Nice, mellow, and very groovy! Joe Pass plays here with the piano and organ of Clare Fischer, who's always one of our favorites – a player who manages to turn any session into something more than it appears at face value – thanks to a strong sense of craft and cleverness! Clare's touch here is a bit gentler than on some of his later sides – but it's a very welcome one nonetheless – and provides a perfect setting for Joe's lean lines on guitar – strung out with a near-perfect tone, and backed by either Albert Stinson or Ralph Pena on bass, and Colin Bailey or Larry Bunker on drums. Titles include "Catch Me", "Walkin Up", "No Cover No Minimum", "Summertime", and "Just Friends". LP, Vinyl record album

The sound of the trio is loud and clear on this set – captured before a very appreciative crowd at the London House in Chicago, and featuring Peterson at his inventive best! The tracks on the set stretch out longer than most of the group's studio sessions from the time, and the album's recorded in a great way that also includes Oscar's mumbling at the keys – that humming and grunting style that isn't always caught on record, but which adds a great deal of grit and humanity to the record – especially considering his fluid grace on the piano! As usual, Ray Brown is on bass and Ed Thigpen's on drums – and titles include "Tricotism", "On Green Dolphin Street", "Thag's Dance", and "Kadota's Blues". Includes 5 bonus tracks. CD

The sound of the trio is loud and clear on this set – captured before a very appreciative crowd at the London House in Chicago, and featuring Peterson at his inventive best! The tracks on the set stretch out longer than most of the group's studio sessions from the time, and the album's recorded in a great way that also includes Oscar's mumbling at the keys – that humming and grunting style that isn't always caught on record, but which adds a great deal of grit and humanity to the record – especially considering his fluid grace on the piano! As usual, Ray Brown is on bass and Ed Thigpen's on drums – and titles include "Tricotism", "On Green Dolphin Street", "Thag's Dance", and "Kadota's Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Oscar Peterson's trio is augmented here by a famous guest – trumpeter Clark Terry, whose horn adds a nice bit of punctuation to the set, and makes the record a strong standout in the 60s catalogs of both players! The addition of Terry to the record is a great one – as Clark's rising fame at the time merges nicely with the popularity of the Peterson group – and since both players share a talent for mixing earthy moments with tighter playing, the whole thing comes off pretty darn nicely! Peterson's piano is supported by rhythm work from Ray Brown on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums – and Terry not only plays trumpet and flugelhorn, but also vocalizes a slight bit too – sometimes at the same point he's playing his horn! Titles include "Mumbles", "Mack The Knife", "Jim", "Blues For Smedley", "Brotherhood Of Man", and "Incoherent Blues". CD

Oscar Peterson's trio is augmented here by a famous guest – trumpeter Clark Terry, whose horn adds a nice bit of punctuation to the set, and makes the record a strong standout in the 60s catalogs of both players! The addition of Terry to the record is a great one – as Clark's rising fame at the time merges nicely with the popularity of the Peterson group – and since both players share a talent for mixing earthy moments with tighter playing, the whole thing comes off pretty darn nicely! Peterson's piano is supported by rhythm work from Ray Brown on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums – and Terry not only plays trumpet and flugelhorn, but also vocalizes a slight bit too – sometimes at the same point he's playing his horn! Titles include "Mumbles", "Mack The Knife", "Jim", "Blues For Smedley", "Brotherhood Of Man", and "Incoherent Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Oscar Peterson's trio is augmented here by a famous guest – trumpeter Clark Terry, whose horn adds a nice bit of punctuation to the set, and makes the record a strong standout in the 60s catalogs of both players! The addition of Terry to the record is a great one – as Clark's rising fame at the time merges nicely with the popularity of the Peterson group – and since both players share a talent for mixing earthy moments with tighter playing, the whole thing comes off pretty darn nicely! Peterson's piano is supported by rhythm work from Ray Brown on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums – and Terry not only plays trumpet and flugelhorn, but also vocalizes a slight bit too – sometimes at the same point he's playing his horn! Titles include "Mumbles", "Mack The Knife", "Jim", "Blues For Smedley", "Brotherhood Of Man", and "Incoherent Blues". CD

An unreleased set of solo performances from trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith – one that we'd rank right up there with his most adventurous work of the 70s! Smith comes across wonderfully on the record – full of soul and imagination, and easily as impressive on his solo instruments as scenemate Roscoe Mitchell could be in a similar setting – always moving around with thoughtful shifts in timing and purpose, in ways that always make the whole performance feel very organic, especially as Smith moves between other instruments that include flute, percussion, gongs, and steelophone. Titles include "Jupiter's Astro Waves", "Blue Green Gardens Of The Indigenous People", and "Pan Sonic Fire Rhythms/Red Chrysanthemums/Dark Purple Night On Crater Lake With A Clear View Of Saturn's Rings & Moons". CD

A record that definitely lives up to its promised title – as the whole thing brims over with excellent work from players you might know from other albums on the Posi-Tone label! The group name doesn't get at the heart of the sound, though – as there's a sharp, soulful focus to the music throughout – kind of a classic hardbop approach, but with maybe a more contemporary sense of freshness, especially on the solo voices – which is no surprise, given that the sextet features Nick Finzer on trombone, Alexa Tarantino on alto, Sam Dillon on tenor, Art Hirahara on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums! The album's also brimming over with original material – tunes composed by group members or their labelmates – with tracks that include "Coppertone", "Slick", "New Directions", "Why Aren't You Excited", "Breeze", "Vast", and "Overcooked". CD

An early date as a leader from guitarist Mike Stern – a set that also features production and second guitar from Hiram Bullock – in a mode that really opens up all the tones and colors in the set! The record's got a bit more of an edge, and less of a commercial finish than some of Stern's later recordings – maybe in part because the date was a Japanese-only set at the time of release, the sort of hipper fusion material that always seemed to grace the overseas market. The set also features alto from David Sanborn, bass from Tom Rainey, drums from Victor Lewis, and percussion from Buggsy Moore – on titles that include "Zee Frizz", "Bruze", "Mumbley Peg", "Up Ology", and "Banacos". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the Direct Cutting audiophile recordings made during the 70's, pressed up on Japanese vinyl, and pressed so that it needs to be played at 45 rpm for maximum fidelity. Apart from that geeky sort of information, though, the set's a nice quartet session featuring Lew Tabackin on tenor and flute, Toshiko Akioshi on piano, Bob Daugherty on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums. The set's a rare opportunity to hear Tabackin and Akioshi from the time without their big band, and the group plays nicely on 4 extended tracks. The best of these is a Tabackin original called "Trackin", but there's also a nice rendering of "Summertime". LP, Vinyl record album

Forget any biases you might have against Clark Terry – this album is a super-hip killer! The arrangements were handled by Joe Cain, a mad mad mad Latin arranger who brings a strange sense of rhythm to the session, and a unique way of inserting instrumental flourishes. There's some nice organ and firey piano, Jerome Richardson plays excellent bits on flute and sax, and Vince Bell and Eric Gale both play guitars. Jose Mangual and Willie Bobo kick it in with percussion, and Terry plays in a tight jaunty style, with occasional mad vocal moments. Titles include "El Blues Latino", "The Cat From Cadiz", "Rum & Mumbles", and "Never". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly great little record from Clark Terry – filled with warmth, humor, and some really great grooves! The core of the album is the track "Mumbles", one that's based around Terry kind of slurring a scat vocal to a jazzy 60s groove. The track was a minor hit at the time, and Mainstream recorded a whole album around it – using the arranging talents of Joe Cain, who runs through a lot of elements that really make the set cook – from Latin percussion, to Hammond organ grooving, electric guitar, and an overall sound that's got a hip Verve Records feel. Players include Vinnie Bell on guitar, Willie Bobo on percussion, Grady Tate on drums, and Jerome Richardson on reeds – and Cain really makes the record groove in ways that we've never heard on another Terry session. Titles include "Mumbles", "Rum & Mumbles", "Big Spender", "The Mumbler Strikes Again", "El Blues Latino", and "The Cat From Cadiz". LP, Vinyl record album

Reedman Joe Thomas is wrapped up here in some very warm grooves – a mix of electric jazz and clubby modes – all of which takes Thomas' usual sound right to the discos! Most cuts have a backup vocal group – with contributions from Gwen Guthrie and Jocelyn Brown – but these vocals soon step aside to make room for Joe's solos on both tenor and flute – every bit as soulful as before, maybe a bit like Stanley Turrentine or John Handy in such a setting! The album's also got some great keyboards from Pat Rebillot – and titles include "Plato's Retreat", "Mr Mumbles", "Get In The Wind", "Two Doors Down", and "Low Down". CD

One of the gems that Lucky Thompson cut on his return to the US in the mid 60s – and one of the few albums from that time that got wide release! The album's a laidback quartet session that has Lucky blowing both tenor and his new love, soprano sax, with a group that includes Hank Jones on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Connie Kay on drums. Thompson's playing is a masterpiece in understatement – with these sly lines, especially on soprano sax, that really set things off beautifully – grabbing you by surprise and holding you rapt, in ways that remind us a bit of Pony Poindexter during the same time. Titles include "Mumba Neua", "Invitation", "Prey Loot", "Fly With The Wind", and "Mid Nite Oil". CD

A pretty sweet 70s session from Michal Urbaniak – done in the same heavy funk style as his bigger label recordings of the time, with a solid blend of electric rhythms and some nice trippy solo work! The core of the group is Urbaniak on violin and lyricon, Urszula Dudziak on voice and percussion, and the great Zbigniew Namyslowski on alto sax and flute – and Kenny Kirkland adds more than a few nice touches on Fender Rhodes and mini moog. Jamming is at a minimum, and the tunes really keep a strong rhythmic pulse – making for a good set that's filled with jazz funk groovers! Titles include "Stray Sheep", "Always Ready", "Jasmine Lady", "Strife", and "Tie Breaker". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare set of avant jazz from the Dutch scene – long tracks performed by a quartet that features Rene Van Helsdingen on piano, Peter Guidi on saxes, Essiet Essiet on bass, and Don Mumford on drums! LP, Vinyl record album

A very earthy set of piano tracks, recorded by LA pianist Roosevelt Wardell – who was one of the ultra-hip discoveries that Cannonball Adderley brought to Riverside Records during the early 60s! Wardell's got a heck of a lot of blues in his playing, but overall he's a jazz player – working with Sam Jones and Louis Hayes to craft some tunes that almost out "soul jazz" Cannonball's own work! Titles include "The Revelation", "Elijah Is Here", "Lazarus", "Like Someone In Love", and "Max The Maximum". LP, Vinyl record album

There's few folks who can make a harp sound as cool as Brandee Younger – one of the few people to take the instrument and really bring it into the hippest sides of jazz and soul – and showing that in the right hands, the harp can be this majestic instrument with a very soulful vibe! We'd put Younger on a very short list of true inspirations on the instrument – one that would include Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane – yet her music here is very different than those earlier pioneers, as she weaves the harp with great vocal contributions and warmer jazz instrumentation – all at a level that maybe even tops the wonderful sounds on her previous record! Guests here include 9th Wonder, MeShell N'Degeocello, Pete Rock, and Mumu Fresh – on titles that include "Come Live With Me", Dust", "Running Game", "Moving Target", "If It's Magic", Livin & Lovin In My Own Way", "You're A Girl For One Man Only", and a great remake of "Windmills Of Your Mind". CD

There's few folks who can make a harp sound as cool as Brandee Younger – one of the few people to take the instrument and really bring it into the hippest sides of jazz and soul – and showing that in the right hands, the harp can be this majestic instrument with a very soulful vibe! We'd put Younger on a very short list of true inspirations on the instrument – one that would include Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane – yet her music here is very different than those earlier pioneers, as she weaves the harp with great vocal contributions and warmer jazz instrumentation – all at a level that maybe even tops the wonderful sounds on her previous record! Guests here include 9th Wonder, MeShell N'Degeocello, Pete Rock, and Mumu Fresh – on titles that include "Come Live With Me", Dust", "Running Game", "Moving Target", "If It's Magic", Livin & Lovin In My Own Way", "You're A Girl For One Man Only", and a great remake of "Windmills Of Your Mind". LP, Vinyl record album

A heck of a collection – and one that really gets at the amazing array of free-thinking jazz that was brewing up on the European scene during the 70s! The set brings together over eight hours of music recorded during two years of this legendary festival – and each new disc has some great surprises along the way! There's some possibly more familiar material here – such as long improvisations that include a solo piano performance by Joachim Kuhn, two by a Mal Waldron trio with Jimmy Woode on bass and Allen Blairman on drums, one by a trio headed by pianist Yosuke Yamashita and with Akira Sakata on alto, two more by the duo of Peter Brotzmann on tenor and Han Bennink on drums, and a final two long improvisations by a great Archie Shepp gruop with Richard Greenlee on trombone, Dave Burell on piano, Cameron Brown on bass, and Beaver Harris on drums! Yet that's only the tip of the iceberg – as there's a full CD of music by a group led by Hugo Heredia on saxes and flute – with Horace Parlan on piano, Dodo Goys on bass, Tullio D'Piscopo on drums, and Mandrake Ivanir Do Nascimento on percussion. And there's another CD that features an hour-long improvisation by a version of the Willem Breuker Kollektief with Leo Cuypers on piano, Maarten Van Norden on tenor, Boy Raaymakers on trumpet, and Bernhard Hunnekink and Willem Van Manen on trombones. There's also a very long track by a cool quartet headed by Polish alto giant Zbigniew Namyslowski – and one more by the French Machi Oul Big Band. There's also tracks by Riot, with Uli Beckerhoff on trumpet; Grumpff with Michael Schlaper on tenor and soprano, and Ekkehard Jost on baritone; Mumps with Albert Mangelsdorff on trombone and John Surman on tenor; and the Eddie Prevost Quartet with Geoff Hawkins on tenor and Gerry Gold on trumpet. And last but not least are two long trcks by the Czech group Celula Jazz Crew – with Laco Deczi on trumpet, Karel Ruzicka on electric piano, and Svatopluc Kosvanec on trombone. Phew – that's a lot of music, and the whole thing comes in a very cool 10" box set, complete with a booklet of notes, too! CD