Pianist Renee Rosnes is definitely crossing paths here – mixing jazz and Brazilian music, and at a level that maybe tops any of her previous recordings in the style! There's a warm, mature quality to the set that avoids any easy cliches or overly-commercial leanings – and the whole ... CD
Sublime early soul jazz from the Jazz Crusaders – a seminal set that really has the group taking off right away! The use of "freedom" in the title is well placed – as the set definitely shows the players stretching out a bit on their solos – hinting at the magic that ... LP, Vinyl record album
A landmark album that had one of the best versions of the Jazz Messengers taking a big step forward – thanks to some increased songwriting by the group's young tenor genius – Wayne Shorter! Shorter's tunes take up all of the second half of the record, and all of them have gone onto ... LP, Vinyl record album
Never-issued genius from pianist Cecil Taylor – a tremendous live performance from a time when Cecil was at the height of his powers! The group here is a really compelling sextet – with frequent partner Jimmy Lyons on brilliant alto throughout, next to Ramsey Ameen on violin, Alan ... CD
A real stroke of genius from pianist Andrew Hill – and a surprising one too! After an initial legacy of groundbreaking experimental sides for Blue Note, Hill returns to his "grass roots" on this excellent session of straight ahead, fairly funky, soul jazz piano tunes! In the notes ... LP, Vinyl record album
A fantastic set by one of the all-time great also-rans of the LA scene in the late 60s – a group who've got this fantastic blend of tuneful and sinister elements – psych mixed with all sorts of darker currents – and served up with a special quality that still makes this album a ... LP, Vinyl record album
A fantastic step forward for Muriel Grossmann – an artist who just keeps on expanding her talents at the same time she's expanding our minds! Murial delivers her familiar reed work here – on tenor, alto, and soprano sax – but she also brings deeper spiritual currents into play ... CD
A rare set work from the glory days of King Tubby's studio – all handled by the young Prince Philip Smart, who was Tubby's first engineer in the legendary laboratory of Jamaican music! The tracks are definitely as dubby as promised in the title, but there's also plenty of standout vocals as ... LP, Vinyl record album
A great session that was recorded by Freddie Hubbard in the 60s, but not issued by Blue Note until the mid 70s – and only then as part of a short-lived double length set! This version is the first real issue of the material – with the original cover art intended for the session in the ... LP, Vinyl record album
A tight funky combo, and one who effortlessly mix older jazz and funk instrumental styles with just a touch of influence from Afro Funk – not in the full-on modes that you'd hear from other larger ensembles, but just in the way the rhythms work nicely with the two horns in the group! In ... CD
A pivotal album from this hip Japanese jazz group – one that really sees them finding their own path forward, and working with really unusual material and stretching out on some longer tracks than before! The tunes here ere arranged by Masahiko Sato, Masao Yagi, Norio Maeda, and Kiyoshi ... LP, Vinyl record album
One of our favorite albums by Gladys Knight – a set that seems to have a lot more edge than some of her later work, thanks to some rumbling production from the legendary Norman Whitfield! In a way, Norman's almost applying the Temptations sound to Gladys here – using fuller bass at the ... LP, Vinyl record album
A Numero soundtrack for an imaginary film – one that provides a great way for the label to dig through the ever-expanding range of charming sounds in their catalog! The music here often features tunes that might not find their place in some of the other Numero sets, such as the Eccentric ... LP, Vinyl record album
A great look at the London scene from very deep in the trenches – a book that traces the way that funk, soul, and jazz really helped shape the sound of the city from the 80s onward – thanks to the help of legions of rare groove DJs who are mentioned in pages, as the book traces the ... Book
A deeply spiritual combo from the St Louis scene – one that was originally put together by Blvck Spvde, an artist who's roots were mostly in hip hop – but who here directs a larger ensemble who promise "the evolution of what you think jazz is"! The image on the front cover ... LP, Vinyl record album
A really sweet 70s soundtrack from the great Vince Guaraldi – one that's very heavy on electric piano, and which also has some other keyboards as well – delivered with a nicely intimate group on most numbers, in ways that almost take Vince back to the trio years of his earliest jazz ... CD
Ambient sounds, but informed by house music and techno – which makes for music that's very different than mellower ambient work of the decade before! By the end of the 80s, the term "ambient" had been painted a bit poorly by mainstream new age recordings – yet as the 90s ... CD
A rare set from a soundtrack artist who's finally getting his due – Poland's Andrzej Korzynski, whose work was mostly cut off from the rest of us during the years of Soviet dominance! Despite that remove, though, Korzynski works here in a keyboard mode that resonates with some of the coolest ... CD
A stunning batch of funky big band tracks from the Kashmere Stage Band – sounding a lot fuller than on their first LP – thanks to an expanded lineup that gives them a whole new sound! The group are grooving here in a mode that's a lot like classic 70s blacksploitation soundtrack work ... LP, Vinyl record album
A set with a lot of angular, rhythmic energy – maybe no surprise, as leader Peter Gall is a drummer – although those qualities also seem to be embraced strongly by the other members of the group – especially the pianist, Rainer Bohm – and saxophonist Wanja Slavin, who also ... LP, Vinyl record album