A masterful tribute from one bad cat to another – and easily one of Miles Davis' greatest electric albums ever! The album's got a powerful, epic sort of feel – a renewed focus after the looser style of Bitches Brew, and the 70s live albums – and one that mixes a deeper funky sound with the raw, exploratory style Davis had let loose a few years before. Michael Henderson's bass is a big part of the power of the record, and John McLaughlin's guitar has never sounded better, or sharper. Teo Macero made the whole thing magic in the studio, and titles include two sidelong funkdafied jams – "Right Off" and "Yesternow". LP, Vinyl record album

A masterful tribute from one bad cat to another – and easily one of Miles Davis' greatest electric albums ever! The album's got a powerful, epic sort of feel – a renewed focus after the looser style of Bitches Brew, and the 70s live albums – and one that mixes a deeper funky sound with the raw, exploratory style Davis had let loose a few years before. Michael Henderson's bass is a big part of the power of the record, and John McLaughlin's guitar has never sounded better, or sharper. Teo Macero made the whole thing magic in the studio, and titles include two sidelong funkdafied jams – "Right Off" and "Yesternow". CD

Original score for the film by Paul Scrader. Features composer Scott Johnson on guitar, Fred Zlotkin on cello, Michael Riesman and Peter Phillips on keyboards, Karl Bargen on viola, and Sergiu Shwartz and Timothy Baker on violin. CD

Michael Bettine plays gongs, accompanied by Dave Gelting on bass, Nicholas Elert on guitar, Russ Johnson on trumpet, and others. (Out Sound, Jazz) CD

One of the earliest of bassist Alphonso Johnson's funky fusion albums for Epic! Moonshadows is a nice little set of choppy grooves that recalls the best Herbie Hancock moments of the early 70s, plus some of the side projects of the Headhunters. Warmly funky, but with a nice edge – with a more jazz funk rooted sound than the later, slightly heavier Spellbound! The great group of players includes Patrice Rushen is on keyboards, Benny Maupin on reeds, Lee Ritenour on guitars, Airto Moriera on percussion, Gary Bartz on sax, plus Narada Michael Walden and Ndugu Chancler on drums. Tracks include "Stump", "Cosmoba Place", "Involuntary Bliss", "On The Case", "Amarteifio", "Pandora's Box" and the breezy "Up From The Cellar", which features vocals by Flora Purim! CD

A masterful tribute from one bad cat to another – and easily one of Miles Davis' greatest electric albums ever! The album's got a powerful, epic sort of feel – a renewed focus after the looser style of Bitches Brew, and the 70s live albums – and one that mixes a deeper funky sound with the raw, exploratory style Davis had let loose a few years before. Michael Henderson's bass is a big part of the power of the record, and John McLaughlin's guitar has never sounded better, or sharper. Teo Macero made the whole thing magic in the studio, and titles include two sidelong funkdafied jams – "Right Off" and "Yesternow". CD

One of the earliest of bassist Alphonso Johnson's funky fusion albums for Epic! Moonshadows is a nice little set of choppy grooves that recalls the best Herbie Hancock moments of the early 70s, plus some of the side projects of the Headhunters. Warmly funky, but with a nice edge – with a more jazz funk rooted sound than the later, slightly heavier Spellbound! The great group of players includes Patrice Rushen is on keyboards, Benny Maupin on reeds, Lee Ritenour on guitars, Airto Moriera on percussion, Gary Bartz on sax, plus Narada Michael Walden and Ndugu Chancler on drums. Tracks include "Stump", "Cosmoba Place", "Involuntary Bliss", "On The Case", "Amarteifio", "Pandora's Box" and the breezy "Up From The Cellar", which features vocals by Flora Purim! LP, Vinyl record album

We love the work of trombonist Michael Dease, and a record like this really has him in the best possible setting to really do his thing – working with a combo of well-chosen, sympathetic players, getting to unfurl some great new compositions, and stepping forward with this rock-solid energy that easily makes him one of the greatest contemporary musicians on his instrument! Dease isn't one to take the trombone into free jazz territory – but he does evolve the instrument a few steps past the territory of predecessors like JJ Johnson, Curtis Fuller, and even Steve Turre – working with a voice that's all his own, and a tight sense of phrasing that resonates especially well here with work on trumpet from Alex Sipiagin. But, as mentioned, the whole group's great – a wonderfully warm lineup with Renee Rosnes on piano, Rudresh Mahanthappa on alto, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums – the last two of whom are wonderfully hard-swinging, and are fast becoming one of our favorite contemporary rhythm teams. Titles include the Dease originals "Horse Trading", "Lullaby For Rita", "Charly Jaye", and "Parker's Brood" – plus the tracks "Tiktaalk", "Glory", "Rainbow People", and "With Love". CD

A beautiful soundtrack to the dark British comedy of the same name – starring a young Michael Caine! You might expect it to be a bit schmaltzy, but it's pure jazz all the way through, and features strong inside playing by Rollins over lively orchestrations by Oliver Nelson – filled with moody colors, great changes, and a vibrant sense of energy that's far deeper than the actual film! The group includes Phil Woods, Kenny Burrell, and J.J. Johnson, and they swing hard on all tracks. Titles include the 10 minute workout of "Alfie's Theme", plus a shorter "Differently" version" – plus "On Impulse", "Transition Theme", and "He's Younger Than You". Nice stuff throughout, and much more of a jazz album than a soundtrack! CD

A beautiful soundtrack to the dark British comedy of the same name – starring a young Michael Caine! You might expect it to be a bit schmaltzy, but it's pure jazz all the way through, and features strong inside playing by Rollins over lively orchestrations by Oliver Nelson – filled with moody colors, great changes, and a vibrant sense of energy that's far deeper than the actual film! The group includes Phil Woods, Kenny Burrell, and J.J. Johnson, and they swing hard on all tracks. Titles include the 10 minute workout of "Alfie's Theme", plus a shorter "Differently" version" – plus "On Impulse", "Transition Theme", and "He's Younger Than You". Nice stuff throughout, and much more of a jazz album than a soundtrack! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most ambitious albums ever from pianist Horace Tapscott – a double-length set that has him working with a large lineup of underground musicians from the 70s Los Angeles scene – all united in spirit and power as the Pan-African Peoples Arkestra! Tapscott's piano directs the group strongly – as an extension of the vision that he brought to the late 60s Sonny's Dream album by Sonny Criss – but the music is freer, more spiritual, and often graced with bursts of ensemble energy, balanced by some really tremendous solos from other musicians too! The lineup includes some other key members of the Nimbus Records collective – including Jesse Sharps on saxes and flute, Linda Hill on piano, Adele Sebastian on flute, and Roberto Miranda on bass – and other players include James Andrews and Sabia Matteen on tenor, Archie Johnson and Lester Robertson on trombone, Billy Harris on soprano, Herbert Callies on alto clarinet, and Michael Session on alto. Titles include "Flight 17", "Breeze", "Horacio", "Clarice", and "Maui". CD

One of the most ambitious albums ever from pianist Horace Tapscott – a double-length set that has him working with a large lineup of underground musicians from the 70s Los Angeles scene – all united in spirit and power as the Pan-African Peoples Arkestra! Tapscott's piano directs the group strongly – as an extension of the vision that he brought to the late 60s Sonny's Dream album by Sonny Criss – but the music is freer, more spiritual, and often graced with bursts of ensemble energy, balanced by some really tremendous solos from other musicians too! The lineup includes some other key members of the Nimbus Records collective – including Jesse Sharps on saxes and flute, Linda Hill on piano, Adele Sebastian on flute, and Roberto Miranda on bass – and other players include James Andrews and Sabia Matteen on tenor, Archie Johnson and Lester Robertson on trombone, Billy Harris on soprano, Herbert Callies on alto clarinet, and Michael Session on alto. Titles include "Flight 17", "Breeze", "Horacio", "Clarice", and "Maui". CD

A seminal 70s side from Miles Davis – originally a Japanese recording, and one that returns to the solid push of the initial electric years! The record's a completely cooking little session – one that mixes the raw, noisier styles of other Davis albums with a focus, funked-up energy that's really set loose in the freer standards of the Japanese scene – all to come up with a sound that's completely otherworldly, and which is light years ahead of most mainstream fusion from the period. Pete Cosey plays some really wicked guitar and synthesizer, Al Foster kicks tremendous energy on his drums, Sonny Fortune brings a soulful depth on soprano sax and flute, and Michael Henderson creates massive flow on the bass. Titles include "Prelude", "Interlude", and a long version of "Theme From Jack Johnson". CD

One of the most beautiful, most sophisticated, and most fully-realized sessions from trumpeter Hannibal Marvin Peterson – and a record that features some incredible larger backings from David Amram! The set's a haunting suite dedicated to the children of Vietnam – one that starts out in a darkly brooding mode, but which opens up with some extremely redemptive moments as the set moves on – done in a very spiritual approach to soul jazz that's strongly in the Alice Coltrane tradition! Instrumentation includes a small string group, plus added percussion – and musicians on the set include Art Webb on flute, Richard Davis on bass, Billy Hart on drums, Michael Cochran on piano, and Hannibal himself on both trumpet and koto. The lovely Alpha Johnson sings on a few of the album's tracks, and the whole thing is very warm and deep, and has a lot of variance in tempo and mood, with a strong spiritual feel similar to that of some of the more ambitious Strata East recordings from the time! Titles include "Forest Sunrise", "The Bombing", "Prayer", "Aftermath", and "Finale". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best ever sets of sprawling, spacey soul funk and jazz from the impossible to pen in Burnt Sugar Arkestra Chamber – never an easy group to describe in a nutshell, and that's a good thing – their best work in years and their first effort for the Livewired label! Making Love To The Dark Ages is a weirdly apt title, starting out with kind of dark, bluesy soul backdrop for Lisala's vocal in the beginning of the opening three part suite "Chains And Waters", slowly building into a tense, free jazz groove that's unafraid to pepper it up with some psyche rock guitar, heady/heavy bass, keys and synth, sax and drums. Guitarist and group leader Greg Tate conducts a sprawling chamber with slightly altered lineups depending on the piece, with players including vocal chanteuse Lisala, fellow vocalists Jeremiah, Karma Johnson, Justice Dilla X (who moonlights on piano, too) and others, alto & tenor sax by Matana Roberts and Petre Radu Scafaru, synth by Bruce Mack, cello by Will Martina, acoustic and electric bass by Jason DiMatteo and Jared Michael Nicherson, drums by Chris Eddleton and Trevor Holden & others, guitars by Rene Akan, Vernon Reid, trombone by David Smith, trumpet by Lewis 'Flip' Barnes, Jr, – lots more instrumentation and orchestration. The record rolls in and out of evocative soul, bits of electro and hip hop soundcraft, spaced out astral jazz, sharp solos and textured bursts of noise – never sacrificing a confluent sense of togetherness for all of the diverse sounds. Titles include the suites "Chains And Water" and the title track, plus "Thorazine/81", "Love To Tical" and "Dominata (The Gabri Ballad)". (Deep Funk, Jazz) CD

A seminal 70s side from Miles Davis – originally a Japanese recording, and one that returns to the solid push of the initial electric years! The record's a completely cooking little session – one that mixes the raw, noisier styles of other Davis albums with a focus, funked-up energy that's really set loose in the freer standards of the Japanese scene – all to come up with a sound that's completely otherworldly, and which is light years ahead of most mainstream fusion from the period. Pete Cosey plays some really wicked guitar and synthesizer, Al Foster kicks tremendous energy on his drums, Sonny Fortune brings a soulful depth on soprano sax and flute, and Michael Henderson creates massive flow on the bass. Titles include "Prelude", "Interlude", and a long version of "Theme From Jack Johnson". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most beautiful, most sophisticated, and most fully-realized sessions from trumpeter Hannibal Marvin Peterson – and a record that features some incredible larger backings from David Amram! The set's a haunting suite dedicated to the children of Vietnam – one that starts out in a darkly brooding mode, but which opens up with some extremely redemptive moments as the set moves on – done in a very spiritual approach to soul jazz that's strongly in the Alice Coltrane tradition! Instrumentation includes a small string group, plus added percussion – and musicians on the set include Art Webb on flute, Richard Davis on bass, Billy Hart on drums, Michael Cochran on piano, and Hannibal himself on both trumpet and koto. The lovely Alpha Johnson sings on a few of the album's tracks, and the whole thing is very warm and deep, and has a lot of variance in tempo and mood, with a strong spiritual feel similar to that of some of the more ambitious Strata East recordings from the time! Titles include "Forest Sunrise", "The Bombing", "Prayer", "Aftermath", and "Finale". CD

A beautiful soundtrack to the dark British comedy of the same name – starring a young Michael Caine! You might expect it to be a bit schmaltzy, but it's pure jazz all the way through, and features strong inside playing by Rollins over lively orchestrations by Oliver Nelson – filled with moody colors, great changes, and a vibrant sense of energy that's far deeper than the actual film! The group includes Phil Woods, Kenny Burrell, and J.J. Johnson, and they swing hard on all tracks. Titles include the 10 minute workout of "Alfie's Theme", plus a shorter "Differently" version" – plus "On Impulse", "Transition Theme", and "He's Younger Than You". Nice stuff throughout, and much more of a jazz album than a soundtrack! CD

A seminal 70s side from Miles Davis – originally a Japanese recording, and one that returns to the solid push of the initial electric years! The record's a completely cooking little session – one that mixes the raw, noisier styles of other Davis albums with a focus, funked-up energy that's really set loose in the freer standards of the Japanese scene – all to come up with a sound that's completely otherworldly, and which is light years ahead of most mainstream fusion from the period. Pete Cosey plays some really wicked guitar and synthesizer, Al Foster kicks tremendous energy on his drums, Sonny Fortune brings a soulful depth on soprano sax and flute, and Michael Henderson creates massive flow on the bass. Titles include "Prelude", "Interlude", and a long version of "Theme From Jack Johnson". CD

One of the most beautiful, most sophisticated, and most fully-realized sessions from trumpeter Hannibal Marvin Peterson – and a record that features some incredible larger backings from David Amram! The set's a haunting suite dedicated to the children of Vietnam – one that starts out in a darkly brooding mode, but which opens up with some extremely redemptive moments as the set moves on – done in a very spiritual approach to soul jazz that's strongly in the Alice Coltrane tradition! Instrumentation includes a small string group, plus added percussion – and musicians on the set include Art Webb on flute, Richard Davis on bass, Billy Hart on drums, Michael Cochran on piano, and Hannibal himself on both trumpet and koto. The lovely Alpha Johnson sings on a few of the album's tracks, and the whole thing is very warm and deep, and has a lot of variance in tempo and mood, with a strong spiritual feel similar to that of some of the more ambitious Strata East recordings from the time! Titles include "Forest Sunrise", "The Bombing", "Prayer", "Aftermath", and "Finale". LP, Vinyl record album

With Bud Freeman, Yank Lawson, Bernie Privin, Lou McGarity, Buddy Morrow, Bernie Leighton, George Duvivier, and Gus Johnson. LP, Vinyl record album