Mark Turner on tenor and soprano saxophones, Larry Grenadier on double bass, and Jeff Ballard on drums. CD

A great recent album on Blue Note, and one that's an incredibly loving hommage to the label's great history. The group features Greg Osby on alto, Mark Shim on tenor, Stefon Harris on vibes, and Jason Moran on piano – and the four of them play together in a tight, soulful style that brings back memories of some of Blue Note's best mid 60s recordings. It's no surprise that the group runs through some of the better known cuts from the label's earlier years – like "Theme From Blow Up", "No Room For Squares", "Tom Thumb", "Ping Pong", and "Song For My Father" – but the mix of vibes and horns also transforms the sound into something new and fresh, and keeps the album from being just a rehash of old stuff. Quite nice, and nice and long! CD

Mark Isham on trumpet, Doug Lunn on bass, Peter Maunu and Steve Cardenas on guitar, and Michael Barsimanto on drums. CD

Mark Mantel on percussion and electronics. CD

Titles include "Soul Serenade", "Listen Here", "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy", "Jubilation", and "Better Days Ahead". CD

Recorded in 2004 with Mark Reboul on saxophone, Roberta Piket on piano, and Billy Mintz on drums. CD

Tracks include "Lift Off", "For The Bees", "One Note", and "Slow Motion" – 8 tracks total, all originals by drummer and leader Mark Segger. CD

Features Geri Allen on piano, Curtis Lundy on bass, and Ralph Peterson on drums and trumpet. CD

Mark Feldman on violin, John Taylor on piano, Anders Jormin on double bass & Tom Rainey on drums. CD

(Soundtracks, Jazz) CD

With David Torn on guitar. CD

(Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Mark Turner on tenor saxophone, Kurt Rosenwinkel on guitar, Reid Anderson on bass, and Nasheet Waits on drums. CD

Features John Butcher on saxophones, John Edwards on bass, and Mark Sanders on drums. CD

With Don Stille, Jim McNeely, and Jim Trompeter on piano. CD

With Bob Rummage on drums. CD

David Lacey on percussion and e-bowed monochord, Paul Vogel on clarinet and computer, and Mark Wastell on cymbals and electronics. (Out Sound, Jazz) CD

A fantastic set from vocalist Mark Murphy – easily one of his greatest albums ever! The session was recorded for the MPS label in Germany during the late 60s – at a time when Murphy was recording some excellent work overseas – and the album features backings by a small combo peeled off of the legendary Clark-Boland Big Band, who were also working for MPS at the time! Murphy's vocals get some tremendous backing on the set from a combo that includes Jimmy Deuchar on trumpet, Sahib Shihab on baritone and flute, Derek Humble on alto, and Ronnie Scott on tenor – and the grooves are a mix of modal numbers and straight jazz tunes – almost always dancing together in a lovely way that unlocks a side of Murphy's talents that hadn't been recorded this way before. And in fact, the album's gone onto have a huge influence on the current sound of club jazz – and is a key inspiration for the work of Nicola Conte, Koop, Five Corners Quintet, and others! The vocals are perfect, too – with nary a hint of overindulgence, and always a sweet measured groove that works perfectly with the material – and titles include "My Ship", "I Don't Want Nothin", "Hopeless", "Sconsolato", "Why & How", and "Just Give Me Time". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Mark Nauseef on percussion and "cheap" Casio, Ikue Mori on computer, Sylvie Courvoisier on piano, and Walter Quintus on mixing board. CD

With Jack Bruce on voice, bass, and harmonica. CD

(Vocalists, Jazz) CD

... CD

With Monty Alexander on piano, Hassan Shakur on bass, and Mark Taylor on drums. CD

Features Mose Allison on piano and vocals, Roy Babbington on bass, and Mark Taylor on drums. (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Produced by Ben Sidran with Jim Mullen on guitar, Roy Babbington on bass, and Mark Taylor on drums. (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Louis Armstrong on trumpet & vocal with Yank Lawson on trumpet, Jack Teagarden & Trummy Young on trombone, Barney Bigard & Edmond Hall on clarinet, George Dorsey & Hilton Jefferson on alto saxophone, Bud Freeman, Seldon Powell & Lucky Thompson on tenor saxophone, Dave McRae on baritone saxophone, bass clarinet & bass saxophone, Dick Cary, Earl Hines & Billy Kyle on piano, Everett Barksdal & George Barnes on guitar, Squire Gersh & Arvell Shaw on bass, Sid Catlett, Cozy Cole, Barrett Deems & Kenny John on drums & Velma Middleton on vocals. CD

An early album as a leader from the great Roy Ayers – a set that captures the vibes man at a time when he'd been working on the west coast soul jazz scene, and was stepping into even greater fame in the group of Herbie Mann! Yet this set is definitely Roy's own – kind of an introduction to the more righteous sounds he'd pursue in the 70s, set up in an instrumental mode with great help from Herbie Hancock on piano, Gary Bartz on alto, Charles Tolliver on trumpet, and Hubert Laws on flute – all ultra-hip players who really bring a lot to the record! And despite the colorful cover, and its reference of a pop hit, there's a much deeper vibe going on here – on titles that include a great version of Jobim's "Wave" – done like we've never heard it before – plus the original cuts "What The People Say", "Lil's Paradise", and "A Rose For Cindy". CD

Joe Beck on electric guitar, Michael Brecker on tenor saxophone, Don Grolnick on piano and Fender Rhodes, Jay Leonhart on acoustic bass, Mark Egan on four and eight-string fretted and fretless basses, and Steve Gadd on drums. CD

Tim Berne on alto saxophone & vocals, Hank Roberts on cello and vocals, Mark Dresser on contrabass, giffus and bungy, Joey Baron on drums, synthesizer and electronics, Herb Robertson on trumpet, cornet and laryngeal crowbar, and Mark Feldman on violin. CD

Features Tim Berne on alto, Steve Swell on trombone, Herb Robertson on trumpet and various instruments, Marc Ducret on guitar, Mark Dresser on bass, and Bobby Previte on drums. CD

One of our favorite albums ever from Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers – but a set that was unreleased by Blue Note for quite a few years! The set's one of two gems the group recorded in 1961, but which were held back until the end of the 60s – and it features a stellar version of the group with Wayne Shorter on tenor, Lee Morgan on trumpet, and Bobby Timmons on piano – all wonderful players who were really coming into their own at the time, and starting to bring a richness to the Messengers sound that would leave its mark in jazz for many years to come! The group is razor-sharp on the rhythms, but also really able to take new chances with their phrasing and timing – on a host of wonderful tracks that include "Those Who Sit & Wait", "The Witch Doctor", and "A Little Busy" – all real classics from this special group. CD

Jane Ira Bloom on soprano saxophone and live electronics, Jamie Saft on keyboards and electronics, Mark Dresser on bass, and Bobby Previte on drums and electronic drums. CD

Jane Ira Bloom on soprano saxophone, Dawn Clement on piano, Mark Helias on bass, Bobby Previte on drums, with vocals from Deborah Rush. CD

Features tenor Don Braden working in a few different quartet and trio formations – musicians include Darrell Grant on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Cecil Brooks III on drums. CD

Features Antonio Hart on alto, Steve Turre on trombone, Mark Taylor on French horn, Roland Hanna on piano, and Michael Carvin on drums – plus a guest drums from Max Roach! CD

Features Patrick Clahar on saxophones, Steve Hamilton on piano, Mark Hodgson on bass, and Bill Bruford on drums. CD

The entirety of Kenny's first 3 sessions for Blue Note together on one 2 disc set. Arguably some of Kenny Burrell's best work! Unlike some of Kenny's other sessions, which hide his guitar in arrangements that are a bit too complicated – this one's a nicely stripped-down album that sets his hollow electric in a group with Tommy Flanagan on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, Kenny Clarke on drums, and Candido on conga. The tracks are nicely laidback, and Kenny hits some nice deep grooves on cuts like "Fugue N Blues", "Takeela", and "Delilah". Plus, the album also includes a totally cool percussion-only track – "Rhythmorama", which is a duet between Kenny Clarke and Candido! This CD adds the entire session to include the album issued as Kenny Burrell Volume 2 which featured Frank Foster's tenor on numbers like "Moten Swin", "Cheeta" and Phinupi. K.B. Blues, an early 10" side that included the title track (with an alternate take also included here), "Nica's Dream" and "Out For Blood" with tenor man Hank Mobley, is also included. CD

A treasure trove of lost material from Jaki Byard – recorded during a time when he was at the height of his powers! The 7 tunes on this set were originally cut for the 2 volume series of live recordings Byard did for Prestige in the mid 60s – and of those 7, only 1 was ever issued, and even then, never on CD. The work is quite striking – with Byard on piano, leading a quartet that features a very young Joe Farrell on tenor, soprano, and flute, with crack rhythm by the team of George Tucker on bass and Alan Dawson on drums. All the tracks were recorded during one set at Lennie's in Massachusetts in 1965, and overall, the performances have a longer, more unbridled feel than most of Byard's studio work of the time. The range of his work on piano is incredible – modern one moment, soulful another, and trad the next – and Farrell's playing is surprisingly strong for such an early point, especially on the longer tunes on the set, which really let him open up in exploratory solos. Titles include "Dolphy #1", "King David", "Twelve (alt)", "St Mark's Place Among The Sewers", and "Jaki Byard's Ballad Medley". CD

Next level modern improvisation from the trio of Taylor Ho Bynum, Joe Morris and Sara Schoenbeck – and one of our favorite new recordings on the always exciting Porter Records label! Bynum plays coronet, flugelhorn, bass & piccolo trumpets on Next, with never predictable guitar work from Morris and with Schoenbeck on bassoon, it takes on even more haunting, low tones. Includes "Glacial (Memory)", "Fireside", "Small Footprints Of Unidentified Creatures", "Consensus Struggle", "Therefore (Three)" and "Next". CD

Dave Samuels on vibraphone and marimba, Romero Lubambo on guitar, Dario Eskenazi on piano, Ray Vega on trumpet and flugelhorn, Randy Brecker on trumpet, Ruben Rodriguez on bass, Roberto Quintero on congas and percussion, Dafnis Prieto on drums and timbales, Mark Walker on drums, and Cafe on percussion. CD

A group that's a lot greater than you'd guess from its name – with performances by Lewis Nash, Peter Washington, Steve Turre, Slide Hampton, Renee Rosnes, Jerry Dodgion, Ted Nash, and Ralph Lalama – plus Jon Faddis, who directs the group too! CD