The title certainly gets it right – as the great keyboardist Bob Baldwin turns over some sweet mellow takes on the classic music of Stevie Wonder! Bob's the mainman at the helm for most of the record – working on Fender Rhodes, piano, and other keyboards – and even vocalizing just a bit – and there's also sweet instrumental contributions on the album from U-Nam and Chieli Minucci on guitars, Marion Meadows and Ryan Kilgore on saxes, and Ragan Whiteside on flute – all players who know just how to get into the right sort of 70s vibe that Baldwin's going for on the record! The focus on Stevie's tunes makes the album a bit hipper than some of Bob's other recent albums – although we also like those quite a bit – and titles include "Don't You Worry Bout A Thing", "Creepin", "The Real Thing/Keepin It Real", "Superwoman/Where Were You When I Needed You Most", and "Love's In Need Of Love Today" – plus the Baldwin originals "Stevie" and "Wonder Wander". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal work from one of the hippest big bands of the 70s – the legendary ensemble led by pianist Toshiko Akioshi and reedman Lew Tabackin! The group marks a huge shift for Akiyoshi – a move away from the more bop-inflected small combo work of earlier years, into a rich new role as a composer and arranger – one who comes up with fantastic charts for the ensemble, filled with color, tone, and a great sense of swing! Tabackin's reeds are great too – always handled with bold lines, and a strongly visionary sound – and other players on the dates include Bill Perkins and Gary Foster on saxes, Bobby Shew and Ron Raider on trumpets, Britt Woodman and Charlie Loper on trombones, Don Baldwin on bass, and Peter Donald on drums. The 3CD set features 5 albums in all – Kogun, Long Yellow Road, Tales Of A Courtesan, Insights, and March Of The Tadpoles – and titles include "Elegy", "American Ballad", "Henpecked Old Man", "Opus Number Zero", "Since Perry/Yet Another Tear", "Strive For Jive", "Village", "Studio J", "Mobile", "Deracinated Flower", and "Notorious Tourist From The East". CD