An all star line-up with Melvin Sparks on guitar, Gloria Coleman on organ, Dr John on piano, Wilbur Bascomb on bass, and Bernard Purdie on drums, plus a horn section with Alan Rubin, Lew Soloff, Lou Marini, and Howard Johnson. CD

Gil plays Jimi? Sounds like a gimmick, but it comes off pretty darn great – and it helps you forgive him for trying to convince the kids that he's not as old as his grey hair might make you think! As always with Evans, the key to the album is a beautiful balance between the strength of the players and vision of the arrangements – a hip mix of musicians who include Billy Harper on tenor and flute, Marvin Hannibal Peterson on trumpet, and both Ryo Kawasaki and John Abercrombie on guitars! Arrangements are great too – handled by Tom Malone, Warren Smith, and Howard Johnson – all of whom make the album way more than just an instrumental reading of Jimi Hendrix tunes – and instead a great platform for improvisation that uses tunes that include "Up From The Skies", "Foxy Lady", "Gypsy Eyes", "Voodoo Chile", "Angel", "Crosstown Traffic", and "Castles Made of Sand". Plus, the CD features 4 bonus alternate tracks – not on the original album! CD

Gil Evans on - piano and electric piano, Lew Soloff, Hannibal Marvin Peterson, Shunzo Ohno, and Miles Evans on trumpet, George Adams on tenor saxophone, Chris Hunter on alto saxophone, Howard Johnson on tuba, baritone saxophone, and bass clarinet, Tom Malone on trombone, Hiram Bullock on guitar, Pete Levin on synthesizer, Mark Egan on electric bass, Adam Nussbaum on drums, and Mino Cinelu on percussion. CD

Featuring Louis Armstrong, Jimmie Noone, Darnell Howard, Walter Fuller, Budd Johnson, Billy Eckstine and more. CD

One of the great larger group recordings that pianist Abdullah Ibrahim gave us in the 80s – from a moment when he was able to use added horns to really expand that amazing sense of color and rhythm he'd brought to his music on earlier trio recordings! There's a sense of musical vision here that really lives up to Abdullah's majestic look on the cover – a fantastic merging of flute and tenor from John Stubblefield, soprano and alto from Horace Alexander Young, tuba and baritone from Howard Johnson, and trombone from Robin Eubanks – all vibrant horn players who seem to have just about every tone and mood covered with their horns – given this wonderfully warm support from Buster Williams on bass, and Brian Adams on drums. All titles are originals by the leader – and tunes include "Chisa", "Sweet Samba", "Duke 88", "The Wedding", and "Joan Capetown Flower". CD

A trio of later gems from this legendary South African pianist! Mindif is a great set that features Abdullah Ibrahim's soundtrack music for the 1988 Clair Denis film Chocolat – some of his best group recordings of the 80s! The feel here is a bit more African-styled than usual – even for Ibrahim – with strong use of reeds to inflect the tunes with the right degree of color and tone for their use in the film. The ensemble on the record features Ricky Ford on tenor and soprano, Craig Handy on flute and tenor, Benny Powell on trombone, David Williams on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – and the tracks have a languid groove that recalls some of Dollar Brand's best South African recordings with Kippie Moketsie. Titles include "Earth Bird", "African Market", "Pule", "Star Dance", and "Serenity". African River is one of the great larger group recordings that pianist Abdullah Ibrahim gave us in the 80s – from a moment when he was able to use added horns to really expand that amazing sense of color and rhythm he'd brought to his music on earlier trio recordings! There's a sense of musical vision here that really lives up to Abdullah's majestic look on the cover – a fantastic merging of flute and tenor from John Stubblefield, soprano and alto from Horace Alexander Young, tuba and baritone from Howard Johnson, and trombone from Robin Eubanks – all vibrant horn players who seem to have just about every tone and mood covered with their horns – given this wonderfully warm support from Buster Williams on bass, and Brian Adams on drums. All titles are originals by the leader – and tunes include "Chisa", "Sweet Samba", "Duke 88", "The Wedding", and "Joan Capetown Flower". Yarona is a beautifully sensitive set from Abdullah Ibrahim – recorded live at the Village Vanguard, and with an open, lyrical sound that almost seems to recall some of Bill Evans' magical moments in the venue! Ibrahim's quite a different player, of course – but there's an open, exploratory quality to his music that's a bit unusual here – maybe not as rhythmically based as it is balanced between sound and silence – given very respectful company in the bass of Marcus McLaurine and drums of George Johnson. Titles include "Cherry/Mannenberg", "Duke 88", "African River", "Stardance", "Tuang Guru", "Tintinyana", and "African Marketplace". CD

John Lewis on piano, Howard Collins and Harold Alden on guitar, Marc Johnson and George Mraz on bass, and Lewis Nash on drums. CD

A rare rare landmark from Charles Mingus – music written for the 1965 Monterey festival, but (as the title indicates) not played at the festival! The recording was done later, at UCLA, with a group that includes Charles McPherson, Julius Watkins, Jimmy Owens, Hobart Dotson, and Howard Johnson – and it features a large group of horns, playing in some of Mingus' most sophisticated arrangements of the 60s! There's still a tremendous amount of fire in the work, as you'd guess from titles that include "Don't Let It Happen Here", "Don't Be Afraid The Clown's Afraid Too", "Once Upon A Time There Was A Holding Corporation Called Old America", and "They Trespass On The Land Of The Sacred Sioux". The album was originally only issued on Mingus' own label, available only by mail – and is presented here as a well-done 2CD set complete with some spoken introductions. CD

David Newman on flute and tenor and alto saxophone, Benny Powell on trombone, Winston Byrd on flugelhorn and trumpet, Howard Johnson on baritone saxophone, David Leonhardt on piano, John Menegon on bass, and Yoron Israel on drums. CD

Growing brilliance from the young Archie Shepp – a record that's not just about Archie's own amazing work on the tenor, but also his keen modern vision as a leader! The combo here is an ensemble that features some of the hippest modernists of the 60s – Roswell Rudd and Grachan Moncur on trombone, Perry Robinson on clarinet, Howard Johnson on tuba, Charlie Haden on bass, and Tommy Turrentine on trumpet – making a rare non-bop appearance here, and further enforcing our already-high estimation of his talents! The style's somewhat in the "new thing" mode of the period, but it's also a bit more tightly arranged too – almost hitting Mingus-like modes for the bigger ensemble – balancing the force of the group together with very free, bold solo impulses from the players. Side one features the extended "Portrait Of Robert Thompson (As A Young Man)" – and side two features "Mama Too Tight", "Theme For Ernie", and "Basheer". CD

With Bobby Porcelli on alto sax, Howard Johnson on baritone sax, Ron Carter on bass, and TS Monk on drums. CD

A lost session by Hank Mobley – originally recorded in 1966, but not officially issued until 1979, and then only briefly until another short issue in the mid 90s! The record has Mobley really reaching out into a new bag – hitting a more soulfully arranged sound than on some of his other straighter Blue Notes – a full, rich groove that's totall wonderful! Duke Pearson arranged the group, and it's slightly larger than usual – with James Spaulding on alto, Lee Morgan on trumpet, McCoy Tyner on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, Billy Higgins on drums, and Kiane Zawadi and Howard Johnson providing a very unique tuba/euphonium bass part – hardly the clunky horns you might expect, and instead sort of a rumbling bottom-end sound that's really great. Titles include "Hank's Other Bag", "Touch Of Blue", and "A Slice Of The Top". CD

Jelly Roll Morton on piano with George Mitchell, Ward Pinkett, Ed Anderson, Edwin Swayzee,Red Rossiter, Barclay "horsecollar" Draper, Walter Briscoe & Sidney De Paris on trumpet, Kid Ory, Gerald Reeves, Geechy Fields, William Cato, Charlie Irvis & Claude Jones on trombone, Quinn Wilson, Bill Benford, Bass Moore & Harry Prather on tu, Omer Simeon, Barney Bigard, Darnell Howard, Johnny Dodds, Russell Procope, George Bacquet, Albert Nicholas on clarinet, Stump Evans, Paul Barnes, Joe Garland, Paul "polo" Barnes, Joe Thomas, Walter "foots" Thomas, Sidney Bechet & Happy Cauldwell on saxophone, Rod Rodriguez on ensemble piano, Johnny St. Cyr, Bud Scott, Lee Blair, Barney Alexander, Lawrence Lucie on banjo & guitar, John Lindsey & Wellman Braud on bass, Andrew Hilaire, Baby Dodds, Tommy Benford, Manzie Johnson, William Laws, Zutty Singleton on drums & Marty Bloom on effects. CD

Another great double release from the Muse vaults – both of which showcase Newman on a variety of reeds plus flute. Resurgence features a great group including Cedar Walton, Ted Dunbar, Marcus Belgrave, Buster Williams, and Louis Hayes. Still Hard Times features Howard Johnson on baritone, Charlie Miller on trumpet, Larry Willis on piano, and Steve Nelson on vibes! CD

David Schumacher on baritone and tenor saxophone and bass clarinet, Howard Johnson on baritone saxophone, Ned Goold and Jerry Weldon on tenor saxophone, Robert Trowers on trombone, Pablo Moya on tres, Rob Bargad on organ, Neil Caine and Ruben Rodriguez on bass, Neil Caine and Ruben Rodriguez on bass, Jimmy Cobb on drums, Jason Walker on bells and bata, Sam "Seguito" Turner on cajon, congas, and percussion, and Gabriel Machado on congas. CD

Great 40s work from this Kansas City legend – recorded in New York, Chicago, and LA – with work from players who include Don Byas and Wild Bill Moore on tenor, Camille Howard and Pete Johnson on piano, Red Saunders on drums, and Riley Hampton on alto sax. 26 tracks total!! CD

Howard Johnson on baritone saxophone and tuba, Jeff Chambers on bass, Donald Bailey and Eddie Marshall on drums, Randy Vincent on guitar, George Cables on piano, Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone, Mel Martin on tenor and soprano saxophone and flute, and Warren Gale on trumpet and flugelhorn. CD

A beautiful album of jazzy modern soul tracks – and quite possibly the best album by this legendary combo! There's a joyous, upbeat feel here that's totally great – miles from mainstream soul of the time, in a way that's always made the record a favorite for fans of the Free Soul scene – who've kept it strong for years. Lead vocals are by Sandy Torano and Howard Johnson – but the backing vocals are great too, and feature Phyllis Hyman – used in subtle ways to flesh out the sound nicely – and the instrumentation is often funky, but has a warmer, jazzier undercurrent too. Titles include "If You Want it", "All About Love", "Get On the Fun", "Tryin To Find", "No Two Alike", "Make It Right", and "Easy Come". CD

Features Steve Turre on trombone, Howard Johnson on tuba, Junior Cook on tenor, and others! CD

A landmark album – and one of the best records you'll ever find by Mary Lou Williams! The record's a mixture of jazz and spiritual themes, and it features Mary Lou's piano set in some super-hip jazz arrangements that include players like Grant Green, Budd Johnson, Larry Gales, Melba Liston, Ben Tucker, and Percy Heath. The bass and piano work is amazing, and many tracks have a dark groove that's very subtle, but very compelling. About half the tunes feature hip choral vocalizing – in the mode of some of the Donald Byrd or Max Roach albums from the same time – mostly handled by the group of Howard Roberts. Includes the classic groover "A Grand Nite For Swinging", plus "A Fungus Amongus", "Anima Christi", "Miss DD", "The Devil", "It Ain't Necessarily So", and "My Blue Heaven". Great stuff all around – and even better than we're describing it! This CD issue features the original Mary Records cover art – different than the Saba/MPS or later Smithsonian CD versions. CD