A split LP with Johnny Hodges and his orchestra on side one and Rex Stewart and orchestra on side two. LP, Vinyl record album

Saxophonist Toshiyuki Honda evokes some of the spirit of his classic Burning Waves album here – working with some slight fusion touches, in a way that reminds us just how strongly his reedwork can soar in just the right setting! Honda blows both soprano and alto here, and shares arrangements on the album with Soichi Noriki, who plays both acoustic and electric piano – always with this soulful flow that really matches the crisp imagination of Honda's saxophone lines. The bassist, Gregg Lee, is also electric – and the rest of the combo features Shingo Okudaira on drums, and May Inoue on guitar, which is often used in these warmly chromatic ways. Titles include "Nile", "Magic Mushroom", "Horizon", "CC Rex", "Last Ballad", and a nice take on the Chick Corea classic "La Fiesta". CD

Wonderful stuff – way more than just an easy instrumental album, and a great batch of exotic tunes with lots of jazzy touches! There's enough of the Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman influence here – but Rex and group take the sound a lot further, by playing like a true small combo, and swinging the tunes with a heck of a lot more jazz than you'd expect. Grooves are nice, and get quite Latiny at times – and the feel of the record almost reminds us of some of Bobby Montez work for Pacific Jazz in the late 50s. Titles include "Ginza Girl", "Sushi", "Patricia", "Wild Orchids", "Bird Train", "Bushi Bushi", and "Will He Like Me". (Now Sound, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Hold on to your butts, because if you look past the goofy title this album features one helluva a lineup – with Murray out front on tenor and John Hicks on piano, Ray Drummond on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums! Tracks include "Eternal Triangle", "Mingus In The Poconos", "Ballad For David", and "Dinosaur Park Blues". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Tracks include "What Is This Thing Called Love," "Dear John," as well as original compostions. CD

Very cool small group work from the Ellington camp – a handful of rare sides by each artist as a leader – including trumpeter Rex Stewart, pianist Billy Taylor, clarinetist Barney Bigard, and trombonist Juan Tizol. LP, Vinyl record album

Nicely relaxed jam session material by a group of late swing players that includes Williams, Coleman Hawkins, Rex Stewart, Bud Freeman, Hank Jones, Milt Hinton, and Billy Bauer. The tracks are all trad standards – like "I'm Beginning To See The Light", "When Your Lover Has Gone", "I Got A Right To Sing The Blues", "I Knew You When", "Walkin' My Baby Back Home", and "Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me" – plus one original, "Alphonse and Gaston". CD

Vintage recordings with Billy Kyle, Rex Stewart, Barney Bigard, Carmen Mastren, and Wellman Braud. LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual session of trad jazz for the mostly-west coast World Pacific label – one that features guitarist Eddie Condon at the host of an all-star group that includes Rex Stewart on cornet, Bud Freeman on tenor sax, Herb Hall on clarinet, and Cutty Cutshall on trombone. The sound's in a strongly trad mode overall – but a number of tunes get some longer treatments here, and expand with freedoms of later recording modes. Titles include "Ostrich Walk", "Sensation Rag", "Livery Stable Blues", "Tiger Rag", "Reisenweber Rag", and "Lazy River". CD also features 4 bonus tracks that include "Skeleton Jungle", "Clarinet Marmalade", and "Satanic Blues". 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

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". LP, Vinyl record album

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". LP, Vinyl record album

With Rex Stewart on cornet, Emmett Berry on trumpet, Buster Bailey on clarinet, Vic Dickenson on trombone, Red Richards on piano, Bucky Pizzarelli on banjo and guitar, and Al Lucas on bass and tuba. LP, Vinyl record album

With featured soloists Harry Carney, Johnny Hodges, Cootie Williams, Otto Hardwick, Barney Bigard, Joe Nanton, Juan Tizol, Lawrence Brown, Rex Stewart, and Ivie Anderson. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes 66 tracks on 3 CDs. Notable sidemen include Wallace Jones and Cootie Williams on trumpet, Rex Stewart on cornet, Tricky Sam Nanton and Lawrence Brown on trombone, Johnny Hodges on alto and soprano sax, Ben Webster on tenor sax, Fred Guy on guitar, Jimmy Blanton on bass, and Sonny Greer on drums. CD

With Cat Anderson, Hillard Brown, Lawerence Brown, Harry Carney, Kay Davis, Marie Ellington, Otto Hardwicke, Shelton Hemphill, Al Hibber, Johnny Hodges, Claude Jones, Taft Jordan, Ray Nance, Tricky Sam Nanton, Junior Raglin, Al Sears, and Rex Stewart. LP, Vinyl record album

Recorded in January of 1943 – with Ellington on piano, Ray Nance on trumpet and violin, Rex Stewart and Harold Baker on trumpets, Juan Tizol and Lawrence Brown on trombones, Johnny Hodges on alto, and Ben Webster on tenor. CD

Recorded in January of 1943 – with Ellington on piano, Ray Nance on trumpet and violin, Rex Stewart and Harold Baker on trumpets, Juan Tizol and Lawrence Brown on trombones, Johnny Hodges on alto, and Ben Webster on tenor. LP, Vinyl record album

With Rex Stewart, Cootie Williams, Johnny Hodges, Herb Jeffries, Tricky Sam, Harry Carney, Barney Bigard, and Ben Webster. CD

Notable sidemen include Ben Webster, Jimmy Blanton, Ivie Anderson, Rex Stewart, Johnny Hodges, Barney Bigard, Cootie Williams, and Tricky Sam. CD

A great side of Duke Ellington's genius – smaller group settings for his key players – originally issued on 78s on a variety of labels – some under Ellington's name, and also under the names of Cootie Williams, Johnny Hodges, Barney Bigard, Rex Stewart, and others! The set is wonderfully done – a huge amount of material, with very detailed notes on the sessions. CD

A great documentation of this rare live set from 1940 – one of the best slices of Ellington from the time! Johnny Hodges on alto sax, Duke Ellington on piano, Harry Carney on baritone sax and clarinet, Jimmy Blanton on bass, Otto Hardwick on alto sax and clarinet, Barney Bigard on tenor sax and clarinet, Sonny Greer on drums, Freddy Guy on guitar and whistle, Ben Webster on tenor sax, Juan Tizol, Lawrence Brown and Tricky Sam Nanton on trombones, Rex Stewart and Wallace Jones on trumpets, Ray Nance on trumpet, vibes and vocals and Herb Jeffries and Ivie Anderson on vocals. CD

Duke Ellington on piano with Rex Stewart on cornet, Cat Anderson, Shelton Hemphill, Taft Jordan & Ray Nance on trumpets, Joe Nanton, Claude Jones & Lawerence Brown on trombones, Jimmy Hamilton on clarinet & tenor sax, Johnny Hodges & Otto Hardwick on alto saxophones, Al Sears on tenor saxophone, Harry Carney on baritone saxophone & clarinet, Ray Nance on violin, Fred Guy on guitar, Junior Raglin on bass, Sonny Greer on drums with vocals from Ray Nance, Joya Sherill & Al Hibbler. CD

Johnny Hodges on alto sax, Duke Ellington on piano, Harry Carney on baritone sax & clarinet, Jimmy Blanton on bass, Otto Hardwick on alto sax & clarinet, Barney Bigard on tenor sax & clarinet, Sonny Greer on drums, Freddy Guy on guitar & whistle, Ben Webster on tenor sax, Juan Tizol, Lawrence Brown & Tricky Sam Nanton on trombones, Rex Stewart & Wallace Jones on trumpets, Ray Nance on trumpet, vibes & vocals & Herb Jeffries & Ivie Anderson on vocals. CD

Johnny Hodges on alto sax, Duke Ellington on piano, Harry Carney on baritone sax and clarinet, Jimmy Blanton on bass, Otto Hardwick on alto sax and clarinet, Barney Bigard on tenor sax and clarinet, Sonny Greer on drums, Freddy Guy on guitar and whistle, Ben Webster on tenor sax, Juan Tizol, Lawrence Brown and Tricky Sam Nanton on trombones, Rex Stewart and Wallace Jones on trumpets, Ray Nance on trumpet, vibes and vocals and Herb Jeffries and Ivie Anderson on vocals. CD

A great documentation of this rare live set from 1940 – one of the best slices of Ellington from the time! Johnny Hodges on alto sax, Duke Ellington on piano, Harry Carney on baritone sax & clarinet, Jimmy Blanton on bass, Otto Hardwick on alto sax & clarinet, Barney Bigard on tenor sax & clarinet, Sonny Greer on drums, Freddy Guy on guitar & whistle, Ben Webster on tenor sax, Juan Tizol, Lawrence Brown & Tricky Sam Nanton on trombones, Rex Stewart & Wallace Jones on trumpets, Ray Nance on trumpet, vibes & vocals & Herb Jeffries & Ivie Anderson on vocals. LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of small group recordings with Duke Ellington's sidemen – tracks recorded by groups led by Rex Stewart on cornet, Barney Bigard on clarinet, Cootie Williams on trumpet, and Johnny Hodges on alto. CD

Franz Von Klenck on alto sax, Helmut Rheinhardt on alto and baritone sax, Johnny Feigl on baritone sax, Werner Schulze on bass, Bobby Schmidt on drums, Mary Lou Williams and Werner Drexler on piano, Kurt "Bubi" Aderhold and Paul Martin on tenor sax, Helmut Hauck, Otto Bredl and Werner Betz on trombone, Heinz Herrmannsdorfer on lead trombone, Klaus Mitschele, Rolf Schneebiegl and Siegfried Achhammer on trumpet, Gottfried "Hanne" Wilfert on lead trumpet, and Caterina Valente on vocals. CD

The title and cover are an homage to the Pacific Jazz label live dates from LA in the 50s – and the music here does a good job of following suit as well! Altoist Bud Shank and trumpeter Shorty Rogers are reunited beautifully in an open-ended live setting – the kind of date that really recalls some of the music Bud, Shorty, and some of their contemporaries recorded many years back – although with perhaps a rhythmic undercurrent here that shows new depths in jazz explored during subsequent decades. Remaining group members include George Cables on piano, Monty Budwig on bass, and Sherman Ferguson on drums – and titles include "Kansas City Tango", "Makin Whoopee", "It's Sand Man", "Aurex", and "Mia". LP, Vinyl record album