Features Pierre Dorge on guitar and Tibetan conch trumpet–with Kasaper Transberg and Gunnar Halle on trumpet, Morten Carlsen and Jakob Mygind onsaxophones, Kenneth Agerholm on trombone, Irene Becker on piano and synthesizer, Thommy Andersson on bass, Martin Andersen on drums, and Ayi Solomon on percussion. CD

With Thorsten Benkenstein on lead trumpet. CD

You probably know the name of Jonathan Coe as a writer – for books that include What A Carve Up and The Rotters Club – but he's also had plenty of ties to music, including projects with Louis Philippe and High Llamas – and this new set of jazz-based works done with Artchipel Orchestra! The songs are all penned by Coe, and handled by the group with a great mix of larger charts and individual voices – all at a level that hearkens back to vintage work like this on the UK scene from artists like Mike Westbrook or Michael Gibbs – both of whom would be great comparisons to the vibe of this project! Ferdinando Farao arranged and conducted the group – which features a variety of saxes, flute, trumpet, trombone, and even some mighty nice vibes – on titles that include "Spring In My Step", "Erbalunga", "Looking For Cicely", and "Suspended Moment". CD

A rare Italian-only album from Chet Baker – wonderfully cooking small group work that's a far bit greater than his more familiar "with strings" session recorded in Italy during the same period! The album's got Chet working with an array of great players from the local scene – including Gianni Basso on tenor sax, Renato Sellani on drums, and Glauco Masetti on alto sax – all in a groove that shows plenty of traces of that opened-up sound that Baker was exploring in the very late 50s – the modes he was crafting in his group with Phil Urso on tenor, as he started to get a bit more bit in his style! Yet there's also a nicely compressed approach going on here too – that west coast sound that was a strong influence on the Italian players of the postwar years, but which was unfolded to new ends in their hands. Titles include "Lady Bird", "Line For Lyons", "Tune Up", "Cheryl Blues", "Indian Summer", and "Pent Up House". CD includes four bonus tracks recorded in 1962 with an orchestra led by Ennio Morricone! CD

One of the most successful jazz-meets-modern classical albums we've ever heard – thanks largely to the supreme talents of Don Cherry! Cherry leads the large New Eternal Rhythm Orchestra – which includes a large lineup of European free jazz musicians, with Peter Brotzmann, Tomasz Stanko, Manfred Schoof, Kenny Wheeler, Gunter Hampel, Willem Breuker, and Albert Manglesdorf – all conducted by Polish modern composer Krzystof Penderecki. Cherry plays mostly solo on his own composition "Humus", and other tracks include "Sita Rama Encores" (also by Cherry), and Penderecki's "Actions For Free Jazz Orchestra". CD

A tight little no-nonsense set from Al Cohn – the kind of record that he seemed to cut perfectly at the time, in a mold that he was helping trademark as the RCA 50s approach to jazz! The tunes are all quite short, and mostly familiar numbers – but they're arranged with a west coast-ish sort of flair, and played with more of a New York sense of swing – letting Al get in plenty of nice licks next to bandmates that include Joe Newman, Freddie Green, Nat Pierce, and Thad Jones. There's almost a Basie undercurrent to the set at times – as you'd guess from the players – and tracks include "That Old Feeling", "Sweet & Lovely", "Soft As Spring","I'll Be Around", "Honey Blonde", "Willow Weep For Me", and "In A Mellow Tone". CD

An amazing package – a pair of rare avant jazz albums, presented here together! The first album is Peace In The World – maybe the only album issued under the name of Michael Cosmic – but a set that's part of a key legacy with his brother, reedman Phill Musra! The set has Cosmic in very heady territory – sounds that come from his young tenure in the AACM, his brief time with Cecil Taylor, and his budding reputation on the 70s Boston scene – where the set was recorded, and almost stands as a precursor to the rich legacy of improvisational jazz that would emerge on the New England scene for decades to come! Tracks are long and very free, but have spiritual currents too – and Cosmic is mostly on piano, with Musra on soprano sax and tenor, Leonard Brown on soprano and tenor, John Jamyll Jones on bass, Huseyin Ertunc on drums, and Eric Jackson on percussion. Titles include "We Love You Malcolm X", "Peace In The World", "Sapce On Space", and "Arabia". Next is the related album Creator Spaces, by Phill Musra – recorded at the time when he was part of the very underground Boston avant scene – a world that had a slightly different vibe than music coming from Chicago, Detroit, or New York! The album's got a spiritual avant bent – soulful at the core, with lots of references to outer space as well – and an approach that feels a lot like a classic Saturn Records session by Sun Ra, both in sound and spirit! Musra plays reeds, chimes, and percussion – and the group features some incredible sax work by Michael Cosmic, who also plays a bit of organ, again in a tripped-out, Ra-type way. Huseyin Ertunc plays percussion – very free and loose, in ways that are a great balance to the more angular lines of the reeds – and tracks include "The Creator Is So Far Out", "The Creator Spaces", "Egypt", and "Arabia". Also features unreleased tracks "The Creator Is So Far Out (unreleased version)" and "Phyllis". Added to the set is a really special bonus third CD – an unreleased long live performance of "The Prayer" by Worlds Experience Orchestra – a group from the same scene at the time – with Shaddu Jones on piano, Stan Strickland on tenor and soprano, Frank Peterson on alto, John Jamyll Jones on bass, Robert Ruff on cello, Larry Lerner on drums, and John Klein on amplified violin. CD

An amazing little group – one that starts with the ensemble improvisation energy of John Coltrane's Ascension, but then takes off into a whole new electrified direction of its own! Crimetime Orchestra boast a heady rhythm section in the form of Bugge Wesseltoft on keyboards, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten on electric bass, and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums – all players schooled in free jazz ways, but working here with an electrified sort of force – almost a rockish fusion undercurrent, which is mixed beautifully with the complicated horn lines of the other members of the group. Bassist Bjornar Andressen brings in a double-heavy bottom to the record – and other players include Vidar Johansen on tenor, Jon Klette on alto, Djetil Moster on tenor, Oyvind Brakke on trombone, Sjur Miljeteig on trumpet, and Anders Hana on guitar. Bugge recorded the whole thing, with some additional electric effects – and titles include "Rest In Piece" and the seven-part "Live Is A Beautiful Monster" suite. CD

Fantastic! This is one of Sonny Criss' masterworks, and an amazing tribute to the LA jazz underground of the 60's! Horace Tapscott composed and arranged all of the tracks on here, and they form a beautiful, soulful, suite that gives Criss a perfect backdrop for his meaningful solos. The work is fantastic, and every moment falls perfectly in line. Haunting stuff that we never tire of listening to, and which we can't recommend highly enough! Tracks include "Ballad For Samuel" and "Daughter Of Cochise." This CD includes two previously unissued alternate versions of "The Golden Pearl" and "Sonny's Dream." CD

A set that features music from three different sessions recorded by trumpeter Bill Dixon in the mid 60s – all pretty groundbreaking work, even all these many years later! First up is a quartet co-led by Archie Shepp and Bill Dixon – easily one of the greatest modern jazz pairings of the 60s! If you only know Shepp from his later work, you'll hear something very different here – as his tenor's often brought into tight focus with the trumpet of Dixon – in a blend of arrangement and freedom that's like that of Ted Curson and Bill Barron, but a lot more powerful overall! The tunes still have a sense of structure – and get great help from the bass of Don Moore and drums of Paul Cohen – but there's also some tremendously unbridled energy from the leaders, especially Dixon, who might not have sounded this great ever again. Titles include "Quartet" and "Trio". Next up is one side of an album that Dixon split with Shepp for Savoy – and Dixon's material here features a septet, with a great lineup that includes Ken McIntyre on alto and oboe, George Barrow on tenor, and both Hal Dodson and David Izenzon on basses. Titles include "Winter Song 1964" and "The 12th December". Last up is the seminal Intents & Purposes record – one of the few rare records cut by Bill Dixon during the 60s, and a perfect example of "new thing" jazz in action. Trumpeter Dixon plays in 3 different ensembles – a nonet, a quintet, and a duet – with players like Byard Lancaster, Reggie Workman, Robert Pozar, and Jimmy Garrison. The tracks are long, with an approach that begins with compositional structures, but which also showcases the avant solo talents of the players – in a manner that's similar to some of the Blue Note work by Anthony Williams or Grachan Moncur III. A darn tough record to find – and with the tracks "Voices", "Nightfall Pieces I & II", and "Metamorphosis". CD

The Duke takes his famous orchestra – including Johnny Hodges, Ben Webster, Barney Bigard, and Jimmy Blanton – to Fargo, North Dakota. The complete concert features performances of "Stompy Jones", "Ferryboat Serenade", "Sepia Panorama", "Slap Happy", "Sidewalks Of New York", "Caravan", and "Congo Brava". 50 tracks total. CD

A new take on Duke Ellington's score for Anatomy Of A Murder, with new arrangements by Bob Freedman, and performed by Herb Pomeroy and his orchestra, plus themes from Perry Mason, M-Squad, Peter Gunn, The Thin Man, 77 Sunset Strip, and more. CD

A seminal album – a late 60s classic meeting of the brain trust of the avant garde jazz scene in New York, recorded for the young JCOA label – and put forth as one of their early attempts to prove that musicians could be in charge of the means of production! Michael Mantler provided the core composition, and directs the group – but the lineup is a who's who of forces who'd record for ESP, Impulse, and other labels – with bold solos from Don Cherry on cornet, Gato Barbieri on tenor, Larry Coryell on guitar, Roswell Rudd on trombone, Cecil Taylor on piano, and Pharoah Sanders on tenor – in a larger lineup of players who also include Steve Marcus, Andrew Cyrille, Reggie Workman, Alan Silva, Carla Bley, Beaver Harris, Charles Davis, Robert Northern, Kent Carter, and many other key avant musicians! Titles include "Communications 8", "Communications 9", "Communications 10", and "Communications 11".' CD

A seminal album – a late 60s classic meeting of the brain trust of the avant garde jazz scene in New York, recorded for the young JCOA label – and put forth as one of their early attempts to prove that musicians could be in charge of the means of production! Michael Mantler provided the core composition, and directs the group – but the lineup is a who's who of forces who'd record for ESP, Impulse, and other labels – with bold solos from Don Cherry on cornet, Gato Barbieri on tenor, Larry Coryell on guitar, Roswell Rudd on trombone, Cecil Taylor on piano, and Pharoah Sanders on tenor – in a larger lineup of players who also include Steve Marcus, Andrew Cyrille, Reggie Workman, Alan Silva, Carla Bley, Beaver Harris, Charles Davis, Robert Northern, Kent Carter, and many other key avant musicians! Titles include "Communications 8", "Communications 9", "Communications 10", and "Communications 11".' CD

A seminal album – a late 60s classic meeting of the brain trust of the avant garde jazz scene in New York, recorded for the young JCOA label – and put forth as one of their early attempts to prove that musicians could be in charge of the means of production! Michael Mantler provided the core composition, and directs the group – but the lineup is a who's who of forces who'd record for ESP, Impulse, and other labels – with bold solos from Don Cherry on cornet, Gato Barbieri on tenor, Larry Coryell on guitar, Roswell Rudd on trombone, Cecil Taylor on piano, and Pharoah Sanders on tenor – in a larger lineup of players who also include Steve Marcus, Andrew Cyrille, Reggie Workman, Alan Silva, Carla Bley, Beaver Harris, Charles Davis, Robert Northern, Kent Carter, and many other key avant musicians! Titles include "Communications 8", "Communications 9", "Communications 10", and "Communications 11".' LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent funky jazz from Czechoslovakia – served up in a blistering mix of big band arrangements and electric rock elements! The group's a jazz-rock orchestra – with a hard wailing instrumental sound that's sort of like the Clarke Boland Big Band, mixed with fuzzed-out guitars – a really great blend that's in the territory of some of the best MPS work of this type from the time! There's a bit of a progressive vibe to the record, but never in a way that has the solos getting too overindulgent – and throughout, the group keeps things going with very strong jazz elements in the music. Titles include the 14 minute groover "Nova Synteza", which has a tasty drum breakdown – plus "Popinavy Brectan", "Ma Hra", and "Smer Jihovychod". CD features 6 bonus tracks – including "Blue Taxi", "Living Things", and "I Got My Mojo Working". CD

40s material from Shelly Manne – material that features Shelly on drums with Eddie Heywood, both trio and orchestra – plus a bit in a trio with Barney Bigard and Heywood on piano – all recorded in New York, not Manne's usual west coast turf! LP, Vinyl record album

A great revisiting of Michael Mantler's Jazz Composer's Orchestra – that crucial large ensemble that gave the New York underground a great chance to express larger ideas in the 60s and 70s! This version of the group has a much more international vibe – as the music was recorded in Vienna, with Mantler on trumpet, Harry Sokal on tenor, Bjarne Roupe on guitar, David Helbock on piano, and Wolfgang Puschnig on alto – along with larger backings from the Nouvelle Cuisine Big Band, and added string quartet as well. But overall, the sound has that great mix of larger vision and personal moments that we loved in Mantler's music decades back – and even the use of guitar here underscores some of the darker currents that he'd sometimes use on his best records. CD

A fantastic criss-crossing of modes – free jazz, funk, big band, and fusion – all styles that were blooming big on the Japanese scene of the 70s – wrapped up and reworked here into something new entirely! The set's a live one, and features extended performances from a range of great players who were key to the scene at the time – coming together here under the leadership of keyboardist Shumko Mizuno on the first half, and working with the New Herd of Toshiyuki Miyama on the second! Mizuno wrote all three tracks – and plays both keyboards and drums on the first – alongside a shifting lineup of players who include Seiichi Nakamura on tenor, Kenji Mori on alto, Hideto Kanai on bass, and Kazumi Watanabe on guitar! Titles include the avant "Dum", the sharper "Concentration", and the side-long jam "Jazz Orchestra 75 Part 2". CD

Gerry Mulligan with Paul Desmond, the University Of Illinois Orchestra with Gerry Mulligan & Al Belleto, Freddy Gray & Loyola Stage University Band. CD

Early work from reedman Tony Scott – recorded in the years when he was much more of a regular on the New York scene – before he started working in trippier styles for the 60s! The album features Scott in a host of different settings – from quartet, to tentet, to orchestra grooving – in a mix of modes that embraces both modern jazz inventions and some of the previous styles of the swing generation – both of which Scott handles very well on clarinet, with the same sort of generation-spanning confidence you'd get from Buddy DeFranco at the same time. Bill Evans plays piano on most tracks – a notable early date as a sideman, and one of his excellent pairings with Scott – and Gigi Gryce plays alto on some of the large group tracks. Originals mix with standards in the lineup – and titles include "Vanilla Frosting On A Beef Pie", "Poinciana", "Walkin On Air", "Round Midnight", "My Old Flame", "Moon Walks", and "Rock Me But Don't Roll Me". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most righteous albums ever from saxophonist John Tchicai – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given the depth of his other work! This rare late 60s date for MPS is a tremendous extension from Tchicai's earlier work, even his other European sessions – as it features John recording with a very large ensemble on side one – a full jazz orchestra with a really groundbreaking approach to its music – an ambitious, fully expressive ensemble led by trumpeter Hugh Steinmetz, who also solos strongly on the record as well. Steinmetz also contributed the title composition "Afrodisiaca", which is a 22 minute long piece played by the orchestra – and Tchicai wrote most of the tracks on side two, which are played by a smaller group, but with a similarly expressive feel! These tracks include "This Is Heaven", "Lakshimi", "Heavenly Love On A Planet", and "Fodringsmontage" – and all feature amazing solo lines from John on alto and soprano sax. CD

Overlooked later genius from Gato Barbieri – a trio of albums served up in one nicely priced package! Gato Para Los Amigos is some of Barbieri's best work of the 80s – an excellent live set from 1981 that's kind of a return to the drawn-out intensity of his years at Impulse! The group's got a good mixture of percussion, keyboards, and guitar – and the tracks on the set are mostly Latin-tinged numbers that offer a perfect foil for Gato's soulful and exploratory blowing – those haunting long lines we first fell in love with on his records for Impulse and Flying Dutchman! Titles include "Bolivia", "Carnavalito", "Brazil", "Viva Emiliano Zapata", and "Latino America". Que Pasa is a surprisingly nice late 90s effort from Gato Barbieri – at the time, his first new album in over a decade – and a set put together with a nicely contemporary feel with help from keyboardist Philippe Saisse! Saisse produced the set, and he really gives the record some of the warmly soulful moments of his own great music – an approach that's somewhat deeper than smooth jazz, and which makes more than enough space for Gato's well-blown saxophone solos. There's a bit of backing vocals on the set, and the approach here is definitely soul-based – but it's got a solid bottom that hearkens back to some of Gato's best R&B-inspired work of the 70s. Titles include "Mystica", "Dancing With Dolphins", "Straight Into The Sunrise", "Indonesia", "The Woman I Remember", and "Cause We've Ended As Lovers". Che Corazon is one of Gato Barbieri's most ambitious albums – a record that mixes core jazzy grooving with some larger orchestral parts – but all at a level that still moves along nicely! Sweet keyboards glide alongside Gato's reed lines – which come out strongly in the lead, with that sharp-cutting sense of soul that we've always loved so much. The overall sound is smoother than the early days, but no less soulful – and titles include a great remake of Marvin Gaye's "I Want You", plus "Eclipse", "The Woman On The Lake", "1812", "Encounter", and "Sweet Glenda". CD

One of the greatest moments ever from saxophonist Gato Barbieri – and that's saying a lot, given that by the time of this recording, he'd already had a great 60s run as an avant jazz musician, and started the 70s with a string of albums that criss-crossed jazz and South American musical styles! Yet Last Tango In Paris may well be Barbieri's crowning achievement – a sublime record that draws on all the richer, more emotive themes of his Latin America projects, but gives them new focus in the arrangements of Oliver Nelson – who ensures that the music is never too cheesy or overdone – quite a feat, given the sexy setting of the film! Gato draws a lot from Argentine tango, but often uses his own sax solos in place of a more familiar bandoneon – in a way that pushes the "new tango" mode of the time even farther – especially when set amidst Nelson's wonderful orchestrations. Titles include many versions of the "Last Tango" theme, plus the tracks "Girl In Black", "Jeanne", "Why Did She Choose You?", "It's Over", and "Fake Ophelia". (Soundtracks, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

The full orchestral version of the Sweet Smell Of Success soundtrack – but done in a style that's almost as jazzy and swinging as the small combo one! Elmer Bernstein's at the helm here – and the music's a wonderful pastiche of modes that's right up there with his sublime score for The Man With The Golden Arm – done in a similar blend of driving jazz, somber moments, and some slightly more raucous touches! As with that album, the players are all great – and soloists on the album include Pete Candoli, Ted Nash, and Shelly Manne – west coast players despite the New York setting of the film, and playing here with a fair bit of grit in their groove. Titles include "The Street", "Hot Dogs & Juice", "Toots Shor's Blues", "Nite Spot Rock", "Love Scene", and "Out Of Darkness". (Soundtracks, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Spiritual sounds galore – an amazing 2-fer from Alice Coltrane! Huntington Ashram Monastery is powerful work from Alice Coltrane – an incredible trio album that features her heavily on harp, plus a bit of piano – in a trio with Ron Carter on bass and Rashied Ali on drums! The sound is wonderful – lush, yet contemplative – in a personal style that really shows Alice beginning to express herself in new modes after the death of The Great One. The us of harp is especially incredible – handled here with a sense of majesty that really leaves us breathless, and which goes far beyond other use of that instrument in jazz. And even Alice's piano is surprisingly nice – with these mellow, earthy undertones that bubble at the bottom and ground the whole effort on earthly territory. Titles include "Turiya", "HIS", "Jaya Jaya Rama", and "Via Sivanadagar". World Galaxy is one of Alice Coltrane's most ambitious albums of the early years – recorded with a full set of heavenly orchestrations! The core group features Alice on piano, organ, and harp – alongside Frank Lowe on saxes, Reggie Workman on bass, Leroy Jenkins on violin, and Ben Riley on drums. Added to this combo is a much larger set of strings – swirling around in a rich musical backdrop that gives Alice's work a sense of majesty and power we could have never imagined. This is the album that really showed the world that she was far far more than just the wife of the late great one – a true mystical visionary with a sound that demanded to be heard! Side 2 features a recitation by Alice's spiritual mentor, Swami Satchdiananda – and the album features a wonderful version of "My Favorite Things", done with both organ and harp, plus the tracks "Love Supreme", "Galaxy In Turiya", and "Galaxy In Satchidandana". CD

The first album in a legendary run of vocal jazz classics on Atlantic Records – and a set that really helped Chris Connor move to a new level of expression in her music! The sound here is much richer than Connor's previous recordings for Bethlehem – and the small combo jazz backings have been replaced by fuller orchestrations by Ralph Burns – done in a cool, edgey sort of way that really pushes Chris into newly sophisticated territory! The sound's on a par with the best June Christy/Pete Rugolo collaborations on Capitol – and the group's filled with some great jazz players, including Zoot Sims, John Lewis, Milt Hinton, and Oscar Pettiford. Titles include "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "My April Heart", "He Was Good to Me", "Where Are You", and "Get Out Of Town". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

The first album in a legendary run of vocal jazz classics on Atlantic Records – and a set that really helped Chris Connor move to a new level of expression in her music! The sound here is much richer than Connor's previous recordings for Bethlehem – and the small combo jazz backings have been replaced by fuller orchestrations by Ralph Burns – done in a cool, edgey sort of way that really pushes Chris into newly sophisticated territory! The sound's on a par with the best June Christy/Pete Rugolo collaborations on Capitol – and the group's filled with some great jazz players, including Zoot Sims, John Lewis, Milt Hinton, and Oscar Pettiford. Titles include "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "My April Heart", "He Was Good to Me", "Where Are You", and "Get Out Of Town". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Albert Beltman and Hans Meijdam on alto saxophone, Nils Van Haften on baritone saxophone, Ab Schaap and Toon Roos on tenor saxophone, Hans-Jorg Vink, Ilja Reijngoud, and Martijn Sohier on trombone, Erik Veldkamp, Mike Booth, Peter van Soest, and Ruud Breuls on trumpet, Ack van Rooijen on flugelhorn, John Ruocco on clarinet, Rob Van Bavel on piano, Frans Van Der Hoeven on bass, and Erik Ineke on drums. CD

Never-issued material from this legendary pianist – a set of recordings done in Denmark during the mid 60s – some of which feature Bill Evans in familiar trio format, others which have him playing in the much more unusual solo and "with orchestra" modes! We're especially big fans of the latter – a mode that Evans only used on a handful of records, and which seems to free him in some ways on the piano – almost creating a painterly sense of sound, as he works with superb support from Palle Mikkelborg, who directs the larger group – while the Evans trio with Eddie Gomez on bass and Marty Morrell on drums is at the core. The set also features six never-heard solo tracks – a beautiful demonstration of Evans at his intimate best – mixed with a few other trio recordings – two with Eddie Gomez on bass, and either Alex Riel or Marty Morrell on drums – plus two more with the unusual lineup of Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and either Riel or Alan Dawson on drums. Together, the tracks paint this amazing picture of Bill Evans at a real high point in his creative life – all never-heard before, with titles that include "Very Early", "Treasures", "Walkin Up", "Time Remembered", "Waltz For Debby", "My Bells", "Elsa", "Re Person I Knew", "Nardis", "Quiet Now", and "Emily". CD

A key set of modern jazz from the late 50s – not so much a Bill Evans album, as it is a collection of larger group recordings that feature his piano. The first 6 tracks on the set are from the 1957 Columbia album Modern Jazz Six – a series of recordings at the Brandeis Festival arranged and conducted by Gunther Schuller and George Russell – and about as hip as you can get for modern jazz from the 50s! Sure, Gunther and George can have their sleepy moments on wax, but this set's great – thanks to a very hip lineup that includes Hal McKusick, John La Porta, Teddy Charles, Bill Evans, Jimmy Knepper, and Louis Mucci. The tunes aren't in that stodgy "classical meets jazz mode", but more in a swinging larger group style – featuring tunes by Jimmy Giuffre, Charles Mingus, Russell, and Schuller – as well as more serious numbers by Harold Shapero and Milton Babbitt. Titles include "All Set", "Revelations", "All About Rosie", and "Suspensions". Added to these are 3 more live tracks from the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival – featuring a group led by Don Elliott on vibes and bongos, plus Evans on piano – on titles that include "Dancing In The Dark", "I Love You", and "S Wonderful". CD

One of the hippest takes ever on the Porgy & Bess score – done in duet format by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, in a fuller spirit than their other albums for Verve! Like many late 50s albums of Gershwin's score, this one was issued in advance of the film with Sidney Poitier – but unlike most, this is less of a cash-in affair, and really takes Gershwin's music on its own – serving it up with that newly serious style that Verve was hitting with some artists, especially Ella, in the latter half of the 50s. Most tracks have relatively full backings – strings and jazz orchestrations – and the double-length set features 15 tracks that include "Buzzard Song", "I Got Plenty O Nuttin", "My Man's Gone Now", "I Wants To Stay Here", "Summertime", "It Ain't Necessarily So", "What You Want Wid Bess", "There's A Boat Dat's Leavin Soon For New York", "Oh Lawd I'm On My Way", and "A Woman Is A Sometime Thing". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

One of the hippest takes ever on the Porgy & Bess score – done in duet format by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, in a fuller spirit than their other albums for Verve! Like many late 50s albums of Gershwin's score, this one was issued in advance of the film with Sidney Poitier – but unlike most, this is less of a cash-in affair, and really takes Gershwin's music on its own – serving it up with that newly serious style that Verve was hitting with some artists, especially Ella, in the latter half of the 50s. Most tracks have relatively full backings – strings and jazz orchestrations – and the double-length set features 15 tracks that include "Buzzard Song", "I Got Plenty O Nuttin", "My Man's Gone Now", "I Wants To Stay Here", "Summertime", "It Ain't Necessarily So", "What You Want Wid Bess", "There's A Boat Dat's Leavin Soon For New York", "Oh Lawd I'm On My Way", and "A Woman Is A Sometime Thing". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A set of incredible records from Charles Mingus – all presented together in one mighty nice package! First up is Mingus Moves – a fantastic fresh new chapter in the career of Charles Mingus – a set that features the addition of two key players who would really shape his sound in the 70s – Don Pullen on piano and George Adams on tenor, both completely wonderful here! The group also features excellent trumpet from Roland Hampton, a player we don't know from many other settings – and the set also features some really nice vocal work from Honi Gordon and Doug Hammond. Titles include "Canon", "Moves", "Wee", "Flowers For A Lady", "Opus 3", and "Newcomer". CD also features bonus tracks – "Big Alice" and "The Call". Changes is key 70s work from Charles Mingus – an album that was recorded over the course of three days of creative activity at the end of 1974, but somehow split into two different albums under the Changes name! The lineup here is prime 70s Mingus – George Adams on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Don Pullen on piano – young players who really give a fresh voice to Mingus' musical ideas, and help him find this beautiful late life sense of color, tone, and timing that's completely sublime! Titles on this second volume include "Sue's Changes", "Devil Blues", "Remember Rockefeller At Attica", "Free Cell Block F Tis Nazi USA", "Black Bats & Poles", "For Harry Carney", and "Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love" – which features a guest appearance by Marcus Belgrave on trumpet and Jackie Paris on vocals. On 3 Or 4 Shades Of Blues, Charles Mingus is returning to the soulful gospel-influenced mode he swung big in the early 60s! The record's something of a later predecessor of the classics Blues & Roots for Atlantic and Mingus (x5) for Impulse – and the style is slightly less dramatic, but still quite steeped in soulful explorations that feature plenty of notes from the bluer side of the spectrum! Players include George Coleman and Ricky Ford on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Larry Coryell on guitar – and titles include new takes on "Better Git Hit In Your Soul" and "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" – plus"Nobody Knows", "Noddin Ya Head Blues", and "Three Or Four Shades Of Blues". Next is Cumbia & Jazz Fusion – one of the most enigmatic albums that Charles Mingus ever recorded – especially in his later years! The set features two very long tracks done by Mingus for use in a film about cocaine traffic between New York and Columbia – but considering the nature of the music, and the freely exploratory style, both numbers here stand very well on their own! Although touched with some of the Latin influences you might expect from the title, the sounds are often darker and more brooding than, say, the Mingus style on the classic Tijuana Moods set. And instead, there's a very serious soundtrack-like vibe going on through most of the set – larger jazz orchestrations used to beautifully underscore subtle themes, and breakout solo moments from players who include Mauricio Smith on flute, Paul Jeffrey on tenor sax, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone. The album also features a fair bit of added percussion – and features two long tracks, "Cumbia & Jazz Fusion" and "Music For Todo Modo". Me Myself An Eye is complicated later work from Charles Mingus – a great illustration of the way his power to command a large ensemble never wavered as the years went on! The album features two different large groups of players – filled with modernists young and old – including Ricky Ford, George Coleman, and Michael Brecker on tenors; Ronni Cuber and Pepper Adams on baritone; Randy Brecker and Jack Walrath on trumpets; Lee Konitz on alto, Larry Coryell on guitar, Slide Hampton on trombone, and Eddie Gomez on bass. Side one features the 30 minute track "Three Worlds Of Drums", and side two contains a remake of "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting", plus "Devil Woman" and "Carolyn Keki Mingus". Something Like A Bird is one of the last albums Charles Mingus ever gave us – before departing this planet way way too soon! The set shows the increasing sophistication of Mingus' music in these later years – a mode that almost echoes the path that Duke Ellington would take in his final decade – a move towards some larger-form material that still holds onto all the raw energy of the early days, but finds a way to not only bridge larger musical ideas – but musical generations as well! As part of this, the set's got a wonderful lineup – with Lee Konitz on alto, Pepper Adams on baritone sax, George Coleman on tenor, Eddie Gomez on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – and titles include the long title track, "Something Like A Bird", split up over 2 sides of the LP, plus "Farewell Farwell". CD

A set of incredible records from Charles Mingus – all presented together in one mighty nice package! First up is Mingus Moves – a fantastic fresh new chapter in the career of Charles Mingus – a set that features the addition of two key players who would really shape his sound in the 70s – Don Pullen on piano and George Adams on tenor, both completely wonderful here! The group also features excellent trumpet from Roland Hampton, a player we don't know from many other settings – and the set also features some really nice vocal work from Honi Gordon and Doug Hammond. Titles include "Canon", "Moves", "Wee", "Flowers For A Lady", "Opus 3", and "Newcomer". CD also features bonus tracks – "Big Alice" and "The Call". Changes is key 70s work from Charles Mingus – an album that was recorded over the course of three days of creative activity at the end of 1974, but somehow split into two different albums under the Changes name! The lineup here is prime 70s Mingus – George Adams on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Don Pullen on piano – young players who really give a fresh voice to Mingus' musical ideas, and help him find this beautiful late life sense of color, tone, and timing that's completely sublime! Titles on this second volume include "Sue's Changes", "Devil Blues", "Remember Rockefeller At Attica", "Free Cell Block F Tis Nazi USA", "Black Bats & Poles", "For Harry Carney", and "Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love" – which features a guest appearance by Marcus Belgrave on trumpet and Jackie Paris on vocals. On 3 Or 4 Shades Of Blues, Charles Mingus is returning to the soulful gospel-influenced mode he swung big in the early 60s! The record's something of a later predecessor of the classics Blues & Roots for Atlantic and Mingus (x5) for Impulse – and the style is slightly less dramatic, but still quite steeped in soulful explorations that feature plenty of notes from the bluer side of the spectrum! Players include George Coleman and Ricky Ford on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Larry Coryell on guitar – and titles include new takes on "Better Git Hit In Your Soul" and "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" – plus"Nobody Knows", "Noddin Ya Head Blues", and "Three Or Four Shades Of Blues". Next is Cumbia & Jazz Fusion – one of the most enigmatic albums that Charles Mingus ever recorded – especially in his later years! The set features two very long tracks done by Mingus for use in a film about cocaine traffic between New York and Columbia – but considering the nature of the music, and the freely exploratory style, both numbers here stand very well on their own! Although touched with some of the Latin influences you might expect from the title, the sounds are often darker and more brooding than, say, the Mingus style on the classic Tijuana Moods set. And instead, there's a very serious soundtrack-like vibe going on through most of the set – larger jazz orchestrations used to beautifully underscore subtle themes, and breakout solo moments from players who include Mauricio Smith on flute, Paul Jeffrey on tenor sax, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone. The album also features a fair bit of added percussion – and features two long tracks, "Cumbia & Jazz Fusion" and "Music For Todo Modo". Me Myself An Eye is complicated later work from Charles Mingus – a great illustration of the way his power to command a large ensemble never wavered as the years went on! The album features two different large groups of players – filled with modernists young and old – including Ricky Ford, George Coleman, and Michael Brecker on tenors; Ronni Cuber and Pepper Adams on baritone; Randy Brecker and Jack Walrath on trumpets; Lee Konitz on alto, Larry Coryell on guitar, Slide Hampton on trombone, and Eddie Gomez on bass. Side one features the 30 minute track "Three Worlds Of Drums", and side two contains a remake of "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting", plus "Devil Woman" and "Carolyn Keki Mingus". Something Like A Bird is one of the last albums Charles Mingus ever gave us – before departing this planet way way too soon! The set shows the increasing sophistication of Mingus' music in these later years – a mode that almost echoes the path that Duke Ellington would take in his final decade – a move towards some larger-form material that still holds onto all the raw energy of the early days, but finds a way to not only bridge larger musical ideas – but musical generations as well! As part of this, the set's got a wonderful lineup – with Lee Konitz on alto, Pepper Adams on baritone sax, George Coleman on tenor, Eddie Gomez on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – and titles include the long title track, "Something Like A Bird", split up over 2 sides of the LP, plus "Farewell Farwell". CD

A set of incredible records from Charles Mingus – all presented together in one mighty nice package! First up is Mingus Moves – a fantastic fresh new chapter in the career of Charles Mingus – a set that features the addition of two key players who would really shape his sound in the 70s – Don Pullen on piano and George Adams on tenor, both completely wonderful here! The group also features excellent trumpet from Roland Hampton, a player we don't know from many other settings – and the set also features some really nice vocal work from Honi Gordon and Doug Hammond. Titles include "Canon", "Moves", "Wee", "Flowers For A Lady", "Opus 3", and "Newcomer". CD also features bonus tracks – "Big Alice" and "The Call". Changes is key 70s work from Charles Mingus – an album that was recorded over the course of three days of creative activity at the end of 1974, but somehow split into two different albums under the Changes name! The lineup here is prime 70s Mingus – George Adams on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Don Pullen on piano – young players who really give a fresh voice to Mingus' musical ideas, and help him find this beautiful late life sense of color, tone, and timing that's completely sublime! Titles on this second volume include "Sue's Changes", "Devil Blues", "Remember Rockefeller At Attica", "Free Cell Block F Tis Nazi USA", "Black Bats & Poles", "For Harry Carney", and "Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love" – which features a guest appearance by Marcus Belgrave on trumpet and Jackie Paris on vocals. On 3 Or 4 Shades Of Blues, Charles Mingus is returning to the soulful gospel-influenced mode he swung big in the early 60s! The record's something of a later predecessor of the classics Blues & Roots for Atlantic and Mingus (x5) for Impulse – and the style is slightly less dramatic, but still quite steeped in soulful explorations that feature plenty of notes from the bluer side of the spectrum! Players include George Coleman and Ricky Ford on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Larry Coryell on guitar – and titles include new takes on "Better Git Hit In Your Soul" and "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" – plus"Nobody Knows", "Noddin Ya Head Blues", and "Three Or Four Shades Of Blues". Next is Cumbia & Jazz Fusion – one of the most enigmatic albums that Charles Mingus ever recorded – especially in his later years! The set features two very long tracks done by Mingus for use in a film about cocaine traffic between New York and Columbia – but considering the nature of the music, and the freely exploratory style, both numbers here stand very well on their own! Although touched with some of the Latin influences you might expect from the title, the sounds are often darker and more brooding than, say, the Mingus style on the classic Tijuana Moods set. And instead, there's a very serious soundtrack-like vibe going on through most of the set – larger jazz orchestrations used to beautifully underscore subtle themes, and breakout solo moments from players who include Mauricio Smith on flute, Paul Jeffrey on tenor sax, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone. The album also features a fair bit of added percussion – and features two long tracks, "Cumbia & Jazz Fusion" and "Music For Todo Modo". Me Myself An Eye is complicated later work from Charles Mingus – a great illustration of the way his power to command a large ensemble never wavered as the years went on! The album features two different large groups of players – filled with modernists young and old – including Ricky Ford, George Coleman, and Michael Brecker on tenors; Ronni Cuber and Pepper Adams on baritone; Randy Brecker and Jack Walrath on trumpets; Lee Konitz on alto, Larry Coryell on guitar, Slide Hampton on trombone, and Eddie Gomez on bass. Side one features the 30 minute track "Three Worlds Of Drums", and side two contains a remake of "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting", plus "Devil Woman" and "Carolyn Keki Mingus". Something Like A Bird is one of the last albums Charles Mingus ever gave us – before departing this planet way way too soon! The set shows the increasing sophistication of Mingus' music in these later years – a mode that almost echoes the path that Duke Ellington would take in his final decade – a move towards some larger-form material that still holds onto all the raw energy of the early days, but finds a way to not only bridge larger musical ideas – but musical generations as well! As part of this, the set's got a wonderful lineup – with Lee Konitz on alto, Pepper Adams on baritone sax, George Coleman on tenor, Eddie Gomez on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – and titles include the long title track, "Something Like A Bird", split up over 2 sides of the LP, plus "Farewell Farwell". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most enigmatic albums that Charles Mingus ever recorded – especially in his later years! The set features two very long tracks done by Mingus for use in a film about cocaine traffic between New York and Columbia – but considering the nature of the music, and the freely exploratory style, both numbers here stand very well on their own! Although touched with some of the Latin influences you might expect from the title, the sounds are often darker and more brooding than, say, the Mingus style on the classic Tijuana Moods set. And instead, there's a very serious soundtrack-like vibe going on through most of the set – larger jazz orchestrations used to beautifully underscore subtle themes, and breakout solo moments from players who include Mauricio Smith on flute, Paul Jeffrey on tenor sax, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone. The album also features a fair bit of added percussion – and features two long tracks, "Cumbia & Jazz Fusion" and "Music For Todo Modo". CD

One of the most enigmatic albums that Charles Mingus ever recorded – especially in his later years! The set features two very long tracks done by Mingus for use in a film about cocaine traffic between New York and Columbia – but considering the nature of the music, and the freely exploratory style, both numbers here stand very well on their own! Although touched with some of the Latin influences you might expect from the title, the sounds are often darker and more brooding than, say, the Mingus style on the classic Tijuana Moods set. And instead, there's a very serious soundtrack-like vibe going on through most of the set – larger jazz orchestrations used to beautifully underscore subtle themes, and breakout solo moments from players who include Mauricio Smith on flute, Paul Jeffrey on tenor sax, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone. The album also features a fair bit of added percussion – and features two long tracks, "Cumbia & Jazz Fusion" and "Music For Todo Modo". CD

A really unique setting for the saxophone talents of David Murray – set up here with the Pierre Dorge New Jungle Orchestra, on a record that really pushes that group even more than usual! Part of the strength of the set is the work of the soloists – not just Murray on tenor and bass clarinet, or Dorge on guitar – but also Horace Parlan on piano, and Harry Beckett on trumpet – both players who get in some strong moments that really help shape the long songs on the set – in a lineup that also includes Per Jorgensen on trumpet, Jorg Huke on trombone, Jacob Mygind on soprano and tenor, and Jesper Zeuthen on alto and bass clarinet. The set includes the Murray originals "Gospel Medley", "Song For Doni", and "Shakil Warriors" – and Dorge tunes "Do Green Ants Dream" and "David In Wonderland". CD

Sweet electric grooving from Houston Person – an album that features his soulful tenor set in larger arrangements than on his earlier small combo Prestige sessions, in a mode that's a bit like some of the larger jazz sets coming out on CTI and Kudu at the time! Like Stanley Turrentine, who also made a similar shift during this period, Houston turns out to be an extremely strong soloist in this sort of setting – hitting new notes on the laidback ballads, and playing with a richly expressive style that somehow seems even more possible than before, since the core rhythms and melodies are handled by the other players in the ensemble, and Houston's main job is just to blow freely on his solos. Billy Ver Planck does the orchestrations, and the group includes Hubert Laws, Victor Paz, and Cedar Walton. Tracks include "Everything's Alright", "Bleeker Street", "Let's Call This", and "Moan Er-uh Lisa". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful meeting of two mid-century musical talents – the piano of Oscar Peterson and the arrangements of Nelson Riddle – a surprisingly wonderful pairing, heard here on a rare set for Verve! Peterson never recorded with strings nearly as much as he did with a trio, but almost all of his dates in the format are wonderful – and this album may well be one of the best! Riddle's nicely restrained here – using that new sense of space he was finding in the 60s, and moving a bit away from more sentimental modes of the 50s, into some laidback jazzy charts that are really great. Peterson's piano steps through the arrangements wonderfully – never trying to dominate, and instead really going with the flow that Riddle provides. There's a mature sound to this record that really points the way towards some of the later Verve and CTI orchestrations of the 60s – proof that Riddle could have a huge influence on styles to come – and titles include "Judy", "My Ship", "Nightingale", "A Sleeping Bee", "Goodbye", "Portrait Of Jenny", "Come Sunday", "Round Midnight", and "My Foolish Heart". CD

A beautiful meeting of two mid-century musical talents – the piano of Oscar Peterson and the arrangements of Nelson Riddle – a surprisingly wonderful pairing, heard here on a rare set for Verve! Peterson never recorded with strings nearly as much as he did with a trio, but almost all of his dates in the format are wonderful – and this album may well be one of the best! Riddle's nicely restrained here – using that new sense of space he was finding in the 60s, and moving a bit away from more sentimental modes of the 50s, into some laidback jazzy charts that are really great. Peterson's piano steps through the arrangements wonderfully – never trying to dominate, and instead really going with the flow that Riddle provides. There's a mature sound to this record that really points the way towards some of the later Verve and CTI orchestrations of the 60s – proof that Riddle could have a huge influence on styles to come – and titles include "Judy", "My Ship", "Nightingale", "A Sleeping Bee", "Goodbye", "Portrait Of Jenny", "Come Sunday", "Round Midnight", and "My Foolish Heart". LP, Vinyl record album