One of the coolest records ever from pianist Ahmad Jamal – a set that features Jamal on Fender Rhodes instead of acoustic piano – a shift that initially had the album ignored by many jazz purists – but treasured strongly by listeners like us in a later generation! Jamal solos ... CD
Think America had the lockdown on keyboard funk during the 70s? Think again, because this rare Australian set features some killer electric piano and clavinet from Judy Bailey – easily one of the greatest jazz players of the 70s Aussie scene! The album features 4 long tracks – all ... LP, Vinyl record album
A strongly message-oriented set, as you might assume from the title – and definitely the strongest work to date from the great Isaiah Collier – one of the most righteous musicians we've had the pleasure of discovering in the past decade or so! There's a rich, vibrant feel to the whole ... CD
The third album from Hawkwind, and one in which it seems like the group are really beginning to find their groove – maybe in part because Lemmy's in the lineup here, giving them some rudimentary bass parts that seem to push the boundaries even more – while all the spacey sounds and cool ... CD
The title's a familiar one, but the album's an all-new effort from the contemporary version of the Sun Ra Arkestra – that great ensemble who've carried on his legacy from the 20th Century, still very strongly under the leadership of the legendary Marshall Allen! The vibe here is maybe a bit ... CD
The mindblowing first album by The Talking Heads – a bold statement by a very young band who'd go on to shape the sounds of the left field for generations to come! The sound is spare and very focused – maybe the first layer that David Byrne would then build up when adding more ... CD
A killer combo who definitely earn their name – not just because the group is co-led by Eric Alexander on tenor and Mike LeDonne on piano – but also because the rest of the sextet features Vincent Herring on alto, Jeremy Pelt on trumpet, Alexander Claffy on bass, and Kenny Washington on ... CD
Sweet disco and soulful jazz – the only album we've ever seen from Copeland Davis, a great talent on the piano, and a mellow soul singer with a clear inspiration from Marvin Gaye! The album's a pretty unusual one – in that the overall groove is instrumental, mostly tight rhythms and ... CD
A killer Christmas record from Robert Glasper – even if the cover makes it look like some Busta Rhymes side project from the 90s! Glasper's on keys and at the helm of the whole thing – and the record's more of a soul session overall, with contributions from a great array of guests who ... LP, Vinyl record album
One of the most impressive albums ever from Jessica Lauren – the London keyboardist who easily skirts the worlds of jazz and club, past and future – working here with a quality that was instantly timeless the moment it was first recorded! Lauren draws plenty of inspiration from ... LP, Vinyl record album
One of Bobby Hutcherson's most important albums ever – and an essential piece of "new thing" jazz that ranks up there with such key Blue note sessions of the genre as Tony Williams' album Life Time, Dolphy's Out To Lunch, and Jackie McLean's One Step Beyond! Hutcherson's sound on ... LP, Vinyl record album
A beautiful record – but that's no surprise, since most of the later work of Coleman Hawkins tends to be great! The setting is quite laidback – and Hawkins' time-weathered tenor is placed in a perfect setting with Tommy Flanagan on piano, Major Holley on bass, and Eddie Locke on drums. ... LP, Vinyl record album
A warmly melodic session from Blue Note's greatest guitarist! The sound of the set's as evocative as the title – an idle moment of space between the notes, explored by Green's tight single-note work on guitar – and wonderfully supported by a lineup that includes Joe Henderson on tenor, ... LP, Vinyl record album
The kind of record that makes us mighty happy we come from Chicago – as this Windy City project have a way of layering together all the sounds we love from our fair city – house, soul, funk, and jazz – all bristling together in a set that has a very unique approach to the music! ... LP, Vinyl record album
An incredible reworking of the Beautiful Day album from avant piano legend Andrew Hill – one of the last great albums he gave us before departing the earth, and a set that's expanded here with a lot of extra material, presented with a reworked sense of sound! The core group has Hill at the ... CD
A pair of great albums from Osibisa – back to back in a single set! First up is Happy Children, which has Osibisa really kicking up the groove nicely – bringing in a bit more soul, shedding some of their prog elements, and finding this great blend of West African elements and American ... CD
Jimmy Smith is on the cover, and Dusty Groove gets a great feature inside – a full-color spread in this cool Japanese jazz magazine, with photos of the store and and other text in Japanese! The folks at Jazz Critique paid us a visit this summer, and surprised us with an article on Dusty ... Book
Maybe the funkiest record we've ever heard from The Blassics – but that's also because the set really takes the "breaks" in its title seriously – and sets up every tune with some really massive work on drums! The snapping sounds on the kit are then topped with really ... LP, Vinyl record album
A really mighty combination – the tremendous trombone of Vin Gordon, the production genius of Lee Scratch Perry, and the heady rhythms of the Upsetters – all combined here in an album that may well be one of Gordon's best! Vin gets all sorts of space to solo in the lead – and his ... LP, Vinyl record album
A really fantastic record, and one with a very unusual pedigree – as it was originally produced by Rita Marley, who issued the whole thing on her own label – even though the set is way more 70s soul than reggae in style! The group are tremendous, and have this way of mixing fantastic ... CD