", "Blues For Nick", and "Monks & Mbizo". CD

A beautiful record – although one that's tinged with a touch of sadness, given the setting. In what was becoming an unfortunate tradition in their later years, the remaining members of the legendary South African jazz group The Blue Notes join together to mourn the passing of one of their original bandmembers – the great bassist Johnny Dyani, a player whose sound had a key influence on both African and European jazz scenes of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. The group for this session is reduced to Chris McGregor on piano, Louis Moholo on bass, and Dudu Pukwana on alto and soprano saxes – working together in a beautiful session of tunes that hearken back to the rhythms of the group's roots – while still allowing some of the freer interplay that they discovered in later years. McGregor's piano is especially nice – tinged with sadness and appropriate blue notes – providing a nice undercurrent to the solo work of Pukwana. Titles include "Funk Dem Dudu", "Eyomzi", "Blues For Nick", and "Monks & Mbizo". LP, Vinyl record album

An unbelievable recording! As Archie Shepp made his first album for Impulse a tribute to Coltrane, Marion Brown made his a tribute to Shepp – a wonderful lineage of avant talent in the 60s, stated boldly here, given Brown's amazing talent on the record! The album's filled with hard, soulful playing that goes out, but never too far – like Shepp in his best sixties moments – and Brown's working with a great lineup of players that includes Grachan Moncur on trombone, Beaver Harris on drums, and Stanley Cowell on piano! The tunes include three Marion Brown originals on side one, plus three tracks by Shepp on side two. "Spooks" alone will leave you loving this album for years to come – and other tracks include "West India", "Delicado", "New Blue", and "Fortunato". A brilliant blend of 60s "new thing" playing and 70s underground jazz! CD

An unbelievable recording! As Archie Shepp made his first album for Impulse a tribute to Coltrane, Marion Brown made his a tribute to Shepp – a wonderful lineage of avant talent in the 60s, stated boldly here, given Brown's amazing talent on the record! The album's filled with hard, soulful playing that goes out, but never too far – like Shepp in his best sixties moments – and Brown's working with a great lineup of players that includes Grachan Moncur on trombone, Beaver Harris on drums, and Stanley Cowell on piano! The tunes include three Marion Brown originals on side one, plus three tracks by Shepp on side two. "Spooks" alone will leave you loving this album for years to come – and other tracks include "West India", "Delicado", "New Blue", and "Fortunato". A brilliant blend of 60s "new thing" playing and 70s underground jazz! CD

An unbelievable recording! As Archie Shepp made his first album for Impulse a tribute to Coltrane, Marion Brown made his a tribute to Shepp – a wonderful lineage of avant talent in the 60s, stated boldly here, given Brown's amazing talent on the record! The album's filled with hard, soulful playing that goes out, but never too far – like Shepp in his best sixties moments – and Brown's working with a great lineup of players that includes Grachan Moncur on trombone, Beaver Harris on drums, and Stanley Cowell on piano! The tunes include three Marion Brown originals on side one, plus three tracks by Shepp on side two. "Spooks" alone will leave you loving this album for years to come – and other tracks include "West India", "Delicado", "New Blue", and "Fortunato". A brilliant blend of 60s "new thing" playing and 70s underground jazz! CD

An unbelievable recording! As Archie Shepp made his first album for Impulse a tribute to Coltrane, Marion Brown made his a tribute to Shepp – a wonderful lineage of avant talent in the 60s, stated boldly here, given Brown's amazing talent on the record! The album's filled with hard, soulful playing that goes out, but never too far – like Shepp in his best sixties moments – and Brown's working with a great lineup of players that includes Grachan Moncur on trombone, Beaver Harris on drums, and Stanley Cowell on piano! The tunes include three Marion Brown originals on side one, plus three tracks by Shepp on side two. "Spooks" alone will leave you loving this album for years to come – and other tracks include "West India", "Delicado", "New Blue", and "Fortunato". A brilliant blend of 60s "new thing" playing and 70s underground jazz! LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic testament to the slow-burning spiritual genius of Marion Brown – a player who sometimes got eclipsed in an era of bigger avant personalities, but who really gets to showcase his talents in a spare setting like this! The live performance pairs Brown's alto with the piano of Dave Burrell – another player who's sometimes understated, but in the best way possible – and together the pair sound completely sublime – gently exploring the farther reaches of tonal space with their improvisations, and almost always keeping things in relatively soulful formation! The set features beautiful readings of two Billy Strayhorn tunes – "My Little Brown Book" and "Lush Life" – balanced with original material that includes "Gossip/Fortunado", "La Placita", "Crucificado", "Puna Mae Ole", and "Punaluu Peter". CD

A really unique chapter in the career of Ornette Coleman – an album that he produced by himself in 1962, away from any other label – as an effort to showcase the newly freer sounds of his music! The recording's the first in a really groundbreaking stretch for the 60s – and it was fortunately finally issued by ESP Records a few years after the recording – providing a nice link between Coleman's earlier experiments and the sound of the younger generation usually showcased by the label. The group's a trio, with a sound that's quite different than the more rhythmic modes of Coleman on Atlantic Records – a freer, less structured lineup that features percussion from Charles Moffett and bass from David Izenzon. One track also adds in a string quartet – making the record one of Coleman's first experiments with this format – and titles include a 23 minute recording of "The Ark", plus "Doughnut", "Sadness", and "Dedication To Poets and Writers". CD

Despite the title of the album, the group's a sharp-edged fusion combo – one that hails from late 70s Japan, and who works here in the best mainstream fusion mode of the time! The tunes are mostly jazz funk with a bit of polish – heavy on guitars from Kazuo Takeda, who also takes off on some pretty nice solos – and also featuring keyboards from Hisao Sakurai and tenor from Mitsuru Kanekuni. The record is never too jamming, nor too smooth – but one number does feature some unfortunate blues vocals from Takeda. Titles include "Spinning Toe Hold No 2", "No Problem", "Wild Cat", "Swamp Boy", and "Fou Fou Gun Gun". LP, Vinyl record album

A gem of a record from the late 60s British scene – one based around the sound poems of writer and poet Terry Durham! The record features Duram speaking and singing his own lyrics – supported by musical backings arranged by John Coleman, shaded in by some wonderful work by players that include Alan Parker on guitar, Evan Parker on saxes, and Chris Karan (from the Dudley Moore and Roy Budd trios) on some especially nice drums! Despite the poetic approach of the session, Durham's rough vocals give it a real sense of humanity – with none of the high-art pretension you might expect, and a real "everyman" sort of feel that comes from the overall delivery of the tunes. There's a nice link here between the other British jazz and rock experiments of the time – and in a way, Durham's a lost link in a lineage of hipper British artists that include Nick Drake and Scott Walker. A few tracks even get a bit funky, and titles include "The Fortunate Isles", "Sleep Train", "White Room Dreaming", "Branwells Corner", "Crystal Telephone", "Moving Through My Life", and "Stills From A Late Nite Movie". CD

One of the few albums we've ever seen by keyboardist Hubert Eaves – a great player whose work crops up on some of our favorite 70s soul jazz and jazz funk sides, but who rarely got a chance to lead his own group! Fortunately, he did get the chance to cut this one – as the session's a real doozy – sweet mellow fusion, handled very soulfully, with a kicked-back feel that's right up there with the most righteous soulful fusion of the time. Players include Mtume, John Lee, Reggie Lucas, Malachi Thompson, and Rene McLean – and Cheryl Alexander sings vocals on the track "Under Standing". A great blend of laidback funk and soulful grooves – in the manner of Bobby Lyle at his best – and titles include "Slow Down", "Painful Pleasure", "Call To Awareness", and "Flead Dancing". CD

Kahil El'Zabar's working here with the Infinity Orchestra – a very large ensemble of musicians from the south of France – pulled together by Kahil for this special performance! A core trio of Americans is at the lead – El'Zabar on percussion, Ernest Dawkins on alto, and Joseph Bowie on trombone – but the larger group supports their work wonderfully with a full complement of saxes, trumpets, and trombones – and a huge amount of African percussion that creates a very earthy feel. There's a few vocal moments on the set too, as well as a slightly unfortunate use of turntable work too – and titles include "Soul To Groove", "Nu Art Claiming Earth", "Return Of The Lost Tribe", and "Speaking In Tongues". CD

We want to hate this guy! Why? Well, because years ago, when he was still just a divinity grad student at the University of Chicago, we used to catch him sitting in on sessions all over the south side. At the time, his vocal stylings used to make us wince – but those years in the trenches definitely did something right, as Elling has emerged to be one of the freshest male vocalists that jazz has seen in 25 years. Sure, he does have an unfortunate habit for doing this annoying "jazz hipster" monologues – some of which are on these record, and which are a bit unbearable – but when he sings, really sings, he's got a way of putting over a song that can match the best of the elite (and small) group of true male jazz vocalists of the past 25 years (like Jon Hendricks, Mark Murphy, and Cleveland Watkiss). This is his first album, and it's still our favorite. Well worth having if you're into jazz vocals, and with great readings of "Close Your Eyes", "Ballad Of The Sad Young Men", and "Wait Till You See Her" – plus Elling's own catchy composition "Never Say Goodbye". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Herb Ellis gets a hearty helping of horns on this set – working with key performances from Jimmy Giuffre, Charlie Mariano, and Harry Edison – all of whom really round out the sound of the record! Herb's guitar is certainly at the forefront of the record, but it's sitting nicely in a lineup that features Harry Edison on trumpet and Jimmy Giuffre on tenor sax, baritone, and clarinet – plus the alto of Charlie Mariano for all of side two of the record – and rhythm by Oscar Peterson on piano and Ray Brown on bass (with whom Ellis was then working in the Peterson Trio), plus Alvin Soller on drums. Ellis' solos dominate most of the record, but they're often set in some slightly tight, freshly modern, and unfortunately uncredited arrangements that have lots of Giuffre touches – warmed up considerably by Edison's trumpet. Titles include "Pogo", "Detour Ahead", "Have You Met Miss Jones", "A Simple Tune", "It Could Happen To You", and "Ellis In Wonderland". CD

We love Sonny Fortune – because he always plays so great! Sonny started as more of an acoustic soul jazz player – but by the time of this session, he's working with a lot of electric backing, in a fusiony mode that should dampen his enthusiasm, but which only seems to spur him onto new heights! The group's got some killer keyboards from Larry Willis, tight guitar from Ray Gomez, and lots of Latin percussion touches that really make the grooves dance – but the real highlight is Sonny, whose tone and placement are impeccable, almost in the vein of Gary Bartz during his years with Larry Mizell, but perhaps a bit more soaring and searching. Titles include "Afortunado", "Georgiana", "Igbob's Shuffle", "Francisco" and "Come In Out Of The Rain". CD

We love Sonny Fortune – because he always plays so great! Sonny started as more of an acoustic soul jazz player – but by the time of this session, he's working with a lot of electric backing, in a fusiony mode that should dampen his enthusiasm, but which only seems to spur him onto new heights! The group's got some killer keyboards from Larry Willis, tight guitar from Ray Gomez, and lots of Latin percussion touches that really make the grooves dance – but the real highlight is Sonny, whose tone and placement are impeccable, almost in the vein of Gary Bartz during his years with Larry Mizell, but perhaps a bit more soaring and searching. Titles include "Afortunado", "Georgiana", "Igbob's Shuffle", and "Come In Out Of The Rain". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare set from one of Stan Getz's hippest groups! The album was recorded in Paris in 1966, during a time in which Stan was working with a groundbreaking quartet that included Gary Burton on vibes, Steve Swallow on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums – a combo that unfortunately got a bit overshadowed by Stan's bossa work, which was recorded in earlier years, but still getting issued and played heavily during the time of the Burton quartet's reign. The upshot of that situation was that the combo weren't nearly as exposed, or recorded, as much as they should have been – making the CD an essential look at this under-documented side of Stan's career. Getz's tone is fantastic – and he glides freely with the young modernists in a way that you barely ever hear on any of his sides from the 60s, save for, perhaps, the sublime Sweet Rain LP. Titles include the long "The Knight Rides Again" – plus the tracks "Singing Song", "On Green Dolphin Street", "Stan's Blues", "Edelweiss", and "Manha De Carnaval". CD

A rare set from one of Stan Getz's hippest groups! The album was recorded in Paris in 1966, during a time in which Stan was working with a groundbreaking quartet that included Gary Burton on vibes, Steve Swallow on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums – a combo that unfortunately got a bit overshadowed by Stan's bossa work, which was recorded in earlier years, but still getting issued and played heavily during the time of the Burton quartet's reign. The upshot of that situation was that the combo weren't nearly as exposed, or recorded, as much as they should have been – making the record an essential look at this under-documented side of Stan's career. Getz's tone is fantastic – and he glides freely with the young modernists in a way that you barely ever hear on any of his sides from the 60s, save for, perhaps, the sublime Sweet Rain LP. Titles include the long "The Knight Rides Again" – plus the tracks "Singing Song", "On Green Dolphin Street", "Edelweiss", and "Manha De Carnaval". CD

A sweet little album from Johnny – quite different than most of his other sessions at the time, as this one features a big band – a "Big Soul Band", as the title says – filled with some strong Chicago and soul jazz players, and featuring killer arrangements by the great Norman Simmons! Simmons' was just bubbling up at the time – and he had a sock soul jazz sound that was part of his time on the Chicago scene, and which, unfortunately, rarely achieved as strong of recorded expression as it did on this album. Griffin's a heck of a great player, even at this age, and the strength of his horn sits nicely in the front of a great ensemble that also includes Pat Patrick, Matthew Gee, Julian Priester, Frank Strozier, Bobby Timmons, Harold Mabern, Vic Sproles, and Charlie Persip. Titles include a number of Simmons originals – like "Meditation", "Panic Room Blues", and "Holla" – plus a great reading of Timmons' "So Tired", and traditionals like "Deep River", "Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen" and "Wade In The Water" and Junior Mance's "Jubilation". Inclues the bonus track "Wade In The Water (alternate take)". CD