One of Tadd Dameron's last true jazz sides – featuring the bop maestro composing, arranging, and conducting for a large group that includes Bill Evans, Johnny Griffin, Joe Wilder, Clark Terry, and Philly Joe Jones. There's a bit of Ellington in the album – with somber washes of mood and color, in a manner that was always one of Dameron's strongest suits – and the quality of the players, especially Evans, really adds a lot to the album. Titles include "On A Misty Night", "Just Plain Talkin", "You're A Joy", "Swift As The Wind", and "Dial B For Beauty". LP, Vinyl record album

Two of the best west coast boppers of the postwar years – back together again in a killer revival date cut by Contemporary Records! As the title implies, the set's got a backward-looking sort of feel – at least for the early 60s recording date – but from the perspective of our generation, the whole thing merges nicely into the classic sound of LA bop – perhaps extending out the original Central Ave groove a bit more, thanks to the generous recording spirit of Contemporary, and the longer tracks on the date. Edwards plays tenor, McGhee plays trumpet, and other players include Phineas Newborn on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Ed Thigpen on drums. Titles include "Together Again", "You Stepped Out Of A Dream", "Up There", "Perhaps", "Misty" and "Sandy". CD

Ella Fitzgerald recorded famously in Berlin for Verve Records at the start of the 60s – but this set's from later on in the decade, and shows just how much Ella had grown as a singer! There's less of the easygoing good vibes of that previous album, and a much more mature, intimate quality at times – mixed with a few of the groovier styles that Fitzgerald was picking up in the second half of the 60s! Throughout it all, backing is just by a trio, but one who rock things with plenty of soul – Jimmy Jones on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Sam Woodyard on drums – on titles that include "So Danca Samba", "Summertime", "You've Changed", "Misty", "Midnight Sun", "Here's That Rainy Day", "Don't Be That Way", "These Boots Are Made For Walking", and "Oh Lady Be Good". Great 2CD package – with 20 tracks in all! (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Plenty of groove, and plenty of spice – a set that has the heavy Holmes taking off in his best 60s soul jazz formation! The tracks are extremely tight – a bit shorter than usual, but in a really good way – almost to show that Grove Holmes could pack plenty of niceness into a tune, with less room than other players needed! Rhythms are great – tightly snapping throughout, and definitely in a "Misty" vibe – and the session features great guitar work from both Gene Edwards and Boogaloo Joe Jones, plus drums from George Randall, and some especially nice congas from Richard Landrum – which gives many numbers a sweetly skipping groove. Loads of fantastic covers here, that really transform the tunes – and titles include "If I Had A Hammer", "Old Folks", "123", "Never On A Sunday", "Boo D Doo", "Work Song", and "Day In The Life Of A Fool". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best Sonny Criss albums ever – one of our favorites from his late 60s run at Prestige – and that's really saying a lot! The set's a warmly lyrical session that really has Criss opening up, changing up his groove to display the deep growth he'd experienced as a musician in the 60s. The rhythm section is wonderful – pianist Eddie Green, over the rock-solid team of Bob Cranshaw on bass and Alan Dawson on drums – who really help Sonny Criss transform the tunes on the record. Even 60s pop tunes like "Misty Roses" and "Eleanor Rigby" come off sounding fresh and wonderful – as do older jazz nuggets "The Masquerade Is Over" and "Rockin In Rhythm" – both tunes that are recorded so often you might expect hoke, but which sparkle anew in the hands of Sonny's soulful vision! CD

One of Tadd Dameron's last true jazz sides – featuring the bop maestro composing, arranging, and conducting for a large group that includes Bill Evans, Johnny Griffin, Joe Wilder, Clark Terry, and Philly Joe Jones. There's a bit of Ellington in the album – with somber washes of mood and color, in a manner that was always one of Dameron's strongest suits – and the quality of the players, especially Evans, really adds a lot to the album. Titles include "On A Misty Night", "Just Plain Talkin", "You're A Joy", "Swift As The Wind", and "Dial B For Beauty". CD

An album that's often overlooked amidst some of the bigger "songbook" Verve sessions by Ella Fitzgerald – yet a really special record that shows off a side of Ella that's not ever captured this well on other records! The record was also initially billed as tied into the book and film Let No Man Write My Epitaph – but there's nothing soundtrack-like at all about the performance, as Fitzgerald works with only backing from pianist Paul Smith – a player who sounds wonderful next to the singer, and brings just the right sort of inflections to open up Ella's vocals for the date! There's a spare quality that's completely captivating – proof that Fitzgerald was a hell of a jazz singer at the core, even when her star was rising on the international scene – maybe even more compelling without any large arrangements at all, as she takes on superb material that includes versions of "Misty", "Black Coffee", "Angel Eyes", "I Cried For You", "Who's Sorry Now", "September Song", "Then You've Never Been Blue", and "Reach For Tomorrow". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Dexter Gordon in Tokyo, but working strongly with a lineup that helped him make some of his best 70s recordings in Europe – that wonderful quartet with Kenny Drew on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Albert Tootie Heath on drums! The format is familiar, and Dex is right on the money – spinning out those wonderfully strong, richly imaginative solos that make his Copenhagen material so strong over the years – that special Gordon way of taking a familiar tune, and opening it up completely in the space of his extended solo! Titles include Gordon's classic "Fried Bananas" – plus "Misty", "Days Of Wine & Roses", and "Jelly Jelly Jelly". CD features two bonus tracks – "Rhythm A Ning", recorded with the same group, but with Espen Rud on drums in 1973 – and "Old Folks", recorded with an unusual quartet that features Ronnie Mathews on piano, Stafford James on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums. CD

The "plus one" on the set is Stanley Turrentine – who really warms up the sound nicely! Titles include "Gene's Lament", "Misty", "Uptown Sop", and "Yours Is My Heart Alone". CD

A key album in the career of Richard Groove Holmes – his first session ever for Prestige Records, and the one that yielded the monster crossover hit version of "Misty"! The sound here is much leaner and cleaner than Groove in his Pacific Jazz years – a tight trio approach that brings plenty focus on Holmes' soaring style on the Hammond – that way of holding a note that made his organ work instantly recognizable in the 60s, in a groove that really set the tone for plenty of spacious keyboard work to come from others who would cop his style! Players include Gene Edwards on guitar and Jimmie Smith on drums – but Groove's organ dominates the records, and clearly sets the tone for the rhythm with his amazing sense of space and timing! Titles include a 6 minute version of Groove's "Misty", plus "Groove's Groove", "Song For My Father", and "Soul Message". LP, Vinyl record album

Mellow vocals from the lovely Ayako Hosokawa – one of Japan's greatest jazz vocalists of the 70s, singing here in a warm and intimate setting. Ayako sings in English, mostly American standards plus a few pop numbers – and the backing for the set includes keyboards, tenor, guitar, and strings – flowing out in the best mellow style of the Three Blind Mice label of the time. The real standout cut is Ayako's great reading of "Feel Like Making Love" – worth the price of the album alone for its dope 70s groove – and other cuts include "When You Smile", "The Lady Is A Tramp", "Misty", "Mr Wonderful", and "The Lady Is A Tramp". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

60s Ahmad Jamal in the studio is already pretty darn great – but live, his group is even more amazing – as the pianist is able to stretch out more, and take a lot more chances too – not just in the way he's striking the keys of the piano, but also working with the fantastic rhythms of Jamil Nasser on bass and Frank Gant on drums! The trio have a legendary way of working together – sensing space as much as moments of music – and their work here on this series of unreleased tracks is completely sublime – and maybe one of the best recorded demonstrations of why Jamal was so revolutionary at the time! The mix of new ideas and soulful swing is incredible – and tracks here are mostly nice and long, filled with bold energy throughout – on versions of "Naked City", "Mr Lucky", "Where Is Love", "Dance To The Lady", "Fantastic Vehicle", "Gloria", "Misty", and "Autumn Leaves". LP, Vinyl record album

Lovely lovely work from Irene Kral – a Japanese-only session from the 70s, and one of her best efforts from the time! Irene's vocals have never sounded better – strong and confident, but not in a cloying way that gets in the way of the tunes – working with a piano trio led by Alan Broadbent that's wonderfully adaptive to the mood of the tunes, especially from a rhythmic standpoint – as a number of the tracks turn out to be great groovers in the end! The album's a perfect example of the way that American singers were always able to find a hipper vibe when recording in Japan during the 70s (like Dee Dee Bridgewater or Lorez Alexandria, to name a few others recorded this way!) The set's got a great version of "On A Clear Day", a snapping jazz dance take on "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", plus the cuts "Star Eyes", "Misty Roses", "Angel Eyes", "Corcovado", and "Everytime We Say Goodbye". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

The title does a good enough job of summing up the range of styles that Ramsey and his trio would use to please the crowds during their countless engagements in the early 60s – taking tunes from a variety of settings, including classical, and infusing them with a soul jazz style dripping in blues, and bound to make any tune instantly likeable! The trio on the set is Ramsey's famous one with Eldee Young and Red Holt – and Richard Evans joins the group on bass on 2 tracks. Titles include "Dance Mystique", "Peace & Tranquility", "Sadness Done Come", "Travel On", "For The Love Of A Princess", and "Misty Days Lonely Nights". LP, Vinyl record album

Two giants from the LA bop scene of years past – still sounding wonderful here in the later years of their career! We're not sure we'd rapidly embrace the "young" in the title – but only because there's a maturity of playing here that really makes the record great – a sense of pacing and individuality that makes the trumpet of Howard McGhee and tenor of Teddy Edwards so strong – as they get respectful accompaniment from Art Hillery on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – all players who seem to step into the McGhee/Edwards mode, rather than shape things on their own. Titles include "Reflections", "Relaxin At Camarillo", "Yardbird Suite", "On A Misty Night", and "Blues In The Closet". LP, Vinyl record album

Solo guitar by Joe Pass – a beautiful little album that's a perfect showcase for the new sensitivity in his music during his years at Pablo records! The Joe Pass heard here is light years away from the guitar player who made a few gimmicky records a decade before – and this album has Joe coming across with a gentle, but sophisticated approach to his instrument that we never would have expected in the past! Titles include "Blues For Basie", "Blues For OP", "Misty", "Grooveyard", "Giant Steps", "Five Hundred Miles High", and "Limehouse Blues". CD

With Buster Williams on bass and Billy Higgins on drums. Titles include "Straight Street", "Arrival", "One For Hakim", "Medi II", and "Misty Thursday". LP, Vinyl record album

The Johnny Smith sound is a wonderful one – not just the sound that he makes with his groundbreaking work on the strings of the guitar, but also the way he records the instrument – which set a new standard in jazz guitar albums, and also helped pave the way for countless generations to come! A date like this is a great example of the standard-setting work that Smith was able to give us in his prime – and the approach slightly updates the Smith guitar sound of the early 50s – clarifying it a bit, but still keeping that great tone right out front – with a group that includes Hank Jones on piano, George Duvivier on bass, and Ed Shaughnessey on drums. Titles include "Misty", "Embraceable You", "Blues Chorale", "Prelude", "As Long As There's Music", and "Round Midnight". CD

A richly-recorded album, one that really brings out the best of the bass of Yoshio Chin Suzuki and the piano of Tsuyoshi Yamamoto! The sound quality is a bit like some of those classic Three Blind Mice dates from the 70s – familiar jazz territory, but a bit different too – and opened up with a tremendous ear for the color and tone of the individual players, especially Suzuki – who gets to open up a number of tracks with solo bass passages that are really beautiful! Titles include "Last Tango In Paris", "Blues For Edith", "The Loving Touch", "Summertime", "Misty", "Cleopatra's Dream", and "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great groove from guitarist Gabor Szabo – a set that has the musician working with legendary producer Wayne Henderson, in a mode that moves into soul while still keeping all the best jazz elements intact! Szabo plays acoustic guitar alongside electric from Marlon McClain, with both players wrapped up nicely by Fender Rhodes work from the great Bobby Lyle – whose keyboard lines really act as the glue for all the grooves, while Henderson works to give them all the right sort of punch from the bottom! The mix of talents here comes together perfectly – like some of the best work on the Fantasy label at the time, or maybe a bit like some of the Mizell productions – but in a different way. Titles include "The Biz", "Magic Mystic Faces", "Gloomy Day", "Desiring You", "Misty Malarky Ying Yang", "Alicia", "The Last Song", and "Estate". LP, Vinyl record album

An album with a really beautiful sound – not just from the core work of the piano trio, but also from the guy who recorded the whole thing too – the legendary engineer for the Three Blind Mice label in Japan, Yoshihiko Kaminari! It's not often that the engineer gets billed on the back cover alongside the members of a jazz combo – but that credit is very well due here, as the album does a beautiful job of capturing all the subtle brilliance of Tsuyoshi Yamamoto on the keys of the piano – stepping gently next to the bass of Hiroshi Kagawa and drums of Toshio Ohsumi – both very subtle players who let the pianist dominate the proceedings! The set features a fair bit of Erroll Garner numbers, which creates a nicely different setting for Yamamoto – and his pairing here with Kaminari reunites the same forces that gave the world Tsuyoshi's classic TBM albums Midnight Sugar and Misty. Titles include "Dreamy", "Mood Island", "Solitaire", "Night Wind", "Paris Bounce", "Garner Talk", "Sweet For K", and "When Paris Cries". CD

An album with a really beautiful sound – not just from the core work of the piano trio, but also from the guy who recorded the whole thing too – the legendary engineer for the Three Blind Mice label in Japan, Yoshihiko Kaminari! It's not often that the engineer gets billed on the back cover alongside the members of a jazz combo – but that credit is very well due here, as the album does a beautiful job of capturing all the subtle brilliance of Tsuyoshi Yamamoto on the keys of the piano – stepping gently next to the bass of Hiroshi Kagawa and drums of Toshio Ohsumi – both very subtle players who let the pianist dominate the proceedings! The set features a fair bit of Erroll Garner numbers, which creates a nicely different setting for Yamamoto – and his pairing here with Kaminari reunites the same forces that gave the world Tsuyoshi's classic TBM albums Midnight Sugar and Misty. Titles include "Dreamy", "Mood Island", "Solitaire", "Night Wind", "Paris Bounce", "Garner Talk", "Sweet For K", and "When Paris Cries". CD

A jazz guitar/Hammond organ session – the former by Shoji Yokouchi, the latter by Yuri Tashiro – but a variation on the form that's quite different than usual, and very much in the groundbreaking style of the Three Blind Mice label! Shoji plays a few different guitars – both acoustic and electric – and rather than just ape an American use of guitar next to organ, the style here is often nicely changed up – partly because the phrasing can be different when the guitar is acoustic, but also because in true Three Blind Mice form, the arrangements are often very inventive and unusual. Other players include Kunimitsu Inaba on bass and Hajime Ishimatsu on drums – and titles include "New Orleans Sunday", "Drink Up Vodka Martini", "Misty", "Moanin", "Greensleeves", and "Your Watch Is Ten Minutes Slow". CD

Two deeply resonant players, working here without any other accompaniment at all – just the vibes of Joe Locke and piano of the wonderful Kenny Barron – coming together with a sense of interplay that's really wonderful! The titles are mostly standards, but get pulled out in long renditions that revel in the way the vibes and piano come together – a mode that's especially nice given the sharpness of Locke's sense of attack on his instrument, as the record might be a bit too sleepy with a softer sort of player. Titles include a very nice remake of "Stolen Moments" – plus "But Beautiful", "On A Misty Night", "You Don't Know What Love Is", and "Nancy". CD

Four great albums from reedman Arthur Blythe – all together in one collection! First up is Lenox Avenue Breakdown – a stunning Columbia Records debut from Blythe! At the time of the date, Blythe had already spent years working in the jazz undergrounds on both coasts – developing a searing sound on alto sax that's perfect for the focused structure of this album – almost a tone poem of sorts, offering up a portrait of the Harlem scene that was a key part of Arthur's life at the time. The sounds are sharp, but also have a sense of energy that really holds them together – guiding the players through long readings of well-penned tunes by Blythe that are filled with loads of energy and life! Players include James Newton on flute, James Blood Ulmer on guitar, Bob Stewart on tuba, Cecil McBee on bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums, and Guillermo Franco on percussion – and titles include "Odessa", "Slidin Through", "Down San Diego Way", and "Lenox Avenue Breakdown". In The Tradition is a gem – as the set represents the modern musician taking on a host of older jazz currents, while carving things out with his own special sort of soul! Half the tunes are familiar favorites, the other half originals – and Blythe moves far past his avant roots, to showcase his deep understanding of so many different shades of jazz – blowing alto beautifully throughout, in a very hip quartet that features Stanley Cowell on piano, Fred Hopkins on bass, and Steve McCall on drums! Titles include great takes on "Naima", "Jitterbug Waltz", "Caravan", and "In A Sentimental Mood" – plus the originals "Break Tune" and "Hip Dipper". Illusions is maybe the boldest of Arthur Blythe's albums for Columbia Records – as the set bristles with newly creative energy right from the start, and provides a great showcase for some of the criss-crossings of styles and rhythms that were taking place on the New York scene at the time! The lineup alone announces something special – a cool combination of James Blood Ulmer on guitar, John Hicks on piano, Fred Hopkins on bass, Abdul Wadud on cello, Bob Stewart on tuba, and Steve McCall on drums – working together in some slight variations at times, often with these angular edges that are perfectly sharpened by Arthur's amazing work on alto sax. The music's never too free, but quite outside for a major label at the time – balanced out so that it's never overindulgent at all. Titles include "Bush Baby", "Miss Nancy", "My Son Ra", and "Carespin With Mamie". Blythe Spirit is a set that showcases the never-ending growth and imagination of reedman Arthur Blythe during this fruitful period of his career – and his ability to effortlessly blend together different elements in his music – especially sides of the New York loft jazz scene, and the Chicago-based AACM! The tunes are beautiful – mostly originals, and showing a richer spirituality than even a year before – while still working in that compellingly rhythmic mode that Arthur was hitting during these years – in a lineup that features Blythe on alto, Abdul Wadud on cello, Kelvyn Bell on guitar, Steve McCall and Bobby Battle on drums, John Hicks on piano, Amina Claudine Myers on organ, and Fred Hopkins on bass. The mix of electric and acoustic elements is fantastic – very fresh, even all these many years later – and titles include "Misty", "Spirits In The Field", "Just A Closer Walk With Thee", "Reverence", and "Contemplation". CD

It's not really fair to say that Coltrane's playing for lovers on this one, because the album's not a concept project designed to aid bachelors in the success of their romantic endeavors, so much as it is a collection of warm mellow ballads recorded by Trane during the late 50s for Prestige. The album features a number of different groupings of players that include Red Garland, Tadd Dameron, Art Taylor, Jimmy Cobb, and Paul Chambers – and the work is typical of the early recordings he made at the time when he was working with Miles Davis. Titles include "I Love You", "Violets For Your Furs", "On A Misty Night", and "Like Someone In Love". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few 70s albums as a leader from reedman Ronnie Cuber – a player who'd already been making some great appearances on studio sessions with giants like George Benson, Mongo Santamria, and Lonnie Smith – as well as even a few Steely Dan records! But despite that ability to sound tight in the studio, Ronnie really shows a completely different side of his talents here – a hard-burning approach to baritone sax, with a deftness that rivals Pepper Adams in a similar setting – a quality that almost feels like a tenor at times, given Cuber's dexterity and speed of improvisation. The rest of the group's great, too – and includes Barry Harris on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Albert Heath on drums – who really provide the right amount of soulful hardbop to keep things crackling. Titles include "Star Eyes", "Rifftide", "Tin Tin Deo", "Samba D'Orfeo", "Misty", "Sudwest Funk", and "Prince Albert". LP, Vinyl record album

A sublime early set from John Coltrane – and one of Tadd Dameron's greatest moments on record ever! The session's a laidback quartet one – with John Simmons on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums, completing the group with Dameron on piano and Trane on tenor – all coming together in a style that's loose, but still quite sharp overall – especially given Coltrane's tremendous tone, which really helps take the record to the next level from the very first moment it comes into the mix! Dameron's piano is strong, but subtle – and his compositions are what really make the record great – tunes that include "Soultrane", "Mating Call", "Romas", "Super Jet", and "On A Misty Night". LP, Vinyl record album

Three overseas sessions from American tenor great Eddie Lockjaw Davis! Jaws Strikes Again is a slightly different setting than some of the other 70s albums from Eddie Lockjaw Davis – in that the set was recorded for the Black & Blue label, who always liked to get a nice gritty punch out of the players they recorded! Given Eddie's legendary tone, the approach works perfectly here – on tracks that are short and focused – and which feature some mighty nice work on Hammond from Wild Bill Davis, plus guitar from the great Billy Butler, and drums from Oliver Jackson! Titles include "Jumpin With Symphony Sid", "The Man I Love", "When Sunny Gets Blue", "Candy", "After You're Gone", and "Light & Lovely". Nice Jazz 1978 is a great example of Eddie in collaboration – as Eddie Lockjaw Davis is a hell of a player on his own – but he's maybe even more amazing when he works alongside other horn soloists – who always seem to inspire Davis to bring out the boldest, mouthiest side of his horn! That tenor is alive and well, and wonderfully set up here – in five different live performances from the Nice Jazz Festival in 1978 – two with Illinois Jacquet on tenor, six with Harry Edison on trumpet, and one more with Paul Bascomb on tenor and Eddie Vinson on alto. Tracks are nice and long – that back/forth jam session style that Eddie does so well – and titles include "Rompin With JC", "Brazil", "Lover Come Back To Me", "Just Friends", "On Green Dolphin Street", and "Misty". Jaw's Blues is a nice one from the start of the 80s! Tenorist Eddie Lockjaw Davis always had a hell of a tone – and although his best-remembered dates are maybe from the 50s and 60s, the saxophonist still kept on making great records for many years to come! This album's definitely one of those – a European live recording, done in Munich, with Eddie stretching out with the sort of raspy tone that always made his early duets with Johnny Griffin such a delight – getting the sort of sensitive accompaniment here that Griff had on some of his later European dates too. The wonderful Horace Parlan is on piano, with Reggie Johnson on bass, and Alvin Queen on drums – and although it's clear that the Davis tenor solos are the main attraction, the album's a very sold group effort too. Titles include "What Is This Thing Called Love", "Jaw's Blues", "I'll Remember April", "Young Man With A Horn", and "But Beautiful". CD

Two of the best west coast boppers of the postwar years – back together again in a killer revival date cut by Contemporary Records! As the title implies, the set's got a backward-looking sort of feel – at least for the early 60s recording date – but from the perspective of our generation, the whole thing merges nicely into the classic sound of LA bop – perhaps extending out the original Central Ave groove a bit more, thanks to the generous recording spirit of Contemporary, and the longer tracks on the date. Edwards plays tenor, McGhee plays trumpet, and other players include Phineas Newborn on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Ed Thigpen on drums. Titles include "Together Again", "You Stepped Out Of A Dream", "Up There", "Perhaps", "Misty" and "Sandy". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous document of a really wonderful group – a 60s ensemble that pairs the lyrical trumpet of Art Farmer with the sharp tenor of Jimmy Heath! The pair are completely sublime together – balancing out sound and soul with this amazing quality that's quite different both from Farmer's larger body of work, and from most sounds that Jimmy would do on his own (although at another level, the record does point the way towards the seminal Heath dates as a leader in the early 70s.) The rhythm section is a key part of the strength of the album – with Cedar Walton as an amazing bridge between the spirit of the two horn players – set up perfectly with Walter Booker on bass and Mickey Roker on drums. Art's got this edge that really stands out, but he also retains his majestic sense of lyrical beauty too. One of our favorites – with titles that include "One For Juan", "Nino's Scene", "Short Cake", and "The Time & The Place". Plus this expanded 80s issue of the set adds a second LP to the original, for twice as much material, with 12 tracks in all, including "The Shadow Of Your Smile", "Make Someone Happy", "On The Trail", "Blue Bossa", "Is That So", 'Dailey Bread", "Satin Doll" and "Misty". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful version of one of Erroll Garner's best-selling albums ever – in a special oversized package that features the full unedited concert on two CDs, plus a third CD with the original edited album and special interview material too! The album's a famous live date recorded in the mid 50s – and a record that's as important to his catalog as the classic Misty! Garner's playing before an apparently large audience, but the recording quality is still nice and clear – a strong focus on his amazing work on the keys of the piano – filled with rhythmic invention at every turn, in a way that can only be described as Garner-esque, and which still leaves us breathless after all these years. Despite the oft-heard power of the record, it's still a great one – worthy of discovery even if it wasn't a hit, and still great even if it was. Rhythm is by Eddie Calhoun on bass and Denzil Best on drums – and the 3CD package was co-produced by pianist Geri Allen, with a total of 36 tracks that include "Teach Me Tonight", "I'll Remember April", "Autumn Leaves", "Red Top", "April In Paris", "They Can't Take That Away From Me", "Erroll's Theme", and "Where Or When". CD

One of Erroll Garner's best-selling albums ever – a famous live date recorded in the mid 50s – and a record that's as important to his catalog as the classic Misty! Garner's playing before an apparently large audience, but the recording quality is still nice and clear – a strong focus on his amazing work on the keys of the piano – filled with rhythmic invention at every turn, in a way that can only be described as Garner-esque, and which still leaves us breathless after all these years. Despite the oft-heard power of the record, it's still a great one – worthy of discovery even if it wasn't a hit. Rhythm is by Eddie Calhoun on bass and Denzil Best on drums – on tracks that include "Teach Me Tonight", "I'll Remember April", "Autumn Leaves", "Red Top", "April In Paris", "They Can't Take That Away From Me", "Erroll's Theme", and "Where Or When". CD

A great Erroll Garner double-header – two 60s albums back to back on a single CD! First up is Dreamstreet – a record in which Garner grooves nicely, finding an almost renewed energy for the 60s, but still hitting all those highly-rhythmic modes we love so much in his early work! The recording quality is great – lots of bold echo from the piano, and even a bit of Erroll's grunting vocalizations somewhere in the mix – kind of an extra added emphasis that sounds great next to the bass of Eddie Calhoun and drums of Kelly Martin. Titles include "Just One Of Those Things", "Blue Lou", "The Lady Is A Tramp", "Dreamstreet", and the groovy "Mambo Gotham" – an especially jaunty little number! One World Concert is a set with an ambitious title, but a nicely earthy feel – a live recording that features Erroll Garner's trio with Eddie Calhoun on bass and Kelly Martin on drums – stretching out strongly in front of a live audience. Titles include "Mack The Knife", "Misty", "Dancing Tambourine", "Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe", and "Sweet & Lovely". CD

Titles include "Don't Blame Me", "Misty", "All My Loves Are You", "Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart", "Part Time Blues", and "Over The Rainbow" – 16 track total. CD

Titles include "Memories Of You", "Satin Doll", "Misty", "St Louis Blues", and "I Ain't Got Nobody". LP, Vinyl record album

2 late 60s sides by Groove Holmes – back to back on one CD! The Groover is a nice one from the days when Groove was playing with guitarist George Freeman! The core of the tracks on here feature a trio of Holmes, Freeman, and drummer Billy Jackson – and the trio knows how to cook nice and nicely, especially on the original cut "The Walrus", a groovy number written by Freeman, with his usual off-kilter approach. Other cuts include "My Scenery", "Blue Moon", and "I'll Remember April". That Healin Feelin is a tight, no-nonsense set of hard grooves featuring a quartet that includes Rusty Bryant, Billy Butler, and Herbie Lovelle. There's a strong bottom sound to the session – picking up from the Misty days, when Groove learned that he could take just about any track, and make it groove like a mofo! Because of this, the album's selections – "That Healin Feelin", "Irene Court", "Castle Rock", and "On a Clear Day" – all sound night and tight, as Groove would have delivered the tunes playing before one of his many well-attended audiences at the time! CD

Three full albums from tenorist Illinois Jacquet – served up in a single set! First up are the two volumes of Illinois Jacquet with Wild Bill Davis – a nice lean set from this legendary tenorist – one that features his raw, raspy tone in the company of early Hammond organ giant Wild Bill Davis! Both players get plenty of room here to open up and shine – in a group with the drums of Al Bartee, on soulful takes on tunes that include "Blue & Sentimental", "Blues For New Orleans", "No Sweat", "Just A Sittin & A Rockin", "It Don't Mean A Thing", "Pamela's Blues", "Misty", "The Man I Love", "What Am I Here For", and "All Of Me". Nice Jazz 1978 is a great set of performances recorded live in France in the late 70s! The tracks are long, open, and relaxed – and really seem to bring out the best in Jacquet's horn – as he's paired with the tenor of Eddie Lockjaw Davis on three tracks, the tenor of Paul Bascomb on another, and the trumpet of Clark Terry on one more – while working with help from either Hank Jones or Roland Hanna on piano. Our three favorite tracks are the ones with Davis – which almost have a reworked version of the groove that Eddie cut with Johnny Griffin on a number of records – but overall, the material is all pretty great, and is a strong showcase for the Jacquet raspy sound. Titles include "Lean Baby", "Blues From NO", "Mop Mop", "Cotton Tail", "Blues From Louisiana", and "Robbin's Nest". CD

60s Ahmad Jamal in the studio is already pretty darn great – but live, his group is even more amazing – as the pianist is able to stretch out more, and take a lot more chances too – not just in the way he's striking the keys of the piano, but also working with the fantastic rhythms of Jamil Nasser on bass and Frank Gant on drums! The trio have a legendary way of working together – sensing space as much as moments of music – and their work here on this series of unreleased tracks is completely sublime – and maybe one of the best recorded demonstrations of why Jamal was so revolutionary at the time! The mix of new ideas and soulful swing is incredible – and tracks here are mostly nice and long, filled with bold energy throughout – on versions of "Naked City", "Mr Lucky", "Where Is Love", "Dance To The Lady", "Fantastic Vehicle", "Gloria", "Misty", and "Autumn Leaves". LP, Vinyl record album

A record of understated brilliance from the great Ahmad Jamal – recorded with his superb trio that featured Jamil Nasser on bass and Frank Gant on drums! The vibe here is great – very open and flowing – tracks shorter than his Impulse years, but already showing that amazing sense open creative energy. Titles include the unusual "The Fantastic Vehicle", a version of the Rollins tune "St Thomas", a slightly Latin take on "Misty", and the cuts "April In Paris", "Allison", "Maybe September", and "The Girl Next Door". LP, Vinyl record album

A strange little record, but a great one too – a posthumous album that took older Wes Montgomery sides and souped them up a bit after his death! The core material here is quartet recordings done in 1965 – Montgomery's guitar in a hip group with Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – other material recorded at the same time as the Smokin At The Half Note set, discovered later by Verve, and augmented with fuller backings from Claus Ogerman for this record in 1968. In contrast to some of Wes' other albums of this nature, the core combo grooving was done first, which then ends up directing Ogerman's arrangements – and not the other way around – making for a really unique mix of sounds, especially on some of the longer tracks. Titles include "Four On Six", "Oh You Crazy Moon", "Willow Weep For Me", "Misty", "Impressions", and "Portrait Of Jennie". LP, Vinyl record album

Solo guitar by Joe Pass – a beautiful little album that's a perfect showcase for the new sensitivity in his music during his years at Pablo records! The Joe Pass heard here is light years away from the guitar player who made a few gimmicky records a decade before – and this album has Joe coming across with a gentle, but sophisticated approach to his instrument that we never would have expected in the past! Titles include "Blues For Basie", "Blues For OP", "Misty", "Grooveyard", "Giant Steps", "Five Hundred Miles High", and "Limehouse Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime work from trumpeter Hannibal Marvin Peterson – a rare set that really shows him at the top of his game! There's a depth here you don't always find in other Hannibal records – a careful, complex sound that's also still deeply soulful as well – building up from the work of a tight quintet (tagged as an "orchestra" on the cover) – and set loose over a handful of long tracks that have a really righteous sound! Peterson's trumpet hits some of its sharpest notes ever here – really bold musical statements that show none of his fire dimming as the 70s were coming to a close – supported by wonderful piano work from the amazing Michael Cochrane, plus cello from Diedre Murray, bass from Errol Walters, and drums from Makaya Ntshoko. Titles include a searing version of Coltrane's "Dahomey Dance", a take on Monk's "Well You Needn't", and one of the hippest readings of "Misty" you'll ever hear – plus Peterson's own tune "Even Steven". CD

An overlooked gem from organ jazz giant Johnny Hammond Smith! The album was cut during a time when Hammond was picking a page from the book of Groove Holmes – tightening up the tracks a bit, and going for a punchy sound that would hit big with the crossover and jukebox crowd. The tracks are all short and tight, and the approach to the tunes is a lot hipper than some of Johnny's earlier work. The group features Virgil Jones on trumpet, Houston Person on tenor, Thornel Schwartz on guitar, and Jimmy Lewis playing some mean Fender bass – which gives the set a driving soulful groove that's certainly appreciated by our ears! Johnny clearly digs it too, as he's a monster on the keys – wailing away like we've hardly ever heard him, blowing it off like he's Jimmy Smith or Jack McDuff from the same period. Titles include "The Sin In", "Summertime", "Getting Up", "The In Crowd", and a great reading of "Ebb Tide", possibly Johnny's bid at a "Misty". LP, Vinyl record album

A richly-recorded album, one that really brings out the best of the bass of Yoshio Chin Suzuki and the piano of Tsuyoshi Yamamoto! The sound quality is a bit like some of those classic Three Blind Mice dates from the 70s – familiar jazz territory, but a bit different too – and opened up with a tremendous ear for the color and tone of the individual players, especially Suzuki – who gets to open up a number of tracks with solo bass passages that are really beautiful! Titles include "Last Tango In Paris", "Blues For Edith", "The Loving Touch", "Summertime", "Misty", "Cleopatra's Dream", and "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise". CD

A really great groove from guitarist Gabor Szabo – a set that has the musician working with legendary producer Wayne Henderson, in a mode that moves into soul while still keeping all the best jazz elements intact! Szabo plays acoustic guitar alongside electric from Marlon McClain, with both players wrapped up nicely by Fender Rhodes work from the great Bobby Lyle – whose keyboard lines really act as the glue for all the grooves, while Henderson works to give them all the right sort of punch from the bottom! The mix of talents here comes together perfectly – like some of the best work on the Fantasy label at the time, or maybe a bit like some of the Mizell productions – but in a different way. Titles include "The Biz", "Magic Mystic Faces", "Gloomy Day", "Desiring You", "Misty Malarky Ying Yang", "Alicia", "The Last Song", and "Estate". CD features two bonus tracks – "The Biz (edit)" and "Alicia (edit)". CD

Ben Webster on tenor saxophone, Kenny Drew on piano, Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Alex Riel on drums. Tracks include "Perdido", "Over The Rainbow", "Indiana", "Misty", "Set Call", and "Yesterdays". CD

A jazz guitar/Hammond organ session – the former by Shoji Yokouchi, the latter by Yuri Tashiro – but a variation on the form that's quite different than usual, and very much in the groundbreaking style of the Three Blind Mice label! Shoji plays a few different guitars – both acoustic and electric – and rather than just ape an American use of guitar next to organ, the style here is often nicely changed up – partly because the phrasing can be different when the guitar is acoustic, but also because in true Three Blind Mice form, the arrangements are often very inventive and unusual. Other players include Kunimitsu Inaba on bass and Hajime Ishimatsu on drums – and titles include "New Orleans Sunday", "Drink Up Vodka Martini", "Misty", "Moanin", "Greensleeves", and "Your Watch Is Ten Minutes Slow". CD

A legendary meeting of free jazz talents – and one of those records that completely changed the game during the 70s! Both guitarist Derek Bailey and drummer Han Bennink work here at a level that seems completely divorced from American roots in jazz – about as strongly in the post-68 freedoms of the European scene as possible – with both musicians opening up an incredible range of sonic elements on their instruments! And while the sometimes-bold drum work of Bennink might be seen as a challenge to the more intricate guitar sounds of Bailey, both players really find a way to work together perfectly – which also makes the record a key illustration of that spontaneous understanding that can arise between the best of the free jazz scene. Titles include "Call That A Balance", "Misty", "The Girl With The Concrete Tongue", and "Who Is That". 2LP version features unreleased bonus tracks on the full second album! LP, Vinyl record album

Four great albums from reedman Arthur Blythe – all together in one collection! First up is Lenox Avenue Breakdown – a stunning Columbia Records debut from Blythe! At the time of the date, Blythe had already spent years working in the jazz undergrounds on both coasts – developing a searing sound on alto sax that's perfect for the focused structure of this album – almost a tone poem of sorts, offering up a portrait of the Harlem scene that was a key part of Arthur's life at the time. The sounds are sharp, but also have a sense of energy that really holds them together – guiding the players through long readings of well-penned tunes by Blythe that are filled with loads of energy and life! Players include James Newton on flute, James Blood Ulmer on guitar, Bob Stewart on tuba, Cecil McBee on bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums, and Guillermo Franco on percussion – and titles include "Odessa", "Slidin Through", "Down San Diego Way", and "Lenox Avenue Breakdown". In The Tradition is a gem – as the set represents the modern musician taking on a host of older jazz currents, while carving things out with his own special sort of soul! Half the tunes are familiar favorites, the other half originals – and Blythe moves far past his avant roots, to showcase his deep understanding of so many different shades of jazz – blowing alto beautifully throughout, in a very hip quartet that features Stanley Cowell on piano, Fred Hopkins on bass, and Steve McCall on drums! Titles include great takes on "Naima", "Jitterbug Waltz", "Caravan", and "In A Sentimental Mood" – plus the originals "Break Tune" and "Hip Dipper". Illusions is maybe the boldest of Arthur Blythe's albums for Columbia Records – as the set bristles with newly creative energy right from the start, and provides a great showcase for some of the criss-crossings of styles and rhythms that were taking place on the New York scene at the time! The lineup alone announces something special – a cool combination of James Blood Ulmer on guitar, John Hicks on piano, Fred Hopkins on bass, Abdul Wadud on cello, Bob Stewart on tuba, and Steve McCall on drums – working together in some slight variations at times, often with these angular edges that are perfectly sharpened by Arthur's amazing work on alto sax. The music's never too free, but quite outside for a major label at the time – balanced out so that it's never overindulgent at all. Titles include "Bush Baby", "Miss Nancy", "My Son Ra", and "Carespin With Mamie". Blythe Spirit is a set that showcases the never-ending growth and imagination of reedman Arthur Blythe during this fruitful period of his career – and his ability to effortlessly blend together different elements in his music – especially sides of the New York loft jazz scene, and the Chicago-based AACM! The tunes are beautiful – mostly originals, and showing a richer spirituality than even a year before – while still working in that compellingly rhythmic mode that Arthur was hitting during these years – in a lineup that features Blythe on alto, Abdul Wadud on cello, Kelvyn Bell on guitar, Steve McCall and Bobby Battle on drums, John Hicks on piano, Amina Claudine Myers on organ, and Fred Hopkins on bass. The mix of electric and acoustic elements is fantastic – very fresh, even all these many years later – and titles include "Misty", "Spirits In The Field", "Just A Closer Walk With Thee", "Reverence", and "Contemplation". CD

A nice little live set from Chris – recorded at the Village Vanguard with a group that includes Kenny Burrell on guitar, Eddie De Haas on bass, Bill Rubenstein on piano, and Lex Humphries on drums. The setting of the album is similar to some of Chris' work at Bethlehem – very small combo and jazzy, save for the fact that there's a bit more "room" in the recording than on the very close-miked Bethlehem sessions. The approach is a great one to open up another new side of Connor's talents – and the album has a bit tighter feel than Chris' other live album from the same period. Titles include "Round Midnight", "All About Ronnie", "Fine & Dandy", "Misty", "Senor Blues", and "Angel Eyes". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Two great forces from the postwar world of jazz, coming together here in a rare set that was originally only issued in Japan! The alto of Lou Donaldson had cut plenty of funky, soulful records in the 70s – but here, he's returned to the charms of his earliest work on Blue Note – and spins out these stunning long solos alongside the piano of Red Garland – who's equally great, and supports Donaldson with the soulful style of his best work alongside Coltrane on late 50s sessions for Prestige! The rest of the group features the great Jamil Nasser on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums – players who really help make this session a cut above anything you might expect – and titles include "Stella By Starlight", "Blues", "Misty", "Fine & Dandy", and "The Best Things In Life Are Free". CD

Two great forces from the postwar world of jazz, coming together here in a rare set that was originally only issued in Japan! The alto of Lou Donaldson had cut plenty of funky, soulful records in the 70s – but here, he's returned to the charms of his earliest work on Blue Note – and spins out these stunning long solos alongside the piano of Red Garland – who's equally great, and supports Donaldson with the soulful style of his best work alongside Coltrane on late 50s sessions for Prestige! The rest of the group features the great Jamil Nasser on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums – players who really help make this session a cut above anything you might expect – and titles include "Stella By Starlight", "Blues", "Misty", "Fine & Dandy", and "The Best Things In Life Are Free". CD features the bonus track "I Got It Bad". CD

A never-heard studio session from the great Erroll Garner – recorded in Berlin in 1967, and with a vibe that's right up there with some of his best 60s material issued in the US! The group has that special kick that Garner would sometimes use in the decade – thanks to bongo work from Jose Mangual, who comes in with a slight Latin flourish on the groovers, next to the bass of Ike Isaacs and drums of Jimmie Smith. But as always, the real sense of rhythm comes from the man himself – as Garner updates older piano modes with a hip, grooving style – really opening up with incredible flourishes on titles that include "Like It Is", "Autumn Leaves", "These Foolish Things", "Misty", "Shadow Of Your Smile", and "Blue Moon". LP, Vinyl record album

Tracks include "Misty", "Oh, Lady Be Good", "That Old Black Magic", "Russian Lullaby", "Exactly Like You", and "Rosalie". 14 tracks total. CD

A beautiful debut from Estonian pianist Hanakiv – a set that draws equally strongly on her compositional sense of sound as it does from her actual performance – as Hanakiv plays piano here amidst all sorts of really beautiful shapes and tones! Alabaster DePlume is a guest on the record – and the set definitely falls within the scope of his own beautiful work – almost a dreamy reworking of familiar instrumental modes – so that the piano parts are kind of a lifeline back to reality, while all the other sonic elements create misty shapes and surreal landscapes. Titles include "Lies", "Goodbye", "No Words Left", "And It Felt So Nice", "Home II", and "Meditation I". CD

One of the first albums ever recorded by soulful avant legend Byard Lancaster! Lancaster hailed from Philadelphia, and played flute and alto in a style that was clearly informed by the freer spiritual players that dominated one branch of the avant garde tree at the time – in a mode that's right alongside the work of John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders. He's joined here by a young Sonny Sharrock on guitar – whose "John's Children" they do a wonderful reading of, plus Eric Gravatt on drums, Keno Speller on congas, and Jerome Hunter on bass. The tunes are all still tied to a primarily swing based concept of time, and the solos never reach too far, on this side that nods towards the new thing without diving in too deeply. Includes the title track "It's Not Up To Us", plus "Last Summer", "Misty", "Mr AA", "Dogtown", "Over The Rainbow", and "Satan". LP, Vinyl record album

A Johnny Hammond 2-fer – a pair of very early albums, back to back on a single CD! First up is Talk That Talk – subtle early magic from Johnny Hammond Smith, and the kind of sweet organ jazz set that really set Smith apart from his contemporaries in the 60s! There's a slightly offbeat vibe here that's hard to peg, but which already marks Hammond as one of the more inventive players of his generation – never content to just rehash R&B modes for jazz organ, and instead really exploratory in terms of timings and phrasings – using his instrument to great effect in a hip combo that features George Tucker on bass, Art Taylor on drums, and Ray Barretto on congas – plus some excellent tenor from Oliver Nelson on three tracks! Titles include "Talk That Talk", "Bennie's Diggin", "Portrait Of Jennie", "An Affair To Remember", "The End Of A Love Affair", "Riptide", "Misty", and "Minors Allowed". Getting The Message is a vibes and organ delight – a rare early set from Johnny Hammond Smith, and a date that features a key appearance from vibist Lem Winchester! Winchester only cut a handful of dates before shuffling off this mortal coil far too soon – and he's a hell of a player, with a richly chromatic tone that works beautifully next to Smith's organ lines – a pairing that's quite different than other organ/vibes duos you might know from the time, and one that's got to be heard to be fully appreciated! There's a complexity here that we love, even when things are straight and swinging – and titles include "Lid Flippin", "Getting The Message", "Princess", and "Dementia". CD

A really stunning collaboration between Charles Webster and Peter Wraight – the former mostly known for his house music, the latter an arranger for the Herbert big band sessions – coming together here in a lush new sound that's totally their own! There's an expansive feel to the record that definitely lives up to the cover – a rich landscape of sound, but also a bit misty at times too – never just a straight representation of Wraight's jazz and soundtrack modes, and instead this very textured, painter-like approach to music – one that's shimmering with beautiful tones and soulful vocals from Emilie Chick and Paul Randolph. Webster handles the keyboards and samples, and Wraight conducts a large group with reeds, brass, and even a bit of harp – and the record's got a far-reaching sound that's very unique, but which might sit nicely next to projects by Cinematic Orchestra or Chris Bowden. Titles include "A World Of Fire", "Rise", "Storm Clouds", "Unexpected News", "Nature & Light", and "The Ruins Of Britain". (New Grooves, Jazz) CD

Pianist Tsuyoshi Yamamoto gave us some sublime records in the 70s on the Three Blind Mice label from Japan – and he really continues the spirit of those records here, on a set of tracks that demonstrate that, if anything, his sense of space and timing have gotten even more amazing as the years have gone on! With Yamamoto, it's never a matter of the material he chooses, which is usually common – but the way he puts the tune over while working with a trio – and the way that trio is recorded, which was always a key aspect of Tsuyoshi's records in the 70s. His classic Blues For Tee album was dedicated to his older producer back in the day – as this set is dedicated to Yoshihiko Kannari, who did a great job of capturing the magic from a trio that also features Hiroshi Kagawa on bass and Toshio Osumi on drums. Titles include "You Go To My Head", "Darn That Dream", "Blues In The Closet", "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You", "Love Theme From Sunflower", "Gentle Blues", and "Blues For K". CD features both volumes of the vinyl releases – plus bonus tracks "Misty" and "Midnight Sugar". CD

If this is what they call an Encyclopedia, the folks at Britannica can sign us up! The set's a smoking selection of older soul jazz numbers from the glory days of Prestige Records – that key late 50s/1960s time when the label was helping forge a whole new sound in jazz – mixing in elements of R&B, hardbop, and gospel – and letting fly with a whole range of great tenor and organ players! The tracks here are all classics, all presented in nice long full versions that show what music like this can really do when let loose in the studio – and titles include "Seed Shack" by Gene Ammons, "Nother Futher" by Sonny Stitt & Jack McDuff, "Misty" by Groove Holmes, "Soul Meeting" by King Curtis, "The Honeydripper" by Jack McDuff, "When My Dreamboat Comes Home" by Arnett Cobb, "In The Kitchen" by Eddie Lockjaw Davis, "More Today Than Yesterday" by Charles Earland, "Please Mr Jackson" by Willis Jackson, and "Dirty Apple" by Johnny Hammond Smith. CD

Killer guitar work from a legendary label – tracks that were all recorded for the Groove Merchant imprint in the 70s – a company that really valued the sound that a hip guitarist could bring to the funky side of jazz! Some of the tracks here feature a Hammond player in the lead, but also showcase a great guitar solo in the middle – while others are by guitarists as leaders, including some players who maybe sounded their best when recording for Groove Merchant! Titles include "Misty", "We've Only Just Begun", "Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky", and "Love Will Never Die" by O'Donel Levy – plus "Happy Fingers" and "Groovy lady" by George Freeman, "A Clue" by Jimmy Ponder, "When The Night Is Right" and "Favors" by Lonnie Smith, "Soul Sermon" by Joe Thomas, "Blues Train To Georgia" by Jimmy McGriff, and "Soft Winds" by Buddy Rich. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) CD