Great double album live set with Roland leading a tight group through a long and varied set of material, all of which showcases the odd goofy sound of his music, and his offbeat approach to more familiar tracks. He talks a bit, makes the odd joke about being blind, and never ceases to amaze with his playing. A bit of vocals too, but sung in such a heartfelt way that you've gotta love 'em! Tracks include "Pedal Up", "Clickey Clack", "Prelude To A Kiss", "Bright Moments Song", "If I Loved You", and "Jitterbug waltz". CD

John Swana on trumpet and flugelhorn, Eric Alexander and Grant Stewart on tenor saxophone, David Hazeltine on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums. CD

Proof that Max Roach was always experimenting with his music – even in the later years! The album's one of a few 80s efforts to feature Roach's Double Quartet – a group that takes his regular four-piece jazz group and augments it with a string quartet – all in a sound that's almost an extension of modes first begun by Roland Kirk in the 60s! The Kirk reference isn't accidental – as the title track here is a great version of Kirk's "Bright Moments" – one that uses the strings to offset the core jazz work of Roach on drums, Odeon Pope on tenor, Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet, and Tyrone Brown on electric bass – all in ways that are as creative as they are playful, definitely in a Kirk-styled spirit. Other tunes follow suit – and use the strings to echo Kirk's dream of a black classical music, but also one that's always firmly jazz-based at all times. Titles include "Double Delight", "Hi Fly", "Bright Moments", "Elixir Suite", and "A Tribute To Duke & Mingus". CD

A new record by the legendary Sergio Mendes – bursting into the 21st century on a catchy wave of Will I Am production – reworking gems from the Brazilian songbook and more with guest appearances by Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Q-Tip, India Arie, Black Thought, Chali 2Na, Marcelo D2, John Legend and others! Will I Am has been annoying hip hop purists for years thanks to the relentless candy-coated pop gloss of recent Black Eyed Peas records – but he brings an intelligent, reverent and educated approach to the Brazilian keys legend Sergio Mendes – whose familiar grooves are a lovely accomplice to the sparkling hip hop/pop background. The guest stars seem to be here out of genuine love of the music – and provide far more graceful appearances than we would have expected! A very sweet surprise with bright, warm, and lovely moments – almost good enough for us to forgive Will I Am for "My Humps"! Tracks include "Mas Que Nada" feat Black Eyed Peas, "Berimbau/Consolacao" feat Stevie Wonder & Gracinha Leporace, "That Heat" feat Erykah Badu & Will I Am, "Let Me" feat Jill Scott & Will I Am, "Please Baby Don't" feat John Legend, "Samba Da Bencao" feat Marcelo D2, "Yes, Yes, Y'All" feat Black Thought, Chali 2Na & others and much more! CD

A great and unusual album from pianist Horace Tapscott – a bit straighter than some of his 70s classics for Nimbus Records, but a real delight throughout! Tapscott's normally associated with the LA underground of the post-cool jazz years, but this unique set has him working in New York with a trio that includes Art Davis on bass and Roy Haynes on drums – both accompanying Horace in a set of four long tracks that spin out with a beautifully fluid sense of grace and soul! Some of the bright spots of the solo Tapscott sessions are tied to more progressively rhythmic moments here from the team of Davis and Haynes – letting Horace really soar on the keys, but still explore with the bolder touch of his solo sets. Titles include "If You Could See Me Now", "Lino's Pad", "Akirfa", and "Sketches Of Drunken Mary". CD

A great and unusual album from pianist Horace Tapscott – a bit straighter than some of his 70s classics for Nimbus Records, but a real delight throughout! Tapscott's normally associated with the LA underground of the post-cool jazz years, but this unique set has him working in New York with a trio that includes Art Davis on bass and Roy Haynes on drums – both accompanying Horace in a set of four long tracks that spin out with a beautifully fluid sense of grace and soul! Some of the bright spots of the solo Tapscott sessions are tied to more progressively rhythmic moments here from the team of Davis and Haynes – letting Horace really soar on the keys, but still explore with the bolder touch of his solo sets. Titles include "If You Could See Me Now", "Lino's Pad", "Akirfa", and "Sketches Of Drunken Mary". CD

Amazing soundshapes from guitarist John Abercrombie – a set that strongly follows in the tradition of his ECM work of the 70s, but also pushes at the edges a bit, too! Abercrombie plays electric, in that haunting, ethereal style of his – and also uses a guitar synthesizer too, but in relatively subtle ways that spin out in space nicely – setup in a trio with drummer/percussionist Jon Cristensen, with additional keyboards from Vince Mendoza – who composed a number of tracks in just the right mood for Abercrombie. As usual, the best moments on the record are those when John focuses strongly on tone – and there's plenty of those throughout – on titles that include "Agitato", "First Light", "Single Moon", "Right Now", "Last Light", and "Bright Reign". CD

Elvin Jones introduces Japanese pianist Takehisa Tanaka to a larger audience – giving him a perfect setting with a quartet format that also includes Cecil McBee on bass Sonny Fortune on flute and tenor sax! Tanaka's style is a bit laidback – spacious, but sometimes a bit wispy, even more so on the tracks that have Jones playing in an unusually subtle manner. But thanks to the strength of Fortune's reed work, and the power of McBee's bass, the longish tracks all fill up with plenty of bright moments – and if anything, we really dig the set as a strong showcase for Fortune's always-great talents! Titles include "Dream Gypsy", "I Was Too Young", "My Dream Come True", "Soultrane", and "When I Was At Aso Mountain". CD

Previously unreleased live material by Rahsaan Roland Kirk – recorded during his headiest years at Atlantic records! Kirk in the studio is already plenty darn great – with an extremely inventive approach to rhythm, song structure, and soloing – but in a live setting, he opens up even more, and often lets his most playful spirit come in and really transform the tunes! The style here is similar to Roland's Bright Moments live date for Atlantic, but with less talking and more music overall – a sometimes straighter jazz approach that features tenor, flute, manzello, stritch, and clarinet from Kirk – plus piano by Ron Burton, bass by Henry Pete Pearson, drums by Richie Goldberg, and added percussion by Joe Texidor. Recording quality is quite strong, despite the "unreleased" nature of the tapes – and there's a very strong Coltrane vibe running through some of the tracks. Titles include a 17 minute reading of "Blue Trane", plus "Seasons/Serenade To A Cuckoo", "Pedal Up", "Lush Life", "Afro Blue", "Make It With You", "Rahsaan's Spirit", and "Like Sonny". CD

The title's maybe a bit misleading – as most folks think of day-glo as a color associated with some of the most throwaway culture of the 80s – but the brightness of the hue definitely marks the big explosion in styles during the key British year of 1978 – a time when the punk revolution of 1977 opened the door for a big range of modes to follow! It might be said that the post-punk years came immediately after the initial days of punk – and they definitely begin here, as hard and fast modes are mixed with more unusual styles that include mod revival moments, electronic experiments, and even some offbeat pop – expressions of humor, anger, and a shifting political landscape – served up as an amazing document of the creative intensity of the time! As with other Cherry Red boxes, the overall package is great – a huge amount of notes to support the 79 tracks within – a diverse array of music from Blue Steam, The Others, UK Subs, The Jam, Monochrome Set, Wreckless Eric, Spizzoil, Public Image Ltd, 999, The Stranglers, Japan, The Only Ones, Magazine, Alternative TV, Slush, Time Machine, Eater, The Bozos, Tyla Gang, Ed Banger, No Sweat, The VIPs, John Cooper Clarke, Scritti Politti, Penetration, Stiff Little Fingers, Alberto Y Los Trios Paranoias, Teardrops, Coventry Automatics, Menace, Bleach Boys, Jilted John, Zones, Electric Chairs, and many more! CD

Saxophonist Tim Berne has found a great recent home in his Snakeoil group – combo that allows him to try out many different tones and colors, really pushing his music forward with a freshness that it maybe hadn't had in previous years! Berne's sharp-edged at the head of the group on alto – alongside Oscar Noriega on clarinet and bass clarinet, Ryan Ferreira on guitar, Matt Mitchell on piano and electronics, and Ches Smith on drums, vibes, percussion, and timpani – an instrumental mix that's often used in these very unusual, very compelling ways – sometimes blocking out spaces in sound with unusual combinations of elements, often with more surprising brightness than the darker or more obtuse moments you might expect. Titles include "Hora Feliz", "Stingray Shuffle", "Incidentals Contact", "Prelude One/Sequel Too", and "Sideshow". CD

A great Memphis sound from the second greatest instrumental group on Stax next to Booker T & The MGs – heard here on a massive record that really pushes The Mar-Keys to the next level! On previous records, the combo always had a sound that was a bit brighter than Booker and his group – still soul, but not nearly as sharp. Yet this time around, they really dig deep – and have a way of smoking out plenty of the best soulful elements associated with the Stax Records sound – that great way with a heavy-stepping groove, instrumentation that's tight yet never slick, and solo moments that burst out and really give the tunes a hell of a lot of personality! The rhythm jumps out of the grooves on numbers like "Honey Pot", "Grab This Thing" and "Philly Dog", and the album winds up with a James Brown medley that's pretty darn swingin too. CD

An amazing record from Kyoto Jazz Massive – and about time, too! The Japanese collective has been bubbling under for years – doing some of the most groundbreaking production, remix, and single work of the current Japanese scene – and this album is really their first true full-length, a massive set of tracks with a soulful approach we never knew they had! The whole thing's amazing from the word "go" (which actually isn't the first word on the album!) – and the first few tracks are especially strong, all soulful numbers with vocals by guest singers that include Vanessa Freeman, Victor Davies, and Maiya James. After that burst, the album takes off instrumentally – stretching for the sky in a jazz-infused blend of beats and keyboards, occasional other instrumentation creeping into the mix at just the right moments. Titles include "The Dawn Introduction", "The Brightness Of These Days", "Mind Expansions", "Stargazer", "Eclipse", "Between The Lights", "Substream", "Shine", "ME Outroduction", and "Behind The Shadow". CD

A great live Santana set, recorded in Japan in '73 and never released on vinyl in the US! The band here is at their peak, and this set features a nice large lineup that includes Tom Coster, Richard Kermode, Doug Rauch, Armando Peraza, Jose Chepito Areas and Michael Shreve, plus Leon Thomas on vocals! Some tracks show the clear influence of Miles' electric jazz recordings from the same period, while others have a hardcore Latin percussion base, and as you can imagine there's no shortage of full on guitar pyrotechnics and jamming on all the band members' parts. Most of the group's tracks that have entered classic status are here, but the moments that shine the brightest are the lesser known numbers and extended passages where the group really gets into the groove! Includes "A 1 Funk", "Gypsy Queen", "Oye Como Va", "Yours Is The Light", "Batuka", "Xibaba", 'Waiting", "Free Angela", "Samba De Sausalito", "Mantra", "Kyoto", "Incident At Neshabur" and "Toussaint L'Overture". CD

David Bowie's grabbing the cover of Heroes for this surprisingly great album – using the old cover art, then marking it over – in ways that definitely give a hint at the sound underneath! The style's darker and edgier than we've heard Bowie in years – kind of in "Joe The Lion" territory at times – given the fuzzy use of guitar, and raspy touches on the vocals and other instrumentation – almost as if the whole thing's got the same sort of back to basics approach that David found during his years in Berlin. Yet overall, there's more sweet moments too – some surprisingly warm tunes that, while not like contemporary pop hits, may well help remind the world that the Bowie star can still shine brightly in the right setting. Titles include "Dirty Boys", "The Next Day", "If You Can See Me", "Boss Of Me", "Dancing Out In Space", "Love Is Lost", and "Valentines Day". Deluxe CD version features three bonus tracks – "So She", "Plan", and "I'll Take You There". CD