Maybe the funkiest album that guitarist Larry Coryell ever cut – his debut as a leader, and a fuzzy, freaky set that features some massively heavy drums from the great Bernard Purdie! The set's jazz at the core, but has lots of rock elements too – including vocals from Coryell on a few cuts, whose rough-edged style of singing works nicely with the fuzz on his guitar. The whole thing's a really freewheeling trip down that genre-busting road that had opened up in the underground of the late 60s – a path taken away from folk, jazz, rock, and other more mainstream roads – served up with help from Mike Mandel on keyboards, Jim Pepper on flute, and bassists Chuck Rainey, Ron Carter, and Albert Stinson. Titles include the long funky groove called "The Jam with Albert", plus the tracks "Sex", "Beautiful Woman", "Morning Sickness", and "Ah Wuv Ooh". (Nice "naked kids" cover, too – the kind that must have made someone's therapist a lot of money!) LP, Vinyl record album

Wow! An incredible collection of seminal recordings from one of the most important figures in modern music! All of Miles' recordings from the Prestige label in one place, bound up in a well annotated box, and given a complete discography and lots of excellent photos. It's almost too much astounding jazz in one place! The list of sidemen and great LPs is almost too long to go over, but in addition to Miles' remarkable Cookin'/Relaxin'/Walkin'/Workin' sessions, there's all of the material issued as Bags' Groove, with the Modern Jazz Giants and loads more, and some of the stellar accompanists includes John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Charlie Parker, Lee Konitz, Red Garland, Thelonious Monk, Horace Silver, Milt Jackson, Paul Chambers, Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones, and Max Roach, just to name a few. There's far too many tracks to list here, but there's takes of "Blue Room", "Conception", "Compulsion", "Miles Ahead", "Blue Haze", "Airegin", "Bag's Groove", "The Man I Love", "Green Haze", "Dr Jackle", "The Theme", "Trane's Blues", "'Round About Midnight", "Half Nelson", "My Funny Valentine" and loads more! CD

A fantastic Deodato album from 1973! Although this was recorded at the same time as his American releases on CTI, the album has much more of the flavor of his tighter, jazzier, earlier work – with loads of funky keyboards, and lots of shorter tracks that drive along nicely with interplay between electric bass and Brazilian rhythms. The whole thing's a wonderful bit of electric Brazil from the 70s - with a groove that's hard to match by other albums. Some tracks have been issued on the CD Os Catedratecos 73 – but there appear to be other ones here too. Titles include "Skyscrapers", "Flap", "Rudys", "Soccer Game", "The Byrd", "Elizeth", "Boy Meets Girl", "The First Stone", "Cary & Carole", and "Down The Hill". (Brazil, Jazz) CD

A rare Brazilian album from the legendary keyboardist Deodato – recorded right around the same time as his classic CTI albums Prelude and Deodato 2 – but much more obscure! This set's got a similar electric vibe, but is much more compact – with maybe more organ than Rhodes, on tunes that are short, groovy, and very much to the point – graced with the kind of arranging genius that Eumir showed during the bossa nova years, but with a lot more soul and funk elements in the mix! The whole thing's very unique – not like any other Deodato album – and it was partly recorded in New York, with help from Phil Bodner and Romeo Penque on saxes and flute, and trumpet from Marvin Stamm. Titles include "Arranha Ceu" – a remake of his "Skyscrapers" – plus "Puma Branco", "Extremo Norte", "Menina", "O Jogo", "Flap", "Atire A 1a Pedra", and "Carlota E Carolina". (Brazil, Jazz) CD

French vibist Dany Doriz has been making music for many decades – as you can probably guess from the title of this set – and during that time, he's proven to be one of the most versatile musicians on his scene – able to shift between modern and trad jazz modes, hit some Lionel Hampton swinging styles, and even do some sound library material as well! This 3CD set is the first collection we've ever seen to do justice to Dany's long musical legacy – and it brings together a huge amount of work in a variety of settings – a long list of associates here that includes Claude Bolling on piano, Clark Terry on trumpet, Stephane Grappelli on violin, Manu Dibango on saxes, Sacha Distel on guitar, Rhoda Scott on Hammond, and even Lionel Hampton on vibes. Most of Dany's records never made it to our shores back in the day – and the set features lots of early material on CD 1, which runs up to the 90s – then a remaining three decades on the following two CDs – a total of 55 tracks in all, with notes in French and English! CD

Fantastic work – and one of the few albums ever cut as a leader by Ray Draper, a jazz tuba player, with an approach to the instrument that's a lot better than you might think! Draper plays the tuba like the best baritone saxophonists – using the lower registers of the instrument to groove around in tight step with the basslines, but always still managing to swing – a remarkable feat, given the heaviness of the instrument! Draper's talents were quite respected at the time – both by Jackie McLean, who used him on a record, and by John Coltrane, who makes a rare appearance here as a sideman on the set! The mixture of Coltrane's angularity and Draper's bassiness is sublime – and the album's filled with great tracks that have a fresh late 50s modernist hardbop approach. Titles include "Essii"s Dance", "Yesterdays", "Oleo", and "Doxy". LP, Vinyl record album

An underappreciated soul set from George Duke for Epic – his Rendezvous from '84 – an engagement worth keeping! Given the mid 80s release date, you might be expecting a whole lot of programming and drum machine action – there's a bit of it, but this is a really lively set with some great musicianship across the board – and the songs are pretty strong, too. Duke produced, sings and handles an array of instrumentation from keys to synths and programming, with Stanley Clarke, Paulinho Da Costa, Ernie Watts, Oscar Castro Neves and other great players in the mix. Titles include "Got To Get Back To Love", "Take It On", "She Can Wait Forever", "Stay Awhile", "Thinking Of You" (with some nice extended string arrangements), "Secret Rendezvous", and "Ipanema Lady" LP, Vinyl record album

There's nothing little about the talents of Roy Eldridge on the trumpet – as you'll hear in this hip set of tracks from the start of the 50s – material recorded in Paris with help from some great American sidemen! Half the tracks feature Roy's trumpet in a quintet with Zoot Sims on tenor, Dick Hyman on piano, Pierre Michelot on bass, and Ed Shaughnessy on drums – grooving in the relaxed, swing-based style that you'd expect from Eldridge's 50s work on Verve. Roy sings just a bit on the set – scatting alongside the lead vocals from Anita Love on a version of "It Don't Mean A Thing" – and singing a duet with Anita on the R&B-ish "Ain't No Flies On Me". Other tracks include "King David", "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams", and "The Man I Love". Remaining tracks are also from Paris in June of 1950 – and feature Gerry Wiggins on piano, Pierre Michelot on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums – on instrumental tunes that include "Wild Driver", "Easter Parade", "If I Had You", "Nuts", and "Goliath Bounce". LP, Vinyl record album

There's nothing little about the talents of Roy Eldridge on the trumpet – as you'll hear in this hip set of tracks from the start of the 50s – material recorded in Paris with help from some great American sidemen! Half the tracks feature Roy's trumpet in a quintet with Zoot Sims on tenor, Dick Hyman on piano, Pierre Michelot on bass, and Ed Shaughnessy on drums – grooving in the relaxed, swing-based style that you'd expect from Eldridge's 50s work on Verve. Roy sings just a bit on the set – scatting alongside the lead vocals from Anita Love on a version of "It Don't Mean A Thing" – and singing a duet with Anita on the R&B-ish "There Ain't No Flies On Me". Other tracks include "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams", "The Man I Love", "Wild Driver", "Easter Parade", and "Just Fooling". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those records that no home should be without – not only a pivotal album in the growth of bossa nova in the 60s – but a set that also really helped set the career of tenorist Stan Getz on fire! The real credit here might almost go to guitarist Charlie Byrd – as Byrd was a big early proponent of bossa nova rhythms, and had already been experimenting with them on his records of the time – yet also gets a key extra "umph" here in the presence of Stan's tenor – a bold, rich, soulful sound that really helps give the music a lot of direction – in ways that still resonate strongly all these many years later! Getz is completely sublime – a master of tone and timing throughout – and perfectly fit to these tunes. Rhythms are mostly from Byrd's trio, augmented with some extra percussion – and titles include the classic "Desafinado", plus "E Luxo So", "Samba Dees Days", "Samba Triste", "O Pato", "Samba De Uma Nota So", and "Baia". This is the Verve master edition with 20-bit remastering, bonus track, new liner notes, photographs, cover art & more. CD

Sweet KPM funk from the 70s – a set that features the legendary "Big City Suite" from David Gold, plus 20 other groovers from rare KPM sound library albums of the time! Gold's suite is really great – a hip mix of keyboards, wah wah guitar, and strings – all wrapped together warmly in a portrait of a city from a variety of angles, in a variety of moods. The work's almost an update of 50s city-symphony albums, but is put together here with a much hipper 70s soundtrack mode – lots of subtle elements that really keep things interesting! Other tracks offer up a mix of jazz, soundtrack, and sound library funk – hand-picked from KPM classics like Jazzrock, Synthesis, Sounds Of The Times, Trendsetters, and other legendary albums – really packed in here with a huge amount of cuts that are totally great! Titles include "Good Vibrations" and "Trial Of Strength" by Keith Mansfield, "Testing Time" by David Lindup, "Four O'Clock Earthquake" and "Smokey Joe's Dilemma" by John Cameron, "Watchful Eye" by James Clarke, "Sunshine Special" and "Get Ready Get Set Fly" by Alan Hawkshaw, "Open Roads" by Nick Ingman, "Go Getter" by John Cameron, "City Airscape" and "City Police" by David Gold, and "Lap Of Honour" by Clive Hicks. (Sound Library, Jazz) CD

Paul Gonsalves tells it the way it is – but in a hiply swinging sort of way that showcases his rising star as a leader in the 60s! The groove here is freed up from some of the earlier cliches in Gonsalves' work with larger groups – leaving a lot more room for his great sense of tone and timing, and creating some wonderful new rhythms for him to open up on. Bits of Ellingtonia are mixed with groovier 60s rhythms – played by a group that also includes Johnny Hodges on tenor, Ray Nance and Rolf Ericson on trumpet, and Walter Bishop Jr. on piano. Titles include a nice 11 minute long version of "Tell It The Way It Is", plus "Impulsive", "Body & Soul", and "Rapscallion in Rab's Canyon". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite Dexter Gordon sessions for Blue Note – and a unique album that's one of the first to illustrate his growing role in the European jazz scene! The group's a quartet – which let's Dex stand out front with plenty of space for marvelous tenor work – and it features Parisian bassist Pierre Michelot, plus Americans Bud Powell on piano and Kenny Clarke on drums – two players who were already making a bit name for themselves overseas. The album's a perfect link between Gordon's earlier American work and his long string of European sessions to come – and titles include a great take of "Scrapple from the Apple", plus excellent readings of "Stairway to the Stars" and "Night in Tunisia". The format is simple, but the sound is magic – classic Dexter Gordon in a tight Blue Note mode! CD reissue also includes 2 non LP bonus cuts – "Our Love Is Here To Stay" and "Like Someone In Love". CD

One of our favorite Dexter Gordon sessions for Blue Note – and a unique album that's one of the first to illustrate his growing role in the European jazz scene! The group's a quartet – which let's Dex stand out front with plenty of space for marvelous tenor work – and it features Parisian bassist Pierre Michelot, plus Americans Bud Powell on piano and Kenny Clarke on drums – two players who were already making a bit name for themselves overseas. The album's a perfect link between Gordon's earlier American work and his long string of European sessions to come – and titles include a great take of "Scrapple from the Apple", plus excellent readings of "Stairway to the Stars" and "Night in Tunisia". The format is simple, but the sound is magic – classic Dexter Gordon in a tight Blue Note mode! LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite Dexter Gordon sessions for Blue Note – and a unique album that's one of the first to illustrate his growing role in the European jazz scene! The group's a quartet – which let's Dex stand out front with plenty of space for marvelous tenor work – and it features Parisian bassist Pierre Michelot, plus Americans Bud Powell on piano and Kenny Clarke on drums – two players who were already making a bit name for themselves overseas. The album's a perfect link between Gordon's earlier American work and his long string of European sessions to come – and titles include a great take of "Scrapple from the Apple", plus excellent readings of "Stairway to the Stars" and "Night in Tunisia". The format is simple, but the sound is magic – classic Dexter Gordon in a tight Blue Note mode! CD reissue also includes 2 non LP bonus cuts – "Our Love Is Here To Stay" and "Like Someone In Love". This is the newly remastered version, too – with crisp sound and addional notes and photos! CD

Dave Grusin made a few sleepy albums in his day, but this isn't one of them – and instead, it's a sweet funky fusion outing that really sums up some of the best Dave Grusin modes of the 70s! This excellent LP from 1977 really captures the best of the Grusin soundtrack style – heard in the 70s on shows like Barretta, or in films like Three Days of the Condor – mellow fusion with a tightly arranged style – lots of nicely isolated instrumentation, and the kind of spare and spacey grooves that you'd expect from a hip CTI session! Musicians include Grover Washington on saxes, Dave Valentin on flute, Ron Carter on bass, and Steve Gadd himself – plus Grusin on a lot of sweet keyboards – and titles include great cut "Modaji", plus "Heart Is A Lonely Hunter", "Catavento", and "Montage". LP, Vinyl record album

A warmly well-crafted second set from the trio of pianist Kevin Hays, bassist Ben Street, and drummer Billy Hart – one that has an even more cohesive, group-directed vibe than their debut! The setting's a bit different, the group have grown a lot together, and there's a resonance here that's wonderful – with Hays' piano ringing out on all these long, lyrical lines – as Street wraps things together with a sense of flowing spirit – and Billy Hart continues to be a mature master showing that less is often more on the drums! The approach is maybe illustrated perfectly on the group's take on "With A Little Help From My Friends" – which could be a thematic title for the album – but the whole thing's great too, on titles that include "Song For Peace", "Irah", "Throughout", "Butterfly", "Capricorn", and a very fresh take on Milton Nascimento's classic "Bridges". CD

A warmly well-crafted second set from the trio of pianist Kevin Hays, bassist Ben Street, and drummer Billy Hart – one that has an even more cohesive, group-directed vibe than their debut! The setting's a bit different, the group have grown a lot together, and there's a resonance here that's wonderful – with Hays' piano ringing out on all these long, lyrical lines – as Street wraps things together with a sense of flowing spirit – and Billy Hart continues to be a mature master showing that less is often more on the drums! The approach is maybe illustrated perfectly on the group's take on "With A Little Help From My Friends" – which could be a thematic title for the album – but the whole thing's great too, on titles that include "Song For Peace", "Irah", "Throughout", "Butterfly", "Capricorn", and a very fresh take on Milton Nascimento's classic "Bridges". CD

A warmly well-crafted second set from the trio of pianist Kevin Hays, bassist Ben Street, and drummer Billy Hart – one that has an even more cohesive, group-directed vibe than their debut! The setting's a bit different, the group have grown a lot together, and there's a resonance here that's wonderful – with Hays' piano ringing out on all these long, lyrical lines – as Street wraps things together with a sense of flowing spirit – and Billy Hart continues to be a mature master showing that less is often more on the drums! The approach is maybe illustrated perfectly on the group's take on "With A Little Help From My Friends" – which could be a thematic title for the album – but the whole thing's great too, on titles that include "Song For Peace", "Irah", "Throughout", "Butterfly", "Capricorn", and a very fresh take on Milton Nascimento's classic "Bridges". LP, Vinyl record album

You probably know the music – as the record got a lot of press when it came out – but in case you don't, some tracks feature Herbie Hancock and Christian McBride backing Joe up, and others have Eliane Elias and Oscar Castro-Neves. Titles include "Boto", "Felicidade", "Passarim", and "Photograph". CD

Great solo piano work from Abdullah Ibrahim – and a set that's put together a bit differently than some of his other records of this nature! Often, solo Ibrahim sides are quite long and extended – but this time around, most of the tracks are quite short – some around three minutes, some almost only 60 seconds – making for a really fresh approach to the solo piano genre, and one that almost has Abdullah painting these wonderful little pictures in sound! The brevity of the tunes is no reflection of their depth – as Ibrahim really packs a lot into the small space focusing his ideas wonderfully, and moving through some dark themes that really hold us in rapt attention throughout. Titles include "Jabulani", "Mamma", "Bayana Children Of Africa", "In The Evening", "Ocean & The River", "Blue Bolero", "For Coltrane", "Dust", "Tookah", and "Blues For A Hip King". CD

One of the hippest jazz groups going in Czechoslovakia during the 70s – the mighty Jazz Q, a cool fusion combo who really knew how to groove! The group's lineup includes a lot of electric keyboards and guitars – and while some tracks have them jamming out in a really rock-inspired way, there's some other tunes that open up with a great jazzy sound. Side two of the album kicks off with an amazing modal groover called "The Wizard" – a cut that builds and builds on riffs of bass, conga, and keyboards – before soaring into a sweet female lead vocal that sounds like Lani Hall at her best! Other tracks include "Lost Soul", "Starbird", "From Dark To Light", and "Epilog". CD features two bonus tracks – "Mlyn" and "Konstelace". CD

A set that definitely lives up to the poetry promised in its title – with none of the too-clean sounds you might guess from its hand-washing reference either! The album's one of the freest, most organic sessions we've heard from pianist Masabumi Kikuchi – almost improvised at points, but with a poetic cohesion in the piano lines that's really great – kind of an offbeat sense of lyricism that points in the same directions that Steve Kuhn or Keith Jarrett were heading in the late 60s. Drummer Masahiko Togashi plays lots of cool percussion and even a bit of gong – and Gary Peacock's bass here is as great as on any of his other excellent Japanese recordings. Titles include "Dreams", "The Trap", "The Milky Way", "Apple", "Get Magic Again", and "End". CD

A very cool package that contains all of the sides the tenor sax giant King Curtis recorded for Capitol Records! The package is wonderful – 3CDs, wrapped up in a nice big box, with a huge booklet that has notes on the work, great photos, and full details of the sessions. King's tenor was heard on countless soul and R&B records at the time – but these are the sides that really have him blowing strongly on his own – records cut after his initial singles for the Enjoy label, a host of different types of material, all given a deep soulful twist! Titles include "Good Times", "The Prance", "You Send Me", "Watermelon Man", "More Soul", "Soul Serenade", "Turn Em On", "Beach Party", "Tumbling Tumbleweeds", "Do The Monkey", "New Dance", "Summer Dream", "Raunchy", "Wagon Wheels", "Java", "Tanya", "Hung Over", "Girl From Ipanema", "Sister Sadie", and lots lots more! Plus, most of these titles have never been reissued before – and certainly not in a package this nice! (Soul, Jazz) CD

Pretty amazing work from one of the greatest under-rated talents of 50s modern jazz! John LaPorta was a brilliant multi-instrumentalist who's probably best known for his work with Mingus in the mid 50s Jazz Workshop years, and for his earlier sides with Woody Herman – but it's on records under his own name that LaPorta really begins to shine. This great set features 14 tracks that were recorded in the 50s, but never issued before – and 9 more that were from the album Conceptions, issued briefly in the 50s by Fantasy Records. The first 14 tracks form a long suite of jazz-based compositions, handled with a modernist chamber-type approach – and based around some really great solo work on trumpet, baritone, tenor, and bass. The feel is almost like a 50s jazz soundtrack – with lots of moody moments paired with others that break out in a stronger swinging groove. The remaining tracks are equally nice – in a similar style, and showing LaPorta as a composer who could have handled just about any ambitious jazz project of the time. Titles include "Forward Motion", "Jazz Canon", "Images", "Lucidity", "Little Fantasy", "Ferme LaPorta", "En Rapport", and "Triplets You Say". CD

One of Steve Lacy's great late 70s recordings for Hat Hut – a searing live performance that was one of his boldest efforts from the time! The group here are a quintet of familiar players – Steve Potts on alto and soprano sax, Irene Aebi on cello and voice, Kent Carter on bass, and Oliver Johnson on drums – all working together as a tremendously cohesive unit, with a dexterously angular feel on most of the numbers. Titles are all quite long, and with lots of choppy saxophone interplay – and Aebi performs a piece by Brion Gysin on the track "Dreams" 2CD set seems greatly expanded from the original album – and titles include "Raps", "The Way", "The Breath", "Stamps", "Bone", "Life On Its Way", and "Name". CD

A groundbreaking record from flautist Hubert Laws – a mixture of classical themes and jazz, handled with an airy CTI approach – and set to arrangements by Don Sebesky that are simply mindblowing! The album's a wonderful example of the way that CTI really pushed the boundaries of instrumental expression in the 70s – taking Laws wonderfully breathy work on flute, and mixing it with some well-crafted backings that also feature electric piano by Bob James, bass by Ron Carter, and percussion by Airto and Jack DeJohnette. The larger group is handled by Sebesky, who really brings some magic to the record – a sense of sound, space, and timing that's still a heck of a lot more mature and sophisticated than most instrumental recordings coming out today! Titles include "Syrinx", "Rite Of Spring", "Brandenburg Concerto No 3", and "Pavane". LP, Vinyl record album

A jaw-dropper from Terrace Martin – the kind of record that sneaks on the market under everyone's ears, but will no doubt be one of those sets we'll all go back to again and again over the years! Martin's got a beautifully fresh take on funky jazz – steeped somewhat in the classic inspiration of the 70s era, but with a distinctly 21st Century execution – with crispy edges, cosmic currents, and a chunky approach to rhythm that makes the whole thing come across with a really subtle sort of power! The album's overflowing with guests – including Robert Glasper, Thundercat, Kamasai Washington, Keyon Harrold, and Laylah Hathaway – but there's also a core energy that's all Terrace's own, with lots of snakey keyboards that weave these magical tonal patterns in a wonderful way. Brilliant, and completely captivating – with tracks that include "Push", "Curly Martin", "Never Enough", "Turkey Taco", "Tribe Called West", "Think Of You", "Bromalia", and "Valdez Off Crenshaw" – a nice remake of the Donny Hathaway classic "Valdez In The Country". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite albums ever – and every track is a masterpiece! The album was originally cut for the tiny Chiaroscuro label in 1977 – and it's got a sound that's unlike anything else we can think of – soaring, soulful, jazzy, and righteous – wrapped up in a blend that's never been done this perfectly again! James Mason's a player who's know for a bit of keyboard work with other artists – but here, he's really working as a collective power – bringing together a brilliant ensemble that work as one to hit some sublime sounds – much in the way that Roy Ayers could work some key magic with his groups at the same time, but with a vibe that's very different too. Players include Ayers associates Justo Almario on saxes and Philip Woo on piano – and a young Narada Michael Walden adds some excellent drums to the record – a lot more powerful and funky than on most of his own albums! Lead vocals are by Clarice Taylor – who's got this unique voice that really makes the record – proud, but sensitive at the same time too – and Mason plays lots of Fender Rhodes, polymoog, Arp, and a bit of guitar. Titles include the breakbeat classic "Funny Girl", the monster groover "Sweet Power Your Embrace", the funky "Slick City", and the massive "Free" – but every cut's a winner, and others include "Mbewe", "Rhythm Of Life", and "Dreams". This is the kind of album that makes us proud to be in business! LP, Vinyl record album

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

Insane music that's unlike anything else on Blue Note – and unlike anything else we can describe! Gile Melle was a baritone sax player who was heavily involved with the Blue Note label in the early 50's. He recorded four 10" LPs, and one full length album for the label – and he also used his talents as a graphic designer to create many of the label's classic early covers. This amazing 2 CD set brings together all of Melle's recorded output for Blue Note, and the tracks are otherworldly mix of strange instrumentation that includes bass, guitar, baritone, and spooky vocals. The music is sublime and moving, and this short space hardly gives us room to let you know how much it affects us. Hopefully, the titles will give you some sort of a hint – and they include wistful ones like "Four Moons", "Cyclotron", "Mars", "Spellbound", "A Lion Lives Here", and "Weird Valley". A real treat – and a superb packaging job! CD

A searing live set by Charles Mingus – a double-length performance recorded in Antibes during his classic years for Atlantic Records, but not issued by the label until many years later! The album's a great extrapolation of the sound that Mingus had forged on sessions for Columbia, Atlantic, and Candid – the latter label especially, as the tunes here are all quite long, and really put a lot of emphasis on the solo voices of the players in the group. Given that those players include Ted Curson on trumpet, Booker Ervin on tenor, and Eric Dolphy on alto sax, the sound here is proud and loud throughout – with plenty of fire from all three horns! Bud Powell makes a guest appearance on the set – and titles include "Prayer For Passive Resistance", "What Love", "I'll Remember April", "Folk Forms 1", and "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting". CD

A searing live set by Charles Mingus – a double-length performance recorded in Antibes during his classic years for Atlantic Records, but not issued by the label until many years later! The album's a great extrapolation of the sound that Mingus had forged on sessions for Columbia, Atlantic, and Candid – the latter label especially, as the tunes here are all quite long, and really put a lot of emphasis on the solo voices of the players in the group. Given that those players include Ted Curson on trumpet, Booker Ervin on tenor, and Eric Dolphy on alto sax, the sound here is proud and loud throughout – with plenty of fire from all three horns! Bud Powell makes a guest appearance on the set – and titles include "Prayer For Passive Resistance", "What Love", "I'll Remember April", "Folk Forms 1", and "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting". CD

A searing live set by Charles Mingus – a double-length performance recorded in Antibes during his classic years for Atlantic Records, but not issued by the label until many years later! The album's a great extrapolation of the sound that Mingus had forged on sessions for Columbia, Atlantic, and Candid – the latter label especially, as the tunes here are all quite long, and really put a lot of emphasis on the solo voices of the players in the group. Given that those players include Ted Curson on trumpet, Booker Ervin on tenor, and Eric Dolphy on alto sax, the sound here is proud and loud throughout – with plenty of fire from all three horns! Bud Powell makes a guest appearance on the set – and titles include "Prayer For Passive Resistance", "What Love", "I'll Remember April", "Folk Forms 1", and "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting". LP, Vinyl record album

A searing live set by Charles Mingus – a double-length performance recorded in Antibes during his classic years for Atlantic Records, but not issued by the label until many years later! The album's a great extrapolation of the sound that Mingus had forged on sessions for Columbia, Atlantic, and Candid – the latter label especially, as the tunes here are all quite long, and really put a lot of emphasis on the solo voices of the players in the group. Given that those players include Ted Curson on trumpet, Booker Ervin on tenor, and Eric Dolphy on alto sax, the sound here is proud and loud throughout – with plenty of fire from all three horns! Bud Powell makes a guest appearance on the set – and titles include "Prayer For Passive Resistance", "What Love", "I'll Remember April", "Folk Forms 1", and "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting". LP, Vinyl record album

Matt Mitchell on piano, mellotron and synthesizer, Miles Okazaki on electric and acoustic guitars, Patricia Brennan on vibraphone and marimba, Kim Cass on acoustic and electric bass, and Kate Gentile on drums and percussion. CD

One of the deepest records we've ever heard from Nicole Mitchell – and that's saying a lot, given all her other fantastic albums! This richly-textured piece was first commissioned in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the AACM – that legendary jazz organization of which Mitchell is a part – and as a whole, it really demonstrates both the strong legacy of the group, and the farther territory it's reached over its decades-long span – music that has pushed past the initial moment of improvisation, through the AACM's standard of "great black music" as a replacement for classical – to the sorts of spiritual, cosmic sounds that Mitchell does so well. In addition to Nicole on flute and electronics, the group also features Avery R Young on vocals, Kojiro Umezaki on shakuhachi, Renee Baker on violin, Tatsu Aoki on bass and shamisen, Jovia Armstrong on percussion, Tomeka Reid on cello and banjo, and Alex Wing on electric guitar, oud, and theremin – a mix of instruments that is global in scope, electric and acoustic, and really used to effortlessly express the spiritual vision of Mitchell. The notes go into great detail about the thoughts and inspiration behind the music – and titles include "Egoes War", "The Chalice", "Dance Of Many Hands", "Listening Embrace", "Forestwall Timewalk", "Staircase Struggle", "Shiny Divider", "Timewrap", and "Mandorla Island". CD

A massively expanded package of music – filled with previously unreleased gems! The 2CD set features a landmark collaboration between John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk – two generations of jazz modern, working here to create some really incredible music! The core of this material is from the pair's work issued on the amazing Monk's Music album for Riverside – but the expanded collection also features lots of additional work from the same period too – including some unusual and alternate studio moments too! Other players vary from track to track – and include Gigi Gryce on alto sax, Ray Copeland on trumpet, Coleman Hawkins on additional tenor, Wilbur Ware on bass, and Art Blakey on drums. Titles wonderful versions of "Ruby My Dear", "Trinkle Tinkle", "Nutty", "Well You Needn't", "Crepescule With Nellie" and "Monk's Mood" – plus some alternate versions, false starts, and more – all wrapped up with notes and reflections from original producer Orrin Keepnews. CD

Two unusual vocal sessions from Anita O'Day – each with a different jazz star in tow! Anita O'Day & The Three Sounds brings together a great singer and a great trio – a unique Verve outing that has vocalist Anita O'Day joining forces with the Three Sounds combo of pianist Gene Harris! The Three Sounds were always happy to serve as a rhythm combo on dates like this – and they really bring a lot of their own flavor to the record – standing out on a few instrumental selections that highlight their own brief relationship with Verve – but mostly backing Anita with a groove that's tight and always soulful! O'Day's vocals are as confident as Harris' work on the keys – making for a very nice match – and titles include "Fly Me To The Moon", "All Too Soon", "My Ship", and "Whisper Not", which also features a guest solo by Roy Eldridge. Time For Two is a great little meeting of two of the better talents on Verve Records in the early 60s – one that pairs the warm vocals of Anita O'Day with the cool vibes of Cal Tjader – in a sweet little session that's actually one of O'Day's best from the time! The feel here is lively, and slightly Latinesque – as Cal's smal combo features Johnny Rae on drums, and Lonnie Hewitt on piano – both players who are well-tuned towards a more rhythmic approach. Includes a great version of "An Occasional Man", plus the tracks "Mr. Sandman", "I Believe In You", "Peel Me A Grape", and a nice take of "Thanks For The Memory". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

A really well done memorial to the (then) recently-departed Charlie Parker – cut with an unusual lineup that features Cecil Payne on baritone sax, Phil Woods on alto, and Frank Socolow on tenor – all working through long, laidback takes of 4 of Bird's best known compositions! There's a really relaxed feel to the record that's totally great – and the players aren't so much aping the sound of Charlie Parker's work, as they are working in the newer freedoms allows by it – stretching out in freely creative lines that never fail to please, and working here with a rhythm section that includes Duke Jordan on piano, Wendell Marshall on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. The album was recorded live at the Five Spot – and titles include "Parker's Mood", "Steeplechase", "Buzzy", and "Scrapple From The Apple". Great 80s pressing – done on 2LPs – with lots of unissued material! LP, Vinyl record album

Oscar Peterson takes on two famous scores – back to back on a single CD! West Side Story features music from the famous musical – but handled here by the great Oscar Peterson Trio – in ways that really push the tunes past their Broadway roots! The approach is tight, soulful, and filled with strong lines from Peterson on piano – plus bass by Ray Brown and drums from Ed Thigpen – that classic trio from the early 60s that came together in different ways than Oscar's group of the 50s. The set features an especially nice long take on "Jet Song" – plus versions of "Something's Coming", "Somewhere", "Tonight", "Maria", and "I Feel Pretty". Porgy & Bess is less an interpretation of Porgy & Bess than an extrapolation of its themes – one that lets the Peterson trio recraft the music into their own! Given that the Porgy & Bess theme had been explored heavily by many other jazz albums of the late 50s – due to the release of the film at the time – Peterson clearly knows he's got to take a different approach here, and manages to dissect the tunes in really unique ways – bringing in gentleness where it wasn't before, and finding space for new music between notes that are already familiar. Of course, it helps a lot that he's got Ray Brown on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums – as the album's almost a three-pronged melodic attack – with great versions of titles that include "Summertime", "I Got Plenty O Nuttin", "I Wants To Stay Here", "Oh Lawd I'm On My Way", "Bess You Is My Woman Now", and "Bess Oh Where's My Bess". CD

Wonderful work by Oscar Pettiford! Manhattan Jazz Septette is a nice mid 50s effort from– with a sound that ranges from an easy-going, lightly swinging style to full on, dexterous workouts! The arrangements by Manny Alban really allows for a lot of tight grooving from a stellar group – including Herbie Mann on flute and tenor, Barry Galbraith on guitar, Osie Johnson on drums, Urbie Green on trombone, Hal McKusick on alto, and Eddie Costa on piano and vibes! Titles include "King Porter Stomp", "Never Never Land", "Like Listen", "Rapid Transit", the great Herbie Mann showcase "Flute Cocktail", My Shining Hour" and more. CD

Pulled from his Decca, Barclay, and Blue Star sessions – other players include Stephane Grappelli, Pierre Michelot, and Joseph Reinhardt. 16 tracks total. CD

A very dynamic set from bassist Jason Roebke – a set that uses graphic scores to direct improvsations by the members of the quartet, who are a very tightly-matched group of players, very able to deliver on Roebke's musical vision! The lineup features some especially great work on clarinet and saxes from Ed Wilkerson – a player we haven't heard as much of in recent years, but who still has the bright fire and imagination that first made us fall in love with his bold music decades ago – and the group also features lots of dark-tinged piano from Mabel Kwan, a player whose depth offsets Wilkerson's energy beautifully. The group also features Marcus Evans on drums, a player who can shake things up in all the right ways – on titles that include "Pulse & Tone", "Quarter Note Equals Eighty", "Stability & Coda", "Piano Spacer", "Four Spheres", and "Starting & Stopping". CD

A killer – and one of the greatest records ever cut on Bethlehem! Charlie Rouse and Paul Quinichette go head to head in a hard-blown session that's very different than most of the work on Bethlehem – grooving in a free-wheeling "chase" mode, as you might guess from the title – with lots of heavy tenor in the lead, cooking at a level that's more like a Prestige or Savoy session from the 50s! The group's as tight as can be – with some killer drum work from Ed Thigpen, and piano by either Wynton Kelly or Hank Jones. Titles include "The Chase Is On", "You're Cheating Yourself", "Knittin", "Tender Trap", and "When The Blues Come On". CD

A killer – and one of the greatest records ever cut on Bethlehem! Charlie Rouse and Paul Quinichette go head to head in a hard-blown session that's very different than most of the work on Bethlehem – grooving in a free-wheeling "chase" mode, as you might guess from the title – with lots of heavy tenor in the lead, cooking at a level that's more like a Prestige or Savoy session from the 50s! The group's as tight as can be – with some killer drum work from Ed Thigpen, and piano by either Wynton Kelly or Hank Jones. Titles include "The Chase Is On", "You're Cheating Yourself", "Knittin", "Tender Trap", and "When The Blues Come On". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer – and one of the greatest records ever cut on Bethlehem! Charlie Rouse and Paul Quinichette go head to head in a hard-blown session that's very different than most of the work on Bethlehem – grooving in a free-wheeling "chase" mode, as you might guess from the title – with lots of heavy tenor in the lead, cooking at a level that's more like a Prestige or Savoy session from the 50s! The group's as tight as can be – with some killer drum work from Ed Thigpen, and piano by either Wynton Kelly or Hank Jones. Titles include "The Chase Is On", "You're Cheating Yourself", "Knittin", "Tender Trap", and "When The Blues Come On". CD

Maybe the greatest record we've heard so far from drummer Kendrick Scott – and that's saying a lot, given that we really liked his other albums! The set's got Kendrick forging a new way forward on Blue Note – working with an inventive, soulful style that's angular one minute, but warmly fluid the next – wrapped up in these great tones on piano and Fender Rhodes from Taylor Eigsti, who really grabs us with power we don't remember, and is a key member of the set! The album also features nice lines from John Ellis on saxes and bass clarinet, plus Joe Sanders on bass and Michael Moreno on guitar – both artists who shift between broad tonal colors and more rhythmic moments. Lizz Wright sings guest vocals on "This Song In Me" – and other instrumental tracks include "We Are The Drum", "Make Believe", "Synchrony", "Lotus", "Milton", "Touched By An Angel (for Maya)", and "The Long Shadow". CD

Beautiful later work from Woody Shaw – perfectly honed, in the soaring, stretching, soulful exploratory style of his best work in the 70s! The group's a quartet with Mulgrew Miller on piano, Stafford James on bass, Tony Reedus on drums, and Steve Turre joining Woody in the frontline – and the excellent work of the rhythm section provides a lively forum for the soloists to stretch out wonderfully, without going too far, or getting overindulgent and trapped in designs of their own making. The set sparkles with 5 original tunes – Turre's "Lotus Flower", James' "Game", Miller's "Eastern Joy Dance", and "Song Of Songs" and "Rahsan's Run", both by Shaw. CD

The set's billed as a "tribute to Charlie Parker", but it's got a heck of a lot more to offer than that – as the album's one of the best of Archie Shepp's late 70s efforts, and has a gentle soulfulness that goes way beyond just duplicating Bird! The tunes are all numbers associated with Charlie Parker, to be sure – but Archie's working here in a mode that's often less boppish than it is searingly soulful – in that great later Shepp way of hitting the reed of the tenor with a nice degree of "rasp", voicing things with a bit more dirt than Parker ever would have – and eschewing deftly cutting lines for more personally introspective modes. The group features Everett Hollins on trumpet, Siefried Kessler on piano, Bob Cunningham on bass, and Clifford Jarvis on drums – and titles include "Now's The Time", "Lover Man", "Au Privave", and "Parker's Mood" – all in nice long versions. CD

Lonnie Smith revisits some of the key songs of his early years – but does them here in the company of a cool octet – so that the results often come out sounding a heck of a lot different than the originals! Lonnie was a hell of a player right at the start, but in recent years he's developed a depth that we never would have expected – a sense of tone and color, phrasing and phasing, that really pushes him into a whole new level. The work of the larger group here illustrates that quality wonderfully – as the added trumpet, alto, flute, and tenor help give the music a sophisticated edge while still never losing the groove that's always made Smith so great. The Hammond lines are completely sublime – and the set features long versions of "Aw Shucks", "Move Your Hand", "In The Beginning", "Turning Point"," Mama Wailer/Hola Muneca", "Keep Talkin", "Slouchin", "Track Nine", and "Psychedelic Pi". CD

Killer Latin funk from the mid 70s – a totally rare little set, but a masterpiece all the way through! Sol is a combo headed up by keyboardist Joe Gallardo – and they've got a groove that blends together some wonderful elements – including jazz funk, straight Latin, and a bit of Chicano soul – all wrapped up in a warm, west coast sort of vibe that's totally great! In a way, the album almost feels like some lost treasure from Fantasy Records' best funky years – but it's also got a more unique feel overall, and a way of changing up the groove that keeps things fresh throughout. Lead vocals are by Ray Romero, who sings in English, and almost echoes Mark Murphy's style on Muse – and other instrumentation includes guitar, flute, saxes, trumpet, and lots of Latin percussion. Titles include the cut "Maranatha", a very nice groover – plus a version of Ray Barretto's "El Que Se Fue", Stevie Wonder's "Bird Of Beauty", and the original cuts "Sailing", "Patrice", "Someday", and "Squeeze". (Latin, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic early work from flautist Jeremy Steig – a 60s quartet session for Columbia that came several years before the funky style of some of his later work – and a damn great record, with lots of soulful touches! Part of this has to do with the rhythm section of Ben Tucker on bass and Ben Riley on drums – both of whom put a nice kick in the proceedings, and substantially ground and groove the solo work of Steig's flute and Denny Zeitlin's piano. On that note, Steig's and Zeitlin's solos are truly outstanding – more than delivering on the feverish promise of the album's title! Titles include "What Is This Thing Called Love?", "So What", "Willow Weep For Me", "Well, You Needn't", "Blue Seven", "Oleo", and "Lover Man". This excellent CD version from International Phonograph also includes the bonus first take version of "What Is This Thing Called Love?". CD

Way more than just a bop-heavy set – a landmark record that shows a side of the Chicago scene that hardly ever made it on record! In the years after Charlie Parker passed away, tributes to his greatness were a very common thing in local jazz scenes across the US. This is a prime example of that tradition, but way more than that, it's also a killer Chicago jazz session from the old days – featuring trumpeter Ira Sullivan at his best, along with some great local players that include tenorist Nicky Hill, pianist Jodie Christian, and bassist (Raphael) Don Garrett. The music is what you'd expect – loving renditions of Bird standards like "Klacktoveedesesteene" and "Love Letters" – but there's also a lot more going on underneath, and the album's as much a Charlie Parker tribute as it is a batch of bop and soul jazz numbers with a good underground feel. Titles include "Si Si", "Inchworm", "Milestones", "Sketches", "Fly Me To The Moon", and "Shaw Nuff" – and this 2CD reissue adds a heck of a lot more material to the original album – for a total of 15 tracks in all! CD

In the years after Charlie Parker passed away, tributes to his greatness were a very common thing in local jazz scenes across the US. This is a prime example of that tradition, but way more than that, it's also a killer Chicago jazz session from the old days – featuring trumpeter Ira Sullivan at his best, along with some great local players that include tenorist Nicky Hill, pianist Jodie Christian, and bassist (Raphael) Don Garrett. The music is what you'd expect – loving renditions of Bird standards like "Klacktoveedesesteene" and "Love Letters" – but there's also a lot more going on underneath, and the album's as much a Charlie Parker tribute as it is a batch of bop and soul jazz numbers with a good underground feel. LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overdue moment of exposure for pianist Horace Tapscott – one of the greatest creative forces in west coast jazz in the 60s, 70s, and 80s – but an artist whose genius was often kept away from the limelight! That hardly seemed to matter to Tapscott, though – as his legacy is tremendous, finally given full exposure by this autobiography, which then paved the way for new presentations of his music in years to come – a surprisingly large legacy of reissues that we wish Horace could have seen in his too-short life! Yet despite that, it's clear that the man himself took a lot of pride in his music – as you'll read in this live story, which documents Tapscott's move to LA as a young child, his creation of the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, and all his many other projects – which were often tied to cultural and political developments in south LA. The book is 272 pages, softcover, and as beautifully written as Tapscott's music! (Books, Jazz) Book

Reedman Joe Thomas is wrapped up here in some very warm grooves – a mix of electric jazz and clubby modes – all of which takes Thomas' usual sound right to the discos! Most cuts have a backup vocal group – with contributions from Gwen Guthrie and Jocelyn Brown – but these vocals soon step aside to make room for Joe's solos on both tenor and flute – every bit as soulful as before, maybe a bit like Stanley Turrentine or John Handy in such a setting! The album's also got some great keyboards from Pat Rebillot – and titles include "Plato's Retreat", "Mr Mumbles", "Get In The Wind", "Two Doors Down", and "Low Down". CD

Inventive percussion and amazing bass work – plus a host of other interesting elements as well – all wrapped up beautifully in this unique collaboration between Isao Suzuki and Masahiko Togashi! Both players were some of the most creative of the mainstream Japanese scene of the 70s – Togashi a drummer who'd often go out, but still maintain a sense of soul – and Suzuki a bassist who often used variations of his instrument that were a bit unusual, and which did way more than simple rhythm work! Here, Isao's working with cello, piccolo bass, and regular bass – in addition to piano and percussion – and Togashi plays lots more percussion, and a bit of keyboards too – as both players mix up instrumentation in these sensitive shadings of sound and color that are almost a Japanese equivalent of the best ECM experiments of the 70s. Tunes are all as poetic as they sound from the titles – and titles include "A Day Of The Sun", "Birth Of Yellow Eggs", "Silvery Flash", and "Awakening Of The Fresh Green". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the richest albums from the Kudu years of Grover Washington – a double-length set that shows the full range of his soul and imagination! The album was done in collaboration with Bob James – who arranged and conducted all tracks, and also plays keyboards on the date – and the style is kind of an added extension of other Washington work on Kudu, with added string and chorus bits to round out the sound! Things are still wonderfully soulful – thanks to James' sense of space and timing on the charts – and if anything, the added voices and orchestrations bring an almost soundtrack-like quality to the record – but one that still leaves plenty of room for Washington's solos on tenor, alto, and soprano sax! Most tracks are quite long – really stretching out with lots of room for fresh ideas – and titles include a 15 minute version of "Trouble Man", plus "Taurian Matador", "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", "Masterpiece", "Aubrey", and "Don't Explain". LP, Vinyl record album

David Weiss has a great conception for this hip little set – a contemporary exploration of the best spiritual energy running through the Blue Note scene in the late 60s – based around compositions by Charles Tolliver, Wayne Shorter, and Charles Moore – the last of whom was featured with the Kenny Cox group from Detroit at the end of the 60s! In keeping with the chosen work, there's a great balance here between swing, soul, and modernism – tunes that unfold strongly with the best sort of progressive jazz energy, yet never get too indulgent – and really let the main soloists take flight over a complicated groove provided by the other members of the group. Weiss is wonderful on trumpet – reminding us of Charles Tolliver back in the day – and other players include JD Allen on tenor, Nir Felder on guitar, Matt Clohesy on bass, and Jamire Williams on drums – on tunes that include "Revillot", "Gravity Point", "Paraphernalia", "Hidden Meanings", and "Snuck In". CD

One of the best later albums by French tenor genius Barney Wilen – a true gem that's far better than the title might indicate! The tunes, as you might guess, are all themes from French films – stretching back to the late 50s jazz/new wave days, when Wilen recorded on a few brilliant soundtracks with Miles Davis and Art Blakey – and moving forward into later years to include a few great tunes from the 60s French scene. The group on the set is Mal Waldron's excellent trio with Stafford James on bass and Eddie Moore on drums – the three of them rounding out the tunes with a strong degree of soul, and lots of open notes and space, which lets Wilen do some incredible work on both tenor and soprano saxes. Tunes are all quite long, and really depart from the original structures – and titles include "Un Homme Et Une Femme", "Les Parapluies De Cherbourg", "Manha De Carnaval", "No Problem", and "Julien Dans L'Ascenseur". CD