No Mirage here – as the album's got a presence that's impossible to deny – a solid, soulful uttering from this key Chicago combo of the 70s! The group's led by reedman Ari Brown – better known for his later avant work – and they've got a wicked blend of keyboards and horns with lots of complicated touches, played out over funky rhythms that are completely mindblowing! The great Ken Chaney plays keyboards, and in addition to Brown's reeds, the set also features trumpet from Frank Gordon, trombone from Steve Galloway, and bass from Rufus Reid – plus cool percussion from Arlington Davis and Drasheer Khalid. Most cuts are instrumental, and recorded beautifully – but one number, "The Ultimate Frontier", also features vocals from Anita Jefferies. Other cuts include "Slinky", "Mirage", "Just a Little Peace", and "March On". CD

An excellent funky fusion group from Chicago – and one of the best ensembles to record for the Black Jazz label! The group's made up of hip Chicago underground players – and includes Ken Chaney on electric piano, Ari Brown on saxes, and Frank Gordon on trumpet – a lineup that comes together with the same sort of righteous energy and soulful power as Windy City contemporaries like The Pharoahs or Earth Wind & Fire! On this first LP, they jam with a mix of righteous funk and spiritual soul jazz, mixing electric piano, choppy reeds, and tight horns with a powerful rhythm backing that never goes too over the top, and which stays in a good modal mode that works great for the soloists – soaringly expressive at a personal level, yet coming together with a really righteous group feel in the end. Tracks include "Jupiter", "Brand New Feeling", "Convulsions", and "Kera's Dance". CD

An excellent funky fusion group from Chicago – and one of the best ensembles to record for the Black Jazz label! The group's made up of hip Chicago underground players – and includes Ken Chaney on electric piano, Ari Brown on saxes, and Frank Gordon on trumpet – a lineup that comes together with the same sort of righteous energy and soulful power as Windy City contemporaries like The Pharoahs or Earth Wind & Fire! On this first LP, they jam with a mix of righteous funk and spiritual soul jazz, mixing electric piano, choppy reeds, and tight horns with a powerful rhythm backing that never goes too over the top, and which stays in a good modal mode that works great for the soloists – soaringly expressive at a personal level, yet coming together with a really righteous group feel in the end. Tracks include "Jupiter", "Brand New Feeling", "Convulsions", and "Kera's Dance". CD

No Mirage here – as the album's got a presence that's impossible to deny – a solid, soulful uttering from this key Chicago combo of the 70s! The group's led by reedman Ari Brown – better known for his later avant work – and they've got a wicked blend of keyboards and horns with lots of complicated touches, played out over funky rhythms that are completely mindblowing! The great Ken Chaney plays keyboards, and in addition to Brown's reeds, the set also features trumpet from Frank Gordon, trombone from Steve Galloway, and bass from Rufus Reid – plus cool percussion from Arlington Davis and Drasheer Khalid. Most cuts are instrumental, and recorded beautifully – but one number, "The Ultimate Frontier", also features vocals from Anita Jefferies. Other cuts include "Slinky", "Mirage", "Just a Little Peace", and "March On". CD

Damn great work from Chicago flautist Nicole Mitchell – and another new chapter of her mighty talents! The album's a quartet session that beautifully swings between straight jazz modes and some more creative sounds – never as far out as some of Mitchell's more avant work, but always pushing the boundaries in really great ways. The set's quite different than some of the fuller, more ambitious projects Mitchell has undertaken in recent years – and it's also a change from some of the more intimate solo and duet modes she's used too – and the group features heavy contributions from guitarist Jeff Parker, plus bass from Harrison Bankhead, and drums from Avreeayl Ra. Titles include "Curly Top", "Center Of The Earth", "Snowflakes", "Awakening", "There", and "FOC". CD

With Kelly Sill on bass. CD

With Danny Gottlieb on drums. CD

A mindblowing album from Ahmad Jamal – a fantastic start to the 70s, and a set of music that shows just how far the pianist had come in just a few short years! The album's all acoustic, but has some of that spacious flow that Jamal would bring to his work on Fender Rhodes – with an approach that's even more open in terms of song structure than his earlier trio material – as if Jamal's choosing to omit more notes than he's including – but all with a quality that still keeps the music very full and rhythmic – pulsating with a special sort of energy that's neither Bill Evans, nor McCoy Tyner – but instead this really amazing sound that's all Ahmad's own. The trio features equally wonderful work from Jamil Nasser on bass and Frank Gant on drums – and titles include "The Awakening", "I Love Music", "Patterns", "Wave", and "Dolphin Dance". CD

Fantastic work by this obscure LA legend! Jimmy Woods was one of the unsung geniuses of the west coast scene at the start of the 60s – and the few recordings he ever made stand as some of the best examples of how the avant garde was feeding into the hard bop scene out there – and with fantastic results! Jimmy's alto is hard and biting throughout – and although it veers in the direction of Ornette Coleman at times, the overall conception is very much Woods' own – with a starkly clear voice that should have made him one of the key figures in 60s modern jazz. The rest of the group includes the great (and also underrecorded) Joe Gordon on trumpet, plus Amos Trice on piano, Milt Turner on drums, and either Gary Peacock or the highly rhythmic Jimmy Bond on bass. Titles include "Awakening", "Roma", "Not Yet", "New Twist", "Little Jim", and "Anticipation". CD

One of the deepest records we've ever heard from Nicole Mitchell – and that's saying a lot, given all her other fantastic albums! This richly-textured piece was first commissioned in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the AACM – that legendary jazz organization of which Mitchell is a part – and as a whole, it really demonstrates both the strong legacy of the group, and the farther territory it's reached over its decades-long span – music that has pushed past the initial moment of improvisation, through the AACM's standard of "great black music" as a replacement for classical – to the sorts of spiritual, cosmic sounds that Mitchell does so well. In addition to Nicole on flute and electronics, the group also features Avery R Young on vocals, Kojiro Umezaki on shakuhachi, Renee Baker on violin, Tatsu Aoki on bass and shamisen, Jovia Armstrong on percussion, Tomeka Reid on cello and banjo, and Alex Wing on electric guitar, oud, and theremin – a mix of instruments that is global in scope, electric and acoustic, and really used to effortlessly express the spiritual vision of Mitchell. The notes go into great detail about the thoughts and inspiration behind the music – and titles include "Egoes War", "The Chalice", "Dance Of Many Hands", "Listening Embrace", "Forestwall Timewalk", "Staircase Struggle", "Shiny Divider", "Timewrap", and "Mandorla Island". CD

Features Leon Parker on congas, bells, caxixi, snare drum, and piano – plus Steve Wilson on alto, soprano sax, and flute, and additional percussion from Natalie Cushman. CD

A seminal set from Hawkwind – a record that virtually defines the term "space rock", and which went on to create a whole genre unto itself! The live setting is perfect for the group – as they open up on long tracks that blend together odd touches, sci fi elements, and some mighty heavy rock lines too – all with some trippy vocals that really send things over the top! Lemmy's a mad genius at this point – and the record's got a ballsy power that's quite different from more prog-based groups who travel down similar paths, but never with ferocity like this. Titles include "Earth Calling", "Born To Go", "Down Through The Night", "The Awakening", "Upside Down", "10 Seconds Of Forever", "Brainstorm", "Seven By Seven", "Sonic Attack", Welcome To The Future", "You Shouldn't Do That", "Time We Left This World Today", and "Master Of The Universe". Packaged in a nice foldout sleeve, with printed inner-sleeves, poster, program and insert of notes mostly in Japanese. CD

Titles include "Spiritual Awakening", "Mysterious Interlude", "The Governor", and "Spiritual Awakening". CD

Very soulful jazz from Avery Sharpe – who plays acoustic and electric bass on the set – on the bassist and composer's wonderful tribute to and African American abolitionist and women's rights advocate Sojourner Truth! The record is an effective tribute to the brave woman it's named after, and it's also an enlightening one – but it's also a remarkably timeless jazz album by Avery, who has played in bands with some of greatest living legends over the years, as well as writing and recording great work of his own! Onaje Allan Gumbs is on piano, Craig Handy on saxes, Yoron Israel on drums and Duane Eubanks on trumpet. Includes "Isabella's Awakening", "Bomefree", "Ain't I Woman?", "Truth Be Told" and more, a nice version of "Motherless Child" with vocals by Jeri Brown, "Virtuous She Is" and more. CD

A bold early statement from trumpeter Woody Shaw – a key album that showcases the genius that was blossoming in his best 70s work! The set features Woody working with a soulful group of west coast players from the LA scene – including Bennie Maupin, Ramon Morris, George Cables, Henry Franklin, and the legendary Fats Theus, who we mostly know from his funky album! The tracks are long and flowing – very much in the best Shaw writing style of the time – a mode that's clearly inspired by the freedoms of the post-Coltrane generation, but which never over-indulges in them – and always keeps its searching energy focused. George Cables plays some great electric piano on the sublime "Love For The One You Can't Have" – and other tracks include "The Awakening", "Song Of Songs", and "The Goat & The Archer". CD

Theo Parrish takes on the music of Black Jazz Records – yet somehow manages to make the whole thing come across with a cosmic groove that's all his own! By that, we don't mean that Theo's messing with the cuts – just that his mix here really highlights the more expansively electric and rhythmically angular elements of the label's classic catalog – sounds that are clearly an inspiration for a huge number of 21st Century musicians and producer – not just Parrish himself! There's a richly spiritual vibe to the whole set – and the collection is easily one of the best presentations of the Black Jazz label we've ever heard – stunning from start to finish. Cuts include "My Favorite Things" by Gene Russell, "Those Who Chant" by Walter Bishop, "Jupiter" and "Convulsions" by The Awakening, "Trance Dance" by Doug Carn, "Time & Space" by Rudolph Johnson, "Criss Cross" and "BE" by Calvin Keys, and "Blue Bossa" by Walter Bishop Jr. CD

A seminal set from Hawkwind – a record that virtually defines the term "space rock", and which went on to create a whole genre unto itself! The live setting is perfect for the group – as they open up on long tracks that blend together odd touches, sci fi elements, and some mighty heavy rock lines too – all with some trippy vocals that really send things over the top! Lemmy's a mad genius at this point – and the record's got a ballsy power that's quite different from more prog-based groups who travel down similar paths, but never with ferocity like this. Titles include "Earth Calling", "Born To Go", "Down Through The Night", "The Awakening", "Upside Down", "10 Seconds Of Forever", "Brainstorm", "Seven By Seven", "Sonic Attack", Welcome To The Future", "You Shouldn't Do That", "Time We Left This World Today", and "Master Of The Universe". CD

A standout moment from pianist Art Lande – maybe his best-remembered date for the ECM label – in part because the record features wonderful work from Jan Garbarek on flute, soprano, and bass saxophone! The simple duet mode is a bit different here than on other ECM dates – as Lande can sometimes have a fuller approach to the keyboard, which is best echoed by Garbarek on flute – which he blows with a tone that is lean, but surprisingly biting, even when melodic. And although Jan blows other horns on the date, the record seems to be an especially great showcase for his flute – on titles that include "Waltz For A", "Quintennaisance", "Awakening Midweek", "Miss Fortune", and "Cherifen Dream Of Renate". CD

Tremendous work from Joshua Abrams – a set that's very different than some of his other work in recent years, but every bit as great! The set's got a lean group – Abrams on bass, Jeff Parker on guitar, Gerald Cleaver on drums, and the great Ari Brown on tenor – of Awakening fame – a group that delivers a more stripped-down version of some of Josh's more spiritual ideals – but in ways that also touch base with more conventional jazz expression! Make no mistake, there's nothing conventional about this set – the approach is very unique, and very striking – and the presence of the younger musicians really sets Ari Brown on fire, and reminds us of what a great soloist he can be when he's pushed to his limits. Titles include "Collapsing Novelty", "Duke Hill", "Echo Tracer", "In Place Of Memory", and "Coniunctio". CD

Julie Driscoll's come a long way from her years with Brian Auger here – stepping out in a freer sound that marks the shift in the British scene from beat group grooving to jazz-rock jamming. The session features a host of likely suspects from that hip side of the scene where avant jazz and rock merge – a lineup that includes Keith Tippett on piano, Elton Dean on saxes, Chris Spedding and Brian Godding on guitars, and Nick Evans on trombone – and Julie's vocal style is finely tuned to match the craft of the players on the set, with with fantastically deft twist and turns! She's a lot more open-ended in her singing, with less of the R&B inspired approaches of the late 60s, and more of the expansive vocalizations that were showing up in the work of other European vocalists of the 70s. Titles include "Leaving It All Behind", "Break-Out", "A New Awakening", "Walk Down", and "I Nearly Forgot – But I Went Back". CD

A spiritual soul jazz supergroup – featuring some of our favorite players of the Strata East 70s scene! This obscure recording was made in the mid 80s, but it's got the feel of the best 70s work by Harper, Fortune, and Cowell – a richly expressive session built around original compositions, and long modal playing in a Love Supreme tradition! The group's a quintet featuring Sonny Fortune on alto, Billy Harper on tenor, Stanley Cowell on piano, Billy Hart on drums, and Reggie Workman on bass – most of whom, minus Fortune, played together on a similar session (called Such Great Friends – not to be confused with this one!) a few years earlier. The feel of the album's like some of Harper's best from the 70s – very open, but never too free, with lots of stretching, yearning passages from the rhythm section – making for a perfect platform for the solos of Harper and Fortune. Titles include "Equipoise", "East Harlem Nostalgia", "Insight", "Awakening", and "Is It Not True Simply Because You Cannot Believe It". CD

A surprisingly wonderful album by Billy Higgins – recorded in the mid 80s, but with a free flowign spirituality that recalls some of his best soul jazz work of the mid 70s! The album's got some long and open-ended, slightly modal tracks – quite similar to the work that Billy did with Clifford Jordan on Jordan's Strata East albums of the 70s – the most notable of which is the Bill Lee composition "John Coltrane", redone here in a mode that's got a different edge than the original. Reeds on the album are handled by Gary Bias, who also wrote a few tracks – and Bias has a tone that's not as biting as Clifford Jordan, which makes for a warmer, possibly slightly more soulful approach to the material. Titles include "Dance Of The Clones", "Humility", "East Side Stomp", and "Morning Awakening". CD

Unreleased genius from British altoist Mike Osborne – and a set that easily matches his classic albums of the 70s! The double-length set was recorded live in the mid 70s, and is issued here for the first time – a wonderfully tight trio outing that features Osborne's alto alongside the bass of Harry Miller and drums of Tony Levin – in a mode that's decidedly Coltrane-influenced, and which has a searching, spiritual quality that's even deeper than most other British work of the time! We've never heard Osborne play with so much feeling, and Miller's basswork is wonderful too – really underscoring the sound with a full, rich quality that grounds the whole proceedings nicely – a soaring, majestic energy that's a far cry from some of the unstructured freedom from other Brit groups of the same stretch. Tremendous throughout – and with cuts that include "One For George", "Alfie", "Almost Home Kathy", "More Mike", "Ossie's Opener", "Awakening Spirit", and "Cousin Mary". CD