Features Joanne Brackeen on piano, John Patitucci on bass, and Horacio 'El Negro' Hernandez on drums – plus guest artists Christ Potter, Nicholas Payton, David Liebman, and Kurt Elling. CD

Features Michel Camilo on piano, Charles Flores on bass, and Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez on drums. CD

A rare performance from trumpeter Don Cherry – caught here at a key experimental moment in the 60s, when he was working with his Complete Communion lineup! The group are a trans-Atlantic quintet – with a young Gato Barbieri on tenor sax, Karl Berger on piano and vibes, Bo Stief on bass, and Aldo Romano on drums – all players who'd make even bigger waves in years to come – but who already step out boldly under the leadership of Cherry on cornet! The tracks are relatively free and open – as on Cherry's Blue Note material from the same period – but the live performance seems to bring in even more fire, especially from Berger's vibes and the excellent tenor of Barbieri – which has all the sharp edges we love when he's at his best. Titles include "UT", "Elephantasy", and a really freewheeling take on "Orfeo Negro". LP, Vinyl record album

A great high-concept composition from Duke Ellington – one that rivals the earlier brilliance of his Liberian Suite! Like that one, vocals are a key part of this long-form work – a special performance done for the Century Of Negro Progress Exposition in Chicago in 1963 – with an all-star cast that includes Jimmy Jones both at the piano and conductor's stand; Joya Sherrill on vocals with the Irving Bunton Singers, Jimmy Grissom, Jimmy McPhail, and Lil Greenwood; Billy Strayhorn on celeste, Juan Amalbert on conga, and other familiar Ellingtonians in the larger group! The tunes have a mix of gospel and folk roots, turned towards more modern Ellington compositional modes – and almost all numbers feature vocals, including one with narration by Ellington himself. Titles include "Will You Be There", "Come Sunday", "David Danced", "Montage", "My Mother My Father", "My People", "The Blues Ain't", and "What Color Is Virtue". CD

Incredible work from Don Cherry – a previously unreleased live date from the 60s, but every bit as great as any of his better-known records from the decade! The sound here is really amazing – a hip blend of Cherry's trumpet with tenor from Gato Barbieri and vibes from Karl Berger – working here in a piano-less setting that has all three players snaking together beautifully as the tunes unfold – freed up a bit to explore some really bold new territory, yet always held together with the same sense of inherent rhythm you'd find on Cherry's Blue Note albums from the late 60s. Rhythm is by Bo Stief on bass and Aldo Romano on drums – both players who really help the tunes take on some great structures – especially during the group's extended take on "Orfeo Negro", a number taken in very similar ways to Archie Shepp's Fire Music version of "Girl From Ipanema"! Other numbers are great too – and include "Elephantasy", "Spring Is Here", "Suite For Albert Ayler", and "Complete Communion", done in a 22 minute take. CD

Includes the beautiful long "Afro Cuban Jazz Suite"! Composed, arranged, and conducted by Arturo (Chico) O'Farrill the Chico O'Farrill Afro-Cuban Jazz Big Band. Arturo O'Farrill, piano and musical director with John Benitez, Steve Berrios, Peter Brainin, Sam Burtis, Jimmy Cozier, Andy Gonzalez, Joe Gonzalez, Graciela, Roland Guerrero, Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez, Matt Hilgenberg, Jack Jeffers, Victor Jones, Marshall McDonald, Mike Migliore, Michael Mossman, Mario Rivera, Jon Owens, Jim Seeley, Max Schsweiger, Gary Valente, and Papo Vasquez. (Latin, Jazz) CD

Wonderful early live work from Gato Barbieri – heard here both before his important American records on Impulse, and his earlier emergence in the global avant garde – already blowing with a really wonderful tone on tenor, in a hip quartet that features the great Ruben Baby Lopez Furst on piano! The set's a wonderful illustration of the way that modern modes showed up on the Argentine scene and very quickly made it one of the hippest in South America – a move that's signaled especially as Gato takes on two key Coltrane compositions amidst well-done versions of familiar numbers. Most tracks are nice and long, overflowing with strong tenor and piano solos – and the group features bass from Jorge Negro Gonzalez and drums from Antonio Tony Harris – on titles that include "Village Blues", "Impressions", "What Is This Thing Called Love", "Round Midnight", and "You Say You Care". LP, Vinyl record album

John Patitucci on bass, Branford Marsalis on soprano saxophone, Joe Lovano on tenor saxophone, Tim Ries on clarinet and flute, Sachi Patitucci on cello, Richard Rood on violin, Brad Mehldau, Bruce Barth, and Edward Simon on piano, Brian Blade and Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez on drum, Duduka DaFonseca, Marc Quinones, and Waltinho Anastacio on percussion with vocals from Luciana Souza. CD

Gonzalo Rubalcaba on grand piano and keyboards, Rafael Carrasco on flute and tenor saxophone, Manuel Varela on saxophone, Reynaldo Melian on trumpet, Lazaro Cruz Olmos on trumpet and flugelhorn, Felipe Cabrera on bass and electric bass, Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez on drums and Roberto Vizcaino on percussion. CD

Lester Bowie's no pretender here – as he really sounds great as a leader on his own, away from the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – really finding his voice in music, and dipping into a full range of styles and expressions! Bowie's keen wit and sensitivity both come into play here – and the album's a bit more open and free than his Brass Fantasy years – almost hearkening back to elements of his St Louis scene, but with a bit more dynamism overall. Other players include Hamiet Bluiett on baritone, Donald Smith on piano and organ, Fred Williams on bass, and Phillip Wilson on drums – and both David Peatson and Fontella Bass sing on the extended track "The Great Pretender", which spans a good chunk of the album's first half. Other titles include "It's Howdy Doody Time", "Rose Drop", "Rios Negros", and "Oh How The Ghost Sings". LP, Vinyl record album

Robert Hurst on bass – with Kenny Krikland on piano and Elvin Jones on drums. Tracks are almost all originals and include "Incognegro", "Thad's Blue Plaid", "Swing On Swole", "C-Ya", "Jill's Groove", and "Innuendo In Yo Window". CD

Robert Hurst on bass – with Kenny Krikland on piano and Elvin Jones on drums. Tracks are almost all originals and include "Incognegro", "Thad's Blue Plaid", "Swing On Swole", "C-Ya", "Jill's Groove", and "Innuendo In Yo Window". CD

Really wonderful early work from Grupo Um – an important Brazilian combo with ties to the more experimental side of scene, including previous experience with the legendary Hermeto Pascoal! The group's debut album was issued in 1979, titled Marcha Sobre A Cidade – but this earlier recording was done a few years before, and now finally gets exposure as the real starting point for Grupo Um! The trio features brothers Lelo Nazario on a piano, prepared piano, and Fender Rhodes – and Ze Eduardo Nazario on drums, percussion, and berimbau – both joined by the legendary bassist Zeca Assumpcao, who played on countless great records in the 70s. The music is jazz at points, but more experimental at others – and is often even farther off than some of the more adventurous work by Pascoal during the decade – as the trio aren't afraid to break down their styles, even from the previous tracks on the record – effortlessly moving between melodic moments and more avant-styled sounds. Yet there's also a warmth here that's maybe missing from the later Grupo Um records – an innocence and freshness that really comes through on titles that include "Jardim Candida", "Organica", "Onze Por Oto", "Porao Da Teodoro", and "Cortejo Dos Reis Negros". (Brazil, Jazz) CD

Really wonderful early work from Grupo Um – an important Brazilian combo with ties to the more experimental side of scene, including previous experience with the legendary Hermeto Pascoal! The group's debut album was issued in 1979, titled Marcha Sobre A Cidade – but this earlier recording was done a few years before, and now finally gets exposure as the real starting point for Grupo Um! The trio features brothers Lelo Nazario on a piano, prepared piano, and Fender Rhodes – and Ze Eduardo Nazario on drums, percussion, and berimbau – both joined by the legendary bassist Zeca Assumpcao, who played on countless great records in the 70s. The music is jazz at points, but more experimental at others – and is often even farther off than some of the more adventurous work by Pascoal during the decade – as the trio aren't afraid to break down their styles, even from the previous tracks on the record – effortlessly moving between melodic moments and more avant-styled sounds. Yet there's also a warmth here that's maybe missing from the later Grupo Um records – an innocence and freshness that really comes through on titles that include "Jardim Candida", "Organica", "Onze Por Oto", "Porao Da Teodoro", and "Cortejo Dos Reis Negros". (Brazil, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album