Diana Krall on vocals and piano, Russell Malone on guitar, and Christian McBride on bass. CD

Features Stanley Turrentine, Ray Brown, Christian McBride, and Lewis Nash. CD

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A record so big they dropped the "Ross" from Diana's name – just to show how large the lady was living at the end of the 70s! The album was a key set in the solo years of Diana's career – a back to basics dancefloor effort done with impeccable production by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rogers – often in that tightly snapping mode that made Chic so great, a sound that really breathed new life into Ross' sound at the time! Roger's fast-riffing guitar touches cook the album up beautifully – pushing a catchy pop groove into the massive hits "Upside Down" and "I'm Coming Out" – both numbers that have aged surprisingly well over the years. Other tracks include "Tenderness", "My Old Piano", "Now That You're Gone", "Friend To Friend", and "Give Up". CD

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Features Russell Malone on guitar and Paul Keller on bass – with Diana Krall on vocals and piano! CD

Features Anthony Wilson on guitar, Christian McBride on bass, and either Peter Erskine, Jeff Hamilton, or Terri Lyne Carrington on drums. CD

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Diana Ross really finds a way to remake her groove here – a sweet new sound that fits her revamped look in the Andy Warhol image on the cover! Although Ross could sparkle strongly during the disco years, the best cuts here are some of the more midtempo moments – nicely spaced out in ways that allow the singer to modulate her approach, and never push things too far, or get overly dramatic. There's definitely a few of those later modes here – both on ballads and more upbeat numbers – but the core of the record lingers nicely in the silky electric style promised in the title – especially on the great cut "Muscles", which was written for the record by Michael Jackson. Other titles include "So Close", "Still In Love", "Who", "Love Lies", "In Your Arms", and "I Am Me". CD features three bonus mixes of "Muscles", plus an extended version of "I Am Me". CD

Warm, romantic, and lush – one of Diana Ross' best albums of ballads and mellow tunes, served up as a surprising antidote to the disco years! Plus, the album's tremendously expanded here – stretched out to a total of 20 tunes, including some previously unreleased tracks and mixes that are different than the LP ones! Titles include "Stop Look Listen", a duet with Marvin Gaye – plus "To Love Again", "Touch Me In The Morning (ext single mix)", "One More Chance", "Stay With Me", "It's My Turn", "We're Always Saying Goodbye", "Endless Love" (duet with Lionel Richie), "Share Some Love", and "Come In From The Rain". CD

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Produced by Nile Rodgers! CD

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Absence is a word that can instantly have a sense of sadness, but it can also have a sort of beauty, too – and that's definitely the case in this album of work done as a tribute to the great Wayne Shorter by trumpeter Terence Blanchard! The record's way more than just a collection of Shorter's tunes – and although it features a few numbers penned by the saxophonist, there's also a set of new music by Blanchard and his piansist too – really lovely numbers that have the trumpeter at his most evocative – in maybe a condensed expression of some of the modes he brings to his larger soundtrack material. The core group is his E-Collective – with Fabian Almazan on piano, Charles Altura on guitar, David Ginyard on bass, and Oscar Seaton on drums – but maybe the most interesting aspect of the record is the gentle use of the Turtle Island String Quartet, who shade in Blanchard's deeper ideas in a nicely subtle way. Titles include "I Dare You", "Envisioned Reflections", "When It Was Now", "Diana", "The Elders", "Dark Horse", "The Second Wave", and "Fall". CD

One of the few straight rock records ever issued on the mostly-folk Monitor Records label – a great 60s outing from Freeborne, a group with a sound that's as tripped-out as you might expect from the cover! Instrumentation is heavy on organ and guitars, both acoustic and electric, but there's also some cool percussion too – and interesting use of recorders, in a way that comes across with an ocarina-like charm! Vocals are somewhat soft, but have a dark undercurrent – and there's a really great folk-into-psyche sort of feel to the whole thing. Titles include "Images", "Land Of Diana", "But I Must Return To Frenzy", "Inside People", "Yellow Sky", "Peak Impressions & Thoughts", and "Visions Of My Own". CD

Features Wilson on guitar – with a bit of vocals from Diana Krall! CD

A nice little collection, and one that definitely fits the sunny Cali look on the cover – as the set mixes together vintage jazz and AOR from the 70s, but also includes some cuts from the present as well – all with a timeless vibe that almost creates a new sort of genre unto itself! Acoustic and electric elements share the sound equally, as do vocal and instrumental modes – and there's a style to the set that's maybe as if you've come into the SoCal scene during the height of the big label recordings of the 70s – but maybe stumbled on some smaller studios down the road apiece where more personal, interesting music is taking place. Titles include "Let Love Flow" by Monica Rypma, "You Never Sang This Song" by Guy Maxwell, "Sunday Morning" by Pixie Lauer, "Ride That Train" by Guy Schwartz, "Make Believe" by Jim Lamarche, "Land Of Wonder" by Maria Fant, "Misterios" by Diana Pequeno, "Marie" by Airbone, "Summer Days/Golden Haze" by White Feature, and "Phone Home" by Michael Welch. CD

A wonderful collection of work from Brenda Holloway – one that really digs deep to find some overlooked gems from her 60s years at Motown – including 8 previously unissued tracks! The core of the collection features The Artistry Of Brenda Holloway album – a late 60s UK-only recorded issued by Tamla, and one that features rare singles from Holloway that weren't on any other albums – kind of a special overseas package dedicated to those early UK soul fans who helped Motown explode so strongly at a global level. Holloway's vocals are wonderful – as careful a mix of class and soul that you'd find from the best Motown artists of the period – served up at a solo lead level that's only matched by Mary Wells on the label at the time, and which really seems to point the way towards a solo direction that Diana Ross would later take on her own. In addition to the 16 track album, the CD also features 8 more gems from the Motown vaults – making for a set that's all-great, no-filler, and filled with properly finished killers that should have made much bigger waves at the time. Titles include "Together Til The End Of Time", "I'll Be Available", "Hurt A Little Every Day", "Where Were You", "I've Got To Find It", "Operator", "I'll Always Love You", "Just Look What You've Done", "Mr Lifeguard", "After All That You've Done", "The Love Line", "Can't We Be Strangers Again", and "Just Another Lonely Night". CD

A landmark album from Skip Spence – the onetime lead singer of Moby Grape, cast out of the group on his own by the time of this debut solo album – a record that's as powerful as it is fragile, and which has been the one lasting musical legacy of the man himself! The record almost sunk without a trace at the time, but has gone onto become the stuff of legend over the decade – supported by fellow singers, songwriters, and even a fair bit of the music press – who all shine key light on the record's unique, ahead of its time quality! Spence recorded the set for the same Columbia Records that was willing to take a chance on the early Leonard Cohen records – and there's a similarly singular vibe to Skip's approach – one that puts the whole thing at the level of "missed the first time around – but never again!" albums by later-decade legends like Big Star, Nick Drake, and maybe even Cohen. The style is hard to describe – similar reworking of roots-though-psych as Moby Grape, but a lot more intimate too – with so many lost dark corners, the set will be rewarding your ears for years to come! Titles include his original "Cripple Creek", plus "Diana", "Margaret Tiger Rug", "Weighted Down", "Little Hands", "Books Of Moses", "All Come To Meet Her", "Broken Heart", and "War In Peace" – plus 10 bonus tracks!! CD

An amazing package – one that comes in a tiny replica of the original home of Motown Records in Detroit! As you'd guess from the title, the 11CD set features every single Motown track that ever hit #1 on the charts – almost 200 classic songs, running from the early 60s right up through the 90s – with work by The Temptations, Four Tops, Diana Ross, Boyz II Men, The Contours, Rockwell, The Originals, Marvin Gaye, The Marvelettes, Stevie Wonder, High Inergy, The Dazz Band, Rick James, Commodores, and lots more! The package also includes a photo book with classic images and notes – but man, what we dig most of all is that tiny house of hits packaging – a really amazing thing! Plus, this version of the set also features a bonus CD that wasn't in the original version – with 12 more tracks whose cover versions charted at #1! CD

The final volume in this fantastic collection of rare female soul from the 60s – and one that's maybe even better than the earlier entries in the series! The tracks here are totally great, and totally well-chosen – not big girl group hits of the time, but instead a treasure trove of under-appreciated singles on labels that include Excello, Dionne, Cameo/Parkway, Fairmount, Musicor, and other indies of the time – mix with a few 60s gems that weren't even issued back in the day! As always with Ace/Kent, the track list is superb – completely wonderful music that we never would have discovered otherwise – track after track of new discoveries for our ears, all presented with fantastic sound, very detailed notes, and enough tracks to make the whole thing a hell of a deal for the price. Many of these cuts have much more of a deep soul vibe than the lighter style you might be expecting for 60s female soul – and titles include "This Heart Is Haunted" by Kelly Garrett, "Hot Spot" by The Bronzettes, "Top Twenty" by The Delicates, "He's My Hero" by The Avons, "It's The Loving Season" by The Vareeations, "Just A Little Touch Of Your Love" by Saundra Franklin, "Sir Galahad" by The Elites, "That's How It Goes" by Jackie & Gayle, "That Guy Of Mine" by The Sherrys, "Everybody South Street" by The Taffys, "I Would If I Could" by The Sweet Three, "That Kind Of Love" by Diana King, "Nothing Can Go Wrong" by The Beas, and "False Alarm" by Tari Stevens. CD

One of Bacharach's strangest records! The soundtrack was written for the huge flop musical Lost Horizon – and it features all vocal tracks, sung by the likes of Shawn Phillips, Sally Kellerman, and Diana Lee. The overall feel is very sing-songy, with kind of a children's them sort of sound – but there's actually a few nuggets of great songwriting in here, especially on the tracks "The World Is A Circle" and "Living Together, Growing Together". CD

Duets with Diana Krall, Natalie Cole, BB King, Stevie Wonder, and Ray Charles. CD

Some of the grooviest work ever cut by Brazilian trombonist Waltel Branco – a set that's very different than just about anything he ever put on record, and which is also material used in an early 70s TV series as well! The sound here is kind of a criss-cross between some of the cool Brazilian arranging styles of the time – the sorts of backings you'd hear on records by folks like Marcos Valle or Edu Lobo – mixed with some of the groovier European soundtrack modes of the period – especially Italy and France, and the great way those scenes really messed with production and instrumental styles. There's more than a few funky cuts here – making the album a real treasure in Branco's catalog – and almost all tracks are instrumental – but the set does feature one vocal number, "Frustracao", sung by Arlete Salles. Other titles include "I Giorni Dell'Ira", "200 MPH", "Bandinha", "Diana", "Tema De Ricardinho", "Tema De Abertura", "Efeito", "Back Ground", and "Zorro". CD

Flora Purim and Airto open up nicely in this live setting – getting help from a Fourth World ensemble that also features Jose Neto on guitar, Gary Meek on saxes and flute, and Diana Moreira on a bit of backing vocals! There's a bit less polish here than some of the studio sets by the Fourth World group from the 90s – a nice change that almost gets Airto back to his roots, and which makes Flora's vocals sound even more personal and lovely than ever. Titles include "Sao Felipe", "Time One", "Lua Flora", "Sea Horse", "Africa", and "Step Seven". CD

A huge disco cash-in moment of the 70s – but a great one too, and a strong illustration of the power that Casablanca Records had in both the clubs and charts at the time! The movie and record were both a bit over-pressed upon release, but they nonetheless stand as a great snapshot of the way that funky soul had taken over the clubs during the disco generation – giving showcase to a whole host of new young artists, and exposing lots of mainstream listeners to soul music at a level they wouldn't have touched a few years before! Donna Summer was one of Casablanca's big acts at the time – and she really dominates the record with her classic rendition of "Last Dance", plus tracks "With Your Love" and a disco remake of "Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus". Both other cuts are strong too – and include "Lovin, Livin, & Givin" by Diana Ross, "Too Hot Ta Trot" by The Commodores, "Disco Queen" by Paul Jabara, "Leatherman's Theme" by Wright Bros Flying Machine, "Floyd's Theme" by Natural Juices, and "Find My Way" by Cameo. CD

Tracks from Unation, River Ocean featuring India, Liberty City, Shara Nelson, Barbara Tucker, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Lisa Lisa, K-Klass, Richard Darbyshire, Eternal, and Sagat. CD

A really great set of rare Detroit numbers – all pulled from the catalog of the LuPine label, a company who cut some great little records in the shadow of Motown! The work on the set includes a lot of early 60s numbers – including a few tracks by The Primettes, an early incarnation of Diana Ross & The Supremes! 18 tracks in all, with titles that include "He's My Guy" and "I Love You So" by The Kittens, "Tears Of Sorrow" and "Pretty Baby" by The Primettes, "Baby Sitting" and "He's So Fine" by The Corvells, "Touch Of Love" by Clara Hardy, "Dutchess Conquers Duke" by The Conquerors, "I'll Be Back" by The LA Dolls, "It's Been A Long Time" by Ruby & Her Swinging Rocks, and "My Heart Went Zing" by Taylor Tones. CD

25 tracks from Chic, Sister Sledge, Diana Ross, Sheila & B. Devotion, Norma Jean Wright, Carly Simon, Johnny Mathis, Madonna, Duran Duran, and the Chic Organization. CD

Beautiful work from bassist Charlie Haden and his Quartet West – a lovely look back at the styles and chanteuses of the 50s & 60s noirish jazz – with some lush strings accompaniment and guest vocalists including Cassandra Wilson, Melody Gardot, Norah Jones, Ruth Cameron and Diana Krall! It's the kind of thing that could come of hokey without a genuine love if the material in the mix, and the Haden & co. pull it off wonderfully. The quartet players include Ernie Watts on tenor, Alan Broadbent on piano and Rodney Green on drums. Includes "If I'm Lucky" with Melody Gardot, "Sophisticated Lady", "Today I Am A Man", "Ill Wind" with Norah Jones, "My Love And I" with Cassandra Wilson, "Theme From 'Markham'", "Angel Faces", "Goodbye" with Diana Krall, "Wahoo" and more. CD

A great early moment for pianist Renee Rosnes – and a set that has her really bursting out with help from a top-shelf lineup of musicians! The core trio features Ron Carter on bass and Lewis Nash on drums – although Renee also plays without them on two numbers – and the tunes really benefit from vivid horn work from players who include Branford Marsalis on tenor and soprano sax, Ralph Bowen on tenor, and Wayne Shorter on soprano – each taking a turn on different tracks throughout the set. Herbie Hancock joins Renee on a piano duet on the number "Fleur De Lis" – a lovely track with no other instrumentation besides the twin pianos – and other titles include "The Storyteller", "Diana", "Playground For The Birds", "Punjab", and "IA Blues". CD

The group had some lineup changes for Traveler's Time, but the lumbering rhythms and heavy organ grooves are as solid as ever! Titles include "Street Without A Name", "By Way Of You", "Diana", "Across The Land Of Light", "The Offering" and more. One bonus track: "My Fortune's Coming True". CD

A landmark album for Caetano Veloso – a full set of tracks sung in English, as beautifully done as we ever could have hoped! The arrangements are really fresh – in a style that makes the album far more than just a set of standards – and instead gives it the edgey approach of some of Caetano's best recent work. The set was co-produced by Jacques Morelenbaum, and has a range of instrumental approaches that shifts to fit the mood of each new track – and given that the work on the set runs from tunes by Cole Porter to Nat King Cole, Nirvana, David Byrne, Arto Lindsay, Elvis Presley, Stevie Wonder, and Bob Dylan – you can imagine the changing moods at work! Titles include "So In Love", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", "Diana", "Manhattan", "Nothing But Flowers", "Cry Me A River", "Nature Boy", "Jamaica Farewell", "If It's Magic", "Detached", "Blue Skies", and "Something Good". Loads of tracks, too – 22 in all – and packaged beautifully! CD

The only album ever issued in the US by European soul singer Asha Puthli – an artist who was doing some great spacey funk in the mid 70s, then made a strong shift into tighter grooves in the disco years! This album's a great blend of Asha's earlier vocal style and some of the newer clubby sounds from Euro clubs – kind of a mix of porno sleaze and Munich soul – and the arrangements have enough of a funky kick in them to keep things interesting – and a vibe that really warrants the record coming out on TK over here in the US! Titles include "Mr Moonlight", "Music Machine", "There Is A Party Tonight", "Legend Of Thais", and "I'll See You Around". CD

Really fantastic early work from guitar genius Wes Montgomery – a series of live recordings from his Indianapolis roots – done at a level that's quite different than his bigger records of the 60s! Even at this early age, Wes is already a chromatic master – able to get sounds out of his guitar that are so different than most of his contemporaries – playing in a small combo mode on most tracks, but with less of the R&B influence than most postwar guitarists. Instead, Montgomery is pure jazz all the way through, but also without that too-clean tone that some folks were going for – just a great focus on color and open, honest tone – in the company of musicians who include Carl Perkins and Buddy Montgomery on piano, Mel Rhyne on Hammond, Monk Montgomery on bass, David Baker on trombone, and David Young on tenor. Those last two players only make a few appearances – as most groups are horn-less, which gives Wes even more solo space – on titles that include "Four", "Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea", "It's You Or No One", "Ecaroh", "Sandu", "Whisper Not", "Four On Six", "Mr Walker", "Round Midnight", "West Coast Blues", "Tune Up", "So What", and "The End Of A Love Affair". CD

Early bop material from the great Sonny Criss – a collection of rare early live sessions, done at a time when he was one of the leading lights of the Central Ave scene! The first 3 tracks on the set feature Sonny blowing away on a set of longer tunes – recorded in 1947 with Howard McGhee, Teddy Edwards, and Hampton Hawes – on tracks that include "The Man I Love", "Orinithology", and "Body & Soul". The next 4 tracks are from 1949, and already show Sonny maturing into the soulful player of later years – working with Hampton Hawes in a quartet, on tracks that include "Calidad", "Tornado", "The First One", and "Blues For Boppers". Next up are 4 tracks from the classic Charlie Parker/Chet Baker date from June 1952 at the Tradewinds – a session that alto featured some great work from Criss on tracks that include "The Squirrel", "They Didn't Believe Me", "Indiana", and "Liza". Last up is one more Tradewinds recording from September of 1952 – with Sonny leading a quartet on a great reading of "Strike Up The Band". CD

Radio broadcasts sponsored by the Treasury Department! Volume 6 collects shows from Indiana, Ohio, and New York and features Taft Jordan, Johnny Hodges, Ray Nance, Cat Anderson, Billy Strayhorn, and others. Tracks include "Ko-Ko", "Let The Zoomers Drool", "Jumpin' Punkins", "I Should Care", "How Deep Is The Ocean", "In A Mellotone", and "Warm Valley" – plus rare wartime bond promos. CD

Scott Hamilton's first two albums in one great package! Good Wind is the great opening statement from tenorist Scott Hamilton – a young player who emerged in the late 70s, but one with a definite old school sound! Scott blows here with a wind that's plenty good – very deep-toned, and with a raspy, honest quality that almost takes us back to Ben Webster in the 50s – quite a surprise for the Concord Records sound. The record's got a very well-matched group, too – Nat Pierce on piano, Monty Budwig on bass, Bill Berry on trumpet, and Jake Hanna on drums – all of whom give Hamilton's tenor plenty of space to dominate the session. Titles include "Stuffy", "Indiana", "Blue Room", "Sometimes I'm Happy", "Ill Wind", and "Broadway". Scott Hamilton 2 builds on the same foundation as its predessor, but swaps Berry's trumpet for guitarist Cal Collins. Tracks include "East Of The Sun", "There Is No Greater Love", and the Hamilton original "Blues For The Players". CD

A fantastic lost legacy in European free improvisation – the complete works of a group who were first known as Modern Jazz Quintet Karlsruhe, then later as Fourmenonly – presented here in a beautiful 3CD set! First up is the album Trees – issued on a small label in 1968, but a set that matches the groundbreaking energy of the early work on FMP – played by a group that features Helmuth Zimmer on piano, Wilfreid Eichorn on tenor and soprano sax, Claus Buhler on bass, Rudi Thielmann on drums, and Herbert Joos on flugelhorn, Mellophon, piston, and percussion! The group have a melodic vibe at the core – often feeling out the initial space as a unit, then exploding with sound and color – and really making especially great work of the talents of Joos and Eichorn – players who work together with great power, driven on by the others. Titles include "Lonely Time", "Trees", "Schnee Verbrennt", "Change Of Beauty", and "The Devil Is Green Blue Yellow". CD also features a bonus unreleased improvisation too! Next is Position 2000 – a record of even longer improvisations, and one that shows the quintet really developing their sound – strongly aware of the farther reaches, but always beginning in some more colorful passages that almost have a melody, before exploding out with very vibrant energy! The lineup is the same as on the debut – with Herbert Joos on flugelhorn, mellophone, Indian flute, and percussion – and Wilfried Eichorn on tenor, soprano sax, bass clarinet, flute, and percussion – alongside Helmuth Zimmer on piano, Klaus Buhler on bass, and Rudi Thielmann on drums. Titles include "The Sun Is Coming Over", "Position 2000", and "Where Love Forever Shines". CD also features an unreleased improvisation. For the next album, bassist Buhler has departed the group – who are renamed Fourmenonly! Their first record is a brilliant set of free jazz from the German scene of the 70s – very different than other work of the time, in that there's maybe more of a future-thinking balance between sounds and silence, frenzy and fragility – all served up by a quartet that features Herbert Joos on trumpet and flugelhorn, Wilfried Eichhorn on tenor and soprano sax, Helmuth Zimmer on piano and percussion, and Rudi Theilmann on drums and percussion. Titles include "Viridiana/Ich Und Meine Bruder/Compulsion" and "Count Down/Excess". On the album Eight Science Fiction Stories, the Fourmenonly lineup is expanded by trombonist Wolfgang Czelusta – and perform some fantastic work billed as "science fiction stories", all composed by Herbert Joos. The sound is as revolutionary as on the group's earliest material, but also maybe more compact as well – nicely focused, with especially strong emphasis on the interplay between Czelusta on trombone, Wilifried Eichorn on bass clarinet, flute, and oboe, and Herbert Joos on flugelhorn, trumpet, and mellophone. The piano of Helmuth Zimmer is amazing – almost Cecil Taylor-like in intensity at times – and drummer Rudi Theilmann does a great job of moving from passages of full-on power to more spacious percussion. Titles include "Lucifer Is Marching On", "Dead Season", "The Beauty Without A Face", "Departure", "Plastic Happiness", and "Space Wall". CD

The long-overdue release of an album that should have been a Neo Soul classic! The team of Otis Cooper and Shugg David recorded this gem of a set back in the mid 90s along with help from longtime friend and producer Raphael Saadiq – but due to shifting priorities at the major label, the set was shelved and is only now finally seeing the light of day! Despite the wait, though, the album bristles with electricity and has a totally fresh sound – bubbling over with the warmth and soul of the best Saadiq production work of the time, and hitting a vibe that's almost in the same mode as his own recent Ray Ray recordings. But even more charming are the talents of Otis & Shugg – two down-to-earth vocalists who work in a style that's nicely free of cliche, and which really shows them setting a tone that would be followed by many other make singers in the Neo Soul years to come. Titles include "Right On Track", "Fantasy", "If You Want It", "My First Mistake", "Round & Round", "Indiana", "This Is My Phone Call", and "Something Inside Of Me". CD

A wild set of early 70s leftfield folk from Caroline Peyton – a freewheeling batch of tunes that's a little bit more out there than the warmer, sunshine folk soul of the later Intuition album – but a unique gem that's a great showcase for Caroline's stunning voice, and the songwriting of partner Mark Bingham. The duo's creative origins trace back to a hippie commune outside of Bloomington, Indiana – and the tunes often feel like an unselfconscious, artier riff on the Cali folk scene of the time. The arrangements are built around the voice, and piano on many of the tracks. Unconventional, but warm and true – well worth a late discovery. Original album tracks include "The Sky In Japan Is Always Close To You", "Pull", "Don Beggs", "Tuna", "Engram", "Sweet Misery", "Hook", "Gone For A Day" and more. The Numero/Asterisk reissue goes the extra mile with liner notes by Edd Hurt, lots of photos, and bonus tracks including "Breathe (Live)", "Alll This Waiting", "Paths Of Light", "White Teeth" and enhanced video footage – "Call Of The Wild" and "Fishing Blues" live at the Hummingbird Cafe, in Bloomington, Indiana. CD

Strong later work from the great Ben Webster – three albums in a single set! On the first record, Ben Webster plays live in Harlem – not the uptown scene in New York, but the Dutch city that became a surprisingly strong showcase for American players overseas! The date's got that easygoing style of some of Webster's best late live performances – a laidback rhythm trio, and Ben himself blowing these raspy, blue-tinged notes that are full of feeling – even when in a familiar setting – that quality that can make even subtle handling of a standard pop out with such Webster-like charm! The group features Tete Montoliu on piano, Rob Langereis on bass, and Tony Inzalaco on drums – and titles include "Stardust", "How Long Has This Been Going On", "Sunday", "For All We Know", and "Perdido". Live In Stockholm is a posthumous release of live material recorded in Sweden, during a time when tenor genius Ben Webster was doing some of his best work overseas! The tracks here feature Ben in a few different settings – with piano from Teddy Wilson or Lasse Sjosten, bass from Red Mitchell or Sture Nordin, and drums from Ed Thigpen and Frederik Noren. But maybe best of all is the trumpet work on most tracks – played by either Arne Ryskog or Rolf Ericson, both players whose presence really brings a lot – and makes the record a bit different than some of those other "older American soloists with a European rhythm section" dates of the time. Titles include "Indiana", "C Jam Blues", "The Theme", "Satin Doll", "I Got Rhythm", and "Don't Get Around Much Anymore". The last album is a late live set from Ben Webster – recorded in Norway with an unusual rhythm section that really lets Ben open up and do his thing, always with that fantastic twist on his tone he developed later in life! The group features Tore Sandnaes on piano, Bjorn Alterhaug on bass, and Kjell Johansen on drums – and titles include "In A Mllotone", "Sunday", "Satin Doll", "Perdido", "I Got Rhythm", and "Stardust". CD

Almost from the start of his career, tenorist Johnny Griffin was heading overseas, delivering searing live performances like this – working as a solo horn player with a pickup group, at a level that was often even more powerful than some of his studio work back home! And here, the combo is hardly just a pickup group – as British modernist Stan Tracey is on piano, working alongside frequent musical partners Malcolm Cecil on bass and Jackie Dougan on drums – a great engine to drive the tenor of Griffin on to new heights – as Johnny blows here with a really raw edge that's amazing, and non-stop imagination that makes for very powerful solos that never seem to let up at all! The set features a smoking 22 minute take on "Indiana", plus long takes on "Blues In Twos" and "The Girl Next Door", both around the 15 minute mark – which means that Tracey also gets in plenty of solo space too. CD

Rare material from Groove Holmes – tracks originally recorded during the sessions for the album Living Soul, but never issued at the time! The set features nearly an hour of lost work by Groove – cut at Count Basie's nightclub in Harlem (hence the title), and featuring a trio with Gene Edwards on guitar and George Randall on drums. The original Living Soul album was one of Groove's best of the 60s – a powerhouse set of smoking live tracks – and these other tracks more than live up to the power of that album, featuring Groove working through the kind of longer, more hard-wailing sorts of tracks he'd cook up in a very comfortable club setting. Titles include "Nica's Dream", "This Here", "Moanin", "Rifftide", and "Indiana". CD

A wild set of early 70s leftfield folk from Caroline Peyton – a freewheeling batch of tunes that's a little bit more out there than the warmer, sunshine folk soul of the later Intuition album – but a unique gem that's a great showcase for Caroline's stunning voice, and the songwriting of partner Mark Bingham. The duo's creative origins trace back to a hippie commune outside of Bloomington, Indiana – and the tunes often feel like an unselfconscious, artier riff on the Cali folk scene of the time. The arrangements are built around the voice, and piano on many of the tracks. Unconventional, but warm and true – well worth a late discovery. Original album tracks include "The Sky In Japan Is Always Close To You", "Pull", "Don Beggs", "Tuna", "Engram", "Sweet Misery", "Hook", "Gone For A Day" and more. The Numero/Asterisk reissue goes the extra mile with liner notes by Edd Hurt, lots of photos, and bonus tracks including "Breathe (Live)", "Alll This Waiting", "Paths Of Light", "White Teeth" and enhanced video footage – "Call Of The Wild" and "Fishing Blues" live at the Hummingbird Cafe, in Bloomington, Indiana. CD

A massive selection of songs from the same period as Ellington's album of the same name. With a whole bunch of his classic players, including Billy Strayhorn, Johnny Hodges, Ray Nance, Al Hibbler, Oscar Pettiford, and many more. Tracks include "Work Song", "Come Sundday", "The Blues", "Three Dancers", "I Ain't Got Nothin But The Blues", "I'm Beginning To See The Light", "I Didn't Know About You", "Mood To Be Woo'd", "Prelude To A Kiss", "Caravan", "Everything But You", "Mood Indigo", "Sophisticated Lady", "Solitude", "Black Beauty", "Balcony Serenade", "Tell Ya What I'm Gonna Do", "Come To Baby, Do!", "I'm Just A Lucky So-And-So", "Suddenly It Jumped", "A Gathering In A Clearing", "You Don't Love Me No More", "Back Home Again In Indiana", "Just You, Just Me", "Beale Street blues", "Transblucency", "My Honey's Lovin Arms", "Memphis Blues", "St Louis Blues", "Midriff", and "I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You". CD

Easily one of the best deep soul albums we've heard in years – new work by a singer who hails from Indiana, but who's able to give the best from Memphis and Muscle Shoals a real run for their money! Durand Jones isn't one of these cats who's trying to fake it with a few retro touches – and instead, he gets right to the heart of the matter, right from the very first note – with a deep vocal approach that's rivaled by a rare few in the contemporary scene – maybe Lee Fields (and maybe that's it!) The vocals are perfect – never forced or cliched, and really right on the money – and the Indications do a great job, too – with these lean backings that never overwhelm, yet really help keep things funky. Hats off to drummer Aaron Frazier and guitarist Blake Rhein, who wrote most of the songs on the record with Jones – and titles include "Make A Change", "Can't Keep My Cool", "Groovy Babe", "Giving Up", "Now I'm Gone", and "Is It Any Wonder". CD

Early greatness from Wes Montgomery – and a session that's got a gritty edge that takes Wes back to his Indianapolis roots! The album's one of the few of the time to feature the unsung Hammond hero Mel Rhyne – a player who worked with Wes at his start, but has only gotten stronger acclaim in recent decades as part of his comeback. Rhyne's a key force in the record – working alongside Montgomery's guitar and the drums of Jimmy Cobb – in a loose, open trio that has Mel participating as strongly in the rhythms as he does in the solo side of the album. Titles include a few Montgomery originals – "The Trick Bag" and "Fried Pies" – plus the tunes "Besame Mucho", "Dearly Beloved", "Days Of Wine & Roses", "Canadian Sunset", "The Breeze & I", and "For Heaven's Sake". CD includes bonus tracks "Besame Mucho (take 2)", "Trick Bag (take 6)", and "Fried Pies (take 1)". CD

One of the seminal blues rock albums of the 60s – a set that features Charlie Musselwhite in the lead on vocals and harmonica – plus heavy guitar from the great Harvey Mandel, in a group that also includes Barry Goldberg on piano and organ too! Titles include "Chicken Shack", "Cha Cha The Blues", "Baby Will You Please Help Me", "39th & Indiana", "Strange Land", and "4pm". CD

Features 22 tracks including "St. James Infirmary", "Walkin In A Daze", "Lovin Mama Blues", "Indiana", "When You're Smiling", "Limehouse Blues" and "Got An Uncle In Harlem" –plus alternate takes and a few unreleased cuts. CD

Features Joe Pass on acoustic and electric guitar. Tracks include "Daquilo Que Eu Sei", "Beautiful Love", "Love For Sale", "Indiana", and "Mack The Knife". CD

A key chapter in the ever-shifting legacy of the great Roy Wood – music recorded after his time in The Move and ELO, and even after his initial solo tracks as well – a special project that has Wood partly dipping back towards rock and roll roots, but also putting things forward with a slight glammy vibe too – all at a level that made Wizzard one of the most compelling groups on the UK scene in the pre-punk years! The Wizzard vibe is a bit hard to describe in words, but it's definitely got a tighter, catchier vibe than you'd expect from Wood's long-haired look – but also maybe a shaggier sound than was being crafted by his old group at the time. 2CD set also throws in a few tracks from his related Wizzo Band – and titles include "Nixture", "Dream Of Unwin", "Rock N Roll Winter", "See My Baby Jive", "The Carlsberg Special", "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday", "Ball Park Incident", "Marathon Man", "Can't Help My Feelings", "Indiana Rainbow", "Waiting At The Door", "The Stroll", and "The Thing Is This". CD

Features Oscar Moore on guitar, Red Callender or Johnny Miller on bass, and Buddy Rich on drums. Tracks include "Indiana", "Man I Love", "I Cover The Waterfront", "Somebody Loves Me", and "Lester Leaps In". CD