A late 70s issue of two mid 60s live recordings of Bley's trio recorded in concert in Europe, with either Kent Carter or Mark Levenson on bass, and Barry Altschul on drums. Bley's playing in a mode that reflects ther influence of a number of the more progressive players of the same era, with a free flowing multi-linear improvisational approach, that still maintains a strong emphasis on melody and never gets too frenetic. Witha number of great Annette Peacock compositions, including "Cartoon", "Touching", "Start", "Closer", "Pablo" and lengthy takes on "Blood" and "Mister Joy". Features a rare photo of Bley without a pipe in his mouth inside the gatefold too! LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty great album of mellow jazz tracks – recorded in a very spare setting that has trumpeter Ruby Braff playing with pianist Ellis Larkins, and no other accompaniment! The setting's quite unusual for the time, and it makes for a relaxed intimate meeting between two strong talents that really differs from the work that either of them were recording elsewhere. But even more incredible is the way that the two players come together without additional support – working beautifully in a format that would have others faltering – always swinging the tunes despite the lack of bass or drums, and clearly very at home here with the extra space that lets both of them open up creatively! Titles include "Where Or When", "I Could Write A Book", "The Girl Friend", "Little Girl Blue", and "Thou Swell". LP, Vinyl record album

A key bit of jazz funk from trumpeter Tom Browne – still grooving strong here, with a sublime mix of modern soul, funky jazz, and some of the 80s groove touches that showed up on the best GRP titles from the time! The album's got a smooth compressed groove – kind of post-Donald Byrd, with Tom taking solos over the top of most tracks, and occasional vocals , wither from a backing group, or an assortment of different lead singers. Players on the set include Bernard Wright, Dave Grusin, Bobby Broom, and Marcus Miller – and tracks include "I Know", "Midnight Interlude", "Let's Dance", "Night Wind", "Making Plans", "Thighs Hihg", and "Magic". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best Dave Brubeck albums from later years – and one of the hippest! The record is noteworthy for its pairing of Anthony Braxton and Lee Konitz – the former a rising star at the time, influenced strongly by the latter in his roots – showcased here in some rare moments of Braxton straight-aheadness! Brubeck's contribution is heard most strongly on the album's extended trio "Jimmy Van Huesen Medley" – played by Dave with Jack Six on bass and Alan Dawson on drums. But we're most partial to the saxophone tunes – Konitz playing a spare duet with Brubeck on "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", soloing with the group on "Like Someone In Love", duetting with Braxton on "All The Things You Are" – and stepping back to let Anthony play with Dave on a version of "In Your Own Sweet Way". Really great stuff throughout – and a unique Brubeck moment! LP, Vinyl record album

A great Brubeck side project – featuring music by Dave and lyrics by Iola Brubeck – kind of a reworking of the Gilbert & Sullivan musical, but with a hip 60s swinging jazz vibe – and a story about the importance of American jazz musicians as cultural ambassadors in the postwar years! There's some especially great vocal numbers from Lambert Hendricks & Ross – and Carmen McRae sings a bit in a mode that's similar to her Brubeck albums. And even Louis Armstrong is pretty charming, too! LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful Chess/Cadet session from the 60s – not the bop-styled record you might expect from the 52nd Street reference in the title! Instead, the whole thing's more of a cool Chicago take on soul jazz – with these great large arrangements from Richard Evans, backing strong solos in the lead from guitarist Kenny Burrell – sounding wonderful here, almost in a Verve Records 60s mode – floating over the top of a variety of material, both mellow and upbeat, all very groovy! Side one features the extended "Suite For Guitar & Orchestra" – and side two features "I Want My Baby Back", "Soulero", "Con Alma", and "Blues Fuse". LP, Vinyl record album

Straight, strong, and soulful sounds from guitarist Kenny Burrell – quite possibly one of his best albums of the 60s, thanks to a really well-focused sound throughout! The groove here is nice and tight – a cooking little rhythm section that features Richard Wyands on piano, Martin Rivera on bass, and Oliver Jackson on drums – snapping away on the kit on some of the best tracks, and really helping Burrell to hit this groove that's mighty nice! Kenny seems to have a bit more bite than usual too – and even the laidback tunes have plenty going on to keep our ears happy. Titles include "La Petite Mambo", "Suzy", "The Tender Gender", "Girl Talk", "Isabella", "If Someone Had Told Me", and "Hot Bossa". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Gary Burton's more free-flowing albums of the 70s – a bit more fusion than some of his other work of the time, with key guitar contributions from Mick Goodrick and a young Pat Metheney! The album's still filled with plenty of Burton's great work on vibes, but the guitars also soar out strongly too – bringing in a sense of pulse that's matched by the basses of Steve Swallow and Eberhard Weber, and percussion by Bob Moses. The groove's still a bit softer-edged than traditional fusion sides of the time – thanks to a mellower ECM approach – but there's also a bit more dynamic energy on some of the tracks than you might be used to hearing from the label. Titles include "Silent Spring", "The Colours Of Chloe", "Intrude", "Unfinished Symphony", "Tunnel Of Love", and "Mevlevia". LP, Vinyl record album

A great set of rare early material by Betty Carter – and just about the only way you'll ever find these titles on vinyl! The set features one album Betty Recorded for the Peacock label, with hip arrangements by Gigi Gryce and Melba Liston, and one that she recorded for ABC, with more mainstream arrangements by Richard Wess. And although both albums don't have Betty singing in the strident style she adopted in later years, they're still pretty darn great, and are filled with a lot of rich emotion and strong jazz vocalizing. Titles include "Jazz Ain't Nothin But Soul", "I Can't Help It", "By The Bend In The River", "Foul Play", "Babe's Blues", "Mean To Me", "Something Wonderful", and "Make It Last". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent bossa session led by pianist Oscar Castro-Neves and his band, and recorded during the blitz of early bossa sessions by the Audio Fidelity label! The group's a large one, but not too large to lose the groove – and Castro-Neves put the whole thing together so that the album's always got a nice bounce to it, and so that the jazz component comes through nice and strong! There's loads of good groovers on here, all played with a very strident hard bossa feel – and tracks include "Outra Vez", "O Menino Desce O Morro", "Chora Tua Tristeza", "Zelao", "Doralice", and "Patinho Feio". (Brazil, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Classic trio material from pianist Sonny Clark – a talent who left our planet all too soon, but who managed to record quite a number of really great albums for Blue Note in the second half of the 50s! Clark's talents were always great in a group with horns, but he's equally wonderful on a trio date like this – and gets a chance to show off both his strong sense of rhythm, and some more lyrical modes that really make the album sparkle – playing here in a perfect lineup with Paul Chambers on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums. The set's easily one of the best straight trio sessions ever cut for Blue Note – tracks are longish, with a very hardbop groove – and titles include "Be Bop", "Two Bass Hit", "Tadd's Delight", and "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise". LP, Vinyl record album

A masterful album from Billy Cobham – and maybe the best 70s record to really demonstrate the unique place he found for himself in 70s fusion! The album soars with a sound that really lives up to its cover image – but it's also not the heavy-jamming affair of some of Billy's more rockish records from the time. Instead, it's got this wonderful blend of deeper elements that really come together wonderfully – and some very strong use of reeds from Michael Brecker, trumpet from Randy Brecker, and trombone from the great Garnett Brown – all players who give the album a very rich, soulful voice. The set includes the famous sample track "Heather", a mellow cut with great electric keyboard work by George Duke – and other titles include "Crosswind", "The Pleasant Pheasant", and "Spanish Moss – A Sound Portrait". LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection of bop sides from 40s LA – tracks that ostensibly feature Cole on piano, jamming with Lester Young on tenor and Red Callender on bass! Oddly, no other players are listed in the notes – even though there's clearly a drummer and trumpeter on the session – so it's a bit hard to date the material, or figure out the actual source of the work. But we can say that Young's tone alone is more than worth the price of admission – beautifully firm and strong – blown in a way that rivals his best early performances for Verve, but perhaps even with a bit more grit and soul. Titles include "SM Blues", "Jammin With Lester", "Can't Get Started", "Body & Soul", and "Indiana". LP, Vinyl record album

Two generations of Ornette Coleman – making incredible music here together! The album's a freewheeling late 60s outing from the senior Ornette – who plays alto, violin, and trumpet here – working with his young son Ornette D Coleman on drums, just 12 years old at the time – but a surprisingly strong free jazz player overall! Heavyweight help comes from Dewey Redman on tenor – really tremendous here, with energy that's up there with Albert Ayler or Archie Shepp at their 60s best – plus Charlie Haden on bass, really coming strongly back into the music at this point in his career. The album's quite free overall – similar to some of Coleman's Blue Note work of the period – and titles include "COD", "Rainbows", "New York", and "Bells and Chimes". LP, Vinyl record album

An early standout set from Ornette Coleman – and a record that features him blowing on tenor, instead of his usual alto – as you might guess from the title! In a way, Ornette's playing on tenor is almost freer than his alto work – a bit more open-ended and exploratory, stretching out strongly – yet still also hitting that great rhythmic groove that made his Atlantic albums so great – thanks to rhythm from Jimmy Garrison on bass and Ed Blackwell on drums. Don Cherry's in the group on pocket trumpet, and the tunes are as provocative as their titles – which include "Ecars", "Enfant", "Mapa", and "Cross Breeding". LP, Vinyl record album

John Coltrane's classic – and only – recording as a leader for Blue Note! The album's no throwaway date, though – as it stands strongly with both Coltrane's other label work of the time, and with the best of the late 50s Blue Note scene – a time when the label was really cooking at full strength! The groove here is a bit harder, heavier, and hardbop-inflected than some of Trane's late 50s sides with Red Garland – thanks to a lineup that features Lee Morgan on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Kenny Drew on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. There's a crisp modern edge to the record that really holds up beautifully – even after years of play – and titles include "Blue Train, "Locomotion", "Moment's Notice", and "Lazy Bird". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful live set, recorded in Paris in 1962 – and featuring the quartet with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones. The set features three long Coltrane standards – "Impressions", "Afro Blue", and "Naima" – all done in that beautiful spiralling modal style that the group used on their classic first set of recordings at the Village Vanguard. In fact, the set's a perfect complement to that material – which we feel is some of Coltrane's strongest. LP, Vinyl record album

Soaring work from the legendary John Coltrane Quartet – a session that was incredibly far-reaching for the time, and which originally was unissued until after the time of Coltrane's death! The record's got the group really pushing forward strongly – hitting a Love Supreme mode, but also showing even some of the sharper edges that John would explore with the group after this one – a beautiful swan song to the lineup of McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. Things soar with a hell of a lot of spirituality, yet never get too overindulgent to lose their groove – and titles include "Amen", "Dearly Beloved", "Ascent", "Attaining", and "Sun Ship". LP, Vinyl record album

Two older Roulette albums – brought together in one 70s package! The first set is a live Billy Strayhorn date – recorded with a group that includes Johnny Hodges and Paul Gonsalves on reeds, Harold Baker and Clark Terry on trumpets, and Quentin Jackson on trombone. Next up is Jazz From Abroad – an incredible early work from British leader Johnny Dankworth – jazz work that's as fluid and grooving as his best 60s soundtrack sessions, and cut with an early sense of power that's really great! Dankworth's tight on the head arrangements, really leaping into the rhythms of the tune with the same love of groove as contemporary Johnny Keating – but he also makes some strong solo space on the best tracks on the album, really letting the sax players in the group stretch out searingly. Players aren't named in the credits, sadly, but we're guessing they're the top-level players who made appearances on Dankworth's key British sides of the time. Titles include "A String Of Camels", "Cannonball", "Chano", "Avengers Theme", "Sack O Woe", "Esso Blues", and "Curtain Up". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful live representation of the energy of the Bitches Brew years – one that has Miles Davis and the group really letting loose with free-flowing, modally-inspired lines – cooking up an incredible blend of acoustic and electric sounds at once! There's a bit of funk here, but not much – and although guitar is sometimes used strongly, it's often not as noisy as in later live sides. Instead, the whole group gels together beautifully – an unlikely assortment of players that includes Gary Bartz and Steve Grossman on reeds, John McLaughlin on guitar, Herbie Hancock on keyboards, Hermeto Pascoal on percussion, Dave Holland on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – all given new focus, direction, and inspiration by Miles! Titles include "What I Say", "Sivad", "Selim", "Funky Tonk", and a great medley of "Gemini/Double Image". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare early side of Miles Davis – recorded in postwar Paris in the company of Tadd Dameron! The group's a quintet – with Miles on trumpet and Tadd on piano – and although the overall vibe certainly shows a lot of bop generation spirit, there's also a strong indication of the deeper ideas that were already becoming a part of both artists' music. The group features some excellent work on tenor from James Moody – plus bass from Barney Spieler and drums from Kenny Clarke. Tunes include a fair bit of familiar numbers from the Charlie Parker camp – and titles include "Rifftide", "Good Bait", "Don't Blame Me", "Lady Bird", "Wah Hoo", "Allen's Alley", "Embraceable You", "Ornithology" and "All The Things You Are". LP, Vinyl record album

The album's got a cheescake cover, but it's done in a very traditional mode – a style that's right up there with the best New Orelans jazz sessions on Atlantic! Wilbur DeParis works in a small combo with Sidney De Paris and Doc Cheatham on trumpets, and Garvin Bushnell on some mighty sharp clarinet – an instrument that trades lines strongly with Wilbur's trombone, and the two especially strong trumpets! The set was recorded live, and has an even more biting feel than some of the late 50s Atlantic Records trad jazz sets – and titles include "Tres Moutarde", "South Rampart Street Parade", "Muskrat Rumble", "Sensation", and "Clarinet Marmalade". LP, Vinyl record album

We can't say for sure that Buddy's actually the king of the clarinet, but this record is mighty nice work – and a crackling little set that catches DeFranco at a time when he was one of the strongest players on his instrument, and one of the few to equally absorb bop and swing influences. As with other DeFranco standouts from the time, the rhythm section is what really makes the record – and here he's working with Kenny Drew on piano throughout, plus either Art Blakey or Art Taylor on drums, Teddy Kotick or Curley Russell on bass, and a bit of guitar from Jimmy Raney. Titles include "Cairo", "Lover Come Back To Me", "The Way You Look Tonight", "Street Of Dreams", "Gone With The Wind", and "Sophisticated Lady". LP, Vinyl record album

Two classic Eric Dolphy albums – back to back in a single set! First up us Outward Bound – Eric Dolphy's first album ever as a leader – recorded almost immediately after his arrival on the New York scene! The sound here is already bolder and stronger than the Dolphy experiments on the west coast – sharp-edged and freely exploratory, in a way that pushes the playful lyricism of the Chico Hamilton years aside, and reaches out into the new territory hinted at by the title! The group is a quintet that features Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Jaki Byard on piano, George Tucker on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums – and the overall sound is a beautiful mix of modernist hard bop and some of Dolphy's later freer styles. Dolphy plays his usual mix of alto, flute, and bass clarinet – and the tracks include "245", "Miss Toni", "Les", and "GW". Out There is Eric Dolphy's second album as a leader – and already a bold step forward from the first! The format here changes from the more standard lineup of before – as Dolphy drops out other horn players, loses the piano, and brings the cello of Ron Carter into the frontline! Backing is by the bass of George Duvivier and the drums of Roy Haynes – and the mix of cello and bass creates the freely spirited sound that allows Dolphy to take off on even freer solo flights. The session has a very moody, very dark feel – especially on the tracks where Dolphy is playing B flat and bass clarinet – and titles include "The Baron", "Eclipse", "Sketch Of Melba", "Feathers", and "17 West". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Lou's more unique sides of the 60s – as the album features him as the main soloist over arrangements by a group headed up by Oliver Nelson. As has been ably demonstrated on many sides on labels like Verve, Impulse, and Capitol – there's no better talent than Nelson for taking a strong soulful player, and putting him into a context that will let him solo at his best, and not be overwhelmed by the band. There's some nice organ in the group, and titles include "Tippin In", "Back Talk", "Huffin N Puffin", and "Ignant Oit". LP, Vinyl record album

Subtitled "jazz for that relaxed mood", this is actually a great compilation of early work by Ellington's group – recorded for Columbia during the years 1934 to 1939. Somehow, the tracks still end up sounding 30 years ahead of their time – far stronger than most any early 50s big band set might hope to. Recording quality is excellent, and the whole thing's awash in richly chromatic waves of sound. Titles include "Pyramid", "Reminiscing In Tempo", "Tough Truckin", "No Greater Love", and "Finesse". 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)". 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 "The Controversial Suite". LP, Vinyl record album

Don't let the title put you off, because this certainly isn't a session of background music – and the name simply refers to the fact that the arrangements on the set really showcase the strong horn work of the Ellington orchestra! Duke's still on piano for the session, but the real strength of the album's carried by classic Ellington players that include Ray Nance, Willie Cook, Johnny Hodges, Jimmy Hamilton, Harry Carney, and Lawrence Brown. Arrangements are by Bill Mathieu and Gerald Wilson – and although many of the tunes are older Ellington numbers, they've got a tight groove (and excellent recording quality) – which updates the material nicely. Titles include "Midriff", "Main Stem", "Happy Go Lucky Local", "What Am I Here For", "Kinda Dukish", and "Perdido". LP, Vinyl record album

A well-titled album from trumpeter Don Ellis – as the set soars to the skies from the very first note! The album's got a dynamic energy that almost beats Don's American work of the time – lots of funky rhythms, and a cool MPS groove that shows the label's strong 70s legacy of larger group jazz recordings! Like other MPS dates of the time, there's a nice mix of electric and acoustic instrumentation in the lineup – bass and guitar that kick the rhythms up strongly, plus keyboards and electrified strings that bring in their own unique sounds. Milcho Leviev handles the keys on the session – and titles are a fresh batch of numbers that include "Sidonie", "Image Of Maria", "Sladka Pitka", "Go Back Home", "Whiplash", "The Devil Made Me Write This Piece", and "Invincible". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful late 70s albums from Bill Evans – showing a further evolution of his solo piano/overdub approach! New Conversations is a record that follows strongly on the format of Bill's famous "Conversations" sessions for Verve in the 60s – and like those dates, it features the pianist playing alongside himself, thanks to the magic of overdubbing. But unlike those, this one also features a bit of electric piano too – picked up from the Left & Right years, and played alongside the acoustic piano in a shimmering sort of sound that's really great. The tones are tremendous – almost more open and fluid than in any Evans trio dates of the time – and the whole thing's got a ringing quality that's as much about sonic textures as it is about melody. Titles include "Song For Helen", "I Love My Wife", "For Nenette", "Maxine", "Nobody Else But Me", "After You", and "Reflections In D". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal session for Gil Evans – one that brought his genius to the American public strongly and successfully, without the help of Miles Davis! Sure, Gil had recorded albums as a leader before this one – but the sparkling quality of this set is right up there with the charts he handled for Miles, and the quality of the players in the group make the performance every bit as great. Gil's band includes trumpeter Johnny Coles, plus Ron Carter on bass, Elvin Jones on drums, Budd Johnson on tenor, and Ray Crawford on guitar – all players who open up the sound with a magnificent array of colors that sparkle from the sublime Evans arranging touch. Titles include "Stratusphunk", "Sunken Treasure", "La Nevada", and a great reading of Kurt Weil's "Bilbao Song". LP, Vinyl record album

Pretty great stuff – and a record that's often hidden amidst the flurry of so-so Herbie Mann albums from the mid 70s – but is well worth seeking out! The Family Of Mann group is one organized by Herbie Mann, and featuring Steve Gadd on drums, Pat Rebillot on keyboards, Tony Levin on bass, and David Newman on reeds along with Herbie – a combo who backed up Mann on some other records from the time, but who really get to shine center stage here! The band has a strong electric groove on their best moments – with kind of a choppy fusion groove, but one that's tight too – almost funky, at a level that's somewhere near cop/crime soundtrack work of the time. Rebillot's keyboards are great, as always – and titles include "Toot Stick", "Music Is A Game We Play", "The Turtle & The Frog", and the extended jammer "Sunrise Highs". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare Latin outing from trumpeter Art Farmer – one that has him working with the mighty Cuban arranger Chico O'Farrill! The grooves here are hardly "Aztec", as Chico brings a hip postwar vibe to the session – a blend of American jazz and Latin rhythms that's totally great, and played by an all-star array of players conducted by Al Cohn! Side one of the record features the extended "Aztec Suite" – an ambitious number that begins with modern moments that are somewhere in a space between Stan Kenton and Ralph Burns' experiments of this nature, but which always has Farmer's trumpet as the center focus. Side two features tracks that are a bit more conventional Latin jazz – still played by the bigger group, but with an even stronger sense of swing! Titles include "Aztec Suite", "Heat Wave", "Drume Negrita", "Alone Together", "Woody N You", and "Delirio". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare Latin outing from trumpeter Art Farmer – one that has him working with the mighty Cuban arranger Chico O'Farrill! The grooves here are hardly "Aztec", as Chico brings a hip postwar vibe to the session – a blend of American jazz and Latin rhythms that's totally great, and played by an all-star array of players conducted by Al Cohn! Side one of the record features the extended "Aztec Suite" – an ambitious number that begins with modern moments that are somewhere in a space between Stan Kenton and Ralph Burns' experiments of this nature, but which always has Farmer's trumpet as the center focus. Side two features tracks that are a bit more conventional Latin jazz – still played by the bigger group, but with an even stronger sense of swing! Titles include "Aztec Suite", "Heat Wave", "Drume Negrita", "Alone Together", "Woody N You", and "Delirio". LP, Vinyl record album

Overlooked genius from Art Farmer – a less-remembered session from the early 80s, and one that features him in a hip quintet with the great Sahib Shihab! The feel here is as lyrical and laidback as some of Art's other work from the time, but the presence of Sahib on soprano and baritone brings a good sense of feeling to the record – one that almost sharper than usual for a Farmer session, and which seems to push the trumpeter more strongly than usual on the upbeat numbers. An added plus is the rhythm section – which features Kenny Drew on piano, Mads Vinding on bass, and Ed Thigpen on drums – all players who had plenty of time together on the Copehagen scene, and who work in an equally cohesive way here. Titles include "Arrival", "Blue Wail", "Context", "Back Door Beauty", and "Passport". LP, Vinyl record album

Art Farmer really found a great home for his music on the Soul Note label in the 80s – a place where he could continue to grow strongly, in ways that almost let him find a new sort of edge in his horn! This album's a wonderful example of the strengths that Farmer found at the label – as the album's got an easygoing feel, but a bit more bit than some of Art's work of the 80s – a crisp tone in his own flugelhorn, which he'd mastered even more at the time, and some great support from the mighty Clifford Jordan on tenor, whose playing really adds a lot of depth to the session. Remaining players include Fred Hersh on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Akira Tana on drums – a pretty hip rhythm section – and titles include "You Make Me Smile", "Prelude No 1", "Nostalgia", "Flashback", "Souvenir", and "Have You Met Miss Jones". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous comeback for the Art Farmer/Benny Golson Jazztet – recording here in the mid 80s with original members Farmer, Golson, and Curtis Fuller – plus tremendous rhythm support from the trio of Mickey Tucker, Ray Drummon, and Marvin Smitty Smith! The session has less of the tightly snapping groove that was the initial Jazztet calling card in the 60s – and comes across with some of the warmer, more chromatic tones that showed up on the group's last few recordings – and even more so in Art Farmer's work for many years to come. Tracks are all longish, and filled with many interesting twists and turns – and overall the album recalls the brilliant economy of Farmer's best work from the period, with some of the subtle soul that made Golson a player to keep an ear on strongly during the 80s. Titles include "From Dream To Dream", "Back To The City", "Vas Simeon", "Write Soon", and "Without Delay/Time Speaks". LP, Vinyl record album

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