Killer work from an incredibly productive (and soulful!) period in Count Basie's career – mostly recorded between 1958 and 1962! Features material from a huge number of albums – including rare tracks from some Roulette compilations and samplers, and records with Joe Williams and Maynard Ferguson too! CD

One of Joe Williams' standout classics from the 50s – just the sort of record that put him on top of his game at the time! The album's one of Joe's classic outings with Count Basie – one recorded for Roulette with a slightly looser, slightly rawer feel than their work together on Verve. Joe's rendition of "Everyday I Have The Blues" is a near-definitive one – tight, syncopated, and grooving in a style that stretches back to its roots, but which also steps out with a fresh sort of groove that points the way towards changes in soulful vocal styles during the 60s. Other titles work equally well in the mode – bluesy, but never hokey, all freshened up by the Basie approach of the time – and titles include "Baby Won't You Please Come Home", "Going To Chicago", "Joe Sings The Blues", and "What Did You Win". LP, Vinyl record album

Sarah Vaughan may be known for an earlier recording of After Hours for the Columbia label in the 50s – but on this early 60s set for Roulette, the title really fits her style – and is perfect for the mature, melancholy way that Vaughan has of putting over a tune! Sarah always had a strongly technical side to her singing, but on a record like this, she also hits a more naturalistic sort of approach – almost in a Nancy Wilson level, in the way that she makes you feel like she's relating the tune to you personally – although with deeper currents of emotion, but delivered in a very subtle way – partly due to the stripped-down sound of the album. The instrumentation helps hit that late nite vibe that's perfect for the material – thanks to guitar from Mundell Lowe and bass from George Duvivier – on titles that include "Vanity", "My Favorite Things", "Sophisticated Lady", "Easy To Love", "If Love Is Good To Me", and "Great Day". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Excellent early 60s work for Roulette Records – with work from Barney Kessel or Mundell Lowe on guitar on some tracks, and larger backings from Count Basie, Don Costa, and Jimmy Jones! (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Dinah Washington only recorded for Roulette Records for two years, but during that time she cut some of her most fantastic, most mature work on record – all included here, along with some unissued tracks too! The set features work that originally appeared on the albums Stranger On Earth, Drinking Again, In Love, Dinah 62, Dinah 63, In Tribute, Back To The Blues, The World Of Dinah Washington, We Three, and Dinah Washington – with arrangements by Marty Manning, Fred Norman, and Don Costa. (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Duke joins the combo of Louis Armstrong on piano – a group that includes Trummy Young on trombone and Barney Bigard on clarinet! CD

Duke joins the combo of Louis Armstrong on piano – a group that includes Trummy Young on trombone and Barney Bigard on clarinet! LP, Vinyl record album

Duke joins the combo of Louis Armstrong on piano – a group that includes Trummy Young on trombone and Barney Bigard on clarinet! CD

Duke joins the combo of Louis Armstrong – playing piano alongside a group that includes Trummy Young on trombone and Barney Bigard on clarinet! CD

Two small group albums featuring Armstrong on trumpet and vocal, Ellington on piano, Trummy Young on trombone, and Barney Bigard on clarinet. CD

One of THE seminal Basie albums of all time – and a masterful pairing between the Count and arranger Neal Hefti! Hefti has an amazing ear for the Basie groove, and he works here to re-fit the overall sound of the group with a tighter, more fluid approach – one that ensured that they'd be alive and booming well into the 60s. The Hefti touch is one that's slightly lighter than the Basie of before – one that assumes the bump at the bottom, but never overdoes it – and instead almost uses the sound of no sound at all to carry the rhythm – while the horns at the top of the group are vamping around in these majestic charts that break out into fantastically searing solos. Basie's on piano, natch – and other players include Thad Jones, Joe Newman, Henry Coker, Al Grey, Frank Wess, Frank Foster, and Eddie Lockjaw Davis. Titles are all brilliant Hefti originals – and include "After Supper", "Flight Of The Foo Birds", "Teddy The Toad", "Splanky", "Fantail", and "Lil Darlin". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer set from Count Basie – recorded during the height of his years at Roulette! The back cover of the record proclaims that "Basie Is Back Home" – clearly a bit by Birdland to lay claim to being the Count's home address, which is a bit of a challenge to his KC roots! Whatever the back story, though, the set's a nice one – swinging hard in that completely tight 60s mode, with a great lineup that includes Frank Foster and Budd Johnson on tenor, Thad Jones on trumpet, Bennie Powell on trombone, and Freddie Green on guitar – a really great group who definitely make the record a cooker! Tracks include "Good Time Blues", "Segue In C", "Little Pony", "Discommotion", and "Whirly Bird", which has a vocal by Jon Hendricks! LP, Vinyl record album

A killer set from Count Basie – recorded during the height of his years at Roulette! The back cover of the record proclaims that "Basie Is Back Home" – clearly a bit by Birdland to lay claim to being the Count's home address, which is a bit of a challenge to his KC roots! Whatever the back story, though, the set's a nice one – swinging hard in that completely tight 60s mode, with a great lineup that includes Frank Foster and Budd Johnson on tenor, Thad Jones on trumpet, Bennie Powell on trombone, and Freddie Green on guitar – a really great group who definitely make the record a cooker! Tracks include "Good Time Blues", "Segue In C", "Little Pony", "Discommotion", and "Whirly Bird", which has a vocal by Jon Hendricks! CD features 8 more bonus tracks – recorded at the same time, and first issued on the Mosaic set Complete Roulette Live Recordings – titles that include "Easin It", "Corner Pocket", "Discommotion", "Whirly Bird (inst)", "I Needs To Be Bee'd With", and "A Little Tempo Please". CD

One of the most hard-hitting Count Basie albums from the Roulette Records years – and that's saying a lot, given the power of Basie at the time! The set was recorded in Sweden, with a kind of triple-time energy that really has the whole thing burning right from the start – as the group's driven onward by some bold work on drums from Louis Bellson – who's working here with a lineup that includes Frank Wess and Frank Foster on tenor, Marshall Royal on alto, and Thad Jones on trumpet. There's a slight rawness to the recording – still as clear as other Roulette sessions, but with a bit more "liveness" too – a sense of place that really helps the performances sparkle. The whole thing's great – and titles include "Little Pony", "Plymouth Rock", "Backwater Blues", "Who Me", and "April In Paris". CD

One of the most hard-hitting Count Basie albums from the Roulette Records years – and that's saying a lot, given the power of Basie at the time! The set was recorded in Sweden, with a kind of triple-time energy that really has the whole thing burning right from the start – as the group's driven onward by some bold work on drums from Louis Bellson – who's working here with a lineup that includes Frank Wess and Frank Foster on tenor, Marshall Royal on alto, and Thad Jones on trumpet. There's a slight rawness to the recording – still as clear as other Roulette sessions, but with a bit more "liveness" too – a sense of place that really helps the performances sparkle. The whole thing's great – and titles include "Little Pony", "Plymouth Rock", "Backwater Blues", "Who Me", and "April In Paris". LP, Vinyl record album

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

Tremendous work from one of the greatest pairings in 50s jazz – the crack later group of Count Basie and the amazing arranging talents of the great Neal Hefti! Hefti later went onto greater fame as a 60s soundtrack composer, but back in the day him and Basie were an incredible team together – as Hefti's talent for quirky, witty, whimsical horn passages really opened up the Basie sound of earlier years – and took the band far past any Kansas City cliches, into a groove that was much more suited for a modern audience! This album's one of the best the two ever cut together – and it's overflowing with Hefti gems that include "Cute", "Pensive Miss", "Sloo Foot", "Scoot", "A Little Tempo Please", "Count Down", and "Pony Tail". CD

Tremendous work from one of the greatest pairings in 50s jazz – the crack later group of Count Basie and the amazing arranging talents of the great Neal Hefti! Hefti later went onto greater fame as a 60s soundtrack composer, but back in the day him and Basie were an incredible team together – as Hefti's talent for quirky, witty, whimsical horn passages really opened up the Basie sound of earlier years – and took the band far past any Kansas City cliches, into a groove that was much more suited for a modern audience! This album's one of the best the two ever cut together – and it's overflowing with Hefti gems that include "Cute", "Pensive Miss", "Sloo Foot", "Scoot", "A Little Tempo Please", "Count Down", and "Pony Tail". CD

Great work from Basie's Roulette years – a time when the group seemed to be extra snapping and soulful! Players include Frank Foster, Frank Wess, and Billy Mitchell on reeds – plus Snooky Young, Thad Jones, and Joe Newman on trumpets – and Al Grey, Henry Coker, and Benny Powell on trombones! LP, Vinyl record album

Way before Sinatra first grabbed the "Chairman Of The Board" title for his own musical persona, Basie laid great claim to the tag with this tight little album for Roulette! The album's got the 50s Basie band working at the height of their powers – with original compositions written and arranged by Frank Foster, Ernie Wilkins, Thad Jones, and Frank Wess – all of whom play in the bad, along with other all-stars like Freddie Green, Billy Mitchell, and Al Grey. The sound is tight, soulful, and searing Basie all the way through – with tunes that include "Segue In C", "Blues In Hoss' Flat", "Who Me?", "The Deacon", "Half Moon Street", "Mutt & Jeff", "TV Time", "Speaking Of Sounds", and "HRH". LP, Vinyl record album

One of THE seminal Basie albums of all time – and a masterful pairing between the Count and arranger Neal Hefti! Hefti has an amazing ear for the Basie groove, and he works here to re-fit the overall sound of the group with a tighter, more fluid approach – one that ensured that they'd be alive and booming well into the 60s. The Hefti touch is one that's slightly lighter than the Basie of before – one that assumes the bump at the bottom, but never overdoes it – and instead almost uses the sound of no sound at all to carry the rhythm – while the horns at the top of the group are vamping around in these majestic charts that break out into fantastically searing solos. Basie's on piano, natch – and other players include Thad Jones, Joe Newman, Henry Coker, Al Grey, Frank Wess, Frank Foster, and Eddie Lockjaw Davis. Titles are all brilliant Hefti originals – and include "After Supper", "Flight Of The Foo Birds", "Teddy The Toad", "Splanky", "Fantail", and "Lil Darlin". CD features 5 bonus tracks too – including "The Late Late Show", "Sleepwalker's Serenade", and "Silks & Satins". CD

Count Basie rewrites history – updating his older work for the Roulette Records years, in this hip collection that features lots of new arrangements from Frank Foster – and rich performances from his great group at the time! The recordings are all new, as are the conceptions of the tunes – so there seems to be even more syncopated swing in the rhythms than on any of the older takes on the material – that fresh sound that the group grew into with Neal Hefti – still going strong here in Foster's hands. So although the tunes are Basie classics – and classics from other bands of the 30s and 40s – the performances and solos are plenty fresh! Titles include "Swinging The Blues", "Out The Window", "Texas Shuffle", "Down For Double", "Lester Leaps In", "Topsy", "Taps Miller", "Shorty George", "Jive At Five", and "Dogging Around". CD

Frank Foster is one of our favorite talents in jazz – an excellent tenorist who spent some of his key years in the Count Basie orchestra, but a player who also had a very rich career on his own as well! This album features Frank's talents really coming to the forefront of the Basie group – in a set of all-original material penned and arranged by Foster – really fresh tunes that are a perfect fit for the soulful spirit of the reedman's collaborators in the group, and which definitely show off the growing talents of Foster as a composer. There's a lot more going on here than you might expect – some surprisingly complicated charts for the horns, yet still with that rock-solid swing you'd expect from Basie – and most tracks are longer than usual for a Roulette album, nicely open numbers that include "Brotherly Shove", "Easin It", "Blues For Daddy-O", "Four Five Six", and "Mama Dev". LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of recordings from 1959 and 1961, with sidemen including Thad Jones, Benny Powell, Frnak Wess, Frank Foster, Billy Mitchell, Freddie Gren, and Budd Johnson. LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure session that Chet recorded in the mid 60's with a rhythm section from Detroit that includes the Kirk Lightsey, Herman Wright, and Roy Brooks – and that features some firey playing by George Coleman on tenor. Tracks include "Rearin' Back", "Grade A Gravy", and "Fine & Dandy". Much more soulful than some of Chet's other LPs – and a record that was oddly licensed both to Prestige and Roulette! CD

Unissued live material from a great stretch in the career of Count Basie – that time when he was turning in some excellent concert performances for Roulette Records, material that's got very similar charms to the music on this set! As with most of Roulette Basie, that revived sense of timing from Neal Hefti is very strongly in play – that magnificent sense of space between the notes that made this period of the Count's ensemble such a great one – with a rhythmic focus that's brilliant, and which opens up with even more excitement when a key soloist steps in! Players include Thad Jones and Snooky young on trumpets, Henry Coker and Benny Powell on trombones, Frank Foster and Eric Dixon on tenors, Freddie Green on guitar, Marshall Royal on alto, and Frank Wess on flute and alto – and there's a bit of vocals on a few tracks from later soul singers OC Smith and Irene Reid. Titles include "Segue In C", "Why Not", "Easy Money", "Backwater Blues", "Lil Darlin", "Easin It", "April In Paris", and "Cute". CD

Unissued live material from a great stretch in the career of Count Basie – that time when he was turning in some excellent concert performances for Roulette Records, material that's got very similar charms to the music on this set! As with most of Roulette Basie, that revived sense of timing from Neal Hefti is very strongly in play – that magnificent sense of space between the notes that made this period of the Count's ensemble such a great one – with a rhythmic focus that's brilliant, and which opens up with even more excitement when a key soloist steps in! Players include Thad Jones and Snooky young on trumpets, Henry Coker and Benny Powell on trombones, Frank Foster and Eric Dixon on tenors, Freddie Green on guitar, Marshall Royal on alto, and Frank Wess on flute and alto – and there's a bit of vocals on a few tracks from later soul singers OC Smith and Irene Reid. Titles include "Segue In C", "Why Not", "Easy Money", "Backwater Blues", "Lil Darlin", "Easin It", "April In Paris", and "Cute". CD

Count Basie and Barbecue – words together that are bound to make us love this album! The set's got an easygoing swing that takes us right back to Basie's best for Roulette Records – a reference the title seems to imply – and although the band's a later one, they've got that perfect Basie sense of fluidity, especially in the way the horns come together! Basie's piano work isn't as dramatic or dynamic as in years past, but that's fine with us, because the band more than makes up for that change with their own groovy sound. Titles include "Way Out Basie", "I Don't Know It Yet", "Lester Leaps In", "Beaver Junction", and "Ain't That Something". CD

Count Basie and Barbecue – words together that are bound to make us love this CD! The set's got an easygoing swing that takes us right back to Basie's best for Roulette Records – a reference the title seems to imply – and although the band's a later one, they've got that perfect Basie sense of fluidity, especially in the way the horns come together! Basie's piano work isn't as dramatic or dynamic as in years past, but that's fine with us, because the band more than makes up for that change with their own groovy sound. Titles include "Way Out Basie", "I Don't Know It Yet", "Lester Leaps In", "Beaver Junction", and "Ain't That Something". CD

A very open, spacious sort of set from the German jazz scene of the 70s – one that's very different than both the hard-driving fusion of the time, and some of the more free jazz-styled work from the avant garde! There's a lean lineup here – a group that features a variety of flutes from leader Dieter Bihlmaier, mixed with the bass of Jan Jankeje and drums and percussion of Gerhard Ziegler – plus added vibes from Gerhard Dietz on the second half of the record, which really helps the sound take off. Overall, there's almost a style that's in the more experimental, spiritual side of the MPS/Saba world, with a similar care for the overall sound and conception of the set – on titles that include "Arco Oriental", "Roulette", "Ovation", "Maskerade", "Polyp's Lullaby", and "Echoes". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great little live jazz date from the mid 50s – one that features a unique pairing of east and west coast players, working together as part of a Birdland Stars package tour! The group's an exceptionally balanced one – with players who are all strong enough to work together seamlessly, but who each bring together something different to the date – especially in the blend of west coast cool and east coast hot that comes up during some of the horn passages! Trumpets are by Kenny Dorham and Conte Candoli, tenor by Al Cohn, alto by Phil Woods, piano by Hank Jones, bass by John Simmons, and drums by Kenny Clarke – and with a balance like that, there's probably a bit more "east" than "west" on the set – but that's ok with us! The style is similar to some of the RCA work cut by Cohn or Woods, but a lot more open overall – tracks that are looser and less arranged, with some really great room for solos. CD features volumes 1 and 2 of the albums – 14 titles that include "Phil Er Up", "Roulette", "Last Lap", "Hip Boots", "For Kicks Only", "Playboy", "Ah Funky New Baby", Birdland Fantasy", and "Minorin The Blues". Tracks are all originals by Manny Albam and Ernie Wilkins! CD

Two great albums from a time when Maynard Ferguson was really hitting his stride – back to back on one CD! New Sounds is a really nice set, and very much in the best spirit of the excellent early 60s albums that Maynard cut for Roulette! As with those, there's some great players working in the group – a lineup that includes Willie Maiden on tenor sax, Dusko Goykovich (horribly misspelled in the notes) on trumpet, Ronnie Cuber on Baritone, and Lanny Morgan on alto – all of whom get to step out in short but soulful solos that make the tracks bristle with more excitement than you'd think. And as with other Cameo jazz sides from the time, Rufus Jones is on drums – bringing in a nice little punch to the tracks that kicks them up in just the right sort of way. Titles include the originals "Bossa Nova De Funk", "Maine Bone", and "At The Sound Of The Trumpet" – plus a version of "Watermelon Man", and the bonus track "The Song Is You". Come Blow Your Horn is a surprisingly nice album of big band material from Maynard – recorded at a time when he was just getting his start as a big name, and still handling some hip enough players to make the groove swing! One track claims to have a "Dusan Goykovich" as a soloist – who we can only imagine to be our man Dusko Goykovich – and the record has plenty other nice solos by Lanny Morgan. Arrangements are by Don Sebesky, Al Cohn, Willie Maiden, and Oliver Nelson – and tracks include "Groove", "Whisper Not", "Blues For A Four String Guitar", "New Hope", and "Naked City Theme". CD

Incredible work from saxophonist John Handy – an extended performance from the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1965, and a set that shows that he's grown tremendously as an artist since his early recordings for Roulette! The tracks are quite long – with only 2 numbers overall, "Spanish Lady" and "If Only We Knew" – each of which take up a side of the album. Handy's work on alto sax is incredibly soulful – and the group here includes Jerry Hahn on guitar and Michael White on amplified violin – playing with a sound that is sprawling, spiritual, and a little bit "out" at times – but always filled with that sense of soul that made Handy so wonderful, even during his early years with Charles Mingus! CD

Incredible work from saxophonist John Handy – an extended performance from the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1965, and a set that shows that he's grown tremendously as an artist since his early recordings for Roulette! The tracks are quite long – with only 2 numbers overall, "Spanish Lady" and "If Only We Knew" – each of which take up a side of the album. Handy's work on alto sax is incredibly soulful – and the group here includes Jerry Hahn on guitar and Michael White on amplified violin – playing with a sound that is sprawling, spiritual, and a little bit "out" at times – but always filled with that sense of soul that made Handy so wonderful, even during his early years with Charles Mingus! LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure set from Johnny Hartman – cut in the years before his more famous Impulse recordings, and with a mellower, lusher sound that casts his incredible vocals in a warm romantic setting! The orchestrations are by the little-known Rudy Traylor, and have a full feel that's similar to other Roost and Roulette vocal sessions of the time – a bit jazz, but also with these darker, moodier corners that are perfect for late-nite listening – and which put those rich Hartman vocals in really sublime territory. Johnny serves up a sad-tinged batch of tunes that includes "Little Girl Blue", "But Beautiful", "Long Ago & Far Away", "I Should Care", "To Each His Own", and "How Long Has This Been Going On". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most striking projects we've heard from Ken Vandermark in years – work with a younger group with a sound that seems equally balanced between free jazz, post-punk, and no wave energy – heard here on a set of live material, and a full session recorded in the studio! The quintet features two guitarists – Andrew Clinkman and Steve Marquette, one in each channel of the recording – alongside Macie Stewart on keyboards and violin, Phil Sudderberg on drums, and Ken Vandermark on reeds – all playing together at a level that bristles with the combination of electric and acoustic energy. The studio material is as intense as the live set – and as usual with Vandermark, there's some really surprising influences going into the songs – the live set is dedicated to Elza Soares, the studio one to Robert Bresson. Titles include "Key For 23", "Alphaville #2", "Trance", "L'Argent", "Roulette", "Two Or Three", "Baal", and "Porto". CD

Killer keyboards from the amazing Barry Miles – one of the lesser-known talents of the 70s jazz funk generation, but a heck of a great little player – especially on this album! The set has Barry playing both acoustic and electric keys – sometimes in a soaring, full-on mode that reminds us of bigger fusion stars from the time – sometimes in a warmer, more spacious approach – one that has a fair bit of spiritual soul in the mix! The rest of the group's a quartet – with John Abercrombie on guitar, Frank Tusa on bass, and Terry Silverlight on drums – and some of the best tracks on the record echo the "scatbird" title – and feature Miles vocalizing wordlessly along with his keys! This approach is heard on the cuts "Scatbird" and "Latina" – and other tracks include "Skeleton Dance", "Arrows & Eagles", "Life-Cycle", "Suburban Shuffle", and "First Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent work from an overlooked guitar jazz talent of the 50s – a player who's best known for his 40s stints in the Nat King Cole Trio and The Three Blazers, with brother Johnny Moore – but who steps out here on his own in a straight jazz setting! This is one of Oscar's first records – recorded for the rare Skylark label, with pianist Carl Perkins and bassist Joe Comfort – on titles that include "Roulette", "Kenya", and "Blues In B Flat". LP, Vinyl record album

Sonny Stitt goes Latin – and the results are tremendous! The set's still got all the soulful feel of the best Stitt sessions for Roost, but it brings in some nice Latin rhythms too – inflecting things with that blend of soul jazz and congas you might find over at Prestige or Blue Note, yet also taking things further, too – given the Roost/Roulette connection to the New York Latin scene! Sonny plays both alto and tenor, and gets jazzy accompaniment from Thad Jones on trumpet – but the rhythm section is the real charmer here – and features a young Chick Corea on piano, Larry Gales on bass, and the trio of Willie Bobo, Patato Valdes, and Chihuaua Martinez on percussion! Most tunes are originals – a great change from the usual Latinized standards you might find on a set like this – and Stitt's got this nicely exotic tone in his reeds which is a further highlight of the record – almost a Yusef Lateef inflection at points. Titles include "Are You Listening", "I Told You So", "Chic", "Senor Jones", "Amigos", and "Ritmo Bobo". LP, Vinyl record album