Includes the nice sample cut "Melancholy Mood". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the sublime 50s classics that Sonny Stitt recorded for Verve Records – all albums of understated beauty, and with a sense of perfection that's still hard to match all these many years later! And although there's a similarity to the records, each also has a bit of a difference too – in this case the young piano genius Bobby Timmons, who's quite an unusual choice for Verve – given his fame to soon come on Blue Note and Riverside – but who certainly helps inflect the deeper currents of Stitt's tone here. Sonny blows both alto and tenor – simply, purely, and wonderfully in-the-pocket – on titles that include "Easy To Love", "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", "For Some Friends", and "Original". CD

Truly tremendous work from saxophonist Kamasi Washington – a set that may well even blow away his groundbreaking Epic album – given the scope of soul and spirit in the music! As with the previous project, this one's double-length, but maybe feels even more fitted to the mode – as Washington leads this incredible ensemble that unifies a jazz group, orchestra, and choir – all at a level that might even top some of Alice Coltrane's early 70s albums for Impulse! There's a richness in vision here right from the start – music that knows what it is, where it's going, and what it can accomplish – very personal, but also very welcoming too – just the right sort of spirit to help get the nation back on track! Washington blows tenor throughout – and gets great help from Cameron Graves on piano, Brandon Coleman on organ and keyboards, and Miles Mosley on bass – whose work alone really seems to drive the proceedings! Titles include "Can You Hear Him", "Fists Of Fury", "Will You Sing", "Journey", "Street Fighter Mas", "The Space Travelers Lullaby", "The Psalmnist", "One Of One", and "The Invincible Youth". Comes with a bonus CD called The Choice – with the Kamasi-composed "The Secret Of Jinsonson", "Agents Of Multiverse" and "My Family", plus covers of "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" and "Ooh Child" – it's another 38 minutes of music hidden in the center of the cover! CD

2 overlooked 70s gems from Barry Harris – both of them trio dates based around famous jazz composers! First up are 8 tracks in which Barry Harris stretches out wonderfully in a set of compositions by Tadd Dameron – most of them familiar jazz standards from a few decades before, transformed magically by Harris in a hip 70s piano trio mode! The group here features Gene Taylor on bass and Leroy Williams on drums – both of whom work nicely with Barry's newly discovered sweetness at the time – an approach that's sometimes a bit warmer than his work in the 60s, and which helps make these tunes stand out in newly sensitive readings. Titles include "The Tadd Walk", "Lady Bird", "Casbah", "Our Delight", "Soultrane", "The Chase", and "Hot House". Next up are 5 more tracks penned by Thelonious Monk, and played by Harris with a trio that includes Bill Lee on bass and Leroy Williams on drums! Harris hits the right angular modes to make Monk's music come alive, but also warms them up with a bit more sensitivity too – slight colorings in his choice of tone, and an almost more personal feel on some of the numbers, even when taken at a fast clip. Titles include "Epistrophy", "In Walked Bud", "52nd Street Theme", and "Light Blue". CD also features a solo version of "Pannonica" from 1984, and a reading of "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm" from 1978 – recorded live in Montreux with Sam Jones on bass and Leroy Williams on drums. CD

A warm and wonderful 60s session from Lionel Hampton – recorded in a personal and intimate way, one that even surpasses his great small combo sides of the 50s! There's a relaxed feel here that you don't always get with Hamp – a gently grooving quality that we really like a lot, and which is traditional, but never too staid or too "easy" in its choices. The set benefits from some really strong horn work from Clark Terry on trumpet and Ben Webster on tenor – the latter of whom really crackles out with a great sound here. Other players include Milt Hinton on bass, Hank Jones on piano, and Osie Johnson on drums – and there's also a very slight bit of vocalizing on the record as well. Titles include "Tempo's Birthday", "Vibraphone Blues", "Trick Or Treat", "Cute", "Swingle Jingle", and "Taste Of Honey". CD