An unusual title, but one that refers to Jackie McLean in quartet, quintet, and sextet formation – a growing lineup that develops along the course of the record, as new players are added into the mix with a casual, almost blowing session approach! The set begins with Jackie's alto set out in spare territory with Mal Waldron on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – plenty of space to solo on "Sentimental Journey" and "Why Was I Born" with sharp changes and deeply soulful tones that really push past the conventions of the tunes – and as the record moves on, Hank Mobley steps in on tenor and Donald Byrd on trumpet – expanding out the sound for nicely-blown versions of"Abstraction", "Confirmation", and "Contour". CD

A tremendous set from Jackie McLean – perfectly poised between his hardbop and modern years, with a set of compositions that are as great as the performances! The lineup on this one's a bit unusual – with Walter Bishop on piano, Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – but that mix of players makes for a really unusual sound – as the rhythm section's often straight ahead, Blue Mitchell's notes are bold and sparkling, and Jackie's own solos are reaching for the darker corners of the spectrum! There's a great sense of tension here that heralds the genius of later McLean sides of the 60s – and original titles include "Francisco", "Condition Blue", "On The Lion", and "Capuchin Swing". CD

A tremendous set from Jackie McLean – perfectly poised between his hardbop and modern years, with a set of compositions that are as great as the performances! The lineup on this one's a bit unusual – with Walter Bishop on piano, Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – but that mix of players makes for a really unusual sound – as the rhythm section's often straight ahead, Blue Mitchell's notes are bold and sparkling, and Jackie's own solos are reaching for the darker corners of the spectrum! There's a great sense of tension here that heralds the genius of later McLean sides of the 60s – and original titles include "Francisco", "Condition Blue", "On The Lion", and "Capuchin Swing". CD

Almost a primer on the sound of "new thing" jazz at Blue Note – that magical moment when players on the label were mixing avant expression with a brand new sense of arrangement – as the alto of Jackie McLean is joined by players who include Lee Morgan and Charles Tolliver on trumpets, Herbie Hancock and Larry Willis on piano, Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, and Jack DeJohnette on drums! Includes material from It's Time, Right Now, Action, Consequences, and the 2LP Jacknife set! CD

Stunning! This is one of Jackie McLean's best-ever albums, and it's a haunting mix of hard bop and some of the more modernist tendencies that would inform his "new thing" period. Butch Warren plays bass, and he drives the set with an intensity that reminds us of Mingus – and which fits perfectly with Jackie's writing, which is influenced here clearly by the time he spent with Mingus. The title cut is one of the best tracks you'll ever hear on Blue Note, and both Jackie's alto and Tommy Turrentine's trumpet play fantastic solos all the way through. Sonny Clark's on piano, compin' hard and loud, and the whole LP rolls along with a fantastic sense of urgency that you don't always hear on Blue Note. Bass is by Butch Warren, drums by Billy Higgins, and titles include "Enitnerrut", "Lost", "Five Will Get You Ten", "A Fickle Sonance", and "Sundu". CD

One of Jackie McLean's beautiful recordings for Steeplechase from the early 70's – a real return to basics that helped form the groundwork for his soulful playing of later years! This set features two long compositions by Billy Gault, the magical young pianist who graced some of McLean's best work – and although Billy's not actually playing on this session, his presence is more than felt on the excellent tunes "Mode For Jay Mac" and "Ghetto Lullaby". The set was recorded live, with backing by a European group that includes (then expat) Kenny Drew on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Alex Riel on drums – and other tracks include "Callin", "Jack's Tune", and "Where Is Love". CD

A great little session by Jackie McLean – recorded in 1962 by Blue Note, but not issued until years later, only initially in Japan! The album's one of Jackie's last pure hardbop sides – recorded in the pivotal year of 1962, when he was just beginning to dip his toe into modernist ideas – and inflect his straighter work with some beautiful shifts, twists, and turns that skirted the fringes of modern jazz wonderfully. There's a vibe here that's totally great – one that has McLean breaking away from the pack and working in one of the freshest voices in jazz at the time. Players include Kenny Dorham on trumpet and Sonny Clark on piano – and tracks include "Three Minors", "Marilyn's Dilemma", "Iddy Bitty", and "Blues For Jackie". CD

A real classic by alto giant Jackie McLean – a record that's pulled from two different sessions, but which stands out with a strikingly unified feel! The album was cut during the height of Jackie's bop years for Blue Note – with material from one 1959 session that features Donald Byrd on trumpet and Sonny Clark on piano – and another from 1960 that has Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Kenny Drew on piano, and the great Tina Brooks on tenor! Brooks' appearance on the album is especially great, as the tracks which feature him and McLean together crackle with some of the first modernist energy to show up on one of Jackie's albums – really hitting hard on original compositions that include "A Ballad For Doll", "Appointment in Ghana", and "Isle of Java". One of McLean's best-ever – and filled with great original tracks! CD also features 3 bonus tracks from the Brooks session – "Medina", "Melonae's Dance", and "Street Singer". CD

A very nice recent album by Jackie, featuring a stripped-down lineup that includes Cedar Walton on piano and Billy Higgins on drums, joining Jackie in a haunting set of mellow ballads. After years of playing, Jackie's tone is impeccable, and it's great to hear him work through a set of standards like the ones on this album – "Star Eyes", "Nature Boy", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", and "You Don't Know What Love Is". Sure, the album's not as groundbreaking as some of Jackie's 60s new thing records, or 70s spiritual sessions, but it's still a nice treat, and has a surprisingly compelling edge to it. CD

If you ever needed a record to re-remind you of the genius of Jackie McLean, this Blue Note classic may well be it! At first glance, the session appears to be the usual sort of date – a quintet outing, with help from Donald Byrd on trumpet, Walter Davis on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Pete LaRoca on drums – yet as with all of McLean's best moments on records, the album explodes with freshly creative energy from the start – getting way past any easy expectation in the way it sets up the groove and delivers the sound! Jackie's tone is amazing – very modern at times, yet with all the soul of hardbop – and although the rhythms are relatively straight, there's always a slight setting-free at points – that pre-new thing groove that McLean further explored on records like Capuchin Swing or Fickle Sonance. The sound is amazing throughout – and titles are all originals by McLean and Davis – great gems that include "Davis Cup", "Sweet Cakes", "Hip Strut", "Minor Apprehension", and "Greasy". CD includes the bonus track "Formidable". CD

If you ever needed a record to re-remind you of the genius of Jackie McLean, this Blue Note classic may well be it! At first glance, the session appears to be the usual sort of date – a quintet outing, with help from Donald Byrd on trumpet, Walter Davis on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Pete LaRoca on drums – yet as with all of McLean's best moments on records, the album explodes with freshly creative energy from the start – getting way past any easy expectation in the way it sets up the groove and delivers the sound! Jackie's tone is amazing – very modern at times, yet with all the soul of hardbop – and although the rhythms are relatively straight, there's always a slight setting-free at points – that pre-new thing groove that McLean further explored on records like Capuchin Swing or Fickle Sonance. The sound is amazing throughout – and titles are all originals by McLean and Davis – great gems that include "Davis Cup", "Sweet Cakes", "Hip Strut", "Minor Apprehension", and "Greasy". CD

If you ever needed a record to re-remind you of the genius of Jackie McLean, this Blue Note classic may well be it! At first glance, the session appears to be the usual sort of date – a quintet outing, with help from Donald Byrd on trumpet, Walter Davis on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Pete LaRoca on drums – yet as with all of McLean's best moments on records, the album explodes with freshly creative energy from the start – getting way past any easy expectation in the way it sets up the groove and delivers the sound! Jackie's tone is amazing – very modern at times, yet with all the soul of hardbop – and although the rhythms are relatively straight, there's always a slight setting-free at points – that pre-new thing groove that McLean further explored on records like Capuchin Swing or Fickle Sonance. The sound is amazing throughout – and titles are all originals by McLean and Davis – great gems that include "Davis Cup", "Sweet Cakes", "Hip Strut", "Minor Apprehension", and "Greasy". Plus, this CD reissue has one extra bonus track – the unreleased "Formidable", written by Walter Davis. CD

An amazing album – simply groundbreaking, and a key turn for Jackie McLean! The record features a group of hip young players – including a very young Tony Williams, plus Grachan Moncur III, Bobby Hutcherson, and Eddie Kahn – all playing in a spare contemplative modernist mode that would soon become known as "new thing" jazz. The four tracks on the album – "Frankenstein", "Ghost Town", "Blue Rondo", and "Saturday & Sunday" – are extremely stark, and even Hutcherson's often-warm vibes sound harsh and metallic, especially next to McLean's razor-sharp tone. The record's a real treasure – and never too out to be unenjoyable by fans of McLean's more inside work. Extremely compelling – and we sure wish they were making them like this again! Also includes a bonus alternate of "Saturday & Sunday". CD

With Steve Davis on trombone, Roy Hargrove on trumpet, Steve Nelson on vibraphone, Alan Jay Palmer on piano, Nat Reeves on bass, and Eric McPherson on drums. CD

A great meeting of two generations of jazz – and one that really blows the top off some of Dexter Gordon's other European sessions of the time! The setting here is definitely one that's more a Gordon-based date – long tracks with rhythm backing from a trio with Kenny Drew on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Alex Riel on drums. But unlike some of the other long-blown Gordon-heavy albums for the stretch, the presence of Jackie McLean really brings in a new sort of fire – the kind of soaring, soulful energy he brought to his own records in these immediate post-Blue Note years – almost a Coltrane influence, and a sense of spiritualism that really comes through on some of his solo moments – even in this relatively straight setting. Titles include "Half Nelson", "I Can't Get Started", "Another Hair-Do", and "Dexter Digs In". CD

A landmark concert from the mid 80s – one held to honor the resurrection of the Blue Note label, featuring a wealth of some of the best players for the label – from the 80s back to the 50s bebop years. This is the second of 4 LPs, issued both separately and in a box set format, and features a nicely snapping hard bop quintet on side one, with Jackie McLean, Woody Shaw, McCoy Tyner, Cecil McBee and Jack DeJohnette running through "Sweet & Lovely", "Appointment In Ghana", "Passion Dance" and "Blues On The Corner". Side two shows two different sides of Blue Note, with Cecil Taylor appearing in a solo setting, performing the lengthy "Pontos Cantados" and the then contemporary Blue Note artist Bennie Wallace leading a Newk-inspired pianoless trio, with McBee and DeJohnette reprising their rhythm section role on "Broadside". CD

Not a duet session as you might guess from the title – as the piano of Mal Waldron and alto of Jackie McLean are joined by the bass of Herbie Lewis and drums of Eddie Moore! Titles include "Lover Man", "Minor Pulsation", "Left Alone", "Cat Walk", and "Good Morning Heartache". CD

This is the kind of CD that makes us love reissues! Why? Well, because it features 2 incredibly rare jazz albums – both of which never turn up on vinyl, and are lovingly packaged here on 1 CD filled with a dozen hard bop grooves. The album Matador was originally issued under Kenny Dorham's name, and Inta Somethin' was issued under Jackie McLean's name – but both players are sort of co-leaders on both albums, and it's fitting to pair the records together here because they represent the unique union of these two different players. Dorham's lyrical trumpet is an unlikely match for McLean's edgey alto, but the records work well, and with a modernist groove that's extremely compelling. Titles include "El Matador", "San Francisco Beat", "Prelude", and versions of "Una Mas" and "Melanie" – both of which were recorded later by the artists on Blue Note. CD

Way more than just the promised tribute to Charlie Parker – and the group features Johnny Griffin on tenor, Jackie McLean on alto, Cecil Payne on baritone, Duke Jordan on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums – all directed by Don Sickler! CD

A pivotal session from the late 60s – one that has Jackie McLean pulling things back a bit from his "new thing" period, and turning towards the spiritual soulful groove that would characterize his early 70s work! The album bristles with excitement – still very much informed by a knowledge of the space explored during Jackie's avant years, but never quite willing to go to that space – especially if it means sacrificing the soulful swing of the set! The group's filled with young soulful modernists – including Woody Shaw on trumpet, Lamont Johnson on piano, Scott Holt on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – and Jackie himself seems to be working out a whole new phase of his career with each new track – showing that even when he was at his "new thing" best, he was still ready to move on! Tremendous stuff, and one of our favorite Blue Notes from the time – and one of the most soulful too! Titles include "Floogeh", "Message From Trane", "Toyland", and "Boo Ann's Grind". CD

Stunning! This is one of Jackie McLean's best-ever albums, and it's a haunting mix of hard bop and some of the more modernist tendencies that would inform his "new thing" period. Butch Warren plays bass, and he drives the set with an intensity that reminds us of Mingus – and which fits perfectly with Jackie's writing, which is influenced here clearly by the time he spent with Mingus. The title cut is one of the best tracks you'll ever hear on Blue Note, and both Jackie's alto and Tommy Turrentine's trumpet play fantastic solos all the way through. Sonny Clark's on piano, compin' hard and loud, and the whole LP rolls along with a fantastic sense of urgency that you don't always hear on Blue Note. Bass is by Butch Warren, drums by Billy Higgins, and titles include "Enitnerrut", "Lost", "Five Will Get You Ten", "A Fickle Sonance", and "Sundu". CD

Stunning! This is one of Jackie McLean's best-ever albums, and it's a haunting mix of hard bop and some of the more modernist tendencies that would inform his "new thing" period. Butch Warren plays bass, and he drives the set with an intensity that reminds us of Mingus – and which fits perfectly with Jackie's writing, which is influenced here clearly by the time he spent with Mingus. The title cut is one of the best tracks you'll ever hear on Blue Note, and both Jackie's alto and Tommy Turrentine's trumpet play fantastic solos all the way through. Sonny Clark's on piano, compin' hard and loud, and the whole LP rolls along with a fantastic sense of urgency that you don't always hear on Blue Note. Bass is by Butch Warren, drums by Billy Higgins, and titles include "Enitnerrut", "Lost", "Five Will Get You Ten", "A Fickle Sonance", and "Sundu". CD

It certainly was time – time for Jackie McLean to break out of his older bop mode, and hit a whole new level of playing with a tight group of "new thing" compatriots like Herbie Hancock on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Charles Tolliver on trumpet! The record isn't as totally "out there" as some of his other ones from this period, but it's a seminal release in Jackie's modernist period – and it's one of the hardest to find from the era. Filled with warmly wonderful original compositions like "Revillot", "Snuff", "Truth", and "Das Dat" – the record is unpacked and remodeled nicely by the trio of young players, aided by Jackie's moody alto, and given a great spin by Roy Haynes on drums. Striking cover, too – with a huge field of exclamation points! CD

A later gem from this great altoist – with Hotep Idris Galeta on piano, Nat Reeves on bass, and Carl Allen on drums! CD

A real classic by alto giant Jackie McLean – a record that's pulled from two different sessions, but which stands out with a strikingly unified feel! The album was cut during the height of Jackie's bop years for Blue Note – with material from one 1959 session that features Donald Byrd on trumpet and Sonny Clark on piano – and another from 1960 that has Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Kenny Drew on piano, and the great Tina Brooks on tenor! Brooks' appearance on the album is especially great, as the tracks which feature him and McLean together crackle with some of the first modernist energy to show up on one of Jackie's albums – really hitting hard on original compositions that include "A Ballad For Doll", "Appointment in Ghana", and "Isle of Java". One of McLean's best-ever – and filled with great original tracks! CD also features 3 bonus tracks from the Brooks session – "Medina", "Melonae's Dance", and "Street Singer". CD

A young Jackie McLean at the height of his powers – really stretching out here, but never going too far out – a perfect balance between his modern bop of previous records, and his groundbreaking "new thing" jazz to come! The group is a relatively straight ahead one – with Walter Davis on piano, Herbie Lewis on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – but the tracks are all quite long, and have this really arch sensibility on Jackie's horn – this edge, this cry he didn't have a few years before – easily one of the freshest voices in alto sax at the time, yearning here to break free with new ideas and new modes of expression. The vibe is perfectly balanced – like McLean's classic A Fickle Sonance – and titles include the classic "Melody For Melonae", plus "Rene", "I'll Keep Loving You", and "Omega". CD

Includes the songs "Strange Blues", "Mirage", "Embraceable You", "Alto Madness", "Sentimental Journey", "What's New", "Our Love Is Here To Stay", and "Lights Out". CD

A wonderful quartet session from the young alto genius Jackie McLean – recorded for Blue Note in the 60s, but not issued until many years later! That issue doesn't stop the set from being a classic killer, though – as the group features the stunning Sonny Clark on piano, still very much at the top of his powers, and a perfect match here for the sharp edges and new ideas of Jackie's horn – still very much in a hardbop mode, but with some of the edgier modernism that would burst forth in his "new thing" years. The rest of the group features Butch Warren on bass and Art Taylor on drums – both superb players – and titles include "Two For One", "Nicely", "Rainy Blues", and "Tippin The Scales". CD

Fantastic lost material from Jackie McLean! The set was recorded right before his "new thing" era – in the same period as the amazing Fickle Sonance album. And like that one, this features Jackie edging out towards modernist ideas, yet still swinging hard and fierce, with a firey boppish sensibility. The writing is great – and the players include Herbie Hancock on piano, Donald Byrd on trumpet, Butch Warren on bass, and a young Tony Williams on drums – making his recording debut on the album! The whole thing's tinged with dark and fragile emotion – and a heated sense of urgency that makes it one of McLean's best albums of the 60s – even though it was recorded then, and not issued by Blue Note until many years later! Titles include "Marney", "Dusty Foot", "Vertigo", and "Cheers". Now, in this reissue with 24-bit mastering, it's also coupled with a great set that has McLean playing with Kenny Dorham and Sonny Clark, recorded a year earlier. The whole CD's got a total of 11 great tracks – and it's one of the best Jackie McLean titles you can find! CD

A great meeting of two generations of jazz – and one that really blows the top off some of Dexter Gordon's other European sessions of the time! The setting here is definitely one that's more a Gordon-based date – long tracks with rhythm backing from a trio with Kenny Drew on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Alex Riel on drums. But unlike some of the other long-blown Gordon-heavy albums for the stretch, the presence of Jackie McLean really brings in a new sort of fire – the kind of soaring, soulful energy he brought to his own records in these immediate post-Blue Note years – almost a Coltrane influence, and a sense of spiritualism that really comes through on some of his solo moments – even in this relatively straight setting. Titles include Gordon's "All Clean", Sahib Shihab's "Rue De La Harpe", Drew's "Sunset", and a nice take of "On The Trail". CD

A great meeting of these two alto giants – and a wonderfully soulful session that matches Gary Bartz's own great work from the same time! The overall feel of the session is quite spiritual – as Bartz and McLean seem to egg each other on, into far-reaching lines and freespirited grooves that are totally great. Rhythm is by a European trio of Thomas Clausen, Bo Steif, and Alex Riel – but the trio does more than enough of a good job to set the mood – especially on the excellent track "Great Rainstreet Blues", which sounds like some lost dark groove from the Black Jazz label! Other titles include "Watercircle", "Monk's Dance", and "Ode To Super". CD features a few bonus alternate takes, too. CD

With Rene McLean on tenor sax, Raymond Williams on trumpet, Steve Davis on trombone, Alan Jay Palmer on piano, Phil Bowler on bass, and Eric McPherson on drums. CD

Jackie McLean on alto sax, Rene McLean on tenor, alto, and soprano sax, Hotep Idris Galeta on piano, Nat Reeves on bass, and Carl Allen on drums. CD

Long-blowing late 50s work from Jackie McLean – one of his standout sets as a leader from the pre-Blue Note years! The album features McLean in two different settings – really opening up on side one with a sextet that includes Curtis Fuller on trombone, Webster Young on trumpet, Gil Coggins on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums – in two long takes of "A Long Drink Of The Blues", which features Jackie on both alto and tenor! Side two is a bit tighter, with Jackie heading up a quartet that includes Mal Waldron on piano, Art Phipps on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – on tunes that include "I Cover The Waterfront", "These Foolish Things", and "Embraceable You". CD

Jackie McLean cut some of his best bop sessions for Blue Note – and this is one of them! The record is amazingly precise, and features Jackie as the sole horn soloist in a group with Walter Bishop on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – a crack rhythm combo that give McLean plenty of room to blow on his searing alto sax. Tracks stream along with an amazing ease – and Jackie's perfectly-placed solos are right on the money every time! The set list includes a lot of standards, but they're done with that warm soulful approach that makes you hardly care about the source of the material – and instead focus on Jackie's amazing talents as an improviser! Titles include "What's New", "I Love You", "Let's Face The Music And Dance", and "Stable Mates". CD

Features Craig Handy, Donald Harrison, Vincent Herring, Joe Lovano, Branford Marsalis, Idris Muhammad, and others! Tracks include "Bluesnik", "Dr. Jackle", "Ballad For A Doll", and "Blue Fable". CD

A landmark album – not only for Freddie Redd, but for Jackie McLean, who's the real star of the session! In the early 60s, both Freddie and Jackie played together in a hip New York play called The Connection – working as a part of a live jazz band who were hanging out in an apartment, waiting for their "connection" to bring them some heroin. The music on this set was forged during the course of the play – played live, improvised, but tightly honed into some fantastic tunes over the course of the run – so that by the time Blue Note went to record this set, the whole thing had a razor-sharp intensity that blew away even the best other Blue Note work of the time! Redd wrote all the tracks, and he plays with a dark and fiery edge that we've never heard in his work on other records – superbly matched by McLean's alto, which blows these amazingly precise and soulful notes throughout. Titles include "Who Killed Cock Robin", "Wigglin", "Music Forever", and "O.D." CD

Fantastic stuff – easily one of Archie Shepp's greatest albums, and certainly one of the pivotal points of 60s avant garde jazz! The album features Shepp leading a crack "new thing" line up that includes Ted Curson on trumpet, Marion Brown on alto, Joe Chambers on drums, Reggie Johnson on bass, and the lesser-known Joseph Orange on trombone – all playing in a beautifully poised manner, never too far out and free, but with all the dynamic energy of the best jazz changes of the 60s! There's a vibe here that's similar to some of the Blue Note "new thing" work by players like Grachan Moncur, Jackie McLean, and Tony Williams from the time – but there's a vision that's also wider and deeper, too, given the size of the group and the way they interact. Titles include "Hambone", "Los Olvidados", "Malcolm Malcolm–Semper Malcolm", and an insane cover of "Girl From Ipanema". You can't go wrong with this one – trust us! CD also features a bonus live version of "Hambone"! CD

Brilliant new work by the Vandermark 5 – Chicago's groundbreaking avant jazz ensemble headed by Ken Vandermark, and featuring Jeb Bishop on trombone, Kent Kessler on bass, Tim Mulvenna on drums, and Dave Rempis on alto and tenor. The group's got a poise and a brilliance that recalls the best "new thing" ensembles of the mid 60s – like some of the classic Blue Note work by groups led by Grachan Moncur, Tony Williams, or Jackie McLean – touched with the wide range of inspirations that Vandermark always brings to his increasingly complex playing. Titles include "HBF", in versions 1 through 5, plus "License Complete", "Coast To Coast", "Wind Out", "Fall To Grace", and "Auto Topography". CD

A beautiful album by Mal Waldron – recorded in 1960, after the passing of Billie Holiday, and a very loving tribute by Waldron, who was her accompanist for a number of years. The set moves way past the usual "Holiday songbook" mode, and features instead a dark batch of tracks, two written by Waldron – "Minor Pulsation" and "Cat Walk" – a third written by him and Holiday, the famous tune "Left Alone". Jackie McLean plays some fantastic alto sax on the album's version of "Left Alone", and the rest of the tracks are trio tracks played by Waldron, Julian Euell, and Al Dreares. The set also features one very strange track – "Mal Waldron: The Way He Remembers Billie Holiday" – which is an interview with Waldron about Billie! And sure, there were many cash-in records after Billie Holiday died, but this is one of the best, and it comes from a very legitimate source! CD features 6 bonus tracks – the full stereo mix of the album! CD

A real standout in the catalog of pianist George Wallington – a very cooking live set, recorded at the Cafe Bohemia with an expanded quintet! The record supposedly showcases Wallington's style (or gimmick) – called "The Peck", and explained as a series of incomplete phrases from the players – but to us, this approach is just prime 50s hardbop at its most inventive – a mode that might be dubbed "call and response", in which players trade lines back and forth with great dynamism and energy! Players here are all very well suited to the task – and include Donald Byrd on trumpet, Jackie McLean on alto, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – all working with great boppish fire on a set of tunes that include "Sweet Blanche", "Minor March", "Jay Mac's Crib", and "Bohemia After Dark". CD

A rare and unusual chapter in mid 60s Blue Note – the debut of tenorist Tyrone Washington, an up-and-coming talent from the hip New Jersey scene of the time! Washington's name may not have lasted long in the jazz annals, but at this important point in his career, he's working with a young Woody Shaw – also part of the Jersey scene – and together, the pair really make the album cook – stretching out with a soulful, spiritual sound that really points the way towards the indie scene of the 70s! Shaw's voice is a big part of the record, but Tyrone's still definitely in command – blowing his tenor with these quick flurries of notes that are somewhere in the Coltrane school, yet arguably moving already past him too – kind of a post-Coltrane vibe in the year before the great one passed away. Washington also wrote all of the album's 6 tracks – really fresh numbers that burn with intensity, and make the album as creatively inventive as some of the best Jackie McLean Blue Note sides from the time. In addition to Woody Shaw's trumpet, other players include James Spaulding on alto and flute, Kenny Barron on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – a very hip lineup who really make magic on cuts that include "Yearning For Love", "Ethos", "Soul Dance", "Positive Path", and "Song Of Peace". CD

A rare and unusual chapter in mid 60s Blue Note – the debut of tenorist Tyrone Washington, an up-and-coming talent from the hip New Jersey scene of the time! Washington's name may not have lasted long in the jazz annals, but at this important point in his career, he's working with a young Woody Shaw – also part of the Jersey scene – and together, the pair really make the album cook – stretching out with a soulful, spiritual sound that really points the way towards the indie scene of the 70s! Shaw's voice is a big part of the record, but Tyrone's still definitely in command – blowing his tenor with these quick flurries of notes that are somewhere in the Coltrane school, yet arguably moving already past him too – kind of a post-Coltrane vibe in the year before the great one passed away. Washington also wrote all of the album's 6 tracks – really fresh numbers that burn with intensity, and make the album as creatively inventive as some of the best Jackie McLean Blue Note sides from the time. In addition to Woody Shaw's trumpet, other players include James Spaulding on alto and flute, Kenny Barron on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – a very hip lineup who really make magic on cuts that include "Yearning For Love", "Ethos", "Soul Dance", "Positive Path", and "Song Of Peace". CD

Startling! This album is one of two that a young Tony Williams cut for Blue Note, back when he was just hitting the age of 20, and when he was already blowing the minds of masters like Jackie McLean (who first hired him) and Miles Davis (who stole him from Jackie for his own group!) with an approach to drumming that was freed from usual time constraints. Williams conception was so unique, other young modernists – like the album's Wayne Shorter and Sam Rivers on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, and Gary Peacock on bass – quickly benefited from his presence, as you'll hear in this amazing session that sounds very little like any other Blue Note release. Williams wrote all of the tracks, but the style is much freer than any sense of composition might imply – and the group is shaken up differently from track to track. Titles include "From Before", "Echo", and "Extras". CD

A sublime album by one of our favorite talents in 60s jazz – pianist Jack Wilson, making his second Blue Note appearance here amidst a group of other more likely label players that include Lee Morgan on trumpet, Jackie McLean on alto, and Billy Higgins on drums! Despite the presence of those superstars, though, the album's still very much Wilson's own – featuring 4 tracks penned and played in his modally soulful vision, plus a great version of one tune by Frank Strozier – a player we'd find to be a very good companion to Wilson's style! The group's also noteworthy in that it features some excellent work from trombonist Garnett Brown – a player with a deeply soulful approach that adds in new dimensions to the tunes, and offsets the lightly lyrical touch of Wilson on the keys. The whole set's great – and titles include "Do It", "On Children", "Easterly Winds", "Nirvana", and "Frank's Tune". CD

Gene Ammons may be the leader, but the tenor giant is in great company here – stretching out over four long tracks, with help from Jackie McLean on alto, Art Farmer on trumpet, Kenny Burrell on guitar, and Mal Waldron on piano! The rhythm is kicked in nicely by Doug Watkins on bass and Art Taylor on drums – and titles include "Pint Size", "King Size", "Stella By Starlight", and "Funky". CD

An incredible early experimental album from Art Blakey – one of the first to feature him in expanded percussion format! Side one of the album features the extended "Drum Suite" – a set of 3 tracks ("The Sacrifice", "Cubano Chant", and "Oscalypso") that has Blakey and Jo Jones on drums, joined by Sabu Martinez on bongos and Charles Wright on tympani and gong. Ray Bryant snakes some soulful piano through the set and Oscar Pettiford is on bass and cello – and the overall feeling of the side is similar to some of Blakey's work in the format for Blue Note – like the albums Afro-Drum Orgy or Holiday for Percussion. Side two has straight hard bop, played by Blakey's 1957 combo that included Jackie McLean and Bill Hardman – and the group grooves hard on a classic reading of "Nica's Tempo", plus the cuts "D's Dilemma" and "Just For Marty". CD features 3 bonus tracks – unedited versions of "Lil'T" and "The New Message"! CD

One of those rare Blue Note sessions from tenorist Tina Brooks – originally recorded for the label in 1960, but never issued at the time – yet easily on a par with their more famous work of the period! Brooks' horn has a nice hard edge here – that sharp-edged modernism you'd hear with Jackie McLean, who makes a key appearance here on the album's famous "Street Singer" track. Jackie's not on the rest of the record, but that's fine with us – because other players are all equally great, and include Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Kenny Drew on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Apart from "Street Singer", other titles include "The Ruby & The Pearl", "Back To The Tracks", "For Heaven's Sake", and "The Blues & I". CD

Kenny Burrell on guitar with Gene Ammins, Ray Brown, Donald Bgyrd, Paul Chambers, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Art Farmer, Tommy Flanagan, Coleman Hawkins, Joe Henderson, Philly Joe Jones, Wynton Kelly, Jackie McLean, Jimmy Smith, Arthur Taylor, Stanley Turrentine, Mal Waldron, Cedar Walton, and others. CD

A wonderfully lyrical session from trumpeter Donald Byrd – yet for some reason, the album's one of his most overlooked from the 60s! The session features material by 2 different groups – one that includes Byrd, Hank Mobley, and Duke Pearson; and another which features Byrd, alongside Jackie McLean and Pearson. Donald's playing is really opening up here – hitting some sweeter, more drifting notes, yet still referencing the heavier style of his hardbop years from time to time – and in a way, the record's almost a hint of the solo style that Byrd would take up on 70s recordings with Larry Mizell – still in a deep groove, but with a newfound ability to sail over the top with some nice light notes. Mobley and McLean are superb, as always, and Pearson plays nice and hard – with more of an edge than on his own recordings of the time. Tracks include "Ghana", "Lex", "My Girl Shirl", and "Bo". CD

The complete work of pianist Sonny Clark as a leader for the Blue Note label – masterful material that really helped define the sound of the hardbop generation, and records that are still classics and still filled with fantastic energy after all these many years! In some way, Sonny Clark was the perfect figure to help Blue Note step into this generation – both a modernist and a soulful player, a strong group leader and an intimate soloist in a trio setting – clearly the lynchpin of the new energy during Blue Note's explosion in the LP generation – as you'll hear on classic albums that include Dial S For Sonny, Sonny's Crib, Sonny Clark Trio, Cool Struttin, Leapin & Lopin, Sonny Clark Quintets, Blues In The Night, My Conception, and the Art Of The Trio! Some of these albums were recorded in the late 50s, but only issued years later – and the package also includes all the bonus material that was added to later CD versions as well. Players include John Coltrane, Clifford Jordan, Charlie Rouse, and Hank Mobley on tenors – plus Art Farmer and Donald Byrd on trumpets, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Jackie McLean on alto, and Kenny Burrell on guitar – top-shelf Blue Note Groups on every record – and the set features 61 tracks in all, and the usual Mosaic booklet of notes! CD

An overlooked late 60s treasure on Blue Note – 2 rare albums by Kenny Cox & The Contemporary Jazz Quintet – one of the few new groups to work on the label at the time, and an up-and-coming modern combo from Detroit! The first album's quite unique for a number of reasons – not just because the group was a little-known new signing to the label, but also because the work is quite far-reaching at times – some of the most free-thinking jazz recorded for Blue Note during the time, with a sense of boldness that almost stretches back to Jackie McLean's first few records of the new thing years, or a sense of lyrical invention that's a bit like Wayne Shorter when he made a shift towards the outside. Some numbers are awash in fast colors and changes, while others are a bit more in the pocket, with echoes of soul jazz – but the whole thing's incredibly fresh and free, a wonderful little record that only gets better and better over the years! The group features pianist Kenny Cox as the leader, plus Charles Moore on trumpet, Leon Henderson on tenor, Ron Brooks on bass, and Danny Spencer on drums. Titles include "Mystique", "You", "Trance Dance", "Eclipse", and "Number Four". The CD also features the group's second Blue Note album, Multidirection – a session of work that builds strongly on the colors and changes explored by Miles Davis earlier in the 60s, but which takes things off into a whole new direction! (A Multidirection?) The horns on the record have incredible interplay – trumpet by Charles Moore and tenor from Leon Henderson, playing together with a sense of dexterity that may even beat the team of Davis and Wayne Shorter – angular one moment, softly lyrical the next, and always in pursuit of fresh tones and righteous sounds. Kenny Cox's piano is great too – an exercise in understatement at times – getting as much done with one note as other players would with five – as he slowly guides the group along, and grounds their freer expressions with a good sense of humanity. Titles include "What Other One", "Gravity Point", "Spellbound", "Snuck In", and "Sojourn". CD

A great set – cut when Curson was at the height of his youthful powers, and inspired by modernist ideas he'd picked up from Mingus and other contemporary jazz outsiders – including tenorist Bill Barron, who also plays on the LP! The recording is a perfect document of a time when the hard bop was folding into the new thing – in modes that were experimentally, yet never too far out – and always remembering to swing when needed, as in the case of some of Jackie McLean's best Blue Note work of the early 60s! The album's quite an obscure one – given to its original issue on the mostly-pop Old Town label – but it's a real gem in Curson's catalog, and includes the tracks "Antibes", "Nosruc", "Ahma (See Ya)", and "Flatted Fifth", a composition that went on to become one of Curson's classics! CD

A key early appearance on record by Sonny Rollins – recorded here with Miles Davis and Jackie McLean in the landmark Dig session! The album's the stuff that 50s bop dreams are made of – a session that has up-and-coming modernists working in the new freedom of the long playing record, in a way that allows them to break past the shorter, more urgent sound of the 78rpm single! Rollins is young, but a surprisingly strong voice on the set – and Jackie McLean's alto is incredibly sharp at this point, with strong hints of the genius to come later in the decade. The rest of the lineup includes Walter Bishop on piano, Tommy Potter on bass, and Art Blakey on drums – and tracks include Miles' classic version of "It's Only A Paper Moon", plus "Denial", "Out Of The Blue", "Dig", and "Bluing". CD features 2 bonus tracks. CD

The only Blue Note album ever cut by pianist Walter Davis Jr – but a heck of a hard-swinging set, and possibly his greatest album ever! Although Davis is more frequently heard in trio formation as a leader, this set brings him back to the mode used during some of his bop sideman dates of some years before – two completely solid horn players in the frontline, Donald Byrd on trumpet and Jackie McLean on alto – both blowing with a tremendous amount of soul and spirit on each track! Jackie's nicely sharp edges helps push Davis strongly – and rhythm work by Sam Jones on bass and Art Taylor on drums also add strongly to the punch of the set as well. Titles are all original compositions by Walter – and tracks include "Smake It", "Rhumba Nhumba", "Minor Mind", and "Millie's Delight". CD

One of Eric Dolphy's lasting classics – and possibly the ultimate album of "new thing" jazz from the mid 60s! The record's got an even sharper edge than previous Dolphy recordings for Prestige – a really unique combination of instrumentation that includes Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Richard Davis on bass, and Tony Williams on drums – plus Dolphy on alto sax, flute, and bass clarinet. Although Dolphy's reed playing is as amazing as you'd expect, the real surprise here is Hutcherson, whose vibes ring out with this cold harsh tone that give a perfect edge to the set – bold and metallic, quite different than any work on vibes from previous players. Despite a large number of later recordings, Hutcherson almost never hit this sound again – except perhaps on a few Jackie McLean recordings – and it's his playing that gives the set such a unique sound. Titles include "Straight Up & Down", "Gazzelloni", "Hat & Bread", "Out To Lunch" and "Something Sweet Something Tender". CD

Insanely wonderful music from Andrew Hill – a lean, stripped-down session that has Hill working at his firey best – in a space that's somewhere between the "new thing" recordings of Jackie McLean, and the brooding brilliance of Andrew's later Smokestack session! The group here has some key figures fleshing out the sound – a young Joe Henderson, blowing tenor with a very edgey quality – the very versatile Richard Davis on bass – and the great Roy Haynes on drums, very much at his most fluid interpretation of rhythm! The whole set's pretty darn great – one of the more mindblowing Blue Notes you'll ever hope to buy – and tracks include "Pumpkin", "Subterfuge", "Cantarnos", and "McNeil Island". CD

A seminal "new thing" session from pianist Andrew Hill, and one of the greatest performances ever from a young Bobby Hutcherson! The record features a stunning quartet that includes Hill on piano, Hutcherson on vibes, and Richard Davis and Elvin Jones on rhythm – coming together with the stark, raw energy that made the key Blue Note modern sides from this time so great. Hutcherson hits these amazing tones on the vibes, similar to those that he uses on some of the Jackie McLean albums from the same time – and those tones work perfectly with Hill's fractured piano lines. Titles are all originals by Hill, including "Alfred", "Reconciliation", "Siete Ocho", "Yokada Yokada", and "Flea Flop". CD features a bonus alternate of "Yokada Yokada". CD

Landmark material from the farther reaches of jazz in the mid 60s – one of two albums that trombonist Grachan Moncur recorded for Blue Note – and a session that ranks as one of the best examples of the "new thing" moment in 60s jazz! Grachan's leading a sextet here that includes a number of players that he cut his teeth with in Jackie McLean's great mid 60's group, including McLean himself on alto, Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, and Tony Williams on drums – all players who were opening up their own doors in the avant jazz world of the time – joined by trumpeter Lee Morgan, who really rises to the occasion, and opens up with a modern tone that's different than some of his own albums! The set features four stunning Moncur compositions – "Air Raid", "Evolution", "The Coaster", and "Monk In Wonderland". It's hard to describe the power of these recordings – but thankfully, we don't have to, as one listen to the album will blow you away! CD

A wonderful, wonderful, wonderful "new thing" jazz session from Blue Note – and proof that the avant garde in the 60s didn't necessarily have to resort to blowing their heads off to make fantastic music! Trombonist Grachan Moncur III organized the session – but like other key Blue Note dates of this type, including work from Tony Williams and Jackie McLean, the album's a very evenly-weighted date that features equal contributions from all members involved! The lineup's a dream – and features Wayne Shorter on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Tony Williams on drums – and the set's very much in the vein of Williams' Life Time album for Blue Note – with lots of dark, moody, and extremely complex compositions – and beautifully restrained modern solos. Moncur wrote all the tracks, and titles include "The Twins", "Nomadic", "Gnostic", and "Thandiwa". CD