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A really wonderful later score from John Barry – and key proof of the maturity he really hit in his music during the 80s! There's a style here that goes way beyond most of his soundtracks of the 60s – and even of the 70s – a depth of feeling and jazzy approach that's almost like some of the best vintage work by Johnny Mandel! CD

A rare and long unavailable performance of the Kenny Dorham-Barry Harris Quartet captured in action in NYC in 1964! Dorham's trumpet is full and very strongly in the lead in this set – with Barry Harris's piano work provide a loose swagger underneath – reminding us quite a bit of Bud Powell! Julian Ewell is on bass with Albert "Tootie" Heath at the kit. Titles include "Confirmation", "Ma, He's Makin' Eyes At Me", Monk's "Around Midnight", "The Theme", "Tin Tin Deo" plus the bonus tracks "Scandia Skies", and "Manha De Carnaval" – featuring Dorham's quartet recorded live in Copenhagen in December of '63 with Tete Montoliu on piano, Neils-Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass and Alex Riel on drums. CD

A quintet session. Tracks include "Count Up", "Sheer Lunacy", "Inner Urge", "Bells", and "Elvinesque". CD

With Howard Riley on piano and Derek Bailey on guitar. CD

With guests Marilyn Crispell and Maggie Nichols. CD

Early genius from Barry Harris – a live date recorded at San Francisco's Jazz Workshop, and one that has him gently grooving in a mix of sharp edges and lyricism! In a world where many up and comers were tempted by the fruits of the soul jazz sound, Harris remains nicely true to himself – and plays here with a style that's almost introspective at times, certainly filled with the flowing modes of pianistic expression that would emerge in other players more strongly in years to come. The trio features Sam Jones on bass and Louis Hayes on drums – and titles include "Curtain Call", "Lolita", and "Morning Coffee", plus jazz standards like "Woody N You", "Star Eyes", and "Moose The Mooche". CD

A nicely laidback quartet session from Cohn – one that features the tenorman leading a quartet that includes Barry Harris on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Leroy Williams on drums. There's nothing fancy here, but Cohn's tone is straight and true – and the band holds it down well on tracks that include "Night & Day", "Skylark", "Bright", "Comin In Home", and "Woody N You" – plus five bonus tracks recorded one year earlier with a different rhythm section. CD

One of Barry Harris' rarest albums – an early trio date with Bob Cranshaw on bass and Clifford Jarvis on drums! Includes the original compositions "Around The Corner", "Stay Right With It", and "Bish Bash Bosh". CD

Evan Parker on tenor and soprano saxophone, Cecil Taylor on piano, Barry Guy on bass, and Tony Oxley on drums. CD

A searing live performance from Sam Rivers – never issued before, and recorded as one non-stop improvisation with a really amazing trio! Rivers plays tenor, soprano, flute, and piano – and the record is a great example of the constantly creative energy that he can bring to the fold – especially when working with Dave Holland on bass and Barry Altschul on drums – two players we've always loved, but who we're still blown away with in the company of the leader! The energy here matches classic 70s Rivers records on Impulse and Horo – and the single long improvisation, titled "Ricochet", runs for 52 minutes in length. CD

Wadada Leo Smith on trumpet and Barry Schrader on electronics CD

Loads of classic singles – 20 in all – with cuts that include "I've Got So Much To Give", "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me", "You're The First The Last My Everything", "Honey Please Can't Ya See", "Never Never Gonna Give You Up", "Love's Theme", "Satin Soul", "Oh What A Night For Dancing", "Don't Make Me Wait Too Long", "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love Babe", and "Playing Your Game Baby". CD

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2 overlooked 70s gems from Barry Harris – both of them trio dates based around famous jazz composers! First up are 8 tracks in which Barry Harris stretches out wonderfully in a set of compositions by Tadd Dameron – most of them familiar jazz standards from a few decades before, transformed magically by Harris in a hip 70s piano trio mode! The group here features Gene Taylor on bass and Leroy Williams on drums – both of whom work nicely with Barry's newly discovered sweetness at the time – an approach that's sometimes a bit warmer than his work in the 60s, and which helps make these tunes stand out in newly sensitive readings. Titles include "The Tadd Walk", "Lady Bird", "Casbah", "Our Delight", "Soultrane", "The Chase", and "Hot House". Next up are 5 more tracks penned by Thelonious Monk, and played by Harris with a trio that includes Bill Lee on bass and Leroy Williams on drums! Harris hits the right angular modes to make Monk's music come alive, but also warms them up with a bit more sensitivity too – slight colorings in his choice of tone, and an almost more personal feel on some of the numbers, even when taken at a fast clip. Titles include "Epistrophy", "In Walked Bud", "52nd Street Theme", and "Light Blue". CD also features a solo version of "Pannonica" from 1984, and a reading of "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm" from 1978 – recorded live in Montreux with Sam Jones on bass and Leroy Williams on drums. CD

A quartet with a name that you might not have heard before, but which stands for the first initials of the four great members of the group – Oliver Lake on alto and soprano sax, Graham Haynes on cornet, Joe Fonda on bass, and Barry Altschul on drums, percussion, and mbira! There's a long-burning spirit to the record that really takes us back to some of Lake's greatest moments from decades past – and which really seems to elevate Haynes more than usual too – and Fonda is superb in the setting, often working with full, thoughtful lines on his bass that are especially illuminating. Altschul is incredibly sharp and focused – almost working in a mode that's more Ed Blackwell than some of his other work – and the whole thing is superb, an instant classic from a group we hope to hear more from. Titles include "Bamako", "Listen To Dr Cornel West", "3 Phrase 09", "Just A Simple Song", "Be Out S'Cool", and "Is It Alright". CD

Music from Teddy Randazzo, Neil Sedaka, Rocky Hart, Dickey Lee, Tommy Roe, Ray Peterson, Jerry Keller, Buddy Knox, Carl Dobkins Jr., Wayne Newton, and more - 22 tracks in all. CD

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One of the best-ever Hank Mobley albums on Blue Note – and a killer batch of soulful hardbop that was cut right around the same time as the classic No Room For Squares LP. In fact, the album contains work from 2 different sessions that filtered over to the Squares album – one that featured Mobley with Freddie Hubbard, Barry Harris, Paul Chambers, and Billy Higgins; and another that included Herbie Hancock, Donald Byrd, Butch Warren, and Philly Joe Jones. The work is incredibly sharp – with that wonderful mix of soul jazz, hardbop, and nascent spiritualism that Mobley brought to his best work of the 60s. Titles include "My Sin", "Straight Ahead", "The Turnaround", and "Pat N Chat". CD

Features solo piano tracks and duets with Kenny Barron, Tommy Flanagan, Roland Hanna, Barry Harris, and Hank Jones. CD

An amazing reunion of a legendary group – the 70s free jazz trio of Sam Rivers on reeds, Dave Holland on bass, and Barry Altschul on drums! Rivers had already carved out a strong name for himself with earlier work – but his meeting with Holland and Altschul really helped the reedman take off – and together, the three musicians made some of the most creatively unbridled work of Sam's career! And yet the players hadn't worked together for over 25 years – until the time of this special recording, done as part of a Sam Rivers marathon at Columbia University – an amazing moment in jazz that has all three members of the group picking up beautifully, and improvising together in a long session of music that's simply mindblowing! The album's easily one of the best we've heard from Rivers in his later years – and has all the sort of soulful undercurrents that take us back to the 70s loft jazz years of the original group – sounding way more like some lost tapes from the old days than the reunion captured within. Genius – and a great treasure from the late Rivers! CD

Two great albums from Chicago's Argo label brough together on one great CD! Norman Simmons is a wonderfully soulful piano player, of the rare kind who always seems to bring something "extra to the table"! The set's more than the usual piano trio side of the time, as Simmons contributes a number of original tunes, and works with bassist Victor Sproles and drummer Vernel Fournier to craft some lean tunes that have a nice dose of modernism from time to time. Titles include "Peppe", "Capacity In Blues", "Jan", "Chili Bowl", and "Tranquility". Richard's Almanac is a rare early trio session from bassist Richard Evans – known much more famously for his late 60s soul and jazz arrangements at Chess! The set's not only unique for it's exposure of Evans as a jazz artist, but it also marks one of the first appearances of pianist Jack Wilson – still a part of the Chicago scene at the time of this album, but already playing with the fluid lyricism we love so much from his 60s LA recordings! Wilson's piano is a really key part of the record, and he works a groove that's simply sublime – filled with lots of flowing, gliding touches on the top of the keys, but also coming across with enough of a bottom to give the record plenty of soul! The drummer in the group is Robert Barry, another noteworthy south sider at the time – and titles include "Consu", "The Preacher", "Trees", "Vera", "Should I", and "Daybreak". Nice cover, too, with a young Evans sitting in front of a globe! CD

Features Harry Skoler on clarinet, Ed Saindon on vibes and piano, Matt Marvuglio on flute, Barry Smith on bass, and Bob Tamagni on drums. CD

A great selection of work from Chicago blues giant Otis Spann – with three unreleased bonus tracks too! First up are five tracks from Spann's contributions to the album Chicago The Blues Today Vol 1 – material that just features Otis on vocals and piano, with some raw drums from SP Leary behind his lead – on titles that include "SP Blues", "Sometimes I Wonder", "Marie", and "Burning Fire". Next up is the full album Cryin Time – a real killer from the great Otis Spann – one of his tightest, funkiest records of the 60s – recorded in Chicago with a very Chess-like vibe! Otis is in the lead on piano and vocals – plus a bit of Hammond too – and the small combo backing is nice and tight, with Lonnie Taylor on drums, Barry Melton on lead guitar, and additional guitar from Luther Johnson to help fit into the groove! Lucille Spann sings on two tracks, but most of the energy comes from Otis' bold lines on piano, and his raw, soulful singing – on cuts that include "The New Boogaloo", "Home To Mississippi", "Some Day", "Twisted Snake", "Mule Kicking In My Stall", and "Blind Man". CD also features the unreleased tracks "My God", "Blues Jam", and "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands". CD

Allen Russell on violin, Molly Liberman on viola, Patrick Reinholz on cello, and Barry Paul Clark on bass. CD

Totally wonderful spy soundtrack work from Piero Umiliani – done in his best groovy style of the 60s, with a brilliant mix of jazz and mod elements throughout! Umiliani's extrapolating from the more famous spy sounds of Bond and Barry, and takes things very strongly into his own territory with a blend of light woodwinds, moody Hammond, snapping snare, and a bit of strings as well – interwoven with a really fresh feel that includes a bit of the bossa styles you'd hear in other Italian work of the time! Given the obscurity of the film, the soundtrack's a great discovery – and steps out boldly here on this set of 21 tracks from the movie. CD

With Kenny Barron, James Carter, Roy Hargrove, Barry Harris, Charles McPherson, and Christian McBride. CD

Music from Martin Denny, Dean Elliot, King Curtis, Leroy Holmes, Dean Martin, Louis Prima, Leroy Holmes, John Barry, Yma Sumac & more. CD

Very groovy stuff! Most of the cuts on these albums were pulled from rare 50s and 60s sides – and although you might recognize the artists, the material is hard to find, especially on vinyl! There's a total of 16 cuts in a groovy package, and titles include "Milestones" by Mark Murphy, "The Squash" by Hank Marr, "Dem Tambourines" by Don Wilkerson, "Soul Dressing" by Booker T & The MGs, "Mambo With Moody" by James Moody, "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf (part 2)" by Jimmy Smith, "Kingston Calypso" by John Barry, "Goodness Gracious Me" by Peter Sellers & Sophia Loren, and "Just One Of Those Things" by Lalo Schifrin & Bob Brookmeyer. CD

A really unique album from the great Etta Jones – a session recorded down in Muscle Shoals, and not in Chicago – a setting that gives James an extra sort of deep soul power! The backing is nicely different than some of the other Chess material – killer work from the legendary Fame Studios lineup that included Barry Beckett on organ, Charles Chalmers on tenor, and Roger Hawkins on drums – all coming together with the great Rick Hall at the production helm! Etta's back in hard-belting R&B-tinged territory here – a bit more sophisticated than the 50s, with a good mix of hard soul numbers and ballads, opening up in some southern territory that really suits her well. Titles include "The Same Rope", "Watch Dog", "Tell Mama", "I'd Rather Go Blind", "Just A Little Bit", and "Don't Lose Your Good Thing". CD adds a whopping 10 bonus tracks to include other material recorded by Etta for the album – issued only on singles during the 60s, or never issued until this CD. Additional tracks include "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man", "Misty", "I've Gone Too Far", "You Took It", "I Worship The Ground You Walk On", and "You Got It". CD

Sweet sweet Quincy! Although the Q's probably best remembered round these parts for his funky 70s work or classic 60s soundtracks, we also have to admit that we love him for his mellow grooves – the sly and seductive tunes that often hid out amidst his albums of the 70s and 80s, and which also featured early work by singers that later went onto much greater fame. This excellent set brings together 17 of those wonderful mellow moments – stretching back to some of Quincy's important collaborative A&M efforts of the 70s, and running up to some of his best work of more recent vintage. Titles include "Superwoman" and "Love Me By Name", with Patti Austin; "Body Heat", with Leon Ware; "I'm Gonna Miss You In The Morning", with Luther Vandross & Patti Austin; "Velas" and "The Getaway", with Toots Thielemans; "How Do You Keep The Music Playing" and "Baby Come To Me", with Patti Austin & James Ingram; "The Places You Find Love", with Siedah Garrett, Chaka Khan, & Herbie Hancock; "The Secret Garden", with El DeBarge, James Ingram, Al B Sure, & Barry White; "Sax In The Garden", with Barry White & Kirk Whalum; "Turn Out The Lamplight", with George Benson; and "Just Once", with James Ingram. CD

Features work by Capt Groovy, The Rock & Roll Dubble Bubble Trading Card Co, Barry Blue, Sweet, Ohio Express, Cuff Links, The Flying Machine, Banana Splits, Crazy Elephant, Tommy Roe, Fun & Games, and Crazy Elephant! CD

Music fromBarry McGuire, Fontella Bass, Len Barry, The Beach Boys, The Beau Brummels, The Miracles, The Kinks, Martha And The Vandellas, Roy Head, The Ad Libs, Otis Redding, The Byrds, and more - 22 songs in all. CD

2 early experiments by Cannonball Adderley – both of which feature him as the main soloists in front of larger backings! Jump For Joy is an interesting early side by Cannonball that captures him before he'd really found his voice – and when the folks at Mercury still didn't really know what to do with him. The record's a tightly arranged set of tracks from Duke Ellington's musical "Jump For Joy" – with arrangements by Bill Russo, and small group playing that includes Emmett Berry, Bill Evans, Barry Gabraith, Jimmy Cobb, and a small string section. The sound's actually quite haunting – and Cannon's alto solos remind us more of some of the best "with strings" soloing heard on Verve in the early 50s than they do his later soul jazz classics on Riverside or Capitol. That's ok with us, though – because the session's still got a lot to offer in that respect, and Cannonball handles the solos wonderfully! Titles include "Bli Blip", "Just Squeeze Me", "Nothin", and "The Tune Of The Hickory Stick". Cannonball & Strings features Adderley's beautifully edgey alto sliding nicely through a set of standards conducted by Richard Hayman. The album's not as strikingly emotive as other Verve "with strings"outings – such as the Charlie Parker & Strings sessions – but it is a great platform for the youthful Cannonball to do more than wail in a soul jazz kind of way, and it unlocks a much more thoughtful, introspective side of his playing not usually heard on record. A nice divergence from the usual – with titles that include "I Cover The Waterfront", "Two Sleepy People", "I'll Never Stop Loving You", and "Street Of Dreams". CD features 22 titles in all. CD

Anthony Braxton on soprano, contrabass, and alto saxophone, flute, clarinet, and contrabass clarinet – with George Lewis on trombone, Kenny Wheeler on trumpet, Dave Holland on bass, and Barry Altschul on drums and percussion. CD

An early leader session for Jimmy Cleveland – one that pulls him out of the Lionel Hampton group, and puts him in the company of a number of different all-stars – top level players that Mercury brought together in three different sessions for the album. Players include Lucky Thompson, Cecil Payne, Barry Galbraith, Wade Legge, Paul Chambers, and Jerome Richardson – and it's the quality of the ensemble grooving that really makes the album swing, a lot more than Cleveland's solos on his own. Titles include "Vixen", "Hear Ye Hear Ye", "See Minor", "Bone Brother", "Count 'Em", and "Little Beaver". CD

A key album in Chick Corea's shift from Latin jazz to arch-modern – recorded with Circle bandmates Dave Holland on bass and Barry Altschul on drums, and done with a free sound that's quite unusual for Blue Note at the time! Chick's out on this one – way out – in that free mode of his first great rise to fame, without any of the silly Scientology of later years – and Holland and Altschul are in some of their greatest form ever, working with Chick to craft a starkly compelling album of tunes that showed that jazz piano still had a lot of room to grow at the start of the 70s! Titles include "Toy Room", "Ballad I", "Flesh", "Rhymes", and "Nefertitti". CD

One of the few 70s albums as a leader from reedman Ronnie Cuber – a player who'd already been making some great appearances on studio sessions with giants like George Benson, Mongo Santamria, and Lonnie Smith – as well as even a few Steely Dan records! But despite that ability to sound tight in the studio, Ronnie really shows a completely different side of his talents here – a hard-burning approach to baritone sax, with a deftness that rivals Pepper Adams in a similar setting – a quality that almost feels like a tenor at times, given Cuber's dexterity and speed of improvisation. The rest of the group's great, too – and includes Barry Harris on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Albert Heath on drums – who really provide the right amount of soulful hardbop to keep things crackling. Titles include "Star Eyes", "Rifftide", "Tin Tin Deo", "Samba D'Orfeo", "Misty", "Sudwest Funk", and "Prince Albert". CD

Plenty of Chicago overtones here – thanks to the Windy City setting of the recording, and to contributions from Jeb Bishop on trombone, Kent Kessler on bass, and Robert Barry on drums! Daniele D'Agaro is no stranger to this scene – and his tenor and clarinet are right at home in the lineup – finding free spaces of expression to voice his presence strongly, yet also moving in ways that clearly inspire the other musicians – especially on the more compositional tracks on the set. Titles include variations on the Ellington numbers "Melancholia" and "Sweet Zurzday" – plus "Ultramarine #13", "Chicago Beer Coaster", "Dick's Holler", and "Barry K". CD

Two LP's on one CD. The first set is a later one for Vee Jay, and it brings together half of the Jazz Messengers with a batch of west coast players – in a groove that wonderfully mixes together different traditions and rhythms in jazz – and which steps out with a sound that's far more than the sum of its parts! Art Blakey, Lee Morgan, and Curtis Fuller join a group headed by Buddy De Franco, and featuring Victor Feldman on piano and vibes, plus Victor Sproles on bass and Freddie Hill on trumpet. The sound of the group is quite unusual – and a lot lighter than you'd guess – giving Buddy plenty of room to solo in a breezy style that's grown tremendously since his 50s recordings – pushed along by some heavier soul from Art and the group. Titles include "Rain Dance", "Blues Bag", "Twelve Tone Blues", "Kush", and "Cousin Mary". The second album's one of the few ever cut as a leader by Louis Hayes – a very soulful talent who's probably best known for his work with Horace Silver and Cannonball Adderley during the late 50s. Hayes' has a wonderful approach to the record – borrowing bits of the exoticism of his work with Silver, and bits of the harder soul jazz from Cannonball's group – all of which is played to perfection by a tight quintet that includes Yusef Lateef, Sam Jones, Barry Harris, and Nat Adderley. Tracks are all originals by the group, and titles include "Hazing", "Rip De Boom", "Teef", and "Sassy Ann". CD

A set that features DiMeola moving into some very dynamic territory – jamming out heavy on a mix of electric and acoustic guitars, with additional help from Paco DeLucia on acoustic at points. The instrumentation also features heavy electric piano from Jan Hammer, other keyboards from Barry Miles, bass from Anthony Jackson, and drums from Steve Gadd and Lenny White – all fusion powerhouse players who really take over the groove at times, but still leave enough room on the record for some gentler sounds from Paco and Al. Titles include "Elegant Gypsy Suite", "Flight Over Rio", "Midnight Tango", and "Race With Devil On Spanish Highway". CD

Lovely work from Eliane Elias – and exactly the set you should turn to if you ever doubted her chops on the piano! Elias starts with a quick rendition of Bud Powell's "Hallucinations", played with a deftness that Toshiko Akiyoshi would appreciate – and the set then runs into a batch of tunes that includes some charming originals from Eliane – those fully-formed numbers that always made her a well-rounded talent right from the start! The blend of sensitivity and swing on the record is really impressive – and made even better by a set of players that includes Eddie Gomez on bass, Barry Finnerty on guitar, and Jack DeJohnette and Peter Erskine on drums. Titles include "One Side Of You", "Impulsive", "Cross Current", "Campari & Soda", and "Peggy's Blue Skylight". CD

A smokin' hard bop side from a sort of amalgamation of players who played in and out of the Jazz Messengers around this time, but Philly Joe's sittin' in the drummers seat, so though the rhythms cook hard, that not quite as bombastic as Bu's. We've always loved Benny Golson, and though his playing was at it's most sublime in the Jazztet, he got to stretch out just a bit more and played with just a touch more fire in other contexts, like this session. Barry Harris is on piano, with Jymie Merritt and Philly Joe rounding out the rhythm section and Curtis Fuller joins Golson in the front line for a spry quintet setting. Six tracks: "Strut time", "Jubilation", "Symptoms", "Are You Real?", "Cry A Blue Tear" and "This Night". CD

Dexter Gordon blows back home in the US, but still with the long, open solo style of his European work for Steeplechase! The group features Barry Harris on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Al Foster on drums – a great rhythm section – and titles include "Apple Jump", "A La Modal", and "I'll Remember April". CD

A really unusual album for Dexter Gordon – one that has him working in a quintet with vibes by Bobby Hutcherson! Hutcherson's sound really transforms the session, giving it a shimmering middleground that disperses the dominance that Gordon's tenor usually has – and creating a warm, fluid feel that's really great. Barry Harris is in the group on piano – providing some wonderful accompaniment that's a great fit for Hutcherson's vibes – and the rest of the group is completed by the excellent rhythm section of Bob Cranshaw on bass and Billy Higgins on drums! The album includes a great version of "Manha de Carnaval", plus a Dex original, "Le Coiffeur" – and the tracks "Heartaches", "Who Can I Turn To", and "Everybody's Somebody's Fool". CD

Great later Coleman Hawkins on Impulse – just the sort of deep-toned, soulfully-blown record that makes all his sessions for the label so great! Hawk's very firmly in the lead on that classic tenor of his – but the rest of the lineup keeps things swinging too – with Snooky Young and Bill Berry on trumpets, Urbie Green on trombone, Barry Harris on piano, and Eddie Locke on drums. The best tracks are the sparest – the album's quartet readings of "Out of Nowhere" and "Indian Summer" – but the rest of the material features some nice gutsy solos from Hawk too, and other tracks include "Bean's Place", "Marchetta", and "She's Fit". CD

One of the avant garde classics in the early catalog of ECM Records – a set that has bassist Dave Holland working with two key bandmates from the Circle group – Anthony Braxton on saxes and flute, and Barry Altschul on percussion – as well as the great Sam Rivers on flute and sax, who was really taking off at the time! All tracks are originals by Holland – and Rivers' emotive, flowing approach proves the perfect balance for Braxton's intellectual approach – in a setting that really brings the most out of both players, thanks in part to elastic rhythms from Holland and Altschul. The overall approach leaves a great deal of space on this atmospheric set – but not in the usual mellower ECM way. Titles include "Four Winds", "Q & A", "Conference Of The Birds", "Interception", "Now Here (Nowhere)", and "See Saw". CD

One of the all-time great Rick James albums – a return to funkier sounds for Rick that worked both artistically and commercially – and actually got over far better than his more blatant attempts at crossover material on other records! The mix here is perfect – a true summation of all that made Motown great at the time, and the special sort of energy that made Rick one of the freshest mainstream talents at the end of the 70s! The record put a lot of money in Barry Gordy's pockets, and for good reason too – given that the set includes the classic hit "Super Freak" – plus "Give It To Me Baby", "Ghetto Life", "Make Love To Me", "Below The Funk (Pass The J)", and "Fire & Desire" – all done in that compressed pop-funky style that James kind of took from Bootsy Collins and manage to successfully soup up for the masses! CD also features the bonus tracks "Give It To Me Baby (12" mix)" and "Super Freak (12" mix)". CD

One of our favorite albums ever from Harold Land, and a great set that has a hard soul jazz feel – despite the "west coast" in the title. Harold's playing with a great group that includes Barry Harris, Joe Gordon, and Sam Jones – as well as guitarist Wes Montgomery, who's work on the session really gives it a soulful edge! The cover lists the rhythm section as "all-soul", and it's right, as the accompaniment for Harold here is more sensitive, and more swinging than on most of his other records. The set sparkles with brilliance, and with great relaxed soulful playing. Cuts include "Compulsion", "Ursula", "Terrain", "Klactoveedsedstene", and "West Coast Blues". CD

The title says it all – as Yusef Lateef works here in that wonderful mixture of hardbop, soul jazz, and Eastern stylings that he brought to all of his best early sessions as a leader! Lateef himself is playing tenor, flute, and oboe – which he uses to craft these eerie snakecharmer lines that work perfectly with the modal grooves of the tracks – very unusual rhythms for the time, and a real precursor to some of the world jazz experiments to come from overseas. The rest of the group features pianist Barry Harris, drummer Lex Humphries, and bassist Ernie Farrow, who also plays a strange instrument called a rabat – which further adds to the charm of the record. Titles include "Plum Blossom", "Purple Flower", "Three Faces Of Balal", and "Chinq Miau". CD

Lorne Lofsky on guitar, Kirk MacDonald on saxophone, Kieran Overs on bass, and Barry Romberg on drums. CD

Excellent early hardbop material from Mobley – in a style that's similar to his early Blue Note work, but with a bit less polish. Not that that's a bad thing, though – as the long tracks create some strong interplay between the groups, and the rough edges bring out some good sides of the players' tones that you don't get in slicker sessions from the time. The groups include Barry Harris, Donald Byrd, Doug Watkins, and Kenny Clarke – and the CD features material from the full sessions that yielded the Jazz Message album on Savoy, with titles that include "Space Flight", "Cattin", "Madeline", "B For BB", and "Blues Number Two". Added to those tracks is a full bonus LP – recorded in 1953, under the title Max Roach Quintet With Hank Mobley. Despite the early date and boppish orientation of the material on, the tracks have a sinister modernist edge that easily belies the later work of both Roach and Hank Mobley. The set kicks off with the incredible stormer "Cou Manchi Cou", then slides into a crackling batch of cuts that include "Mobleyzation", "Chi Chi", "Sfax", and "Orientation". There's lots of amazing drum work, and some incredible arrangements that show a very far-reaching sensibility on Roach's part. CD

One of the best-ever Hank Mobley albums on Blue Note – and a killer batch of soulful hardbop that was cut right around the same time as the classic No Room For Squares LP. In fact, the album contains work from 2 different sessions that filtered over to the Squares album – one that featured Mobley with Freddie Hubbard, Barry Harris, Paul Chambers, and Billy Higgins; and another that included Herbie Hancock, Donald Byrd, Butch Warren, and Philly Joe Jones. The work is incredibly sharp – with that wonderful mix of soul jazz, hardbop, and nascent spiritualism that Mobley brought to his best work of the 60s. Titles include "My Sin", "Straight Ahead", "The Turnaround", and "East Of The Village". CD

A jazz classic if there ever was one – and the best-selling album ever by Lee Morgan, thanks to the use of the title track in a car commercial! Sure, you've probably heard "The Sidewinder" enough that you think you know the album already – but the rest of the tunes really open up past that groover, into a realm of lyrical, soulful playing that's simply tremendous! The group on the record features Joe Henderson on tenor, Barry Harris on piano, Bob Crenshaw on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – and the album rolls along with a sense of perfect power that is every bit Blue Note at its best! Titles include "Sidewinder", "Gary's Notebook", "Hocus-Pocus", and "Totem Pole". CD

A jazz classic if there ever was one – and the best-selling album ever by Lee Morgan, thanks to the use of the title track in a car commercial! Sure, you've probably heard "The Sidewinder" enough that you think you know the album already – but the rest of the tunes really open up past that groover, into a realm of lyrical, soulful playing that's simply tremendous! The group on the record features Joe Henderson on tenor, Barry Harris on piano, Bob Crenshaw on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – and the album rolls along with a sense of perfect power that is every bit Blue Note at its best! Titles include "Sidewinder", "Gary's Notebook", "Hocus-Pocus", and "Totem Pole". Plus, this CD reissue also includes one bonus cut, an alternate take of "Totem Pole". CD

A rare non-Blue Note outing from Lee Morgan – and a record that's sometimes mistaken as a large group effort because of the "twelve" in the title, but which is a tight small group set that's equally cooking as some of Lee's better known records! As with the best mid 60s Blue Note work from lee, the players here are both soulful and modern – able to shift easily into some of Lee's most complicated ideas of jazz expression, yet always doing so in ways that are never stiff or academic – but filled with life and spirit in every note! Clifford Jordan's tenor is a fantastic accompaniment to Morgan's trumpet in the frontline – and Barry Harris' piano has the warmth and flowing quality of a young Cedar Walton on most tracks. Bass is by Bob Cranshaw and drums are by Louis Hayes – and titles include "Lee-sure Time", "Second's Best", "Little Spain", and "Waltz For Fran". CD also features 1 bonus track! CD

One of the seminal blues rock albums of the 60s – a set that features Charlie Musselwhite in the lead on vocals and harmonica – plus heavy guitar from the great Harvey Mandel, in a group that also includes Barry Goldberg on piano and organ too! Titles include "Chicken Shack", "Cha Cha The Blues", "Baby Will You Please Help Me", "39th & Indiana", "Strange Land", and "4pm". CD

Excellent 70s work from Tony Oxley – a record that features the legendary drummer in three different settings! The set features two quartet tracks with a very string-heavy sound – the bass and bass guitar of Barry Guy, the violins of David Bourne and Philipp Wachsmann, and even some more violin from Oxley, who handles electronics as well as drums – in a sublime melding of sounds that seems to take most of the instruments way past their usual territory! Wachsmann returns on two more tracks, which also include Ian Brighton on guitar – very sonic-sensitive improvisations that really show the more sensitive side of Oxley's work on drums, as well as more electronics. The set lastly features three tracks with Tony just on percussion and electronics – maybe the most compelling of the batch, as the result of textures he makes on his own is breathtaking. Titles include "Trio", "Chant Quartet", "Sounds Of The Soil", "Brushes", "Combination", and "Quartet 1". CD

An incredible record from Sun Ra! The session was recorded in New York in the late 60s – and it features Ra playing the "solar sound instrument", which is actually a modified Hohner Clavinet, used here with some really spooky sounds! The setting of the album is spare and moody – with Ra striking out first on the "solar sound instrument" – laying down a groove that's filled in by John Gilmore on tenor, plus additional percussion by Robert Barry (who plays a bit of the "lightning drum"), Clifford Jarvis, Marshall Allen, and Pat Patrick. Titles include "Mu", "Lemuria", "Atlantis", "Bimini", and "Yucatan". CD features 2 versions of "Yucatan" – one from the original Saturn record, and one from the later Impulse album. CD