Beautiful sounds from pianist Carla Bley – a musician who just keeps on blowing us away as the decades move on – and that's saying a hell of a lot, given how many years she's been making music! There's a really special quality to this record – a warmth and maybe just a slight touch of humor, but not in the overdone way of some of Carla's records from the 80s – much more subtle, and mixed with occasional currents of darkness – all handled with this understated sense of personality that perfectly showcases all three members of the group – Bley on piano, Steve Swallow on bass, and Andy Sheppard on tenor and soprano saxes. Swallow maybe sounds more wonderful here than we've heard in years – the record is a great reminder of how many great contributions he can make to music – and titles include the longer cycles of songs "Life Goes On", "Copycat", and "Beautiful Telephones (parts 1 to 3)". CD

An all-star group take on the music of Duke Pearson – paying wonderful tribute to the kind of special, soulful grooves that Duke cooked up during his too-short career on Blue Note Records in the 60s! The lineup here is top-shelf, and very much in keeping with the sort of strong combos that Pearson would put together – both for records under his own name, and as a producer for Blue Note – and the lineup here features Diego Rivera on tenor and soprano sax, Art Hirahara on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Vinnie Sperrazza on drums – a no-nonsense group who really focus in on the best elements of the songs, then let loose with great solo work. Jon Davis replaces Hirahara on three tracks on the set on piano – and titles include the great tune "Is That So", plus "You Know I Care", "Sweet Honey Bee", "ESP", "Chili Peppers", "Ready Rudy", and "Idle Moments". CD

A sublime blend of jazz and organic sounds from multi-instrumentalist Bex Burch – a record that sounds as if it might have come from the studio of Carlos Nino, but which almost has a more personal, poetic sort of quality! There are some sounds of nature here – including bird calls from a sanctuary in Illinois – and even the more familiar instruments, like piano, drums, reeds, violin, or bass are often mixed with some "room" elements that really locate the recording in a special place – in ways that also seem to have some of that post-studio touches around the edges that we love from the International Anthem label. Burch clearly delivers most of the sound herself, almost doing an "in residence" to create the music – but she gets help along the way from guests who include Ben LaMar Gay, Dan Bitney, Rob Frye, Anna Butterss, and Macie Stewart – on titles that include "When Love Begins", "Don't Go Back To Sleep", "Dawn Blessings", "Follow Me I Make You Happy", "Start Before You're Ready", "Pardieu", and "If I Was You I'd Be Doing Exactly The Same". CD

A sublime blend of jazz and organic sounds from multi-instrumentalist Bex Burch – a record that sounds as if it might have come from the studio of Carlos Nino, but which almost has a more personal, poetic sort of quality! There are some sounds of nature here – including bird calls from a sanctuary in Illinois – and even the more familiar instruments, like piano, drums, reeds, violin, or bass are often mixed with some "room" elements that really locate the recording in a special place – in ways that also seem to have some of that post-studio touches around the edges that we love from the International Anthem label. Burch clearly delivers most of the sound herself, almost doing an "in residence" to create the music – but she gets help along the way from guests who include Ben LaMar Gay, Dan Bitney, Rob Frye, Anna Butterss, and Macie Stewart – on titles that include "When Love Begins", "Don't Go Back To Sleep", "Dawn Blessings", "Follow Me I Make You Happy", "Start Before You're Ready", "Pardieu", and "If I Was You I'd Be Doing Exactly The Same". LP, Vinyl record album

A sublime blend of jazz and organic sounds from multi-instrumentalist Bex Burch – a record that sounds as if it might have come from the studio of Carlos Nino, but which almost has a more personal, poetic sort of quality! There are some sounds of nature here – including bird calls from a sanctuary in Illinois – and even the more familiar instruments, like piano, drums, reeds, violin, or bass are often mixed with some "room" elements that really locate the recording in a special place – in ways that also seem to have some of that post-studio touches around the edges that we love from the International Anthem label. Burch clearly delivers most of the sound herself, almost doing an "in residence" to create the music – but she gets help along the way from guests who include Ben LaMar Gay, Dan Bitney, Rob Frye, Anna Butterss, and Macie Stewart – on titles that include "When Love Begins", "Don't Go Back To Sleep", "Dawn Blessings", "Follow Me I Make You Happy", "Start Before You're Ready", "Pardieu", and "If I Was You I'd Be Doing Exactly The Same". LP, Vinyl record album

A hell of a set from the comeback years of tenorist Fred Anderson on record – a date that has Fred on tenor with familiar drummer Hamid Drake – joining pianist Marilyn Crispell during a special live performance on a visit to Chicago! The set's very much in the Crispell mode – produced and presented in a manner that's more like some of her records than Fred's – and the freewheeling piano work of the legend really seems to push Anderson on to even bolder moments than some of his other records from the time, but always balanced with the kind of sensitivity that makes him so great, easily echoed by Drake's work on percussion – and balanced out with that sense of space that has always kept us interested in Crispell's music over the decades. The album features six numbered pieces, each titled "Destiny". CD

Ted Daniel may be one of the most compelling sound-shapers we've ever heard on the trumpet – a very under-acknowledged musician whose playing of the 70s and 80s continues to really grab us over the years! This unissued live set is from 1981, and it features Ted on a variety of horns – blowing in a special way that both links to more conventional trumpet modes, yet also shows a knowledge of the more open phrasing that some of his generation were using – like Lester Bowie or Leo Smith. Yet unlike some of those artists, Ted's performance, although free, is never that far from the more familiar roots of trumpet expression – a fantastic balance that really comes through beautifully in the music. There's a few unusual approaches here – one track features a trumpet played into a grand piano, another a flugelhorn through a phase shifter – but even these never go too far out. Titles include "Sunny Side Up", "Closer & Closer", "Vicissitudes Of A Lover", "Al Fine", "Ciao Bene", and "Deac's Ceremonial Testimonial". CD

One of the best-ever albums from Italian drummer Tullio De Piscopo – a very spiritual set that draws a heck of a lot from work on the session by tenorist Larry Nocella – who's tremendous throughout, and may well deliver one of his best performances on record! Tullio is nice and loose, and very open – different than on some other records, and really moving in sympathy with the bass of Lucio Terzano and piano of Luigi Benefede, in lines that are warm, lyrical, and often modal – a quality that's augmented by the guitar work of Giorgio Cocilovo, and which really seems to have Nocella finding a whole new range in his music! Luis Agudo is a special guest on the set, adding lots of additional percussion to the proceedings – and titles include "Barbara", "La Mia Natura", "Scetete/Garrison My Dear", "Say It", and "For Larry". CD

Legendary drummer Tullio De Piscopo is all by himself on the cover, and that's how he sounds on the record – just playing solo, but with amazing grooves that hardly make you miss the other instruments at all! Tullio's got a long legacy in both jazz and club music – yet this set may be one of his most unique, and one of the purest demonstrations of his talents as a musician – as he manages to serve up these solo tracks that are all rhythmic and very groovy, with a melodic command of the drum kit that fills in all the other elements you might miss – on tracks that move between classic hip hop break cuts, to Brazilian-inflected groovers, to some other rhythmic masterpieces that were certainly years ahead of their time back in 1974! Titles include "Afro Cubano", "Samba Carnival", "Rocking Special", "Afro Jazz", "7/4 Rock", "Fast Afro Samba", "Drum Fantasy", "Onda Nueva 3/4", "Moderato Swing", and "Dodiciottavi". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the most beautiful record we've ever heard from bassist Dezron Douglas – an artist who hasn't given us many albums as a leader, but who always creates something special when he does! This set not only follows that legacy, but really knocks it out of the park – as there's a rich, soulful approach to the whole thing that represents a quality that we've always heard lurking in Dezron's music, but which never came through this strongly! The group is really well-matched with warm piano and Fender Rhodes from George Burton (another player we like a lot) – and these angular reed lines from Emilio Modeste, a player who can have a soulful swing at one minute, and a much freer sound the next – especially when driven on by dynamic drum work from Joe Dyson Jr – as the group effortlessly moves between spiritual/modal sounds, and more outside moments. Melvis Santa sings on one cut, "Wheeping Birch" – and other titles include "Luna Moth", "Atalaya", "Rose", "J Bird", "Octopus", "Foligno", "More Coffee Please", and "Jones Beach". LP, Vinyl record album

The coolest record so far from this totally great combo – a live recording done on the home turf of the Greg Foat Group – the Playboy Club in London! The retro venue really fits the slinky, sexy vibe of the group's music – and although we already loved these guys before, this album has a really special sort of feel – with loads of wonderful keyboard lines from Greg on Hohner Electra piano, Elka Rhapsody, Hammond L 100, and Mutron Phaser – almost always distorted with a nice degree of fuzz, but still a straight ahead approach, and some great undercurrents of fuzz too! The group also features tenor and trumpet – which sometimes sound distorted, ala Varitone modes – and the overall sound feels like some lost jazzy club combo from the late 60s, really tripping out in a very comfortable space. We'd easily stack this one next to our favorite funky Fender Rhodes records from back in the day – and titles include "By The Grace Of God I Am", "Ingen Reklam", "Funky Fanfare", "Madrid", and "Mr Minor". CD features two bonus tracks – "Finky Minky" and "Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag". CD

A brilliant record from tenorist Ken Fowser – a player who seems to grab our attention more and more with each new record – both as a soloist and as a rock-solid leader who always brings something special to a session! Ken dedicates this record to the inspiration of pianist Harold Mabern – and you can really feel a lot of Mabern's warmth and soul flowing through the record – as the tunes bristle with the kind of soulful imagination that we always loved in Mabern's music from years back – even though they're all originals by Ken, with piano handled beautifully by Tadatka Unno! This might be the first time we've ever heard Unno on record, but we're already in love – and the rest of the group features Josh Bruneau on trumpet and flugelhorn, Vince Dupont on bass, and Joe Strasser on drums. Titles include "This That & The Other Thing", "Moving Forward", "Three For Leathers", "Morning Light", "Firefly", "The Instigator", and "Without Saying". CD

Right from the very first note, you'll know you're in for something special here – the unusual phrasing and open-hearted qualities that made Von Freeman one of the true Chicago legends on the tenor saxophone – even though he never got the global fame of contemporaries like Clifford Jordan or Johnny Griffin! Yet we can easily mention Von in the company of both of those giants – and as you'll hear here, Freeman's got a depth of expression that also rivals Gene Ammons and Dexter Gordon, especially on the open-ended, stretched out ballads that make up most of the material here. The group is very easygoing – perfect for the spirit of the music – John Young on piano, David Shipp on bass, and Wilbur Campbell on drums – on titles that include "Serenade In Blue", "Time After Time", "After Dark", and "Von Freeman's Blues". CD features the bonus track "I'll Close My Eyes". CD

Completely stunning music from the marvelous Muriel Grossmann – a saxophonist who's become one of our favorite jazz talents over the course of the past decade – thanks to deeply spiritual work like this! The album's got a Hammond organ, something you're not as always likely to see in a session like this – played by Llorenc Barcelo with these open lines that are filled with mystical currents and colors, and which provide a perfect accompaniment to Grossman's well-crafted solos on tenor and soprano sax! Guitarist Radomir Milojkovic grounds the sound with some slightly straighter lines, but still with a rhythmic pulse to match the modal vibes of the tunes – a quality that's driven forward deeply by the drums of Uros Stamenkovic. If you've not heard the music of Muriel Grossman before, you're in for a treat – and if you have, your collection of really special albums just got one record bigger! Titles include "Happiness", "Traneing In", "Sundown", "African Dance", and "Union". LP, Vinyl record album

Sharp sounds from guitarist Jim Hall – a record that's filled with all the cool, complicated lines the musician could muster on his instrument – yet a record that also manages to swing a bit too! The sound here is a great evolution from the sound of Hall's music in the 50s – even more modern at most moments, with unique phrasing that shows just how much Jim continued to grow over the decades – delivered at a level that's very fresh, and without a debt to any other guitarist on the planet! Part of the album's unique feel comes from the large amount of original Hall compositions – interpreted by Jim with a trio that also features Don Thompson on piano and bass and Terry Clarke on drums – on titles that include "Kyoto Bells", "Echo", "Without Words", "Light", "Something For Now", and "Two Special People". LP, Vinyl record album

Bold, beautiful music from the Jazz Tribe of Bobby Watson and Ray Mantilla – proof that the partnership first forged years back can still be the source of some wonderfully soulful music! The album's one of the best we've heard from Bobby in years – almost a return to the simple, expressive quality of his albums as a leader back in the 80s! Part of the album's strength is the bass work of Curtis Lundy, whose presence on a record always seems to add something special – and other group members are great too, and include Jack Walrath on trumpet, Xavier Davis on piano, and Victor Lewis on drums – all nice and tight, yet never uptight, next to the alto sax of Watson and percussion of Mantilla. Tracks include many originals by the group – with titles that include "Pecado Primero", "Hello Albert", "Gesualdo's Tango", "Everlasting", "Eeeyyeess", "El Color De Mi Rythmo", and "Temples Of Gold". CD

A really great tribute to the trumpeter Kenny Wheeler – a set of work based on his own compositions, put together by bassist Chris Laurence, at a level that really gets at the subtle genius of his conception of sound! The "gnu" in the title is a reference to some of Kenny's 70s work on ECM – and while there's some of the atmospherics of those years, there's also definitely that bolder sense of vision that Wheeler first brought to the British jazz scene, and which makes the set a perfect release of new music by the mostly-reissue Jazz In Britain label! The players shift on each track, making for a very special sort of sound – with vibes from Frank Ricotti and guitar from John Parricelli on "C-Man", flugelhorn from Tom Walsh and guitar from Parricelli on "Baroque Piece" – and vibes from Ricotti, drums from Martin France, and added violin, viola, and cello on the larger "Piece For Double Bass & Low Strings". CD

Fantastic work from bassist Gunter Lenz – a set with maybe a jokey title, but a heck of a lot of power underneath – one of those overlooked German jazz gems from a very special time in the scene! The players here are aware of the farther reaches of jazz, yet work together with more inside stile – yet always with a sensibility that there's a much broader frontier that informs their music! The lineup features Frank St Peter on alto and flute, Lesek Zadlo on tenor and soprano, Johannes Faber on trumpet, Bob Degen on piano, and the great Joe Nay on drums – and titles include "Speed Freak", "Children Of The Night", "The Bear Is Gone", and "Do Not Tear The Posters Down". CD

French composer Michel Magne is perhaps best remembered for his soundtrack work of the 60s – but this well-done collection digs farther back, and brings together not only some earlier film score work from the postwar years, but also some extra cool instrumental projects too! Magne's always got a special sort of twist in his music – and he was maybe one of the first French arrangers to incorporate newer ideas in pop and rock to his music, at a level that opened the door for later artists like Jean Claude Vannier or Michel Colombier – and like contemporary Alan Goraguer, he's also got some strong backing in jazz as well! Those many streams of styles really come into play here – in a big 3CD package that features 88 tracks in all – including the soundtracks to the films Le Repos Du Guerrier, Le Pain Vivant, Detournement De Mineures, Le Pique Assiette, and Un Singe En Hiver – plus work from a Musique Pour Films album, the records Musique Tachist, Paris, and A L'Alhambra – and even a rare collaboration with author Francoise Sagan! (Soundtracks, Jazz) CD

A brilliant moment as a leader from saxophonist Maurice Malik King – a member of the St Louis underground in the 70s, but one who never saw the same sort of fame as contemporaries who left the city for New York and beyond – yet who continued to create some incredible music far away from the limelight! The early 80s set is a great example of the way the more sophisticated, sensitive moments of the loft jazz world of the 70s were taken to farther local scenes in the US, and allowed players to continue the journey with their own very personal levels of expression – something that's definitely the case here as King crafts these beautiful long lines on alto alongside the bass of Zimbabwe Nkenya and percussion of Qaiyim Shabazz. There's a very special sound to the whole thing – a mode that's every bit as unique as the Ritual Trio up in Chicago, yet every different too – as you'll hear on cuts that include "In Between Space", "Music To Me", "In Search Of Spirits Passed & Present", and "When Force Meet". CD

A brilliant moment as a leader from saxophonist Maurice Malik King – a member of the St Louis underground in the 70s, but one who never saw the same sort of fame as contemporaries who left the city for New York and beyond – yet who continued to create some incredible music far away from the limelight! The early 80s set is a great example of the way the more sophisticated, sensitive moments of the loft jazz world of the 70s were taken to farther local scenes in the US, and allowed players to continue the journey with their own very personal levels of expression – something that's definitely the case here as King crafts these beautiful long lines on alto alongside the bass of Zimbabwe Nkenya and percussion of Qaiyim Shabazz. There's a very special sound to the whole thing – a mode that's every bit as unique as the Ritual Trio up in Chicago, yet every different too – as you'll hear on cuts that include "In Between Space", "Music To Me", "In Search Of Spirits Passed & Present", and "When Force Meet". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from Maneige – a French Canadian group who work in an instrumental mode that's partly jazz, and partly prog – but very much their own sort of vibe! The group had already cut some other excellent records before this one, and they're razor-sharp throughout – tight, but never in any sort of smooth fusion way – in part because the music has a great sense of humanity, which comes especially from the flute and alto work of Alain Bergeron, whose solos really hang in the special space that the group created. There's both a drummer and percussionist on the set – next to piano, guitars, and bass – and those added elements really help give the music an organic quality, and offset the electric instrumentation. Titles include "Bagdad", "Celebration", "La Noce", "Miro Vibro", "Troizix", and "L'Envol Des Singes Latins". (Rock, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A really special album from our hometown hero Makaya McCraven – a set that's the drummer's debut on Blue Note, and which also has him bringing that label some of the magic that he's been cooking up for International Anthem! If you know Makaya's other records, you'll know that he works in a blend of jazz instrumentation and editing – a style that's much more sophisticated than previous "jazz remix" modes – as McCraven always has live jazz instrumentation at the core, but then uses editing to rework ideas after the performance. Here, the music is a blend of older classics from the Blue Note catalog, juxtaposed with contributions from Joel Ross on vibes, Jeff Parker and Matt Gold on guitar, Greg Ward on alto, Marquis Hill on trumpet, and De'Sean Jones on tenor and flute – a really well-chosen array of players who flesh out Makaya's ideas in a beautiful way. Titles include "Wail Bait", "Frank's Tune", "Slice Of The Top", "Sunset", "Ecaroh", "Black Rhythm Happening", "Monaco", and "Mr Jin". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the most majestic album that Makaya McCraven has recorded to date – and that's really saying a lot, given the power of his music on previous records! This time around, the group is large, and the performance is more organic than some of the more mixed/produced sessions that Makaya has given us – and great as those records have been, there's a sense of power here that really places McCraven strongly in the Chicago legacy of the 20th Century – a jazz spectrum that includes Eddie Harris, Ramsey Lewis, Charles Stepney, the Art Ensemble Of Chicago, and so many other musical giants! The mix of instrumentation is almost like some Chess/Cadet session from the end of the 60s – but Makaya still adds in some samples and electronics next to his acoustic work on percussion, drums, and a variety of other instruments – next to Jeff Parker on guitar, Brandee Younger on harp, Joel Ross on vibes, Marquis Hill on trumpet, and Junius Paul on bass – all tremendous players and strong leaders in their own right – working here to make a special sort of magic with McCraven. There's other voices on the set too – more violins, cello, alto, tenor, piano, and other sounds – on titles that include "So Ubuji", "Seventh String", "This Place That Place", "The Fours", "Dream Another", "High Fives", "The Knew Untitled", and "In These Times". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic lost work from Charles Mingus, from a very under-recorded time in his life – the same period in which he gave the world the seminal album Let My Children Hear Music! The setting's a live one – and as on some of Mingus' superb 60s concert sessions, there's a force and fire here that really surpasses the group's energy in the studio – long tracks that are filled with brilliant solo work, and handled by a sextet that includes Bobby Jones on tenor, Charles McPherson on alto, Jon Faddis on trumpet, John Foster on piano, and Roy Brooks on drums – a group with just the kind of young, imaginative horn players that Mingus always used to create a special sort of fire. Titles include the 19 minute "The Man Who Never Sleeps", the 30 minute "Mind Readers Convention In Milano", a 25 minute version of "Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress", and a 20 minute take on "Noddin Ya Head Blue" – plus a 35 minute jam on "Fables Of Faubus" and the shorter "Pops". CD

The mighty Mulatu Astatke has given us lots of amazing music over the years – key records both home in Ethiopia and here in the US – yet this performance may well be one of his most special, as it unites the legendary musician with a host of giants from the American scene – all in a one-off performance that finally gave Mulatu his due! The leader handles vibes at the helm of an all-star group that includes Bennie Maupin on flute and soprano sax, Azar Lawrence on tenor, and Phil Ranelin on trombone – all spiritual jazz giants of the 70s who only further expand the genius of Mulatu's music – in the company of some younger musicians who include Miguel Atwood Ferguson on violin and Brandon Coleman on electric piano and organ. The whole thing is very much in keeping with the best Mulatu classics from back in the day, but also pushes things forward wonderfully too, with a lot more jazz in the mix – on titles that include "Yekermo Sew", "The Radcliffe", "Kasalefkut Hulu", "I Faram Gami", "Yekatit", "Mulatu", and "Ebo Lala". (Global Grooves, Jazz) CD

Trumpeter Farnell Newton has been making music for a number of years – but he really seems to be taking off and finding his groove on recent albums for the Posi-Tone labels – records, like this one, that really have Newton demonstrating his strong ear for phrasing, and his ability to come up with just the right sort of a tune for both his solos and his sidemen! Here, the group features core work from a great quartet – Art Hirihara on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums and percussion – a lineup that features shifting contributions from Jaleel Shaw, Patrick Cornelius, and Braxton Cook on alto saxes – plus Brandon Wright on tenor and Michael Dease on trombone! Just about every tune has an additional horn joining Newton in the lead, and the sense of interplay is what really makes the record special – tight, but very personal solo work from all involved – on titles that include "Affectionately Roy", "Feel The Love", "A Child Not Born", "The Bluest Eyes", "Pale", and "Laws Of Motion". CD

Definitely a special space from Carlos Nino – a record that seems to even deepen the sound of some of his recent cosmic explorations – to take Nino into territory that's far beyond jazz or much of his other modes too! The set features a bit of guest work from Iasos – an artist you'll know from his homegrown 70s meditative explorations – and that music really seems to inspire both Nino and Farmer Dave Scher, who work together here in a mix of percussion, lap steel, pedals, keyboards, and effects – to weave these very complex sonic tapestries, but with a quality that feels very organic, and every bit as at peace with the world as the image of the cover. The CD features a full album's worth of material, plus 6 more reworked remixes of the core tunes – and titles include "FriendshiptribeFire", "Cascaderience", "Espacio Especial", "Enterthadreeeam", "In theWoodsbytheOcean", and "Trippppp" – the last of which really sums up the spirit of the album! CD

Incredibly lovely piano and vocals from Thandi Ntuli – served up here with lots of special touches from spiritual master Carlos Nino – who helped create the proceedings as a very organic meeting of minds and hearts on the shores of sunny California! Thandi's got a soulful way of both playing and singing – the latter often in a non-lyrical way, so that the vocals are more these chants that flow out with a very spiritual vibe – often cyclical, and elliptical, and mixed with these warm piano lines and a bit of keyboards. Carlos adds in percussion and cymbals (plus "plants" – we're not sure how he did that) – and also recorded the album and shaped the sound in a very lovely way. The music is mostly improvised, but very melodic, and extremely personal – one of the most soulful projects we've heard from Nino in years. Titles include "The One", "Voice & Tongo Experiment", "Sunset In California", "Rainbow Revisited", "Breath & Synth Experiment", "Sunrise In California", and "Piano Edit (orig mix)". CD

Incredibly lovely piano and vocals from Thandi Ntuli – served up here with lots of special touches from spiritual master Carlos Nino – who helped create the proceedings as a very organic meeting of minds and hearts on the shores of sunny California! Thandi's got a soulful way of both playing and singing – the latter often in a non-lyrical way, so that the vocals are more these chants that flow out with a very spiritual vibe – often cyclical, and elliptical, and mixed with these warm piano lines and a bit of keyboards. Carlos adds in percussion and cymbals (plus "plants" – we're not sure how he did that) – and also recorded the album and shaped the sound in a very lovely way. The music is mostly improvised, but very melodic, and extremely personal – one of the most soulful projects we've heard from Nino in years. Titles include "The One", "Voice & Tongo Experiment", "Sunset In California", "Rainbow Revisited", "Breath & Synth Experiment", "Sunrise In California", and "Piano Edit (orig mix)". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredibly lovely piano and vocals from Thandi Ntuli – served up here with lots of special touches from spiritual master Carlos Nino – who helped create the proceedings as a very organic meeting of minds and hearts on the shores of sunny California! Thandi's got a soulful way of both playing and singing – the latter often in a non-lyrical way, so that the vocals are more these chants that flow out with a very spiritual vibe – often cyclical, and elliptical, and mixed with these warm piano lines and a bit of keyboards. Carlos adds in percussion and cymbals (plus "plants" – we're not sure how he did that) – and also recorded the album and shaped the sound in a very lovely way. The music is mostly improvised, but very melodic, and extremely personal – one of the most soulful projects we've heard from Nino in years. Titles include "The One", "Voice & Tongo Experiment", "Sunset In California", "Rainbow Revisited", "Breath & Synth Experiment", "Sunrise In California", and "Piano Edit (orig mix)". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the only albums of jazz we've seen from the Korean scene of the 70s – and a really special little record that aims to echo some of the most spiritual modes from the US scene of the time! The record's the brainchild of arranger Lee Pan Guen – who doesn't play on the record, but leaves the music to a hip lineup that features trumpet, tenor or soprano sax, piano, bass, and drums plus percussion – often used in a way that's either modal or slightly lyrical, depending on the tunes. A few tracks are remakes of American numbers, but done at a level that's very personal and fluid – echoing the spiritual currents of the original tunes on the set – and titles include "Han O Baek Nyun", "My Favorite Things", "Gasiri", "Bin Ba Da", "Arirang", and "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise". CD

One of the weirdest records Sun Ra ever made – music to accompany the strange film Space Is The Place – which itself was an odd mixture of science fiction and blacksploitation-type action! The sounds here are sometimes in the usual Arkestra mode – wonderfully exotic rhythms mixed with freewheeling jazz solos – but other parts seem to follow more of a soundtrack-styled need – and include some bolder action riffs, spare scene-setting moments, and even some strong vocal themes. Titles include "Watusa", "Calling Planet Earth", "Mysterious Crystal", "Outerspaceways Incorporated", "Cosmic Forces", "Satellites Are Spinning", and a version of "Space Is The Place". This special set also includes the bonus Mathematics Of The Altered Destiny, a full LP of unreleased music from Sun Ra featuring June Tyson – and the first ever US Blu-ray release of the film, and a standard DVD as well! CD also features the bonus track "The Idea Of A Greater Age". CD

A legendary group from the British modern jazz scene of the 60s – captured here in all their young brilliance, in a double-length live date recorded between the space of their first two albums! We've raved about the partnership of trumpeter Ian Carr and saxophonist Don Rendell many times before, so they likely need no introduction here – yet there's also something special in this live date too – as it's got the group still working very much with their own music and new ideas, but in a way that's got maybe a slightly more down to earth quality too, maybe from the setting of the club. The whole lineup is great – and pianist Michael Garrick is a key member on both his instrument, and his contributions of key songs to the date – working alongside Carr on trumpet and flugelhorn, Rendell on tenor, soprano, and flute – and Dave Green on bass and Trevor Tomkins on drums. The package features a huge amount of notes, really giving background on all aspects of the recording – on titles that include "Ursula", "Promises", "Blues By Five", "Jonah & The Whale", "The Sixth Seal", "Shades Of Blue", "Hot Rod", and "No Blues". CD

An amazing reunion of a legendary group – the 70s free jazz trio of Sam Rivers on reeds, Dave Holland on bass, and Barry Altschul on drums! Rivers had already carved out a strong name for himself with earlier work – but his meeting with Holland and Altschul really helped the reedman take off – and together, the three musicians made some of the most creatively unbridled work of Sam's career! And yet the players hadn't worked together for over 25 years – until the time of this special recording, done as part of a Sam Rivers marathon at Columbia University – an amazing moment in jazz that has all three members of the group picking up beautifully, and improvising together in a long session of music that's simply mindblowing! The album's easily one of the best we've heard from Rivers in his later years – and has all the sort of soulful undercurrents that take us back to the 70s loft jazz years of the original group – sounding way more like some lost tapes from the old days than the reunion captured within. Genius – and a great treasure from the late Rivers! CD

Dave Scott has a wonderfully sensitive sound here – a quality that almost reflects the image on the front, which seems to have him listening to the trumpet he holds in his hands – a photo that really gets at the special sort of ear that Scott has for crafting these beautiful tones on his instrument! The music isn't familiar hardbop, even though the lineup might make you think that – but it's also not free jazz either – as Scott instead has this way of composing original material that's as much about the texture of the tunes as it is the individual voices, at a level that sounds especially strong as his instrument is matched with the tenor of Rich Perry and piano of Gary Versace – the latter of whom has a wonderfully diverse set of styles here. Other group members include Johannes Weidenmuller on bass and Mark Ferber on drums – and tunes, as mentioned, are all originals – with titles that include "KC Swingin", "Ralph Retired", "Song For Alice", "Indifference", and "Venus At Dusk". CD

An incredible album – and one of the most groundbreaking blends of jazz and global music ever recorded! Reedman Tony Scott plays here with a little-known group of Indonesian jazz players – brought together in a special project for MPS/Saba records, in a blend of modal jazz elements and other tunes that really find a way to echo the gamelan styles that you might expect from Indonesian music – emphasized by the group's phrasing on piano, guitar, and siter, as well as Scott's interweaving lines on clarinet! The sound is fantastic, completely other worldly, and must be heard to be believed – served up with other players who include Marjono on tenor and vocal, Bubi Chen on piano and sitar, Jack Lesmana on guitar, Yopi Chen on bass, and Benny Mustafa on drums. Tracks include "Ilir Ilir", "Gambang Suling", "Djanger Bali", and an amazing rendition of "Summertime". LP, Vinyl record album

A session of spiritual avant genius from pianist Isac Skeidsvoll – only his first record as a leader, but a set that's bound to become the start of a really special run of music! Skeidsvoll has a quality that's very much his own – bold chains of sound from the piano that sometimes have the pulsing rhythmic quality of older South African styles, but which are always breaking free in more improvised ways too – then circling back to rhythms, all with a sense of interplay that's really amazing! And equally amazing is the horn work on the record – served up by Espen Songstad on tenor, Lauritz Skeidsvoll on soprano, Aksel Ovreas Roed on baritone, and Peter Skeidsvoll on pocket trumpet – all players who also add in percussion too. The rhythms are given plenty of kick by Anders Hjemmen on bass and Martin Mellem on drums – and titles include "Beer", "Hobo", "Wind Spirits", "Dance To Summon", and "Bury Me Under A Four Leaf Clover". LP, Vinyl record album

The title might sound a bit clinical, but the music within is anything but – and instead is that sort of special, magical work that always makes Sonny Stitt a real cut above most of his contemporaries! The notes try to link Stitt to Charlie Parker – but apart from a postwar sense of invention on alto sax, the sounds within are quite different – more spacious and soulful than Parker, although equally deft in their own sort of way – blown with a confidence that knows how to take its time, in a way that comes through especially strong on the mellow cuts. At the surface, there might not be anything special to the record – but the first listen will definitely let you know you're in they company of something special – on titles that include "Blues For Yard", "Harlem Nocturne", "Windy Ride", and a haunting take of "Because Of You". LP, Vinyl record album

Richly layered sounds from this wonderfully sensitive group – an ensemble from 70s Japan who really seem to find the best sort of way to allow each individual a special role in the music, while still also moving forward strongly as a group! As with other albums by the combo, the instrumentation here is really compelling – a mix of flute and clarinet from Kenji Mori, tenor and bass clarinet from Takao Uematsu, piano from Masaru Imada, 12 string guitar from Masayuki Takayanagi, tabla and percussion from Yuji Imamura, and cello and bass from Nobuyoshi Ino. The cello, tablas, and flute sound especially wonderful – working out some beautifully sensitive sounds amidst a bolder lineup in the lead – and the album features two long tracks, "A Tree Frog" and "Spanish Flower". CD

The music of Don Cherry, but delivered in a completely different way than his original recordings – served up here as a beautiful series of duets between Ken Vandermark on tenor and Hamid Drake on drums and percussion! The pair have a sympathy for each other that's amazing – and the music is often more rhythmic than you might be used to hearing from Vandermark – as the duo weave together themes from Don Cherry compositions in a variety of classic settings – yet work them anew with the sort of individual magic that really makes the record special! This isn't a set of covers, nor some staid "tribute" record – and instead, Vandermark and Drake really soar with inspiration that's delivered at a very personal level, and which marks the record as a testament to the still very vital talents of both musicians. LP, Vinyl record album

A really unique album from the legendary percussionist Nana Vasconcelos – one that continues the groundbreaking tradition of his 70s work, but with a very special style here! Some of the tracks use overdubs, so that Nana is mixing berimbau, percussion, voice, and other percussion instruments with a sonic complexity that lives up to the best tradition of ECM at the time – still rootsy, but really showing the modernist elements that lie in his music as well! Egberto Gismonti adds in guest guitar on one long track, and there's a bit of strings on the record too – but most of the energy comes from Nana himself. Titles include "O Berimbau", "Vozes", "Ondas", and "Dado". (Brazil, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A set that strongly continues the special spirit that Grover Washington brought to his music during the Elektra Records years – as one of the few artists who really found a way to move forward from the style of 70s jazz funk, but not fall into some of the smoother jazz cliches that were about to envelop his contemporaries! Part of the strength of the record lies in Grover's strongly soul-based sense of timing – allowing for just the right amount of space between the notes to remind you that you're listening to a jazz soloist first and foremost, even when a guest like Patti Labelle might step in for a bit of vocals. Titles include "Brazilian Memories", "Mixty Motions", "Can You Dig It", "I'll Be With You", "Things Are Getting Better", and "The Best Is Yet To Come". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from Blue Note – a special live performance that brings together some of the label's funkiest and most soulful artists of the 70s! The set's somewhat unusual for Blue Note at the time – especially given the label's increasingly studio-driven approach to jazz, with projects by the Mizell Brothers and others – yet given that bent, the whole thing's a great illustration of the vibrancy of all these artists always from the studio – playing live and extremely funky! As the title implies, the set was recorded live at the Roxy in LA – with players who include Donald Byrd, Ronnie Laws, Gene Harris, Bobby Hutcherson, and Alphonse Mouzon – all coming together in warm unity to show that the spacious sounds of Blue Note could also be crafted in a live setting, and not just under closely-watched studio help arrangers and producers. Carmen McRae sings on a number of tracks, and the album overall does a good job of presenting the material in concert-like setting – and some of the longer tracks feature some mighty nice jamming solos. Titles include "New York City", "Without A Reason", and "Just Like The Sun" by Alphonse Mouzon; "Them There Eyes", "Music" and "Paint Your Pretty Picture" by Carmen McRae; "Always There", "Captain Midnight", and "Night Breeze" by Ronnie Laws; "Blue Note 76" by Blue Note All-Stars; and "Places & Spaces" and "Dominoes" by Donald Byrd – both oddly recorded at Central Park! LP, Vinyl record album

Tremendous work from the Spanish scene of the 60s and early 70s – way more than just a batch of obscure jazz cuts, and instead a true testament to this very vibrant musical community! The package brings together some really special tracks from Spanish labels like Edigsa, Ensayo, Hispavox, and others – and really shows that in Spain at the time, there was musical growth that was every bit as strong as in better-known scenes in Germany, France, and Italy – a really rich step forward from American inspiration of the postwar years – into a world of freshly inventive rhythms, really imaginative solos, and some key local touches that really made the music sparkle! Not all players here are of Spanish origin, as the set also shows the key crossroads the scene was offering at the time – a wealth of wonderful hardbop, soul jazz, and modal numbers that include "El Cant Dels Ocells" by Catalonia Jazz Quartet, "Movimiento" by Lou Bennett, "Psique" by Juan Carlos Calderon, "Tema Per Alicia" by Jazz Group, "Asteriscs" by Nits De Jazz Al Jamboree, "Bosnia Calling" by Dusko Goykovich, "Israel" by Modern Jazz Sextet, "Rememberance To Madrid" by Elia Fleta, "Marcha De Los Dioses" by Tino Contreras, and "Laberinto (2nd part)" by Vlady Bas. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) CD

A wonderfully wide-ranging collection of work brought together in support of a long-running music festival in France – done here as a double-length set that offers up a "Past" disc of material recorded at the festival in previous years – and a "Future" disc that points the way towards new directions in European jazz! The set's worth it for the Past disc alone – as it offers up some never-heard recordings in jazz, Latin, and Brazilian modes – a nicely diverse array of tracks that have that open vibe of a really special live moment at a concert – similar to some of the best Montreux jazz recordings over the years! Titles include "Toda Menina Baiana" by Gilberto Gil, "Panamerica" by Lalo Schifrin with David Sanchez on tenor, "Chan Chan" by La Banda De Santiago De Cuba, "Delilah" by the Milt Jackson/Hank Jones Quartet, "Manalyuca" by McCoy Tyner with Gary Bartz & Ravi Coltrane, "I'll Stay" by Roy Hargrove & RH Factor, and "Soweto Sorrow" by the trio of Louis Sclavis on bass clarinet, Henri Texier on bass, and Aldo Romano on drums. The Future disc is great too – with new recordings in a range of jazzy styles, mostly by younger French artists – with titles that include "On Dimanch Maten" by Arnaud Dolmen, "Baby Rover" by Jasual Cazz, "Strength" by Emile Londonien, "Olioqui Valley" by Ishkero, "Soulful" by Leon Phal Quintet, and "Tryin Times" by Abraham Reunion. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite compilations of all time – a smoking batch of soulful jazz from the 60s, with a slight bit of funk and blues thrown in as well! The set's exactly what's promised in the title – jazz cuts, but with an ultra-cool mod vibe – the kind of soulful sounds that played big with the younger London crowd digging American music in the mid 60s – and also the kind of music you'd be likely to find blasting out of a backroom jukebox on the west side of Chicago! There's loads of rare single mixes of LP tracks on the set, and a number of smoking 45s from artists you might know better from more mainstream work – really hitting hard here, alongside a few special numbers from the indie underground too. Tracks are cool enough for old school hipsters – but appealing enough to bring in a new listener too – and as proof of that, we've given this one away for many years as a Christmas present. The collection features 25 tracks in all – non-stop pleasure throughout – with titles that include "Soul Shoutin" by Shirley Scott, "Tengo Tango" by Cannonball Adderley Sextet, "Whip It On Me" by Billy Hawks, "Yeh Yeh" by Mongo Santamaria, "Black Talk" by Charles Earland, "I'm Ready" by Otis Spann, "Mama Rufus" by Merced Blue Notes, "Theme From NYPD" by Johnny Hammond, "Step Out & Get It" by The Nomos, "Why Don't You Do Right" by Mark Murphy, "Collard Greens" by Freddie McCoy, "Theme From The Carpetbaggers" by Jack McDuff, "Filthy McNasty" by Eddie Jefferson, "Evil Ways" by Cal Tjader, "Kenny's Theme" by Kenny Burrell, and "Games" by Ivan Boogaloo Joe Jones. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Includes music by Wallace Roney, Sonny Criss, Woody Shaw, Sonny Stitt, Johnny Lyttle, Richie Cole, David Fathead Newman, Willis Jackson, and Richard Groove Holmes. CD

Pure lyrical genius from pianist Kenny Drew – working here in a superb trio that features Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass and the great Alvin Queen on drums! There's a special quality to the recording that seems to make each element in the music resonate in fantastic ways – especially the bass of Niels', who at times almost feels like as much the star of the set as Kenny! Titles include "Greensleeves", "Angel Eyes", "Eco Trip", "Nature Boy", "Sunset", "Blues In Green", and "Song Of The Birds". CD

Magical trio recordings from the classic trio that featured Bill Evans on piano, Scott LaFaro on bass, and Paul Motian on drums – a massive 3CD set of music, and one that brings together the complete June 1961 Village Vanguard recordings! The revolutionary bass work of LaFaro, and free-thinking rhythms of Motian really helped open up Evans' work on piano at the time – and their influence is heard to best effect on this spontaneous live set, spread out over the course of 22 tunes, recorded throughout the afternoon and evening on June 25, 1961. The package features one newly-discovered take, plus a number of alternates, spoken bits from Bill, and even a few final bars of music. Titles include "Solar", "Milestones", "All Of You", "Gloria's Step", "My Man's Gone Now", "Detour Ahead", "My Romance", and "Waltz For Debby". Special box is on 180 gram vinyl, with new liner notes, limited poster, and even recording sheets with original producer notes! LP, Vinyl record album

We've really loved the music of pianist Amaro Freitas in the past, but this time around he's got a special sort of something extra in his music – both in the way he approaches the sound, and the way he works with other players! The first half of the set is an exploration of landscape, both in sound and spirit – which then opens up to tracks that have Freitas coming into contact with other important musicians as well – flute from Shabaka Hutchings on two tracks, one of which also has drums from Hamid Drake – harp from Brandee Younger on another, and guitar from Jeff Parker on one more – all musicians we really love for their own work, and who we're delighted to hear interacting with Amaro, who has maybe been a more underground artist in recent years. Titles include "Mar De Cirandeiras", "Gloriosa", "Encantados", "Viva Nana", "Sonho Ancestral", and "Danca Dos Martelos". CD

A mindblowing album from Ahmad Jamal – a fantastic start to the 70s, and a set of music that shows just how far the pianist had come in just a few short years! The album's all acoustic, but has some of that spacious flow that Jamal would bring to his work on Fender Rhodes – with an approach that's even more open in terms of song structure than his earlier trio material – as if Jamal's choosing to omit more notes than he's including – but all with a quality that still keeps the music very full and rhythmic – pulsating with a special sort of energy that's neither Bill Evans, nor McCoy Tyner – but instead this really amazing sound that's all Ahmad's own. The trio features equally wonderful work from Jamil Nasser on bass and Frank Gant on drums – and titles include "The Awakening", "I Love Music", "Patterns", "Wave", and "Dolphin Dance". CD

A mindblowing album from Ahmad Jamal – a fantastic start to the 70s, and a set of music that shows just how far the pianist had come in just a few short years! The album's all acoustic, but has some of that spacious flow that Jamal would bring to his work on Fender Rhodes – with an approach that's even more open in terms of song structure than his earlier trio material – as if Jamal's choosing to omit more notes than he's including – but all with a quality that still keeps the music very full and rhythmic – pulsating with a special sort of energy that's neither Bill Evans, nor McCoy Tyner – but instead this really amazing sound that's all Ahmad's own. The trio features equally wonderful work from Jamil Nasser on bass and Frank Gant on drums – and titles include "The Awakening", "I Love Music", "Patterns", "Wave", and "Dolphin Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

A mindblowing album from Ahmad Jamal – a fantastic start to the 70s, and a set of music that shows just how far the pianist had come in just a few short years! The album's all acoustic, but has some of that spacious flow that Jamal would bring to his work on Fender Rhodes – with an approach that's even more open in terms of song structure than his earlier trio material – as if Jamal's choosing to omit more notes than he's including – but all with a quality that still keeps the music very full and rhythmic – pulsating with a special sort of energy that's neither Bill Evans, nor McCoy Tyner – but instead this really amazing sound that's all Ahmad's own. The trio features equally wonderful work from Jamil Nasser on bass and Frank Gant on drums – and titles include "The Awakening", "I Love Music", "Patterns", "Wave", and "Dolphin Dance". CD

A classic solo piano album from Thelonious Monk – recorded live in San Francisco, and maybe one of his best albums ever in the format! There's a special sort of quality that makes Monk's solo work so different from his trio, quartet, and larger group music – this real understanding of the piano, and a personal sense of sonic shading, even when covering some of his familiar compositions – maybe a bit like the way that Sun Ra's solo piano is also so distinct. Most of the tunes here are Monk originals or standards that Thelonious has played before at least a few times on record – but the solo setting almost has him pulling the tunes apart slowly – contemplating their components, then stepping through them with new inspiration as he puts them back together. Titles include "Blue Monk", "Pannonica", "Remember", "Reflections", "Bluehawk", "Everything Happens To Me", and "Round Lights". CD

A classic solo piano album from Thelonious Monk – recorded live in San Francisco, and maybe one of his best albums ever in the format! There's a special sort of quality that makes Monk's solo work so different from his trio, quartet, and larger group music – this real understanding of the piano, and a personal sense of sonic shading, even when covering some of his familiar compositions – maybe a bit like the way that Sun Ra's solo piano is also so distinct. Most of the tunes here are Monk originals or standards that Thelonious has played before at least a few times on record – but the solo setting almost has him pulling the tunes apart slowly – contemplating their components, then stepping through them with new inspiration as he puts them back together. Titles include "Blue Monk", "Pannonica", "Remember", "Reflections", "Bluehawk", "Everything Happens To Me", and "Round Lights". LP, Vinyl record album

The music of Carlos Nino has just gotten more and more spiritual as the years go on – and that's really saying a lot, given how spiritual he was right at the start! But with recent records, Nino has transformed from a jazz-inspired musician to maybe more of a sonic astronaut – able to take organic moments of expression and weave them into a rich tapestry of tone, color, and life – almost as if he's reworking the plane of existence, and trying to find the door to greater enlightenment in the process! That approach definitely comes through here, as Nino opens up in the company of contributors who include Jamael Dean on piano and keyboards, Devin Daniels on alto, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson on strings, Jesse Peterson on guitar, Sam Gendel on alto, and Jamire Wiliams on drums – as well all players whose work appears in different ways on a variety of tracks – all helmed by the sonic exploration of Carlos, with a bit of help from veteran travelers Iasos and Laraaji. Titles include "Explorations 7", "Actually", "For The Shapalaceer", "Luis' Special Shells", "Jamirelandflight", "Waterwavesarrival", "In The Moment", "Youwillgetthroughthis I Promise", "Dreamsishappening", and "Recurrent Reiki Dreams". CD

The title might sound a bit clinical, but the music within is anything but – and instead is that sort of special, magical work that always makes Sonny Stitt a real cut above most of his contemporaries! The notes try to link Stitt to Charlie Parker – but apart from a postwar sense of invention on alto sax, the sounds within are quite different – more spacious and soulful than Parker, although equally deft in their own sort of way – blown with a confidence that knows how to take its time, in a way that comes through especially strong on the mellow cuts. At the surface, there might not be anything special to the record – but the first listen will definitely let you know you're in they company of something special – on titles that include "Blues For Yard", "Harlem Nocturne", "Windy Ride", and a haunting take of "Because Of You". CD

Mindblowing jazz from Japan – a tremendous introduction to the 70s scene in Tokyo if you've never heard this music at all – and a package that also includes a fair bit of rare tracks, even if you're not a newcomer! The Japanese love of American jazz is no secret – and the music was spread widely there by American forces after WWII – but during the 70s, something really special happened, and the scene found a voice that was all its own – exploding with new energy to create sounds that were soulful, spiritual, and powerfully poetic! By the end of the 70s, Japanese fusion would get more global exposure – but most of the tracks here are acoustic, save for Fender Rhodes lines – and feature completely inventive, imaginative sounds – often set to grooves that are modal and spiritual too. A fantastic collection throughout – with tracks that include "Blind Man" by Shintaro Quintet, "White Fire" by Takao Uematsu, "Aya's Samba" by Eiji Nakayama, "Earth Mother" by Koichi Matsukaze, "Dead Letter" by Tohru Aizawa, "Kaze" by Takeo Moriyama, "Long Neal" by Kiyoshi Sugimoto, "Unknown Point" by Mitsuaki Katayama, and "Little Island" by Fumio Karashima. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) CD

Tenorist Melissa Aldana is no newcomer to jazz, but this Blue Note debut really seems to open up a special sort of sound in her music – a mode that's both deeper and more sensitive, and filled with a really rich sense of color and tone! A key musical partner on the date is guitarist Lage Lund – whose sense of sound really balances the bolder notes from Aldana – as does his fluid sense of rhythm, which is accentuated by the bass of Pablo Menares and drums of Kush Abadey. Sullivan Fortner handles the keys – both acoustic piano and Fender Rhodes – and punctuates the proceedings in all the right ways, almost providing these footholds as Melissa soars on tenor. Titles include "Emilia", "The Bluest Eye", "The Fool", "Lost Ojos De Chile", "Intuition", and "Falling". CD

A beautiful document of a magical musical moment – one of the few live performances ever of the work of David Axelrod – a concert that's presented here in a special CD & DVD package! Axelrod's 60s albums are the stuff of legend – orchestral efforts with a funky undercurrent, and longtime favorites of beatheads around the globe. And while his best-known efforts have always been the product of careful studio work, he demonstrates here that the Axelrod sound is equally at home in a live setting – played brilliantly by a host of younger British players, with a sense of crispness and sophisticated funk that easily matches his recent album on Mo Wax! The DVD features wonderful footage of the entire show – and the CD captures the music with a clarity that's as great as anything that Axlerod ever did in the studio. Titles include "Holy Are You", "Urizen", "Holy Thursday", "The Edge", "Song Of Innocence", "Smile", "The Human Abstract", and great covers of "Norwegian Wood" and "Paint It Black". CD

There's never been another pianist like Kenny Barron – and after all these years, he's still one of the few players who can grab our ears right away with each new album – and remind us again why each of his records seems so essential! Barron comes on strong and soulfully right from the start here – bursting with lyrical energy and life, but also hitting an inherently rhythmic vibe too – that sort of special pulse that seems to always flow through his music – and which, if anything, has only gotten stronger as the years go by! The trio here is a well-matched lineup with Kiyoshi Kitagawa on bass and Johnathan Blake on drums – both players, especially Kitagawa, who know how to dip and move with Barron's notes in a wonderful way. Titles include Kenny Barron originals "Prayer", "Lunacy", "Dreams", "Bud Like", "Cook's Bay", and "Magic Dance". CD

A really wonderful setting for the vibes of Gary Burton – a special ECM session that pairs his quartet with larger orchestral backdrops – all conducted by Michael Gibbs, who also wrote the music for the date! Gibbs had already risen to fame by the time of this record – thanks to some groundbreaking albums for large ensembles on the British jazz scene of the late 60s – where he demonstrated a tremendous ear for intimate tones and subtle sounds amidst a larger group. Here, that talent turns out to work perfectly for the rich tones of Burton's vibes – allowing them to develop slowly and spaciously, despite the larger orchestra. The core quartet also features Michael Goodrick on guitar, Steve Swallow on bass, and Ted Seibs on drums – and titles include "The Rain Before It Falls", "Three", "Phases", "Throb", and "Nocturne Vulgaire/Arise Her Eyes". CD

An incredible look at the format of vinyl – put together by a guy who's got one of the hippest record collections we've ever seen! John Corbett's been writing about music, art, and other formats for decades – but his real labor of love is vinyl records – a format he continued to embrace even at the height of the CD era – so much so that he talked Downbeat magazine into letting him write a special column on musical delights that had never made it to the digital format! Corbett helped plenty of music get reissued on CD himself – thanks to countless label projects – but he also always held a special place in his heart for the kinds of records that never got reissued – and those are the sorts of titles featured here – a massive run of music that runs from jazz to funk, American and European, totally obscure to completely common – presented beautifully together in this massive book! The volume doesn't just bring together Corbett's columns, but also offers up full color reproductions of all the record covers, along with a few other details too – to support efforts on dozens of artists – a huge list that includes Melvin Jackson, Bill Leslie, Black Grass, Night Blooming Jazzmen, Phil Seamen, Khan Jamal, Klaus Doldinger, The Mad-Hatters, Tommy Jones, Guy Warren, The Three Souls, United Front, Johnny Lytle, London Experimental Jazz Quartet, Paul Smoker, AK Salim, Noah Howard, Jack Wilson, and many others – a good number of whom have yet to be reissued. The book is wonderful – and Corbett's longtime declaration of being a vinyl freak is more important than ever, given the rebirth of the medium! Book is 250 pages, softcover, with color images. (Books, Jazz) Book

An amazing package – a pair of rare avant jazz albums, presented here together! The first album is Peace In The World – maybe the only album issued under the name of Michael Cosmic – but a set that's part of a key legacy with his brother, reedman Phill Musra! The set has Cosmic in very heady territory – sounds that come from his young tenure in the AACM, his brief time with Cecil Taylor, and his budding reputation on the 70s Boston scene – where the set was recorded, and almost stands as a precursor to the rich legacy of improvisational jazz that would emerge on the New England scene for decades to come! Tracks are long and very free, but have spiritual currents too – and Cosmic is mostly on piano, with Musra on soprano sax and tenor, Leonard Brown on soprano and tenor, John Jamyll Jones on bass, Huseyin Ertunc on drums, and Eric Jackson on percussion. Titles include "We Love You Malcolm X", "Peace In The World", "Sapce On Space", and "Arabia". Next is the related album Creator Spaces, by Phill Musra – recorded at the time when he was part of the very underground Boston avant scene – a world that had a slightly different vibe than music coming from Chicago, Detroit, or New York! The album's got a spiritual avant bent – soulful at the core, with lots of references to outer space as well – and an approach that feels a lot like a classic Saturn Records session by Sun Ra, both in sound and spirit! Musra plays reeds, chimes, and percussion – and the group features some incredible sax work by Michael Cosmic, who also plays a bit of organ, again in a tripped-out, Ra-type way. Huseyin Ertunc plays percussion – very free and loose, in ways that are a great balance to the more angular lines of the reeds – and tracks include "The Creator Is So Far Out", "The Creator Spaces", "Egypt", and "Arabia". Also features unreleased tracks "The Creator Is So Far Out (unreleased version)" and "Phyllis". Added to the set is a really special bonus third CD – an unreleased long live performance of "The Prayer" by Worlds Experience Orchestra – a group from the same scene at the time – with Shaddu Jones on piano, Stan Strickland on tenor and soprano, Frank Peterson on alto, John Jamyll Jones on bass, Robert Ruff on cello, Larry Lerner on drums, and John Klein on amplified violin. CD

A brilliant reunion of some key members of the AACM in Chicago – recorded at the Chicago Jazz Festival in a stunning performance that features drummer Jack DeJohnette in the lead, plus Muhal Richard Abrams on piano, Henry Threadgill on alto and flute, and Roscoe Mitchell on a variety of reeds! Bassist Larry Gray completes the group, and also plays a bit of cello – and the music has this wonderfully freewheeling, organic quality that really takes us back to the early years of the avant scene in Chicago – that very special sense of improvisation that the players forged back in the day – with an especially sonic-sensitive ear tuned towards the musicianship. The album is neither the usual ECM mode, nor even what we'd expect from DeJohnette – and instead takes us back to the earliest utterings from Chicago on labels like Delmark or Nessa. Titles include "Chant", "Jack 5", "Leave Don't Go Away", "Ten Minutes", and "Museum Of Time". CD

We've really loved the music of pianist Amaro Freitas in the past, but this time around he's got a special sort of something extra in his music – both in the way he approaches the sound, and the way he works with other players! The first half of the set is an exploration of landscape, both in sound and spirit – which then opens up to tracks that have Freitas coming into contact with other important musicians as well – flute from Shabaka Hutchings on two tracks, one of which also has drums from Hamid Drake – harp from Brandee Younger on another, and guitar from Jeff Parker on one more – all musicians we really love for their own work, and who we're delighted to hear interacting with Amaro, who has maybe been a more underground artist in recent years. Titles include "Mar De Cirandeiras", "Gloriosa", "Encantados", "Viva Nana", "Sonho Ancestral", and "Danca Dos Martelos". LP, Vinyl record album

Very early work from Japanese saxophonist Sachi Hayasaka – a set that's a bit late in the catalog of the Three Blind Mice label, but one that's also a very special session for the label! Sachi blows alto and soprano sax, and the group here is a very free, open trio – just bass from Toshiki Nagata, and trumpet work from the great Wadada Leo Smith – a partner who really matches the youthful imagination that Hayasaka brings to her horn. The work is all improvised, but with a loose sense of structure at times – and there's a spiritual current to the music that almost makes it feel like Sachi could have been a member of the AACM back in the 70s. Most titles are in Japanese – and the set features 10 numbers in all, of varying length. CD

A mindblowing album from Ahmad Jamal – a fantastic start to the 70s, and a set of music that shows just how far the pianist had come in just a few short years! The album's all acoustic, but has some of that spacious flow that Jamal would bring to his work on Fender Rhodes – with an approach that's even more open in terms of song structure than his earlier trio material – as if Jamal's choosing to omit more notes than he's including – but all with a quality that still keeps the music very full and rhythmic – pulsating with a special sort of energy that's neither Bill Evans, nor McCoy Tyner – but instead this really amazing sound that's all Ahmad's own. The trio features equally wonderful work from Jamil Nasser on bass and Frank Gant on drums – and titles include "The Awakening", "I Love Music", "Patterns", "Wave", and "Dolphin Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

We're not often the biggest fans of poetry in the work of Steve Lacy – but somehow, this set seems to come off especially right – thanks, no doubt, to the fact that beat legend Brion Gysin composed all of the words! Gysin himself only speaks on 2 titles – but his presence there is especially strong – grounding the other vocals by Irene Aebi with a gruff and gritty sensibility that she seems to carry back to her own interpretations of his words on the other titles. Members of the group here are usual Lacy conspirators – Aebi on voice and violin, Bobby Few on piano, Steve Potts on alto and soprano saxes, Jean-Jacques Avenel on bass, and Oliver Johnson on drums. Titles include "Luvzya", "Permutations", "Gay Paree Bop", "Nowhere Street", "Somebody Special", and "Keep The Change" – all of which feature music by Lacy, set to words by Gysin! CD

Bossa jazz from the French scene of the 60s – an ultra-hip album issued on the legendary Saravah Records label – and one that's one of the best illustrations of the label's way of blending together jazz and other global styles! The group here is a trio, with Fernando Martins on some wonderfully bold piano – working with bassist Edson Lobo and drummer Nelson Serra – in a groove that's rooted in older Rio bossa jazz modes, but also has a slightly more powerful quality, too – that special sort of late 60s flowering that Brazilian music had when it hit the very receptive European scene. The trio have a nice rolling sound that might be compared to some of the MPS jazz/Brazilian crossover sessions – and titles include "Upa Neguinho", "Nascente", "Bia", "Noa Noa", "Samba Novo", "Berimbau", "Nao Tem Solucao", and "Muito A Vontade". (Brazil, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet electric magic from Ramsey Lewis – four 70s albums in a single collection! First up is Don't It Feel Good – massive keyboard work from the great Ramsey Lewis – easily one of his best records ever, thanks to some spaciously funky production by Charles Stepney! Stepney plays keyboards here along with Ramsey, and the twin-keys approach makes for a sound that's extra-special – one that sums up all the earlier soulful creativity of both artists in their late 60s Cadet Records years, and hones it down to an even sweeter groove for the 70s! A number of tracks have some sort of vocal component, but usually in a chorus mode that soon drops out when the keyboards hit home – and the record features a few great short "interlude" tracks that are almost as great as the longer numbers! Titles include the classic "Juaacklyn", a cover of Earth Wind & Fire's "That's The Way Of The World", and the tracks "I Dig You", "Fish Bite", "Don't It Feel Good", "Something About You", and "Can't Function". Salongo is a tremendous little record, and one of the funky 70s sets that Ramsey Lewis recorded with Earth Wind & Fire! Well, not Earth Wind & Fire entirely – but the Kalimba Productions team of Maurice White and Charles Stepney that gave the group its sound – plus a nice sprinkling of other players that were often associated with sessions by the group! Ramsey's own combo here includes Steve Cobb on drums and vocals, and Derf Reklaw on reeds and vocals as well – and the overall sound has bits of African and Brazilian influences, worked into a soulful fusion groove that sounds a lot like the instrumental backings EWF were using at the time. Titles include "Brazilica", "Slick", "Rubato", "Salongo", and "Seventh Fold". Tequila Mockingbird is an overlooked gem from the Columbia Records years, filled with loads of great grooves, and some pretty mighty keyboards! Part of the record has Ramsey working with Larry Dunn of Kalimba Productions – getting plenty of the Earth Wind & Fire groove that made so much of his Columbia sessions sparkle – while the rest of the set has the great Bert DeCoteaux handling things, and giving Lewis just the right mix of sophistication and soul he was using with other Columbia acts at the time. The album's a perfect example of the way that Ramsey stepped way ahead of the pack during this time in his career – using keyboards and grooves together in ways that so many artists today are still trying to match – but never hit it this right! Titles include "Camino El Bueno", "Caring For You", "Intimacy", "That Ole Bach Music", "Skippin", "Tequila Mockingbird", and "Wandering Rose" – that cool cut by Neal Creque! Love Notes is a great little album of mid 70s funk from Ramsey Lewis – very much in the mode of his Earth, Wind, & Fire related work – no surprise, since the album's dedicated to Charles Stepney, whose influence was such a key part of the sound of the group, and of some of Ramsey's other Kalimba-produced albums from a few years before! Ramsey plays Fender Rhodes, mini moog, and Arp – and he gets help on keyboards from Stevie Wonder and Derf Reklaw, who also plays saxes and percussion on the set. Features versions of Wonder's "Love Notes" and "Spring High", plus Reklaw's "Chili Today Hot Tamale", "Shining", and "Stash Dash". CD

Sweet electric magic from Ramsey Lewis – four 70s albums in a single collection! First up is Don't It Feel Good – massive keyboard work from the great Ramsey Lewis – easily one of his best records ever, thanks to some spaciously funky production by Charles Stepney! Stepney plays keyboards here along with Ramsey, and the twin-keys approach makes for a sound that's extra-special – one that sums up all the earlier soulful creativity of both artists in their late 60s Cadet Records years, and hones it down to an even sweeter groove for the 70s! A number of tracks have some sort of vocal component, but usually in a chorus mode that soon drops out when the keyboards hit home – and the record features a few great short "interlude" tracks that are almost as great as the longer numbers! Titles include the classic "Juaacklyn", a cover of Earth Wind & Fire's "That's The Way Of The World", and the tracks "I Dig You", "Fish Bite", "Don't It Feel Good", "Something About You", and "Can't Function". Salongo is a tremendous little record, and one of the funky 70s sets that Ramsey Lewis recorded with Earth Wind & Fire! Well, not Earth Wind & Fire entirely – but the Kalimba Productions team of Maurice White and Charles Stepney that gave the group its sound – plus a nice sprinkling of other players that were often associated with sessions by the group! Ramsey's own combo here includes Steve Cobb on drums and vocals, and Derf Reklaw on reeds and vocals as well – and the overall sound has bits of African and Brazilian influences, worked into a soulful fusion groove that sounds a lot like the instrumental backings EWF were using at the time. Titles include "Brazilica", "Slick", "Rubato", "Salongo", and "Seventh Fold". Tequila Mockingbird is an overlooked gem from the Columbia Records years, filled with loads of great grooves, and some pretty mighty keyboards! Part of the record has Ramsey working with Larry Dunn of Kalimba Productions – getting plenty of the Earth Wind & Fire groove that made so much of his Columbia sessions sparkle – while the rest of the set has the great Bert DeCoteaux handling things, and giving Lewis just the right mix of sophistication and soul he was using with other Columbia acts at the time. The album's a perfect example of the way that Ramsey stepped way ahead of the pack during this time in his career – using keyboards and grooves together in ways that so many artists today are still trying to match – but never hit it this right! Titles include "Camino El Bueno", "Caring For You", "Intimacy", "That Ole Bach Music", "Skippin", "Tequila Mockingbird", and "Wandering Rose" – that cool cut by Neal Creque! Love Notes is a great little album of mid 70s funk from Ramsey Lewis – very much in the mode of his Earth, Wind, & Fire related work – no surprise, since the album's dedicated to Charles Stepney, whose influence was such a key part of the sound of the group, and of some of Ramsey's other Kalimba-produced albums from a few years before! Ramsey plays Fender Rhodes, mini moog, and Arp – and he gets help on keyboards from Stevie Wonder and Derf Reklaw, who also plays saxes and percussion on the set. Features versions of Wonder's "Love Notes" and "Spring High", plus Reklaw's "Chili Today Hot Tamale", "Shining", and "Stash Dash". CD

The final chapter in the triplet of trios albums recorded by reedman Charles Lloyd in 2022 – and one that really holds onto the special spirit of the others! As before, there's a lean setting that's perfect for the maturing talents of Lloyd – this open sonic space delivered with the guitar of Julian Lage and percussion of Zakir Hussain – both players sensitive enough to understand what Lloyd's trying to do, and give him just the right support throughout the record. The whole thing is a further demonstration that over the past 20 years, Lloyd has maybe grown as much as an artist as he did during his first 20 years in music – as you'll hear on titles that include "Desolation Sound", "Tales Of Rumi", "The Blessing", "Saraswati", and "Nachekita's Lament". CD

A legendary work – featuring Charles Mingus' great and chaotic Town Hall concert, one of those special events that achieved legendary status before it even started – not just because of the range of great musicians involved, but because the whole set was barely off the ground by the time it began! The set features a brilliant set of arrangements that Mingus barely copied and handed around before the show started – but that hardly stopped the music from being great, because everyone plays magnificently, especially Jerome Richardson and Charles McPherson, who was hitting a really great period here with Mingus. Tracks include "Epitaph", "Clark in the Dark", "Freedom", and "My Search". The CD also features the first full version of the concert – with many previously unissued tracks! CD

Fantastic lost work from Charles Mingus, from a very under-recorded time in his life – the same period in which he gave the world the seminal album Let My Children Hear Music! The setting's a live one – and as on some of Mingus' superb 60s concert sessions, there's a force and fire here that really surpasses the group's energy in the studio – long tracks that are filled with brilliant solo work, and handled by a sextet that includes Bobby Jones on tenor, Charles McPherson on alto, Jon Faddis on trumpet, John Foster on piano, and Roy Brooks on drums – a group with just the kind of young, imaginative horn players that Mingus always used to create a special sort of fire. Titles include the 19 minute "The Man Who Never Sleeps", the 30 minute "Mind Readers Convention In Milano", a 25 minute version of "Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress", and a 20 minute take on "Noddin Ya Head Blue" – plus a 35 minute jam on "Fables Of Faubus" and the shorter "Pops". CD

A classic solo piano album from Thelonious Monk – recorded live in San Francisco, and maybe one of his best albums ever in the format! There's a special sort of quality that makes Monk's solo work so different from his trio, quartet, and larger group music – this real understanding of the piano, and a personal sense of sonic shading, even when covering some of his familiar compositions – maybe a bit like the way that Sun Ra's solo piano is also so distinct. Most of the tunes here are Monk originals or standards that Thelonious has played before at least a few times on record – but the solo setting almost has him pulling the tunes apart slowly – contemplating their components, then stepping through them with new inspiration as he puts them back together. Titles include "Blue Monk", "Pannonica", "Remember", "Reflections", "Bluehawk", "Everything Happens To Me", and "Round Lights". LP, Vinyl record album

Guitarist Joe Morris works here with frequent partner Mat Maneri on viola – a duo who've been making music for many years together – and who find this really special way of combining their two instruments together – at a level that's almost its own sort of space between a viola and guitar! Sounds come from either musician at a level that's always very inventive, and spontaneously creative – and the pair get rhythmic assistance from Chris Lightcap on bass and Gerald Cleaver on drums – both of whom are as loose and free as Morris and Maneri, so that the instruments shade in the sound more than direct the propulsion of performance. Titles include "Thought", "Effort", "Trust", "Purpose", "Substance", and "Meaning". CD

A jazz treasure chest – the 73 original recordings by Charlie Parker issued by Verve Records, all packaged in a special box with loads of great extras! The package strips down the Bird sides that have been issued by Verve over the years – going for just the original releases issued in the late 40s and 1950s, before alternate takes and extra material started overwhelming most standard packages of Parker's work. The set very nicely gets back to basics – hitting all the original 78rpm and LP sides cut by Bird, with supporting players that include Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Red Rodney, Flip Phillips, and Max Roach. The set's got 73 tracks on 3CDs, packaged in a totally cool metal box, along with a 60 page booklet on the music, and lots of rare photos! Beautiful stuff – and surprisingly nicely priced for what's inside! CD

The first-ever album as a leader from tenorist Dewey Redman – a set that captures the rising musician at a level that's very full-formed, and which shows some of the roots of his years in Texas with a young Ornette Coleman! The vibe's different here than Coleman's music – at least in the early 60s – as Dewey would soon reunite with Ornette, and make some key sides in the second half of the decade. But there's definitely a similar sense of rhythmic pulse – with all the instruments leaping into the groove in a wonderful way – at times almost recalling some South African jazz modes, and at other moments maybe sparkling more with the best early 60s touches of the American underground! The rest of the combo features Jim Young on piano, Don Raphael Garrett on bass, and Eddie Moore on drums – an unusual grouping, but one that really makes some special magic here together – and in ways that give the record a very different sound than Redman's later, better-known albums. All titles are originals by Dewey – and tracks include "For Eldon", "Seven & One", "Look For The Black Star", "Of Love", and "Spur Of The Moment". LP, Vinyl record album