The last Savoy Brown album to feature the duo of Kim Simmonds and Paul Raymond – and a record that still holds on to all the classic power of the group! The more direct blues influences have been toned down by this time, and fused more into a sound that's a trademark for the group – tight, but never slick – a cool, compressed confidence that has the vocals and sharp guitars coming across with a great deal of charm! Tracks are nice and long, with plenty of guitar interplay – and titles include "Part Time Lady", "This Day Is Gonna Be Our Last", "Get Up & Do It", "Skin N Bone", and "She's The One". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly wonderful album from Artie Shaw – one that takes his older groove and nicely strips it down for the 50s, and which features some especially great guitar work from Tal Farlow! Other players in the group include Hank Jones on piano, Joe Roland on vibes, Tommy Potter on bass, and Irv Kluger on drums – coming together in a loosely swinging mode that has lots of interplay on the longer-than-usual tracks on the set. Titles include the originals "When The Quail Come Back To Town", "Lugubrious", "The Grabtown Grapple", and "Lyric". LP, Vinyl record album

Heavenly work by one of the greatest vocal jazz combos ever! The Singers Unlimited cut many mighty albums for MPS with arrangements by some of the label's best bandleaders – but this one features them all alone, with only their voices to hold them up, which they do wonderfully, thanks to some crack arrangements by Gene Puerling of the group! The approach is natural – given that their vocal interplay was always the group's strongest calling card – and thanks to sublime MPS production, acapella vocals have never sounded so amazing. Titles include "The Fool On The Hill", "Emily", "Since You Asked", "Lullaby", and "London By Night". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most famous early albums from Hammond organ giant Jimmy Smith – and for good reason too, as he was using the instrument to pioneer a whole new field in jazz! Before Jimmy, others had used the organ on short tracks, usually for a bit of color – but here, Smith explodes as a master soloist on very long tracks – allowing strong jam session interplay with an all-star group that also includes Lee Morgan on trumpet, George Coleman and Lou Donaldson on altos, Tina Brooks on tenor, Kenny Burrell and Eddie McFadden on guitars, and Donald Bailey and Art Blakey on drums. The set features three long tracks – "The Sermon", "JOS", and "Flamingo" – with a hard-wailing, jam session feel all the way through! LP, Vinyl record album

The Philly trio gets some great live work done in this tasty little set – hitting the stage with backings from Richard Barrett, and singing before a very enthusiastic crowd in the UK! The style's almost a bit more like the Motown live albums from years back than most Philly International sets – still in the soaring clubby mood of the group's studio work, but with a lot more interplay with the audience, and a style that's sometimes looser and more entertainment-oriented – especially in the choice of a few of the tunes. Titles include "For The Love Of Money", "Living For The City", "Love Train", "Harlem", "When Will I See You Again", "Year Of Decision", and "Free Ride". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best jazz-based sessions recorded by Dinah Washington in the 50s – appropriately titled Dinah Jams, which is a pretty good reference to the feeling of the set! The sessions were recorded in a relatively relaxed, intimate feel – not necessarily as unbridled as a true jam session might be, but with a lot more interplay between the instrumentalists in the group than you might get on a typical 50s jazz session. And with horn players that include Cliford Brown, Harold Land, and Herb Geller – alongside rhythm by Junior Mance, Richie Powell, and Max Roach – you'd have to expect that there'd be some good interplay on the set! Titles include "I've Got You Under My Skin", "No More", "Darn That Dream", "You Go To My Head", and a nice open-ended version of "I'll Remember April"! LP, Vinyl record album

The last album in an amazing run of records that Mason Williams did for Warner Brothers – impossible to define in easy terms, as the whole thing is a mix of acoustic instrumentation, larger arrangements, occasional vocals, and this wonderful interplay between underground artists and top-shelf studio talents on the LA scene of the time! Williams' instrumental chops alone would have made the record great – but he really knocks it out of the park with his overall conception, which fits in that unique late 60s/early 70s Warner space perfectly, next to albums by Van Dyke Parks, Neon Philharmonic, John Hartford, and some of the other genre-breaking talents on the label. Titles include "Train Ride In G", "Poor Little Robin", "Godsend", "Linda Crest Lament", "A Little Bit Of Time", "Largo De Lux", and "Here I Am Again". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty striking little record in the Frank Zappa catalog – the double-length soundtrack for the movie of the same name, and a set that explodes the Zappa palette of sound even further than some of his previous albums! A number of tracks feature a full studio orchestra – sounding as if they were lined up to perform a conventional Hollywood film score, but somehow tricked into working with Frank when he showed up on the podium to conduct the proceedings! Other tunes echo more of the Mothers Of Invention material, but with shorter selections, and lots of twists and turns along the way – all of which make the whole record this really mad pastiche of songs, sounds, and sonic interplay. Titles include "This Town Is A Sealed Tuna Sandwich", "Redneck Eats", "She Painted Her Face", "Janet's Big Dance Number", "Daddy Daddy Daddy", "The Girl's Dream", "A Nun Suit Painted On Some Old Boxes", and "Mystery Roach". LP, Vinyl record album

Hardbop albums don't get any better than this – and although drummer Dave Bailey only recorded for a brief stretch as a leader, this session's one that shows that he was a heck of a force to contend with! The record's got an intensity that easily rivals the best by Art Blakey over at Blue Note during the early 60s – but Dave's also got a slightly looser groove too – a bit more sense of humanity, and one that allows for really organic interplay between the players. There's a slight soul jazz undercurrent – especially in the piano lines of Billy Gardner – and other players in the quintet include Bill Hardman on trumpet, Frank Haynes on tenor, and Ben Tucker on bass. The group wails on an early version of Tucker's classic "Comin' Home Baby", plus other great originals like "Coffee Walk", "Lady Iris B", and "Two Feet In the Gutter". A old favorite on the south side of Chicago! LP, Vinyl record album

This beautiful record features 2 different recordings of an extended piece that Braxton wrote especially for a trio ensemble – and one recording features Braxton with Henry Threadgill and Douglas Ewart, the other features him with Roscoe Mitchell and Joseph Jarman. Both recordings feature the players on a huge host of different reed and percussion instruments, alternating freely in the kind of playful interplay that characterized the best work of the AACM. LP, Vinyl record album

Tremendous work from this lesser-known combo from Detroit – a session of work that builds strongly on the colors and changes explored by Miles Davis earlier in the 60s, but which takes things off into a whole new direction! (A Multidirection?) The horns on the record have incredible interplay – trumpet by Charles Moore and tenor from Leon Henderson, playing together with a sense of dexterity that may even beat the team of Davis and Wayne Shorter – angular one moment, softly lyrical the next, and always in pursuit of fresh tones and righteous sounds. Kenny Cox's piano is great too – an exercise in understatement at times – getting as much done with one note as other players would with five – as he slowly guides the group along, and grounds their freer expressions with a good sense of humanity. Rhythm is by Ron Brooks on bass and Danny Spencer on drums – and titles include "What Other One", "Gravity Point", "Spellbound", "Snuck In", and "Sojourn". LP, Vinyl record album

Dark genius from the always-amazing Miles Davis Quintet of the 60s – a set that's a bit more subtle than some of the group's other efforts, but no less powerful – and virtually a blueprint for countless changes to come in jazz during the next few decades! The interplay of Davis' trumpet, Wayne Shorter's tenor, and Herbie Hancock's piano is worth the price of admission alone – a force that seems to flow of its own direction, pulled three ways equally, but always emerging as a sound greater than its parts. And adding in the subtle pulse of Ron Carter on bass and nearly melodic drums of Tony Williams, the sound is even more incredible – a well-crafted and evocative sound that's far more than jazz! Titles include versions of Herbie's "Riot" and "Madness", Shorter's "Nefertiti" and "Pinocchio", and Williams' "Hand Jive". LP, Vinyl record album

Charlie Haden has made many wonderful albums over the years, in many different formats, both large and small – but this set holds a really special place in our heart, as it's got this close-up and intimate approach that really shows the world what a special musician Haden can be! Each track on the album is a duet – one with Ornette Coleman on alto, one with Keith Jarrett on piano, one with Alice Coltrane on harp, and the last with Paul Motian on drums – on long tracks that feature some really magical interplay between the musicians. The spare format is an extremely wonderful showcase for Haden's expressive bass work – and the intimacy of the tracks is different from some of the ECM recordings made during the same stretch – as the feel here is less a muted exploration of sound than it is a deeply personal interaction with some of the best talents of his generation. Tracks include "Ellen David", "For Turiya", "OC", and "For A Free Portugal". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic update of earlier soul duo modes – served up here by two of the most badass soul singers of the 70s! The album's got the smooth flow of Isaac Hayes' late 70s work – a bit of clubby rhythms at times, some soaring orchestrations at others – all in a mode that opens up into tunes that allow plenty of vocal interplay between Millie and Ike – who beautifully balance their deep soul roots and growing shift into modern soul modes. Brad Shapiro and Millie produced – giving the album some of the flavors of Jackson's late 70s work on Spring – but the Isaac Hayes presence really makes the record his own, too – as if we could imagine anything less! Titles include "Sweet Music, Soft Lights, & You", "Do You Wanna Make Love", "If I Had My Way", "Love Changes", and "You Needed Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Latin pianist Noro Morales leads his quintet in this nice moody album of instrumentals, played in a mellow jazzy vein, with a spare sound, and lots of percussion/piano interplay. The set's got a number of nice originals – like "Casemonos Ya", "Saona", and "Campanitas De Cristal" – plus Latinized versions of "Body & Soul", "Obsession", and "Piano Player's Lament". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful work from this legendary group – worth it alone for the guitar interplay between John Renbourn and Bert Jansch, but featuring sublime vocals, and fantastic use of electric bass too! LP, Vinyl record album

Super-sharp work from Shalamar – a set that was cut at the start of the 80s, but which already seems to set the tone for so many other records to come! The album's a shining jewel in the Solar Records catalog – and shows that strong style that helped the label bridge the soul and the pop charts with work like this – thanks in part to some great production work from Leon Sylvers too! The vocal interplay is wonderful – making already-catchy tunes sound even catchier – and the whole thing comes together even more with the tight electro rhythms that hold the groove together at the bottom – on titles that include "Full Of Fire", "Attention To My Baby", "Work It Out", "Some Things Never Change", "Somewhere There's A Love", "Make That Move", "This Is For The Lover In You", and "The Pop Along Kid". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few albums ever cut by singer Vi Velasco – and a great vocal follow-up to the Zoot Sims bossa albums on Colpix! Zoot plays tenor on this record too – mixing his solos with Vi's vocals in a style that's like the interplay between Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto – with a similar blend of American jazz and Brazilian roots! Arrangements are by Al Cohn and Manny Albam – and the players also include Marky Markowitz on trumpet and Jim Hall on guitar – who brings in some nice Brazilian flavors on his instrument. Titles include "Recado", "Tu E Eu", "Sem Saudades De Voce", "Exactamente Como Tu", "Nao Branques Com O Amor", and "Tenho Ritmo" – many of which are bossa versions of familiar tunes. LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful set of modal jazz tracks – recorded by the great LA pianist Jack Wilson with a young Roy Ayers! The set is amazing, and features haunting piano and vibes interplay between Ayers and Wilson – in a style that could best be summed up as LA modern modal, but which is also embellished by lots warm, lyrical twists by both of the soloists. The title cut is a totally groovy workout on Ornette Coleman's "Ramblin", and the rest of the set includes Coltrane's "Impressions", Oliver Nelson's "Stolen Moments", Lee Morgan's "The Sidewinder", and a great 3-part reading of "The Sandpiper". One of our favorite albums from the 60's, and a beautiful document of one of the lesser-known streams of jazz that was coming out of the west coast during the time – and it's key proof that Ayers was an incredible jazz player in his years before moving to soul music! LP, Vinyl record album

Really compelling large group work from Phil Woods – one of his first-ever efforts of its type, and a tremendous session that's filled with solos from a wide array of very hip players! The whole album's built around a 5-part "Rights Of Swing" work penned by Woods – a jazz modern number that's obviously taking off of Stravinsky, but without any classical overtones at all – just jazz-based instrumentation from players who include Benny Bailey on trumpet, Julius Watkins on French horn, Sahib Shihab on baritone sax, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and Curtis Fuller on trombone. The horn interplay is wonderful – and the solos are too! LP, Vinyl record album

Finer moments from Frank Zappa, but some lost moments too – given that all the tracks on the set are previously unreleased – and are pulled from both live and studio recordings during Zappa's formative late 60s/early 70s stretch! The package is a real treasure trove – a reward to fans of Frank who've waited so long for music like this – sounds to rival some of the most groundbreaking music from Zappa's years at Verve and Reprise, with incredibly deft instrumental interplay – often a bit more improvised in the live tracks than on the full albums of the time! The sound quality is pretty nice, especially given that a few of these tracks are from near-lost tapes or cassettes – and the package is very well-done – with super-heavy vinyl, and notes on all the tracks. Titles include "Sleazette", "The Walking Zombie Music", "Music From The Big Squeeze", "The Subcutaneous Peril", and "Pumped & Waxed". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing movie in sound – supposedly music (and more) that was going to be used in a film project, issued to the public while Zappa was trying to raise money for production! The album's one of the most tripped-out studio efforts to date from the group – loads of overdubbing, and wonderfully complicated instrumentation – with some especially great keyboards from Don Preston and Ian Underwood, whose keys alone almost preface the future of fusion – while, at the same time, display some key links to 20th century avant music as well! Vocals are dropped in at just the right time, but the instrumental interplay is what really makes the record special – over many short tracks that include "Mr Green Genes", "We Can Shoot You", "Dog Breath Variations", "Sleeping In A Jar", "The Legend Of The Golden Arches", "Uncle Meat", "Cruising For Burgers", and "King Kong" in many variations. LP, Vinyl record album

A dreamy exploration of south sea ideals from the great Les Baxter – a set that's got a more lightly drifting quality than some of his more percussive exotica albums, and which is awash in dreamy soundscapes penned by Les himself! The orchestrations are large and bold throughout – mixing strings and woodwinds almost in a soundtrack-y mode – but always with the light sense of interplay that makes Baxter's work so great. Titles include "Monkey Dance Of Bali", "Pearls Of Ceylon", "Tahiti: A Summer Night At Sea", "Hong Kong Cable Car", "Tramp Steamer To Singapore", "Spice Islands Sea Birds", "Harem Silks From Bombay", "Bangkok Cockfight", and "Sidewalk Cafes Of Saigon". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Donald Byrd's first albums on Blue Note – tight, soulful, and a firm statement of hardbop truth – a record that showed that Byrd was firmly on the map! The ensemble features Jackie McLean on alto, and the rhythm section includes Duke Pearson, Doug Watkins, and Lex Humphries – all of whom bring in a sense of lyrical interplay that really shows off a newer side of Byrd's trumpet that didn't emerge in earlier 50s recordings – one that opens up in the individuality of the Blue Note mode, and shakes off some of the more academic trappings of his early work with Gigi Gryce. All tunes are proud originals by Byrd himself – written with a real sense of color, tone, and timing – and titles include "Bup A Loup", "Funky Mama", "Lament", and "Amen". LP, Vinyl record album

Tremendous horn interplay from the team of Al Cohn and Zoot Sims – and a record that may well be one of the best illustrations of their famous magic together in the 50s! The record's got a way of focusing energy, yet letting each player state themselves clearly and cleanly – almost a perfect small group variation of the larger jazz modes of a generation before – carried out here by Cohn and Sims with a great balance of tone and timing, modernism and swing! There's an excellent rhythm group on the date – Mose Allison on piano, Teddy Kotick on bass, and Nick Stabulus on drums – who almost bring in a slightly soulful undercurrent, which works especially well on Sims' solo moments. Tracks include "Two Funky People", "Just You Just Me", "The Wailing Boat", "You're A Lucky Guy", "Brandy & Beer", and "Chasing The Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal work from trumpeter Ted Curson – a set that's issued under his own name, but which continues a string of key early 60s performances with tenorist Bill Barron – who's work together here with Ted is fantastic! The group has no piano – just Herb Bushler on bass and Dick Berk on drums – both players with a fluid, open sense of rhythm – one that allows for plenty of horn interplay, at a level that almost has Curson borrowing some of the lessons he learned from Mingus, then taking them into small group formation and really opening things up! Curson also blows a bit of pocket trumpet, and Barron handles some clarinet – on a set of all original material that includes a great version of Curson's "Quicksand", plus the tracks "Kassim", "East 6th Street", "Tears For Dolphy", "7/4 Funny Time", "Reava's Waltz". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from one of the most under-rated tenor players of the 60s! Jimmy Forrest was an excellent player who made only a handful of recordings at the time – but he blows with a deep confidence that should have made him one of the biggest new stars on the scene. This set's one of Jimmy's best, and features his laidback tenor in a quartet with Joe Zawinul on piano, shortly before Zawinul hooked up with Cannonball Adderley. The tracks are short, but the interplay between Forrest and Zawinul is tasty – a bit like the album made by Joe and Coleman Hawkins – and the rest of the group features Tommy Potter on bass and Clarence Johnston on drums. Titles include "Bolo Blues", "Crash Program", "By The River Saint Marie", and "I Cried For You". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little jam session from Verve – done in a style that's looser and freer than some of the JATP albums, and with a smaller group overall! Players include Stan Getz, Paul Gonsalves, and Coleman Hawkins on tenor, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, and Wynton Kelly on piano – plus bass by Wendell and drums from JC Heard. There's a rougher, more spontaneous quality here than even on some of the other Norman Granz jam session records – a feel that's almost more "real" overall, as if you were catching the players all working together in a club. Each side features 2 long tracks – one upbeat and one mellow – and the tenor interplay alone is worth the price of the record! Titles include long takes on "Dizzy Atmosphere" and "The Way You Look Tonight" – plus 2 additional ballad medleys! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most hard-burning Johnny Griffin records of the 70s – a cooking live se recorded in Tokyo, with energy that's much more freewheeling and open than his studio records of the time! The tracks are all quite long, and move with a quickly-expressive quality that's totally great – that fast-thinking tenor solo mode that Griff first forged back in Chicago, getting some great support here from a group that includes Horace Parlan on piano, Mads Vinding on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. The interplay of the rhythm section really opens up the long tracks to plenty of creative exploration – and titles include "When We Were One", "All The Things You Are", "Wee", "The Man I Love", and "Soft & Furry". LP, Vinyl record album

Only the second album from Gypsy, but one that really has the group opening up their wings to soar – especially on the longer tunes that really feature some nicely freewheeling interplay between organ and guitar! Yet even on the shorter cuts, the sound between the two is great too – driven on by some rhythms that feature very tasty use of congas, in a way that might draw some slight comparison to Santana, although these guys maybe have some more mid-American elements in the mix too, almost a dash of light Allman Brothers at times! Whatever the comparisons, though, the whole thing is great – a really under-discovered gem that deserves to be in the bigger pantheon of the time – with cuts that include "Here In The Garden", "Blind Man", "Reach Out Your Hand", "Around You", and "As Far As You Can See". LP, Vinyl record album

Early genius from Eddie Higgins – a pianist who was a big thing on the Chicago scene of the 60s, but is probably best known to most folks for his revival records of the past decade or two! The younger Higgins has more of an edge than the later one – and this self-titled debut is a cooker of a hardbop album – thanks not only to work from Eddie's core trio, but also some great horn interplay from Frank Foster on tenor and Paul Seranno on trumpet! Eddie wrote some of the best cuts on the record – some really fresh numbers – and he gets rhythmic help from either Richard Evans or Jim Atlas on bass, and Marshall Thompson on drums. Higgins titles include "Foot's Bag", "Zarac The Evil One", and "AB's Blues" – and the album also features versions of "Blues For Big Scotia" and "Falling In Love With Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Jazz funk genius from Freddie Hubbard in the mid 70s! Gleam was a Japanese-only double album from the jazz giant in its original release – mighty funky at times, too – right up there with some of the best Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock Japanese sets from the 70s! It's a live set captured in March of '75 at Tokyo's Yubin Chokin Hall – long numbers played by a group that includes Freddie on trumpet, Carl Randall on tenor and flute, George Cables on electric piano, Henry Franklin on bass, Carl Burnett on drums, and Buck Clark on percussion! Each player has plenty of space to groove, and it's very well captured – you can hear the most expressive solos and the most subtle nuances. Some great solos by Freddie and the rest of the players – breathless tenor & flute by Randall, keys by Cables that are jazz funk perfection and interplay between Burnett's drums and Clark's congas & percussion that's somehow tense and comfortable at the same time. The shortest number in the set runs more than the 7 minutes and the longest is more than 20 minutes – and none is one second shorter than necessary, actually leaving us pining for more – making it all the more vital in the double album format. Released on 2CDs for the first time ever here! How this great album has been so hard to find over the years is a mystery. Titles include "Kuntu", "Spirits Of Trane", an amazing cover of Stevie Wonder's "Too High", "Midnight At The Oasis", "Ebony Moonbeams", and "Put It In The Pocket". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful work from Jamal's early Chicago years – and a perfectly titled set that really gets at the differences he made in modern jazz! The tunes are wonderfully fluid, soulful, and swinging – but not in the gutbuckety style of other trios of the time, more in a lightly modern style that features almost equal interplay between Jamal's piano, the bass of Israel Crosby, and the guitar of the wonderful Ray Crawford – who really ads an amazing touch to the record. Tracks include the great original "New Rhumba", plus cool versions of "Jeff", "Darn That Dream", "Spring Is Here", and "All Of You". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe one of the greatest albums to come from the Montreal club scene of the late 70s – a set that revels in the no-holds-barred approach that usually had Canadian disco records stretching out with really long tracks, and plenty of great instrumentation in the mix! This set's a monster of live percussion and electric elements – fast-snapping drums, congas, and bongos – mixed with great keyboards, riffing guitar, and some nice moogy moments too – all with just a touch of vocals from time to time, but mostly a very key focus on the instrumental interplay! Titles include the seminal "The Break", "Djaga Boogie Woogie", "Don't Stop Keep On", "There's Only Been A Few", and "Mi Corazon". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful wonderful set from Barney Kessel – bossa-inflected jazz, and a wonderful setting for Barney to hit some very groovy lines on electric guitar! The group on the date is part of the strength of the record – with Conte Candoli on trumpet, Emil Richards on vibes, Paul Horn on flute, and Victor Feldman on piano – with loads of great percussion and guitar interplay on the set, plus some excellent use of flute and vibes – all of which makes for the sort of session that really translates the Brazilian groove into the best sort of sound the LA scene was cutting at the time! Nice, light, and dancing rhythms – and titles that include "Love", "Days Of Wine & Roses", "Latin Dance #1", "Lady Byrd", and "One Note Samba". LP, Vinyl record album

A strange and tasty little album that Roland Kirk made with organist Jack McDuff in the early 60s – one of his few outings in such a format, and a smoking little session that almost makes us wish he'd cut more of them! The format is relatively simple – with lots of interplay between McDuff's organ and Kirk's range of reeds (tenor, manzello, stritch, flute, and siren on this record!) And given that both players have a good sense of whimsy that still always manages to swing nicely, the pairing is a strong one – and makes for a record that's slightly different for both artists. Titles include "Makin Whoopie", "Funk Underneath", "Kirk's Work", "Three for Dizzy", and "Doin' the Sixty-Eight". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet soulful set from Herbie Mann – one that has the jazz flautist taking on the 60s sound of Memphis! This album was such a big hit for Herbie that it's easy to forget the sheer raw power of the group – a mighty quartet that included Roy Ayers on vibes, and both Sonny Sharrock and Larry Coryell on guitars – jamming with a hard but ragged edge, and getting some tighter backing here by a hip Memphis soul rhythm section! The groove is great, with a heavier, funkier approach than Herbie was using on previous albums – and the tunes are all nice and long, with plenty of room for really great instrumental interplay! Titles include "Hold On, I'm Comin", "Chain Of Fools", and "Memphis Underground". LP, Vinyl record album

A superb set of duets between Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams – a set that's a key part of Johnny's rise into soul music during the 70s, and one that also forms a cornerstone of the early career of Deniece Williams too! Williams' soaring vocal range is a great match for the trademark Mathis modes – and the pair take on some great tunes that are mostly in a midtempo groove, which allows for all this fantastic interplay between the vocals – at a level that really shows what the duo can do together, and how they're not just two superstars who happened to be in the same studio. Titles include "You're All I Need To Get By", "Ready Or Not", "Touching Me With Love", "Me For You You For Me", and "Until You Come Back To Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection of Thelonious Monk's early pre-LP recordings for Blue Note – seminal not only for the label's commitment to a modernist bop ideal, but also for Monk's integration in the growing collection of top-level jazz players on the New York scene! The work is notable also for the fact that Monk's playing sometimes in larger group settings – not just trio ones – and here, his early writing for and interplay with saxes and trumpet certainly has a strong effect on the development of modern jazz in the 50s – as you'll hear on tracks that include work from players like Sahib Shihab and Lou Donaldson on alto, Milt Jackson on vibes, and Idrees Suliman and Kenny Dorham on trumpets – depending on the volumes. Art Blakey is on drums throughout – and titles on this first volume include "Round Midnight", "In Walked Bud", "Thelonious", "Epistrophy", "Misterioso", "Well You Needn't", and "Off Minor". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite Lee Morgan albums, and one of his least known – a set recorded in the crucial last five years of his life, and a sparkling mix of hard bop, soul jazz, and slight bits of modernism – that magical mix that Lee was hitting as he reached farther and farther with his music – an amazing legacy in jazz that has us loving every Morgan session from 1965 onward! Lee's playing in very comfortable territory, with a group that includes Bennie Maupin on tenor, Cedar Walton on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – but that doesn't mean that the proceedings are relaxed at all, because the interplay between the players is flawless, and they use their familiarity as a great springboard to soar off into rich new territory. Lee wrote all the tunes on the record – like "Caramba", "Suicide City", and "Soulita". An excellent record throughout, and one that we'd never part with! LP, Vinyl record album

A great pairing of two of the coolest jazz talents of the 50s – icy-cool altoist Paul Desmond and warm-toned baritonist Gerry Mulligan! The group here continues the pianoless tradition of some of Mulligan's work of the decade – leaving plenty of room for amazing interplay between the horns, and a rare chance to hear Desmond away from the instrument – especially considering his work with Brubeck – blowing here in an airy, willowy tone that's totally great. Other players include Joe Benjamin on bass and Dave Bailey on drums – and titles include "Blues In Time", "Standstill", "Line For Lyons", and "Fall Out". LP, Vinyl record album

Procol Harum are definitely on home turf here – really honing, really focusing their energy – with a sound that seems to create this almost perfect interplay between the guitars of Robin Trower and vocals of Gary Brooker – two key elements of the group's sound that are even better here than on previous elements, especially when augmented by all the cool, unusual elements they always give us with their music. Brooker's got this bluesy quality, but the lyrics by Keith Reid often have this uniquely poetic vibe – one that's never overdone or pretentious, maybe because of the vocal quality – and which finds its own special space here on tunes that include "The Dead Man's Dream", "Whisky Train", "Barnyard Story", "Whaling Stories", "Your Own Choice", and "Still There'll Be More". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe not the first album by Queen, but the record that really put them on the map – as the group create a wonderful sense of interplay between all the elements that make them so great – while also using the studio in ways the group had never dared before – taking their transcendent sound to the skies, and forever changing the face of rock in the 70s! The highlight of this approach, of course, is the groundbreaking "Bohemian Rhapsody" – one of the most unlikely pop hits of the time – served up here alongside the easier hit "You're My Best Friend" – in a masterful assemblage of tracks that also includes "I'm In Love With My Car", "39", "Sweet Lady", "Seaside Rendezvous", "The Prophet's Song", "God Save The Queen", "Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon", and "Death On Two Legs". LP, Vinyl record album

A really revelatory recording – material recorded by German trumpeter Manfred Schoof in 1966, and easily some of the most avant material set to tape on the scene at the time! The timing and presentation is similar to Schoof's better-known session for Hans Wewerke, but the overall sound here is even more groundbreaking – free sonic interplay within an incredible lineup that features Schoof on cornet and flugelhorn, Gerd Dudek on tenor, Alexander Von Schlippenbach on piano, Buschi Niebergall on bass, and Jacky Liebeziet on drums – heard here years before his work in Can! There's a great balance here between loose structure and free improvisation – very much at the top of the class for the European scene at the moment – and titles include "Voices", "Tropi", "Roots & Collage", "Adjustment", and "Rhythm Change". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful setting for the guitar of John Scofield – one that really brings out all the rich chromes of his early work on the instrument! The group's a trio – with Adam Nussbaum on drums and Steve Swallow on bass – and in a way, there's a vibe here that reminds us of some of the interaction between Swallow and guitarist Larry Coryell on the 60s RCA albums by Gary Burton – this fresh sense of color and interplay, as Scofield uses his instrument at a level that's tuneful, but also in a painterly way. Titles include "Yawn", "Dr Jackle", "Why'd You Do It", "Shinola", and "Jean The Bean". LP, Vinyl record album

Arguably one of the best 50s jazz sessions on west coast powerhouse label Contemporary – superbly recorded, and done in a format that really breaks from the format of a lot of LA jazz at the time! The whole thing's incredibly relaxed – really allowing for a lot of space to hear the playing of leader/bassist Leroy Vinnegar, and making for some great small group interplay between musicians that include Victor Feldman on vibes, Gerald Wilson on trumpet, Teddy Edwards on tenor, and Carl Wilson on piano. Tracks are longish, with great arrangements (some by Feldman), and titles include "Walk On", "Would You Like To Take A Walk", "Walkin", and "Walkin By The River". LP, Vinyl record album

Far-reaching and incredibly soulful work from Mal Waldron and Gary Peacock! Both players are at the height of their powers here, and have a warmth and sense of interplay that makes the session one of the best they did alone or together during the time. The group's a trio, with Hiroshi Murakami added in on bass – and the overall feel is similar to some of the best Japanese trio sessions of the early 70s, with great recording, long drawn-out introspective songs, and free unbridled playing that you don't always get on American sessions by the same players. Titles include "Walking Way", "What's That", "She Walks In Beauty", and "The Heart Of The Matter". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice trio side from the rhythm section that fueled Miles' classic quintet. Ron, Herbie & Tony developed an advanced interplay backing Miles, almost telepathic, with just the right amount of space & a great harmonic underpinning, and this is one of the few trio sides they cut. Most of the tunes are penned by the members of the group, and include the great title track, "Dolphin Dance", "United Blues" & "Lawra". LP, Vinyl record album

A great early album from Con Funk Shun – a mix of funkier tunes and some excellent smooth modern ones in step with the mellower work by Cameo or Maze – done with more soaringly emotional sounds that moves beyond their peers! A love for earlier 70s styles might be what pushes Secrets above and beyond – honest, intimate, and at times just more focused in the vocals department than both the funky soul groups of the time and the quiet storm singers of the approaching early 80s – and still doesn't spare the bass, horns and funky interplay! High points include the closing instrumental "Indian Summer Love" and funky centerpiece "Ffun" –plus "Doowhachawannadoo", "Who Has The Time", "Secrets", "Tear In My Eye" and "I'll Set You Out OK". LP, Vinyl record album

Two fusion giants – but working here in acoustic formation, and without any other instrumentation at all! The setting is a great one – and really opens up our appreciation of both Larry Coryell and Steve Khan – as their interplay here on acoustic guitars is wonderfully unfettered, but every bit as expressive as if both of these guys were plugged in! Moments have the dexterity of a record by Paco DeLucia or Al Di Meola – but other points echo the broader chromes that Khan does especially well – opening up on these flowing lines that really take flight. Titles include "Spain", "Juju", "St Gallen", "Footprints", and "General Moto's Well Laid Plan". LP, Vinyl record album

The Fania All Stars pay tribute to older Latin great Tito Rodriguez – in a set of shorter tracks that's really the group's first true outing in the studio! The format here is quite different than the earlier live albums cut by the group – a sound that's a bit more focused, and without as much of the free solo interplay as before. Instead, there's a greater presence of the singers – as you might expect in a tribute to Tito – with lead vocals by Hector Lavoe, Ismael Quintana, Ruben Blades, and Justo Betancourt. Instrumentalists on the session include Willie Colon, Ray Barretto, Larry Harlow, Johnny Pacheco, Richardo Ray, and Roberto Roena – and titles include "Fue En Santiago", "Vuela La Paloma", "Cara De Payaso", "Involvidable", and "Tiemblas". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer set from Joe Farrell – one of the 70s greatest reed players, and an always-exciting talent who was one of the first artists to really use the extended CTI format to break into a whole new level! The set's a drawn-out quintet side, with Chick Corea on electric piano, Buster Williams on bass, Elvin Jones on drums, and Airto on percussion. Farrell was playing with Jones at the time, and the album's got some of their strong choppy reed/percussion interplay – but with a sharpness and focus that you don't always hear on Elvin's records! Tracks are all long – and titles include "Outback", "Sound Down", and "Bleeding Orchid". LP, Vinyl record album

The last album that Felt recorded for Cherry Red – and maybe their biggest early success too! The tracks are shorter and tighter than earlier releases – still very much concerned with the group's magical interplay of guitar and keyboards, but also going for a mode that really pushes Lawrence forward as a front man – singing in one of the most enigmatic pop voices of the 80s, with a style that stretches back to Dylan, but which also has a colder, more self-conscious style of the post-punk years. Titles include the group's seminal "Primitive Painters", a duet with Liz Frasier – plus the tracks "The Day The Rain Came Down", "Scarlet Servants", "My Darkest Light Will Shine", "Black Ship In The Harbour", and "Southern State Tapestry". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic duets between Ella & Louis – done in a sweet mode that only could have been handled by Verve in the 50s! Backings are in a nice small combo mode, and Ella and Louis carry most of the set with their great vocal interplay – warm, personal, and pretty darn charming – in a mode that should be hokey, but comes across great! Oscar Peterson's group provides backing – with Ray Brown on bass and Herb Ellis on guitar – and titles include "Love Is Here To Stay", "I Won't Dance", "The Nearness Of You", "Cheek To Cheek", "Moonlight In Vermont", "Can't We Be Friends", and "A Foggy Day". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite LPs from Chico, son of the great Von Freeman, and carrier of the torch of that great jazz family that included modernist drummer Bruz and leftfield funk jazz guitarist George. The group here includes Cecil McBee on bass, Muhal Richard Abrams on piano, Steve McCall on drums and Tito Sampo on percussion, and though the record references the AACM on the back, the playing has the less of the playful sensibilities many recordings from the AACM have and more of the searching spiritual quality of a post-Coltrane effort. The first side is a lengthy duet between Chico and bassist McBee, while the second side is the quintet recorded live, with some dynamic group interplay that recalls a Strata East type sound. LP, Vinyl record album

A great lost Verve album that stands as one of Stan Getz's best sessions from the early 60s – a brilliant pairing with Bob Brookmeyer that shows just how much each player had grown in the past decade! There's a strongly modernist feel to the record – more Brookmeyer's influence than Getz's usual bag – with long tracks that move almost airily at times, and which feature some beautiful interplay between tenor and trombone. Rhythm is by a very hip trio of Steve Kuhn on piano, Roy Haynes on drums, and John Neves on bass – and the work's got a great balance between freedom and more focused blowing! Titles include "Minuet Circa 61", "Thump, Thump, Thump", and "Who Could Care". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible, and oft-overlooked album from the great Benny Golson – and one of the few early albums that really point the way to his huge run of work for decades to come! The style here is a bit looser, and more open than some of Golson's previous albums – less of a focus on arrangements, and more on the spontaneous interplay between his tenor and the crack rhythm section – which features Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – a dream lineup who really make the record sparkle. But the real star of the show is Golson – who's hitting this raspy, soulful tone he never had before – much freer of soul jazz formalities, and with a modern edge that's wonderful – as you'll hear on titles that include "Alone Together", "Turning Point", "Stella By Starlight", and "Dear Kathy". LP, Vinyl record album

Drummer Roy Haynes always brings something great to the table for any album he does as a leader – and this record is no exception! Here, the "added something" is the presence of Roland Kirk on reeds – offered a key early chance to express his most modern ideas in the freedom of Haynes' group – working alongside Tommy Flanagan on piano and Henry Grimes on bass, in what was easily one of the hippest groups to record for Impulse in the early 60s! The record's filled with wonderful material – and a mix of originals and standards done with a very twisted edge – all with great interplay between Kirk's quirky sax work and Roy Haynes' amazing drumming – often changing up timings and rhythms with ease, and really matching Kirk's quirky energy for the set. Titles include "Moon Ray", "Raoul", "Snap Crackle", and "Long Wharf". LP, Vinyl record album

Heavy sounds from Iron Butterfly – a record that's not nearly as well known as their classic In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida – but which has a very similar vibe all the way through! The songs are a bit shorter, but these guys really manage to do a lot with a little – using lots of brooding bass right up from the bottom, to create a blueprint for hard rock imitators in years to come – none of whom were able to match these guys' simple, direct approach – and their optimistic sense of power in their music. Many numbers often have this vocal interplay that really works wonderful with the fuzzy guitar lines – and titles include "Possession", "Unconscious Power", "So Lo", "Look For The Sun", "Stamped Ideas", "Fields Of The Sun", and a nice fuzzy funk version of "Get Out Of My Life Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the first albums ever from the team of Jackie Caine and Roy Kral – and one of the best, too! The album's got a relaxed, open-ended approach to jazz vocals that already carries all the hallmarks of the Jackie & Roy style – wordless scatting on some tunes, playful lyrical interplay on others, and a focus on Jackie's ballad talents on some of the gentler numbers – all wrapped up in small combo backing that's sensitive, creative, and modern – yet never in a way that overwhelms the vocals. It's hard to match the poise, class, and cleverness of this one – and the album easily set a new standard for vocal jazz in the 50s! Titles include a few great early tunes by Tommy Wolf – the songwriter who would become so important for the pair – and backing is by Roy on piano, Barney Kessel on guitar, Red Mitchell on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums. Titles include "Let's Take A Walk Around The Block", "You Smell So Good", "Listen Little Girl", "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most", "Bill's Bit", "Dahuud", "I Wish I Were In Love Again", and "Lover". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent 70s set by Jackie & Roy – very different than their work of the 50s and 60s, with an approach that's much more far-reaching and complicated – a style that opens up their vocal talents majestically! Gone are the simpler ditties of earlier years, and in their place are warmly gliding numbers that open up to really unique vocal interplay – sometimes with Jackie in the lead, but other times trading back and forth with all the kind of complicated inflections you'd expect from early 70s CTI! Don Sebesky handled the arrangements with a great mix of spacey and breezy sounds – some slight electric touches at the bottom, but never in a way that makes the record too slick or smooth. Titles include a great version of "Bachinas Brasileiras #5", plus "Heading", "Summer Song", and "Lazy Afternoon". LP, Vinyl record album

After the success of Jarrett's Standards Trio recording, he revisits the format with Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette – the first ever live recordings of this incredible trio in action! Like the studio recordings, this set features roomy, lyrical readings of standards, in a way, reminiscent of classic Bill Evans approaches to similar material – with a relaxed, moody spin on the proceedings. The tried-and-true material is given fresh life by the players, who roll from a looser dynamic with each player having their moments, to some tighter interplay in the heart of the tunes – and the appreciative French audience helping with the mood! 6 numbers: "Stella By Starlight", "The Wrong Blues", "Falling In Love With Love", "To Young To Go Steady", "The Way You Look tonight" and "The Old Country". LP, Vinyl record album

Magical interplay from the twin-trombone team of JJ Johnson and Kai Winding – heard here on one of their key classics for Columbia Records in the 50s! The great thing about the set is the way in which both players really bring a sense of "voice" to their music – trading back and forth almost like two friends chatting in friendly conversation – but managing to do so with a lot more swing than most! Backings are by Dick Katz on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Osie Johnson on drums – and there's a short, simple brilliance to these tunes that's hard to deny. Titles include "We Two", "It's Sand Man", "Give Me The Simple Life", "Turnabout", and "Trombone For Two". LP, Vinyl record album

Margie Joseph gets a hipper treatment than on earlier records – a mix of east coast styles that adds in some Philly and early modern mellow arrangements, both of which provide a great contrast to Margie's southern-tinged vocals! The approach here is great – a fulling up and fleshing out of Joseph's initial promise – with strong arrangements from Arif Mardin, focused around smaller combo backing by players who include Bernard Purdie on drums, Richard Tee on keyboards, and Norman Harris on guitars. The groove is nice and lean on the bottom, but Margie's vocals are augmented by a brace of backing singers – Judy Clay, Cissy Houston, and others – all of whom create a sense of interplay that's similar to Aretha Franklin with The Sweet Inspirations on earlier records. But Margie's also upfront in the mix on most numbers – singing personally, and somewhat intimately with an easygoing sense of soul. Titles include Margie's own "Ridin' High", Paul Kelly's "Come Lay Some Lovin On Me" and "Come With Me", Norman Harris' "(Strange) I Still Love You", and a great version of Stevie Wonder's "To Know You Is To Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

Very very very groovy stuff by this masterful jazz vibist, recorded with a sort of late 60s swingin' feel – but still very much in the pocket and warm as a summer breeze! Lytle has a pretty remarkable way of playing the vibes with speed and energy, yet the overall feel still has kind of a relaxed West Coast vibe – a beautiful blend that rivals, if not beats, the sound of Cal Tjader on late 60s Verve! Jimmy Foster grooves along on organ, and the interplay with Lytle is key to the classic sound – but the whole group is great here – Major Holley on bass, Peppy Hinant on drums and Don Alias on conga, which brings in plenty of Latin kick. 6 of the 10 numbers are Lytle originals, including "Done It Again", "Sleepy Dozier", "Zote", "Jungle Child" and "Happy Preacher" – plus "If Ever I Should Leave You", "People" and "The Nearness Of You". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few great records that alto saxophonist Charlie Mariano cut with Shelly Manne – and a heck of a wonderful record that really set a new tone for Shelly's groove at the time! Things here are a bit looser and freer than before – longer tracks with more room for solos to really take flight – yet still a sense of modern arrangement that marked the Manne sound from its inception. The group's a quintet with Stu Williamson on trumpet, Russ Freeman on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Mariano on some especially nice alto solos – and the interplay between Charlie and Stu easily rivals the best Bethlehem recordings by the pair at the time. Titles include the excellent 10 minute "Pint Of Blues", an original by Charlie – plus Bill Holman's extended "Quartet", and versions of "The Wind", "Moose The Mooche", and "Tommyhawk". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost classic from one of the greatest Brazilian sax players ever! Paulo handled all the arrangements himself, and the group's an all star one that features Pascoal Meirelles on drums, Wagner Tiso on piano, Luiz Carlos on bass, plus additional tenor sax, trumpet, and trombone next to Moura's alto sax. The set's a beautiful batch of warmly painted tunes – awash with color and life, showing both Moura's talent for lyrical interplay, and his tendency to blow in edgier styles. Titles include "Travessia", "No Brilho Da Faca", "General Da Banda", "Outubro", "Nem Precisou Mais Um Sol", and "Das Tardes Mais Sos". LP, Vinyl record album

A live album from the mighty Frankie Beverly and Maze – and a set that's every bit as important as their studio classics for Capitol Records! It's always a sign of how huge Frankie Beverly was during the 80s that Capitol let him cut not one, but two double live albums during the early part of the decade – and this one, his first, has the band grooving wonderfully before a crowd going mad in the Crescent City – while the group keep all the perfection, sharp grooves, and sophisticated soul that they had on record! The songs retain all the charm of the studio renditions – and are stretched out a bit more in the live setting, with some really nice interplay with the crowd – who are clearly going nuts in the presence of the group. Titles include the famous live version of "Joy & Pain" – sampled heavily back in the day – plus other classics that include live takes on "Happy Feelins", "Southern Girl", "Look At California", "Before I Let Go", "We Need Love To Love", "The Look In Your Eyes", "Running Away", "Reason", "Feel That You're Fallin", "You", and "Changing Times". LP, Vinyl record album

The title's a reference to place once referenced by Edgar Allan Poe – but the music is very firmly grounded in reality, and comes from an improvised performance in Chicago by this very all-star ensemble! The album features one long track – "Quaanaq" – served up with really creative interplay between a quintet that features Joe McPhee on tenor and pocket trumpet, Dave Rempis on alto and baritone, Tomeka Reid on cello, Brandon Lopez on bass, and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums – all coming together in the best tradition of Windy City free jazz players working with key out of town talent! The blend of bass and cello at the heart of the music is really wonderful, and Paal makes sure to only step forward boldly when McPhee and Rempis are ready to let loose themselves – and the trio really balance the power of their expressions to make sure that Reid and Lopez get a chance to shape some more sensitive moments. LP, Vinyl record album

Surprisingly great post-Philly International work from Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – recorded at a time when the group had actually let a female singer into their ranks! Sharon Paige is the lady here – and she creates a nice sense of interplay with the male singers in the group – that sort of back and forth that you might find in some of Al Hudson's work with One Way, or in a variety of other funky club acts who were rising in the mainstream at the time. Harold Melvin produced, and there's some definite late Philly moments in the tracks "Prayin" and "Baby I'm Back" – but the greatest charm of the album possibly comes from tracks that change things up a bit, including "I Should Be Your Lover", "Tonight's The Night", and "Your Love Is Taking Me On A Journey". LP, Vinyl record album