One of Donald Byrd's first albums on Blue Note – tight, soulful, and a firm statement of hardbop truth – a record that showed that Byrd was firmly on the map! The ensemble features Jackie McLean on alto, and the rhythm section includes Duke Pearson, Doug Watkins, and Lex Humphries – all of whom bring in a sense of lyrical interplay that really shows off a newer side of Byrd's trumpet that didn't emerge in earlier 50s recordings – one that opens up in the individuality of the Blue Note mode, and shakes off some of the more academic trappings of his early work with Gigi Gryce. All tunes are proud originals by Byrd himself – written with a real sense of color, tone, and timing – and titles include "Bup A Loup", "Funky Mama", "Lament", and "Amen". CD

The title says it all – as Yusef Lateef works here in that wonderful mixture of hardbop, soul jazz, and Eastern stylings that he brought to all of his best early sessions as a leader! Lateef himself is playing tenor, flute, and oboe – which he uses to craft these eerie snakecharmer lines that work perfectly with the modal grooves of the tracks – very unusual rhythms for the time, and a real precursor to some of the world jazz experiments to come from overseas. The rest of the group features pianist Barry Harris, drummer Lex Humphries, and bassist Ernie Farrow, who also plays a strange instrument called a rabat – which further adds to the charm of the record. Titles include "Plum Blossom", "Purple Flower", "Three Faces Of Balal", and "Chinq Miau". CD

Early early work by Duke Pearson – and one of his few trio sessions ever! The album's a great way to hear Pearson's lyrical soulful style at work, as he's playing in an unfettered setting with Gene Taylor on bass and Lex Humphries on drums – really stretching out on piano, in a way that you don't often hear on some of his larger group albums – a much more intimate side of this great pianist, before he rose to become an important arranger and producer at Blue Note during the late 60s. The album features two of his own compositions "Gate City Bop" and "Two Mile Ride", plus versions of "Black Coffee", "Taboo", and "Witchcraft". CD

One of the most obscure sessions by Duke Pearson, and one of his first for Blue Note too! The album features Duke hitting a laidback and lyrical groove – working in a trio with Gene Taylor on bass and Lex Humphries on drums – overall pretty much in a soul jazz mode, but with more of Pearson's wonderful touches on the keys to open things up. The album's a nice counterpoint to Duke's later work for the label – much more intimate than his bigger band sides, but still put together with the depth that he'd later show more famously with his fuller arrangements. Titles include "3 AM", "On Green Dolphin Street", "I Love You", and "The Golden Striker". CD

One of the greatest Donald Byrd albums ever – a smoking live performance spread out over two different records – all with some of the tightest, most grooving work that Byrd ever recorded in his early years on Blue Note! Part of the strength of the set is the group – as Don's trumpet is alongside the brilliant baritone of Pepper Adams – who plays with the deftness of a tenor, but with a richer, fuller sound – and the group also includes the great Duke Pearson on piano, who has this way of comping out tunes that are soulful, but richly lyrical too. The group's completed by Lex Humphries on drums and Laymon Jackson on bass. The whole thing's great – and this 2CD set features both volumes of the albums, plus a lot of extra material that wasn't on the vinyl versions! Titles include "My Girl Shirl", "Jeannine", "Pure D Funk", "Kimyas", "When Sunny Gets Blue", "Mr Lucky", "Chant", and "Child's Play". CD

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

Landmark work by one of the greatest jazz outfits of the early 60s! Art Farmer and Benny Golson were both known as well-composed players during the 50s – strongly soulful, but often with a fine sense of arrangement that usually tended towards the lyrical side of things. With this group, though, they turned that approach towards a heavier sounding style of jazz – tightly stepping soul jazz, in the manner that was being explored at the time by Cannonball Adderley, Art Blakey, and others – presented by Farmer and Golson with a bit more groove and a wonderful kick at the bottom! This album's the first the group cut together – and apart from trumpet by Farmer and tenor by Golson, it also features Curtis Fuller on trombone, McCoy Tyner on piano, Addison Farmer (brother of Art) on bass, and Lex Humphries on drums. Includes the massive original recording of "Killer Joe", which went onto become one of the most recorded jazz standards ever, plus the tracks "Blues March", "Mox Nix", "Park Avenue Petite", and "I Remember Clifford". Perfect tone, perfect groove, and a perfect sound all the way through! CD

An ambitious larger group album from Yusef Lateef – and one that's carried off with all the genius of his smaller group sessions from the time! Yusef himself is working with a variety of reed instruments – including tenor sax, oboe, flute, and argol – amongst a larger horn section that also features Josea Taylor on bassoon, Tate Houston on baritone sax, Curtis Fuller on trombone, and Clark Terry and Richard Williams on trumpet. Rhythm is by the trio of Joe Zawinul piano, Ben Tucker bass, and Lex Humphries drums – and although the horn arrangements are complicated, they're always soulfully swinging – never too academic, and really done on a way that just expands the mixture of exoticism and hardbop expressed on other Lateef albums! Titles include "Iqbal", "Apathy", "Summer Song", "Revelation", and "The Centaur & The Phoenix". CD also features 2 bonus tracks – "Jungle Fantasy" and "Titora" – both taken from The Many Faces Of Yusef Lateef album, and done with added percussion and background voices! CD

The title says it all – as Yusef Lateef works here in that wonderful mixture of hardbop, soul jazz, and Eastern stylings that he brought to all of his best early sessions as a leader! Lateef himself is playing tenor, flute, and oboe – which he uses to craft these eerie snakecharmer lines that work perfectly with the modal grooves of the tracks – very unusual rhythms for the time, and a real precursor to some of the world jazz experiments to come from overseas. The rest of the group features pianist Barry Harris, drummer Lex Humphries, and bassist Ernie Farrow, who also plays a strange instrument called a rabat – which further adds to the charm of the record. Titles include "Plum Blossom", "Purple Flower", "Three Faces Of Balal", and "Chinq Miau". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime work from Yusef Lateef – and proof that he could be exotic and swinging at the same time! The three "faces" of the set are Lateef's work on tenor, flute, and oboe – each of which get a few tracks to themselves – as Lateef works with a core Detroit group of Hugh Lawson on piano, Herman Wright on bass, and Lex Humphries on drums – to further refine the already great sound of his earlier albums for Savoy! Tunes are set up in such a way as to vary the instrumentation without varying the mood too much – making for a record with many voices, but a really unified sound overall – and one that's incredibly soulful on the best numbers. Ron Carter joins the group on cello on a few tracks, and Lawson even plays a bit of celeste on the set as well. Titles include "Lateef Minor 7th", "Salt Water Blues", "Adoration", and "Quarantine". LP, Vinyl record album

Early early work by Duke Pearson – and one of his few trio sessions ever! The album's a great way to hear Pearson's lyrical soulful style at work, as he's playing in an unfettered setting with Gene Taylor on bass and Lex Humphries on drums – really stretching out on piano, in a way that you don't often hear on some of his larger group albums – a much more intimate side of this great pianist, before he rose to become an important arranger and producer at Blue Note during the late 60s. The album features two of his own compositions "Gate City Bop" and "Two Mile Ride", plus versions of "Black Coffee", "Taboo", and "Witchcraft". CD

Early early work by Duke Pearson – and one of his few trio sessions ever! The album's a great way to hear Pearson's lyrical soulful style at work, as he's playing in an unfettered setting with Gene Taylor on bass and Lex Humphries on drums – really stretching out on piano, in a way that you don't often hear on some of his larger group albums – a much more intimate side of this great pianist, before he rose to become an important arranger and producer at Blue Note during the late 60s. The album features two of his own compositions "Gate City Bop" and "Two Mile Ride", plus versions of "Black Coffee", "Taboo", and "Witchcraft". CD

One of the most obscure sessions by Duke Pearson, and one of his first for Blue Note too! The album features Duke hitting a laidback and lyrical groove – working in a trio with Gene Taylor on bass and Lex Humphries on drums – overall pretty much in a soul jazz mode, but with more of Pearson's wonderful touches on the keys to open things up. The album's a nice counterpoint to Duke's later work for the label – much more intimate than his bigger band sides, but still put together with the depth that he'd later show more famously with his fuller arrangements. Titles include "3 AM", "On Green Dolphin Street", "I Love You", and "The Golden Striker". CD

One of the few albums ever cut as a leader by the legendary bassist Doug Watkins! Although Watkins was one heck of a hardbop bassist in his day, he shows a new side on this enigmatic album from the early 60s – one that has him playing cello as the frontman for a group that includes Yusef Lateef and other Lateef bandmates like Herman Wright, Hugh Lawson, and Lex Humphries. The overall sound of the album mixes soul jazz and Lateef's mystical approach to jazz – with an unusual flute/cello/piano sound that's very nice – and which makes the album one of the most compelling Prestige sides from the time! Tracks include "Soulnik", "Andre's Bag", "Imagination", and "One Guy". CD

One of the greatest Donald Byrd albums ever – a smoking live performance spread out over two different records – all with some of the tightest, most grooving work that Byrd ever recorded in his early years on Blue Note! Part of the strength of the set is the group – as Don's trumpet is alongside the brilliant baritone of Pepper Adams – who plays with the deftness of a tenor, but with a richer, fuller sound – and the group also includes the great Duke Pearson on piano, who has this way of comping out tunes that are soulful, but richly lyrical too. The group's completed by Lex Humphries on drums and Laymon Jackson on bass – and titles on this first volume include nice long versions of "Soulful Kiddy", "My Girl Shirl", and "Cecile". CD

One of the greatest Donald Byrd albums ever – a smoking live performance spread out over two different records – all with some of the tightest, most grooving work that Byrd ever recorded in his early years on Blue Note! Part of the strength of the set is the group – as Don's trumpet is alongside the brilliant baritone of Pepper Adams – who plays with the deftness of a tenor, but with a richer, fuller sound – and the group also includes the great Duke Pearson on piano, who has this way of comping out tunes that are soulful, but richly lyrical too. The group's completed by Lex Humphries on drums and Laymon Jackson on bass – and titles on this second volume include a stunning long version of Pearson's "Jeanine", plus the tracks "Pure D. Funk" and "Kimyas". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare pre-Blue Note session from Duke Pearson – very mellow, very soulful, and with a quality that's unlike most of his later work! The album's a trio side, recorded for the Jazzline label, and it features Pearson on piano, Thomas Howard on bass, and Lex Humphries on drums – the last of whom brings in some wonderfully lyrical lines on the kit, very much in the manner of the free, dancing rhythms used on records with Donald Byrd. Pearson's piano has a sharper edge than usual – these dark, moody tones that are totally great – almost a rougher version of his later sound, with a great sense of depth. Bob Cranshaw's bass and Walter Perkins' drums are featured on one number – and titles include a killer take on "Jeannine", plus "Say You're Mine", "Le Carrousel", "Bags Groove", and "Exodus". Plus, the CD features 3 alternate bonus takes! CD

Monty Alexander on piano, Hassan Shakur on bass, and Mark Taylor and Robert Thomas Jr on drums. CD

Monty Alexander on piano, John Clayton on bass, and Ed Thigpen on drums. CD

Monty Alexander on solo piano. LP, Vinyl record album

Classic MPS session by funky pianist Monty Alexander! This one's filled with moody trio material, played by Alexander's tight little group with Senator Eugene Wright on bass and Bobby Durham on drums. Wright's basslines are nice and warm, and roll off in a groovy way with Alexander's tightly punctuated piano lines. The LP includes the tracks "Monticello", "We've Only Just Begun", "Love Story", and "Summer Of 42" – all done in nice groovy versions. The album was issued in Europe with the title We've Only Just Begun – but this is the US version, with a different title but the same cover. LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful album from Lorez Alexanderia – one of her two excellent sessions for Impulse! The record was cut after Lorez recorded some great sides for the Argo label – and it works off the strength of those sides, taking her unique vocal approach, forged in R&B, but smoothed by jazz, into a whole new level of expression! The backing is great – small combo, with featured musicians who include Bunk Shank and Paul Horn on reeds, and Victor Feldman and Wynton Kelly on piano – all working with moody, soulful arrangements that are a perfect accompaniment to Lorez' beautiful voice. Includes the cuts "Get Me To The Church On Time", "Satin Doll", "Show Me", "The Best Is Yet to Come", "I'm Through With Love", and 5 more! (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest albums ever from Lorez Alexandria – an ultra-hip singer who recorded for Impulse and King, but who sounds especially wonderful on this rare date for Chess Records! The album's got a groove that definitely lives up to its title – a jazzy, bouncy sort of rhythm that's definitely "for swingers only", and which is a nice contrast to overdone torch or standard jazz vocal modes. Alexandria's singing is completely sublime – quite fluid, yet with a soulful depth that's really amazing – and her backing combo is equally hip – a group led by John Young on piano, and also featuring George Eskridge on guitar, Jimmy Garrison on bass, Phil Thomas on drums, and Ronald Wilson on flute and tenor – an obscure player whose reed work really makes the album sparkle! The song choices are great too – a mix of some under-recorded gems and a few blue-toned classics – all redone amazingly by Lorez with a sound that's quite unique. Titles include her classic Argo reading of "Baltimore Oriole", which begins with an amazing drum/bass passage that's worth the price of the album alone – and other tracks include "The End Of A Love Affair", "Baltimore Oriole", "All Or Nothing At All", "Mother Earth", "Love Look Away", and "Traveling Down A Lonely Road". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

It may as well be 1973, from the sound of this session! Bassist Blake's group grooves like some of Pharoah's later work on Impulse – with John Hicks filling in all the spiralling spiritual piano lines that Lonnie Liston Smith might have handled, Alex Blake taking the place of Cecil McBee, and Victor Jones doing some pretty tasty work on the kit that might have made Billy Hart sit up and take notice. Only problem is, the live recording quality isn't that great – and Sanders himself is really buried in the mix. Not that you'd hear him much, though, as he's not given nearly as much room to solo as you might expect. Titles include "Now Is The Time", "Mystery Of Love", and "On The Spot". CD

A killer record from bassist Paul Brusger – a set that features plenty of great work from Eric Alexander on tenor and alto – the latter an instrument that he's really begun to embrace in recent years! The rest of the group is wonderful too – Steve Davis on trombone, Rick Germanson on piano, and Willie Jones III on drums – a combo with a hard-swinging energy, and lots of individual identity in the way each member expresses themselves within the group – no egos getting in the way of the groove, even though the musicians themselves are an all-star group! Yet credit should really be given to Brusger for not only pulling the whole thing together, but also composing most of the material for the set – really great tunes that bristle with fresh life and vision, on selections that include "A Slice Of Gryce", "Just A Tadd More Please", "Do Dreams Really Matter", "The Sugar Glider", and "Blues For Another Time". CD

Two jazz rock classics – back to back as a 2CD set! Solar Plexus was a pivotal album in the career of British jazzman Ian Carr – one that had him really opening up into some trippy, spacey grooves – adding in a lot of keyboards, kicking up the grooves, yet still never losing the strong jazzy finish that was the best part of his earlier work. Players on the set include trumpeters Harry Beckett and Kenny Wheeler, guitarist Chris Spedding, and keyboardist Karl Jekins, who really throws in some groovy lines on the set! Titles include "Elements 1 & 2", "Snakehips Dream", "Torso", "Spirit Level", and "Bedrock Deadlock". Belladonna is one of the heaviest electric sets from UK trumpeter Ian Carr – and that's really saying a lot, given how much heavy work he cut with his group Nucleus! The sound here is a groundbreaking mix of acoustic horns and keyboards – trumpet from Carr, and a mix of tenor, soprano, alto, and flute from Brian Smith – coming into contact with the Fender Rhodes of Dave MacRae and the Hohner electric of Gordon Beck! The pairing of keys is wonderful – and the whole thing is sewn together by the guitar of a young Allan Holdsworth, who's very much in the sway of Carr's sound here, instead of the later directions he'd take as a leader. The set might be worth it alone for the massive "Summer Rain" – a slow funk track that trips along beautifully – but the whole thing's great, and other titles include "Belladonna", "Mayday", "Suspension", and "Hector's House". CD

Esaie Cid on alto saxophone and clarinet, Benjamin Dousteyssier on baritone and soprano saxophone, Alex Gilson on bass, and Paul Morvan on drums. CD

Fantastic funk from South African saxophone legend Winston Mankuku Ngozi – working here in the group The Cliffs, who serve up a sweet 70s vibe for his solos! The instrumentation is great – a rougher-edged take on American jazz funk of the time – almost as if the aesthetic of 60s Prestige Records soul jazz moved forward, but without the same sort of polish – perfect for bringing out the edge in Ngozi's alto, as he blows in a group with Stompie Manana and George Tyefumani on trumpets, Roger Khoza on organ, and Allen Kwela on guitar. Titles include "Revelation", "Ever Green", "Over The Cliff", "Alex Express", and "Gu Gu Lethu". LP, Vinyl record album

Alex Coke on flute and sax, Carl Michel on guitar, Bob Hoffner on pedal steel guitar, Eliane Barber on harp, Carolyn Trowbridge on vibes, and James Sutter on bass. CD

Todd Coolman on bass, Renee Rosnes on piano, Lewis Nash on drums, and special guest Joe Henderson on saxophone! CD

A real genre-defying record from the contemporary London scene – a set produced by Shabaka Hutchings, and done with that post-jazz vibe that's really been creeping into his music in recent years! There's a very strong hip hop component to the record at times – thanks to key appearances from Billy Woods, Elucid, Anthony Joseph, and others – but the album also has an instrumental focus at the core, with work from Alex Hawkins on piano, Ross Harris on reeds, Daisy George on bass, and Jas Kayser on drums – players who work with lots of production and processing, so that their contributions are often abstracted into part of a richer, darker whole. Kofi Flexx is less of an artist than a process, as described in the notes – and that process is very strongly at work here – on titles that include "It Was All A Dream", "Apothecary", "Increase Awareness", "Aim", "Fire", "Babylon Dun Topple", "Flowers In The Dark", "By Now", and "Show Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A totally wonderful bit of jazz from Guadeloupe – recorded with a bit of American inspiration in the instrumentation, but also plenty of local grooves that really help flesh out the sound! The island combo features alto sax, flugelhorn, and plenty of electric piano – used with a freely fluid style that dances along wonderfully with the open-ended rhythms of the tunes. And while there's certainly a 70s funky jazz sound going on here, the overall execution is a bit more unusual – with some complicated rhythms that stretch out on the longer tracks, and really create a compelling sense of interplay that's quite different from anything in the US at the time! The electric piano is great, and tracks include "Eduardo", "Quand Les Oiseux No Pourront Plus Chanter", "Eduardo Soprano Latino", "Samba Pour Martine", and "Samba Arawak". (Global Grooves, Jazz) CD

A wonderfully ambitious project from these two legendary improvising musicians – a larger project for stage that was created by both pianist Alexander Von Schlippenbach and drummer Sven Ake Johansson – the latter of whom here is very much into his later life role as a composer! The set features a mix of voice, vocals, and music – some spoken parts by Johansson, sung passages by the great Shelly Hirsch – and work from a very hip group that includes Wolfgang Fuchs and Dietmar Diesner on saxes, Paul Lovens on drums, Tristan Honsinger on cello, Anne Le Baron on harp, and Schlippenbach on piano. There's a mixture of free jazz, structure, and voice that almost feels as if Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill had the chance to record an album for FMP – and this beautiful set presents the first-ever release of the important 1994 performance of the material. LP, Vinyl record album

A totally fantastic live set from Japanese drummer Yoichi Kobayashi – a musician who's played on the scene for decades, and who has a way of bringing forward all the strengths of those years to his music! The set features appearances from American all-stars, but more on them later – as the core group is great enough to win us over on the first half of the set, with an updated take on a Blue Note-styled groove, but with inventive rhythms that really open things up too – as the drummer works with Yutarao Suzuki on trumpet, Tomonori Sakurai on tenor, Heitetsu Rin on piano, and Koji Yasuda on bass – plus koto from Makiko Goda, who echoes some older jazz Japan styles in a great way. The second half of the set also brings in Eric Alexander on tenor and Vincent Herring on alto – both players who are as strongly soulful as you might expect – on titles that include "Uncle Eddie", "Akita Rap", "Yama", "Eddie Harris", "Peace", "The Gypsy", "Encounter", and "Safari". CD

Alex Machacek on guitar, Jeff Sipe on drums and Neal Fountain on bass. CD

Fantastic futuristic fusion from Alex Malheiros – best known as the bassist in Azymuth, but equally great here on his own – and in a completely different sort of way! The set's got heavy contributions from keyboardist Daniel Maunick, of Incognito fame – but the record's definitely got that well-crafted blend of jazz funk and Brazilian rhythms you'd know from Alex's legacy, but maybe tuned a bit more towards a 21st Century sort of groove – the right London touches in all the right places, in the best tradition of the Far Out label! Sabrina Malheiros sings on a few cuts, but most numbers are instrumental – and titles include "Retrato", "The Razor's Edge", "Telegramas Para Arp", "O Temporal", "Kuarup", "Alto Verao", and "Requiem For A Storm". (Brazil, Jazz) CD

2 lost sides of soul jazz – both of them rare gems on vinyl, and back-to-back here in one nicely priced CD package! Doin The Thang is an excellent bit of lost soul jazz piano work – featuring the highly underrated Ronnie Mathews, with a quartet that includes Freddie Hubbard on trumpet and Charles Davis on baritone. The sound is very groovy, and very funky, with a feel that's more like some of the classic Blue Notes from the time than it is like the other Prestige recordings. Mathews' piano playing is perfect, and he grooves with a soulful firey edge, and lays down solos that blow away Hubbard and Davis. Tracks include "The Thang", "Ichi Ban", and "The Orient". Pleasure Bent is one of the few albums ever cut by the incredible tenor player Roland Alexander – an artist who appeared briefly on the scene during the early 60s, and the few recording's he's left us with are the consummate picture of hip soulful playing. This 1961 session features Alexander leading a group that includes Marcus Belgrave on trumpet, Ronnie Matthews on piano, Gene Taylor on bass, and Clarence Stroman on drums – and it's a laidback batch of lyrical tunes, nearly all penned by Alexander. Titles include "I'll Be Around", "Dorman Road", "Lil's Blues", and "Orders To Take Out". CD

Alex Riel on drums – with Jerry Bergonzi and Michael Brecker on saxophone, Mike Stern on guitar, Kenny Werner on piano, and Chris Minh Doky on bass. CD

Russell Kranes on pinao, Alex Levine on guitar, Sam Weber on bass, and Jay Sawyer on drums. CD

We've always loved the music of pianist Bernie Senesky – a Canadian musician with a richly lyrical, expressive style – one that doesn't always get the recognition it deserves on our side of the border! And we've also always loved the tenor of Eric Alexander – a player we've been following since his start, and who has had some amazing moments of growth in recent years – one of them on this record with Bernie, a player who seems to bring out all this warmer, more sensitive elements in Alexander's horn – as the two of them work together in a very unexpected pairing, but one that we'd love to hear more of on future recordings! Other players on the date include Kieren Overs on bass and Joe Farnsworth on drums on most tracks, save for two, which feature Morgan Childs on drums and Dave Young on bass. Titles include the originals "Blues For EJ", Alexander's Realtime Band", "Stand Pat", and "Make Believe" – plus a nice take on "Matchmaker". CD

Four hands, and plenty of power – a stunning set of improvisations between these two longtime avant greats – and a set that may well be one of the boldest we've heard from either player in years! Maybe it's the quality that the Trost label seems to get from musicians, or maybe it's just a special fire that's burning as Aki Takase meets with Alexander Von Schlippenbach – but whatever the case, the record explodes with these incredibly inventive attacks on the piano – energy on the keys that's simply mindblowing, at a level that definitely lives up to Schlippenbach's strongest recordings, and which has us opening up our ears to Takase all over again! Titles include "Stoneblock 2", "Blade", "Apple Of Dischord", "Jumping Jack", "N Dance", "Nearly Yours", "Allegro Agitato", and "Exit O". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of Thollem collaborations – back to back on a single CD! First up is a beautiful duet with Susan Alcorn – with a fantastic sound that has Alcorn's groundbreaking work on pedal steel mixing with the well-crafted electronics of Thollem – lines that really seem to find the right resonance with the steel strings, then expand the sound out in ways that are completely unexpected! Alcorn's become one of the most compelling improvisers in recent years – and this set is a good illustration of her growing talents. The other half features Thollem working with drummer Alex Cline – on a set that mostly seems to have Thollem using acoustic piano, but in ways that are very unusual – at times almost with a Charlemagne Palestine sense of minimalism! CD

A masterpiece from the second chapter of FMP – that moment when the label and the European free jazz scene seemed to ruminate with some more intimate, sometimes contemplative modes – which only seemed to further allow the players to express themselves in an even greater range of talents! That's definitely the case here, on the two side-long tracks on the record – work that's free, but also feels more organically grown out of the fertile mental soil of the quartet, rather than sprung up instantly – served up with great care by a lineup that features Schlippenbach on piano, Evan Parker on reeds, Alan Silva on bass, and Paul Lovens on drums. Each track is a side long, and live – and titles include "Ore" and "Anticlockwise". LP, Vinyl record album

The earliest album ever to be issued under the Globe Unity label – a very early project headed up by the mighty pianist Alexander Von Schlippenbach – and a record that's noteworthy for the first album to feature the work of Peter Brotzmann and Peter Kowald! Right from the start, the vibe is completely in line with the highest ideals of the improvising orchestra – Schlippenbach directing the group and playing piano – in a large lineup that also features Brotzmann on alto, Manfred Schoof on cornet, Gerd Dudek on tenor, Willem Breuker on baritone, Gunter Hampel on bass clarinet, Karl Berger on vibes, and Peter Kowald and Buschi Niebergall on basses, one in each channel! And alongside these free jazz heavyweights, the album also sports the amazing rhythm duo of future prog rock giants Jaki Liebezeit and Mani Neumeier – both working here at a level that matches the free improvisations of the others – on two side-long tracks, titled "Globe Unity" and "Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

Tracks include "Double Barrel", "Confucius", "Stalag 17", "East Of The River Nile", "Redemption Song", and "Israelites". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

No slush here, as Alex Heitlinger leads a large group with a really cool, crisp vibe – modern jazz arrangements with a style that's contemporary, but not in an avant way – maybe just with a boldness that embraces so many changes in bigger jazz ensemble modes on both the American and European scenes in the past fifty years – then gives things a spin that's very much in the spirit of the leader! Heitlinger composed most of the tracks on the set – and there's key solos on each, with work from Michael Thomas on soprano and alto saxes, Peter Sommer and Jon Armstrong on tenor, Greg Gispert and Shane Endley on trumpets, Corey Christiansen on guitar, Brian Woodbury and John Fedchock on trombones, and Carmen Staaf on piano. Titles include the originals "Unfurling", "Trail To Cullowhee", "For Patrick", "Lines & Circles", and "Here & Now". CD

Alex Norris has a wonderful sense of tone here on both trumpet and flugelhorn – instruments he trades back and forth nicely across the set, in ways that really help illuminate the different flavors of the original songs that make up most of the album! Tenorist Ari Ambrose is also great too – balancing the phrasing and tonal placement of Norris in a way that opens up the record beautifully – as the pair get some strong accompaniment from Rick Germanson on piano, a player whose energy really seems to resonate with both Ambrose and Norris! The group also features Paul Gill on bass and Brian Floody on drums – and original titles by Norris include "Short Waltz", "Too Many Trips", "No News", "Lights Out", "There It Went", and the especially nice "Bossa Tranquillo". CD

Excellent work from one of our favorite young tenor players! When Alexander first started out in Chicago, we'd catch him at southside gigs, either on his own or in Charles Earland's group – and we'd marvel at the richness of his playing, even though he was just an unknown young player in his early 20s! Since those years (not long ago!) Alexander's turned into one of the strongest voices of his generation – with a sound that's steeped in the traditions of tenor giants like Sonny Rollins, Tubby Hayes, and Frank Foster, yet which also has a great deal of youthful creativity. This album's one of his best so far – and it features Alexander in the company of a group that includes Harold Mabern on piano and Pat Martino on guitar, both super-soulful players who are a great match of the playing of the leader. Titles include "The Phineas Trane", "Stand Pat", "Night Song", "First Milestone", and "34 Was Sweetness" (Chicagoans will get that reference!) CD

The recording debut of tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander – done at a time when he'd just finished some key woodshedding years on the south side of Chicago, and was poised to become one of the most important jazz voices of his generation! Even at this early point, Alexander's clearly one of the greats – a tenorist with confidence and creativity, and no cliches whatsoever in his sound – an instantly classic player who's well matched here with the incredible Harold Mabern on piano, in a generation-spanning partnership that would form the basis for a number of tremendous albums to come. Other players on the date include Jim Rotondi on trumpet, John Webber on bass, and George Fludas on drums – and titles are a well-balanced set of choices that include "Straight Up", "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life", "Blues Waltz", "An Oscar For Treadwell", and "End Of A Love Affair". CD

A wicked bit of funky jazz from reedman Harold Alexander – and a set that's much sharper and harder-edged than some of his later work! There's maybe a bit of freedom in the mix, here too – some post-Coltrane spiritualism that mixes with some of the more funk-based currents – which include excellent electric piano by Neal Creque, and tight funky drums by Pretty Purdie! The tracks are all nice and long, but have a completely different approach than you'd find on labels like CTI or Prestige at the same time – both more complex, but maybe also more spontaneous too – in ways that really make the album a treasure all the way through, and has us wishing that Harold gave us a lot more like this. Titles include the classic "Sunshine Man", plus "Tite Rope", "Quick City", and "Mama Soul". CD

With Larry Grenadier and Russell Hall on bass, Ulysses Owens Jr and Smammy Miller on drums, and special guest Alphonso Horne on trumpet. CD

Monty Alexander on piano, Luke Sellick on bass, and Jason Brown on drums. CD

Features Monty on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Frank Gant on drums! CD

Monty Alexander on piano – tracks include "Where Is Love?", "Renewal", "The Serpent", "Island In The Sun", "Speak Low", "Smile", and "Close Enough For Love". CD

A beautiful album from Lorez Alexanderia – one of her two excellent sessions for Impulse! The record was cut after Lorez recorded some great sides for the Argo label – and it works off the strength of those sides, taking her unique vocal approach, forged in R&B, but smoothed by jazz, into a whole new level of expression! The backing is great – small combo, with featured musicians who include Bunk Shank and Paul Horn on reeds, and Victor Feldman and Wynton Kelly on piano – all working with moody, soulful arrangements that are a perfect accompaniment to Lorez' beautiful voice. Includes the cuts "Get Me To The Church On Time", "Satin Doll", "Show Me", "The Best Is Yet to Come", "I'm Through With Love", and 5 more! (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

A beautiful album by one of our favorite jazz singers! Lorez Alexandria is in a perfect setting here – singing with subtly sophisticated backings that really let her take charge, and direct the songs tightly with her incredibly soulful vocals! Instrumentation is mostly in a small combo mode – with the Wynton Kelly trio at the core, augmented by a bit of guitar from Ray Crawford, and some alto sax from Paul Horn – and although the album's got an easygoing feel, it also keenly shows the tightness that's always made Lorez so great! Styles are a blend of soul and jazz, plus just a hint of bossa, heard beautifully on the album's rendition of "O Barquinho". Other tracks include "This Could Be The Start Of Something Big", "Dancing On The Ceiling", "Once", "Angel Eyes", "No More", and "That Far Away Look". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

While not as funky as some of her other records for Discovery, this tasty session of vocal tracks still has Lorez singing in a beautifully soulful style, of the type that she's finally getting recognition for these days! The lady has always been one of our favorite vocalists, and she's got some nice backing here from the Mike Wofford trio, plus some additional tenor and flute work by Herman Riley. The whole thing's got a very nice round soulful sound – and titles include "Days of Wine & Roses", "I Remember You", "Early Autumn", and "My Shining Hour". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A killer set from funky drummer Leo Acosta – a Mexican musician, but one who draws plenty of influence here from the New York scene – before turning the whole thing into a set of weird and wild sounds that are very much his own! Leo's clearly got some Latin soul vibe going on here – but the rhythms are often a bit more complex, as are the arrangements – with all sorts of interesting elements coming in and out of the songs, both from a vocal and instrumental perspective – although the record is definitely focused more on the latter! There's a fair bit of funky moments that remind us of those later funk records that Perez Prado cut for Orfeon – and titles include "Alma Latina", "Carga Pesada", "Rencorosa", "Todo Termino", "La Novia Hippie", "Noches De Viaje", "Mi Guitarra", and "El Campeon". (Latin, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A killer combo from saxophonist Cannonball Adderley – a group that features George Duke on both acoustic and electric piano, stretching things out, and helping the Adderley brothers find an even more soulful groove than they had in the 60s! The George Duke approach really makes for a cool concert throughout – with Cannon on alto (and a bit of soprano on one track too!), Nat on cornet, Walter Booker on bass, and Roy McCurdy on drums – hitting that more complex, more righteous groove that Adderley was opening up on Fantasy Records in the final years of his life – a bit more spontaneous here, with lots of room for improvisation! Titles include a great version of Nat's "Hummin" – plus side-long takes on "Doctor Honoris Causa" and "Black Messiah" – and the tunes "Walk Tall/The Scene", "Soli Tomba", "Directions", and "Autumn Leaves". CD