Featuring Ellis Marsalis, Kenny Kirkland, Herbir Hancock, Larry Willis, Ron Carter, Charnett Moffett, Ira Coleman, Ralph Peterson, Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Al Foster, and Tain - Jeff Watts. LP, Vinyl record album

The thing to do – is jam! Blue's sounding wonderful in this classic set for Blue Note – one of his best small group albums – recorded with a sound that's solidly in keeping with his lyrically melodic work in the Horace Silver group! The quintet features Chick Corea on piano – sounding incredibly subtle, and making us wish he'd recorded more sides like this – plus Junior Cook on tenor, nicely matching Blue as he did on so many albums from the time – and bass by Gene Taylor and drums by Al Foster. Titles include the hit soul jazzer "Fungii Mama", plus more introspective numbers like "Mona's Mood", "Chick's Tune", "Step Lightly", and "The Thing To Do". LP, Vinyl record album

Duke Pearson knocks it out of the park with this one – perfectly summing up all the new ideas in jazz arranging and large ensemble work he'd been exploring at Blue Note – and pushing things way way past his previous small group material as well! The album's quite different than most other 60s iterations of big band jazz – as Pearson's got a way of making all instruments come together on the rhythms, then exploding with subtle colors and soulful tones – yet all at a level that's never forced or gimmicky at all. It helps that he's got a tremendous lineup of players here – both Lew Tabackin and Frank Foster on tenor (the latter of whom does some arranging for the record) – plus Pepper Adams on baritone, Marvin Stamm and Randy Brecker on trumpets, Garnett Brown and Jimmy Cleveland on trombones, Jerry Dodgion and Al Gibbons on alto, and the rhythm team of Bob Cranshaw on bass and Mickey Roker on drums. Duke plays superb piano with a really sophisticated touch, but it's really his strength as an arranger that makes the whole thing come together beautifully. Andy Bey sings on a version of "I'm Tired Cryin Over You" – and other titles include "Amanda", "Tones For Joan's Bones", "Dad Digs Mom", "Disapproachment", and "Make It Good". LP, Vinyl record album

All original compositions by the late pianist – with a group on side one that features Gary Peacock on bass and Roy Haynes on drums, plus guest guitar from John Abercrombie on one track – and a group on side two that features Eddie Gomez on bass and Al Foster on drums, with Abercrombie guitar on one track, and percussion from Steve Thornton on another. LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure 80s date from Bud Shank – one that features a great quartet with Kenny Barron on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Al Foster on drums – all of whom give the set a very different groove than usual for Bud! Titles include "Visa", "Space Maker", "Never Never Land", and "Nica's Dream". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautifully soulful set from Horace Silver – hardly the "with brass" session you might guess from the title, and instead a well-integrated album that really showcases a new level of arranging genius from Horace! The set is heavy on hip horns – with work from Oscar Brashear, Bobby Bryant, and Tom Harrell on trumpets – plus Frank Rosolinon on trombone, Jerome Richardson on alto and soprano sax, Buddy Collette on flute, and Bob Berg on tenor – but these instruments are often wrapped up in this warmly rolling groove driven by the bass of Ron Carter and drums of Al Foster – inherently funky, but much more complicated from a rhythmic perspective – and rolling out beautifully with a really imaginative vibe! Tunes are all originals by Silver – wonderful little numbers filled with passion and life – almost painting in sound, with really rich tones and colors throughout. Titles include "The Sophisticated Hippie", "Dameron's Dance", "Barbara", "Adjustment", "Mysticism", and "Kissin Cousins". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful, beautiful record from Horace Silver – one of his great 70s experiments for Blue Note – and a set that has him working in the same "jazz with voices" mode explored by Max Roach and Donald Byrd in earlier years! The core of the set is focused around the great work of Silver's combo – with Tom Harrell on trumpet, Bob Berg on tenor, Ron Carter on bass, and Al Foster on drums – a wonderfully cohesive unit that arcs and turns with all these sweet little shifts – keeping up with the creative rhythms directed from Silver, while cascading through a beautiful range of tones and colors as well! The vocals follow suit beautifully – directed by Alan Copeland, but with a much more soulful approach than his 60s material – bursting forth with this warmth and sense of tone that really matches the instrumentation. Titles include "I Will Always Love You", "Out Of The Night", "Incentive", "New York Lament", "Mood For Maude", and "All In Time". LP, Vinyl record album

Horace Silver's last record for Blue Note – and an amazing end to his decades of work for the legendary label! The set's a perfect summation of all the new directions that Horace took in the 70s – new territory that's deeply spiritual, and undeniably righteous – yet which also has a fully focused approach too – one that's showcased here wonderfully in an expansive suite of tracks with a really positive message! The "strings" in the title isn't really accurate – as the set's more of a large arrangement session that feels Strata East spiritual – done in collaboration with Wade Marcus, but with jazzier, more acoustic tones than most of Marcus' other music. In addition to Silver's piano, key core players include Tom Harrell on flugelhorn, Larry Schneider on tenor and soprano sax, Ron Carter on bass, and Al Foster on drums – who play beautifully together, with a very fluid vibe. The set also features some key vocal passages at points – sung by Brenda Alford, Chapman Roberts, Carol Lynn Maillard, and a young Gregory Hines – on titles that include "The Soul & Its Expression", "Self Portrait No 1", "The Conscious & Its Desire For Change", "Inner Feelings", "Expansion", and "The Creator Guides Us". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful work from Horace Silver – part of a great run of late 70s sides for Blue Note that unlock a whole new side of his soulful talents! The vibe here is different than the previous United States trilogy – still very righteous, with an overt message too – but served up in these wonderfully warm tones – with loads of great woodwind passages over these wickedly angular rhythms – grooves that are somewhat like those Silver first started forging on his 27th Man album! The arrangements are sublime – and on some cuts handled by Silver, but orchestrated by Wade Marcus – with players who include Tom Harrell on trumpet, Bob Berg on tenor, Buddy Collette and Fred Jackson on flutes, and Jerome Richardson on soprano sax. The rhythm section is key, too – and features Ron Carter on bass and Al Foster on drums! Side one features "The Tranquilizer Suite" – with passages that icnlude "Keep On Getting Up", "Time & Effort", and "Perseverance & Endurance" – and side two includes the excellent "The Process Of Creation Suite" – with "Motivation", "Activation", and "Assimilation". LP, Vinyl record album

McCoy Tyner's a hell of a piano player on his own, but in the post-Coltrane years he also developed an amazing talent for picking sidemen too – as you'll hear in this very unique set! The record features four different quartets – hence the title – each of which features a core trio of Tyner on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Al Foster on drums – with the inclusion of Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Arthur Blythe on alto, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, and John Abercrombie on electric mandolin! Each of the four groups is featured on a different side of the 2LP set – which allows things to get broken up nice and easily – almost like getting four great Tyner albums in one, each with a different style. Most tunes have that soaring, righteous quality that McCoy did so well during his 70s years – usually with larger groups – and titles include "Blues In The Minor", "The Seeker", "Forbidden Land", "Backward Glance", "Paradox", "Inner Glimpse", and "I Wanna Stand Over There". LP, Vinyl record album

A bit of a change for McCoy Tyner – but a set that's every bit as righteous as his other classics from the 70s! The lineup here is slightly different – with John Blake's violin playing a strong role in the sound, and lots of percussion from Guilherme Franco giving the set an almost Latin vibe at times – one that mixes in beautifully with Tyner's bold, modal lines on piano – and which are inflected with soulful reeds from Joe Ford and George Adams. The rest of the group features Charles Fambrough on bass and Al Foster on drums – both very hip cats – and Blake's instrument almost gives the album an early 70s Impulse Records sort of spirituality. Titles include "Horizon", "Motherland", "Woman Of Tomorrow", "One For Honor", and "Just Feelin". LP, Vinyl record album

The title's a bit of a joke – because the record features a batch sidemen from the Count Basie band – Thad Jones, Joe Newman, Freddy Green, Billy Mitchell, Frank Foster, and others – all working with Sarah, but the Count's name is missing, due to contractual obligations! Despite that lack, though, the grooves are very much in the best Basie mode – full of soul and searing horn lines – at a level that makes the album one of Sarah's liveliest from the time! Players include Thad Jones and Joe Newman on trumpet, Al Grey on trombone, Frank Foster and Frank Wess on tenor, and Freddie Green on guitar – and Ronnell Bright handles the piano, instead of Basie. Titles include "Darn That Dream", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", "Doodlin", "Just One Of Those Things", "No Count Blues", and "Missing You". LP, Vinyl record album

The title's a bit of a joke – because the record features a batch sidemen from the Count Basie band – Thad Jones, Joe Newman, Freddy Green, Billy Mitchell, Frank Foster, and others – all working with Sarah, but the Count's name is missing, due to contractual obligations! Despite that lack, though, the grooves are very much in the best Basie mode – full of soul and searing horn lines – at a level that makes the album one of Sarah's liveliest from the time! Players include Thad Jones and Joe Newman on trumpet, Al Grey on trombone, Frank Foster and Frank Wess on tenor, and Freddie Green on guitar – and Ronnell Bright handles the piano, instead of Basie. Titles include "Darn That Dream", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", "Doodlin", "Just One Of Those Things", "No Count Blues", and "Missing You". LP, Vinyl record album

A great Mal Waldron set – recorded with a trio that includes George Mraz on bass and Al Foster on drums! Given the rhythm players, the sound here is a bit warmer than some of Waldron's more avant work from the European scene– and both sets are a nice reminder that Mal could still be a very sensitive interpreter of a standard, too – not just his own, slightly bolder compositions. Mraz is nicely high in the recording, stepping around in this sweet pulse that often seems to dominate Foster's work on drums – which makes for a nice bottom end that lets Mal do plenty of his own thing on the keys. Titles include "Love For Sale", "Summertime", "I Surrender Dear", "Yesterdays", and "All Of You". LP, Vinyl record album

Benson plays his guitar and also sings on some of these tracks, joined by Phil Upchurch on rhythm guitar, Ronnie Foster on electric piano & mini-moog, Jorge Dalto on clavinet & acoustic piano, Stanley Banks on bass, Harvey Mason on drums and Ralph MacDonald on percussion. Claus Ogerman arranged and conducted the orchestra. Titles include "Nature Boy", Foster's "The Wind & I", "The World Is A Ghetto", "Gonna Love You More", Donny Hathaway's "Valdez In The Country", and "Everything Must Happen". LP, Vinyl record album

Unusual work from the great George Benson – a wonderful session that was recorded by CTI during George's classic years for the label – but issued only briefly a number of years later, and slightly lost amongst the rest of his catalog! The material's great, though – and has George in top form for the sweet 70s funk years – working with arrangements by Ronnie Foster and David Matthews – on tunes that also include keyboards by Foster and Bobby Lyle, trombone from Fred Wesley, saxes from David Sanborn, Joe Farrell, Michael Brecker, and Ronnie Cuber – and even a bit of additional guitar from Eric Gale! There's a nice mix of modes here – some tight funky cuts, some more flowing numbers, and even one more traditional jazz tune with a great vocal by George – on the classic "Moody's Mood For Love". Other titles include "Melodia Espanol", "Pacific Fire", "Em", "Bandoleros Caballa", "Let Your Love Come Out", and "Knock On Wood". LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual assortment of work from the great George Benson – pulled together from other sessions for CTI Records – featuring one studio track, and four more live numbers! The studio tune is George's take on the Stax Records classic "Hold On I'm Coming" – which Benson sings with almost as much vocal intensity on his own as Sam & Dave brought to the original – followed by a tight solo that really matches the funky 70s vibe of the arrangements. Next are four more tracks from the Carnegie Hall sessions – one of his hardest-hitting albums of the time! In a way, the record returns George to his early years at CTI – particularly the album Beyond The Blue Horizon – as the set's got a stripped down smaller group, working in a tight blend of electric jazzy bits that's very nice! Ronnie Foster lays down some great keyboards on the set, Hubert Laws is on flute, and George himself plays a hollow body with a nice soulful tone – stretching out on some straight jazz on most cuts, but also hitting a few of his smoother notes from the mid 70s. Titles include "Sky Dive", "Octane", "Summertime", and "Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

This one's a real shift from her earlier jazz-based work, or her recent recordings for Verve – and a sweet funky fusion album that Dee Dee recorded for Elektra in the late 70s. The set was produced by Stanley Clarke, and has a soul/fusion sound that's not that different than his own work of the time, and which works very well with Dee Dee's sweet vocal approach. Players include Bobby Lyle, Ronnie Foster, George Duke, and other strong 70s fusion players – and overall, the record's probably Dee Dee's best non straight jazz album of the 70s. Tracks include "Sweet Rain", "Open Up Your Eyes", "Just Family", "Melody Maker", and "Children Are The Spirit (Of The World)". LP, Vinyl record album

A great 2LP set that reissues two of the best blowing sessions on Prestige from the late 50s – All Day Long and All Night Long – proof that Kenny Burrell could hit a nice groove when he wanted to! The tracks are all long and very open-ended, with players that include Mal Waldron, Jerome Richardson, Hank Mobley, Donald Byrd, Frank Foster, Tommy Flanagan, Doug Watkins, and Art Taylor. Side one features a great long track called "All Night Long", with loads of space and plenty of great soloing, and side three features "All Day Long", which is in a similar mode. Other tracks include "Flickers", "Boo Lu", "Slim Jim", "Say Listen", and "AT" – all a bit tighter, and still very nice. LP, Vinyl record album

Donald Byrd in a sweet electric mode – as you'd guess from the title! The set was recorded right before Byrd's legendary run with Larry Mizell in the early 70s – and the electric approach is a bit different here – a style that blends Byrd's wonderful trumpet lines with the larger ensemble mode Blue Note sometimes used in the late 60s, but with a spacey, stretched-out feel that's mighty nice! The album's somewhat similar to Byrd's Kofi set – but possibly a bit more open overall – and players here include Duke Pearson on electric piano, Jerry Dodgion on alto and sopranos ax, Frank Foster on tenor, Pepper Adams on baritone, Hermeto Pascoal on flute, Wally Richardson on guitar, Ron Carter on bass, Mickey Roker on drums, and Airto on percussion. Pearson produced, and probably arranged too – given a slight Brazilian undercurrent to the grooves – and titles include "Estavanico", "Essence", "The Dude", and "Xibaba". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest, grooviest 60s albums from trumpeter Donald Byrd – one that has him really reaching out for a hip new sound, but in ways that are different than most of his other material at the time! Key on the date is the placement of electric piano from Duke Pearson – played in this open, flowing style that has all the best hallmarks of Pearson's own work on the instrument for his sessions – yet balanced nicely with the bolder punch of Byrd's trumpet as well. Donald's quite far from any Miles Davis cliches on this one – no too-dark electric modes at all – and instead, the album's got this sense of lyrical soulfulness that we've maybe never heard this strongly again on any of Byrd's other albums. Other players include Frank Foster on tenor, Jerry Dodgion and Lew Tabackin on flute, Julian Priester on trombone, Jimmy Ponder on guitar, and either Idris Muhammad or Joe Chambers on drums. All tracks are nice and long, and very fresh – and include "Weasil", "I Love the Girl", "Fancy Free", and "The Uptowner". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer fusion from keyboardist Jorge Dalto – who plays some especially great Fender Rhodes on the album, plus a bit of moog and Arp as well! The album's got a warm sound that never lets the keys get too spacey – a slight Latin undercurrent in the rhythms, and the album's slight vocals too – sung by Ruben Blades, Dalto and Adela. But most tracks are instrumental, and feature the keyboards very strongly in the lead – on top of instrumentation that includes Seldon Powell on tenor, Jerry Dodgion on alto and flute, Victor Paz on trumpet, and Bernard Purdie on drums. Ronnie Foster plays a bit of minimoog on the set – and the record has the same soulful fusion feel as some of his best work – with a lean, spacious groove, but one that's always plenty darn soulful. Titles include "For Openers", "Dolphin Dance", "Theme In Berlin", "Stella By Starlight", "Time For Some Changes", and "I've Got You On My Mind". LP, Vinyl record album

With Don Ewell, Albert Nicholas, Pops Foster, James P Johnson, and Danny Barker. LP, Vinyl record album

With Herman Foster on piano, Jeff Fuller on bass, and Victor Jones on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the excellent Chess Records session that Lou Donaldson recorded in between his two different stretches on the Blue Note label – a small combo date that has a soulful take on the style of his early 60s Blue Note material – with a killer group that includes the mighty Herman Foster on piano, plus Sam Jones on bass, Richard Landrum on congas, and a young Idris Muhammad on drums – listed here when he was still named Leo Morris! Titles include "Relaxing In Blue", "Herman's Mambo", "Pazzing Zone", and "The Wheeler Dealer". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal album in the career of saxophonist Lou Donaldson – a set that really has him finding his own groove – a slow-stepping, soul-drenched mode that's a nice change from the bop of his roots! A key part of the record's charm is conga work by Ray Barretto – a player used often on early soul jazz dates like this – not in the Latin style of Ray's bigger work to come, but more in this extra-percussion mode that's a great blend with the drum work in the group by Dave Bailey – creating this mellow groove that's a great platform for Lou's smoking solos on alto! The rest of the group is great too – the wonderful Herman Foster on piano, plus Peck Morrison on bass – a great match for Bailey – on titles that include "Play Ray", "Callin' All Cats", and "Blues Walk". LP, Vinyl record album

An early 60s killer from Lou Donaldson – one that more than lives up to the promise of its great cover and compelling title! The lineup has Lou blowing in an easy, soulful style – working with a combo that includes Herman Foster on piano, Ben Tucker on bass, and Dave Bailey on drums – plus additional conga work by Alec Dorsey, which gives the session a wonderfully rolling groove. The tunes lope along with a nice mellow vibe – that midtempo rolling soul jazz mode that Prestige was also handling at the time, with a touch of Latin from the congas – and Lou blows it clean and lean on titles that include "Gravy Train", "Twist Time", "Avalon", and "South Of The Border". LP, Vinyl record album

A strange record – one that claims to be recorded in 1979, but which sounds exactly like Fischer's 1972 session called T'Da-a-a-a-a. In fact, the players are the same, the songs are the same, and the sound is the same – but the cover lists different timings and a different recording date, so if we're to believe it, are we to think that Fischer took the same group, same songs, and just redid the entire album in 1979? Seems unlikely, but does it really matter? The 1972 record is an excellent album – one of Fischer's elusive electric sides, and one that features him playing a Yamaha EX-42 organ, which has a very cool sound! The group's a quartet, with the great Gary Foster on alto and soprano sax – and the tracks are a mix of older jazz standards ("Soon", "Round Midnight", "Lennie's Pennies") and originals ("Blues In F" by Fischer and "Crystal Sunrise" by Tom Scott), all done in long versions with some intimate and exploratory solos. LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual session from the great Clare Fischer – although probably his best-known record as well! Clare cut many other jazz sides in a smaller, more intimate setting – but this album features his full talents as a larger arranger – working with a hip ensemble, and turning in some great charts that really keep things on edge! Fischer plays both Fender Rhodes and piano – and the group's got some great west coast help from Bill Perkins and Warne Marsh on tenors, Gary Foster on alto, and Conte Candoli on trumpet – all playing with a bit more sharpness here than usual. There's a nicely off-kilter edge – similar to that which you might hear in some of Clare's work with Cal Tjader – or some of his larger arranging projects for labels like MPS. Solos are out front on all tracks, and titles include "In Memoriam", "Bitter Leaf", "Calamus", and "Miles Behind". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the earliest small group sessions from tenor giant Frank Foster – recorded in Paris with a quartet that includes Henri Renaud on piano! LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful 70s work from the great Frank Foster – material from that time when he'd split with the Count Basie group to go into a completely different direction – cutting spiritual records like this, and his better-known Loud Minority album for Mainstream records! The session was only ever issued in Japan – and it's got Foster really hitting new heights – picking up some of the spiritualism of his experience with Elvin Jones, but working his own sort of magic – with a personal charm that's echoed by the image on the cover. Frank blows saxes and arranged the set with a warmly angular group – in a larger group that also includes Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet, Thad Jones on flugelhorn, Jerry Dodgion on alto and flute, Walter Norris on piano, George Mraz on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums. Titles include "Shitsu Mon", "Tan Kyu", "Cecilia Is Love", and "Now That She's Away". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from this legendary tenorist! Although Foster's often lumped into the cliche camp for his long years with Basie, he shines like a rough diamond on sessions like these, proving that he's got a tone and a style that he keeps tightly reserved for small group sessions. On this rare Blue Note session from the 10" days, he plays with the great Gildo Mahones on piano – on tracks like "Little Red", "Blues For Benny", and "How I Spent The Night". The record's a hard wailing groover, and it's a treasure for fans of that early Blue Note sound! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most amazing albums ever from Frank Foster – a totally righteous set that's light years ahead of his earlier work with the Basie Band! The format here is right up there with the best on Strata East at the time – a large-group session that's filled with some of the hippest players of the early 70s – all coming together with a joyous, spiritual sense of power! Foster's in the lead on tenor and soprano sax, but other players include Cecil Bridgewater and Hannibal Marvin Peterson on trumpets, Harold Mabern on keyboards, Elvin Jones on drums, Dick Griffin on trombone, Stanley Clarke on bass, Airto on percussion, and even Dee Dee Bridgewater on vocals! Tracks are all quite long and flowing – spiritual expressions of jazz that rival the greatness of anything recorded for Impulse – and titles include "The Loud Minority", "Requiem For Dusty", "JP's Thing", and "EW – Beautiful People". LP, Vinyl record album

Ouch, what a terrible title – and for such a nice album! The record brings together sides recorded by Frank Wess and Frank Foster for the Savoy label in 1956 and 1957 – laidback hardbop tunes that have both players working in easy-going company, with the feel of a late 50s Prestige Records blowing session. Neither player is at the top of their form here, but overall, the material is still pretty darn great – and other players include Kenny Burrell, Donald Byrd, Henry Coker, Kenny Clarke, and Benny Powell. Tracks include "Stop Gap", "MC", "La Jolie", "Lazy Sal", "Casa De Marcel", "Hard Sock Dance", "South Side", and "Salvation" – and the album features a few previously unissued tracks. LP, Vinyl record album

A real 70s stormer from Frank Foster – recorded with the Loud Minority ensemble used for the Mainstream album of the same name, done in a style that's a bit more straight ahead, yet still plenty darn soulful! Frank's hanging here between the two sides of his career – working in a larger band mode at one level, yet also scoring some charts that are a lot hipper than anything the Basie generation might have imagined! The rhythm section on the set features Mickey Tucker on piano, Earl May on bass, and Charlie Persip on drums – augmented by a bit of extra percussion and guitar from time to time, in a way that really makes the tunes skip along nicely. Frank himself is on both soprano and tenor sax – sounding great on the album's title remake of his "Manhattan Fever" – and also stretching out on longer tunes that include Ronnie Matthews' great "Marie Jean", and Frank's originals "Thruway Traffic" and "Four Five Six". LP, Vinyl record album

A great early album from the enigmatic LA alto saxophonist Gary Foster! Here, he has an approach that's nicely scattered – filled with parts of raw modernism, and touches of more sentimental traditional playing – made equally more so by the "hands off" recording approach of the Revelation label. His career at the time yielded some very nice moments, like this one – an album that has Foster playing alto, tenor, and flute, with a variety of players in a variety of small group settings. Foster is joined by Clare Fischer, Dennis Budimir, and John Terry – and titles include "Pensativa", "Wistful Samba", "Liz Anne", "Peri's Scope", and "Ornithardy". LP, Vinyl record album

A definite delight from Ronnie Foster – a post-Blue Note set that actually has the keyboardist sounding better than ever! Ronnie's always been one of those guys who seems to work best when moving against a bit of structure – and here, that force is provided by the excellent Jerry Peters – who's come up with some great soul backings that also have these nicely offbeat corners – more than enough to preserve some of the quirkiness of Foster's work from previous years – yet also giving him a bit more direction too! There's a bit of vocals on the set – mostly from Ronnie – with backing from Phyllis Hyman, Jim Gilstrap, and Peters himself. Titles include "Argentina", "We As Love", "Let Me In Your Life", "I've Got Your Love", and "When Will I Write You A Song?". LP, Vinyl record album

Wicked late 70s work from Ronnie Foster – a rare Columbia outing that's arguably better than his earlier sides for Blue Note! There's more of a soul vibe than before in the music – but in a way that's really foregrounded, and without some of the back/forth wavering that Foster had in his groove during previous sets. Jerry Peters produced the record, and gives it a solid, confident style that's right up there with the best soul/fusion sides on Columbia at the time – and the lineup of players features great contributions from Roy Ayers on vibes, Ndugu Chancler on percussion, Harvey Mason on drums, and Alphonso Johnson on bass. Foster himself did all the arrangements – and both sings and plays a mix of keyboards that come off sounding pretty darn great. Titles include "Midnight Plane", "Happy Song", "Why Don't You Look Inside", "I Want To Bring My Love Home", "Nassau Bay", "Shooting Star", and "Easier Said Than Done". LP, Vinyl record album

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

The second album of funky fusion from this all-star CTI group that included Stanley Turrentine, Stanley Clarke, Ndugu, Tom Brown, Eric Gale, Ronnie Foster, and George Benson! The ensemble come together for a great set of laidback fusion tracks that groove with a nice soulful undercurrent – surprisingly fresh, and not nearly as slick as you'd expect from the date of the session – showing that the original open-ended CTI vibe could still be strongly alive on the right records! Tracks have a great mix of acoustic and electric touches – and although Stanley Clarke was the musical director of the album, the whole thing's clearly a group effort. Titles include "Silk", "Hot Fire", "Sunwalk", and "In Celebration Of The Human Spirit". LP, Vinyl record album

A wailer! Trombonist Matthew Gee is a lost groover from the hard side – and this album is one of the few that he ever cut under his own name. Far from the sleepier players on the instrument, Gee knows how to cook just like Bennie Green – and his company in this album includes Ernie Henry, Frank Foster, Wilbur Ware, and Art Taylor, all cookers themselves! The record features 3 great originals – "Gee!", "Kingston Lounge", and "The Boys From Brooklyn" – plus some mellower standards, and the nice track "Joram". LP, Vinyl record album

A hard set of soul jazz grooves – recorded under the leadership of the great trombonist Benny Green, and one of his few albums not for Blue Note or Prestige! The sound is very much in the Prestige hardbop mode of the late 50s – and Green heads up a group that includes Gene Ammons and Frank Foster on tenor, Nat Adderley on cornet, Frank Wess on flute and tenor, and Tommy Flanagan on piano– a similar lineup, with a similar sound, to some of the albums recorded under Ammons' name as "blowing sessions". The cuts are long, with laid back laid out solos – and titles include "Jim Dog", "Going South", and "Little Ditty". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet little 50s session from Hawk – recorded for the World Wide subsidary of Savoy, in a great style that has plenty of room for solo space! Tracks are long, and arranged by Billy Ver Plank – with a moody small combo mode that lets Hawkins get in plenty of those edgey bits in his solos, hidden underneath ostensibly sweeter playing. The rest of the group includes Frank Wess, Marshall Royal, and Frank Foster – and titles include "Ooga Dooga", "Thanks For The Misery", "There Is Nothing Like A Dame", and "An Evening At Papa Joe's". LP, Vinyl record album

Early genius from Eddie Higgins – a pianist who was a big thing on the Chicago scene of the 60s, but is probably best known to most folks for his revival records of the past decade or two! The younger Higgins has more of an edge than the later one – and this self-titled debut is a cooker of a hardbop album – thanks not only to work from Eddie's core trio, but also some great horn interplay from Frank Foster on tenor and Paul Seranno on trumpet! Eddie wrote some of the best cuts on the record – some really fresh numbers – and he gets rhythmic help from either Richard Evans or Jim Atlas on bass, and Marshall Thompson on drums. Higgins titles include "Foot's Bag", "Zarac The Evil One", and "AB's Blues" – and the album also features versions of "Blues For Big Scotia" and "Falling In Love With Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Plenty plenty soul here – as Milt Jackson's moving away from the Modern Jazz Quartet, and working with a great group of players that really expand his sound! The session's a bit like some of Milt's soul jazz work for Riverside and other labels – in that it's got rhythms, timings, and solos that all are much more gutbuckety than you'd expect from the other side of his career – a real nod towards the nascent soul jazz sound in the late 50s, served up with lots of undercurrents from R&B and gospel in the mix. Side one features players that include Ronnie Peters on alto sax, Frank Foster on tenor, and Sahib Shihab on baritone – plus Horace Silver on piano – and Silver makes a return appearance on side two, alongside a group that includes Lucky Thompson on tenor and Joe Newman on trumpet. Titles include "Plenty, Plenty Soul", "Boogity Boogity", "Heartstrings", "Sermonette", "The Spirit Feel", "Ignunt Oil", and "Blues At Twilight". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing pressing of this one – plays at 45 rpm, and comes in a very special package – plastic heavy sleeve, with a special insert for the record! A bit mellower than some of Jones' 70s recordings, but in a great way – one that lets sax players Frank Foster and Pat LaBarbera weave these laidback introspective solos that are the album's greatest asset. Roland Prince is in the group on guitar, and he comps nicely and gently behind the horns. Titles include "Shitsu-Mon" and "Like Someone In Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A very interesting early session for Elvin, and one that's filled with lots of warm lyrical moments – nicely laid down by Thad Jones, Frank Wess, Hank Jones, and Frank Foster. These four came together often during the late 50s on some sessions, but the addition of Elvin opens things up nicely, and creates a rhythm sound that's a bit freer than some of those old Savoy sessions or Prestige blowing sides. Titles include "Ray El", "Lady Luck", "Pretty Brown", "Shadowland", and "Buzz-at". LP, Vinyl record album

Elvin Jones rose to fame in the company of one of the greatest saxophone players ever – the mighty John Coltrane – and his post-Coltrane work like this really continues a keen respect for the role of the reeds in jazz – and really does a lot to push it forward as well! There's a compelling edge to the record that's light years from Elvin's work with Coltrane – a completely new sensibility that can be spacious one minute, extremely powerful the next – and quite possibly realized to its fullest potential here, thanks to the mindblowing contributions of Dave Liebman on tenor and soprano sax, Frank Foster on tenor and flute, and Joe Farrell on alto and soprano sax. All three players work together on each track – and all shift reeds throughout the session – opening up majestically with inspiration from Elvin's drums, and some wonderful work from Gene Perla on bass. The sound is beyond easy categorization or simple style – and the record's filled with wonderful titles that include "PP Phoenix", "For All The Other Times", "Three Card Monty", and "Cecilia Is Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Most of the tracks on this 2 LP set are not from Jones' solo records but rather songs under the direction of others, mainly John Coltrane but also Frank Foster and Sonny Rollins. Some of the Coltrane titles are the drum solo from "Pursuance", "Impressions", "Your Lady", and "Vigil". Other titles are Foster's "Shiny Stockings" and "We Kiss In A Shadow" with Rollins. There are of course several other all star players who turn up on these songs such as McCoy Tyner, Richard Davis, Jimmy Garrison and Rashied Ali. LP, Vinyl record album

Evelyn Champagne King will always be most popularly remembered for her massive disco pop crossover hits of the late 70s, but she progressed really nicely throughout the 80s, keeping up with the evolving dancefloor soul sounds of the times – and Face To Face is a lean, clubby electro soul and funk flavored set with catchy hooks and sweet vocals by Evelyn! The production duties are split almost evenly between the team of Leon Sylvers, Foster Sylvers & Joey Gallo and Andre Cymone – both of which embrace synth and programming, with Cymone's coming off a bit clubbier – but all of it nicely frames Evelyn's lovely vocals. Includes "Action", "Face To Face", "Shake Down", "Telll Me Something Good", "Don't It Feel Good", "Makin' Me So Proud", "Givin' You My Love (What Cha Gonna Do With It)", "Teenager" and "Let's Get Crazy". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those records in which Kris Kristofferson takes on the 70s, and comes up with a sound and style that's completely his own – even when working within the mainstream of the time! His label, Monument, could do plenty of hokey stuff – and even arranger Bill Justis wasn't always the hippest of cats – nor producer Fred Foster. Yet working here, they all rise to the occasion under the majesty of the man's music – a soaring batch of original tunes, of that special sort that Kris was always keeping to himself after his early years writing hits for others. Titles include "Why Me", "Give It Time To Be Tender", "It Sure Was Love", "Nobody Wins", "Enough For You", and the title cut "Jesus Was A Capricorn", owed to John Prine! LP, Vinyl record album

Very very very groovy stuff by this masterful jazz vibist, recorded with a sort of late 60s swingin' feel – but still very much in the pocket and warm as a summer breeze! Lytle has a pretty remarkable way of playing the vibes with speed and energy, yet the overall feel still has kind of a relaxed West Coast vibe – a beautiful blend that rivals, if not beats, the sound of Cal Tjader on late 60s Verve! Jimmy Foster grooves along on organ, and the interplay with Lytle is key to the classic sound – but the whole group is great here – Major Holley on bass, Peppy Hinant on drums and Don Alias on conga, which brings in plenty of Latin kick. 6 of the 10 numbers are Lytle originals, including "Done It Again", "Sleepy Dozier", "Zote", "Jungle Child" and "Happy Preacher" – plus "If Ever I Should Leave You", "People" and "The Nearness Of You". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes tracks from a 1947 session, with sidemen that include Bud Freeman, Art Hodes, Pops Foster, and George Wettling; plus a 1950 session with Max Kaminsky and Wilber DeParis. LP, Vinyl record album

Smooth soulful jazz from Harvey Mason – one of his strong 70s winners for the Arista album, and a record that really brings a new level of class to his sound! There's less of the grit in the grooves than you might expect from the down-home reference of the title – and in a way, the record's a similar shift to well-produced R&B as Michael Henderson or Norman Connor's work from the same time – a soaring, fluid groove that's still supported by solid jazz instrumentation, but which also has a nice dose of soul in the mix! Players here are a real all-star lineup – with talents that include Dorothy Ashby, George Benson, Ronnie Foster, Bob James, and Phil Upchurch – and most cuts have vocals, by The Waters and others. But possibly best of all is the production – which is by Harvey, and really wonderful – sophisticated and smooth, but never slick – a really careful balance that really puts him right up there with Norman Connors or Roy Ayers! Titles include "Pack Up Your Bags", "Till You Take My Love", "Funk In A Mason Jar", "What's Going On", "Set It Free", "Space Cadets" and "Freedom Either Way". LP, Vinyl record album

Some excellent Monk from the mid 50s – recorded between the early Blue Note sides and the later revolutionary ones for Riverside, all featuring Monk in some pretty heavy tenor company! Side one features Monk playing with Frank Foster, Ray Copeland, Curley Russell, and Art Blakey – on tracks that include "We See", "Locomotive", and "Hackensack". Side two features Monk with Sonny Rollins, Julius Watkins, Percy Heath, and Willie Jones – on two takes of "Think Of One", plus "Let's Call This". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those 70s two-fers that pulls together a nice batch of Prestige recordings, and in this case, largely restores them to chronological order. The tracks here were recorded between 1952 and 1954 and were mostly originally issued as 10" LPs, but eventually found their way to the LPs Thelonious Monk, Monk With Sonny Rollins & Frank Foster and Thelonious Monk & Sonny Rollins. The better part of the set is trio sides, with Gary Mapp or Percy Heath on bass and Art Blakey or Max Roach on drums, and the qui8ntet sides also feature Sonny Rollins, Frank Foster, Julius Watkins and Ray Copeland. 19 tracks in all, including "Little Rootie Tootie", "Sweet & Lovely", "Monk's Dream", "Trinkle Trinkle", "Bemsha Swing", "Reflections", "Let's Call This", "Think Of One", "We See", "Locomotive", "Hackensack", "Work", "Nutty" and "Blue Monk". LP, Vinyl record album

A great late 60s album that brings together earlier bop sides recorded for Blue Note – key material from two of the biggest modernists in the early days of the label! The James Moody tracks are from an early 10" session – recorded in 1948 with Dave Burns on trumpet, Art Blakey on drums, James Forman on piano, and Cecil Payne on baritone – all working under the name James Moody & His Modernists, on tracks that include "Oh Henry", "Tropicana", "The Fuller Bop Man", and "Moodamorphis" – all penned by Gil Fuller. Side two features a 1954 session led by pianist George Wallington with Burns on trumpet, Jimmy Cleveland on trombone, and Frank Foster on tenor – on titles that include "Festival", "Bumpkins", "Frankie & Johnny", and "Baby Grand". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest, tightest sessions ever recorded by drummer Sunny Murray – a large group set recorded with his Untouchable Factor group – a great ensemble that includes Frank Foster on soprano sax, Oliver Lake and Arthur Blythe on alto saxes, Hamiet Bluiett on baritone, Don Pullen on piano, and Cecil McBee and Fred Hopkins on bass! The sound is somewhat straighter than Murray's free jazz of a few years before – almost in the mode that Foster was exploring with some of his large ensembles of the 70s – a platform for righteous jazz expression, but in a way that's still tied together strongly with a sense of rhythm. Other players on the group include the enigmatic Youseff Yancy on a host of instruments, including theremin – plus the under-recorded Monette Sudler on guitar. Some tracks are a bit more outside than others – and titles include "Past Perfect Tense", "One Down & One Up", "Applebluff", "Apple Cores", and "New York Maze". LP, Vinyl record album

Tight swing-based material from trumpeter Joe Newman, featuring Frank Foster as a very welcome bandmate in the frontline! The rest of the group includes Tommy Flanagan on piano, plus Eddie Jones on bass and Bill English on drums. The tracks have a nice open-ended quality, with good room for grooving and solos, and lots of nice tenor from Foster. Titles include "To Rigmor", "AM Romp", "Mo Lasses", and "Loop D Loop". LP, Vinyl record album