A mindblowing album from James Moody – of the sort that opens up a whole new facet of his career! The record takes off from Moody's early 60s work for Chess – his post-bop recordings that started displaying a deeper side of his musical consciousness – and which occasionally featured work by composer/arranger Tom McIntosh. McIntosh's presence is felt very strongly here – as he produced the whole session, and contributed a few tracks – working in the Nola Penthouse studios at a level of hipness we never would have expected! Moody plays tenor, alto, and flute – working with a really great group that includes Patti brown on piano, Albert Heath on drums, Reggie Workman on bass, and Thad Jones on trumpet – and the scope of the work is far beyond anything you'd expect! The record's got a stunning early funk track by Edward Bland – "If You Grin You're In", which features a tripped-out organ line mostly just holding one note – while drums pound hard, and Moody blows it over the top – all set to this flattened production that makes the whole thing sound really eerie! Other great tracks include the loping groover "Capers", the wonderfully moody flute number "Wayward Plaint" (written by Dennis Sandole, of the oft-overlooked Sandole Brothers), and the tracks "Em Prean Shore" and "Buster's Last Stand". Tremendous throughout – and completely essential, whether you already like Moody or not! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Includes cuts from a 1954 sessions with Frank Morgan and the Kenny Clarke All-Stars, with Walter Benton on tenor, Milt Jackson on vibes, Gerald Wiggins on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums; plus cuts from a 1955 sessions with Gigi Gryce on alto, Duke Jordan on piano, Oscar Pettiford on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

The second, and possibly the most ambitious album the Brit psych-art soul unit led by Keith Emerson's showy, dense work on Hammond organ and keyboards. The group always had a theatrical approach, which really shows on the groups nuevo classical, psychological comedy song cycle! LP, Vinyl record album

The Charlie Parker Quartet featuring Al Haig on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Max Roach on drums! LP, Vinyl record album

Part 3 of a series of double LPs issued by Verve in the late 70s compiling his classic recordings for Verve under the direction of Norman Granz. Loads of landmark bop performances are documented here, and the groups include smaller quintets and quartets, as well as some medium sized groups and big band recordings, with sidemen that include Max Roach, Percy Heath, Teddy Kotick, Walter Bishop and others. 30 tracks in all, including "Autumn In New York", "Stella By Starlight", "Begin The Beguine", "Night & Day", "I Can't Get Started", "Old Folks", "I Remember You", "Now's The Time", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "Love For Sale" and "I Love Paris". LP, Vinyl record album

Oscar Peterson's living the vida bueno here – returning to the London House in Chicago, over a decade after his famous recording date in the early 60s – and working with a very different style overall! The tracks are long, and quite open – a great way to hear Peterson working out some inventive ideas on the keys, with, arguably, a lot less "trademark" moments than usual for the 70s – and the trio also features Joe Pass on guitar and Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass. The set features a great version of "Wave", plus "Wheatland", "The Good Life", "On A Clear Day", and "For Count". LP, Vinyl record album

Although bassist Oscar Pettiford left a huge influence on jazz before his untimely death, there's not actually that many fantastic records in which he's featured as a leader. Fortunately, this is one of the few, and it's a sparkling set of modernist inflected bop tunes played by a group that includes Mingus on bass, Phil Urso on tenor, Walter Bishop on piano, and Percy Heath on drums. Pettiford plays cello, and his lead on the instrument gives the record a dark tone that is extremely haunting. Titles include "Low & Behold", "Pendulum", and "Tamalpais". LP, Vinyl record album

One side of music from The Peach Thief – the other of music from The Liars, International Detective, The Cheaters, The Spider's Web, and Man From Interpol. LP, Vinyl record album

The title says "57", but the music's from a few years before – yet that's OK with us, because Bud Powell always has a sound that's instantly timeless no matter what the year! The album brings together sides from Verve dates in 1954 and 1955 – one featuring Art Blakey on drums and Lloyd Troutman on bass, the other featuring Max Roach and Percy Heath. Given the presence of the strong drummers, there's a drive here that's a bit harder than on some of the other Verve dates – a highly rhythmic component that often brings a real focus to some of the more upbeat numbers, but which lays back nicely on the mellower ones to let Powell hit some especially dark notes. Titles include "Deep Night", "That Old Black Magic", "Round Midnight", "Thou Swell", and "Tenderly". LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of Bud's work for Verve – put together as a memorial album after Bud's passing in 1966. The tracks are nearly all from the 50s, but also fetaure a few numbers from 1949 – with Bud playing solo on 3 tracks, and in various trios on others – alongside players that include Max Roach, Art Taylor, Kenny Clarke, and Percy Heath. Titles include "Tempus Fugue-it", "Round Midnight", "Buttercup", "Woody N You", "Mediocre", and "Be-Bop". LP, Vinyl record album

The second album from Principal Edwards Magic Theatre – and arguably even better than the first, thanks to some really focused production from Nick Mason! The sound here has more of the building elements of psychedelia you'd expect from Mason's history with Pink Floyd – and a bit less of the flowery looseness of Principal Edwards' debut – and the new focus is a really welcome addition, as it helps the group find a new level of power in their music they might never have attained! There's still plenty of folksy instrumentation and trippy themes in the tunes – but the guitars are more electric, the studio tricks more dynamic, and the overall record is a much more pleasing bit of ear candy that stands up well to the test of time. Titles include "Freef", "Total Glycerol Esther", "Mc Alpine's Dream", and "Asmoto Running Band". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the first albums ever from Ricardo Ray – a really sharp-edged set that's quite different than any of his later work with Bobby Cruz! The groove here is a mix of Latin jazz and boogaloo modes – a really strong sound that draws heavily on Ray's bold piano lines, and which also features tight trumpet work from Doc Cheatham and Pedro Rafael Chapparo – both of whom get some good space to solo on the record! There's a bit of vocals – from Chivirico Davila and a young Bobby Cruz, who's not yet Ray's official musical partner – but the instrumentalists really direct the course of action here, and make the set a standout swinger from the 60s. Titles include "Azucare Y Bongo", "Lookie, Lookie", "Danzon Boogaloo", "Suite Noro Morales", "Guaguanco in Jazz", and a Latinized take on "Swedish Schnapps". LP, Vinyl record album

Later work from this legendary duo, but still with all the classic elements in place – great vocals from Bobby Cruz, in a combo that also features some trumpet solos from Doc Cheatham – on titles that include "Timoteo", "Aguila", "Los Fariseos", "En Las Nubes", and "Quedate Donde Estas". LP, Vinyl record album

A stone classic from Jimmy Reed – and one of the first few albums on the Vee Jay label! The sound is spare, rootsy, and bluesy – the kind of tunes that made Jimmy an instant favorite, and which were a key force in the Chicago blues sound of the 50s. The set features material recorded for Vee Jay in 1958 and 1957, with Jimmy on vocals, acoustic guitar, and harmonica. Benchmark late 50s Chicago blues! Titles include "Honest, I Do", "You Got Me Dizzy", "Can't Stand To See You Go", "Boogie In The Dark", "You Got Me Crying", "Little Rain", "Roll & Rhumba", his classic "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

With Shorty Rogers on flugelhorn and trumpet, Bud Shank on flute and alto, George Cables on piano, Bob Magnusson on bass, and Roy McCurdy on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Early Sonny Rollins work for Prestige – recorded in the years 1951 and 1953, in a variety of settings! 4 tracks on the album features Rollins blowing with the MJQ, one more has him working with a Miles Davis group, and the last 8 feature a quartet with Kenny Drew, Percy Heath, and Art Blakey. The tunes are shorter than you might be used to hearing Rollins, but there's still plenty of power and imagination in the grooves – very economical solos, crafted with a great deal of imagination. Titles include "Scoops", "Shadrack", "Mambo Bounce", "The Stopper", "I Know", and "No Moe". LP, Vinyl record album

Early Rollins work for Prestige – recorded between 1951 and 1954, in a variety of settings! Like a lot of the other Milestone 2LP sets issued in the 70s, this album collects tracks from a number of sessions, restoring recordings to the order they were recorded in rather than how they were originally issued, which in this case was mostly as 10" LPs, under a variety of titles including Mambo Jazz, Sonny Rollins, Sonny Rollins With The Modern Jazz Quartet and others. As such the set features five lineups, all smaller groups, mostly quartets and sidemen include Miles Davis, Roy Haynes, Elmo Hope, Kenny Dorham, Thelonius Monk, Kenny Drew, Percy Heath, and Art Blakey. Since most of this was originally issued on 10"s, the tunes are shorter than you might be used to hearing Rollins' LPs, but there's still plenty of power and imagination in the grooves – very economical solos, crafted with a great deal of imagination. 20 tracks in all, with including "Scoops", "Shadrack", "Mambo Bounce", "The Stopper", "I Know", "Movin' Out", "Solid", "Newk's Fadeaway", "Silk'N'Satin", and "No Moe". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible work by Nino Rota – and one of his best scores ever for Fellini! The tracks are done with a weird mix of instruments that include organ, vibes, electric guitar, clarinet, and some occasional wordless vocals that really sound crazy – almost Morricone-like at points, but with a bit more Rota whimsy! The score is easily a blueprint for countless other Italian soundtracks of the 60s – a divine bit of work from Rota, although oddly one of his lesser-remembered works. Titles include "Grandpa's Waltz", "The Little Theatre", "Master of Love", "Dance of the Frog", and "Behold the Devils". LP, Vinyl record album