The team of Paul Desmond and Jim Hall was one of the best ideas ever forged in American jazz of the 60s – and the icy pair are perfect company together on this album of bossa-inflected tracks with a very cool edge! The album allows Desmond's alto to take on a warmth and flowing quality it never had in the Dave Brubeck group – and Hall's guitar work, while a masterpiece of understatement, brings in just the right amount of ringing tone to echo out the brilliance of Desmond's ideas. Gene Wright and Connie Kay complete the group, and titles include "O Gato", "Samba Cantina", "Girl From East 9th", "Ship Without A Sail", and "Bossa Antigua". Plus, this excellent CD reissue features 2 bonus tracks – the groovy "Samba Cepeda" and an alternate take of "O Gato". CD

That's "Take Ten", not "Take Five" – a great title cut that echoes Paul Desmond's previous work with Dave Brubeck – but which then gives way quickly to some sweet bossa-styled grooves done with guitar from Jim Hall! The album's one of the strongest of the Hall/Desmond collaborations for RCA – A sublime showcase not just for Paul's impeccable alto, but also for the amazing tones and chromes that fly freely from the strings of Jim's guitar! Both players are set up with just a bit of gentle backing – light percussion from Connie Kay, and a bit of bass from Gene Cherico or Gene Wright. The whole thing's a well-conceived study in economy, as the two players craft sly and subtle lines around spare drum and bass backings – slowly hanging sound in space to weave a rich web of sound that's as compelling as it seems to be effortless! Titles include "Take Ten", "El Prince", "Embarcadero", "Samba De Orfeu", "Theme From Black Orpheus", and "Alone Together". CD

That's "Take Ten", not "Take Five" – a great title cut that echoes Paul Desmond's previous work with Dave Brubeck – but which then gives way quickly to some sweet bossa-styled grooves done with guitar from Jim Hall! The album's one of the strongest of the Hall/Desmond collaborations for RCA – A sublime showcase not just for Paul's impeccable alto, but also for the amazing tones and chromes that fly freely from the strings of Jim's guitar! Both players are set up with just a bit of gentle backing – light percussion from Connie Kay, and a bit of bass from Gene Cherico or Gene Wright. The whole thing's a well-conceived study in economy, as the two players craft sly and subtle lines around spare drum and bass backings – slowly hanging sound in space to weave a rich web of sound that's as compelling as it seems to be effortless! Titles include "Take Ten", "El Prince", "Embarcadero", "Samba De Orfeu", "Theme From Black Orpheus", and "Alone Together". LP, Vinyl record album

That's "Take Ten", not "Take Five" – a great title cut that echoes Paul Desmond's previous work with Dave Brubeck – but which then gives way quickly to some sweet bossa-styled grooves done with guitar from Jim Hall! The album's one of the strongest of the Hall/Desmond collaborations for RCA – A sublime showcase not just for Paul's impeccable alto, but also for the amazing tones and chromes that fly freely from the strings of Jim's guitar! Both players are set up with just a bit of gentle backing – light percussion from Connie Kay, and a bit of bass from Gene Cherico or Gene Wright. The whole thing's a well-conceived study in economy, as the two players craft sly and subtle lines around spare drum and bass backings – slowly hanging sound in space to weave a rich web of sound that's as compelling as it seems to be effortless! Titles include "Take Ten", "El Prince", "Embarcadero", "Samba De Orfeu", "Theme From Black Orpheus", and "Alone Together". CD also features alternate takes of "Embarcadero" and "El Prince". CD

That's "Take Ten", not "Take Five" – a great title cut that echoes Paul Desmond's previous work with Dave Brubeck – but which then gives way quickly to some sweet bossa-styled grooves done with guitar from Jim Hall! The album's one of the strongest of the Hall/Desmond collaborations for RCA – A sublime showcase not just for Paul's impeccable alto, but also for the amazing tones and chromes that fly freely from the strings of Jim's guitar! Both players are set up with just a bit of gentle backing – light percussion from Connie Kay, and a bit of bass from Gene Cherico or Gene Wright. The whole thing's a well-conceived study in economy, as the two players craft sly and subtle lines around spare drum and bass backings – slowly hanging sound in space to weave a rich web of sound that's as compelling as it seems to be effortless! Titles include "Take Ten", "El Prince", "Embarcadero", "Samba De Orfeu", "Theme From Black Orpheus", and "Alone Together". Plus, the CD reissue features 3 bonus tracks – "Out Of Nowhere", and alternate takes of "El Prince" and "Embarcadero". CD

Dave Samuels and David Friedman on marimba and vibraphone. CD

A different version of the album Bash – recorded for the Jazztime label in 1961, with leadership by Dave Bailey – a set that's filled with fire, soul, and imagination – recorded as part of the drummer's amazing (and amazingly short) early 60s run as a leader! The date smokes with the same sort of energy as Dave's great "Gutter" albums for Epic – a groove that's part Blue Note, part Prestige, and carried off with so much precision, we wonder why Bailey never recorded more as a leader. Players are all wonderful – Kenny Dorham's on trumpet, Curtis Fuller's on trombone, Frank Haynes is on tenor, and Tommy Flanagan's on piano. Ben Tucker provides excellent basswork, and proves that him and Bailey were one of the best hardbop rhythm teams ever! Cuts include "Grand Street", "Osmosis", "Soul Support", and "An Oscar For Oscar". CD features 7 tracks in all – including some that haven't been on other versions of this session. Other titles include "Just Friends", "Like Someone In Love", and "BMT Express". CD

A charming little set from the great Dave Frishberg – easily one of the hippest singers and songwriters in jazz during the past few decades! The set's got Dave working solo – just singing along with his own piano accompaniment – in a whimsical way that matches the same sort of energy you'd get from Blossom Dearie or Bob Dorough in a similar setting – both good comparisons, given how much each have sung some of Frishberg's tunes! And as a way of tipping his hat back, the set features a great version of Dearie's "Long Daddy Green" – plus an extended "Johnny Hodges Medley", and loads of great tunes that include "The Dear Departed Past", "Eloise", "One Horse Town", "Zanzibar", and "Blizzard Of Lies". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A rare early session from trumpeter Tony Fruscella – done before his classic first album on Atlantic Records! The set features tony working on some tracks with the very obscure alto player Chick Maures – plus work from Bill Tiglia on piano, Red Mitchell or Teddy Kotick on bass, and Art Madigan or Dave Troy on drums. The earliest cuts, with Maures, were recorded in New York in 1948 – the others in the same city around 1953. LP, Vinyl record album

With Patti Austin, Jon Secada, Monica Mancini, Gary Burton, Arturo Sandoval, Nestor Torres, Sammy Figueroa and the 75-piece Mancini Orchestra. CD

Hardly any ragtime here – despite the title – and instead, the album's one of the greatest ever from drummer Beaver Harris – cut with his ultra-hip 360 Degree Music Experience group! The title is somewhat accurate in that the record brings together a long history of jazz-based expression – almost a century's worth of music, served up by Harris and the group members with the same fluid sensibility as Jaki Byard in his best work, although Byard was never this ambitious! The ensemble is somewhat large, but really comes together well – with an impressive range of artists who include Doc Cheatham on trumpet, Marshall Brown on trombone, Dave Burrell on piano, Keith Marks on flute, Cecil McBee and Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Maxine Sullivan and Bill Willingham on vocals. The album's sort of a mini-history of jazz, but one that's hardly hokey at all – and which usually veers towards Harris' more righteous modes of the 70s, even when hitting older styles. Sullivan is especially great – singing here as a sophisticated soul jazz diva of the 70s, and hardly the older-styled singer we might expect. A few moments are stripped down and percussive – and other odd instrumentation includes a bit of sitar and steel drums. Titles include "It's Hard To But We Do", "I Wish I Knew", "Can There Be Peace?", "Down In Brazil", "African Drums", and "Round Trip". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Holland's excellent small group sides for ECM, showcasing his angular yet swinging take on modern jazz, that sidestepped the 80s by numbers jazz molds of revisionist young lions and too smooth jazz lite. The quintet here features Julian Priester, Steve Coleman, Kenny Wheeler, and Steve Ellington, and they run through 7 numbers in all, with titles that include "Jumpin In", "First Snow", 'The Dragon & The Samurai", "New-One", "Sunrise", "Shadow Dance" and "You I Love". CD

Easily the most hard-hitting of Blue Note's 2LP Lighthouse Live series from the early 70s – and a record that really lets Elvin Jones and his group stretch out and play! The setting is a perfect one for Jones – given the boundless energy already present on his studio sessions for Blue Note at the time – really fierce work that goes beyond even his classic Coltrane performances – pushing the limits in a sweet blend of rhythm and reeds! The group here is Elvin's razor-edge combo from the early 70s – the one that features Gene Perla on fat funky bass, and both Steve Grossman and Dave Liebman playing choppy reeds along with the grooves – really amazing hornmen at this point in their career, blowing here with interplay that's simply fantastic! Jones' leadership both draws from his years with Coltrane, yet also takes the music to key new levels – increasing the energy without blowing the top off, and creating a vivid new groove that so many others would try to cop later in the 70s – but never do this well. Titles on this first volume include "Fancy Free", "Sambra", and "The Children Save The Children". CD

With Ike Quebec, Eddie Condon, Edgar Sampson, JC Heard, Buster Harding, Tyree Glenn, Dave Rivera, and Hilton Jefferson. CD

Sweet funky Q for the 70s – easily one of the coolest albums ever from Quincy Jones! The album's got a very heavy electric vibe – one that's kind of a laidback take on the styles that Jones was forging in some of his 70s soundtrack work – served up with massive work on the keyboards from Dave Grusin and Bob James, the latter of whom brings some of his own CTI vibe strongly into play! The basslines are great too – often dipping, stepping, and turning wonderfully – keeping things laidback and mellow, but always making for some sort of a groove, even on the slower tracks too. There's just a bit of vocals on the record – handled by Valerie Simpson on two tracks, and Quincy on another – but the main focus here is on the instrumentation, which is completely sublime. Titles include Quincy's great remake of "Summer In The City", an oft-sought sample track – plus versions of "Superstition", "Daydreaming", and "You've Got It Bad Girl" – and the great originals "Chump Change", "Love Theme From The Getaway", "Eyes Of Love", and "Sanford & Son Theme". CD

Sweet funky Q for the 70s – easily one of the coolest albums ever from Quincy Jones! The album's got a very heavy electric vibe – one that's kind of a laidback take on the styles that Jones was forging in some of his 70s soundtrack work – served up with massive work on the keyboards from Dave Grusin and Bob James, the latter of whom brings some of his own CTI vibe strongly into play! The basslines are great too – often dipping, stepping, and turning wonderfully – keeping things laidback and mellow, but always making for some sort of a groove, even on the slower tracks too. There's just a bit of vocals on the record – handled by Valerie Simpson on two tracks, and Quincy on another – but the main focus here is on the instrumentation, which is completely sublime. Titles include Quincy's great remake of "Summer In The City", an oft-sought sample track – plus versions of "Superstition", "Daydreaming", and "You've Got It Bad Girl" – and the great originals "Chump Change", "Love Theme From The Getaway", "Eyes Of Love", and "Sanford & Son Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

A really sprightly piano set from Kirk Lightsey – one that's maybe got even more kick than some of his classic work from years back! The pianist works here with Steve Watts on bass and Dave Wickins on drums and percussion – and the tunes are all nice and long, and really stretch out with plenty of space that lets Kirk show off that special side of his style – his way of being both warmly lyrical and more soulfully introspective at the same time, with a sense of color and phrasing that really leaves us breathless throughout! The set features some guest work from Lee Goodall on soprano and flute – and titles include "Golden Legacy", "Punjab", "Estate", "Escapade", "Fresh Air", and "Vappallia". LP, Vinyl record album

Pianist David Matthews first got his start writing arrangements for the James Brown band of the late 60s – but over the years, he turned into a hell of a jazz arranger too – as you'll hear on this smoking large ensemble set from 1993! The record's got a special vibe right from the start – cascading tones and colors that are a wonderful change from the usual – and which seem to allow every single player in the group an individual voice, at the same time they're all coming together in unison. There's plenty of breakout solos, too – and players are a top-shelf lineup that includes Ryan Kisor and Lew Soloff on trumpets, George Young and Chris Hunter on saxes, Birch Johnson and Dave Taylor on trombones, and Matthews himself on piano. Titles include "Harry's Jump", "Four", "All Blues", and "Night In Tunisia". CD

One of the grooviest 60s live albums from Herbie Mann – done in a style that's a bit different from the rest! Herbie cut many successful live albums for Atlantic, most of them with a hard wailing soul jazz groove – but this one's a nice batch of mellower bossa tunes, played at the Newport festival in Herbie's early love affair with the music, by a group that includes Dave Pike on vibes and Atilla Zoller on guitar. All tracks are long, and the groove is much more open-handed than on Herbie's studio bossa albums. Titles include "Garota De Ipanema", "Desafinado", "Samba De Orfeu", and the more soul jazz oriented tune "Don't You Know", written by bassist Ben Tucker. CD

One of the grooviest 60s live albums from Herbie Mann – done in a style that's a bit different from the rest! Herbie cut many successful live albums for Atlantic, most of them with a hard wailing soul jazz groove – but this one's a nice batch of mellower bossa tunes, played at the Newport festival in Herbie's early love affair with the music, by a group that includes Dave Pike on vibes and Atilla Zoller on guitar. All tracks are long, and the groove is much more open-handed than on Herbie's studio bossa albums. Titles include "Garota De Ipanema", "Desafinado", "Samba De Orfeu", and the more soul jazz oriented tune "Don't You Know", written by bassist Ben Tucker. LP, Vinyl record album

Rare material from one of our favorite jazz musicians of all time – legendary Hammond hero Jack McDuff, heard here in a really wonderful setting! McDuff in the 60s was already great – an organist who played in ways that really stood out, with a sense of rhythm that was completely unique – and which only took off even more strongly as the 70s approached. Here, McDuff is in a very fruitful part of that decade – playing live in a way that really echoes his classic Heatin System album, recorded in the same year for Chess Records – really long, exploratory tracks that also feature strong solo work from Dave Young on tenor and soprano sax, Leo Johnson on tenor and flute, and Vinnie Corrado on guitar. There's an unknown trumpeter on two tracks too – and titles include "Ain't No Sunshine", "Blues 1 & 8", "6:30 In The Morning", "Middle Class Folk Song", "Jolly Black Giant", and the killer "Theme From Electric Surfboard". CD

Rare material from one of our favorite jazz musicians of all time – legendary Hammond hero Jack McDuff, heard here in a really wonderful setting! McDuff in the 60s was already great – an organist who played in ways that really stood out, with a sense of rhythm that was completely unique – and which only took off even more strongly as the 70s approached. Here, McDuff is in a very fruitful part of that decade – playing live in a way that really echoes his classic Heatin System album, recorded in the same year for Chess Records – really long, exploratory tracks that also feature strong solo work from Dave Young on tenor and soprano sax, Leo Johnson on tenor and flute, and Vinnie Corrado on guitar. There's an unknown trumpeter on two tracks too – and titles include "Ain't No Sunshine", "Blues 1 & 8", "6:30 In The Morning", "Middle Class Folk Song", "Jolly Black Giant", and the killer "Theme From Electric Surfboard". LP, Vinyl record album

A groundbreaking early album from guitarist John McLaughlin – a set that's a bit different than his more famous work of the mid 70s – with maybe a more avant approach, and a lot more bite as well! The set's really an equal collaboration, rather than just a McLaughlin session – although it's become known as such, since the guitarist is the most famous musician – amongst a fantastic lineup that includes John Surman on reeds, Karl Berger on vibes, Dave Holland on bass, and Stu Martin on drums – all working in a freewheeling mode that's a lot like some of Surman's Trio records on the Dawn label from the same time! Surman is especially great here – adding in soulful currents at some spots, freer lines at others – and it's great to hear the tones of McLaughlin's guitar balanced against Berger's vibes. Titles include "Glancing Backwards", "Earth Bound Hearts", and "Where Fortune Smiles". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Myra Melford on piano, Dave Douglas on trumpet, Chris Speed on tenor sax and clarinet, Eirk Friedlander on cello, and Michael Sarin on drums. CD

The first-ever issue of this rare live set from the legendary Thelonious Monk Quartet of the 60s – the same group that cut some incredible albums for Columbia Records, sounding equally great here in a concert setting in Paris! The group features tremendous tenor work from Charlie Rouse – a player who can be deeply soulful, but also hit all the right angles to match Monk's modern piano lines – as important to Thelonious as the alto sax of Paul Desmond was to Dave Brubeck! And like Brubeck's quartet at the time, the rhythm players here are also key – the fantastic John Ore on bass, and the great Frankie Dunlop on drums – two players who hit all the right spots along the way, and match Monk's energy perfectly. Titles include "Criss Cross", "Epistrophy", "Bye Ya", "Monk's Dream", and a "Drum Solo". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprising jazz funk stunner from drummer Idris Muhammad – part of his great second chapter of work for CTI in the 70s! Idris is working here in a style that's very different than his heavy-footed funky work on Prestige and Blue Note – and while it's easy to criticize him for not keeping the same old breakbeat funk style, it's also important to give him a lot of credit for pushing his vision way past the simple stock style of the earlier days! The record's a very nice set of complicated jazzy grooves – some a bit clubby, but many very nice, and with the kind of sophisticated funk arrangements that were on the best Kudu records. No surprise that Dave Matthews is putting together most of the cuts, save for one excellent groove that's arranged by Tom Harrell. Players include Fred Wesley, Ronnie Cuber, Eric Gale, and Wilbur Bascomb – and titles include "Baia", "Sudan", "Hey Pocky A Way", "Theme For New York City", which is based on the same Chopin haunting tune as Serge Gainsbourg's "Jane B"! LP, Vinyl record album

A surprising jazz funk stunner from drummer Idris Muhammad – part of his great second chapter of work for CTI in the 70s! Idris is working here in a style that's very different than his heavy-footed funky work on Prestige and Blue Note – and while it's easy to criticize him for not keeping the same old breakbeat funk style, it's also important to give him a lot of credit for pushing his vision way past the simple stock style of the earlier days! The record's a very nice set of complicated jazzy grooves – some a bit clubby, but many very nice, and with the kind of sophisticated funk arrangements that were on the best Kudu records. No surprise that Dave Matthews is putting together most of the cuts, save for one excellent groove that's arranged by Tom Harrell. Players include Fred Wesley, Ronnie Cuber, Eric Gale, and Wilbur Bascomb – and titles include "Baia", "Sudan", "Hey Pocky A Way", "Theme For New York City", which is based on the same Chopin haunting tune as Serge Gainsbourg's "Jane B"! LP, Vinyl record album

One of those great overlooked dates from Gerry Mulligan's sometimes-ignored stretch of the mid 70s – a time when he was really trying out some excellent new musical experiments! This cooking set features his baritone in a group that really cooks nicely – and in ways that are quite different than you'd ever expect from the Mulligan of the 50s – and maybe even the Gerry of the 60s too! There's a bit of electricity in the group – thanks to Fender Rhodes from Tom Fay and guitar from Mike Santiago – and that element is a surprisingly wonderful complement to Gerry's baritone – which only seems to have a deeper sense of soul in comparison. Dave Samuels adds in some excellent vibes – and the other players include George Duvivier on bass and Bobby Rosengarden on drums – on titles that include "Strayhorn 2", "Idol Gossip", "Taurus Moon", "Waltzing Mathilda", and "Walk On Water". LP, Vinyl record album

Nestico plays with big band, with featured soloists including Eugene Amaro, Ed Bickert, Guido Basso, Jimmy Dale, Dave Young, Jerry Toth, Dave Woods, Ian McDougall, Jerry Johnson, and Bruce Harvey. LP, Vinyl record album

Nestico plays with big band, with featured soloists including Eugene Amaro, Ed Bickert, Guido Basso, Jimmy Dale, Dave Young, Jerry Toth, Dave Woods, Ian McDougall, Jerry Johnson, and Bruce Harvey. CD

Stellar stellar set by this great vibes player! Recorded with the same high quality as all the Ubiquity releases, and a loving tribute to a great player who hasn't had his due in many many years. At first, we thought "big deal, another Dave Pike record. It's new, and it's probably a lot weaker than his old stuff." It's not, though, and although it doesn't have as many funky electric tracks as his MPS releases, it's a beatiful set of modal jazzy tracks with excellent playing throughout, and a wonderful sound all the way through. Jane Getz plays piano, Teddy Edwards plays tenor, Milcho Leviev plays piano, and Anthony Wilson plays guitar. Nice one, Ubiquity! CD

Beautiful beautiful early work from Dave Pike – a cascading array of vibes and piano – stretched out over some longer tracks that skip with a lyrical and modal groove throughout! Dave's working here with a group that includes Bill Evans on piano, Herbie Lewis on bass, and Walter Perkins on drums – and although his style is a bit more restrained than on his later funk albums, it also proves to be a wonderful match for the fluid colors of Evans' work on piano – as well as Perkins' light and playful work on the drum kit. There's a simplicity here that's really great – not as "over your head" as the Dave Pike Set of later years, and with a gentle grace that shows what a keenly mature player Pike was, even at this early age. Titles include "Why Not", "Vierd Blues", "Besame Mucho", and "Wild Is The Wind". CD

Beautiful beautiful early work from Dave Pike – a cascading array of vibes and piano – stretched out over some longer tracks that skip with a lyrical and modal groove throughout! Dave's working here with a group that includes Bill Evans on piano, Herbie Lewis on bass, and Walter Perkins on drums – and although his style is a bit more restrained than on his later funk albums, it also proves to be a wonderful match for the fluid colors of Evans' work on piano – as well as Perkins' light and playful work on the drum kit. There's a simplicity here that's really great – not as "over your head" as the Dave Pike Set of later years, and with a gentle grace that shows what a keenly mature player Pike was, even at this early age. Titles include "Why Not", "Vierd Blues", "Besame Mucho", and "Wild Is The Wind". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful beautiful early work from Dave Pike – a cascading array of vibes and piano – stretched out over some longer tracks that skip with a lyrical and modal groove throughout! Dave's working here with a group that includes Bill Evans on piano, Herbie Lewis on bass, and Walter Perkins on drums – and although his style is a bit more restrained than on his later funk albums, it also proves to be a wonderful match for the fluid colors of Evans' work on piano – as well as Perkins' light and playful work on the drum kit. There's a simplicity here that's really great – not as "over your head" as the Dave Pike Set of later years, and with a gentle grace that shows what a keenly mature player Pike was, even at this early age. Titles include "Why Not", "Vierd Blues", "Besame Mucho", and "Wild Is The Wind". LP, Vinyl record album

A great group gets even better – as the legendary pairing of tenorist Don Rendell and trumpeter Ian Carr is joined by pianist Michael Garrick – who was really helping to shape the sound of British jazz at the time! The album's only the second from the Rendell/Carr Quintet, but it's already moving strongly forward – with this sense of composition and focus that's really amazing – served up in original tunes by all three creative forces in the lead – often with this great balance between soulful swing and modern ideas that makes the whole thing a dream all the way through! Don plays tenor, soprano sax, flute, and clarinet; Carr plays trumpet and flugelhorn; Garrick is on piano, Dave Green is on bass, and Trevor Tomkin is on drums – on titles that include "Prayer", "Dusk Fire", "Hot Rod", "Spooks", "Jubal", and "Tan Samfu". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the greatest British jazz of the 60s – two early albums by the groundbreaking Ian Carr/Don Rendell quintet! Shades Of Blue is the debut of a legendary British jazz group – one who not only gave that nation's scene a fresh voice in music, but who also really set the tone for many other acts to come! After a stretch when the London scene was doing a great job of matching American efforts in bop and swing, players like Don Rendell and Ian Carr found a way to really carve out some bold space of their own – here, by matching their own strong sense of writing and arranging, always filled with beautiful tone and color, with some of the more modern phrasing and styles that were just creeping up around town. The set's not nearly as experimental as the work of Joe Harriott, but has all the hallmarks of that generation's openness to new ways of expression – often given a surprisingly soulful swing, and captured perfectly as one of the early entries in the famous Lansdowne Series recordings. The rest of the group is equally great – and in addition to Rendell on tenor and soprano sax, and Carr on trumpet and flugelhorn – the combo includes Colin Purbrook on piano, Dave Green on bass, and Trevor Tompkin on drums. Titles include "Garrison 64", "Blue Mosque", "Just Blue", "Latin Blue", "Sailin", and "Big City Strut". Dusk Fire has a great group getting even better – as the legendary pairing of tenorist Don Rendell and trumpeter Ian Carr is joined by pianist Michael Garrick – who was really helping to shape the sound of British jazz at the time! The album's only the second from the Rendell/Carr Quintet, but it's already moving strongly forward – with this sense of composition and focus that's really amazing – served up in original tunes by all three creative forces in the lead – often with this great balance between soulful swing and modern ideas that makes the whole thing a dream all the way through! Don plays tenor, soprano sax, flute, and clarinet; Carr plays trumpet and flugelhorn; Garrick is on piano, Dave Green is on bass, and Trevor Tomkin is on drums – on titles that include "Prayer", "Dusk Fire", "Hot Rod", "Spooks", "Jubal", and "Tan Samfu". CD

A masterful fusion set from guitarist Lee Ritenour – one that expands his sound a bit more than usual by adding in vocals on a number of tracks – but in a way that really gets at the mainstream soul influences that bubble through his jazz work! The set features key vocal appearances from Patti Austin, Tom Baylor, and Bill Champlin – all singers who really know how to respect the instrumental side of a tune, too – which is great, given that the record also features keyboards from Dave Grusin and Patrice Rushen too. Titles include "That's Enough For Me", "Sugarloaf Express", "What Do You Want", "Matchmakers", "Morning Glory", and "The Storm". LP, Vinyl record album

Two Pharoah Sanders classics – back to back on a single CD! Tauhid is one of the first moments of genius from a young Pharoah Sanders – a set that builds on the energy of John Coltrane's Love Supreme generation – but takes it in a much more expansive direction! The album's got a sense of majesty that's years ahead of its time – righteous, positive, spiritual jazz that flows out with a timeless power, and a quality that almost out-Coltrane's Coltrane! All tracks are long, expressive, and freely flowing – building with a very organic sense of energy – totally free from any gimmicks or cliche. Players include Dave Burrell on piano, Henry Grimes on bass, and Sonny Sharrock on guitar – and Pharoah plays alto, tenor, and piccolo – and even vocalizes a bit. The album begins with the amazing "Upper & Lower Egypt" – which is a perfect illustration of the two sides of Pharoah's genius – free/out & spiritual/modal – and other titles include "Japan", and "Capricorn Rising". Jewels Of Thought is a wonderful reunion of Pharoah Sanders and vocalist Leon Thomas – and a set that captures a lot of the same energy as the pair's previous record – Karma! Thomas' vocals are in wonderful form for the set – stretching out soulfully on the extended classic "Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah" – a title that has much of the same grace and power as "The Creator Has A Master Plan. The rest of the players on the date include Lonnie Liston Smith on piano, Richard Davis and Cecil McBee on basses, and Idris Muhammad and Roy Haynes on drums – and unusually enough, each of the double bassists and drummers gets their own channel of sound to work with! The other long track on the album is the extended "Sun In Aquarius" – which is a bit more outside, but still pretty great! CD

There might be a trumpet in Archie Shepp's soul, but the album features him on tenor and soprano sax – working in a wonderfully spiritual vein that's almost in the same mode as his early 70s work on Impulse! The album features some very long, drawn out tracks – but ones that build nicely with Shepp's soulful styles of the 70s – that groove he explored a bit on the Black Saint label, with a bold sense of majesty and power, presented with more control than the BYG/Actuel years. The album features some great vocals – again recalling Archie's later Impulse years – and players include Walter Davis Jr on electric piano, Dave Burrell on acoustic piano, Charles Greenlee on trombone, Ray Draper on tuba, and Beaver Harris on drums. Titles include "There's A Trumpet In My Soul", "Zaid", "Down In Brazil", and "It Is The Year Of The Rabbit". CD

There might be a trumpet in Archie Shepp's soul, but the album features him on tenor and soprano sax – working in a wonderfully spiritual vein that's almost in the same mode as his early 70s work on Impulse! The album features some very long, drawn out tracks – but ones that build nicely with Shepp's soulful styles of the 70s – that groove he explored a bit on the Black Saint label, with a bold sense of majesty and power, presented with more control than the BYG/Actuel years. The album features some great vocals – again recalling Archie's later Impulse years – and players include Walter Davis Jr on electric piano, Dave Burrell on acoustic piano, Charles Greenlee on trombone, Ray Draper on tuba, and Beaver Harris on drums. Titles include "There's A Trumpet In My Soul", "Zaid", "Down In Brazil", and "It Is The Year Of The Rabbit". LP, Vinyl record album

A perfect illustration of the rich new directions Wayne Shorter was taking at the start of the 70s – an amazing flurry of sounds and styles that's light years ahead of where he began in the 60s! Shorter's one of those players who was already great at the start – an amazing tenorist, both on his own and with the groups of Art Blakey and Miles Davis – yet by the time of this record, he'd absorbed a huge amount of influences from Brazilian music, modal jazz, the spiritual underground, and even the free European scene – all of which come to play on the long, complex tunes on the set! The record has Shorter working with some other key contemporaries of this new moment in jazz – John McLaughlin on 12 string guitar, Chick Corea on marimba and percussion, Dave Holland and Miroslav Vitous on bass, and Ron Carter on cello – all players who have the same open, exploratory vibe as Wayne's own lines on tenor and soprano sax. Titles include an excellent cover of Milton Nascimento's "Vera Cruz", plus the tracks "Antiqua", "Iska", and "Montezuma". CD

With Gerardo Velez on percussion, Julio Fernandez on guitar, Kim Stone on bass, Dave Samuels on vibraphone and marimba, Richie Morales on drums, Tom Schuman on Keyboards, and Jay Beckenstein on saxophone. LP, Vinyl record album

A sweetly funky little set from Sonny Stitt – one of his hippest albums ever, and a rare date cut for Ahmad Jamal's short-lived record label! The sound here is a great combination of the late 60s tone that Sonny forged on other east coast indies – and some of the hipper, more open rhythms he'd later hit on the Jazz Masters label in Detroit on his work with Eddie Russ – a sound that's quite unique, and which is a fair bit different than the funk-based Stitt dates for Prestige around the same time. Players here are quite unusual too – Herbie Hancock on piano, organ, and Fender Rhodes – plus Ted Sommer on vibes, and guitar by either Gene Bertoncini, Howard Collins, or John Pizzarelli – depending on the track. Rhythm is by Ron Carter on bass and Grady Tate on drums – and the arrangements by Dave Ward have a nicely fresh approach to soul jazz – one that really keeps things interesting throughout! Titles include "Sunny", "My Idea", "Jason's Blues", "Out Of This World", "Opus 1", "When Sonny Blows Blue", and "Mac Arthur Park". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweetly funky little set from Sonny Stitt – one of his hippest albums ever, and a rare date cut for Ahmad Jamal's short-lived record label! The sound here is a great combination of the late 60s tone that Sonny forged on other east coast indies – and some of the hipper, more open rhythms he'd later hit on the Jazz Masters label in Detroit on his work with Eddie Russ – a sound that's quite unique, and which is a fair bit different than the funk-based Stitt dates for Prestige around the same time. Players here are quite unusual too – Herbie Hancock on piano, organ, and Fender Rhodes – plus Ted Sommer on vibes, and guitar by either Gene Bertoncini, Howard Collins, or John Pizzarelli – depending on the track. Rhythm is by Ron Carter on bass and Grady Tate on drums – and the arrangements by Dave Ward have a nicely fresh approach to soul jazz – one that really keeps things interesting throughout! Titles include "Sunny", "My Idea", "Jason's Blues", "Out Of This World", "Opus 1", "When Sonny Blows Blue", and "Mac Arthur Park". CD

The team of Clark Terry & Bob Brookmeyer shouldn't work so well together – but on 60s classics like this they really gel together nicely – and although Terry's always been an optimist, and Brookmeyer's had a history as a modernist, the pair cut some great records together! This set's one of the best of a short run the Terry/Brookmeyer group cut for Mainstream in the mid 60s – a quintet session with Hank Jones on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Dave Bailey on drums – all players creative enough to match the playful spirit of the leaders, muting their rhythms one minute, and grooving them up the next! The mix of Terry's flugelhorn and Brookmeyer's trombone is especially great – a breathy approach to the horn parts that still swings hard, but with a fluid grace that's more pulsating than punctuating. Titles include a great version of Gary McFarland's "Milo's Other Samba", Jimmy Heath's "Gingerbread Boy", and the titles "Haig & Haig", "My Gal", "Naptown", and "Morning Mist". CD

Electric harp?!?! Don't ask us – we like it! Jonny Teupen was one of the strangest and most wonderful artists to record for the MPS label during their glory days – and his big instrument was a jazz harp, which he often electrified to great result! Sure, Dorothy Ashby had been making jazz inroads on the instrument in the US at about the same time – but Teupen had a cool sound that was a bit sitar, a bit guitar, and a bit "inside the piano" at his wildest moments. This record is maybe his greatest moment ever – and mixes Jonny's harp with vibes from Dave Pike guitar from Volker Kriegel, trumpet from Shake Keane, and drums from Charly Antolini – all solid MPS players who really help ground the sound! Titles include "Blue Tattoo", "I Saw The Sun Going Down", "Love Me", " The Cornflower Girl", "Come Back & Shake Me", and "Harp Revolution". CD

A rare jazz treasure from the European scene of the early 70s – killer material from a wealth of American artists and local talents – all done as special sessions for Dutch radio, and never issued to the public on record! Despite the radio origins of the music, the sound here is tremendous – easily on a par with the best MPS sessions of the time – which is no surprise, given that many of the artists here worked in similar circles! The first half of the set features the trio of pianist Louis Van Dyke augmented with guests who include Mark Murphy, Helen Merrill, Eddie Jefferson, Toots Thielemans, Herb Geller, and Dave Pike – all stepping out into the spotlight while Van Dyke's combo backs them up with lively grooves that are often heavy on bossa influences! The second half features larger orchestrations from The Metropole Orchestra – a soaring big band who groove wonderfully, often in support of vocals from Murphy or Greetje Kauffeld, but also featuring instrumental solos from European players Ack Van Rooyen, Piet Nordijk, Ferdinand Povel, and others. The whole set is worth it alone for the vocals of Murphy – because the record easily stands as some of his best work ever from this decade – and given how great Mark was at the time, that's really saying a lot! Small group titles include "Children Of The Sun", "So What", "Love Sick", "Sao Paulo", "Con Alma", "Seventh Day", and "Falling In Love With Love" – and bigger group numbers include "Out Of This World", "My Shining Hour", "Let's Fall In Love", "Get Happy", "I'll Wind", "This Time The Dream's On Me", "Paper Moon", "One For My Baby", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", and "That Old Black Magic". 37 tracks in all! CD

A funky fusion classic from guitarist Wah Wah Watson – his only album as a leader, despite countless appearances as a sideman on 70s soul, jazz, and pop sessions! The album's got a really wonderful sort of west coast groove – one that takes bits of spacey fusion, bassy funk, and mellower soul – and wraps them up with a fresh and imaginative approach, not to mention plenty of wah wah work on guitar! Players on the set are a superstar array of the best talents in Watson's field – and include Bennie Maupin, Herbie Hancock, Dave Grusin, Joe Sample, and The Waters, who sing vocals on a few cuts. The set includes the killer instrumental "Bubbles", one of our favorite mellow grooves ever – plus the tracks "Goo Goo Wah Wah", "My Love For You Comes & Goes", "Good Friends", "Love Ain't Somethin", and "Sunset Boulevard". (Soul, Jazz) CD

A really fantastic live performance by the Mike Westbrook Concert Band – recorded right around the same time as his seminal albums for Deram – and with an equally amazing sound! The "old place" here is Ronnie Scott's old club – which was still leased for a few months as the new one was being opened in 1968, which gave Westbrook and other young musicians the chance to try out some of the incredible new ideas that would really set the British jazz scene apart in the late 60s! There's a pivotal feel to the record that's wonderful – really informing the explosion of sounds on Westbrook's late 60s albums, as he uses both older jazz compositions and his own great work – to make a pastiche of modes and modern moments that really blows us away – served up by a lineup that includes Mike Osborne and John Surman on saxes, Malcolm Griffiths and Paul Rutherford on trombones, Dave Holdsworth on piano, Harry Miller on bass, and Alan Jackson on drums – with Westbrook leading the group on piano. Titles include "Who's Who", "A Life Of It's Own", "The Few", "Lover Man", "For Ever & A Day", "Folk Song", "We Salute You", "Flying", and "Can't Get It Out Of My Mind". CD

Warmly expressive work from trumpeter Kenny Wheeler – a set that's got the same depth of tone as his work for other labels, but which has a bit of a different feel as well. The record has maybe a bit more bite – not necessarily on Wheeler's trumpet or flugelhorn, the latter of which still retains its wonderfully airy sound – but instead on the overall conception, which makes careful but creative use of other group members – especially John Taylor on piano and Dave Holland on bass, as well as Billy Elgart on drums, and Stan Sulzmann on soprano, tenor, and flute. All tunes are originals by Wheeler, and really lovely ones at that – and titles include "Gigolo", "The Little Fella", "Miold Man", "We Salute The Night", and "Everybody's Song But My Own". CD

Really great material from Andy Williams – some of the grooviest sounds we've ever heard from the singer, thanks to backings from Quincy Jones! The set features live sides cut for the Let's Go To Town show issued for radio by the National Guard – and the album's got a similar feel to the great Williams/Jones album on Cadence from the same time, but with a vibe that's even more jazz-based overall! Andy's a hell of a singer in the right setting – and this album's even more sublime than his studio album with Quincy – as it offers up a fair bit of instrumental tracks from Jones' great ensemble of the time, which means even more great work on some of the solo passages. Dave Grusin plays piano on a few tracks, too – and titles include "Pleasingly Plump", "Gwan Train", "Boum", "The Midnight Sun Will Never Set", "Domino", "Air Mail Special", "Lester Leaps In", "Mademoiselle De Paris", and "Clap Yo Hands/I Won't Dance". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Killer stuff – a really well-done collection of rare bop material for Savoy! The set's not really a compilation, but more of an archive of great sessions from the 78rpm era – with batches of tracks in order from the same sessions. Includes material by a Kenny Dorham combo, a Joe Newman group, a Gil Fuller set with Dave Burns and Sahib Shihab, a Ray Brown date, and vocal sets by Eddie Jefferson, Babs Gonzales, and Kenny Hagood! LP, Vinyl record album

Way more than just a random jazz compilation – and instead a set that comes with a hefty book about the Boston jazz underground in the 70s – almost 80 pages in length, complete with images of records, vintage photos, and lots of notes on this under-documented scene! And while Boston's always been something of a hotbed of jazz activity – thanks to the younger students who hit the city to study at Berklee and other schools – this material represents a much deeper, more spiritual current of jazz – work that's in the same territory of the AACM or loft jazz scenes of the period, but also with a current of freewheeling electric material too! At this price, the whole thing would already be great as a collection of rare spiritual jazz, but with the book and overall package it's a hell of a deal – packed with musical goodness on cuts that include "Sketch (parts 1 & 2)" and "Road Through The Wall (parts 2 & 3)" by Thing, "For Margot" and "Tarot The Moon" by Mark Harvey Group, "The Creator Is So Far Out" and "Egypt" by Phil Musra Group, "9 Degrees Black Women Liberation" by Worlds, "Year Of The Ear Herds & Hoards" by Baird Hersey with Dave Liebman, and "Play Sleep" by Stanton Davis' Ghetto Mysticism. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) CD

Way more than just a regular set of 60s soul jazz – as the package offers up a wide variety of styles, genres, and work from both European and American sources – all at a ridiculously low price! The set brings together 18 numbers from key 60s labels like Verve, MPS, and Impulse – all grooving together nicely in an upbeat mode that brings in plenty of Latin, Brazilian, and slightly funky touches too! All these tunes are plenty darn hip – longtime favorites at Dusty Groove that include "Jive Samba" by Peter Herbholzheimer, "Crickets Sing For Anamaria" by Marcos Valle, "Evil Ways" by Willie Bobo, "Terra Samba" by Fritz Pauer, "Um Grao De Areia" by Clarke Boland Big Band, "Cubano Chant" by Wolfgang Dauner Trio, "For Mods Only" by Chico Hamilton, "Love & Happiness" by Monty Alexander, "The Fakir" by Cal Tjader, "Big Schlepp" by Dave Pike Set, "Watermelon Man" by Jon Hendricks, "Why & How" by Mark Murphy, and "Sunshine Of Your Love" by Ella Fitzgerald. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) CD

Not just cool jazz – despite what the title might say – and instead a whole host of soulful jazzy styles from the late 50s and early 60s – pulled forth from the kind of singles that once boomed from backroom jukeboxes in taverns on the south side of town! The collection is great – very much in the spirit of some of the Mod Jazz compilations on Ace, but maybe even a bit more farther-reaching too – and the tracks are a great mix of instrumental and vocal jazz numbers, put together with the same great ear as the soul collections on the Outta Sight label. Titles include "Like Young" by Ann Henry, "I Walk The Streets" by Lyn Avalon, "Scenes In The City (edit)" by Charles Mingus, "Comin Home Baby" by Dave Bailey, "Johnny With The Gentle Hands" by Cootie Williams & Wini Brown, "Baby Do You Ever Think Of Me" by Sonny Stitt, "Goodbye Old Girl" by Art Farmer, "Wayning Moments" by Wayne Shorter, and "Sack O Woe" by Ray Bryant. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) CD