Marc Copland on piano, Drew Gress on bass, and Jochen Ruckert on drums. CD

Marc Copland on piano, Bob Berg on saxophone, Randy Brecker on trumpet, James Genus on bass, and Dennis Chambers on drums. CD

Marc Copland on piano, Randy Brecker on trumpet, Ed Howard on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums. CD

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One of the leading lights of the ECM Records scene in the early 80s – bassist Marc Johnson, working here with his successful Bass Desires group! The lineup features some wonderful interplay on stringed instruments – Johnson's bass, and guitars from both John Scofield and Bill Frisell, the later of whom also plays a bit of guitar synthesizer, in very ECM-shaped lines. Drums are from Peter Erskine, who's well-heard when the moment allows – and titles include "Samurai Hee Haw", "Mojo Highway", "Thanks Again", "Bass Desires", and "Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair". CD

Joelle Leandre on double bass and Marc Ducret on electric guitar. CD

Enrico Pieranunzi on piano, Marc Johnson on double bass, and Joey Baron on drums. CD

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The second amazing album from Placebo – a wicked mix of funky fusion styles, and a real standout on the European scene of the early 70s! The group's the brainchild of Marc Moulin – who wrote all tracks, and plays a wealth of great keyboards, in ways that almost make him the European equivalent of Herbie Hancock – especially in the way he can spaciously explore a groove! But there's other great elements to the music too – some tight funky rhythms, great horn parts, and some wicked guitar from fusion legend Philip Catherine – whose snakey lines bring a quality to the record that was in place on Placebo's first outing. Titles include "NW", "Plotseling", "Hop Hop", "Tanga", "Stomp", and "Dag Madam Merci". CD

With special guests Frankie Vasquez on vocals and percussion, Marcus Rojas on tuba, Steve Nieve on organ, and Eszter Balint on vocals. CD

A record with a folksy style at the core, but one that comes across with a really hip hybrid of influences – a lot more like something from early 70s Saravah Records than you might expect from the image of a Celtic harp on the cover! Kristen Nogues does play that instrument, and sings alongside it in Breton – but she's supported with modern, light arrangements that include guitar, piano, flute, cello, violin, and bassoon – all used in ways that are unconventional, and certainly not folksy – almost bringing a New York modern music quality to the record – ala ECM or other labels' recordings of the time. The voice and harp are incredible in this setting – and titles include "Ar Gemenerez", "Hunvre", "Enez Rouz", "Ar Bugel Koar", "Hirness An Devezhiou", and "Pinvidik Eo Va C'Hemener". CD

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Arranged and conducted by John Zorn, Marc Ribot on guitar and Trevor Dunn on bass. CD

Great stuff from Marisa Monte – and a record that's criss-crossed with influences, thanks to production by Arto Lindsay, and performances by Marc Ribot, Bernie Worrell, John Zorn, Ryuchi Sakamoto, Nana Vasconcelos, and Ed Motta! Maybe a bit slicker than the current American press hype would have you expect – but a record that's filled with some great songwriting, and plenty of nice moments. Titles include "Beija Eu", "Ainda Lembro", "De Noite Na Cama", "Rosa", "Borboleta", and "Eu Sei". CD

A tribute to Bill Evans with Joe Lovano on tenor, Bill Frisell on guitar, Marc Johnson on bass, and Paul Motian on drums. CD

A fantastic album of spacey keyboards, and one of the most abstract albums from the team of Matt Cooper and Andreas Allen. The tracks have the band's usual slow funky feel (which we love!), but there's also a very strong focus on electronic keys – played in a bubbling 70s style that sounds like it was lifted from a lost soundtrack, or some killer CTI session. Titles include "Piano-scape", "The Moon After The Fall", "Sketchbook Of A Voyage", and "Finding ALH84001". There's some nice guest appearances, including a trumpet solo by Byron Wallen – and the whole album's a very tight package, and a must for fans of Marc Moulin, Slide Five, or Chris Bowden. CD

Not a bad little side project from actor/musician John Lurie – who's working here under the guise of a mysterious blues musician! That gimmick is maybe the worst part of the record – as the music is clearly new, and hardly classic blues at all – but if you can get past it, the record's actually got a heck of a lot of charm in a Tom Waits sort of way – and makes us wish that Lurie had done even more material like this, maybe even under his own name – which would only push his strong personal even further into the music. The album features work from Evan Lurie, Marc Ribot, and John Medeski – and titles include "Wanna Wanna", "I'm A Doggy", "Small Car", "Runnin Round", and "Arms & Legs". CD

With Bill Frisell and Marc Ribot on guitar, Charlie Haden on bass, and Joey Baron on drums – plus special guest Jack DeJohnette on two tracks. CD

An overlooked gem from a player who never fails to surprise us – recorded later in the years of drummer Art Taylor's life, but bristling with the same kind of energy we first came to love in his 50s recordings! The set's got a really unified feel – with Taylor masterfully leading the group on drums, working through an assortment of like-minded tunes with a Blakey-like sense of equal power for strongly soulful numbers, and gentle guidance for mellower and more introspective tunes. The group's got a tremendous two-horn frontline in the tenor of Willie Williams and alto of Abraham Burton, and the rest of the lineup includes Marc Cary on piano and Tyler Mitchell on bass. The album's got one very short "out" track entitled "It Doesn't Matter", alongside a number of longer soulful explorations that include "Mr AT", "Soul Eyes", "Bullet Train", "Ahmad's Blues", and "Gingerbread Boy". CD

Amazing sounds from British pianist Keith Tippett – a startling crossroads of musical scenes that beautifully brings together the best jazz, rock, and jazz rock impulses on the UK scene at the time – still with a freshness and clarity that the work would never reach a few years later! The sound here is brilliant – often a bit funky at the bottom, and definitely stretching out to freer jazz ideas on the solos, yet always managing a sense of soul and swing that really gives the record a rock solid core – so that even loopy lines seem to land back on the ground, and set the group on fire with a whole new energy. In addition to Tippett's work on electric and acoustic piano, the set also features Elton Dean on alto and saxello, Marc Charig on cornet, Nick Evans on trombone, and Robert Wyatt on drums – on titles that include "Gridal Suite", "Five After Dawn", "This Is What Happens", "Thoughts To Geoff", and "Black Horse". CD

Never-issued work from pianist Keith Tippett – live studio recordings from 1970, and cuts that really capture Tippett at the height of his young brilliance! There's a vibe here that's often a bit different than some of his famous albums of the period – more modal in the rhythms overall, with long-spun cuts that sparkle with a beautifully spiritual sense of energy! The package features three tracks each from two different sessions in 1970 – both of which feature Elton Dean on saxes, Marc Charig on cornet, and Nick Evans on trombone – all sounding every bit as special and soulful as Tippett on the recordings. The first date also features Jeff Clyne on bass and Trevor Tomkins on drums – the second has Roy Babbington on bass and Bryan Spring on drums – and titles include "In A Vacant Mood", "Thoughts To Geoff", "How Long This Time", "Five After Dawn", and "Green & Orange Night Park". CD

Early brilliance from tenor genius David S Ware – one of the first records issued under his own name as a leader, and maybe still one of the greatest too! The album has Ware working with the Apogee trio of Cooper Moore on piano and Marc Edwards on drums – in these long-blown lines that are an immediate inheritance of the late legacy of John Coltrane – played in that searing, searching style of Coltrane's final years – but maybe given even more depth and directly here by David! Ware's approach is wonderful throughout – always soulful and meaningful, even in the most abstract moments – very fully-formed, and still completely tremendous after all these years. Titles include "Prayer", "Thematic Womb", and "Primary Piece #1". First-ever reissue – with lots of bonus tracks that include "Solo", "Prayer", "Cry", "Stop Time", and "Ashimba". CD

Featuring Keb Mo and Marc Ribot on guitar. CD

Tim Berne on alto and baritone saxophone, Marc Ducret on electric guitar, and F Vendremini on Luthier guitar. CD

Tim Berne on alto saxophone, Mark Dresser on double bass, Bobby Previte on drums, Marc Ducret on guitar, Django Bates on E-flat peck horn, keyboards, and piano, Steve Swell on trombone, and Herb Robertson on trumpet. CD

Dave Liebman saxophone, John Abercrombie on guitar, Marc Copland on piano, Drew Gress on bass, and Billy Hart drums. CD

Three sets and three different lineups! The album opens with a duet with Eddie Gomez, just piano and bass, which expands to a trio with drummer Eliot Zigmund in the second set. The final set shifts to an entirely different lineup with regular collaborators Marc Johnson on bass and John LaBarbera on drums – plus guest harmonica from Toots Thielemans! CD

All praise to the mighty J5 – reminding us in the early 00s that hip hop could still be about funky, party rockin' beats and flowing on beat, with witty, intelligent rhymes – and sound as fresh as ever! This album's mostly produced by Cut Chemist, though Nu Mark has a hand in a number of tunes, and there's a couple of tracks by the Beatnuts. Akil, Chali 2na, Zaakir and Marc 7 don't do as much of the unison, sing song style that'd been their trademark in the past, but their back to the old school/new school style is still intact. 17 cuts in all, including "Freedom", "If You Only Knew", "Break", "React", "A Day At The Races", "After School Special", "High Fidelity" and "I Am Somebody", plus the Kool Keith skit "DDT" and Cut Chemist's cut'n'paste "Acetate Prophets". CD

The record that really put Jurassic 5 on the map – a set that came out after some key indie fame, but with a platform that helped the group become one of the more important mainstream hip hop forces of the century! All the creative lyrical interplay of the underground is firmly in place here – as the record's a major label effort, but one that's not sacrificing quality for success – thanks in part to the wonderful production from Nu-Mark and Cut Chemist – well-schooled in the more sophisticated styles of the 90s, yet also able to keep things lean and sharp – without some of the headier bedroom hip hop modes. Rhymes are by Zaakir, Chali 2na, Akil, and Marc 7 – every bit as sharp as the production – and tracks include "How We Get Along", "Contact", "Quality Control", "World Of Entertainment", "The Influence", "Monkey Bars", "Quality Control", "Twelve", "Contribution", "The Game", "Improvise", "Swing Set", and "Jurass Finish First". CD

Jim McNeely on piano, Harald Rosenstein, Heiner Wiberny, Olivier Peters, Paul Peucker, and Rolf Romer on reeds, Bernt Laukamp, Dave Horler, Henning Berg, and Roy Deuvall on trombone, Andy Haderer, Klaus Osterloh, Rick Kiefer, Rob Bruynen, and Rudiger Baldauf on trumpet, John Scofield and Paul Shigihara on guitar, Rainer Bruninghaus on keyboards, Marc Johnson on bass, and Adam Nussbaum on drums. CD

Features backing from Marc Ribot, James Carter, Cyrus Chestnut, Regina Carter, and others. CD

The great Italian pianist Enrico Pieranunzi is featured here in three great records! First up is New Lands – a warmly-crafted trio set from Enrio Pieranunzi – a set that still shows his modern tones on the piano, but which also has a sensitivity that really makes things open up overall! The group is a trio – with Marc Johnson on bass and Joey Baron on drums – both subtle players who really let the piano take the lead at times, as Enrico stretches out on long tracks that include "New Lands", "A Child Is Born", "The Mood Is Good", and "If There Is Someone Lovelier Than You". Daedalus Wings is an unusual record, and one that features twin piano work from Bert Van Den Brink and Enrico Pieranunzi – not on long, free tracks, but on these beautiful shorter numbers that really seem to resonate strongly with the voices of each player! Titles include "Daedalus Suite", "Si Peu De Temps", "Pour Claude", "Guitar Blues", "Woods", and "O Toi Desir" – plus two solo takes by each player on "I Can't Get Started". Improvised Forms For Trio is a really different album from pianist Enrico Pieranunzi – and one that really lives up to its title! Rather than being song-based – featuring compositions by Enrico or some of his contemporaries – the record features the trio improvising, but never in a free jazz way – always with a groove, and a strong sense of rhythmic cohesion – but clearly improvising their way through the 18 short numbers that make up the set! The energy is great – in ways that maybe make the record one of Pieranunzi's most compelling records – and the rest of the group features Hein Van De Geyn on bass and Hans Van Oosterhout on drums. Titles include "Forms" 1 through 18. CD

Four long pieces performed by Wadada Leo Smith's Silver Orchestra. Features Jennifer Choi on violin, Erik Friedlander on cello, Marc Ribot on guitar, John Lindberg on bass, John Zorn on alto, Marcus Rojas on tuba, Craig Taborn and Jamie Saft on piano, and Gerald Cleaver and Susie Ibarra on drums. CD

Features Kirt Rust and Francois Laizeau on drums, and Dominique Bertram and Sylvin Marc on bass. CD

Mark Feldman on violin, Marc Ribot on guitar, Anthony Coleman on keyboards, Mark Dresser on bass, and William Winant on percussion. CD

Music by Don Carlos, Booster, The Black Mighty Orchestra, Sven Van Hees, Marc Moulin, Mo Horizons, Royksopp, Aqua Bassino, Thievery Corporation, and more – 28 tracks total. CD

John Abercrombie on guitar, Marc Copland on piano, Drew Gress on double bass, and Joey Baron on drums. CD

A large scale work performed by a 65 piece orchestra – with solos by Marc Copland on piano, Joe Lovano on tenor, and Conrad Herwig on trombone. CD

A large scale work performed by a 65 piece orchestra – with solos by Marc Copland on piano, Joe Lovano on tenor, and Conrad Herwig on trombone. CD

Tim Berne on alto and baritone sax, Chris Speed on tenor sax, Marc Ducret on elextric guitar, Michael Formanek on bass, and Jim Black on drums. CD

Tim Berne on alto and baritone saxophone, Michael Formanek on double bass, Chris Speed on tenor saxophone and clarinet, Marc Ducret on electric guitar, and Jim Black on drums. CD

The best work we've heard in years from Terry Callier – the legendary soul singer from Chicago who's finally getting his due! This album avoids many of the mistakes of Terry's recent comeback efforts – and has him working with the best of the London scene – extremely fitting, as London's always given Terry some of his biggest support, and were crucial in bringing him back from obscurity! Most of the tunes on the set are produced by Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick, of Incognito – and they go for a spacious sound that's a strong extension of Terry's classic work for Cadet – rough vocals and acoustic guitar mixed with warmer keyboards, tight rhythms, and touches of strings. The album also features guest appearances by Paul Weller, Marc Mac of 4 Hero, and a number of other important London forces – and tracks include "Brother To Brother", "Imagine A Nation", "Monuments Of Mars", "Darker Than A Shadow", "Running Around", and "Speak Your Piece". CD features 14 tracks in all – including "Turn This Mutha", "Caravan Of Love", "Sierra Leone", "Just My Imagination", and "Tokyo Moon". CD

Electric piano genius from this legendary French group of the 70s – served up here in a set of tracks that were only issued as 7" singles, plus a few other rare gems too! Cortex are maybe best known for their landmark Rhodes album Troupeau Bleu – a classic that stands up next to famous 70s work by Placebo and Marc Moulin – but these singles are equally great, and show the group really moving their sound into a range of different modes! Some tracks have a slight touch of soulful vocals, others are instrumental with a groove that rivals the best of CTI – and throughout it all, there's a strong focus on the kind of keyboard work that has always really made us love these guys. Titles include "Stevie", "Californie", "Les Oiseux Morts", "Mary & Jeff (Fender Rhodes version 77)", "Moanin", "The Sky Is Grey I'm So Blue", and "Les Oiseux Morts (alt take 76)". CD

The final run of shows from Bill Evans, recorded at San Francisco's Keystone Korner just days before his passing. The group is a trio – with Marc Johnson on bass and Joe LaBarbera on drums – and together they work through a wide ranging set list of standards and originals by Evans. Tracks include "Re: Person I Knew", "Someday My Prince Will Come", "Turn Out The Stars", "Nardis", "But Beautiful", "Letter To Evan", "Emily", "Polka Dots And Moonbeams", and "My Foolish Heart" – hours of material and a fitting testament to an incredible artist! CD

Killer live set from the 70s, recorded in Warsaw with a quartet that includes bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Art Taylor. Griff's firmly in the lead here, and he wails like mad on the set's 3 long tracks. Although we're not usually fans of obscure live recordings over an artist's studio sessions, this album offers an amazing peek at Griff that you won't catch on most of his 70's records. His tone is amazing, and he has a post-Coltrane freeness that blew us away. Titles include "Night In Tunisia", "Body & Soul", and "All The Things You Are" – but the group's presentation of the material pushes the tracks waaaay past their normal form as standards. CD

Steve Khan on guitar, Ruben Rodriguez on bass, Dennis Chambers on drums, Marc Quinones on percussion, Bobby Allende on congas, Rob Mounsey and Jorge Estrada on keyboards, Randy Brecker on flugelhorn, Bob Mintzer on tenor sax, and Tatiana Parra on vocals. CD

Joe Lovano on tenor – with John Abercrombie on guitar, Ken Werner on piano, Marc Johnson on bass, and Bill Stewart on drums. CD

Features Pat Martino on guitar, Bob Kenmotsu on tenor, James Ridl on piano, Marc Johnson on bass, and Bill Stewart on drums. CD

Gary Peacock's bass has always had a wonderful home on the ECM label – one of the few places its deepest, most powerful tones can really come to light – as they do strongly on this well-balanced trio recording with Marc Copland on piano and Joey Baron on drums! All three players are masters of understatement – able to make such powerful movements with just a bit of energy – and the brooding quality of Peacock gets offset through some illuminations on Copland's piano in this really great way – while Baron shifts in these careful, thoughtful modes that greatly accommodate both musicians. Titles include "Gaia", "Christa", "Vignette", "Gloria's Step", "Requiem", "Shadows", and "Esprit De Muse". CD

One of Cecil Taylor's most spiritual sessions of the 70s – a live set recorded in Yugoslavia in 1976, and done with this really open sound, but one that comes as much from the horns as it does from Cecil's piano! In fact, we might well say that the horns are the best attraction here – as the record features strong tenor from a young David S Ware – as well as trumpet from Raphe Malik and alto from Jimmy Lyons – who all spin out with freewheeling creativity, alongside Taylor's bold lines on piano, and the drums of Marc Edwards. As with other Taylor albums of the time, the set's built around one long performance – of a tune entitled "Streams & Chorus Of Seed" – put together in a way that have the horns layering over one another, building up sound next to Taylor's free piano improvisations – then taking off on their own! Extremely spirited work – and a great showcase for the young Ware! CD

Steve Tibbetts on guitar, kalimba, and tapes, Marcus Wise on tabla, Bob Hughes on bass, Marc Anderson on congas, steel drums, percussion, and berimbau, and vocals from Bruce Henry, Claudia Schmidt, and Jan Reimer. CD

A bigger step into a piano led jazzy style from Allen Toussaint – grooving in a timeless Crescent City influenced sound – a wonderful record, one we'll go back to for years to come! Allen's been a huge part of the New Orleans musical landscape for many, many years, and it's not a stretch to imagine he's had the laidback, but evocative jazz of the territory in his blood for just as long – so it's a wonder that he hasn't made a record like this before now. There's nothing cliche or cheesy in Allen's work here, which has kind of an after hours vibe that suits it well, and he's put together an outstanding group of players. Marc Ribot is on guitar, Don Byron on clarinet, Nicholas Payton on trumpet, David Piltch on upright bass, Jay Bellarose on drums, and guests Joshua Redman on tenor sax and Brad Mehldau on piano. Titles include "Egyptian Fantasy", "Dear Old Southland", "St James Infirmary", "Singin' The Blues", "Winin' The Blues", West End Blues", "Blue Drag", "Bright Mississippi", "Day Dream", "Solitude" and more. CD

Featured guests include Brian Wilson, Elvis Costello, Marc Ribot, Bruce Hornsby, Branford Marsalis, Jerry Garcia, Willie Dixon, and Neil Young! CD

With Marc Ribot on guitar. CD

Features Joey Baron, Mark Feldman, Cyro Baptista, Bill Laswell, Marc Ribot, Jamie Saft, and others. CD

John Abercrombie on electric and acoustic guitars, Marc Johnson on double bass, Joey Baron on drums, and Mark Feldman on violin. CD

Tim Berne on alto and baritone sax, David Sanborn on alto and sopranino sax, Marc Ducret on electric guitar, Hank Roberts on cello, and Joey Baron on drums. CD

Tim Berne on alto sax, Marc Ducret on electric guitar, Craig Taborn on Fender Rhodes and electronics, and Tom Rainey on drums. CD

Features Tim Berne on alto, Chris Speed on tenor and clarinet, Michael Formanek on bass, Jim Black on drums, and Marc Ducret on electric guitar. CD

Tim Berne on alto saxophone, Mark Dresser on double bass, Bobby Previte on drums, Marc Ducret on guitar, Django Bates on E-flat peck horn, keyboards, and piano, Steve Swell on trombone, and Herb Robertson on trumpet. CD