A classic Landmark trio session from Mulgrew Miller – filled with the kind of expansive rolling piano progressions that made his early work so striking! The trio's got an incredible sense of power, thanks to strong bass work from Robert Hurst and beautifully placed drumming from the great Kenny Washington – a wonderful rhythm section who make the record sparkle as much as Miller's thoughtful lines on piano. The whole thing's got a sense of soulful grace – the kind of energy that set Mulgrew apart from his contemporaries – and titles "La Chambre", "From Day To Day", "One Notch Up", "Farewell To Dogma", and "Playthang". CD features the bonus track "Four". CD

Features Mulgrew Miller on piano, Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Kenny Garrett on alto, and Joe Henderson on tenor! CD

The debut album for Mulgrew Miller as a leader – and a rock-solid session that really set the pianist up strongly for the 80s! At a time when other keyboardists where mixing in so many other elements to their music, Miller's work here is a wonderful return to basics – pure pianistic imagination, played with a sense of fire and creativity that brings us back to McCoy Tyner's best work of a decade before – yet always informed by a fresh style that's always Mulgrew's own, one that's always got dark corners and an undercurrent of tension. The trio's wonderful – and features Ira Coleman on bass and Marvin Smitty Smith on drums – and the album features a number of original Miller tunes, including "Song For Darnell", "Saud's Run", "Portrait Of A Mountain", and "Promethean" – plus versions of "Milestones" and "Inner Urge". CD

Mulgrew Miller on piano, Derrick Hodge on bass, and Rodney Green on drums. CD

Mulgrew Miller on piano, Derrick Hodge on bass, and Rodney Green on drums. CD

A beautiful set from Mulgrew Miller – one of his greatest albums as a leader, and exemplary of the kind of underground jazz that was still bubbling strong in the 80s! The set features Miller's quintet with Kenny Garrett on alto and flute, Steve Nelson on vibes, Charnett Moffett on bass, and Tony Reedus on drums – led by Miller in a range of expressive styles carried off with effortless ease. There's some really nice numbers on here with a gentle and soulful groove – mixing vibes, piano, and alto in wonderful shades of colors and tone. Titles include "Sonhos Do Brasil", "Wingspan", "One's Own Room", "The Eleventh Hour", and "Soul Leo". CD

Nicholas Payton on trumpet, Vincent Herring on soprano and alto saxophone, Mulgrew Miller on piano, Dwayne Burno on bass, and Carl Allen on drums. CD

Gary Bartz on alto saxophone – with Eddie Henderson on trumpet and flugelhorn, John Clark on french horn, Mulgrew Miller on piano, Dave Holland on bass, and Greg Bandy on drums. CD

Features Terence Blanchard on trumpet, Donald Harrison on alto, Jean Toussaint on tenor, Tim Williams on trombone, Lonnie Plaxico on bass, and Mulgrew Miller on piano! CD

Freddie Hubbard is reunited with drummer Art Blakey – in a sweet little set that recalls the power of the Jazz Messengers during the stretch when Hubbard was with the group! Both players are in fine form – with Hubbard blowing shimmering trumpet lines over Blakey's full-on style of drumming – and the supporting cast is another key element in the success of the session – with either Benny Green or Mulgrew Miller on piano, Lonnie Plaxico or Leon Dorsey on bass, and Javon Jackson on tenor sax. Titles include "Arieties", "Feel The Wind", "Of Minor", "Up Jumped Spring", and "Big Foot". CD

Two Art Blakey killers – packaged in a single set! First up is New York Scene – overlooked genius from Art Blakey's 80s years – a time when he was recording for a variety of smaller labels, but turning out work that was every bit as fresh and vibrant as his sides from the 60s and 70s! As always with the Jazz Messengers, the group's filled with up-and-coming jazz talents that really make the record great – trumpet from Terence Blanchard, tenor from Jean Toussaint, alto from Donald Harrison, piano from Mulgrew Miller, and bass from Lonnie Plaxico – all players who leave their own imprint strongly on the record, yet still fall into line with the core groove supplied by Blakey's drums. Titles include Blanchard's "Oh By The Way", Harrison's "Controversy", and Miller's "Falafel" – all wonderfully soulful numbers – plus a "Ballad Medley", and a version of "Tenderly". Live At Kimballs is a smoking club set – recorded with Terence Blanchard on trumpet, Donald Harrison on alto, Jean Toussaint on tenor, and Mulgrew Miller on piano! The group's got a great soulful swing, and titles include "Jody", "second Thoughts", "Dr Jeckyl", "You & The Night & The Music", and "Old Folks". CD

Includes Terence Blanchard on trumpet, Jean Toussaint on tenor, Donald Harrison on alto, Lonnie Plaxico on bass and Mulgrew Miller on piano. CD

Hamiet Bluiett on baritone saxophone – with Mulgrew Miller on piano, Fred Hopkins on bass, and Idris Muhammad and Chief Bey on drums, CD

Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet and flugelhorn, Ron Bridgewater on saxophone, Mulgrew Miller onm piano, Kenny Davis on bass, Billy Hart on drums, and Vanessa Rubin on vocals. CD

With Christian McBride & John Patitucci on bass, Horacio Hernandez & Lewis Nash on drums, Russell Malone on guitar, Danilo Perez, Makoto Ozone & Mulgrew Miller on piano & Luis Quintero on percussion. CD

A very nice return to basics for Ron Carter – a trio session that features Mulgrew Miller on piano and Russell Malone on guitar, with Ron playing simply bass – and working in a straight jazz style that's really a refreshing change from some of his higher-concept projects! The lack of drums and use of guitar takes us back almost to the sound of the early Jamal trio – but there's an overall feel here that's more open, and more fluid – really adding some depth to tunes that might otherwise come across a bit too academic. Titles include the originals "NY Slick", "On & On", "A Theme In 3/4", "Parade", "Quick Sketch", and "Cedar Tree". CD

Featuring Vincent Herring, Eddie Henderson, Mulgrew Miller and Ira Coleman. Tracks include "Tu-Way-Pock-E-Way", "Mirrors", "Caravanserai", "Ruth", "Mariposa", "Lady In My Life", "Circles", "Come Back to Me" and "Ruthless". CD

One of the most perfectly realized albums during Jesse Davis' run of records for Concord – a set that beautifully balances his tender inner soul with the sharpness of his horn – all while always keeping things swinging! The core group features Jesse's alto with Mulgrew Miller on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – a rhythm section that definitely keeps things on track throughout – although a few cuts also feature Tyler Mitchell on bass and Eric McPherson on drums – with some nice guest tenor from Antoine Roney. Titles include "CP Time", "Stop & Go", "Lil Mac", "Violets For Your Furs", "Testimonial", and "Cat Talk". CD

Twin trombones from Robin Eubanks and Steve Turre – the latter of whom also plays some of his cool shells too! Other players include Mulgrew Miller on piano and Charnett Moffett on bass – and as with other JMT albums of this vintage, there's some electric touches too. CD

Tomas Franck on tenor sax, Mulgrew Miller on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Billy Drummond on drums. CD

Features Pharoah Sanders on tenor and Bobby Hutcherson on vibes – plus Mulgrew Miller on piano, Robert Hurst III on bass, and Brian Blade on drums. CD

Beautiful work from the always-great Benny Golson – a wonderfully understated quartet session that's filled with plenty of long tracks, and sublime solo work from Golson! Benny's performed in many settings over the years – all of which are great – but we're recently quite partial to his more relaxed and open sessions from this period – dates like this which show a newly reborn focus on the sound of his horn and his ability to improvised creatively over an extended period of time. There's a definite Dexter Gordon influence to the impulse – but Benny serves up the music with a fair bit more soul and lyrical imagination – working here with a group that includes Mulgrew Miller on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Tony Reedus on drums. The set list features Golson standards "Up Jumped Spring" and "Stable Mates" – as well as the tracks "Voyage", "Beautiful Love", and "Goodbye". CD

2 later albums by Johnny Griffin – both recorded after his return to the US during the late 70s! Bush Dance is a pretty interesting little set – one that features Griffin working in an easygoing combo with slight electric touches – a group that features George Freeman on guitar, alongside Cedar Walton's acoustic piano, plus bass by Sam Jones, drums by Albert Heath, and percussion and congas from Kenneth Nash. The mixture of guitar and congas gives the album a very different feel than some of Griffin's other work – almost a lighter soul jazz touch that recalls some of the best Muse Records sides from the time. Tracks are long, and rhythms get nice and free at times – and titles include a 17 minute take on "Night In Tunisia" that really gets a bit wild, plus "Since I Fell For You", "Bush Dance", "Knucklebean", and "The JAMFs Are Coming". Call It Whatchawanna is a more straight-ahead album, and a great one too – recorded with a youthful and soulful rhythm combo that features Mulgrew Miller on piano, Curtis Lundy on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums – all supporting Griffin with warm round tones that work perfectly with his open solo style. Titles include "I Mean You", "Lover Man", "Call It Whachawanna", and "A Waltz With Sweetie". CD

Donald Harrison on alto sax, Christian Scott on trumpet, Mulgrew Miller and Zaccai Curtis on piano, Luques Curtis on bass, and John Lamkin on drums. CD

Solid, soulful work from Vincent Herring – blowing here wonderfully on alto and soprano sax, with a sense of feeling and creative energy that really makes him one of the key players of his generation! The proceedings are relatively straight, but they're also totally great – open, honest expression that's a nice update of 70s indie jazz modes – held together tightly by a rhythm section that includes Mulgrew Miller on piano, Ira Coleman on bass, and Billy Drummond on drums on most of the records – or Keven Hays, Dwayne Burno, and Carl Allen on a few remaining selections. Wallace Roney plays trumpet on the first set of tracks – Scott Wendholt on the others – and the whole album has a sharp-edged quintet format with an occasional bite, often rolling out in the kind of upbeat lines that usually make Herring sound best. Titles include "Sound Check", "August Afternoon", "Dawnbird", "Dr Jamie", "Toku Do", and "The Dark Side Of Dewey". CD

An early moment of brilliance from Vincent Herring – and just the sort of set to make him one of the strongest young talents to emerge in jazz during the 90s! There's a rock-solid feel to the set – an approach that's steeped in classic hardbop modes, but which has traces of modernism too – never too overstated, but some sharper undercurrents that mark Herring's playing nicely as a bit deeper than the usual altoist. The rest of the group should get a good deal of credit, too – as players like Wallace Roney on trumpet and Mulgrew Miller on piano really share this sensibility with Herring. Titles include "I Sing A Song", "Never Forget", "Soul Leo", "Mr Wizard", "Voyage", and "Evidence". CD also features the bonus track "Hindsight". CD