When we hear the phrase "hip harp", we think of the magnificent music that Dorothy Ashby cut for Cadet/Concept records at the end of the 60s – and when you hear this set, that's what you'll think of too – and we mean that in the best way possible! The set begins with a great reworking of Ashby's classic "Soul Vibrations – with the jazzy harp of Alina Bzhezhinska in the lead – but as the record moves on, the group really also find their own sound and style – maybe more of a jazz combo than you'd hear on some of Ashby's records – with great work from Tony Kofi on saxes and Jay Phelps on trumpet – both of whom really widen the scope of the sound! Vmala Rowe provides a bit of vocals – and titles include "Soul Vibrations", "Afro Blue", "Paris Sur Le Toit", "Meditation", "Fire", "For Carrol", and "Reflections". CD

There's a wonderful layering of sounds going on here – tremendous work from a team of improvisers who really know how to fill in the spaces alongside each other, and build up a performance that only increases in intensity as things move on! William Parker's bass, as always, is a key factor in the sound here – and on the album, he also plays gralla and shakuhachi as well – next to the drums of Francisco Mela and piano of Leo Genovese, topped and driven forward by incredible work from Daniel Carter on saxes! The music here is based on a poem by carter about non-stop motion in New York – and there's definitely that sense of action here – on titles that include "Intertext Salute", "Shine Hear", and "Glisten Up". CD

There's a wonderful layering of sounds going on here – tremendous work from a team of improvisers who really know how to fill in the spaces alongside each other, and build up a performance that only increases in intensity as things move on! William Parker's bass, as always, is a key factor in the sound here – and on the album, he also plays gralla and shakuhachi as well – next to the drums of Francisco Mela and piano of Leo Genovese, topped and driven forward by incredible work from Daniel Carter on saxes! The music here is based on a poem by carter about non-stop motion in New York – and there's definitely that sense of action here – on titles that include "Intertext Salute", "Shine Hear", and "Glisten Up". LP, Vinyl record album

Important 70s work from Don Cherry – one of the first albums to bring his overseas experiments to a larger US audience! The set builds nicely off of styles that Don forged earlier in France and Scandinavia – a freer style of music than his work with Ornette Coleman, and a richly organic groove that builds up strongly from the bottom, often with elements of world music settled in alongside the jazz – but there's also some funkier moments here too, a bit like the Brown Rice album, but looser overall! The groups on most numbers are relatively large and spiritual – almost like Alice Coltrane at times, but a bit more electric and funky at others – and players include Collin Walcott on sitar, Michael Brecker on saxes, Cliff Carter on keyboards, Lenny White and Tony Williams on drums, Lois Colin on harp, and Raphael Cruz on percussion. Cherry himself plays conch shells, bells, and flute in addition to his usual trumpet – and he even sings a bit on a few numbers, in a soulful, scatting sort of groove. Narada Michael Walden produced, and the whole set's got a very righteous feel – with tracks that include "Universal Mother", "Buddah's Blues", "Eagle Eye", "Mahakali", "Karmapa Chenno", "Surrender Rose", and "Journey Of Milarepa". LP, Vinyl record album

Important 70s work from Don Cherry – one of the first albums to bring his overseas experiments to a larger US audience! The set builds nicely off of styles that Don forged earlier in France and Scandinavia – a freer style of music than his work with Ornette Coleman, and a richly organic groove that builds up strongly from the bottom, often with elements of world music settled in alongside the jazz – but there's also some funkier moments here too, a bit like the Brown Rice album, but looser overall! The groups on most numbers are relatively large and spiritual – almost like Alice Coltrane at times, but a bit more electric and funky at others – and players include Collin Walcott on sitar, Michael Brecker on saxes, Cliff Carter on keyboards, Lenny White and Tony Williams on drums, Lois Colin on harp, and Raphael Cruz on percussion. Cherry himself plays conch shells, bells, and flute in addition to his usual trumpet – and he even sings a bit on a few numbers, in a soulful, scatting sort of groove. Narada Michael Walden produced, and the whole set's got a very righteous feel – with tracks that include "Universal Mother", "Buddah's Blues", "Eagle Eye", "Mahakali", "Karmapa Chenno", "Surrender Rose", and "Journey Of Milarepa". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the weirdest Don Cherry albums you'll ever hope to hear – and that's saying a lot, given the range of incredible albums the man has given us over the years! The music here was recorded for a French film based on the music, poetry, and "antics" of Cherry – done in the Saravah Records studios in 1969, around the same time as Cherry's albums for the BYG/Actuel label on the Paris scene – but with a much looser, more freewheeling vibe overall! The first side of the record features music done with Karl Berger – in a mix of piano, percussion, wood flutes, electronics, and pocket trumpet – shifting many times in terms of tone and spirit, with Cherry at his most organic. Side two features most of the same music, but with Anthony Braxton joining in – as well as poetry at some parts – in the complete edit that was used in the film. A fantastic document in so many ways – of the musicians, of post-68 Paris, and even of European avant cinema! LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little record that lives up to the name of the group – a record that's maybe jazz at the core, but served up in very cinematic ways – very much the spirit of the dark, moody image pictured on the cover! This isn't chase, crime, or cop music – but instead maybe the sounds you'd hear on the journey home after the battle – slow funk in the rhythms, peppered with great work on vibes, piano, and mellotron from Pierre Chretien – who also wrote, arranged, and produced the whole record too! Most tunes have a nice light melody over heavier drums and percussion on the bottom – never too over the top, but well-paced in a way that really makes this one stand out from the pack. Titles include "Les Corbeaux", "Eveil De La Cite", "Aube Sur La Ville", "Fleurs De Bitume", "Le Petit Cimetiere", "Apres Le Deluge", and "Illusions Perdues". CD

A nice little record that lives up to the name of the group – a record that's maybe jazz at the core, but served up in very cinematic ways – very much the spirit of the dark, moody image pictured on the cover! This isn't chase, crime, or cop music – but instead maybe the sounds you'd hear on the journey home after the battle – slow funk in the rhythms, peppered with great work on vibes, piano, and mellotron from Pierre Chretien – who also wrote, arranged, and produced the whole record too! Most tunes have a nice light melody over heavier drums and percussion on the bottom – never too over the top, but well-paced in a way that really makes this one stand out from the pack. Titles include "Les Corbeaux", "Eveil De La Cite", "Aube Sur La Ville", "Fleurs De Bitume", "Le Petit Cimetiere", "Apres Le Deluge", and "Illusions Perdues". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that bursts out with a sound that definitely lives up to its striking title – as Ornette Coleman explores the new frontiers of experimental jazz with one of his great groups from the end of the 60s! The album's got the intensity of the best ESP sessions of the period, but also shows the richer sonic elements that Coleman can bring to the proceedings – that way of mixing sharp edges with surprising currents – delivered by an all-star group that features Ornette on alto and violin, Don Cherry on trumpet and flute, Dewey Redman on tenor and clarinet, Charlie Haden on bass, and the young Ornette D Coleman on drums. It's especially amazing to hear Haden and Cherry take on such different roles than in the Ornette material of the early 60s – and also realize a wider vision for the music, on tunes that include a great version of Haden's "Song For Che", plus "Broken Shadows", "Trouble In The East", and "Space Jungle". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of overlooked albums from Ornette Coleman – back to back on a single CD for the first time ever! Crisis is a record that bursts out with a sound that definitely lives up to its striking title – as Ornette Coleman explores the new frontiers of experimental jazz with one of his great groups from the end of the 60s! The album's got the intensity of the best ESP sessions of the period, but also shows the richer sonic elements that Coleman can bring to the proceedings – that way of mixing sharp edges with surprising currents – delivered by an all-star group that features Ornette on alto and violin, Don Cherry on trumpet and flute, Dewey Redman on tenor and clarinet, Charlie Haden on bass, and the young Ornette D Coleman on drums. It's especially amazing to hear Haden and Cherry take on such different roles than in the Ornette material of the early 60s – and also realize a wider vision for the music, on tunes that include a great version of Haden's "Song For Che", plus "Broken Shadows", "Trouble In The East", and "Space Jungle". CD

A collection of Ornette Coleman albums from the end of the 60s – work from two key albums, plus some interesting bonus material too! First up is the album Ornette At 12 – a set that features two generations of Ornette Coleman – making incredible music here together! The album's a freewheeling late 60s outing from the senior Ornette – who plays alto, violin, and trumpet here – working with his young son Ornette D Coleman on drums, just 12 years old at the time – but a surprisingly strong free jazz player overall! Heavyweight help comes from Dewey Redman on tenor – really tremendous here, with energy that's up there with Albert Ayler or Archie Shepp at their 60s best – plus Charlie Haden on bass, really coming strongly back into the music at this point in his career. The album's quite free overall – similar to some of Coleman's Blue Note work of the period – and titles include "COD", "Rainbows", "New York", and "Bells and Chimes". Next is Crisis – a record that bursts out with a sound that definitely lives up to its striking title – as Ornette Coleman explores the new frontiers of experimental jazz with one of his great groups from the end of the 60s! The album's got the intensity of the best ESP sessions of the period, but also shows the richer sonic elements that Coleman can bring to the proceedings – that way of mixing sharp edges with surprising currents – delivered by an all-star group that features Ornette on alto and violin, Don Cherry on trumpet and flute, Dewey Redman on tenor and clarinet, Charlie Haden on bass, and the young Ornette D Coleman on drums. It's especially amazing to hear Haden and Cherry take on such different roles than in the Ornette material of the early 60s – and also realize a wider vision for the music, on tunes that include a great version of Haden's "Song For Che", plus "Broken Shadows", "Trouble In The East", and "Space Jungle". The last two tracks are maybe the most unusual – originally issued only as a promo 7" single by Impulse Records, with the tunes "Man On The Moon" and "Growing Up" – recorded with a group that features Cherry on trumpet, Redman on tenor, Haden on bass, and Ed Blackwell on drums – plus electronics from Emmanuel Ghent on one track! CD

A tremendous package of work from Ornette Coleman – five albums issued under his own name, and one collaboration with Jackie McLean too! First up are At The Golden Circle Vols 1 & 2 – important second chapter work from Ornette Coleman – a record that marked a real shift in his sound from the Atlantic Records years – issued by Blue Note at a level that gave the rest of the world a chance to see what Ornette had been cooking up on the underground scene! The album was recorded in Stockholm – in the tradition of European live performances that saw Coleman grow so strongly in the mid 60s – and the tracks are long, free, and full of improvised moments – with Ornette adding in trumpet and violin next to his familiar alto – in a trio with David Izenzon on bass and Charles Moffett on drums – both fantastic players who can be loose at the right moments, and bring things back at others. Tracks are long and unbridled – with less of the rhythmic changes that you'd hear in work by the classic quartet, and more of a full-on fierce soloing mode. Titles include "Snowflakes & Sunshine", "Morning Song", "Faces & Places", "Dee Dee", "Dawn", "The Riddle", and "Antiques". Next is Empty Foxhole – one of our favorite Ornette Coleman albums of the post-Atlantic 60s years – a set that still hangs onto some of the bold rhythmic conception of his previous records, but also points the way towards his freer jazz modes to come! The group's a trio – with really tremendous work from Charlie Haden on bass, able to match Coleman's energy with effortless ease, and really getting a lot of room to leave his mark on the music – plus the very young (10!) Denardo Coleman, who plays drums here with this stark, simple style that's not only completely unique, but which also leaves a lot of open room left for Haden and Ornette to really stretch out. Ornette plays his usual alto, plus trumpet and violin – and titles include "Good Old Days", "The Empty Foxhole", "Zig Zag", and "Freeway Express". Next is New York Is Now – a pretty bold statement from saxophonist Ornette Coleman, but one that definitely shows his shift in role – from a major force on the LA underground of the early 60s, to an artist who was helping pave the way for a huge wave of growth on the New York downtown scene in years to come! Ornette's at his most late 60s unbridled here – freer than before, and working with a lineup that includes Jimmy Garrison on bass and Elvin Jones on drums – still no piano at all – plus great work from Dewey Redman on tenor, who really burst into new prominence with this album. Ornette plays a bit of violin alongside alto sax – and tracks include "Toy Dance", "Round Trip", "Broad Way Blues", and "We Now Interrupt For A Commercial". Then comes Love Call – a really great late 60s session from Ornette Coleman – one that shows is increasing expansion in sounds and styles, and which also offers a bridge between avant jazz generations too! That bridge comes in the presence of Jimmy Garrison on bass and Elvin Jones on drums – a surprising Coltrane rhythm duo, working here with Ornette's mindblowing work on alto sax, and tenor from a young Dewey Redman – already a crucially intense player here next to Coleman, as both are set free in a group without any piano – that Ornette melding of rhythm and melody, but with a very different vibe than the Atlantic years! Coleman blows trumpet on one tune – and titles include "Love Call", "Airborne", "Check Out Time", and "Open To The Public". The set also includes the album New & Old Gospel – one of Jackie McLean's last "new thing" albums for Blue Note – and a very unique record that features Ornette Coleman on trumpet! The sound here is stark and hard – slight hints of the soulfulness that the "gospel" in the title might imply, mixed with the angular exploratory sound that McLean had been forging at Blue Note during the mid 60s – a wonderful balance that really gives the record a lot of bite! The album's easily one of the most "out" that McLean ever recorded, and the group also includes Lamont Johnson on piano, Scott Holt on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – all pushing themselves in the company of the avant jazz giants. Tracks include the extended "Lifeline" suite, which takes up all of side one – plus "Old Gospel" and "Strange As It Seems". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent LP that brings together a dozen tracks from some of Chris' lesser-known recordings for the Bethlehem label – originally released as eps and early 10" LPs. Backing on the set is by The Ellis Larkins Trio, The Vinnie Burke Quartet, The Ralph Sharon combo, and Sy Oliver's orchestra – and the set features tracks that include "All About Ronnie", "In Other Words", "A Good Man Is A Seldom Thing", "I Hear Music", "Out Of This World", and "Lush Life". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

An excellent LP that brings together a dozen tracks from some of Chris' lesser-known recordings for the Bethlehem label – originally released as eps and early 10" LPs. Backing on the set is by The Ellis Larkins Trio, The Vinnie Burke Quartet, The Ralph Sharon combo, and Sy Oliver's orchestra – and the set features tracks that include "All About Ronnie", "In Other Words", "A Good Man Is A Seldom Thing", "I Hear Music", "Out Of This World", and "Lush Life". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent LP that brings together a dozen tracks from some of Chris Connor's lesser-known recordings for the Bethlehem label – originally released as eps and early 10" LPs. Backing on the set is by The Ellis Larkins Trio, The Vinnie Burke Quartet, The Ralph Sharon combo, and Sy Oliver's orchestra – and the set features tracks that include "All About Ronnie", "In Other Words", "A Good Man Is A Seldom Thing", "I Hear Music", "Out Of This World", and "Lush Life". Chris herself is singing in that moody, icy style that we love so much – sounding especially nice on the sparer tunes, which seem to wallow in lost love and distant longing. (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

A spiritual jazz masterpiece from drummer Norman Connors – one of those unique albums he cut before moving into soul music – done at a level that rivals the early 70s genius on labels like Strata East or Impulse Records! Connors worked with many contemporaries on those labels, and gets a good degree of help from them here, too – in a massive lineup that includes Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Herbie Hancock on keyboards, Gary Bartz on alto, Carlos Garnett on tenor, Buster Williams on bass, Bill Summers on drums, and even Dee Dee Bridgewater on a bit of vocals too! With a lineup like that, it would be easy to lay back and just do nothing – but you can really hear Connors' musical vision taking the lead – that warmly soulful approach that was there right from the start, given some great focus here by producer Skip Drinkwater. Tracks are all long, and free-flowing – a bit out at times, but always returning to the modal pulse of Connors' soulful rhythms. Titles include "Carlos II", "Kumakucha", "Holy Waters", "Revelation", and "Love From The Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare solo material from pianist Leo Cuypers – a really wonderful set that gives us a chance to hear his talents in a completely unfettered setting! We know Cuypers best from some of his efforts in groups, and it's a great change to hear him here on his own – working through some amazing original compositions that are filled with life and feeling! At some points, he's got all the wit, energy, and sharp edges of contemporary Misha Mengelberg – but at other times, there's this lyrical cohesion to his music that almost reminds us of the most tuneful moments of Steve Kuhn or Keith Jarrett – an obvious great range of sounds to come from one player in such a small space – which makes the album possibly the greatest illustration of Cuyper's genius we've ever heard. Titles include "Lovely Rita", "Monk's Raus", "Het Cowboylied Van Ome Piet", "One Million Dollar Song", "Tristano Song", and "Lovely Rita". LP, Vinyl record album

A compelling exploration into the use of the music of Miles Davis in film – one that begins with a famous French soundtrack from the new wave generation, then moves onto vintage Miles tunes that were used in other movies over the years! The core of the record features Davis' score to the 1957 film Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud – one of our favorite-ever Miles Davis albums – and a stunning soundtrack that began a rich legacy of jazz scores in France! Miles recorded this material during late-night post-gig sessions with a great group that includes French players Barney Wilen, Rene Urtreger, and Pierre Michelot, plus American ex-patriot Kenny Clarke. Wilen's playing is fantastic, and it's great to hear him and Miles together on the score's spooky meandering passages. Alongside that body of work, the CD also features Davis songs that were used in a variety of films from the 70s onward – tracks that weren't written for the films, but which had strong use in movies that include Lenny, Kerouac, Tacones Lejanos, Ginger & Rosa, Talented Mr Ripley, and La Flor De Mi Secreto. These titles include "Saeta", "Blue Haze", "Tempus Fugit", "Well You Needn't", "It Never Entered My Mind", "Nature Boy", "Solea", and "Blue In Green". Also features a selection each by Lenny Bruce and Jack Kerouac! CD

One of the coolest entries so far in this excellent series of rare material from legendary trumpeter Miles Davis – a set that brings together unheard studio sessions from the years 1966 to 1968 – some tracks from the recordings that gave the world the Miles Smiles, Nefertiti, and Water Babies albums! The group here is that legendary lineup that includes Wayne Shorter on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums – a group who, by this point, was quite comfortable with both each other, and the new ideas that Miles was bringing to his music – very ready to step out with the rich sense of imagination they brought to music like this. There's definitely a new current of darkness here – that brooding quality that Davis had on some of his pre-electric dates – and it's wonderful to hear his ideas develop over a few performances of some tunes, and also through some of the studio chatter too. Titles include two takes of "Freedom Jazz Dance", three versions of "Circle", two of "Dolores", "Orbits", "Footprints", "Gingerbread Boy", "Nefertiti", "Fall", and "Water Babies" – plus the tracks "Play Your Eight", "Blues In F", "Country Son", and "Masqualero". CD

A set that features music from three different sessions recorded by trumpeter Bill Dixon in the mid 60s – all pretty groundbreaking work, even all these many years later! First up is a quartet co-led by Archie Shepp and Bill Dixon – easily one of the greatest modern jazz pairings of the 60s! If you only know Shepp from his later work, you'll hear something very different here – as his tenor's often brought into tight focus with the trumpet of Dixon – in a blend of arrangement and freedom that's like that of Ted Curson and Bill Barron, but a lot more powerful overall! The tunes still have a sense of structure – and get great help from the bass of Don Moore and drums of Paul Cohen – but there's also some tremendously unbridled energy from the leaders, especially Dixon, who might not have sounded this great ever again. Titles include "Quartet" and "Trio". Next up is one side of an album that Dixon split with Shepp for Savoy – and Dixon's material here features a septet, with a great lineup that includes Ken McIntyre on alto and oboe, George Barrow on tenor, and both Hal Dodson and David Izenzon on basses. Titles include "Winter Song 1964" and "The 12th December". Last up is the seminal Intents & Purposes record – one of the few rare records cut by Bill Dixon during the 60s, and a perfect example of "new thing" jazz in action. Trumpeter Dixon plays in 3 different ensembles – a nonet, a quintet, and a duet – with players like Byard Lancaster, Reggie Workman, Robert Pozar, and Jimmy Garrison. The tracks are long, with an approach that begins with compositional structures, but which also showcases the avant solo talents of the players – in a manner that's similar to some of the Blue Note work by Anthony Williams or Grachan Moncur III. A darn tough record to find – and with the tracks "Voices", "Nightfall Pieces I & II", and "Metamorphosis". CD

Wonderfully creative work from Pierre Dorge and his New Jungle Orchestra – a set that often features gentle, sensitive musical moments – although always handled with the sort of offbeat style we've come to expect from Dorge! Pierre is at the head of the group on guitar, and other instrumentation includes tenor, soprano sax, bass clarinet, trombone, piano, and trumpets – plus some nice use of percussion to help underscore the Africanist leanings of the rhythms. Dorge composed the album as a celebration of the elephant – and you can definitely hear that focus in the way the horns come together – often with a joyous sort of feel that reminds us a bit of the rare use of saxes in the work of Dollar Brand. Titles include "Oda Eugenia", "A Night In Hong Kong", "Malam Lagu", "Sunday In Zurich", "Wedding Music", "To Mr Dolphy", "Malamin Jobarteh", "Moonlight In The Woods", and "From The Same Tribe". CD

Guitarist Pierre Dorge in a really unusual setting – not his larger orchestra, but a great small group with drummer Hamid Drake – who really helps bring out a whole new side of Dorge's music! The spare setting of the record also features Kirk Knuffe on cornet and Thommy Andersson on bass – and the players have this airy, open way of interacting – which really allows us to hear all these great sounds on guitar from Dorge, often with ringing tones that match perfectly with the cornet – but also bowed at other times, with a sonorous approach we especially love. Drake is great, as always – extremely sensitive in his approach to the drums – and titles include 'Wulla Wussa", "Blui", "Danza Reptilla", "Cha Cha Lupa", "Xongly", "Else Belse Bird Beard", and "Happy As A Cow". CD

A really great take on the music of Sun Ra – served up by a group from the contemporary Polish scene – one who clearly have a strong influence from Ra and his Arkestra, but who also take the sounds in really great directions of their own! The group is maybe a bit heavier on keyboard work than some of the classic recordings – with piano, Fender Rhodes, synths, and moog playing a strong role throughout – amidst a duo of horns from Jakub Kurek on trumpet and Olaf Wegier on soprano, alto, and tenor – providing a leaner version of the sound that you'd hear from the Arkestra, but one that's also got a lot of focus and energy too. The record intersperses spoken bits by Ra in a really great way – and titles include versions of "Interstellar Low Ways", "Neo Project 2", "Trying To Put The Blame On Me", "UFO", "The Lady With The Golden Stockings", and "Brainville". CD

An intimate live session from Duke Ellington and his great late 50s orchestra – presented here at a private party hosted by Columbia Records at the Plaza Hotel in New York – at a time when Ellington was making some of his best music for the label! The tracks here are every bit on a par with Duke's late 50s gems for Columbia – and have the orchestra stepping out strongly on short numbers that maybe have a bit more swing and a bit less overall concept – as the soloist shift, and shine nicely on each tune! The set features great performances from Jimmy Hamilton on clarinet, Britt Woodman on trombone, Shorty Baker on trumpet, and Johnny Hodges on alto – and also includes some very late vocal work from Billie Holiday, who sings on two tracks, plus two more from Jimmy Rushing as well. Titles include "Love To Hear My Baby Call My Name", "El Gato", "All Of Me", "Don't Explain", "When Your Lover Has Gone", "Red Garter", and "Red Carpet". LP, Vinyl record album

Magical music from the very first note – the kind of record you need to hear if you've ever doubted the genius of Bill Evans! The sound here is subtle, and supple – but still often more revolutionary than that of the countless albums it inspired in years to come – and Evans is completely at home on the record, working with bassist Chuck Israels and drummer Paul Motian – both players who helped to re-invent the role of rhythm in the piano combo of the time! Titles include a sublime reading of "How My Heart Sings", plus "Walking Up", "Show Type Tune", "Summertime", "34 Skidoo", and "In Your Own Sweet Way". CD

Magical music from the very first note – the kind of record you need to hear if you've ever doubted the genius of Bill Evans! The sound here is subtle, and supple – but still often more revolutionary than that of the countless albums it inspired in years to come – and Evans is completely at home on the record, working with bassist Chuck Israels and drummer Paul Motian – both players who helped to re-invent the role of rhythm in the piano combo of the time! Titles include a sublime reading of "How My Heart Sings", plus "Walking Up", "Show Type Tune", "Summertime", "34 Skidoo", and "In Your Own Sweet Way". LP, Vinyl record album

A previously-unissued live date from Bill Evans – recorded in Copenhagen right at the end of the 60s, in a very hip trio that features Eddie Gomez on bass and Marty Morell on drums! There seems to be a bit more force than usual in Bill's left hand – a pulse that comes through nicely on a few tracks in particular – offsetting the brilliantly understated lyrical modes that always makes his music from this period so wonderful. The set features nicely dark versions of "Nardis" and "Waltz For Debby" – plus "Time Remembered", "You're Gonna Hear From Me", "Round Midnight", "Our Love Is Here To Stay", and "Emily". CD

One of Tal's most compelling albums of the 50s – a drummer-less trio session, recorded with Eddie Costa on piano and Vinnie Burke on bass. Tal's tone is as great as always – edgily carving out some rhythms with the trio, swinging more gently than the title might imply, in a mode that might later be taken up by Jim Hall, but which here is all Tal's own! Titles include "Meteor", "Taking A Chance On Love", "Yardbird Suite", "Like Someone In Love", and "I Love You". Plus, the One of the most compelling Verve albums from guitar genius Tal Farlow – a drummer-less trio session, recorded with Eddie Costa on piano and Vinnie Burke on bass – really opening up at a level that lets you hear just how revolutionary Farlow's approach was at the time. Tal's tone is as great as always – edgily carving out some rhythms with the trio, swinging more gently than the title might imply, in a mode that might later be taken up by Jim Hall, but which here is all Tal's own – a fantastic modernist change from the way the guitar had been just in jazz just a few short years before. Titles include "Meteor", "Taking A Chance On Love", "Yardbird Suite", "Like Someone In Love", and "I Love You". CD features 4 bonus tracks – 2 versions of "Gone With The Wind, and alternate takes of "Yardbird Suite" and "Taking A Chance On Love". Great stuff – with over 60 minutes of music. CD

We'll be the first to admit that the piano and compositions of John Lewis can sometimes be a bit stiff and academic – but that's definitely not the case on this great little record! The album features interpretations of Lewis' work by the great Farmer/Golson Jazztet – and is a pretty sweet batch of tracks that adds a lot of the emotion and soul that's usually missing from Lewis' music. Cedar Walton's playing the piano parts, which probably helps the groove a bit, and the group's tight hard sound puts in a "bottom" that you'd hardly hear when listening to John Lewis with the MJQ. In fact, Lewis isn't even on the record – just billed in the title because he contributed the compositions – classics that include "Odds Against Tomorrow", "Bel", "Milano", and "New York 19". LP, Vinyl record album

Ella Fitzgerald, recorded in a nice lean setting – with mostly just the piano of Oscar Peterson to back her up, plus a bit of extra bass from Ray Brown on a few of the album's tracks! We love Fitzgerald in this mode – which is quite a change from some of her more familiar 70s work, and really shows the singer in her best light possible – handling things right out front, with an inherent sense of swing that's completely sublime! Peterson is great here too – playing with some of those more ragged edges that you'll get on his spare sessions for Pablo – some nice bluesy undercurrents that really help shape the sound of the record. Titles include "Mean To Me", "April In Paris", "Street Of Dreams", "I Hear Music", "More Than You Know", and "Midnight Sun". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Ella Fitzgerald, recorded in a nice lean setting – with mostly just the piano of Oscar Peterson to back her up, plus a bit of extra bass from Ray Brown on a few of the album's tracks! We love Fitzgerald in this mode – which is quite a change from some of her more familiar 70s work, and really shows the singer in her best light possible – handling things right out front, with an inherent sense of swing that's completely sublime! Peterson is great here too – playing with some of those more ragged edges that you'll get on his spare sessions for Pablo – some nice bluesy undercurrents that really help shape the sound of the record. Titles include "Mean To Me", "April In Paris", "Street Of Dreams", "I Hear Music", "More Than You Know", and "Midnight Sun". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Ella Fitzgerald, recorded in a nice lean setting – with mostly just the piano of Oscar Peterson to back her up, plus a bit of extra bass from Ray Brown on a few of the album's tracks! We love Fitzgerald in this mode – which is quite a change from some of her more familiar 70s work, and really shows the singer in her best light possible – handling things right out front, with an inherent sense of swing that's completely sublime! Peterson is great here too – playing with some of those more ragged edges that you'll get on his spare sessions for Pablo – some nice bluesy undercurrents that really help shape the sound of the record. Titles include "Mean To Me", "April In Paris", "Street Of Dreams", "I Hear Music", "More Than You Know", and "Midnight Sun". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Ella Fitzgerald, recorded in a nice lean setting – with mostly just the piano of Oscar Peterson to back her up, plus a bit of extra bass from Ray Brown on a few of the album's tracks! We love Fitzgerald in this mode – which is quite a change from some of her more familiar 70s work, and really shows the singer in her best light possible – handling things right out front, with an inherent sense of swing that's completely sublime! Peterson is great here too – playing with some of those more ragged edges that you'll get on his spare sessions for Pablo – some nice bluesy undercurrents that really help shape the sound of the record. Titles include "Mean To Me", "April In Paris", "Street Of Dreams", "I Hear Music", "More Than You Know", and "Midnight Sun". CD features 4 bonus alternate takes, too! (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Wonderful work from a player we've loved for years – recorded here in just the sort of laidback setting that recreates all his charms in a live setting! Von Freeman's tenor has been a key part of the Chicago scene for half a century or more – and although his music never played as widely on the coasts, his horn has been a lasting local legacy of the tenor tradition that also includes Gene Ammons, Johnny Griffin, John Gilmore, and Clifford Jordan! Von's every bit as creative and soulful as any of those cats –but a lot more subtle too, as you'll hear on this album's long-spun tracks. Players include Richard Wyands on piano, John Webber on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – and titles include "I'll Never Be Free", "Didn't We", "Why Try To Change Me Now", "An Affair To Remember", and "A Night In Paris". CD

Right from the very first note, you'll know you're in for something special here – the unusual phrasing and open-hearted qualities that made Von Freeman one of the true Chicago legends on the tenor saxophone – even though he never got the global fame of contemporaries like Clifford Jordan or Johnny Griffin! Yet we can easily mention Von in the company of both of those giants – and as you'll hear here, Freeman's got a depth of expression that also rivals Gene Ammons and Dexter Gordon, especially on the open-ended, stretched out ballads that make up most of the material here. The group is very easygoing – perfect for the spirit of the music – John Young on piano, David Shipp on bass, and Wilbur Campbell on drums – on titles that include "Serenade In Blue", "Time After Time", "After Dark", and "Von Freeman's Blues". CD

Right from the very first note, you'll know you're in for something special here – the unusual phrasing and open-hearted qualities that made Von Freeman one of the true Chicago legends on the tenor saxophone – even though he never got the global fame of contemporaries like Clifford Jordan or Johnny Griffin! Yet we can easily mention Von in the company of both of those giants – and as you'll hear here, Freeman's got a depth of expression that also rivals Gene Ammons and Dexter Gordon, especially on the open-ended, stretched out ballads that make up most of the material here. The group is very easygoing – perfect for the spirit of the music – John Young on piano, David Shipp on bass, and Wilbur Campbell on drums – on titles that include "Serenade In Blue", "Time After Time", "After Dark", and "Von Freeman's Blues". CD features the bonus track "I'll Close My Eyes". CD

A hell of a record from Brazilian pianist Amaro Freitas – an artist we already loved before, but who's really stepping forth boldly with this release! Freitas has a way with the piano that's unlike anyone else we can think of – that freshness we maybe first felt when hearing a player like Robert Glasper many years back – and he works in a trio setting at a level that completely transforms the format – thanks in part to the very inventive assistance he gets from Jean Elton on bass and Hugo Medeiros on drums and percussion! If you think Freitas looks righteous on the cover, just wait until you hear his music – as he's definitely the real deal, and bound to be a big force in the jazz generation to come. Titles include "Malakoff", "Nascimento", "Sankofa", "Ayeye", "Vila Bela", "Baquaqua", and "Cazumba". LP, Vinyl record album

We've really loved the music of pianist Amaro Freitas in the past, but this time around he's got a special sort of something extra in his music – both in the way he approaches the sound, and the way he works with other players! The first half of the set is an exploration of landscape, both in sound and spirit – which then opens up to tracks that have Freitas coming into contact with other important musicians as well – flute from Shabaka Hutchings on two tracks, one of which also has drums from Hamid Drake – harp from Brandee Younger on another, and guitar from Jeff Parker on one more – all musicians we really love for their own work, and who we're delighted to hear interacting with Amaro, who has maybe been a more underground artist in recent years. Titles include "Mar De Cirandeiras", "Gloriosa", "Encantados", "Viva Nana", "Sonho Ancestral", and "Danca Dos Martelos". CD

We've really loved the music of pianist Amaro Freitas in the past, but this time around he's got a special sort of something extra in his music – both in the way he approaches the sound, and the way he works with other players! The first half of the set is an exploration of landscape, both in sound and spirit – which then opens up to tracks that have Freitas coming into contact with other important musicians as well – flute from Shabaka Hutchings on two tracks, one of which also has drums from Hamid Drake – harp from Brandee Younger on another, and guitar from Jeff Parker on one more – all musicians we really love for their own work, and who we're delighted to hear interacting with Amaro, who has maybe been a more underground artist in recent years. Titles include "Mar De Cirandeiras", "Gloriosa", "Encantados", "Viva Nana", "Sonho Ancestral", and "Danca Dos Martelos". LP, Vinyl record album

A never-issued live set from Japanese pianist Ryo Fukui – a tremendous player who was part of a special new generation of piano players in the 70s – very warm and fluid, but always with a sense of adventure too – in ways that make music like this very different than American work of the time! All tracks are nice and long, and Fukui begins the set with his classic "Mellow Dream" – spun out in an extended take with superb accompaniment from Satoshi Denpo on bass and Yoshinori Fukui on drums. As with so many of Ryo's recordings, the vibe here is far past a simple standard trio setting – as you'll hear on the group's inventive readings of titles that include "Mr PC", "Speak Low", "Body & Soul", and "Love For Sale". LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of albums from pianist Hal Galper – one early, two later, and served up in a single set! Guerilla Band is electric piano genius from Hal Galper – one of his best non-acoustic albums ever, and a set that's filled with moody colors and changes! The album's a fair bit more dynamic than some of Galper's other albums from the 70s – with horns from the Brecker Brothers, guitar from Bob Mann, and tightly rhythmic work on the bottom that makes some of the best numbers hear all-out funky jams! There's a sharply angular feel to the record that's made it a favorite for beatheads for years – plenty of tunes that are ripe for samples, even when things get slightly mellow – and Galper's approach to the keys is really amazing, unlike any other player we can think of at the time! Titles include "Figure Eight", "Call", "Black Night", "Point of View", "Welcome To My Dream", and "Rise & Fall". Rebop is a gem of a later album from pianist Hal Galper – one that has him teaming up with tenorist Jerry Bergonzi, as both players really find a way to make the other sound great! Galper's always got a nicely spacious approach to the piano – using the spots between the notes in just the right way, which is great for Jerry, as he likes to fill them with well-placed, well-timed tenor elements that really make his horn sound great. The balance is a bit like that which Bergonzi brings up on some of his best sessions for Red Records – and the group also features Jeff Johnson on bass, and Steve Ellington on drums. Titles include "All The Things You Aren't", "Jackie-Ing", "Take The Coltrane", "Laura", and "It's Magic". On Just Us, the trio of pianist Hal Galper gets some great guest work here from tenorist Jerry Bergonzi – a rich-toned player who really seems to bring out a different vibe in Hal's music! Galper's touch on the keys seems to be extra-dexterous here – really spinning out these long, lively lines that are balance with the well-placed tones of Bergonzi – given gently swinging support from Pat O'Leary on bass and Steve Ellington on drums! Many of the tunes are standards, but opened up with all these great colors – and titles include "Just Us", "Bye Bye Blackbird", "Stablemates", "Lover Man", "I'll Never Be The Same", and "Unforgettable". CD

Never-heard music from pianist Red Garland – working here with a unique trio that features Leroy Vinnegar on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums – a lineup that only existed for this one set of performances from 1977! The material is great – maybe better than most Garland albums issued at the time – and the tracks were recorded with great care at the Keystone Korner club in San Francisco – at a level that's similar to the best Fantasy Records live dates from the venue, which were often like this album – a great chance for the artist to really stretch out and do something new! Garland still has that fluid, lyrical sensibility we love in his famous 50s sides – but there's also a much richer, more sophisticated approach to the piano as well – an even deeper sense of tonal color that comes through on the album's long tracks. Jones is great too – increasingly complex during these years, as you'd hear on his own recordings – and a great accompaniment to Red's new modes of expression. The whole thing presents 150 minutes of unreleased music, plus some great notes and photos too – and titles include "Love For Sale", "Billy Boy", "Blues In Bebop", "On Green Dolphin Street", "Dear Old Stockholm", "Bag's Groove", "On A Clear Day", "Straight No Chaser", "Autumn Leaves", and even a version of "The Christmas Song" (since the material was recorded a few weeks before Christmas!) CD

Nice 2LP set that brings together some of his most striking sessions of the early 60s recorded for Emarcy. This set includes pieces composed and arranged by Lalo Schifrin played by a large ensemble led by Benny Carter – with Dizzy as the main soloist, and work by players that include James Moody, Phil Woods, Emil Richards, Francisco Aguabella, and Schifrin himself. Tracks are long, and have complicated introductions – then easily give way to the sort of flowing grooves that Schifrin was penning often at the time. Titles include "The Conquerors", "The Chains", "The Swords", "The Empire", and "The Legend Of Atlantis". The set also features Diz playing tracks from Tom McIntosh, one of the scene's brightest arrangers at the time, and a talent who was looming large, thanks to support from folks like Diz and James Moody. Moody's in the group – blowing tenor with a quintet that includes Kenny Barron on piano, Chris White on bass, and Rudy Collins on drums – and his tone is incredible, with a darkness that he'd rarely had before, and the whole group has a mixture of modern tones and soulful grooves that's beyond compare! Titles include "November Afternoon", "The Cup Bearers", "The Day After". Also included are songs from the soundtrack for the lost Shirley Clarke verite drama The Cool World. Mal Waldron wrote the material for the score, and Diz plays the music with a moody emotionality that you don't often hear in his other 60's work. The recording was made by his great group that included Kenny Barron and James Moody, and the titles include "The Pushers", "Duke's Fantasy", "Coney Island", and "Street Music". LP, Vinyl record album

Not the famous Verve Records pairing of Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker – but instead a more obscure live date from 1947, but one that really lets you hear the genius that happens when both players take the stage! The tunes have this approach that really hits at the most creative side of bop at the time – maybe even more open, expressive, and filled with larger ideas than some of the early singles that were coming out in 1947 – in a way that makes the whole thing a really important document of the complexity that was in the music, right from the start. The pair really stretch out on a fantastic two part reading of "Night In Tunisia (parts 1 & 2)", then soar through "Groovin High (parts 1 & 2)", "Confirmation", and "Dizzy Atmosphere". The second half of the set features some more live material, but just with Dizzy Gillespie in the lead, from 1953 – with Bill Graham on alto and baritone, plus a bit of vocals from Joe Carroll. Titles include "School Days", "Swing Low Sweet Cadillac", and "Tin Tin Deo". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing sounds from Robert Glasper – easily one of our favorite fresh jazz talents of the past decade or so! There's really nobody like Glasper, and you'll hear that from the very first notes of this set – a flurry of marvelously blocky chords – wrapped together in these waves of sound that are completely seductive – complex at one point, but perfectly organic at another – almost to the piano what Coltrane was to the tenor – although Glasper's sound is nothing like Coltrane – if that won't confuse you enough! The rhythms leap along with Robert's piano in an equally joyous way – stretching out, finding new space, and taking the music into rich new territory – more than enough to make this record one of Blue Note's best so far of the 21st Century. Titles include "G & B", "Of Dreams To Come", "FTB", "One For Grew", "Tribute", and "Maiden Voyage/Everything Is In The Right Place". LP, Vinyl record album

A selection of work by one of the most enigmatic talents on the LA scene of the mid 50s – French Horn player John Graas, an artist with a talent as unique as his horn! Unlike other jazz artists who used the French Horn, Graas managed to keep things cool and light – working in a cool mode that really fit the tone of the scene at the time – but also bringing in some nice modern touches to his writing, as you'll hear in this set of mostly original numbers. The CD collects recordings from the year 1957 – a shifting group of players that includes Graas on a few numbers, plus Jack Montrose, Bill Perkins, Paul Chambers, Philly Joe Jones, and Paul Moer – all coming together in varying configurations around Graas' compositions. Titles include "Cluster", "Mood", "Cannon Friar", "Westlake Bounce", "Motif", "Cannon Ball", and "Mulliganesque". CD

The twin-tenor duo of Johnny Griffin and Eddie Lockjaw Davis were really on fire in the early 60s – and unlike other pairings of the time, they often brought a strong dose of modernism to their music – as you'll hear in these great interpretations of tunes by Thelonious Monk! The record's a great reminder that the reach of Monk extended far beyond the highbrows of jazz a the time – as Griff and Lock take a nice soul-based path through the tunes, with help from Junior Mance on piano, Larry Gales on bass, and Ben Riley on drums! Titles include "Epistrophy", "Stickball", "In Walked Bud", "Well, You Needn't", and "Rhythm-a-ning". CD

A fantastic meeting of the musical minds – coming together here in a set of live improvisations recorded at a record store in Greece! The setting's an unusual one, and the music is too – sounds that really move past the usual for all three players, but especially David Grubbs and Mats Gustafsson – both of whom seem very comfortable here in some of the sonic territory that we normally hear more from Rob Mazurek! Grubbs' guitar is quite different than on some of his own records – especially the solo acoustic moments – and Mats reminds us that he's not just a hell of a saxophonist, but also a master of many other ways to disturb the flow of air – delivering work here on flute, fluteophone, and live electronics – the last of which is matched with more electronics from Rob Mazurek, who also plays piccolo trumpet and wood flute too. Every song has a different shape and texture, which is a further testament to both the sensitivities of the musicians, and their sympathies with each other – and titles include "Not In A Hall Of Mirrors", "Creep Mission", "City Stones Sleep", and "Goats & Hollers". CD

One of the coolest, grooviest albums that pianist Vince Guaraldi ever recorded – a set that's got the same Peanuts theme as his earlier dates for Fantasy Records, but which also features some sweet electric touches that only make things even better than before! In addition to his warmly vamping piano, with all those lyrical touches we love so much, Vince is playing an electric harpsichord too – which makes for some very groovy moments – in a cool quartet that features guitar from Eddie Duran, bass from Stanley Gilbert, and drums from the great Carl Burnett! All tunes are Peanut-themed – the music that Guaraldi wrote for the TV specials – but they're sometimes taken at a looser style that's even jazzier overall – as you'll hear on the classic "Linus & Lucy", plus "Red Baron", "Peppermint Patty", "Great Pumpkin Waltz", and "Rain Rain Go Away". CD

One of the coolest, grooviest albums that pianist Vince Guaraldi ever recorded – a set that's got the same Peanuts theme as his earlier dates for Fantasy Records, but which also features some sweet electric touches that only make things even better than before! In addition to his warmly vamping piano, with all those lyrical touches we love so much, Vince is playing an electric harpsichord too – which makes for some very groovy moments – in a cool quartet that features guitar from Eddie Duran, bass from Stanley Gilbert, and drums from the great Carl Burnett! All tunes are Peanut-themed – the music that Guaraldi wrote for the TV specials – but they're sometimes taken at a looser style that's even jazzier overall – as you'll hear on the classic "Linus & Lucy", plus "Red Baron", "Peppermint Patty", "Great Pumpkin Waltz", and "Rain Rain Go Away". LP, Vinyl record album

Spare duets between Charlie Haden and Hampton Hawes – just bass and piano, with nothing else to hold them up – presented here as a wonderful illustration of the mature, sophisticated talents both artists had developed by the 70s! Hawes had really learned how to spin out a special kind of longform magic as the 60s turned into the new decade – and here, it's great to hear that approach without any drum in the group at all – as the tracks are long and wonderfully introspective, and offer up some beautifully moody work from Haden on bass. Titles include "As Long As There's Music", "This Is Called Love", "Hello Goodbye", "Irene", and "Rain Forest". CD

Spare duets between Charlie Haden and Hampton Hawes – just bass and piano, with nothing else to hold them up – presented here as a wonderful illustration of the mature, sophisticated talents both artists had developed by the 70s! Hawes had really learned how to spin out a special kind of longform magic as the 60s turned into the new decade – and here, it's great to hear that approach without any drum in the group at all – as the tracks are long and wonderfully introspective, and offer up some beautifully moody work from Haden on bass. Titles include "As Long As There's Music", "This Is Called Love", "Hello Goodbye", "Irene", and "Rain Forest". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure set of solo tunes from modernist Andrew Hill – originally recorded for the Japanese East West label in 1975, and a very different side of Andrew's music than his Blue Note work of the 60s – but one that's equally great!. Hill's playing a grand piano – with a complex approach to chords that's really compelling – this sense of flow and majesty that we really love, as Andrew tries out some sharp edges at points – but still retains some of that soulfulness he rediscovered as the 70s approached. There's a darkness to the material that we didn't always hear in Hill's other sides – and the intimacy of the recording shows that his talents are still extremely rich at this point in his career. Titles include "Naked Spirit", "Rambling", "Vision", "Clayton Gone", and "Insanity Riff". CD

Mosaic Records doing what it does best – providing a brilliant way to hear material from the 78rpm generation – all remastered with great sound, and presented with fantastic notes on the music! 171 tracks in all – recorded for Brunswick, Vocalion, Bluebird, Okeh, and other labels – with some unissued tracks. CD

Keith Jarrett in our favorite side of his talents – playing the long, improvised style that first made him a breakthrough artist on ECM in the 70s – and which still remains one of his most important contributions to the history of jazz! Even later years, Jarrett's sense of imagination on the keys is amazing – and here, you'll hear very few echoes of other improvisations – long tracks that show that Keith is always able to create spontaneously, at a level that few others can match – especially as he never goes too far outside, or seems to lose a sense of melody in his music. The work is divided up into shorter passages – the older Jarrett sometimes needs a break on the keys, but never in his cognition – and as with other concert recordings of this type, the encores are older standards – "Answer Me My Love" and "It's A Lonesome Old Town" – but both given a very free, open Keith Jarrett approach! CD

A truly fantastic record, and one that's become the stuff of legend over the years – a rare CTI album that was only ever issued in Japan – and which may well be one of the coolest sessions recorded during the A&M years of the label! Trombonists JJ Johnson and Kai Winding had recorded two other records for CTI during the period – both great – but this set has them stretching out in this really expansive mode that's completely unique – long tracks put together with complicated arrangements that really blow away anything else they ever did – funky, soulful, but also moving towards higher ideals too – a fantastic testament to the newfound arranging skills of Johnson, who handled most of the record. The group also features some amazing keyboard work from both Herbie Hancock and Bob James – who get plenty of room to roam – plus guitar from George Benson, bass from Ron Carter, and drums from Grady Tate – a superb lineup who really make the whole thing shine. The depth of this music is hard to describe in words, but the whole thing's wonderful – and the set features just four long tracks – "Dontcha Hear Me Callin To Ya", "Musings", "Mojo", and "Recollections". LP, Vinyl record album

A truly fantastic record, and one that's become the stuff of legend over the years – a rare CTI album that was only ever issued in Japan – and which may well be one of the coolest sessions recorded during the A&M years of the label! Trombonists JJ Johnson and Kai Winding had recorded two other records for CTI during the period – both great – but this set has them stretching out in this really expansive mode that's completely unique – long tracks put together with complicated arrangements that really blow away anything else they ever did – funky, soulful, but also moving towards higher ideals too – a fantastic testament to the newfound arranging skills of Johnson, who handled most of the record. The group also features some amazing keyboard work from both Herbie Hancock and Bob James – who get plenty of room to roam – plus guitar from George Benson, bass from Ron Carter, and drums from Grady Tate – a superb lineup who really make the whole thing shine. The depth of this music is hard to describe in words, but the whole thing's wonderful – and the set features just four long tracks – "Dontcha Hear Me Callin To Ya", "Musings", "Mojo", and "Recollections". LP, Vinyl record album

Quincy Jones meets Henry Mancini – and the result is an album that's as groovy as it is jazzy – every bit as wonderful as you might expect, and with a few surprising touches as well! Given that Mancini's tunes are already pretty darn great on their own – and plenty jazzy too – it's amazing to hear Quincy transform them for the record, bringing in some of the styles that would show up even more strongly in his own 60s soundtrack work – clever instrumental twists, occasional electric moments, and a growing sensitivity we never would have expected in his music a decade before. There's loads of lovely reeds – courtesy of Jerome Richardson, Seldon Powell, Zoot Sims, and Roland Kirk – and other players include Gary Burton on vibes, Mundell Lowe on guitar, Toots Thielemans on harmonica, and Phil Krauss on percussion. Titles include "Baby Elephant Walk", "Charade", "Dreamsville", "Bird Brain", "Days Of Wine And Roses", "Mr Lucky", "Pink Panther", "Moon River", "Peter Gunn", and "Odd Ball". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautifully unique take on the music of Don Cherry and Ornette Coleman – served up here by a trio that features Kirk Knuffke on cornet, Jay Anderson on bass, and Adam Nussbaum on drums! The tunes are all classic Cherry or Coleman compositions – but the performance here is very different, with a robust quality that comes not just from the deeper range of the cornet, but also from the bold work on drum and bass – which still keeps things in that rompingly rhythmic mode of the group that Cherry and Coleman had together, but maybe both a bit more open in terms of the groove – and more focused on the one lead solo instrument. Knuffke's really opened up the sound of others in the past – but this record might well be his greatest achievement so far – as you'll hear on titles that include "Roland Alphonso", "The Sphinx", "Jayne", "Song In D", "Mind & Time", "Cherryco", "Golden Heart", "Paris Ambulance Song", and "Angel Voice". LP, Vinyl record album

A great and groovy early album from Volker Kriegel – the German guitarist who'd cut some very trippy work for the MPS label in the 70s – but a player who steps out here in a sweet soul jazz mode at the end of the 60s! Volker's still got the same wickedly sharp style on guitar you'd know from his later fame – but here, it's turned towards the kind of soulful guitar work you'd hear on Verve Records at the time – somewhere in the territory of George Benson, or maybe a bit in that of Wes Montgomery – but also with some occasional freewheeling moments that hint at the changes to come! The group's a trio on side one – with Peter Trunk on bass and Cees See on drums – but side two moves into wilder material with a quartet that features vibes by Claudio Szenkar, who adds in just the kind of psychedelic touches to really make the music open up! These cuts are much more modal, and show Kriegel's growing love of Eastern sounds – and titles include "Na Na Imboro", "Morandi", "Interpunctuation", "Traffic Jam", and "With A Little Help From My Friends". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible early work from Yusef Lateef – some of his best! On these early Savoy side, Lateef is drawing from the wealth of influences that were running through the Detroit jazz underground of the 50s that spawned him – and apart from a strongly-conceived bop-influenced sound, you'll also hear Lateef experimenting a lot with jazz exoticism, using different reed instruments and odd small-group arrangements in a manner that's sort of a more "inside" version of similar work done at the time by Sun Ra and group. Lateef's work at this point is a key link in a tradition of exploratory Afro-centric jazz that runs through Roland Kirk's "Black Classical Music" of the 60s, and the underground output of labels like Tribe or Strata East during the 70s. About half the cuts on here are fairly straight, and still pretty nice, but those that aren't will open your eyes to Lateef's genius! Includes titles from The Fabric Of Jazz, The Dreamer, Jazz & The Sounds Of Nature, and Prayer To The East – with 19 numbers that include "Arjuna", "Valse Bouk", "Check Blues", "Gypsy Arab", "Sram", "Lover Man", and "8540 Twelfth Street". CD

The final chapter in the triplet of trios albums recorded by reedman Charles Lloyd in 2022 – and one that really holds onto the special spirit of the others! As before, there's a lean setting that's perfect for the maturing talents of Lloyd – this open sonic space delivered with the guitar of Julian Lage and percussion of Zakir Hussain – both players sensitive enough to understand what Lloyd's trying to do, and give him just the right support throughout the record. The whole thing is a further demonstration that over the past 20 years, Lloyd has maybe grown as much as an artist as he did during his first 20 years in music – as you'll hear on titles that include "Desolation Sound", "Tales Of Rumi", "The Blessing", "Saraswati", and "Nachekita's Lament". CD

A brilliant moment as a leader from saxophonist Maurice Malik King – a member of the St Louis underground in the 70s, but one who never saw the same sort of fame as contemporaries who left the city for New York and beyond – yet who continued to create some incredible music far away from the limelight! The early 80s set is a great example of the way the more sophisticated, sensitive moments of the loft jazz world of the 70s were taken to farther local scenes in the US, and allowed players to continue the journey with their own very personal levels of expression – something that's definitely the case here as King crafts these beautiful long lines on alto alongside the bass of Zimbabwe Nkenya and percussion of Qaiyim Shabazz. There's a very special sound to the whole thing – a mode that's every bit as unique as the Ritual Trio up in Chicago, yet every different too – as you'll hear on cuts that include "In Between Space", "Music To Me", "In Search Of Spirits Passed & Present", and "When Force Meet". CD

A brilliant moment as a leader from saxophonist Maurice Malik King – a member of the St Louis underground in the 70s, but one who never saw the same sort of fame as contemporaries who left the city for New York and beyond – yet who continued to create some incredible music far away from the limelight! The early 80s set is a great example of the way the more sophisticated, sensitive moments of the loft jazz world of the 70s were taken to farther local scenes in the US, and allowed players to continue the journey with their own very personal levels of expression – something that's definitely the case here as King crafts these beautiful long lines on alto alongside the bass of Zimbabwe Nkenya and percussion of Qaiyim Shabazz. There's a very special sound to the whole thing – a mode that's every bit as unique as the Ritual Trio up in Chicago, yet every different too – as you'll hear on cuts that include "In Between Space", "Music To Me", "In Search Of Spirits Passed & Present", and "When Force Meet". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant moment as a leader from saxophonist Maurice Malik King – a member of the St Louis underground in the 70s, but one who never saw the same sort of fame as contemporaries who left the city for New York and beyond – yet who continued to create some incredible music far away from the limelight! The early 80s set is a great example of the way the more sophisticated, sensitive moments of the loft jazz world of the 70s were taken to farther local scenes in the US, and allowed players to continue the journey with their own very personal levels of expression – something that's definitely the case here as King crafts these beautiful long lines on alto alongside the bass of Zimbabwe Nkenya and percussion of Qaiyim Shabazz. There's a very special sound to the whole thing – a mode that's every bit as unique as the Ritual Trio up in Chicago, yet every different too – as you'll hear on cuts that include "In Between Space", "Music To Me", "In Search Of Spirits Passed & Present", and "When Force Meet". LP, Vinyl record album

The only album to ever feature drummer Lawrence Marable as the leader of a group – and a cooking little hardbop set that showed the world that LA wasn't just a source for cool jazz in the 50s! The record is quite different than anything you'd hear from Chet Baker or Shorty Rogers – much more a Blue Note or Prestige-styled session, thanks in large part to the bold work of James Clay on tenor – who's noted here in the title, but is also an undeniable force in the music, and part of a wave of Texas talent that was really helping to transform the Cali sound in the 50s. Other players include the great Sonny Clark on piano – making a strong pre-Blue Note appearance – and the equally great Jimmy Bond on bass. Titles include "Airtight", "Easy Living", "Minor Meeting", "Marbles", and "Three Fingers North". CD

The only album to ever feature drummer Lawrence Marable as the leader of a group – and a cooking little hardbop set that showed the world that LA wasn't just a source for cool jazz in the 50s! The record is quite different than anything you'd hear from Chet Baker or Shorty Rogers – much more a Blue Note or Prestige-styled session, thanks in large part to the bold work of James Clay on tenor – who's noted here in the title, but is also an undeniable force in the music, and part of a wave of Texas talent that was really helping to transform the Cali sound in the 50s. Other players include the great Sonny Clark on piano – making a strong pre-Blue Note appearance – and the equally great Jimmy Bond on bass. Titles include "Airtight", "Easy Living", "Minor Meeting", "Marbles", and "Three Fingers North". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Just the first album from pianist Sean Mason, but a set that already feels like an effort from a much more mature musician – a set of original music that's overflowing with the kind of life and color that you'd be more likely to hear on some of the bigger-name efforts on this label associated with Jazz At Lincoln Center! It's pretty daring to begin your recorded career with an extended original suite – but Mason's clearly got the strengths to pull it off, and gets some especially great help from Chris Lewis on tenor and Tony Glausi on trumpet, both players who can wrap around each other and somehow create a sound that's even greater than the sum of its parts! The group also features Felix Moseholm on bass and Domo Branch on drums – and titles include "Final Voyage", "Lullaby", "Closure", "Kid", "Lavender", "Silky M", and "One United". CD

Just the first album from pianist Sean Mason, but a set that already feels like an effort from a much more mature musician – a set of original music that's overflowing with the kind of life and color that you'd be more likely to hear on some of the bigger-name efforts on this label associated with Jazz At Lincoln Center! It's pretty daring to begin your recorded career with an extended original suite – but Mason's clearly got the strengths to pull it off, and gets some especially great help from Chris Lewis on tenor and Tony Glausi on trumpet, both players who can wrap around each other and somehow create a sound that's even greater than the sum of its parts! The group also features Felix Moseholm on bass and Domo Branch on drums – and titles include "Final Voyage", "Lullaby", "Closure", "Kid", "Lavender", "Silky M", and "One United". CD

An ambitious little set from Christian McBride – one that brings together 3CDs of music recorded over 2 nights of performance – all in a mode that shows McBride picking up plenty of funky touches! The group here features Geoffrey Keezer on keyboards, Ron Blake on saxes, and Terreon Gully on drums – really hitting the kit with a pounding intensity to match McBride's pulsating work on both acoustic and electric basses – jamming here a lot strongly than we remember from other studio sides. The expanded package is presented (amazingly) at the same price as a regular CD – and offers plenty of long tracks to really hear this great band stretch out in a space that's nicely between conventional jazz and some of the looser modes of the jamband underground. Guest appearances include Charlie Hunter, DJ Logic, Scratch, Eric Krasno, and Jason Moran – and titles include "Say Something", "Clerow's Flipped", "Lejos De Usted", "Sonic Tonic", "Hibiscus", "Sitting On A Cloud", "Mwandishi Outcome Jam", "Lower East Side", "See Jam Hear Jam Feel Jam", "E Jam", and "D Shuffle Jam". Lots of jams! CD

Makaya McCraven pushes his unique jazz genius even further – by serving up a completely groundbreaking remix of live jazz performance on the London scene! McCraven's already stood out from the pack in the way that he breaks down jazz norms by playing with a recorded performance later in the studio – but this time around, he really pushes that approach to the forefront – working in a mode that really lives up to the "mixtape" of the title – but which also still has everything that we love from his other records too! Makaya's on drums – and plays with a massively heavy groove – and he plays here with some of the leading lights of the contemporary London scene – Soweto Kinch and Nubya Garcia on saxes, Joe Armon Jones on Fender Rhodes, Kamaal Williams on keyboards, and Theon Cross on tuba – in amazing performance activity which is then brought home to Chicago, where the music gets additional remix and overdub help from LeFto, Don Leisure, Earl Jeffers, Ben LaMar Gay, Emma Jean Thackray, Quiet Dawn, and Lexus Blondin. Clearly, Makaya's one hell of a collaborative spirit – yet he also manages to make this record his boldest personal statement to date – as you'll hear on titles that include "Halls", "Suite For Artis Gilmore", "Ox Tales", "The Bounce", "Oracle", "Run Dem", "Too Shy", and "Drums & Bruk & Feel The Vibe". CD

Makaya McCraven pushes his unique jazz genius even further – by serving up a completely groundbreaking remix of live jazz performance on the London scene! McCraven's already stood out from the pack in the way that he breaks down jazz norms by playing with a recorded performance later in the studio – but this time around, he really pushes that approach to the forefront – working in a mode that really lives up to the "mixtape" of the title – but which also still has everything that we love from his other records too! Makaya's on drums – and plays with a massively heavy groove – and he plays here with some of the leading lights of the contemporary London scene – Soweto Kinch and Nubya Garcia on saxes, Joe Armon Jones on Fender Rhodes, Kamaal Williams on keyboards, and Theon Cross on tuba – in amazing performance activity which is then brought home to Chicago, where the music gets additional remix and overdub help from LeFto, Don Leisure, Earl Jeffers, Ben LaMar Gay, Emma Jean Thackray, Quiet Dawn, and Lexus Blondin. Clearly, Makaya's one hell of a collaborative spirit – yet he also manages to make this record his boldest personal statement to date – as you'll hear on titles that include "Halls", "Suite For Artis Gilmore", "Ox Tales", "The Bounce", "Oracle", "Run Dem", "Too Shy", and "Drums & Bruk & Feel The Vibe". CD

Makaya McCraven pushes his unique jazz genius even further – by serving up a completely groundbreaking remix of live jazz performance on the London scene! McCraven's already stood out from the pack in the way that he breaks down jazz norms by playing with a recorded performance later in the studio – but this time around, he really pushes that approach to the forefront – working in a mode that really lives up to the "mixtape" of the title – but which also still has everything that we love from his other records too! Makaya's on drums – and plays with a massively heavy groove – and he plays here with some of the leading lights of the contemporary London scene – Soweto Kinch and Nubya Garcia on saxes, Joe Armon Jones on Fender Rhodes, Kamaal Williams on keyboards, and Theon Cross on tuba – in amazing performance activity which is then brought home to Chicago, where the music gets additional remix and overdub help from LeFto, Don Leisure, Earl Jeffers, Ben LaMar Gay, Emma Jean Thackray, Quiet Dawn, and Lexus Blondin. Clearly, Makaya's one hell of a collaborative spirit – yet he also manages to make this record his boldest personal statement to date – as you'll hear on titles that include "Halls", "Suite For Artis Gilmore", "Ox Tales", "The Bounce", "Oracle", "Run Dem", "Too Shy", and "Drums & Bruk & Feel The Vibe". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous look at the early years of the legendary Joe McPhee – a set that's based around his classic Nation Time album, and which features other live material from the same time – including a Hat Hut album, and two CDs' worth of previously unissued work! The core album is legendary – a gritty set that features a mighty funky drummer, and some of the most soulful work that Joe ever recorded. Joe plays tenor and trumpet in sweet lineup that features bubbling organ, vamping rhythms, and some sweet modal elements mixed together in percussion, guitar, and Fender Rhodes. Titles include the hard wailing "Nation Time" – plus "Shakey Jake", an excellent 13 minute funk number – and the moodier "Scorpio's Dance". Next is the searing Black Magic Man album – an early release on the Hat Hut label, but recorded during the same December 1970 performance as Nation Time – almost showing the bolder, freer sound of the group – but still coming across with some surprising soulful elements too. The original album is expanded by the addition of the unreleased "Song For Lauren" alternate takes – and the core record includes "Black Magic Man", "Hymn Of The Dragon Kings", and "Song For Lauren". The next two CDs feature material recorded in 1969 and 1970 – at Vassar and in Poughkeepsie – with Joe and group working through some similar spiritual and soul jazz territory as on the Vassar CD issue from the same label. The music is heavy on elements you'd hear from the Nation Time album – Hammond, guitar, and even some electric bass and vibes – used in styles that run from soul jazz, to modal, to more experimental – all on very long tracks that have McPhee really stretching out on tenor and trumpet! Titles include "Cold Sweat", "Breakaway Theme", "Untitled", "Nation Time", "Sunshower", "Spring Street", and "Contemplation". All 4CDs come in very cool LP sleeves, in a slipcover box, a 60 page booklet of notes, photos, and information on the music! CD

The title's a reference to place once referenced by Edgar Allan Poe – but the music is very firmly grounded in reality, and comes from an improvised performance in Chicago by this very all-star ensemble! The album features really creative interplay between a quintet that features Joe McPhee on tenor and pocket trumpet, Dave Rempis on alto, tenor, and baritone, Tomeka Reid on cello, Brandon Lopez on bass, and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums – all coming together in the best tradition of Windy City free jazz players working with key out of town talent! The blend of bass and cello at the heart of the music is really wonderful, and Paal makes sure to only step forward boldly when McPhee and Rempis are ready to let loose themselves – and the trio really balance the power of their expressions to make sure that Reid and Lopez get a chance to shape some more sensitive moments. McPhee and Rempis are a great pair – very sympathetic to each other, yet very distinct too – as you'll hear on the long improvised tracks, "Osel", "Kaali", "Smola", and "Hekla". CD