Includes material from the albums Afro-Bossa, Symphonic Ellington, Ellington 65, Mary Poppins, Ellington 66, Will The Big Bands Ever Come Back, Concert In The Virgin Islands, Duke Ellington's Greatest Hits, Recollections Of The Big Band Era, and Duke Ellington's Violin Session. CD

A beautiful and rare recording – both for singer Alice Babs, and Duke Ellington himself! The session was cut in Paris in 1963 – and it's a moody, intimate album that features Duke backing up Alice with arrangements that are quieter and more subtle than those used with most other Ellington-related singers. Alice is extremely great on the set – and often sings in weird wordless vocals – not really scatting, but more of a horn based-style that's very icy and cool. The whole thing's great – much greater even than the sum of its two famous parts – and titles include "Serenade To Sweden", "Stoona", "La De Doody Doo", "Strange Visitor", "Come Sunday", "Babsie", and "Untitled Lullaby". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

A live set – recorded before Frank Sinatra's famous appearance with Basie at the Sands! CD

Count Basie goes pop, and the results are mighty nice – a hard-swinging take on familiar tunes from the 60s, but all re-tooled the jazzy Basie way! The vibe here is right up there with the best Neal Hefti moments with the group – and although the arrangements are by Billy Byers, they've got that sense of tightness that Hefti first help bring to the band – a great setting for the inventive solos, and all the cool little twists and turns that make a record like this so great. And while you might think of the setting, or the title, as some sort of sell-out on the Count's part – the album's instead a perfect way to hear what made the Basie band so great – how they could completely transform tunes like "Pretty Woman", "Bye Bye Love", "Doo Wah Diddy Diddy", "At Long Last Love", and "Go Away Little Girl". LP, Vinyl record album

We totally dig Basie's work from the mid 60s! He was working with Quincy Jones at the time – and Quince laid down some very soulful arrangements that used the best jazz elements of the Basie group to turn out some great pop instrumental tracks with a very groovy sound. This album's a perfect example of that format, as it features some great Basie sidemen, grooving nicely to Quincy's hip swinging arrangements of pop material like "Walk, Don't Run", "Fly Me To The Moon", "This Could Be The Start Of Something Big", and "One Mint Julep". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the great entries in Duke Ellington's "exotic" albums of the 60s – records that aren't exactly exotica by any stretch of the imagination, but which have musical themes that were inspired by the international travels of the Ellington band at the time! In this case, the locale is the Virgin Islands – where Ellington performed in 1965, and returned home to record this set as a memory of tunes played by the band in St Croix and St Thomas. The core of the set is the initial Virgin Islands suite – made up of four new tunes that include "Island Virgin", "Virgin Jungle", "Fiddler On The Diddle", and "Jungle Kitty" – all nicely rhythmic numbers that explore some fresh themes with especially nice horn solos from the members of the group. Other tracks are older numbers performed on the tour, given a bit of a new twist here – on titles that include "Fade Up", "Mysterious Chick", "The Opener", and "Big Fat Alice's Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Duke Ellington and Mary Poppins? Sounds like a terrible combination – but it's actually pretty darn great! You see, the key words in the title are "plays with" – as Duke takes the core score of the film and, working with Billy Strayhorn, comes up with some groovy little tunes that really depart from the originals – and become perfect backdrops for the modern Ellington genius of the 60s. Solo work on the set is by Jimmy Hamilton, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Cootie Williams, and Harry Carney – and overall, the album's got that nice punchy feel of Ellington's other Reprise sides – and makes especially nice use of the modal quality of some of the tunes from the film. Titles include "Jolly Holiday", "The Life I Lead", "I Love To Laugh", "Stay Awake", "Chim Chim Cheree", and "Feed The Birds". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly great album from Duke Ellington – hardly the kind of ear-opening set you might expect under the guise of a bunch of 60s pop covers! Sure, you might call it a sellout – as The Duke's playing arrangements of mid 60s pop tunes like "Fly Me to The Moon", "More", "The Second Time Around", "Blowin In The Wind", and "Never On Sunday" – but the sound is actually pretty darn hip, with a strong swing to the whole album, and a good groove that brings life into the songs on the set. The overall feel is like some of the hipper Basie backings at the time – very in the pocket playing, and short jazzy renditions of songs that we like in any form – but which come off here even more nicely with some real jazz touches from the Ellington group! CD

The question in the title is almost a moot point – because with the quality of a record like this, we hardly care if other bands come back at all! Duke's working here on a batch of older big band standards – as you might guess from the title – but the tracks all have a nice little flourish that's filled with plenty of those later Ellington touches – a seemingly effortless ability to place interesting horn bits and rhythmic twists into tunes that you thought you might already know. The set features new takes on classics associated with the bands of Esrkine Hawkins, Glen Gray, Woody Herman, Les Brown, and others – and titles include "Rhapsody In Blue", "Smoke Rings", "Artistry In Rhythm", "The Waltz You Saved For Me", "Woodchopper's Ball", and "Good Bye". LP, Vinyl record album

A set with an ambitious title, but a nicely earthy feel – a live recording that features Erroll Garner's trio with Eddie Calhoun on bass and Kelly Martin on drums – stretching out strongly in front of a live audience – recorded live at the Seattle World's Fair, but with a vibe that's maybe more in keeping from some great small club performance by the trio! Titles include "Mack The Knife", "Misty", "Dancing Tambourine", "Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe", and "Sweet & Lovely". LP, Vinyl record album

A 60s Reprise issue of earlier material that Dizzy Gillespie cut live in Paris – not his Salle Pleyel concerts, but some great work with a variety of groups! One combo features Wade Legge on piano and Nat Peck on trombone – on cuts that include "Moon Nocturne", "Fais Gaffe", "This Is The Way", and "Always". Another features Don Byas on tenor, Hubert Fol on Alto, and Raymond Fol on piano – on the titles "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams", "I Don't Know Why", "Dizzy's Blues", and "Everything Happens To Me". And the third group features Byas on tenor and Arnold Ross on piano – on "Hurry Home" and "She's Funny That Way". LP, Vinyl record album

Different is right – as this obscure early 60s side shows Chico Hamilton really opening up, moving past the modern chamber style of the late 50s, into the freer modal rhythms that characterized his incredible work of the 60s! The group's the beginning of that sound too – with Charles Lloyd on tenor and flute, Gabor Szabo on guitar, and Albert Stinson on bass – joined by George Bohannon on trombone, who slides around the grooves to expand the bottom of the album's sound nicely! The album's perhaps not as "eastern" as some of Hamilton's mid 60s work – but the roots of that sound are definitely there, with stretched out tracks that really show some great writing and playing working together! Titles include "Voice In The Night", "A Different Journey", "The Vulture", "One Sheridan Square", and "Sun Yen Sen". CD

The title tells the whole tale of the album – as pianist Jackson plays jazzy versions of themes from films that include "Never On A Sunday", "A Summer Place", "From Here To Eternity", "The High & The Mighty", "Exodus", "Return To Peyton Place", and "High Noon". A number of tracks are piano solos, and others feature backings by bassist Al McKibbon and drummer Frank Capp. LP, Vinyl record album

With Cedar Walton on piano, John Clayton on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – plus Joshua Redman on tenor and guest vocals by Joe Williams. CD

Features Milt Jackson backed by large string orchestra – with Cedar Walton on piano, John Clayton on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. CD

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A wonderful wonderful set from Barney Kessel – bossa-inflected jazz, and a wonderful setting for Barney to hit some very groovy lines on electric guitar! The group on the date is part of the strength of the record – with Conte Candoli on trumpet, Emil Richards on vibes, Paul Horn on flute, and Victor Feldman on piano – with loads of great percussion and guitar interplay on the set, plus some excellent use of flute and vibes – all of which makes for the sort of session that really translates the Brazilian groove into the best sort of sound the LA scene was cutting at the time! Nice, light, and dancing rhythms – and titles that include "Love", "Days Of Wine & Roses", "Latin Dance #1", "Lady Byrd", and "One Note Samba". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprising Bud Powell album for Reprise Records – and one of the label's hippest jazz titles ever! When Frank Sinatra first started up the Reprise imprint, he let Duke Ellington do a bit of A&R for the jazz division – and one of the first things Ellington did was capture the great Bud Powell in his then-local setting of Paris – in this rough edgey session that turned out to be one of Powell's last albums, and one of his best from the 60s. The record is nothing fancy on the outside – just simple piano trio versions of jazz standards like "Parisian Thoroughfare", "I Can't Get Started", "Jordu", and "Dear Old Stockholm" – but Powell's dark genius turns the tracks into jagged little razors, cutting with an emotional depth that's quite surprising. Duke Ellington produced – and trio members include Gilbert Rovere on bass and Carl Fields on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the rarest albums by Frank Rosolino – and a surprisingly great vocal set as well! The tunes are short, but Frank manages to both sing and turn in his usual trombone solo work here – and while the latter is great, we especially love the former! Frank's vocals have a raspy, playful quality that's a bit like Jack Sheldon's singing – and as with some of the later Sheldon albums, this one's a great illustration of the under-recorded side of some of the talents of players on the LA scene – their "entertainer" personas that were often used when working the bandstand in a live environment. And if you're suspicious about the vocals, don't be – because Frank is really great here, and manages to transform the tunes heavily – taking old standards and playfully inflecting them with new life and a rough edge – a bit similar to work by Bob Dorough or Johnny Watson (for his Chess session) on similar material. The rest of the group is a quartet that features Charles Berghofer on bass, Victor Feldman on piano, and Irv Cottler on drums – and titles include "It Had To Be You", "I Cover The Waterfront", "Whatcha Gonna Do On Monday", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "It Had To Be You", and "Please Don't Bug Me". CD

One of Sinatra's greatest records ever – pure genius all the way through! Frank's backed here by the orchestra of Count Basie, with some incredible arrangements by Quincy Jones that really have a jazzy, syncopated kick to them. The move seems to be an unintentional way of covering for Frank's slightly failing pipes – but it also picks up on a seminal beat change in 60s pop, the same sort of gentle snapping groove that you'd find in the best work by Bacharach, a shift that really infuses Frank's vocals with a whole new sound, one that shows that he's ready to keep on growing and growing after being stuck in a Nelson Riddle rut. All tracks are superb – hip 60s pop and showtunes, like "I Believe In You", "Fly Me To the Moon", "More", "The Good Life", "Wives & Lovers", and "I Wanna Be Around". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

One of Sinatra's greatest records ever – pure genius all the way through! Frank's backed here by the orchestra of Count Basie, with some incredible arrangements by Quincy Jones that really have a jazzy, syncopated kick to them. The move seems to be an unintentional way of covering for Frank's slightly failing pipes – but it also picks up on a seminal beat change in 60s pop, the same sort of gentle snapping groove that you'd find in the best work by Bacharach, a shift that really infuses Frank's vocals with a whole new sound, one that shows that he's ready to keep on growing and growing after being stuck in a Nelson Riddle rut. All tracks are superb – hip 60s pop and showtunes, like "I Believe In You", "Fly Me To the Moon", "More", "The Good Life", "Wives & Lovers", and "I Wanna Be Around". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Includes the songs "You Are Here", "The Enemy Within", "Dark Alliance", "Trust No One", "Silent Weapons For Quiet Wars", "Best Friends Forever", "The Hidden Hand", "Casus Belli", "Crisis Control", "Apocalypse Is A Process", "Never A Straight Answer", "Who Do You Trust?", and "You Are Here (Reprise)". CD

An amazing slice of music from the legendary David Axelrod – quite different than his better-known sides for Capitol and Reprise Records – and plenty darn funky overall! Axelrod is at his studio best here – stepping off the funky jazz modes he produced for Cannonball Adderley, and taking a shot at that territory on his own! In a reversal of modes, Cannonball actually handles the production – with help from Jimmy Bowen – which leaves Axelrod alone to compose, arrange, and direct the group on the set. The album's got a fair bit of electricity in the mix – heavy keyboards from Joe Sample, and some really fuzzy guitars – plus lots of choppy reed work from Joe Sample and Ernie Watts, all wrapped up with some monstrously funky drums from Ndugu Chancler. There's a very bottom-heavy groove to the record – one that makes for a few completely amazing breaks, and a very funky sound overall – and Axelrod does an amazing job of controlling the players here – so that nobody jams too much, and the grooves are always right on the money! The whole thing's great – a sublime symphony of instrumental funk all the way through – and titles include "Reverie", "Miles Away", "Go For It", "Ken Russell", "1000 Rads", and "One". First time ever on CD – a seminal reissue from Dusty Groove! CD

The genius of Basie meets the genius of Quincy Jones – a 60s pairing that's every bit as great as the 50s pairing of Basie and Neal Hefti! Jones and Basie worked together in a number of settings during the 60s – including a very successful album for Frank Sinatra on Reprise – but here, the pair are really going full-on and hard-swinging, in a fresh style that's got all the hipness of Quincy's budding talent in the 60s, played with the deeply soulful manner of the still-great Basie band of the time. Titles include "Rat Race", "For Lena & Lennie", "The Big Walk", "Meet BB", "Jessica's Day", "Muttnik", and "Quince". CD

The genius of Basie meets the genius of Quincy Jones – a 60s pairing that's every bit as great as the 50s pairing of Basie and Neal Hefti! Jones and Basie worked together in a number of settings during the 60s – including a very successful album for Frank Sinatra on Reprise – but here, the pair are really going full-on and hard-swinging, in a fresh style that's got all the hipness of Quincy's budding talent in the 60s, played with the deeply soulful manner of the still-great Basie band of the time. Titles include "Rat Race", "For Lena & Lennie", "The Big Walk", "Meet BB", "Jessica's Day", "Muttnik", and "Quince". LP, Vinyl record album

Three full albums from this tremendous singer – all in a single set! Morning In Paris is very early work from South African singer Sathima Bea Benjamin – recorded in Paris in 1963, with backing by longtime partner Abdullah Ibrahim, plus additional piano and production by Duke Ellington! The album was cut around the same time as Ibrahim (Dollar Brand) did his famous Reprise album in Paris with Ellington – and it's got a similar mix of modern and moody styles – with Sathima singing in a mellower tone than we're used to from her later records, over extremely spare backing that often has the piano barely stepping in, and which also features some nice plucked violin work from Svend Asmussen – acting almost as the bass on a few tracks! Billy Strayhorn also sits in on this extremely unusual session – and titles include "The Man I Love", "Soon", "Lover Man", "I Should Care", "I Could Write A Book", and "Darn That Dream". Lovelight is always-great work from Sathima Bea Benjamin – one of the hippest jazz vocalists of the 80s, working here in a highly spiritual mode that sounds a lot more like records from many years past! There's a warmly gentle glow to the whole set – thanks to instrumentation from Larry Willis on piano, Buster Williams on bass, Billy Higgins on percussion, and Ricky Ford on tenor sax – all coming together in ways that are filled with unusual rhythms, odd turns of phrases, and just the right sort of unconventional accompaniment to fit the Africanist themes of Sathima's music at its best. A few numbers are more traditional, but even these have a nicely sensitive feel – and offer plenty of room for Willis to solo. Titles include "Winne Mandela Beloved Heroine", "African Songbird", "Gift Of Love – For Duke", "Music", and "You Are My Heart's Delight". Southern Touch is a set that's maybe a bit more of a straight jazz vocal record than some of Sathima Bea Benjamin's earlier material – but that might also be because the great Kenny Barron is part of the group on piano – supporting Sathima's great voice with the help of Buster Williams on bass and Billy Higgins on drums! Tunes are mostly standards, but it's great to hear them opened up with Benjamin's unique phrasing – that voice that was raised up on more righteous material in earlier years, and which still seems to bring some of that power to tunes that include "Street Of Dreams", "Lush Life", "One Alone", "I'm Glad There Is You", and "I've Heard That Song Before". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Very early work from South African singer Sathima Bea Benjamin – recorded in Paris in 1963, with backing by longtime partner Abdullah Ibrahim, plus additional piano and production by Duke Ellington! The album was cut around the same time as Ibrahim (Dollar Brand) did his famous Reprise album in Paris with Ellington – and it's got a similar mix of modern and moody styles – with Sathima singing in a mellower tone than we're used to from her later records, over extremely spare backing that often has the piano barely stepping in, and which also features some nice plucked violin work from Svend Asmussen – acting almost as the bass on a few tracks! Billy Strayhorn also sits in on this extremely unusual session – and titles include "The Man I Love", "Soon", "Lover Man", "I Should Care", "I Could Write A Book", and "Darn That Dream". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Includes the songs "Blues According To Sam ", "Mom Mom ", "Blues According to Stan ", "Mom Mom Reprise ", "El Bajo Loco", "We Both Tried", "It's Raining", "Contradiction Pt 1", "Bitter Suite", "Angst ", and "Contradiction Pt 2" CD

A powerful and righteous album from Brother Moves On – as you might guess from the title – a group led by singer Siyabonga Mthembu, who's worked with Shabaka & The Ancestors – in a lineup that also features some contributions from Shabaka Hutchings as well! The group span their South African roots with some of the contemporary London vibe – mixing jazz elements with vocals and other production elements – in a lineup that also features work from Mthunzi Mvubu on alto and Muhammad Dawjee on tenor. Shabaka Hutchings adds in some flute and clarinet to the group's songs – and titles include "Bayakhala", "Sphila", "Puleng (ext version)", "Sweetie Love Oh", "Mazel", "Ta Tom", "Itumeleng Revisited", and "Hamba The Reprise". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant album that follows on the trend that was begun by Sinatra and Tony Bennett – one that takes strong jazz backings from Count Basie to push a singer past the usual pop format! Sammy didn't always get backing this strong – and the album's got Quincy Jones handling the arrangements for Basie in the same mode the he used on the Sinatra/Basie sides for Reprise. Titles include "The Girl From Ipanema", "She's A Woman", "New York City Blues", "Work Song", and "Blues For Mr Charlie" – and the album even features Sammy doing a bit of tap dancing! (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

A brilliant album that follows on the trend that was begun by Sinatra and Tony Bennett – one that takes strong jazz backings from Count Basie to push a singer past the usual pop format! Sammy didn't always get backing this strong – and the album's got Quincy Jones handling the arrangements for Basie in the same mode the he used on the Sinatra/Basie sides for Reprise. Titles include "The Girl From Ipanema", "She's A Woman", "New York City Blues", "Work Song", and "Blues For Mr Charlie" – and the album even features Sammy doing a bit of tap dancing! (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A great counterpart to the rare Stanton Davis Ghetto Mysticism album – and a set that was recorded right around the same time, with a number of previously unreleased tracks! The spiritual energy of that group has been well-loved by collectors for years – and enjoyed by others thanks to a recent reissue – and this sweet batch of rare cuts really augments that rare musical moment, by offering up a further set of completely cosmic grooves! The style is spacey jazz funk with some deeper elements in the mix – all recorded and arranged with an indie vibe that reminds us a lot of the classic Oneness Of Juju albums on Black Fire, but without as much vocals – just a strong focus on the sweet keyboard lines and soaring horn passages. Some tracks are brand new, others are different versions of themes from the Brighter Days album – and titles include "Delta Six/Brighter Days", "Isis Voyage", "Odwalla", "Things Can Not Stop Forever (Al Kent version)", "High Jazz (reprise – alt mix)", "Things Cannot Stop Forever (inst mix)", and "Funky Fried Tofu (alt inst version)". CD

A rare slice of Duke Ellington at Newport in the 50s – recorded live at the festival in 1959, but unlike other sessions of the time, never issued on record! The set remained unissued until Duke's 90th birthday, and it's a great discovery that easily matches the strength of Ellington's larger live recordings for Columbia at the same time. As is usual for this type of outing, there's a number of shorter tracks that reprise Ellington favorites for the crowd – but those are offset by longer, more serious works that are deeply complex, the highlight of which is "Idiom 59", a great lost composition done especially for the Festival! The full performance runs for over an hour – with players that include Clark Terry, Cat Anderson, Harry Carney, and Johnny Hodges – and other tunes include "Cop Out", "Rockin In Rhythm", "Skin Deep", "Jam With Sam", "Perdido", and "Jones". CD

Duke Ellington and jazz violin – a mode that's maybe not such a surprise, once you realize how important Ray Nance was to his group! Nance played trumpet, but also turned in plenty of violin solos for Ellington over the years – and here, he's joined by European greats Stephan Grappelli on violin, and Svend Asmussen on viola – both players who had a huge reputation overseas, and who work here with a core lineup of Ellington musicians that includes Russell Procope on alto, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, and Buster Cooper on trombone! The setting is a bit more relaxed and small combo than larger Ellington dates – and although the session was recorded by Reprise Records in 1963, it wasn't issued until over a decade later – making it a nice surprise to fans of the recently-departed Duke. Titles include "Cotton Tail", "Blues In C", "String Along With Strings", "Limbo Jazz", "The Feeling Of Jazz", and "Tricky's Licks". LP, Vinyl record album

Live session in Europe circa 1963 originally released on the Reprise label in 1967, with Cootie Williams and Ray Nance, plus Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney, Paul Gonsalves, Lawrence Brown, Jimmy Hamilton and Russel Procope, Ernie Shepard, Sam Woodyard, and Milt Grayson. LP, Vinyl record album

Great RCA comp of Dizzy's earlier bop sides for the label, many of which came out first only as singles. Tracks include all the classics like "Cubana Be", "Cubana Bop", "Manteca", "Night in Tunisia", and a whole bunch more that you've heard him reprise a million times on later albums, but which are laid out here in their (mostly) original recordings. Great bop classics, and a nice cover of Dizzy with his head in his hands. LP, Vinyl record album

Kind of a reprise of earlier days – one that reunites Krupa with Anita O'Day and Roy Eldridge, as the group runs through some material from earlier years. Arrangements are by Quincy Jones, Billy Byers, and Nat Pierce – and the set actually swings more cleanly than some of Krupa's material from the 40s. Titles include "Drummin Man", "Drum Boogie", "Slow Down", "Wire Brush Stomp", "That's What You Think", "Rockin Chair", and "Opus 1". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the songs "The Blues", "Tales", "Eric", "True Geminis", "Rush Over", "Running Through My Dreams (Interlude)", "Ethiopia", "Strange Fruit", "Visions", "Brazilian Rhyme", "Forevermore", "Infatuation", "Tales (Reprise)", and "Come Together". CD

Includes the songs "My Angel", "Laid Back", "Now That I've Found You", "Joy", "I Didn't Know", "Secret Admirer", "(G) Street", "Broken Promises", "Heart Like Mine", "Saleemah's Dream", "Share My World", and "I Didn't Know Instrumental)/Reprise". CD

Sonny Stitt's going down slow here – hitting a groove that's a bit more laidback than some of his funkier albums for Prestige, but one that's still pretty darn great overall! The sound is almost in a Stanley Turrentine mode at CTI – with fuller arrangements behind his saxophone solos, and a really easygoing groove throughout! There's a bit of strings in the backdrop, but these are often used somewhat lightly – and on the best numbers, Sonny's tone dominates and really directs the feel of the tune. Other players include Hank Jones on piano, Thad Jones on trumpet, and both Wally Richardson and Billy Butler on guitar – the latter of whom handles the solos. Titles include "Acid Funk Reprise" (aka "Moving Beauty"), plus "Miss Ann Lisa Sue & Sadie", "Where Is Love", "Living Without You", and "Goin Down Slow". LP, Vinyl record album

Late work by Sonny Stitt on Prestige – 2 albums with a really great feel! Going Down Slow has Sonny hitting a groove that's a bit more laidback than some of his funkier albums for Prestige, but one that's still pretty darn great overall! The sound is almost in a Stanley Turrentine mode at CTI – with fuller arrangements behind his saxophone solos, and a really easygoing groove throughout! There's a bit of strings in the backdrop, but these are often used somewhat lightly – and on the best numbers, Sonny's tone dominates and really directs the feel of the tune. Other players include Hank Jones on piano, Thad Jones on trumpet, and both Wally Richardson and Billy Butler on guitar – the latter of whom handles the solos. Titles include "Acid Funk Reprise" (aka "Moving Beauty"), plus "Miss Ann Lisa Sue & Sadie", "Where Is Love", "Living Without You", and "Goin Down Slow". So Doggone Good is a standout acoustic set from the great Sonny Stitt – recorded during an early 70s stretch when he was doing a fair bit of work with electric players! The format here is great – and even though the instrumentation hearkens back to the earlier years of Sonny's career, there's a sense of soulful flow here that definitely shows some lessons learned from the electric dates. Sonny's blowing alto and tenor with a lean, mean, confident tone – and the rest of the group features Hampton Haws on some very fluid acoustic piano, plus Reggie Johnson on bass and Lenny McBrowne on drums. Titles include "I Don't Know Yet", "Your Love Is So Doggone Good", "Back Door", "Orange Ashtray", "The More I See You", and "Speculation". CD