A gem of a record – easily one of Herb Geller's best! There's a bite to the record we really love – a quality in Geller's tone that really blows us away – and which has had us going back and re-evaluating his career after hearing this set. Part of the strength is the setting – a nicely dark vibe, typical to some of the other Jubilee jazz sessions of the time – played by a lineup that includes Kenny Dorham on trumpet, Harold Land on tenor, Lou Levy on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Lawrence Marable on bass – an ensemble that have a fuller punch than some of Geller's other groups in the 60s. The track's are easily grooving hardbop numbers – nearly all originals, and handled with a style that's much more New York oriented than you'd expect from Geller's west coast roots. Titles include "S'Pacific View", "The Fruit", "Marable Eyes", "Melrose & Sam", and "An Air For The Heir". CD

A brilliant tribute to one of the greatest jazz trumpeters of the 50s – featuring 3 full albums of material, plus some bonus tracks as well! Conte Candoli is a name that's appeared on countless sessions as a sideman or studio player, but here, Conte really sparkles as a leader – setting fire amidst some great small group lineups that include the players Bill Holman, Lou Levy, Lawrence Marable, Leroy Vinnegar, Max Bennett, Stan Levey, and Ira Sullivan. The set features material from 2 Bethlehem albums by Conte – Sincerely Conte and Powerhouse Trumpet – plus an Atlantic album, West Coast Wailers – and a rare 78rpm session for the Chicago-based Chance label, and a few additional tunes from a New York session in 1956 with Hank Jones! Conte's never sounded better – and with all this material in one place, the 2CD set is a great bargain overall. 30 tracks in all – with titles that include "Mambo Junior", "Flamingo", "TNT", "Thank You Judge", "Comes Love", "Tune For Tex", "Fine & Dandy", "Night Flight", "Toot Sweet", "Jazz City Blues", "Four", "Groovin Higher", "Lover Man", "Pete's Alibi", "Cheremoya", and "Jordu". CD

A really great little live jazz date from the mid 50s – one that features a unique pairing of east and west coast players, working together as part of a Birdland Stars package tour! The group's an exceptionally balanced one – with players who are all strong enough to work together seamlessly, but who each bring together something different to the date – especially in the blend of west coast cool and east coast hot that comes up during some of the horn passages! Trumpets are by Kenny Dorham and Conte Candoli, tenor by Al Cohn, alto by Phil Woods, piano by Hank Jones, bass by John Simmons, and drums by Kenny Clarke – and with a balance like that, there's probably a bit more "east" than "west" on the set – but that's ok with us! The style is similar to some of the RCA work cut by Cohn or Woods, but a lot more open overall – tracks that are looser and less arranged, with some really great room for solos. CD features volumes 1 and 2 of the albums – 14 titles that include "Phil Er Up", "Roulette", "Last Lap", "Hip Boots", "For Kicks Only", "Playboy", "Ah Funky New Baby", Birdland Fantasy", and "Minorin The Blues". Tracks are all originals by Manny Albam and Ernie Wilkins! CD

A quartet of live performances from Sun Ra – all recorded within the span of a single week in 1983 – at a time when the Arkestra was clearly covering a fair bit of territory in Europe! As you might guess from the title, the concerts here were recorded in Milan, Zurich, West Berlin, and Paris – all during the last week of October and first day of November – in a whirlwind series of sets that also included Montreux material that ended up on the Hiroshima album (not included in this package.) Ra's at the start of his key 80s growth here – able to open up to new audiences in a range of styles, from freely experimental to more traditionally jazzy – all in ways that link together many traditions in a single set, and show that his talents were rooted in a deep tradition of musical expression. The 5CD set features a huge amount of material – and apart from Ra on piano and keyboards, other "all star" players include Lester Bowie and Don Cherry on trumpets, John Gilmore on tenor, Archie Shepp on tenor and soprano sax, Marshall Allen on alto and flute, Richard Davis on bass, Philly Joe Jones on drums, and Don Moye on percussion. CD

An amazing debut from the John Carter/Bobby Bradford New Art Jazz Ensemble – one of the most powerful voices in jazz on the west coast at the end of the 60s! In a way, the quartet's sound is a culmination of the underground changes that had been bubbling under during most of the 60s on the LA scene – new ways of conceiving jazz after Ornette and Dolphy had first set the scene on fire at the start of the decade, but styles that weren't receiving nearly the exposure as some of the better-known avant work on the Chicago, New York, or European scenes. The style here definitely owes something of a legacy to Ornette in the way it reconceives rhythm and melody – and a bit to Dolphy in its freewheeling, free-thinking work on clarinet, flute, and alto by John Carter. Bobby Bradford's bracing trumpet lines really give the album a tremendous punch – and the rest of the group features Tom Williamson on bass and Bruz Freeman (brother of George and Von!) on drums. Titles include "Seeking", "The Village Dancers", "Sticks & Stones", "In The Vineyard", "Karen On Monday", and "Song For The Unsung". CD

A great record – and easily one of Harold Land's best! The session brings Land in from the west coast, and records him in New York with his regular rhythm combo that included the great Amos Trice on piano, Clarence Jones on bass, and Joe Peters on drums. But, added to that quartet is the wonderful Kenny Dorham on trumpet – blowing with a sweetly soulful sound that really opens up the groove – and which sounds wonderful next to Land's raspy edge on the tenor! The tracks are all quite long, and the overall approach is nice and hard, with some mighty fierce solos by Land and Dorham. Titles include "Okay Blues", "So In Love", "Slowly", and "Triple Trouble". CD

One of the clearest moments of brilliance ever from saxophonist Anthony Ortega – an album that should stand as one of THE avant jazz albums of the 60s, but which is sadly often overlooked! Although Ortega first rose to fame quickly in the 50s, his talents were often used in larger backing ensembles and studio work in the 60s – and this rare date for Revelation Records is one of the few times he got to express himself freely in the studio – bursting out with a free sense of expression and energy that lies somewhere in the space between Jimmy Giuffre, Marion Brown, and Anthony Braxton! The setting is free, but Ortega often shows a Giuffre-like sense of rhythm and timing, even at the sparest moments – and the rasp in his tone recalls the gentle soulfulness of Brown at his most expressive – touched by some of the greater complexities of Braxton's early approach to the sound of the alto. Accompaniment is by Bobby West on bass and Bill Goodwin on drums on some numbers – and simply by Chuck Domanico on bass on others. CD features both the New Dance and Permutations LPs for Revelation – with titles that include "New Dance 1 & 2", "Tis Autumn", "My Buddy", "G The Key", "I Love You", "Conversation Piece", "Sentimentalize", and "Shadow Of Your Smile" – played like you've never heard before! CD

Two albums with a very unusual pedigree – both recorded for the Japanese Yupiteru/Atlas Records label – both as Art Pepper sessions, but with Sonny Stitt in the lead – because Pepper was then under contract to Fantasy Records! Both albums are great, and have Art in some of the sharpest settings of his later years – as Sonny Stit's alto sax seems to bring out an even bolder tone in Pepper's horn – as does the approach of the record label, with is maybe a bit more focused than some of the freewheeling tracks from the Fantasy/Galaxy years. The groups feature Lou Levy or Russ Freeman on piano, John Heard or Chuck DeMonico on bass, and Carl Burnett on drums – and titles include "Walkin", "Wee", "Bernie's Tune", "Atlas Blues", "Lester Leaps In", "Imagination", "Autumn In New York", "My Funny Valentine", and "Lover Man". Also features four bonus alternate takes from the first album! CD

Oscar Peterson takes on two famous scores – back to back on a single CD! West Side Story features music from the famous musical – but handled here by the great Oscar Peterson Trio – in ways that really push the tunes past their Broadway roots! The approach is tight, soulful, and filled with strong lines from Peterson on piano – plus bass by Ray Brown and drums from Ed Thigpen – that classic trio from the early 60s that came together in different ways than Oscar's group of the 50s. The set features an especially nice long take on "Jet Song" – plus versions of "Something's Coming", "Somewhere", "Tonight", "Maria", and "I Feel Pretty". Porgy & Bess is less an interpretation of Porgy & Bess than an extrapolation of its themes – one that lets the Peterson trio recraft the music into their own! Given that the Porgy & Bess theme had been explored heavily by many other jazz albums of the late 50s – due to the release of the film at the time – Peterson clearly knows he's got to take a different approach here, and manages to dissect the tunes in really unique ways – bringing in gentleness where it wasn't before, and finding space for new music between notes that are already familiar. Of course, it helps a lot that he's got Ray Brown on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums – as the album's almost a three-pronged melodic attack – with great versions of titles that include "Summertime", "I Got Plenty O Nuttin", "I Wants To Stay Here", "Oh Lawd I'm On My Way", "Bess You Is My Woman Now", and "Bess Oh Where's My Bess". CD

A great later jazz set from Toots Thielemans – recorded half in New York and half in LA – as you might guess from the title! The sound is still very much Toots' own, though – no easy nods to styles from either city in earlier years – and despite the fact that the record is on the Private Music label, which could sometimes put out snoozy new age, it's definitely a jazz date through and through – with relatively stripped down small combo instrumentation on all numbers. Players include John Scofield on guitar, Christian Mc Bride and Charlie Haden on bass, Mike Maineri on vibes, Terence Blanchard on trumpet, Lyle Mays on piano, and Peter Erskine on drums – and tracks include "In Walked Bud", "Con Alma", "Groovin High", "In Your Own Sweet Way", "Giant Steps", "Waltz For Debby", "A Child Is Born", and "Take Five". 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

Eric Dolphy's first album ever as a leader – recorded almost immediately after his arrival on the New York scene! The sound here is already bolder and stronger than the Dolphy experiments on the west coast – sharp-edged and freely exploratory, in a way that pushes the playful lyricism of the Chico Hamilton years aside, and reaches out into the new territory hinted at by the title! The group is a quintet that features Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Jaki Byard on piano, George Tucker on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums – and the overall sound is a beautiful mix of modernist hard bop and some of Dolphy's later freer styles. Dolphy plays his usual mix of alto, flute, and bass clarinet – and the tracks include "245", "Miss Toni", "Les", and "GW". CD

Eric Dolphy's first album ever as a leader – recorded almost immediately after his arrival on the New York scene! The sound here is already bolder and stronger than the Dolphy experiments on the west coast – sharp-edged and freely exploratory, in a way that pushes the playful lyricism of the Chico Hamilton years aside, and reaches out into the new territory hinted at by the title! The group is a quintet that features Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Jaki Byard on piano, George Tucker on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums – and the overall sound is a beautiful mix of modernist hard bop and some of Dolphy's later freer styles. Dolphy plays his usual mix of alto, flute, and bass clarinet – and the tracks include "245", "Miss Toni", "Les", and "GW". CD

Remarkable Carmell Jones, indeed – and one of the few albums ever cut as a leader by this up-and-coming force on the LA scene at the start of the 60s! Jones was a player who really showcased something new on the west at the time – a move away from cool jazz, and the start of a deeper, headier generation of musicians – the bold power that would come from cats like Lou Blackburn, Horace Tapscott, and Jimmy Woods. This date's an early entry into that legacy – and has a tight approach to hardbop with plenty of modern elements – a bit like the shift that Curtis Amy was making at the time. In addition to Jones on trumpet, the album also features Harold Land on tenor, Frank Strazzeri on piano, Gary Peacock on bass, and Leon Pettis on drums – all working with a careful blend of soul jazz and modern influences, on a wonderful batch of well-written tunes. Titles include "I'm Gonna Go Fishing", "Night Tide", "Sad March", and "Stellisa". CD

A stunning hardbop set from drummer Shelly Manne – a player most folks associate with more arranged jazz, or cooler modes of the LA scene of the 50s – but a player who was already starting to open up and forge new roads by the end of that decade! Shelly became a surprising proponent of hardbop modes with a few key records like this – and the live setting has Manne leading a great group with really searing solo work that's very different than west coast cool jazz modes normally associated with both the drummer and the Contemporary label! The album features key work from trumpeter Joe Gordon – stunning work, recorded in the years before his too-soon death – and tenorist Richie Kamuca really opens up too – in a combo that also has Victor Feldman on piano and Monty Budwig on bass – going through very long tunes that are filled with extended solo space. Tracks on this first volume include "Summertime", "Our Delight", "Poinciana", "Blue Daniel", and "Theme From A Gem From Tiffany". CD

Tremendous saxophone interplay throughout – and 2 great 50s sessions that both feature Art Pepper and Warne Marsh! The first half of the CD is the legendary Vanguard album Free Wheeling – one of the few sessions ever cut by tenorist Ted Brown – working here with a group that features Warne Marsh and Art Pepper in the frontline, with rhythm by Ronnie Ball on piano, Ben Tucker on bass, and Jeff Morton on drums. The session's got the outward appearance of a west coast session, but has much more soul overall – the kind of Back Bay Boston sound you'd hear in 50s sessions by Charlie Mariano or Dick Johnson – with plenty of rasp on Pepper's horn, and some nice edges on Brown's as well! Tracks are short, and often with ensemble heads – but the production is beautiful, and the interplay between the three saxophonists comes through with amazing quality! Titles include "Crazy She Calls Me", "Arrival", "Once We Were Young", "Avalon", "Foolin Myself", "Aretha", and "Long Gone". The remaining 7 tracks on the CD were recorded on the same day, but with a lineup that features Ted Brown dropping out, so that the main interplay is between Pepper's alto and Warne Marsh's tenor. Again, the sound is incredible – far fresher than most of Pepper's so-called "classic" sessions, and it shows the edge and creativity of his alto playing in a way that few other albums ever do. We really recommend this one if you've ever been disappointed by another Pepper album – because there's a sharpness here that really comes through. Titles include "All the Things You Are", "What's New", "Avalon", "Warnin", "Stompin At The Savoy", and "Tickle Toe". CD

It's hard to overstate the influence of Max Roach and Clifford Brown on the west coast scene of the 50s – as the two players helped draw out the bop sound of LA that was quickly getting lost in the cool jazz shuffle of the time, and gave it a strength and focus that not only made the group one of the strongest of the time, but which also sparked new life and a hardbop generation on the LA scene! This classic set of live recordings was one of the first great Brown/Roach moments – recorded during 2 different concerts by Gene Norman Presents, and featuring some great tenor work by LA giants Teddy Edwards and Harold Land, plus some piano by the amazing "sideways" player Carl Perkins, as well as Bud Powell's brother Richie – a key factor of the group's studio recordings on Mercury, and a player who would perish in the same accident that took the life of Clifford Brown. This CD features the full versions of most of the tracks that have been highly edited on the GNP albums over the years – including "Clifford's Axe", "Sunset Eyes", "Jordu", "I Can't Get Started", "Parisian Thoroughfare", and "Tenderly". A few edits persist in a few parts, as the unedited tapes appear to be lost – but many of the tracks are in nice longish versions! CD

A relatively recent set from pianist McCoy Tyner, but one that shows the same great ear for choosing a horn that we love in his 70s classics! As with those records, a key force on the recording here is altoist Gary Bartz – a player who's always great on his own, but seems to take on a special energy in the company of Tyner – really stretching out with a soulful, spiritual vibe that matches McCoys musical vision wonderfully! Trumpeter Terence Blanchard is also in the group – a bit more let loose than usual – and the combo's completed by Christian McBride on bass and Lewis Nash on drums. Titles include "Angelina", "Illuminations", "New Orleans Stomp", "The Chase", "West Philly Tone Poem", and "Soulstice". CD

A nice complement to Ken Vandermark's much larger box set Alchemia – and an album that was formulated during the Alchemia stay, but recorded later with Polish players Marcin Oles on bass and Barttomiej Brat Oles on drums. Vandermark's tone here is a bit different than some of his other work – a bit more tentative, but in a good way – as he explores new territory with the Oles, and delivers some especially nice work on clarinet, in addition to his more familiar tenor and baritone sax. Titles include "One", "Uncle B", "West Coast", "Tightrope", "Sonus", and "Drumsax Country". CD

A groundbreaking album, put together by Zorn and a group of downtown New York hipsters, as a fitting hommage to the genius of Ennio Morricone! The track list sticks to mostly the bigger known numbers, and the album's got a darkness that we'd actually say was a bit out of place, considering the choice of tracks – but the groups formed by Zorn do a pretty good job of breathing new life into some of the tracks, and the album was a key moment in the recognition of Morricone as one of the century's greatest composers. Players include Robert Quine, Tim Berne, Arto Lindsay, Jim Staley, Bill Frisell, Christian Marclay, Anton Fier, and even Big John Patton. Titles include "Erotico", "Once Upon A Time In The West", "Giu La Testa", "Battle Of Algiers", and "The Big Gundown". CD

The Newborn Touch is always a great one, but it sounds especially nice on this record – a set that seems to go even farther than any of Phineas' earlier trio sessions! There's an almost-ambitious sound to the record that we really like a lot – one that possibly comes from Newborn's choice of compositions for the set, a great bag of non-standard tunes from some of his west coast contemporaries – tracks penned by Ornette Coleman, Art Pepper, Hampton Hawes, Jimmy Woods, and others – some of which are decidedly more modern than the material that Newborn usually plays! There's a complexity here that's great – but one that still doesn't forget Newborn's down-home roots – and titles include "A Walkin Thing", "Be Deedle Dee Do", "The Blessing", "Diane", "Pazmuerte", "Hard To Find", and "Blue Daniel". CD

Incredible work by Randy Weston – light years ahead of his trio material from just a few years before! The album is one of his most progressive from the early years, and features an extended suite dedicated to the newly-won freedoms of the African Nations – with occasional lyrics by Langston Hughes, and arrangements by the great Melba Liston! The material's political, radical, and modernist – but it never fails to groove, and uses its politics to achieve an added emotional punch, as in the best work from the same time by Max Roach and Charles Mingus – and some of their larger progressive projects. The group is much larger than you'd expect from Randy – with Benny Bailey and Richard Williams on trumpets, Slide Hampton on trombone, Sahib Shihab on reeds, and Candido and Olatunji on percussion – which really dominates the record. The whole thing is amazing – one of the purest realizations of the African influence in Weston's music – and movements of the suite are entitled "Uhuru Kwanza", "African Lady", "Bantu", and "Kucheza Blues" CD

Seminal work from the New York avant scene of the mid 70s – an important series of recordings done by Alan Douglas, and sides that initially broke the creative spirit of the scene to a much wider audience! There's a loose, openly creative spirit to these recordings that's a marked change from the intensity of the New York avant recordings of the 70s – a maturity, and confidence, that's come from some of the players' previous work in avant scenes in Chicago, St Louis, and elsewhere – coming together in New York's limelight with some really amazing energy! This 3CD set brings together tracks from all 5 volumes of the original LPs – over 3 hours' of music, with work by players who include Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre and David Murray on tenors; Ken McIntyre, Marion Brown, Oliver Lake, Jimmy Lyons, and Byard Lancaster on alto saxes; Randy Weston, Anthony Davis, and Sonelius Smith on piano; Ted Daniel, Leo Smith, and Olu Dara on trumpet; Khan Jamal on vibes, George Lewis on trombone, Jerome cooper on percussion, and many others too! CD

Brilliant later work from Ornette Coleman – quite adventurous stuff, too! By the late 80s, the shock of the new of Ornette's harmolodic sound had worn off enough that majors like CBS/Portrait were more than willing to invest in it – but for every catchy modern groove here, there's a left turn into more subtly daring territory! A few tracks feature Jerry Garcia – "3 Wishes", "Singing In The Shower", and "Desert Player" – and his jazz-folk-psych improv guitar style is a pretty wild match for Ornette and Prime Time. We didn't give those cuts nearly enough credit to over the years! The Garcia-less tracks show Ornette's awareness of hip hop and funky fusion, but he doesn't cop to trends. It's more that he's showing his continuing relevance in the 80s landscape. The group features Denard Coleman on percussion and keys, Calvin Weston on drums, Al MacDowell and Chris Walker on bass, Bern Nix and Charlee Ellerbe on guitars, and Ornette on alto, trumpet and violin. Other tunes include "Happy Hour", "Bourgeois Boogie", and "Spelling The Alphabet". CD

One of the only albums ever cut as a leader by soul jazz guitarist Ray Crawford – a contemporary of Grant Green and Wes Montgomery, but a player who's hardly ever gotten his due! This rare date was originally recorded for the short-lived Candid label back in 1961, but was only issued two decades later as part of the Candid revival – a fact that makes the album even more noteworthy! The set's got a really solid groove that reminds us a fair bit of Grant Green's best early 60s work for Blue Note – as Ray's playing in a tight, single-line format on most numbers – working with a very hip group that includes Johnny Coles on trumpet, Cecil Payne on baritone sax, Junior Mance on piano, Ben Tucker on bass, and Frankie Dunlop on drums. Tracks are all nice and long – very open, with plenty of solo space – and are all originals by Crawford as well. Titles include "Smooth Groove", "I Knew Prez", "Impossible", "Miss April", and "The Compendium Suite". Shoulda been a 60s classic – but at least we've finally gotten it released! CD

Wonderful work by Dolphy – as essential to his catalog as any of his albums on Prestige from the same time! Although Dolphy broke plenty of musical barriers in the studio, to our ears, it was always in a live setting that he sounded best – freely exploring the kind of space his playing opened up, hitting notes that were more soulful and spiritual than many that he ever recorded on his studio sides. This set is a perfect example of that trend – as Dolphy's working here with a strong straight jazz combo, one that includes the great Benny Bailey on trumpet, in a set that features familiar tunes, turned into haunting explorations of Dolphy's new jazz idiom. One of the highlights is an incredible 15 minute version of Randy Weston's "Hi Fly", with Dolphy doing great work on flute – and other tunes include "Hot House", "Geewee", "When Lights Are Low", "I'll Remember April", and "The Meeting". CD

The complete Columbia Records studio sessions from pianist Denny Zeitlin – and a package that features a fair bit of unreleased material too – not just alternate takes, but loads of fresh new tunes recorded at the time – appearing here for the first time ever! Zeitlin's a hell of a pianist, especially during these years – a really fresh 60s talent who works with a sound that's both warmly lyrical and somewhat modern – stylistically rooted in Bill Evans' inspiration, but clearly his own man by the time of these recordings! Denny's never fully gotten his due, and reissues over the years have been spare – so this package is not only a much-needed look as his mighty talents, but also a key discovery of 12 previously unreleased numbers. Players include Charlie Haden, Cecil McBee, and Joe Halpin on bass – and Freddie Waits, Oliver Johnson, and Jerry Granelli on drums. Titles include "Blue Phoenix", "Spring Is Here", "Western Thing", "Slipstream", "Later", "Labyrinth", "The Journey Home", "Carole's Garden", "Skippying", "Carnival", "Dormammu", "Living Alone", "Night & Day", "Maiden Voyage", "Nica's Tempo", "Cathexis", and "Repeat". CD

The last album in a legendary run of music from keyboardist Doug Carn – his final album for the Black Jazz label, and a set that pushes even farther than his previous efforts! Jean Carn isn't in the group this time around, but the set does feature a totally great twin-vocal approach – with singing by Joyce Green and John Conner, blending their voices together in a style that's right up there with the most righteous 70s jazz experiments by Horace Silver or Billy Gault! This vocal balance really brings a new sort of power to Carn's music – furthering the righteous spirit of earlier years with a hell of a lot of energy – also aided by great instrumental work from Ronnie Laws on tenor and soprano sax, Thurman Green on trombone, Calvin Keys and Nathan Page on guitars, and Big Black on percussion. Titles include the classic "Higher Ground" – plus "Adam's Apple", "Western Sunrise", "Chant", "Sanctuary", "The Messenger", and "Mighty Mighty". CD

A haunting and unusual batch of tracks from bassist Ron Carter – working here with a group that includes spiritual modernists Eric Dolphy on reeds and Mal Waldron on piano – both players who really add a lot to the set! In a way, the album's more like Dolphy's own work as a leader from the time than the sort of music usually associated with Carter – and Ron really seems to let the reedman shape the overall sound of the set with his tremendous work on alto, flute, and bass clarinet. Carter plays a bit of cello in addition to his bass – giving the record a nicely eerie sound at points – and Waldron's piano, as always, is excellent during this point in his career. Titles include Randy Weston's "Where" and "Saucer Eyes", plus "Bass Duet", which features Carter dueting with George Duvivier, and a very nice version of "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise". CD

An incredible return to form for Billy Harper – and a landmark album recorded at the end of the 80s, when we'd all but given up on him! The session returns Billy to the majesty of his 70s work – placing him in the setting of long tracks, modal rhythms, and spiritual motivation – the uniquely Harper territory first forged with Lee Morgan and Max Roach, sounding better than ever here, with all the confidence of his youth. The group's a quintet – with Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Francesca Tanksley on piano, Clarence Seay on bass, and Newman Baker on drums – working perfectly as a unit, with a power level that's simply amazing. Harper's the main star, reaching towards the heavens with some incredible solos – but he also clearly knows that he wouldn't be able to do what he does without the great level of support he's getting from the rest of the group. Tracks include "Destiny Is Yours", "If One Could Only See", "Groove From Heaven", and "East West Exodus". CD also features 2 bonus tracks – "Dance In The Question" and "My Funny Valentine". CD

Wonderful work by Dolphy – as essential to his catalog as any of his albums on Prestige from the same time! Although Dolphy broke plenty of musical barriers in the studio, to our ears, it was always in a live setting that he sounded best – freely exploring the kind of space his playing opened up, hitting notes that were more soulful and spiritual than many that he ever recorded on his studio sides. This set is a perfect example of that trend – as Dolphy's working here with a strong straight jazz combo, one that includes the great Benny Bailey on trumpet, in a set that features familiar tunes, turned into haunting explorations of Dolphy's new jazz idiom. One of the highlights is an incredible 15 minute version of Randy Weston's "Hi Fly", with Dolphy doing great work on flute – and other tunes include "Hot House", "Geewee", "When Lights Are Low", "I'll Remember April", and "The Meeting". CD

One of the greatest albums ever from vocalist Norma Winstone – a set that really helps bring her talents into sharp focus! Like Karin Krog, Annette Peacock, Sheila Jordan, and other female jazz singers of her generation, Winstone was always pushing the boundaries of her craft – taking a style that began with a simple jazz-based approach, and turning it into a whole new array of sounds and voicings! This landmark album from 1972, one of Winstone's first on her own (although she'd sung to great strength on some of Mike Westbrook's Deram sessions), features the singer moving into territory that has distinct touches of progressive jazz rock, but which also retains a mellow sense of melody – despite an easy temptation to get too overblown. Arrangements are handled by Neil Ardley, John Surman, and John Taylor – and titles include "Song Of Love", "Erebus", "Shadows", "Perkins Landing", and "Edge Of Time". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

A beautiful tribute to the genius of trombonist/arranger Melba Liston – and a set that doesn't just copy her music, but really opens up a whole new spirit from its inspiration! Reedman Geof Bradfield composed all the tracks in the set, and puts things together with a spirit that's not unlike some of Melba's best arrangements for middle-sized groups – that way she had of making things tight, and rhythmically soulful – yet still allowing plenty of room for improvisation and individuality amidst the fuller picture of the tunes. Bradfield gets in plenty of great moments on tenor, soprano sax, and bass clarinet – and the rest of the group features Victor Garcia on trumpet and flugelhorn, Joel Adams on trombone, Jeff Parker on guitar, Ryan Cohan on piano, Clark Sommers on bass, and George Fludas on drums. Titles include "Central Avenue", "Dizzy Gillespie", "Detroit/Kingston", "Randy Weston", and "Homecoming" – and the set ends with vocals by Maggie Burrell on the tune "Let Me Not Lose My Dream". CD

A great later set from The Heath Brothers – proof that the family stayed plenty darn hip into their older years! Although issued by Concord, there's a nicely soulful bent to the record – some slightly angular modern moments, inflected with a lot of warmth on the solos – not just from Jimmy Heath on tenor and soprano sax, but also from guest players who include Roland Hanna and Stanley Cowell on piano, Jon Faddis on trumpet, Slide Hampton on trombone, and Mark Elf on guitar. Jimmy Heath's work really makes the album sparkle – and rhythm from Albert Heath on drums and Percy Heath on bass is as rock-solid as ever. Titles include "This Is What It Is", "The Newest One", "Bop Again", "South Filthy", "For Seven's Sake", and "Dave's Haze". CD

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

A seminal piece of west coast bop from the mid 50s – featuring altoist Geller in group with wife Lorraine on piano, and either Curtis Counce or Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and either Larry Marable or Eldridge Freeman on drums. The groove's nice and hard, nice and stripped-down – and Geller proves himself to be a fantastic player with a soulful edge that sets him apart from most of his LA contemporaries. Titles include "Sweet Vinegar", "Love Is Like a Turtle", "Kahagon", "Breaking Through The Sound Barrier", and "Days I Never Knew". 12 tracks in all! CD

One of Grant Green's mellowest albums – a haunting set of intimate ballads and blues, played with a quintet that includes John Patton on organ, Joe Henderson on tenor, and Johnny Coles on trumpet. Henderson and Coles give the album a very different feel than the usual Grant Green soul bop session – and Green proves himself to be a sensitive soloist more than capable of opening up new moods and colors of old standards like "For All We Know", "Am I Blue", and "I Wanna Be Loved". CD

An insanely overstuffed collection of work by pianist Elmo Hope in a trio format – one that features tunes from 9 different albums, issued on a variety of different labels, all brought together in a single set! Hope in a trio format really takes off from the usual – displaying talents on the keys that rival contemporary modernists like Thelonious Monk, Randy Weston, or Herbie Nichols – presented with a sound that has plenty of sharp edges and odd turns, but also some bluesier undercurrents as well. The material was recorded both in LA and New York – documenting both sides of Hope's continental sojourn in jazz – and bassists here include Percy Heath, John Ore, Curtis Counce, Jimmy Bond, Paul Chambers, and Ronnie Boykins; alongside drummers who include Willie Jones, Philly Joe Jones, Frank Butler, and Clifford Jarvis. 4CD set features 62 tracks in all – with material from the albums New Faces New Sounds, Meditations, Elmo Hope Trio, Homecoming, Sounds From Rikers Island, Here's Hope, High Hope, and The Final Sessions. CD

One of Grant Green's mellowest albums – a haunting set of intimate ballads and blues, played with a quintet that includes John Patton on organ, Joe Henderson on tenor, and Johnny Coles on trumpet. Henderson and Coles give the album a very different feel than the usual Grant Green soul bop session – and Green proves himself to be a sensitive soloist more than capable of opening up new moods and colors of old standards like "For All We Know", "Am I Blue", and "I Wanna Be Loved". CD

A well-titled little set – as the collection is as cool as the sound of CTI Records back in the 70s! The unique package features an LP-sized cover – just like one of the CTI gatefold albums from back in the day – which contains 4 different CDs, each with a slightly different take on the sound of the legendary label! CD 1 is titled Straight Up – and features amazing 70s jazz from Hubert Laws, Ron Carter, George Benson, Randy Weston, Freddie Hubbard, and others. CD 2 is titled Deep Grooves/Big Hits – and features some killer numbers by Esther Phillips, Johnny Hammond, Freddie Hubbard, Deodato, Joe Farrell, and Hank Crawford. Next is CD 3, The Brazilian Connection – a beautiful demonstration of Creed Taylor's love of sounds from Rio and beyond – filled with great work from Airto, Paul Desmond, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Stanley Turrentine, Milt Jackson, and Deodato. Last up is Cool & Classic – the 4th CD, with CTI-remade work by older players such as Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Kenny Burrell, and Jim Hall – all a perfect fit for the label's new sound of the 70s! The package also features an LP-sized booklet – filled with notes and rare images! (Funky Compilations, Jazz) CD