With Joe Gransden on trumpet. CD

A later date from Dutch drummer Eric Ineke, but one that maybe burns with even more fire than some of his earlier albums – thanks to the work of some great musicians in the quintet! At some points, the group takes off in strongly soulful hardbop formation – but at others, they can equally slide into a slightly modern mode, but all without losing their swing at all – a performance that's given plenty of focus from Ineke's drumming, and topped with these warmly lyrical piano lines from Rob Van Bavel, plus trumpet from Rik Mol, tenor and bass clarinet from Sjoerd Dijkhuizen, and bass from Marius Beets. Titles include "Oak City", "When We Were One", "Just A Tune For You", "What Is This", "Cruising", and "Seven On The Richter Scale". CD

Three albums from Dutch drummer Eric Ineke – served up in a single set! Dexternity is a tribute to the music of Dexter Gordon, one that's led by drummer Eric Ineke, and which features the reed talents of Sjoerd Dijkhuizen on Dexter's role – blowing both tenor and a bit of soprano sax! The rest of the group features Rik Mol on trumpet, Rob Van Bavel on piano, and Marius Beets on bass – and titles include "The Panther", "Body And Soul", "Soy Califa", "Cheese Cake", "Boston Bernie", and "Fried Bananas". Meets The Tenor Players is a selection of tracks from different sessions, all of which feature drummer Eric Ineke interacting with a range of famous tenorists – including some key American players recording overseas! The set features work from Dexter Gordon, Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Clifford Jordan, Johnny Griffin, Lucky Thompson, Goerge Coleman, and Grant Stewart – each of whom play on their own tracks – with piano work from players who include Rein De Graaff, Rob Agerbeek, and Rob Madna. Titles include "Let There Be Life Love & Laughter", "Prayer To The People", "Walkin", "Lady Bird", "Stablemates", and "Wee". Cruisin is a later date from Dutch drummer Eric Ineke, but one that maybe burns with even more fire than some of his earlier albums – thanks to the work of some great musicians in the quintet! At some points, the group takes off in strongly soulful hardbop formation – but at others, they can equally slide into a slightly modern mode, but all without losing their swing at all – a performance that's given plenty of focus from Ineke's drumming, and topped with these warmly lyrical piano lines from Rob Van Bavel, plus trumpet from Rik Mol, tenor and bass clarinet from Sjoerd Dijkhuizen, and bass from Marius Beets. Titles include "Oak City", "When We Were One", "Just A Tune For You", "What Is This", "Cruising", and "Seven On The Richter Scale". CD

Charlie Hunter on 8 string guitar, Dave Ellis on tenor saxophone and Jay Lane on drums. Tracks include "Live Oak", "Mule", "Funky Niblets", "Dance Of The Jazz Fascists" and "Faffer Time". CD

Very groovy work from Chico – still very Latin at the core, but with lots of light 60s touches on top, ala the work of Gary McFarland, or some of the other groove-conscious arrangers for Verve and Impulse! Players on the set include Art Farmer, Clark Terry, JJ Johnson, Seldon Powell, and Pat Rebillot – and there's a nice choppy approach to the tracks that keeps the whole thing fresh! Titles include "Live Oak", "Patcham", "Panache", "Green Moss", and "The Lady From Nine Flags". Very groovy cover, too – with images of ladies from around the world, illustrating the Nine Flags concept! LP, Vinyl record album

A really unusual later chapter in the career of guitarist Robby Krieger – a post-Doors album done for Blue Note Records – and a set that's got more than enough jazzy touches to live up to its placement on the label! Krieger's guitar gets plenty of workout on the album's fusion-styled grooves – often a lot more jazz than the rock you'd expect, with some especially great keyboards from Stu Goldberg and Sal Marquez – the latter of whom handled most of the soulful arrangements on the set. There's a bit of vocals – sometimes by a chorus, sometimes processed in a way that's almost vocoder – and the whole thing owes a lot more to mid 70s funky fusion than any of Robby's work with the Doors. Titles include "The Ally", "Low Bottomy", "Big Oak Basin", "Spare Changes", "Uptown", and "Gumpopper". (Rock, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderfully righteous work from Burnt Sugar Arkestra – a group who've been giving us great records for years, but who are maybe even more important to the scene than ever before! The core of the record is the long title track – a very jazzy tune that builds up over loops set down by composer Greg Tate, with a flowing, snakey vibe that allows for plenty of long trumpet, tenor, flute, and alto solos over the guitars and Fender Rhodes that work the rhythms – maybe almost in electric Miles territory, but more laidback. That tune is then reworked on a number of variations that are very different – mostly instrumental, as the main track – but finishing up with a bit of vocals near the end of the record – a great contribution from singer Lisala Beatty! Titles include "Angels Over Oakanda", "Repatriation Of The Midnight Moores", "Oakanda Overdrive", and "Lisala Oer Inna Oakanda". (Deep Funk, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Sonny Clark on piano, Jerry Good on bass, and Al Randall on drums. CD

(Japanese, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderfully righteous work from Burnt Sugar Arkestra – a group who've been giving us great records for years, but who are maybe even more important to the scene than ever before! The core of the record is the long title track – a very jazzy tune that builds up over loops set down by composer Greg Tate, with a flowing, snakey vibe that allows for plenty of long trumpet, tenor, flute, and alto solos over the guitars and Fender Rhodes that work the rhythms – maybe almost in electric Miles territory, but more laidback. That tune is then reworked on a number of variations that are very different – mostly instrumental, as the main track – but finishing up with a bit of vocals near the end of the record – a great contribution from singer Lisala Beatty! Titles include "Angels Over Oakanda", "Repatriation Of The Midnight Moores", "Oakanda Overdrive", and "Lisala Oer Inna Oakanda". (Deep Funk, Jazz) CD

A wonderfully dynamic set from pianist Anja Lauvdal – a player who seems to have a very different quality on every new track – sometimes as freewheeling and open as a Cecil Taylor-inspired musician, other times resonating with the sonic modernism of some of the 70s players who could swing, but with strange chord choices and a very elliptical sense of rhythm! Drummer Joakim Heibo turns out to be a perfect partner for the record – although throughout, it feels as if he's responding to Lauvdal – which should be no surprise, as her performance throughout is definitely the sort that would keep another musician on their toes. The album features four long tracks, all untitled. LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderfully righteous work from Burnt Sugar Arkestra – a group who've been giving us great records for years, but who are maybe even more important to the scene than ever before! The core of the record is the long title track – a very jazzy tune that builds up over loops set down by composer Greg Tate, with a flowing, snakey vibe that allows for plenty of long trumpet, tenor, flute, and alto solos over the guitars and Fender Rhodes that work the rhythms – maybe almost in electric Miles territory, but more laidback. That tune is then reworked on a number of variations that are very different – mostly instrumental, as the main track – but finishing up with a bit of vocals near the end of the record – a great contribution from singer Lisala Beatty! Titles include "Angels Over Oakanda", "Repatriation Of The Midnight Moores", "Oakanda Overdrive", and "Lisala Oer Inna Oakanda". (Deep Funk, Jazz) CD

Always brilliant work from the great June Christy – an album that's got a lot more darkness than you might think from the title and the bright-colored cover! The style is very booze-soaked and sad – with plenty of echoes of the classic Something Cool album – and like that set, this one features sublime arrangements from the great Pete Rugolo – who has a perfect way of shading things in with the dark tones and modern elements that always work best for Christy's vocals! One of our favorite-ever records from June – with titles that include "Let There Be Love", "When Sunny Gets Blue", "I Want To Be Happy", "Imagination", "No More", "Better Luck Next Time", and "The Best Thing For You". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Completely sublime work from Beverly Glenn Copeland – a really unique artist who's almost a genre unto herself – and who sings here in a mix of folk, jazz, and soul – maybe resonant with work at the time by Terry Callier or Nina Simone, but every bit as individual as the best from those two giants too! The performance was recorded by CBC at a key moment in Beverly's career – after a time she'd spent on the scene in Montreal, really soaking up different influences and exploring musical pathways away from her American roots – to a point where she emerges here as a very righteous, yet very personal singer – clearly not immediately interested in chart success, even though she's got the power of a young Roberta Flack. Titles include "Northwind", "Swords Of Gold", "Don't Despair", "Nothing Beautiful", "Song From Beads", "Untitled", "Interval", "Reflections", and "Durocher". LP, Vinyl record album

A compelling chapter in the long and wonderful career of reedman Per Texas Johansson – a set that features a larger ensemble interpreting his ideas, and working with a really incredible combination of horns! The group perform three longer compositions under the direction of Johan Siberg, and there's an insane criss-crossing of instruments throughout – a variety of clarinets from Per, plus other reeds from Johan Horlen, Astrid Le Clercq, Fredrik Ljungkvist, Alberto Pinton, and Linus Lindblom – plus trumpets from Joakim Agnas, Emil Strandberg, and Karl Olandersson – and trombones from Mats Aleklint, Mats Agelid, and Lisa Bodelius! The horns really shape the sound here, but there are some other elements in the mix – vibes from Mattias Stahl, bass from Par Ola Landin, piano from Rasmus Borg, and drums from Konrad Agnas – but all elements that really step back at many points and let the woodwinds and brass direct the music. Titles include "Livet I Tre Delar", "Klarinet", and "Orosmoln". CD

A really dark-tinged large ensemble – one that's led by guitarist Johan Lindstrom, whose instrument is only a very small part of their overall sound! The group is overflowing with key musicians from the Scandinavian scene – including Mattias Stahl on vibes, Mats Aleklint on trombone, Robert Nordmark on tenor, and Bo Strandberg on trumpet – just a few of the players who work under the guidance of conductor Joakim Milder, as he brings all sorts of color and life to the album's original compositions by Lindstrom – music that's very different than just a guitar with larger group backings, and which instead seems to rely on just about every instrument in the group to continually shape the overall sound of the proceedings! Titles include "Parade", "Blues For Somliga", "End Of The Dark Hours", "Ritmo Bolsillo", "Artcic Mambo", and "Pasacaglia". CD

Modal jazz galore – a collection of rare Italian tunes that move with a loping, soaring sense of energy – often very classic in their sound and style, but mostly pulled from a range of more obscure recent sources! Most of the tracks here were never issued outside of Italy – and even then, only on small labels that never achieved wider distribution – making almost the whole collection a new discovery in jazz to our ears, and one that's filled with countless delights throughout! As you'd guess from the title, the rhythms here are well-paced and lively – soaking up a lot of influences from the Coltrane generation, but also coming across with the tightness of a classic Blue Note or Prestige session. Most groups here are quartets, quintets, or sextets – and the longer than usual tracks offer plenty of room for solos on tenor, trumpet, trombone, and piano. Titles include "Spagna" by Piana Valdambrini Sextet, "Babir" by Alliance, "Proof Of The Pudding" by Michael Cochrane, "Calypso" by Dino & Franco Piana, "Naima" by Antonio Farao, "Tutankhamon Dance" by Nuevo Sestetto Italiano, "Woody" by Flavio Boltro, "Spring" by Antonio Farao, "La Stalla Di Pegaso" by Abbate Nicola Fontana Albano, and "New Born" by Idea 6. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

From its booze-soaked title cut, to its haunting selection of lonely ballads like "Midnight Sun" and "Stranger Called The Blues", this is one of the most fantastic vocal jazz albums of all time – and a record that we'd recommend instantly to anyone! June Christy has an incredibly icy tone on the record, filled with sorrow, regret, and loneliness – all of which are amplified even more deeply by Pete Rugolo's eerie, off-kilter arrangements. Titles include "Something Cool", "It Could Happen To You", "Lonely House", and "I Should Care". This is the original 10" mono recording with 7 tracks – and a green and white cover that has June with eyes closed. (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

From its booze-soaked title cut, to its haunting selection of lonely ballads like "Midnight Sun" and "Stranger Called The Blues", this is one of the most fantastic vocal jazz albums of all time – and a record that we'd recommend instantly to anyone! June Christy has an incredibly icy tone on the record, filled with sorrow, regret, and loneliness – all of which are amplified even more deeply by Pete Rugolo's eerie, off-kilter arrangements. And, on this CD reissue, you'll also hear the pair in a whopping amount of extra material, pulled from singles and albums issued around the same time, for a total of 24 cuts in all. Titles include "Magazines", "Whee Baby", "I'm Thrilled", "Out Of Somewhere", and "The Night We Called It A Day". Fantastic stuff! (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Early work from Gene Ammons – his obscure late 40s recordings for Mercury Records – mostly from the 78rpm years! Sidemen include Junior Mance, Albert Ammons, Israel Crosby, Gene Wright and lesser known Chicago locals like Wes Landers, Leo Blevins, Jess Miller and Ernest McDonald. As you'd expect the blowing is is nice and soulful, but nice and concise with the shorter takes that groups were doing in the era for the recording formats of the day. 28 numbers in all, including "Concentration", "Red Top", "Idaho", "Shufflin The Boogie", "McDougal's Sprout", "Hold That Money", "Shermanski", "Harold The Fox", "Jeet Jet", "Odd-En-Dow", "Going For The Okey Doak", 'Blowing The Family Jewels", "Dues In Blues", "Daddy Sauce's Airlines", "ABdullah's Fiesta", "Brother Jug's Sermon" and "Little Slam". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last recordings made by Ed Blackwell before his early passing in 1992 – an Oakland live date recorded with an excellent lineup that includes Graham Haynes on cornet, Carlos Ward on alto and flute, Mark Helias on bass, and a bit of guest trumpet from Don Cherry! The style here is earthy and organic – never overly modern, and building in a way that echoes Blackwell's angular roots, but transforms that sound into more spiritually exploratory lines. Ward's work is especially great, and the absence of a piano means that the interplay between cornet and sax is the main driving force of most tunes. Titles include "Nebula", "Grandma's Shoes", "Pentahouse", "First Love", and the extended "Lito" suite in 3 parts. CD

One of the last recordings made by Ed Blackwell before his early passing in 1992 – an Oakland live date recorded with an excellent lineup that includes Graham Haynes on cornet, Carlos Ward on alto and flute, and Mark Helias on bass – working without any piano, at a level that maybe echoes some of Ed's earlier work with Ornette Coleman, but with a voice that's completely his own. The style here is earthy and organic – never overly modern, and building in a way that echoes Blackwell's angular roots, but transforms that sound into more spiritually exploratory lines. Ward's work is especially great, and the absence of a piano means that the interplay between cornet and sax is the main driving force of most tunes. Titles include "Nette", "Pettiford Bridge", "Thumbs Up", "Rosa Takes A Stand", and "Mallet Song". CD

Sweet grooves from Charlie Hunter – sounding better here than we've heard in years! The album's a real back-to-basics one for Charlie – a return to the sort of small combo grooving that first made him stand out from the pack back in the early 90s. The format is simple – Charlie's unique 8 string guitar solos over a quintet with tenor sax, trombone, chromatic harmonica, and drums – and the feel is like some of the sweetest grooving electric sides from the 70s. Very nice work – and a real surprise to our ears! Titles include "20th Congress", "Whoop Ass", "Try", "Oakland", "Freak Fest", and "Mali". CD

A compelling chapter in the long and wonderful career of reedman Per Texas Johansson – a set that features a larger ensemble interpreting his ideas, and working with a really incredible combination of horns! The group perform three longer compositions under the direction of Johan Siberg, and there's an insane criss-crossing of instruments throughout – a variety of clarinets from Per, plus other reeds from Johan Horlen, Astrid Le Clercq, Fredrik Ljungkvist, Alberto Pinton, and Linus Lindblom – plus trumpets from Joakim Agnas, Emil Strandberg, and Karl Olandersson – and trombones from Mats Aleklint, Mats Agelid, and Lisa Bodelius! The horns really shape the sound here, but there are some other elements in the mix – vibes from Mattias Stahl, bass from Par Ola Landin, piano from Rasmus Borg, and drums from Konrad Agnas – but all elements that really step back at many points and let the woodwinds and brass direct the music. Titles include "Livet I Tre Delar", "Klarinet", and "Orosmoln". LP, Vinyl record album

A really dark-tinged large ensemble – one that's led by guitarist Johan Lindstrom, whose instrument is only a very small part of their overall sound! The group is overflowing with key musicians from the Scandinavian scene – including Mattias Stahl on vibes, Mats Aleklint on trombone, Robert Nordmark on tenor, and Bo Strandberg on trumpet – just a few of the players who work under the guidance of conductor Joakim Milder, as he brings all sorts of color and life to the album's original compositions by Lindstrom – music that's very different than just a guitar with larger group backings, and which instead seems to rely on just about every instrument in the group to continually shape the overall sound of the proceedings! Titles include "Parade", "Blues For Somliga", "End Of The Dark Hours", "Ritmo Bolsillo", "Artcic Mambo", and "Pasacaglia". LP, Vinyl record album