There's a beautifully resonant tone to the album – as the guitar work of John Hart mixes in this really fresh way with the Hammond of Brian Charette and tenor of Rich Perry – as all three players take the whole thing in directions that are very far from traditional organ and tenor records from back in the day! Hart's a guitarist with a masterful sense of color, and he uses that sense in all these great ways – often matching the tones and timings of Perry, as the pair shimmer next to Charette's work on the keys and pedals, as the proceedings are punctuated by nicely subtle work on drums from Steve Johns – a player who clearly doesn't want to get too much in the way of the balance of color and tone. Titles include the originals "Act Riot", "Resonance", "Sun King", "Peregrine", and "Things" – plus versions of "Pinocchio" and "I'll Get By". CD

A really great funky moment from guitarist John Scofield – kind of a bridge between the chromatic hues of his music from the 80s, and the tighter, sharper direction he'd take in years to come! The set has some classic-styled soul jazz elements at the core, really living up to the cover image – including Hammond from Larry Goldings and tenor from Eddie Harris – both of whom really deepen the sound of the record, especially when Scofield is still sliding out into some of the fuzzier tones in his bag. Rhythms are nice and tight too – with Dennis Irwin on bass, Bill Stewart on drums, and Don Alias on percussion – and tracks include "Don't Shoot The Messenger", "She's So Lucky", "Do Like Eddie", "Dark Blue", "I'll Take Les", and "Out Of The City". CD

John McLean on guitar, Larry Kohut on acoustic bass, Karl Montzka on piano and Hammond organ, Jim Gailloreto on saxophone and Adam Nussbaum on drums. CD

A cool cooker from the great Lou Donaldson – and a record that's ever bit as tasty as its cover! Lou's really hitting his soul jazz stride here – stepping off his 50s bop years, and moving into a more gutbuckety groove that's delivered with wonderful accompaniment from a quartet that features Grant Green on guitar, John Patton on Hammond, and Ben Dixon on drums! The style is loose and open – and tracks are long, with tight solos, especially from Patton and Green, always a winning combination – really stepping out here with an early raw fury! Titles include "Caracas", "Bad John", "Holy Ghost", and "Good Gracious!". Nice cover, too, with a photo of Lou checking out a sexy model, while speaking the title! CD

Chris Hazelton cooks it up on the Hammond – playing here in a sweet small combo mode that's mighty nice – and with baritone from Brett Jackson in the group instead of the usual tenor! The deep sound of Jackson's horn is a nice balance with Chris' tight work on the keys, and the chromatic sounds of Jamie Anderson's guitar – as the group swings nicely on tracks that also feature drums from John Kizilarmut and occasional conga from Pat Conway! The whole thing's got a nicely different vibe from standard jazz organ sets – and titles include "The Groove Merchant", "Night Lights", "So Tired", "Amsterdam After Dark", "Easy Talk", and "Watch What Happens". CD

Jimmy Smith serves up a bucket of soul here – on an album that's one of his last for Blue Note, and still very much in the strong trio mode that launched his work for the label! The group's that super-sharp early 60s combo of Jimmy's – with Quentin Warren on guitar and Donald Bailey on drums – both players who have a groove that's maybe a bit under-stated at times, but which really lets Smith dominate the record – on both the keys of the Hammond, and the great work he brings to the bass pedals too. The tracks are short, but very groovy – with a tighter sound than on some of Smith's early Blue Note trio albums, and the same kind of in-the-pocket sound that made his Crazy Baby album a big hit. Includes a very groovy remake of "John Brown's Body", the original groovers "Bucket" and "Sassy Mae", and a nice modal tune called "3 for 4". LP, Vinyl record album

Jack DeJohnette on drums, Larry Goldings on Hammond organ and electric piano, and John Scofield on guitar – recorded live in London. CD

This bossa LP on Columbia is pretty good stuff! The record was recorded with some of Brazil's best bossa players – like Luiz Bonfa, Roberto Menescal, and Luiz Eca (of Tamba Trio fame). John Hammond produced the session, so you can be sure it's got the kind of rootsy sound that will make the tracks have a bit more kick than if the album was in the hands of a regular pop-bossa producer. Titles include "Avion", "Reza", "Vagamente", "Ela E Carioca", "Zomba", and "Alem Da Imaginacao". CD

An incredible album from the man that changed the way the world hears the Hammond! This album was Larry Young's first for Blue Note – and it's a mindblowing batch of tunes that push the organ into realms that had never been heard of in jazz. Young's got a real penchant for a modal groove – no doubt inspired by his friend and sometimes collaborator John Coltrane – and he's working here with a totally hip group that includes Sam Rivers, Grant Green, and Elvin Jones. The tunes are amazing – dancing with delight as they push the envelope, but never go too far to get overindulgent – and the album's filled with classics that include Green's wonderful composition "Plaza De Toros", plus originals by Young like "Tyrone", "Backup", and "Ritha". CD

Spiritual jazz both old and new – a collection that really gets past the obvious sides of the genre, and brings together a range of unusual work from the 70s onward! The tracks here are a great antidote to the well-traveled territory of labels like Impulse or Strata East Records – and are mostly from lesser-known sources that include tiny indies from the 80s, and a few ground breaking imprints from recent years! There's definitely a vibe here that holds strongly in the spirit of John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, and other innovators from the end of the 60s – but the sound is especially fresh given the obscurity of the tunes. Titles include "For Our Souls" by Doug Hammond, "Amazona" by Francisco Mora Catlett, "The Mystery Of Man" by Sarah Vaughan, "Better Than That" by Nomo, "Gol E Gandom" by Lloyd Miller, "Motherless Child" by Brother Ah, "A Love Supreme" by Dwight Trible, "Why" by Woody Shaw with Carter Jefferson, "Rwanda" by Francis Bebey, "Come Sunday" by Stanley Cowell, and "En El Amanecer Del Tiempo". (Funky Compilations, Jazz) CD

Spiritual jazz both old and new – a collection that really gets past the obvious sides of the genre, and brings together a range of unusual work from the 70s onward! The tracks here are a great antidote to the well-traveled territory of labels like Impulse or Strata East Records – and are mostly from lesser-known sources that include tiny indies from the 80s, and a few ground breaking imprints from recent years! There's definitely a vibe here that holds strongly in the spirit of John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, and other innovators from the end of the 60s – but the sound is especially fresh given the obscurity of the tunes. Titles include "For Our Souls" by Doug Hammond, "Amazona" by Francisco Mora Catlett, "The Mystery Of Man" by Sarah Vaughan, "Better Than That" by Nomo, "Gol E Gandom" by Lloyd Miller, "Motherless Child" by Brother Ah, "A Love Supreme" by Dwight Trible, "Why" by Woody Shaw with Carter Jefferson, "Rwanda" by Francis Bebey, "Come Sunday" by Stanley Cowell, and "En El Amanecer Del Tiempo". (Funky Compilations, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A great document of a really unique slice of 50s jazz – the trad-based jam session recordings led by Buck Clayton in 1953 and 1954! The sessions were originally recorded for Columbia Records by John Hammond – and done in a style that wanted to break from the tighter jam session mode used over at Verve. Clayton was the ostensible leader, but Hammond really directed the sessions – using the famous trumpeter in conjunction with players that included Joe Newman, Urbie Green, Sir Charles Thompson, Joe Thomas, Al Cohn, Jo Jones, and others – all in a mode that had a rougher, more "on the spot" sort of feel. The set brings together 19 tracks on 3CDs – all much longer than usual for the time, especially for Clayton's recordings – and featuring titles that include "Moten Swing", "How Hi The Fi", "Blue Moon", "Lean Baby", "Robbin's Nest", "Undecided", "Blue Lou", and "All The Cats Join In". CD

A studio album, but one that really has Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt recreating some of the bold energy of their live shows – coming across with a vibe that's much more Prestige Records than Verve, thanks to the presence of the Don Patterson trio on the set! Backing is by Don on Hammond, Paul Weeden on guitar, and Billy James on drums – a nicely loose combo that really lets the tenorists stretch out and show their stuff. The cuts are mostly standard material – "John Brown's Body", "Walkin", "Long Ago And Far Away" – but the twin-tenor sound is great, and Patterson's free organ lines riff away nicely! CD

Mike Clement on guitar with John Lee on hammond B3 organ and Herlin Riley on drums. CD

Joe McPhee plays here with a Hammond organ trio – a setting that partially gets him back to the soulful sound of his roots, but which still keeps things in the freer mode of later years too! Joe starts out the performance with some wonderful solo work on pocket trumpet – played with these offbeat notes and inventive phrasing that might only be matched by Don Cherry's work on the instrument. The drums from Steve Noble come into the mix slowly, while the Hammond from Alexander Hawkins rolls in on these bold waves of sound – almost more forceful than any organ player of the headiest 70s years – spurred on by some rolling bass from John Edwards. Hammond dominates for the rest of side one – but then Joe switches to tenor, and gets some intimate, soulful space – before the organ comes rolling into the mix again! The 2CD set includes the 37+ minute "Spontaneous Combustion" on Disc One and the more than twice as long (77+ minutes) "Spontaneous Combustion 2" on Disc Two! CD

A cool cooker from the great Lou Donaldson – and a record that's ever bit as tasty as its cover! Lou's really hitting his soul jazz stride here – stepping off his 50s bop years, and moving into a more gutbuckety groove that's delivered with wonderful accompaniment from a quartet that features Grant Green on guitar, John Patton on Hammond, and Ben Dixon on drums! The style is loose and open – and tracks are long, with tight solos, especially from Patton and Green, always a winning combination – really stepping out here with an early raw fury! Titles include "Caracas", "Bad John", "Holy Ghost", and "Good Gracious!". Nice cover, too, with a photo of Lou checking out a sexy model, while speaking the title! CD

Jimmy Smith serves up a bucket of soul here – on an album that's one of his last for Blue Note, and still very much in the strong trio mode that launched his work for the label! The group's that super-sharp early 60s combo of Jimmy's – with Quentin Warren on guitar and Donald Bailey on drums – both players who have a groove that's maybe a bit under-stated at times, but which really lets Smith dominate the record – on both the keys of the Hammond, and the great work he brings to the bass pedals too. The tracks are short, but very groovy – with a tighter sound than on some of Smith's early Blue Note trio albums, and the same kind of in-the-pocket sound that made his Crazy Baby album a big hit. Includes a very groovy remake of "John Brown's Body", the original groovers "Bucket" and "Sassy Mae", and a nice modal tune called "3 for 4". CD reissue also features previously unissued bonus tracks "Trouble In Mind" and "Sassy Mae", done in an alternate take! CD

An incredible album from the man that changed the way the world hears the Hammond! This album was Larry Young's first for Blue Note – and it's a mindblowing batch of tunes that push the organ into realms that had never been heard of in jazz. Young's got a real penchant for a modal groove – no doubt inspired by his friend and sometimes collaborator John Coltrane – and he's working here with a totally hip group that includes Sam Rivers, Grant Green, and Elvin Jones. The tunes are amazing – dancing with delight as they push the envelope, but never go too far to get overindulgent – and the album's filled with classics that include Green's wonderful composition "Plaza De Toros", plus originals by Young like "Tyrone", "Backup", and "Ritha". LP, Vinyl record album

Righteous jazz, but with a bit of a funky twist too – a great selection of classics from the years when 60s soul jazz was reaching out with a new sense of pride and power, and finding a way embrace all of the musical changes that were coming its way! The music here is often by artists who might have been playing straighter standards, or bluesy organ numbers a few years before – but who here are set fire by the changes of the 60s – both at a musical level, and a political one – the latter in ways that resonate strongly even in the instrumental passages on the set! The title is a reference to a famous quote by Eldridge Cleaver, used often by The Black Panthers – and the set begins with Joe Henderson's number of the same name, "If You're Not Part Of The Solution You're Part Of The Problem" – and follows with "Let's Make Peace & Stop The War" by Funk Inc, "Bitches Brew" by Eddie Jefferson, "HNIC" by Harold Vick, "Tawhid" by Johnny Lytle, "John Coltrane" by Clifford Jordan, "Celestial Bodies" by Catalyst, "Warriors Of Peace" by Azar Lawrence, "Africans Unite" by Gary Bartz NTU Troop, and "Black Feeling" by Johnny Hammond Smith. All tracks are nice and long – and the set has a great mix of spiritual ideals with a few funky currents. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) CD

The Soul Party here is a soul jazz one – pulled from Blue Note albums of the late 60s and early 70s, most of them surprisingly funky! The set's got some very tight little numbers that are heavy on the Hammond and electric guitar – that great sound that started to show up on the Blue Note label as the 60s drew to a close. Titles include "Never Can Say Goodbye" by Grant Green, "Soul Limbo" by Candido, "Hold On I'm Coming" by Reuben Wilson, "Shake" by Stanley Turrentine, "Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky" by Lou Donaldson, "Think" by Lonnie Smith, and "Ain't That Peculiar" by John Patton. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) CD

Features Ralph Bowen on tenor sax, John Swana on trumpet, Peter Bernstein on guitar, Sam Yahel on Hammond, and Brian Blade on drums. CD

Great work by one of the best European organists ever! Eddy Louiss is a massively under-acknowledged talent – a whiz on the Hammond with the soul of Jimmy Smith and John Patton, and the freewheeling vision of Larry Young – and this record is a perfect chance to hear him at his best. The setting is spare – just drums by Kenny Clarke and guitar by Rene Thomas – and Eddy's grooving in an open exploratory style that never forgets to swing, and which reaches towards the sky on some really nice modal lines! Titles include "No Smoking", "Don't Want Nothin", "Nardis", "Blue Tempo", and "You've Changed". CD

A very well-done collection of Charlie Parker performances from the legendary Birdland nightclub – originally presented on radio, but cleaned up here with a great sense of sound! The mighty Symphony Sid can be heard introducing a few tracks, but the main focus is on the music – with the kind of razor-sharp solos that always made Parker a knockout, especially during these key early 50s years – and accompaniment from musicians who include Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Bud Powell or John Lewis on piano, Kenny Clarke or Roy Haynes on drums, and even the surprising inclusion of organist Milt Buckner at one point! The album may well be worth it, just to hear Bird playing with a Hammond – but the whole thing's great, and titles include "Cool Blues", "Star Eyes", "Blue N Boogie", "Anthropology", "Night In Tunisia", and "Groovin High". LP, Vinyl record album

An album that's maybe one of the least familiar Blue Note records to most jazz listeners – a set that was barely pressed up at the time, and reissued infrequently – yet which is a tremendous debut as a leader from tenorist Harold Vick! At the time of the album's release, Vick had been bringing all these amazing sounds to Hammond albums by Brother Jack McDuff – reed lines that were very different in phrasing and tone than the tenor sounds of players like Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt – and he continues that magic here, in a really wonderful group – with John Patton on the Hammond, Grant Green on guitar, and the mighty Ben Dixon on drums – a player with a loose touch that really fits Harold's unique sense of rhythm. Blue Mitchell also plays trumpet up front, bringing a nice tonal brightness to the album – and titles include a great version of Vick's "Our Miss Brooks", plus "Steppin Out", "Vicksville", and "Trimmed In Blue". CD

An album that's maybe one of the least familiar Blue Note records to most jazz listeners – a set that was barely pressed up at the time, and reissued infrequently – yet which is a tremendous debut as a leader from tenorist Harold Vick! At the time of the album's release, Vick had been bringing all these amazing sounds to Hammond albums by Brother Jack McDuff – reed lines that were very different in phrasing and tone than the tenor sounds of players like Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt – and he continues that magic here, in a really wonderful group – with John Patton on the Hammond, Grant Green on guitar, and the mighty Ben Dixon on drums – a player with a loose touch that really fits Harold's unique sense of rhythm. Blue Mitchell also plays trumpet up front, bringing a nice tonal brightness to the album – and titles include a great version of Vick's "Our Miss Brooks", plus "Steppin Out", "Vicksville", and "Trimmed In Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

A record with a very heavy core – as Scotty Hard's not only adding bass to the set, but also plenty of beats and samples as well – all elements that are used mostly in a rhythmic way, to leave plenty of space for the slide trumpet of Steven Bernstein, saxes and guitar of Briggan Krauss, bass and guitar of Tony Scherr, and drums of Kenny Wollesen! Wollesen also adds in a bit of electric percussion, which moves nicely next to Hard's rhythms – while the horns and guitars cascade over the top in a great array of colors – colors that are also expanded by guest work from John Medeski on Hammond and mellotron, Vijay Iyer on piano, and DJ Olive on turntables and electronics. Titles include "Banacek", "Lawn Mower", "Fletcher Henderson", "Pepper Pot", "Hit The Dirt", and "Tapestral". Also features a bonus 12" – with tracks "Dominion" and "Club Pythagorean". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from Lonnie Smith – one of the few Hammond heroes from the past who's continued to give us fresh-sounding music over the years! Lonnie's been reinvigorated after returning to Blue Note – and this tight little set follows all the growth he's experienced at the label – organ lines that soar nicely, with a complexity that Smith never had in his early years – given strong rhythmic support from Johnathan Blake on drums and Jonathan Kreisberg on guitar! The middle core of the album is live – recorded at the Jazz Standard – and features work from John Ellis on trumpet, Jason Marshall on baritone, Robin Eubanks on trombone, and Sean Jones on trumpet – on titles that include "Bright Eyes", "Pilgrimage", "Two Damn Hot", "Track 9", and "World Weeps". The set also features two covers – both with surprising vocals from Iggy Pop – a nice take on the Timmy Thomas tune "Why Can't We Live Together", and a version of "Sunshine Superman". LP, Vinyl record album

An album that's maybe one of the least familiar Blue Note records to most jazz listeners – a set that was barely pressed up at the time, and reissued infrequently – yet which is a tremendous debut as a leader from tenorist Harold Vick! At the time of the album's release, Vick had been bringing all these amazing sounds to Hammond albums by Brother Jack McDuff – reed lines that were very different in phrasing and tone than the tenor sounds of players like Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt – and he continues that magic here, in a really wonderful group – with John Patton on the Hammond, Grant Green on guitar, and the mighty Ben Dixon on drums – a player with a loose touch that really fits Harold's unique sense of rhythm. Blue Mitchell also plays trumpet up front, bringing a nice tonal brightness to the album – and titles include a great version of Vick's "Our Miss Brooks", plus "Steppin Out", "Vicksville", and "Trimmed In Blue". CD

A seminal set from a time when few folks were thinking of funk in jazz – the second effort by a trio who came years after the glory days of soul jazz and funky 45s, but who also paved the way for the Daptone generation to come! Chris Wood plays bass, Billy Martin plays drums, and John Medeski plays organ and piano – yet these guys sound nothing like a Hammond trio from back in the day – as they have a soaring, almost cosmic approach to music – really letting loose with lines that sometimes soar, sometimes play in the dirt – effortlessly shifting things up in a really great way! The album includes a great version of Coltrane's "Syeeda's Song Flute", plus originals like "Worms", "Sand", "Where's Sly", and "Wiggly's Way". LP, Vinyl record album

2 lost sessions from early 60s tenor titan Wild Bill Moore – an R&B inflected player who only cut a few sides on his own, all of them a unique mix of jazz with some of the more screaming R&B saxophone tendencies! This set brings together two albums that feature Bill rocking with a Latinized rhythm section – Ben Riley on drums, Joe Benjamin on bass, and Ray Barretto on conga, kicking things up from the bottom. One album features Johnny Hammond Smith on organ, the other Junior Mance on piano – and both sets groove nicely with a wealth of original tracks! Titles include "Heavy Soul", "A Good Un", "Tearin Out", "Wild Bill's Beat", "Sister Caroline", "Bottom Groove", "Bubbles", "My Little Girl", and "Down With It". CD

A sweet 70s groover from the great Lonnie Smith – a soulful little session that has the keyboardist really stretching out in some great ways! At the time, Smith fares a lot better than some of his late 60s jazz organ contemporaries – as he's got a great lean style, perfect for the decade's increasing use of electric keyboards and larger backings! This set's a great example of that style – as Smith moves way from his 60s soul jazz roots, into the soaring blend of jazz, funk, and soul that you'd also hear on Johnny Hammond albums of the time – almost more soul than jazz, given the presence of vocals on some cuts – but still always with more than enough room for the leader to stretch out and solo. Backings are nice and tight – and handled by Brad Baker (of B Baker Chocolate Company fame) – and tracks include "Funk Reaction", "For The Love Of It", "It's Changed", and "When The Night Is Right". CD

A sweet 70s groover from the great Lonnie Smith – a soulful little session that has the keyboardist really stretching out in some great ways! At the time, Smith fares a lot better than some of his late 60s jazz organ contemporaries – as he's got a great lean style, perfect for the decade's increasing use of electric keyboards and larger backings! This set's a great example of that style – as Smith moves way from his 60s soul jazz roots, into the soaring blend of jazz, funk, and soul that you'd also hear on Johnny Hammond albums of the time – almost more soul than jazz, given the presence of vocals on some cuts – but still always with more than enough room for the leader to stretch out and solo. Backings are nice and tight – and handled by Brad Baker (of B Baker Chocolate Company fame) – and tracks include "Funk Reaction", "For The Love Of It", "It's Changed", and "When The Night Is Right". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite compilations of all time – a smoking batch of soulful jazz from the 60s, with a slight bit of funk and blues thrown in as well! The set's exactly what's promised in the title – jazz cuts, but with an ultra-cool mod vibe – the kind of soulful sounds that played big with the younger London crowd digging American music in the mid 60s – and also the kind of music you'd be likely to find blasting out of a backroom jukebox on the west side of Chicago! There's loads of rare single mixes of LP tracks on the set, and a number of smoking 45s from artists you might know better from more mainstream work – really hitting hard here, alongside a few special numbers from the indie underground too. Tracks are cool enough for old school hipsters – but appealing enough to bring in a new listener too – and as proof of that, we've given this one away for many years as a Christmas present. The collection features 25 tracks in all – non-stop pleasure throughout – with titles that include "Soul Shoutin" by Shirley Scott, "Tengo Tango" by Cannonball Adderley Sextet, "Whip It On Me" by Billy Hawks, "Yeh Yeh" by Mongo Santamaria, "Black Talk" by Charles Earland, "I'm Ready" by Otis Spann, "Mama Rufus" by Merced Blue Notes, "Theme From NYPD" by Johnny Hammond, "Step Out & Get It" by The Nomos, "Why Don't You Do Right" by Mark Murphy, "Collard Greens" by Freddie McCoy, "Theme From The Carpetbaggers" by Jack McDuff, "Filthy McNasty" by Eddie Jefferson, "Evil Ways" by Cal Tjader, "Kenny's Theme" by Kenny Burrell, and "Games" by Ivan Boogaloo Joe Jones. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest albums we've ever heard from organist Joey DeFrancesco – a record that burns with strongly soulful work by Bobby Hutcherson! Hutcherson really helps Joey really flesh out his standard Hammond groove for the set – pushing the organ into broad new colors on both the ballads and uptempo numbers – and almost creating a sound that brings back echoes of some of the Johnny Hammond Smith and Lem Winchester collaborations back in the early 60s! George Coleman plays tenor solos on 2 tracks in the set, but the real sax credit here goes go Ron Blake – who plays tenor, soprano, and flute throughout – sparking the most driving tracks with a searing edge that's really great. DeFrancesco takes off on some Larry Young-ish riffs at times, but keeps things in check overall – and titles include a great remake of Hutcherson's classic "Little B's Poem", plus the originals "Down The Hatch", "Colleen", and "The Tackle" – and a nice take on "Somewhere In The Night", one of those tracks that never lets us down! CD

A killer concert all the way through – and a great showcase for the CTI sound! Although the genius of the CTI label might be often thought of in a studio format – especially since the Creed Taylor Influence on the label is what really turned the sound into something wonderful – this live set from 1971 shows that the label's players, with the right frame of mind, can easily get into the CTI groove in any setting – soaring out in a magical blend of acoustic and electric instrumentation, really stretching out on some killer long tracks! The group's a great all-star one – with organ and electric piano by Johnny Hammond, guitar by George Benson, flute by Hubert Laws, trumpet by Freddie Hubbard, tenor by Stanley Turrentine, and percussion by Airto – and all tracks are long, and very free-flowing. Titles include "Red Clay", "Sugar", "Blues West", "Leaving West", and "Fire & Rain". LP, Vinyl record album

Funky fusion in a runaway spaceship – the second album by Larry Young's cosmic heavy Fuel ensemble! The album's a perfect batch of jazzy keyboard grooves in a tradition that includes Lonnie Liston Smith, Johnny Hammond, and Charles Earland during his Mercury years – with Larry on moog, organ, Hammond B-3, Fender Rhodes, and other cool keyboards – grooving with a sound that ranges from fast and choppy to sweet and spacious. Julius Brockington also plays a lot of funky keys on the set next to Larry, and although a few tracks have vocals, the real focus here is on the instrumentation. Titles include "Startripper", "Message From Mars", "Moonwalk", "Sticky Wicket", and "Flytime". His last album, and a nice bit of far-reaching funk! LP, Vinyl record album

A stone classic from Gene Ammons – and a record that introduced his talents to a whole new audience in the 60s! The album's a more laidback one than some of Jug's more hard-blown honkers – as you might guess from his hit rendition of the ballad in the title – and the instrumentation here varies between organ from Johnny Hammond Smith and piano from Mal Waldron – making for a nice tapestry of dark-tinged, late nite moods. Other players include Frank Wess on tenor and flute, and Art Taylor or Ed Thigpen on drums. Titles include the classic "Angel Eyes", plus "You Go To My Head" and "It's The Talk Of The Town" – and slightly more groovin numbers like "Getting Around" and "Water Jug". LP, Vinyl record album

Our favorite side of Gene Ammons' talents – summed up nicely in a 2LP set! Ammons wasn't the first tenor player to work with a Hammond organ, but once the format gained popularity, Gene made a wise move to take it up – and it became a pairing that forever defined the later years of his sound! The 2LP set brings together a nice blend of ballads, groovers, and funky tunes recorded for Prestige with organists Johnny Hammond Smith and Jack McDuff during the 60s – titles that include "Born To Be Blue", "Twistin The Jug", "In Sid's Thing", "Blue Room", "Water Jug", "Getting Around", "Angel Eyes", "Stormy Monday", "Velvet Soul", and "Down The Line". CD

A great lost chapter in the Larry Mizell story – a record that's not nearly as well known as Mizell-produced jams for Bobbi Humphrey or Johnny Hammond, but which is every bit as great! Roger Glenn's a funky flute player with a really great groove – California groovy, with just a touch of Latin – served up here with some great Mizell-infused touches – that rolling rhythm on the bottom, soaring instrumentation on the top, and some great Latin elements that are wrapped up warmly in the fusion! There's plenty of great keyboards, too – played both by Larry Mizell, and also by Mark Soskin – a range of Fender Rhodes, Arp, mini-moog, and more – all adding in the right sort of warmth to Roger's flute, and the album's rich array of percussion. Titles include "Kick", "Reachin", "Rio", "Gloria", "Overtime", and "Don't Leave". LP, Vinyl record album

A stone classic from Gene Ammons – and a record that introduced his talents to a whole new audience in the 60s! The album's a more laidback one than some of Jug's more hard-blown honkers – as you might guess from his hit rendition of the ballad in the title – and the instrumentation here varies between organ from Johnny Hammond Smith and piano from Mal Waldron – making for a nice tapestry of dark-tinged, late nite moods. Other players include Frank Wess on tenor and flute, and Art Taylor or Ed Thigpen on drums. Titles include the classic "Angel Eyes", plus "You Go To My Head" and "It's The Talk Of The Town" – and slightly more groovin numbers like "Getting Around" and "Water Jug". CD

A fantastic bit of jazz funk fusion – and one of the landmark 70s albums produced by Larry Mizell! This is Gary Bartz's second (and most amazing) collaboration with Larry Mizell – a studio genius who could focus on the best talent of a jazz artist, then expand it using additional keyboards, percussion, and often a sweet bank of chorus vocals to give the tracks an extra soulful sound! By the time of this album, Larry had already worked to great fame with Donald Byrd, Bobbi Humphrey, and Johnny Hammond – and the record has him turning his talents towards Gary Bartz to unlock a whole hidden side of soulful expression that would never be matched again! The title cut – "Music Is My Sanctuary" – is a jazz fusion classic in anyone's book, and it features characteristic Mizell keyboards alongside Gary's soulful sax, augmented by a deep vocal chorus that's simply fantastic. Other highlights include "Carnaval De L'Esprit" and "Macaroni" – and the whole album's nice! LP, Vinyl record album

Man, it's like a talent bomb exploded! This set's stuffed with work by some of the greatest jazz funk players of the early 70s – Johnny Hammond, Bob James, Deodato, George Benson, Joe Farrell, Stanley Turrentine, Freddie Hubbard, Grover Washington Jr, Hubert Laws, and others – all playing together at a massive live concert recorded in Hollywood in 1972! And although you might worry that the collection of so many great talents on one stage might just create confusion – don't! The quality of the work is excellent – almost better than the best of the CTI studio sides, with a lean, clean sound that's really really tight – never overblown, just sweet electric funk with loads of great space for solo work. This first volume of the 3 LP set includes takes of "First Light", "California Dreaming" and a medley of "Inner City Blues" and "What's Going On". LP, Vinyl record album

Man, it's like a talent bomb exploded! This set's stuffed with work by some of the greatest jazz funk players of the early 70s – Johnny Hammond, Bob James, Deodato, George Benson, Joe Farrell, Stanley Turrentine, Freddie Hubbard, Grover Washington Jr, Hubert Laws, and others – all playing together at a massive live concert recorded in Hollywood in 1972! And although you might worry that the collection of so many great talents on one stage might just create confusion – don't! The quality of the work is excellent – almost better than the best of the CTI studio sides, with a lean, clean sound that's really really tight – never overblown, just sweet electric funk with loads of great space for solo work. This third volume of the 3 LP set includes takes of "Funkfathers", "Cherry", "Bowl Full Of Blues", "Cherry Red" and "God Bless The Child". LP, Vinyl record album

One of a handful of records cut by the lovely singer Byrdie Green for Prestige during the 60s! Byrdie's got a sweet soulful voice – not the greatest in the world technically, but very much in that classic small club mode of the 60s and 70s, as often heard singing with a hip small combo late into the nights. In this case, the hip combo's that of Johnny Hammond Smith – as Johnny arranged the whole set, and sort of acted as Byrdie's mentor at Prestige. Johnny's groovy organ group also features Virgil Jones on trumpet, Gene Walker on tenor, and Eddie Diehl on guitar – and they provide some very tasty backing for Byrdie on cuts like "Hurt", "Gin House Blues", "Goin Out Of My Head", "Somebody Groovy", and "In The Dark". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A really unusual setting for the tenor of Houston Person – in that the four-person group features very prominent trombone work from Mark Levine, whose soulful sound is a great match for Person – plus hammond from Charles Boyston, a player we don't know at all, but who sounds great here – and drums from Frank Jones. The sound is a very groovy one – similar to some of Person's work with Johnny Hammond's combo – and the tracks have a bit more of a bite than some of his later prestige work. Titles include "Ballin", "The Pimp", and "Underground Soul" – which should give you an idea of the nature of the proceedings! LP, Vinyl record album

Two excellent albums of funky organ work from the great Reuben Wilson! Both sides were recorded for Groove Merchant after Reuben left Blue Note – and they're actually a lot better than his work for Blue Note, as they have him opening up his groove a lot more, funking it up in a mode that's a lot like Johnny Hammond's work for Kudu. The set features 13 tracks in all – including Reuben's great cover of "Inner City Blues" that was sampled by Tribe Called Quest, plus other funky numbers like "Cream Puff", "The Cisco Kid", "Sweet Life", "I'll Take You There", "Groove Grease", "Snaps", and "Superfly". CD

A great lost chapter in the Larry Mizell story – a record that's not nearly as well known as Mizell-produced jams for Bobbi Humphrey or Johnny Hammond, but which is every bit as great! Roger Glenn's a funky flute player with a really great groove – California groovy, with just a touch of Latin – served up here with some great Mizell-infused touches – that rolling rhythm on the bottom, soaring instrumentation on the top, and some great Latin elements that are wrapped up warmly in the fusion! There's plenty of great keyboards, too – played both by Larry Mizell, and also by Mark Soskin – a range of Fender Rhodes, Arp, mini-moog, and more – all adding in the right sort of warmth to Roger's flute, and the album's rich array of percussion. Titles include "Kick", "Reachin", "Rio", "Gloria", "Overtime", and "Don't Leave". CD

Features work by Charles Earland, Don Patterson, Larry Young, Jack McDuff, Johnny Hammond Smith, Groove Holmes, Lonnie Smith, and others! CD

If this is what they call an Encyclopedia, the folks at Britannica can sign us up! The set's a smoking selection of older soul jazz numbers from the glory days of Prestige Records – that key late 50s/1960s time when the label was helping forge a whole new sound in jazz – mixing in elements of R&B, hardbop, and gospel – and letting fly with a whole range of great tenor and organ players! The tracks here are all classics, all presented in nice long full versions that show what music like this can really do when let loose in the studio – and titles include "Seed Shack" by Gene Ammons, "Nother Futher" by Sonny Stitt & Jack McDuff, "Misty" by Groove Holmes, "Soul Meeting" by King Curtis, "The Honeydripper" by Jack McDuff, "When My Dreamboat Comes Home" by Arnett Cobb, "In The Kitchen" by Eddie Lockjaw Davis, "More Today Than Yesterday" by Charles Earland, "Please Mr Jackson" by Willis Jackson, and "Dirty Apple" by Johnny Hammond Smith. CD

Three 70s killers from Jimmy McGriff! Groove Grease is a nice bit of funky organ work from Jimmy McGriff – a set that's got his famous talents on the Hammond out front of a larger ensemble – but in a way that's very different than some of his albums of that type from the 70s! There's lots of electricity in the mix – electric piano from Horace Ott, bass from Richard Evans, and guitar from Wayne Bennett – mixed with sharp work on horns from Cliff Davis on tenor and flute, Murray Watson on trumpet, and Johnny Beard on baritone – three players who really flesh out the sound! The album's got some excellent stone funky classics – like "The Bird", "Groove Grease", and "Plain Brown Bag" – plus some surprisingly funky readings of standards like "Canadian Sunset" and "Mr Lucky", both made to sound super-nice, thanks to excellent work on bass and drums! Main Squeeze is one of the grooviest albums ever from Jimmy McGriff – a hard-wailing session that's filled with plenty of cooking lines on the organ, and a few especially funky tracks! The groove here is tight, short, and very sharp – strongly in the mode of other post-Sue sessions by McGriff – like The Worm or other Groove Merchant sides – with a style that's often much more focused than Jimmy's earlier years, and strongly turned towards the rhythms of the tunes! A few numbers are more familiar soul jazz, but these are nicely offset by the harder funk numbers of the record – like the romping, stomping break classic "The Main Squeeze", the totally groovy "The Worm Turns", and the fast-vamping "GMI". The group features Jimmy Ponder on guitar and Connie Lester on alto sax – and other titles include "The Sermon", "Stella By Starlight", and "The Blues Train To Georgia". Tailgunner has Jimmy McGriff in a very cool 70s mode – hitting some of the fuller, more soul-based styles that Johnny Hammond and Jimmy Smith were exploring in the middle of the decade – while still also displaying a hell of a talent on the organ as well! The album has extra keyboards from Pat Rebillot and Paul Griffin – which makes for a nice mix of organ and electric piano sounds, plus some occasional moog that's very nicely placed – all backed by a largeish group that has tight horns, and some occasional soul vocals from Al Downing and Denise Wooten. The vocals are often an augmentation of the tunes, and there's still plenty of room for solos by Jimmy in the middle – on titles that include "Tailgunner", "Flexible Flyer", "Sky Hawk", "Grandma's Toe Jam", and "Bullfrog". CD

With Rob Bargad on Hammond organ and vocals. CD

One of the coolest, grooviest albums ever from jazz vibist Johnny Lytle – a set that really leans into the impact that he was having with the soul instrumental crowd, and which serves up tunes in these short, tight grooves that show why Johnny was the king of the stepping dancefloor in the 60s! The set's still done with producer Orrin Keepnews, who'd handled Lytle's earlier jazz sides – but the tunes are shorter, and have the grooves punched up nicely – with plenty of cool Hammond work from organist Milt Harris, and tight drums from Peppy Hinnant – augment6ed with work from Willie Rodriguez on congas, and guest piano from Wynton Kelly on a few cuts! The whole thing's sweet and groovy, and the set features Johnny Lytle originals "Big Bill", "The Shyster", "Possum Grease", "The Man", "The Loop", and "Hot Sauce" – plus a cool cover of "Cristo Redentor". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest, grooviest albums ever from jazz vibist Johnny Lytle – a set that really leans into the impact that he was having with the soul instrumental crowd, and which serves up tunes in these short, tight grooves that show why Johnny was the king of the stepping dancefloor in the 60s! The set's still done with producer Orrin Keepnews, who'd handled Lytle's earlier jazz sides – but the tunes are shorter, and have the grooves punched up nicely – with plenty of cool Hammond work from organist Milt Harris, and tight drums from Peppy Hinnant – augment6ed with work from Willie Rodriguez on congas, and guest piano from Wynton Kelly on a few cuts! The whole thing's sweet and groovy, and the set features Johnny Lytle originals "Big Bill", "The Shyster", "Possum Grease", "The Man", "The Loop", and "Hot Sauce" – plus a cool cover of "Cristo Redentor". LP, Vinyl record album

Both of the rare albums on the tiny Tuba label, cut by jazz vibist Johnny Lytle in the 60s! The Loop is one of the coolest, grooviest albums ever from jazz vibist Johnny Lytle – a set that really leans into the impact that he was having with the soul instrumental crowd, and which serves up tunes in these short, tight grooves that show why Johnny was the king of the stepping dancefloor in the 60s! The set's still done with producer Orrin Keepnews, who'd handled Lytle's earlier jazz sides – but the tunes are shorter, and have the grooves punched up nicely – with plenty of cool Hammond work from organist Milt Harris, and tight drums from Peppy Hinnant – augment6ed with work from Willie Rodriguez on congas, and guest piano from Wynton Kelly on a few cuts! The whole thing's sweet and groovy, and the set features Johnny Lytle originals "Big Bill", "The Shyster", "Possum Grease", "The Man", "The Loop", and "Hot Sauce" – plus a cool cover of "Cristo Redentor". New & Groovy is one of Johnny Lytle's great recordings for the Tuba label, and probably one of the albums that shows his funky jazz vibes style at its best! The whole thing is very nicely stripped down - and the focus of the album is on down-and-dirty groovers, perfect for the jazzy stepper set that still digs Lytle loads! Lots of short groovy ditties on here which match Lytle's vibes and Milt Harris' organ. The group also includes Wynton Kelly on piano, George Duvivier on bass, Jimmy Cobb on drums, and Montego Joe on conga and percussion. Tracks include "The Snapper", "Selim", "The Pulpit", and "Screamin' Loud", "Too Close For Comfort" and more. CD

Pianist Vijay Iyer has left his own very strong mark on the world of jazz in the past decade or so – but here, he's in a completely different setting, and a surprisingly strong fit for the sort of spirit we're used to hearing from trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith! The set also features drummer Jack DeJohnette – and there's a sense of dynamic interaction and sympathetic creativity that graces the entire album from the start – that special spirit that Smith always seems to bring to a recording, which really opens up Iyer on piano, Hammond, and Fender Rhodes – while DeJohnette explores the farther reaches of his spectrum as well. Titles include "Song For World Forgiveness", "Rocket", "Deep Time 1", and "The AD Opera" – a long piece dedicated to Anthony Davis. CD

One of the raunchiest albums ever cut by organist Freddie Roach – not as high-reaching as some of his later work, but with lots of short tracks that groove with a tight jukebox organ/tenor approach! The band is a strong one – with Conrad Lester on tenor, Eddie Wright on guitar (replaced by Kenny Burrell on a few cuts, and Clarence Johnson on drums – a power packed quartet groove that's lean, clean, and simple – giving the record a raw sound that's a bit more Prestige Hammond than the usual Blue Note set! Titles include "Baby Don't You Cry", "I Know", "Googa Mooga", "Mo Greens Please", "Nada Bossa", and "Party Time". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few solo albums ever cut by organist Chester Thompson – a player who's known to most as the keyboardist in Tower Of Power, but one who's also remembered by a select funky few for this killer record for the Black Jazz label! The album's a stripped-down quartet session – with labelmate Rudolph Johnson on tenor, blowing some beautiful lines alongside long, drawn-out Hammond solos from Thompson! The overall feel is similar to some of the great late 60s Prestige sessions – especially Don Patterson dates – with the group free swinging away in a very live format, just like you might have heard if you caught them in some hip southside club. Other players include Al Hall Jr on trombone and Ray Pounds on drums – and the album features four long jamming tracks, with titles that include "Mr T", "Trip One", "Weird Harold", and "Powerhouse". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few solo albums ever cut by organist Chester Thompson – a player who's known to most as the keyboardist in Tower Of Power, but one who's also remembered by a select funky few for this killer record for the Black Jazz label! The album's a stripped-down quartet session – with labelmate Rudolph Johnson on tenor, blowing some beautiful lines alongside long, drawn-out Hammond solos from Thompson! The overall feel is similar to some of the great late 60s Prestige sessions – especially Don Patterson dates – with the group free swinging away in a very live format, just like you might have heard if you caught them in some hip southside club. Other players include Al Hall Jr on trombone and Ray Pounds on drums – and the album features four long jamming tracks, with titles that include "Mr T", "Trip One", "Weird Harold", and "Powerhouse". CD

Two killers from Eddie Lockjaw Davis – both records that are different from his Cookbook sessions with Shirley Scott, and his twin-tenor battles with Johnny Griffin! First up is I Only Have Eyes For You – easily one of our favorite Eddie Lockjaw Davis albums! The record's a lot livelier than most – and it's recorded with the little-known Paul Weeden trio, who featured a young Don Patterson on organ. Weeden's a pretty good guitarist himself, and the whole session has a nice groovy groovy feel. Titles include "I Only Have Eyes For You", "Street Lights", and "The Way You Look Tonight" – and all tracks are taken at a good clip, with a strong club sound to them. Next is Trackin – a tight little soul jazz cooker from Eddie Lockjaw Davis – done with a sound that's leaner and cleaner than some of his Cookbook sessions – thanks to great Hammond from Don Patterson, working here in the trio of guitarist Paul Weeden! The combo's totally great – nicely focused, and hitting that more mature soul jazz swing that started to really come into play during the mid 60s – that stripping down of the organ stops, focused bite on tenor, and tight comping of guitar – all of which the combo carry off wonderfully – with help from George Duvivier on bass and Billy James on drums. There's a nice long cut with a laidback groove called "Beano", and a number of other shorter standards given the tenor/organ treatment – including "What's New", "Day By Day", and "Robbin's Nest". CD

A tremendous album from organist Freddie Roach – arguably his best record ever for Blue Note, and a really wonderful session! The set's got Freddie opening up in a slightly hipper groove than on some of his more R&B-influenced sides – working with a quartet that includes Percy France on tenor, Kenny Burrell on guitar, and Clarence Johnston on drums. Tracks are longish, with some really great rhythms – and show Freddie moving past straight Hammond grooving, into a more righteous mode that would emerge even more on his albums for Prestige. 6 tracks in all, and the titles include "De Bug", "Ahm Miz", "Althea Soon", and "Lion Down". CD