Alex Machacek on guitar, Jeff Sipe on drums and Neal Fountain on bass. CD

Includes performances with the orchestras of Earl Hines, Billy Eckstine, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, and Louis Bellson. LP, Vinyl record album

Featuring Harry South, Ian Hamer, Brian Dee, Dave Pearson, Harry Klein, Marcolm Cecil, Spike Heatley, Bill Eyden, Tony Mann, and Terry Lovelock. CD

Great live work from the Clifford Brown/Max Roach group of the 50s – including material recorded at Basin Street in 1956, but different than the classic Emarcy album of the same name! These Basin Street sides are from April and May of 1956 – and feature a group with Sonny Rollins on tenor sax, alongside Brown's trumpet and Roach's drums, plus bass from George Morrow and piano from the great Richie Powell. Tunes are live broadcasts from the club, complete with an announcer calling the tunes – but are nicely tight, and very much in the spirit of the group's official albums from the time – even though Roach is replaced by drummer Willie Jones on a few of the tracks. Titles include "Valse Hot", "I Feel A Song Comin On", "What's New", and "Sweet Clifford". Added to these are 2 tracks from a Carnegie Hall performance in 1955 – featuring the same group, but with Harold Land in place of Rollins – on titles that include "I Get A Kick Out Of You" and "The Blues Walk". CD

Great lost work from Ornette Coleman – material recorded in New York and LA during the years 1959 through 1961 – never issued at the time, but pulled together in this wonderful package at the start of the 70s! Although not recorded as an official album, the record stands easily with the best Ornette had to offer at Atlantic Records – and all tracks here have that sense of sharpness, rhythm, and timing that made the Coleman combo one of the most exciting of the time. Players include Ornette on alto throughout, plus Don Cherry on trumpet and pocket trumpet, Ed Blackwell and Billy Higgins on drums, and Charlie Haden (mostly), Scott LaFaro, and Jimmy Garrison on bass. All tracks are originals by Ornette – and titles include "Moon Inhabitants", "The Fifth of Beethoven", "Circle with a Hole In the Middle", and "The Alchemy of Scott La Faro", featuring the great late bassist, Scott La Faro! The CD includes the bonus tracks "Music Always" and "Brings Goodness". CD

Great lost work from Ornette Coleman – material recorded in New York and LA during the years 1959 through 1961 – never issued at the time, but pulled together in this wonderful package at the start of the 70s! Although not recorded as an official album, the record stands easily with the best Ornette had to offer at Atlantic Records – and all tracks here have that sense of sharpness, rhythm, and timing that made the Coleman combo one of the most exciting of the time. Players include Ornette on alto throughout, plus Don Cherry on trumpet and pocket trumpet, Ed Blackwell and Billy Higgins on drums, and Charlie Haden (mostly), Scott LaFaro, and Jimmy Garrison on bass. All tracks are originals by Ornette – and titles include "Moon Inhabitants", "The Fifth of Beethoven", "Circle with a Hole In the Middle", and "The Alchemy of Scott La Faro", featuring the great late bassist, Scott La Faro! LP, Vinyl record album

Comprised selected tracks from the first five albums of his era, Something Else!!! and Tomorrow Is the Question, recorded for the Contemporary label during 1958 and 1959, and The Shape of Jazz to Come, Change of the Century and This Is Our Music, recorded for Atlantic during 1959 and 1960. It concludes with complete the 37-minute ensemble improvisation which comprises the entire content of the 1961 album Free Jazz. CD

A previously unissued album from Indian guitarist Amancio D'Silva – recorded during his legendary run of work at Lansdowne Studios, but making its first-ever appearance here! The work on the set is every bit as far-reaching and progressive as some of D'Silva's official releases – and like those sides, this one does a tremendous job of blending complicated guitar lines, unusual rhythms, and some super-hip instrumentation! Amancio has a way of playing guitar that's a bit like Gabor Szabo – airy and exotic at times, with a free-flowing quality that's really explored nicely here on the longish tunes on the set. Players include Don Rendell on saxophone, Stan Tracey on piano, and Alan Branscombe on flute, vibes, and electric piano – but best of all is the use of sitar and tabla on the record – often employed sparingly, but in a way that adds some great echoes of Indian music. Titles include "A Street In Bombay", "What Maria Sees", "A Song For Francesca", and "Konkan Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

Additional material and unreleased from one of the greatest 60s recordings from the Wynton Kelly Trio – thanks to some wonderful guest work from guitarist Wes Montgomery! Montgomery's working here in a gusty, rootsy style that recalls his best soul jazz sides from the earlier years – and which have a feel that's quite different than his later, more largely-arranged work for Verve. The Kelly Trio is in perfect form – with Wynton's heavy left hand leading the group on the piano, and superb rhythm backing from the team of Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb. This massive set marks the first official release of all these tracks that were recorded at the time, but not on the original Verve album Smokin At The Half Note – with work from Larry Ridley on bass on a number of tracks, and titles that include very long versions of "The Song Is You", "Star Eyes", "Four On Six", and "Cherokee" – plus takes on "Cariba", "Blues", "Laura", "Impressions", "Mi Cosa", "No Blues", and "All The Things You Are". CD

Additional material and unreleased from one of the greatest 60s recordings from the Wynton Kelly Trio – thanks to some wonderful guest work from guitarist Wes Montgomery! Montgomery's working here in a gusty, rootsy style that recalls his best soul jazz sides from the earlier years – and which have a feel that's quite different than his later, more largely-arranged work for Verve. The Kelly Trio is in perfect form – with Wynton's heavy left hand leading the group on the piano, and superb rhythm backing from the team of Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb. This massive set marks the first official release of all these tracks that were recorded at the time, but not on the original Verve album Smokin At The Half Note – with work from Larry Ridley on bass on a number of tracks, and titles that include very long versions of "The Song Is You", "Star Eyes", "Four On Six", and "Cherokee" – plus takes on "Cariba", "Blues", "Laura", "Impressions", "Mi Cosa", "No Blues", and "All The Things You Are". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Includes performances with Andy Kirk & His Twelve Clouds Of Joy, Booker Collins, Ben Thigpen, Coleman Hawkins, Don Byas, Benny Goodman, Wardell Gray, Mary Osborne, George Duvivier, Denzil Best, Tony Kinsey, and Allan Ganley. CD

Rare live material from Chet Baker – recorded at 1954 performances at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium and the Tiffany Club in LA. The material was never officially issued at the time, although it did make an appearance in a now out of print box set on Mosaic – and it features Chet grooving easily in quartet formation, with Russ Freeman on piano, Carson Smith on bass, and Bob Neel on drums. Titles include "Stella By Starlight", "Line For Lyons", "Carson City Stage", "All The Things You Are", "Lady Bird", and "Out Of Nowhere". CD

A long overdue testament to the live genius of the mighty John Coltrane Quartet – captured at the legendary Half Note club in NYC – disc 1 recorded on a date in March 1965 and disc 2 on a date in early May of the same year! The set finds Coltrane plus McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass and Elvin Jones on the kit working in a far more adventurous guise than many of the 60s studio sessions – stretching out incredibly on the half hour epic workout "One Up, One Down" and a beautifully loose run of "Afro Blue". The stylistic themes are carried through similarly on the second disc's long grooving "Song Of Praise" and an amazing "My Favorite Things", but stretching near or past the 20 minute mark. These long bootlegged recordings are now available on CD officially for the first time ever – complete with the original radio introductions and announcements! CD

Some of the greatest Miles Davis material ever recorded – and not really ever officially issued as an album until this collection! The recordings are from the magical year of 1958, a time when Miles was working in the Kind Of Blue mode – on the album of the same name, one of his all-time standout classics. The work on this set is in a very similar spirit – recorded by a sextet that includes the rhythm section of Jimmy Cobb, Paul Chambers, and a young Bill Evans, who brings a magically modal feel to the album that really gives it an edge. Added to that are the saxophones of John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley, blowing together in two ends of the soul spectrum, really stretching the color palette from Miles' usual work. Miles himself seems very inspired by the company, and works with plenty of space to allow the saxophonists to stretch out in wonderful solos – and Evans himself is simply amazing, working wonderfully in the setting, making us wish he'd recorded more group dates like this one! The first 3 tracks on the set were briefly issued on the flipside of the Jazz Track album (an obscure Columbia LP that also included 10 songs from the soundtrack to Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud), and a few others on later live LPs – but this is the first time the material from that group has appeared together as a full album. Includes stellar versions of "Stella By Starlight", "Green Dolphin Street", "Fran Dance", "Little Melonae", and "Love For Sale". CD

Some of the greatest Miles Davis material ever recorded – and not really ever officially issued as an album until this collection! The recordings are from the magical year of 1958, a time when Miles was working in the Kind Of Blue mode – on the album of the same name, one of his all-time standout classics. The work on this set is in a very similar spirit – recorded by a sextet that includes the rhythm section of Jimmy Cobb, Paul Chambers, and a young Bill Evans, who brings a magically modal feel to the album that really gives it an edge. Added to that are the saxophones of John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley, blowing together in two ends of the soul spectrum, really stretching the color palette from Miles' usual work. Miles himself seems very inspired by the company, and works with plenty of space to allow the saxophonists to stretch out in wonderful solos – and Evans himself is simply amazing, working wonderfully in the setting, making us wish he'd recorded more group dates like this one! The first 3 tracks on the set were briefly issued on the flipside of the Jazz Track album (an obscure Columbia LP that also included 10 songs from the soundtrack to Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud), and a few others on later live LPs – but this is the first time the material from that group has appeared together as a full album. Includes stellar versions of "Stella By Starlight", "Green Dolphin Street", "Fran Dance", "My Funny Valentine", "Oleo", and "Love For Sale". CD

One of a number of unofficial live recordings of Miles, the kind that seem to crop up every once in a while, but that you never find on vinyl anymore. This set features the great 60s quintet with Miles joined by Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams, and like the more famous live sides from the period like the Plugged Nickel set the group is playing with a fiery intensity here that shows why they are considered one of the greatest small jazz ensembles of the period. Beautiful modal excursions on "Stella By Starlight", "Walkin", "Autumn Leaves" and "So What". CD

A lost session by Hank Mobley – originally recorded in 1966, but not officially issued until 1979, and then only briefly until another short issue in the mid 90s! The record has Mobley really reaching out into a new bag – hitting a more soulfully arranged sound than on some of his other straighter Blue Notes – a full, rich groove that's totall wonderful! Duke Pearson arranged the group, and it's slightly larger than usual – with James Spaulding on alto, Lee Morgan on trumpet, McCoy Tyner on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, Billy Higgins on drums, and Kiane Zawadi and Howard Johnson providing a very unique tuba/euphonium bass part – hardly the clunky horns you might expect, and instead sort of a rumbling bottom-end sound that's really great. Titles include "Hank's Other Bag", "Touch Of Blue", and "A Slice Of The Top". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost session by Hank Mobley – originally recorded in 1966, but not officially issued until 1979, and then only briefly until another short issue in the mid 90s! The record has Mobley really reaching out into a new bag – hitting a more soulfully arranged sound than on some of his other straighter Blue Notes – a full, rich groove that's totall wonderful! Duke Pearson arranged the group, and it's slightly larger than usual – with James Spaulding on alto, Lee Morgan on trumpet, McCoy Tyner on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, Billy Higgins on drums, and Kiane Zawadi and Howard Johnson providing a very unique tuba/euphonium bass part – hardly the clunky horns you might expect, and instead sort of a rumbling bottom-end sound that's really great. Titles include "Hank's Other Bag", "Touch Of Blue", and "A Slice Of The Top". CD

An unusual live date for Oscar Peterson – in that it wasn't actually officially recorded by Verve, but done by a fan and handed over to Norman Granz at a later date! Given that origin, though, the material is quite strong – recorded with an edge that's slightly earthier than usual for Verve at the time, but with a clarity that still beautifully displays Peterson's dynamic work on the keys – as well as the gentle guitar backing of Herb Ellis and the always-great bass tones of Ray Brown. Titles include "Daahoud", "Bluesology", "Budo", "Evrev", and "We'll Be Together Again". LP, Vinyl record album

Sun Ra and the Arkestra first sprang forth on the Chicago scene in the postwar years – and here, they return to the Windy City in two different concerts – both issued here officially for the first time ever! Both sets feature a seminal 70s lineup of the group – with the great John Gilmore on tenor, plus Marshall Allen and Danny Davis on flute and alto, Michael Ray and Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet, Vincent Chancey on French Horn, Eloe Omoe on alto and bass clarinet, Danny Thompson on baritone and flute, June Tyson and Cheryl Banks Smith on vocals, James Jacson on Ancient Ihnfinity drum, and Ra himself on acoustic piano and electric keyboards. Titles include "Ebah Speaks In Cosmic Tongue", "Space Is The Place", "New Beginning", "Velvet", "Moonship Journey", "Ankhnaton", and a very long take of "Calling Planet Earth/The Shadow World". CD

Sun Ra and the Arkestra first sprang forth on the Chicago scene in the postwar years – and here, they return to the Windy City in two different concerts – both issued here officially for the first time ever! Both sets feature a seminal 70s lineup of the group – with the great John Gilmore on tenor, plus Marshall Allen and Danny Davis on flute and alto, Michael Ray and Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet, Vincent Chancey on French Horn, Eloe Omoe on alto and bass clarinet, Danny Thompson on baritone and flute, June Tyson and Cheryl Banks Smith on vocals, James Jacson on Ancient Ihnfinity drum, and Ra himself on acoustic piano and electric keyboards. Titles include "Ebah Speaks In Cosmic Tongue", "Space Is The Place", "New Beginning", "Velvet", "Moonship Journey", "Ankhnaton", and a very long take of "Calling Planet Earth/The Shadow World". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing grooves like you've never heard before – seminal sides by Salah Ragab and his Cairo Jazz Band – work done by the percussionist who'd also worked with Sun Ra, but who's even more amazing here on his own! As you can probably guess from their name, the ensemble was an Egyptian one – working in an incredible blend of jazz and more traditional Egyptian-styled sounds – a blend that comes across with all the exotic feel of the pyramids at dawn, but which manages to groove like some of the best funky work from America at the time! Instrumentation includes lot of percussion, heavy piano and horns, and some especially great flute on most tracks – all coming together with a sound that's unlike anything else we've heard before. This collection is the first time that this music has been brought together officially, all with the kind of top-shelf production and packaging we've come to expect from the Art Yard label! Titles include "Ramadan In Space Time", "Neveen", "Kleopatra", "Mervat", and "Oriental Mood". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing grooves like you've never heard before – seminal sides by Salah Ragab and his Cairo Jazz Band – work done by the percussionist who'd also worked with Sun Ra, but who's even more amazing here on his own! As you can probably guess from their name, the ensemble was an Egyptian one – working in an incredible blend of jazz and more traditional Egyptian-styled sounds – a blend that comes across with all the exotic feel of the pyramids at dawn, but which manages to groove like some of the best funky work from America at the time! Instrumentation includes lot of percussion, heavy piano and horns, and some especially great flute on most tracks – all coming together with a sound that's unlike anything else we've heard before. This collection is the first time that this music has been brought together officially, all with the kind of top-shelf production and packaging we've come to expect from the Art Yard label! Titles include "Ramadan In Space Time", "Neveen", "Kleopatra", "Mervat", and "Oriental Mood". LP, Vinyl record album