A sweet 70s set from Jackie & Roy – just the kind of record that shows that their genius kept on growing and growing as the years went on! The album's a nice change from the fuller, freer sound of the pair's earlier 70s sides on CTI – but it's also not the straighter jazz of the 50s and 60s either – kind of a wonderful fusion of both eras, brought together in a really groovy way! Instrumentation is small combo throughout – piano from Roy, plus vibes, bass, and drums – all used in a sweetly swinging sort of way to match the melodic quality of the pair's vocals. Titles are a really well-selected batch of numbers – and include "Tiny Told Me", "Good & Rich", "The Runaround", "Born To Be Blue", "Waltz For Dana", "Cheerful Little Earful", and "Magic To Do". LP, Vinyl record album

Sharp hooks, huge melodies, and pleasing 70s guitar pop greatness from Pilot! From The Album Of The Same Name includes their signature tune, "Magic" – and it's one of those songs everyone knows, whether or not they know who made it – but Pilot soars all around on these tunes. The guitars have punch, but the falsetto vocals are the main cabin of this vessel – and it's grand 70s soft rock of the first order! Other tracks include "Just A Smile", "Lucky For Some", "Girl Next Door", "Sooner Or Later", "Never Give Up", "Sky Blue", and "Over The Moon". LP, Vinyl record album

2 trumpets, 2 tenors, and a heck of a lot of open-ended blowing session magic! The format for this one's incredibly loose – as might be guessed by the "leaderless" nature of the record – but the session's a great example of the Prestige blowing session mode at its best – as it brings together unlikely groupmates, and really lets them feel each other out in the studio. On tenor, John Coltrane's deeper sound is matched with lightness of Bobby Jaspar's tone – and on trumpet, blowing session regular Webster Lewis and Idrees Sulieman show their talents at working strongly in a less-fettered format. The rest of the group includes Kenny Burrell on guitar, Mal Waldron on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – and the album's 4 tracks are all nice and long – and include "Interplay", "Anatomy", "Light Blue", & "Soul Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest collaborations between the mighty Dells and the great arranger Charles Stepney – a studio talent who really brings some magic to their fantastic harmonies! Stepney adds in all these amazing touches to the record – including John Cage-styled prepared piano on two tracks, and plenty of soaring orchestrations that really up the power of the group's sound! Titles include the wonderful progressive tune "There Is", a great long remake of "Stay In My Corner", and the cuts "Wear It On Our Face", "The Change We Go Through", "Higher & Higher", "Close Your Eyes", "Run For Cover", "Love Is So Simple", "Oo I Love You", and "When I'm In Your Arms". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite Dexter Gordon sessions for Blue Note – and a unique album that's one of the first to illustrate his growing role in the European jazz scene! The group's a quartet – which let's Dex stand out front with plenty of space for marvelous tenor work – and it features Parisian bassist Pierre Michelot, plus Americans Bud Powell on piano and Kenny Clarke on drums – two players who were already making a bit name for themselves overseas. The album's a perfect link between Gordon's earlier American work and his long string of European sessions to come – and titles include a great take of "Scrapple from the Apple", plus excellent readings of "Stairway to the Stars" and "Night in Tunisia". The format is simple, but the sound is magic – classic Dexter Gordon in a tight Blue Note mode! LP, Vinyl record album

Ramsey and the classic trio with Eldee Young and Red Holt – grooving away on a pot luck batch of tunes that includes material from a wide wide variety of sources, all turned into soul jazz magic by the boys! Believe it or not, Ramsey takes tunes like "Andaluza", "Arrividerci Roma", "Loch Lomond", "Nature Boy", and "Sheandoah", and arranges them with a hiply swinging style that makes you forget what they ever sounded like in the first place. Throw in some originals – like "We Blue It Again", "Look A Here", and "Swamp Girl" – and you've got pretty nice batch of tracks! LP, Vinyl record album

A classic double live album from Bob Marley & The Wailers – presented and packaged at a level that's really a cut above the usual set of that nature from the time! The group's in excellent form in a concert setting – and there's more than enough magic here to warrant the extended length of the set – as Marley and the group really open up on some classics, as well as some other gems that maybe even sparkle more on this album. Titles include "Exodus", "Stir It Up", "Rat Race", "Concrete Jungle", "Lively Up Yourself", "Is This Love", "Punky Reggae Party", "Heathen", "Jamming", and "Kinky Reggae". LP, Vinyl record album

The fourth album from Roxy Music – a brilliant statement of their early genius through and through! The album has the group moving strongly past the Eno years, into a tighter framework that still contains many of the darker themes of earlier records. Ferry's lead vocals are incredibly majestic – rising to heights to match the European greats of years past who were his inspiration – and the group's tight blend of reeds, guitar, and moody keyboards gives the whole album an off-kilter sense of instrumentation that really sets it apart from the pack. There's an artfulness here that's never overdone, and the whole thing comes together with a magic that's impossible to describe, but which is Roxy at their best. Titles include "Out Of The Blue", "The Thrill Of It All", "Three & Nine", "Triptych", "Casanova", and "Prairie Rose". LP, Vinyl record album

Dreamy 70s magic from singer Claudette Soares – recorded with arrangements that have a sweeter, sometimes more electric feel than before – and which step out with some grooving touches on the best numbers! The style's almost a bit like some of the best European female work of the time – particularly the kind of numbers you'd find standing out at the start of French or Italian soundtracks. The standout tunes expand the arrangements with some slight Blue Brazil undercurrents that pick up the pace nicely – that cool blend of older Brazilian modes and sweet 70s touches going on at the EMI label at the time. Titles include "Proposta", "Tarde", "Preciso Aprender A So Ser", "Adeus Maria Fulo", "Voce", "Suas Maos", and "Chove Outra Vez". LP, Vinyl record album

Traffic get some help here from Muscle Shoals heavyweights Barry Beckett, Roger Hawkins, and Jimmy Johnson – a trio who help the group continue that richer, more expanded sound that was first unfurled on the group's Low Spark album! The sound is maybe a more focused attempt at territory from that record, but one that also really stretches things out too – long tracks that have just the right balance, and which never make the extra long space of the tunes feel like their wasted at all – just perfect settings for the energy of the tunes composed by Steve Winwood and Jim Capaldi. Titles include "Roll Right Stones", "Tragic Magic", "Evening Blue", and "Shoot Out At The Fantasy Factory". LP, Vinyl record album

Really wonderful work from alto genius Phil Woods – already showing a sense of tone and timing that breaks him away from all the Charlie Parker devotees on the market! The groups are great, and Jimmy Raney adds in some amazing chromatic work on guitar – bringing to Phil the same sort of magic he shared with Stan Getz around the same time. LP, Vinyl record album

All the hits! Includes "Mr Blue Sky", "Telephone Line", "Turn To Stone", "Evil Woman", "Strange Magic", and more! LP, Vinyl record album

The pious bird of good omen might well be the track "Albatross" here – nestled in the middle of the record, and a key sign that Fleetwood Mac were ready to break from their roots! But this is no heavy bird hanging around the group's neck – as the groundbreaking instrumental really set them free from their straight blues rock expressions, and is mixed here with a great range of material that really shows Peter Green and the group ready to take on the 70s. If you loved Green's blues guitar work on other records, don't worry – there's still plenty of it here – but the range of songs is great, and in addition to the amazing "Albatross", other tunes include the fantastic original version of "Black Magic Woman", plus "The Big Boat", "Rambling Pony", "Just The Blues", "Looking For Somebody", "Stop Messin Round", "The Sun Is Shining", "I Believe My Time Ain't Long", and "Coming Home". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe one of the greatest things that George Harrison did after the breakup of The Beatles – not his first solo album, but yet his first non-experimental venture – and a triple-length set that's filled with magic throughout! This isn't one of those "shoulda been a single record" sets – as Harrison has this amazing ability to craft new tunes with new styles in a way that really sets the record apart from his later work with The Beatles – maybe a summation of all those wonderful little moments that George was starting to add to their records, but fully blossomed here into a field's worth of fantastic musical flowers. Titles include "My Sweet Lord", "Wah Wah", "I'd Have You Anytime", "What Is Life", "Run Of The Mill", "Isn't It A Pity", "Plus Me In", "Thanks For The Pepperoni", "Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp", "Beware Of Darkness", "Out Of The Blue", and "Hear Me Lord". LP, Vinyl record album

Plenty of Impact from this great Philly group – a soaring quartet who harmonize with some great Bobby Eli arrangements – at a level that shines as strongly as the best 70s work by Blue Magic or The Spinners! Impact never broke the big time as strongly, but they're a great group in the best 70s Philly mode – rooted in an older harmony style, but able to really take off with some sweet Sigma Sound styles – the sort of balance that few other groups managed to handle this well. The quartet features Damon Harris, who sang with the Temptations after Eddie Kendricks left in 1971 – and the group is a re-formation of The Young Vandals, who recorded briefly on T-Neck before Harris left for the Temps. Titles include "Happy Man", "Give A Broken Heart A Break", "Love Attack", "It Only Happens In the Movies", and "Winning Combination". LP, Vinyl record album

A swirling, mangy psychedelia drenched pounder from the Paisleys – who kind of took an acid-steeped Syd Barrett approach to the garage formula, making for one of the densest, bluntest, heaviest lumbering mastodon's of the era! Seven tracks from the original LP: "Cosmic Mind At Play", "Rockin'", "Now", "Smokey Windows", "Diddley", "Wind", and "Musical Journey". There's seven bonus tracks, too, including "Something's Missing", "The Fool With The Jewel", "Elf In A Magic Bottle", "In Dreams" and more! LP, Vinyl record album

A crucially important record in Sonny Rollins' career – one that had him breaking out of the straight bop sound, and emerging as a major power on the tenor sax – one with limitless creative power! The set features Rollins working with only drum and bass accompaniment – played by Max Roach and Oscar Pettiford, respectively – and the lack of piano or other horns gives Rollins a free space in which to work his magic, doing so incredibly on the album's "Freedom Suite", an extended piece that runs for nearly 20 minutes, and which pushes all conceptions of the tenor's ability to solo freely on record. The other side of the record features shorter tracks – "Shadow Waltz", "Someday I'll Find You", and "Will You Still Be Mine?" – blown with no less creativity. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic turning point for the great Horace Silver – a set that's still got the soul jazz groove of some of his earlier 60s hits – but which also has the pianist really making magic with some of the younger players on the scene – in a lineup that features the young Woody Shaw on trumpet, James Spaulding on alto and flute, and Tyrone Washington on tenor sax! As with Hank Mobley and Lee Morgan at the time, there's an openness to some of Silver's writing and arranging here that's really great – as if he's absorbing some of the qualities of the new thing generation, but never going there himself – and instead just finding a way to color his music with really fresh energy and tones. Larry Ridley is on bass and Roger Humphries is on drums – completing a really fantastic lineup – and titles include the title cut "The Jody Grind" – is an enduring funky jazz classic – plus "Blue Silver", "Mary Lou", "Mexican Hip Dance", "Grease Piece", and "Dimples". LP, Vinyl record album

A truly unbelievable album from Billy Stewart – maybe his standout moment of the 60s, and a record that set him apart from every other singer of his time! Stewart's famous vocals break out instantly on the huge hit "Summertime" – a leadoff number that really sets the record on fire – and sets the scene for an amazing batch of tunes that follow a similar format – familiar tracks that are completely recast in a new mode by Billy – pyrotechnic soul vocals that are as filled with feeling as they are shaped by technique! Backings are great, too – full and a bit jazzy at points – and with just the right sort of energy to keep things bouncing along all the way through. Titles include "Summertime", "A Foggy Day", "Canadian Sunset", "Time After Time", "Misty", "Moon River", "My Funny Valentine", and "That Old Black Magic". LP, Vinyl record album

A treasure trove of rare Ohio soul – served up by the folks at Numero, and with a cover that takes us back to a series of dodgy collections from the LA scene! Like the vintage East Side Story sets, the focus here is on mellow soul tracks that are perfect for late night, laidback listening – heavy on the kind of harmonies that we love in east coast sweet soul from the 60s – group soul evolving way past its roots, with just the right sort of subtle use of instrumentation to push the gently-tripping vocals forward! If you love sweet soul or harmony soul, you'll find plenty to love here – on a set list of rarities that includes "Oh Love" by Iron Knowledge, "Sheer Magic" by Ice Cold Love, "This Is The Way I Am" by La'Fez, "Oh Yes I Do" by Foreign Blue Renassance, "Lovin You Is Easy" by Now, "Gloria" by Young Mods, "Just Ask Me" by Soul Superbs, and "I'm Gonna Treat You Good" by The Donations. LP, Vinyl record album

A real breakout album for Earl Klugh – the kind of record that got him on the a-list of fusion players for the rest of the 70s! The title here is especially well-chosen – as the tunes have a gently colorful feel that's never too slick, despite the tighter setting of the album – with light arrangements by Dave Grusin that still leave Earl plenty of space to work his subtle magic on the strings of the guitar. Titles include "Keep Your Eye On The Sparrow", "Summer Song", "Dance With Me", "Dr Macumba", "Long Ago & Far Away", and "Cabo Frio". LP, Vinyl record album

A real breakout album for Earl Klugh – the kind of record that got him on the a-list of fusion players for the rest of the 70s! The title here is especially well-chosen – as the tunes have a gently colorful feel that's never too slick, despite the tighter setting of the album – with light arrangements by Dave Grusin that still leave Earl plenty of space to work his subtle magic on the strings of the guitar. Titles include "Keep Your Eye On The Sparrow", "Summer Song", "Dance With Me", "Dr Macumba", "Long Ago & Far Away", and "Cabo Frio". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "By The Light Of A Magical Moon", "Dove", "Wind Cheetah", "Fist Heart Mighty Dawn Dart", "Elemental Child", and "A Day Laye". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most classic Blue Note sessions ever – and for good reason too! From the cover, to the title, to the hardbopping grooves of the set, this Sonny Clark late 50s smoker is one of the label's best – as pianist Clark is working here at the height of his powers – leading an all-star group that includes Art Farmer on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Hank Mobley on tenor, Wilbur Ware on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums – all coming together magically on open-ended tunes that tighten up from the blowing session format, and really send the groove home! Plus, Sonny's writing is also great – as the set's got a number of great originals by Clark – and titles include "Bootin' It", "Sonny's Mood", "Shoutin On A Riff", and "Dial S For Sonny". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark live set from The Who – a record that offers the group with a blistering intensity that blows away all their other studio albums of the time! Although offered during the Who's Tommy-era expansion into broader themes and more complicated instrumentation, the album's a real return to basics – and features a guitar-heavy version of the group performing a number of older rock n roll classics like "Summertime Blues", "Shakin All Over", and "Young Man Blues" – plus really extended jamming takes on their own "My Generation" and "Magic Bus", and a searing 2 minute take on "Substitute" that's probably everything you ever need to know about The Jam! LP, Vinyl record album

A record that's maybe as famous for its cover art, done by comic legend Neal Adams, as it is for the music of The Groundhogs – who are really moving away here from the more blues-based work of their roots! The great Tony McPhee is on vocals and guitar, and also uses mellotron and harmonium in some really wonderful ways – and the sound here really has the group soaring with the sort of super-powered energy you might guess from the cover – a case of a British group tipping over nicely past their original inspirations, and finding a way to make hard rock magic that's very much all their own! Titles include "Wages Of Peace", "Music Is The Food Of Thought", "Bog Roll Blues", "The Grey Maze", "Earth Is Not Room Enough", and "Body In Mind". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite Lee Morgan albums, and one of his least known – a set recorded in the crucial last five years of his life, and a sparkling mix of hard bop, soul jazz, and slight bits of modernism – that magical mix that Lee was hitting as he reached farther and farther with his music – an amazing legacy in jazz that has us loving every Morgan session from 1965 onward! Lee's playing in very comfortable territory, with a group that includes Bennie Maupin on tenor, Cedar Walton on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – but that doesn't mean that the proceedings are relaxed at all, because the interplay between the players is flawless, and they use their familiarity as a great springboard to soar off into rich new territory. Lee wrote all the tunes on the record – like "Caramba", "Suicide City", and "Soulita". An excellent record throughout, and one that we'd never part with! LP, Vinyl record album

The amazing first album from Procol Harum – a group with a sound that's still unlike anyone else we can think of – even though they were a key part of the London scene of the 60s! The group are steeped in all of the blues, soul, and jazz elements that influenced so many other British acts of the period – but they have this way of presenting the music that brings a whole new sort of drama to the music – this flair that never overwhelms, and instead embellishes the music in this really special way – so that the tunes have this brilliance that's kept them fresh for many decades to follow! Lead singer Gary Brooker is a key part of the record's magic – a very distinctive singer – and a young Robin Trower contributes plenty on guitar, as does Matthew Fisher on Hammond. But there's also some arrangements that really set the whole thing in an unusual direction – and which make the record way more than just another bluesy rock set from the time. Hard to argue with the baroque brilliance of "She Wandered Through The Garden Fence", "A Christmas Camel", "Salad Days", "Repent Walpurgis", and "Conquistador" – not to mention the hit, "Whiter Shade Of Pale". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's way more than the classic rock outing of some of the group's Bay Area contemporaries – as the young Carlos Santana finds a way to mix inspirations from blues and Latin music into this fierce fusion of so many different elements at once – stretching out, jamming, and touching decades of listeners in the process! The whole thing's a perfect sonic blend – guitar, keyboards, and plenty of percussion – on the group's stunning remake of "Oye Como Va", their fusion of "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen", and the cuts "Se A Cabo", "Samba Pa Ti", "El Nicoya", and "Singing Winds Crying Beasts". LP, Vinyl record album

A great set of archival DJ Shadow instros from the early-to-mid 90s – from back when his primary means of production was the Akai MPC sampler – along with his endless arsenal of vinyl and limitless creative inspiration! This is formative, but essential material for fans of classic Shadow. It's a superior follow up to the 4 Track Era compilation, and a solid blueprint for his very best work to come! This is all previously unreleased, and it was produced from 1992 to 1996 – which is the period that beat heads and leftfield hip hop production historians outta know culminated in the release of the classic Endtroducing album. That said, this is not a set of Endtroducing leftovers – it's strong, original and legacy-building instrumental work from a crucial period – assembled by the man himself! 22 tracks on the 2LP version. Includes "Intropy (Original Version)", "Vee In Detroit", "Alright", "Don't Try It", "Falling Up", "Aye", "Britty But Magic", "Atmospheric Disturbances", "Quickstep", "Freddi's Popcorn", "From The Old School", "Mystical With Solo", "Fast Rap Fanfare" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Nice nice set of some of Esquivel's best moments from his late-50s/early-60s RCA recordings! The cover's got Juan Garcia on the front, looking very cool, and the record includes a dozen groovy numbers that are the epitome of space age bachelor pad chic: "Poinciana", "Guadalajara", "Malaguena", "Bye Bye Blues", "Granada", "Jalousie", "Cherokee", "Take The A Train", "My Reverie", "Adios, Marquita Linda", "Magic Is The Moonlight" and "Estrellita". LP, Vinyl record album

BB King's collapsed here on the beach in California – and maybe that's because he gave so much energy to the session – which is a lot more full than some of his previous work from the 60s! The whole thing is a mix of blues and soul – some larger charts that really provide a great backdrop for BB's vocals, which dominate a bit more in the set than his guitar – although there's definitely a few tracks here that feature that trademark King magic on the strings! Titles include "Just Can't Please You", "Any Other Way", "Guess Who", "Better Lovin Man", "Five Long Years", and "Shouldn't Have Left Me". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those few classic cases where a compilation of tracks was maybe even more influential than the original music itself – as this early 70s collection of 60s material turned out to shape and influence generations for decades to come! Guitar genius Lenny Kaye put the set together famously for Elektra Records in 1972 – as a reminder that, just a few years before, there were some amazing sounds that were not only brewing up in local indie scenes around the country, but also on the radio as well – even though most of those groups had been pushed into relative obscurity by the rise of soft rock, hard rock, and classic rock of the early 70s! The package is a return to the pre-prog years, with an especially strong ear for garage-tuned tracks that would go on to shape later punk, 80s indie, and lots more underground sounds in the future. Titles include "I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)" by Electric Prunes, "Dirty Water" by the Standells, "Respect" by Vagrants, "No Time Like The Right Time" by Blues Project, "Invitation To Cry" by Magicians, "You're Gonna Miss Me" by Thirteenth Floor Elevators, "Psychotic Reaction" by Count Five, "Baby Please Don't Go" by Amboy Dukes, "My World Fell Down" by Sagittarius, "Open My Eyes" by Nazz, "It's A Happening" by The Magic Mushrooms, "Lies" by The Knickerbockers, "Oh Yeah" by Shadows Of Knight, "Sit Down I Think I Love You" by The Mojo Men, "Just Like Romeo & Juliet" by Michael & The Messengers, "Hey Joe" by The Leaves, and "Farmer John" by The Premiers. LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal work from the legendary Gil Melle – one of his early 10" sessions for Blue Note, prime 50s modern jazz from the original Melle cover right down to the music in the grooves! The session features 2 different groups, and has Melle's haunting tenor (not baritone) playing amidst other bop-era modernists like Eddie Bert, Tal Farlow, George Wallington, and Max Roach – coming together on tunes that are as magical as the titles might imply – "Mars", "Four Moons", "Sunset Concerto", "The Gears", "October", "Cyclotron", and "Venus". Monica Dell also sings some incredible wordless vocals on a few tunes! LP, Vinyl record album

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Early 80s issue of live recordings at the Alex Club in Chicago from 1963 and 1964 and from the Ann Arbor Blues Festival in 1969. LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderfully trippy record from The Beatles – filled with songs that have become classics, even though the initial package was designed for a movie that was one heck of a mess! The set's incredibly strong throughout – filled with some of the new post-Peppers ideas explored by the group, yet also with some catchier numbers too – great sing-songy tracks that undoubtedly were a big mainstream influence to the world of late 60s psych! Titles include "Blue Jay Way", "The Fool On The Hill", "Flying", "Strawberry Fields Forever", "Penny Lane", and "Baby You're A Rich Man". LP, Vinyl record album

Easily the crowning moment of genius for the legendary Dave Brubeck Quartet – the moment when all things came together magically, and the group somehow elevated themselves to a whole new level in jazz! At the time of the set, Brubeck, Paul Desmond, and the rest had already been making plenty of waves with their creative yet swinging approaches to modern jazz – heard on a number of successful albums for Fantasy and Columbia in the 50s. But with this record, they really knocked one out of the park – blending Desmond's cool alto, Brubeck's unusual piano phrasing, Joe Morello's melodic drum work, and Eugene Wright's pulsating bass into a waltzing, almost modal groove that crossed over to many camps at the time! The classics "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo Ala Turk" were both hits on their own – but all titles are great, and include "Kathy's Waltz", "Strange Medow Lark", "Everybody's Jumpin", and "Pick Up Sticks". LP, Vinyl record album

The Sammy Davis Jr sound, heard in full effect – cast out through a host of wonderful material on this early Reprise record – with dynamic Morty Stevens arrangements that really bring the most out of Sammy D! The tunes are varied, but Sammy makes most of them his own – working both through emotive moments and swinging lyrics – all without ever losing his cool, and all with vocals that easily blow away most of his contemporaries. Tracks include "In A Persian Market", "That Old Black Magic", "Stand Up & Fight", "It's All Right With Me", "Hey There", and "Birth Of The Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer concert all the way through – and a great showcase for the CTI sound! Although the genius of the CTI label might be often thought of in a studio format – especially since the Creed Taylor Influence on the label is what really turned the sound into something wonderful – this live set from 1971 shows that the label's players, with the right frame of mind, can easily get into the CTI groove in any setting – soaring out in a magical blend of acoustic and electric instrumentation, really stretching out on some killer long tracks! The group's a great all-star one – with organ and electric piano by Johnny Hammond, guitar by George Benson, flute by Hubert Laws, trumpet by Freddie Hubbard, tenor by Stanley Turrentine, and percussion by Airto – and all tracks are long, and very free-flowing. Titles include "Red Clay", "Sugar", "Blues West", "Leaving West", and "Fire & Rain". LP, Vinyl record album

A sprightly set from the Ahmad Jamal Trio – but also a record that's not as brightly colored as you might guess from the title, thanks to a nice undercurrent of darkness in the mix! Jamal's piano work is often nicely punctuated – perhaps living up to the "happy moods" promised on the cover – but the bass work of Israel Crosby and drums by Vernell Fournier are a lot more subtle – magical element that really makes the record sparkle with that unique Jamal-like approach to rhythm. Titles include "For All We Know", "Excerpt From The Blues", "Little Old Lady", "Pavanne", "Time On My Hands", "Raincheck", and "Rhumba No 2". LP, Vinyl record album

Given the coolness of the Swedish jazz scene in the postwar years, we can imagine that the arrival of Charlie Parker on the scene must have set things on fire quite a bit! The album's a great example of the Bird magic even in the most unusual of circumstances – as the settings are less than key, the recording quality a bit muted, and the players all fine, but sometimes not as well matched as they might be – yet none of that matters to Charlie, because he soars out here with the kind of hard-burning solo work that's all-Parker, all the way – pure jazz magic that's still strongly inspiring, even after all these years. The set features live recordings done at Folkets Park and an unknown restaurant, with players that include Rolf Ericson on trumpet, Gosta Theselius on piano, and Rowland Greenberg on trumpet – and titles include "Body & Soul", "Strike Up The Band", "Star Eyes", "Cool Blues", "Fine & Dandy", and "How High The Moon". LP, Vinyl record album

Milt Jackson joins the Oscar Peterson Trio – helping the group to hit some great new space with his magical work on vibes! Jackson's got an open, airy feel – an approach that almost lets Peterson punctuate the tunes a bit more with his piano – while the pair get strong rhythmic support from the bass of Ray Brown and lyrical drums of Ed Thigpen. Tunes are open and relaxed, letting Milt hit some great mellow tones – and titles include "Green Dolphin Street", "Heartstrings", "The Work Song", "John Brown's Body", "A Wonderful Guy" and "Reunion Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost European performance from Bud Powell – recorded in Stockholm relatively late in his life, but on some nicely long tracks that really let Powell stretch out on the piano! There's a nice degree of echo in the recording – and we mean that not as a cover up for poor sound quality, because the quality here is quite strong – and instead delight in the way it has Bud's tones resonate strongly in the space of the performance hall – this bold, clear tone that really lets the Powell magic sparkle in all of its glory! The trio features Torbjorn Hultcrantz on bass and Sune Spangberg on drums – and titles on this volume include "Star Eyes", "Blues In The Closet", "I Hear Music", and "Moose The Mooche". LP, Vinyl record album

The title might sound a bit clinical, but the music within is anything but – and instead is that sort of special, magical work that always makes Sonny Stitt a real cut above most of his contemporaries! The notes try to link Stitt to Charlie Parker – but apart from a postwar sense of invention on alto sax, the sounds within are quite different – more spacious and soulful than Parker, although equally deft in their own sort of way – blown with a confidence that knows how to take its time, in a way that comes through especially strong on the mellow cuts. At the surface, there might not be anything special to the record – but the first listen will definitely let you know you're in they company of something special – on titles that include "Blues For Yard", "Harlem Nocturne", "Windy Ride", and a haunting take of "Because Of You". LP, Vinyl record album

More hit magic from the Brothers Johnson – still working with Quincy Jones at this point, and virtually setting up the blueprint for jazzy soul in the 80s! Backings are by an all-star team, and Rod Temperton's helping out Quincy with arrangements – going for that snapping groove approach he worked to best effect with Heatwave. The sound is tight, but never too slick – and The Brothers keep a nice funky undercurrent on the bottom of most tracks. Titles include "Smilin On Ya", "You Make Me Wanna Wiggle", "Light Up The Night", "Stomp", "This Had To Be", and "Closer To The One You Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that hardly seems like workin at all, given the ease with which the group lays down the music – especially trumpeter Miles Davis, whose work here is like magic – and tenorist John Coltrane, who was really coming into his own with this recording! The set's one of a handful from this famous pair, and features superb rhythm accompaniment from Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – a standard-setting group who know how to come in when needed, then lay back and let Miles and Trane run in their own directions The album's got well-deserved classic status in modern jazz – and titles include two takes on the group's famous "The Theme", plus "It Never Entered My Mind", "Four", "In Your Own Sweet Way", "Trane's Blues", "Ahmad's Blues", and "Half Nelson". LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning stuff – and one of the greatest Charles Mingus albums of all time – a true treasure recorded in that magical year of 1957, when Mingus was finally finding his strongest voice in modern music! The album's near-perfect from start to finish – as bold a statement in jazz as anyone might be allowed to make in the late 50s, yet still always focused, driven, and wrapped up with a tremendous sense of energy. The tracks are all quite long – perfect vehicles for Mingus to reach his full level of expression – played by a group that includes Curtis Porter on tenor and alto sax, Jimmy Knepper on trombone, Wade Legge on piano, and Dannie Richmond on drums – making an early appearance in his alliance with Mingus that would last for many many years. Titles include classic versions of "Haitian Fight Song", "Blue Cee", and "Reincarnation Of A Lovebird" – plus "The Clown", which features a long improvised monologue by Jean Shephard! LP, Vinyl record album

The stunning second album from Procol Harum – a record that takes everything that's wonderful about their debut, and pushes it even farther – to a very unique space that's completely the group's own! The songcraft here is magical – with great work from the team of vocalist Gary Brooker and Keith Reid – and the production continues the group's unusual blend of bluesy elements with these dramatic, ambitious arrangements – never pop orchestrations, but just these ways of putting together a tune that make familiar fuzz guitar, piano, and organ explode in really new sort of ways. The whole thing's wonderful – hardly any hits, but all wonderful songs throughout – and titles include "Quite Rightly So", "Shine On Brightly", "Skip Softly", "Magdalene", "Glimpses Of Nirvana", "Grand Finale", and "In The Autumn Of My Madness". LP, Vinyl record album

A searing live document of the magic of Ten Years After – recorded at London's Klooks Kleek as a great example of the kind of sound that got the group a huge amount of attention before they were even signed to a record label! The sound's still got some of the bluesy influences that both the group and that club were known for – but the guitar of Alvin Lee is really taking off, especially on the album's very long tracks – which seem to insist on solos that would go onto influence a whole psychedelic generation. The Hammond solos are great, too – and titles include "I May Be Wrong But I Won't Be Wrong Always", "Spider In My Web", "I'm Going Home", and a surprisingly great take on Woody Herman's "Woodchopper's Ball", which is completely transformed here! LP, Vinyl record album

A great later date from CTI – proof that the label still had its magic going on well into the 80s! The session's a larger group effort headed up by Don Sebesky, and featuring key solos by Chet Baker, Jim Hall, and Hubert Laws – all of whom get plenty of room to do their thing on the album's longer tracks! Other players include Kenny Barron, Jack Wilkins, Jorge Dalto, George Mraz, and Steve Gadd – plus bit of added percussion – and although the group is large, the overall sound is relatively lean – spacious and airy, in keeping with Baker's best moments on records like these, and always sensitive enough to let Hall's gentle work on the strings of his guitar shine through nicely! Titles include "Malaguena", "Django", "Swan Lake", and "All Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A great 2-fer – with 2 different classics from Dave Brubeck! First up is Gone With The Wind – a surprisingly nice little album from Brubeck – one that's mostly comprised of old-fashioned type tunes, but which all take on a hip new light in the hands of his classic quartet! As usual, Paul Desmond's one of the main assets of the set – working with Brubeck to forge a slightly off-beat and swinging approach that brings plenty of nice moments to tunes like "Gone With The Wind", "Ol Man River", "Shortnin Bread", "Camptown Races", and "The Lonesome Road". Time Out is easily the crowning moment of genius for the legendary Dave Brubeck Quartet – the moment when all things came together magically, and the group somehow elevated themselves to a whole new level in jazz! At the time of the set, Brubeck, Paul Desmond, and the rest had already been making plenty of waves with their creative yet swinging approaches to modern jazz – heard on a number of successful albums for Fantasy and Columbia in the 50s. But with this record, they really knocked one out of the park – blending Desmond's cool alto, Brubeck's unusual piano phrasing, Joe Morello's melodic drum work, and Eugene Wright's pulsating bass into a waltzing, almost modal groove that crossed over to many camps at the time! The classics "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo Ala Turk" were both hits on their own – but all titles are great, and include "Kathy's Waltz", "Strange Medow Lark", "Everybody's Jumpin", and "Pick Up Sticks". LP, Vinyl record album

Pure genius from Ray Bryant – the kind of a record that few other players could ever hope to cut, and a fantastic demonstration of Ray's extremely soulful approach to the trio format! Bryant's working here with Bill Lee on bass and Mickey Roker on drums – in a triple-burning setting that has all players contributing equally to the groove – and often working strongly to create a great sense of counterpoint in the rhythms. Roker's drums are magically playful throughout – snapping and skipping along the top of the snare in a way that only furthers the rhythmic agenda of Bryant's piano. And Lee's bass has a laidback and mellow delight – one that rings out alongside the keys of the piano, and fleshes them out with some additional depth and color. The title track is a brilliant reading of "Con Alma", and the set also features Bryant's famous tune "Cubano Chant" – as well as the titles "Autumn Leaves", "Milestones", "Ill Wind", and "C Jam Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Tremendous horn interplay from the team of Al Cohn and Zoot Sims – and a record that may well be one of the best illustrations of their famous magic together in the 50s! The record's got a way of focusing energy, yet letting each player state themselves clearly and cleanly – almost a perfect small group variation of the larger jazz modes of a generation before – carried out here by Cohn and Sims with a great balance of tone and timing, modernism and swing! There's an excellent rhythm group on the date – Mose Allison on piano, Teddy Kotick on bass, and Nick Stabulus on drums – who almost bring in a slightly soulful undercurrent, which works especially well on Sims' solo moments. Tracks include "Two Funky People", "Just You Just Me", "The Wailing Boat", "You're A Lucky Guy", "Brandy & Beer", and "Chasing The Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Despite the fact that he's one of the most influential jazz singers of all time (and certainly one with the biggest hit, as the original recording of "I'm In the Mood For Love" probably sold more copies than most other vocalese recordings combined), King Pleasure only ever cut three full albums – and this third one is the hardest to find! The album was recorded for United Artists during the time when Alan Douglas was cutting sides for the label, and it's very much in the same mode as his earlier recordings for Prestige and HiFi, apart from some occasional spare string backing that's added to the small group jazz playing. Pleasure's vocals are wonderful – incomparable, and right at the peak of vocalese sublimity – and the album's filled with great numbers like "That Old Black Magic (Diaper Pin)", "This Is Always", "Jazz Jump", "Don't Get Scared", "Swan Blues", and "Mean To Me", all completely transformed by Pleasure! LP, Vinyl record album