One of those great records from the years when Hampton Hawes was working actively on the global scene, briefly not recording with Contemporary Records, and turning out some of his grooviest material to date! The set's a trio session – with Leroy Vinnegar on bass and Donald Bailey on drums – and there's a soulful flow to the record that's wonderful, and really a change from the style that Hawes was using at the start of the 60s – playing long and contemplative lines that almost sound like they're coming from an electric piano at times, in a mode that must have had a huge influence on other west coast jazzers, like George Cables! The album's got a great long cover of "The Look Of Love", plus a groovy set of originals that include "Muffin Man", "Carmel", "Spanish Girl", and "High In The Sky". A bit hipper than some of his other work – and with a nicely subdued groove! CD

The complete recordings of sessions that led to one of the greatest Sonny Rollins records ever – and a genre-defining record that really introduced the world to the concept of a tenor saxophone trio! Rollins is incredible here – really at his best and most adventurous, and almost light years ahead of his work from just a few short years before – working just with the drums of Elvin Jones and bass of Wilbur Ware for accompaniment – as he spins out these long solos that are full of all sorts of sharp modern edges! The lack of piano really makes for something different and fresh in the music – and with this record, Rollins created a format that so many others would take up in years to come. Note that the record also features a small bit of work with Donald Bailey on bass and Pete LaRoca on drums – an equally great rhythm duo! This package features all the material recorded for the Village Vanguard album, plus lots more unissued at the time – titles that include "Night In Tunisia", "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", "Old Devil Moon", "Striver's Row", "Get Happy", "Four", "Woody N You", "All The Things You Are", "I Can't Get Started", and "I've Got You Under My Skin" – some in more than one version! CD

A beautifully spare session from the mid 70s – one that features bass and cello from Isao Suzuki – stretching out here in a sound that's totally unique! The trio's a great one – with Donald Bailey on drums and Tsuyoshi Yamamoto on both acoustic piano and Fender Rhodes – the latter of which sounds amazing next to Suzuki mellow-stepping lines. If you've heard any of Suzuki's other albums from the period, the style is somewhat similar – quite soulful throughout, but with an easygoing, open feel that's quite different than many American sessions of this nature – and which makes it clear that the bassist is the leader, not the pianist! Titles include a great version of "Manha De Carnaval", plus "Angel Eyes", "In A Sentimental Mood", "Who Can I Turn To", and "Blues". CD

Late 70s genius from the Japanese jazz scene – a record that features warm piano work from the leader Masao Nakajima – a player who can burn one minute with great intensity, then deliver a laidback lyrical line the next! It's that balance that makes the album really wonderful – a quality that's echoed very strongly by the reed work on the record – great contributions from Toshiyuki Honda on flute, alto, and soprano – a player you might hear on fusion records in other settings, but who is even more wonderful here. The rest of the group includes bassist Osamu Kawakami, and the great American drummer Donald Bailey – a player who worked with Jimmy Smith in the 60s, but who has a very different vibe here. Titles include a beautiful remake of "Tell Me A Bedtime Story" – plus "Third Plane", "Moment's Notice", "My Love", and "Beloved Diane". CD

A wicked wicked set of tracks from Japan – one that blends together jazzy riffing and Brazilian rhythms, all played with a surprisingly soulful bent! Suzuki's on bass and piccolo bass, and Yamamoto plays not only electric piano but also a bit of electric harpsichord – which adds a cool feel to the album, and one that's almost like some lost European soundtrack. Rhythms are mostly in a breezy sort of style that mixes samba with bossa jazz – and Donald Bailey is in the group on drums, providing some very nice bottom to the set. The whole thing's great, with a really unique style – one that's so great it even transforms older numbers like "Night & Day", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "Greensleeves", and "La Vie En Rose". Also features an especially great take on Michel Colombier's "Overture"! CD

A pivotal album in the career of saxophonist Lou Donaldson – a set that really has him finding his own groove – a slow-stepping, soul-drenched mode that's a nice change from the bop of his roots! A key part of the record's charm is conga work by Ray Barretto – a player used often on early soul jazz dates like this – not in the Latin style of Ray's bigger work to come, but more in this extra-percussion mode that's a great blend with the drum work in the group by Dave Bailey – creating this mellow groove that's a great platform for Lou's smoking solos on alto! The rest of the group is great too – the wonderful Herman Foster on piano, plus Peck Morrison on bass – a great match for Bailey – on titles that include "Play Ray", "Callin' All Cats", and "Blues Walk". CD

A beautiful album of mellow-grooving tracks from Lou Donaldson – recorded during his rich post-bop late 50s years, and done with a wonderfully warm sound! The group features Horace Parlan on piano, Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Laymon Jackson on bass, and Dave Bailey on drums – plus Ray Baretto added in on conga, giving the whole session a little bit of a kick with a light Latinish groove on the best numbers! The rhythm's nice and skittish – lightly leaping around on even the quieter numbers, and letting Lou blow his alto in the strongly rhythmic mode that was starting to appear in his recordings of the time. Titles include "Crosstown Shuffle", "Mack The Knife", "Be My Love", and "Lou's Blues". CD

Pure genius from Lou Donaldson – proof that his voice on the alto sax was one of the freshest in the post-Charlie Parker years! Lou's blowing here with a lively intensity that's clearly inspired by Parker, but which diverges from it quite a bit – taking a similar blend of inspiration and rediscovery that Jackie McLean was using on his Blue Note sessions of the time, but going in a much more soul-based direction than Jackie ever did. The group on the set's great too – with Donaldson's frequent accompanist Herman Foster on piano, always a treat on any set – plus Peck Morrison on bass, Dave Bailey on drums, and Ray Barretto kicking up a nice little groove on conga! Titles include "Herman's Mambo", "Peck Time", "Groove Junction", and "Grits & Gravy". CD