(78 RPM, Jazz) 78 RPM, Vinyl record

George Benson's first LP for Columbia – a hard, heavy, soul jazz slammer that bears no resemblance to his overproduced work of the 70s! The album's a real cooker – recorded hot on the heels of Benson's classic work on Prestige with the Jack McDuff group, and sounding a lot like McDuff's hard wailing organ jazz of the same time. George is working with a group that features a young Lonnie Smith on organ, plus Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Ronnie Cuber on sax, and Charlie Persip on drums – all tightly coming together, and jamming hard on the album's short cooking tracks. Tracks include "Clockwise", "Jaguar", "Hello Birdie", and "Bullfight". LP, Vinyl record album

George Benson's first LP for Columbia – a hard, heavy, soul jazz slammer that bears no resemblance to his overproduced work of the 70s! The album's a real cooker – recorded hot on the heels of Benson's classic work on Prestige with the Jack McDuff group, and sounding a lot like McDuff's hard wailing organ jazz of the same time. George is working with a group that features a young Lonnie Smith on organ, plus Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Ronnie Cuber on sax, and Charlie Persip on drums – all tightly coming together, and jamming hard on the album's short cooking tracks. Tracks include "Clockwise", "Jaguar", "Hello Birdie", and "Bullfight". This is the earlier version of the CD – without the bonus tracks on the later reissue. CD

George Benson's first LP for Columbia – a hard, heavy, soul jazz slammer that bears no resemblance to his overproduced work of the 70s! The album's a real cooker – recorded hot on the heels of Benson's classic work on Prestige with the Jack McDuff group, and sounding a lot like McDuff's hard wailing organ jazz of the same time. George is working with a group that features a young Lonnie Smith on organ, plus Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Ronnie Cuber on sax, and Charlie Persip on drums – all tightly coming together, and jamming hard on the album's short cooking tracks. Tracks include "Clockwise", "Jaguar", "Hello Birdie", and "Bullfight". Plus, the CD adds five bonus tracks, including "Sideman", "Minor Chant", and the previously unreleased "J.H. Bossa Nova" and "Clockwise (Alternate Take)". CD

A beautiful album by Ron Carter – and quite rare, too! The record features a group that's got a nice 70s modal soul jazz sound – with players that include Herbie Hancock on acoustic and electric piano, Hubert Laws on flute, Sam Brown on guitar, and both Billy Cobham and Grady Tate on drums – all working in sweet small group mode alongside Carter's excellent work on acoustic and Fender bass. The sound is sometimes spacey, sometimes groovy – and marks a key chapter in Carter's career, one that has him stepping out of the background into a great role as a leader – setting the stage for many more albums to come in the 70s! Titles include the very funky "Uptown Conversation", plus the tracks "Half A Row", "Doom", "Little Waltz", "Ten Strings" and "Einbahnstrasse". Very soulful, with a stone mellow moody groove! CD

A beautiful album by Ron Carter – and quite rare, too! The record features a group that's got a nice 70s modal soul jazz sound – with players that include Herbie Hancock on acoustic and electric piano, Hubert Laws on flute, Sam Brown on guitar, and both Billy Cobham and Grady Tate on drums – all working in sweet small group mode alongside Carter's excellent work on acoustic and Fender bass. The sound is sometimes spacey, sometimes groovy – and marks a key chapter in Carter's career, one that has him stepping out of the background into a great role as a leader – setting the stage for many more albums to come in the 70s! Titles include the very funky "Uptown Conversation", plus the tracks "Half A Row", "Doom", and "Einbahnstrasse". Very soulful, with a stone mellow moody groove! CD

A side's worth of recordings from the De Paris Brothers Orchestra and the Edmond Hall Sextet – with Sidney De Paris on trumpet, Wilbur De Paris on trombone, Edmond Hall on clarinet, Clyde Hart on piano, Billy Taylor on bass, and Gordon Specs Powell on drums from 1944; and Edmond Hall on clarinet, Emmett Berry on flute, Vic Dickenson on trombone, Eddie Heywood on piano, Al Casey on guitar, Billy Taylor on bass, and Big Sid Catlett on drums from 1945. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the songs "Green Eyes", "Let Me Off Uptown", "Kick It!", "After You've Gone", "Rockin' Chair", "Armour", "Stop! The Red Light's On", "Watch The Birdie", "The Walls Keep Talking", "Skylark", "Bolero At The Savoy", "Thanks For The Boogie Ride", "Keep 'Em Flying", "Pass The Bounce", "Ball Of Fire", "Harlem On Parade", "Knock Me A Kiss", "Barrelhouse Bessie From Basin Street", "That Drummer's Band", "Murder He Says", "Bop Boogie", "Watch Out", "Swiss Lullaby", and "Why Fall In Love With A Stranger". CD

One of Duke Ellington's standout sides for Columbia – a strong recording that revisits many of the best elements of his earlier work, and offers up some more sophisticated scoring for the 50s – thanks to extended track length in the LP generation! The tunes here are older ones, but they're taken to some nicely hip territory – thanks to Duke's strong ear for modern changes, and a line up of players that includes Billy Strayhorn on piano, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, Clark Terry and Ray Nance on trumpets, Juan Tizol on trombone, and Louis Bellson on drums. Bellson does a great job on the classic "Skin Deep" – a real showcase for his talents in this recording – and other titles include "The Mooche", "Take The A Train", and "Perdido" – plus a 13 minute reading of "A Tone Parallel To Harlem (aka The Harlem Suite)". CD

One of Duke Ellington's standout sides for Columbia – a strong recording that revisits many of the best elements of his earlier work, and offers up some more sophisticated scoring for the 50s – thanks to extended track length in the LP generation! The tunes here are older ones, but they're taken to some nicely hip territory – thanks to Duke's strong ear for modern changes, and a line up of players that includes Billy Strayhorn on piano, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, Clark Terry and Ray Nance on trumpets, Juan Tizol on trombone, and Louis Bellson on drums. Bellson does a great job on the classic "Skin Deep" – a real showcase for his talents in this recording – and other titles include "The Mooche", "Take The A Train", and "Perdido" – plus a 13 minute reading of "A Tone Parallel To Harlem (aka The Harlem Suite)". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Duke Ellington's standout sides for Columbia – a strong recording that revisits many of the best elements of his earlier work, and offers up some more sophisticated scoring for the 50s – thanks to extended track length in the LP generation! The tunes here are older ones, but they're taken to some nicely hip territory – thanks to Duke's strong ear for modern changes, and a line up of players that includes Billy Strayhorn on piano, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, Clark Terry and Ray Nance on trumpets, Juan Tizol on trombone, and Louis Bellson on drums. Bellson does a great job on the classic "Skin Deep" – a real showcase for his talents in this recording – and other titles include "The Mooche", "Take The A Train", and "Perdido" – plus a 13 minute reading of "A Tone Parallel To Harlem (aka The Harlem Suite)". Plus, this CD brings together all material issued on later versions of the album – Hi-Fi Ellington Uptown and a third version – with addition of the full "Liberian Suite" and "The Controversial Suite". CD

One of Duke Ellington's standout sides for Columbia – a strong recording that revisits many of the best elements of his earlier work, and offers up some more sophisticated scoring for the 50s – thanks to extended track length in the LP generation! The tunes here are older ones, but they're taken to some nicely hip territory – thanks to Duke's strong ear for modern changes, and a line up of players that includes Billy Strayhorn on piano, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, Clark Terry and Ray Nance on trumpets, Juan Tizol on trombone, and Louis Bellson on drums. Bellson does a great job on the classic "Skin Deep" – a real showcase for his talents in this recording – and other titles include "The Mooche", "Take The A Train", and "Perdido" – plus "The Controversial Suite". CD

One of Duke Ellington's standout sides for Columbia – a strong recording that revisits many of the best elements of his earlier work, and offers up some more sophisticated scoring for the 50s – thanks to extended track length in the LP generation! The tunes here are older ones, but they're taken to some nicely hip territory – thanks to Duke's strong ear for modern changes, and a line up of players that includes Billy Strayhorn on piano, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, Clark Terry and Ray Nance on trumpets, Juan Tizol on trombone, and Louis Bellson on drums. Bellson does a great job on the classic "Skin Deep" – a real showcase for his talents in this recording – and other titles include "The Mooche", "Take The A Train", and "Perdido" – plus "The Controversial Suite". CD

One of Duke Ellington's standout sides for Columbia – a strong recording that revisits many of the best elements of his earlier work, and offers up some more sophisticated scoring for the 50s – thanks to extended track length in the LP generation! The tunes here are older ones, but they're taken to some nicely hip territory – thanks to Duke's strong ear for modern changes, and a line up of players that includes Billy Strayhorn on piano, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, Clark Terry and Ray Nance on trumpets, Juan Tizol on trombone, and Louis Bellson on drums. Bellson does a great job on the classic "Skin Deep" – a real showcase for his talents in this recording – and other titles include "The Mooche", "Take The A Train", and "Perdido" – plus "The Controversial Suite". LP, Vinyl record album

A somewhat somber set from Wynton Marsalis – the second chapter in his Soul Gestures trilogy, and a ruminative effort that's filled with dark tones and textures! The album builds slowly – trumpet from Wynton and tenor from Todd Williams providing some bluer colors on top of rhythm from Marcus Roberts on piano, Reginald Veal on bass, and Herlin Riley on drums – and despite the supposed southern focus of the record, there's more of a sense of New York cool, echoes of the modernism of Marsalis' earlier albums in the 80s. Titles include "Psalm 26", "Uptown Ruler", "Prayer", "The Burglar", and "Down Home With Homey". CD

A soul jazz gem from drummer Alvin Queen – one of the overlooked treasures on his own Nilva Records label from the 80s! The set's a monster all the way through – a cut above so many other sides like this from the time, and put together with a sock-solid energy that almost recalls earlier brilliance on labels like Blue Note or Prestige! Queen's at the head of the group on drums – pushing the lineup with Blakey-like intensity, yet in a slightly looser, more open feel overall – especially when it comes to the structure of the solos. Players include Manny Boyd on saxes, Terence Blanchard on trumpet, Robin Eubanks on trombone, John Hicks on piano, and Ray Drummond on bass – the last of whom produced the record with a very jazz-sensitive ear! Titles include "Hassan", "Europia", "Jammin Uptown", "After Liberation", and "Mind Wine". CD also features the bonus track "Hear Me Drummin". CD

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Features Charles Earland and Eric Alexander! (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

A pretty great trio date from Billy Taylor – and somewhat overlooked, too! The group features Henry Grimes on bass and Ray Mosca on drums – and the set captures Billy in a perfect spot between his early work for Prestige, and some of his 60s mainstream material – heard here in a mode that's still got some nice soul jazz grit in the grooves. Titles include "Soul Sister", "Biddy's Beat", "La Petite Mambo", "Cu Blu", and "Warm Blue Stream". LP, Vinyl record album

An uptown sound, recorded downtown at the Blue Note – a bold large ensemble outing from McCoy Tyner, and one that reminds us of that great group he was getting in the 70s! The players here are all super-hip – showing that key Tyner ear for picking sidemen – and the lineup includes Virgil Jones and Kamau Adilfu on trumpets, Steve Turre on trombone, Joe Ford and Doug Harris on alto and flute, Ricky Ford and Junior Cook on tenors, and Louis Hayes on drums – all moving with tight formation, over the sort of soaring Tyner numbers that always win our heart! Titles include "Lotus Flower", "Genesis", "Three Flowers", "Blues For Basie", and "Love Surrounds Us". CD

Features Frank Foster on tenor and Tommy Flanagan on piano! CD

Three broadcast sessions from the historic Storyville Club in Boston! The group here includes Russ Freeman on piano, Carson Smith on bass, Bob Neel on drums, and Baker on trumpet. Tracks include "Maid In Mexico", "Long Ago & Far Away", "My Funny Valentine", and "The Wind" – 19 tracks including intermissions. CD

Excellent small group material recorded at the Hi Hat in Boston and the Celebrity Club in nearby Providence, RI. Tracks come from three different dates and feature work by Sonny Truitt on trombone, Nat Pierce on piano, Joe Shulman and George Jones on bass, and Jack McDonald on drums. CD

Beautiful work from baritone saxophonist Serge Chaloff – one of a few key players who helped reinvent the role of his instrument in jazz during the postwar years – but one who only made a handful of records before his too-early death! This live performance really corrects the lack of entries in the Chaloff catalog – and it really stands as a nice contrast to the more composed vibe of his Capitol albums – as the tracks are long and open, and Serge really blows us away with his imagination and power on the solos! The group's not an all-star one – Jerry Murphy on piano, Al Dimino on bass, and Don Sheldon on drums – but Chaloff hardly lets that get in the way, as he steps out front right from the start, and blows beautifully on both the swingers and ballads – with a depth and dexterity that most folks would usually only hit on the tenor. Titles include "Ninety Nine Guys", "Wildwood", "Move", "Tea For Two", "I'll Remember April", "Love Is Just Around The Corner", and "Willow Weep For Me". CD

Sonny Clark on piano, Jerry Good on bass, and Al Randall on drums. CD

Stunning rare material from Kenny Dorham – a live date presented over the airwaves in 1963, recreated here with very nice sound! The group features Dorham at his most modern – those sharp lines and really creative constructions that you'd hear during his best years at Blue Note, on classics like Trompeta Toccata and Whistle Stop – the kind of forward-thinking, groundbreaking records that made Dorham one of the most individual trumpet players of his generation! And while Kenny's conception is key to the album, thanks also goes to the great lineup of players, too – a hip quintet that includes Joe Henderson on tenor, Ronnie Matthews on piano, Steve Davis on bass, and JC Moses on drums. Titles include "Dorian", "Summertime", "I Can't Get Started", "My Injun From Brazil", "Autumn Leaves", and "Dynamo" – plus a few spoken bits by MC Alan Grant. CD

Notable sidemen include Serge Chaloff, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Buddy Rich, Max Roach, and Specs Goldberg. CD

Excellent later work fromt his great trombonist – with Al Cohn on tenor – plus Richard Wyands on piano, Ray Drummond on bass, and Akira Tana on drums! LP, Vinyl record album

Notable sidemen include James Moody tenor saxophone, Thelonious Monk on piano, Milt Jackson on vibraphone, Ray Brown on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums. CD

A rare early chapter in the career of guitarist Grant Green – local material, cut in his hometown of St Louis – in the years before Lou Donaldson picked him up and delivered him to Blue Note Records! Amazingly, though, the Grant Green heard here is every bit as great as the guitarist who emerged strongly on his early Blue Note dates as a leader – a smoking soloist with a strong talent for single-line grooving – working here in a hip organ combo that features Sam Lazar on Hammond and Bob Graf on tenor sax! Lazar's got a mean bite to his organ, and pairs beautifully with Green – and together, the players hit a groove that's gritty, yet which has surprisingly strong fidelity – more than enough to make the record an essential piece of Grant's catalog. The CD's hardly a muddy live recording, and instead has surprisingly great fidelity – and lots of long tracks with open solos, on titles that include "Deep", "Blue Train", "Holy Barbarian Blues", "Caramu", "Grovvin High", and "Out Of Nowhere". CD

Wonderful live work from the second chapter of Billie Holiday's career – that stretch when she was barred from performing in most New York clubs, due to the loss of her cabaret card – which actually seemed to lead to a wider range of exposure in venues across the country! The overstuffed 2CD set brings together a number of very well-recorded live dates from cities that include Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Boston – plus work from a show in Brussels, and a TV appearance on Steve Allen's early Tonight Show – some material that's only been out partially before, mixed with other tracks that are seeing the light of day for the first time ever. Most numbers have very small combo backing – with players who include Carl Drinkard, Jimmy Rowles, or Bobby Tucker on piano – plus Herbie Harper on trombone, Neal Hefti on trumpet, Red Norvo on vibes, and Paul Quinichette on tenor. But the real star is clearly Billie throughout – and these tracks aren't just "extras" added to her studio work or live sides for Verve – and instead show how Holiday always shone throughout her career, and continued to bring a very personal approach to every performance. 2CD set features a whopping 42 tracks, with lots of notes – and titles include a number of Holiday standards, plus some lesser-known gems too. (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

A great assemblage of rare early material by Charles Mingus – recorded, as the title implies, on the west coast during the late 40s. The range of styles is pretty strong – as some tracks are small group sides, some larger ensembles, some with vocalists, and others more experimental – but the tunes are all united by a tightness even in the face of more complicated settings, showing Mingus as an incredibly talented leader even at this early point in his career. There's strands of bop and swing moving through the set with a dark edge – especially on the vocal numbers, which often have a off-beat sound that's quite different than the usual singer-with-band 40s approach. Titles include "Lonesome Woman Blues", "Swingin An Echo", "Ain't Jivin Blues", "Weird Nightmare", "Bedspread", "Pipe Dream", "Mingus Fingers", "Boppin In Boston", "Inspiration", "The Story Of Love", "Lyon's Roar", "This Subdues My Passion", and "The Texas Hop". 23 tracks in all. CD

Unreleased material from a really wonderful group – one that features killer alto work from the great Sonny Red – working here in the same kind of small group setting he brought to late 60s performances with Donald Byrd! Yet this time around, the trumpeter is Blue Mitchell – who blows with a lot more bite than on some of his records of the time – really taking his time to craft out long solos on the very extended tracks from this live performance – reminding us that he can be a hell of a creative soloist when not caught up in some of the larger arrangements that would mark some points of his career! Red is wonderful too – with that raspy tone that often makes his alto feel more like a tenor – and the group's also got killer piano work from John Hicks – just starting out here, and full of fire. The rest of the quintet features Joe Chambers on drums and Gene Taylor on bass – and the material has never been issued, and includes the tracks "Fungi Mama", "A Portrait Of Jenny", "Blue Spring Variation", "If I Should Lose You", and "All Members". CD

Includes a great 50 page booklet with essays and historical photos. CD

Frank Rosolino and Carl Fontana on trombones, Elmer Gill on piano, Torban Oxbol on bass, andGeorge Ursan on drums. CD

The great one blows in a sweet 50s modern harbop mode – in a group with Red Rodney on trumpet, Albert Dailey on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums. Titles include "Little Chico", "Social Call", "Half Nelson", "Greenhouse", "Darn That Dream", and "Casbah". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent showcase for the arranging skills of Don Sickler – with Carl Fontana on trombone, Don Sickler on trumpet, Ralph Moore on tenor saxophone, Richard Wyands on piano, Kenny Washington on drums, Peter Washington on bass, and Gary Smulyan on baritone saxophone. CD

A real surprise – and a record we come back to again and again! Sickler's trumpet has a nicely different feel than Kenny Dorham's – and the group's got some especially nice tenor from Jimmy Heath – supported by rhythm from Cedar Walton on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Two older players, cooking together beautifully on this early 80s session – and both hitting a vibe that almost makes the set smoke like some rare 60s gem on Blue Note! Frank Wess plays both tenor and alto sax – both of them extremely deep and soulful – with these open, thoughtful solos that almost show more imagination and maturity than in the early days – and also a swinging vibe that's undeniably great. Trumpeter Johnny Coles turns out to be a perfect partner for the session – and manages to mix his sweeter tones with some of his more modern phrasing too – in ways that make the album a treasure trove of unexpectedly great surprises – loads of illuminated passages that keep us coming back again and again over the years. The rhythm section is a good reason for the strength of the set too – and features Kenny Barron on piano, Reggie Johnson on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums – on titles that include "Celia", "Minority", "An Oscar For Oscar", "Ill Wind", "Morning Star", and "Whistle Stop". LP, Vinyl record album

A key early album from the young Cannonball Adderley – an a set that crossed over big, thanks to a mix of strong jazz solos from the leader and very inventive rhythms in the arrangements! The group here is larger than Adderley's usual quintet/sextet lineup – and includes reed work from Oliver Nelson and Jerome Richardson, trombone from Melba Liston, piano from Wynton Kelly, and even a bit of congas from Ray Barretto – all working under the hip leadership of Ernie Wilkins, who crafts these great charts for Cannon to solo over the top! A key moment of genius is the title track – a beautiful reading of Galt MacDermott's "African Waltz" – and other tracks include "Blue Brass Groove", "Something Different", "The Uptown", and "Letter From Home". LP, Vinyl record album

A key early album from the young Cannonball Adderley – an a set that crossed over big, thanks to a mix of strong jazz solos from the leader and very inventive rhythms in the arrangements! The group here is larger than Adderley's usual quintet/sextet lineup – and includes reed work from Oliver Nelson and Jerome Richardson, trombone from Melba Liston, piano from Wynton Kelly, and even a bit of congas from Ray Barretto – all working under the hip leadership of Ernie Wilkins, who crafts these great charts for Cannon to solo over the top! A key moment of genius is the title track – a beautiful reading of Galt MacDermott's "African Waltz" – and other tracks include "Blue Brass Groove", "Something Different", "The Uptown", and "Letter From Home". CD also features the bonus track "This Here". CD

An obscure trio from the early 60s, but one who play with plenty of soul jazz in their sound – thanks to some mighty heavy work on the keys of the piano from leader Red Bahnik! Red's got this sharp attack and inherently rhythmic sound that would have been right at home on early 60s Prestige Records – alongside piano gems from artists like Bobby Timmons or John Wright – yet the groove also isn't just copping American styles of the time, as they've got an unusual inflection to their rhythms – maybe some blocker styles that carve things out with a unique spirit, especially given the spacious echo used in the recording. Titles include the long originals "Fata Morgana Altamira" and "Santander" – plus "Fish This Week", "The Uptown", "Sister Sadie", and "Vacushna". CD

A magnificent decade of music from Duke Ellington – the bulk of his fifties recordings for Columbia Records – all albums that really show the Duke stretching forth and greatly developing his style! The scope of performances here is breathtaking – as Ellington works with key sidemen of the postwar years, and moves into much longer-form recordings that before – tracks that help him deeply express his new ideas, and also make way for a few guest performers too. Each album comes in a tiny LP-styled sleeve, replicating the original record – and the box features the albums Masterpieces By Ellington, Ellington Uptown, A Drum Is A Woman, Such Sweet Thunder, Ellington Indigos, The Cosmic Scene, and At The Bal Masque – plus the Black Brown & Beige suite with Mahalia Jackson, and the Blue Rose album with vocals by Rosemary Clooney! CD

The "plus one" on the set is Stanley Turrentine – who really warms up the sound nicely! Titles include "Gene's Lament", "Misty", "Uptown Sop", and "Yours Is My Heart Alone". CD

A really unusual later chapter in the career of guitarist Robby Krieger – a post-Doors album done for Blue Note Records – and a set that's got more than enough jazzy touches to live up to its placement on the label! Krieger's guitar gets plenty of workout on the album's fusion-styled grooves – often a lot more jazz than the rock you'd expect, with some especially great keyboards from Stu Goldberg and Sal Marquez – the latter of whom handled most of the soulful arrangements on the set. There's a bit of vocals – sometimes by a chorus, sometimes processed in a way that's almost vocoder – and the whole thing owes a lot more to mid 70s funky fusion than any of Robby's work with the Doors. Titles include "The Ally", "Low Bottomy", "Big Oak Basin", "Spare Changes", "Uptown", and "Gumpopper". (Rock, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the first album we've ever seen from trumpeter Josh Lawrence – and a set that will definitely have us looking out for more! Lawrence composed almost every tune on the set, and works with a sense of color that really lives up to the title – on lines that are sometimes nicely compressed and subtle, and blown on flugelhorn – sometimes bold and vibrant, soaring out in the company of an excellent group that includes Caleb Curtis on some especially nice alto and flute! The keyboards shift throughout – as Orrin Evans plays acoustic piano on five titles, and Adam Faulk handles Fender Rhodes on seven more – creating a nice shift in color that furthers the spirit of the tunes, driven by rhythm work from Madison Rast on bass and Anwar Marshall on drums. Titles include "Black", "An Uptown Romance", "Yellow", "Presence", "The Conceptualizer", and "Green". CD

Titles include "A Little Bumpin'", "Uptown", "Boss City", "San Juan Sunset", "Rio Funk", and "Pacific Nights". CD

One of our favorite-ever albums from Mel Torme – a set that sparkles with the same smooth swing as his best late 50s dates for Bethlehem records! Like those sets, this one features Torme's voice really taking off over some tight jazzy charts – arranged by Johnny Williams, Shorty Rogers, and Dick Hazard – all in styles close to those used previously by Marty Paich. But almost even better is the New York theme of the record – surprising, given the anti-NYC vibe of Torme's classic "California Suite" – but perfect, too, as it really ties the whole thing together wonderfully – creating this beautiful picture of the Big Apple in the postwar years. Titles include the greatest version of "Sunday In New York" you'll ever hear – plus "Let Me Off Uptown", "Autumn In New York", "New York New York", "Manhattan", and "My Time Of Day". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A beautifully full session from McCoy Tyner – one recorded with added horns and voices, and very much in the mode of some of Horce Silver's best 70s experiments for Blue Note! The sound is as bold, dynamic, and soulful as other Tyner albums from the time – and the added elements really help create a unique feeling – horn parts that underscore the power of Tyner's piano, and wordless vocals that rise to the skies, with a feel similar to Donald Byrd or Max Roach sessions like this – but with a bit more 70s vibe overall. Other players include Earl Klugh on guitar, Ron Carter on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – and solos are by Jon Faddis on trumpet, Alex Foster on tenor, and Charles Stephens on trombone. Titles include "For Tomorrow", "Opus", "Festival In Bahia", "Rotunda", and "Uptown". LP, Vinyl record album

Understated genius from McCoy Tyner – and exactly the sort of record that shows why his catalog is always worth searching out! The album's got a lot more subtlety than his immediate post-Coltrane sides of the 70s – righteousness maybe a bit more on the backburner, but not so much so that the album loses its soul – because even though the title's maybe a bit uptown, the execution's a lot more down to earth – filled with warm changes and sharply personal moments, played by a group that includes Dewey Redman on tenor, Antonio Hart on alto, Christian McBride on bass, and Marvin Smitty Smith on drums. Titles include "Contemplation", "For All We Know", "I Will Wait For You", "Smile", "Soul Eyes", "Piano Sonata No 8 In C Minor", and "Prelude In E Minor". CD

Strong later work from the great Ben Webster – three albums in a single set! On the first record, Ben Webster plays live in Harlem – not the uptown scene in New York, but the Dutch city that became a surprisingly strong showcase for American players overseas! The date's got that easygoing style of some of Webster's best late live performances – a laidback rhythm trio, and Ben himself blowing these raspy, blue-tinged notes that are full of feeling – even when in a familiar setting – that quality that can make even subtle handling of a standard pop out with such Webster-like charm! The group features Tete Montoliu on piano, Rob Langereis on bass, and Tony Inzalaco on drums – and titles include "Stardust", "How Long Has This Been Going On", "Sunday", "For All We Know", and "Perdido". Live In Stockholm is a posthumous release of live material recorded in Sweden, during a time when tenor genius Ben Webster was doing some of his best work overseas! The tracks here feature Ben in a few different settings – with piano from Teddy Wilson or Lasse Sjosten, bass from Red Mitchell or Sture Nordin, and drums from Ed Thigpen and Frederik Noren. But maybe best of all is the trumpet work on most tracks – played by either Arne Ryskog or Rolf Ericson, both players whose presence really brings a lot – and makes the record a bit different than some of those other "older American soloists with a European rhythm section" dates of the time. Titles include "Indiana", "C Jam Blues", "The Theme", "Satin Doll", "I Got Rhythm", and "Don't Get Around Much Anymore". The last album is a late live set from Ben Webster – recorded in Norway with an unusual rhythm section that really lets Ben open up and do his thing, always with that fantastic twist on his tone he developed later in life! The group features Tore Sandnaes on piano, Bjorn Alterhaug on bass, and Kjell Johansen on drums – and titles include "In A Mllotone", "Sunday", "Satin Doll", "Perdido", "I Got Rhythm", and "Stardust". CD

Very tasty stuff indeed – one of the few rare sessions cut for Prestige by Chicago pianist John Wright – a very soulful player who emerged from the Windy City at the end of the 60s! Wright's got a really fluid style here – one that nicely links some of the uptown class of Ahmad Jamal and Ramsey Lewis with some of the grittier, bluesier modes that had been coming from the south side for many years before! There's a sense of grace and poise here that goes way beyond simple soul jazz cliches – a sense of depth that's really great, even on the more blues-based numbers. The rest of the trio features Wendell Marshall on bass and JC Heard on drums – and titles include the Wright originals "Pie Face", "Yes I Know", "You Do It", and "The Wright Way" – plus versions of "Things Are Getting Better" and "Witchcraft". CD

Music from Poncho Sanchez, Brasil Brazil, Carribean Jazz Project, Stefon Harris, Carla Cook, the Jazztimes Superband, Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet, Steve Turre, Abbey Lincoln, Donald Harrison Jr, Mingus Big Band, and Rufus Harley. CD

With selections by Frank Froeba & His Swing Band, Louis Prima & His New Orleans Gang, Frankie Newton & His Uptown Serenaders, The Three Peppers, Fats Waller, Art Tatum, Teddy Wilson, Clarence Profit Trio, and Bunny Berigan & His Boys. LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet session of 70s electric jazz – recorded as a unique live all-star outing by a group of Arista's best jazz players at the time! The group's an octet, but plays together in differing formations throughout the record – with Warren Bernhardt on keyboards, Michael Brecker on saxes, Randy Brecker on trumpet, Steve Jordan on drums, Steve Khan and Larry Coryell on guitars, Tony Levin on bass, and Mike Maineri on vibes – the last of which really make for some of the best numbers on the album! Bernhardt's keyboards are pretty good too – stepping out with a spacious, fluid feel that's never jamming – and more in the open-ended Bob James side of the spectrum, although his overall sound is a lot different than Bob's! Titles on this second volume include "Candles", "Cloud Motion", "Uptowned", "Love Play", and "A Funky Waltz". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Russ Johnson on trumpet and Clay Schaub on bass. CD

One of the coolest, grooviest 60s albums from trumpeter Donald Byrd – one that has him really reaching out for a hip new sound, but in ways that are different than most of his other material at the time! Key on the date is the placement of electric piano from Duke Pearson – played in this open, flowing style that has all the best hallmarks of Pearson's own work on the instrument for his sessions – yet balanced nicely with the bolder punch of Byrd's trumpet as well. Donald's quite far from any Miles Davis cliches on this one – no too-dark electric modes at all – and instead, the album's got this sense of lyrical soulfulness that we've maybe never heard this strongly again on any of Byrd's other albums. Other players include Frank Foster on tenor, Jerry Dodgion and Lew Tabackin on flute, Julian Priester on trombone, Jimmy Ponder on guitar, and either Idris Muhammad or Joe Chambers on drums. All tracks are nice and long, and very fresh – and include "Weasil", "I Love the Girl", "Fancy Free", and "The Uptowner". CD

One of the coolest, grooviest 60s albums from trumpeter Donald Byrd – one that has him really reaching out for a hip new sound, but in ways that are different than most of his other material at the time! Key on the date is the placement of electric piano from Duke Pearson – played in this open, flowing style that has all the best hallmarks of Pearson's own work on the instrument for his sessions – yet balanced nicely with the bolder punch of Byrd's trumpet as well. Donald's quite far from any Miles Davis cliches on this one – no too-dark electric modes at all – and instead, the album's got this sense of lyrical soulfulness that we've maybe never heard this strongly again on any of Byrd's other albums. Other players include Frank Foster on tenor, Jerry Dodgion and Lew Tabackin on flute, Julian Priester on trombone, Jimmy Ponder on guitar, and either Idris Muhammad or Joe Chambers on drums. All tracks are nice and long, and very fresh – and include "Weasil", "I Love the Girl", "Fancy Free", and "The Uptowner". LP, Vinyl record album