Sweet sound library funk from Joy Unlimited – an early 70s German combo heard here on their rarest record ever! As with the group's commercial releases, there's a wicked blend of funky jazz and hard-riffing instrumentation – and unlike other records, this one's got an even leaner, meaner groove – all instrumental, and with a great focus on key elements of the sound – funky flute here, sweet keyboards there, and lots of tightly-played guitar lines – which really help give the music a nice edge! The set's got a sound that's a lot like some of the best MPS funk of the time – no surprise, given that it comes from the same scene – and instrumentation includes Fender Rhodes, flute, guitar, saxes, marimba, trumpet, and lots of sweet drums. Titles include "Jamara", "Soul Gravy", "Homunkulus", "Breeding Ground", "Jigsaw Man", "Blue Box", "Parabolica", "Spectrum", "Herbie", and "Laguna Seca". (Sound Library, Jazz) CD

Andy Kirk leading and on bass sax and tuba with Mary Lou Williams on pinao. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best Steve Lacy albums from the 80s – a really strong live performance with a definite Monkish approach, served up in a really no-nonsense way! The group's just a quartet – with Lacy on soprano sax, Steve Potts on alto and soprano, Jean-Jacques Avenel on bass, and Oliver Johnson on drums – and the group's in perfect formation in a comfortable Paris setting – working with angular energy and a great sense of timing, and never falling into some of the tricks or gimmicks that could mar other Lacy records from the time. Steve's still razor-sharp at this point in his career, and Potts is, as always, a tremendous partner – and titles include "Morning Joy", "Prospectus", "Epistrophy", "As Usual", and "In Walked Bud". CD

With Howard Curtis and Mike Nichols on drums. CD

Bold, angular work from an ultra-hip trio – one with reedman Joe Lovano, bassist Anthony Cox, and drummer Ed Blackwell – all working in open, highly rhythmic space that recalls some of Blackwell's best experiments from years past! Lovano's got more than enough edge to make the record work – hitting this key point in his career with a tone that's fluidly progressive on tenor sax, as well as soprano and alto clarinet – and as you might guess from Blackwell's legacy, there's plenty of inventive drum work that really helps flesh out the sound of the trio. Titles include "Sounds Of Joy", "Ettenro", "This One's For Lacy", "Cedar Avenue Blues", and "Strength & Courage". CD

A solo piano album recorded at Toronto's Cafe des Copains. Tracks include "House Of Jade", "Pent Up House", "Thou Swell", and "Dat Dere". CD adds the bonus tracks "Manhattan" and "Indian Summer". CD

A set that shows the strong relation Joe McPhee has had with the Chicago scene in the past decade or so – a live date recorded in Italy, but featuring Joe in the company of Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello and Michael Zerang on percussion! The recording has a very loose, open feel – very much concerned with sound, and not just from McPhee's tenor sax and pocket trumpet, but also from the instruments of Lonberg-Holm and Zerang, which are recorded here with a really tremendous sound. The percussion is especially clear – coming through with a great sense of texture that really grounds the record, and lets Joe get a bit free at points. Titles include "Variations On Nation Time", "Variations On Remembrance", "Variations On Harriett", and "Feather Exchange". CD

Features 22 tracks including "St. James Infirmary", "Walkin In A Daze", "Lovin Mama Blues", "Indiana", "When You're Smiling", "Limehouse Blues" and "Got An Uncle In Harlem" –plus alternate takes and a few unreleased cuts. CD

A gem by Joe Pass – recorded "live" in the studio a few months before his legendary For Django album, but never issued until the 70s! The set's got a freeness that you don't always hear in some of Pass' other more restrained work – and working with a quartet that includes Mike Wofford on piano, Pass crafts some long and beautiful versions of tracks that include "Joy Spring", "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes", "Relaxin At Camarillo", and "Some Time Ago". CD

Something of a "lost" album from Sun Ra – material initially intended as his second album for Transition records in the 50s, but not issued until a decade later when Delmark Records was first putting the Chicago underground on the map! The sound here steps out nicely from the first Transition session – and Ra is already a bit bolder, not just in his structure of the songs, but in the way he handles his piano – with some darker notes and tones, more exotic phrasing, and even some very early use of electric piano – already with the haunting qualities that would show up more strongly in the Saturn years. Every member of the group is wonderful too – each with their own voice, spoken strongly and freely – in a lineup that includes Art Hoyle and Dave Young on trumpets, Julian Priester on trombone, Pat Patrick on alto and baritone sax, John Gilmore on tenor, Charles Davis on baritone, Victor Sproles on bass, William Cochran on drums, and Jim Herndon on tympani and timbali. Titles include "El Is A Sound Of Joy", "Overtones Of China", "Ankh", "Two Tones", "Saturn", "Reflections In Blue", and "Planet Earth". LP, Vinyl record album

Something of a "lost" album from Sun Ra – material initially intended as his second album for Transition records in the 50s, but not issued until a decade later when Delmark Records was first putting the Chicago underground on the map! The sound here steps out nicely from the first Transition session – and Ra is already a bit bolder, not just in his structure of the songs, but in the way he handles his piano – with some darker notes and tones, more exotic phrasing, and even some very early use of electric piano – already with the haunting qualities that would show up more strongly in the Saturn years. Every member of the group is wonderful too – each with their own voice, spoken strongly and freely – in a lineup that includes Art Hoyle and Dave Young on trumpets, Julian Priester on trombone, Pat Patrick on alto and baritone sax, John Gilmore on tenor, Charles Davis on baritone, Victor Sproles on bass, William Cochran on drums, and Jim Herndon on tympani and timbali. Titles include "El Is A Sound Of Joy", "Overtones Of China", "Ankh", "Two Tones", "Saturn", "Reflections In Blue", and "Planet Earth". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "As You Once Were" and "Dreams Come True" – with vocals by Clyde Williams. CD

With Nick Brignola on baritone saxophone, Roger Kellaway on piano, John Lockwood on accoustic bass, and Adam Nussbaum on drums. CD

Titles include "Qliphoth Chokehold", "Exaltation", "Kheter Ascension", "Father... Our Pain", and "Your Bliss My Joy". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of excellent albums from master drummer Tony Williams – all brought together in a single package! Believe It is crackling funky fusion from Tony Williams' "new" version of his classic Lifetime group – a quartet that featured some smoking guitar work by jazz rock legend Allan Holdsworth! The sound on the set is very full-on and jamming – fuzzed-out guitars taking over most of the tracks, and Tony jumping into the fray with some really frenetic work on drums – miles away from his earlier jazz work in the 60s, and really taking off with the best sort of rock/jazz fusion energy! Titles include "Snake Oil", "Fred", "Proto Cosmos", "Red Alert", and "Mr Spock". On Million Dollar Legs, Tony Williams is a million miles from his work with the Miles Davis Quintet on this record – grooving in a heavy rock/fusion mode with his New Lifetime group that includes Allan Holdsworth on guitar, Tony Newton on bass and vocals, and Alan Pasqua on keyboards! The tracks have a post Jeff Beck kind of approach – lots of heavy riffing in a way that does create a bit of funk at the right moments, almost in the Alphonze Mouzon/Tommy Bolin mode – and Williams' drums are right at home in the setting, and somehow filled with as much imagination and creativity as before! Titles include "Sweet Revenge", "Inspirations Of Love", "Lady Jade", "What You Do To Me", and "Joy Filled Summer". Joy Of Flying is a key record in the evolution of Tony Williams as a drummer – and kind of a powerful summation of all the changes he'd made in the 70s – before a return to straighter jazz in the next decade! Williams' drumming here is incredibly fierce at points – almost at a Billy Cobham level – but he also shows the sensitivity to deeper sounds that he first brought into play during the 60s – and manages to mix an ear for fusion modes with some freer elements too – thanks to help from a lineup of players that includes Herbie Hancock and Brian Auger on keyboards, Cecil Taylor on piano, Jan Hammer on Fender Rhodes, Stanley Clarke on bass, Ton Scott on lyricon, and Ronnie Montrose on guitar. Titles include "Tony", "Coming Back Home", "Morgan's Motion", "Eris", "Open Fire", and "Hittin On 6". Great CD reissue – full notes, and a 20 page booklet with the usual Reel Music attention to detail! CD

A key record in the evolution of Tony Williams as a drummer – and kind of a powerful summation of all the changes he'd made in the 70s – before a return to straighter jazz in the next decade! Williams' drumming here is incredibly fierce at points – almost at a Billy Cobham level – but he also shows the sensitivity to deeper sounds that he first brought into play during the 60s – and manages to mix an ear for fusion modes with some freer elements too – thanks to help from a lineup of players that includes Herbie Hancock and Brian Auger on keyboards, Cecil Taylor on piano, Jan Hammer on Fender Rhodes, Stanley Clarke on bass, Ton Scott on lyricon, and Ronnie Montrose on guitar. Titles include "Tony", "Coming Back Home", "Morgan's Motion", "Eris", "Open Fire", and "Hittin On 6". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant work by the team of Clifford Brown and Max Roach – a seminal hardbop album that was one of the few to bridge the east and west coast scenes! The set was recorded in LA under the joint leadership of Brown and Roach – and features the classic quintet lineup that included Harold Land on tenor, Richie Powell (Bud's brother!) on piano, and George Morrow on bass. The mix of Roach's heavy full-on drumming and Brown's lyrical beauty is beyond compare – and Land's angular and sensitive tenor lines provide a perfect link between the two. Titles include classics like "Parisian Thoroughfare", "The Blues Walk", "Daahoud", "Jordu", and "Joy Spring". CD

A very striking album – one of Ray Bryant's most noteworthy of the time! The album features Ray playing solo piano – quite unusual for the period, as most piano jazz records, especially his, were at least cut in a trio format – with additional bass and drums. Yet the approach works wonderfully for Bryant, and unlocks a surprisingly sensitive side of his music – quite different than some of his more soul jazz-styled work of the period. Ray's wonderfully unfettered here – hitting grooves with a level of expression and sophistication that far surpasses most of his other records. The intimate time on the keys never gets hokey or overindulgent – but it does let Ray open up and show a side that we've rarely heard on wax. Titles include "Stocking Feet", "Blues #3", "Joy", "Me & The Blues", and "My Blues". CD

Two excellent Bryant sets, recorded for Prestige, though he's more well known for his Cadet sides. The first disc of the set is a very striking album – one of Bryant's most noteworthy of the time! The album features Ray playing solo piano – quite unusual for the period, as most piano jazz records, especially his, were at least cut in a trio format. Ray's wonderfully unfettered here – hitting grooves with a level of expression and sophistication that far surpasses most of his other records. The intimate time on the keys never gets hokey or overindulgent – but it does let Ray open up and show a side that we've rarely heard on wax. Titles include "Stocking Feet", "Blues #3", "Joy", "Me & The Blues", and "My Blues". The Ray Bryant Trio is another wonderful early side, featuring Ike Isaacs and Specs Wright in a trio alongside Bryant, performing sparkling renditions of standards and a couple originals, that are still infused with his bluesy groove. Titles include "Golden Earrings", "Angel Eyes", "Blues Changes", "Splittin'", "Django", "The Thrill Is Gone", "Daahoud" and "Sonar". LP, Vinyl record album

An undisputed 70s soul jazz classic – and arguably the best album that Doug Carn ever cut for the Black Jazz label! The set is a masterpiece of spiritual jazz – with Carn on keyboards setting up the groove, and wife Jean singing some incredible vocals – very different than her later soul work as a solo act, and with a vibe that's like Dee Dee Bridgewater at her soulful 70s best. Jean does a killer job with the album's classic vocal version of Bobby Hutcherson's "Little B's Poem" – done here with sweet lyrics that really open the song up a lot, and make it into an anthem of love and joy that we'd be hard pressed to match with any other tune! And all other tracks are great too – with titles that include "Moon Child", "Passion Dance", and a great version of Wayne Shorter's "Infant Eyes". CD

An undisputed 70s soul jazz classic – and arguably the best album that Doug Carn ever cut for the Black Jazz label! The set is a masterpiece of spiritual jazz – with Carn on keyboards setting up the groove, and wife Jean singing some incredible vocals – very different than her later soul work as a solo act, and with a vibe that's like Dee Dee Bridgewater at her soulful 70s best. Jean does a killer job with the album's classic vocal version of Bobby Hutcherson's "Little B's Poem" – done here with sweet lyrics that really open the song up a lot, and make it into an anthem of love and joy that we'd be hard pressed to match with any other tune! And all other tracks are great too – with titles that include "Moon Child", "Passion Dance", and a great version of Wayne Shorter's "Infant Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album

An undisputed 70s soul jazz classic – and arguably the best album that Doug Carn ever cut for the Black Jazz label! The set is a masterpiece of spiritual jazz – with Carn on keyboards setting up the groove, and wife Jean singing some incredible vocals – very different than her later soul work as a solo act, and with a vibe that's like Dee Dee Bridgewater at her soulful 70s best. Jean does a killer job with the album's classic vocal version of Bobby Hutcherson's "Little B's Poem" – done here with sweet lyrics that really open the song up a lot, and make it into an anthem of love and joy that we'd be hard pressed to match with any other tune! And all other tracks are great too – with titles that include "Moon Child", "Passion Dance", and a great version of Wayne Shorter's "Infant Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album

An undisputed 70s soul jazz classic – and arguably the best album that Doug Carn ever cut for the Black Jazz label! The set is a masterpiece of spiritual jazz – with Carn on keyboards setting up the groove, and wife Jean singing some incredible vocals – very different than her later soul work as a solo act, and with a vibe that's like Dee Dee Bridgewater at her soulful 70s best. Jean does a killer job with the album's classic vocal version of Bobby Hutcherson's "Little B's Poem" – done here with sweet lyrics that really open the song up a lot, and make it into an anthem of love and joy that we'd be hard pressed to match with any other tune! And all other tracks are great too – with titles that include "Moon Child", "Passion Dance", and a great version of Wayne Shorter's "Infant Eyes". CD

One of the more obscure reissues to come out on the great Rearward imprint – but an excellent lost session of piano jazz, recorded in Milan in 1969! Pianist Oscar Rocchi has a sweet soulful approach to the piano, with a tone that's almost slightly funky at times – partly in reflection to the strong bass work by Cornelio Dattoli, and tight drumming by Gianni Cazzola. The record almost reminds us of some of the excellent 70s Japanese trio recordings by American pianists – and the whole set has a nice warm quality that you wouldn't expect from a record titled Abstraction! Includes a version of Edu Lobo's "Cancao Do Amanhecer", plus "FBM Blues", "Moment Of Joy", "Ivory Isle", and "Remember Coltrane". CD

We'll be honest with you – we love this stuff! Sure, Ornette made some great recordings for a number of other labels – but as a whole, his Atlantic stuff is some of the greatest modern jazz ever recorded, and no other period of an artist is more worth collecting and having in a complete format than this one! The package is unbelievably thorough – and includes not only all the tracks from classic albums like Change Of The Century, This Is Our Music, Free Jazz, Shape Of Jazz To Come, Ornette!, Ornette On Tenor, The Art Of The Improvisors and Twins – but also 6 previously unreleased tracks, and rare material like Ornette's Japanese-only LP To Whom Who Keeps A Record plus 2 selections from Gunther Schuller's Jazz Abstractions featuring Ornette! There's 6CDs in all – packaged in a great case with a well annotated booklet. Titles include "Proof Readers", "Revolving Doors", "Joy Of A Toy", "Cross Breeding", "Variants On A Theme Of Thelonious Monk", "Eos", "Focus On Sanity", "Una Muy Bonita", "Lomely Woman", "Little Symphony", "The Circle With The Hole In The Middle", "Beauty Is A Rare Thing", "Folk Tale", "The Face Of The Bass", "Brings Goodness", "Rise & Shine", and lots and lots more! CD

We'll be honest with you – we love this stuff! Sure, Ornette made some great recordings for a number of other labels – but as a whole, his Atlantic stuff is some of the greatest modern jazz ever recorded, and no other period of an artist is more worth collecting and having in a complete format than this one! The package is unbelievably thorough – and includes not only all the tracks from classic albums like Change Of The Century, This Is Our Music, Free Jazz, Shape Of Jazz To Come, Ornette!, Ornette On Tenor, The Art Of The Improvisors and Twins – but also 6 previously unreleased tracks, and rare material like Ornette's Japanese-only LP To Whom Who Keeps A Record plus 2 selections from Gunther Schuller's Jazz Abstractions featuring Ornette! There's 6CDs in all – packaged in a great case with a well annotated booklet. Titles include "Proof Readers", "Revolving Doors", "Joy Of A Toy", "Cross Breeding", "Variants On A Theme Of Thelonious Monk", "Eos", "Focus On Sanity", "Una Muy Bonita", "Lomely Woman", "Little Symphony", "The Circle With The Hole In The Middle", "Beauty Is A Rare Thing", "Folk Tale", "The Face Of The Bass", "Brings Goodness", "Rise & Shine", and lots and lots more! CD

The classic quartet of John Coltrane, certainly the classic quartet of the 60s jazz scene and perhaps the classic jazz quartet of all time, compiled in one box set with all of their studio recordings! John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones set so many benchmarks for jazz with their envelope pushing style, recording and performances that it's impossible to overstate their importance in the modern musical oeuvre. This set features all of the LPs Coltrane, Ballads, Impressions, Live At Birdland, Crescent, A Love Supreme, The John Coltrane Quartet Plays, Kulu Se Mama, Transition, Sunship, Infinity and First Meditations, plus a number of tracks issued on compilations. 66 tracks in all, spread out over 8 CDs, in a beautiful bookbound package with a metal slipcase and extensive liner notes. The titles are too numerous to list here, but the set includes "Big Nick", "Soul Eyes", "Miles' Mode", "Tunji", "After The rain", "Lonnie's Lament", "The Drum Thing", "Wise One", "Crescent", "A Love Supreme", "Nature Boy", "Brasilia", "Song Of Praise", "Dear Lord", "The Last Blues", "Living Space", "Dusk Dawn", "Dearly Beloved", "Attaining", "Ascent", "Amen", "Love", "Compassion", "Joy", "Consequences", and "Serenity". CD

Features McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones. Tracks include "Joy", "Kulu Se Mama" and Selflessness". CD

Key 60s material from the great John Coltrane – even if the set wasn't ever released until the late 70s! The album's kind of a "prequel" to the later Meditations record, and it stands as a key bridge between Coltrane's modal years and his more spiritual sounds – delivered here by a core quartet, without the larger accompaniment that graced the later version! The classic quartet is at their best – McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – and the sound is slightly more inside than later, but no less filled with searching and yearning! CD version contains a 12 minute extended alternate take of "Joy", the centerpiece of the composition. CD

Key 60s material from the great John Coltrane – even if the set wasn't ever released until the late 70s! The album's kind of a "prequel" to the later Meditations record, and it stands as a key bridge between Coltrane's modal years and his more spiritual sounds – delivered here by a core quartet, without the larger accompaniment that graced the later version! The classic quartet is at their best – McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – and the sound is slightly more inside than later, but no less filled with searching and yearning! CD version contains a 12 minute extended alternate take of "Joy", the centerpiece of the composition. CD

The John Coltrane sound stretching out to Infinity – beautifully collaborating core spiritual sounds recorded when The Great One was still alive, and later string passages done by Alice Coltrane in the early 70s! The initial tracks are very open and almost easygoing – not the full-on outside expressions of some other Coltrane unreleased sides from the time, but the more cosmic sound of Love Supreme – carried out by musicians that include Alice Coltrane on harp, piano, and organ – plus Pharoah Sanders on tenor, McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison and Charlie Haden on bass, Rashied Ali on percussion, and Elvin Jones on drums. The strings are surprisingly wonderful, too – kind of linking the Coltrane and post-Coltrane generations in ways that are really marvelous, and filled with the kind of majesty that Coltrane should have deserved while still on this planet! Titles include "Living Space", "Joy", "Leo", and "Peace On Earth". CD

A landmark first album from drummer Norman Connors – a spiritual jazz masterpiece that builds wonderfully on the post-Coltrane tradition! Norman is years away from his smoother soul recordings at this point, and coming out of a righteous jazz background that included work with Marion Brown and Archie Shepp. For this initial set, Norman's in incredible company – working with players that include Herbie Hancock on both electric and acoustic keys, plus Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Gary Bartz and Carlos Garnett on saxes, Stanley Clarke on bass, and Billy Hart and Airto on percussion – plus a chorus of vocalists on the album's mighty title cut! Tracks are all long, spiritual, and freely exploratory – but never in a style that goes too far outside, or that forgets the joy and love that can spring forth in a forward-thinking session like this one! Titles include "Dance Of Magic", "Give The Drummer Some", "Morning Change", and "Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful work from a crack group of jazz legends, together billed as The Cookers – Billy Harper on tenor, Eddie Henderson and David Weiss on trumpet, Craig Handy on alto & flute, George Cables on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Billy Hart on drums – kind of a dream lineup, working here with the same sort of spiritual energy you'd expect from a 70s session of this nature! The music is filled with love and joy – and has just the right sort of groove to really make the soloists take off – and titles include Cables's "Spookarella" and "Sweet Rita Suite Part 2: Her Soul", Harper's "Priestess" and Capra Black", McBee's "Close To You Alone", "Ladybugg" and "U Phoria", and an great opening take on Freddie Hubbard's "The Core". CD

A really beautiful record – filled with sublime short solo pieces from Chick Corea – small songs filled with warmth and joy! LP, Vinyl record album

Plenty of poise here – a lot more restraint than before for guitarist Larry Coryell, but still plenty of soul as well! The rhythm section is a key element of the set – as it features Stanley Cowell on piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Billy Hart on drums – all working in different modes than the 70s, but still with enough spirit to really deepen the album underneath Coryell's slightly thinner work on guitar. The highlight of the set is the title track "Equipoise" – a beautifully sensitive re-reading of Cowell's classic composition – and other titles include "Joy Spring", "Christina", "First Things First", and "Tender Tears" – plus "Unemployed Floyd", which also features a bit of flute work from Pamela Sklar. CD

Includes the songs "Moment's Notice", "The Duke", "'Round Midnight", "Joy Spring", "Yesterdays", "No More Booze, Minor Blues", "Tender Tears", "My Shining Hour", "Toku Do",and "Sophisticated Lady". CD

Twin guitars, with no other instrumentation – on titles that include "Gerri's Blues", "Joy Spring", "Arubian Nights", and "How Insensitive". CD

Twin guitars, with no other instrumentation – on titles that include "Gerri's Blues", "Joy Spring", "Arubian Nights", and "How Insensitive". LP, Vinyl record album

A magical session of equally-matched players – one that's less of a straight trio set than a joint collaboration between piano, bass, and drums! Stanley Cowell's work on the keys is certainly a strong force in the set – but the loose and lively drum work of Waits is every bit as much a key factor in the set, as is the bass work of Williams – which is recorded here with just the right sense of depth and tone to bring out the nuances in his playing. The whole thing dances amazingly with a sense of joy and life that surpasses most of Cowell's other small group work from the period – done with an energy that's quite different than the Strata East years, but no less compelling. Titles include "Winter Reflections", "Deceptacon", "Air Dancing", "Sendai Sendoff", "Christina", and "Sienna Welcome My Darling". CD

One of Tadd Dameron's last true jazz sides – featuring the bop maestro composing, arranging, and conducting for a large group that includes Bill Evans, Johnny Griffin, Joe Wilder, Clark Terry, and Philly Joe Jones. There's a bit of Ellington in the album – with somber washes of mood and color, in a manner that was always one of Dameron's strongest suits – and the quality of the players, especially Evans, really adds a lot to the album. Titles include "On A Misty Night", "Just Plain Talkin", "You're A Joy", "Swift As The Wind", and "Dial B For Beauty". CD

One of Tadd Dameron's last true jazz sides – featuring the bop maestro composing, arranging, and conducting for a large group that includes Bill Evans, Johnny Griffin, Joe Wilder, Clark Terry, and Philly Joe Jones. There's a bit of Ellington in the album – with somber washes of mood and color, in a manner that was always one of Dameron's strongest suits – and the quality of the players, especially Evans, really adds a lot to the album. Titles include "On A Misty Night", "Just Plain Talkin", "You're A Joy", "Swift As The Wind", and "Dial B For Beauty". LP, Vinyl record album

Stellar early 70s work from John Dankwork – in a 2CD set! Full Circle is simply one of the greatest albums we've ever heard from the Brit maestro – a big band album as in earlier years, but one done with lots of hip 70s touches! The feel here is halfway between that of sound library grooving and some of the larger group 70s sessions on MPS – often funky at times, but with freshly modern solo work that breaks out from the larger ensemble nicely to accentuate the mood of the tunes. Players include Alan Branscombe on vibes, John Taylor on piano, Joe Moretti on guitar, and Kenny Wheeler on trumpet – and tunes include Mike Vickers' "Eleven Plus", Mike Gibbs' "A Family Joy" and "Triple Portrait", Keith Jarrett's "Grow Your Own", and Dankworth's "Academy One" and "Earthman". Also features a nice bass-y take on "You Are Too Beautiful". Lifeline is another great one – also reminding us of some of the larger MPS projects of the same time. The tracks have a bit of an electric glow in the basswork and production, but the main focus is on acoustic big band grooving – with breakout solos, and some tighter ensemble passages. Includes the sweet suite "Lifeline", which has a few funky moments – plus"Tomorrow's World", "WRVR", and "Fighting The Flab". Players include Don Rendell, Tony Hymas, Ken Gibson, and Dankworth himself. CD

A selection of very cool cuts from a long-running party hosted by the mighty Mark De Clive-Lowe – an event that showcases all his rich love of sounds in jazz, soul, club, and other contemporary modes – delivered live as a very collaborative effort, in a style that's captured beautifully on this expanded CD! Mark's got a hand in all the cuts here, but he also opens the door to all the guests to really do their thing – including Tommaso Cappellato, Myele Manzanza, Stro Elliot, Kamau Daaood, Joy Jones, and Colectivo Arte & Manha – all artists who share Mark's genre-jumping cosmic vision! The tracks here are all different than the Ropeadope album with Church in the title – and cuts include "Mystic Brew", "ACHH", "Steps Ahead", "ESSS (Love The Space)", "Ancient Prophecy", "Montara", "Blueberries", "Atlantic Journey", and "Invocation". Also includes the Japanese-only bonus track "Ryugu Jo". (New Grooves, Jazz) CD

A great reunion of Buddy DeFranco and Oscar Peterson – two players who recorded together famously for Verve in the 50s, working here on an 80s date under the supervision of old Verve head Norman Granz! The setting here is even more loose and laidback than in the 50s – that mellow Pablo Records mode that seems to bring in a lot more feeling to the players than some of their dates for other labels at the time – and Buddy's lost none of the charm in his tone, playing the clarinet with a soulful swing that's almost more like an alto sax at times! Other players include Joe Pass on guitar, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Martin Drew on drums – and titles include "Summer Me Winter You", "Llovisna", "By Myself", "Joy Spring", "All Too Soon", and "Hark". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly the most tripped-out of all albums by Jack DeJohnette – one that really shows his roots in many streams of the free, soul, and fusion jazz scenes of the time – and which is served up with a heck of a lot of surprises in the mix! Jack himself plays both drums and keyboards on the set – plus a bit of c-melody sax – and other players include Benny Maupin on clarinet, Dave Holland on bass, John Abercrombie on guitar, and Michael Fellerman on the metaphone 1 – a great instrument that really makes the sound of the record special. The keyboards are especially nice on the set, and electrify the proceedings in a way that seems to spark even more fire in DeJohnette's drums – especially on the classic break track "Epilog" – an excellent funky number that's almost worth the price of the set! Other tracks include "Sorcery #1", "The Rock Thing", "Reverend King Suite", "Four Levels Of Joy", and "The Right Time" – which is a wild vocals-only number! LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible pairing of talents – one Polish group, one Pakistani – coming together here on a set that may well be the most impressive release on the completely wonderful Astigmatic label! We've loved their releases by both EABS and Jaubi, yet somehow together they've reached a sound that's even more uplifting and righteous than their work alone – using the keyboards and saxes of the first group with the sharper guitar and Indian percussion of the latter – to craft a sound that's got the globe-spanning sense of hope and joy that a project like this can foster. Titles include "Moon", "Madhuvanti", "Tomorrow", "Raise Your Hearts Drop Your Guns", "Strange Love", "Yesterday", "Whispers", and "Judgement Day". CD

An incredible pairing of talents – one Polish group, one Pakistani – coming together here on a set that may well be the most impressive release on the completely wonderful Astigmatic label! We've loved their releases by both EABS and Jaubi, yet somehow together they've reached a sound that's even more uplifting and righteous than their work alone – using the keyboards and saxes of the first group with the sharper guitar and Indian percussion of the latter – to craft a sound that's got the globe-spanning sense of hope and joy that a project like this can foster. Titles include "Moon", "Madhuvanti", "Tomorrow", "Raise Your Hearts Drop Your Guns", "Strange Love", "Yesterday", "Whispers", and "Judgement Day". LP, Vinyl record album

Heavy-duty funky fusion – an all-star group that featured Alphonse Mouzon on drums, Randy Brecker on trumpet, Mike Mandel on keyboards, and Larry Coryell on guitar. The tracks all have that heavy electric full-on fusion sound that you'd find in a rock-inspired hard-jamming group like this – which means that there's more than a bit of funk on the record, compressed into lots of guitar and keyboard riffs. Titles include "Joy Ride", "Adam Smasher", "Low Lee Tah", "Yin", "Right On Y'All", and "Ism-Ejercico". LP, Vinyl record album

Great early work from Eliane Elias – Brazilian-influenced rhythms, warm piano lines, and a surprising undercurrent of soul! The set features Eliane strongly out front on acoustic piano – working with some elements of other American jazz at the time – kind of that post-fusion sense of soul that came from the electric years of other players, brought back into the acoustic keyboard as the 80s scene moved on. But Elias also brings in some of her best Brazilian elements too – really just in the way the keyboard lines come together with a sense of joy and life – and other players include Stanley Clarke and Eddie Gomez on bass, Al Foster and Steve Gadd on drums, and Toots Thielemans on a bit of guest harmonica. Titles include "Illusions", "Moments", "Iberia", "Chan's Song", "Through The Fire", and "Choro". CD

Includes the songs "Take The "A" Train (Intro)", "Caravan", "Three Cent Stomp", "Yesterdays","Things Ain't What They Used To Be", "Blues On The Double", "Kissin' Bug", "(Otto Make That) Riff Staccato", "Cotton Tail", "I'll Buy That Dream", "Fickle Fling", "Autumn Serenade", "How Deep Is The Ocean (How High Is The Sky)", "Goin' Up","Jump For Joy", and "I Wonder Why". CD

Include the songs "March 19th Blues", "Feet Bone", "In A Sentimental Mood", "Discontented", "Jump For Joy", "Just Scratchin The Surface", "Prelude To A Kiss", "Miss Lucy", "Uncontrived", "Satin Doll","Do Not Disturb", "Love You Madly", "Short Sheet Cluster", "Moon Mist", and "Long Time Blues". CD

2 wonderful late 50s sessions from arranger Gil Evans – both of which we'd rank right up there with his best work with Miles Davis, or the albums under his own name for Impulse in the 60s! The first half of the CD is from the album New Bottle Old Wine – a record of swinging modern backdrops, used to showcase both the solo talents of a young Cannonball Adderley, and the dynamic energy of Evans himself! Cannon's sharp-edged early tone is a really great sound for the record – far more modern than you might expect from later funk and soul sides of the 60s – and perfectly poised next to Gil's larger back drops to reignite a host of older tunes with new energy! And while the titles are familiar, the readings certainly are not – as the Evans pen has really changed things up beautifully – as you'll hear on numbers that include "St Louis Blues", "King Porter Stomp", "Willow Tree", "Struttin' With Some Barbeque", "Lester Leaps In", "Round About Midnight", "Manteca", and "Bird Feathers". Great Jazz Standards is equally great, a fantastic lost set from Evans – and one that features Mingus trumpeter Johnny Coles as the lead soloist in front of Evans-led modern groups that include players like Elvin Jones, Ray Crawford, Steve Lacy, Budd Johnson, Rod Levitt, and Chuck Wayne. Despite the "standards" in the title, most of these numbers are modern tunes from the 50s – like "Joy Spring", "Ballad Of The Sad Young Men", "Django", "Straight No Chaser", and "Chant Of The Weed" – all given Evans' unique style of arrangement, tweaked up a few notches to give them a really edgey quality. Coles is clearly standing in for Miles here, but the format works well overall! CD features 15 tracks in all, including some newly-improved versions of a few tracks, correcting mistakes in the original records! CD

A fantastic lost set from modernist genius Gil Evans – one that expands on some of the larger group territory he was exploring with Miles Davis at Columbia Records – but with an even hipper range of soloists overall! The lineup on the record is an all-star one – mostly top shelf players, not studio musicians – and the set has Evans making room in the arrangements for key solo performances by giants who include Johnny Coles on trumpet, Steve Lacy on soprano sax, Budd Johnson on tenor, Ray Crawford on guitar, and both Curtis Fuller and Jimmy Cleveland on trombones – all players who each bring some key moments of magic to the larger arrangements on the album. Evans himself plays piano, and drums are by Elvin Jones and Dennis Charles – which should give you an idea of the modernist inclinations in the music. And although the title says "standards", the tunes here are definitely on the hipper side of the jazz spectrum of the 50s, expanded with beautiful modern arrangements by Gil – on versions of "Joy Spring", "Ballad Of The Sad Young Men", "Django", "Straight No Chaser", and "Chant Of The Weed". CD

A fantastic lost set from modernist genius Gil Evans – one that expands on some of the larger group territory he was exploring with Miles Davis at Columbia Records – but with an even hipper range of soloists overall! The lineup on the record is an all-star one – mostly top shelf players, not studio musicians – and the set has Evans making room in the arrangements for key solo performances by giants who include Johnny Coles on trumpet, Steve Lacy on soprano sax, Budd Johnson on tenor, Ray Crawford on guitar, and both Curtis Fuller and Jimmy Cleveland on trombones – all players who each bring some key moments of magic to the larger arrangements on the album. Evans himself plays piano, and drums are by Elvin Jones and Dennis Charles – which should give you an idea of the modernist inclinations in the music. And although the title says "standards", the tunes here are definitely on the hipper side of the jazz spectrum of the 50s, expanded with beautiful modern arrangements by Gil – on versions of "Joy Spring", "Ballad Of The Sad Young Men", "Django", "Straight No Chaser", and "Chant Of The Weed". LP, Vinyl record album

Solo piano album – titles include "Sailing In The Sea Of Joy", "Boogie Man Blues", "Seasons Of The Soul: Indian Summer", and "The Mind Of Miro". CD

A rare album by the great west coast Latin trumpeter Luis Gasca, and argubly the best album he ever recorded! The set was recorded in New York during the late 60's, and features a great lineup of musicians that includes Paul Griffin on piano, Joe Henderson on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Mongo santamaria on conga, and Bernard Purdie on drums. The style's a mix of soul jazz, Latin, and bits of modal riffing – and the record features some beautiful large arrangements by Gasca and Mark Levine, in a style that's a bit like some of Duke Pearson's work from the late 60s, but handled with a bit more of an edge. Tracks include "Coisa No. 2", "Afro Blue", "Joy Ride", and "Sweet Pea". CD

A fantastic combination of modern jazz talents – the groundbreaking Gary Burton Quartet, and the young avant ensemble of trombonist Mike Gibbs! The set begins with a fantastic performance by Burton's group – heard here in a lineup that has the guitar of Dave Pritchard sharing equal chromatic roles with Burton's beautiful vibes – alongside sublime bass from Steve Swallow, and drums from Bill Goodwin. Gary solos on a great version of "Chega De Saudade", and other tunes include "General Mojo's Well Laid Plan", "Arise Her Eyes", "And On The Third Day", "Ballet", and "Portsmith Configurations". CD 2 features a full set by Gibbs' group – in a rare recording before their debut album – with a lineup that includes Kenny Wheeler and Trevor Barber on trumpets, Alan Skidmore and Ray Warleigh on saxes, Chris Spedding on guitar, and Chris Pyne on trombone with Gibbs. Tracks are all long, and really beautiful – and include "Nowhere", "Walter L", "Tanglewood 63", and "Sojourn/June The 15th 1967". There's also vibes on these performances, but the notes are a bit unclear – so we're not sure if they're by Burton, or Frank Ricotti – who also worked with Gibbs. Burton's group returns on the funky track "Doin The Pig" – and then CD3 features a full second performance from earlier in 1969 – with a group that also includes John Surman on soprano, Mike Osborne on alto, Henry Lowther on trumpet, Jack Bruce on bass, and Ricotti on vibes. Titles on this set include "Feelings & Things/June The 15th 1967", "Sweet Rain", "Family Joy Oh Boy", and "Fly Time Fly Sigh". CD

Firey guitar work from one of the all-time greats! Grant Green was one of the most incredible jazz guitarists of all time, and his early Blue Note work has always been some of the best guitar jazz ever recorded. With this great album, Blue Note has finally unearthed an amazing early session by Green – recorded in trio format with drummer Ben Dixon and organist John Patton. Both Patton and Green originally hailed from St. Louis, but were picked up on a tour by Lou Donaldson to join his band – and brought by Donaldson to Blue Note when the group hit New York. This set of tracks, dedicated to their boss, shows Patton and Green in sparkling interplay – trading lines with an ease, confidence, and rawness that would make most other organ/guitar teams weep with joy to achieve! The CD's a perfect one if you're a fan of Green's First Stand or Green Street albums – and it includes the tracks "Blues For Lou", "Big John", "Look At That Girl", and "This Little Girl Of Mine". CD