The title may be a simple one, but the record really marks a key point in John Coltrane's development – an embrace of the newer freedoms allowed to him at Atlantic Records, but in a way that's a bit more subtle than some of his other work for the label! At one level, the record moves at the same groove as Trane's later Prestige years – with rhythm mostly from Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – carving out some sharp lines for Coltrane to cascade over on tenor sax. Yet there's also a new sense of darkness here too – one that moves into edgier territory, and which isn't nearly as settled in as before. These qualities sneak out of both original numbers like "Harmonique", "Fifth House", and "Like Sonny" – as well as standards like "My Shining Hour" and "Little Old Lady". And they really come to the forefront on the classic "Village Blues" – the one track that features the new Coltrane group of McCoy Tyner, Steve Davis, and Elvin Jones! LP, Vinyl record album

An early masterpiece from Genesis – the kind of visionary record that really set them apart from the rest of their generation – an incredible building-up in sound from their previous two albums, and proof that Peter Gabriel's talents were finally getting focused in the right direction! Keyboards cascade heavily – hitting Yes-like proportions, but with more structure, too – as time changes abound, scene changes match the energy of theme-changes – and the whole album falls into place beautifully, but with plenty of surprises along the way. Every song is a compelling little story – from the leadoff "Musical Box", to the spooky "Return Of The Giant Hogweed", and the playful "Harold The Barrel" – with sweeter moments that include "For Absent Friends" and "Harlequin" – just hinting at the crossover ballad style the group would embrace later, but without any of the cloying commerciality at all. LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly the best of the Heath Brothers' post-Strata East albums – and one of the few to capture the spacious sound and hipper undertones that made their first record so great! The style here is certainly more conventional – slightly in that "embrace all jazz tradition" mode that was sometimes popular at the time – but there's still plenty of hip moments here too, including flute and soprano sax work from Jimmy Heath, keyboards from Stanley Cowell, and bits of kalimba too – although used a lot more sparely than before. The record's probably most reminiscent of Heath's best straight work of the time – and titles include "In New York", "A New Blue", "Mellowdrama", "Changes", "Prince Albert", and "Artherdoc Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite albums ever – and every track is a masterpiece! The album was originally cut for the tiny Chiaroscuro label in 1977 – and it's got a sound that's unlike anything else we can think of – soaring, soulful, jazzy, and righteous – wrapped up in a blend that's never been done this perfectly again! James Mason's a player who's know for a bit of keyboard work with other artists – but here, he's really working as a collective power – bringing together a brilliant ensemble that work as one to hit some sublime sounds – much in the way that Roy Ayers could work some key magic with his groups at the same time, but with a vibe that's very different too. Players include Ayers associates Justo Almario on saxes and Philip Woo on piano – and a young Narada Michael Walden adds some excellent drums to the record – a lot more powerful and funky than on most of his own albums! Lead vocals are by Clarice Taylor – who's got this unique voice that really makes the record – proud, but sensitive at the same time too – and Mason plays lots of Fender Rhodes, polymoog, Arp, and a bit of guitar. Titles include the breakbeat classic "Funny Girl", the monster groover "Sweet Power Your Embrace", the funky "Slick City", and the massive "Free" – but every cut's a winner, and others include "Mbewe", "Rhythm Of Life", and "Dreams". This is the kind of album that makes us proud to be in business! LP, Vinyl record album

Texas boogie badassery from the great ZZ Top – the follow-up to the absolutely killer Tres Hombres! One side features the trio doing what it does best – slaying a live audience, this one at The Warehouse in New Orleans – and the other side features a handful of hard grooving studio tracks. Here ZZ Top proudly promises "hot, spontaneous and presented to you honestly, without the assistance of studio gimmicks." Later on they'd wholy embrace those gimmicks, but boy, did they ever kill it in the mid 70s without that stuff! Includes "Thunderbird", the greasy "Backdoor Medley", "Nasty Dogs And Funky King", "Tush" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

One of Azymuth's best-remembered albums from their American years on Milestone – a really killer classic that beautifully blends Brazilian and American styles of fusion! There's a simple, elegant feel to these tunes that takes off nicely from the group's previous album for Atlantic in Brazil – a pushing forward of the soulful sides of their style, but with just the right blend of quirkier elements as well – one that still keeps the edge of the early years, yet helps the group reach out with a wonderfully warm sound! Most tracks are quite spare, and without any too-smooth polishing in production – and titles include the classic "Jazz Carnival", a funky fusion classic if there ever was one – plus "Light As A Feather", "Avenida Das Manguerias", "This Exists", "Partido Alto", "Dona Olimpia", "Amazonia", and "Young Embrace". LP, Vinyl record album

The second chapter of Erykah Badu's New Amerykah – recorded for the most part, quite incredibly, during the same period and with the same collaborators as the mind-altering, murky and righteous hip hop funk experimentalism that was Part One – some months that must be among the most dizzyingly creative in Badu's career! We're reluctant to call Return Of The The Ankh a lighter listen than its predecessor, but, it's a less dense and outwardly experimental batch in the sonic realm – the emotionalism and the head nodding warmth is at the forefront, yet she's as uncompromising and real as ever. The sound is still innovative, unique and her own on all fronts, but the songs chosen for Part Two are ones you want to approach and embrace from the opening seconds – there's not as much of a tripped out overall vibe and you don't need to acclimate from a distance – these songs pull you right in! Includes collaborations with James Poyser, Shafiq Husayn, Ta'Raach, Karriem Riggins, Madlib and Georgia Anne Muldrow. Includes "20 Feet Tall", "Window Seat", "Agitation", "Turn Me Away (Get Munny)", "Gone Baby, Don't Be Long", "Love", "Out My Mind, Just In Time" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Don Cherry really breaks out here on his classic Mu sessions from France – using the new freedoms of post-68 Paris to explore themes at a level that would set the tone for generations to come! The album's very spare, and very improvised – with Cherry on pocket trumpet, piano, and wooden flute – plus a bit of percussion too – alongside drummer Ed Blackwell, who's equally unbridled – showing a huge evolution since the time both he and Don spent in the group of Ornette Coleman! There's a few echoes of the global elements that Cherry would later embrace more strongly in the 70s – but the core energy here is mostly improvised jazz, handled at a level that really makes a lot better use of the freedom than some of Don's contemporaries. Titles on this second part include "Bamboo Night", "The Mysticism Of My Sound", "Psycho Drama", "Smiling Faces Going Places", "Teo Teo Can", and "Dollar Brand/Spontaneous Composing/Exert Man On The Moon". LP, Vinyl record album

Gil Evans never stopped growing as the years went on – a leader who was always open to new ideas and new modes of expression – which he reached for strongly, even as his older "modern" contemporaries started to sound out of date! This excellent late 70s session is a key illustration of Evans' continual drive – as he works in modes that equally embrace acoustic and electric elements, but never like a funky big band record, or some of the electrification added to older groups – instead with this richly visionary way that brings all the elements together at a level that's completely sublime! The lineup features Gil on piano, alongside almost equal use of keyboards from Pete Levin – and other players include Arthur Blythe and David Sanborn on alto, George Adams on tenor, Marvin Hannibal Peterson and Ernie Royal on trumpet, Jimmy Knepper on trombone, and Keith Loving on guitar – an extremely varied group that comes together beautifully under the leadership of Evans. Side one features a brilliant reworking of the Billy Harper tune "Priestess", which runs for almost 20 minutes in length – and side two features Charles Mingus' "Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress Then Silk Blue" – plus "Lunar Eclipse" and "Short Visit". LP, Vinyl record album

Two giants from the LA bop scene of years past – still sounding wonderful here in the later years of their career! We're not sure we'd rapidly embrace the "young" in the title – but only because there's a maturity of playing here that really makes the record great – a sense of pacing and individuality that makes the trumpet of Howard McGhee and tenor of Teddy Edwards so strong – as they get respectful accompaniment from Art Hillery on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – all players who seem to step into the McGhee/Edwards mode, rather than shape things on their own. Titles include "Reflections", "Relaxin At Camarillo", "Yardbird Suite", "On A Misty Night", and "Blues In The Closet". LP, Vinyl record album

Funky African work from Fred Fisher – a Nigerian trombonist who crafted his own unique groove at the end of the 70s! Fred both sings and plays trombone – the latter with a Fred Wesley-like soulfulness – and his rhythms here are really wide-ranging, and embrace a host of new styles coming into play at the time – including a fair bit of influences from American soul! Some cuts have a rootsy groove, while others move into tighter dancefloor territory – never in a commercial style at all, but with traces of boogie and other 80s modes in the mix. Vocals are sometimes in English, which furthers the global appeal of the music – and the set brings together tracks from 4 different albums by Fisher. Titles include "Say The Truth", "Asa Sa", "Iye Ye Mu Elediamemisise", "No Way", "Let Love Free", "WTFS", "Beautiful Dancer", "Happy Blue Night", "The Beginning Ishan", "Ehimedede", "Babajoo", and "Ebi Lolo". 2LP set features 12 tracks in all. Note: The music on the whole set is great, but there are a few tracks that suffer sound-wise from some distortion in the masters used. Most of the other tracks are fine, though. LP, Vinyl record album

A bit more of a high concept album than some of Wynton Marsalis' previous efforts – a set with a few more added horns on side one, and an extended suite on side two! The work definitely shows Wynton's increasing concern with jazz history – his desire to embrace, and sometimes represent, decades of past musical expression in his work – a real Lincoln Center sort of impulse, but one that still comes off relatively well here, and without as much hoke as you'd expect. Side one has Wynton working with regular pianist Marcus Roberts, plus Todd Williams on tenor and soprano sax and Wes Anderson on alto – and side two features a completely different group, much more in an older-styled jazz vein – with Michael White on clarinet, Danny Barker on banjo, Teddy Riley on trumpet, and Freddie Lonzo on trombone. Titles include "The Majesty Of The Blues", "Hickory Dickory Dock", and the expanded "New Orleans Function" suite. LP, Vinyl record album

Aretha's grooving sweetly on a record that's produced by Luther Vandross – and a damn strong one, too! Aretha wasn't the first, or the last classic soul singer to embrace the modern sounds of the early 80s, but relatively few outshined their younger peers as brilliantly as Aretha does here. She's great on this one! There's plenty of space in the arrangements for Aretha to do her thing – emoting naturally, improvising some of the vocals, and really just knocking it out of the park. Luther's production shows ample love and respect for the previous generation of soul, while still sounding right at home in '82 – with some timeless ballads along with contemporary chart-ready groovers. Titles include "Jump To It", "Love Me Right", "If She Don't Want Your Lovin'", "This Is For Real", "It's Just Your Love", "I Want To Make It Up To You" and "It's Just Your Thing". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky classic from the team of Roy Ayers and Wayne Henderson – both at the top of their game here, and effortlessly mixing together jazz, funk, and soul! The record really seems to embrace the best of both artists' styles – some of the bassy groovers that Wayne did so well himself, and while producing for other artists – and those snakey, soulful numbers that we love so much in the late 70s work from Roy Ayers – ultra-sophisticated, but still plenty darn grooving – and some of the most sensual soul you'll ever hope to hear. The whole thing's great – and titles include "Weekend Lover", "Thank You Thank You", "Can You Dance", "It Ain't Your Sign It's Your Mind", "You Make Me Feel Like Rockin With Ya", "Have Your Way", and "Million Dollar Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

Ben & Sweets finds tenor Webster & trumpeter Edison in wonderful form – both veterans complementing the other brilliantly – with a crack group that includes Hank Jones on piano, George Duvivier on bass and Clarence Johnson on drums. The overall groove is very melodic, but it's still got plenty of kick underneath! Titles include "Better Go", "How Long Has This Been Going On?", "Kitty", "My Romance" and "Did You Call Her Today" and George & Ira Gerswin's "Embraceable You". LP, Vinyl record album

A great split set – with some excellent early 60s Columbia material! Ben & Sweets finds tenor Webster & trumpeter Edison in wonderful form – both veterans complementing the other brilliantly – with a crack group that includes Hank Jones on piano, George Duvivier on bass and Clarence Johnson on drums. The overall groove is very melodic, but it's still got plenty of kick underneath! Titles include "Better Go", "How Long Has This Been Going On?", "Kitty", "My Romance" and "Did You Call Her Today" and George & Ira Gerswin's "Embraceable You". Next is the even better album Back In Bean's Bag – a strong full-bodied session with totally solid playing, and a stone cold hardbop groove that you'd never expect from either Coleman Hawkins or Clark Terry. This could be because Dave Bailey's holding down the drum chores, and the record sounds a bit like his great recordings from the early 60's on Epic or Jazztime. There's a fantastic cut called "Tune For The Tutor", which was written by Pat Patrick, and which really grooves. Other nice ones include "Feedin' The Bean" and "Squeeze Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Ben & Sweets finds tenor Webster & trumpeter Edison in wonderful form – both veterans complementing the other brilliantly – with a crack group that includes Hank Jones on piano, George Duvivier on bass and Clarence Johnson on drums. The overall groove is very melodic, but it's still got plenty of kick underneath! Titles include "Better Go", "How Long Has This Been Going On?", "Kitty", "My Romance" and "Did You Call Her Today" and George & Ira Gerswin's "Embraceable You". LP, Vinyl record album

Superb work from pianist Richie Beirach – a set that's dedicated to Bill Evans, and which certainly embraces some of the key numbers in his songbook – but which also has that even more spacious sound that Beirach was bringing to his trio dates in the 70s! Richie's sense of timing and tone are fantastic – doing so much with so little, that Evans would have been pleased – although again, Beirach is hardly borrowing straight from Bill's style. Also fantastic is bassist George Mraz, whose way of inflecting notes and measuring color and mood almost rival the role of Eddie Gomez when playing with Evans – all balanced nicely by the work of Al Foster on drums, who's at his most subtle here. Titles include "Blue In Green", "Nardis", "Peace Pipe", "Spring Is Here", "Solar", and "In Your Own Sweet Way". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the tracks "Man I Love", "Body & Soul", "It's Only A Paper Moon", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "Easy Listenin Blues", "It Is Beter To Be By Yourself", "Sweet Lorraine", and "Embraceable You". 78 RPM, Vinyl record

Long-blowing late 50s work from Jackie McLean – one of his standout sets as a leader from the pre-Blue Note years! The album features McLean in two different settings – really opening up on side one with a sextet that includes Curtis Fuller on trombone, Webster Young on trumpet, Gil Coggins on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums – in two long takes of "A Long Drink Of The Blues", which features Jackie on both alto and tenor! Side two is a bit tighter, with Jackie heading up a quartet that includes Mal Waldron on piano, Art Phipps on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – on tunes that include "I Cover The Waterfront", "These Foolish Things", and "Embraceable You". LP, Vinyl record album

Bill Evans' first famous appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival – a great 60s trio session, with Eddie Gomez on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums! The tunes are mostly relatively familiar ones, but the ensemble on the set gives them a freer and more lyrical feel than you might expect – especially with DeJohnette on drums, who is a somewhat more powerful choice than some of Bill's other drummers of the 60s. Eddie Gomez is great, as always – with that round bass sound that we totally love – and titles include "Nardis", "Sleepin Bee", "Embraceable You", "Someday My Prince Will Come", "Mother Of Earl", "One For Helen", and "Walkin Up". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare early side of Miles Davis – recorded in postwar Paris in the company of Tadd Dameron! The group's a quintet – with Miles on trumpet and Tadd on piano – and although the overall vibe certainly shows a lot of bop generation spirit, there's also a strong indication of the deeper ideas that were already becoming a part of both artists' music. The group features some excellent work on tenor from James Moody – plus bass from Barney Spieler and drums from Kenny Clarke. Tunes include a fair bit of familiar numbers from the Charlie Parker camp – and titles include "Rifftide", "Good Bait", "Don't Blame Me", "Lady Bird", "Wah Hoo", "Allen's Alley", "Embraceable You", "Ornithology" and "All The Things You Are". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unique album from pianist Roland Hanna – a set that allows him to show off all the amazing keyboard flow that he has on solo and trio dates – but in the larger space of a CTI Records session! Arrangements are by Don Sebesky – and while full, they're never overwhelming – so that the acoustic piano of Roland is always right out front, as dexterous as ever – with slight backing from a larger group of mixed electric and acoustic elements! The tunes are Gershwin and Hoagy Carmichael numbers, but that hardly matters at all – as the approach here is very unique and personal – and the album does feature trumpet from Chet Baker on one track, and soprano sax from Ronnie Cuber on another. Titles include "Skylark", "Stardust", "Oh Bess Where's My Bess", "The Nearness Of You", and "Embraceable You". LP, Vinyl record album

Late work from the great Billie Holiday – the kind of mature set that made Verve Records such a perfect home for the singer in the 50s! Where other labels might have pushed too much to try to get Billie into more commercial, or more straightforward modes – Verve just relaxes into the kind of small combo sound that usually had the singer at her best – pairing Holiday with a great lineup that includes Harry Edison on trumpet, Ben Webster on tenor, Jimmy Rowles on piano, and Barney Kessel on guitar. The songs are short and focused – with Billie at the top of her form on familiar standards like "Comes Love", "Darn That Dream", "Body & Soul", "They Can't Take That Away From Me", and "Embraceable You". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare live material from Charlie Parker – recorded in the very familiar territory of the Birdland nightclub, but not issued until an LP release from the 70s! The material originally was broadcast on radio, but through the series of the Rose transcription disc archive – which meant better recording and preservation than most other radio material of the bop years – helping to make this album a real treasure among Bird fans in the years after his death. The lineup is a very tight bop-based one – with Fats Navarro on trumpet, Bud Powell on piano, and Art Blakey on bass. Chubby Newsome adds vocals to "Embraceable You" – and the rest of the set includes "Wahoo", "Round Midnight", "This Time The Dream's On Me", "Dizzy Atmosphere", "A Night In Tunisia", "Move", "The Street Beat", "Out Of Nowhere", "Little Willie Leaps", "Ornithology", "I'll Remember April", and "Cool Blues/52nd St Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare pre-Verve material from the great Oscar Peterson – a host of early tracks recorded for RCA in the 50s! If you think that Peterson only emerged fully-formed in the hands of Norman Granz during the 50s, then think again – because this work really shows a young player already hitting tremendous heights – full, fluid, and very commanding – at a level that's kind of a rougher around the edges version of his Verve years – but in a great way! Peterson echoes some of his predecessors a bit – and you can hear a bit more proximity to Erroll Garner or Eddie Heywood in the way he embraces the rhythms with his solos – but the overall presentation is still pure Oscar. Titles include "China Boy", "I Got Rhythm", "My Blue Heaven", "Honeydripper", "Humoresque", and "The Sheik Of Araby". LP, Vinyl record album

The music of George Gershwin, but taken to some great late night territory by the trumpet of Charlie Shavers! The album's a sublime "with strings" date – one that has Charlie blowing beautifully over backdrops from Sy Oliver – charts that certainly use some string instruments, but often in a very spare, mellow way – so that once Shavers gets going, his trumpet is right out front – often with a beautifully moody tone! Titles include "I've Got A Crush On You", "Embraceable You", "Liza", "Summertime", "But Not For Me", and "It Ain't Necessarily So". LP, Vinyl record album

Features "Nice Work If You Can Get It", "Liza", "Oh, Lady Be Good", "Somebody Loves Me", "The Man I Love", "Summertime", "Embraceable You" and more! LP, Vinyl record album

A major label set, but one that stays very true to the new ideals that James Blood Ulmer was trying to bring to jazz guitar at the time – a really revolutionary style that moves beyond simple genre conventions, and embraces a whole world of new ideas that would inspire others in the decade to come! Ulmer plays with a real frenzy at points – deep currents that reflect the bluesy touches of his early work in jazz organ combos, but given a skittish energy that reflects his association with the downtown crowd – and which was very fitting for his record with Rough Trade! The core group here features James, bassist Amin Ali, and drummer G Calvin Weston – and some tracks feature work from David Murray on tenor, Oliver Lake on alto, and Olu Dara on trumpet. Titles include "Timeless", "Pleasure Control", "Night Lover", "Happy Time", "Rush Hour", "Stand Up To Yourself", and "High Time". LP, Vinyl record album

Evelyn Champagne King will always be most popularly remembered for her massive disco pop crossover hits of the late 70s, but she progressed really nicely throughout the 80s, keeping up with the evolving dancefloor soul sounds of the times – and Face To Face is a lean, clubby electro soul and funk flavored set with catchy hooks and sweet vocals by Evelyn! The production duties are split almost evenly between the team of Leon Sylvers, Foster Sylvers & Joey Gallo and Andre Cymone – both of which embrace synth and programming, with Cymone's coming off a bit clubbier – but all of it nicely frames Evelyn's lovely vocals. Includes "Action", "Face To Face", "Shake Down", "Telll Me Something Good", "Don't It Feel Good", "Makin' Me So Proud", "Givin' You My Love (What Cha Gonna Do With It)", "Teenager" and "Let's Get Crazy". LP, Vinyl record album

Helen sings, Teddy swings, and the album's a great little session from Merrill's key years recording in Japan! There's a simple, unadorned quality to the record that's really great – a mode that Helen wasn't even using back in her earlier years in the US, and which almost helps her recapture a past that had slipped away before its time. Wilson's trio here features Larry Ridley on bass and Lenny McBrowne on drums – and his backing is sensitive and mellow, often letting Helen take center stage with her vocals. Titles include "Summertime", "I Only Have Eyes For You", "I Cover The Waterfront", "I Must Have That Man", "Embraceable You", and "East Of The Sun". Three numbers also feature Ridley and McBrowne replaced by Japanese players. LP, Vinyl record album

JJ Johnson and Kai Winding at the height of their dual powers – working together here beautifully at a level that both embraces the modern sound of the trombone in larger 50s ensembles, but also offers up the more fluid personality of the instrument in the smaller combo scene! The pair have a great way of coming together at the start, then splitting off to find their own space on the tunes – a wonderful antidote to some of the too-tight trombone lines of the 50s, and a great reminder that there's always a voice behind the horn. The group on the record features Dick Katz on piano and celeste, plus either Bill Crow or Milt Hinton on bass, and Shadow Wilson or Kenny Clarke on drums. Candido plays a bit of percussion on the track "Caribe" – and the pair play tromboniums on the tune "Tromboniums In Motion". Other tracks include "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", "Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe", "The Song Is You", and "In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning". LP, Vinyl record album

Two long jam session performances – one with Roy Eldridge on trumpet and Flip Phillips and Lester Young on tenors – on "Lester Leaps In", "The Closer", and "Embraceable You". The other features Willie Smith on alto, Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young on tenor, and Buck Clayton on trumpet – on "JATP Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary concert – recorded at Massey Hall in Toronto, with a previously-unmatched quintet of superstar bop players: Charlie Parker on alto, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums. This reissue set also includes the Bud Powell trio sides which were issued separately as Jazz At Massey Hall Vol 2. The quintet runs down "Perdido", "Salt Peanuts", "All The Things You Are", "Wee", "Hot House" and "A Night In Tunisia" and the trio sides are "Embraceable You", "Sure Thing", "My Devotion", "Polka Dots & Moon Beams", "Cherokee", "Jubilee", "I've Got You Under My Skin", "My Heart Stood Still", "I Want To Be Happy" and "Lullaby Of Birdland". LP, Vinyl record album