The name of the group may be obscure, but it's one of the key ensembles who recorded as part of the legendary Deram jazz series at the turn of the 70s – directed by cellist Paul Buckmaster, and featuring trumpet from Ian Carr and soprano sax from Brian Smith! The style here mixes together strings and freer jazz styles – in a tightly scored way that makes for shifting patterns in sound and mood. Overall, there's a quality to the work that always seems to be yearning for the next level – especially on the earlier tracks on the album, which kind of set the stage – and then open up at the final half of the record in some especially groovy numbers that feature Chris Karan on tabla! Other players include Peter Robinson on electric piano, Diana Lewis on acoustic piano, and Barry Morgan on drums – and titles include "Chitinous", "Dance", "Aldebaranian Song", and "Ronkproat'tn". LP, Vinyl record album

The birth of modern jazz guitar – seminal sides recorded by Charlie Christian, working in small group format with Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Fletcher Henderson, and even a bit of Basie. Christian's tone on the instrument is fantastic – and even though the style of the tracks is more in the swing era mode, there's a direct line between his playing and later work by Grant Green and other 60s jazz guitar giants. Titles include "Six Appeal", "Gilly", "Waiting For Benny", "Seven Come Eleven", "Airmail Special", "Breakfast Feud", and "Wholly Cats". LP, Vinyl record album

Small group genius from one of the first major players of jazz guitar – electrified Charlie Christian, working here in the Benny Goodman Sextet, and in his own combo too! LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little record that lives up to the name of the group – a record that's maybe jazz at the core, but served up in very cinematic ways – very much the spirit of the dark, moody image pictured on the cover! This isn't chase, crime, or cop music – but instead maybe the sounds you'd hear on the journey home after the battle – slow funk in the rhythms, peppered with great work on vibes, piano, and mellotron from Pierre Chretien – who also wrote, arranged, and produced the whole record too! Most tunes have a nice light melody over heavier drums and percussion on the bottom – never too over the top, but well-paced in a way that really makes this one stand out from the pack. Titles include "Les Corbeaux", "Eveil De La Cite", "Aube Sur La Ville", "Fleurs De Bitume", "Le Petit Cimetiere", "Apres Le Deluge", and "Illusions Perdues". LP, Vinyl record album

With a name like Cinephonic, you can imagine some of the sound here – but that's also only the tip of the iceberg, as there's a heck of a lot going on with the record! There's definitely a cinematic vibe to the music, yet the work isn't just any retro-styled material influenced by film scores – as these guys have all sorts of wonderful instrumentation of their own, including great use of flute, tenor, trumpet, and some especially nice organ, clavinet, and vibes – all handled by Pierre Chretien, the maestro behind the whole project! Strings provide a nice backdrop, but they're used sparingly, and with a nicely sinister tone – that darkness you might find in the larger charts of David Axelrod at his best. The whole thing's great – every bit as wonderful as their previous record – and titles include "Pyramides", "L'Etoile", "Les Souterrains", "Penombre", "Douleur", "Cendres Et Poussieres", and "Le Combat". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most compelling albums we've ever heard from Ornette Coleman – and a set that's very different than some of his other work for different labels – particularly his better-known material for Blue Note and Atlantic! The album's got a righteous feel that's right up there in the best spirit of the Flying Dutchman label of the early 70s – a mode that's still on the far reaches of avant jazz that Ornette explored on earlier sessions – but which also has a warmer, almost more spiritual quality at times too. The core group features legendary partners Charlie Haden on bass, Dewey Redman on tenor, and Ed Blackwell on drums – but part of the record features an unnamed group of "Friends & Neighbors", who join in on the title cut with this collaborative spirit that really sets the tone for the whole record. Coleman plays trumpet and violin in addition to his usual alto sax – and titles include the mindblowing two part "Friends & Neighbors", plus "Let's Play", "Long Time No See", "Forgotten Songs", and "Tomorrow". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning session by Ornette, and one that always seems to get overlooked in discussions of his albums for Atlantic! His quartet here features the amazing Scott LaFaro on bass, and a young Ed Blackwell on drums – both of whom give the tracks an amazing pulse that brings new energy out of Ornette and Don Cherry's solos – working in a modal groove that's as catchy as it is modern! All tracks are named after initials of titles of books by Sigmund Freud, including "T & T" (Totem & Taboo), "C&D"(Civilization and Discontent), "W.R.U.", and "R.P.D.D.". LP, Vinyl record album

Early work by Alice Coltrane – somewhat under the shadow of her late husband, as you'd guess from the use of his name on the front cover – but really stepping out here with a voice of her own! The Monastic Trio of the set features Alice on harp and piano – alongside bass from Jimmy Garrison and drums by either Ben Riley or Rashied Ali – both really fluid players who open up nicely in this way that's never to far out, at least in the way that John Coltrane was using rhythms at the time – but which allow Alice to really take the lead as a bold musical visionary of her own! Perhaps most exciting, Pharoah Sanders sits in on one of the album's longest tracks – blowing tenor with a force that's enough to bring back The Great One – but the real charm of the set is Alice's piano work, bubbling out here with a sensitivity that we never would have expected from the harder-edge sessions cut with Coltrane – that new level of spirituality she instantly brought to her own solo sessions. Titles include "Ohnedaruth", "Lovely Sky Boat", and "Atomic Peace". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal work from trumpeter Ted Curson – a set that's issued under his own name, but which continues a string of key early 60s performances with tenorist Bill Barron – who's work together here with Ted is fantastic! The group has no piano – just Herb Bushler on bass and Dick Berk on drums – both players with a fluid, open sense of rhythm – one that allows for plenty of horn interplay, at a level that almost has Curson borrowing some of the lessons he learned from Mingus, then taking them into small group formation and really opening things up! Curson also blows a bit of pocket trumpet, and Barron handles some clarinet – on a set of all original material that includes a great version of Curson's "Quicksand", plus the tracks "Kassim", "East 6th Street", "Tears For Dolphy", "7/4 Funny Time", and "Desolation". 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

Brilliant early work by Miles Davis – some of his first truly important sessions to appear under his own name – originally issued as singles or 10" LP recordings by Blue Note, and brought together here in a full length set that would help to define the early years of his career! This is work before Miles was able to stretch out on longer sessions for Prestige, but the material already showcases his unique contribution to jazz – shorter tracks that are perhaps more boppish, than you might expect from some of Miles' other 50s work – but in a way that still allows for many moments of lyrical beauty, and that brilliantly cool sound of his which forever changed the sound of jazz trumpet. The set features work from an assortment of players who vary from track to track – including Jimmy Heath on tenor, Jackie McLean on alto, JJ Johnson on trombone, Gil Coggins on piano, and either Kenny Clarke or Art Blakey on drums – on titles that include "Tempus Fugit", "Kelo", "Enigma", "Ray's Ida", and "CTA". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant early work by Miles Davis – some of his first truly important sessions to appear under his own name – originally issued as singles or 10" LP recordings by Blue Note, and brought together here in a full length set that would help to define the early years of his career! This is work before Miles was able to stretch out on longer sessions for Prestige, but the material already showcases his unique contribution to jazz – shorter tracks that are perhaps more boppish, than you might expect from some of Miles' other 50s work – but in a way that still allows for many moments of lyrical beauty, and that brilliantly cool sound of his which forever changed the sound of jazz trumpet. The set features work from an assortment of players who vary from track to track – including Jimmy Heath on tenor, Jackie McLean on alto, JJ Johnson on trombone, Horace Silver on piano, and Art Blakey on drums. Titles on this second volume include "Weirdo", "Donna", "Ray's Idea (alt)", "Take Off", "Would'n You", "The Leap", "Lazy Suzan", and "Tempus Fugit (alt)". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Pyramid", "Monogram", "Cable Car", "Gold Nugget Sam", "From Here To Eternity", and "Punkin". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare lost work from funky drummer Les DeMerle – a set of tracks that were recorded for Atlantic Records in 1967, two years before DeMerle's classic Spectrum album – yet which finally appear here for the first time ever! Les is rock-solid, right from the start – definitely one of those younger players really helping to shift the sound of the larger jazz group at the end of the 60s – with fresh arrangements that bring in plenty of currents from soul, and a tight approach to the groove that makes the best of the excellent lineup! The set features work from some younger names who would break big later – including Randy Brecker on trumpet, Terry Plumeri on bass, and Lanny Morgan on alto and flute – as well as a touch of vocals from future rocker Genya Ravan. Titles include "Sticks", "Raunchy Rita", "Feelin Good", "Come Back To Me", "On A Clear Day", "That's Life", and "Signifyin". LP, Vinyl record album

A great companion album to the Les DeMerle Concerts By The Sea record – every bit as funky as that one, and for good reason too – as this set was recorded at exactly the same time! The package offers up the legendary drummer in a sweet 70s setup – great Fender Rhodes and Clavinet in the group from Ramsey Embick, who works perfectly with the dynamic drums of the leader – plus the great Don Menza on tenor, soprano, and flute – always a great musician on a record like this! There's some added congas in the group, the bass is electric, and the whole thing kicks nicely – on titles that include "Daggerpoint", "In Transit", "Transcendental Watusi", "Ear Food", "Manfred 8", and "Once Upon A Time". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most unique albums on the Strata East label – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given the creative energies flowing through that legendary jazz outlet! Descendants Of Mike & Phoebe is a righteous little project put together by Spike Lee's father, Bill Lee, and his brothers and sisters (Cliff Lee, Grace Lee Mims, and Consuela Lee Moorhead) – working here in a group named after their slave ancestors, who are paid tribute in a beautifully flowing batch of tunes! Lee's round, warm bass tones are firmly at the head of the group on most numbers – recorded at a similar level to his excellent work with Clifford Jordan on Strata East during the same time – and other instrumentation includes piano from Consuela, flugelhorn from Cliff, and percussion from Sonny Brown and Billy Higgins – all used in a wonderfully evocative style that's even better than some of Lee's later soundtrack work. A few numbers feature vocals from Grace – singing wordlessly and with a really heavenly sort of quality – and together, the whole group have a undeniable sense of power and majesty, yet also one that's touched by a really personal sense of poetry too. Titles include a great version of Lee's "Coltrane", which was more famously recorded with Clifford Jordan – plus "Chick Chick", "Attica", "Too Little, Too Late", "Boll Weevil", "Don't Be A Stranger", and "Well Done, Weldon". LP, Vinyl record album

A really formative album – not just as part of the key second chapter of alto genius Lou Donaldson, but also as the start of a huge generation of jazz funk grooves to come! The key element here is drummer Idris Muhammad – working in the group of Donaldson, but under his birth name of Leo Morris – and still already graced with that fantastic sense of rhythm that has him stretching out the beats, and creating grooves that would push the 60s soul jazz generation into more electric funk modes in the decade to come! The record's a perfect bridge between the two generations – with long tracks that draw plenty from Idris' drums and Lou's alto – plus work from Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Lonnie Smith on organ, and the young George Benson on guitar – still hard and soulful, in that style he had been using in the 60s group of organist Jack McDuff. If you know the heavily sampled side of Lou Donaldson's work, you'll know the greatness you're getting here – on cuts that include "Dapper Dan", "Midnight Creeper", "Bag Of Jewels", and "Love Power". 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

Maybe the most beautiful record we've ever heard from bassist Dezron Douglas – an artist who hasn't given us many albums as a leader, but who always creates something special when he does! This set not only follows that legacy, but really knocks it out of the park – as there's a rich, soulful approach to the whole thing that represents a quality that we've always heard lurking in Dezron's music, but which never came through this strongly! The group is really well-matched with warm piano and Fender Rhodes from George Burton (another player we like a lot) – and these angular reed lines from Emilio Modeste, a player who can have a soulful swing at one minute, and a much freer sound the next – especially when driven on by dynamic drum work from Joe Dyson Jr – as the group effortlessly moves between spiritual/modal sounds, and more outside moments. Melvis Santa sings on one cut, "Wheeping Birch" – and other titles include "Luna Moth", "Atalaya", "Rose", "J Bird", "Octopus", "Foligno", "More Coffee Please", and "Jones Beach". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the more obscure Roy Eldridge sessions for Verve – with a very cool cover too! Titles include "Tin Roof Blues", "Jada", "Bugle Call Rag", "Black & Blue", and "That's A Plenty". LP, Vinyl record album

Buck Clayton's trumpet joins the Ellington band – on titles that include "Take The A Train", "In A Mellotone", "Newport Jump", "I Got It Bad", and "Skin Deep". 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

(Funky 45's, Jazz) 7-inch, Vinyl record

Fusion Affair are a group who definitely take their name seriously – as the album's got a mix of keyboards and other electric instrumentation that really lives up to the legacy of jazz fusion – yet also has a way of coming across here with a nicely contemporary vibe! The group's inspirations are as much 80s as they are 70s – yet they've also got more of a 21st Century sense of rhythms, which means that some of the best cuts almost have a contemporary clubby sort of groove. Mathieu Guillot handles Fender Rhodes and a range of other keyboards on the set – in a lineup that also includes guitar, bass, drums, percussion, and additional keys – on the tracks "Venom", "Bounce", "Missing Cat", "Bougie Noire", "Dasha", and "Fruits Rouges". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest albums ever issued under the name of pianist Red Garland – a standout blowing session in the best Prestige Records style of the late 50s! Red's the leader, but the session's equally weighted towards all players – including trumpeter Donald Byrd, and tenorist John Coltrane – both of whom get plenty of space to solo on the album's very long tracks. Garland's piano seems to have a bit more bite than usual in the company of these heavyweights – and other players include George Joyner on bass and Art Taylor on drums – a pretty lean lineup for a session like this, which means even longer solos than usual. Side one of the record is the super-extended "All Morning Long", and side two includes "They Can't Take That Away From Me" and "Our Delight". LP, Vinyl record album

Long tracks and plenty of room to move around – a perfect setting for the classic sound of the Red Garland Trio on Prestige! Despite the title, the album's not so much groovy as it is lyrically beautiful and filled with sensitivity – a key bridge between piano players of the mainstream in the years before Garland, and some of the bigger, bolder names that would rise up during the 60s soul jazz years. Rhythm is by Paul Chambers on bass and Art Taylor on drums – and the longer tracks give Chambers plenty of room to express his unique talents on the bass. Titles include "Gone Again", "Hey Now", "Will You Still Be Mine", "What Can I Say Dear", and "C-Jam Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Long tracks and plenty of room to move around – a perfect setting for the classic sound of the Red Garland Trio on Prestige! Despite the title, the album's not so much groovy as it is lyrically beautiful and filled with sensitivity – a key bridge between piano players of the mainstream in the years before Garland, and some of the bigger, bolder names that would rise up during the 60s soul jazz years. Rhythm is by Paul Chambers on bass and Art Taylor on drums – and the longer tracks give Chambers plenty of room to express his unique talents on the bass. Titles include "Gone Again", "Hey Now", "Will You Still Be Mine", "What Can I Say Dear", and "C-Jam Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A great lost album from Stan Getz! The record features Stan in a totally new setting, playing with some relatively unfamiliar French talents – Eddie Louiss on organ, Rene Thomas on guitar, and Bernard Lubat on drums. Louiss is incredible, and has a free spacey sound that recalls Larry Young – which works perfectly with Getz's post-Coltrane explorations here. The whole album's a triumph, and a tribute to Stan's never-ending quest for new sounds, despite the fact that labels always wanted him to reproduce his bigger hits. Titles include "Our Kind Of Sabi", "Song For Martine", "Invitation", and "Dum Dum". All tracks are long, and the album's a delightful meeting of European jazz and masterful solo talents! LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of recordings by Dizzy's second band, with Dave Burns, Elmon Wright, Matthew McKay,and Ray Orr on trumpets, Ted Kelly and Bill Shepherd on trombones, John Brown and Howard Johnson on alto, George Nicholas and Joe Gales on tenor, Cecil Payne on baritone, and Kenny Clarke on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible bit of global jazz from the French scene at the start of the 70s – one of those really unique records that's beyond easy definition, and which really represents all the cool criss-crossings in styles that were taking place on the Parisian scene at the time! Majole Hajary was born in Suriname, raised in Amsterdam, and has a background in Indian culture – but he also works here with the very groovy French arranger Roger Guerin, who plays trumpet and does a masterful job of bringing the whole thing together – in a blend of voices, rhythms, and instrumentation that all feels like some of the more compelling work on Saravah Records at the time! Lyrics are in French, traded between a few different singers with a very spiritual vibe – and Guerin's trumpet solos over the top, often like Donald Byrd in his "with voices" mode, but hipper – especially as other instrumentation includes sitar, organ, tablas, and lots of other great elements! Titles include "Judas", "Notre Pere", "Priere", "Gethsemani", "Les Apotres", and "La Mort De Judas". LP, Vinyl record album

Lionel Hampton on vibraphone, Pepper Adams on baritone saxophone, Cat Anderson on trumpet and flugelhorn, Eddie Bert on trombone, Ray Bryant on piano, Doc Cheatham on trumpet, Arnett Cobb on tenor saxophone, Panama Francis on drums, John Gordon on trumpet, Chubby Jackson on bass, Charles McPherson on alto saxophone, Billy Mackel on guitar, Jimmy Mackel on trumpet and flugelhorn, Paul Moen on tenor saxophone, Joe Newman on trumpet and flugelhorn, Benny Powell on trombone, Earle Warren on clarinet, flute and alto saxophone, Bob Wilber on clarinet, and Teddy Wilson on piano. LP, Vinyl record album

A near-forgotten gem from Coleman Hawkins excellent late 50s period – recorded for the short-lived Felsted label, and done in a beautifully relaxed way! The tracks here are long and easy-going – at times even more open than Hawkins' work for Verve, and in the style he'd explore even more deeply for Prestige on some albums recorded right after this set. Hawk is playing in a quintet with Buck Clayton on trumpet, Hank Jones on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Mickey Sheen on drums – and titles include "My One & Only Love", "Bird Of Prey Blues", "Get Set", "Ooh Wee Miss GP", "Vignette" and "You've Changed". LP, Vinyl record album

With Jimmy Leary on bass and Panama Francis on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

A rare funk treat from tenor sax jazz legend Joe Houston – working in a far funkier mode than usual for the obscure Big Town label! The lineup and production is heavy with 50s LA R&B names in it – including Ted Butler, Bo Rhambo and Larry Johnson – and sure enough, there's genuine prime era rhythm & blues DNA in some of the material, to say nothing of the incredible chops of all involved – but the overall sound is very modern 70s jazz, with some really funky cuts, too! The highlight is the two-part title track, "Kicking Back", which is a top shelf jazz funk groover – but the whole record is solid, with "T-Bone Disco", "Hawaiian Disco", "Trippin' In", "Mr. Big H", and "Why Don't You Rock Me". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few key pairings of Noah Howard and Frank Wright – and a great session that stands perfectly next to those recordings made by the pair under Wright's name! The record bristles with the best energy of the BYG and America sides from the time – but possibly goes even beyond those with a sense of cohesion and soulfulness that is especially gripping. The pairing of Howard's alto and Wright's tenor is one of those few avant matches made in heaven, and they work together wonderfully in freely exploratory territory that recalls the best of the ESP scene of the 60s. The group's a quartet – with Bobby Few on piano and Art Taylor on drums – and tracks include the Howard originals "Space Dimension", "Viva Black", "Song For Poets", and "Blues For Thelma" – plus a shorter version of Wright's classic "Church Number Nine", recorded with Muhammad Ali on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Fabulous stuff – one of the legendary albums that funky flute player Bobbi Humphrey cut with producer Larry Mizell! The record's a prime example of the Mizell genius at work – as Larry's arranged these fantastic backdrops for Bobbi's flute – soaring keyboard lines, layers and layers of rhythm, and just enough space for Bobbi to come in and send the record to the heavens with her spiritually grooving sound. Harvey Mason plays drums, Jerry Peters is on keyboards, and the rest of the group's an all-star LA studio jazz assemblage – perfectly fit together by Larry's arrangements and production in that classic cosmic mid 70s Mizell wall of sound! Tracks include "Fun House", "Satin Doll", "San Francisco Lights", and "New York Times". LP, Vinyl record album

Pianist Per Husby is a player with a rich, warm tone – one that really sets the stage here for some wonderfully soulful explorations by a very hip group – a combo who sound perfect when they hit a modal mode, but can also do some other wonderful things as well! Husby's piano is rich at the core, but the record is balanced with all sorts of great reed work – Knut Riisnaes on tenor, Harald Bergsen on alto and tenor, and Bjorn Johansen on soprano, tenor, and baritone – balanced nicely by the trumpet work of Bernt Anker Steen, and given a strong rhythmic pulse from Carl Morten Iversen on bass and Svein Erik Gaardvik on drums. And if you think all these Norwegian names might add up to a sleepy session, you're totally wrong – as the record is a great example of the way the better players on the European scene were absorbing American spiritual jazz experiments, then using the energy to make something new of their own. The title track "The Peacemaker" is worth the price of admission alone – and other titles include "Introduction To No Particular Song", "Smatta", "Nokve", "Fantasy In D", and "Adgang F". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful collection of later work from this legendary Japanese pianist – a set that's named after his famous Watarase album from years back, but which includes some unusual live recordings and material that we haven't seen elsewhere! Some of the tracks here really break the standard piano trio format of some of Fumio Itabashi's other albums, but still glow in that boldly spiritual, soulful style he brought to his work from the 70s onwards – and the set features a duet with alto player Kazutoki Umezo, a quintet title with tenorist Tetsuro Kawashima and trumpeter Shinpei Ruike, a live trio track, and the last a never-heard 1981 solo demo performance of the tune! LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet larger group session from vibist Milt Jackson – proof that he was really trying to stretch his wings, and get into new things during the 60s! The set's got Milt working with some great help from Tadd Dameron and Ernie Wilkins on larger group arrangements – nicely swinging charts that have a nice touch of modern, but lots of straightforward grooving too! Milt's the primary soloist, buoyed by an orchestra built around a rhythm section of Hank Jones on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and either Connie Cay or Philly Joe on drums – plus loads of great horn players like Clark Terry, Nat Adderley, Melba Liston, James Moody and Jimmy Heath among others. Titles include renditions of "Old Devil Moon", "'Round Midnight", "The Dream Is You", "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", "Echoes", "If You Could See Me Now", "Star Eyes", "Namesake", "If I Should Lose You", and "Later Than You Think". LP, Vinyl record album

Two great 60s albums from vibist Milt Jackson – both a bit unusual in format! On Big Bags, Jackson takes on a set of 10 standards (mostly) with some help from Tadd Dameron and Ernie Wilkins on larger group arrangements! Milt's the primary soloist, buoyed by an orchestra built around a rhythm section of Hank Jones, Ron Carter and either Connie Cay or Philly Joe on drums, plus loads of great horn players like Clark Terry, Nat Adderley, Melba Liston, James Moody and Jimmy Heath among others. Includes renditions of "Old Devil Moon", "'Round Midnight", "The Dream Is You", "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", "Echoes", "If You Could See Me Now", "Star Eyes", "Namesake", "If I Should Lose You", and "Later Than You Think". The second album of this set is also a surprisingly nice pairing – the vibes of Milt Jackson and some larger horn backings that fall heavy on the trumpet and trombone side of the spectrum! The sound's not nearly as heavy or hokey as you'd expect – thanks to arrangements by Melba Liston – and the horns do a nice job of setting a scene that lets Milt's vibes sneak in and out with effortless ease – coloring things with a great one, and a very rhythmic feel. The album's worth it for one track alone – the really great "Bossa Bags", which grooves with a sound that's everything you'd expect from the title! Other tracks include "Extraordinary Blues", "Save Your Love For Me", "For Someone I Love", "Days Of Wine & Roses", and "Just Waiting". LP, Vinyl record album

A cool meeting of talents – and one that makes for some of the grooviest Count Basie material of the 70s! The vibes of Milt Jackson are a very welcome addition to the Basie groove here – an instrumental sound that didn't always show up in the Count's work, and which brings an extra soulful swing to the proceedings – ringing out with that rich tone that Milt developed in his years away from the MJQ! Horn players include some familiar Basie names, plus Fred Wesley in the trombone line – and titles include "The Comeback", "Lady In Lace", "Lil Darlin", "Good Time Blues", and "Basie". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album – not only for Bob James, but for CTI and the Fender Rhodes as well! This is the album where all the magic starts – the first of many extremely successful albums that Bob recorded during the 70s under his own name, and almost the birthplace of the modern hip hop keyboard sample line! The album's stuffed with great numbers – including a sublime reading of "Feel Like Making Love", and the classic "Nautilus" – a slow, dark, funky tune that's worth the price of the album alone! Other tracks include "Valley Of The Shadows", "Night On Bald Mountain", and "Soulero". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the lesser-known JJ Johnson albums of the mid 60s – and nice little session that's done with a fresh sort of style! The album's got JJ playing mostly with larger arrangements – penned by Dick Hyman, Slide Hampton, and Billy Byaers – in modes that range from upbeat, mod, and swinging – to mellow, lush, and soulful. A few cuts have vocalists – like the lovely Marlene Ver Planck, who sings wordlessly on the album's amazing groover "Pense A Moi" – a sweetly skipping jazz waltz that's almost worth the price of the record alone! Marlene returns on a great version of "Agua De Beber", and Osie Johnson sings on versions of "The Seventh Son" and "In The Name Of Love" – and other nice tracks include "008", "Feeling Good", and "G'Won Train". LP, Vinyl record album

With George Rhodes on piano, John Browne on bass, and Harold Austin on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of some of Kenton's early 50s hits. Most of the tracks that are included were arranged by Pete Rugolo and they include "Peg O' My Heart", "He's Funny That Way", "Capitol Punishment", "Painted Rhythm", "Lover", "Somnambulism", "Abstraction", and "Chorale For Brass, Piano & Bongo". Packaged in a very cool cover featuring a conductor standing amidst a odd Dali-esque landscape of hands and lines. LP, Vinyl record album

A classic early 10" release from guitarist Barney Kessel – played in that spacious style he virtually invented back in the 50s! Barney's tone has a bit more edge here than in later years, but the sound is still totally great – airy, but never sleepy – and featuring work by Bud Shank on flute and alto, Arnold Ross on piano, Shelly Manne on drums, and Harry Babasin on bass. Titles include "Bernardo", "I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "Salute To Charlie Christian", and "Vicky's Dream". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful laid back LP from Barney Kessel, with a mellow west coast feel throughout. Kessel's got a nice sympathetic quintet supporting him on this date, with Bob Cooper, Claude Williamson, Monty Budwig and Shelly Manne. 8 numbers in all, including "Speak Low", "Love Is Here To Stay", "How Long Has This Been Going On", "On A Slow Boat To China", "Barney's Blues", "A Foggy Day", "Prelude To A Kiss" and "64 Bars On Wilshire". LP, Vinyl record album

The young Roland Kirk at the height of his powers – recording here on the UK scene, long before he added the Rahsaan to his name – and heading up a very cool combo with the legendary Stan Tracey on piano! Stan's presence here is wonderful – as Tracey was in many ways the Thelonious Monk or Herbie Nichols of the London scene – a modernist piano genius whose accompaniment of Roland here is akin to the work of Jaki Byard on some of Kirk's other albums – as the pair move deftly and wonderfully with the mix of imagination and wit that both of them brought to their music! Rhythm accompaniment is wonderful too – deft drums from Ronnie Stephenson and bass from Malcolm Cecil. Kirk blows tenor, stritch, and manzello – sometimes all three at once – and titles include the long tracks "Angelica", "Days Of Wine & Roses", "Close Your Eyes", and "Three For The Festival". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty cool record from legendary drummer Gene Krupa – filled with loads of unusual percussion, all played live for the recording – set to arrangements by George Williams that are mighty dynamic! Tunes are sometimes from classical sources, but swung in a completely different way! LP, Vinyl record album

A second great set of work from improvising genius Steve Lacy – working here in both solo formation, and in a trio with Andrea Centazzo on drums and Kent Carter on bass – all on material recorded by the Ictus label in the 70s, but unissued at the time! The solo pieces are beautiful – very much on a par with some of Lacy's better-known recordings in that mode at the time, but maybe also more lyrical too – and the trio improvisation gets nicely unbounded, with all three players really pushing themselves in pursuit of new sonic ideas! Titles include "Name", "The Way", and "Bone". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the rarest albums ever recorded by the hiply swinging vocal trio of Jon Hendricks, Dave Lambert, and Annie Ross – a live session from 1958, with backing by a group that includes Zoot Sims, Russ Freeman, and Jim Hall. The feel here is really wonderful – a lot less hokey than on some of the group's Basie-oriented sides, with a style that's perhaps closest to their superb work on the album High Flying for Columbia. Tracks are angular, dynamic, and very swinging – with great lyrics by Hendricks, and titles that include "Four", "Airegin", "Little Niles", "Babe's Blues", "Now's The Time", and "Jackie". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Dynamic sounds from this overlooked 60s leader – played in a sharp mix of swing and modern styles – with work from Levitt on trombone, plus Bill Berry on trumpet, Buzz Renn on alto and flute, George Marge on tenor and flute, and Gene Allen on baritone and bass clarinet! LP, Vinyl record album

Tight hard swinging big band set, with really complicated arrangements and some great writing. Not all of the players are names you'll recognize, but Levitt's talent for arrangement and leadership ensure a tight tight band, and the album wails nicely. Tracks include "Stop Those Men!", "Vera Cruz", "Insight", and "The Mayor Of Vermont Village". Levitt's always talked about in hipster musician circles. Get this and find out why. LP, Vinyl record album

Deeply soulful blowing from tenorist Frank Lowe – working here in a wonderfully hip group that includes Don Cherry on pocket trumpet, Grachan Moncur III on trombone, Geri Allen on piano, Charnett Moffett on bass, and Charles Moffett on drums. The date really lives up to the promise you might expect from the players listed – and has a really classic, deep-rooted sound that makes the album feel like some lost avant set from a decade before – very well-crafted and thoughtful, with a great balance between focus and freedom. Lowe wrote most of the songs – and titles include "Decision In Paradise", "Cherryco", "I'll Whistle Your Name", "Lowe-ologie", "You Dig", and "Dues & Don'ts". LP, Vinyl record album

A really revolutionary album – both at the time it was released, and all these many years later! In a surprising nod to the younger generation, Blue Note opened the door to Madlib – already making a name with his array of great projects at the start of the century – an early part of his legacy of bringing in lots of jazz energy to hip hop production! The album wasn't the first effort of this nature, but certainly set a new standard – one that so many others have tried to match over the years, but never got this right. The set's got a fair bit of live jazz work – in the mode of Madlib's Yesterdays New Quintet project – mixed with all sorts of cool production elements too. We love the vibes of Ahmad Miller especially in the lineup – and titles include reworks of "Montara", "Song For My Father", "Footprints", "Stepping Into Tomorrow", "Peace/Dolphin Dance", "Stormy", "Distant Land", and "Slim's Return" – plus the original "Funky Blue Note". (Hip Hop, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A really revolutionary album – both at the time it was released, and all these many years later! In a surprising nod to the younger generation, Blue Note opened the door to Madlib – already making a name with his array of great projects at the start of the century – an early part of his legacy of bringing in lots of jazz energy to hip hop production! The album wasn't the first effort of this nature, but certainly set a new standard – one that so many others have tried to match over the years, but never got this right. The set's got a fair bit of live jazz work – in the mode of Madlib's Yesterdays New Quintet project – mixed with all sorts of cool production elements too. We love the vibes of Ahmad Miller especially in the lineup – and titles include reworks of "Montara", "Song For My Father", "Footprints", "Stepping Into Tomorrow", "Peace/Dolphin Dance", "Stormy", "Distant Land", and "Slim's Return" – plus the original "Funky Blue Note". (Hip Hop, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A massive set of fusion from Mahavishnu Orchestra – a group that features some incredible guitar work from John McLaughlin, who sounds even more focused and driven here than on his own records! As with Return To Forever or Weather Report, the combo's a supergroup of sorts – with Billy Cobham on drums, Jan Hammer on keyboards, Jerry Goodman on violin, and Rick Laird on bass – all wailing with great intensity on some of the best numbers – a lot more energy than you might expect from their slightly more meditative name! Titles include "Meeting Of The Spirits", "Dawn", "The Noonward Race", "A Lotus On Irish Streams", and "Vital Transformation". LP, Vinyl record album

With Phil Woods on saxophone, March Johnson on acoustic bass, Bill Goodwin on drums, and Gene Estes on percussion. LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant modern jazz from German trombonist Albert Mangelsdorff – recording here in 1964, but sounding years ahead of his time, with an amazing a blend of jazz and Asian styles! The album's one of Mangelsdorff's best ever – a set of rhythmic tunes that seem clearly informed by the work of Ornette and Joe Harriott, but also based along eastern themes picked up by the group on a tour of the Orient – and performed by a sharp-edged quintet that includes Heinz Sauer on tenor and soprano sax, Gunter Kronberg on alto, Gunter Lenz on bass, and Ralph Hubner on drums. There's some nice traces of MPS/Saba modal and Jazz Meets the World styles – and overall, the rhythmic pulse keeps things from getting as free and out as on Mangelsdorff's 70s sides – really soaring, but never too far out – and always with a cool exotic groove. The whole thing's great – instantly striking, and always a treasure – and titles include "Sakura Waltz", "Now Jazz Ramwong", "Raknash", "Theme From Vietnam", and "Burungkaka". LP, Vinyl record album

Different work than usual for Herbie – a series of sides recorded in Sweden in the late 50s, featuring Herbie on both flute and tenor! The feel here is at once more poised and more open than some of Herbie's US sides from the time – as the groups shift from track to track, and Herbie's movement between tenor and flute gives the album a nicely rough edge. Players include Ake Persson, Rolf Blomqvist, Arne Domnerus, and Beng Arne Wallin – and titles include "Cherry Point", "Serenata", "Hurry Burry", "Adam's Theme", "Ow", and "Nature Boy". 1969 pressing of an album originally titled Mann In The Morning. LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent little album from the team of Herbie Mann & Buddy Collette – one that has both players using a wide range of reed instruments, and not just flute! Herbie and Buddy are wonderfully paired here – in a way that expands past the usual flute jazz mode by adding in bits of tenor sax, alto, and clarinet – as well as a range of different flutes too – not in a mode that's gimmicky, but which complements the lighter sound of the flute with some heavier notes on tenor at just the right moment – in a style that reminds us of some of Jerome Richardson's best records of the time. Rhythm is by the trio of Mel Lewis on drums, Buddy Clark on bass, and Jimmy Rowles on both piano and a bit of celeste – and tracks are long, with a freshly spontaneous feel that's really great! Titles include "Morning After", "Here's Pete", "Theme From Theme From", "Give A Little Whistle", "Herbie's Buddy", and "Pop Melody". This is a 2nd pressing of the Mode album Flute Fraternity – without Buddy Collette as the co-leader on the cover, and with his name listed in the notes as Bobby Collette! LP, Vinyl record album

Shelly picks up on a very successful format for his trio of the late 50s – begun with the My Fair Lady album, and followed through with this one – a batch of jazz-based readings of tracks from the hit Broadway musical based on the comic strip Lil Abner. Apart from that bit of history, and the goofy cover, which has Manne dressed as Abner, the overall feel is straight trio work in Shelly's most popular mode of the time – with Andre Previn on the ivories and Leroy Vinnegar on bass. Titles include "Matrimonial Stomp", "Jubilation T Cornpone", "Oh Happy Day", "Namely You", "Past My Prime", and "Progress Is The Root Of All Evil". LP, Vinyl record album

The group's name is a reference to a classic Latin jazz instrumental, and the album's title is a reference to a Wayne Shorter song from years back – both of which together give a strong idea of the strength of the record within! These guys play Latin music, but with a lot more complexity on the tenor and trumpet solos as they soar out past the rhythms – with very strong work on horns from musicians who've worked with Incognito, Jamiroquai, and the Brand New Heavies – plus keyboards, percussion, bass, and guitar from musicians with experience in lots of other great groups too! There's a bit of vocals on the record, but the main focus is on instrumentals – titles that include great remakes of "Mahjong", "Black Nile", "Blue In Green", "Lazy Bird", and "Up Jumped Spring". LP, Vinyl record album

An important early album from saxophonist Koichi Matsukaze – maybe not one of the biggest names in Japanese jazz during the 70s, but certainly one of that scene's most striking players! The approach here is quite spiritual – long, open tracks that pulsate strongly – thanks to work on Fender Rhodes and piano from Toshiyuki Daitoku, bass from Tamio Kawabata, and drums from Ryojiro Furusawa – all players that hew to the rhythm as strongly as Coltrane's rhythm section might have in the 70s – and who really let their leader soar to the skies, with magnificent solos on flute, alto, and tenor sax! The music is quite exploratory, but never too far outside – that perfect balance from the post-Coltrane generation – and titles include "Images In Alone", "Don't Worry About Tenor Saxophone", "Earth Mother", and "Zekatsuma Selbst". LP, Vinyl record album

A great groover from Brother Jack! The record is one of a few that Prestige cut matching Jack's hot quartet with the larger arrangements of Benny Golson – and that formula created some real winners that still sound great today! Sure, the formula was initiated by matching Jimmy Smith with Oliver Nelson, but the McDuff/Golson team is infinitely hipper, and they always managed to swing hard hard hard. Plus, Brother Jack's firey organ solos stretch out nice and lean through the arrangement, giving the record a great soulful sound. Titles include "Rail Head", "Bossa Nova West", "Pink Panther", and "Once In A Lifetime". LP, Vinyl record album

A real killer from Brother Jack McDuff – one of his first truly great albums, and a record that has him breaking from the sleepier R&B organ sound of the 50s – into the leaner, cleaner mode of the 60s! The album's one of the first to have him playing with the incredible drummer Joe Dukes – who gives the grooves plenty of weird twists and turns – that trademark McDuff approach to rhythm that would really set him apart from other organ players. The rest of the group features Leo Wright on alto sax and Kenny Burrell on guitar – both great players here, and not always heard with Jack. Titles include an early take on "Soulful Drums", plus the cuts "After Hours", "Screamin", and "He's A Real Gone Guy". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most righteous albums ever issued by the always-righteous Tribe Records label of Detroit – a really collective effort, one that features ensemble vocals and spiritual jazz – all pulled together by pianist Harold McKinney! The album showcases a group named Voices Of The Creative Profile – formed by McKinney to accompany his Creative Profile instrumental group – and the overall style is a great blend of spiritual soul jazz that gives equal time to the voices and instruments in the set. Gwen McKinney heads up the vocal ensemble, and other players on the set include Wendell Harrison on flute, Marcus Belgrave on trumpet, Billy Turner on percussion, and Ed Pickins on bass. Also features some cool moog from Darryl Dybka – and titles that include "In The Moog", "Freedom Jazz Dance", "Dolphin Dance", "Heavenese", "Ode To Africa", "Out Of The Blues", and "Cornerstone". Features a bonus 7" single – with the tracks "Ode To Africa" and "Jelly Loa". LP, Vinyl record album

(Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Key 70s work from Charles Mingus – an album that was recorded over the course of three days of creative activity at the end of 1974, but somehow split into two different albums under the Changes name! The lineup here is prime 70s Mingus – George Adams on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Don Pullen on piano – young players who really give a fresh voice to Mingus' musical ideas, and help him find this beautiful late life sense of color, tone, and timing that's completely sublime! Titles on this second volume include "Free Cell Block F Tis Nazi USA", "Black Bats & Poles", "For Harry Carney", and "Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love" – which features a guest appearance by Marcus Belgrave on trumpet and Jackie Paris on vocals. LP, Vinyl record album

A classic early 60s session for Candid Records – put together by a group that includes Charles Mingus, Max Roach, and a host of other musicians who were working here as "Newport Rebels" – by setting up the Jazz Artists Guild Festival as a protest against the increasingly commercialized Newport date! And for the record, the group definitely live up to their name – really shaking off the easier modes popularized at the Newport festival, and coming across with a style that's much more modern, firey, and righteous! Other artists include Abbey Lincoln on vocals, Booker Little on trumpet, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Eric Dolphy on saxophone, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone – and titles include a great rendition of "Tain't Nobody's Business If I Do" – plus 2 other great originals, "Cliff Walk" by Booker Little and "Mysterious Blues" by Mingus. 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

Monk plays unaccompanied on a mix of standards and originals, including "Monk's Point", "Dinah", "Ruby, My Dear", "Ask Me Now", and a classic version of "I Surrender, Dear" – done spare and moodily, with a really haunting tone! LP, Vinyl record album

Classic 60s work from Thelonious Monk – featuring his incredible quartet with Charlie Rouse on tenor, certainly Monk's best-ever musical soulmate! The album features some newer versions of older tunes, and a few written just for the album – but the source of the material is not important, as the Monk/Rouse treatment always transforms whatever is handled, and recreates the work as an an angular sculpture of modernist beauty. Other players include Larry Gales on bass and Ben Riley on drums – and titles include "Locomotive", "Blue Sea", "We See", "Japanese Folk Song", and "Straight No Chaser". LP, Vinyl record album