Plenty of spirit, and plenty of soul – a 70s classic from organist Doug Carn, and a record that took his instrument, and jazz in general, to a whole new level for the decade! Carn's got this burning, righteous quality on his keys – a vibe that certainly owes something to Larry Young, but also takes off even further – working in a spiritual ensemble that also features his wife Jean Carn on vocals – sounding way more like a righteous jazz singer than on her later soul sides for Philly International! Other players are great, too – and include Charles Tolliver on flugelhorn, Garnett Brown on trombone, George Harper on tenor and soprano sax, Buster Williams on bass, and Alphonse Mouzon on drums. Tracks include "New Moon", "Trance Dance", "My Spirit", "Blue In Green", and "Arise & Shine". CD

A key later album from alto saxophonist Benny Carter – one that has him at the helm of a largeish group, but playing with a nicely focused sort of groove! In addition to Benny's alto, the record also features tenor sax from Charlie Rouse and Coleman Hawkins, plus one more alto from Phil Woods – supported by rhythm from John Collins on guitar, Dick Katz on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Jo Jones on drums. The tunes are traditional, but have some sharper-edged modern ideas on some of the solos – and there's a nicely echoey feel to the production, which further adds to the quality of the record. The album's a bit like a Swingville session for Prestige, but has a bit more going on – and titles include "Doozy", "Blue Star", "Midnight Sun Will Never Set", and "Crazy Rhythm". CD also features a full bonus album – the record Additions To Further Definitions! CD

A brilliant live set by Betty Carter – originally issued on her own Bet-Car label in 1980, and a perfect summation of the underground soul that was bubbling through her work in the 70s! The Betty you hear here is way different than the Betty of earlier years – freer, more soulful, working in an unfettered setting that lets her take off on piano and vocals, working in a mode that's got a modal vibrant quality unmatched by most other singers! The album includes a great version of "Open The Door", a 25 minute reading of the landmark tune "Sounds", and the tracks "Tight", "Fake", "So", "My Favorite Things", "Caribbean Sun", and "I Think I Got It Now". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

A real classic in the canon of American postwar jazz – one of the few albums ever cut as a leader by Boston baritone player Serge Chaloff – one of a handful of musicians who really helped move the instrument forward in jazz, and help it take a rightful place next to the expressiveness of the tenor and alto sax! Even though he hardly got a chance to record, Serge was a hell of a player, and one who has both the rich tone of the instrument completely in hand, while also able to move with the fluidity of a much leaner horn – a quality that's augmented here by the fantastic rhythm work from Sonny Clark on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. The set's a treasure through and through – from the cool cover image, to the great music within – served up on tunes that include "How About You", "Handful Of Stars", "The Goof & I", "Susie's Blues", and "All The Things You Are". CD

This one will confuse the discographers out there – but it's great Blue Note material by this legendary hardbop pianist! The CD reissues a previous Japanese-only set of unreleased material – called Sonny Clark Quintets – but some of the tracks have since come out on other CDs. 2 tracks – "Royal Flush" and "Lover" – feature Clark with a group that includes Art Farmer and Jackie McLean, recorded in 1957. The other 3 tracks – "Minor Meeting", "Eastern Incident", and "Little Sonny" – are from a 1958 session that was cut with Clifford Jordan and Kenny Burrell. Both sets of tracks are great – and although Clark recorded some of these tunes in other versions, the quality on this CD's still extremely high, and is proof that Clark was one of Blue Note's greatest players, worthy of all the extra sessions that were cut in the old days! CD

Great live material from the best years of this amazing ensemble that included some of the finest American and European players of the 60s! The band's at its best here – wailing away in a firey live setting, recorded with high quality by Europe 1 Radio in 1969. Players include Tony Coe, Johnny Griffin, Benny Bailey, Art Farmer, Sahib Shihab, and Derek Humble – plus the great rhythm team of Jimmy Woode, Francy Boland, and Kenny Clarke! Most of the tunes are classics of the band – and titles include "All Through The Night", "Now Hear My Meaning", "New Box", "Volcano", "Box 702", "Sax No End", "Sonor", "The Jamfs Are Coming", "Doing Time", and "Evanescence". CD

One of the most compelling albums we've ever heard from Ornette Coleman – and a set that's very different than some of his other work for different labels – particularly his better-known material for Blue Note and Atlantic! The album's got a righteous feel that's right up there in the best spirit of the Flying Dutchman label of the early 70s – a mode that's still on the far reaches of avant jazz that Ornette explored on earlier sessions – but which also has a warmer, almost more spiritual quality at times too. The core group features legendary partners Charlie Haden on bass, Dewey Redman on tenor, and Ed Blackwell on drums – but part of the record features an unnamed group of "Friends & Neighbors", who join in on the title cut with this collaborative spirit that really sets the tone for the whole record. Coleman plays trumpet and violin in addition to his usual alto sax – and titles include the mindblowing two part "Friends & Neighbors", plus "Let's Play", "Long Time No See", "Forgotten Songs", and "Tomorrow". CD

Mindblowing work from Alice Coltrane – an album of incredible beauty that easily sits with the best of her classic early recordings for Impulse! The album's got a spare, contemplative quality, but it's also never sleepy – and instead steps forth with the tonal building and modal moving styles of classics albums like Ptah The El Daoud and Huntington Ashram Monastery. Most tracks feature a trio or quartet – with players that include Ravi Coltrane on saxes, Jack DeJohnette on drums, and Charlie Haden on bass. Alice plays some great Wurlitzer organ on a few cuts – getting this really wonderful "flat" tone to the instrument, one that almost has the same spiritual undertones as a harmonium. The whole thing's great – far better than we could have expected – and titles include "Sita Ram", "Translinear Light", "This Train", "Blue Nile", "Triloka", and "Crescent". CD

One of Alice Coltrane's most adventurous albums – a beautiful blend of organ, harp, percussion, and strings – much of which are transcribed for the album by Ornette Coleman! The most haunting aspect of the album is Alice's work on organ – spare, jagged, with a nascent soulful quality that's quite different from her piano work on other Impulse albums. The strings provide a sheet of sound – a shimmering backdrop to support Alice's work on the keys – moving forward tentatively, but growing in energy as the album progresses through a host of Eastern spiritual influences. Alice is way past jazz at this point – moving towards the new level of consciousness hinted at in the title, growing majestically on tracks that include "Oh Allah", "Sita Ram", "Hare Krishna", "Universal Consciousness", and "The Ankh of Amen-Ra". CD

Sharp-edged John Coltrane at his best – a record that we'd rank right up there with Love Supreme, and which is a key transition point in Coltrane's musical ideas! There's a very strong edge to Coltrane's tone here – and even on the mellower ballads, he plays with a sound not always heard before – a quality that's bristlingly modern, and which really opens up on some of the longer numbers on the set. Rhythm is by the classic quartet with McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – and the sound is always pushing the boundaries towards new ideas, but always keeps nicely inside throughout! Titles include "Crescent", "Wise One", "Lonnie's Lament", and "The Drum Thing". CD

The first Impulse album issued after the early death of John Coltrane – and one of his last sessions for the label as well! The record's got a somber, introspective quality that almost hints at the darkness to come – a new way of reaching the spiritual planes that Coltrane was striving for in his music, but with gentler, more individual energy than before. Alice Coltrane plays piano on all tracks, and Coltrane plays tenor throughout – except for the long track "To Be", which has him on flute and Pharaoh Sanders on piccolo! There's a quality here that's almost like some of Alice Coltrane's later work as a leader – very warm, and almost meditative at times. Titles include "To Be", "Offering", "Expression", and "Ogunde". CD contains a bonus track – "Number One" – nearly 12 minutes long, and not on the original album! CD

Rare material from John Coltrane – tracks that were done for Bethlehem Records at a time when he was just rising up as a leader, and still contributed work as a sideman! The album features Trane playing tenor on only four of the album's eight tracks – making it kind of surprising that they used his name in the title – but the album is a lesser-known batch of large group recordings that offer an interesting early chapter in his career! The main force behind the album is arranger Harry Tubbs – possibly not a name that's as sexy as John Coltrane, hence the billing – but a worthy leader for the date, given the quality of the music. Many of the other players here are small combo heroes who can also shine brightly in bigger groups – such as Donald Byrd and Art Farmer on trumpets, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Al Cohn on baritone sax, Eddie Costa on piano and vibes, and Oscar Pettiford on bass – plus Rolf Kuhn, making an early American appearance on clarinet. Coltrane gets in some nice, but short moments on the date – but the bigger charm is the full ensemble work – on titles that include "She Didn't Say Yes", "Turtle Walk", "At Home With The Blues", "Seabreeze", and "Love & The Weather". CD

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". Lots of bonus tracks – including "Fragments", "Windows", "Samba Yantra", "I Don't Know", "Gemini", and "Bossa". CD

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". Lots of bonus tracks – including "Fragments", "Windows", "Samba Yantra", "I Don't Know", "Gemini", and "Bossa". CD

Great later work from Sonny Criss – very much in the format of his late 60s work for Prestige, but with an approach that's perhaps a bit more open-ended overall! The vibe here is laidback and soulful – Sonny blowing alto sax in that wonderful, all-his-own sort of tone – a sound that's almost tenor-like in phrasing, but with a crisp alto quality that's completely sublime! The group's a batch of familiar associates, all of whom lay back wonderfully in the rhythms – Dolo Coker on piano, Larry Gales on bass, and Jimmie Smith on drums. There's a solidness here that few other players can match – and titles include the original numbers "The Dreamer" and "The First One" – plus "El Tiante", "All The Things You Are", and "Out Of Nowhere". CD

One of the most striking, experimental albums we've ever heard from pianist Harold Danko – a quality that's maybe hinted at with the cover's image of Danko messing around inside the piano! The record's a trio date, but not with the usual format – as the group features Rich Perry on tenor and Kirk Knuffke on cornet – both players who are loose and very open – working with Harold's lead in a mixture of structure and improvisation based on all these moody tones and colors! All tracks are original compositions by the pianist, and the album's a masterpiece of tone, timing, and sympathetic understanding. Titles include "Envisage", "Address Unknown", "Nevele", "Vernal Eternal", "Earth Dance", "Spring Winds", and "No Escape". CD

Miles Davis' first-ever performance in Japan – a really unique concert that featured the quintet with Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – augmented by a young Sam Rivers on tenor! The presence of Rivers really gives the set an edge – and although Miles is holding Sam a bit more in check than on some of his "new thing" albums from the time, there's an overall quality here that's different than the other Davis quintet albums of the time. The set was one of a number of important Miles Davis live sessions from the period – including albums from Berlin, Antibes, and Chicago – and titles include "If I Were A Bell", "My Funny Valentine", "So What", "Walkin'" and "All Of You". CD

Miles Smiles, but his grin is a wry one – given the angular energy of the set! The album's a landmark effort from the mid 60s quintet that includes Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – all of whom work without fail to capture Davis' newly emerging approach to jazz – a style that's touched with some of the light lyricism of the late 50s, but which has much sharper edges overall – and really approaches some of the best "new thing" modes that were going down at labels like Blue Note or Impulse! Many tunes have a subtly spare quality, but nonetheless work with a tremendous amount of power – and titles include a classic version of "Freedom Jazz Dance", a haunting take on Shorter's "Footprints", and the titles "Orbits", "Circle", "Dolores", and "Gingerbread Boy". CD

An amazing piece of work from Angel Bat Dawid – music that's light years ahead from her recordings of just a few years back – and that's really saying a lot, given the strength of that material! The album features music from a large stage performance put together by Angel – partly inspired by the legendary film The Cry Of Jazz – done by director Edward Bland at the end of the 50s, with music by Sun Ra, and groundbreaking testament on the nature of jazz and black expression in America. The film has been a touchstone for us for decades – yet somehow, Angel finds a way to to channel all its power and explode its meaning and message into something even more powerful – directing a larger group of musicians and singers with a stunningly majestic quality – one that is sure to elevate Dawid into the upper reaches of jazz for years to come. An instant masterpiece, and a record that will become a touchstone for both jazz and contemporary music in general – with titles that include "Introit", "Dias Ire", "Rex Tremendae", "Recordare", "Confutatis", "Lacrimosa", "Kyrie Eleison", "Agnus Dei", and "Lux Aeterna". CD

One of the best-ever albums from Italian drummer Tullio De Piscopo – a very spiritual set that draws a heck of a lot from work on the session by tenorist Larry Nocella – who's tremendous throughout, and may well deliver one of his best performances on record! Tullio is nice and loose, and very open – different than on some other records, and really moving in sympathy with the bass of Lucio Terzano and piano of Luigi Benefede, in lines that are warm, lyrical, and often modal – a quality that's augmented by the guitar work of Giorgio Cocilovo, and which really seems to have Nocella finding a whole new range in his music! Luis Agudo is a special guest on the set, adding lots of additional percussion to the proceedings – and titles include "Barbara", "La Mia Natura", "Scetete/Garrison My Dear", "Say It", and "For Larry". CD

Amazing avant garde material from Dolphy – and never issued before in any form! The concert was recorded in 1963 at the University of Illinois, and it features some of the most "out" playing we've ever heard from Dolphy. He's backed by a trio comprised of Herbie Hancock, Eddie Khan, and JC Moses – and the main solos are on flute, alto, and bass clarinet, which Dolphy plays to amazing effect! 6 tracks feature the core quartet playing alone with Dolphy, and a 7th features backing by a larger group comprised of University Of Illinois students, including a very young Cecil Bridgewater! This is definitely the kind of lost material we're happy to see unearthed – and it's packaged and notated with the usual high Blue Note level of quality. Titles include "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", "South Street Exit", "Iron Man", "Red Planet", and "GW". CD

Some of the most striking Eric Dolphy work we've ever heard – a set of live performances from the years 1962 and 1963 that feature Dolphy in a free-thinking mode that surpasses even the modernism of his classic studio sides! The recordings feature Dolphy amidst a variety of players – including a number of unlikely suspects like Barry Galbraith, Eddie Costa, and Jim Hall – and although some of the tracks have a moody and introspective third stream quality (3 of the numbers are written by Gunther Schuller), others are quite open, and almost have an ESP-like intensity. One longer title is a jam session take on Charlie Parker's "Donna Lee" – recorded with a lineup that includes Phil Woods, Nick Travis, Benny Golson, Don Ellis, and Lalo Schifrin! Other titles include "Iron Man", "Half Note Triplets", "Densities", and "Night Music". CD

Really wonderful early work from pianist Berndt Egerbladh – a player who's gotten a lot more global attention in recent years, but who sounds especially great on this rare date from the 60s! The album's a masterful showcase for Berndt's warm, fluid approach on the keys of the piano – a style that's really quite unique for the time, and a very strong precursor to modes that wouldn't show up that strongly on other scenes until the following decade. There's a really mature sound to the record, but one that never tries to hard to be "new", nor pushes its own sense of specialness too strongly. Instead, Berndt manages to stretch out spaciously, but in an understated way – a beautiful balance of color and sound that gives the record a really timeless quality. Bass is by Bjorn Alke, drums by Sten Oberg – and titles include "Mr Idrees", "Eva", "Sarek", "Monique", "Schizo", and "Days Of Wine & Roses". CD

A nicely understated session that was recorded in honor of Billy Strayhorn – who'd passed away a few months before the recording. The set features all classic Strayhorn compositions – played in new versions by Duke and a group that includes Clark Terry, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Aaron Bell, and Jimmy Hamilton. The recording quality is great, and the sound of the album really makes old classics sparkle nicely once again! Titles include "UMMG", "Blood Count", "Boo Dah", "Rain Check", "Day Dream", "All Day Long", and "Lotus Blossom", done in a haunting solo piano version by Duke!. Includes the bonus tracks "Raincheck (take 4)", Smada (takes 3 & 4)", "Midriff", "My Little Brown Book" & "Lotus Blossom (trio version)'. CD

Duke Ellington classics from 2 different decades! Blue Light is subtitled "jazz for that relaxed mood", but is actually a great compilation of early work by Ellington's group – recorded for Columbia during the years 1934 to 1939! Somehow, the tracks still end up sounding 30 years ahead of their time – far stronger than most other big band work of the early 50s – which is when the album was released. Recording quality is excellent, and the whole thing's awash in richly chromatic waves of sound – with titles that include "Pyramid", "Reminiscing In Tempo", "Tough Truckin", "No Greater Love", and "Finesse". Hi Fi Ellington Uptown is one of Duke's best mid 50s sides for Columbia – a strong recording that revisits many of the best elements of his earlier work, and offers up some more sophisticated scoring for the 50s! Players include Billy Strayhorn, Paul Gonsalves, Clark Terry, Ray Nance, Juan Tizol, and Louis Bellson – and the record features long versions of "The Mooche", "Perdido", "Controversial Suite", and "Skin Deep" – plus a 13 minute reading of "A Tone Parallel To Harlem (aka The Harlem Suite)". CD

Don't let the title put you off, because this certainly isn't a session of background music – and the name simply refers to the fact that the arrangements on the set really showcase the strong horn work of the Ellington orchestra! Duke's still on piano for the session, but the real strength of the album's carried by classic Ellington players that include Ray Nance, Willie Cook, Johnny Hodges, Jimmy Hamilton, Harry Carney, and Lawrence Brown. Arrangements are by Bill Mathieu and Gerald Wilson – and although many of the tunes are older Ellington numbers, they've got a tight groove (and excellent recording quality) – which updates the material nicely. Titles include "Midriff", "Main Stem", "Happy Go Lucky Local", "What Am I Here For", "Kinda Dukish", and "Perdido". CD

Don't let the title put you off, because this certainly isn't a session of background music – and the name simply refers to the fact that the arrangements on the set really showcase the strong horn work of the Ellington orchestra! Duke's still on piano for the session, but the real strength of the album's carried by classic Ellington players that include Ray Nance, Willie Cook, Johnny Hodges, Jimmy Hamilton, Harry Carney, and Lawrence Brown. Arrangements are by Bill Mathieu and Gerald Wilson – and although many of the tunes are older Ellington numbers, they've got a tight groove (and excellent recording quality) – which updates the material nicely. Titles include "Midriff", "Main Stem", "Happy Go Lucky Local", "What Am I Here For", "Kinda Dukish", and "Perdido". CD features 5 bonus tracks – "Lullaby Of Birdland" (in 2 versions), "The Wailer", "Dreamy Sort Of Thing", and "Harlem Air Shaft". CD

2 wonderful late 50s sessions from arranger Gil Evans – both of which we'd rank right up there with his best work with Miles Davis, or the albums under his own name for Impulse in the 60s! The first half of the CD is from the album New Bottle Old Wine – a record of swinging modern backdrops, used to showcase both the solo talents of a young Cannonball Adderley, and the dynamic energy of Evans himself! Cannon's sharp-edged early tone is a really great sound for the record – far more modern than you might expect from later funk and soul sides of the 60s – and perfectly poised next to Gil's larger back drops to reignite a host of older tunes with new energy! And while the titles are familiar, the readings certainly are not – as the Evans pen has really changed things up beautifully – as you'll hear on numbers that include "St Louis Blues", "King Porter Stomp", "Willow Tree", "Struttin' With Some Barbeque", "Lester Leaps In", "Round About Midnight", "Manteca", and "Bird Feathers". Great Jazz Standards is equally great, a fantastic lost set from Evans – and one that features Mingus trumpeter Johnny Coles as the lead soloist in front of Evans-led modern groups that include players like Elvin Jones, Ray Crawford, Steve Lacy, Budd Johnson, Rod Levitt, and Chuck Wayne. Despite the "standards" in the title, most of these numbers are modern tunes from the 50s – like "Joy Spring", "Ballad Of The Sad Young Men", "Django", "Straight No Chaser", and "Chant Of The Weed" – all given Evans' unique style of arrangement, tweaked up a few notches to give them a really edgey quality. Coles is clearly standing in for Miles here, but the format works well overall! CD features 15 tracks in all, including some newly-improved versions of a few tracks, correcting mistakes in the original records! CD

One of the greatest Art Farmer recordings of the 70s – an especially sharp-edged performance, thanks to the presence of Clifford Jordan in the group! The album was recorded live at Boomer's nightclub in New York – and all tracks have a long-flowing, open ended quality – a bit like some of the work that Jordan was recording under his own name at the time, but touches with more of Farmer's warmth. The lineup includes a Jordan's familiar musical trio of Cedar Walton on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – all of whom sparkle nicely in this setting – and titles include "Will You Still Be Mine", "I Remember Clifford", "Barbados", and "Round Midnight". CD

One of the greatest Art Farmer recordings of the 70s – an especially sharp-edged performance, thanks to the presence of Clifford Jordan in the group! The album was recorded live at Boomer's nightclub in New York – and all tracks have a long-flowing, open ended quality – a bit like some of the work that Jordan was recording under his own name at the time, but touches with more of Farmer's warmth. The lineup includes a Jordan's familiar musical trio of Cedar Walton on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – all of whom sparkle nicely in this setting – and titles include "Fantasy In D", "Manha De Carnaval", "Blues For Amos", and "What's New". CD

An amazingly beautiful set of tracks from Art Farmer – playing here with superb accompaniment from a young Harold Mabern on piano, in a laidback quartet format that really lets Art open up! Art's playing is fresh and creative throughout – never too over the top, and always blown with that subtle genius that he was bringing to his work in the 60s – a pure exercise in understatement, with a quality that seems to make the notes fall out of the air by themselves. Rhythm is by Tommy Williams on bass and Roy McCurdy on drums – and the choice of material includes Tom McIntosh's great composition "The Day After", plus Art's "Punsu" and "Kayin" – and versions of "Change Partners", "Blue Room", and "Nobody's Heart". 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

A fantastic record from vibist David Friedman – spare, hip, modern, and very moody! Friedman's playing vibes and marimba alongside David Samuels, who plays the same – and this twin-vibes approach sounds fantastic – especially as the record has no drums, just additional bass, plus flute by Hubert Laws – a very loose, open style that comes across with a completely unique sound! The approach is super-dope for any fan of laidback 70s vibes – and the tracks are never too free or way out, just gliding with this airy quality that's really wonderful – one of the best demonstrations of Friedman's great talents on record. Titles include "Truce", "Nyack", "Brite Piece", "Island", and "Saraband". CD

Two rare albums from this great pianist – back to back on a single CD! First up is Jazz Argentino – key work from Ruben Lopez Furst, a wonderful pianist from the Argentine scene of the 60s – heard here on one of his greatest albums ever! Despite the local placement in the title, the set's got a really universal appeal – a quality that easily puts Baby Lopez Furst in the company of Bill Evans, Hampton Hawes, or a rare few imaginative pianists from up north! Furst's sense of color and timing are wonderful – ringing out fluidly, yet always with a sense of surprise that keeps us hanging on each new note – nothing that's ever hokey or heard-before – handled here with a vibrancy that's simply stunning. Many numbers are trio tracks, but the set also features guest trumpet and tenor on two tracks – and titles include "Israel", "Un Abajea Duriente", "Los Viejos", "Al Este Del Sol", "Sometime Ago", and "Cartas De Amor". Next is Jazz En La Universidad – one of the real highlights of the Argentine jazz scene of the 60s – a seminal album from pianist Ruben "Baby" Lopez – easily one of that country's greatest jazz musicians in the decade! Ruben's got a sound that opens up with the lyrical sense of space and tone first introduced by Bill Evans, but he's also more note-full at other moments – playing with a command of the piano that would have made him huge, had he recorded on the American or European scenes of the time! There's a warm balance between his instrument, the bass of Jorge Gonzalez, and drums of Nestor Astratta – one that goes past conventional piano trio modes, and which really reminds us of our favorite Saba/MPS sessions of the period. Titles include "Un Poco Alegre", "Hombre Amaestrado", "En Tu Dulce Modo", "Hermosoa Amor", and "Necesitare Alguien Mas". CD

A real lost treasure from the legendary Michael Garrick – a set that stands strongly with all of his classic albums of the late 60s, but which is issued here for the first time ever! As the title implies, the recording is a bit of a prelude to the Heart Is A Lotus album – as it shares a few compositions and a few group members with that wonderful set – but the overall feel is different, too – in that the album's all instrumental, and stretches out with really wonderful solos over modal rhythms – a bit more like some of Garrick's mid 60s recordings! Michael himself plays piano, harpsichord, and celeste – and the album features sublime solos from Don Rendell on soprano sax, alto, and flute, plus trumpet from Ian Carr – over wonderful rhythms from Coleridge Goode on bass and Trevor Tomkins on drums and percussion. This is hardly demo material at all – as the recording quality is totally top-shelf – and beautifully remastered here. Titles include "Song By The Sea", "Temple Dancer", "Sweet & Sugary Candy", "Heart Is A Lotus", and "Little Girl". CD

A gem of a record – easily one of Herb Geller's best! There's a bite to the record we really love – a quality in Geller's tone that really blows us away – and which has had us going back and re-evaluating his career after hearing this set. Part of the strength is the setting – a nicely dark vibe, typical to some of the other Jubilee jazz sessions of the time – played by a lineup that includes Kenny Dorham on trumpet, Harold Land on tenor, Lou Levy on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Lawrence Marable on bass – an ensemble that have a fuller punch than some of Geller's other groups in the 60s. The track's are easily grooving hardbop numbers – nearly all originals, and handled with a style that's much more New York oriented than you'd expect from Geller's west coast roots. Titles include "S'Pacific View", "The Fruit", "Marable Eyes", "Melrose & Sam", and "An Air For The Heir". CD

A lovely later recording from Stan Getz – very spare and spacious, and recorded with a casual approach that's quite striking, and really fresh! The album features Stan playing alongside pianist Albert Dailey – with no other rhythm accompaniment, just piano and tenor sax. The tunes are mostly familiar numbers, played in a relaxed, improvised mode that makes the whole thing feel like you're getting a lucky glimpse of Stan and Albert playing together in an after hours session or rehearsal. There's a bit of roughness in the recording, but given the depth of soul and color from both players, that quality also emerges as an honest humanity that only serves to make the recording more compelling! Titles include "Tune Up", "A Child Is Born", "Confirmation", "Round Midnight", and "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most". CD

British tenorist Binker Golding has always been a compelling musician, no matter what the setting – maybe best known for his sharp-edged duo with drummer Moses Boyd – but here really stepping out with a fresh voice that's unlike anything we've heard from him before! There's a warmth, and maybe even a sense of optimism to the music here – a really different quality, but also not one that's too soft, commercial, or anything negative – just a rising up of a voice that Golding really seems to have tapped into with this group! Part of the record's strength is the work of Billy Adamson on guitars, both electric and acoustic – the latter of which really shape the sound in different ways – in a lineup that also features great piano from Sarah Tandy, excellent bass from Daniel Casimir, and drums from Sam Jones. Titles include "Wide Open Lows", "My Two Dads", "Til My Heart Stops", "All Out Of Fairy Tales", and "With What I Know Now". CD

A beautiful little session from one of the greatest guitarists ever! The album's part of Blue Note's tendency to "churchify" Grant Green on some albums – giving his guitar a gospelly groove that has some nicely soulful connotations – but it's also a record that's maybe the strongest of that bunch, as it's got this approach that's loose and open – and which has this fantastic flow that's aided by the piano of Kenny Drew! Drew is the equal star on this set – and the longer tunes on the record really allow for plenty of open solo space – and the whole thing shines with Drew's piano matching lines with Green's strung-out single-note solos. The groove is pretty hard, and the recording quality keeps the whole thing nice and lively – thanks also to work from Ben Tucker on bass and Ben Dixon on drums. Titles include "Sunday Mornin", "Come Sunrise", "Exodus", and "Freedom March". CD

A beautiful little session from one of the greatest guitarists ever! The album's part of Blue Note's tendency to "churchify" Grant Green on some albums – giving his guitar a gospelly groove that has some nicely soulful connotations – but it's also a record that's maybe the strongest of that bunch, as it's got this approach that's loose and open – and which has this fantastic flow that's aided by the piano of Kenny Drew! Drew is the equal star on this set – and the longer tunes on the record really allow for plenty of open solo space – and the whole thing shines with Drew's piano matching lines with Green's strung-out single-note solos. The groove is pretty hard, and the recording quality keeps the whole thing nice and lively – thanks also to work from Ben Tucker on bass and Ben Dixon on drums. Titles include "Sunday Mornin", "Come Sunrise", "Exodus", and "Freedom March". CD features the bonus track "Tracin Tracey". CD

Tenorist Steve Grossman's a hell of a player in so many different settings – but we're especially fond of the mid 80s stretch in which he made this record – a time when Steve had learned from all of his bolder, more dynamic moments of the 70s – and was able to fold them back into some soulful, old school tenor work that's really amazing! Case in point is this cooker – a record with the simple, subtle title of Standards – and which features Grossman making his way through a host of familiar tunes – yet at a level that's really breathtaking – a classic sense of individual phrasing and interpretation – beholden to none, and maybe all the more revolutionary in the way it's never trying to overstate its own existence. Yet that quality is also what makes it even more exciting – maybe more so than some of Steve's more experimental sessions – and Grossman holds us rapt throughout, in a quartet that also features Fred Henke on piano, Walter Booker on bass, and Masahiro Yoshida on drums. Titles include "Time Was", "Just In Time", "Autumn Leaves", "Half Nelson", "Easy Living", and "When I Fall In Love". CD

Scott Hamilton's first two albums in one great package! Good Wind is the great opening statement from tenorist Scott Hamilton – a young player who emerged in the late 70s, but one with a definite old school sound! Scott blows here with a wind that's plenty good – very deep-toned, and with a raspy, honest quality that almost takes us back to Ben Webster in the 50s – quite a surprise for the Concord Records sound. The record's got a very well-matched group, too – Nat Pierce on piano, Monty Budwig on bass, Bill Berry on trumpet, and Jake Hanna on drums – all of whom give Hamilton's tenor plenty of space to dominate the session. Titles include "Stuffy", "Indiana", "Blue Room", "Sometimes I'm Happy", "Ill Wind", and "Broadway". Scott Hamilton 2 builds on the same foundation as its predessor, but swaps Berry's trumpet for guitarist Cal Collins. Tracks include "East Of The Sun", "There Is No Greater Love", and the Hamilton original "Blues For The Players". CD

A lyrical masterpiece from the young Herbie Hancock – and a record that's really special for so many different reasons! First, the songs are really long and open – even more so than some of Hancock's other work – with a quality that's balanced between his soul jazz roots, and some of the freer ideas he was exploring with key counterparts of the time! Next, the group features a quartet with Freddie Hubbard on cornet – an instrument he didn't play that often, but which creates a really special sound here – one that's cool and compressed, but still has a sharp bite, too – especially over the inventive rhythms laid down by Ron Carter on bass and Anthony Williams on drums. All players are capable of going out – and have strong "new thing" cred by this point – but they keep it inside all the way through, but with a balanced sense of darkness that's really beautiful. The album features Hancock's classic (and oft-sampled) version of "Cantaloupe Island" – plus "One Finger Snap", "Olioqui Valley", and "The Egg". CD features a bonus alternate of "Oliloqui Valley". CD

The seminal debut of Hatfield & The North – a group that maybe came a bit late in the UK prog scene of the early 70s, but who had a huge influence for decades to come! The quartet are a late transformation of the earlier Canterbury sound – leaner, maybe jazzier, and with a great ear for warm tones and organic elements that help hold the complexity of their music to the surface of the planet. Plus, there's this more open, honest quality to some of the work – especially the vocals – that quality, say, that made Matching Mole so different than Soft Machine. The whole lineup is an all-star affair – Richard Sinclair on bass and vocals, Pip Pyle on drums, Phil Miller on guitars, and Dave Stewart on organ, piano, and tone generator – plus some nice guest sax and flute from Geoff Leigh of Henry Cow, and vocals from Robert Wyatt on one track. Titles include "The Stubbs Effect", "Calyx", "Licks For Ladies", "Bossa Nochance", "Big Jobs No 2", "Lobster In A Cleavage Probe", and "Rifferama". This CD edition includes the bonus tracks "Let's Eat Real Soon", "Fitter Stoke Has A Bath" and "Your Majesty Is Like A Cream Donut". (Rock, Jazz) CD

An expanded, remastered version of this legendary live performance from British tenor giant Tubby Hayes – a 1965 session recorded at the famous Hopbine club, owned by saxophonist Tommy Whittle, who also makes an appearance on two numbers in the set! The recording quality of the CD is quite strong – and Hayes is caught in strong Sonny Rollins-like territory – improvising strongly and creatively over longer selections, never failing to delight with his rich command of the tenor. Most tracks are in the 10 minute and more range – and the group features Tubby as the main soloist with a rhythm section that includes Kenny Powell on piano, Ron Mathewson on bass, and Dick Brennan on drums. Titles include "Night & Day", "It Never Entered My Mind", "I Remember You", "No Blues", "On Green Dolphin Street", "Have You Met Miss Jones", and "What's New". CD

Very hip work from a young Jimmy Heath – a relative newcomer to the scene at this point, but breaking out with a firm conception and tone, exercised strongly here in a set of large group arrangements worked out in collaboration with Tom McIntosh. McIntosh's work in this format is well known from albums by Dizzy and James Moody – and as with those records, this one has an edgey quality that really keeps the music fresh, and which provides a good foil for solos by Heath, McIntosh, Pat Patrick, and Cannonball Adderley. Titles include "Big P", "Mona's Mood", "Nails", and "The Picture Of Heath". CD

Very hip work from a young Jimmy Heath – a relative newcomer to the scene at this point, but breaking out with a firm conception and tone, exercised strongly here in a set of large group arrangements worked out in collaboration with Tom McIntosh. McIntosh's work in this format is well known from albums by Dizzy and James Moody – and as with those records, this one has an edgey quality that really keeps the music fresh, and which provides a good foil for solos by Heath, McIntosh, Pat Patrick, and Cannonball Adderley. Titles include "Big P", "Mona's Mood", "Nails", and "The Picture Of Heath". CD features the bonus track "Nails", in an alternate take! CD

The start of a legend – a huge amount of material that introduced the world to the tenor genius of the young Joe Henderson – recorded over the space of a few short years, on records that feature Joe as both the leader and a sideman on some of the hippest Blue Note records of the time! Henderson was amazing right at the start – able to play a soulful hardbop lead at one moment, then slide into edgier modern territory the next – a quality that made him a key artist to work with some of the other strong Blue Note innovators of the period – as you'll hear in this overstuffed set! The set features a total of 47 gems – including some alternate takes – all wrapped up with the usual top-shelf Mosaic Records booklet of notes, photos, and other key details on the material. Includes the full albums Page One, Our Thing, In N Out, Mode For Joe, and Inner Urge – all recorded under the leadership of Joe Henderson – plus tracks from the albums Unity by Larry Young, The Kicker by Bobby Hutcherson, Little Johnny C by Johnny Coles, and Step Lightly by Blue Mitchell – and the full Kenny Dorham albums Una Mas and Trompeta Toccatta, both of which are essential in Henderson's career! CD

Pianist John Hicks at his lyrical best – stretching out here on really lovely, long tracks that were recorded in Tokyo with a really superb sound! There's an undercurrent of spiritual energy here that really recalls Hicks' classic 70s album on the Strata East label – and even without bass or drums, he's got this inherently rhythmic quality that's wonderful – and which only seems to encourage the magical flow of ideas from his fingers on the keys! Hicks has sounded great before on record, but this set is definitely a demonstration of the pianist at his best – full of imagination and focused emotion – on titles that include "After The Morning", "What Am I Here For", "Meditation", "Naima", "Talking", "Pensativa", "Steadfast", and "Avotcja". CD

Quite possibly our favorite album ever from pianist Andrew Hill – a really unique outing that features the vibes of Bobby Hutcherson and a rare non-Sun Ra appearance by tenorist John Gilmore! The presence of Hutcherson brings a real "new thing" energy to the album – a feel that's similar to Bobby's classic Dialogue album, of which Hill was such an important part. But the searching tenor of Gilmore also brings a striking new level to the session as well – and his solos open up with a raw, earthy quality that really shades in the album with a great deal of feeling. Gilmore's role here is a bit like that of Joe Henderson on his freer Blue Note material – but his sound still undeniably unique, at a level that really makes us wish he'd recorded more albums like this at the time. The tracks are all originals by Hill, and include the titles "Duplicity", "Black Monday", "The Griots", and "Le Serpent Qui Danse". CD features 2 bonus alternate takes too! CD

A record with a really beautiful title – and a sound that definitely lives up to the "Sailing Ice" on the cover! The music is very much in the best post-Coltrane mode – played by a group led by the great Japanese drummer Motohiko Hino, and featuring Mabumi Yamaguchi on tenor and Yasuaki Shimizu on soprano and tenor – two reed players who really express themselves with a great sense of spirituality, and lots of searching energy throughout. The tracks are mostly originals (save for a version of "Soultrane") – served up in freewheeling modal grooves, and peppered with sharp, soulful solos that search out bold new territory, but which never get too free and sloppy. The set was recorded live, but the recording quality is excellent – and titles include "Sailing Ice", "New Moon", and "Soultrane". CD features bonus tracks "Rio Rome" and "Milky Shade". CD

Art Hirahara is a player who keeps winning us over with each new release – a wonderfully sensitive musician and thoughtful composer, but also one who's got a great way with a soaring, swinging sound as well! Part of that latter quality comes here from the superb accompaniment of Boris Kozlov on bass and Rudy Royston on drums – players who've worked with Hirahara before, and who seem born into his energy with their efforts – rising up as a cohesive whole to bring vision to the album's all original tracks – material penned by Hirahara, with a few by Kozlov as well. Titles include "Ali Blu", "Spider's Dance", "Mia Bella", "Major Waltz", "To The Sky", and "Echo Canyon". CD

A really great live set from alto genius Johnny Hodges – a set that's right up there with some of his best studio albums on Verve at the time! As with those records, Johnny's taking a slight sidestep from the world of Duke Ellington here – working with similar material and familiar players, but also really stretching out on these beautiful solos that focus on his warm, raspy charm on the alto – that quality that made Hodges as important to the sound of mid 50s jazz as Ben Webster or Lester Young on the tenor! The group's a septet, and other players include Lawrence Brown on trombone, Harry Carney on baritone, Al Williams on piano, and Ray Nance on cornet – on titles that include "All Of Me", "Blues For Madeline", "Solitude", "Mood Indigo", "Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me", "Jeep's Blues", "Rockin In Rhythm, and a nice long take on "Perdido". CD

Rare small group work from the great Johnny Hodges – an unissued live set from the start of the 60s, and one that has Johnny working with key Ellington sidemen in a very Ellington-like setting! Solo Hodges could usually take one of two forms – more soulful small group material that has less of the arrangements of his longtime leader, the Duke – and more Ellington-based performances, of which this set is definitely one – as Hodges leads a hip combo with Ray Nance on trumpet, Lawrence Brown on trombone, Harry Carney on baritone, Al Williams on piano, Aaron Bell on bass, and Sam Woodyard on drums. Tunes are almost all numbers by Ellington or Billy Strayhorn, but done in a nice lean style, with key solo performances throughout – and titles include "Rocking In Rhythm", "Jeep Is Jumpin", "Things Ain't What They Used To Be", "Sophisticated Lady", "Mood Indigo", and "Solitude" – plus "Good Queen Bess", "Perdido", and "Autumn Leaves". The sound quality is great – very clear, with a nicely crisp tone on the horn parts, especially Hodges and Carney! CD

A sweet late 70s set from Freddie Hubbard – a slight move away from some of his highly-electric sides of the CTI years, yet one that still has some of the most soulful qualities of that work! Freddie's trumpet has a nicely spacious quality throughout – one that's flowing, and almost glowing at time – cascading along with qualities you might be more likely to hear from Art Farmer on some of the gentler numbers, yet really bursting out with that old Hubbard dynamism on the rest. Other players include Joe Henderson on tenor, Hubert Laws on flute, Kenny Barron on piano and keyboards, Ron Carter on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – and George Benson also guests on guitar on one number too. A good number of the titles are originals, and tracks include "Super Blue", "To Her Ladyship", "Take It To The Ozone", "The Gospel Truth", and "Theme For Kareem". CD also features 3 bonus alternate takes! CD

Long, live, improvised duets between drummer Kim Dae Hwan and trumpeter Choi Sun Bae – the latter of whom also blows a bit of harmonica on the set! Yet mostly, Bae is blowing trumpet – and he's got this earthy, raspy tone that's great – very mouthy at points, then shifted into bolder, more distinct phrasing – a balance that's really great for the work of Hwan on drums – which is sometimes tentative and spacious, sometimes very full on and dynamic! The set features three selections, each of differing lengths – and the recording quality is wonderful, with a great sense of "room" that seems to recreate the spontaneous interaction between the players. CD

A trio of later gems from this legendary South African pianist! Mindif is a great set that features Abdullah Ibrahim's soundtrack music for the 1988 Clair Denis film Chocolat – some of his best group recordings of the 80s! The feel here is a bit more African-styled than usual – even for Ibrahim – with strong use of reeds to inflect the tunes with the right degree of color and tone for their use in the film. The ensemble on the record features Ricky Ford on tenor and soprano, Craig Handy on flute and tenor, Benny Powell on trombone, David Williams on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – and the tracks have a languid groove that recalls some of Dollar Brand's best South African recordings with Kippie Moketsie. Titles include "Earth Bird", "African Market", "Pule", "Star Dance", and "Serenity". African River is one of the great larger group recordings that pianist Abdullah Ibrahim gave us in the 80s – from a moment when he was able to use added horns to really expand that amazing sense of color and rhythm he'd brought to his music on earlier trio recordings! There's a sense of musical vision here that really lives up to Abdullah's majestic look on the cover – a fantastic merging of flute and tenor from John Stubblefield, soprano and alto from Horace Alexander Young, tuba and baritone from Howard Johnson, and trombone from Robin Eubanks – all vibrant horn players who seem to have just about every tone and mood covered with their horns – given this wonderfully warm support from Buster Williams on bass, and Brian Adams on drums. All titles are originals by the leader – and tunes include "Chisa", "Sweet Samba", "Duke 88", "The Wedding", and "Joan Capetown Flower". Yarona is a beautifully sensitive set from Abdullah Ibrahim – recorded live at the Village Vanguard, and with an open, lyrical sound that almost seems to recall some of Bill Evans' magical moments in the venue! Ibrahim's quite a different player, of course – but there's an open, exploratory quality to his music that's a bit unusual here – maybe not as rhythmically based as it is balanced between sound and silence – given very respectful company in the bass of Marcus McLaurine and drums of George Johnson. Titles include "Cherry/Mannenberg", "Duke 88", "African River", "Stardance", "Tuang Guru", "Tintinyana", and "African Marketplace". CD

Warm, well-rounded piano work from the great Masaru Imada – an 80s set, but one that resonates strongly with his classic work for the Three Blind Mice label of the 70s – thanks in part to some superb work on bass from Isoo Fukui – a player whose tones and timing really shape the sound of the album! The recording quality is excellent, and Fukui comes through with this raspy edge at times, and a depth that balances Imada's sparkling work on the keys of the piano – all held in place by nicely subtle work on drums from Tatsujiro Obara. Titles include "Blue Eyes", "Samba Domingo", "Round Midnight", "Stella By Starlight", and "Poppy". CD

One of those really special piano albums from the Japanese jazz scene of the 70s – a record that's overflowing with new ideas and imagination, all captured with a really wonderful ear for sound as well! Masaru Imada plays a Bosendorfer grand, which has a really resonant quality, even when he's swinging hard – which he definitely does at many points, thanks to work from Kunimitsu on bass, Tetsujiro Obara on drums, and Yuji Imamura on percussion – which really adds a lot at some of the best moments! The tunes are all originals by Imada – filled with feeling, but never in a hokey way at all – and titles include the 17 minute "Sea's Pasture", plus "Blue Road", "Planets", "Epilogue", and "A Marionette". CD

Pianist Ethan Iverson seems to be using his time at the Blue Note label to open up whole new pathways in his sound – recasting his trio performance in ways that have an inherently rhythmic quality, while also really letting loose with some lyrical flights on the keys – a balance that's a bit hard to describe in words, but which really comes through in the music! The set features two different trios – one with Thomas Morgan on bass and Kush Abadey on drums, the other with Simon Wilson on bass, and Vinnie Sperrazza on the kit – and on one track, Rob Schwimmer adds in a bit of theremin. Titles include "Victory Is Assured", "Who Are You Really", "The Chicago Style", "It's Fine To Decline", "Killing Me Softly", and "The Feeling Is Mutual" – plus the "Piano Sonata" suite. CD

A soundtrack project from tenorist Javon Jackson, and one that may well be our favorite album from him in years – as it really lets Javon explore all these different sounds, shapes, and styles – while still working with a small combo that makes for a very unified vibe on the entire record! The set mixes a few non-soundtrack titles with the shorter numbers from the film, really expanding the palette – and overall, things have this soulful, swinging quality that almost reminds us of the spirit of some of the soundtrack material by Bill Lee from many years back – equally evocative, lyrical, and well-performed – by a quintet that features Gregg Glassman on trumpet, Jeremy Mansaia on piano, David Williams on bass, and either Charles Gold or McClenty Hunter on drums. Titles include "The Game", "Brother G", "Never Let Me Go", "In The Studio", "CB", "D Town", "In The Clouds", "On The Move", and "Amy's Theme". CD

An unissued session from pianist David Janeway, done at a time when he was really hitting his stride – moving across the keys of the piano with this intuitive sense of feeling that makes for a very special record! The quality is a bit hard to describe, but if you've heard other Janeway sessions from the 90s, you'll know what we mean – a lyrical swing that's never sleepy or sloppy, and which always seems to sparkle with these fresh combinations of notes, yet never in a way that's trying too hard, or seems forced! The rhythm work of Harvie S on bass and Steve Johns on drums is a perfect complement to Janeway's piano – and on one track, they're joined by Pete Yellin on alto, for a great reading of "Invitation". Other titles include "Last Embrace", "Very Early", "Interchange", "Who Cares", "Return", and "Yours Is My Heart Alone". CD

Bold, beautiful music from the Jazz Tribe of Bobby Watson and Ray Mantilla – proof that the partnership first forged years back can still be the source of some wonderfully soulful music! The album's one of the best we've heard from Bobby in years – almost a return to the simple, expressive quality of his albums as a leader back in the 80s! Part of the album's strength is the bass work of Curtis Lundy, whose presence on a record always seems to add something special – and other group members are great too, and include Jack Walrath on trumpet, Xavier Davis on piano, and Victor Lewis on drums – all nice and tight, yet never uptight, next to the alto sax of Watson and percussion of Mantilla. Tracks include many originals by the group – with titles that include "Pecado Primero", "Hello Albert", "Gesualdo's Tango", "Everlasting", "Eeeyyeess", "El Color De Mi Rythmo", and "Temples Of Gold". CD

One of the most fantastic records we've heard from bassist Marc Johnson in years – a wonderful solo set that not only furthers Johnson's legacy as a musician, but also ties it to the larger ECM Records tradition – but without having Marc just swim in the same waters as his labelmates! Johnson's bass sounds very different here – a sense of tone that's very low and moody – which is obvious, for a bass, but with a very particular quality that sets the record apart from other efforts of this nature – as does some of the material on the set, which features a few well-chosen remakes that link Johnson's experiments with a longer history of jazz. These include versions of "Love Theme From Spartacus", "Nardis", and "Freedom Jazz Dance" – alongside other tunes that include "Yin & Yang", "Samurai Fly", "Life Of Pai", and "And Strike Each Tuneful String". CD

A brilliant set from Japanese pianist Masabumi Kikuchi – two long, leaping, loping tracks that almost feel like some of McCoy Tyner's best work! Kikuchi plays acoustic piano, and the group's a quartet with Terumasu Hino on trumpet, Koshuke Mine on tenor, Eric Gravatt on drums, and Juni Booth playing some really wonderful bass. Booth's bass leads the tracks with a soulful quality that you don't always hear on Kikuchi's other work – really giving the record a strongly-rooted vibe, while the musicians are still free to really open up and explore. The album's tracks, "East Wind" and "Green Dance", are both excellent examples of the soulful freedoms allowed in the Japanese scene of the 70s – side-long numbers that are different both from contemporary performances on both the US and European scenes of the period. CD

Despite the fact that the title's "Introducing Roland Kirk", it's not actually Kirk's first album – but it is a heck of a smoker with a very unusual sound! The session features Roland with a Chicago group that includes Ira Sullivan on trumpet, Don Garrett on bass, and Ron Burton on both piano and organ – the latter of which gives Kirk's playing a very different feel than usual – a bit more soul jazz and gutbuckety than on the later Mercury recordings. In fact, given Roland's use of many different reed instruments (tenor, manzello, stritch, and whistle – all often played at the same time!) – there's almost a Yusef Lateef quality to the album, at last in the style of some of Lateef's more hardbop sides for Prestige at the time. Kirk's tone, as always, is amazing – with that really spacious feel he gets from playing more than one horn at once! Titles include some great originals, like "The Call", "Soul Station", and "Spirit Girl" – plus "Our Waltz" and "Jack The Ripper". CD

Despite the fact that the title's "Introducing Roland Kirk", it's not actually Kirk's first album – but it is a heck of a smoker with a very unusual sound! The session features Roland with a Chicago group that includes Ira Sullivan on trumpet, Don Garrett on bass, and Ron Burton on both piano and organ – the latter of which gives Kirk's playing a very different feel than usual – a bit more soul jazz and gutbuckety than on the later Mercury recordings. In fact, given Roland's use of many different reed instruments (tenor, manzello, stritch, and whistle – all often played at the same time!) – there's almost a Yusef Lateef quality to the album, at last in the style of some of Lateef's more hardbop sides for Prestige at the time. Kirk's tone, as always, is amazing – with that really spacious feel he gets from playing more than one horn at once! Titles include some great originals, like "The Call", "Soul Station", and "Spirit Girl" – plus "Our Waltz" and "Jack The Ripper". CD

Very much the sort of record that's made James Brandon Lewis such a key force on the tenor in recent years – an album that acts as a bridge between so many different modern modes, in part because of the strength of the group! Lewis is one of that rare breed who can improvise on the outside, yet still retain a soulful swing – almost a quality that hearkens back to 60s avant jazz giants – and we can say that same about the rest of the group here, a lineup that features Aruan Ortiz on piano, Brad Jones on bass, and Chad Taylor on drums – the last of whom is especially marvelous in this endeavor! It almost seems as if Lewis gets better and better with each new record – and that's certainly the case here – n titles that include "Black Apollo", "Triptych", "Elan Vital", "Empirical Perception", "Transfiguration", and "Swerve". CD

Cosmic jazzy genius from Bubbha Thomas & The Lightmen – the kind of a record that sounds like it should have come out of Detroit or Chicago in the early 70s – and not the Texas scene from which the group hailed! The Lightmen have a vibe that reminds us a lot of The Pharoahs or some of the Tribe Records collective – a willingness to mix free-thinking jazz expression with tighter grooves and funkier rhythms – stepping out in an instrumental vibe that still has plenty of funky 45 touches, but which also sits nicely alongside the most cosmic work coming out from Impulse at the time! The title cut "Energy Control Center" has an electric spacey quality that reminds us of Sun Ra at his best – and other tunes soar out with a brilliant post-Coltrane sense of freedom evident in work on saxes, flute, and piano. Titles include "Wench", "Cold Bair", "Leo", "Jupiter's Child", and "The Phantom". This amazing expanded version features loads of bonus tracks, unreleased material, singles, and the great spiritual number "All Praises To Allah". CD

A famous album – and for good reason too! The set's something of a landmark in spiritual jazz from the 60s – and it features a classic live performance from Charles Lloyd, recorded at the Monterey Jazz Festival – almost as a distillation and popularization of ideas that were brewing in the music of John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, and others! The group here features a young Keith Jarrett on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – all flowing magnificently with Lloyd's work on tenor and flute – in an open-ended groove that draws on modal rhythms for inspiration, and which features solos that stretch out, but never go "outside"! The classic performances of "Forest Flower" takes up all of side one – with a dreamy drifting quality that has Jarrett at his best – and side two features a version of his "Sorcery", plus McBee's "Song Of Her", and a version of "East Of The Sun". CD

A famous album – but for good reason! The set's something of a landmark in spiritual jazz from the 60s – and it features a classic live performance from Charles Lloyd, recorded at the Monterey Jazz Festival – almost as a distillation and popularization of ideas that were brewing in the music of John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, and others! The group here features a young Keith Jarrett on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – all flowing magnificently with Lloyd's work on tenor and flute – in an open-ended groove that draws on modal rhythms for inspiration, and which features solos that stretch out, but never go "outside"! The classic performances of "Forest Flower" takes up all of side one – with a dreamy drifting quality that has Jarrett at his best – and side two features a version of his "Sorcery", plus McBee's "Song Of Her", and a version of "East Of The Sun". Soundtrack features a similar line-up with Lloyd on tenor and flute, Keith Jarrett on piano, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – adding Ron McClure in place of Cecil McBee on bass. Titles include "Forest Flower 69", "Pre-Dawn", "Sombrero Sam", and "Voice In The Night". CD

A straight street, but a great street – as Harold Mabern returns to full force in this lovely set of trio tracks! The set's one of the best of any of Mabern's early 90s sessions for DIW Records – a very strong outing with Ron Carter on bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums – served up with a no-nonsense approach to the music that has Harold spinning off lyrical lines at his soulful best. The recording quality brings out some nice round tones in Mabern's piano – and titles include "Seminole", "To Wane", "Mr Stitt", "Straight Street", "It's You Or No One", and "Crescent". CD

A wonderful set from this mighty ensemble – a record that opens up immediately in a range of complex colors and tones, yet all with a quality that still manages to swing throughout! That balance is part of the real strengths of pianist/arranger David Matthews at this point in his career – able to draw on a few decades' worth of innovation in big band material, yet all without hitting you over the head with it – almost a return to the more organic shifts of sounds you'd get in a 50s arranger like Ralph Burns. The players are all great – and include Randy Brecker and Byron Stripling on trumpet, George Young and Chris Hunter on saxes, and Danny Gottlieb on drums – and titles include "Doxy", "Spanish Blue", "Sir Duke", "One Black Orchid", and a great take on Duke Jordan's "No Problem". CD

Amazing sounds from the legendary Chris McGregor – a rare set of solo piano performances that shows a whole new side of his genius! The music here is still steeped in South African roots, yet has a style that's a bit more personal and intimate than some of Chris' better-known recordings with The Brotherhood Of Breath, or The Blue Notes – as McGregor here has to carry all the weight on his own – and does a tremendous job of spinning out these haunting melodies on piano – usually with a rhythmic pulse that's as compelling as the tune! The style's got echoes of previous Afro-inspired piano jazz from Randy Weston or Dollar Brand – but there's a deftness, and sense of feeling here that's completely McGregor's own – a really compelling quality that holds us rapt in ways that few other solo piano sets might do. This CD brings together lots more material than was on the original LP release – over 70s minutes of music, with tracks that include "Call", "Raincloud", "Umhome", "Mngqusho", "The Bride", "In His Good Time", "Ududu Nombambula", "Kwa Tebugo", and "Green Hymn". CD

Jimmy McGriff picks up a few more keyboards than straight Hammond organ – but that's ok with us, given the great results of the set! The album's got McGriff working on electric piano and clavinet alongside the organ – plus supporting arrangements from Brad Baker, in that fuller, Kudu-styled approach to jazz funk that Groove Merchant used strongly in the mid 70s – a slightly smoother sound than before, but still plenty darn great, and definitely filled with more than enough jazz to keep things real! Pat Rebillot plays some additional keyboards on the album – in that funky style he used well at the time – and there's almost a spacey Fantasy Records quality to some of the best numbers here! Titles include the incredible tripped out break cut "Space Cadet", plus "Love Is My Life", "Sweet Love", "Big Booty Bounce", "Red Beans", and "Cakes Alive". CD

A modernist classic from 60s Blue Note! The album's one of Jackie McLean's greatest from the time – and one of his seminal "new thing" sessions cut with young modernists Grachan Moncur III on trombone and Bobby Hutcherson on vibes – both young players who were really finding the sharper edges of their sound at the time! Three of the four long tracks on the record were written by Moncur, and have a similar approach to his own recordings for Blue Note – moody and introspective, in a style that's as concerned with sound and space as it is jazz and rhythm – and Hutcherson's vibes are beyond compare here, with have a sinister metallic quality that he only used briefly in his early career! The whole record's a gem, and one not to pass up! Titles include "Kahlil The Prophet", "Riff Raff", and "Love & Hate". CD

Two key albums from a young Jackie McLean – both very early entries in the "new thing" mode of the 60s! First up is Let Freedom Ring a record that features a young Jackie McLean at the height of his powers – really stretching out here, but never going too far out – a perfect balance between his modern bop of previous records, and his groundbreaking "new thing" jazz to come! The group is a relatively straight ahead one – with Walter Davis on piano, Herbie Lewis on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – but the tracks are all quite long, and have this really arch sensibility on Jackie's horn – this edge, this cry he didn't have a few years before – easily one of the freshest voices in alto sax at the time, yearning here to break free with new ideas and new modes of expression. The vibe is perfectly balanced – like McLean's classic A Fickle Sonance – and titles include the classic "Melody For Melonae", plus "Rene", "I'll Keep Loving You", and "Omega". Destination Out is a modernist classic from 60s Blue Note! The album's one of Jackie McLean's greatest from the time – and one of his seminal "new thing" sessions cut with young modernists Grachan Moncur III on trombone and Bobby Hutcherson on vibes – both young players who were really finding the sharper edges of their sound at the time! Three of the four long tracks on the record were written by Moncur, and have a similar approach to his own recordings for Blue Note – moody and introspective, in a style that's as concerned with sound and space as it is jazz and rhythm – and Hutcherson's vibes are beyond compare here, with have a sinister metallic quality that he only used briefly in his early career! The whole record's a gem, and one not to pass up! Titles include "Kahlil The Prophet", "Riff Raff", and "Love & Hate". CD

A series of duet and trio pieces recorded live by pianist Misha Mengelberg – in the company of saxophonist Steve Potts, trumpeter Thomas Herberer, tuba player Michel Godard, and percussionist Achim Kremer – all in ways that are often spare, and graced with the strong feeling of each player staking out their individual space! The overall quality of the record is perhaps a bit more academic than some of Mengelberg's other recordings, but the overall result is still quite nice – and Misha's own piano often breaks through some of the too-contemplative moments with a stronger sense of spirit. Performance features 9 titles in all – each numbered versions of "IC Root". CD

Early work from this tremendous Japanese saxophonist – working here on both alto and soprano sax, in styles that are sharply angular, but also quite warm and soulful! Kosuke Mine's got a quality that's a bit like Joe Henderson at the same time – obviously informed by earlier hardbop, but let loose in some bolder lines that snake out with a rich, bold feel that's totally great. His group here features Fender Rhodes from Hideo Ichikawa – possibly further underscoring some of the Henderson electric styles of the set – and other players include Takashi Imai on trombone, Takashi Mizuhashi on bass, and Hiroshi Murakami on drums. The record's got a nice sense of freedom, but is never too far outside – and titles include a version of Joe Henderson's "Isotope", plus the originals "Morningtide", "Dream Eyes", and "Work I". CD