Some of the most cooking work of the 70s from Dexter Gordon – and that's saying a lot, given all his overseas sessions and late-life work for Columbia Records! The format here is different than both of those, though – in that it's both a sharp hardbop set, with a real back-to-basics vibe – but also one that has much more of an overall group feel, instead of some of the longer-form solo vehicles that Gordon recorded for Steeplechase Records. There's definitely a blowing session vibe – tracks are long, and there's multiple soloists who each get extended time in the spotlight – but there's also a careful sense of structure, brought to the record no doubt by producer Don Schlitten – who'd handled classic dates in the past for Prestige. The group features both Gordon and Al Cohn on tenors, Blue Mitchell and Sam Noto on trumpets, Barry Harris on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums – a hell of a lineup that really makes magic on "Lady Bird", "How Deep Is The Ocean", "True Blue", "On The Trail", "Allen's Alley", and "Silver Blue". CD

Killer early work from Horace Silver – and a rare non-Blue Note session from the 50s! The album's Horace's only date for Columbia, and it's got a feel that's similar to some of the Jazz Messengers' hardbop recordings for the label at the time – cooking with a soulful intensity at the bottom, yet taking off with some tremendously well-carved solos on the top! The group's an all-star ensemble that includes some of the best harbop players of the time – Hank Mobley on tenor sax, Donald Byrd and Joe Gordon on trumpet, Doug Watkins on bass, and Kenny Clarke and Art Taylor on drums – all grooving together with Horace as if they'd been backing him up for years. Titles include great originals "Silver's Beat", "Shoutin' Out", and "Hank's Tune – plus versions of "I'll Know" and "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most cooking work of the 70s from Dexter Gordon – and that's saying a lot, given all his overseas sessions and late-life work for Columbia Records! The format here is different than both of those, though – in that it's both a sharp hardbop set, with a real back-to-basics vibe – but also one that has much more of an overall group feel, instead of some of the longer-form solo vehicles that Gordon recorded for Steeplechase Records. There's definitely a blowing session vibe – tracks are long, and there's multiple soloists who each get extended time in the spotlight – but there's also a careful sense of structure, brought to the record no doubt by producer Don Schlitten – who'd handled classic dates in the past for Prestige. The group features both Gordon and Al Cohn on tenors, Blue Mitchell and Sam Noto on trumpets, Barry Harris on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums – a hell of a lineup that really makes magic on "On The Trail", "Allen's Alley", and "Silver Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

12 Blue Note classics including "Sister Sadie", "Peace", "Cookin At The Continental", "Opus De Funk", "Room 608", "Senor Blues", "The Preacher", "Cool Eyes", and "Doodlin". CD

Loads of Blue Note classics – titles that include "Song For My Father", "The Cape Verdean Blues", "Pretty Eyes", "Que Pasa", "Mexican Hip Dance", "Nutville", "Jody Grind", and "Serenade To A Soul Sisters". CD

Killer early work from Horace Silver – and a rare non-Blue Note session from the 50s! The album's Horace's only date for Columbia, and it's got a feel that's similar to some of the Jazz Messengers' hardbop recordings for the label at the time – cooking with a soulful intensity at the bottom, yet taking off with some tremendously well-carved solos on the top! The group's an all-star ensemble that includes some of the best harbop players of the time – Hank Mobley on tenor sax, Donald Byrd and Joe Gordon on trumpet, Doug Watkins on bass, and Kenny Clarke and Art Taylor on drums – all grooving together with Horace as if they'd been backing him up for years. Titles include great originals "Silver's Beat", "Shoutin' Out", and "Hank's Tune – plus versions of "I'll Know" and "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes". CD

Killer early work from Horace Silver – and a rare non-Blue Note session from the 50s! The album's Horace's only date for Columbia, and it's got a feel that's similar to some of the Jazz Messengers' hardbop recordings for the label at the time – cooking with a soulful intensity at the bottom, yet taking off with some tremendously well-carved solos on the top! The group's an all-star ensemble that includes some of the best harbop players of the time – Hank Mobley on tenor sax, Donald Byrd and Joe Gordon on trumpet, Doug Watkins on bass, and Kenny Clarke and Art Taylor on drums – all grooving together with Horace as if they'd been backing him up for years. Titles include great originals "Silver's Beat", "Shoutin' Out", and "Hank's Tune – plus versions of "I'll Know" and "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes". CD

The incredible second album from Silver Apples – even more mad, more trippy, and more space rock than the first! The tunes are all awash in fuzziness – mad guitars, distorted vocals, and rough electronics coming into play with a bit of banjo and some stark, stiff percussion that makes the whole thing have a bit of a groove at times! The sound is otherworldly and incredible – hugely influential upon a generation of 90s popsters, but even better than any of the imitations they've spawned over the years! Titles include "You & I", "Water", "Ruby", "I Have Known Love", and "Confusion". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that really pushes the Czarface legacy further, and maybe even away from its origins in hip hop – as the LP/comic book package has mostly instrumental contributions from 7L, but structured together as a film score for the comic! There's some narration too, but really just in a way to link together the tracks – and the whole thing bursts out with the sort of vivid energy you'd guess from the Marvel-styled image on the front! Artwork is by Gilberto Aguirre Mata – and titles include "A Falling Czar", "Squared Portal", "Funky Premonition", "Something Once Human", "Death Of A Comrade", and "Czartusi". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer session from Horace Silver – a record that has the legendary Blue Note pianist working with his famous quintet that includes Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Junior Cook on tenor, Gene Taylor on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums! The album's one of the group's first, and really showcases their sublime blend of rootsy soul jazz rhythms and more exotic, sophisticated approaches to arranging – playing in a style that mixes harder grooves with more meditative compositions with incredible lyrical beauty! The album includes tracks that mix both of these styles – and titles include the classic "Sister Sadie", plus "Baghdad Blues", "Melancholy Mood", "Break City", "St Vitus Dance", and the lovely "Peace". CD

A killer session from Horace Silver – a record that has the legendary Blue Note pianist working with his famous quintet that includes Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Junior Cook on tenor, Gene Taylor on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums! The album's one of the group's first, and really showcases their sublime blend of rootsy soul jazz rhythms and more exotic, sophisticated approaches to arranging – playing in a style that mixes harder grooves with more meditative compositions with incredible lyrical beauty! The album includes tracks that mix both of these styles – and titles include the classic "Sister Sadie", plus "Baghdad Blues", "Melancholy Mood", "Break City", "St Vitus Dance", and the lovely "Peace". Plus, this CD also includes an extra bonus cut – "How Did It Happen?" CD

A killer session from Horace Silver – a record that has the legendary Blue Note pianist working with his famous quintet that includes Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Junior Cook on tenor, Gene Taylor on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums! The album's one of the group's first, and really showcases their sublime blend of rootsy soul jazz rhythms and more exotic, sophisticated approaches to arranging – playing in a style that mixes harder grooves with more meditative compositions with incredible lyrical beauty! The album includes tracks that mix both of these styles – and titles include the classic "Sister Sadie", plus "Baghdad Blues", "Melancholy Mood", "Break City", "St Vitus Dance", and the lovely "Peace". CD

Classic Blue Note work by Horace Silver – the stuff that soul jazz legends are made of, and an album that showed he was destined to be a huge force away from the Jazz Messengers! Blue Mitchell and Junior Cook hold down the frontline with Horace – playing in a mellifluous style that links the tenor and trumpet magically, dancing in sweetly lyrical lines over the impeccable rhythm team of Gene Taylor on bass and Louis Hayes on drums. Tracks are short, tight, and grooving with a sound that's virtually the blueprint for early soul jazz – and the album includes classic Silver tunes like "Come On Home", "Mellow D", "Finger Poppin", and "Swingin The Samba". LP, Vinyl record album

Early 60s magic from Horace Silver – working here at the height of his youthful powers! The album's a perfect example of the sound that Silver created while at Blue Note – a lyrically melodic approach to soul jazz, but one that was able to open up the rhythms past stock riffs and gimmicks – and grow into a magnificent sound that never failed to excite! The group on the set is perfect – with Junior Cook on tenor, Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Gene Taylor on bass, and the incredible Roy Brooks on drums – and the tunes sparkle with wit, warmth, and imagination throughout! Titles include "Where You At", "Without You", "Horace-Scope", "Nica's Dream", "Strollin", and "Yeah!". CD

A real watershed album from Horace Silver – a record that has him stepping strongly into the 70s – but with a rich new groove that's different both from his 60s work, and from the heavy politics of his United States series too! The album has Horace picking up a slightly electric sound, changing his groove from 60s soul jazz into more of a 70s modal approach – working here with David Friedman on vibes, Bob Cranshaw on electric bass, and Mickey Roker on drums, plus additional horn work by the Brecker Brothers – a really great combination of musicians that help Silver realize some really unique rhythms, and lots of moments that have a subtle yet righteous sense of soul! The selection of material is fantastic – hipper than usual for Horace – and titles include Weldon Irvine's "Liberated Brother", Moacir Santos' "Kathy", and Horace's own "Strange Vibes", which has some great vibes dancing around Horace's piano! A very nice album, and one of our favorites by Horace! CD

The quintessential sound of late 60s Horace Silver – on one hand still very much in the Blue Note soul jazz groove that earned him plenty of jukebox single play, but on the other hand really stretching out with a style that's a bit more righteous than before! Horace shows that he can still pen a hit when he wants – and gave the world the tune "Psychedelic Sally" with this set – but he also displays a penchant for more complicated rhythms and freer horn expressions on beautiful tunes like "Kindred Spirits", "Rain Dance", and "Jungle Juice". The group's filled with great players – from tenor work by Stanley Turrentine and Bennie Maupin, trumpet by Charles Tolliver, and drums by a young Billy Cobham! CD

A beautiful, beautiful record from Horace Silver – one of his great 70s experiments for Blue Note – and a set that has him working in the same "jazz with voices" mode explored by Max Roach and Donald Byrd in earlier years! The core of the set is focused around the great work of Silver's combo – with Tom Harrell on trumpet, Bob Berg on tenor, Ron Carter on bass, and Al Foster on drums – a wonderfully cohesive unit that arcs and turns with all these sweet little shifts – keeping up with the creative rhythms directed from Silver, while cascading through a beautiful range of tones and colors as well! The vocals follow suit beautifully – directed by Alan Copeland, but with a much more soulful approach than his 60s material – bursting forth with this warmth and sense of tone that really matches the instrumentation. Titles include "I Will Always Love You", "Out Of The Night", "Incentive", "New York Lament", "Mood For Maude", and "All In Time". LP, Vinyl record album

Horace Silver's last record for Blue Note – and an amazing end to his decades of work for the legendary label! The set's a perfect summation of all the new directions that Horace took in the 70s – new territory that's deeply spiritual, and undeniably righteous – yet which also has a fully focused approach too – one that's showcased here wonderfully in an expansive suite of tracks with a really positive message! The "strings" in the title isn't really accurate – as the set's more of a large arrangement session that feels Strata East spiritual – done in collaboration with Wade Marcus, but with jazzier, more acoustic tones than most of Marcus' other music. In addition to Silver's piano, key core players include Tom Harrell on flugelhorn, Larry Schneider on tenor and soprano sax, Ron Carter on bass, and Al Foster on drums – who play beautifully together, with a very fluid vibe. The set also features some key vocal passages at points – sung by Brenda Alford, Chapman Roberts, Carol Lynn Maillard, and a young Gregory Hines – on titles that include "The Soul & Its Expression", "Self Portrait No 1", "The Conscious & Its Desire For Change", "Inner Feelings", "Expansion", and "The Creator Guides Us". LP, Vinyl record album

A bit less well-known than some of the real Horace Silver classics on Blue Note – but an incredible record that shows the Silver Quintet at all its lyrical best! The record is a masterpiece of original voicings from Horace – not just in the unique tunes he penned for the set, but also in the strong direction he gives the group – a well-knit lineup that includes Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Junior Cook on tenor, Gene Taylor on bass, and Roy Brooks on drums – all coming together with some of the most fluid, most intuitive energy of any combo of the time! The melodic themes are structured loosely, so that Mitchell, Cook, and Silver can extrapolate on beautifully-spun solos – and titles include "Sweet Sweetie Dee", "Nineteen Bars", "The Dragon Lady", "Silver's Serenade", and "Let's Get To The Nitty Gritty". LP, Vinyl record album

A bit less well-known than some of the real Horace Silver classics on Blue Note – but an incredible record that shows the Silver Quintet at all its lyrical best! The record is a masterpiece of original voicings from Horace – not just in the unique tunes he penned for the set, but also in the strong direction he gives the group – a well-knit lineup that includes Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Junior Cook on tenor, Gene Taylor on bass, and Roy Brooks on drums – all coming together with some of the most fluid, most intuitive energy of any combo of the time! The melodic themes are structured loosely, so that Mitchell, Cook, and Silver can extrapolate on beautifully-spun solos – and titles include "Sweet Sweetie Dee", "Nineteen Bars", "The Dragon Lady", "Silver's Serenade", and "Let's Get To The Nitty Gritty". CD

An incredible record – the kind of album that only Blue Note could put out, and an instant classic that will sound wonderful forever! The album's truly one of the great ones – one of those Blue Notes that still makes you stop and pause when you hear it, even though you've heard it a million times in Starbucks and places like that. Horace Silver is working here at the height of his powers – lyrical, free, yet also damn soulful, in a style that makes for some of the most evocative jazz-based grooves cut to wax at the time. Carmell Jones is in the group, and plays some of his best trumpet ever – and Joe Henderson really drives the whole session home with some incredible tenor work. Other group members include Teddy Smith on bass and Roger Humphries on drums – and titles include the instantly famous "Song For My Father", plus "Que Pasa", "The Kicker", and "Calcutta Cutie". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant early work by Miles Davis – some of his first truly important sessions to appear under his own name – originally issued as singles or 10" LP recordings by Blue Note, and brought together here in a full length set that would help to define the early years of his career! This is work before Miles was able to stretch out on longer sessions for Prestige, but the material already showcases his unique contribution to jazz – shorter tracks that are perhaps more boppish, than you might expect from some of Miles' other 50s work – but in a way that still allows for many moments of lyrical beauty, and that brilliantly cool sound of his which forever changed the sound of jazz trumpet. The set features work from an assortment of players who vary from track to track – including Jimmy Heath on tenor, Jackie McLean on alto, JJ Johnson on trombone, Horace Silver on piano, and Art Blakey on drums. Titles on this second volume include "Weirdo", "Donna", "Ray's Idea (alt)", "Take Off", "Would'n You", "The Leap", "Lazy Suzan", and "Tempus Fugit (alt)". LP, Vinyl record album

A slightly different take on the Modern Jazz Quartet sound of the early years – as the album features Milt Jackson's vibes in the company of MJQ bandmates Percy Heath and Connie Kay, but also includes Horace Silver on piano – in the spot normally reserved for John Lewis! The presence of Silver on piano gives a bit of a harder edge to the set, one that almost recalls some of Jackson's work on Blue Note in the early 50s, yet which is rounded out here by a few lighter and more lyrical touches on rhythm. The set includes a great reading of "Moonray", the Jackson original "Stonewall", and the tracks "Wonder Why", "I Should Care", and "My Funny Valentine". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from Finnish hard rock powerhouse Kalavala – renamed here as an Orchestra, but still working with the lean, sharp sound of their previous two albums! There's a nice evolution here from the earlier sound of the Scandia scene – maybe a bit of northern inspiration thrown into the music, which seems to elevate things to a new level – as does the subtle but sophisticated production! Titles include "Panamanian Red", "Playground", "Highland Temple", "Brown'll Suit You", "Forever Train", "Silver Fish", and "Lighthouse". LP, Vinyl record album

An early session as a leader from trumpeter Blue Mitchell – recorded during his glory years with Horace Silver! Unlike his other records, which usually have him in the company of another horn player, this set's got him carrying the full horn solo load by himself – working in a quartet, and playing in a vein that reminds us of similar Art Farmer quartet sessions from the time. Wynton Kelly's backing him up on piano – in a group that also includes Sam Jones on bass and Roy Brooks on drums. Some of the titles are quite unique too – and include "Avars", "Kinda Vague", "Sir John", and "Sweet Pumpkin". CD

One of the first albums to really show Blue Mitchell's genius as a leader – recorded past the more formulaic bop modes of some of his other Riverside sessions, and handled with a lyrical edge that really gets at the best aspects of his playing. Of course, part of the reason for this is that Blue's in the company of some of his Horace Silver bandmates – including drummer Roy Brooks, tenorist Junior Cook, and bassist Gene Taylor – but even more than that, the presence of a young Cedar Walton on piano really makes the set sparkle, as does the choice of some extremely strong material – such as "The Cup Bearers" and "Capers", both written by that young and glowing jazz compositional lumiary, Tom McIntosh, and the tunes "Turquoise, written by Walton, and "Dingbat Blues", written by Charles Davis. Forgive the long sentence, but the quality of this one's best expressed in a single breath! CD

Lyrical beauty from trumpeter Blue Mitchell – one of those records that really has him coming into his own, sounding fantastic on Blue Note in a way he never did on his earlier albums as a leader! it's clear that Blue learned a lot while playing in the group of Horace Silver – a way of balancing rhythm with warmer emotion – and moving past more standard hardbop into the more sophisticated territory you'll hear on this set. A young Chick Corea is on the set on piano, shading the tunes with some slightly Latin touches – and fitting in surprisingly well with a quintet lineup that also includes Junior Cook on tenor, Gene Taylor on bass, and Al Foster on drums. Cook is great too – matched with Mitchell as on some of the Silver sessions – and titles include an early version of the Terumasa Hino tune "Alone Alone & Alone", plus "One Shirt", "March On Selma", and "Samba De Stacy". LP, Vinyl record album

Lyrical beauty from trumpeter Blue Mitchell – one of those records that really has him coming into his own, sounding fantastic on Blue Note in a way he never did on his earlier albums as a leader! it's clear that Blue learned a lot while playing in the group of Horace Silver – a way of balancing rhythm with warmer emotion – and moving past more standard hardbop into the more sophisticated territory you'll hear on this set. A young Chick Corea is on the set on piano, shading the tunes with some slightly Latin touches – and fitting in surprisingly well with a quintet lineup that also includes Junior Cook on tenor, Gene Taylor on bass, and Al Foster on drums. Cook is great too – matched with Mitchell as on some of the Silver sessions – and titles include an early version of the Terumasa Hino tune "Alone Alone & Alone", plus "One Shirt", "March On Selma", and "Samba De Stacy". CD

The thing to do – is jam! Blue's sounding wonderful in this classic set for Blue Note – one of his best small group albums – recorded with a sound that's solidly in keeping with his lyrically melodic work in the Horace Silver group! The quintet features Chick Corea on piano – sounding incredibly subtle, and making us wish he'd recorded more sides like this – plus Junior Cook on tenor, nicely matching Blue as he did on so many albums from the time – and bass by Gene Taylor and drums by Al Foster. Titles include the hit soul jazzer "Fungii Mama", plus more introspective numbers like "Mona's Mood", "Chick's Tune", "Step Lightly", and "The Thing To Do". CD

Really wonderful live work from the great Horace Silver – some more obscure material that stands as a very nice companion to his Blue Note live album of the mid 60s! The first five tracks on the set features a superb group with Joe Henderson on tenor, and either Carmell Jones or Woody Shaw on trumpet, depending on the tracks – both fantastic players who really bring a sharp edge to the proceedings, and who give the music a slightly different vibe than some of Silver's studio material from the period. Tracks are long, and drums are by Roger Humphries, with bass by Larry Ridley and Teddy Smith – on extended takes of "Que Pasa", "The Natives Are Restless", "Song For My Father", and two versions of "African Queen". The CD has two more tracks recorded at the Cork & Bib club in 1964 – a club out on Long Island – again with Henderson and Shaw, on a 15 minute version of "Tokyo Blues", and a shorter version of "Senor Blues" – both great. CD

A beautiful lost record from the 70s – recorded by a singer from Harlem, but attending a Quaker school in Pennsylvania – which makes for a wonderfully cool blend of sounds and styles on the set! There's almost an acoustic core to the record, but the set also uses just the right amount of bass as well – next to piano that has some jazzy undercurrents, and which has the record coming across somewhere in the folksy soul territory of Terry Callier – recorded with a very similar sense of sophistication in both the songs and the performances! Shira's voice is great – very personal, and just right for the material – and titles include "Fingerpainter", "Cool Dude", "Here I Stand", "I Want To Lay With You", "Lights Gleam Lonely", "Touch Of Blue", "Gimme Magic", and "In An Open Field". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic little set that looks at the huge wave of top-shelf AOR material recorded in recent years – part of a huge global re-awakening to the charms of the genre – often with results that are even groovier than the classic records of the 70s! One of the compelling things here is that the music isn't being made by big names on major labels – and instead is an almost-underground thing – but handled at a level that's completely faithful to the best Cali styles of the 70s – from sweet jazzy instrumentation right down to the perfect production styles to get the whole thing right. You'll recognize a few names here – and will hopefully discover a lot more too – as titles include "Tell Me" by William Sikstrom, "Quiet Storm" by Workshy, "Liberation Groove" by Incognito, "You Make My Life A Better Place" by Mamas Gun, "What You Deserve" by Chris Cauley, "See Me Slumber" by Young Gun Silver Fox, "Melt The Night" by Lucas Arruda, "All Smiles" by Jeremy Passion, "Walkin On Air" by Tomi Malm, "Good To Live" by Monkey House, "Thoughts" by Michael Carreon, "Dangerous" by Umii, "Hello Monday" by Briamarie, "The Greatest" by King, "Perish The Thought" by Ned Doheny, "Sweet Life" by Mike Champion, and "Don't Disturb This Groove" by Meshell Ndegeocello. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Includes 36 tracks and features work with Kenny Dorham, Lee Morgan, Duke Pearson, Freddie Roach, Renee Rosnes, Horace Silver, McCoy Tyner, Larry Young, Blue Mitchell, Grant Green, Andrew Hill, Freddie Hubbard, Bobby Hutcherson, the Thad Jones - Mel Lewis Orchestra, and Pete La Roca. CD

One of the first albums to really show Blue Mitchell's genius as a leader – recorded past the more formulaic bop modes of some of his other Riverside sessions, and handled with a lyrical edge that really gets at the best aspects of his playing. Of course, part of the reason for this is that Blue's in the company of some of his Horace Silver bandmates – including drummer Roy Brooks, tenorist Junior Cook, and bassist Gene Taylor – but even more than that, the presence of a young Cedar Walton on piano really makes the set sparkle, as does the choice of some extremely strong material – such as "The Cup Bearers" and "Capers", both written by that young and glowing jazz compositional lumiary, Tom McIntosh, and the tunes "Turquoise, written by Walton, and "Dingbat Blues", written by Charles Davis. Forgive the long sentence, but the quality of this one's best expressed in a single breath! LP, Vinyl record album

The thing to do – is jam! Blue's sounding wonderful in this classic set for Blue Note – one of his best small group albums – recorded with a sound that's solidly in keeping with his lyrically melodic work in the Horace Silver group! The quintet features Chick Corea on piano – sounding incredibly subtle, and making us wish he'd recorded more sides like this – plus Junior Cook on tenor, nicely matching Blue as he did on so many albums from the time – and bass by Gene Taylor and drums by Al Foster. Titles include the hit soul jazzer "Fungii Mama", plus more introspective numbers like "Mona's Mood", "Chick's Tune", "Step Lightly", and "The Thing To Do". CD

An early full-length album issued under Miles Davis' name – one that brings together some earlier 10" and single recordings for Prestige! The feel here is quite similar to Davis' work of the time for Blue Note – done with tracks that are short and tight, and very boppish – less of the glistening Davis style of later years, but still quite strongly voiced nonetheless. Players include Horace Silver on piano on most tracks, plus a bit of keys from John Lewis – and one track even features Charles Mingus on piano! Other players on the sessions include Art Blakey, Max Roach, or Kenny Clarke on drums – plus Percy Heath on bass, and a bit of alto from Davey Schildkraut. Titles include "I'll Remember April", "Old Devil Moon", "Tune Up", "Miles Ahead", "Four", and "Smooch". LP, Vinyl record album

An early session as a leader from trumpeter Blue Mitchell – recorded during his glory years with Horace Silver! Unlike his other records, which usually have him in the company of another horn player, this set's got him carrying the full horn solo load by himself – working in a quartet, and playing in a vein that reminds us of similar Art Farmer quartet sessions from the time. Wynton Kelly's backing him up on piano – in a group that also includes Sam Jones on bass and Roy Brooks on drums. Some of the titles are quite unique too – and include "Avars", "Kinda Vague", "Sir John", and "Sweet Pumpkin". LP, Vinyl record album

Genius work from trumpeter Blue Mitchell – one of his most solid sides as a leader from the 60s, and a well-deserved treasure in the Blue Note catalog! The album's quite different than the straight soul jazz of Blue's early days on Riverside – or the more arranged dates of the late 60s – and it features him moving in a soulful, lyrical, modal style – quite similar to Horace Silver in conception, but with a fresh execution that's mighty nice – and which marks Mitchell as one of the fresher trumpet voices of his generation! The whole group's great, too – and the lineup includes Junior Cook on tenor, Blue's old bandmate from Horace Silver's group – plus Harold Mabern on piano, who really helps shape the sound of the record, Gene Taylor on bass and Billy Higgins on drums. Tracks include gems from Mitchell, Jimmy Heath, and Tom McIntosh – titles that include "Bring It Home To Me", "Blues 3 For 1", "Port Rico Rock", and "Ginger Bread Boy". CD

Lyrical beauty from trumpeter Blue Mitchell – one of those records that really has him coming into his own, sounding fantastic on Blue Note in a way he never did on his earlier albums as a leader! it's clear that Blue learned a lot while playing in the group of Horace Silver – a way of balancing rhythm with warmer emotion – and moving past more standard hardbop into the more sophisticated territory you'll hear on this set. A young Chick Corea is on the set on piano, shading the tunes with some slightly Latin touches – and fitting in surprisingly well with a quintet lineup that also includes Junior Cook on tenor, Gene Taylor on bass, and Al Foster on drums. Cook is great too – matched with Mitchell as on some of the Silver sessions – and titles include an early version of the Terumasa Hino tune "Alone Alone & Alone", plus "One Shirt", "March On Selma", and "Samba De Stacy". CD

The thing to do – is jam! Blue's sounding wonderful in this classic set for Blue Note – one of his best small group albums – recorded with a sound that's solidly in keeping with his lyrically melodic work in the Horace Silver group! The quintet features Chick Corea on piano – sounding incredibly subtle, and making us wish he'd recorded more sides like this – plus Junior Cook on tenor, nicely matching Blue as he did on so many albums from the time – and bass by Gene Taylor and drums by Al Foster. Titles include the hit soul jazzer "Fungii Mama", plus more introspective numbers like "Mona's Mood", "Chick's Tune", "Step Lightly", and "The Thing To Do". LP, Vinyl record album