With Amino Belyamani on pinao. CD

A great compilation of tracks by Roy Ayers – one that feels quite different than some of his other collections, as it goes past the hits to show a warm and uniquely mellow side of his career! The 18 track package is drawn from some of his best work on Polydor during the 70s – and instead of uptempo club tracks, or Roy's few famous hits, it goes for laidback numbers that offer a strong focus on his mellow vibes and wonderful production styles. The set grooves along with some of our favorite lesser-known tracks by Roy – occasionally stepping into a hit, but mostly sticking to obscurer album cuts, and a few favorites that have grown in fame over the years, thanks to the sample crowd. Titles include "The Black Five", "Feel Like Making Love", "The River Niger", "And Don't You Say No", "Can't You See Me", "Time & Space", "Vibrations", "Searching", "We Live In Brooklyn Baby", "The Boogie Back", and "Sweet Tears". (Soul, Jazz) CD

Sergio Mendes is definitely a swinger – especially on this jazz-based session that was recorded before his famous work with Brasil 66! This album was recorded in New York, at a time when Mendes was one of the hottest things brewing in the bossa scene in Brazil – and apart from the great Antonio Carlos Jobim on guitar, many of the other players are American jazz musicians – including Art Farmer on flugelhorn, Phil Woods on alto sax, and Hubert Laws on flute – all adding in some nice jazzy elements to the tunes! The music is all instrumental, and a great mix of jazz and bossa that really lets you hear the young Sergio's skills on piano. Titles include "Maria Moita", "Sambinha Bossa Nova", "The Dreamer", "Primavera", "Favela", and "Pau Brazil". (Brazil, Jazz) CD

One of the many things we love about keyboardist Greg Foat is that he's never willing to sit still – that he's always on the move into some new dimension of his music – so much so that it's very difficult to ever compare one of his records with another! This set's got a very keyboard-heavy approach – recorded with just drums from Morgan Simpson of Black Midi – and a style that's like some of the best tracks from that moment when the sound library scene went more electric at the end of the 70s – although in a way that still stretches out with the enigmatic depths of some of Foat's more ambitious projects! The album's full of wonderfully spacey lines and laidback grooves – on titles that include "Underwater Fantasy", "Tropical Love", "Arctic Cavern", "The Investigation", "Green Odyssey", "Riding Into Battel", "Subterranean Lake", and "World Of Tiers". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite Woody Shaw albums from his later years – and an album that's got the same joyous spirit and free soaring feel of his best 70s work on Muse – really soaring with a sense of life and freedom in a really great way! The core group on the album is the Tone Jansa Quartet – led by European reedman Jansa, and working in a space that's quite similar to that of Shaw's backing groups on previous sessions – strong modal currents in the rhythms, and with Tone's work on soprano, tenor, and flute turning out to be a great partner for Woody's trumpet! Jansa wrote all the tunes on the set, and gave them a soaring feel that we really love – just the right mix of introspection and exploration found on classic Shaw sessions like Little Red's Fantasy or Lovedance. Titles include "Midi", "Boland", "Call Mobility", "River", and "May". LP, Vinyl record album

Joe Locke on vibes, midi vibes, and marimba, Bob Berg on tenor saxophone, Gary Novak on drums, James Genus on acoustic bass, and Gerard Presencer on flugelhorn. CD

Something of a family affair with Mondre Moffett, Charles Moffett Jr, Charles Moffett Sr, Cody Moffett, and Charisse Moffett – plus Kenny Garrett on alto, Kenny Drew on piano, and Stanley Jordan on midi guitar strings CD

One of our favorite Woody Shaw albums from his later years – and an album that's got the same joyous spirit and free soaring feel of his best 70s work on Muse – really soaring with a sense of life and freedom in a really great way! The core group on the album is the Tone Jansa Quartet – led by European reedman Jansa, and working in a space that's quite similar to that of Shaw's backing groups on previous sessions – strong modal currents in the rhythms, and with Tone's work on soprano, tenor, and flute turning out to be a great partner for Woody's trumpet! Jansa wrote all the tunes on the set, and gave them a soaring feel that we really love – just the right mix of introspection and exploration found on classic Shaw sessions like Little Red's Fantasy or Lovedance. Titles include "Midi", "Boland", "Call Mobility", "River", and "May". LP, Vinyl record album

Rez Abbasi on guitar, Mark Shim on tenor saxophone and MIDI controller, Ben Stivers on keyboards and organ, and Kenny Grohowski on drums. CD

That's Carl Saunders, not Colonel Sanders – and he's one heck of a great trumpeter, more than strong enough to carry off a live quartet date like this! The album has Saunders on both trumpet and flugelhorn – working with piano, bass, and drums in a set of extended tracks with plenty of room for solos. Carl's a player that we'd missed until this Sinatra Society set caught our eye, and although contemporary, the album's got a classic feel that reminds us a bit of an Art Farmer record from a few decades back – and Saunders has more than enough imagination to carry off his solos with the sort of reference that might imply. He also happens to be a good writer too – and 7 of the album's 10 tracks are originals – with titles that include "Happy Go Lucky", "Can You Dig Being Dug", "Calming Notion", "Midi Evil Blues", "Blues On The Side", and "The Girl From Cancun". CD

Features Andrew D'Angelo and Jeff Lederer on reeds, plus special guests Felicia Wilson on violin and Curtis Hasselbring on trombone. CD

Rare early solo material from Dutch jazz rock guitar eclecticist/genius Jan Akkerman – a late 60s album released in the Netherlands on Imperial after Akkerman's time in The Hunters and before his work with Brainbox and Focus! It's an early indication of his far reaching tastes and talent – playing in trio format for the most part, with couple bluesy psych jazz gems composed by Jan plus takes on diverse bag of covers including "Bag's Groove", "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy", "Ode To Billy Joe" and "Green Onions". Original numbers include "Revival Of The Cat" and "Moonbeam". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album