Louis Armstrong hits the Flying Dutchman label – and unlocks a whole new spiritual side of his talents – a mode that's quite different than some of his crossover pop of the 60s! The style here has a bit of righteous elements in the lyrics, and lots of spiritual jazz in the backings – with full arrangements from Oliver Nelson – who heads up a dream lineup that includes Billy Harper on tenor, and either Chico Hamilton or Pretty Purdie on drums! Even more amazing is a guest appearance from Leon Thomas – who sings on a version of "The Creator Has A Master Plan". Other tunes are just as hip – and include "The Black Cat Has 9 Lives", "His Father Wore Long Hair", "Give Peace A Chance", and "We Shall Overcome". Must be heard to be believed! CD

The title's a bit misleading – as Chico really wasn't much of a hitmaker, at least as far as the charts go – but the album is a wonderful collection of his groundbreaking work for Impulse, killer tracks that are head and shoulders above any of his earlier work! At the time, Hamilton was really going out from his more composed style of earlier years – exploring modal and eastern rhythms with the help of strong players like Gabor Szabo, Charlie Mariano, Charles Lloyd, Jerome Richardson, and Larry Coryell – setting up incredible off-beat grooves that proved to be a perfect foil for edgey reed solos, and tightly woven guitar work. The set's got a heck of a lot of great work from those years – and titles include "For Mods Only", "That Boy With The Long Hair", "Helena", "Baby You Should Know", "Manila", "Lonesome Child", "El Moors", "Transfusion", and "Man From Two Worlds". LP, Vinyl record album

The last chapter in Wynton Marsalis' Soul Gestures trilogy of the early 90s – and like the others, it's a set with its own sort of sound and feeling – another illustration of the many talents of Marsalis at the time! Despite the "levee" reference in the title, the work's hardly the down-home effort you might expect – and instead, the tracks are long, freewheeling numbers played with a bit more soul than some of Wynton's earlier work, yet still a relatively modern sensibility overall. Nobody lets their hair down too much here, but the album's also nicely free of the sort of cliches you might expect from the project – none of the fake Crescent City modes that might hurt the date. Players include Marcus Roberts on piano, Wes Anderson on alto, Todd Williams on tenor and soprano, Reginald Veal on bas, and Herlin Riley on drums. Titles include "Jig's Jig", "Levee Low Moan", "In The House Of Williams", and "Superb Starling". CD

A great meeting of two generations of jazz – and one that really blows the top off some of Dexter Gordon's other European sessions of the time! The setting here is definitely one that's more a Gordon-based date – long tracks with rhythm backing from a trio with Kenny Drew on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Alex Riel on drums. But unlike some of the other long-blown Gordon-heavy albums for the stretch, the presence of Jackie McLean really brings in a new sort of fire – the kind of soaring, soulful energy he brought to his own records in these immediate post-Blue Note years – almost a Coltrane influence, and a sense of spiritualism that really comes through on some of his solo moments – even in this relatively straight setting. Titles include "Half Nelson", "I Can't Get Started", "Another Hair-Do", and "Dexter Digs In". CD

A great meeting of two generations of jazz – and one that really blows the top off some of Dexter Gordon's other European sessions of the time! The setting here is definitely one that's more a Gordon-based date – long tracks with rhythm backing from a trio with Kenny Drew on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Alex Riel on drums. But unlike some of the other long-blown Gordon-heavy albums for the stretch, the presence of Jackie McLean really brings in a new sort of fire – the kind of soaring, soulful energy he brought to his own records in these immediate post-Blue Note years – almost a Coltrane influence, and a sense of spiritualism that really comes through on some of his solo moments – even in this relatively straight setting. Titles include "Half Nelson", "I Can't Get Started", "Another Hair-Do", and "Dexter Digs In". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unique lineup, coming together in a really unique performance – one that definitely pushes the boundaries of all artists involved, and makes for music that's beyond any expectations you might have for the players! The tracks are long, and the music is often quite free and improvised at times – loose, open, and wonderfully experimental – yet still filled with the individual strengths and souls of each of the players – Wayne Shorter on tenor and soprano, Leo Genovese on piano, Terri Lyne Carrington on drums, and Esperanda Spaulding on bass and vocals – the latter of which are nicely different here than on her own albums. There's definitely some of the darker currents that Shorter has brought to his music in the past two decades – and titles include "Someplace Called Where", "Endangered Species", "Encontros E Despedidas", "Drummers Song", and "Midnight In Carlotta's Hair". CD

Featuring Kid Ory, Bobby Hackett, Jack Teagarden, Barney Bigard, Leonard Feather, Sid Catlett and others. Tracks include "Mahogany Hall Stomp", "Rockin' Chair", "St James Infirmary Blues", "Save It, Pretty Mama", "Before Long", "Blues In The South", and "Ain't Misbehavin". CD

Way before Sinatra first grabbed the "Chairman Of The Board" title for his own musical persona, Basie laid great claim to the tag with this tight little album for Roulette! The album's got the 50s Basie band working at the height of their powers – with original compositions written and arranged by Frank Foster, Ernie Wilkins, Thad Jones, and Frank Wess – all of whom play in the bad, along with other all-stars like Freddie Green, Billy Mitchell, and Al Grey. The sound is tight, soulful, and searing Basie all the way through – with tunes that include "Segue In C", "Blues In Hoss' Flat", "Who Me?", "The Deacon", "Half Moon Street", "Mutt & Jeff", "TV Time", "Speaking Of Sounds", and "HRH". LP, Vinyl record album

An interesting little album by Basie – most notable in that it features him playing a bit of organ, which is always a treat! Basie's not the greatest talent on the organ, but he is one of the first jazz players to use the instrument in a wider context, and hearing the album's a good way to check out the organ jazz scene and sound before Jimmy Smith got his hands atop the Hammond and shook the whole thing up! Players on the set include Freddie Green, Paul Quinichette, Buddy Rich, and Joe Newman – and titles include "Stan Shorthair", "Count's Organ Blues", "KC Organ Blues", "Royal Garden Blues", and "Basie Beat". LP, Vinyl record album

Pretty hairy stuff from Peter Brotzmann and crew – a set that blasts right out of the gate with some really bone-rattling noise! The album's a live set, recorded recently in Amsterdam – featuring Brotzmann on alto, tenor, b flat clarinet, and tarogato – alongside Toshinori Kondo on electric trumpet, Massimo Pupillo on electric bass, and Paal Nilssen Love on drums. The electricity in the instruments can definitely be felt on the title track "Hairy Bones" – a hard-driving tune that runs for over 30 minutes, and which really recalls the energy that Brotzmann had a few decades before, when crossing over big to new audiences around the globe. "Chain Dogs" is even longer, but starts a bit slower – but then really bursts forth with more noisy elements on trumpet and bass – some really speaker-rattling stuff! CD

An amazing document of a unique musical moment – an entire jazz festival, virtually dedicated to Peter Brotzmann himself! The legendary Brotzmann not only curated the festival – filling it with some of his key collaborators and musical contemporaries – but he also plays on a fair bit of the titles here, too – in different groupings that reflect not only his long history in the European avant scene, but also his ties to Chicago, and his work with Japanese improvisers too! The package is wonderful – the next best thing to being at this exclusive event in person – and the set features 5CDs worth of music from the festival, with performances by Sonore (with Brotzmann, Ken Vandermark, & Mats Gustafsson), Chicago Tentet with John Tchicai, solo work by Jeiji Haino, the Hairy Bones quartet with Brotzmann and Toshinori Kondo, the Full Blast Trio, the DKV Trio, Caspar Brotzmann Massaker, and various other groupings with players who include Jeb Bishop, Joe McPhee, Mars Williams, Jason Adasiewicz, Nasheet Waits, Masahiko Satoh, Bill Laswell, and many others. CD

Maybe the funkiest album ever from Detroit guitar genius Dennis Coffey – a set that takes off nicely from his early funky 45s, but which also delivers the goods in a longer-form mode that's completely outta sight! We love Coffey's later albums on Sussex Records, but the vibe here is even more raw – a core combo with Lyman Woodard playing some amazing lines on organ, with just bass and drums for support – letting both of the players really stretch out and do their thing! The drums are great, very funky throughout, with plenty of breaks – and titles include some great Galt MacDermot grooves like "Let The Sunshine In", "Sodomy", and "Aquarius" – plus other excellent covers and originals, like "Hair & Grits", "Hey Jude", "Do Your Thang", "Iceberg's Thang", "It's Your Thang", and "Electric Thang". (Soul, Jazz) CD

Never-heard lost work from Indian guitarist Amancio D'Silva – a musician who created one of the most legendary albums in the Lansdowne Series at the start of the 70s, still turning out incredible sounds over a decade later! The album's very much out of time – with currents of jazz and Indian music balanced equally, and at a level that's so much different than other experiments of this nature – very organic, and really taking the time to find the right vibe on each of the album's long, beautiful tracks! In addition to D'Silva on guitar, the group also includes Lyn Dobson on flute, Clem Alford on sitar, and Jahlib Millar on tablas – flowing beautifully with Amancio on tracks that include "Raag Bhairagi", "Song For Francesca", "Sapana", and "Raag Kafi". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that shows a very different side of Dr John than you might know from the trippy classics of his early years at Atlantic Records – as the set's all instrumental, but with the doctor focusing on an older tradition of New Orleans piano! The quality of the record is amazing – all solo, with no other instrumentation at all – and honestly, were it not for the setting, you might never know what a hell of a pianist Dr John can be – as his work on the keys is sometimes hidden amidst larger arrangements and placed next to his vocals. Many tunes are originals, and titles include "New Island Midnight", "Saints", "Honey Dripper", "Big Mac", "Memories Of Professor Longhair", "Mac's Boogie", and "Delicado". New version features bonus tracks – six more tracks added to the original album! (Soul, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A record that shows a very different side of Dr John than you might know from the trippy classics of his early years at Atlantic Records – as the set's all instrumental, but with the doctor focusing on an older tradition of New Orleans piano! The quality of the record is amazing – all solo, with no other instrumentation at all – and honestly, were it not for the setting, you might never know what a hell of a pianist Dr John can be – as his work on the keys is sometimes hidden amidst larger arrangements and placed next to his vocals. Many tunes are originals, and titles include "New Island Midnight", "Saints", "Honey Dripper", "Big Mac", "Memories Of Professor Longhair", "Mac's Boogie", and "Delicado". New version features bonus tracks – six more tracks added to the original album! (Soul, Jazz) CD

A bold statement from former members of the Charles Mingus group – working here together as a unit after the passing of Mingus, in a set that has some of the best fire and energy of Charles' later years! The tracks here are all Mingus compositions – performed in longish takes that allow for some great solo work from John Handy on alto, Joe Farrell on tenor, Jimmy Owens on trumpet, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone – and rhythm on the session is by the trio of Don Pullen on piano, Charlie Haden on bass, and Dannie Richmond on drums. Titles include "Goodbye Porkpie Hat", "Boogie Stop Shuffle", "My Jelly Roll Soul", and "Sweet Sucker Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

Very cool work from Psi – a hip 70s German group who were partly fusion, partly prog – in that special sort of blend shared by a rare few contemporaries – such as Embryo, Perigeo, or Zzebra! As with all three of those groups, the musicians here are clearly schooled in jazz, but also really want to open up in some of the freedoms explored by the long-haired younger generation – not in an avant way, but in a style that mixes some funky currents in the rhythms with more freewheeling solos and the occasional jamming passage – served up by a quintet lineup that includes loads of wonderful keyboards, plus tenor, guitar, bass, drums, and percussion! There's no vocals at all on the record – no need, as the instruments speak volumes – and titles include "Elektrische Kall Heinzje", "Horizonte", "Under Der Schurze Liegt Die Wurze", and "Bettgerausche". CD

A beautiful document of some of the most laidback jazz ever recorded – the sublime 50s recordings of the Johnny Smith group, done at a time when the lineup included Stan Getz! The tunes on the set feature Johnny's mellow electric guitar setting the pace, alongside wonderfully-blown early solos from Stan, plus some other tenor work from Zoot Sims and Paul Quinichette, who also sit in the tenor chair on a few of these recordings. The tunes are mostly standards, but done in a great style that's not exactly cool jazz, but which has a groundbreakingly easy groove that's simply sublime! CD features a number of bonus and unreleased cuts, with 19 tracks that include "What's New", "Yesterdays", "Vilia", "Ghost Of A Chance", "Jaguar", "Moonlight In Vermont", "Tabu", and "Where Or When". CD

A beautiful document of some of the most laidback jazz ever recorded – the sublime 50s recordings of the Johnny Smith group, done at a time when the lineup included Stan Getz! The tunes on the set feature Johnny's mellow electric guitar setting the pace, alongside wonderfully-blown early solos from Stan, plus some other tenor work from Zoot Sims and Paul Quinichette, who also sit in the tenor chair on a few of these recordings. The tunes are mostly standards, but done in a great style that's not exactly cool jazz, but which has a groundbreakingly easy groove that's simply sublime! Titles include "Yesterdays", "Vilia", "Ghost Of A Chance", "Jaguar", "Moonlight In Vermont", "Tabu", and "Where Or When". CD

One of the wildest albums ever recorded by French tenorist Barney Wilen – a mix of avant jazz and sound effects, set to wax in tribute to Lorenzo Bandini – a famous Italian racer who died tragically during the 1967 Monaco Grand Prix! Wilen was an automobile enthusiast in the late 60s, and happened to be recording the race on a Nagra for himself – but, after witnessing the death of Bandini, Wilen decided to incorporate his tape of the race into an extended performance dedicated to the late driver. The sound is quite unusual – much farther out than any of Barney's other albums – and the tapes of the race are joined with free-flowing tenor, and piano – plus bits of organ and prepared piano as well – all played by by Francois Tusques along with Wilen, with support from Beb Guerin on bass and Eddy Gaumont on drums. The real star, though, is Bandini's Ferrari, which races in and out of the jazz playing, coming to a mournful end with the termination of the piece. The album's a totally unique recording – and stands as one of the most unusual moments in the history of Wilen's career, and the legendary MPS label! Titles include "Start", "Tribune Princiere", "Hair Pin", and "Canyon Sound & Destiny". LP, Vinyl record album

Caribbean styles hit the American scene – then get transformed into something completely different in this huge collection of recordings that span styles that include jazz, Latin, R&B, soul, and blues! In some cases, the Caribbean element comes through in the song structure – which might be lifted directly, then reworked for an American audience. But at other times, the influence is more in the rhythms or instrumentation – used as inspiration to then create something new – a bit in the way that American soul would provide the inspiration for reggae in the 60s. The package has the usual fantastic Fremeaux presentation – with a big booklet of historical notes, in both French and English, to support 66 titles that include "Jamaica Farewell" by Sam Cooke, "Salty Fish Aki Rice" by Ruth Wallis, "Bajan Girl" by Lionel Belasco, "Sly Mongoose" by Sam Manning, "El Gallero" by Dioris Valladares & Angel Viloria, "El Mambo Diablo" by Tito Puente, "Hey Little Girl" by Professor Longhair, "Un Poco Loco" by Bud Powell, "Chee Koo Baby" by Lloyd Price, "Shrinking Up Fast" by Camille Howard, "Ojai" by Joe Lutcher, "Salee Dame" by Albert Nicholas & Baby Dodds, "Inside" by Hector The Ram, "Run Come See Jerusalem"b y Stan Wilson, "I Learn A Merengue" by Robert Mitchum, "Afro Blue" by Cal Tjader, "La Maricutana" by Damiron & Chapuseaux, "Magical Joe" by Herb Jeffries, "Begin The Beguine" by Charlie Parker, "Make It Do" by Slim Gaillard, "Guitarambo" by Mickey Baker, and "Don't Touch Me Nylon" by The Charmer (aka Louis Farrakhan). CD

Featuring performances by Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas, Earl King, Lee Dorsey, Ernie K Doe, Robert Parker, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Professor Longhair! (Soul, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album