Lee Konitz on alto saxophone, Rich Perry on tenor saxophone, Harold Danko on piano, Jay Anderson on bass, and Billy Drummond on drums. CD

A very different album than usual from the great tenorist Nat Birchall – a set that's no less soulful than his other records, but in a completely different way! The album's a collaboration with producer Al Breadwinner – and has this approach that feels like a lost Jamaican instrumental session from the start of the 70s – as if Nat's playing the role of saxophonist Tommy McCook over some nicely laidback Kingston-styled rhythms! Birchall solos on tenor on most tracks, but also blows a bit of melodica too – and even handles a bit of organ and percussion too – all swept up in a dubby mix handled by Breadwinner, who contributes drums, guitars, and keyboards. There's a bit of trumpet and trombone on the set too, plus baritone sax from Stally – and the quality of the record is excellent, every bit up to the range of the Jamaican legends listed as inspiration on the cover – a lineup that includes McCook, Lee Perry, Augustus Pablo, and Cedric Brooks. Titles include "In The Hills", "Ancient Wisdom", "Youth Iron Rock", "Freedom Style", "Amlak Dub", "Hail Don D Jr", and "Igziabeher". LP, Vinyl record album

A very different album than usual from the great tenorist Nat Birchall – a set that's no less soulful than his other records, but in a completely different way! The album's a collaboration with producer Al Breadwinner – and has this approach that feels like a lost Jamaican instrumental session from the start of the 70s – as if Nat's playing the role of saxophonist Tommy McCook over some nicely laidback Kingston-styled rhythms! Birchall solos on tenor on most tracks, but also blows a bit of melodica too – and even handles a bit of organ and percussion too – all swept up in a dubby mix handled by Breadwinner, who contributes drums, guitars, and keyboards. There's a bit of trumpet and trombone on the set too, plus baritone sax from Stally – and the quality of the record is excellent, every bit up to the range of the Jamaican legends listed as inspiration on the cover – a lineup that includes McCook, Lee Perry, Augustus Pablo, and Cedric Brooks. Titles include "In The Hills", "Ancient Wisdom", "Youth Iron Rock", "Freedom Style", "Amlak Dub", "Hail Don D Jr", and "Igziabeher". Includes bonus tracks "Iron Rock Dub" and "Igziabeher Dub". CD

Trombonist Samuel Blaser pays tribute to the legacy of Jamaican music – but in a way that also resonates strongly with some of his more jazz-based releases too! The record's mostly instrumental – but does have vocals from Carroll Thompson on two tracks, and Lee Scratch Perry on two more – yet the main focus is on the horn work, with Blaser echoing earlier greatness of players like Vin Gordon or Don Drummond – but in a more jazz-based setting with work from Alex Wilson on keyboards and Hammond, Soweto Kinch on alto, Michael Blake on tenor, and Alan Weekes on guitar. The set also features guest work from Steve Turre on one track – and titles include "Rainy Days", "Silver Dollar", "End Of The Beginning", "Rainy Days Dub", "Chronicles", "Beautiful Bed Of Lies", and "Green Island Dub". CD

A fantastic and ambitious project that's in the best tradition of the Jazz Composers Orchestra – a set that features music by Carla Bley and words by Paul Haines – in an extended set that mixes avant jazz instrumentation with spoken passages by a surprising lineup of voices – including Bley, Jack Bruce, Don Cherry, Jeanne Lee, and even Linda Ronstadt! Musicians are the cream of the crop of the international avant scene at the time – and include Roswell Rudd on trombone, Gato Barbieri on tenor, Perry Robinson on clarinet, Carla Bley on organ, Don Preston on moog, Michael Mantler on ring modulated piano, Paul Motian on drums, Charlie Haden on bass, John McLaughlin on guitar, and many others – too numerous to mention here! CD

A fantastic and ambitious project that's in the best tradition of the Jazz Composers Orchestra – a set that features music by Carla Bley and words by Paul Haines – in an extended set that mixes avant jazz instrumentation with spoken passages by a surprising lineup of voices – including Bley, Jack Bruce, Don Cherry, Jeanne Lee, and even Linda Ronstadt! Musicians are the cream of the crop of the international avant scene at the time – and include Roswell Rudd on trombone, Gato Barbieri on tenor, Perry Robinson on clarinet, Carla Bley on organ, Don Preston on moog, Michael Mantler on ring modulated piano, Paul Motian on drums, Charlie Haden on bass, John McLaughlin on guitar, and many others – too numerous to mention here! CD

Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet and vocals, Jimmy Powell and Phil Woods on alto saxophone, Billy Root and Marty Flax on baritone saxophone, Nelson Boyd and Paul West on bass, Rod Levitt on bass trombone, Charlie Persip on drums, Walter Davis Jr and Wynton Kelly on piano, Benny Golson, Billy Mitchell, and Ernie Wilkins on tenor saxophone, Al Grey, Frank Rehak, and Melba Liston on trombone, and Ermet Perry, Joe Gordon, Lee Morgan, and Quincy Jones on trumpet. CD

One of the most obscure albums ever from the amazing singer Jeanne Lee – and that's saying a lot, given how obscure most of her albums are in general! The record has a beautifully poetic feel – a mixture of songs, improvisations, and some spoken passages too – set to fantastic improvisation from a group of players that includes Sam Rivers on soprano, tenor, and flute; Gunter Hampel on piano, vibes, alto, and flute, Jack Gregg on bass, and Steve McCall on drums – plus guest work from Mark Whitecage on alto, and both Perry Robinson and Allan Praskin on clarinet. There's some of the spirituality of a Strata East recording here, mixed with some of the more open modes of the New York loft jazz scene too – and titles include "Sundance", "Yeh Come T Be", "Jamaica", "Subway Couple", "The Miracle Is", "Your Ballad", "Angel Chile", and "Conspiracy". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

One of the most obscure albums ever from the amazing singer Jeanne Lee – and that's saying a lot, given how obscure most of her albums are in general! The record has a beautifully poetic feel – a mixture of songs, improvisations, and some spoken passages too – set to fantastic improvisation from a group of players that includes Sam Rivers on soprano, tenor, and flute; Gunter Hampel on piano, vibes, alto, and flute, Jack Gregg on bass, and Steve McCall on drums – plus guest work from Mark Whitecage on alto, and both Perry Robinson and Allan Praskin on clarinet. There's some of the spirituality of a Strata East recording here, mixed with some of the more open modes of the New York loft jazz scene too – and titles include "Sundance", "Yeh Come T Be", "Jamaica", "Subway Couple", "The Miracle Is", "Your Ballad", "Angel Chile", and "Conspiracy". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A stunner of a set from Ken Vandermark & co as Powerhouse Sound – a riveting 2CD batch of rhythmic juxtaposition inspired by dub, sound collage production, and free rock caterwauling – done with a pair of line-ups in both Oslo and Chicago! The Oslo group is heavy with bass and stuttering electronic manipulations, and features Vandermark, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten and Nate McBride on electric bass, Pall Nilssen-Love on drums and Lasse Marhaug on electronics. The Chicago crew runs through variations of the material and changes up the instrumentation with Vandermark, John Herndon on drums, Jeff Parker on guitar and McBride on bass. Disc one (Oslo version) includes "Shocklee (For Hank Shocklee)", "King To Crown (For King Tubby), "Coxsone (For Coxsone Dodd)", "2-1-75" (For Miles Davis), "Acid Scratch (For Lee Perry)", "Exit-Salida (For Burning Spear)" and "New Dirt (For The Stooges)". Disc two (Chicago version) includes "Old Dictionary (For Bernie Worrell)", "King To Crown Pt 1/Acid Scratch Pt 2", "Coxsonne", "2-1-75" and "New Dirt/King To Crown Pt 2". CD

"Total improvisation on sonic canvas" from the team of pianist Nobu Stowe and sound designer Lee Pembleton – joined on the set by Perry Robinson on clarinet and micro ocarina, Blaise Siwula on tenor and alto clarinet, John McLellan on drums, and Ross Bonadonna on bass clarinet, alto sax, and guitar. The sound is heavily dominated by Stowe's piano – no surprise, since he's one of the constant elements throughout the set – but Pembleton's light, sonic touches are also heard too – although delivered with a nice sense of subtlety, enough to preserve the acoustic soul of the set. Titles include "Duo 1A", "Quartet", "Duo 2E", "Trio 3B", "Round Midnight", and "Hommage An Klaus Kinski". CD

Sweet 80s fusion from saxophonist Ernie Watts – one of his key albums as a leader in that decade, after countless years as a session player on other folks' records! The album's mostly jazz, but there's also a soul component as well – thanks to vocals from Phil Perry on some of the album's best tracks, used in a way that settles in nicely alongside Watts' work on alto and tenor sax. And despite the date of the album, there's a nice sense of warmth throughout – instrumentation that's never too forced or commercial – handled by other fusion stalwarts like Don Grusin on keyboards, Lee Ritenour on guitar, and Jimmy Johnson on bass. Titles include "Rock Camping", "One Love", "Red Dress", "Looking Glass", "Where The Spirit Lives", and "Music Prayer For Peace". LP, Vinyl record album

A set of two live dates from the late 30s – from the Hotel Lincoln's Blue Room in 1938, with Les Robinson and Hank Freeman on alto; Tony Pastor, Ronnie Perry, and Georgie Auld on tenor; Chuck Peterson, Johnny Best, and Bernie Privin on trumpet; Geroge Arus, Les Jenkins, and Harry Rodgers on trombone; Bob Kitsis on piano, Al Avola on guitar, Sid Weiss on bass, and Cliff Leeman and Buddy Rich on drums; and from the Hotel Pennsylvania's Cafe Rouge in 1939, with most of the same personell but with Harry Geller replacing Johnny Best. LP, Vinyl record album