We've always loved the music of pianist Bernie Senesky – a Canadian musician with a richly lyrical, expressive style – one that doesn't always get the recognition it deserves on our side of the border! And we've also always loved the tenor of Eric Alexander – a player we've been following since his start, and who has had some amazing moments of growth in recent years – one of them on this record with Bernie, a player who seems to bring out all this warmer, more sensitive elements in Alexander's horn – as the two of them work together in a very unexpected pairing, but one that we'd love to hear more of on future recordings! Other players on the date include Kieren Overs on bass and Joe Farnsworth on drums on most tracks, save for two, which feature Morgan Childs on drums and Dave Young on bass. Titles include the originals "Blues For EJ", Alexander's Realtime Band", "Stand Pat", and "Make Believe" – plus a nice take on "Matchmaker". CD

Sounds of now, circa yesterday – a very cool collection of 60s and 70s electronic work from Eric Siday – presented in these great short sound cues! The tracks are pretty brief, but very cool in that respect – and almost work like little electronic poems, or light whimsical melodies – which are sometimes mixed with spookier bits too. The work fits well as themes or commercials – but often has that undercurrent of darkness that we like in Siday's music too. Titles include "Logo Gogo", "Bubbling Under", "Automobile", "Kitchen Concerto", "Christmassy", "Bell Tune", "Helicopter Eyeview", "Winter Sports", "Jazz Cellar", and "Record Club". LP, Vinyl record album

A soulful little album from saxophonist Grant Stewart – one that's made even better by the appearance of Eric Alexander on two of the tracks in the set! The core group here features guitar, piano, bass, and drums – with Stewart in the lead, blowing tenor in a deep-toned way that clearly draws on the legacy of Hank Mobley, but which also moves around with a leaner, more fluid sensibility at times. The ballads and mellower numbers are often the best – especially the album's great title reading of "Estate" – but the uptempo tracks move along in a nice hardbop mode too, and titles include "Carving The Rock", "Soul Station", "Jacqueline", and "Cool Struttin". Alexander guests on the titles "3 For Carson" and "Systems" – making for a nice twin-tenor frontline! CD

The great Oliver Lake joins the Tarbaby trio of pianist Orrin Evans – along with a few other players who really help the group knock the record out of the park! There's a vibe here that's different than some of Evans' other Tarbaby sets – not just the presence of Lake's alto, which is superb, and given a showcase that could make the album one of his best in years – but also because there seems to be a higher sort of spirit to the whole record overall – really reaching for new goals in the music, as Evans piano resonates strongly with the bass of Eric Revis and drums of Nasheet Waits – with added guest work from Josh Lawrence on trumpet and Dana Murray on percussion. The set begins with Orrin singing on a composition by the great Trudy Pitts (one of our all-time heroes of jazz) – the tune "Blessed Ones The Eternal Truth" – and other tunes are by group members, and include "Purple", "Paix", "Bonu", "Bumper", "Round Robin", "House Of Leaves", and "Dance Of The Evil Toys" – plus a version of the Prince tune "Sometimes It Snows In April". CD

A highly unusual trio with Eric Vloeimans on trumpet, Tuur Florizoone on accordion, and Jord Brinkman on cello! CD

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Pivotal work from Waldron – stepping out of the blowing session mode, emerging as one of the 60s most striking moderinists. Like a lot of Waldron's records from the time, this set shows an amazing desire for new forms and modern ideas, and the mix of players – Eric Dolphy, Booker Ervin, Ron Carter, Joe Benjamin, and Charlie Persip – pulls the material in a number of different ways. Carter plays bowed cello, as he did on Dolphy's Out There session, and he gives the set a dark moody feel. Ervin's in his best modernist mode, and he ably trades lines with Dolphy and keeps the whole thing moving nicely. Waldron's writing and arranging is superb, and the tracks feature a lot of weird time structures and unusual modal patterns. Includes the tracks "Status Seeking", "Warm Canto", "Warp and Woof", and "Fire Waltz". CD

Pivotal work from Waldron – stepping out of the blowing session mode, emerging as one of the 60s most striking moderinists. Like a lot of Waldron's records from the time, this set shows an amazing desire for new forms and modern ideas, and the mix of players – Eric Dolphy, Booker Ervin, Ron Carter, Joe Benjamin, and Charlie Persip – pulls the material in a number of different ways. Carter plays bowed cello, as he did on Dolphy's Out There session, and he gives the set a dark moody feel. Ervin's in his best modernist mode, and he ably trades lines with Dolphy and keeps the whole thing moving nicely. Waldron's writing and arranging is superb, and the tracks feature a lot of weird time structures and unusual modal patterns. Includes the tracks "Status Seeking", "Warm Canto", "Warp and Woof", and "Fire Waltz". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly great pairing of talents – the post-Animals Eric Burdon on vocals, and early grooves from Cali funk legends War – coming together here in a blend that still holds up beautifully after all these years! Burdon was already getting pretty soulful on the last few Animals albums on MGM – and he really advances that style here when working with War's great grooves – some of the grittiest, nastiest, most stretched out work of their career – especially on some of the album's nicely long tracks. There's some nice Latin currents to the music at times, and the group vocalize alongside Burdon at times – and titles include a long version of "Paint It Black", plus "Bare Back Ride", "Sun/Moon", "Pretty Colors", "Gun", "Nuts Seeds & Life", "They Can't Take Away Our Music", and "Spirit". LP, Vinyl record album

War became so popular on their own in later years that it's easy to forget how they first sprung onto the soul charts – here, in an album of many styles that was put together by the wayward Eric Burdon after the dissolution of The Animals. We have to admit that Burdon was a genius to hook onto the rich talents of this LA combo – even though he really didn't know what to do with them on this record. Part of the album's an homage to Roland Kirk, part is an extended reworking of "Tobacco Road", and part is an overly-long bluesy passage called "Blues For Memphis Slim". Fortunately, the record also includes the monster groover "Spill The Wine", one of the first big crossover tracks to popularize the Chicano funk sound of LA – and a great little groover that still hooks us in today. LP, Vinyl record album

A really beautiful early album on Elektra – with a beautiful cover to match! LP, Vinyl record album

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With Freddie Green on guitar and shaker, Cleveland Eaton on bass, Gregg Field and Harold Jones on drums. Orchestra includes Willie Cook and Harry Edison on trumpet, Sonny Cohn, Dale Carley, Frank Szabo, and Bob Summers on trumpet and flugelhorn, Mitchell Wood, Dennis Wilson, Grover Mitchell, and Bill Hughes on trombone, Eric Dixon on tenor, Kenny Hing on tenor and flute, Bobby Plater and Danny Turner on alto and flute, and Johnny Williams on baritone. CD

An excellent gimmick from the United Artists label – a way of mixing their strong run of 60s soundtrack hits with the world of jazz – thanks to Count Basie and his group taking on a whole host of themes from the successful James Bond films! Count Basie brings a soulful swing to the work of John Barry, who scored most of these cuts – hitting hard on the tracks with his own smoking piano, and an orchestra filled with some of his best players – including Al Grey on trombone, Eric Dixon on saxes, and Freddie Greene on guitar – plus guest tenor work from Eddie Lockjaw Davis, an artist who wasn't credited on the session at he time. Arrangements are by Chico O'Farrill and George Williams – and titles include "Thunderball", "From Russia With Love", "007", "Girl Trouble", and "Goldfinger". LP, Vinyl record album

Also features Freddie Green on guitar, Charlie Fowlkes and Eric Dixon on saxophones, Sonny Cohn and Ray Brown on trumpet, and Butch Miles and Mickey Roker on drums. Tracks include "Oleo", "Good Mileage", "I Cover The Waterfront", and "In Your Own Sweet Way". CD

Stefano Di Battista on saxophone, Eric Legnini on piano, Rosario Bonaccorso on bass, and Andre Ceccarelli on drums. CD

A group of younger players, coming together in great formation that rivals some of the bigger names to record for the Posi-Tone label in recent years! There's a sharpness to the record that grabs us right from the very first note – a strong sense of writing and overall presentation – which has the quintet working very firmly as a unit, even amidst the strengths of its individual members! Tunes include numbers by members of the combo, plus labelmates like Michael Dease and Steve Davis – all delivered in a rock-solid way by Markus Howell on alto, Eric Wortzman on trumpet, Luther Allison on piano, Liany Mateo on bass, and Zac Adleman on drums. Michael Dease guests on trombone on four tracks – and titles include "Free Time", "Onward", "Indestructible", "Last Smile", "That Uncle G Thang", "Stay While", "Twisting & Turning", and "One-Sided Love Affair". CD

Sweet 70s funk from George Benson – an album that's a bit smoother than some of his earlier work, but still free from the commercial polish of his later hits! Maestro David Matthews is at the helm for this session – and most numbers have a full backing from players who include some of the best of the CTI/Kudu generation – including Ronnie Foster and Bobby Lyle on keyboards, Joe Farrell on flute, Fred Wesley on trombone, Eric Gale on rhythm guitar, Dave Friedman on vibes, and Steve Gadd on drums – who manages to kick in a nicely funky undercurrent, even on some of the mellower numbers. George's guitar is filled with warmly chromatic hues – gliding away nicely on titles that include the slow funky "Em", plus "Siberian Workout", "Shell Of A Man", "Hold On I'm Coming", "One Rock Don't Make No Boulder", and "Theme From Good King Bad". LP, Vinyl record album

Unusual work from the great George Benson – a wonderful session that was recorded by CTI during George's classic years for the label – but issued only briefly a number of years later, and slightly lost amongst the rest of his catalog! The material's great, though – and has George in top form for the sweet 70s funk years – working with arrangements by Ronnie Foster and David Matthews – on tunes that also include keyboards by Foster and Bobby Lyle, trombone from Fred Wesley, saxes from David Sanborn, Joe Farrell, Michael Brecker, and Ronnie Cuber – and even a bit of additional guitar from Eric Gale! There's a nice mix of modes here – some tight funky cuts, some more flowing numbers, and even one more traditional jazz tune with a great vocal by George – on the classic "Moody's Mood For Love". Other titles include "Melodia Espanol", "Pacific Fire", "Em", "Bandoleros Caballa", "Let Your Love Come Out", and "Knock On Wood". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Peter Bernstein on guitar, with Eric Alexander on tenor, Steve Davis on trombone, Larry Goldings on organ, and Billy Drummond on drums! CD

Max Bessesen on alto saxophone, Ron Miles on cornet, and piccolo trumpet, Eric Krouse on piano and wurlizer, Ethan Philion on piano, and Nathan Friedman on drums. CD

A great set that may well be Big Maybelle's best record ever – really rare work that's quite different than her famous work of the 50s! The set was recorded in the Criteria studios in Miami – and it's got a cool southern soul sound that's part Bobby Blue Bland bluesy soul, and part Muscle Shoals funk – fused together wonderfully by arranger Eric Knight – who really has a great ear for giving Maybelle a wicked new groove! Maybelle's vocals are a bit deeper than usual – much more soul than the blues of a decade before – and tracks include "This Bitter Earth", "How It Lies", "Old Love Never Dies", "My Mother's Eyes", and "Love Careless Love". CD

Soulful sounds from Black Pumas – a collaboration between singer Eric Burton and the great Adrian Quesada – the latter an instrumentalist and producer that you'll know from a variety of different funky projects over the years! This set might well be Adrian's ticket to the big time – as Burton's a singer with a very strong range, and great crossover potential – echoing Al Green one minute, hitting deeper vibes the next – and working alongside small combo backing that has plenty of laidback guitar lines and warm keyboards, all produced with the usual Quesada touch! Titles include "Oct 33", "Fire", "Colors", "Know You Better", "Stay Gold", "Old Man", "Confines", and "Touch The Sky". Expanded version features lots of bonus material – including "Eleanor Rigby", "Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City", "Fast Car", "Black Cat", and "I Am Ready" – plus "live in studio" versions of "Confines", "Colors", and "Oct 33". CD

Soulful sounds from Black Pumas – a collaboration between singer Eric Burton and the great Adrian Quesada – the latter an instrumentalist and producer that you'll know from a variety of different funky projects over the years! This set might well be Adrian's ticket to the big time – as Burton's a singer with a very strong range, and great crossover potential – echoing Al Green one minute, hitting deeper vibes the next – and working alongside small combo backing that has plenty of laidback guitar lines and warm keyboards, all produced with the usual Quesada touch! Titles include "Oct 33", "Fire", "Colors", "Know You Better", "Stay Gold", "Old Man", "Confines", and "Touch The Sky". Expanded version features lots of bonus material – including "Eleanor Rigby", "Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City", "Fast Car", "Black Cat", and "I Am Ready" – plus "live in studio" versions of "Confines", "Colors", and "Oct 33". LP, Vinyl record album

Other players include Roswell Rudd on trombone, Carlos Ward on alto and tenor, Michael Mantler on trumpet, Eric Gale and Cornell Dupree on guitars, and Richard Tee on piano and electric piano. CD

One of the superest of the late 60s supergroups – with Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker, and Rick Grech! Titles include "Had To Cry Today", "Presence Of The Lord", "Do What You Like", "Sea Of Joy", and "Well All Right". CD

One of the superest of the late 60s supergroups – with Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker, and Rick Grech! Titles include "Had To Cry Today", "Presence Of The Lord", "Do What You Like", "Sea Of Joy", and "Well All Right". CD

One of the superest of the late 60s supergroups – with Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker, and Rick Grech! Titles include "Had To Cry Today", "Presence Of The Lord", "Do What You Like", "Sea Of Joy", and "Well All Right". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the superest of the late 60s supergroups – with Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker, and Rick Grech! Titles include "Had To Cry Today", "Presence Of The Lord", "Do What You Like", "Sea Of Joy", and "Well All Right". CD

One of the superest of the late 60s supergroups – with Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker, and Rick Grech! Titles include "Had To Cry Today", "Presence Of The Lord", "Do What You Like", "Sea Of Joy", and "Well All Right". LP, Vinyl record album

The film soundtrack version of this famous 60s musical, which was based around the sounds of Belgian singer Jacques Brel. The film version shares many similarities to the broadway one – translations by Eric Blau and Mort Shuman, vocals by Shuman and Elly Stone – but the overall sound is quite different, as the versions presented here are more subtle, less campy, possibly due to the freer range of expression allowed to the actors on a film soundstage. Plus, this version also includes a few of Brel's best songs that were left out of the original show – making for a total of 26 titles that include "The Bulls", "Sons Of", "The Desperate Ones", "Amsterdam", "The Statue", "Brussels", "Funeral Tango", "Bachelors Dance", "Carousel", and "Next". If you want Brel in English, this may well be the best way to get it – as nearly all other English language versions of his work (by Scott Walker, Marc Almond, and others) came from these translations. LP, Vinyl record album

Kenny Burrell joins the quartet of Hammond hero Brother Jack McDuff – in a session that's not only a classic Prestige cooker from the 60s, but also one of Kenny's most hard grooving albums of the decade! Jack's tight group really seem to push Burrell into some great new territory – a different groove than his Blue Note or Verve sides, with a bit more grit overall – although still plenty of those perfectly-chosen notes on his solos. Harold Vick's tenor sax is the main reed element here, although Eric Dixon also plays flute on one track – and remaining players include Joe Dukes on drums and Ray Barreto on congas, a player who didn't often work with Jack, but who's very welcome here. Tracks are longish, with an open-ended soul jazz feel – not really blowing session numbers, given McDuff's tight sense of rhythm, but a nice change from the usual. Titles include "Grease Monkey", "Nica's Dream", "Love Walked In", and "We'll Be Together Again". CD

Abraham Burton on alto saxophone, Marc Cary on piano, Billy Johnson on double bass, and Eric McPherson on drums. CD

Abraham Burton on tenor saxophone, Dezron Douglas on bass, and Eric McPherson on drums. CD

Caixa Cubo are a Brazilian trio with a very keyboard-heavy sound – a mode that's rooted in cosmic energy of 70s greats like Herbie Hancock or Lonnie Liston Smith, yet which is also taken into strong vocal territory here – thanks to the appearance of a great range of different singers! Many tunes have a soulful flow that's great, and the use of keyboards and Brazilian-influenced rhythms is like an updated take on the music of Azymuth – but again with a nicely different vibe that comes from the work of vocalists who include Xenia Franca, Ze Leonidas, Matthias Schriefl, and Eric Owusu. Titles include "Agora", "Caio & Eric", "Carrossel", "Sabado", "Dreams", "Kismeti", and "Asase". CD

Not everyone digs the later Captain and crew, but the early 80s efforts have finally gotten their just props after all these years – and we'll we'll come right out and say that this second to last album before Don Van Vliet hung up the music for painting has always sounded great to us! The Magic Band is incredible as always – with Jeff Morris Tepper, Drumbo French and Eric Drew Feldman's antics under the Captain's idiosyncratic vocalese. With "Hot Head", "Ashtray Heart", "A Carrot Is As Close As A Rabbit Gets To A Diamond", "Run Paint Run Run", "Sue Egypt", "Brickbats", "Dirty Blue Gene", "Best Batch Yet", "Telephone", "Flavor Bud Living", "Sherriff Of Hong Kong" and "Making Love To A Vampire With A Monkey On My Knee". LP, Vinyl record album

A late 70s return to glory for the Captain – and a set that has a bit of a checkered path, in that it was originally done for Frank Zappa's Discreet label as the album Bat Chain Puller – then was held back, and mostly re-recorded for this seminal release on Warner Brothers! The set shows all the grown that Don Van Vliet had undergone during the decade – and also echoes his previous collaboration with Zappa – served up with instrumentation that is wonderfully complex, but still quite personal and earthy – a blend of composition, improvisation, and individuality that almost has Beefheart rivaling the work of Hermeto Pascoal during the decade, yet in a very different mode – given his vocal styles and occasional spoken musings! The Cap sings, plays harmonica, and blows soprano sax – alongside Jeff Moris Tepper on slide guitar and spell guitar, Bruce Lambourne Fowler on trombone, Eric Drew Friedman on Fender Rhodes and bass, Art Tripp III on marimba and percussion, Robert Arthur Williams on drums, and Richard Redus on slide guitar, bottleneck guitar, fretless bass, accordion, and guitar. Tracks include "The Floppy Boot Stomp", "Ice Rose", "Bat Chain Puller", "Candle Mambo", "Love Lies", and "Suction Prints". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer hardbop session from the early 60s – one of Sonny Clark's later sides for Blue Note, and an album that features a great lineup of players that includes lesser-known Blue Note hornmen Charlie Rouse and Tommy Turrentine! The record crackles with the energy and imagination of Clark's best work for the label – leaping and loping along the grooves with a free-thinking approach to the tunes, and coming up with some exotically-tinged takes on the hardbop sound of the time – yet still allowing plenty of space for searing solo work. Ike Quebec joins the group on a few tracks as well, and titles include some of Clark's best compositions – like "Melody for C" and "Voodoo" – as well as the tracks "Eric Walks", "Midnight Mambo", and "Deep In A Dream". CD version includes 2 bonus tracks: "Zellar's Delight" and an alterate take of "Melody for C". CD

A killer hardbop session from the early 60s – one of Sonny Clark's later sides for Blue Note, and an album that features a great lineup of players that includes lesser-known Blue Note hornmen Charlie Rouse and Tommy Turrentine! The record crackles with the energy and imagination of Clark's best work for the label – leaping and loping along the grooves with a free-thinking approach to the tunes, and coming up with some exotically-tinged takes on the hardbop sound of the time – yet still allowing plenty of space for searing solo work. Ike Quebec joins the group on a few tracks as well, and titles include some of Clark's best compositions – like "Melody for C" and "Voodoo" – as well as the tracks "Eric Walks", "Midnight Mambo", and "Deep In A Dream". CD reissue also features a rare bonus cut, the great "Zellmar's Delight", and an alternate take of "Melody for C"! CD

The first album in many many years from organist Gloria Coleman – the Hammond player best known for her famous 60s date on Impulse Records, still sounding pretty darn great here all these many years later! A good portion of the record features Gloria's husband, George Coleman joining in on tenor sax – creating a sound that's a bit like the Shirley Scott/Stanley Turrentine groove of many years back – but other numbers have Coleman on the Hammond, with guitar from either Calvin Keys or Eric Johnson, and drums from either George Coleman Jr or Deszon Claiborne. Lonnie Smith guests on piano on one track – and the whole thing's got an easygoing soul jazz groove that's totally great! Titles include "Do It Again", "Martin's Rhumba", "Sweet Missy", "Blues Everywhere", "Confirmation", "I Just Found Out About Love", "Impressions", and "Put Em In A Box". CD

A complete issue of a groundbreaking late 50s performance by Ornette Coleman – some of which has been released on the French album Fabulous Paul Bley Quintet, and other parts on albums under Ornette's name! The quality of the performance is amazing – some of the freshest jazz recorded in LA at the time, but still somewhat more inside than Coleman's work of the decade to come – a key transitional moment from Ornette, played by a group that features Don Cherry on trumpet, Charlie Haden on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – plus a young Paul Bley on piano, who makes for a very different rhythmic conception than some of the Coleman quartet albums of a year or two later! Given Bley's approach to the piano, even at this point, the sound is still quite different than most of what had come before – almost in the territory of some of Eric Dolphy's early albums for New Jazz. Titles include "Free", "The Blessing", "When Will The Blues Leave", "Ramblin", "Crossroads", "How Deep Is The Ocean", "Klactoveesedstene", and "I Remember Harlem". CD

Quite a different album than usual for John Coltrane, but a classic one too – and a set that has the great one exploring his ideas in a set of longer tracks recorded with an expanded jazz orchestra! The format's hardly the mainstream big band of the time – as Coltrane's filled the group with very hip players – including Booker Little, Freddie Hubbard, Julian Priester, and Eric Dolphy – in addition to usual compatriots who include McCoy Tyner, Reggie Workman, and Elvin Jones. The tunes have a soaring, modal sort of pulse – one that's filled with color and light from the addition of the other horn players, but which still has plenty of space for extended, exploratory solos. Coltrane plays both tenor and soprano sax – and titles include the legendary 16 minute track "Africa", a classic reading of "Greensleeves", redone here as a modal searching spiritual track, and "Blues Minor". LP, Vinyl record album

A great complement to the classic Atlantic albums by Coltrane – material recorded during the same stretch, but never issued at the time! The 1970 set features some undiscovered gems recorded with groups that include Milt Jackson, Hank Jones, Eric Dolphy, Freddie Hubbard, and McCoy Tyner – and titles include "Centerpiece", "Stairway To The Stars", "Blues Legacy", "26-2", "To Her Ladyship", and "Untitled Original". LP, Vinyl record album

One of numerous posthumous live sides, capturing a great early 60s performance by Trane in a quintet setting. Eric Dolphy joins the classic quartet of Tyner, Jones, Workman and Trane for a lenghty reading of "My Favorite Things" and the contemplative numbers "Blue Train", "Naima" and "Impressions". LP, Vinyl record album

4 discs worth of material recorded by Coltrane in a variety of settings at the Village Vanguard in November 1961! Eric Dolphy is included on most takes, and the bass chair is filled by either Jimmy Garrison or Reggie Workman, and on some takes both (!), McCoy Tyner is on piano, Elvin Jones is on drums and a few songs feature Ahmed Abdul Malik or Garvin Bushnell. Titles include multiple readings of "India", "Chasin' The Trane", "Spiritual", "Miles' Mode" and more! CD

Quite a different album than usual for John Coltrane, but a classic one too – and a set that has the great one exploring his ideas in a set of longer tracks recorded with an expanded jazz orchestra! The format's hardly the mainstream big band of the time – as Coltrane's filled the group with very hip players – including Booker Little, Freddie Hubbard, Julian Priester, and Eric Dolphy – in addition to usual compatriots who include McCoy Tyner, Reggie Workman, and Elvin Jones. The tunes have a soaring, modal sort of pulse – one that's filled with color and light from the addition of the other horn players, but which still has plenty of space for extended, exploratory solos. Coltrane plays both tenor and soprano sax – and titles include the legendary 16 minute track "Africa", a classic reading of "Greensleeves", redone here as a modal searching spiritual track, and "Blues Minor". CD

Very unusual work by Coltrane – sessions that feature his classic quartet playing in front of larger orchestra backings conducted by Eric Dolphy! The tracks feature Trane leading a group young modernists through a set of larger arranged charts, woven tightly together in a soulful spiritual groove that's similar to some of Max Roach's projects like this from the same time. Players include Booker Little, Eric Dolphy, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Reggie Workman, and Julius Watkins – and this 2CD set features all of the material that was issued on the first album, plus other tracks that came out during the 70s. There's a total of 8 cuts in all – and titles include "Song Of The Underground Railroad", "Blues Minor", "Africa", "The Damned Don't Cry", and "Greensleeves". CD

A mellow set of ballads, taken mostly from Trane's first few years at Impulse – in various formations that have him working with his classic quartet, plus guests like Johnny Hartman, Eric Dolphy, or Duke Ellington. Titles include "Soul Eyes", "What's New", "Dear Lord", "Lush Life", "Wise One", "My Little Brown Book", and "After The Rain". CD

A mellow set of ballads, taken mostly from Trane's first few years at Impulse – in various formations that have him working with his classic quartet, plus guests like Johnny Hartman, Eric Dolphy, or Duke Ellington. Titles include "Soul Eyes", "What's New", "Dear Lord", "Lush Life", "Wise One", "My Little Brown Book", "The Spiritual", and "After The Rain". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant work – John Coltrane really opening up in his new spiritual mode of the 60s, hinting at the changes to come, while still keeping the modal groove of previous recordings! The record features tracks from a few different sessions from the years 1961 to 1963, but it holds together beautifully – thanks to a unified creative spirit in the music! The centerpiece of the album is the stunning track "Impressions" – performed by the quartet with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones – but all tracks are great, and titles include "After the Rain", and "Up 'Gainst The Wall" – plus the brilliant cut "India", which features guest work by Eric Dolphy on bass clarinet! CD

Brilliant work – John Coltrane really opening up in his new spiritual mode of the 60s, hinting at the changes to come, while still keeping the modal groove of previous recordings! The record features tracks from a few different sessions from the years 1961 to 1963, but it holds together beautifully – thanks to a unified creative spirit in the music! The centerpiece of the album is the stunning track "Impressions" – performed by the quartet with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones – but all tracks are great, and titles include "After the Rain", and "Up 'Gainst The Wall" – plus the brilliant cut "India", which features guest work by Eric Dolphy on bass clarinet! LP, Vinyl record album

Recorded live on February 10th and June 2nd, 1962 – with Coltrane on tenor, Eric Dolphy on alto and flute, McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums! CD

Sublimely spiritual work from the great John Coltrane – a live album, but one that's easily one of his most important contributions to music in the early 60s – and a set that we'd rank right up there with his best studio sides for Impulse or Atlantic Records at the time! The group here features McCoy Tyner on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – plus the very important addition of Eric Dolphy on the leadoff tune "Spiritual" – a number that features Dolphy on bass clarinet alongside Coltrane's tremendous tenor, as both players open up on extended solos that take the tune to nearly 14 minutes in length! Other numbers omit Dolphy, but are still totally great – and Coltrane picks up the soprano sax for a classic reading of "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise" – and the group shifts slightly for the freer "Chasin The Trane", a 16 minute romp done with only tenor sax, drums, and bass – the latter of which is handled here by Jimmy Garrison instead of Workman. LP, Vinyl record album

The complete John Coltrane performances at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1963 – including one track with Eric Dolphy! All tracks are quite long, too. CD

A great collection of tunes from Coltrane's seminal work at Impulse – and a much needed look at his spiritual approach to jazz. The package features Trane working with players that include Eric Dolphy, Alice Coltrane, Mc Coy Tyner, Elvin Jones, and others – and it does a good job of picking out the soulful numbers from albums that sometimes go a bit farther outside. Together, the tracks make a strong collection of work that shows Trane's influence on the soul jazz sound of the 70s, and the wealth of players who were undeniably influenced by his genius. Titles include "Tunji", "Wise One", "Dear Lord", "Song Of Praise", "Welcome", "Love Supreme – Part 1", "Spiritual", and "Ogunde". CD

With John Patitucci on bass, Dave Weckl on drums, Eric Marienthal on saxophone, and Frank Gambale on guitar. LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing package – a pair of rare avant jazz albums, presented here together! The first album is Peace In The World – maybe the only album issued under the name of Michael Cosmic – but a set that's part of a key legacy with his brother, reedman Phill Musra! The set has Cosmic in very heady territory – sounds that come from his young tenure in the AACM, his brief time with Cecil Taylor, and his budding reputation on the 70s Boston scene – where the set was recorded, and almost stands as a precursor to the rich legacy of improvisational jazz that would emerge on the New England scene for decades to come! Tracks are long and very free, but have spiritual currents too – and Cosmic is mostly on piano, with Musra on soprano sax and tenor, Leonard Brown on soprano and tenor, John Jamyll Jones on bass, Huseyin Ertunc on drums, and Eric Jackson on percussion. Titles include "We Love You Malcolm X", "Peace In The World", "Sapce On Space", and "Arabia". Next is the related album Creator Spaces, by Phill Musra – recorded at the time when he was part of the very underground Boston avant scene – a world that had a slightly different vibe than music coming from Chicago, Detroit, or New York! The album's got a spiritual avant bent – soulful at the core, with lots of references to outer space as well – and an approach that feels a lot like a classic Saturn Records session by Sun Ra, both in sound and spirit! Musra plays reeds, chimes, and percussion – and the group features some incredible sax work by Michael Cosmic, who also plays a bit of organ, again in a tripped-out, Ra-type way. Huseyin Ertunc plays percussion – very free and loose, in ways that are a great balance to the more angular lines of the reeds – and tracks include "The Creator Is So Far Out", "The Creator Spaces", "Egypt", and "Arabia". Also features unreleased tracks "The Creator Is So Far Out (unreleased version)" and "Phyllis". Added to the set is a really special bonus third CD – an unreleased long live performance of "The Prayer" by Worlds Experience Orchestra – a group from the same scene at the time – with Shaddu Jones on piano, Stan Strickland on tenor and soprano, Frank Peterson on alto, John Jamyll Jones on bass, Robert Ruff on cello, Larry Lerner on drums, and John Klein on amplified violin. CD