A gem of a session from both players – and one of the long-lost sides on the short-lived Metrojazz label from MGM! Adams and Knepper head up a soulful group that features Wynton Kelly on piano (and a bit of organ!), Doug Watkins on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. The real charm, though, is from Adams' solos, which are in that perfect gutbuckety mode that he could hit when he wanted to – a deep, dark drink the best tone the bari could offer, never getting clumsy at all, thanks to some lively rhythm playing. It's another one of those amazing sets recorded on a single date in NYC! Titles include "Minor Catastrophe", "Riverside Drive", All Too Soon", "Beaubien, "Primrose Path", and "Adams In The Apple". CD

A massive live set from Cannonball Adderley – and a record that really shows the growth he'd undergone in just a few short years! The album's done in close collaboration with David Axelrod – who'd handled Cannon's big live dates for Capitol in the 60s – but this record is much more freewheeling, open-ended, fuzz, funky, and electric overall! Tracks are all nice and long, and really trip out in the best way – with keyboards from George Duke in the core group, plus some heavy basslines from Walter Booker, drums from Roy McCurdy, and guitar from Mike Deasy on a number of key tracks. Deasy plays with lots of great wah wah and fuzz – and the album also features guest work from Airto on percussion and Ernie Watts on tenor – plus Cannonball's great alto and the cornet of brother Nat Adderley too. There's a really collaborative feel to the whole thing – as the record steps easily between a lot of heady styles – and titles include "Zanek", "Eye Of The Cosmos", "The Scene", "The Chocolate Nuisance", "The Steam Drill", "Little Benny Hen", and "The Black Messiah". CD

One of the last records made by avant sax legend Albert Ayler – a really mind-expanding album that's unlike anything else he ever did! By the time of the record, Ayler had made a full round trip between the New York and European jazz scenes – leaving important influences wherever he went, and trying desperately to pick up new ones the further he moved on. Here, he's working in a style that's a bit like that of Archie Shepp at the time – still steeped in free jazz and new thing ideals, but infused with a free-thinking approach to the music that allows for bold new styles and sounds. In addition to his own stunning work on tenor, Ayler's also blowing bagpipes and vocalizing a bit next to singer Mary Maria, who does a great recitation on one track of the record. Rhythm is by the two-bass team of Stafford James and Bill Folwell, next to drums by Muhammad Ali – and the whole thing's capped off by guitarist Henry Vestine, who plays in modes that range from bluesy to free. At the time, this one was kind of dismissed as a messed-up mistake that occurred at the end of Ayler's too-short life – but honestly, over the years, this record really really opens itself to us more and more, and we have to say that we think it's one of his most groundbreaking albums! Titles include "Island Harvest", "Drudgery", "Oh Love Of Life", "Masonic Inborn (part 1)", and "A Man Is Like A Tree". CD

One of the last records made by avant sax legend Albert Ayler – a really mind-expanding album that's unlike anything else he ever did! By the time of the record, Ayler had made a full round trip between the New York and European jazz scenes – leaving important influences wherever he went, and trying desperately to pick up new ones the further he moved on. Here, he's working in a style that's a bit like that of Archie Shepp at the time – still steeped in free jazz and new thing ideals, but infused with a free-thinking approach to the music that allows for bold new styles and sounds. In addition to his own stunning work on tenor, Ayler's also blowing bagpipes and vocalizing a bit next to singer Mary Maria, who does a great recitation on one track of the record. Rhythm is by the two-bass team of Stafford James and Bill Folwell, next to drums by Muhammad Ali – and the whole thing's capped off by guitarist Henry Vestine, who plays in modes that range from bluesy to free. At the time, this one was kind of dismissed as a messed-up mistake that occurred at the end of Ayler's too-short life – but honestly, over the years, this record really really opens itself to us more and more, and we have to say that we think it's one of his most groundbreaking albums! Titles include "Island Harvest", "Drudgery", "Oh Love Of Life", "Masonic Inborn (part 1)", and "A Man Is Like A Tree". CD

One of the last records made by avant sax legend Albert Ayler – a really mind-expanding album that's unlike anything else he ever did! By the time of the record, Ayler had made a full round trip between the New York and European jazz scenes – leaving important influences wherever he went, and trying desperately to pick up new ones the further he moved on. Here, he's working in a style that's a bit like that of Archie Shepp at the time – still steeped in free jazz and new thing ideals, but infused with a free-thinking approach to the music that allows for bold new styles and sounds. In addition to his own stunning work on tenor, Ayler's also blowing bagpipes and vocalizing a bit next to singer Mary Maria, who does a great recitation on one track of the record. Rhythm is by the two-bass team of Stafford James and Bill Folwell, next to drums by Muhammad Ali – and the whole thing's capped off by guitarist Henry Vestine, who plays in modes that range from bluesy to free. At the time, this one was kind of dismissed as a messed-up mistake that occurred at the end of Ayler's too-short life – but honestly, over the years, this record really really opens itself to us more and more, and we have to say that we think it's one of his most groundbreaking albums! Titles include "Island Harvest", "Drudgery", "Oh Love Of Life", "Masonic Inborn (part 1)", and "A Man Is Like A Tree". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing early work from Azymuth – rare demo recordings done at the home studio of keyboardist Jose Roberto Bertrami, in the short space before the group issued their legendary debut! The tracks here are as much jazz funk as they are the later modes that Azymuth would put forth – killer instrumentals that are really driven by great keyboard lines from Bertrami, who'd already been making music in other formats for years – and who works here on Fender Rhodes, Arp, Clavinet, Hammond, and a range of other keyboards too! The drums are fantastic, too – handled by a young Ivan Conti, who gets help on percussion from an early fourth member of the group, Ariovaldo Contesini – and as you might guess, the incredible basslines of Ivan Mamao Conti really help the whole thing groove. All material is very well-recorded – these aren't rough or unfinished tracks at all – and the whole thing should just be thought of as a first chapter for the group, right before they started putting out their famous records. Titles include "Prefacio", "Castelo", "Melo Do Cuica", "Xingo", "Laranjeiras", "Eqiupe 68", "Unknown Song For Mario Telles", "Manha", "Duro De Roer", "Quem Tem Medo", "Juntos Mais Uma Vez", and "Bateria Do Mamao". (Brazil, Jazz) CD

Amazing early work from Azymuth – rare demo recordings done at the home studio of keyboardist Jose Roberto Bertrami, in the short space before the group issued their legendary debut! The tracks here are as much jazz funk as they are the later modes that Azymuth would put forth – killer instrumentals that are really driven by great keyboard lines from Bertrami, who'd already been making music in other formats for years – and who works here on Fender Rhodes, Arp, Clavinet, Hammond, and a range of other keyboards too! The drums are fantastic, too – handled by a young Ivan Conti, who gets help on percussion from an early fourth member of the group, Ariovaldo Contesini – and as you might guess, the incredible basslines of Ivan Mamao Conti really help the whole thing groove. All material is very well-recorded – these aren't rough or unfinished tracks at all – and the whole thing should just be thought of as a first chapter for the group, right before they started putting out their famous records. Titles on this first volume include "Prefacio", "Castelo", "Melo Do Cuica", "Xingo", "Laranjeiras", "Eqiupe 68", and "Unknown Song For Mario Telles". (Brazil, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing early work from Azymuth – rare demo recordings done at the home studio of keyboardist Jose Roberto Bertrami, in the short space before the group issued their legendary debut! The tracks here are as much jazz funk as they are the later modes that Azymuth would put forth – killer instrumentals that are really driven by great keyboard lines from Bertrami, who'd already been making music in other formats for years – and who works here on Fender Rhodes, Arp, Clavinet, Hammond, and a range of other keyboards too! The drums are fantastic, too – handled by a young Ivan Conti, who gets help on percussion from an early fourth member of the group, Ariovaldo Contesini – and as you might guess, the incredible basslines of Ivan Mamao Conti really help the whole thing groove. All material is very well-recorded – these aren't rough or unfinished tracks at all – and the whole thing should just be thought of as a first chapter for the group, right before they started putting out their famous records. Titles on this second volume include "Manha", "Duro De Roer", "Quem Tem Medo", "Juntos Mais Uma Vez", and "Bateria Do Mamao". (Brazil, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album from drummer Dave Bailey – a set that's almost better than his classic early 60s sets for Epic! Like those records, this one's a rock-solid session that's right up there with the best Blue Note work of the time – perfectly put together, with a sense of poise, balance, and soul that's even more amazing, given that the album was only issued on the short-lived Jazztime label. The lineup is killer too – with Frank Haynes on tenor, Grant Green on guitar, Ben Tucker on bass, and Billy Gardner on piano – and the presence of Green, Gardner, and Tucker really give the set a tight soul jazz groove. Green is great, and the album's equally noteworthy for his presence – and has actually been issued under his name over the years as well. Tracks include "One For Elena", "Reaching Out", "Our Miss Brooks", and "Baby, You Should Know It". Great stuff, and an album that will become one of your favorites! CD features 3 bonus alternate takes too. CD

Mindblowing early work from Chet Baker – quite possibly as clear a statement of the young trumpeter's genius as you might hope to find, served up here in a beautiful 10" LP package! The tracks are short, sweet, and very much to the point – but they already display a tremendous approach to the trumpet that was different from any other player – a sound that's recorded cleanly and clearly throughout, without any vocals at all. The great Russ Freeman is on piano, and titles include "The Lamp Is Low", "Russ Job", "Batter Up", "Easy To Love", and "Maid In Mexico". LP, Vinyl record album

A subtle gem from one of the last years of Chet Baker's too-short life – with Butch Lacy on piano, Jesper Lundgaard on bass, and Jukkis Uotila on drums. Titles include "Two In The Dew", "Long Ago & Far Away", "Here's That Rainy Day", and "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To" – all in nice long takes. CD

One of the things we really love about a Kenny Barron album with horns – and there's a lot of them – is that when Kenny works with horn players, he always lets their voices ring out as strongly as his in the lead – and maybe even more strongly overall! That's definitely the case here, on a crackling Blue Note set – one that has Barron's piano situated beautifully with the saxophone work of Dayna Stephens and the trumpet and flugelhorn of Mike Rodriguez – the latter of whom really shapes the set with his fluid sense of soul! The rhythm team is great, too – with Kiyoshi Kitagawa on bass and Johnathan Blake on drums – both getting that rolling Barron sense of modal energy just right – on titles that include "In The Dark", "Baile", "DPW", "Concentric Circles", "Blue Waters", and "Short Journey" – plus a version of Caetano Veloso's "Aquele Frevo Axe". CD

Late work from the amazing Rolf Billberg – material recorded in the final years of the Swedish altoist's all-too-short career! As you'll hear from the very first notes in the set, Billberg's a hell of a player on the alto – an artist with the sharp crispness of a Lee Konitz, but the fluid, ever-shifting style of Stan Getz – a mode that makes him a killer talent right out of the gate, perfect for both upbeat swingers and more laidback ballads! The set has a number of Konitz compositions in the mix – clearly Rolf showing his debt to one influence – but the overall feel is quite different than any Lee Konitz albums we've ever heard – thanks partly to tight rhythms from the other players. The first batch of tracks are from a quintet with trumpeter Jan Allan, the next batch a quartet with pianist Knud Jorgensen, and the last with a quintet that features Allan Botschinsky on flugelhorn and Ole Molin on guitar. Titles include "Ablution", "Fobic", "Hi Beck", "Nursery Rhyme", "Chicarones", "Far Jag Lamna Hangra Blommar", "Stella By Starlight", and "Palo Alto". CD

Two different slices of Art Blakey – served up here in a 3CD set! Moanin isn't the Blue Note album of the same name, but a fantastic live set from 1968 – recorded after Blakey's classic Blue Note years, but with a group of fantastic players that includes a young Billy Harper on tenor, Ronnie Matthews on piano, and Julian Priester on trombone. Harper alone is worth the price of the CD – as his firey solos are great, and the whole album's an excellent peek at his early career! There's a sense of open freedom here that's quite different than the earlier Jazz Messengers groove – and this European date is a great complement to the better-known US live recording with the same group from the time. The set features a number of nice long tracks – like Slide Hampton's "Slide's Delight", Billy Harper's "Blues For Eros", Bobby Timmons' "Moanin", and the Jazz Messengers' standard "You Don't Know What Love Is". Sesjun Radio Shows 1 is fantastic radio performances from one of our favorite stretches of the legendary Jazz Messengers group – a time when the lineup featured a young Bobby Watson on alto and Valery Ponomarev on trumpet – two players who'd grow into fantastic leaders on their own, but who here help bring a lot of new life to the group! Watson is especially wonderful – contributing a few key compositions, and that soaring spirit in his horn, which really helped usher in a whole new generation for Blakey's group. James Williams is on piano too, and we actually love his work in this group more than on his later sets as a leader – and remaining players include David Schnitter on tenor on the first six tracks, and Billy Pierce on the horn on the remaining two – and either Dennis Irwin or Charles Fambrough on bass. Art's still the rock-solid core of the group – a tremendous leader who always gets fantastic performances out of young players – and titles include "ETA", "Dr J", "Free For All", "Along Came Betty", "ETA", and "Evaline". Sesjun Radio Shows 2 is live work from the great Art Blakey – a set that features two different performances from two really great groups! The first two cuts are from 1980 – from a time when the Jazz Messengers features up and coming 80s giants Bobby Watson on alto, Valery Ponomarev on trumpet, Billy Pierce on tenor, James Williams on piano, and Charles Fambrough on bass – all young musicians who'd evolve into leaders on their own in a few short years after these recordings, but who really sparkle here under Blakey's leadership! The cuts feature a great take on the Williams tune "1977 AD", and a long version of the Jazz Messengers standard "Blues March". The last four tracks feature a slightly later group – still with Fambrough on bass, but including wonderful tenor and soprano sax work from Jean Toussaint, plus trumpet from Terence Blanchard, alto from Donald Harrison, and piano from Johnny O'Neal – an equally great lineup, but in a completely different way. Titles include a great take on the Fambrough tune "Little Man" – plus "Polka Dots & Moonbeams" and "Moanin". 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

Maybe one of the most hard-burning performances ever recorded by this legendary South African jazz combo – a set dedicated to trumpeter Mongezi Feza, a key member of the group who'd passed away just a short time before the recording! The session was done in London, right after all four remaining members had come together for a memorial for Mongezi – and throughout the set, you can feel the raw emotion that's driving the performance – bold, freewheeling and very expressive sounds from the lineup of Dudu Pukwana on alto sax, Chris McGregor on piano, Johnny Dyani on bass, and Louis Moholo on drums – all players who pick up extra percussion and vocalize at points – almost in the tradition of the AACM, but more emotive too. The set features a double-length performance, titled "Blue Notes For Mongezi" – divided into four movements. CD

Maybe one of the most hard-burning performances ever recorded by this legendary South African jazz combo – a set dedicated to trumpeter Mongezi Feza, a key member of the group who'd passed away just a short time before the recording! The session was done in London, right after all four remaining members had come together for a memorial for Mongezi – and throughout the set, you can feel the raw emotion that's driving the performance – bold, freewheeling and very expressive sounds from the lineup of Dudu Pukwana on alto sax, Chris McGregor on piano, Johnny Dyani on bass, and Louis Moholo on drums – all players who pick up extra percussion and vocalize at points – almost in the tradition of the AACM, but more emotive too. The set features a double-length performance, titled "Blue Notes For Mongezi" – divided into four movements. LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing document of a unique musical moment – an entire jazz festival, virtually dedicated to Peter Brotzmann himself! The legendary Brotzmann not only curated the festival – filling it with some of his key collaborators and musical contemporaries – but he also plays on a fair bit of the titles here, too – in different groupings that reflect not only his long history in the European avant scene, but also his ties to Chicago, and his work with Japanese improvisers too! The package is wonderful – the next best thing to being at this exclusive event in person – and the set features 5CDs worth of music from the festival, with performances by Sonore (with Brotzmann, Ken Vandermark, & Mats Gustafsson), Chicago Tentet with John Tchicai, solo work by Jeiji Haino, the Hairy Bones quartet with Brotzmann and Toshinori Kondo, the Full Blast Trio, the DKV Trio, Caspar Brotzmann Massaker, and various other groupings with players who include Jeb Bishop, Joe McPhee, Mars Williams, Jason Adasiewicz, Nasheet Waits, Masahiko Satoh, Bill Laswell, and many others. CD

A study in brown, and a study in hardbop too – a seminal album of 50s jazz that forever went on to set the tone for the music! The album was one of a few that trumpeter Clifford Brown cut as his star was strongly rising, before a tragic early accident took his life – and it's a masterpiece of bop modernism, done with the co-leadership of drummer Max Roach – with an equally well-matched group that includes Harold Land on tenor, George Morrow on bass, and Bud Powell's brother Richie on piano. Tracks are short, and played with great boppish fire and fury – virtually the blueprint for the hardbop sound of the 50s, and one of the strongest expressions from this important, but short-lived group. Titles include "Gerkin For Perkin", "Sandu", "Jacqui", "Swingin", and the great "Land's End". CD

A study in brown, and a study in hardbop too – a seminal album of 50s jazz that forever went on to set the tone for the music! The album was one of a few that trumpeter Clifford Brown cut as his star was strongly rising, before a tragic early accident took his life – and it's a masterpiece of bop modernism, done with the co-leadership of drummer Max Roach – with an equally well-matched group that includes Harold Land on tenor, George Morrow on bass, and Bud Powell's brother Richie on piano. Tracks are short, and played with great boppish fire and fury – virtually the blueprint for the hardbop sound of the 50s, and one of the strongest expressions from this important, but short-lived group. Titles include "Gerkin For Perkin", "Sandu", "Jacqui", "Swingin", and the great "Land's End". LP, Vinyl record album