Second LP from this slick British funk outfit, with a soulful jazzy edge like many of the bigger acts of their day. The record has a surprisingly tight, compressed groove, considering the band is a bunch of long haried Brits in dirty t-shirts (at least from what we can tell), but it's the mellower numbers rather than the funky ones that stand out to us, like "Angel Love", "Happy Birthday" and "Little Girl". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastically beautiful record that stands as the first meeting between Bobby Hutcherson and Harold Land – an album that's possibly even better than the more famous Blue Note work by the pair! This is one of those "once in a lifetime" jazz sessions – filled with magical interplay that's made the record a favorite with collectors for years, and done with a sound that's as lyrically graceful as it is soulful and righteous! Hutcherson's vibes are at their warmest 60s mode, but still have some of the angularity of his more modern sides for Blue Note – but Land is the real discovery here – as he steps out with a fluidity that surpasses any of his earlier hardbop albums, a flowing exploratory style expressed on both flute and tenor – with a mode that's years ahead of its time, and sounds a lot more like work on labels like Strata East or Muse from the 70s. Tracks are nearly all originals by Land, and are the kind of thoughtful jazz compositions that show up on a rare few records from the 60s – all of them are great, and sparkle with creativity and a subdued sense of righteousness. The other players on the date include Joe Sample on piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Donald Bailey on drums – and titles include "One For Nini", "Angel Dance", "The Peace Maker", "40 Love", "Stylin", and "The Aquarian". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastically beautiful record that stands as the first meeting between Bobby Hutcherson and Harold Land – an album that's possibly even better than the more famous Blue Note work by the pair! This is one of those "once in a lifetime" jazz sessions – filled with magical interplay that's made the record a favorite with collectors for years, and done with a sound that's as lyrically graceful as it is soulful and righteous! Hutcherson's vibes are at their warmest 60s mode, but still have some of the angularity of his more modern sides for Blue Note – but Land is the real discovery here – as he steps out with a fluidity that surpasses any of his earlier hardbop albums, a flowing exploratory style expressed on both flute and tenor – with a mode that's years ahead of its time, and sounds a lot more like work on labels like Strata East or Muse from the 70s. Tracks are nearly all originals by Land, and are the kind of thoughtful jazz compositions that show up on a rare few records from the 60s – all of them are great, and sparkle with creativity and a subdued sense of righteousness. The other players on the date include Joe Sample on piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Donald Bailey on drums – and titles include "One For Nini", "Angel Dance", "The Peace Maker", "40 Love", "Stylin", and "The Aquarian". CD

A fantastic lost slice of work from reedman Yusef Lateef – a performance recorded at the legendary Ronnie Scott's club in London, with backing from a trio that features the wonderful Stan Tracey! Tracey was a committed modernist who really helped shape the sound of the UK scene at the time – and his pairing here with Lateef is wonderful, as Stan seems to bring out some of the most spiritual, most exotic sounds from the saxophonist – shaping the music with his own creative and angular work on piano. Yusef blows flute, tenor, shenai, and xun – and overall, the whole thing's got a vibe that really takes us back to the brilliance of his late 50s sessions for Savoy – done with the same mix of modernism, exoticism, and soul. Titles include "Song Of Delilah", "Last Night Blues", "Yusef's Mood", "Angel Eyes", and "Blues For The Orient". CD

A fantastic lost slice of work from reedman Yusef Lateef – a performance recorded at the legendary Ronnie Scott's club in London, with backing from a trio that features the wonderful Stan Tracey! Tracey was a committed modernist who really helped shape the sound of the UK scene at the time – and his pairing here with Lateef is wonderful, as Stan seems to bring out some of the most spiritual, most exotic sounds from the saxphonist – shaping the music with his own creative and angular work on piano. Yusef blows flute, tenor, shenai, and xun – and overall, the whole thing's got a vibe that really takes us back to the brilliance of his late 50s sessions for Savoy – done with the same mix of modernism, exoticism, and soul. Titles include "Song Of Delilah", "Last Night Blues", "Yusef's Mood", "Angel Eyes", and "Blues For The Orient". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic lost slice of work from reedman Yusef Lateef – a performance recorded at the legendary Ronnie Scott's club in London, with backing from a trio that features the wonderful Stan Tracey! Tracey was a committed modernist who really helped shape the sound of the UK scene at the time – and his pairing here with Lateef is wonderful, as Stan seems to bring out some of the most spiritual, most exotic sounds from the saxphonist – shaping the music with his own creative and angular work on piano. Yusef blows flute, tenor, shenai, and xun – and overall, the whole thing's got a vibe that really takes us back to the brilliance of his late 50s sessions for Savoy – done with the same mix of modernism, exoticism, and soul. Titles include "Song Of Delilah", "Last Night Blues", "Yusef's Mood", "Angel Eyes", and "Blues For The Orient". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most obscure albums ever from the amazing singer Jeanne Lee – and that's saying a lot, given how obscure most of her albums are in general! The record has a beautifully poetic feel – a mixture of songs, improvisations, and some spoken passages too – set to fantastic improvisation from a group of players that includes Sam Rivers on soprano, tenor, and flute; Gunter Hampel on piano, vibes, alto, and flute, Jack Gregg on bass, and Steve McCall on drums – plus guest work from Mark Whitecage on alto, and both Perry Robinson and Allan Praskin on clarinet. There's some of the spirituality of a Strata East recording here, mixed with some of the more open modes of the New York loft jazz scene too – and titles include "Sundance", "Yeh Come T Be", "Jamaica", "Subway Couple", "The Miracle Is", "Your Ballad", "Angel Chile", and "Conspiracy". CD

One of the most obscure albums ever from the amazing singer Jeanne Lee – and that's saying a lot, given how obscure most of her albums are in general! The record has a beautifully poetic feel – a mixture of songs, improvisations, and some spoken passages too – set to fantastic improvisation from a group of players that includes Sam Rivers on soprano, tenor, and flute; Gunter Hampel on piano, vibes, alto, and flute, Jack Gregg on bass, and Steve McCall on drums – plus guest work from Mark Whitecage on alto, and both Perry Robinson and Allan Praskin on clarinet. There's some of the spirituality of a Strata East recording here, mixed with some of the more open modes of the New York loft jazz scene too – and titles include "Sundance", "Yeh Come T Be", "Jamaica", "Subway Couple", "The Miracle Is", "Your Ballad", "Angel Chile", and "Conspiracy". LP, Vinyl record album

Singer/songwriter Mylon is joined here by a larger group than usual – with some nice keyboards, pedal steal, and female backing vocals! Titles include "Mountain Home", "Railroad Angels", "Angel Band", "Pool Shooter", and "Wondering". LP, Vinyl record album

A posthumous album, put together by Yoko Ono – featuring unreleased John Lennon material, including some produced by Phil Spector! Titles include "Here We Go Again", "Rock & Roll People", "Angel Baby", "Steel & Glass", "Scared", "Old Dirt Road", and "Bless You". Cassette

One of the few sessions ever cut as a leader by LA drummer Stan Levey – as tight a set of west coast bop as you'll ever find on the Bethlehem label – recorded with a really cooking sextet that includes Conte Candoli on trumpet, Richie Kamuca on tenor, Frank Rosolino on trombone, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Sonny Clark on piano – getting his start on wax here before his more famous Blue Note sessions in New York! The presence of Clark really gives the set a great deal of energy – of the sort that Sonny brought to his other key west coast contributions of the time – and both Kamuca and Rosolino serve up some especially sharp solos. Tracks are mostly all over five minutes long – and titles include "Hit That Thing", "Tiny's Tune", "Blues At Sunrise", "Grand Stan", and "Angel Cake". CD

One of the few sessions ever cut as a leader by LA drummer Stan Levey – as tight a set of west coast bop as you'll ever find on the Bethlehem label – recorded with a really cooking sextet that includes Conte Candoli on trumpet, Richie Kamuca on tenor, Frank Rosolino on trombone, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Sonny Clark on piano – getting his start on wax here before his more famous Blue Note sessions in New York! The presence of Clark really gives the set a great deal of energy – of the sort that Sonny brought to his other key west coast contributions of the time – and both Kamuca and Rosolino serve up some especially sharp solos. Tracks are mostly all over five minutes long – and titles include "Hit That Thing", "Tiny's Tune", "Blues At Sunrise", "Grand Stan", and "Angel Cake". CD

A strong mid 50s trio outing from west coast pianist Lou Levy – recorded under the supervision of Shorty Rogers during his time working with RCA. The set's got a harder-swinging edge than you might expect – and grooves in the manner of some of Levy's other fine mid 50s work – thanks to excellent accompaniment from Max Bennett on bass and Stan Levy on drums. Lou's work on the keys really pushes things nicely – hitting some unexpected gutbuckety tones, and working with a bluesy undercurrent that's a far cry from his west coast roots. Titles include "Apartment 17", "Yesterdays", "Angel Eyes", "Lou's Blues", "How About You", and "Woody N Lou". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice packaging of Lime's best trashy new wave disco tracks, ripe for your 80s revival: "Angel Eyes", "Come And Get Your Love", "Take It Up", "Your Love", "Babe, We're Gonna Love tonight", "Guilty" and "My Love". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most unusual criss-crossings of styles that we've ever heard from saxophonist Charles Lloyd – and that's saying a lot, given all of his unusual projects over the years! This set follows from Lloyd's previous album with his Marvels group – a richly American blending of jazz and roots – and also brings in singer Lucinda Williams on a number of the album's tracks! The core sounds have that strong contribution from guitarist Bill Frisell that made the previous Marvels project so unique – and Williams herself has great sympathy with the guitarist, as she does with Greg Leisz, who plays pedal steel and dobro on the record. Lloyd handles tenor, flute, and "ghost vocals" – and the album equally balances instrumental tunes and vocal selections, including one trio number with just Lloyd, Frisell, and Williams. Titles include "Dust", "Vanished Gardens", "Unsuffer Me", "Monk's Mood", "Angel", "Blues For Langston & LaRue", "Ballad Of The Sad Young Men", "Ventura", and "We've Come Too Far To Turn Around". CD

A brilliant and beautiful album from Damon Locks – even more powerful than his Where Future Unfolds album, and that's saying a heck of a lot! The record proclaims part of its mission in its title – and is maybe the first set we've heard to point the way forward creatively after the dark days of 2020 – reclaiming the future for the present, as Locks works with a stunning array of Chicago-based talent – including Angel Bat Dawid on clarinet, Ben LaMar Gay on cornet and melodica, Dana Hall on drums, and Arif Smith on percussion! There's no other instruments in the core of the combo – but Locks adds in plenty of electronics and sound samples, including both musical moments and all these many found voices which are woven through the record alongside vocals by a sextet of singers – a chorus who rise up and give the whole thing a heavenly vibe that's completely mindblowing! While so many others are doing a decent job of reworking a 70s jazz spirit, Damon's giving us the future to come – the kind of visionary work we always knew he was capable of, but which is now finally getting the chance to exist on record. Titles include "The People Vs The Rest Of Us", "Keep Your Mind Free", "Movement & You", "Now", and "The Body Is Electric". CD

An amazing record from Chicago musician/artist Damon Locks – maybe the album he's been waiting his entire life to make – and the first to really bring together the mighty sum of his many talents! The material was recorded live in performance at Chicago's Garfield Park Conservatory – at an event that also included a group of singers and dancers to augment the musical performance – in a setting that gives Damon's majestic vision the proper setting it really deserves! Locks himself moves between electronics and vocal performances – in a core instrumental group that's heavy on drums and percussion from Dana Hall, clarinets from Angel Bat Dawid, and more percussion from Arif Smith – making music that's even more beautiful when the singers come into the mix, and take the energy to the sky with a very cosmic, righteous vibe. Locks has given us a glimpse of his vision in artwork, music, and writings over the years – but this time around, it feels like we're seeing the full scope at once – with more power and meaning than ever before. Titles include "Solar Power", "Rebuild A Nation", "Which I Believe It Will", "The Colors That You Bring", "The Future", "From A Spark To A Fire", "Black Monument Theme", and "Sounds Like Now". CD

An amazing record from Chicago musician/artist Damon Locks – maybe the album he's been waiting his entire life to make – and the first to really bring together the mighty sum of his many talents! The material was recorded live in performance at Chicago's Garfield Park Conservatory – at an event that also included a group of singers and dancers to augment the musical performance – in a setting that gives Damon's majestic vision the proper setting it really deserves! Locks himself moves between electronics and vocal performances – in a core instrumental group that's heavy on drums and percussion from Dana Hall, clarinets from Angel Bat Dawid, and more percussion from Arif Smith – making music that's even more beautiful when the singers come into the mix, and take the energy to the sky with a very cosmic, righteous vibe. Locks has given us a glimpse of his vision in artwork, music, and writings over the years – but this time around, it feels like we're seeing the full scope at once – with more power and meaning than ever before. Titles include "Solar Power", "Rebuild A Nation", "Which I Believe It Will", "The Colors That You Bring", "The Future", "From A Spark To A Fire", "Black Monument Theme", and "Sounds Like Now". LP, Vinyl record album

A large group session arranged and conducted by Gunther Schuller. Tracks include "Angel Eyes", "Prelude To A Kiss", "Crepuscle With Nellie", "and "Rush Hour On 23rd Street". CD

Tim Maia takes on a host of older American tunes – stepping back to the 60s soul roots that inspired his roots in the 70s – all set to relatively modern arrangements! Maia's vocals are still nice and deep, even amidst the keyboard grooves – and titles include "Earth Angel", "On Broadway", "Tears On My Pillow", "Hey There Lonely Girl", "What A Wonderful World", "Save The Last Dance For Me", and "What's Your Name". Amazing package, too – comes in a hardcover book-style jacket, with a bonus 45 page book that also includes full color images, with lots of vintage photos, plus notes on the record in Portuguese! The whole thing's sort of an update of the old Abril Cultural style of the 70s – brought into the CD generation. CD

A mid 70s west coast bop side, from a few players who had faded a bit from their prime, but are still playing with a lot of energy and freshness. The treat for us is Frank Strozier on alto and flute, joined by Conte Condoli on trumpet up front, while Monty Budwig and Mike Wofford round out the rhythm section. 8 tracks in all, including "Perk Up", "I Married An Angel", "Seer", "Bleep" and "Bird Of Paradise". CD

A mid 70s west coast bop side, from a few players who had faded a bit from their prime, but are still playing with a lot of energy and freshness. The treat for us is Frank Strozier on alto and flute, joined by Conte Condoli on trumpet up front, while Monty Budwig and Mike Wofford round out the rhythm section. 8 tracks in all, including "Perk Up", "I Married An Angel", "Seer", "Bleep" and "Bird Of Paradise". LP, Vinyl record album

A heavier, darker prime era set from Massive Attack – and rightly remembered as a classic! The grooves are still really strong, but the trip hop pioneers are delving more deeply into a bass heavy dub trip with a deep, rumbling bottom running throughout the tracks and some distorted guitar and reverb drenched key and sample bits punctuating the cuts. Stunningly strong to this day – which is no mean feat given the rapid musical evolutions of the 90s onward! Includes "Angel", "Risingson", "Teardrop" (which features vocals by Cocteau Twin Elizabeth Fraser), "Inertia Creeps", "Exchange", "Dissolved Girl", "Man Next Door", "Black Milk", "Mezzanine" and "Group Four". CD

Joni Mitchell's second album, and the one where she really seemed to find her voice – quickly moving past the more folk-styled music of her roots, into that special territory that was very much her own! The album has some incredibly deep songwriting for such a young artist – tunes that are unabashedly full of love, wonder, and worry – graced with acoustic guitar and those amazing vocals – exploding into sunshine and life with a power that still holds up strongly after all these years! Stephen Stills plays bass and guitar on the record, but Joni clearly doesn't need any superstar help at all – as she shines brilliantly on titles that include "Both Sides Now", "I Don't Know Where I Stand", "Chelsea Morning", "Tin Angel", "That Song About The Midway", "Songs To Aging Children Come", and "I Think I Understand". CD

Joni Mitchell's second album, and the one where she really seemed to find her voice – quickly moving past the more folk-styled music of her roots, into that special territory that was very much her own! The album has some incredibly deep songwriting for such a young artist – tunes that are unabashedly full of love, wonder, and worry – graced with acoustic guitar and those amazing vocals – exploding into sunshine and life with a power that still holds up strongly after all these years! Stephen Stills plays bass and guitar on the record, but Joni clearly doesn't need any superstar help at all – as she shines brilliantly on titles that include "Both Sides Now", "I Don't Know Where I Stand", "Chelsea Morning", "Tin Angel", "That Song About The Midway", "Songs To Aging Children Come", and "I Think I Understand". LP, Vinyl record album

Joni Mitchell's second album, and the one where she really seemed to find her voice – quickly moving past the more folk-styled music of her roots, into that special territory that was very much her own! The album has some incredibly deep songwriting for such a young artist – tunes that are unabashedly full of love, wonder, and worry – graced with acoustic guitar and those amazing vocals – exploding into sunshine and life with a power that still holds up strongly after all these years! Stephen Stills plays bass and guitar on the record, but Joni clearly doesn't need any superstar help at all – as she shines brilliantly on titles that include "Both Sides Now", "I Don't Know Where I Stand", "Chelsea Morning", "Tin Angel", "That Song About The Midway", "Songs To Aging Children Come", and "I Think I Understand". LP, Vinyl record album

The jazz message of Hank Mobley here is loud, proud, and plenty soulful – a key early illustration of his massive talents on the tenor sax, recorded in the relaxed company of top-shelf players of his generation! The format's a bit less structured than Mobley on Blue Note – more in a Prestige mode, although not as loose as a blowing session, given the length of the tunes. Two groups work with Hank on the set – one that includes John LaPorta on alto, Donald Byrd on trumpet, and Horace Silver on piano – another with Byrd on trumpet and Ronnie Ball on piano. La Porta's alto is an especially nice treat – quite an unusual modern pairing with Mobley – and rhythm is from either Doug Watkins or Wendell Marshall on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums. Titles include "Cattin", "Madeline", "When I Fall In Love", "Budo", "I Married An Angel", and "The Jazz Message". CD

A classic set of high-class jazz from the MJQ – one that shows John Lewis' growing compositional skills, and the band's always tight ability to work in a compressed chamber format. Features the extended "Fontessa" suite, plus the tracks "Versailles", "Angel Eyes", "Bluesology", and "Woodyn You". CD

Dreamy work from Hugo Montenegro – a string-heavy session that's filled with romantic numbers, yet also recorded with some of the whimsy of his later work! The "loves" of Hugo's life are a host of 40s and 50s standards – done here in a late nite mode with shimmering violins and moody woodwinds – titles that include "Lady Of Spain", "Sleepy Time Gal", "A Beautiful Lady In Blue", "My Old Flame", "Little Girl Blue", "Girl Of My Dreams", and "I Married An Angel". CD

Great early work from guitar genius Wes Montgomery – a late 60s album, but one that pulls together his recordings with The Brothers Montgomery – with Monk Montgomery on bass, and Buddy Montgomery on vibes and piano – with either Lawrence Marable or Paul Humphries on drums! Titles include "Jingles", "Monterey Blues", "Snowfall", "Angel Eyes", "Beaux Arts", "Lover Man", "June In January", and "Barbados". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite Jemeel Moodoc recordings of recent years – a sublime set of duets with bassist William Parker, and a record that's got a vibe that's even more spiritual than usual from both players! There's a sense of timelessness to the music we really love – a sense of improvisation that encompasses avant traditions in Chicago, Detroit, New York, and St Louis – but which also has a deeply personal spirit, too – as those rare moments when Parker really gets the chance to shape a session with his sense of soul – and here brings out a bold focus in Moondoc's alto that's really breathtaking. Titles include "Huey Sees A Rainbow", "Another Angel Goes Home", "Encore", "Theme For Pelikan", and "New World Pygmies". CD

A very groovy soundtrack from the great Stanley Myers! The setting of the film is mod London – and Stan's come up with some very cool tunes that mix together 60s easy, trippy instrumentation, and a bit of that go-go groove. Instrumentation includes a bit of sitar and tabla – mixed with electric guitar, organ, electric harpsichord, a bit of vocals, and orchestral flourishes – changing mood from track to track, but always staying on the straight and groovy! Titles include "Barney", "Angel's Theme", "Shazam", "Kinky Dolly", "Kings Full", and "A Present for Daddy". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the songs "My Angel", "Laid Back", "Now That I've Found You", "Joy", "I Didn't Know", "Secret Admirer", "(G) Street", "Broken Promises", "Heart Like Mine", "Saleemah's Dream", "Share My World", and "I Didn't Know Instrumental)/Reprise". CD

One of Ken Nordine's trippiest albums! This was released on Ken's own Snail Records label in the late 70's, and it's got a very different feel than his classic Word Jazz LPs on Dot. There's still a lot of cool processed vocals, and weird production in which Ken talks with himself in many different voices, but there's also some added instrumentation, and even a few tracks that you could call "songs". The musicians are an odd batch of players from the Chicago scene, including Odell Brown and Manfredo Fest, and Kitty Haywood also sings vocals on some of the album. Titles include "Smelts", "Scratch", "Angel's Lament", "Island", "Mister Blister", and "Cracks In the Ceiling". LP, Vinyl record album

Johnny Pacheco's working here with vocalist Luis Angel Silva Nava – also known as "Melon", hence the title and cover! The album's a crackling batch of straight samba from the 70s – played by a sharp little group with Sonny Bravo on piano, Luiz Perico Ortiz on trumpet, Luis Mangual on bongos, Charlie Rodriguez on tres, and Pacheco himself on both flute and percussion – both of which are handled with a slightly classic vibe. Production is nice and clean – like the best Vaya dates from the time – and the album does a great job of balancing Latin roots with the more youthful energy of the 70s New York scene. Titles include "Don Toribio Carambola", "Compay Anton", "Solo Estoy", "Vera Cruz", "Jicamo y Salsa", and "Nuestra Cita". LP, Vinyl record album

One of a few great vocal jazz records cut by singer Kim Parker in the early 80s – a spare set that features backing by Mal Waldron on piano, Isla Eckinger on bass, and Ed Thigpen on drums. The tunes are all pretty hip – well chosen, with some good obscure numbers – and Kim's tone here is a bit lighter than on other albums, languidly drifting along with the gentle style of the set. Titles include "Devil May Care", "Angel Eyes", "Wistful Samba", "Pretty Girl", "Fiesta In Blue", and "Singing Dancing (On My Way)". CD

One of a few great vocal jazz records cut by singer Kim Parker in the early 80s – a spare set that features backing by Mal Waldron on piano, Isla Eckinger on bass, and Ed Thigpen on drums. The tunes are all pretty hip – well chosen, with some good obscure numbers – and Kim's tone here is a bit lighter than on other albums, languidly drifting along with the gentle style of the set. Titles include "Devil May Care", "Angel Eyes", "Wistful Samba", "Pretty Girl", "Fiesta In Blue", and "Singing Dancing (On My Way)". LP, Vinyl record album

Really beautiful work from bassist William Parker – a set of tracks that are every bit as righteous as some of his other albums, but in a completely different way! The music here is from a musical production that Parker's been creating over the past two-decades – beautiful vocal tunes that are some of the most poetic he's ever penned – sung here by Lisa Sokolov, alongside piano from Cooper Moore – a stripped-down approach that really gets to the heart of the lyrics, but never with any sort of sleepy presentation, given the vibrancy of Sokolov's approach. One tune features an additional cello, but overall the album is just voice and piano – Parker just acts as composer and producer – and titles include "The Death Of Death", "Footnote To A Dream", "For Jeanne Lee", "Poem For June Jordan", "Invocation (for David S Ware)", "Angel's Tear", and "Soul In Heaven". CD

Dark genius from Duke Pearson – quite possibly one of his hippest records ever, and an album that's filled with surprising twists and turns! At one level, the set seems to be a simple batch of soul jazz tunes – in the mode of Pearson's mid-60s classics on Blue Note – but at another, it opens up into unusual phrasings, timings, shades, and tones – all of which are years ahead of their time, and serve to keep the album full of complexity throughout! Many tracks groove here – but in a very subtle way that often moves a bit towards modal jazz. And the players on the set shade things in unconventionally – sometimes using understatement and space as their strongest tools – clearly directed by Pearson's budding talents as an arranger. Players include James Spaulding on flute and alto sax, Harold Vick on soprano sax, Johnny Coles on trumpet, George Coleman on tenor, and Gene Bertoncini on guitar – and Pearson himself plays a bit of celeste in addition to his regular piano. Titles include a great version of Joe Henderson's "Soulin", plus Ron Carter's "Little Waltz", and Pearson's own "The Fakir", one of the best tracks he ever wrote! Other titles include "Hush A Bye", "Prairie Dog", and "Angel Eyes". CD

Given that Pepper was on and off the LA scene a fair bit in the 50s – due to personal trouble and legal battles – this album's not so much "the return", as it is one of Pepper's many strong steps back into the studio, a place in which he demonstrated an uncanny ability to craft brilliant work, despite the turmoil going on around him. The set's as classic as you can get for Pepper – right down to the classic William Claxton photo on the cover (which has a chilling story that you'll find in Art's autobiography). Players include Jack Sheldon, Russ Freeman, Leroy Vinnegar, and Shelly Manne – and titles include "Pepper Returns", "Funny Blues", "Angel Wings", "Walkin Out Blues", "Five More", "Minority", and "Mambo De La Pinta". CD

Given that Pepper was on and off the LA scene a fair bit in the 50s – due to personal trouble and legal battles – this album's not so much "the return", as it is one of Pepper's many strong steps back into the studio, a place in which he demonstrated an uncanny ability to craft brilliant work, despite the turmoil going on around him. The set's as classic as you can get for Pepper – right down to the classic William Claxton photo on the cover (which has a chilling story that you'll find in Art's autobiography). Players include Jack Sheldon, Russ Freeman, Leroy Vinnegar, and Shelly Manne – and titles include "Pepper Returns", "Funny Blues", "Angel Wings", "Walkin Out Blues", "Five More", "Minority", and "Mambo De La Pinta". CD

A live recording of the final concert of Piazzolla's New Tango Sex-Tet, recorded in Amerstdam, 1989. 7 numbers in all, including "Hora Cero", "Tanguedia", "Milonga Del Angel", "Camorra 3", "Preludio Y Fuga", "Sex-Tet" and "Luna". CD

A fantastic late life album by the Argentine musical genius Astor Piazzolla – and a set that shows just how far he'd transformed the format of the tango along his musical path of the previous decades! The sound here is completely unique – with some elements of modern string quartet modes, avant jazz, and other styles – blended together with guitar, violin, piano, and bass next to Astor's completely sublime lines on bandoneon! The whole thing's a treasure, and if there's one record to hear by Piazzolla, this is it! Titles include "Tanguedia III", "Milonga Del Angel", "Concierto Para Quinteto", "Milonga Loca", and "Contrabajissimo". CD

A fantastic late life album by the Argentine musical genius Astor Piazzolla – and a set that shows just how far he'd transformed the format of the tango along his musical path of the previous decades! The sound here is completely unique – with some elements of modern string quartet modes, avant jazz, and other styles – blended together with guitar, violin, piano, and bass next to Astor's completely sublime lines on bandoneon! The whole thing's a treasure, and if there's one record to hear by Piazzolla, this is it! Titles include "Tanguedia III", "Milonga Del Angel", "Concierto Para Quinteto", "Milonga Loca", and "Contrabajissimo". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the great earlier solo records from Iggy – capping off the 70s here with a bang! New Values finds Iggy a real peak point for edgy, yet accessible songwriting – a talent he no doubt honed in the preceding few years of working with David Bowie. The production is great here, too – with the rugged guitar and bugged out vocals you'd expect from Iggy, but with some cool little synthesizer touches here and there, that actually sound fresh to this day – as opposed to new wave-y. We value this one as highly as just about any Iggy Pop album. Includes "Tell Me A Story", "New Values", the classic "I'm Bored", "Five Foot One", "Angel", "The Endless Sea", "Don't Look Down", "African Man", "Billy Is A Runaway" and more. CD

A classic Arkestra live set from the end of the 80s – beautifully recorded, and put together with a lot more dynamic energy than some of the less professional Sun Ra live dates from the time! The set runs for nearly an hour in length, and tracks are long, but often quite focused – served up with a good deal of soulfulness in both the rhythms and horn work, as well as some of that Ellington-inspired tightness that marked Ra's best later years. Players include Michael Ray, John Gilmore, Tyrone Hill, Marshall Allen, John Gilmore, and Ahmed Abdullah – and titles include "Astro Black", "If You Came From Nowhere Here", "Can You Take It", "Angel Race/I Will Wait For You", "Cosmo Approach Prelude", and "Interstellar Lo-Ways". CD

A classic Arkestra live set from the end of the 80s – beautifully recorded, and put together with a lot more dynamic energy than some of the less professional Sun Ra live dates from the time! The set runs for nearly an hour in length, and tracks are long, but often quite focused – served up with a good deal of soulfulness in both the rhythms and horn work, as well as some of that Ellington-inspired tightness that marked Ra's best later years. Players include Michael Ray, John Gilmore, Tyrone Hill, Marshall Allen, John Gilmore, and Ahmed Abdullah – and titles include "Astro Black", "If You Came From Nowhere Here", "Can You Take It", "Angel Race/I Will Wait For You", "Cosmo Approach Prelude", and "Interstellar Lo-Ways". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic Arkestra live set from the end of the 80s – beautifully recorded, and put together with a lot more dynamic energy than some of the less professional Sun Ra live dates from the time! The set runs for nearly an hour in length, and tracks are long, but often quite focused – served up with a good deal of soulfulness in both the rhythms and horn work, as well as some of that Ellington-inspired tightness that marked Ra's best later years. Players include Michael Ray, John Gilmore, Tyrone Hill, Marshall Allen, John Gilmore, and Ahmed Abdullah – and titles include "Astro Black", "If You Came From Nowhere Here", "Can You Take It", "Angel Race/I Will Wait For You", "Cosmo Approach Prelude", and "Interstellar Lo-Ways". CD

Venezuela had some pretty amazing sounds going on in the early 80s, and this album from electronic musician Angel Rada is definitely a great example of the diversity of the scene! Rada works in a style that echoes some of the hippest European experiments of the late 70s – particularly some of the best of the German artists on Sky Records – but his overall approach is looser, and more distinctive – almost as if he's using his electronics to plumb space in an experimental way – music that might be the perfect soundtrack for some sort of spacecraft approaching and exploring an unknown planet! Titles include "Basheeba", "Video Game", "Panico A Las 5am", "Upadesa", "Carrillon", and "Asesinato Musical". LP, Vinyl record album

Features "Denise", "Come Back", "Why Do Kids Grow Up", "She's My Angel", "Happy Teenager", "Dry Your Eyes" and more – 30 tracks in all! CD

Both solo and tracks from the Velvet Underground. Includes the songs "Waiting For The Man", "White Light White Heat", "I Heard Her Call My Name", "Pale Blue Eyes", "Beginning To See The Light", "Sweet Jane", "Rock And Roll", "Heroin", "Femme Fatale", "Walk On The Wild Side", "Berlin", "Men Of Good Fortune", "The Kids", "Coney Island Baby", "Temporary Thing", "All Through The Night", "So Alone", "How Do You Speak To An Angel", "Keep Away", and "Street Hassle". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary live performance from these three key members of the Velvet Underground – reunited on stage for a televised concert in Paris in 1972, and sounding really amazing together! Although Lou's star was the highest at the time, and Cale was releasing some incredible solo material, the overall vibe is maybe in the moody slowness of some of Nico's own recordings – very dark and spare, given that most of the instrumentation is just Cale on piano and viola, Reed on guitar, and Nico on harmonium – that spooky instrument that always seemed to bring out the best in her vocals! The whole thing is a key addition to both the Velvet Underground catalog, and the solo work of the three at the time – with titles that include "Berlin", "Black Angel's Death Song", "Heroin", "Ghost Story", "Janitor Of Lunacy", "I'll Be Your Mirror", "The Biggest Loudest Hairiest Group Of All", "Frozen Warnings", "Wild Child", "Empty Bottle", and "All Tomorrow's Parties". CD

An underground soul jazz classic – massive grooves from drummer Steve Reid, and exactly the kind of set that's gotten him so much attention in recent years! There's a mixture of freedom and tightness here that's really wonderful – some of the looser elements of the loft jazz generation, mixed with an inherent sense of rhythm that always set Reid's records apart from the rest – a groove that comes not just from his own pulsations on the drum kit, but also from the elliptical basslines of Richard Williams on electric and Luis Angel Falcon on acoustic, and the mixed organ and piano lines of keyboardist Les Walker. Joe Rigby brings some really sharp-edged sax work to the record, alongside the trumpet of Ahmed Abdullah, who really sounds wonderful here – bringing a spirituality to the album that's clearly borrowed from his time with Sun Ra. The album includes the great groover "Lions of Judah" – which has a very Ra-like quality – plus other great cuts "Long Time Black", "Sixth House", "Nova", and "Free Spirits Unknown". CD

An essential collection of work from the legendary Minnie Riperton – a set that was crucial to so many listeners, as during the early years of the CD era, it was the only way you could find any of her music in print! And all these many years later, the set's still a wonderful introduction to her charms – filled with all the right cuts that will both introduce you to Minnie's many charms, and help longtime listeners remember just what a special talent she was in soul music, before being taken from our planet all too soon! The work here is all post-Rotary Connection, post-Chess Records – when Minnie was out in Cali, and working with key musical partner Richard Rudolph, as well as heavyweights like Stevie Wonder and Leon Ware too. CD features 17 tracks in all – including "Perfect Angel", "Memory Lane", "Lovin You", "Stick Together", "Woman Of Heart & Mind", "Young Willing & Able", "Light My Fire", Simple Things", "Stay In Love", "Can You Feel What I'm Saying", "Wouldn't Matter Where You Are", "Give Me Time", You Take My Breath Away", "Inside My Love", "Here We Go", and "Adventures In Paradise". CD

Minnie's beautiful hit from the mid 70s, on a nice original single with another cut from the Perfect Angel album on the flip! 7-inch, Vinyl record

An important solo album from Robbie Robertson of The Band – produced with help from Daniel Lanois, and with titles that include "Hell's Half Acre", "Fallen Angel", "Broken Arrow", "Street Fire Of Love", "Somewhere Down The Crazy River", and "Sonny Got Caught In The Moonlight". CD

An important solo album from Robbie Robertson of The Band – produced with help from Daniel Lanois, and with titles that include "Hell's Half Acre", "Fallen Angel", "Broken Arrow", "Street Fire Of Love", "Somewhere Down The Crazy River", and "Sonny Got Caught In The Moonlight". Guests include U2, BoDeans, Peter Gabriel, and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Adam Rogers on guitar, Chris Potter on tenor, Edward Simon on piano, Scott Colley on bass, and Clarence Penn on drums. Titles are all originals and include "Orpheus", "Angel Of Repose", "Phyrigia", "Red Leaves", and "Cleveland". CD

Very vibrant work from trumpeter Wallace Roney – the sort of record that seems to burst out strongly even on the ballads – which is no surprise, given Wallace's tone at the time! The group here is a strong one for Roney – Antonio Hart on alto, Geri Allen on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and the great Kenny Washington on drums – and although the tunes are mostly standards, Wallace voices them strongly as his one – hitting hard with that Roney approach even at gentle moments, but sounding especially nice on the upbeat tracks. Titles include "We See", "What's New", "Angel Eyes", "Time After Time", and "Woody N You". CD

An Arkestra performance, but one that's headed up by Mark De Clive-Lowe – who wrote all the material, and produced the record too – as a great extension of some of the more spiritual directions he's been taking in his own music in recent years! The group have a sound that definitely lives up to the spiritual jazz reference you might expect from their name – building nicely on waves of piano and keyboards from Mark, with excellent work from other ensemble members on tenor, flute, alto, trumpet, and guitar – all soaring to the skies in a great 21st Century take on 70s spiritual jazz modes! There's a number of drummers on the record, and there's no rhythm programs listed – save for "fx" and "live electronics" in the credits – but it feels as if there might be a slight current of beats amidst the live instrumentation from time to time. Not that any of that gets in the way of the sound – which is tightly focused and soaring to the skies, on tracks that include "Fallen Angel", "Tempestuous Temperaments", "Cosmic Collisions", "Lullabies Of The Lost", "Elegy Of Entrapment", and "The Art Of Altercation". CD

A less tense and caustic Roots than the crew that hit us on the majority of Rising Down a couple years earlier – and this one's as strong of an album as they've delivered since moving over to Def Jam. In truth, we were a little scared when we saw some of the guests credited – Monsters Of Folk, John Legend, Joanna Newsom and other headscratchers on top of more likely collaborators such as Phonte, Blu, Peedi Peedi and Dice Raw – unfounded worry, it turns out, as this set gets over very, very well! How I Got Over is a Roots effort through and through, with contemplative and soulful tracks that simmer and stew in tried and true fashion. The songs with those indie rock guests turn out to be among the Roots-iest tracks on the record. Believe that! So you can rest easy, the Roots are The Roots here, just what we wanted and just what we get! Includes "A Peace Of Light" feat Amber Coffman, Angel Deradoorian & Haley Dekle, "Walk Alone" feat Truck North, PORN & Dice Raw, "Now Or Never" with Phonte & Dice Raw, "Dear God 2.0" with Monsters Of Folk, "The Day" feat Blu, Phonte & Patty Crash, "Doin It Again", "Tunnel Vision" and more. CD

A less tense and caustic Roots than the crew that hit us on the majority of Rising Down a couple years earlier – and this one's as strong of an album as they've delivered since moving over to Def Jam. In truth, we were a little scared when we saw some of the guests credited – Monsters Of Folk, John Legend, Joanna Newsom and other headscratchers on top of more likely collaborators such as Phonte, Blu, Peedi Peedi and Dice Raw – it gets over very, very well here! How I Got Over is a Roots effort through and through, with contemplative and soulful tracks that simmer and stew in tried and true fashion. The tracks with those indie rock guests turn out to be among the Roots-iest tracks on the record. Believe that! So you can rest easy, the Roots are The Roots here, just what we wanted and just what we get! Includes "A Peace Of Light" feat Amber Coffman, Angel Deradoorian & Haley Dekle, "Walk Alone" feat Truck North, PORN & Dice Raw, "Now Or Never" with Phonte & Dice Raw, "Dear God 2.0" with Monsters Of Folk, "The Day" feat Blu, Phonte & Patty Crash, "Doin It Again", "Tunnel Vision" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Rosie are a cool little trio with a very unique vibe – a bit of old school harmony soul, mixed with warm 70s production and arrangements by Michael Kamen! The music is a lot more soulful than you might guess from the cover – and it's clear that the group have really gotten great inspiration from harmony soul from the doo wop years onwards – yet manage to deliver their vocals in a way that's as understated as it is strongly presented – surprisingly un-self-conscious, as are Kamen's arrangements. The songs are great, too – never too cloyingly commercial, and with a balance that really surprises us – and as one more capper, the backings are by a hip rhythm section that features Dr John on keyboards and Cornell Dupree on guitar! Titles include "Last Dance Of Summer", "The Angel In Me", "Missin", "Run That Movie Back", "I See Home", and "The Words Do't Matter". CD

A brilliant little comeback album for Roxy Music – their first album in 4 years after Siren, and a well-done departure that takes off from older records without losing any of their greatness! In a way, the set's almost the group's Lodger – a similar effort to Bowie's record from the same time that reflects a move away from heavier styles of earlier years, but never loses the edge of the group's best work. Manifesto also reflects some of the lessons learned by Bryan Ferry on his solo records – a bit leaner and cleaner presentation of the songs – but the album itself is also strongly a group production effort, and certainly feels that way in its use of Phil Manzenera's great guitars and Andy Mackay's horn arrangements. Titles include "Ain't That So", "Stronger Through The Years", "Trash", "Manifesto", "Angel Eyes", "Spin Me Round", "Cry Cry Cry", and "My Little Girl". CD

A brilliant little comeback album for Roxy Music – their first album in 4 years after Siren, and a well-done departure that takes off from older records without losing any of their greatness! In a way, the set's almost the group's Lodger – a similar effort to Bowie's record from the same time that reflects a move away from heavier styles of earlier years, but never loses the edge of the group's best work. Manifesto also reflects some of the lessons learned by Bryan Ferry on his solo records – a bit leaner and cleaner presentation of the songs – but the album itself is also strongly a group production effort, and certainly feels that way in its use of Phil Manzenera's great guitars and Andy Mackay's horn arrangements. Titles include "Ain't That So", "Stranger Through The Years", "Trash", "Manifesto", "Angel Eyes", "Spin Me Round", "Cry Cry Cry", and "My Little Girl". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant little comeback album for Roxy Music – their first album in 4 years after Siren, and a well-done departure that takes off from older records without losing any of their greatness! In a way, the set's almost the group's Lodger – a similar effort to Bowie's record from the same time that reflects a move away from heavier styles of earlier years, but never loses the edge of the group's best work. Manifesto also reflects some of the lessons learned by Bryan Ferry on his solo records – a bit leaner and cleaner presentation of the songs – but the album itself is also strongly a group production effort, and certainly feels that way in its use of Phil Manzenera's great guitars and Andy Mackay's horn arrangements. Titles include "Ain't That So", "Stranger Through The Years", "Trash", "Manifesto", "Angel Eyes", "Spin Me Round", "Cry Cry Cry", and "My Little Girl". CD

The second round from the Run The Jewels supergroup duo of El-P & Killer Mike – bigger, bolder and better than the debut! The production is more densely layered and the rhymes are meaner – especially Killer Mike's limber, charismatic flow, which served so strongly by El-P's progressive, classic boom bap-inspired production – and El-P is no slouch on the mic, either! The guests bring their A games, too – and the titles include "Jeopardy", "Oh My Darling Don't Cry", "Close Your Eyes" with Zach De la Rocha, "Lie, Cheat, Steal", "Early" feat Boots, "Love Again (Akinyele Back)", "Crown" feat Diane Coffee, "Angel Duster" and more. CD

One of the best-remembered albums from the great Tom Rush – a set that gave the world his well-recorded title track (and the classic "No Regrets"), and which also has Tom really reaching out with a proud new style! The record expands the core sound of Rush in ways that roughly echo some of the early Tim Hardin material at Verve – still bluesy folk at the core, but with arrangements that are slight, but sophisticated – in ways that unlock all these great moods and colors in the songs that you never would have gotten if Rush were just singing and playing guitar on his own! Paul Harris handles the charts, and things are light, but well-pointed – a really beautiful inflection of the vocals and guitar at the core of the performance, often with a very moody style. Titles include "The Circle Game", "Rockport Sunday", "No Regrets", "Tin Angel", "Urge For Going", "Something In The Way She Moves", and "Shadow Dream Song". CD

Sarde soundtracks for 2 Roman Polanski films – Tess and The Tenant. Given that Tess is based on the Thomas Hardy novel, the soundtrack's relatively traditional – with warmly sentimental themes that capture the emotion of the settings. The Tenant is much more in the spookier Polanski mode – darkly moody, with spare orchestral themes trickling out and building suspense. Carlo Savina directed the orchestra of Nat Peck on both soundtracks – and there's a total of 22 tracks that include "Le Viol", "Le Cimetere", "Cour D'Immeuble", "Le Locateire", "Conspiration", and "Le Retour D'Angel". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Volume 5 in the La Vie Electronique series from electronic music pioneer Klaus Schulze – solo concert recordings from the mid 70s – 3 CDs of each with more than 70 minutes of music! Disc 1 includes "Berlin Schoeneberg" – featuring "Heftige Passage" and "Ruhige Passage" recorded at a Berlin radio concert in '76, plus the "Vie De Reve" performance, recorded at a French solo concert that year. Titles include "Le Retour Au Pays", "Et La Fete Continue", "Eteignez Les Limieres" and more. Disc 2 includes the "Nostalgic Echo" and Titanisch Tage" performances – recorded during solo concerts in '76. Includes "The Creation Of Eve", "Portrait Of Freud", "Autumn Sonata", "The Ran", "The Falling Angel" and more, plus the 15+ minute "For Barry Graves". Disc 3 features more solo concert performances from 1976 titled "The Poet" and The Oberhausen Tape" – with "Witness And Wait", "The Poet Of The Body" and "The Poet Of The Soul", plus "Quelle Idee De Peindre", "Et La Ple Lui Dit Merci", "Et Picasso Mange La Pomme" and more. CD

A tremendous pairing of talents – the piano of Irene Schweizer and drums of Louis Moholo – set loose here in a style that's free, but never too far to swing – so that there's a sense of focus and energy that really brings out the best in both musicians! Schweizer has a very rhythmic approach when she's in some of her most compelling modes – and the approach works here very well alongside Moholo, who also vocalizes a bit in this really unusual way. The whole set has strong echoes of Louis' South African roots – in both the titles and overall progressions of the songs – and titles include "Angel", "Mra", "Free Mandela", and "Exile". CD

Maybe the greatest record we've heard so far from drummer Kendrick Scott – and that's saying a lot, given that we really liked his other albums! The set's got Kendrick forging a new way forward on Blue Note – working with an inventive, soulful style that's angular one minute, but warmly fluid the next – wrapped up in these great tones on piano and Fender Rhodes from Taylor Eigsti, who really grabs us with power we don't remember, and is a key member of the set! The album also features nice lines from John Ellis on saxes and bass clarinet, plus Joe Sanders on bass and Michael Moreno on guitar – both artists who shift between broad tonal colors and more rhythmic moments. Lizz Wright sings guest vocals on "This Song In Me" – and other instrumental tracks include "We Are The Drum", "Make Believe", "Synchrony", "Lotus", "Milton", "Touched By An Angel (for Maya)", and "The Long Shadow". CD

A 2 CD live set from the legendary Gil Scott-Heron – captured sometime in the 80s, featuring some of his legendary righteous jazz funk numbers in the 70s, plus some of his lesser-known, even more pointedly political numbers from the 80s! The arrangements are clean, and very jazzy on this set – with many of the numbers stretching to epic length, complete with Gil's between song spoken word bits intact. The group that includes Ron Holloway on tenor sax, Kim Jordan on keys and backing vocals, Rodney Young on drums and Larry McDonald on percussion. Tracks include "Washington DC", "Winter In America", "Is That Jazz?", "Blue Collar", "Johannesburg", "Three Miles Down", "Gun", "Save The Children", "Angel Dust", "Shut 'Em Down", "B Move", "The Bottle" and more! CD

A key crossover set from Gil Scott-Heron – still every bit as political as his earlier work, but with a stronger sense of soul as well! The great Brian Jackson is firmly in tow here – bringing warm keyboards and a nice little groove to most of the tracks – and the previous acoustic moments are replaced with more electric instrumentation overall, but never in a way that seeks to dampen Gil's message, nor push him into easy commercial territory. Instead, the tighter rhythms seem to really hammer home some of the lyrics – most famously in "Angel Dust", which almost touched a wider audience than the drug itself – and equally nicely on cuts that include "Cane", "Angola Louisiana", "Show Bizness", "Better Days Ahead", and "Madison Avenue". CD

A key crossover set from Gil Scott-Heron – still every bit as political as his earlier work, but with a stronger sense of soul as well! The great Brian Jackson is firmly in tow here – bringing warm keyboards and a nice little groove to most of the tracks – and the previous acoustic moments are replaced with more electric instrumentation overall, but never in a way that seeks to dampen Gil's message, nor push him into easy commercial territory. Instead, the tighter rhythms seem to really hammer home some of the lyrics – most famously in "Angel Dust", which almost touched a wider audience than the drug itself – and equally nicely on cuts that include "Cane", "Angola Louisiana", "Show Bizness", "Better Days Ahead", and "Madison Avenue". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the best tracks ever from the pair of Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson – some of most righteous, authoritative and thematically heavy soul music ever created – compiled in one incredible set! Messianic, emotive vocals from Gil and stunningly restrained, magical soul jazz arrangements from Brian – words can't express how dynamic these tunes are! Great stuff from classic LPs such as Winter In America, It's Your World, First Minute Of A New Day, Secrets and more! 15 tracks in all: "The Bottle", "It's Your World", "Johannesburg", "Winter In America", "The Liberation (Red, Black & Green)", "Home Is Where The Hatred Is (Live)", "We Almost Lost Detroit", "Angel Dust", "Show Bizness", "Madison Avenue", "Shut 'Em Down", "Alien (Hold On To Your Dreams)". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little album of jazzy soul – the second that Seawind cut for CTI, and very much an extension of the first! The album's got a breezy west coast fusion sound – kind of like work that was coming out of Fantasy Records, or some of the more obscure independent fusion albums at the time. Pauline Wilson sings lead vocals on most cuts – with a sound that's somewhere between Patti Austin and Lani Hall, flanged-out to give the record a great 70s sound, an approach that works well with the sweetly jazzy style of the instrumentation. Harvey Mason produced – and titles include "One Sweet Night", "Campanas De Invierno", "Window Of A Child", "Countin The Days", "Angel Of Mercy", "Lovin You", and "Do Listen To". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few albums as a leader cut by pianist Ralph Sharon – a player who's best known for his years supporting singer Tony Bennett, but who sounds really wonderful here in an instrumental setting too! Sharon's got a way of coming up both with a punch and a fluid sort of groove – that gentle swing that worked so well to ignite the jazzier side of Bennett's vocals – and which gets lots of room to open up with a voice of its own here! The rest of the trio nicely match Sharon's liveliness on the keys – with work from Jay Cave on bass and Christy Febbo on drums – and although most titles are standards, they're handled with a fresh approach that makes us wish we could hear more from Sharon in such a setting. Titles include "Steeple Chase", "Angel Eyes", "Bluz For Suz", "I'm Glad There Is You", and "Give Me The Simple Life". CD

One of the few albums as a leader cut by pianist Ralph Sharon – a player who's best known for his years supporting singer Tony Bennett, but who sounds really wonderful here in an instrumental setting too! Sharon's got a way of coming up both with a punch and a fluid sort of groove – that gentle swing that worked so well to ignite the jazzier side of Bennett's vocals – and which gets lots of room to open up with a voice of its own here! The rest of the trio nicely match Sharon's liveliness on the keys – with work from Jay Cave on bass and Christy Febbo on drums – and although most titles are standards, they're handled with a fresh approach that makes us wish we could hear more from Sharon in such a setting. Titles include "Steeple Chase", "Angel Eyes", "Bluz For Suz", "I'm Glad There Is You", and "Give Me The Simple Life". LP, Vinyl record album