Live material recorded in Germany in the early 70s – also featuring Eddie Lockjaw Davis on tenor and Al Grey on trombone! CD

An unusual pairing, and recorded with a small group too, with John Heard and Louis Bellson – and Basie plays a bit of organ! CD

An unusual pairing, and recorded with a small group too – and Basie plays a bit of organ! CD

An unusual pairing, and recorded with a small group too, with John Heard and Louis Bellson – and Basie plays a bit of organ! LP, Vinyl record album

A quartet date with Basie on piano, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Ray Brown on bass, and Mickey Roker on drums. Titles include "Back To The Land", "Constantinople", "You Got It", "St James Infirmary", "Follow The Leader" and "Ow". LP, Vinyl record album

Also features Freddie Green on guitar, Charlie Fowlkes and Eric Dixon on saxophones, Sonny Cohn and Ray Brown on trumpet, and Butch Miles and Mickey Roker on drums. Tracks include "Oleo", "Good Mileage", "I Cover The Waterfront", and "In Your Own Sweet Way". CD

A strangely wonderful Latin set with a very drum-heavy approach! Cuban percussionist Walfredo plays in a large group with Louie Belson on the regular kit and "moog drum" – and the rest of the group features strong Latin players like Francisco Aguabella, Clare Fischer, Emil Richards, and Cachao. Very nice stuff, with a strong groove that you wouldn't expect from the usual Pablo material. Titles include "Ecue", "Salsa In Cinco", "Sentido En Seis", and "Javilla". (Latin, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Louis leads a smoking big band – with keyboards by Nat Pierce and Russ Tompkins, and guitar from Mitch Holder – making for a nice mix of his older modes, and a bit of fusion, too! Titles include "Quiet Riots", "Carnaby Street", "Beyond Category", "Movin On", and "Chameleon". CD

A light and mellow set from Ray Bryant – cut very much in the mode of his best early Prestige/Moodsville sessions – with a trio that features Sam Jones on bass and Grady Tate on drums! The tunes are easy going, and touched with the bluesy inflections promised by the title – but in a way that's more soul jazz than anything else, conjured up by Ray in the style he virtually helped to invent! Titles include "Billie's Bounce", "All Blues", "Stick With It", and "Blues Changes". CD

A light and mellow set from Ray – cut very much in the mode of his best early Prestige/Moodsville sessions – with a trio that features Sam Jones on bass and Grady Tate on drums! The tunes are easy going, and touched with the bluesy inflections promised by the title – but in a way that's more soul jazz than anything else, conjured up by Ray in the style he virtually helped to invent! Titles include "Billie's Bounce", "All Blues", "Stick With It", and "Blues Changes". LP, Vinyl record album

A simple trio album, but a really great one – the kind that almost re-ignites Ray Bryant's career, which is a hard thing to do, given how many records he's already got under his belt! But somehow, there's really something fresh going on here – an array of sounds and modes that goes far beyond his earlier sides for Columbie, Sue, and even Atlantic – and although Bryant was heard on the latter label only a few short years before this outing, the style here is something different altogether. There's almost a timeless approach here – but not in a hokey way – one that's still firmly grounded in the rhythmic impulses of Ray's soul jazz years, but which also easily traverses a piano jazz territory of many more eras – almost in the way of Jaki Byard, but without as much of a gimmick. Rhythm is by George Duvivier on bass and Grady Tate on drums, and we've never heard Ray sound so great in such a setting. Titles include "Prayer Song", "Lil Darlin", "Girl Talk", "Good Morning Heartache", and "Manteca". CD

Ray Bryant on piano, Jimmy Rowser on bass, and Mickey Roker on drums. CD

A great mix of bluesy rhythms and sensitive sounds from Ray Bryant – a later solo set that really shows the full range of his skills on the piano! The album's nicely unfettered – opened up in that pure Pablo way – and although Ray plays passages that hint at his soul jazz roots, there's also some moments of lyricism that really show his development as a player by the time of the mid 70s! Titles include "Moanin", "Take The A Train", "In De Back Room", "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life", "Blues In De Big Brass Bed", and "Monkey Business". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the songs "Wonderland", "A Walkin' Thing", "The Courtship", "Malibu", "Sweet Lorraine", "When Lights Are Low", "My Kind of Trouble Is You", "(I'm Left With the) Blues In My Heart", "Moten Swing", "C Jam Blues", and "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)". CD

A live set very much in classic Verve mode – produced by Benny himself, and recorded in Tokyo in 1977 with a group that includes Budd Johnson on tenor and soprano, Cecil Payne on baritone, Cat Anderson and Joe Newman on trumpet, Britt Woodman on trombone, Nat Pierce on piano, Mudell Lowe on guitar, George Duvivier on bass, and Harold Jones on drums. Tracks are long, and titles include "Them There Eyes", "It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing", and "Squatty Roo". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those great dates from Benny Carter's later years – a time when he'd stepped back from doing big arrangements, working with larger group, and returned to some of the smaller combo modes that really made him great during his 50s years on Verve! No surprise, this set's produced by Norman Granz, with just the right easygoing flair to open up the most soulful aspects of Carter's alto sax – set up nicely in a group that also features Milt Jackson on vibes, Joe Pass on guitar, and Tommy Flanagan on piano. Titles include the sweet original "A Walkin Thing" – almost a soul jazz number – plus "Easy Money", "Blue Star", "I Still Love Him So", "Green Wine", and "Malibu". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Joe Pass on guitar, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Al McKibbon on bass, and Mickey Roker on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best posthumous releases by the legendary John Coltrane Quartet – and a set that really captures the group at a perfect moment – when they were really beginning to stretch out a lot, yet still in a style that was mostly inside! The material was recorded in Berlin and Stockholm – and features wonderfully fresh versions of tunes you'll know from classic Impulse and Atlantic albums by Coltrane – really reworked in this live setting, and opened up in that magical style of the group! In addition to some wonderful soprano and tenor sax from Coltrane, the group also features McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – on titles that include "Lonnie's Lament", "Afro Blue", "Cousin Mary", "Spiritual", and "My Favorite Things". CD

One of the best posthumous releases by the legendary John Coltrane Quartet – and a set that really captures the group at a perfect moment – when they were really beginning to stretch out a lot, yet still in a style that was mostly inside! The material was recorded in Berlin and Stockholm – and features wonderfully fresh versions of tunes you'll know from classic Impulse and Atlantic albums by Coltrane – really reworked in this live setting, and opened up in that magical style of the group! In addition to some wonderful soprano and tenor sax from Coltrane, the group also features McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – on titles that include "Lonnie's Lament", "Afro Blue", "Cousin Mary", "Spiritual", and "My Favorite Things". LP, Vinyl record album

John Coltrane live – in a setting that really shows the tenorist starting to stretch out a lot – almost hitting some of the freer modes of a few years later, but still keeping things swinging throughout! The rhythm section is superb – that legendary lineup of Jimmy Garrison on bass, McCoy Tyner on piano, and Elvin Jones on drums – creating this magical flow that really sets the tenor free – stretching out in a take of "Bye Bye Blackbird" that really transforms the tune – matched by a equally great reading of "Traneing In". Each long track takes up a side of the record – and both were recorded live in Europe in 1962. CD

Excellent live material from John Coltrane – recorded in late 1962, when the classic quartet was making a tour of Europe – and a wonderful counterpart to the group's famous recordings for Impulse! The recording quality is great, and really shows the lineup of Tyner, Garrison, and Jones in perfect form – accompanying Coltrane on both tenor and soprano saxes, with titles that include "The Promise", "Mr PC", "Naima", and "I Want To Talk About You". CD

An incredible document of the live genius of John Coltrane – early 60s recordings done under the supervision of Norman Granz – all of which really show Coltrane and the group stretching out a lot! Includes many unissued tracks, too. CD

A great addition to the live material the John Coltrane Quartet recorded for Impulse Records in the early 60s – long, live tracks from a Parisian concert, with performances that are extremely long and open-ended! The group isn't totally free – as free as they'd be on some of their overseas live performances a few years later – but they already stretch out magnificently on long takes of "Mr PC", "The Inch Worm" and "Every Time We Say Goodbye" – all with extremely expressive solos from Coltrane, plus piano from McCoy Tyner, bass from Jimmy Garrison, and drums from Elvin Jones! CD

5 hard to get numbers by alto genius Criss from an obscure 1951 date at the Shrine Auditorium – with a slightly largeish group that includes Bennie Green, Joe Newman, Eddie Lockjaw Davis, and Kenny Clarke. Nice lengthy takes in this lost set of include "Intermission Riff", "How High The Moon", "Perdido", "Body & Soul" and "High Jump". LP, Vinyl record album

With Oscar Peterson on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Jimmie Smith on drums. CD

A great quartet date – no-nonsense, and a perfect setting for Davis to hit some very classic modes! Eddie plays tenor with Tommy Flanagan on piano, Keter Betts on bass, and Bobby Durham on drums. CD

A great reunion of Buddy DeFranco and Oscar Peterson – two players who recorded together famously for Verve in the 50s, working here on an 80s date under the supervision of old Verve head Norman Granz! The setting here is even more loose and laidback than in the 50s – that mellow Pablo Records mode that seems to bring in a lot more feeling to the players than some of their dates for other labels at the time – and Buddy's lost none of the charm in his tone, playing the clarinet with a soulful swing that's almost more like an alto sax at times! Other players include Joe Pass on guitar, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Martin Drew on drums – and titles include "Summer Me Winter You", "Llovisna", "By Myself", "Joy Spring", "All Too Soon", and "Hark". LP, Vinyl record album

Harry "Sweets" Edison on trumpet, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis on tenor, Count Basie or Dolo Coker on piano, John Heard on bass, and Jimmie Smith on drums. CD

The sweet and the raw – the trumpet of Harry Sweets Edison and the tenor of Eddie Lockjaw Davis – brought together here in a standout small group session for Pablo! The set's got an unusual element in that it features some electric bass from Harvey Newmark – who plays in an otherwise acoustic setting, but gives the tunes maybe this light little bounce – a hint of funk at times, with a rolling element that makes the whole thing a bit different than just a rehash of the old days. Also noteworthy is pianist Dolo Coker, who plays mostly acoustic piano – with that pointed tone that was always such a unique approach – and who also handles a bit of Fender Rhodes, but in a completely different way. Even when Newmark's playing acoustic bass, he's still got a great round tone that really drives the set – and the group's completed by the excellent Jimmie Smith on drums. Titles include "Simply Sweets", "Feelings", "Opus Funk", "Lax", "Miz Kitty's Blues", and "One For The Count". CD

The sweet and the raw – the trumpet of Harry Sweets Edison and the tenor of Eddie Lockjaw Davis – brought together here in a standout small group session for Pablo! The set's got an unusual element in that it features some electric bass from Harvey Newmark – who plays in an otherwise acoustic setting, but gives the tunes maybe this light little bounce – a hint of funk at times, with a rolling element that makes the whole thing a bit different than just a rehash of the old days. Also noteworthy is pianist Dolo Coker, who plays mostly acoustic piano – with that pointed tone that was always such a unique approach – and who also handles a bit of Fender Rhodes, but in a completely different way. Even when Newmark's playing acoustic bass, he's still got a great round tone that really drives the set – and the group's completed by the excellent Jimmie Smith on drums. Titles include "Simply Sweets", "Feelings", "Opus Funk", "Lax", "Miz Kitty's Blues", and "One For The Count". LP, Vinyl record album

With Norman Simmons on piano, Norris Turney on alto, Budd Johnson on tenor, Eddie Locke on drums, Ted Sturgis on bass, and Milt Jackson on vibes. LP, Vinyl record album

With Ray Brown on bass and Mickey Roker on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Tracks include "Midriff", "Ad Lib On Nippon", "Harmony in Harlem", and "Things Ain't What They Used To Be". CD

Three slices of rare work by Duke Ellington – all recorded previously as semi-private recordings, and issued here in a short-lived 70s set! As you'd guess by the title, the tracks are all in "suite" form – that broader compositional style that dominated Ellington's later work, one in which he brought together complicated ideas with a very unified feel – often based around a single theme, but fleshed out beautifully with modes that were even more sophisticated than in his earlier work. Side one features "The Queen's Suite", recorded in 1959 with mostly full orchestra, but also a spare passage of just piano and bass – and side two features "The Goutelas Suite" from 1971, and "The Uwis Suite" from 1972. CD

Recorded live at Konserthuset in Stockholm, Sweden, with Cootie Williams, Cat Anderson, Rolf Ericson, and Herbie Jones on trumpets; Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope, Jimmy Hamilton, Paul Gonsalves, and Harry Carney on reeds; Lawrence Brown, Buster Cooper, and Chuck Connors on trombones, Jimmy Woods on bass, and Sam Woodyard on drums. CD

A fantastic testament of the live genius of Duke Ellington – material recorded from a few different 60s shows recorded in Europe – woven together to make an album that's every bit as magical as some of the Duke's famous studio sides from the 40s and the 50s! The choice of tunes is great – some less-familiar Ellington compositions, highlighted by that fantastic blend of modernism and swing that the group was developing strongly from the mid 50s onwards – even more so than in previous years, with a maturation in both the leader and group members that made whole new heights of colorful expression possible! Players include Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, and Harry Carney on saxes – and Cat Anderson, Ray Nance, and Cootie Williams on trumpets – on titles that include "Bula", "Silk Lace", "Star Crossed Lovers", "ESP", "Guitar Amour", "Kinda Dukish", and two takes on "The Shepherd", which was done for a film about Jean Miro! CD

A really well-titled set – as it offers up some more intimate takes on the Duke Ellington sound of the cusp of the 70s – with some especially nice trio and solo numbers that are well worth the price of the whole collection! The album starts with the amazing "Moon Maiden" – a track that has Ellington playing celeste, and reciting this weird little cosmic poem – almost in a Sun Ra-type aesthetic, and key proof that Duke was still stretching out a lot in his later years! There's also some excellent trio tracks that really get at that highly modern mode that Ellington hit at his Live At The Whitney session – mixed with a few more larger group numbers that, while not exactly intimate, still have a nicely laid back feel. In addition to "Moon Maiden", other tracks include "Tenz", "Eulb", "Layin On Mellow", "Edward The First", "Symphonette", and "Some Summer Fun". LP, Vinyl record album

A great tribute to the late bassist Jimmy Blanton – served up by his old boss Duke Ellington, working here on piano alongside the bass of Ray Brown! This spare piano/bass session is a rarity in Duke's catalog – and it's a real later gem that captures the warmth and imagination of the Ellington piano sound in a near-solo setting. Brown's tones are round and nicely soulful – always a treat, even if not entirely in Blanton's spirit – and titles include "Pitter Panther Patter", "Do Nothin Till You Hear From Me", "Sophisticated Lady", "See See Rider", and "Fragmented Suite For Piano & Bass" – a great extended piece that takes up all of side two! CD

A great tribute to the late bassist Jimmy Blanton – served up by his old boss Duke Ellington, working here on piano alongside the bass of Ray Brown! This spare piano/bass session is a rarity in Duke's catalog – and it's a real later gem that captures the warmth and imagination of the Ellington piano sound in a near-solo setting. Brown's tones are round and nicely soulful – always a treat, even if not entirely in Blanton's spirit – and titles include "Pitter Panther Patter", "Do Nothin Till You Hear From Me", "Sophisticated Lady", "See See Rider", and "Fragmented Suite For Piano & Bass" – a great extended piece that takes up all of side two! CD

An all-star cast – one that definitely lives up to the title! Features groups led by Oscar Peterson, Coleman Hawkins, Duke Ellington, and Ella Fitzgerald – plus some Jam Session material by a host of Verve and Pablo giants! CD

Simple, unfettered guitar work – performed by Herb Ellis and Joe Pass in duet form, with no other instrumentation backing them up! The spare sound is really great – and each player trades rhythm while the other's soloing – and although the modes here stretch back to Parisian jazz and bossa guitar interplay, there's also a contemporary presentation of the material that's no doubt due to the confidence and talents of both players. Titles include "Love For Sale", "Carnival", "Am I Blue", "Seulb", "Angel Eyes", "I've Found A New Baby", and "Seven Come Eleven". CD

Simple, unfettered guitar work – performed by Herb Ellis and Joe Pass in duet form, with no other instrumentation backing them up! The spare sound is really great – and each player trades rhythm while the other's soloing – and although the modes here stretch back to Parisian jazz and bossa guitar interplay, there's also a contemporary presentation of the material that's no doubt due to the confidence and talents of both players. Titles include "Love For Sale", "Carnival", "Am I Blue", "Seulb", "Angel Eyes", "I've Found A New Baby", and "Seven Come Eleven". LP, Vinyl record album

Great small combo work from Jon Faddis – with Kenny Barron on piano, George Mraz on bass, and Mickey Roker on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

We're not sure if the match is perfect, but it's still pretty darn nice – a live performance that has Ella Fitzgerald singing in front of the Count Basie Band – all recorded before a very enthusiastic audience at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1979! The set's a nice capper to one of Ella's biggest decades as a star – and she steps out here with a well-earned confidence that allows her to match the energy of the Basie group and take new inspiration from their fire. Titles include "Make Me Rainbows", "Round Midnight", "Basella", "You've Changed", "Fine & Mellow", "Some Other Spring", and "After You've Gone". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

(Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass return to the studio just a few years after their initial meeting – once again to work in a stripped-down duet format that's completely sublime! The spare setting is one that Ella never got in the older days – and there's an intimacy here that almost makes it like we're hearing a new singer entirely – one who's not surging over bigger band arrangements, but laying back and singing in a mode that's almost more torchy than we could have ever expected. Pass' guitar is acoustic, and gentle – and titles include "All Too Soon", "One Note Samba", "Rain", "You Took Advantage Of Me", "That Old Feeling", "I've Got The World On A String", and "Nature Boy". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the great Pablo Records efforts to revisit the jazz sound of the 50s – but in fresh new ways allowed by the freer recording modes of the 70s! The album features Ella Fitgerald and Joe Pass, plus nobody else – just voice and guitar coming together in quiet, introspective ways that are completely sublime, and a very nice change from some of Ella's fuller band recordings of the few years before this album. And far from being sleepy, the intimacy of the record almost seems to set a new kind of fire – one that comes from the gentle persona of Ella, which is a far cry from the glass-breaking singer that she'd come to be known as in the mainstream! Titles include "Take Love Easy", "Once I Loved", "Lush Life", "You're Blase", "A Foggy Day", "I Want To Talk About You", and "You Go To My Head". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

One of the great Pablo Records efforts to revisit the jazz sound of the 50s – but in fresh new ways allowed by the freer recording modes of the 70s! The album features Ella Fitgerald and Joe Pass, plus nobody else – just voice and guitar coming together in quiet, introspective ways that are completely sublime, and a very nice change from some of Ella's fuller band recordings of the few years before this album. And far from being sleepy, the intimacy of the record almost seems to set a new kind of fire – one that comes from the gentle persona of Ella, which is a far cry from the glass-breaking singer that she'd come to be known as in the mainstream! Titles include "Take Love Easy", "Once I Loved", "Lush Life", "You're Blase", "A Foggy Day", "I Want To Talk About You", and "You Go To My Head". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the great Pablo Records efforts to revisit the jazz sound of the 50s – but in fresh new ways allowed by the freer recording modes of the 70s! The album features Ella Fitgerald and Joe Pass, plus nobody else – just voice and guitar coming together in quiet, introspective ways that are completely sublime, and a very nice change from some of Ella's fuller band recordings of the few years before this album. And far from being sleepy, the intimacy of the record almost seems to set a new kind of fire – one that comes from the gentle persona of Ella, which is a far cry from the glass-breaking singer that she'd come to be known as in the mainstream! Titles include "Take Love Easy", "Once I Loved", "Lush Life", "You're Blase", "A Foggy Day", "I Want To Talk About You", and "You Go To My Head". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Ella Fitzgerald, recorded in a nice lean setting – with mostly just the piano of Oscar Peterson to back her up, plus a bit of extra bass from Ray Brown on a few of the album's tracks! We love Fitzgerald in this mode – which is quite a change from some of her more familiar 70s work, and really shows the singer in her best light possible – handling things right out front, with an inherent sense of swing that's completely sublime! Peterson is great here too – playing with some of those more ragged edges that you'll get on his spare sessions for Pablo – some nice bluesy undercurrents that really help shape the sound of the record. Titles include "Mean To Me", "April In Paris", "Street Of Dreams", "I Hear Music", "More Than You Know", and "Midnight Sun". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Ella Fitzgerald, recorded in a nice lean setting – with mostly just the piano of Oscar Peterson to back her up, plus a bit of extra bass from Ray Brown on a few of the album's tracks! We love Fitzgerald in this mode – which is quite a change from some of her more familiar 70s work, and really shows the singer in her best light possible – handling things right out front, with an inherent sense of swing that's completely sublime! Peterson is great here too – playing with some of those more ragged edges that you'll get on his spare sessions for Pablo – some nice bluesy undercurrents that really help shape the sound of the record. Titles include "Mean To Me", "April In Paris", "Street Of Dreams", "I Hear Music", "More Than You Know", and "Midnight Sun". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Ella Fitzgerald, recorded in a nice lean setting – with mostly just the piano of Oscar Peterson to back her up, plus a bit of extra bass from Ray Brown on a few of the album's tracks! We love Fitzgerald in this mode – which is quite a change from some of her more familiar 70s work, and really shows the singer in her best light possible – handling things right out front, with an inherent sense of swing that's completely sublime! Peterson is great here too – playing with some of those more ragged edges that you'll get on his spare sessions for Pablo – some nice bluesy undercurrents that really help shape the sound of the record. Titles include "Mean To Me", "April In Paris", "Street Of Dreams", "I Hear Music", "More Than You Know", and "Midnight Sun". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Ella Fitzgerald, recorded in a nice lean setting – with mostly just the piano of Oscar Peterson to back her up, plus a bit of extra bass from Ray Brown on a few of the album's tracks! We love Fitzgerald in this mode – which is quite a change from some of her more familiar 70s work, and really shows the singer in her best light possible – handling things right out front, with an inherent sense of swing that's completely sublime! Peterson is great here too – playing with some of those more ragged edges that you'll get on his spare sessions for Pablo – some nice bluesy undercurrents that really help shape the sound of the record. Titles include "Mean To Me", "April In Paris", "Street Of Dreams", "I Hear Music", "More Than You Know", and "Midnight Sun". CD features 4 bonus alternate takes, too! (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Ella Fitzgerald swings it nicely with the Tommy Flanagan Trio – a small group on the date for backup, but one who give this Montreux performance almost as much bounce as Ella's 70s live dates with a bigger ensemble! Tommy seems to have a bit more punch in his piano than usual, and Fitzgerald really makes great use of that quality – hanging her groove on his bold lines nicely, with support from Keter Betts on bass and Bobby Durham on drums. Titles include "Day By Day", "Billie's Bounce", "Too Close For Comfort", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "One Note Samba", and "Ordinary Fool". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

The title says "recital", but the album's no stiff, starched concert affair – as Tommy Flanagan is right at home on the piano, playing with a fluid grace that makes the record one of his best from the 70s! There's a simple, unadorned quality to the album – one that really lets Tommy sparkle with a quality that was always present in his work, but sometimes slightly dimmed in the studio – especially in large group records. And it's almost as if Pablo records has taken a cue from advances in Japanese piano trio recordings of the decade to bring a new sort of life to Flanagan's career – one that Tommy would later go onto explore heavily in later Japanese-only sides. Rhythm is by Keter Betts on bass and Bobby Durham on drums – and tracks include "The Intimacy Of The Blues", "Ummg", "Something To Live For", "All Day Long", "Mainstem", and "Daydream". CD

A wonderful reunion of the team of Frank Foster and Frank Wess – caught here in an easy-going and laidback style that's miles away from their work with Count Basie! The youthful rhythm section of Kenny Barron, Rufus Reid, and Marvin Smitty Smith really adds a lot to the set – giving the record a later sort of soul jazz vibe, one that's perfect for the pair to solo over in open-ended lines. Both Franks play tenor sax, and Wess plays flute and alto as well – while Foster does some excellent work on soprano sax. Titles include "Bay Street", "Two For The Blues", "But For The Likes Of You", "Nancy With The Laughing Face", "Your Beauty Is A Song Of Love", and "A Time For Love". CD

With Milt Jackson on vibes, Eddie Lockjaw Davis and Johnny Griffin on tenors, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and Mickey Roker on drums – on titles that include "Lover Come Back To Me", "What's New", and "Cherokee". CD

Dizzy's Big 4 here are a quartet of players that includes Ray Brown on bass, Joe Pass on guitar, and Mickey Roker on drums – all of whom work with Dizzy in a lightly skipping groove that's a nice contrast to some of his other 70s work! The style certainly has some of the spacious qualities that Dizzy was bringing to his records of the 70s – that post-bop "little says more than a lot" style that we really love – but the overall mode is somewhat gentler too, and with just a guitar to emphasize some of the rhythms of the tune, there's some airiness to the numbers that's really compelling. Dizzy's trumpet is often muted, and titles include "Birk's Works", "Frelimo", "Hurry Home", "Russian Lullaby", and "September Song". CD

Dizzy's Big 4 here are a quartet of players that includes Ray Brown on bass, Joe Pass on guitar, and Mickey Roker on drums – all of whom work with Dizzy in a lightly skipping groove that's a nice contrast to some of his other 70s work! The style certainly has some of the spacious qualities that Dizzy was bringing to his records of the 70s – that post-bop "little says more than a lot" style that we really love – but the overall mode is somewhat gentler too, and with just a guitar to emphasize some of the rhythms of the tune, there's some airiness to the numbers that's really compelling. Dizzy's trumpet is often muted, and titles include "Birk's Works", "Tenga", "Hurry Home", "Russian Lullaby", and "September Song". LP, Vinyl record album

Heavy trumpets here – lead lines from both Dizzy Gillespie and Arturo Sandoval, playing together in a sweet session recorded in Finland! The set's got an open, flowing feel – one that matches some of the best Gillespie work on Pablo – those sides where the label really was able to let Gillespie hit that mature later groove – a strong fusion of soul, Latin, and other jazz modes! The core rhythm group is definitely hip enough for the spirit of the date – Esko Linnavalli on piano, Pekka Sarmanto on bass, and Esko Rosnell on drums – and the tracks are all nice and long, and nicely inventive, too. Titles include "Dizzy The Duck", "Rimsky", "And Then She Stopped", "First Chance", and "Wheatleigh Hall". CD

Heavy trumpets here – lead lines from both Dizzy Gillespie and Arturo Sandoval, playing together in a sweet session recorded in Finland! The set's got an open, flowing feel – one that matches some of the best Gillespie work on Pablo – those sides where the label really was able to let Gillespie hit that mature later groove – a strong fusion of soul, Latin, and other jazz modes! The core rhythm group is definitely hip enough for the spirit of the date – Esko Linnavalli on piano, Pekka Sarmanto on bass, and Esko Rosnell on drums – and the tracks are all nice and long, and nicely inventive, too. Titles include "Dizzy The Duck", "Rimsky", "And Then She Stopped", "First Chance", and "Wheatleigh Hall". LP, Vinyl record album

A great Dizzy Gillespie Latin session recorded during the mid 70s – proof that he could still hold onto the cubop spirit of the old days! The session features a larger group arranged and conducted by Chico O'Farril – who manages to keep a solidly Cuban groove at the base, but really let Dizzy open up with some broader horn flourishes at the top. Given the quality of actual Cuban jazz at the time, this set may well beat most of what was going on in Havana – thanks to solid solos from Dizzy, and backings from a group led by Machito, and featuring players who include Mario Bauza, Jorge Dalto, Manny Duran, Mauricio Smith, and Victor Paz. Side one features the extended "Oro, Incienso y Mirra", and side two is a 3-part suite, "Three Afro-Cuban Jazz Moods". CD

Features Stuff Smith and Stephane Grappelli on violin – with backing from Oscar Peterson on piano, Ray Brown on bass, Herb Ellis on guitar, and Jo Jones on drums. CD

Stephane Grappelli on violin, Joe Pass on guitar, and Niels Henning Orst on bass. LP, Vinyl record album

Great late work from Hawk – recorded near the end of his life, with a soulful quartet that included Barry Harris on piano and Bob Cranshaw on bass. The tracks are all fairly standard – like "Sugar", "The Man I Love", "Time On My Hands", and "The One I Love" – but Hawkins' tone is incredible, with a raspy edge, and some surprisingly modern moments that show that he was always continuing to grow as an artist. The material is issued here for the first time by Pablo Records – in a set put together in 1975. CD

Great late work from Hawk – recorded near the end of his life, with a soulful quartet that included Barry Harris on piano and Bob Cranshaw on bass. The tracks are all fairly standard – like "Sugar", "The Man I Love", "Time On My Hands", and "The One I Love" – but Hawkins' tone is incredible, with a raspy edge, and some surprisingly modern moments that show that he was always continuing to grow as an artist. The material is issued here for the first time by Pablo Records – in a set put together in 1975. LP, Vinyl record album

Coleman's friends here include Roy Eldridge, Don Byas, Benny Carter, Lalo Schifrin, Art Davis, and Jo Jones! LP, Vinyl record album

The title's a bit self-pitying, but the music certainly isn't – and even at this late point in his career, the sound of Milt Jackson is coming across loud and clear – possibly more so, because Milt's firmly shaken off the mellower modes of his years with the MJQ! The record has Jackson working with the Oscar Peterson trio with Ray Brown on bass and Grady Tate on drums – and the overall structure of the tunes is definitely dictated by Peterson, but very strongly touched by Jackson once his vibes ring into the mix. Titles include "Stuffy", "Body & Soul", "What Am I Here For", "If I Should Lose You", "A Time For Love", and "Ain't But A Few Of Us Left". LP, Vinyl record album

A great live date – recorded in Tokyo with Jackson on vibes, Teddy Edwards on tenor, Cedar Walton on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Tracks include "Killer Joe", "All Blues", "St. Thomas", "The Prophet Speaks", and "Stolen Moments". CD

With Ray Brown on bass, Teddy Edwards on tenor, Cedar Walton on electric and acoustic piano, and Billy Higgins on drums. LP, Vinyl record album