A rare treasure from the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – recorded as a supposed third album for Atlantic records in 1974, but unissued for years until the group released it on their own! The session is a live one, recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival – and features the unique addition of Muhal Richard Abrams on piano, making for the group's first session ever with the instrument! Muhal's work nicely colors in the spare spaces on the set – giving a soaring, lyrical quality to a few of the numbers – and really standing in stark contrast to the freer solo work of the other players. At times, Abrams is playing these longer lines that almost have a McCoy Tyner sort of energy – directing the set with a tremendous searching vibe – and at other times, he joins the group in their sparer exploration of sound and space – in a mode that's similar to some of their Parisian recordings. Titles include "Sun Precondition One", "Kabalaba", "Kaba Song", "Mal's Delight", and "Improvization A2". CD

Probably the greatest album ever by the Art Ensemble of Chicago – and also one of their rarest! The album was cut for Pathe Marconi in Paris in 1970, and was the soundtrack to a film that was as obscure as the album. The group's never been finer – and plays with a creative tightness that you'll be hard pressed to find on other records. Some tracks are almost straight jazz – but there's all these wonderful little breakdowns and burst of creative energy that keep the AACM spirit alive and true. The lead track of the album is the massive "Theme De Yoyo", a righteous powerful groover that features vocals by Fontella Bass (wife of Lester Bowie of the group), and which has become an all-time jazz dance classic! Other tracks have a sparer soundtracky feel, and a few more are in the experimental vein of the Art Ensemble's other Paris work at the time. Wonderful overall though – and an incredibly righteous album filled with power and imagination! Titles include "Theme De Celine", "Proverbes", "Theme Libre", and "Variations Sur Un Theme De Monteverdi". CD

One of the best post-Paris live dates by the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – recorded right on their southside home turf in Chicago, as something of a homecoming after their years abroad! The performance is really one continuous piece, divided up into chapters – and it starts off with an intensity that's bolder than much of the group's previous recordings – an almost-free sort of sound that's quite raw, and which must have been a great way to announce their presence back on the Chicago scene. As the piece moves on, it slows a bit in pace, and opens up more in mood – but always has an edge that's quite distinct – almost free of some of the wit that marked the Ensemble's work from a few years before. The core lineup features Lester Bowie on trumpet and flugelhorn, Roscoe Mitchell and Joseph Jarman on saxes, Malachi Favors on bass, and Don Moye on drums and percussion – but as always, all players get their hands on plenty of other instruments during the performance – an array of horns, gongs, bells, whistles, bike horns, and more – all used to great effect! Sections of the work are titled "Duffvipels", "Checkmate", "Dautalty", and "Mata Kimasu". CD

A key later session from the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – a record that gained them global exposure through the ECM label, and which has them working in a beautifully subtle sense of sound, space, and tone! The work is less all-out challenging than some of the group's earliest recordings – but no less strong, as if anything, the AEC has mastered their musical vision so well, they're coming across here with an extremely cohesive sound. Instrumentation includes a wide range of percussion, plus the usual bass of Malachi Favors and the saxes of Joseph Jarman and Roscoe Mitchell – and tracks include "Ja", "Folkus 11", "597-59", and "Dreaming Of The Master". CD

A great little live set from the Art Ensemble of Chicago – one that showcases the group's quintet lineup with younger players, but which captures some of the energy and imagination of live dates from years past! Older members Don Moye, Roscoe Mitchell, and Joseph Jarman are joined here by bassist Jaribu Shahid and trumpeter Corey Wilkes – both players who are clearly aware of, and respectful towards the AEC traditions – and who almost seem to help the older players get a new sense of focus and presence. As with all Ensemble albums, the instrumentation and moods here vary wildly – but in a way that's still quite coherent, and which is recorded well, even in the quieter moments. Titles include "Odwalla", "Big Red Peaches", "On The Mountain", "Erika", "Malachi", "The J Song", "Red Sand Green Water", "Slow Tenor & Bass", and "The Morning Mist". CD

An extremely well done collection of the Art Ensemble's recordings for ECM – featuring tracks from the albums Nice Guys, Full Force, Third Decade, and Urban Bushman – as well as related material by Roscoe Mitchell and Lester Bowie. The package features a great booklet with photos of the group and notes on the material – and titles include "Charlie M", "Magg Zelma", "Nice Guys", "Nine To Get Ready", "Folkus", "Rios Negros", and "Prayer For Jimbo Kwesi". CD

A tremendous tribute to the legendary Art Ensemble Of Chicago – a group who work here with only two of their surviving members, but with help from a constellation of jazz musicians inspired by their music! The group here is large, and includes AACM members and other younger talents – a fantastic lineup that mixes the core work of Famadou Don Moye on drums and percussion, and Roscoe Mitchell on reeds with work from Nicole Mitchell on flutes, Hugh Ragin and Fred Berry on trumpets, Tomeka Reid on cello, Jaribu Shahid and Junius Paul on basses, Enoch Williams and Titos Sompa on percussion, and Christina Wheeler on voice and a range of unusual electronic instruments! There's a very ambitious feel to the music – like some of Roscoe Mitchell's larger form creations, but with more of a spiritual jazz current that comes from the whole ensemble – and from vocal contributions from Moore Mother and Rodolfo Cordova Lebron. The double-length set features a studio album and a live album by the expanded group – and titles include "Bell Song", "We Are On The Edge", "Chi Congo 50", "Fanfare & Bell", "Odwalla/The Theme", "Tutankhamun", "Mama Koko", "Saturday Morning", and "Villa Tiamo". CD

A rare meeting of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago and the late pianist Don Pullen – recorded at the Frankfurt Jazz Festival in 1991, and easily one of the group's greatest sessions from this period! There's a freely creative spirit here that reminds us a lot of the Art Ensemble's best European performances of years back – especially on the 20 minute opening reading of "People In Sorrow", which has an ethereal sound built up from percussion, in a way that's almost more haunting than the original. Pullen's piano takes on a bit more presence on the tracks "Song For Atala" and "Fundamental Destiny" – both of which show the skill for more tightly arranged horn parts that the Ensemble picked up during the 80s – but still delivered here with enough loose, spontaneous energy to stand apart from some of their studio work of the decade. Pullen delivers a strong pulse on the latter track especially – and continues into a straighter, soaring jazz groove on "Odwalla/The Theme", which closes the set. Lester Bowie plays trumpet, Joseph Jarman and Roscoe Mitchell are on woodwinds and percussion, Malachi Favors on bass, Don Moye on Sun percussion, and Don Pullen on piano. CD

A huge chapter of work from the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – one that not only includes their own albums for the ECM label, but also related solo and side projects too! The set begins with four Art Ensemble albums – Nice Guys, Full Force, Urban Bushman, and The Third Decade – all of which came out as a statement of the group's strengths in the late 70s and early 80s – their first mainstream appearance after a few years of being very underground, and material that helped set a whole new standard for avant jazz expression in the generation to come! Next is the fantastic album Divine Love, by trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith – not necessarily an Art Ensemble album, but one that does feature great work from trumpeter Leo Smith – plus trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, bassist Charlie Haden, and vibist Bobby Naughton. Next are four albums by Lester Bowie – two smaller group, and two with his Brass Fantasy ensemble – the records The Great Pretender, All The Magic/The One & Only, I Only Have Eyes For You, and Avant Pop. Then, after Bowie's early passing, the Art Ensemble recorded their beautiful Tribute To Lester – as a trio lineup with Roscoe Mitchell, Malachi Favors, and Don Moye. Mitchell takes the helm next – on a surprisingly big flurry of projects for ECM – records that often show a deeper compositional strand in his music – on records that include Nine To Get Ready, Composition/Improvisation, Far Side, Bells For The South Side, and Boustrophedon – the last of which was led by Evan Parker, with Mitchell in the Transatlantic Art Ensemble. Last up are three records by drummer Jack DeJohnette for ECM – New Directions and New Directions In Europe, both featuring a group with Lester Bowie on trumpet – and Made In Chicago, which features Roscoe Mitchell, Henry Threadgill, and Muhal Ricard Abrams. Recordings were made between 1978 and 2015 – and comes in a box set with a big booklet of notes! CD

There's nothing broken about this set – as the album's one of the strongest, most spiritual sessions we've ever heard from the Chicago Tentet of Peter Brotzmann – a really great group who gave us some amazing albums on the Okka Disk label! The set features two great guests – trumpeter Roy Campell and bassist William Parker – and at some level, the rest of the lineup seem to be opening up into modes that welcome the territory of both jazz giants – especially on the long first track, which is a very different reworking of a composition the group explored on another album! As usual, reedman Peter Brotzmann is at the helm – on tenor, alto clarinet, and tarogato – with Ken Vandermark, Mars Williams, and Mats Gustafsson on other reeds – plus Joe McPhee on trumpet and valve trombone, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello and violin, Kent Kessler on bass, Michael Zerang on drums, and Hamid Drake on drums and frame drum, plus some great vocalizations. Titles include "Stonewater" and "Broken English". CD

Chicago's second album – not as familiar as the first, and with some really great moments! The group is working here in the same extended-length format as on their debut, going for some more complicated tunes spread across the album's double length – jazzy riffing still firmly in place, and going for some vocal moments that almost have a nice Brother-era Beach Boys sound to them. Includes the great "Make Me Smile", plus the cuts "Poem For The People", "In The Country", "Wake Up Sunshine", "25 Or 6 To 4", "To Be Free", "Fancy Colours", "West Virginia Fantasies", "Where Do We Go From Here", and "Memories Of Love". More grooves than you might remember, too! CD

Chicago on their third LP – still humming strong! The group are following the double-length format of their first two here – cutting out some sub-suites of tracks that mix together jazzy riffing, harder guitars, and some of those sweet vocal arrangements that always sounded better on these early records than on later, weaker ones. Tracks include "Sing A Mean Tune Kid", "What Else Can I Say", "Mother", "Free Country", "Motorboat To Mars", "Flight 602", "I Don't Want Your Money", "Fallin Out", "Dreamin Home", "When All The Laughter Dies In Sorrow", and "The Approaching Storm". CD

39 tracks in all – a set of tunes that spans the group's entire career! CD

Features special guest Steve Turre on trombone! CD

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The first Chicago album – presented here in all its jazzy brilliance! Back in the day, we used to wince when we heard these guys – but over the years, thanks to much rediscovery of the band by groove hounds, we've really come to like their work a lot. This first album especially has some great moments – complicated jazzy bits that you might have forgotten about, and some surprisingly groovy material that sounds a lot better than you might remember! Includes the classics "Beginnings", "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is", "Questions 67 & 68", and "Listen" – plus the tracks "Someday", "I'm A Man", "Free Form Guitar", and "Liberation". CD

The fifth album from the Chicago Underground Duo – Chad Taylor on drums, vibes, mbira and electronics and Rob Mazurek on coronet and electronics – a hypnotic aural experience from a pair of modern masters who seamlessly craft a world of influences into their own dynamic sound! It's pretty amazing stuff, with the pair working with sounds from the avant jazz underground of the previous several decades,jazz and world folk music that reaches from Africa to Brazil, and the subtle manipulations of the electronic experimentalists. Some movements build to a dexterous intensity, with Taylor sometimes playing different instruments simultaneously, but it's not about the brazen display of skill and craft, the compositions and the improvisations feel natural and vital. Wonderful stuff, we're very proud of the Chicago underground jazz scene that inspired both players and their title! Titles include "Spy On The Floor", "Green Ants", "Left Hand Of Darkness", "Quantum Eye", "Vergence", "Conflicition", "Roots And Shooting Stars", "Hermeto" and more. 10 tracks on the CD. CD

An unusual chapter in the career of the Art Ensemble – yet a set that's also a key recording in their legendary time in Paris at the start of the 70s! The set was recorded in that city in 1970, and not issued in France and the US until a few years later – with less fanfare (and less reissue history) than their Nessa, Freedom, and BYG records from the same time – even though the quality here is every bit as great, if not better! The tracks are long, open, and have that wonderfully fluid sense of shifting instrumentation that the group virtually pioneered at the time – with Joseph Jarman and Roscoe Mitchell on saxes, Lester Bowie on trumpet, Malachi Favors on bass, and Don Moye on drums – and all players picking up lots of different percussion along the way. Titles include "Chi Congo", "Enlorfe", and "Hippparippp". CD

Probably the greatest album ever by the Art Ensemble of Chicago – and also one of their rarest! The album was cut for Pathe Marconi in Paris in 1970, and was the soundtrack to a film that was as obscure as the album. The group's never been finer – and plays with a creative tightness that you'll be hard pressed to find on other records. Some tracks are almost straight jazz – but there's all these wonderful little breakdowns and burst of creative energy that keep the AACM spirit alive and true. The centerpiece of the album is the massive "Theme De Yoyo", a righteous powerful groover that features vocals by Fontella Bass (wife of Lester Bowie of the group), and which has become an all-time jazz dance classic! Other tracks have a sparer soundtracky feel, and a few more are in the experimental vein of the Art Ensemble's other Paris work at the time. Wonderful overall though – and an incredibly righteous album filled with power and imagination! Titles include "Theme De Celine", "Proverbes", "Theme Libra", and "Variations Sur Un Theme De Monteverdi". CD

A tremendous recording from the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – done during the same Paris stretch as their Great Black Music classics on the BYG/Actuel label – and a set that easily matches, if not tops, those classics! You can really hear the group finding their own space here – taking some of the free jazz explorations of the Chicago scene in the late 60s, and forging them with an even earthier use of both percussion, and the more offbeat sonic possibilities of their own instruments – often with a sense of surprise that you don't always get from some of their later albums. Titles include the side-long "The Spiritual" – plus "Toro", "Lori Song", and "That The Evening Sky Fell Through the Glass Wall and We Stood Alone Somewhere?" (And they wondered why they never got their songs on the radio!) CD

One of the best records we've heard by the Art Ensemble of Chicago in years – and a wonderful tribute to departed bandmate Lester Bowie! The work is performed by the trio of Roscoe Mitchell, Malachi Favors, and Don Moye – and the music is much more in the spirit of some of their classic recordings from 20/25 years back – performed with a real sense of space, sound, and shared interplay between the members of the group. Titles include "Sangaredi", "Tutankhamun", "As Clear As The Sun", and "He Speaks To Me Often In Dreams". CD

A live set from 1980 – and one that shows the Art Ensemble still able to capture some of the warmth and imagination from their early years. Most tracks are fairly long, and the group move through their usual panopoly of instruments along the way. Titles include "Urban Magic", "Sunprecondition Two", "Theme For Sco", "New York Is Full Of Lonely People", and "Ancestral Meditation". CD

A live set from 1980 – and one that shows the Art Ensemble still able to capture some of the warmth and imagination from their early years. Most tracks are fairly long, and the group move through their usual panopoly of instruments along the way. Titles include "Urban Magic", "Sunprecondition Two", "Theme For Sco", "New York Is Full Of Lonely People", and "Ancestral Meditation". CD

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A 10th Anniversary performance by the Chicago Tentet – a wonderful group that's become the fruitful union of saxophonist Peter Brotzmann with a younger generation of players who were working heavily on the Chicago scene at the time! Back when the group first started, it was something of an experiment – but over the following decade, the ensemble won great attention for their playing, and for good reason too – considering the solo contributions of players like Ken Vandermark and Mats Gustafsson on reeds, Joe McPhee on trumpet and tenor, Johannes Bauer on trombone, Kent Kessler on bass, and Paal Nilssen Love on drums – all working under the visionary leadership of Peter Brotzmann! The tracks are all somewhat long and open-ended – almost more spacious than on other Chicago Tentet records, with a freely improvised feel. Titles include "Ten By Ten", "Little By Little", and "Step By Step". CD

Includes 30 tracks on 2 CDs. CD

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Includes 63 songs on 4 CDs! CD

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Very nice stuff from the duo of Chad Taylor and Rob Mazurek, two players who are currently among some of the best in Chicago's hot jazz/rock crossover scene. Taylor plays percussion and vibes, Mazurek plays cornet, piano, and flute – and the pair are joined by guitarist Jeff Parker on a number of tracks. Titles include "The Pursued", "Not Quite Dark Yet and The Stars Shining Above The Withered Fields", "Lemon Grass", and "The Big Bang Theory". CD

The first-ever live performance from the Chicago Underground team of Rob Mazurek and Chad Taylor – working here as a trio, with bassist Jason Ajemian as a wonderful addition to the group! Ajemian's basslines really dominate the initial part of the set – creating a pulse that draws in the drums of Taylor and cornet of Mazurek – who then both open up on a variety of other instruments, including moog, electric celeste, gong, bamboo flute, vibes, marimba, and other percussion – all used in an almost AACM-like way. Ajemian contributes some electronics to the set, as does Mazurek – but the best sounds here are all acoustic ones – played with an abstracted sensibility that's quite textural, and which furthers the trademark expressions that have made Mazurek and Taylor one of the most compelling jazz teams to come from the Chicago scene in the past few decades. Titles include "Initiation", "Resistance", "Power", "Transformation", "Crisis", and "Transcendence". CD

With special guest Art Davis on trumpet. CD

A surprisingly great little album – recorded on the occasion of the Ensemble's third decade in music, and a record that sounds a lot better than we remember! At the time of release, we kind of "pooh poohed" this one because of its divergence from some of the group's other styles – some tracks are straighter, more composed, and less improvised; others use a larger sound palette, and go for themes that are almost sentimental and nostalgic at times. Yet somehow, going back to this one, we're stunned at how interesting we find the whole thing – as each track seems to offer up a new surprise, and the series of musical visions expressed shows how much the group had grown during their time together. Includes the wonderful "Prayer For Jimbo Kwesi", the percussive jammer "Third Decade", the sonorously-wonderful "Bell Piece", and the tracks "Walking In The Moonlight", "Zero", and "Funky AECO". CD

Fantastic material from the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – tracks recorded during their same crucial Paris trip of 1969 that also gave the world the better-known BYG/Actual albums – but delivered in a style that's slightly different overall! There's maybe more of the cerebral side of the group at play here – that great love of small shifts, textures, and instrumental interplay – similar, maybe, to their People Of Sorrow album at times – but with a lot more force, especially in the freer moments. In addition to bass, Malachi Favors plays electric bass, sitar, and banjo – all worth the price of admission alone – and Lester Bowie plays trumpet, flugelhorn, and other instruments, while Roscoe Mitchell and Joseph Jarman handle a variety of reeds and percussion. Titles include "Tutankhamun", "The Ninth Room" and "Tthinitthedalen". CD

An incredible musical moment – the piano of Cecil Taylor joining the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – all in a tribute to the late Thelonious Monk! The style, though, is far from simple Monk tributes that you'll hear from other artists – as many of the tunes here are originals, delivered in a style that owes plenty to both Cecil and the Art Ensemble – almost more as sound paintings dedicated to Monk's influence than simple Monkish copies themselves! There are a few key tunes from Theo – versions of "Round Midnight" and "Nutty" – but we're much more compelled by the originals on the date, which include "Caseworks", "Excerpt From Fifteen Part 3A", and "Intro To Fifteen". Taylor plays piano, percussion, and also vocalizes a bit – and the Art Ensemble, as usual, handles a mad range of instruments – with many moods and many feelings! CD

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A great session from 1959 – one that features John Coltrane playing tenor in a combo that's billed as being led by altoist Cannonball Adderley – but which is really more of a Miles Davis combo, without Miles! The set was recorded in Chicago when both were stopping through the city with Miles Davis' combo at the time – and since the rhythm section includes Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – the album's essentially a Kind Of Blue-era Miles album, recorded without Miles on trumpet, and grooving in a slightly more soul-based Adderley mode! Given the presence of Coltrane, there's a bit less of the gutbuckety soul jazz that Cannon was cutting in his own Quintet – but that's more than ok with us, as the Coltrane solos more than make up for that difference! The set's got 2 great originals by Coltrane – "The Sleeper" and "Grand Central" – plus the cuts "Wabash" and "Limehouse Blues". CD

Killer live work from Jug – recorded during the early 60s in Chicago, with just an organ-based trio, and very much in the feeling of the best small-group lounge jazz shows of the day! The material is issued here in a 1967 version, its first release – but the grooves were recorded at the DJ Lounge in Chicago – at a time when Gene Ammons was turning out some very raw, rough-edged material! Organist Eddie Buster does a pretty darn good job of wailing away, and Ammons is in very different, very freewheeling form than on many of his other studio sessions from the time. Gerald Donovan is on drums – and titles include "Fast Track", "Foot Tappin", "Scrapple From The Apple", and "Jug's Blue Blues". CD

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Composed and arranged by trumpeter Orbert Davis and performed by the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic featuring Nicole Mitchell, Ari Brown, and special guest Willie Pickens. CD

Includes work with Jimmy Blythe's Owls, the Beale Street Washboard Band, and Jimmy Bertrand's Washboard Wizards featuring Louis Armstrong, and his own group the Black Bottom Stompers. 16 cuts in all. CD

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Include the songs "March 19th Blues", "Feet Bone", "In A Sentimental Mood", "Discontented", "Jump For Joy", "Just Scratchin The Surface", "Prelude To A Kiss", "Miss Lucy", "Uncontrived", "Satin Doll","Do Not Disturb", "Love You Madly", "Short Sheet Cluster", "Moon Mist", and "Long Time Blues". CD

Two great female blues talents, recorded at a time when they were still alive and well in Chicago – Alberta Hunter on vocals, and Lovie Austin on piano! CD

A landmark session that features two of the greatest tenor talents to emerge from the rich Chicago scene of the 50s! Jordan was well-known to jazz fans, or would be within a few years – but Gilmore's rarely heard in this sort of setting, as most of his recording career was spent in the company of Sun Ra's Arkestra. The record features the duo in a twin-tenor frontline, with backing by Horace Silver, Curly Russell, and Art Blakey. Ostensibly a blowing session, but much tighter than you'd expect – and with a hard heavy Blue Note groove. Titles include "Evil Eye", "Status Quo", "Bo-Till", and "Blue Lights". CD features the bonus track "Let It Stand". CD

A landmark session that features two of the greatest tenor talents to emerge from the rich Chicago scene of the 50s! Jordan was well-known to jazz fans, or would be within a few years – but Gilmore's rarely heard in this sort of setting, as most of his recording career was spent in the company of Sun Ra's Arkestra. The record features the duo in a twin-tenor frontline, with backing by Horace Silver, Curly Russell, and Art Blakey. Ostensibly a blowing session, but much tighter than you'd expect – and with a hard heavy Blue Note groove. Titles include "Evil Eye", "Status Quo", "Bo-Till", and "Blue Lights". CD features the bonus track "Let It Stand". CD

A seminal early set on the Okka Disk label – the important Chicago avant imprint who began documenting an important stretch of the career of Joe McPhee – much as the Hat Hut label had begun 20 years before! The set features performances recorded during McPhee's first appearance in Chicago during the mid 90s – the start of a beautiful relationship that would continue for decades to come – and McPhee blows both reeds and trumpet, in a trio with Ken Vandermark on saxes and Kent Kessler on bass – all working together in a very open studio format that has the players shifting between trio work, to solo and duo performances too. The recording is crucial – as McPhee's sensitivity brings out a whole new side of both Chicago players – on titles that include "Heart Of The Matter", "A Meeting In Chicago", "Breakneck Ridge", "Lalibela", "Empty Bottle Blues", "Fourteen Years Later", and "I Leave You Love". CD

Blues, but with an undercurrent of New Orleans jazz – no surprise, given the Louisiana roots of Eurreal "Little Brother" Montgomery! The album's a classic set recorded in Chicago in the early 60s – featuring both Montgomery in a spare solo setting, and with help from a small backup group that includes Ted Butterman on cornet, Bob Gordon on clarinet, and Mike McKendrick on banjo. Little Brother plays piano on all numbers, and sings on most – and titles include "44 Vicksburg", "Prescriptions Of The Blues", "Sweet Daddy", "Home Again Blues", "Up The Country Blues", "Saturday Night Function", "Michigan Water Blues", and "Oh Daddy". CD features the bonus track "Cooter Crawl". CD

Strong work from the Peterson Trio's London House gig in Chicago in 1961 – material that offers some slightly longer than usual takes on the group's sound, especially on a few numbers that really let Oscar open up on the keys! The group here is the legendary combo with Ed Thigpen on drums and Ray Brown on bass – but on the album's long versions of "Sometimes I'm Happy", "In The Wee Small Hours" and "Chicago", it's Oscar's inventive work on the keys that really dominates the nearly 10 minute run of each track. Other shorter tunes include "Billy Boy", "Whisper Not", and "The Night We Called It A Day". Includes five bonus tracks. CD

A stunner of a set from Ken Vandermark & co as Powerhouse Sound – a riveting 2CD batch of rhythmic juxtaposition inspired by dub, sound collage production, and free rock caterwauling – done with a pair of line-ups in both Oslo and Chicago! The Oslo group is heavy with bass and stuttering electronic manipulations, and features Vandermark, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten and Nate McBride on electric bass, Pall Nilssen-Love on drums and Lasse Marhaug on electronics. The Chicago crew runs through variations of the material and changes up the instrumentation with Vandermark, John Herndon on drums, Jeff Parker on guitar and McBride on bass. Disc one (Oslo version) includes "Shocklee (For Hank Shocklee)", "King To Crown (For King Tubby), "Coxsone (For Coxsone Dodd)", "2-1-75" (For Miles Davis), "Acid Scratch (For Lee Perry)", "Exit-Salida (For Burning Spear)" and "New Dirt (For The Stooges)". Disc two (Chicago version) includes "Old Dictionary (For Bernie Worrell)", "King To Crown Pt 1/Acid Scratch Pt 2", "Coxsonne", "2-1-75" and "New Dirt/King To Crown Pt 2". CD

Irene Schweizer on piano. CD

Seminal work by these lesser-knowns from the 60s Windy City scene! CD

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A live meeting between Ken Vandermark on reeds and Paal Nilssen Love on drums and percussion. Like the companion Milwaukee Volume this album features three tracks – the 30 minute plus "Mort Subite", "New Paper", and "Text Of Sound". CD

Tracks from Santal, Larry Heard, Nuspirit Helsinki, Common Nature, Kevin Yost, Dubtribe Sound System, A:xus, Martinez, Glenn Underground, Callisto, Jask, and more CD

Kinkysweet and Unified Records team up for this great look at late nite Chitown – a set of grooves that definitely comes from the deeper side of the Chicago dancefloor scene of late – mostly in a house-based mode, but with some key hipper touches as well! Some of the artists here make us mighty proud to hail from the Windy City – and tracks include "Caugth Up" by Gene Hunt, "Thinkin Back" by Mr Ali with Nicole Mitchell, "Sexy 1" by Peven Everett, "The Feeling Track (Eddy The Family rmx)" by Garage Family, "Imagine Freedom (DJ Spinna rmx)" by Mr Ali, "Church (Sting International rmx)" by Peven Everett, "In Transit 2" by Mr Ali, "Told You So" by Glen Undreground, and "Easy Livin (Brian Reaves & Afrodisa rmx)" by Peven Everett. CD

Features work by Eddie Boyd, Magic Sam, Jody Williams, Johnny Shines, Howlin Wolf, Bo Diddley, Baby Face Leroy, and others! CD

Tracks by RL Burnside, Pinetop Perkins, Boogaloo Ames, Eddie Cusic, and Robert Curtis Smith. CD

Music from Muddy Waters, Magic Sam, Jimmy Reed, Elmore James, Eddie Taylor, Howlin' Wolf, Junior Wells, Otis Spann, J.B. Lenoir, Little Walter, Otis Rush, Earl Hooker, Sunnyland Slim, Sonny Boy Williamson, Robert Lockwood Jr, Billy Boy Arnold, Luther Allison, and Hound Dog Taylor & The House Rockers. CD

An amazing recording finally sees the light of day – a beautiful set of duets between Fred Anderson on tenor and Steve McCall on percussion – both very important players of the second wave of AACM musicians in the 70s, even though both artists never fully got their due! The material was recorded in 1980, not too long before we lost McCall – and the interplay is wonderful, and really represents a shift in the energy of the AACM scene – maybe some influence from the loft jazz world of mid 70s New York, which in turn drew inspiration from late 60s Chicago – but also delivered with a sense of soul that marks Anderson as part of a key lineage of Chicago tenorists that includes Clifford Jordan, Johnny Griffin, and John Gilmore! McCall is great too – a sensitive soul, but a strong force throughout – as the duo improvise on two long tracks, "Within" and "Wandering". CD

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Makaya McCraven pushes his unique jazz genius even further – by serving up a completely groundbreaking remix of live jazz performance on the London scene! McCraven's already stood out from the pack in the way that he breaks down jazz norms by playing with a recorded performance later in the studio – but this time around, he really pushes that approach to the forefront – working in a mode that really lives up to the "mixtape" of the title – but which also still has everything that we love from his other records too! Makaya's on drums – and plays with a massively heavy groove – and he plays here with some of the leading lights of the contemporary London scene – Soweto Kinch and Nubya Garcia on saxes, Joe Armon Jones on Fender Rhodes, Kamaal Williams on keyboards, and Theon Cross on tuba – in amazing performance activity which is then brought home to Chicago, where the music gets additional remix and overdub help from LeFto, Don Leisure, Earl Jeffers, Ben LaMar Gay, Emma Jean Thackray, Quiet Dawn, and Lexus Blondin. Clearly, Makaya's one hell of a collaborative spirit – yet he also manages to make this record his boldest personal statement to date – as you'll hear on titles that include "Halls", "Suite For Artis Gilmore", "Ox Tales", "The Bounce", "Oracle", "Run Dem", "Too Shy", and "Drums & Bruk & Feel The Vibe". CD

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The Chicago Blues Piano Masters are Barrelhouse Chuck, Detroit Junior, Erwin Helfer, and Pinetop Perkins doing solos and duets. CD

Later work from trombonist Albert Wynn – sides cut after a 33 year absence from the recording studio – as part of the excellent Chicago Living Legends series on Riverside! The work has a tight trad jazz feel – but with a bit more space than you might find for solo expression in some of Wynn's earlier, shorter sides – and players include Bill Martin on trumpet (and a bit of vocals), Darnell Howard on clarinet, and either Blind John Davis or Bus Moten on piano. Titles include "Bourbon Street", "How Long Blues", "Ice Cream", "Nobody's Sweetheart", and "In The Evening". CD also features 2 bonus tracks "How Long Blues (alt)" and "I Ain't Gonna Give Nobody Non O This Jelly Roll". CD

An essential look at the key years of the Chicago house scene – the time when the city's musicians were carving out a whole new space in sound! Although early house first began as an extension of some of the later modes of disco and 80s club, influences from European post-punk and post-disco work soon crept into the mix, and pushed the Chicago artists to work in a darker, edgier sound that was completely unique! The work from this period is filled with stark, spare electronics – not the cheesy kind that showed up often in New York electro records, but intense analogue bits that had a really dark, dystopic space age sort of quality – laid out over harsh beats and bass, and often presented with no additional vocals at all. For the collection, Soul Jazz do a great job of picking out the best of the early acid house scene in Chicago (the key recordings before the term got picked up overseas, and used to make some very dodgy dance music at the end of the 80s) – and then they go on to pull together some of the best strands of the house revival in Chicago in the early 90s, including key work from the Cajual label. 2 CD set features 17 tracks in all – including "This Is Acid" by Maurice, "Do You Want To Percolate" by The Sweat Boyz, "Beyond The Clouds" by Mr Fingers, "Go Wild Rhythm Track" by Virgo, "Acid Crash" by Tyree, "Dum Dum (part 2)" by Fresh, "Acid Bass" by Roy Davis Jr, "Phuture Jacks" by Phuture, "I've Lost Control" by Sleezy D, "Take Me Higher" by Virgo Four, "Acid Over" by Tyree, "Box Energy" by DJ Pierre, "Video Clash" by Lil Louis, "Explorer" by Green Velvet, "Like This" by Two Of A Kind, "Acid Tracks" by Phuture, and "Downfall" by Armando. CD

A classic compilation from the Chicago scene – one that stood as one of the key full-length releases of house music that was bubbling under in the Windy City – important at the time, as most other albums of house music were from overseas labels issuing Chicago recordings! As you'd guess from the title, Mickey Oliver's at the helm throughout – producing the work with a nicely soulful quality – one that takes things a bit past some of the starker, colder modes that sometimes showed up on Trax Records – and which really illustrates that great second chapter as Chicago house was maturing a bit. The beats are nice and crispy throughout, the keyboards get cool and moody – and titles include "I Can't Stop For You" by Pierre's Fantasy Club, "Take It To The Top" by Joe Magic, "House Rights" by Phortune, "Suavesito" by Ralphi Rosario, "I Want Your Love" by Jamie, "Lost Me Boy" by Mickey Oliver with Dari Mor, and "Anticipate" and "I Need A Beat" by Mickey Oliver. CD featuers bonus tracks – "Anticipate (12" rmx)" by Mickey Oliver and "I Need A Beat (12" mix)" by Ralph Rosario. CD

A great session from 1959 – one that features John Coltrane playing tenor in a combo that's billed as being led by altoist Cannonball Adderley – but which is really more of a Miles Davis combo, without Miles! The set was recorded in Chicago when both were stopping through the city with Miles Davis' combo at the time – and since the rhythm section includes Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – the album's essentially a Kind Of Blue-era Miles album, recorded without Miles on trumpet, and grooving in a slightly more soul-based Adderley mode! Given the presence of Coltrane, there's a bit less of the gutbuckety soul jazz that Cannon was cutting in his own Quintet – but that's more than ok with us, as the Coltrane solos more than make up for that difference! The set's got 2 great originals by Coltrane – "The Sleeper" and "Grand Central" – plus the cuts "Wabash" and "Limehouse Blues". CD

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A 2CD set of beautiful vintage material, not discovered until the 70s! Players include Edmund Hall on clarinet, Trummy Young on trombone, and Billy Kyle on piano – and Velma Middleton sings on three tracks too! CD

A 2CD set of beautiful vintage material, not discovered until the 70s! Players include Edmund Hall on clarinet, Trummy Young on trombone, and Billy Kyle on piano – and Velma Middleton sings on several tracks too! CD

Titles include "Two Headed Man", "One More Shot", "Trading Post", "In The Dark", and "Eyeballin". CD

One of the greatest releases ever from the Okka Disk label – a legendary set that stands as a great testament to the global improvising scene that exploded in Chicago during the 90s! Back in the early years of FMP, nobody would have thought to use the name "Peter Brotzmann" and "Chicago" in the same context – but by the time of these recordings, the legendary reedman had been spending quite a bit of time in the Windy City – working strongly alongside that decade's fresh generation of improvisers, at a level that also helped Brotzmann discover new energy in his music too! The lineup here is great – both octet and tentet groups that operate in an improvising orchestra tradition – with players that include Ken Vandermark on tenor and bass clarinet, Mars Williams on tenor and alto, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Mats Gustafsson on baritone and fluteophone, Joe McPhee on pocket cornet and valve trombone, Fred Lonberg Holm on cello, Kent Kessler on bass, Michael Zerang and Hamid Drake on drums and percussion, and Brotzmann himself on tenor, clarinet, and tarogato. The set features three different live recordings, and one long studio set recorded over two days – a fantastic collection of music. Titles include "Burning Spirit (For Kazuka Shiraishi)", "Other Brothers", "Old Bottles No Wine, "Aziz", "Foolish Infinity", "Immediate Music", "Makapoor", "Foolish Infinity", "Other Brothers" and "Divide By Zero". CD

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Plenty of Chicago overtones here – thanks to the Windy City setting of the recording, and to contributions from Jeb Bishop on trombone, Kent Kessler on bass, and Robert Barry on drums! Daniele D'Agaro is no stranger to this scene – and his tenor and clarinet are right at home in the lineup – finding free spaces of expression to voice his presence strongly, yet also moving in ways that clearly inspire the other musicians – especially on the more compositional tracks on the set. Titles include variations on the Ellington numbers "Melancholia" and "Sweet Zurzday" – plus "Ultramarine #13", "Chicago Beer Coaster", "Dick's Holler", and "Barry K". CD

A brilliant reunion of some key members of the AACM in Chicago – recorded at the Chicago Jazz Festival in a stunning performance that features drummer Jack DeJohnette in the lead, plus Muhal Richard Abrams on piano, Henry Threadgill on alto and flute, and Roscoe Mitchell on a variety of reeds! Bassist Larry Gray completes the group, and also plays a bit of cello – and the music has this wonderfully freewheeling, organic quality that really takes us back to the early years of the avant scene in Chicago – that very special sense of improvisation that the players forged back in the day – with an especially sonic-sensitive ear tuned towards the musicianship. The album is neither the usual ECM mode, nor even what we'd expect from DeJohnette – and instead takes us back to the earliest utterings from Chicago on labels like Delmark or Nessa. Titles include "Chant", "Jack 5", "Leave Don't Go Away", "Ten Minutes", and "Museum Of Time". CD

Includes the songs "Countdown", "When I'm Feeling Kinda Blue", "El Viti", "Draggin' Blues", "Cottontail", "Now Ain't It?", "The Last Go-round", "Moon Mist", "Skillipoop", "Banquet Scene (Timon Of Athens)", "Love Scene", "Rod la Rocque", "Rhythm Section Blues", "Lele","Ocht O' Clock Rock", "Lady", and "Rondolet". CD