Great stuff by this fantastic funky fusion outfit that included Billy Hart on percussion, Eddie Green on electric piano, and Odeon Pope on tenor and flute. The real highlight, though, is Pat Gleason on arp, who adds a lot of cool dark moody touches to the group's fusiony playing. The whole record's a stellar mix of soul jazz and edgey electric playing, and it's far and above one of the best albums ever to be released on Muse. It's also one of the hardest to find, too, and this is one of the rare few copies we've ever seen! Tracks include "Celestial Bodies", "Got To Be There", "Uzuri", and "Perception". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

From its booze-soaked title cut, to its haunting selection of lonely ballads like "Midnight Sun" and "Stranger Called The Blues", this is one of the most fantastic vocal jazz albums of all time – and a record that we'd recommend instantly to anyone! June Christy has an incredibly icy tone on the record, filled with sorrow, regret, and loneliness – all of which are amplified even more deeply by Pete Rugolo's eerie, off-kilter arrangements. Titles include "Something Cool", "It Could Happen To You", "Lonely House", and "I Should Care". This is the original 10" mono recording with 7 tracks – and a green and white cover that has June with eyes closed. (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A wickedly funky album from Stanley Clarke – perhaps his most fully-formed album of the Columbia years, and a set that really brings together his jazz and soul styles! There's a definite R&B vibe going on, but it's also one that's still quite heavy on bass work from Stanley – a groove that's not far from Bootsy Collins at times, but perhaps with a bit more jazz inflections. Jamming is kept to a minimum, which is fine by us – and the album's filled with really tuneful tunes that have an almost George Duke-like appeal. Guests include Tom Scott and Stan Getz on saxes, George Duke on piano, Harvey Mason and Steve Gadd on drums, and Dee Dee Bridgewater on vocals. Titles include "I Wanna Play For You", "Just A Feeling", "Strange Weather", "My Greatest Hits", "School Days", and "Blues For Mingus". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the best album ever from this seminal British jazz rock combo – a record that really has the group stretching out in the expanded space of a concert setting! Colosseum were already one of the best groups to mix jazzy currents and heavy rock modes – but they really set a fire with this brilliant live album – which really gave the group plenty of room to show off their instrumental chops! Immediate Records star Chris Farlowe is on vocals – but the real charm of their sound comes from the tenor and soprano sax work of Dick Heckstall Smith, the Hammond and vibes of Dave Greenslade, and the heavy drums of Jon Hiseman – who really keeps things in the pockage, and provided more than a few funky passages on the album. Titles include "Lost Angeles", "Rope Ladder to The Moon", "Walking In The Park", and a version of Michael Gibbs' "Tanglewood 63". (Rock, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing stuff – and work that will have you changing your opinion about Chick Corea! Around 1970, Corea was part of a groundbreaking group called Circle – an amazing avant quartet that featured his own piano next to the reeds of Anthony Braxton, bass of Dave Holland, and drums of Barry Altschul – a really groundbreaking group, one who was able to tie together so many new strands of jazz – even though they only were around for a few short years! Circle are one of those groups who always gets talked about, but who left behind almost no recorded legacy – which is why this set of recordings from 1970 is so important to an understanding of Corea and Braxton's career. The double length set features three sides worth of Circle material – including "Quartet Piece 1, 2, & 3", and the shorter "Percussion Piece". The 4th side of the set features the trio of Corea, Holland, and Altschul performing the haunting "Drone". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet soulful jazz from reedman Hank Crawford – one of his killer Kudu sessions from the 70s – all of which really helped Hank redefine his sound! The setting here is large and full – put together beautifully by Bob James, with that sense of space for the soloist that makes his CTI/Kudu arrangements so crucial – and light years ahead of what other arrangers were doing at the time. The tracks are longish, but never overdone – and the record has all the soulful alto sounds of Crawford's 60s work at Atlantic, but with a definite 70s bent overall. James plays Fender Rhodes, Arp, and clavinet – and other players include Joe Farrell on tenor and flute, Idris Muhammad and Bernard Purdie on drums, and Richard Tee on additional keyboards. Titles include "Jana", "Sho Is Funky", "Don't You Worry Bout A Thing", "Groove Junction", and "All In Love Is Fair". LP, Vinyl record album

Apart from the title's terrible pun on the Glenn Campbell hit of the mid 70s, this album's a real treat – a very soulful batch of smooth funky jazz tunes by The Crusaders, who by this point have fully emerged to claim the throne of the pop soul jazz genre they virtually invented. The record's got razor-sharp production, which you'll hear perfectly in the album's jazz stepping hit "Keep That Same Old Feeling", one of the best tunes ever to come from the pen of Wayne Henderson, and a track that he recorded endlessly with other groups. Other tracks include "Feeling Funky", "Spiral", and "Til The Sun Shines". LP, Vinyl record album

With Wilbur DeParis on trombone, Sidney DeParis on cornet, Doc Cheatham on trumpet, Omer Simeon on clarinet, Sonny White on piano, Lee Blair on banjo, Hayes Alvis and Bennie Moten on bass, and Wilbert Kirk on drums and harmonica. LP, Vinyl record album

A real lost treasure – and an incredible session that offers a real meeting of minds that's far more than you'd expect from the simple cover and title! The set is a later one for Vee Jay, and it brings together half of the Jazz Messengers with a batch of west coast players – in a groove that wonderfully mixes together different traditions and rhythms in jazz – and which steps out with a sound that's far more than the sum of its parts! Art Blakey, Lee Morgan, and Curtis Fuller join a group headed by Buddy De Franco, and featuring Victor Feldman on piano and vibes, plus Victor Sproles on bass and Freddie Hill on trumpet. The sound of the group is quite unusual – and a lot lighter than you'd guess – giving Buddy plenty of room to solo in a breezy style that's grown tremendously since his 50s recordings – pushed along by some heavier soul from Art and the group. Titles include "Rain Dance", "Blues Bag", "Twelve Tone Blues", "Kush", and "Cousin Mary". LP, Vinyl record album

Funky keyboards galore – and one of the greatest records ever from this legendary Brazilian jazz talent! The album follows nicely off Deodato's Prelude classic for CTI – and like that one, this set's built on long-flowing tunes that rise and fall with a wonderful sense of rhythm – a sublime electric piano groove that's quite different than anything Deodato recorded before – and possibly never realized this perfectly again after his CTI years. Other players include Stanley Clarke on bass, Billy Cobham on drums, and Hubert Laws on flute – and titles include the massive Latin funk track "Super Strut", plus the tunes "Pavane For A Dead Princess", "Skyscrapers", and a great version of "Nights In White Satin". LP, Vinyl record album

One of a few rare albums recorded as a leader from bassist Cleveland Eaton – a player who first rose to fame with Maurice White in the second Ramsey Lewis trio – and one who gave the world some amazingly hip records on the Black Jazz label in the 70s! This set is a unique effort for the label of Philly soul team of Gamble & Huff – yet the set was recorded in Chicago, and has a wickedly funky vibe that's very much like the coolest Chess/Cadet material of the period – nice fuzzy touches around the edges, and some righteous soul currents too! There's plenty of great Chicago players on the session – Odell Brown on Fender Rhodes, Artee Duke Payne on tenor and flute, and Morris Jennings on drums – on titles that include "Keep It Funky", "Slipping Into Darkness", "Here Comes Funky Lou", "Day Dreaming", "Ah Movin On", and a nice cover of "People Make The World Go Round". (Soul, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

One of a few rare albums recorded as a leader from bassist Cleveland Eaton – a player who first rose to fame with Maurice White in the second Ramsey Lewis trio – and one who gave the world some amazingly hip records on the Black Jazz label in the 70s! This set is a unique effort for the label of Philly soul team of Gamble & Huff – yet the set was recorded in Chicago, and has a wickedly funky vibe that's very much like the coolest Chess/Cadet material of the period – nice fuzzy touches around the edges, and some righteous soul currents too! There's plenty of great Chicago players on the session – Odell Brown on Fender Rhodes, Artee Duke Payne on tenor and flute, and Morris Jennings on drums – on titles that include "Keep It Funky", "Slipping Into Darkness", "Here Comes Funky Lou", "Day Dreaming", "Ah Movin On", and a nice cover of "People Make The World Go Round". (Soul, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the great entries in Duke Ellington's "exotic" albums of the 60s – records that aren't exactly exotica by any stretch of the imagination, but which have musical themes that were inspired by the international travels of the Ellington band at the time! In this case, the locale is the Virgin Islands – where Ellington performed in 1965, and returned home to record this set as a memory of tunes played by the band in St Croix and St Thomas. The core of the set is the initial Virgin Islands suite – made up of four new tunes that include "Island Virgin", "Virgin Jungle", "Fiddler On The Diddle", and "Jungle Kitty" – all nicely rhythmic numbers that explore some fresh themes with especially nice horn solos from the members of the group. Other tracks are older numbers performed on the tour, given a bit of a new twist here – on titles that include "Fade Up", "Mysterious Chick", "The Opener", and "Big Fat Alice's Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

With Mercer Ellington, Money Johnson, Johnny Coles, and Barry Lee Hall on trumpets; Vince Prudente, Art Baron, and Chuck Connors on trombone; Harry Carney, Harold Ashby, Russell Procope, Geezil Minerve, and Percy Marion on reeds; Joe Benjamin on bass; Rocky White on drums; and Anita Moore and Money Johnson on vocals. LP, Vinyl record album

Hard to believe that given Duke Ellington's presence at the start of the 60s, there would be an unknown session from the time – but the discovery of this material in the 70s made for another great chapter in the Duke's career during the classic Columbia years! The material here is played by a sweet small group that includes Ray Nance on coronet, Lawrence Brown on Trombone, Johnny Hodges on alto sax, Harry Carney on baritone, Aaron Bell on bass, and Sam Woodward on drums – all working in a format that almost feels a bit more relaxed and intimate than other Columbia sessions – although not with the rough edges you might expect from a lost date. Tracks include "Everything But You", "Black Beauty", "Something To Live For" "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing", "Mighty Like The Blues", and "Dual Highway". LP, Vinyl record album

With Harry Edison on trumpet, Jake Hanna on drums, Plas Johnson on saxophone, and Mike Melvoin on keyboards. LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked fusion set from the mighty Muse Records – an early 80s date recorded under the leadership of keyboardist Mitch Farber, and featuring work from Randy Brecker on trumpet, Gary Campbell on tenor and soprano, and Steve Khan on guitar! Given the players, there's almost a major label fusion feel to the set, although the overall sound is more open and laidback – not slick at all, and a nice reminder that in the farther corners of jazz in the early 80s, fusion didn't always have to be focused on commercial hits. Rhythm is from Mark Egan on bass, Danny Gottlieb on drums, and Sammy Figuera on percussion – and titles include "Monuments", "Sky Dance", "The Chooser", "Lonely Promises", and "Starclimber". CD also features the bonus track "Theme From Travels" – recorded in 1990. LP, Vinyl record album

An amazingly beautiful set of tracks from Art Farmer – playing here with superb accompaniment from a young Harold Mabern on piano, in a laidback quartet format that really lets Art open up! Art's playing is fresh and creative throughout – never too over the top, and always blown with that subtle genius that he was bringing to his work in the 60s – a pure exercise in understatement, with a quality that seems to make the notes fall out of the air by themselves. Rhythm is by Tommy Williams on bass and Roy McCurdy on drums – and the choice of material includes Tom McIntosh's great composition "The Day After", plus Art's "Punsu" and "Kayin" – and versions of "Change Partners", "Blue Room", and "Nobody's Heart". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet funky album from Art Farmer– an artist we don't normally associate with 70s funk, but who does a really great job on this CTI session! Art's working here in the frontline with Yusef Lateef on reeds – another unlikely candidate for a record like this – and the pair get some strong backing from the band of Dave Matthews, who manages to provide just the right blend of tight arrangements and jazz funk, so that each player gets plenty of room to soar, but the whole album sticks in a nice smooth groove on the rhythms! Includes a soaring version of Chick Corea's "Spain", a slow funk take on Chris Kenner's "Something You Got", and the cuts "Flute Song", "Hombre Del Sol", "Sauhade", and "Sandu". LP, Vinyl record album

A well-titled set from Chico Freeman – as the reedman definitely takes older modern modes into new territory here – moving in almost Monk-ish space, but with some sharper, bolder tones overall! The album's a surprising one for an early 80s major label release – a great reminder that some companies were still willing to take a chance on jazz at the time – and Chico's got a key assortment of players working with him on the date. In addition to his own tenor, flute, and bass clarinet, the record features Wallace Roney on trumpet, Clyde Criner on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, Billy Hart on drums, and Jack DeJohnette on either drums or piano – shifting about a bit from track to track. Titles include "Mys-Story", "At A Glance", "In Spirit", "The Trespasser", "A Prayer", and "Each One Teach One". LP, Vinyl record album

Tight funky fusion from a masterful collective – a great supergroup from the late electric years of the CTI label! The combo features Joe Farrell on tenor, Ronnie Foster and Don Grusin on keyboards, John McLaughlin and Larry Coryell on guitars, Stanley Clarke on bass, and Lenny White, Tony Williams, and Ndugu Chancler on drums – all top-shelf players, but artists who also really respect the vision of the whole project – and allow the grooves to develop without too much competition or overblown modes! The keyboards and guitar are a great match with Farrell's always-great lines on tenor – and titles include "Grand Prix", "Sunshine Lady", "To Whom All Things Concern", "Double Steal", "Waterside", and "Taxi Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

With Garbarek on tenor and soprano sax and wood flute, and Ralph Towner on 12-string and classical guitars. LP, Vinyl record album

A rare 50s performance – featuring a smoking version of "The Afro Suite" – plus some more boppish numbers too! LP, Vinyl record album

A record with a gimmick – but one that's totally great, and really unique for the time! The "1 to 10" in the title is the way that the album spins out – as track 1 features Golson blowing solo tenor, track 2 features him in duet, track 3 a trio – and so on, until track 10, which features a ten-piece group! One of the best things about the record is the way it really lets you focus on Golson's tone and phrasing – as even some of the bigger group tunes have a nicely laidback feel that's really dominated by Benny's solo work – and in a way, the record's a nice bridge between the more tightly arranged Golson sessions of the late 50s, and some of his looser sides of later years. Players include Cedar Walton, Curtis Fuller, Freddy Hubbard, and Albert Heath – among ohters – and titles include the Golson originals "Little Karin", "Swing It", "The Touch", "Impromptune", and "Time", plus versions of "You're My Thrill", "Out Of This World", and "I Fall In Love Too Easily". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare Blue Note work from Dexter Gordon – an album that was recorded during Gordon's legendary run for the label in the 60s, but not issued until a brief vinyl pressing nearly 15 years later! The record's got Gordon vamping in tight hardbop formation – a sound that's strongly 60s Blue Note all the way through, and which shows the great control that the label helped bring to Dex's music – giving him new focus and energy to take off on much freer flights later in the 60s. Other players on the date include Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Barry Harris on piano, Billy Higgins on drums, and Bob Cranshaw on bass – and Hubbard's trumpet is an especially welcome element here on the more upbeat numbers. Titles include "Hanky Panky", "Jodi", "Lady Iris B", "Clubhouse", and "Devilette". LP, Vinyl record album

Dex's famous return to New York in the mid 70s – recorded at the Village Vanguard in 1977, and featuring some of his best group-heavy playing of the decade! The quintet is fantastic – and includes Woody Shaw, Ronnie Matthews, Stafford James, and Louis Hayes. Features versions of Shaw's "Little Red's Fantasy" and "In Case You Haven't Heard", Matthews' "Let's Get Down", Jimmy Heath's "Gingerbread Boy", and Gordon's own "Fenja" and "Backstairs". LP, Vinyl record album

The start of funky funky Herbie Hancock! This album's the first to feature Herbie really breaking away from his straight jazz work – moving into a groove that's nice and funky, using electric piano along with acoustic, to forge the sound that he'd develop famously over the 70s. The album's got a harder, heavier sound than some of his straight electric ones – and it features a larger group with soloists that include Johnny Coles on trumpet and Joe Henderson on tenor – plus some sweet basslines from Buster Williams – all led by Herbie into a tight soul jazz flurry of excellent tracks! Includes the cuts "Fat Mama" and "Wiggle Waggle", both sample favorites, plus "Tell Me A Bedtime Story" and "Lil Brother". Classic stuff, and one of his best records ever! LP, Vinyl record album

(Soul, Jazz) 12-inch, Vinyl record

A way different album than usual for both tenor giant Coleman Hawkins, and up-and-coming trumpet talent Clark Terry – a very soulful set that falls much more into the spirit of the few soul jazz gems on early 60s Epic/Columbia Records! This could be because Dave Bailey's holding down the drum chores, and the record sounds a bit like his great recordings from the early 60 – a tight, soulful groove that's also got support from Tommy Flanagan on piano and Major Holley on bass! All tracks are nice and long, with strong solos from Hawkins and Terry – and there's a fantastic cut called "Tune For The Tutor", which was written by Pat Patrick, and which really grooves! Other nice ones include "Feedin' The Bean" and "Squeeze Me" – plus "Don't Worry Bout Me", and "Michelle". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work by The Heath Brothers – a lot slicker and smoother than their earlier album for Strata East, but still filled with a soulful jazzy approach that befits their rich talents! By the point of this set, Jimmy Heath, once a rougher talent on the tenor, had emerged as one of the smooth soul maestros on the instrument – ranking next to Grover Washington Jr and Stanley Turrentine for a mellifluous sound and well-timed approach to the solo. Heath's written some great tracks here that are underpinned nicely by brother Percy's strong work on bass – still acoustic amidst some added electric instrumentation on some of the tracks. Titles include "Passion Flower", "Move to The Groove", "Feelin Dealin", "Project S", "The Voice Of The American Saxophone (from Afro American Suite of Evolution)", and "A Time & A Place (There's)". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly the best of the Heath Brothers' post-Strata East albums – and one of the few to capture the spacious sound and hipper undertones that made their first record so great! The style here is certainly more conventional – slightly in that "embrace all jazz tradition" mode that was sometimes popular at the time – but there's still plenty of hip moments here too, including flute and soprano sax work from Jimmy Heath, keyboards from Stanley Cowell, and bits of kalimba too – although used a lot more sparely than before. The record's probably most reminiscent of Heath's best straight work of the time – and titles include "In New York", "A New Blue", "Mellowdrama", "Changes", "Prince Albert", and "Artherdoc Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant work from the modernist underground late 50s Paris! Andre Hodeir was one of the city's best-known jazz composers and arrangers at the time – a key part of the postwar scene, and its development into its own style away from strictly American sounds. Hodier's working here with a great batch of French players that include Martial Solal, Roger Guerin, Pierre Gossez, and Pierre Michelot – plus the then-French resident Kenny Clarke. The music swings much more than on other sessions of this type, and works extremely well throughout at blending tight jazzy lines with very "out there" concepts – especially in a way that we never really see in 50's recordings like this. Christine Legrand is on vocals, and although this was years before the Swingle Singers did their thing, and especially before they went onto do avant garde material by Berio, she's got these insane vocals here that are simply astounding. Tracks include "Jazz Et Jazz", "Trope A Saint-Trop", "Jazz Cantata", and "Osymetrios". Very good stuff, and unlike anything else we can think of! LP, Vinyl record album

Warm and wonderful work from Freddie Hubbard – a killer of an album recorded for CTI, and one of his most soulful efforts for the label! The album's got a bit more of a human heart than some of the more cosmic sessions Freddie cut at the time – a bit more contemplative and introspective, but no less open-minded and electrically charged. The assortment of players is all top-shelf – with Billy Cobham, Airto, Lennie White, George Cables, Hubert Laws, and George Benson all backing Freddie up on the set – and titles include a great take on "People Make the World Go Round", plus "Naturally", and "Son of Sky Dive", which grooves just like its papa! LP, Vinyl record album

A selection of tracks from Illinois Jacquet's late 60s albums for Prestige, featuring Milt Buckner, Barry Harris, and Wynton Kelly on piano, Alan Dawson, Al Foster, Jo Jones, and Oliver Jackson on drums, Frank Foster on tenor, Matthew Gee on trombone, Tiny Grimes, Billy Butler, and Wally Richardson on guitar, Montego Joe on congas, Joe Newman and Ernie Royal on trumpet, and Ben Tucker and Buster Williams on bass. LP, Vinyl record album

A crucial album for Jamal – one in which he's really working in the "extensions" mode promised in the title! The tracks are all quite long – far longer than on his usual Argo sides, which is why there's only 4 in all on the whole album. The feel of the album is free and lively, a real extension from the groundbreaking mode of piano expression that Jamal had pioneered during the late 50s – and this added room allows him to spin out in more complicated lines that clearly would have a bit influence on 70s soul jazz and spiritual players. Includes a great track called "This Terrible Planet", which has shaken bells with the rhythm, plus "Extensions", "Dance To The Lady", and "Whisper Not". LP, Vinyl record album

Heads or tails, it's a winner every time – as the record's one of the last clear moments of genius from keyboardist Bob James in the 70s! The sound here is stepping out a bit more from Bob's earlier sides on CTI, but there's still plenty of great keyboard work to make the album worth seeking out – as well as that unusual James approach to rhythm, which often makes tunes come across with lots of angular moments and darker corners, no matter how smooth the overall production might sound. Other players here include Richard Tee, Ralph MacDonald, Randy Brecker, Alphonso Johnson, and Steve Gadd – and titles include the seminal break track "Night Crawler", plus "Heads", "We're All Alone", "I'm In You", and "One Loving Night". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible record – from the first off-key note to the last! The album's filled with some wonderfully moody LA studio sounds, arranged by Deodato, and a has a great swirling mix of sound that weaves around Jobim's lofty guitar and piano beautifully – complex, but still with the airy sense of space that Antonio Carlos first brought to his music in the 60s. From the very first note, you can feel the strange magic of Jobim and Deodato at work – as the album appears to be smooth and mellow, yet has a strangely unsettling undertone that keeps us coming back after all these years! Tracks include "Tema Jazz", "Carinhoso", "Rockanalia", and a nice remake of "Girl From Ipanema". (Brazil, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest, hardest albums that trombonist JJ Johnson ever cut for Columbia – a session we'd rank right up there with his amazing JJ Inc record, and like that one a really cooking hardbop record that maybe even rivals the best on Blue Note and Prestige at the time! As with that gem, the strength here is really the group – not just tremendous trombone from JJ, but great work from Nat Adderley on trumpet, Bobby Jaspar on tenor and flute, Cedar Walton on piano, Spanky DeBrest on bass, and Albert Heath on drums – all working with a soaring, soulful energy that's a lot more hardbop heavy than you might expect from JJ Johnson on some of his other projects for the label. Titles include "Me Too", "Decision", "Stardust", "Sidewinder", "Speak Low", and "Red Cross". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant album from the overlooked reedman Rudolph Johnson – his second session for the Black Jazz label, and even better than the first! There's a soaring, searching quality to the record that Johnson never had before – a way of handling his tenor with a tone that Coltrane would have envied, and which sparkles with some of Rudolph's most soulful 70s contemporaries – like Sonny Fortune or Andrew White! The tunes are almost all originals, and have this depth of vision that really holds us rapt throughout – a way of digging in and continuing to find new meaning throughout the course of Johnson's solos – with superb rhythm backing from the trio of Kirk Lightsey on piano, Kent Brinkley on bass, and Doug Sides on drums. Lightsey is wonderful too – maybe his best performance on record – and titles include the sublime numbers "The Highest Pleasure", "The Traveler", "Time and Space", and "The Water Bearer". CD

A sweet set of funky large group work, with some great rock touches as well! Every bit as funky and over the top as some of the best projects of this nature coming out of the UK – and the drums are especially nice, with lots of great bottom-end sounds that almost give the record an Axelrod vibe! LP, Vinyl record album

One of Robin Kenyatta's hipper records of the 70s – mostly because it features material recorded during his late 60s years! The bulk of the set features a 1969 live recording – with Kenyatta leading a quartet with Larry Willis on piano, Walter Booker on bass, and Alphonse Mouzon on drums – running through some longish tracks that have a beautifully spiritual approach – one that's almost a blend of Ayler, Coltrane, and Pharoah-like sensibilities – and which features some of the best tenor work we've ever heard from Kenyatta on record! Titles include "Nairobi Hot 5", "Dream Bug", and "Beggars & Stealers" – and the set's capped off by a 1975 studio take on "Ruby My Dear" – one that features Robin on alto, alongside some wonderfully introspective piano work by Muhal Richard Abrams! LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful wonderful set from Barney Kessel – bossa-inflected jazz, and a wonderful setting for Barney to hit some very groovy lines on electric guitar! The group on the date is part of the strength of the record – with Conte Candoli on trumpet, Emil Richards on vibes, Paul Horn on flute, and Victor Feldman on piano – with loads of great percussion and guitar interplay on the set, plus some excellent use of flute and vibes – all of which makes for the sort of session that really translates the Brazilian groove into the best sort of sound the LA scene was cutting at the time! Nice, light, and dancing rhythms – and titles that include "Love", "Days Of Wine & Roses", "Latin Dance #1", "Lady Byrd", and "One Note Samba". LP, Vinyl record album

Despite the fact that the title's "Introducing Roland Kirk", it's not actually Kirk's first album – but it is a heck of a smoker with a very unusual sound! The session features Roland with a Chicago group that includes Ira Sullivan on trumpet, Don Garrett on bass, and Ron Burton on both piano and organ – the latter of which gives Kirk's playing a very different feel than usual – a bit more soul jazz and gutbuckety than on the later Mercury recordings. In fact, given Roland's use of many different reed instruments (tenor, manzello, stritch, and whistle – all often played at the same time!) – there's almost a Yusef Lateef quality to the album, at last in the style of some of Lateef's more hardbop sides for Prestige at the time. Kirk's tone, as always, is amazing – with that really spacious feel he gets from playing more than one horn at once! Titles include some great originals, like "The Call", "Soul Station", and "Spirit Girl" – plus "Our Waltz" and "Jack The Ripper". LP, Vinyl record album

Musical alchemy from Erkie Krivda – one of the reedman's best sets from the 70s, and a record that's full of open-ended lines! Krivda plays tenor, soprano sax, and flute – often in a freewheeling style that certainly draws influence from the fusion generation, but which has an acoustic setting here – in a group that features Gil Goldstein on piano, Eddie Gomez on bass, Bob Moses on drums, and Ray Mantilla on percussion. With a rhythm section that solid, you can bet that the record's got a bold sort of energy – one that really seems to push Krivda's reeds nicely, even on some of the mellower tracks. Titles include "Valse Macabre", "Tzigine", "Husar", "Tears On A Golden Arm", and "Nocturnal Carnival". LP, Vinyl record album

Harold Land at his most spiritual – recording solo after a set of great albums with Bobby Hutcherson as a partner – but still very much in the same sort of unbridled energy! The tracks are soaring and open – and have Land's tenor really sounding nice and raw – amidst a lineup that includes Oscar Brashear on trumpet, Bill Henderson on piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Ndugu Chancler on drums and percussion! Henderson picks up Fender Rhodes at points – especially on the great funky cut "In The Back In The Corner In The Dark", which is one of the best-remembered tracks on the set. And Land also plays a bit of oboe on the cut "Pakistan", almost in a Yusef Lateef sort of style. Other cuts include "Chocolate Mess", "Damisi", and "Step Right Up To The Bottom" – all great too! LP, Vinyl record album

A great little collection of hip 70s soul jazz tunes – recorded for the Mainstream level by a few different groups, but all united with a spirit of freedom and soulful exploration. Titles include "Dark Mood" by a group with Bobby Hutcherson, Harold Land, Mtume, and Buster Williams; "Quien Sabe" by Hadley Caliman, Larry Vuckovich, and others; "Miscegenation" by Buddy Terry, Woody Shaw, Eddie Henderson, and Joanne Brackeen; and "Valerie" by Blue Mitchell, Herman Riley, and Joe Sample. LP, Vinyl record album

"Jazz For The Thinker" – a great title for this mind-expanding set of tunes from Yusef Lateef, recording here from the Detroit underground of the late 50s, with a really cosmic and exotic approach to his work! The album's one of the best of Lateef's sides for Savoy – a blend of hardbop influences with some Africanist leanings – never too over the top, but subtly snuck into more conventional elements of the tunes. The group's a quintet with Curtis Fuller, Louis Hayes, and Ernie Farrow – and titles are all originals, and include "Space", "Midday", "Polarity", and "Happyology". LP, Vinyl record album

A tight batch of organ groovers with a raw R&B feel, recorded by the obscure St Louis organist Sam Lazar – with a very young Grant Green on guitar! The album's a bit different than Sam's other records for Argo – in that the tunes are all quite short, with a tight fast sound that's almost more R&B at times than jazz – a very unusual setting especially for Grant Green! The guitar is nice and loud – really racing to keep up with Lazar's fast work on the Hammond – and other members of the group include Willie Dixon on bass and Chauncey Williams on drums. Titles include "Mad Lad", "Space Flight", "Caramu", "Funky Blues", and "Big Willie". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of the key records from the Cadet/Concept scene in late 60s Chicago – a tremendous collaboration between pianist Ramsey Lewis and arranger Charles Stepney – and the kind of record that took soul and jazz to a whole new level! Ramsey on his own is great enough at this point – but add in Stepney's touch, and the record becomes something really brilliant – a blend of soaring strings, groovy rhythms, and spaciously stepping piano lines – all held together with a tremendous amount of creative imagination! The group here features a young Maurice White on drums and Cleveland Eaton on bass – both hitting a groove that's quite different than the Ramsey Lewis Trio sound of years back, with a lot more space, a lot hipper rhythms, and just the right sort of groove to match Stepney's sophisticated touches. The piano gets a bit electric at times, but is mostly acoustic overall – and titles include a great version of Minnie Riperton's "Les Fleur", a funky version of "Mighty Quinn", and the cuts "Afro Boogaloo Twist", "Maiden Voyage", "Ode", "Do You Know The Way To San Jose", "Only When I'm Dreaming", and "Eternal Journey". LP, Vinyl record album

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". LP, Vinyl record album

Groundbreaking Latin Jazz – and an essential 2LP set! The album brings together classic work for Norman Granz' Verve and Clef labels in the cubop mode – including Dizzy Gillespie's Manteca Suite, Machito's Afro-Cuban Suite, titles by Chico O'Farrill, and others recorded in 1949 and arranged by Rene Hernandez. Players include Machito, Charlie Parker, Diz, Mario Bauza, Eddie Bert, Flip Phillips, Chano Pozo, and Jos Mangual – and the quality of the work unifies the sessions wonderfully, even though they were recorded separately over a 5 year period. (Latin, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Legend Of The One-Eyed Sailor", "Lullaby For Nancy Carol", "El Gato Triste", "Land Of Make Believe", and "As Long As We're Together". Features vocals by Esther Satterfield! LP, Vinyl record album

Stone flute, or stoned flute, the album's got a really laidback feel – a sound that's very open-ended, and quite different from some of the crossover classics Herbie Mann was cutting a few short years before! The record's got the darkly brooding feel of some of his other work on the Vortex label – and features a subtle blend of softly-blown flute with guitar from Sonny Sharrock, vibes from Roy Ayers, and bass from either Miroslav Vitous or Ron Carter. There's some light added strings on most tracks, but they're arranged by William S Fischer – in ways that make them more sly sense of darkness in the background than standard sleepy accompaniment. Herbie and Fischer are a perfect combination here, one that makes for a surprising degree of depth – on titles that include "Waltz For My Son", "Miss Free Spirit", "Flying", "In Tangier", and "Pendulum". LP, Vinyl record album

Pat Martino in one of his greatest settings – live, in front of the kind of an audience where he could really open up! The set's a great marker of the growth that Pat experienced as the 70s approached – taking all the lessons he'd learned from his years gigging it up in the soul jazz underground, and using them to forge a more expansive, more cosmic approach to jazz. The tracks on the set are all quite long – with backing by a trio that features electric piano from Ron Thomas, and an overall sound that's exploratory, but never too out or trippy. Titles include "Special Door", "The Great Stream", and an excellent reading of "Sunny". LP, Vinyl record album

A great slice from Jackie McLean's rare unissued 60s sessions for Blue Note – a rollingly soulful session that stands in stark contrast to some of his more modern sides of the time! The set's got Jackie working with a group that includes Lee Morgan on trumpet and Harold Mabern on piano – in a vamping, soaring vibe that's similar to the feel of contemporaneous Morgan sessions like The Gigolo or Tom Cat – but which has a slight bit of McLean's more modernist edge from time to time. Mabern's piano work is tremendous – filled with life and joy that soar the album effortlessly along – and the lyrical drum work of Billy Higgins and basslines from Herbie Lewis are also very much a key part of this groove. The set was originally recorded in 1965, but only made a first appearance on record in 1979 – and even then, only briefly! Titles include "Vernestune", "Slumber", "Bluesanova", "Consequence", and "Tolypso". LP, Vinyl record album

A record of angular lines and subtle sounds from pianist Jim McNeely – an overlooked talent from this generation, and a player with a great sensitivity for unusual colors and tones! The record's a fair bit different than other Muse dates – played almost with the freedom of some of the more inventive European piano sessions of the late 70s – never outside, but always pushing the boundaries in very exploratory ways. The lineup varies a bit on the set – as a few tracks feature John Scofield on guitar, but the rest are trio numbers with either Jon Burr or Mike Richmond on bass, and Billy Hart on drums. Titles include "The Plot Thickens", "Inner Ear", "Burgundy & The Virgin Snow", and "The Light At The End Of The Cave". LP, Vinyl record album

Great stuff – recorded in Mingus' classic period! Mingus leads a sharp small group here – a wonderful quintet that features Booker Ervin on tenor, John Handy on alto, and Richard Wyands on piano – with longtime musical partner Dannie Richmond on drums! The session was recorded live at the Nonagon Gallery in New York, and has that sort of arch-modernist groove that was Mingus' hallmark in these key late 50's years. Ervin, as always, is amazing, and John Handy, who makes his recording debut here, demonstrates the genius that Mingus had for spotting brilliant young players as he plays with the sort of imagination and intensity that he only ever managed to hit again on one or two of his own records as a leader. The record's got four long tracks, including long takes of "Nostalgia In Times Square", "Alice's Wonderland", and "No Private Income Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the rarest albums of Chicago jazz from the 50s – and one of the greatest, too! Although Walter Perkins' MJT+3 went onto cut a number of records on Vee Jay with a different lineup, this early session features an all-Chicago lineup that differs from the later one, which was augmented by later visitors from Memphis, like Frank Strozier and Harold Mabern. In their place are prime Chicago talents, like altoist Nicky Hill, trumpeter Paul Serrano, and the great AACM composer/pianist Richard Muhal Abrams (playing here without the Muhal in his name!) The album's a complete delight, and is filled with loads of original compositions by Abrams that mix hard bop lines with more exotic lyrical conceptions – a true meeting of all the sides of jazz bubbling under in Chicago during the 50s, and a delight to listen to over and over again through the years! Titles include "No Land's Man", "Little Brother", "Egypic", "End Of The Line", and "Temporarily Out Of Order". LP, Vinyl record album

A very unique album from Hank Mobley – one that has him working alongside Milt Jackson, in an unusual format that mixes the soulful Mobley tenor with some well-crafted work on vibes! The "all star" title is certainly appropriate here – as Mobley and Jackson are joined in a quintet by Horace Silver on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Blakey on drums – almost bringing in an early Jazz Messengers sensibility to the record, but also hitting more of a looser, laidback blowing session approach. There's less of the tightness of other Mobley sessions from the time, and the record has the players really feeling each other out in the studio – with the sort of spontaneity you might hear in a Prestige or Savoy album from the time. Tracks are long, and titles include "Ultramarine", "Don't Walk", "Lower Stratosphere", and "Mobley's Musings". LP, Vinyl record album

A 2LP set that brings together most of the material from the first three full-length albums by the Modern Jazz Quartet – all recorded at a time when the combo were first forging their famous sound! Most of the sides here are in contrast to the group's better-known Atlantic work, because the group at this point still featured Kenny Clarke on drums – and although a few tracks here include Connie Kay, the bulk of the recordings are touched by Clarke's tighter, sometimes more aggressive work on percussion – making for a less-than-trademark sound that we really like. As usual, the rest of the group features Milt Jackson on vibes, John Lewis on piano, and Percy Heath on bass – and the 2LP set features 18 tracks that include "Concorde", "Vendome", "Milano", "La Ronde", "Django", "All The Things You Are", "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", "Delauney's Dilemma", "La Ronde Suite", "All Of You", and "Ralph's New Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

The session's billed as "very personal treatments of great standards" – and it's a great twist on familiar material, all given the Thelonius touch! There's less of Monk's creative composition and angular group arrangements going on here – and instead, the album's almost a rewriting of 40 years of popular compositions, all taken into the modern world of Monk's piano. The group's a trio, with Oscar Pettiford on bass and Art Blakey on drums – and titles include nicely reworked versions of "Just You Just Me", "Memories Of You", "Liza", "Darn That Dream", and "Tea For Two". LP, Vinyl record album

A prime Argo gem from James Moody – and key proof that when he wanted to, he could be one of the hippest cats working in 60s jazz! The approach here is subtle, but amazing – a blend of hardbop with some of the more modern ideas that were coming up in the post-bop generation from the team of Moody and Dizzy Gillespie. The rhythms are quite complicated at times – very fresh and vibrant, but without any of the easy gimmicks that other 60s artists would fall into – like vamping soul jazz or borrowed bossa lines. Instead, working in a combo with a young Kenny Barron, Moody concentrates on fresh timings and complicated changes – modes that push his own work on alto, tenor, and flute far from expected territory – and which also features Barron on piano and organ, George Eskridge on guitar, Chris White on bass, and Rudy Collins on drums. Tracks include "Zanzibar", "Dizzy", "Ole", "Sonnymoon For Two", and a nice version of "Fly Me To The Moon". LP, Vinyl record album

James Moody on alto and tenor saxophone, Pee Wee Moore on baritone saxophone, William Shepherd on trombone, Dave Burns on trumpet, Jimmy Boyd and Sadik Hakim on piano, John Lathan on bass, Clarence Johnson and Joe Harris on drums, with vocals from Eddie Jefferson and Iona Wade. CD

Nice tight back-to-basics session by Moody that has him playing with an organ combo. Mickey Tucker's on the keys, Roland Wilson plays bass, and Eddie Gladden handles the drum chores. Moody's on tenor all the way, with no flute at all, and the tracks include "Freedom Jazz Dance", "Never Again", "A Little 3 For LC", and "St. Thomas". LP, Vinyl record album

A 50s Fantasy album that brings together 2 earlier 10" jazz sessions – one by Mulligan and one by Desmond, both unusual outings for the players. Side one features Gerry Mulligan working with a strong early group – Chet Baker on trumpet, Chico Hamilton on drums, and Carson Smith on bass – on 4 tracks recorded in San Francisco, and 4 others recorded slightly later in LA. The tunes are short, piano-less, and have that fluid 50s Mulligan groove – and titles include "Turnstile", "Limelight", "Carioca", "Bark For Barksdale", and "Line For Lyons". Side two is a session that features 4 tracks with Paul in a quintet with Dick Collins on trumpet and Dave Van Kriedt on tenor sax – working without a piano, and in a fluid-grooving style that recalls a lot of the Gerry Mulligan style of the time. The other 4 tracks from the set are even more unique – and have Desmond blowing dreamily over a "with voices" chorus – done with the Bill Bates singers in a style that's warmer than similar work by Charlie Parker, and which really points the way towards some of the Desmond solo genius of the 60s. Titles include "Jeruvian", "Garden In The Rain", "Misty Window", "Winky", "Soon", and "Will I Know". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure west coast set – featuring some very hard-driving big band arrangements, short but with breakout solos that really keep things moving along at a good pace. Murphy wrote and arranged most of the material – cool little offbeat tunes, many with a space theme to match the cover of the album. Players include Frank Morgan, Milt Bernhart, Chico Hamilton, Buddy Colette, and Bob Gordon – and titles include "Lost In A Fugue", "Frantastic", "Frankly Speaking", "Tone Poem", and "Orbit". LP, Vinyl record album

A second helping of songs from the Nat King Cole songbook – served up by Mark Murphy as one of his most sensitive albums of the time! Backings here are relatively spare on all tracks – just guitar on some numbers, bass on others, or keyboards on the rest – a very different style than Nat King Cole would have ever used, and a method that really helps Murphy transform these tunes! There's hardly any sort of Cole-like phrasings at all – and the album sparkles beautifully with Mark's well-though inflections on the lyrics. Titles include "Don't Let Your Eyes Go Shopping", "The End Of A Love Affair", "For All We Know", "Maybe You'll Be There", and "Portrait Of Jennie/Ruby". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful beautiful work from David Murray – a follow-up to his initial Shakill's Warrior album, and done in a style that we like even better than the first! Don Pullen is a key part of the set – working here on fluid organ lines that are somewhere between the early Larry Young work on Blue Note and the later John Patton styles for the label – a perfect foil for Murray's straight and soulful blowing on the session. This blend of organ and tenor is really wonderful – and carried off with a near-perfect modal groove on most of the set, save for one or two numbers that get a bit bogged down in guitar work from quartet member Bill White. Titles include "Crazy Tales", "One For The Don", "For Cynthia", "The Sixth Sense", and "1529 Gunn Street". CD

A pair of amazing records from a legendary group – one who didn't record much, but who really shaped the sound of the avant garde in the 60s! First up is the self-titled New York Art Quartet, one of our favorite albums ever on the legendary ESP label – and a key session in the best "new thing" mode of the 60s! The New York Art Quartet were a short lived collaboration between trombonist Roswell Rudd, saxophonist John Tchicai, bassist Lewis Worrell, and percussionist Milford Graves – but their legacy in this one album is almost greater than that of other combos who recorded more frequently at the time. The sound is similar to the best "spacious" groups of the new thing years – such as the Archie Shepp/Bill Dixon work, or some of the looser sides by the New York Contemporary Five – a group that featured Shepp and Tchicai. Leroi Jones (Amiri Baraka) makes a key guest appearance on the title "Black Dada Nihilismus" – reciting his writings alongside the group's somber instrumental musings – and other titles include "Short", "Rosmosis", and "No 6". The album Mohawk is next – rare and brilliant work from this amazing group – a lineup that features Roswell Rudd on trombone, John Tchicai on alto, Reggie Workman on bass, and Milford Graves on drums and percussion – a combo who are best known for their one LP on ESP, but also sounding equally great on this rare European-only album! The record has a wonderfully creative approach – still in the energetic mode of the New York scene of the 60s, but also with the more introspective style that would come into play more in the 70s loft scene. Players handle a variety of instruments – almost in an AACM mode – and titles include "Mohawk", "Banging On The White House Door", "Rufus 3rd", and "No 6". CD

One of the sweetest, funkiest 70s sets from reedman David Fathead Newman – an album that has the saxophonist blowing over some great arrangements from William Eaton – who brings in a full sound that almost gives the album a soundtrack sort of vibe! Newman's tenor, alto, and flute get plenty of solo space throughout – and the richer arrangements by Eaton really bring in a strong set of feeling to the record – a depth that David wouldn't have been able to achieve on his own, and which really seems to influence the level of his solos. Other players are great too – and include Richard Tee on organ, Cornell Dupree on guitar, and Bernard Purdie on drums – and the set includes a number of tracks by Allen Toussaint, including "Yes We Can Can", "Happy Times", and "Freedom For The Stallion". Other titles include "Missy", "You Can't Always Get What You Want", and "Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong". LP, Vinyl record album

Great 50s material from Red Norvo – recorded with Tal Farlow on guitar and Charles Mingus on bass! The drum-less combination of vibes, guitar, and bass makes for an almost-exotic approach – one that rings out with some new moods and tones on tracks that are old standards – in a manner that really helps us understand why folks from the old days think Norvo's so great! Titles include "Godchild", "September Song", "Swedish Pastry", "I'll Remember April", "I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me", "Cheek To Cheek", "This Can't Be Love", "I Get A Kick Out Of You" and "Move". LP, Vinyl record album

Feauring "Wild Bill" Davison on cornet, Jimmy Archey on trombone, Ralph Sutton on piano, Danny Barker on banjo and Baby Dodds on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

An 80s issue looking back on alternate takes of seminal bop material cut by Bird for Savoy. The recordings here are all of alternate versions of those originally released by Savoy on 10"s and 78s, and feature Parker alongside Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Bud Powell and others. 16 tracks in all, including "Tiny's Tempo", "Romance Without Finance", "Billie's Bounce", "Thriving On A Riff", "Donna Lee", "Chasin' The Bird", "Milestones", "Half Nelson", "Bluebird" and more. . . LP, Vinyl record album

This record collects some unreleased takes as well as some original masters of some of his better known recordings. Included on this collection are "Bird Gets The Worm", "Bluebird", "Klaunstance", "Barbados", "Merry Go Round", "Chasing The Bird", "Koko", "Perhaps", "Warming Up A Riff", "Slim's Jam", "Popity Pop", "Dizzy Boogie", and "Flat Foot Floogie". LP, Vinyl record album

Older Charlie Parker material – originally recorded as 78rpm releases for Savoy, packaged up here in full LP form, along with alternate takes and a great cover, in the years after his early death! Players include Miles Davis on trumpet, Tiny Grimes on guitar, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet and piano, Duke Jordan and John Lewis on piano, and Max Roach on drums – and titles include "Red Cross", "Sippin At Bells", "Little Willie Leaps", "Donna Lee", "Chasing The Bird", and "Half Nelson". LP, Vinyl record album

A great 70s album, one that collects material from three historic Jazz At The Philharmonic Concerts in 1946 – with crucial solo work from the young Charlie Parker, as well as Lester Young – and other material from Dizzie Gillespie and Buck Clayton on trumpets, and Coleman Hawkins on tenor! Also features work from Willie Smith on alto, Charlie Ventura on tenor, Mel Powell and Arnold Ross on piano, and Irving Ashby on guitar. LP, Vinyl record album

Wicked work by pianist Horace Parlan – and one of his most stunning Blue Note sessions ever! The album was first recorded in 1963, but then kept on the shelf for years – seeing only brief release as part of a Booker Ervin package in the late 70s, and finally coming out with the proper cover and lineup at some point in the 80s! Why Blue Note waited so long is a mystery, because the album's a gem throughout – almost more important, and more starkly modern than any of Parlan's other work for the label. Booker Ervin leads the frontline on tenor, alongside Johnny Coles on trumpet, Grant Green on guitar, and the rhythm section of Butch Warren and Billy Higgins. Parlan's choice of material is fantastic – with a number of Africanist tracks that feature unique rhythmic patterns that really push the soloists! Titles include "A Tune For Richard", "Dexi", "Home Is Africa", "Kucheza Blues", and "Back From The Gig". CD

This is the one that really nailed it for Jaco Pastorious – a brilliant showcase for all his many talents on the bass, and a key illustration of the way that he influenced an entire generation! Sure, Jaco in Weather Report was already pretty darn great – but here, on his own, he really gets to sparkle – jamming hard with heavyweights on some funky numbers, sliding out in spacey territory on mellow cuts, and even trying out a few more experimental moments that are far beyond what most other bassists might imagine for a debut of this nature. Players on the date include Herbie Hancock on keyboards, Don Alias on percussion, Lenny White on drums, Hubert Laws on flute, and Randy Brecker on trumpet – and titles include "Portrait Of Tracy", "Donna Lee", "Continuum", "Okonkole Y Trompa", "Kuru/Speak Like a Child", "Opus Pocus", and "Come On Come Over". LP, Vinyl record album