A magnificent decade of music from Duke Ellington – the bulk of his fifties recordings for Columbia Records – all albums that really show the Duke stretching forth and greatly developing his style! The scope of performances here is breathtaking – as Ellington works with key sidemen of the postwar years, and moves into much longer-form recordings that before – tracks that help him deeply express his new ideas, and also make way for a few guest performers too. Each album comes in a tiny LP-styled sleeve, replicating the original record – and the box features the albums Masterpieces By Ellington, Ellington Uptown, A Drum Is A Woman, Such Sweet Thunder, Ellington Indigos, The Cosmic Scene, and At The Bal Masque – plus the Black Brown & Beige suite with Mahalia Jackson, and the Blue Rose album with vocals by Rosemary Clooney! CD

Magical trio recordings from the classic trio that featured Bill Evans on piano, Scott LaFaro on bass, and Paul Motian on drums – a massive 3CD set of music, and one that brings together the complete June 1961 Village Vanguard recordings! The revolutionary bass work of LaFaro, and free-thinking rhythms of Motian really helped open up Evans' work on piano at the time – and their influence is heard to best effect on this spontaneous live set, spread out over the course of 22 tunes, recorded throughout the afternoon and evening on June 25, 1961. The package features one newly-discovered take, plus a number of alternates, spoken bits from Bill, and even a few final bars of music. Titles include "Solar", "Milestones", "All Of You", "Gloria's Step", "My Man's Gone Now", "Detour Ahead", "My Romance", and "Waltz For Debby". CD

Magical trio recordings from the classic trio that featured Bill Evans on piano, Scott LaFaro on bass, and Paul Motian on drums – a massive 3CD set of music, and one that brings together the complete June 1961 Village Vanguard recordings! The revolutionary bass work of LaFaro, and free-thinking rhythms of Motian really helped open up Evans' work on piano at the time – and their influence is heard to best effect on this spontaneous live set, spread out over the course of 22 tunes, recorded throughout the afternoon and evening on June 25, 1961. The package features one newly-discovered take, plus a number of alternates, spoken bits from Bill, and even a few final bars of music. Titles include "Solar", "Milestones", "All Of You", "Gloria's Step", "My Man's Gone Now", "Detour Ahead", "My Romance", and "Waltz For Debby". Special box is on 180 gram vinyl, with new liner notes, limited poster, and even recording sheets with original producer notes! LP, Vinyl record album

A real treasure trove of music from the legendary Bill Evans – the complete recordings the pianist made for Verve Records in the 60s, including trio sessions, solo material, and interesting larger projects as well – plus alternate takes, unissued material, and lots more gems! Evans hit Verve at the height of his powers – already coming off important early records for the Riverside label, and working with Verve with superb recording quality, and great care for Evans as an artist – which allowed Bill to further flower in his familiar trio setting, and also try out solo recordings, and work with other co-leaders who include arranger Gary McFarland, tenorist Stan Getz, guitarist Jim Hall, and singer Monica Zetterlund – all of whom work closely with Evans on a session. The box features remastering for all sides, and includes over 250 tracks in a really overstuffed package! CD

A very cool collaboration between Greg Foat and James Thorpe – a set that's billed more as a sound library session than some of Foat's other jazz projects – even though the sound is equally appealing if you love those records too! The set is self-described as "futuristic analogue cosmic synth library cues for TV, film, and radio" – but it's also got a much warmer sound than you might expect, very much in keeping with the natural image on the cover – as Foat and Thorpe eschew some of the colder keyboard styles of other library records, and instead really let things glow with that organic vibe that usually informs Greg's music, as gentle rhythms set the pace for Fender Rhodes, Hohner pianet, and a host of Korg and Roland keys. There's also a touch of vibes, some field recordings, and other cool touches – on tracks that include "Balloon Ride", "Circadian Rhythms", "Grockle Box", "Living The Dream", "Platform Game", "Stacey's Theme", and "Elementary Physiology (parts 1 & 2)". CD

A very cool collaboration between Greg Foat and James Thorpe – a set that's billed more as a sound library session than some of Foat's other jazz projects – even though the sound is equally appealing if you love those records too! The set is self-described as "futuristic analogue cosmic synth library cues for TV, film, and radio" – but it's also got a much warmer sound than you might expect, very much in keeping with the natural image on the cover – as Foat and Thorpe eschew some of the colder keyboard styles of other library records, and instead really let things glow with that organic vibe that usually informs Greg's music, as gentle rhythms set the pace for Fender Rhodes, Hohner pianet, and a host of Korg and Roland keys. There's also a touch of vibes, some field recordings, and other cool touches – on tracks that include "Balloon Ride", "Circadian Rhythms", "Grockle Box", "Living The Dream", "Platform Game", "Stacey's Theme", and "Elementary Physiology (parts 1 & 2)". LP, Vinyl record album

3CDs, and one DVD – a heck of a lot of music in one groovy little box set! The 3CDs each feature a different overseas performance by American tenor legend Johnny Griffin – working in very familiar territory of Copenhagen, in long, open-ended recordings that really show his inventive strengths on the tenor sax! CD 1 features a 1964 performance with Kenny Drew on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – on titles that include "Doctor's Blues", "Night In Tunisia", "Wee Dot", and "Body & Soul". CD 2 features a 1984 performance with Eddie Lockjaw Davis joining Griff in the frontline on additional tenor – with rhythm by Harry Pickens on piano, Curtis Lundy on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums – on titles that include "Funky Fluke", "Hey Lock", "Lester Leaps In", "Blues Up & Down", and "Oh Gee". CD 3 features a 1989 date, with Drew on piano again – on titles that include "Just Friends", "Isfahan", "Slukefter Blues", and "Hush A Bye". The set also features a DVD – with 3 tracks from a Village Vanguard performance by Griffin in 1981, with Ronnie Matthews on piano – on titles that include "A Monk's Dream", "56 & Closing", and "Opening/Blues For Gonzi". DVD also features 2 more 1985 tracks by Eddie Lockjaw Davis (without Griffin) – "S'Wonderful" and "Shiny Stockings" – both recorded in Copehagen. CD

Features material from the albums Chico Hamilton Quintet Featuring Buddy Collette, Chico Hamilton Quintet In Hi Fi, Chico Hamilton Quintet, Zen The Music Of Fred Katz, Plays South Pacific, Ellington Suite, Original Chico Hamilton Quintet, Jazz Milestone Series, Jazz Swings Broadway, The Blues, Ballads For Backgrounds, Jazz West Coast Vol 3, and The Blues In Stereo. CD

All of Herbie Hancock's classic 60s recordings for Blue Note – packaged in one whopping set, along with a pretty fair number of previously unreleased takes! The 6CD set features 54 tracks in all – and is beautifully packaged in a book-like format that folds out nicely, and which also contains a good booklet with writings on the music, and full discographical notes! The set features all the material from the albums Takin Off, My Point Of View, Inventions & Dimensions, Empyrean Isles, Maiden Voyage, Speak Like A Child, and The Prisoner – plus the unissued tracks! CD

Rare music from this legendary Dutch free jazz collective – all pulled from the earliest years of the project, when the ICP group were every bit as important to improvised music as combos in the German and French scenes! The core players here are Misha Mengelberg on piano, Han Bennink on drums, and Willem Breuker on reeds – but with all ICP recordings, the "pool" is the most important part – as the lineup shifts fantastically, always in pursuit of new improvising possibilities – spontaneous creation amidst musicians who also include Manfred Schoof on cornet and flugelhorn, Theo Loevendie on soprano sax, Piet Noordijk on alto, Frederic Rzewski on electronics, and Willem Van Manen on trombone. Some moments have even more unusual instrumentation – steel drums, electrified viola, accordion, toy instruments, and amplified recorder – and throughout it all, the sense of unified group action and individual improvisation is tremendous. Most of the work on the CD has been unissued before – save for one track from the 53CD box ICP, and three more from a rare Dutch Jazz Scene LP box set from Radio Netherlands. 2CD set features 17 tracks in all – and titles include "Piano Distance", "Adebar Der Geheimnisvolle", "Jump Italiano", "Viet Cong", "Session No 1", "New Alto", "ICP 4 14 Write Your Own Part", "Stch Shuffle", "Siep", "Angels", and "Trammermusik". CD

Sublime solo piano – from that early 70s moment when Keith Jarrett was not only finding a whole new voice for himself, but also creating a whole new format in music! The tracks here are all long, live, solo improvisations – played by Jarrett at a level that's unbridled, but never totally free jazz – full of spirit and imagination, and always with this sense of tunefulness that's maybe even more impressive than if he was playing in a noisier way! LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderfully ambitious project from these two legendary improvising musicians – a larger project for stage that was created by both pianist Alexander Von Schlippenbach and drummer Sven Ake Johansson – the latter of whom here is very much into his later life role as a composer! The set features a mix of voice, vocals, and music – some spoken parts by Johansson, sung passages by the great Shelly Hirsch – and work from a very hip group that includes Wolfgang Fuchs and Dietmar Diesner on saxes, Paul Lovens on drums, Tristan Honsinger on cello, Anne Le Baron on harp, and Schlippenbach on piano. There's a mixture of free jazz, structure, and voice that almost feels as if Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill had the chance to record an album for FMP – and this beautiful set presents the first-ever release of the important 1994 performance of the material. LP, Vinyl record album

Lots of amazing Blue Note work from this legendary drummer and his fantastic set of reedman – saxophonists who include Frank Foster, Steve Grossman, and Joe Farrell! Includes music from the sessions for the albums Puttin It Together, Ultimate Elvin Jones, Poly Currents, Coalition, Genesis, Merry Go Round, Mr Jones, Prime Element, and Live At The Lighthouse! CD

Sweet sound library funk from Joy Unlimited – an early 70s German combo heard here on their rarest record ever! As with the group's commercial releases, there's a wicked blend of funky jazz and hard-riffing instrumentation – and unlike other records, this one's got an even leaner, meaner groove – all instrumental, and with a great focus on key elements of the sound – funky flute here, sweet keyboards there, and lots of tightly-played guitar lines – which really help give the music a nice edge! The set's got a sound that's a lot like some of the best MPS funk of the time – no surprise, given that it comes from the same scene – and instrumentation includes Fender Rhodes, flute, guitar, saxes, marimba, trumpet, and lots of sweet drums. Titles include "Jamara", "Soul Gravy", "Homunkulus", "Breeding Ground", "Jigsaw Man", "Blue Box", "Parabolica", "Spectrum", "Herbie", and "Laguna Seca". (Sound Library, Jazz) CD

Four disc set that covers music from 1980 to 1986 and features Kuryokhin solo, in trios, a quintet and some larger groups – plus a great booklet with notes and photos covering this fascinating corner of the jazz world! CD

A wonderful run of music from the great Steve Lacy – all of the larger group recordings done for the Black Saint/Soul Note label – nearly 20 years of really inventive albums! Lacy's solo and smaller group material were already collected in another excellent box in this series – but this collection shows Steve stepping out in a mode that's not nearly as well-represented on other labels – some of his more intense, complicated efforts – done with both familiar associates, and some surprising choices from the European scene! Players include Roswell Rudd on trombone, Steve Potts on alto, Misha Mengelberg on piano, George Lewis on trombone, Bobby Few on piano, Ricky Ford on tenor, and Han Bennink on drums – and the package, like others in this great series, features all records with original artwork, in cool little sleeves like mini albums. Records include Trickles, Revenue, Troubles, Regeneration, Change Of Season, Dutch Masters, The Condor, The Cry, and Vespers. CD

Homegrown grooves, but with a wonderfully soulful vibe – music recorded in the mid 80s by Dutch jazz legend Ronald Langestraat, but in a way that's different than his projects with larger groups at the time! The record's got plenty of the funk and soul that Ronald was hitting with those acts – but is delivered with a leaner quality, as Langestraat captured this music at home on a four track recorder – with acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, Farfisa organ, tenor, alto, and other instruments – all topped with some of his dreamily light vocals too! The approach is completely charming – somewhere between jazz funk and soul, but also very much its own thing too – on titles that include "Gotta Get Away", "Pandora's Box", "You Need To Cry", "I'm Ready For Dancing", "Girl Where Are You", "Then & Forever", and "In The Middle Of The Night". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great change in the music of Swedish guitarist Johan Lindstrom – music that expands the vision of his previous record, and also explores some more song-based territory – while still allowing for lots of musical contributions from other players we love on the Moserobie label! You know something's different when Elvis Costello steps in on the first track for a bit of spoken lyrics to a song he wrote with Lindstrom – and things continue to move in other ways throughout – with vocals from Sofie Livebrandt on two tracks, amidst work from Jonas Kullhammar on saxes and flute, Per Texas Johansson on clarinet and tenor, Jesper Nordenstrom on piano and organ, Mats Aleklint on trombone Torbjorn Zetterberg on bass, and Konrad Agnas on drums! Most tracks are relatively short, but work together well – and there are definitely moments of improvisation amidst some of the more structured elements of the record – on titles that include "What What", "Homeward", "Trombone Interlude", "Edwards Chacone", "Music Orbit Box", "Septet Serenade", "Echoes Across The Dunes", and "Worms Of Underground". CD

A great run of music from Jimmy Lyons – some of his most important albums as a leader! First up is Wee Sneezawee – the kind of work that makes you love the Black Saint label for giving players like Jimmy Lyons a chance to still express themselves this way! Lyons is in wonderful form throughout – blowing with all the sharp tones that you'd know from his work with Cecil Taylor, but also bringing in a bit more structure too – kind of shaping a coherent sound out of an infinite array of possible actions – any of which seem possible at any moment, given the dynamic energy of the group! Other players include William Parker on bass, Paul Murphy on drums, Karen Borca on bassoon, and Raphe Malik on trumpet – and tracks include "Wee Sneezawee", "Gossip", "Shackinback", "Remembrance", and "Driads". On Give It Up, Jimmy Lyons is wonderful, but equally great is trumpeter Enrico Rava – whose bold tones on the record easily match those of Lyons in terms of energy and inventiveness! The format is relatively free – although some tunes have a bit of an inside swing, at least more so than Lyons' work with Cecil Taylor – and other players include Karen Borca on bassoon, Jay Oliver on bass, and Paul Murphy on drums. Titles include the long workouts "Methods", "Never", and "Give It Up" – plus the shorter tune "Ballada". Burnt Offering features great duets between Jimmy Lyons on alto and Andrew Cyrille on percussion – and titles include "Popp A", "Exotique", and "Burnt Offering". Nuba is a compelling collaboration between percussionist Andrew Cyrille, vocalist Jeanne Lee, and alto saxophonist Jimmy Lyons – one of the freer sessions on the Black Saint label, and one of the most striking as well! Cyrille handles a wide range of percussion – and also a few whistles too – and he really sets the tone with his open, expressive approach to his instruments – almost more melodic at points than rhythmic, with echoes of African roots that come through more strongly than on some of his other albums. Most numbers are pretty spare, and titles include "Nuba 1", "Cornbread Picnic (Maize)", "The One Before Zero", "JJ & A", "In These Last Days", "Sorry", and "Nuba 2". Something In Return is another set of duets between Lyns and Andrew Cyrille! While working in Cecil Taylor's group, Cyrille and Lyons developed a wonderful interplay and dynamic, which can be felt in full effect on this wonderful duo recording, where they approach mostly original material, but also take on Strayhorn's "Take The A Train". Also includes the title track "Lorry", "JL", "Nuba" and "Fragments I". CD

A tremendous look at the early years of the legendary Joe McPhee – a set that's based around his classic Nation Time album, and which features other live material from the same time – including a Hat Hut album, and two CDs' worth of previously unissued work! The core album is legendary – a gritty set that features a mighty funky drummer, and some of the most soulful work that Joe ever recorded. Joe plays tenor and trumpet in sweet lineup that features bubbling organ, vamping rhythms, and some sweet modal elements mixed together in percussion, guitar, and Fender Rhodes. Titles include the hard wailing "Nation Time" – plus "Shakey Jake", an excellent 13 minute funk number – and the moodier "Scorpio's Dance". Next is the searing Black Magic Man album – an early release on the Hat Hut label, but recorded during the same December 1970 performance as Nation Time – almost showing the bolder, freer sound of the group – but still coming across with some surprising soulful elements too. The original album is expanded by the addition of the unreleased "Song For Lauren" alternate takes – and the core record includes "Black Magic Man", "Hymn Of The Dragon Kings", and "Song For Lauren". The next two CDs feature material recorded in 1969 and 1970 – at Vassar and in Poughkeepsie – with Joe and group working through some similar spiritual and soul jazz territory as on the Vassar CD issue from the same label. The music is heavy on elements you'd hear from the Nation Time album – Hammond, guitar, and even some electric bass and vibes – used in styles that run from soul jazz, to modal, to more experimental – all on very long tracks that have McPhee really stretching out on tenor and trumpet! Titles include "Cold Sweat", "Breakaway Theme", "Untitled", "Nation Time", "Sunshower", "Spring Street", and "Contemplation". All 4CDs come in very cool LP sleeves, in a slipcover box, a 60 page booklet of notes, photos, and information on the music! CD

Key moments in the career of Charles Mingus – all recorded during the crucial years of 1964 and 1965, and featuring the first-time release of a fair bit of live material too! The set represents the first full presentation of recordings that have appeared piecemeal on a handful of obscure releases – self-released records from Mingus himself – Town Hall, My Favorite Quintet, and Music Written For Monterey – all really expanded here with the full recordings of the tracks, and unreleased titles provided from the original tapes! Mingus was really on fire during these years – severed from most of his bigger label associations, and freely working on some of his most inventive ideas with various smaller groups of players – all fresh young talents who were key interpreters of Charles' ideas – including Johnny Coles and Lonnie Hillyer on trumpet, Jimmy Owens on trumpet and flugelhorn, Charles McPherson on alto sax, Clifford Jordan on tenor, Jaki Byard on piano, Eric Dolphy on alto, flute, and bass clarinet. The stalwart Dannie Richmond is on drums, and the sides represent some of Dolphy's last, and most important recordings on the planet – recordings done at Town Hall and in Amsterdam in April of 1964 – in addition to live material at Monterey in 1964 and 1965, in Minneapolis in May of 1965. Tracks are all quite long – some pushing the half-hour timing – and as with the best live Mingus, there's variations here that go way past any studio readings – really incredible solo flights that are still beautifully integrated with the ideas of the main group. Titles include "So Long Eric", "Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress Then Blue Silk", "Mingus Piano Solo", "Bird Preamble", "Themeless Blues", "Copa City Titty", "A Lonely Day In Selma", "Cocktails For Two", "Praying With Eric", "Parkeriana", "ATFW", "Meditations On A Pair Of Wire Cutters", and "Meditations On Integration". 7CDs, limited edition, and with a great book of notes too! CD

One of the most revolutionary players to ever handle a trombone – finally summed up in the full scope of his genius! Grachan Moncur III may not be as well-known a name as some of his more famous contemporaries – like Archie Shepp or Jackie McLean – but his mid 60s recordings were crucially important to modern jazz, not only that of Shepp and McLean, but the entire "new thing" generation! Moncur was one of the first players to realize that as much as the trombone was a musical instrument, it was also equally powerful as kind of a sonic engine – a way to craft dark and deep tones and colors, shading in an area of jazz that had previously been unexplored. And on top of Moncur's groundbreaking playing, he was also an equally skilled writer – and contributed his own compositions to a number of important 60s jazz sessions. This beautiful box set brings together more than a few of those sessions – Moncur's own lost Blue Note albums Evolution and Some Other Stuff, as well as Jackie McLean's seminal sides One Step Beyond, Destination Out, Hipnosis, and the bulk of 'Bout Soul. The set features 25 tracks in all – a wealth of lost modern jazz – all packaged in a 3CD slipcover, along with a booklet on the music. Great stuff – and long overdue! CD

Monk Monk Monk! A classic, with a lively quintet that includes Thad Jones, Sam Jones, Art Taylor, and the amazing Charlie Rouse, here just beginning a very fruitful association with Monk – and really adding a lot to the session with some incredible tenor work that's as angular and modern as needed for Monk's work, yet with a soulful edge that really brings a lot to the music. The album's got 5 long tracks – hence the title – and they're all Monk classics that include "I Mean You", "Ask Me Now", "Jackie-ing", and "Straight No Chaser". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing music from one of our favorite periods of Thelonious Monk – a time of new discoveries, new strengths, and some great work with tenor sax! CD

A totally cool little set! The package features material written by hip arranger Phil Moore – done in a MMO style with instrumentations designed to back up a cool singer – in this case with some nice modern jazz modes! LP, Vinyl record album

The mighty Mulatu Astatke has given us lots of amazing music over the years – key records both home in Ethiopia and here in the US – yet this performance may well be one of his most special, as it unites the legendary musician with a host of giants from the American scene – all in a one-off performance that finally gave Mulatu his due! The leader handles vibes at the helm of an all-star group that includes Bennie Maupin on flute and soprano sax, Azar Lawrence on tenor, and Phil Ranelin on trombone – all spiritual jazz giants of the 70s who only further expand the genius of Mulatu's music – in the company of some younger musicians who include Miguel Atwood Ferguson on violin and Brandon Coleman on electric piano and organ. The whole thing is very much in keeping with the best Mulatu classics from back in the day, but also pushes things forward wonderfully too, with a lot more jazz in the mix – on titles that include "Yekermo Sew", "The Radcliffe", "Kasalefkut Hulu", "I Faram Gami", "Yekatit", "Mulatu", and "Ebo Lala". (Global Grooves, Jazz) CD

A stunning tribute to the work of Swedish reedman Bengt Frippe Nordstrom – a player whose solo and small group improvisations arguably set the tone for countless Scandinavian recordings in years to come – presented here with both unreleased material and his legendary Natural Music record for his own Bird Notes label! The package was put together by improvising reed genius Mats Gustaffson – a player who has a strong influence from Nordstrom – and the set features four 12" albums, one 10" disc, and an EP too – all with digital downloads of the music, in a very limited box set with a bonus set of notes and a discography too! Given how rare any of the Bird Notes material is – and even was, back in the day – the package is something of a steal, even with a high price tag – and the work is augmented here by some exclusive tribute tracks for the set as well. Titles include "Bird Notes & Fok Tunes" and "Reality" by Nordstrom – plus "When Will The Blues Leave", which has Frippe with the Ornette Coleman Quintet – plus the tracks "Flickorna I Smaland" by Sven Ake Johhansson, "Shrot 1" by Dror Feiler, "Cellar Fright 3" by Jorgen Adolfsson, "Vacker Men Kort Alltsa" by Isak Hedtjarn, and "Rrrhhmmmmrrrrrrrhhhmmmmm" by Mats Gustafsson. LP, Vinyl record album

A jazz treasure chest – the 73 original recordings by Charlie Parker issued by Verve Records, all packaged in a special box with loads of great extras! The package strips down the Bird sides that have been issued by Verve over the years – going for just the original releases issued in the late 40s and 1950s, before alternate takes and extra material started overwhelming most standard packages of Parker's work. The set very nicely gets back to basics – hitting all the original 78rpm and LP sides cut by Bird, with supporting players that include Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Red Rodney, Flip Phillips, and Max Roach. The set's got 73 tracks on 3CDs, packaged in a totally cool metal box, along with a 60 page booklet on the music, and lots of rare photos! Beautiful stuff – and surprisingly nicely priced for what's inside! CD

An amazing package, and an amazing moment in the career of Charlie Parker – the beginning of his relationship with Verve Records producer Norman Granz – who really helped refine Bird's talents, and also open him up in some new creative directions! The material here originally came out on 10" LPs on the Mercury and Clef labels, but they're also the birth of the Verve Records sound too – top-shelf presentation, and care that Charlie Parker may not have been getting from previous labels like Dial or Savoy! The set features the first two volumes of Charlie Parker With Strings – amazing music that has Bird's sharp-edged alto soaring out over some modern string arrangements – really standard-setting experiments that so many others followed in years to come! Next is Bird & Diz – a sublime pairing with Dizzy Gillespie's trumpet. Charlie Parker Plays South Of The Border is a key cubop session – Bird's alto with Latin rhythms – an equally groundbreaking match as his strings sessions! Last is the self titled Charlie Parker album – a great quartet session, with titles that include the classics "Confirmation" and "Now's The Time". All five albums come with the original David Stone Martin cover art – and come packaged in a slipcover, with a heavy new booklet of notes! LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing early package from Norman Granz – proof that even in the early days, the man really knew how to put together a record! The set features different batches of music from key Verve artists – including a Charlie Parker with strings batch, an Oscar Peterson section, Buddy Rich trio material, and some great Coleman Hawkins small group tracks – plus some nice jam session tracks with Harry Edison and Lester young! LP, Vinyl record album

Revelatory work from the great Art Pepper – presented here in a complete package for the first time ever. In Pepper's later years, his live dates were often more mindblowing than his studio sessions – especially when the tape was rolling over a long stretch, as was the case over the three nights of recordings presented here! Art's on alto, in a tight group with George Cables on piano – arguably one of his most sensitive accompanists in these years – plus David Williams on bass and Carl Burnett on drums – a lineup that remains firm through the seven sets of music captured in this collection. The package features 42 performances, including 23 performances that appear here for the first time ever, plus bits of banter and other between-song conversation – all wrapped up in a box with a 44 page booklet of notes. Titles include "For Freddie", "Without A Song", "Road Waltz", "Mambo Koyama", "Allen's Alley", "Begin The Beguine", "Landscape", "Valse Triste", "But Beautiful", "Roadgame", "For Freddie", "Donna Lee", "Samba Mom Mom", "Yours Is My Heart Alone", and "Arthur's Blues". CD

One of the weirdest records Sun Ra ever made – music to accompany the strange film Space Is The Place – which itself was an odd mixture of science fiction and blacksploitation-type action! The sounds here are sometimes in the usual Arkestra mode – wonderfully exotic rhythms mixed with freewheeling jazz solos – but other parts seem to follow more of a soundtrack-styled need – and include some bolder action riffs, spare scene-setting moments, and even some strong vocal themes. Titles include "Watusa", "Calling Planet Earth", "Mysterious Crystal", "Outerspaceways Incorporated", "Cosmic Forces", "Satellites Are Spinning", and a version of "Space Is The Place". This special set also includes the bonus Mathematics Of The Altered Destiny, a full LP of unreleased music from Sun Ra featuring June Tyson – and the first ever US Blu-ray release of the film, and a standard DVD as well! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the weirdest records Sun Ra ever made – music to accompany the strange film Space Is The Place – which itself was an odd mixture of science fiction and blacksploitation-type action! The sounds here are sometimes in the usual Arkestra mode – wonderfully exotic rhythms mixed with freewheeling jazz solos – but other parts seem to follow more of a soundtrack-styled need – and include some bolder action riffs, spare scene-setting moments, and even some strong vocal themes. Titles include "Watusa", "Calling Planet Earth", "Mysterious Crystal", "Outerspaceways Incorporated", "Cosmic Forces", "Satellites Are Spinning", and a version of "Space Is The Place". This special set also includes the bonus Mathematics Of The Altered Destiny, a full LP of unreleased music from Sun Ra featuring June Tyson – and the first ever US Blu-ray release of the film, and a standard DVD as well! LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the best work ever from legendary trumpeter Woody Shaw – and honestly, a batch of music that may well be one of the best runs at a label by any jazz musician, period! Woody first came on the scene as a sharp talent from the east coast in the 60s – playing with a drive and fire that really set a whole new tone for the trumpet – one different from predecessors like Miles Davis, Lee Morgan, or Freddie Hubbard. And although he was already great on records for Blue Note and other labels, he really exploded as a leader with these sides for Muse – stretching forth with dynamic energy and boundless imagination – sometimes in a setting that was as spiritual as work on Strata East, sometimes in a straighter mode that put Shaw right up there with the best trumpeters of decades past. This Muse Records work has always been scattered and spotty on the reissue market, but is finally collected together here in one place – a stunning set of albums that includes The Moontrane, Love Dance, Little Red's Fantasy, Concert Ensemble At The Berliner Jazztage, In The Beginning, Iron Men, Setting Standards, Solid, and Imagination. The set features all tracks from these sessions – including bonus material not on the original LPs – plus very detailed notes and information, in the true Mosaic Records fashion! CD

Zoot Sims on tenor sax, Bob Brookmeyer on valve trombone, Hank Jones on piano, Bill Crow on bass, and Jo Jones on drums. Tracks include "Lullaby Of The Leaves", "The King", "Snake Eyes", and "Box Cars". CD

Very long, very spiritual improvisations from a really wonderful group – the Fire Into Music quartet of trombonist Steve Swell, a group with superb work from Hamid Drake on drums, William Parker on bass, and the late Jemeel Moondoc on alto saxophone! As you'd guess from the title, the album is something of a tribute to Moondoc, who left the planet in 2021 – and who was really one of the standard bearers of more spiritual jazz expression at the time of these recordings, when the style had fallen out of favor with some of the underground. Yet the rest of the group is equally amazing – and the pairing of Parker and Drake is completely sublime on its own, especially given the open space they are allowed in the very long tracks that make up the set. Swell is great too – both as a leader and a very sly sound-shaper on trombone – and the set features a full 55 minute improvised performance from the El Dorado Ballroom in Houston – plus six more slightly shorter tracks recorded in Marfa and Guelph – on titles that include "Box Set", "Junka Nu", "Space Cowboys", and "Swimming In A Galaxy Of Goodwill & Sorrow". CD

The first moment of genius from trumpeter Charles Tolliver – a set that wasn't originally issued on the Strata East label, but which really set the tone for all the genius to follow on Tolliver's label! At the time of the record, Charles was part of a whole new generation of hardboppers who were coming up in a world of new ideas – a time when Coltrane, Shepp, and Ayler were transforming the left side of jazz – while other musicians were pushing the boundaries of more familiar modes too. Tolliver worked with Horace Silver, Max Roach, and others at the time – and here, he's a brilliant leader right out of the box – set up with an all-star combo that features Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – perfect partners for exploring the new music that Charles brings to the record. Gary Bartz joins the group on the second half – another young player about to transform a generation – and the whole album's a dream all the way through, with the mix of soul and spirit of some of Woody Shaw's first records, or maybe Bartz's first few albums for Milestone. Titles are all Tolliver originals – and include "Household Of Saud", "Earl's World", "Paper Man", "Lil's Paradise", and "Right Now". Also features a bonus track – "Repetition (take 2)". LP, Vinyl record album

The first moment of genius from trumpeter Charles Tolliver – a set that wasn't originally issued on the Strata East label, but which really set the tone for all the genius to follow on Tolliver's label! At the time of the record, Charles was part of a whole new generation of hardboppers who were coming up in a world of new ideas – a time when Coltrane, Shepp, and Ayler were transforming the left side of jazz – while other musicians were pushing the boundaries of more familiar modes too. Tolliver worked with Horace Silver, Max Roach, and others at the time – and here, he's a brilliant leader right out of the box – set up with an all-star combo that features Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – perfect partners for exploring the new music that Charles brings to the record. Gary Bartz joins the group on the second half – another young player about to transform a generation – and the whole album's a dream all the way through, with the mix of soul and spirit of some of Woody Shaw's first records, or maybe Bartz's first few albums for Milestone. Titles are all Tolliver originals – and include "Household Of Saud", "Earl's World", "Paper Man", "Lil's Paradise", and "Right Now". Also features a bonus track – "Repetition (take 2)". CD

A massive Fender Rhodes set from early 70s Belgium – the kind of set that never shows up on this side of the Atlantic, and which is pretty darn rare in its home territory too! Keyboardist Jack Van Poll has a wonderful sense of space on this set – a way of letting the tunes build simply and gracefully – often with a slow-growing groove that lets the Rhodes roll along wonderfully – never too slow, though, and always with a sweet funky undercurrent! And while we'd never heard of Jack before this set, he's got a great sense of style and imagination on his solos – very open, but always with a soulful undercurrent. The rest of the trio includes Mary Hehuat on Fender bass and Ruud Pronk on drums – and titles include "Marriedyet", "Blue Tait", "A Box For Leslie", "Sweet Georgie Fame", "Passage To Pferov", and "Objizdka". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful testament to the mindblowing collaborative powers of reedman Ken Vandermark – one of the most consistently creative saxophonists of the past few decades, and a spirit with a heart that's as big as his music! Ken's a wonder by himself, but one of the things that's always really impressed us is his strong ear for others – which includes not just fellow jazz musicians, but also decades of sounds in other styles too. Here, Vandermark displays his strong sensitivity towards five key contemporaries – in a box set that features different duets on each CD! The set features one album each of improvisations with Paul Lytton on drums and percussion, Ikue Mori on laptop and electronics, Kris Davis on piano, William Parker on bass, and Hamid Drake on drums and percussion – and Ken is mindblowing throughout, with an incredible ear for his partners, delivered over a number of different reed instruments. Box set also features great notes from Vandermark – who's also a hell of a writer, too! CD

Genius work from the World Sax Quartet – a really unique ensemble who not only set the tone for a generation of jazz musicians to come, but also gave focus to some richly expressive talents from the 70s underground! The quartet is something of a supergroup right from the start – graced with tremendous reed work by David Murray, Julius Hemphill, Oliver Lake, and Hamiet Bluiett – all key American players who really helped transform the sound of jazz in the 70s – coming together here in a whole new way on seminal sides for the Black Saint/Soul Note label! The format – which inspired many others – is really compelling – as the group's sounds come only from saxes, no other instrumentation at all – with the four wind players handling all rhythm and melody, and making some really amazing music in the process. Horn interplay had never been heard so clearly before – especially as here, the stars put aside their egos, and never try to overblow each other – and instead have this brilliant way of working together to craft a new sort of groove. The box set features the albums Steppin With, WSQ, Revue, Live In Zurich, and Live At The Brooklyn Academy Of Music – all with the classic lineup – plus Moving Right Along, which actually features a quintet with Bluiett, Murray, and Lake – joined by James Spaulding and Eric Person. CD

The roots of modern jazz never sounded this great before – and this is the first time ever that all the early bop recordings by Savoy have been properly brought together in one place! Savoy was one of the most important labels to record the early bop pioneers – and had a dedication to the music that begin in 1945, and moved well into the 50s – as the label captured some of the brightest young stars who'd go onto shape a generation! Almost all of this material was originally issued just as 78rpm singles – then later scattered and repackaged in a confusing way – although many tracks here also never made it into the LP or CD generation, either. The folks at Mosaic have worked incredible magic to correct that error – and have pulled together a stunning 10CD package that finally presents this amazing legacy of music in its proper form – complete with notes and session details that were never given in later years, too. There's way too much here to list in this space – but the set features dates recorded under the name of Dexter Gordon, Fats Navarro, Stan Getz, JJ Johnson, Sonny Stitt & Kenny Dorham's Bebop Boys, Allen Eager, Kai Winding, Ray Brown, Eddie Davis, Serge Chaloff, Kenny Hagood, Leo Parker, Tadd Dameron, Teddy Reig, Brew Moore, Milt Jackson, Kenny Clarke, and Gil Fuller – all with groups that are filled with equally hip and important musicians too. We love Mosaic all the time – but with a collection of 78rpm material, they really knock it out of the park – and do us, and the jazz history books, a mighty big favor! CD

A treasure trove of rare work from the 40s – 21LPs of music from the legendary Keynote label, all pressed on super-nice Japanese vinyl! The set also features 115 performances presented here for the first time ever – and comes with a great booklet, a Keynote photo album, and even a unique one-sided Lennie Tristano 45! LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant work from the Picante label – the Latin-styled offshoot of the main Concord Records imprint – home to some of the best west coast Latin music for the past few decades! At a time when so many other labels were going for hits and crossover material, Picante started things out right with a real back-to-basics approach to Latin jazz – one that stripped the music back down to its roots, and focused on key instrumental contributions from top-shelf players. This approach continued even when the label moved into some vocal work too – and when it took on the amazing Tania Maria, who brought a bit of Brazilian flavor to their roster too – and over the years, Picante's west coast work really took over the helm from New York gians like Fania or Alegre. This 4CD package is filled with Picante gems from the glory days of the label – and titles include "Spain" by Tito Puente, "Mambo Mindoro" by Cal Tjader, "Think Twice" by Monty Alexander's Ivory & Steel, "Up Late" by Jeff Linsky, "Soca Me Nice" by Mongo Santamaria, "Night In Tunisia" by Caribbean Jazz Project, "Ran Kan Kan (Thunderball vs Fort Knox Five rmx)" by Tito Puente, "La Voz Del Caribe" by Eddie Palmieri, "La Cuna" by Pete Escovedo, "El Shing A Ling" by Poncho Sanchez, "Bom Bom Bom Tchi Tchi Tchi" by Tania Maria, "Sonando" by Poncho Sanchez, "Evil Ways" by Carmen McRae & Cal Tajder, and lots lots more. 50 tracks in all! (Latin, Jazz) CD

A great collection with early American jazz, jug bands, blues, and even some country music – includes songs by the State Street Ramblers, Joe Turner, Frenchy's String Band, Jimmie Rodgers, Sonny Greer, Sam Morgan's Jazz Band, Eddie South & His Orchestra, Duke Ellington, and more. 79 tracks total. CD

A fantastic package that explores the full range of genius on the legendary avant label BYG/Actuel – one of the most important European imprints at the end of the 60s! Actuel was home to some of the best avant garde jazz coming out of Paris in the late 60s and early 70s – an especially important document of the post-68 revolution in European music – at a time when so many American players where showing up in France, and finding great opportunities in the new freedoms of the scene! The package features seminal sides from US avant musicians – like Steve Lacy, Anthony Braxton, Clifford Thornton, Don Cherry, Jimmy Lyons, Archie Shepp, Sonny Sharrock, Sunny Murray, Grachan Moncur III, and The Art Ensemble Of Chicago – and it also features work by European musicians like Claude Delcloo and Jacques Coursil, plus genre-busting work by MEV and Gong as well. The 3CD box features a 48 page book – with lots of great illustrations, and notes from Thurston Moore and Byron Coley – and the set features 26 long tracks in all! CD

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

Music from Cannonball Adderley, Gene Ammons, Miles Davis, Billy Eckstine, Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon, Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Parker, Little Jimmy Scott, Ben Webster, Lester Young, and morre – 58 tracks total! CD

The early years of Quincy Jones, summed up in all their greatness – material from a time years before Quincy became a superstar in the world of soundtracks and soul, yet was already breaking new ground in the field of large ensemble jazz! Q had a special spark, right from the start – and you'll definitely hear that here, in a succession of albums and bonus material that highlight his uniquely swinging, soulful sense of arrangement – and his great ear for individual musicians, at a level that makes the groups here really work as all-star lineups, filled with musicians who often recorded as leaders on their own, but came together in tight formation under Jones' leadership. The set features a few bonus tracks recorded in Sweden in the late 50s – plus the full albums Birth Of A Band, Go West Man, This Is How I Feel About Jazz, Great Wide World Of Quincy Jones, I Dig Dancers, Around The World, Quintessence, and Big Band Bossa Nova – all served up in a big box with 78 tracks in all – and full notes in French and English! CD

A fantastic lost slice of work from reedman Yusef Lateef – a performance recorded at the legendary Ronnie Scott's club in London, with backing from a trio that features the wonderful Stan Tracey! Tracey was a committed modernist who really helped shape the sound of the UK scene at the time – and his pairing here with Lateef is wonderful, as Stan seems to bring out some of the most spiritual, most exotic sounds from the saxphonist – shaping the music with his own creative and angular work on piano. Yusef blows flute, tenor, shenai, and xun – and overall, the whole thing's got a vibe that really takes us back to the brilliance of his late 50s sessions for Savoy – done with the same mix of modernism, exoticism, and soul. Titles include "Song Of Delilah", "Last Night Blues", "Yusef's Mood", "Angel Eyes", and "Blues For The Orient". LP, Vinyl record album

Rob Mazurek has always been more of a multi-instrumentalist instead of just a cornet player – but on this amazing solo set, he really pushes the boundaries even further – by taking up a huge host of different elements and different sounds! That soaring, spacious horn is still in the lead – a legacy that Rob seems to have inherited from 70s Miles Davis, but taken to even trippier territory – but the record also features flute, electronics, maracas, and bells – as well as weird objects like books, boxes, and apples! Mazurek uses a bit of distortion at times, which really helps unlike things resonate together – and the set's easily some of his most personal, evocative music to date. Titles include "Toward New Light", "Quiet The Thunder Bells", "The Breath Of Life You Gave To Me", "You Were Born With Sun In Your Eyes", and "Toward Enlightenment". CD

A wealth of great music – including some unusual sessions and bonus material too! CD

A killer collection of this unique musical moment from Gerry Mulligan – with material that appeared on the albums Concert Jazz Band, Concert Jazz Band At The Village Vanguard, A Concert In Jazz, Concert Jazz Band On Tour Guest Soloist Zoot Sims, and Gerry Mulligan 63 – plus unissued tracks, too! CD

Pure acoustic genius from Hans Reichel – an improvising musician who rose up in the same generation as Derek Bailey and Fred Frith, but who's got a sound that's maybe much more in the experimental style of American artists like John Fahey or Robbie Basho! We're not saying that Reichel sounds exactly like either of them, but there is a similar love of overall sonic possibilities, and finding tunefulness far from the norm – continually coming up with breathless beauty at a level that's really unexpected, and definitely different than the usual session of free jazz on the FMP label. Titles include "Could Be Nice", "Two Small Pieces Announced By Cigar Box", "Bonobo Beach 1", "Southern Monologue", and "Bonobo Beach 2". CD

The Delmark debut as a leader from drummer Frank Rosaly – and a very unique little record! Rosaly's a player we've really dug on other folks' records, and his vision here at the helm is pretty darn great – a real change from some of the modes used by his avant Chicago contemporaries – almost more poetic at points, although filled with sharp edges throughout! The record was composed for use in a documentary about Chicago scrap recyclers working the alley of the city – and Rosaly brings a really human, personal sort of feel to his music – even though the overall approach is still based on improvisation between group members too. The lineup features James Falzone on clarinet, Jason Stein on bass clarinet, Jason Roebke on bass and cracklebox, Keefe Jackson on tenor and bass clarinet, and Jason Adasiewicz on vibes – which adds some particularly great tones to the metallic narrative. Rosaly also plays a bit of percussion, piano, and electronics – and titles include "Adrian", "Bedbugs", "Driven", "Yards", "Wet Feet Splashing", "The Dark", and "Tragically Positive". CD

Some of the greatest albums that Hammond organist Jimmy Smith issued at the start of the 60s – all records that completely cemented the role of the organ in jazz – and took the instrument out of the realm of back rooms and jukeboxes! That's not to say that the music here wouldn't play great on a jukebox, as some of the cuts here were issued by Blue Note as 45rpm singles, and went on to get a fair bit of organ play – but they're also mixed with longer cuts that really have Smith opening up on the Hammond – showing the world why his skills on the keys were so different than most that came before him! All the records here feature tight small combo backing – not the larger arrangements that Jimmy would later use at the Verve label – and the set features all albums in original artwork, in LP-styled sleeves – and includes the records Home Cookin, Crazy Baby, Midnight Special, Back At The Chicken Shack, and Softly As In A Summer Breeze! CD

One of the most amazing jazz vocalists of our generation returns here with an incredible group – a majestic combo to match all the spiritual inclinations in his music – with work from Kamasi Washington on tenor, Mark De Clive-Lowe on piano, Miguel Atwood Ferguson on viola, and both Carlos Nino and Derf Reklaw on percussion! Dwight Trible on his own is already more than enough to get us to run out and buy a record – but here, the combination of his unique voice with these musicians makes for an album that's an instant masterpiece – and one that even has lots of new colors and styles compared to some of Dwight's previous work! Songs include numbers by older west coast spiritual jazz heavyweights – like Horace Tapscott, Linda Hill, Nate Morgan, James Leary, and Jesse Sharps – mixed with some of Trible's own songs, and versions of work by Carmen Lundy, Oscar Brown Jr, and Donny Hathaway. From top to bottom, start to stop, the album's a treasure – with tracks that include "It's All About Love", "Thank You Master", "Song For My Mother", "Brother Where Are You", "Some Other Time", "These Things You Are To Me", "Desert Fairy Princess", and "Mothership". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD