A wailer! This rare 1955 album is one of Donald Byrd's first records as a leader – recorded for the tiny Transition label in Boston, but with a hardbop groove that's right up there with his early work for Savoy and Blue Note. The record is practically a Jazz Messengers session – as it features Art Blakey on drums, Horace Silver on piano, Hank Mobley on tenor, and Doug Watkins on bass – and it's also got the unique aspect of a two-trumpet frontline, as the young Joe Gordon joins Donald on the instrument for the session. Tracks are long and open-ended – with incredibly well-crafted playing that really keeps the set fresh, despite the young age of Donald at the time. Titles include "El Sino", "Doug's Blues", "Hank's Tune", and "Hank's Other Tune". LP, Vinyl record album

A never-heard live set from the mighty Donald Byrd – recording here with live accompaniment from the Mizell Brothers – at a level that's every bit as wonderful as their work with the trumpeter in the studio! The material was originally recorded during a same series of albums that Blue Note issued with live material from Marlena Shaw, Bobby Hutcherson, and Bobbi Humphrey – and the approach here is wonderfully similar, with long tracks that really showcase a hip, creative quality that may well beat that of Byrd's studio albums of the time! There's some many wonderful elements going on in the music – Fender Rhodes from Kevin Toney, bass from Henry Franklin, and both tenor and soprano sax from Nathan Davis – a wonderful surprise in the lineup. And while Larry Mizell adds in a bit of electronics, Fonce Mizell is alongside Donald on a second trumpet – on titles that include "Kwame", "Poco Mania", "The East", "Black Byrd", and a sweet remake of the Stevie Wonder tune "You've Got It Bad Girl". LP, Vinyl record album

Donald Byrd in a sweet electric mode – as you'd guess from the title! The set was recorded right before Byrd's legendary run with Larry Mizell in the early 70s – and the electric approach is a bit different here – a style that blends Byrd's wonderful trumpet lines with the larger ensemble mode Blue Note sometimes used in the late 60s, but with a spacey, stretched-out feel that's mighty nice! The album's somewhat similar to Byrd's Kofi set – but possibly a bit more open overall – and players here include Duke Pearson on electric piano, Jerry Dodgion on alto and sopranos ax, Frank Foster on tenor, Pepper Adams on baritone, Hermeto Pascoal on flute, Wally Richardson on guitar, Ron Carter on bass, Mickey Roker on drums, and Airto on percussion. Pearson produced, and probably arranged too – given a slight Brazilian undercurrent to the grooves – and titles include "Estavanico", "Essence", "The Dude", and "Xibaba". LP, Vinyl record album

Never-issued work from Don Cherry – and a really key piece of the puzzle in the career of this legendary trumpeter! The recordings were done for Swedish Radio, with great fidelity – more than just live tracks captured in a club, and instead some really thoughtful material that marks an early pairing of Cherry's talents with the Swedish scene that he would soon call home! Don plays cornet, and the music is maybe a bit inside compared to some of his later Swedish experiments – but still pretty amazing, and a great bridge from his work with Ornette Coleman and Sonny Rollins. Players include Mogens Bollerup on tenor, Atli Bjorn on piano, Benny Nielsen on bass, and Simon Koppel on drums – and titles include the Cherry originals "Priceless", "Nigeria", and "The Ambassador From Greenland" – plus a reading of "You Took Advantage Of Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime spiritual jazz from a really great contemporary group – a combo that features key players on the New Zealand scene, all working together in a set of modal jazz numbers with a very soulful vibe! Bassist Ben Turua may be the star of the set – as the tone and pacing of his instrument really guides the group on most numbers – and allows very free flights from other players, who include Cameron Allen on tenor and alto, Guy Harrison on piano and Fender Rhodes, Finn Scholes on trumpet and vibes, Julien Dyne on drums, and Jong Yun Lee on soprano, tenor, alto, and flute! There's a warm glow throughout, and a depth that's somewhere in the early 70s handling of this sort of material by labels like Impulse or Flying Dutchman – save for the fact that the tunes are all original too. Cory Champion adds some cool Buchla Modular synth on most tracks – and there's also a bit of harp on the record too – on titles that include "Spirits (part 2)", "Bliss", "Plume", "Veneer", "Kohan", and "Bones". LP, Vinyl record album

Way more than an "encore" of the legendary Clarke Boland album Golden Eight – and instead a whole different set of recordings, done way back in 1961, but unissued until now! The album's a killer through and through – every bit the same sort of gem you'd get with the early Clarke Boland albums of the pre-MPS years – extremely tight large ensemble jazz, driven with plenty of soul in the rhythm section, and swinging with some incredible solos that further deepen the sound! Right from the start, the pair were totally on the money – and work here with a lineup that's filled with key European soloists, including Dusko Goykovich on trumpet, Derek Humble on alto sax, Karl Drewo on tenor, and Fats Sadi on percussion – not to mention the core crack rhythm trio of Francy Boland on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums. Titles include the great Boland originals "A Ball For Othello", "La Campimania", "You Dig It", "Pape Satan Aleppe", and "Free Wheel" – plus a great version of "Invitation". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful session of 60s Hammond jazz – a record that was somewhat overlooked at the time, but which has really gotten the attention it deserves over the years! The album's one of a rare few cut by organist Gloria Coleman – an obscure east coast player who was also the wife of tenorist George Coleman, and who follows wonderfully in a strong tradition of female organists that includes Trudy Pitts and Shirley Scott. Even hipper is the fact that Gloria's quartet has a female drummer – the fiery Pola Roberts, who's got a light touch on the kit that makes the cuts dance nicely. And even still hipper is the fact that that group is completed by Grant Green on guitar and Leo Wright on alto – both of whom groove in a totally tight soul jazz mode that resembles their best work from the early 60s. The session's a wonderful burner, of the sort that you'd proudly display in a collection of 60s soul jazz – and it's filled with excellent original cuts like "Que Baby", "Hey Sonny Red", "Melba's Minor", and "Funky Bob". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe one of the greatest jazz albums of all time – a real breakthrough moment for the legendary John Coltrane, and the blueprint for generations of jazz records to come! Trane was already breaking down plenty of boundaries before Love Supreme – but he knocked it out of the park for the album – which is a full-length suite of spiritual expression, one that gives even greater focus and message to Coltrane's long-spiraling style of soloing on the tenor sax! The group here is the classic quartet – McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – taking Trane up to the heavens on waves of modal energy, but also holding his spirit closer to the planet than on some of later, more outside performances. There's a slight bit of vocalization on the record – that chanted energy that imbues the set with so much love – and movements include "Acknowledgement", "Resolution", "Pursuance", and "Psalm". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful little album from the young John Coltrane, and one that hides its strong sense of depth behind a familiar jazz standard used as a title! In some way, the record is almost experimental for the time – as side one features the tenor of Coltrane alongside just the bass of Earl May and drums of Art Taylor – a saxophone trio setting that Sonny Rollins would used in a more progressive mode, but which here allows Coltrane to demonstrate his unique tenor phrasing on ballads, but in ways that are even set more free than his earlier material with Miles Davis. Side two adds in the piano of Red Garland, alongside bass from Paul Chambers, and drums from either Albert Heath or Louis Hayes – and the trumpet of Donald Byrd joins in on one track too. Trio tracks include "I Love You" and "Like Someone In Love", as well as the original "Trane's Slow Blues" – and Byrd plays on "Lush Life", and steps out on "I Hear A Rhapsody". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing modern work from the young Chick Corea – a set that captures the pianist in much more avant territory than his famous 70s sets – at a time when he was just coming off some years working in a variety of modes on the New York scene! The group here is as revolutionary as Chick's own work on piano – a trio with Miroslav Vitous on bass and Roy Haynes on drums – generations coming together to really unlock the possibilities of a piano trio, with the same sort of freshness that you'd hear in the earliest work by Steve Kuhn or Keith Jarrett from the same time. By that, we mean that there's still elements here that tie the approach to older modes – but with a quality that's also instantly Chick's own – especially on the very compelling original material on the set. Titles include "Now He Sings – Now He Sobs", "Steps – What Was", "Matrix", and "The Law Of Falling & Catching Up". LP, Vinyl record album

Two incredible tracks from keyboardist Wolfang Dauner – both a mad mix of funky jazz and psychedelic elements! "Sun Is Rising" has this very groovy, almost joyous sort of vibe – odd vocals mixed with a hip sitar line and some very cool percussion next to the drums! "Day In The Life" is taken with the Beatles' lyrics intact, but sung in this really unusual flat-toned mode – and mixed with funky drums, and some great guitar from Sigi Schwab! (Funky 45's, Jazz) 7-inch, Vinyl record

Brilliant early work by Miles Davis – some of his first truly important sessions to appear under his own name – originally issued as singles or 10" LP recordings by Blue Note, and brought together here in a full length set that would help to define the early years of his career! This is work before Miles was able to stretch out on longer sessions for Prestige, but the material already showcases his unique contribution to jazz – shorter tracks that are perhaps more boppish, than you might expect from some of Miles' other 50s work – but in a way that still allows for many moments of lyrical beauty, and that brilliantly cool sound of his which forever changed the sound of jazz trumpet. The set features work from an assortment of players who vary from track to track – including Jimmy Heath on tenor, Jackie McLean on alto, JJ Johnson on trombone, Gil Coggins on piano, and either Kenny Clarke or Art Blakey on drums – on titles that include "Tempus Fugit", "Kelo", "Enigma", "Ray's Ida", and "CTA". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant early work by Miles Davis – some of his first truly important sessions to appear under his own name – originally issued as singles or 10" LP recordings by Blue Note, and brought together here in a full length set that would help to define the early years of his career! This is work before Miles was able to stretch out on longer sessions for Prestige, but the material already showcases his unique contribution to jazz – shorter tracks that are perhaps more boppish, than you might expect from some of Miles' other 50s work – but in a way that still allows for many moments of lyrical beauty, and that brilliantly cool sound of his which forever changed the sound of jazz trumpet. The set features work from an assortment of players who vary from track to track – including Jimmy Heath on tenor, Jackie McLean on alto, JJ Johnson on trombone, Horace Silver on piano, and Art Blakey on drums. Titles on this second volume include "Weirdo", "Donna", "Ray's Idea (alt)", "Take Off", "Would'n You", "The Leap", "Lazy Suzan", and "Tempus Fugit (alt)". LP, Vinyl record album

Two fantastic American players – both coming together here on a rare European session for the Saba/MPS label in Germany! "Carmell's Black Forest Waltz" features not just great saxophone from leader Nathan Davis, but also a strong trumpet solo from Carmell Jones – blowing over this excellent modal groove from Francy Boland on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums! "B's Blues" is a bold soul jazz number – stunning work from both horn players, with Davis on a soprano sax for his solo! (Funky 45's, Jazz) 7-inch, Vinyl record

Nathan Davis is one of our all-time favorite saxophone players – and he sounds tremendous here in the company of trumpeter Woody Shaw, as the pair both take on Shaw's early "Zoltan" composition, with help from Larry Young on piano! The flipside features an even bolder number – the Davis composition "Mister E", with some very fierce work from Young on the piano – a really surprising change from his usual organ work of the time! (Funky 45's, Jazz) 7-inch, Vinyl record

A stunning achievement as a leader from Alabaster DePlume – material that's maybe some of the most powerful he's ever given us, even though the core of the record comes from the same sessions as his previous album, Gold! As with that record, the material here was originally performed at the Total Refreshment Centre in London, but is then completely transformed by DePlume as he works his way through the recordings – shifting things around, changing up the original sounds, and letting the selection and mixing process create the album's sound in the best International Anthem style – but also at a level that showcases DePlume's compositional ear! Alabaster plays tenor, guitar, and keyboards – and other musicians include James Howard on guitar, Tom Herbert on bass, and Sarathy Korwar on drums and tablas – and there's a number of other voices who drift through the mix as well, sometimes with full lyrical contributions, sometimes in more subtle ways. Titles include "Did You Know", "Levels Of Human", "Not Even Sobbing", "Sibomandi", "Greek Honey Slick", "Broken Again", "Naked Like Water", "The Best Thing In The World", and "To That Voice & Say". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning achievement as a leader from Alabaster DePlume – material that's maybe some of the most powerful he's ever given us, even though the core of the record comes from the same sessions as his previous album, Gold! As with that record, the material here was originally performed at the Total Refreshment Centre in London, but is then completely transformed by DePlume as he works his way through the recordings – shifting things around, changing up the original sounds, and letting the selection and mixing process create the album's sound in the best International Anthem style – but also at a level that showcases DePlume's compositional ear! Alabaster plays tenor, guitar, and keyboards – and other musicians include James Howard on guitar, Tom Herbert on bass, and Sarathy Korwar on drums and tablas – and there's a number of other voices who drift through the mix as well, sometimes with full lyrical contributions, sometimes in more subtle ways. Titles include "Did You Know", "Levels Of Human", "Not Even Sobbing", "Sibomandi", "Greek Honey Slick", "Broken Again", "Naked Like Water", "The Best Thing In The World", and "To That Voice & Say". LP, Vinyl record album

Dezron Douglas and Brandee Younger are two of our favorite jazz musicians to emerge in the past decade – and this set of duets may well be some of the greatest work that either artist has done on record to date! The setting is unique – material pulled from live stream broadcasts that bassist Douglas and harpist Younger did from their Harlem apartment during the lockdown in Spring of 2020 – and if that makes you think that the material's going to be low-fi or cheap, it's not – as there's a sense of majesty here that's really surprising, given that the album features just two musicians! Dezron's bass has never sounded better – and blended with the harp of Younger, the sound is amazing – as Brandee evokes both Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby on the instrument – but also brings in a spirit that's very much her own. The set features remakes of tracks from both Coltranes, and Pharoah Sanders – plus lots of other surprises and original material too – on titles that include "Gospel Trane", "Force Majeure", "This Woman's Work", "Nothing Stupid", "Sing", "The Creator Has A Master Plan", "Never Can Say Goodbye", "We'll Be Right Back", "You Make Me Feel Brand New", and "Equinox". LP, Vinyl record album

Two sublime early tracks from pianist George Duke – both from his first MPS album, never issued in the US! "My Soul" has this great rolling groove, with congas from Armando Peraza giving things a nice Latin vibe – as George plays both piano and Fender Rhodes together, for a very warm sound! "Au Right" has lots more great Rhodes – a killer solo that bumps along beautifully over funky drums! (Funky 45's, Jazz) 7-inch, Vinyl record

Key work as a leader from bassist Johnny Dyani – one of his most soulful, spiritual outings ever – and a record dedicated to the important South African political prisoner Stephen Biko! There's a sense of flow and rhythmic focus here that's wonderful – as Dyani comes together with a tremendous quartet that features Don Cherry on cornet, Dudu Pukwana on alto sax, and Makaya Ntshoko on drums – players that are joined as one in meaning and message as they make their way through the original Dyani compositions on the set. The album features a wonderful extended tune, running for all of side two, entitled "Jo'Burg–New York" – a musical journey that's worth the price of the album alone – and the set also features a number of great shorter tunes that include "Wish You Sunshine", "Song For Biko", and "Confession of Moods" LP, Vinyl record album

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". LP, Vinyl record album

Really inventive sounds from this hip Italian trio – a combo who have a way of mixing acoustic and electric elements in ways that echo recent experiments on both the Chicago and London scenes! The music is jazz, but with a strong reliance on larger soundscapes – a quality that's echoed here by the appearance of Rob Mazurek on one track, who seems to be a great inspiration for the way the group approaches their music! The core trio features Gabriele Mitelli on trumpets and electronics, Cristiano Calcagnile on drums and percussion, and Pasquale Mirra on vibes and korg minilogue – all of which makes for a great layering of creative sounds. The set also features guest work from Damon Locks and Cristina Dona – and titles include "The Black Shining Of The Sea", "Hey Mary", "The Elephant", "Fata Morgana", "Cherry Juice In A Box", and "Awakening". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous non-Prestige moment from tenorist Booker Ervin – one of his first albums ever as a leader, and a record that bristles with 60s modern energy! The group here is only a quartet – with Horace Parlan on piano – and the album's got Booker's amazing tenor right out front, played with those angular, searching tones that are heard most famously on the Space and Freedom Book sessions for Prestige – but which seem to get almost more room for expression here! The remaining players are George Tucker on bass and Al Harewood on drums – both of whom help the album maintain a nicely rhythmic pulse, even when Ervin is going off into the stratosphere – and the album features 4 original tunes – "Mojo", "Uranus", "Boo", and "Booker's Blues" – plus versions of "Speak Low" and "Poinciana". LP, Vinyl record album

A really pivotal album from the great Art Farmer – a late 50s session that has him finding that sense of tone and timing that would dominate his work in years to come! Art was already great by the time of this set, but he's also got maybe a more personal, almost poetic vibe at times – starting to realize that the space between the notes is as important as the notes themselves, while still maybe holding onto a slight bit of the bite of his earliest recordings too. The group is a very well-matched trio of easygoing modernists – Hank Jones on piano, Addison Farmer on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums – on titles that include "Too Late Now", "Back In The Cage", "And Now", "Stablemates", "Earth", and "Nita". LP, Vinyl record album