Reedman Nat Birchall digs deep for this masterful set – creating timeless music that easily stands next to the work of some of his key ancestors in jazz – especially musicians of the generation of John Coltrane! The set is one that has Birchall layering his tenor, soprano, and baritone solos with other self-created sounds – on piano, organ, balaphon, shruti box, bass, and other percussion – all with this slow-building, extremely spiritual quality that never lets up! The music feels much more like the work of a cohesive jazz combo than it does a solo performance by one artist – and that's another testament to the ever-growing powers of Nat, one of our favorite forces in jazz for more than the past decade! Titles include "The Drum Thing", "Sun In Libra", "Song Of The Ancestors, "Ogunde Uarerre", "Africa", and "One For The Son". LP, Vinyl record album

Warmth and magic from Terence Blanchard – an album of simple beauty and timeless soul that's one of the best we've heard from him to date! The set features a group that includes tenor, guitar, piano, Fender Rhodes, and organ – and overall, it's got a soulful depth that reminds us of some of the hidden treasures in mid 80s soul jazz. Blanchard never tries to overstate his case, but plays within a world of confident righteousness that issues forth in waves of well-stated sound, color, and tone. Titles include "Fred Brown", "Passionate Courage", "On The Verge", "Innocence", "Transform", and "Footprints". CD

A simple trio album, but a really great one – the kind that almost re-ignites Ray Bryant's career, which is a hard thing to do, given how many records he's already got under his belt! But somehow, there's really something fresh going on here – an array of sounds and modes that goes far beyond his earlier sides for Columbie, Sue, and even Atlantic – and although Bryant was heard on the latter label only a few short years before this outing, the style here is something different altogether. There's almost a timeless approach here – but not in a hokey way – one that's still firmly grounded in the rhythmic impulses of Ray's soul jazz years, but which also easily traverses a piano jazz territory of many more eras – almost in the way of Jaki Byard, but without as much of a gimmick. Rhythm is by George Duvivier on bass and Grady Tate on drums, and we've never heard Ray sound so great in such a setting. Titles include "Prayer Song", "Lil Darlin", "Girl Talk", "Good Morning Heartache", and "Manteca". CD

A pair of great albums back to back – both rare albums from a percussionist who worked with Sun Ra! First up is Mora volume 1 – a legendary early set from percussionist Francisco Mora Catlett – and a really sublime blend of spiritual jazz and Latin rhythms! Mora's percussion is definitely at the core – but the set also features wonderful contributions from Vincent Bowens on tenor and soprano sax, Jerome LeDuff on berimbau, Alberto Nacif on quinto, and Detroit jazz legend Kenny Cox on piano! There's a balance here that really matches the best Strata East energy of the 70s – an open, flowing approach that's completely sublime, and very righteous too – even more so than anything Mora's done since the 70s – making this record one of his greatest achievements ever. Tersa Mora sings a bit of vocals at times – and titles include "Afra Jum", "Five AM", "Rumba Morena", "Samba De Amor", and "Cultural Warrior". Mora 2 is a set recorded in Detroit, but one that's got a globe's worth of elements in the mix – originally recorded in the mid 80s, but not released until a brief CD issue in the early part of the 21st Century! Despite that history, the album's a really timeless record that encompasses a world's worth of elements in jazz! Francisco Mora Catlett's at the height of his powers here – leading the group with a sense of righteous majesty that takes us back to some of the most ambitious heirs of the post-Coltrane generation, but with perhaps an oddly rhythmic twist as well – such as you might find in some of the 70s classics of Bobby Vince Paunetto. Echoes of Latin, Afro, and spiritual jazz come together as one – soaring to the skies on soulful waves of sound – brought together with a sense of focus and spirit that really moves us a lot. Players include Marcus Belgrave and John Douglass on trumpets, Sherman Mitchell on trombone, Vincent Bowens on tenor and flute, Alex Harding on baritone and bass clarinet, Kenny Cox on piano, and Rodney Whitaker on bass – and titles include "Samba/Conga De Amor", "Amazona Prelude/Dawn", "Old Man Joe", "Por Que Paro", and "Afra-Jum (parts 2 & 3)". CD

Nothing too sweet or lovely here – given that Eddie Lockjaw Davis plays with a tremendous growl on some of the best tracks on the set! Davis is a hell of a tenorist who found his biggest recording fame in the US during the 50s and 60s – but also cut some wonderful work overseas in the following decade – timeless tracks like these that show that the Lockjaw fire was alive and well, and maybe getting even a bit more room for expression in the freedom of the European scene! The album's simple, but wonderfully powerful – longish, open tracks with lots of room for Eddie to solo in a soulful way – with additional trumpet from Harry Sweets Edison, who's also at the top of his game – and great rhythms from Gerald Wiggins on piano, Major Holley on bass, and Oliver Jackson on drums. Titles include "Jim Dawg", "Meditation", "Land Of Dreams", and "The Good Life". LP, Vinyl record album

Really wonderful early work from pianist Berndt Egerbladh – a player who's gotten a lot more global attention in recent years, but who sounds especially great on this rare date from the 60s! The album's a masterful showcase for Berndt's warm, fluid approach on the keys of the piano – a style that's really quite unique for the time, and a very strong precursor to modes that wouldn't show up that strongly on other scenes until the following decade. There's a really mature sound to the record, but one that never tries to hard to be "new", nor pushes its own sense of specialness too strongly. Instead, Berndt manages to stretch out spaciously, but in an understated way – a beautiful balance of color and sound that gives the record a really timeless quality. Bass is by Bjorn Alke, drums by Sten Oberg – and titles include "Mr Idrees", "Eva", "Sarek", "Monique", "Schizo", and "Days Of Wine & Roses". LP, Vinyl record album

Really wonderful early work from pianist Berndt Egerbladh – a player who's gotten a lot more global attention in recent years, but who sounds especially great on this rare date from the 60s! The album's a masterful showcase for Berndt's warm, fluid approach on the keys of the piano – a style that's really quite unique for the time, and a very strong precursor to modes that wouldn't show up that strongly on other scenes until the following decade. There's a really mature sound to the record, but one that never tries to hard to be "new", nor pushes its own sense of specialness too strongly. Instead, Berndt manages to stretch out spaciously, but in an understated way – a beautiful balance of color and sound that gives the record a really timeless quality. Bass is by Bjorn Alke, drums by Sten Oberg – and titles include "Mr Idrees", "Eva", "Sarek", "Monique", "Schizo", and "Days Of Wine & Roses". CD

80s material from trumpeter Rolf Ericson – but sides that we'd rank right up there with his better-known work from the 50s! There's a great back-to-basics feel to this material – a timeless quality that has Rolf really hitting his stride and the best side of his sound – blowing trumpet and flugelhorn on most of the set in a quintet with Nils Sandsdtrom on tenor, Goran Lindberg on piano, and Mel Lewis on drums – but also working beautifully on a few duet sides with pianist Claes Croona. No matter the setting, Ericson blows with a strength of feeling and sense of tone that's totally great – one that makes us wonder how we lost track of him in the years between the albums we have in our collection, and this surprise session from the 80s. Titles include "Evelyn", "What Am I Here For", "Without A Song", "Mel's Bells", "Nancy With The Laughing Face", "Stockholm Sweetnin", and "Just Squeeze Me". CD

A really unique little album that features jazz versions of themes from Swedish folk music – all served up by a sublime quartet that features Art Farmer on flugelhorn and Jim Hall on guitar! The exploration of folk roots in jazz is not a new one – and a number of the postwar Swedish modernists were especially strong in their love of folk music for inspiration. But the genre's never been handled this well before, and Farmer's warmly lyrical sensibilities really transform the tunes – opening up a timeless sense of expression in their melodies, yet still keeping things strongly in a modern jazz vein with his timing and phrasing. The other members of the piano-less quartet certainly help in this respect – Steve Swallow on bass and Pete LaRoca on drums – and Jim Hall's guitar is always a treat in a stripped-down session like this. The sound of the record is both warm and eerie at the same time – and titles include "Va Da Du?", "De Salde Sina Hemman", "Kristallen Den Fina", and "Visa Vid Midsommartid". CD

Saxophonist Shamek Farrah is best known for a pair of legendary 70s albums on the Strata East label – but he was still working strongly in the American jazz underground for years after that – as you'll hear on this brilliant batch of live recordings from the end of the 80s! The album was initially only issued as a cassette sold at gigs, and it shows Farrah sounding wonderful in the company of trumpeter Norman Person – blowing alto and bringing the fire he had on his 70s spiritual jazz recordings – as he and Person work in a few different groups, alongside some especially great piano work from either David Durrah or Sonelius Smith – both players with strong legacies of their own! Garry Hammon joins the pair on tenor on two tracks, Marvin Neal on trombone on one, and the final track is a trio number without Farrah, showing wonderful phrasing from Person next to Smith's piano. All titles are nice and long – and tunes include "Negative Forces", "Aisha", "Footprints", "Timeless Beginning", and "I Remember Clifford". CD

Saxophonist Shamek Farrah is best known for a pair of legendary 70s albums on the Strata East label – but he was still working strongly in the American jazz underground for years after that – as you'll hear on this brilliant batch of live recordings from the end of the 80s! The album was initially only issued as a cassette sold at gigs, and it shows Farrah sounding wonderful in the company of trumpeter Norman Person – blowing alto and bringing the fire he had on his 70s spiritual jazz recordings – as he and Person work in a few different groups, alongside some especially great piano work from either David Durrah or Sonelius Smith – both players with strong legacies of their own! Garry Hammon joins the pair on tenor on two tracks, Marvin Neal on trombone on one, and the final track is a trio number without Farrah, showing wonderful phrasing from Person next to Smith's piano. All titles are nice and long – and tunes include "Negative Forces", "Aisha", "Footprints", "Timeless Beginning", and "I Remember Clifford". LP, Vinyl record album

Erroll Garner at the start of the 60s – but still sounding wonderfully unique, and coming across with a timeless vibe that makes the record every bit as great as his classics from the 50s! The format is simple – just Garner on piano, with Eddie Calhoun on bass and Kelly Martin on drums – but the sound is sublime, and in that special Garner-like approach that nobody else could match – very rhythmic, with a gritty pulse at the core – yet topped with these explosive lines on the keys that all make complete sense – not showoffy pyrotechnics, but sublime lyrical lines that never fail to blow us away. Titles include "All Of Me", "No More Shadows", "You Do Something To Me", "The Best Things In Life Are Free", and "El Papa Grande" – a nice number with a bit of a Latin pulse! CD features the bonus track "Octave 103". CD

Fantastic work from a really wonderful trio – a group with a sense of space and scope that's completely sublime! We've always loved the piano work of Masabumi Kikuchi, but here he really has this special energy next to the basswork of Gary Peacock – a player who somehow always feels a bit different when he's in a Japanese setting than a more familiar one – a perfect match for the percussion of Masahiko Togashi, who is maybe the freest player on the record at times – and working with that very open, sensitive way he has of handling a drum kit! The recording quality is amazing – all the different elements both separate and together at once – and the whole thing is a real lost treasure from the time, superbly recorded and done with a very timeless quality. This 4CD set brings together everything recorded during these wonderful sessions – some quite long – and titles include "Song In D", "Carla", "Little Abi", "Rambling", "Straight No Chaser", "Moor", "Good Bye", "Peace", "Nature Boy", "Tennessee Waltz", "My Favorite Things", "Summertime", "Begin The Beguine", "Waltz Step", and "Bley's Triad". CD

Fantastic work from a really wonderful trio – a group with a sense of space and scope that's completely sublime! We've always loved the piano work of Masabumi Kikuchi, but here he really has this special energy next to the basswork of Gary Peacock – a player who somehow always feels a bit different when he's in a Japanese setting than a more familiar one – a perfect match for the percussion of Masahiko Togashi, who is maybe the freest player on the record at times – and working with that very open, sensitive way he has of handling a drum kit! The recording quality is amazing – all the different elements both separate and together at once – and the whole thing is a real lost treasure from the time, superbly recorded and done with a very timeless quality. This 4CD set brings together everything recorded during these wonderful sessions – some quite long – and titles include "Song In D", "Carla", "Little Abi", "Rambling", "Straight No Chaser", "Moor", "Good Bye", "Peace", "Nature Boy", "Tennessee Waltz", "My Favorite Things", "Summertime", "Begin The Beguine", "Waltz Step", and "Bley's Triad". CD

A really unique album in the career of Johnny Griffin – and one of the few entries in the short-lived "jazz meets folk" genre of the 60s! The record features Griffin blowing through versions of older folk numbers – mostly traditional tunes, re-arranged by Johnny here with a swinging vibe that's a bit soul jazz, but also slightly more exotic and lyrical – in keeping with the timeless themes of the compositions. The rest of the group includes Barry Harris on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Ben Riley on drums – a trio who seem well-suited to match the sensitive spirit of some of the tunes! And while you might have reservations about a record like this, don't – because Griffin's tone and phrasing are great, and really keep things away from the gimmicky side of the spectrum! Titles include "The Kerry Dancers", "Green Grow The Rushes", "Black is The Color of My True Love's Hair", "25 1/2 Daze", and "The Londonderry Air" – plus the Griffin original "Oh Now I See". CD

An amazing record – one with a depth that goes way beyond its simple roots, and which has gone on to become one of the true Christmas classics of the 20th Century! Although a Christmas soundtrack, the album's more of a tapestry of sadness, longing, and loss – the best qualities that always emerge in true Christmas classics – underscoring the blue side of the season that's always lurking around corners from the happier moments. Vince Guaraldi penned this score back when he was a rising talent on the San Francisco scene – and in a way, it was almost his musical contribution to the cartoon that made it such a lasting favorite – even over and above the appeal of the famous animated characters. Most tunes are simple piano ones, but played with a phrasing that's beautifully timeless – and the few vocal numbers feature voices from the cartoon, singing softly with the music. Titles include the classic "Linus and Lucy" – plus "My Little Drum", "Christmas Is Coming", "Christmas Time Is Here", "Skating", and "Fur Elise". Features a new stereo mix from the original tapes, plus 13 unreleased outtakes from the original sessions! (Holiday Music, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing record – one with a depth that goes way beyond its simple roots, and which has gone on to become one of the true Christmas classics of the 20th Century! Although a Christmas soundtrack, the album's more of a tapestry of sadness, longing, and loss – the best qualities that always emerge in true Christmas classics – underscoring the blue side of the season that's always lurking around corners from the happier moments. Vince Guaraldi penned this score back when he was a rising talent on the San Francisco scene – and in a way, it was almost his musical contribution to the cartoon that made it such a lasting favorite – even over and above the appeal of the famous animated characters. Most tunes are simple piano ones, but played with a phrasing that's beautifully timeless – and the few vocal numbers feature voices from the cartoon, singing softly with the music. Titles include the classic "Linus and Lucy" – plus "My Little Drum", "Christmas Is Coming", "Christmas Time Is Here", "Skating", and "Fur Elise". CD1 features a new stereo mix from the original tapes, plus the original stereo mix. CD2 through CD4 feature a wealth of unissued material from the sessions – showing that the simple approach of Guaraldi was the product of a heck of a lot of work! Blu-ray features a hi-res audio version of the new stereo mix, and a Dolby Atmos mix too – and the whole thing comes in a book-style package with new notes. (Holiday Music, Jazz) CD

An amazing record – one with a depth that goes way beyond its simple roots, and which has gone on to become one of the true Christmas classics of the 20th Century! Although a Christmas soundtrack, the album's more of a tapestry of sadness, longing, and loss – the best qualities that always emerge in true Christmas classics – underscoring the blue side of the season that's always lurking around corners from the happier moments. Vince Guaraldi penned this score back when he was a rising talent on the San Francisco scene – and in a way, it was almost his musical contribution to the cartoon that made it such a lasting favorite – even over and above the appeal of the famous animated characters. Most tunes are simple piano ones, but played with a phrasing that's beautifully timeless – and the few vocal numbers feature voices from the cartoon, singing softly with the music. Titles include the classic "Linus and Lucy" – plus "My Little Drum", "Christmas Is Coming", "Christmas Time Is Here", "Skating", and "Fur Elise". (Holiday Music, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing record – one with a depth that goes way beyond its simple roots, and which has gone on to become one of the true Christmas classics of the 20th Century! Although a Christmas soundtrack, the album's more of a tapestry of sadness, longing, and loss – the best qualities that always emerge in true Christmas classics – underscoring the blue side of the season that's always lurking around corners from the happier moments. Vince Guaraldi penned this score back when he was a rising talent on the San Francisco scene – and in a way, it was almost his musical contribution to the cartoon that made it such a lasting favorite – even over and above the appeal of the famous animated characters. Most tunes are simple piano ones, but played with a phrasing that's beautifully timeless – and the few vocal numbers feature voices from the cartoon, singing softly with the music. Titles include the classic "Linus and Lucy" – plus "My Little Drum", "Christmas Is Coming", "Christmas Time Is Here", "Skating", and "Fur Elise". (Holiday Music, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing record – one with a depth that goes way beyond its simple roots, and which has gone on to become one of the true Christmas classics of the 20th Century! Although a Christmas soundtrack, the album's more of a tapestry of sadness, longing, and loss – the best qualities that always emerge in true Christmas classics – underscoring the blue side of the season that's always lurking around corners from the happier moments. Vince Guaraldi penned this score back when he was a rising talent on the San Francisco scene – and in a way, it was almost his musical contribution to the cartoon that made it such a lasting favorite – even over and above the appeal of the famous animated characters. Most tunes are simple piano ones, but played with a phrasing that's beautifully timeless – and the few vocal numbers feature voices from the cartoon, singing softly with the music. Titles include the classic "Linus and Lucy" – plus "My Little Drum", "Christmas Is Coming", "Christmas Time Is Here", "Skating", and "Fur Elise". Features a new stereo mix from the original tapes, plus 13 unreleased outtakes from the original sessions! (Holiday Music, Jazz) CD

A brilliant mid 70s set headlined by pianist Al Haig & guitarist Jimmy Raney – essentially a reunion of bandmates from the early 50s Stan Getz Quintet – beautifully done and in a timelessly appealing mode! What's great about this is that doesn't feel in the least a hokey revisit the old days kinda thing, as if we should have expected something so crass from such wonderful players. They play some evergreen jazz standards some numbers that made waves in the 60s and later, the group includes Jamil Nasser on bass, Frank Gand on drums, plus guitar by Doug Raney on "You Came To Me From Out Of Nowhere". Other numbers including the Eddie Harris penned title track, Herbie Hancock's "Dolphin Dance", "Round Midnight", "Invitation", and "Enigma". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite Jemeel Moodoc recordings of recent years – a sublime set of duets with bassist William Parker, and a record that's got a vibe that's even more spiritual than usual from both players! There's a sense of timelessness to the music we really love – a sense of improvisation that encompasses avant traditions in Chicago, Detroit, New York, and St Louis – but which also has a deeply personal spirit, too – as those rare moments when Parker really gets the chance to shape a session with his sense of soul – and here brings out a bold focus in Moondoc's alto that's really breathtaking. Titles include "Huey Sees A Rainbow", "Another Angel Goes Home", "Encore", "Theme For Pelikan", and "New World Pygmies". CD

Sensitive solo work from Don Pullen – just the kind of record that demonstrates why he was one of the few free players of his generation who could also grab a bit slice of mainstream ears as well! Some moments on the set are quite unbridled, but never without a sense of structure – kind of a soulful undercurrent that really balances out nicely with Pullen's bolder notes – and which creates a strong bridge to some of the mellower, more introspective moments that round out the record wonderfully – almost with a Jaki Byard-like sense of timelessness. Titles include "Evidence Of Things Unseen", "Victory Dance", "In The Beginning", "Perseverance", and "Rejoice". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible trip through the 70s Japanese jazz scene – a second volume of J Jazz that's even bigger and better than the first – with unknown gems from private presses, indie labels, and rarities from the Japanese branches of the major labels, too! Compilers Tony Higgins & Mike Peden (who are both also responsible for the nicely done notes) follow through on all of the things we loved about the first J Jazz compilation, but improve on it by going bigger and digging deeper. The majority of the tracks were recorded from 1969 through the late 70s – with a few recorded in later years – and all have a wonderful way of being open to the stylistic inventions of the time without getting hung up on trends. So while there's some fusiony funk and electric piano, there's plenty of acoustic instrumentation and timelessly inventive material. BBE has outdone themselves on this excellent collection – and titles include "Dragon Dance" by Makoto Terashita & Harold Land, "Daguri" by Kohsuke Mine Quintet, "Distant Thunder" by Mabumi Yamguchi Quartet, "Animal Garden" by Miyasaka + 5, "Mother Of The Future" by Electro Keyboard Orchestra, "Serenade To A Dimly Lit Street" by Hiroshi Matsumoto/Hideo Ichikawa Quartet, "Teru-Teru Bozu" (Black Keys) by Teru Sakamoto Trio, "Little Giant" by Nobuo & Sharps & Flats, "Brown Trout" by Akira Miyazawa and more – plus the CD bonus track "Original Bill" by Koichi Matsukaze Trio. 15 tracks on 2CDs. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) CD

An incredible trip through the 70s Japanese jazz scene – a second volume of J Jazz that's even bigger and better than the first – with unknown gems from private presses, indie labels, and rarities from the Japanese branches of the major labels, too! Compilers Tony Higgins & Mike Peden (who are both also responsible for the nicely done notes) follow through on all of the things we loved about the first J Jazz compilation, but improve on it by going bigger and digging deeper. The majority of the tracks were recorded from 1969 through the late 70s – with a few recorded in later years – and all have a wonderful way of being open to the stylistic inventions of the time without getting hung up on trends. So while there's some fusiony funk and electric piano, there's plenty of acoustic instrumentation and timelessly inventive material. BBE has outdone themselves on this excellent collection – and titles include "Dragon Dance" by Makoto Terashita & Harold Land, "Daguri" by Kohsuke Mine Quintet, "Distant Thunder" by Mabumi Yamguchi Quartet, "Animal Garden" by Miyasaka + 5, "Mother Of The Future" by Electro Keyboard Orchestra, "Serenade To A Dimly Lit Street" by Hiroshi Matsumoto/Hideo Ichikawa Quartet, "Teru-Teru Bozu" (Black Keys) by Teru Sakamoto Trio, "Little Giant" by Nobuo & Sharps & Flats, "Brown Trout" by Akira Miyazawa and more – plus the CD bonus track "Original Bill" by Koichi Matsukaze Trio. 15 tracks on 2CDs. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) CD