Bernard Purdie takes a trip down 40 years of soul jazz history – starting with late 50s jazz experiments by Art Blakey, Cannonball Adderley, and others – and working his way up through 60s soul and 70s funk! The set's got a slightly polished feel, but still plenty of nice moments – with soloists that include Michael and Randy Brecker, Eddie Harris, and Nils Landgren, plus larger arrangements by the WDR Big Band, conducted by Gil Goldstein. Titles include "Moanin", "Superstition", "Iko Iko", "Senor Blues", "Sidewinder", "Freedom Jazz Dance", "Work Song", "Land Of 1000 Dances", and "Brother Where Are You". CD

Purdie follows up his first Soul To Jazz set – with a style and lineup that's even hipper than the first! This one was recorded in New York, and has a tighter, leaner feel overall. Purdie plays with jazz luminaries that include Hank Crawford, Stanley Turrentine, Vincent Herring, Junior Mance, and Cornell Dupree – in a style that's a bit more stripped down than the first session. Includes versions of "New Orleans Strutt", "Mr Magic", "Jubilation", "Shaft", "Amen", and "Nobody Knows". CD

Three wonderful albums from this legendary Brazilian singer – all presented in a single set! First up is Nothing Will Be As It Was Tomorrow – a record that's quite different from Flora's earlier work, but in a way that we find very compelling! The record was produced by Leon Ndugu Chancler, and it's got a smooth fusion sound that's kind of in a southern California R&B mode, played by a huge range of excellent Brazilian and west coast talents that include Patrice Rushen, Dorothy Ashby, Fred Jackson, Raul De Souza, Toninho Horta, and Airto. While this sound overwhelms the core of Flora's usual Brazilian jazz approach, it also expands some of the tracks to a great groove – with Flora's vocals on top, stretching out in a whole new way! Includes a great English language version of the Milton Nascimento classic "Nada Sera Como Antes", plus the cuts "You Love Me Only", "I'm Coming For Your Love", "Corre Nina", "Angels", "Bridges", and "Fairy Tale Song". Every Day Every Night is a beautifully soulful record from Flora Purim – still awash with touches from her Brazilian roots, but also done with a great 70s LA sound! Airto's helping Flora out on production, but the real hero here is Michel Colombier – who handles most of the arrangements and wrote a good deal of the tunes with Purim and Airto – mixing his own expansive studio talents with their organically-forged groove, in a way that makes the record a real standout from the California fusion scene of the 70s! Players include Randy Brecker, Lee Ritenour, George Duke, Herbie Hancock, Harvey Mason, and other jazz heavyweights – and titles include "The Hope", "I Just Don't Know", "In Brasil", "Blues Ballad", "Why I'm Alone", "Walking Away", and "Samba Michel". Carry On is one of Flora Purim's more R&B-sounding albums from the 70s, produced by George Duke with an appreciation for Flora's Brazilian jazz roots, but with a smoother sound that's in keeping with Duke's own work of the time! The combination is pretty sweet – a professional culmination of the mixture of fusion and Brazilian jazz that had been happening in the San Francisco scene during most of the 70s, and featuring many of the musicians who had helped make that groove so strong. Players include Airto, Sheila Escovedo, Joe Farrell, Ronnie Foster, Bobby Lyle, and Larry Williams – and tracks include "Niura Is Coming Back", "From The Lonely Afternoon", "Freeway Jam", "Beijo Partido", "Corine", and "Love Lock". Includes bonus tracks too – "Tango Blues" and "Sad Song". CD

Includes Queen/Queen II/Sheer Heart Attack/A Night At The Opera/A Day At The Races/News Of The World/Jazz/The Game. CDs are packaged in LP style jackets. CD

A landmark album – not only for Freddie Redd, but for Jackie McLean, who's the real star of the session! In the early 60s, both Freddie and Jackie played together in a hip New York play called The Connection – working as a part of a live jazz band who were hanging out in an apartment, waiting for their "connection" to bring them some heroin. The music on this set was forged during the course of the play – played live, improvised, but tightly honed into some fantastic tunes over the course of the run – so that by the time Blue Note went to record this set, the whole thing had a razor-sharp intensity that blew away even the best other Blue Note work of the time! Redd wrote all the tracks, and he plays with a dark and fiery edge that we've never heard in his work on other records – superbly matched by McLean's alto, which blows these amazingly precise and soulful notes throughout. Titles include "Who Killed Cock Robin", "Wigglin", "Music Forever", and "O.D." LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album – not only for Freddie Redd, but for Jackie McLean, who's the real star of the session! In the early 60s, both Freddie and Jackie played together in a hip New York play called The Connection – working as a part of a live jazz band who were hanging out in an apartment, waiting for their "connection" to bring them some heroin. The music on this set was forged during the course of the play – played live, improvised, but tightly honed into some fantastic tunes over the course of the run – so that by the time Blue Note went to record this set, the whole thing had a razor-sharp intensity that blew away even the best other Blue Note work of the time! Redd wrote all the tracks, and he plays with a dark and fiery edge that we've never heard in his work on other records – superbly matched by McLean's alto, which blows these amazingly precise and soulful notes throughout. Titles include "Who Killed Cock Robin", "Wigglin", "Music Forever", and "O.D." CD

Late work by jazz drum giant Buddy Rich – captured in a surprisingly energetic, firey, and sometimes funky mode at Ronnie Scott's Club in 1980! Buddy really pulled off some bright, buoyant, funk influenced work in the 70s and this set finds him at the tail end of that groove – playing with a pretty big group that includes Ernie Vantrease on piano, Wayne Pedziwiatr on bass, Ando Fusco, Jack Leibowitz, Steave Marcus and Kenny Hitchcock on saxes, Bob Coassin on lead trumpet, Roger Homefield on lead trombone, and others. Titles include "Intro/Beulah Witch", "Grand Concourse", "Blues A La 88", "Saturday Night", "Slow Funk" and the epic, 15+ minute closer "Good News". CD

A brilliant statement of modernist jazz from Sam Rivers – one of his groundbreaking early albums for Blue Note, and one of the most challenging sessions issued by the label during the 60s! The record's a real departure from Rivers' already-great Fuscia Swing Song – with tunes that go farther outside, and a free-thinking approach to rhythm and song structure that's a perfect illustration of 60s "new thing" jazz at its best! The group is top-shelf all the way – a quintet that includes Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Joe Chambers – plus amazing work from Rivers, who manages to effortlessly shift between tenor, flute, and soprano sax for the session. Tracks are long, and with the kind of strange off-kilter arrangements that you'd hear on some of the Jackie McLean or Grachan Moncour Blue Notes from the time – and titles include "Dance Of The Tripedal", "Euterpe", "Point Of Many Returns", and "Melliflous Cacaphony". CD features a bonus alternate take of "Melliflous Cacaphony". CD

A brilliant statement of modernist jazz from Sam Rivers – one of his groundbreaking early albums for Blue Note, and one of the most challenging sessions issued by the label during the 60s! The record's a real departure from Rivers' already-great Fuscia Swing Song – with tunes that go farther outside, and a free-thinking approach to rhythm and song structure that's a perfect illustration of 60s "new thing" jazz at its best! The group is top-shelf all the way – a quintet that includes Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Joe Chambers – plus amazing work from Rivers, who manages to effortlessly shift between tenor, flute, and soprano sax for the session. Tracks are long, and with the kind of strange off-kilter arrangements that you'd hear on some of the Jackie McLean or Grachan Moncour Blue Notes from the time – and titles include "Dance Of The Tripedal", "Euterpe", "Point Of Many Returns", and "Melliflous Cacaphony". CD features a bonus alternate take of "Melliflous Cacaphony". CD

A very cool record! The album's sort of an American tribute to the emerging French sex goddess Brigitte Bardot – one that features a gatefold cover with a wraparound photo of Brigitte, and some nice images on the inside. Music on the set is by Pete Rugolo – the master arranger who'd worked with June Christy, Stan Kenton, and others – and although Bardot doesn't sing or even make an appearance on the set, Pete does more than enough of a good job of conjuring up her presence with a good selection of jazzy tunes. Players include Pete Candoli and Jack Sheldon on trumpets, Frank Rosolino on trombone, Paul Horn and Bud Shank on reeds, and Laurindo Almeida on guitar. Gloria Wood sings on one track – and titles include "Arsenic Blues", "Paris BB", "Jeff's Blues", "Mambo Bardot", "A T'Aimer", and "The Night Heaven Fell". LP, Vinyl record album

A percussion-heavy batch of tracks that has Pete Rugolo starting from a mode explored heavily in the hi-fi years, but taking the genre into much jazzier territory! With the help of a large group of west coast players – including Don Fagerquist, Larry Bunker, Herbie Harper, Frank Rosolini, Jack Costanzo, and Shelly Manne – Pete really makes things swing nicely, and brings in as much dynamic energy from the horns as he gets from the percussion! Titles include "Bongo Riff", "Drumerama", "Funky Drums", "Interplay For Drums, Bass", "Artistry In Percussion", and "1+4". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best albums ever cut by American expatriot female organist Rhoda Scott, and a tight batch of organ/drums duets with fellow expatriot Kenny Clarke. Rhoda's got a beautiful style here that's sort of a mix of Larry Young's far reaching chord approach, mixed with Charles Earland's soulfulness, and a bit of Jack McDuff's early bluesy touch. She dominates the whole scene, with no other soloists, and handles the task beautifully. The LP includes some nice originals – like "Bitter-Street" and "Toe Jam" – plus a handful of groovy standards like "Out Of Nowhere", "On Green Dolphin Street", and "Speak Low". CD

A really tremendous album from the legendary Gil Scott-Heron – and a set that stands as one of his greatest statements from the 70s! The record is a wonderful example of Gil's work in two different styles – sweet mellow jazzy soul, and harder heavier protest poetry – the latter from his roots as a writer in touch with the streets, and the former part of a brilliant new direction that he was taking on the Flying Dutchman label. Side one features classic jazzy tracks recorded with Brian Jackson – like "Free Will", "The Middle Of Your Days", "Speed Kills", and "Did You Hear What They Said?". Side two moves over to a much sparer sound – and has Gil reciting some of his poetry with very heavy percussion, and a very righteous approach. The wisdom and knowledge of those pieces is a perfect example of the kinds of issues that were haunting black America in the early 70s – especially on the tracks "No Knock", "The King Alfred Plan", and "Sex Education: Ghetto Style". CD version features 8 bonus tracks – alternate versions of some of the heavier-duty tunes on the album, some of which are quite different than the originals! Also includes new notes and photos! CD

A great showcase for the amazing reed talents of Bud Shank – great in a small combo during the early years of his career, and equally at home in larger groups like this during the 60s! As you'd guess from the title, Bud heads up a fuller section of saxophonists – players who include Bill Perkins, Bob Cooper, and Jack Nimitz – working with Bud in a style that's a more modern extension of modes first explored by the Four Brothers/Herman group in the late 40s – but with much groovier 60s styles here! Bob Florence handles the arrangements, and he brings a great sense of color and tone – and a nice ear for a groove – on titles that include "Take Five", "The Sidewinder", "Summer Samba", "On A Clear Day", "Summertime", "Reza", and "Senor Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic of spiritual, soulful jazz – and one of Archie Shepp's greatest albums! The set was recorded in New York after a few free and festive years in Paris, and it's an amazing about-face that has Archie stepping into a world of righteous, full-on, political, and funky themes – the likes of which are far more outspoken than any of his previous recordings. The group on the set is quite a large one – hip New York underground players, a small string ensemble, and even a few singers – like soul diva Joshie Armstead and vocalist Joe Lee Wilson. Overall, the sound's somewhere in the same place as the Art Ensemble of Chicago's amazing Les Stances A Sophie – in that the record comes from a free jazz tradition, but moves into a more rhythmic focus in order to communicate its message. The added vocals and recitations are wonderful – very moving, and much less hippy-dippy than on other Shepp records of the time – and the whole thing holds together with a unique sound and substance that's made it a treasure that holds up again and again. A true gem, and one we'll never part with! Tracks include "Quiet Dawn", "Goodbye Sweet Pops", "Steam (parts 1 & 2)", "Attica Blues", "Blues For Brother George Jackson", and "Ballad For A Child". CD

A classic of spiritual, soulful jazz – and one of Archie Shepp's greatest albums! The set was recorded in New York after a few free and festive years in Paris, and it's an amazing about-face that has Archie stepping into a world of righteous, full-on, political, and funky themes – the likes of which are far more outspoken than any of his previous recordings. The group on the set is quite a large one – hip New York underground players, a small string ensemble, and even a few singers – like soul diva Joshie Armstead and vocalist Joe Lee Wilson. Overall, the sound's somewhere in the same place as the Art Ensemble of Chicago's amazing Les Stances A Sophie – in that the record comes from a free jazz tradition, but moves into a more rhythmic focus in order to communicate its message. The added vocals and recitations are wonderful – very moving, and much less hippy-dippy than on other Shepp records of the time – and the whole thing holds together with a unique sound and substance that's made it a treasure that holds up again and again. A true gem, and one we'll never part with! Tracks include "Quiet Dawn", "Goodbye Sweet Pops", "Steam (parts 1 & 2)", "Attica Blues", "Blues For Brother George Jackson", and "Ballad For A Child". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic of spiritual, soulful jazz – and one of Archie Shepp's greatest albums! The set was recorded in New York after a few free and festive years in Paris, and it's an amazing about-face that has Archie stepping into a world of righteous, full-on, political, and funky themes – the likes of which are far more outspoken than any of his previous recordings. The group on the set is quite a large one – hip New York underground players, a small string ensemble, and even a few singers – like soul diva Joshie Armstead and vocalist Joe Lee Wilson. Overall, the sound's somewhere in the same place as the Art Ensemble of Chicago's amazing Les Stances A Sophie – in that the record comes from a free jazz tradition, but moves into a more rhythmic focus in order to communicate its message. The added vocals and recitations are wonderful – very moving, and much less hippy-dippy than on other Shepp records of the time – and the whole thing holds together with a unique sound and substance that's made it a treasure that holds up again and again. A true gem, and one we'll never part with! Tracks include "Quiet Dawn", "Goodbye Sweet Pops", "Steam (parts 1 & 2)", "Attica Blues", "Blues For Brother George Jackson", and "Ballad For A Child". CD

Fantastic stuff – easily one of Archie Shepp's greatest albums, and certainly one of the pivotal points of 60s avant garde jazz! The album features Shepp leading a crack "new thing" line up that includes Ted Curson on trumpet, Marion Brown on alto, Joe Chambers on drums, Reggie Johnson on bass, and the lesser-known Joseph Orange on trombone – all playing in a beautifully poised manner, never too far out and free, but with all the dynamic energy of the best jazz changes of the 60s! There's a vibe here that's similar to some of the Blue Note "new thing" work by players like Grachan Moncur, Jackie McLean, and Tony Williams from the time – but there's a vision that's also wider and deeper, too, given the size of the group and the way they interact. Titles include "Hambone", "Los Olvidados", "Malcolm Malcolm–Semper Malcolm", and an insane cover of "Girl From Ipanema". You can't go wrong with this one – trust us! CD also features a bonus live version of "Hambone"! CD

Fantastic stuff – easily one of Archie Shepp's greatest albums, and certainly one of the pivotal points of 60s avant garde jazz! The album features Shepp leading a crack "new thing" line up that includes Ted Curson on trumpet, Marion Brown on alto, Joe Chambers on drums, Reggie Johnson on bass, and the lesser-known Joseph Orange on trombone – all playing in a beautifully poised manner, never too far out and free, but with all the dynamic energy of the best jazz changes of the 60s! There's a vibe here that's similar to some of the Blue Note "new thing" work by players like Grachan Moncur, Jackie McLean, and Tony Williams from the time – but there's a vision that's also wider and deeper, too, given the size of the group and the way they interact. Titles include "Hambone", "Los Olvidados", "Malcolm Malcolm–Semper Malcolm", and an insane cover of "Girl From Ipanema". You can't go wrong with this one – trust us! CD

Fantastic stuff – easily one of Archie Shepp's greatest albums, and certainly one of the pivotal points of 60s avant garde jazz! The album features Shepp leading a crack "new thing" line up that includes Ted Curson on trumpet, Marion Brown on alto, Joe Chambers on drums, Reggie Johnson on bass, and the lesser-known Joseph Orange on trombone – all playing in a beautifully poised manner, never too far out and free, but with all the dynamic energy of the best jazz changes of the 60s! There's a vibe here that's similar to some of the Blue Note "new thing" work by players like Grachan Moncur, Jackie McLean, and Tony Williams from the time – but there's a vision that's also wider and deeper, too, given the size of the group and the way they interact. Titles include "Hambone", "Los Olvidados", "Malcolm Malcolm–Semper Malcolm", and an insane cover of "Girl From Ipanema". You can't go wrong with this one – trust us! LP, Vinyl record album