With Johnny Wiggs on trumpet, Raymond Burke on clarinet, Bob Greene on piano, Allan Jaffe on tuba, and Yoichi Kimura on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Paul Desmond doesn't get any better than this – blowing his icy cool alto next to warm guitar lines from the mighty Jim Hall – a classic RCA Records pairing in jazz, heard to great effect on this classic album! There's a slight bossa groove to some of the rhythms, which is great for Desmond's sound – and the backing is also free of piano, so the guitar and alto hang together wonderfully by themselves – suspended in space, dipping and turning around each other beautifully! The pair get some very light rhythmic accompaniment from Connie Kay on drums, and either Percy Heath or Gene Wright on bass – on titles that include "That Old Feeling", "Easy Living", "Blues For Fun", "Polka Dots & Moonbeams", and "When Joanna Loved Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary set from the team of guitarist Jim Hall and pianist Bill Evans – both already wonderful players on their own, but really hitting a magical sort of space here together! The record is a classic in understatement – the inevitable meeting of two players who'd both made a career out of saying more with less – and both Evans and Hall manage to make this special sort of sound when working together in such a space – spare, but never short on ideas – filled with color and tone, but never overdone. The tracks are long and dreamy, and the piano/guitar lines seem to float in the air, suspended on naught but idea and imagination. Titles include a very nice version of "Skating In Central Park", plus "Dream Gypsy", "Romain", and "Darn That Dream". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet and subtle genius from two of the most understated players in jazz – a really great little record that makes the best of the CTI sound without tricking up the players too much! Art Farmer and Jim Hall play in a quintet with vibes by Mike Mainieri – in a style that eschews the electric funk of other CTI records, but has a similar sense of space, sound, and rhythm overall – proof that the label's groundbreaking approach didn't always have to be electrified! Tracks are quite long, and the two leaders effortlessly craft notes that magically hang in space with an airily soulful feel. Titles include wonderfully reworked versions of "Whisper Not", "A Child Is Born", and "Pavane For A Dead Princess". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Jim Hall's most compelling albums from the 70s – a mix of lightly swinging tunes and more complicated numbers, recorded with some of his best partners from earlier years! Chet Baker is on trumpet, Paul Desmond is on alto sax – and the rest of the group includes Ron Carter bass, Roland Hanna piano, and Steve Gadd on drums. Hall's style is as airy and free-floating as ever – and the spacious arrangements on the album by Don Sebesky only support his work even more. The centerpiece of the album is the 19 minute long "Concierto De Aranjuez", and other tracks include "The Answer Is Yes", "Two's Blues", and "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare 70s set from guitarist Jim Hall! The record's got maybe a bit more bite than some of Jim's airier sessions from the 70s – a strong power with Hall in the lead not just as a sound-shaper, but also as a more pronounced force in the trio – with some surprisingly edgey moments that really make the album stand out from the pack! There's some wonderfully deft passages here that really remind us how great Hall can be in the right setting – and the setting here features Don Thompson on bass and Terry Clarke on drums – on titles that include "Twister", "St Thomas", "Billie's Bounce", "Secret Love", and "Chelsea Bridge". LP, Vinyl record album

Jim Hall on electric and acoustic guitar – accompanied by the David Matthews Orchestra featuring Tom Harrell on trumpet, Gerry Neiwood on tenor and flute, and Ronnie Cuber on baritone! Tracks include "Ara Cruz", "Red Dragon Fly", and "Concierto De Aranjuez". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unusual west coast session – one that features straight jazz work from Mike Melvoin on piano, who usually did more studio-oriented work – in the company of Dennis Budimir on guitar, Jim Hughart on bass, and Larry Bunker on drums. Most tracks are standards, taken in a relaxed way – given that the sessions were recorded at the homes of the musicians! LP, Vinyl record album

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A nice spare set from reedman Buddy DeFranco – with only the guitar of Jim Gillis for accompaniment! LP, Vinyl record album

Guitarist Jimmy Raney cut some fantastic records on the American scene during the 50s – but by the time of this set, he was working and recording a lot more overseas – often in a much more modern tone that makes him a perfect match for the guitar genius of the great Attila Zoller! Both musicians here play without any other backing at all – and the music has this lean, intertwining quality that's breathtaking – complicated lines from both players, really understanding the space and sound of the other – never getting in the way, nor dominating – yet also finding ways to be very individual and distinct! This quality comes through immediately on the album's leadoff, the surprisingly strong "Hommage A Bach" – and continues on other tunes that include "The Gallery", "Autumn", "Conjecture", "Jim & I", and "Two Beat Circa 1980". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare mid 50s collaboration between pianist Andre Previn and trumpeter Shorty Rogers – an instrumental collaboration between the pair – one that's mostly set up in the mode of Rogers style of the time with his Giants group – but which also really sparkles tremendously with the addition of Previn's brightly-colored piano lines! We'd honestly never thought that highly of Andre's work until hearing this set – and his presence here really adds a new dimension to the Shorty Rogers groove of the 50s – a set of tones that spring out wonderfully, and really illuminate the set! Other players include Bud Shank, Milt Bernhart, Jimmy Giuffre, and Bob Cooper – on 13 titles that include "It's Delovely", "Heat Wave", "40 Below", "Claudia", "General Cluster", "Everything I've Got", "Call For Cole", and "Lullaby Of Birdland". LP, Vinyl record album

With Tal Farlow & Jim Raney on guitar, and Red Mitchell on bass. LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic solo sounds from guitarist Jeff Parker – a set of recordings that were all done live, with no overdubs at all – but which really show a complex approach to his overall sound! Parker's almost in some of the more abstract territory here as on some of his Chicago Underground Duo recordings – but he's also maybe a bit more tuneful, while also more introspective – showing us a personal, human side of his music that's extremely moving – and which really comes as quite a surprise, compared to some of his other records. Some numbers almost have a Jim Hall-like fragility, while other points are more creatively textural – and the whole thing is really wonderful, and represents a whole new step for Parker – a musician who's already been blowing our mind for about 20 years. Titles include "Super Rich Kids", "Slight Freedom", "Mainz", and a beautiful take on "Lush Life". LP, Vinyl record album

A searing live performance from Hammond legend Shirley Scott – much more on fire and longspun than her work in the 60s on Prestige Records – and an amazing showcase for the bold tenor talents of the great George Coleman! Coleman's always one of those players who seems to hit an extra something special when blowing live – and that's definitely the case here, as the richness of his tone and dexterity of his imagination – qualities that also really seem to inspire Scott on the organ as well! Unlike earlier dates, Shirley's handling all the basswork herself on the pedals of the Hammond – which only seems to open up and solidify her sense of rhythm – and the trio features excellent work on drums from Bobby Durham, whose loose touch is perfect. Titles include "Blues By Five", "Never Can Say Goodbye", "Like Someone In Love", "Impressions", "Witchcraft", and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" – and Ernie Andrews guests on vocals on a few tracks too, including "Girl Talk" and "Don't Mess Around With Jim". LP, Vinyl record album

A real gem from that key moment in Japanese fusion when some of the nation's best artists were hopping over to the American scene – cutting records like this, which often beat the American soul fusion scene at its own game – thanks to the help of a big array of all-star players! Masayoshi Takanaka plays guitar solos throughout, but also gets some help from Lee Ritenour on the electric strings – in a group that also has arrangements from Greg Adams of Tower Of Power, who brings in the rest of the TOP horns too – plus keyboards from Patrice Rushen, bass from Chuck Rainey, and drums from the great Harvey Mason – a rhythm combo that really keeps things groovy throughout. There's two vocal tracks on the set – which feature work from Jim Gilstrap, Maxi Anderson, and The Waters – on titles that include "Malibu", "ESP", "Sexy Dance", "Sundrops", "Good Bad Old Days", and the title track "Insatiable High". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty obscure Sarah Vaughn album – and a nice one! The album's got Sarah singing with arrangements by Hal Mooney, who'd done work for her before in a more standard way, and who here is opening up a bit, at times almost hitting a groovy late 60s mode. Players in the group include Bob James (who also arranged a few numbers), Phil Woods, Benny Golson, and Freddie Hubbard – and titles include "The Man That Got Away", "Alfie", "For Every Man There's A Woman", "Jim", and "My Man". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

With Ken Watts on piano, Leroy Ball and Jim Bats on bass, C Pitts and Richard Taylor on drums, and Ken Watts, John Dix, and Arthur Rand on lead vocals. LP, Vinyl record album

A previously unreleased live date from late in the career of Ben Webster – recorded at The Renaissance in Hollywood in 1960, but unissued until nearly 25 years later! The group features Jim Hall on guitar, Jimmy Rowles on piano, Red Mitchell on bass, and Frank Butler on drums – and tracks are all longish, and live-feeling – with that sense of fragility that marked some of Webster's later recordings in this mode, and even further deepened the humanity in his tone. And while the recording quality is definitely "live" at times, Ben's tone comes through loud and clear – different than on some of the tighter Verve recordings of a few years before, but in a way that's really great. Titles include "Georgia On My Mind, "Caravan", "Stardust", and "Ole Miss Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest, most righteous albums ever cut by pianist Jessica Williams – a set where it feels like all of her ideas come together perfectly, and are carried forward by a wonderful lineup of players! The group is small, but there's a very large feel to the whole thing – such that there's moments when we have to remind ourselves that this is still a small combo, even if Williams' music make things feel larger and more ambitious – a lineup that includes the great Eddie Henderson on trumpet, plus Jim Grantham on tenor, Kim Stone on bass, Henry Robinette on guitar, and Dave Tucker on drums. Williams is superb throughout on piano – and titles include "To The Children Of The Future", "The Demise Of Armored Man", "Weapon Of Truth", "Up The Entropy Slope", and "Longing". Expanded version features lots of bonus tracks – including "Power Of Love", "Gratitude", "The Shroud", "All Strange", and "Orgone". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful work from guitarist Oren Ambarchi – a little more expansive than his preceding effort on Drag City, thanks to larger group and a wider range of instrumentation, while building on what loved about it! The style is tough to pin down in the best kind of way, with strains of improvisational jazz and hypnotic minimalism, but a unique melodic drive that's as compelling as it is tough to cleanly categorize. Collaborators this time include returning Swedish jazz bassist Johan Berthling, drummer Joe Talia, a second guitarist in Julia Reidy, Sam Dunscombe on bass clarinet – and for extra otherworldly, yet melodic atmosphere is some synth by Jim O'Rourke and pedal steel by BJ Cole on a couple of tracks. The whole Shebang is a 4 part set – each track running long, to give it a nice amount of space to build up, settle down, and flow into the next – and numbered 1 to 4. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hardest to find sessions by this obscure LA organ player, and a set of grooves that well earns the name "burnin". The group's a quartet with Jim Hall on guitar, Jimmy Bond on bass, and Jimmy Miller on drums. Tracks include "Churchin", "Blues At The Summit", "Still Searchin", and "Burnin". LP, Vinyl record album

A definite delight from Ronnie Foster – a post-Blue Note set that actually has the keyboardist sounding better than ever! Ronnie's always been one of those guys who seems to work best when moving against a bit of structure – and here, that force is provided by the excellent Jerry Peters – who's come up with some great soul backings that also have these nicely offbeat corners – more than enough to preserve some of the quirkiness of Foster's work from previous years – yet also giving him a bit more direction too! There's a bit of vocals on the set – mostly from Ronnie – with backing from Phyllis Hyman, Jim Gilstrap, and Peters himself. Titles include "Argentina", "We As Love", "Let Me In Your Life", "I've Got Your Love", and "When Will I Write You A Song?". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest records that Charlie Haden ever did, and a record that stands as sort of a bookend to his Liberation Music album on Impulse. As with that record, he's got a large group on here, and also like that one, he's playing a batch of tracks that have a definite political bent. Players include Don Cherry, Carla Bley, Dewey Redman, Paul Motian, Jim Pepper, and Michael Mantler; and tracks include "Ballad Of The Fallen", "Too Late", "La Pasionaria", and "The People United Will Never Be Defeated". The sound's a little bit less harsh than his Impulse recording, but it's no less impassioned, and the record's a very emotional batch of music. LP, Vinyl record album

With George Guesnon on banjo, Kid Thomas on trumpet, Jim Robinson on trombone, John Joseph on bass, and Josiah Frazier on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Sun Ra's first album as a leader – originally issued on the Transition label, but presented here in its better-known incarnation by Delmark Records! Even at this early point, Ra had a sound unlike any of his contemporaries – large group and modern, but not in a way that showed any similarities to work going on in New York or LA – a voice that was all his own, and already quite boldly stated, even in these early years! The format might be somewhat familiar – an ensemble with horns and rhythm – but the overall execution really starts to open up as the album moves on – with odd phrasings, timings, and unusual moments that live up to all the promise you might expect from Ra. Even Mingus and some of his better-known contemporaries weren't heading in these directions in the mid 50s – and the record is a proud showcase of the freedoms that players were often accorded in the less-trafficked Chicago scene of the time. Horns include Art Hoyle & Dave Young on trumpets, John Gilmore on tenor sax, Pat Patrick on baritone, Julian Priester on trombone, and James Scales on alto sax – and rhythm includes Jim Herndon on tympani, Robert Barry on drums, Wilbur Green on electric bass, and a young Richard Evans on acoustic bass! Titles include "Brainville", "Call For All Demons", "Transition", "Lullaby For Realville", "Street Named Hell", "New Horizons", "Fall Off The Long", "Possession", and "Future". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album from Sonny Rollins – one that marked his comeback in the early 60s, after a brief period of retirement, and which also initiated a string of incredible recordings with guitarist Jim Hall. Given Hall's gentleness and spare modernity on the guitar, a fan of Rollins' hard-blowing late 50s sessions might not expect the album to work – but instead, it sets up his playing in a whole new mode that brings out a leaner, more confident, more sophisticated solo mode that shows that his time woodshedding in retirement was well spent. Rollins playing is impeccable, with a maturity not heard in his late 50's work, and the whole album is a beautiful study in measured, thoughtful soloing. Tracks include "John S.", "The Bridge", and "God Bless the Child". LP, Vinyl record album

A great 2LP set that reissues two of the best blowing sessions on Prestige from the late 50s – All Day Long and All Night Long – proof that Kenny Burrell could hit a nice groove when he wanted to! The tracks are all long and very open-ended, with players that include Mal Waldron, Jerome Richardson, Hank Mobley, Donald Byrd, Frank Foster, Tommy Flanagan, Doug Watkins, and Art Taylor. Side one features a great long track called "All Night Long", with loads of space and plenty of great soloing, and side three features "All Day Long", which is in a similar mode. Other tracks include "Flickers", "Boo Lu", "Slim Jim", "Say Listen", and "AT" – all a bit tighter, and still very nice. LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning 70s set from the great Paul Desmond – one that has the tremendous alto player finding an even fresher groove than before – yet all without losing any of the class and control that made him so great in the 50s and 60s! Don Sebesky arranged the set, but most of the instrumentation is nice and lean – small group modes that allow Paul's alto to soar out in the lead, often alongside some excellent guitar work from Gabor Szabo and Gene Bertoncini – the latter of whom provides accompaniment that takes us back to some of Jim Hall's music with Desmond. Bob James plays a bit of piano on the record, and rhythm is by Ron Carter on bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums, and Ralph MacDonald on percussion – plus a bit of cello from George Ricci, who shades tunes in with a mighty nice sound. But as you'd guess, the main focus is on Desmond's sublime alto sax – on titles that include "Was A Sunny Day", "Take Ten", "Music For A While", and of course, "Skylark". LP, Vinyl record album

That's "Take Ten", not "Take Five" – a great title cut that echoes Paul Desmond's previous work with Dave Brubeck – but which then gives way quickly to some sweet bossa-styled grooves done with guitar from Jim Hall! The album's one of the strongest of the Hall/Desmond collaborations for RCA – A sublime showcase not just for Paul's impeccable alto, but also for the amazing tones and chromes that fly freely from the strings of Jim's guitar! Both players are set up with just a bit of gentle backing – light percussion from Connie Kay, and a bit of bass from Gene Cherico or Gene Wright. The whole thing's a well-conceived study in economy, as the two players craft sly and subtle lines around spare drum and bass backings – slowly hanging sound in space to weave a rich web of sound that's as compelling as it seems to be effortless! Titles include "Take Ten", "El Prince", "Embarcadero", "Samba De Orfeu", "Theme From Black Orpheus", and "Alone Together". LP, Vinyl record album

Early genius from Eddie Higgins – a pianist who was a big thing on the Chicago scene of the 60s, but is probably best known to most folks for his revival records of the past decade or two! The younger Higgins has more of an edge than the later one – and this self-titled debut is a cooker of a hardbop album – thanks not only to work from Eddie's core trio, but also some great horn interplay from Frank Foster on tenor and Paul Seranno on trumpet! Eddie wrote some of the best cuts on the record – some really fresh numbers – and he gets rhythmic help from either Richard Evans or Jim Atlas on bass, and Marshall Thompson on drums. Higgins titles include "Foot's Bag", "Zarac The Evil One", and "AB's Blues" – and the album also features versions of "Blues For Big Scotia" and "Falling In Love With Love". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best early albums cut by John Lewis as a leader – a set that's a fair bit different than John's work with the Modern Jazz Quartet – thanks to strong guest appearances from players who include Paul Gonsalves and Benny Golson on tenor sax, Eric Dolphy on alto, Jim Hall on guitar, and Herb Pomeroy on trumpet. Most of the tracks are a great mix of the mellow, introspective Lewis approach with some of the freer, more relaxed styles of the soloists – an approach that's slightly third stream, but which also has some of the great sounds and tones that Lewis forged on his Afternoon In Paris album with Sacha Distel. Titles include great versions of "Body & Soul" and "Afternoon In Paris", plus Lewis' classic "2 Degrees East, 3 Degrees West", as well as "I Should Care" and "I Remember Clifford". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful work from tenorist Warne Marsh – a player we almost like more in these later years than we do during the famous 50s recordings that brought him to everyone's attention! The setting is nice and loose, and very open – just Marsh on tenor blowing with the bass of Jim Hughart and drums of Nick Ceroli – players who allow Warne lots of room to really open up and take on some new ideas! There's still a bit of crispness in Warne's horn, but there's also this marvelous "mouth" there as well – a real sense of texture that comes from the way he handles the reed, adding in lots more humanity than the early years, and keeping things compelling throughout. The sound is sublime – and titles include "Loco 47", "Liner Notes", "Warne Out", "Duets", "Ballad", "Warne Piece" and the Tristano number "Lennie's Pennies". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful work from tenorist Warne Marsh – a player we almost like more in these later years than we do during the famous 50s recordings that brought him to everyone's attention! The setting is nice and loose, and very open – just Marsh on tenor blowing with the bass of Jim Hughart and drums of Nick Ceroli – players who allow Warne lots of room to really open up and take on some new ideas! There's still a bit of crispness in Warne's horn, but there's also this marvelous "mouth" there as well – a real sense of texture that comes from the way he handles the reed, adding in lots more humanity than the early years, and keeping things compelling throughout. The sound is sublime – and titles include "Loco 47", "Liner Notes", "Warne Out", "Duets", "Ballad", "Warne Piece" and the Tristano number "Lennie's Pennies". LP, Vinyl record album

Early work from Les – recording at the Jazz Workshop in SF, with his famous trio that included Herbie Lewis on bass and Ron Jefferson on drums. The album's pretty standard fare – short soul jazz piano numbers, with more than a bit of church in the grooves. Titles include "Come On & Get That Church", "We'll See Yaw'll After While, Ya Heah", "I Am In Love", "Big Jim", and "Oh Them Golden Gates". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent – and totally rare – recording of Freddie Redd's score to The Connection – done more famously on Blue Note under Freddie's own name. This isn't the version that was released by Blue Note, nor is it the version on Charlie Parker records – instead, it's an obscure set led by trumpeter Howard McGhee (during his great comeback period of the early 60's), and featuring the amazing tenor talents of Tina Brooks (whose few Blue Note sessions are the stuff of legend!) Freddie Redd plays piano on the set, and he plays with as much fire as on his Blue Note recording of the music – with with McGhee in the lead, the sound is quite different. Titles include "Wigglin", "Who Killed Cock Robin", "OD", "Jim Dunn's Dilemma", and "Time To Smile". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal album that defined the fresh sound of a whole new generation in jazz – that "third stream" movement that was different from the cool jazz of the west coast, and the fire of New York! The style here follows that same mix of jazz and higher-concept elements you'd hear on other Modern Jazz Quartet albums for Atlantic – but the music is expanded here with some great help from outside parties too. The Jimmy Giuffre trio join the quartet on most of side one – adding in Jimmy's snakey clarinet and Jim Hall's fluid guitar lines for a really fresh take on the MJQ groove. The remainder of the album brings in the Beaux Arts String Quartet – who shade in the mix of vibes and piano with these dark strains that are really beautiful – and bring even more drama than usual to the music. Titles include "Da Capo", "Fine", "Exposure", "Sketch", and "Conversation". LP, Vinyl record album

Strange title, but a nice little record from Gerry Mulligan – one that has him working with a small group that often features a piano, and which has a light airy feel that's a bit bossa in the nicest parts! The record is one of a few gems that Mulligan cut in the 60s – with a playful feel that moves past the academicism of some of the 50s work, and which manages to pick up a bit of soul on the way. The group includes Art Farmer, Bob Brookmeyer, Jim Hall, and Dave Bailey – and tracks include "The Ant Hill", "Crazy Day", "Butterfly With Hiccups", and the haunting "Theme For Jobim". LP, Vinyl record album

Legendary tenorist George Coleman adds his voice to the One For All combo on a number of tracks here – making the already-great combo even better! For years, One For All has always boasted tremendous tenor work from the mighty Eric Alexander – but more recently, Alexander has also begun to play alto work – which he does here on a few tracks that then allow Coleman to step up strongly – blowing with that soulful depth that he's been bringing to recording sessions from the 60s onwards, maybe even better here with the passage of years! And the rest of the all-star lineup is equally great – Jim Rotondi on trumpet, Steve Davis on trombone, David Hazeltine on piano, John Webber on bass, and Joe Farnsworth on drums. Coleman blows on the titles "Oscar Winner", "This I Dig Of You", and "My Foolish Heart" – and other tracks include "Chainsaw", "In The Lead", and "Edgerly". LP, Vinyl record album

The first-ever album as a leader from tenorist Dewey Redman – a set that captures the rising musician at a level that's very full-formed, and which shows some of the roots of his years in Texas with a young Ornette Coleman! The vibe's different here than Coleman's music – at least in the early 60s – as Dewey would soon reunite with Ornette, and make some key sides in the second half of the decade. But there's definitely a similar sense of rhythmic pulse – with all the instruments leaping into the groove in a wonderful way – at times almost recalling some South African jazz modes, and at other moments maybe sparkling more with the best early 60s touches of the American underground! The rest of the combo features Jim Young on piano, Don Raphael Garrett on bass, and Eddie Moore on drums – an unusual grouping, but one that really makes some special magic here together – and in ways that give the record a very different sound than Redman's later, better-known albums. All titles are originals by Dewey – and tracks include "For Eldon", "Seven & One", "Look For The Black Star", "Of Love", and "Spur Of The Moment". LP, Vinyl record album

A very unique album from Sonny Rollins – one that features him blowing tenor over some Latin-based rhythms that have a tight uptempo feel. The core group on the album features Jim Hall on guitar, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Ben Riley on drums – but they're augmented by larger arrangements that mix together bossa nova and calypso rhythms, which forge a surprisingly great background for Rollins' gutsy tenor. Although it's easy to dismiss the record as a throwaway cash-in affair on the Latin boom of the early 60s – Rollins actually handles himself wonderfully, and the longer-than-usual tracks on the album show a whole new side of his talents that were later reprised on Latin sessions during the 70s. Titles include "Bluesongo", "Jungoso", "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes", and "Brownskin Girl". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best-remembered records by this classic ensemble – thanks to a sweet vocal take on "Nina Never Knew", the playful sound of "Doodletown Fifers", and other cuts that include "Eddie & The Witch Doctor", "Azure-Te", "Stop Sit Down Relax Think", and "Rain". Classic Jim Flora cover, too! LP, Vinyl record album

The debut of British guitarist Terry Smith – a lost gem produced by Scott Walker, and featuring work by an elite group of UK jazz players of the time! Terry's got a raspy, almost gritty tone on the guitar – one that he'd explore on later jazz rock outings with the group If, but which here is cast almost in a George Benson late 60s mode – one that has Smith's fluid lines stepping out in front of larger arrangements by Jimmy Deuchar and Harry South. Other players on the album include Gordon Beck on piano, Ray Warleigh on alto and flute, Kenny Wheeler on trumpet, and Jim Lawless on vibes – and although there's little in the way of the sound to echo Scott Walker's contribution, it's kind of nice to know he was behind the glass in the studio! Titles include the originals "Fall Out" and "Early Morning Groove", plus nice takes on "Windows Of The World", "The Look Of Love", and "I Love You" – as well as Harry South's groovy "Harry's Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

Luke Stewart is the bassist and the composer here – but the quintet is a powerhouse at every level – with reed work from Ken Vandermark and Ed Wilkerson, piano from Jim Baker, and drums from Avreeayl Ra – a lineup who do tremendous things with Luke's music! The tracks are all long, and build beautifully in a mixture of core ideas and individual improvisations – with a quality that almost evokes Wilkerson's important work in 8 Bold Souls, but an execution that's more flowingly spiritual overall – a richness in Stewart's music that brings out very different qualities in both Ed and Ken. The whole thing's great – the kind of record that will really establish Stewart as a musician to listen for in years to come – and titles include "The Scene", "Harp & Concrete Silhouette", "Awakening The Masters", and "Brown & Gray". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few American albums cut by saxophonist Chris Woods – a wonderfully talented player who cut some of his best work in Paris during the early 70s! The album captures some of the charm of Woods' best European records – with a lightly dancing groove on the best tracks, one that hints at his strong propensity for playing in modal lines, a trait he shared with Nathan Davis, a contemporary on the European scene, and a slightly similar player. Woods here is a bit more rootsy than Davis, though – working in an easily soulful setting, with pianist Jim McNeely, plus trumpet, bass, and drums. Woods plays flute and alto – and tracks include "Monsieur Le Bois In Paris", "What That", "Modus Operandi", and a nice version of "Scufflin Along". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliantly bold work from pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi – an artist who's really coming into her own for the 70s – stepping out in a big band format that would win her a wide new audience on both sides of the Pacific! The album's one of the first to feature the ensemble co-led with husband Lew Tabackin – a group that features strong work from American players who include Dick Spencer and Gary Foster on alto saxes, Tabackin and Tom Peterson on tenor, Bill Perkins on baritone, Bobby Shew and Don Rader on trumpets, and Charles Loper and Jim Sawyer on trombones. The horns are only part of the picture, though – as the inventive writing and arranging from Akiyoshi is what really makes the album great – a strong sense of painting with sound, while still keeping things swinging – really unlocking all the best elements that had been opened up for larger ensembles in the previous few years. The set features all original tracks that include "Kogun", "American Ballad", "Henpecked Old Man", "Elegy", and "Memory". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliantly bold work from pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi – an artist who's really coming into her own for the 70s – stepping out in a big band format that would win her a wide new audience on both sides of the Pacific! The album's one of the first to feature the ensemble co-led with husband Lew Tabackin – a group that features strong work from American players who include Dick Spencer and Gary Foster on alto saxes, Tabackin and Tom Peterson on tenor, Bill Perkins on baritone, Bobby Shew and Don Rader on trumpets, and Charles Loper and Jim Sawyer on trombones. The horns are only part of the picture, though – as the inventive writing and arranging from Akiyoshi is what really makes the album great – a strong sense of painting with sound, while still keeping things swinging – really unlocking all the best elements that had been opened up for larger ensembles in the previous few years. The set features all original tracks that include "Kogun", "American Ballad", "Henpecked Old Man", "Elegy", and "Memory". LP, Vinyl record album

Percussionist Andrea Centazzo really rises to the occasion here – as one might when meeting with the legendary Derek Bailey at a time when he was really at the height of his powers! Bailey works on both acoustic and electric guitars here – and has a way of creating all these amazing sounds and moments on his instruments – that famous style of improvisation he first unleased on the world at the end of the 60s, honed during the early part of the 70s, and which is in full bloom here! Centazzo is nicely respectful, and really finds a way to match the best of Bailey's impulses – playing a range of percussion instruments big and small. Titles include "Drop Three", "Tutti Cantabile", "Recapitulation Reiteration & Rabbits", "How Long Has This Been Going On", "Jim Never Seems To Send Me Pretty Flowers", and "Drop Two". LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual later Chet Baker album – one of those overlooked gems from the years when he was maybe a bit more wayward, but also taking some really unusual chances with his music! Chet plays trumpet and sings a bit here – but some of the key contributions come from the European group who really help shape the record – a lineup that includes Jean Paul Florens on guitar, Henry Florens on piano, Jim Richardson on bass, and Tony Mann on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

With Jim McNeely on piano, John Lockwood on bass, and David Calarco on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from Bob Brookmeyer – and a set that fits in strongly with the other Verve Records bossa nova albums of the 60s! Bob's the center star on valve trombone, but the record's awash in work from other great Verve talents too – a tight small group that features Gary McFarland on vibes, Jim Hall and Jimmy Raney on guitars, and Willie Bobo on drums – alongside some added percussion that really helps keep the bossa spirit strong! Tunes have that spare, soulful crackle that you'd find in the Stan Getz bossa sessions for Verve – except that trombone is the lead solo instrument here – and titles include "A Felicidade", "Col Bogey Bossa Nova", "Blues Bossa Nova", "Qual E O Po", "Chara Tu Tristeza", and "Samba De Orfeu". LP, Vinyl record album

With Jim Odgren on alto, Steve Swallow on bass, and Mike Hyman on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure Porgy & Bess album – originally issued on the Interlude label, and featuring Buddy Collette and Jim Hall with the organ of Gerald Wilson, the accordion of Pete Jolly, the bass of Red Mitchell, and the drums of Louis Bellson. This unusual lineup really does a great job of reworking the original Gershwin tunes – using the odd instrumentation and playful arrangements to put a bright new face on tracks that include "Bess You Is My Woman", "Where's My Bess", "Summertime", and "There's A Boat That's Leavin For New York". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the funkiest album that guitarist Larry Coryell ever cut – his debut as a leader, and a fuzzy, freaky set that features some massively heavy drums from the great Bernard Purdie! The set's jazz at the core, but has lots of rock elements too – including vocals from Coryell on a few cuts, whose rough-edged style of singing works nicely with the fuzz on his guitar. The whole thing's a really freewheeling trip down that genre-busting road that had opened up in the underground of the late 60s – a path taken away from folk, jazz, rock, and other more mainstream roads – served up with help from Mike Mandel on keyboards, Jim Pepper on flute, and bassists Chuck Rainey, Ron Carter, and Albert Stinson. Titles include the long funky groove called "The Jam with Albert", plus the tracks "Sex", "Beautiful Woman", "Morning Sickness", and "Ah Wuv Ooh". (Nice "naked kids" cover, too – the kind that must have made someone's therapist a lot of money!) LP, Vinyl record album

Hard driving work by Ted Curson! Jubilant Power is a pretty apt title for the set – played with a celebratory fire – combining the freer loft-style playing of his late 70s American work, with some of the tighter grooving rhythmic approaches of his early 70s sides in France. Chris Woods, a frequent partner from the Paris years, is in the group on alto and flute, cutting lines that match Curson's as well recallung the tenor of Bill Barron during the 60s. Other players include Andy Laverne and Jim McNeely on piano, Nick Brignola on alto sax and flute, Bob Merigliano on drums and Sam Jacobs on conga. Excellent stuff! Titles include "Marjo", "Song Of The Lonely", "Reava's Waltz", "Airi's Tune", "Searchin For The Blues" and "Ted's Tempo". LP, Vinyl record album

Nothing too sweet or lovely here – given that Eddie Lockjaw Davis plays with a tremendous growl on some of the best tracks on the set! Davis is a hell of a tenorist who found his biggest recording fame in the US during the 50s and 60s – but also cut some wonderful work overseas in the following decade – timeless tracks like these that show that the Lockjaw fire was alive and well, and maybe getting even a bit more room for expression in the freedom of the European scene! The album's simple, but wonderfully powerful – longish, open tracks with lots of room for Eddie to solo in a soulful way – with additional trumpet from Harry Sweets Edison, who's also at the top of his game – and great rhythms from Gerald Wiggins on piano, Major Holley on bass, and Oliver Jackson on drums. Titles include "Jim Dawg", "Meditation", "Land Of Dreams", and "The Good Life". LP, Vinyl record album

A Heavy Hitter from tenorist Eddie Lockjaw Davis – recorded a bit late in his career, but with a sound that's mighty nice – and every bit as great as some of his 60s recordings for Prestige! The combo's small, swinging, and soulful – Albert Dailey on piano, George Duvivier on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums – coming together with a perfect punch that makes Davis sound better than he'd sounded in years – blowing with that raspy, human tone that nobody else did so well – grabbing us from the get-go, even on familiar tunes! Titles include "Comin Home Baby", "Jim Dog", "Just One Of Those Things", and "When Your Lover Has Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

A smoking twin-tenor session for MPS – one that reunites the mighty talents of Johnny Griffin and Eddie Lockjaw Davis! The album was done as an offshoot of both players' work for the Clarke Boland Big Band at the time – and the set was not only produced by CBBB impresario Gigi Campi, but also features a core rhythm trio from that ensemble – Francy Boland on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums! Tracks are nice and long, and have a sound that really shows the evolution of both players since their famous recordings of the early 60s – tones that are even more modern and edgey at points, served up with a fire that hasn't died at all – and set loose on rhythms that move past the usual grooves you might have expected from their American sessions together. Titles include "Tin Tin Deo", "Jim Dawg", "Gigi", "When We Were One", and "Again N Again". LP, Vinyl record album

The team of Paul Desmond and Jim Hall was one of the best ideas ever forged in American jazz of the 60s – and the icy pair are perfect company together on this album of bossa-inflected tracks with a very cool edge! The album allows Desmond's alto to take on a warmth and flowing quality it never had in the Dave Brubeck group – and Hall's guitar work, while a masterpiece of understatement, brings in just the right amount of ringing tone to echo out the brilliance of Desmond's ideas. Gene Wright and Connie Kay complete the group, and titles include "O Gato", "Samba Cantina", "Girl From East 9th", "Ship Without A Sail", and "Bossa Antigua". LP, Vinyl record album

A cool jazz classic from altoist Paul Desmond and guitarist Jim Hall! The album was recorded under Desmond's name, but Hall's the guitarist throughout, and his playing lends an indescribably wonderful edge to the set, making the album a real team effort! Unlike other RCA sides by Hall and Desmond, this one features the pair with larger string backings by Bob Prince, which create a dreamy pillow for alto and guitar to solo across. Titles include the Desmond originals "Late Lament" and "Desmond Blue" – plus "Ill Wind", "My Funny Valentine", and "Like Someone In Love". LP, Vinyl record album